Can Liverpool Sustain Their New Found Momentum?

Or will it be a rather unfamiliar sad end to their season which has constantly threaten to be derailed week to week with unending stories of boardroom disputes and ownership changes? While the team played well enough against a disinterested West Ham side that bordered on embarrassment, fans and owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks continued to bicker and one wonders if this will ever end considering that Hicks has steadfastly refused to sell the club till his own private valuation is met or he would just sit tight and pump any profits from Liverpool to his other two American sports franchises, which do not exactly do very well in any case on most occasions. Surely he must realise that if this were to continue till the end of the season, players like Gerrard and Torres might actually horror of horrors, start to consider their futures elsewhere because nobody wants to play for an unsettled club which has its trophy tilts threatened by instability within the club. It is a lose lose situation for the large Texan and if he were truly a businessman, he should realise that business in sports has a large emotional quotient tied to it and it might be better for him to take what he can now and leave.

On the field, Torres made Liverpool look good upfront despite players missing a whole boatload of chances created. The good thing is that the Anfield club continues to create lots of chances, but the bad thing is that without Torres, they continue to look toothless upfront and confidence never carries from game to game, in fact, they often have to rely on scoring first and early before the nerves are settled, even in front of their own fans. Benitez really should spend less time on his tactical selections and strategies as they are good enough and perhaps employ a decent sports psychologist to get the mental part of his team's game up to par with everything else. The real quality that separates the Manchester Uniteds and Arsenals from Liverpool is the mental edge that even mediocre players like Darren Fletcher seem to have compared to other more talented Liverpool players like Babel or Alonso, regardless of position. And it is this factor that Liverpool must brush up on in order to sustain their new found momentum on the last remaining Champions League spot in the English Premier League, or risk losing it to a 'small club' that Benitez so famously, and foolishly, branded Everton.

Newcastle New Manager Harry Redknapp

Harry Redknapp will be the new Newcastle manager. It takes more than a man to take up the job. You need someone crazy or supremely confident of himself. Harry Redknapp is halfway between those two. And judging from reliable sources, the bookmaking odds are that Harry Redknapp will be Newcastle manager. We all know what happened a while back when there were suspicions of odds fixing relating to his appointment at Portsmouth. This might be a similar case looking at the flow of bets going on him.

An insider from Newcastle also mentioned that the new appointment will be "British", as Harry is. Of course, that is quite a long shot, but if you align what Harry said that he was recently approached to manage a massive club but turned it down, and that former Spurs vice-chairman Paul Kemsley had recommended him to the club before Ramos was approached, and that Mike Ashley is good pals with Kemsley, then you have further strong argument for this to happen.

And finally, you have the 'Redknapp' catchphrase where you know things are developing but nobody's saying anything. "I really do not know anything about this." Yes Harry, sure. But say that you do not want the job. You didn't.

If Redknapp does become Newcastle manager, I wonder if he can continue to have the Midas touch. Of course, we all know that he's pretty nifty with bringing small unfashionable clubs like West Ham and Portsmouth to mid-table respectability, and sometimes Europe. But Newcastle is something else (and that's only because the club and fans think so). However, seeing as how Redknapp's recent transfer policy has concentrated on African flair, perhaps this could provide some sort of attacking entertainment that Tyneside demands.

Harry Redknapp the new Newcastle Manager - can you picture that?

Sam Allardyce Sacked By Newcastle

Sam Allardyce has been sacked by Newcastle and it was all predicted by the Soccer Rag when the appointment was first made. He was never ever the right choice for a club with fans still living in past glories and thinking they can play their way out of trouble and toward glorydom. Newcastle no longer has the money (despite some owners with decently deep pockets) nor the allure for established quality players to choose it as their next destination. Don't even talk to me about Michael Owen. The guy is clearly washed up and should not even be in Newcastle reserves much less the England team. If you know him from his Liverpool days, he relies solely on speed. Bad first touch, and practically everything else (now). Robbie Fowler might have been a clown, but he became God because he had everything, except a good first touch.

Now who will replace Allardyce at Newcastle? I am not sure if anyone would come close. Would Jose Mourinho be a candidate? Given his propensity for the Midas touch, perhaps the one person who could really revive this sorry club would be Mourinho. Mourinho for Newcastle manager? Seriously, can Newcastle fans accept dour but winning football? Doubtful. And after London life, I don't think Mourinho's family would fancy the grey skies of Tyneside.

Now a possible one could be Rafael Benitez. Why? No wait. He loves to pump the ball up to his strikers. No no for the cultured Newcastle football fans.

