Carragher Confident of Beating United

By: Gareth Freeman

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes a Reds victory over their bitter rivals will kick-start their season. A loss for Liverpool would be frankly catastrophic as it would give United a seven point lead at the top and Rafael Benitez’s side will have lost five games already. No team has ever won the league when they’ve lost more than five and in recent years it has been even tighter.

However, in all fairness United haven’t been playing particularly well recently but the difference is they have been picking up results. Carragher has been perhaps one of the players most at fault in Liverpool’s disastrous start to the season. The usually solid centre-half has lacked composure and has definitely not been his normal, dependable self.

Carragher does feel a victory over United could be just the lift they need and is in confident mood going into the tie.

He said:
"Beating United could be just the boost we need. We always bounce back because that's what we are about,

"We've got a lot of fight and character and will want to show that against United, particularly after what happened against Lyon.

"We're going through a tough patch but we've been through them before and we'll bounce back, there's no doubt about that.

"It's always a great game against United, and that could be what we need. If we win, it'll give everyone a massive lift."

Can Liverpool do it? The online betting odds have United as favourites despite Liverpool’s home advantage which doesn’t make for great reading. Rafa’s men have actually won three of their four games at home so there is a very good chance they can see off United, even without Fernando Torres.

Last season Liverpool managed to beat United without Torres and Steven Gerrard and there is a real chance they can do it at the weekend. It has been a tough time for the Reds of late but a win over Manchester United in the Premier League could turn it all around. Liverpool may have been written off in the title race already with the bookies Premier League betting odds but should they beat United on Sunday they’ll be right back in the mix.

Fletcher Absence Exposes United Frailties

FC Barcelona 2 (Eto'o 10, Messi 70)
Man Utd 0

Who would’ve thought Man United would miss someone so dearly. This year’s Champions League final was dubbed to be a gladiator-esque showdown of Man Utd’s Portugese whinger… oh I mean winger, Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentinian, Lionel Messi.

But it was the absence of a certain Scottish midfielder which ultimately tilted the balance of the game in favour of the Spanish champion. He’s never in the limelight, seldom scores breath-taking goals and not really blessed with the good looks (well, he’s a Scot after all…).

Man Utd boasts a squad full of stars but the one truly needed in a big match was actually Darren Fletcher.

United missed his tenacity, big time. The industrious midfielder was wrongfully sent off in the semi-final match against Arsenal and the suspension was such a bitter blow to them.

No wonder rumour has it that Sir Alex Ferguson was willing to trade a get-out-of-jail card with Barcelona, Fletcher’s freedom for either Eric Abidal’s or Daniel Alves’. That was how important Fergie sees his fellow Scot.

On the hindsight, the suspension of Abidal and Alves plus the injury to Rafael Marquez seems to be irrelevant. With 3 out of Barca’s 4 first-choice defenders missing, United failed to capitalise on it.

But Barcelona and their coach, Pep Guardiola, were unwilling to let Man Utd get away with it. The obvious was staring them in their faces. Man Utd’s midfield lacks steel and the player who’s willing to do all the dirty work.

Looking back, great teams were built around a strong man in midfield, someone willing to sacrifice creativity for stability. Think Roy Keane of the all-conquering Man Utd class of ’99, Patrick Vieira of the ’04 Arsenal Invincibles and Claude Makelele of the ugly but effective Chelsea.
Fast forward to the current United squad, I see Anderson and Michael Carrick. Hmmm… Not so sure about that. To make things worse, they were up against Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez. These were the 2 players pivotal in Spain’s European Cup conquest last year.

It was a joy to watch as the Spanish duo took hold of the game after a nervy first 10 minutes where their fellow Iberian, Ronaldo, was having a showboating session.

But thereafter, they controlled the game with finesse and put up a master-class performance. They didn’t score the goals but they pulled the strings from midfield and all we saw was players in white bumbling around them haplessly.

Didn’t some part of the game looked like they were having a practice session with Man Utd, playing ‘pig in the middle’ or ‘Monkey’ with them?

Anderson was woeful and got found out in this game. If he was supposed to do Fletcher’s job then I think he should look for employment elsewhere. Michael Carrick, for being hailed as ‘a great passer of the ball’ and even ‘world-class’ by the English papers, unsurprisingly, looked bereft of ideas and nothing near latter description.

It was Iniesta who made it all happen when he barged through the centre of Utd’s midfielder and played a controlled pass into the path of Samuel Eto’o. The Cameroonian striker glided into the penalty area with surprising ease as Man Utd’s defence stood hesitant and watched on.

Pep Guardiola must’ve watched Liverpool’s 4-1 triumph and asked his fleet-footed attackers to run at the lumbering Nemanja Vidic like how Fernando Torres embarrassed the Serbian giant in the Theatre of Dreams.

The striker made no mistake as he fire it past a bemused Edwin van der Sar. He must be wondering how Barca sneaked in so easily.


The answer was found in Man Utd’s strangely passive way of defending in the match. They played the game in fear, showed too much respect for Barca and were peeing in their pants every time Thierry Henry or Leo Messi were on the ball.

Seeing how English teams totally dominate the European football scene for the past few seasons through their fast-paced and gritty approach to games, United failed to use that as their advantage and paid for it.

Chelsea, who was Barca’s semi-final opponent, gave Man Utd a perfect example of how to stifle the football artisans. If not for the incredulously biased referee, it would have been another Chelsea vs Man Utd final.

Liverpool, too, gave Real Madrid a royal spanking 2 months back. Just like Chelsea, it was all about putting pressure on their midfielders, denying them space and time plus upping the ante through speed and a more direct approach.

Yet United players stood and watch as Barca seized the initiative and made them pay. Their midfield quartet failed to close down Xavi and Iniesta, giving the playmakers all the time in the world.

Would Darren Fletcher allow that? I think not.

Also, Barca cleverly exploited the lack of defensive midfielder on Utd’s part and used Messi as a deep-lying striker. Smart, ain’t it? He was a striker yet he dropped off so deep that Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