I think they might do well to ask Sir Bobby Robson back. Except that a decent guy like him should not be subjected to such a cursed seat anymore. Definitely the most jinxed and cursed seat in football - that of being Newcastle football manager.

Alan Hutton To Not Join Spurs And Many Other Players Too

Tottenham have announced that they will no longer pursue their interest in Rangers full-back Alan Hutton. It is more likely that Alan Hutton is not interested at all and has ended all negotiation. And who would be interested when the supposedly interested club's manager comes out and says "Who are you?"

Worse was to follow when Ramos target Ajax defender Urby Emanuelson decided to resist Spurs' overtures as well and stay with Ajax. This was after advice from ex-Spurs midfielder Edgar Davids:

"[Spurs] are a great club, but you should not join them. You are an Ajax player, you are young and talented, so you only need to go to a top club in England, Spain or Italy."

How true.

So now Spurs will stick to 'essential' signings like getting players from Cardiff. From where? Yes, I heard you.

English FA Cup 6/1/2008 - Stoke vs Newcastle

A battling performance by the strugglers from Newcastle have stayed the hand of execution on Sam Allardyce. It might actually save him the job and lead to an "Alex Ferguson", but in truth, I only see it as just some extra money for him before he finally gets booted out of the Tyneside soccer club. The simple fact is that Allardyce does not have the style that would buy Newcastle fans over, and this is a club that is really run by fans. They chase their managers out of the job before any real results could be had.

For Allardyce and his counterpart at Liverpool, most of the better players would not want to join their clubs. Torre would be an exception to the rule, but just as much as players have become mercenaries in today's game, they also know that the clubs that win trophies are the ones who can afford to pay them more. It just goes to show how much Liverpool might have wasted on average players since winning the Champions League.

FA Cup 6/1/2008 - Luton Town vs Liverpool

Awful. Simply awful. Liverpool just keeps getting worse with each game. They started the match brightly enough, putting Luton under pressure with some bright play from Babel and Youssi. But it quickly degenerated into a war of attrition as they struggled to cope with Luton's aggressive pressure. Granted it was another 'new' team put out up Rafa. While he might insist that soccer is now at such a level that tactics require differentiation every game, but unless you have robots for players, they are going to struggle coping with different players in their surrounding positions every game.

You have to admit it - most footballers aren't very smart. Sure they might be street smart, but on the field, it takes another level of tactical awareness and players in England are more inclined to have their chick radar up instead of spending their evenings going through set plays. I would hope that Rafa has a group that will do the latter. But when your captain relies more on gung-hoisms every game then you know where you are headed.

And that's out of the club gates for Rafa, according to some media quarters over the weekend. There have been suggestions that Jose Mourinho could be on his way to Anfield. If so, I am not sure how that would help, except to put Liverpool on a long unbeaten home run and winning some trophies. Now you mentioned it, yes that would help a lot. But Anfield fans looking for entertainment, be ready to stay away.

Juande Ramos Is At The Wrong Club

Shocker of the weekend came right after the Tottenham vs Reading FA Cup match, when, during the post-match press conference, Juande Ramos dropped this bomb:

"Who is Hutton?"

This was in response to a reporter's question about Spurs target Alan Hutton of Rangers, who earlier in the week had spurned the English Premier League club's advances.

I'm not so sure if Ramos or past Spurs performances have made it clear to the club management, and specifically Sporting Director Damien Comolli. But the players they (Comolli) have bought are downright awful (other than Berbatov) and are clearly not good enough to cut it in the EPL. It's clearly obvious that they are continuing in the same vein though.

Ramos can only do so much with his tactics and style - give him a team of third rate players and you'll get third rate results no matter what strategies - because the other teams will buy better players.

FA Cup 5/1/2008 - FA Cup Magic Is Upon Us Again

Or is it? While the FA Cup will always have its place in history and we will never forget the magical moments when the giants were shot down. However, when was the last time we really saw a major upset in the FA Cup? Meaning that, a first team from one of the big EPL teams slipping on banana skins laid by the true minnows of the lower division?

The real reason why the FA Cup has lost its allure is because the leading EPL teams no longer see it as a trophy worth winning. Sure, it can be a substitute if you no longer have a chance being Champions of England (e.g. Liverpool and Chelsea). But with the Big Four consistently fielding weakened sides until the final, losing to a minnow really does not mean much of an upset except in name. After all, most of the second string sides they put out are disjointed and prone to upsets anyway. Despite this, in recent seasons, how often do you still see the four teams winning the competition come May?

However, the competition remains a temporary financial boost for the smaller clubs. What they all want is a shot at the EPL teams (unless it's Middlesbrough or Derby) with the increase gate takings and publicity. Perhaps the biggest winner this weekend would be QPR, although it would depend if London's Manchester United could see enough fans wanting to see them playing such a team. It could be the best time for them to get some goal action though, seeing as how that has dried up somewhat recently.

Much of the attention has been focused on Liverpool's Benitez and Newcastle's Big Sam as their futures are on the line. It might be safe to say that Benitez should have a walk in the park with his cup expertise (and really, he is only good at that in England) against a team hovering on extinction in Luton (who incidentally, might see this as a blessing too with a top team visiting). Sam Allardyce though, looks set for the sack. Winning this game might not be enough - he has to win it in style. If they struggle (as I expect them to), no doubt the fans would turn on the heat.

And what of Manchester United? They visit Villa Park, and in truth, another easy win on the card. But O'Neill's team has been a ninja waiting to pounce in the shadows. I smell an upset, or is it, really?

Liverpool Fast Becoming Joke Of English Football

When your title challenge was ultimately beaten down and rubbed deep into the ground by an ex-Newcastle player who should have stayed at Tyneside given his natural art of defensive talents, you deserve nothing more than boos and ridicule. The only way to save Rafa's job now is to convince Liverpool's American owners to part with a few hundred million quid for a first-class team.

Of course, they have to leave the buying to someone who could actually spot proper decent class. I must say the owners have to share the blame. One of them could afford a multi-million pound deal for a baseball player yet balks at the manager's request for reinforcements. If they wanted to make loads of money from football, they chose the wrong club. After Spurs, Liverpool has probably the most demanding set of fans. Not only do they want beautiful passing football (like Spurs), they want to win as well (unlike Spurs).

Maybe they could start by buying Title Bramble.

Manchester United Treating Fans Like Idiots

First, there was the Roy Keane prawn sandwich jibe. Now, you have Alex Ferguson comparing the Theatre of Dreams to a funeral parlor. Then one of their fan clubs' leaders accused the club of being a 'police state'.

Why didn't anyone use the appropriate term - Sex Club?

Well, ok, they didn't exactly have the party at Old Trafford. Anyway, after accusations of being a 'police state', a United spokesman has refuted these allegations with the claims that, in four games prior to the Christmas period, there were only a total of 3 fans who were ejected. So, "Any suggestion of an ejection policy for persistent standing is simply not borne out by the facts.".

Yes, and everybody can see the logic behind that argument.

The fear instilled by a 'police state' would have been struck deep into the fans' minds. I would say that with only 3 fans ejected, it obviously shows how fantastic the Old Trafford stewards have been doing their jobs.

EPL 2/1/2008 - Newcastle vs Manchester City

If Newcastle cannot beat the worst away team in the English Premier League next to Derby, Big Sam should get the sack and the team should be relegated. Yes, Liverpool didn't beat Manchester City either, but they had Elano in the team and they were at home. The Blues are dreadful away and their influential playmaker might be benched for a rest (Sven seems to be looking for his lost England touch), while world-class striker Emile Mpenza could be slated for a return?

Newcastle needs enfant terrible Joey Barton back in the team for an injection of hooligan heat - without him they can huff and puff all they want but even three little pigs could blow a house down faster than a crocked Michael Owen and bumbling Martins.

Big Sam has been exposed - it's a good thing he would never be considered for the England post. There are too many English managers like him - excel with average, budget-constrained teams because there are no high expectations, and then flop disastrously when they get all the money they want once hired by a larger and higher profile club. The reason is obvious - they are not good judges of quality players.

Anyway, that said, looks for Newcastle to come out storming for the first half and take a comfortable lead before getting rocked by Manchester City. Still, I can see the Magpies squeaking out a home win.

EPL 29/12/2007 - Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough

Portsmouth does not appear to have any goalposts set up for the home team at every game, but that is set to change tonight. We all know Middlesbrough only play football when they face the big teams, and that increasingly senile Gareth Southgate, while not lacking in technical ability, seems to be devoid of any managerial pizazz. You don't need to gee up your troops when the biggies visit the town, but facing your relegation comrades require more powers of persuasion.

Add to that, Boro will not feature their captain Boateng and a few other regulars, while Portsmouth has generally been unlucky at Fratton Park. Harry "Houdini" Redknapp will continue to justify Southgate's calls for only English managers to be the England manager, and in the process provide a lesson in coaching for the younger clueless gentleman who did much better as a columnist.

EPL 29/12/2007 - Birmingham vs Fulham

Roy Hodgson will watch his team Fulham from the sidelines as they travel to St. Andrews to take on the host Birmingham. In a move apparently inspired by the owner's desire to bring attacking football back to Craven Cottage, Roy Hodgson was hired to drag Fulham out of the relegation zone. I'm not exactly sure how attacking football will come from a man known more for a dreary personality than anything on the pitch outside of international football since 1997. And with the same set of players who have shown capable of nothing besides beating a sorry Liverpool team (thankfully, only at Craven Cottage) most of the time.

Before that silly Mohamed Al Fayed (alright, he's at least got more money than all of us combined) starts dreaming about stylish football, he'd better worry about not playing the likes of Watford and Charlton next season. I'd think Hodgson would be one of the busiest managers come the January transfer window as buying their way out of trouble would still be the best bet.

Unfortunately, I doubt the Swiss renaissance (oops, he's not Swiss is he) will begin tonight. Birmingham, another team I'd love to see drop out of the EPL (but at least thankfully Bruce is no longer the head), has added another layer of steel to their side with the appointment of Alex McLeish, whom I regard highly for his achievements. He's managed to coax belief out of a team of admittedly limited potential, and it's something McLeish has to milk for all its worth right now. Another 10 games down the road and you'll see the usual return to relegation struggle for sure. McLeish has never been someone who could hold a job for long as his magic usually starts to wear off on any team after a season and a half or two. However, tonight, the magic will be in the air at St. Andrews as they squeeze a win over Fulham.

All Is Not Well At Anfield

The latest revelation of Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez being unhappy with the club's American owners have indicated that a crisis is looming at Anfield.

"It is really time for Rafa to quit talking about new players and to coach the players we have." Tom Hicks was reported to say in the Liverpool Echo.

And I do think that Hicks and fellow owner George Gillett have a point. Benitez cannot complain now that he has a squad with players he has bought himself and most of them have failed miserably. He should instead look carefully and assess his scouting system and find out why the players are coming up failures each time. Save for the occasional gem found such as Alonso, most of his other signings have not adapted to the English game. The solution cannot be to look for a quick fix by buying new players.

A word of warning to Liverpool fans - this is coming close to the situation Benitez faced at Valencia before he left in a huff. Not given the funds to buy new players and eventually having differences with the chairman.

England Out Of Euro 2008, McClaren Sacked

Well, at least for now, England is out of Euro 2008. And they deserve it. Bad footbal, poor team, tactically naive.

McClaren should be next in the firing line now. I believe he should be joining Birmingham soon.

England Crouching Tiger Ready For Disaster

Steve McClaren is ready to ditch his usual 4-4-2 for a more defensive 5 man midfield and lone striker, with Liverpool's Peter Crouch leading the frontline against Croatia in their crunch Euro 2008 qualifier on Wednesday. If so, it would not be surprising given his managerial record for fielding dour lineups and defensive mentality - without the results.

While his hands may be tied due to the injury woes experienced by the hosts, England are still playing at home, backed by their partisan fans and against a team that, despite claims to the contrary, should be looking ahead to the finals instead of worrying about not losing. Trust the flaccid McClaren to play it safe and in doing so, putting his nation's hopes in jeopardy.

Everyone knows that if you play for a draw, if the opponents were to peg you back with a goal, it would be a huge psychological blow and place huge amounts of stress on the team. Test the Croatian team's mentality and put them under intense pressure. It would not make any sense to try to snuff them out in midfield to get a draw when 9 times out of 10, a team that has already secured their place would not be bothered at all.

The only hope for England now is not the players or the manager. It is for Terry Venables to advise McClaren otherwise and do it the Venables Way.

Alex Ferguson - Does He Really Care About The State Of English Soccer?

Alex Ferguson is Scottish, before everyone forgets that.

So quit with all that talk about supporting a quota on the number of foreigners for the English Premier League teams. It is just part of his mind games with Arsene Wenger. He recognises that Arsenal are the only real challengers this season to sustain any sort of run against his team, and Wenger is a sucker for such stunts.

While Wenger's words ring true that Ferguson has bought his fair share of foreigners, the one difference is that, even though Arsenal has forged ahead in terms of revenue, Manchester United have the brand to attract the better English players. Arsenal has always been built on developing youth talent since Wenger came on board. That is why Ferguson has more of a buffer in criticising EPL teams relying on foreigners.

Without Ronaldo, Manchester United will only be half the team it is now. He has now developed to the extent where he creates and scores a hatload of whatever chances the team manages to squeeze out of their play. Rooney does not have half of Ronaldo's ability to perform under pressure and dig deep for inspiration instead of squabbling with referees and opposing players.

No doubt about it - Manchester United will end up with the EPL title again - simply because they have a manager who still has the canny ability to unsettle all his opponents.

Alex Ferguson - Learn to Lose Gracefully

Manchester United did not lose by drawing 2-2 with Arsenal yesterday afternoon, but for Alex Ferguson, it certainly felt like a defeat. Judging by his bitter comments after the game:

"I think we have thrown it away. At 2-1 you think you've won the game and for them to get a second goal when they did - for us to give it way in injury-time - it is very hard to take I can tell you. It is a fact that they got out of jail." Ferguson said.

And there's more:

"We produced some good football for our goals but their goals were a bit scrappy. It's unlike Arsenal. They normally score goals from good passing movements. Today they were slashing the ball in the box and getting goals from it." On how he implied Arsenal were getting rewarded for Wimbledon-style tactics instead of playing football like how his own team 'always does'.

I might be wrong or getting old, but didn't United's second goal come from some confusion in Arsenal's defence? Almunia came out, left his goal open and with Arsenal in disarray it was a simple tap in from Ronaldo. While that isn't terrible football, but it's a far cry from calling it a class above the rest.

The fact is Arsenal played United at their own game - bruising, bullying football. That was how United destroyed the Unbeatables of Highbury that eventually led to a disintegration of that team. This Arsenal team is capable of some dizzying football, but have shown themselves to be just as capable of dishing it out to other teams who aren't interested in the beautiful game.

It won't be the first time that the sour Scot Ferguson will gripe to the press. But while winning trophies can brand you a legend to your own club, winning without grace will be something everybody else remembers.

Just another psychological warfare waged against Wenger? Probably, and my money's on Wenger to be lured into it (again). But it's starting to get really tired and it is a terrible example for young professionals and kids who love the game. Look at United's young players. They are all brilliant players, but too often, they bring their manager's image on the field with their petulant displays. Call it arrogance, but Bryan Robson never gave any quarter in the past, yet always displayed excellent professionalism and class both on and off the field.

Ramos The Spurs Saviour?

Spurs continues to have problems on and off the field. The new man at the helm, Juande Ramos, guided them to a nervy win in the Carling Cup over Blackpool. But Blackpool is relegation fodder in the Championship.

Other problems were highlighted, not least what predecessor Martin Jol faced before he was asked to walk. Learn more from this article review. I wonder how long the Spaniard will last at the club.

Odds For Spurs To Join Bolton In English League Championship in 2008?

We all know how it will still end for Bolton come May 2008 (or earlier). Gary Megson is not EPL managerial material, no matter how much his new chairman Phil Gartside is going to fund his little new adventure. Who was the last good player he bought? I have my fullest sympathies with Bolton fans who must have woken up to another new nightmare last Friday.

What of Spurs and their new bright hope Juande Ramos? Can the Spanish head honcho turn the club's fortunes around now and bring success that his new chairman Daniel Levy so craves? Or will he be the subject of humiliation come the end of the season ala Martin Jol?

We all know the real reason why Jol was cut from the Lane - he failed to deliver Champions League football and more importantly, any trophies. Levy's treatment of the big man was certainly uncondonable, but if you have spent your own fortunes without any results, you are certainly entitled to some discretion in how you wish to handle club matters.

Ramos arrives at Spurs on the back on an impressive CV with Sevilla. But will he be given enough time to arrest the slide currently at the club before putting his own spin for future improvement and success? How long will Levy wait this time?

Both men also have strong personalities, with Ramos constantly embroiled in feuds with his ex-Sevilla boss, and Levy not shy of heavy-handed tactics to bring his point across. I rub my hands in eager anticipation for the first flash point these two men will have.

And given the mediocre squad that Ramos stands to inherit, it will take more investment from his chairman to fix any imbalance the team currently faces. Granted many of the players are suffering from distinct lack of confidence, but that midfield is not top 4 quality. Berbatov is developing into another Thierry Henry and his head continues to swell. To have publicly rebelled against his under-pressure ex-manager was about as unprofessional as a player could get, given the situation the club was in. Nobody should be bigger than the club, and if Berbatov felt his interests better served at Manchester United, it would be well-advised to release him come January.

Ledley King continues to face time on the sidelines, but the defence urgently require him back. It would be interesting to see if Ramos would pry Daniel Alves away from Sevilla, but the player excels more as an attacking quantity. What Spurs needs now are stabilising influences in all areas of the field.

Ramos will need some time, but it might not be something that he will have in abundance. The season might still be young, but continental managers, especially someone still unproven as Ramos, often need time to settle in. Just like players. Can anyone remember what happened at Portsmouth and to a certain extent, Rangers in Scotland last season?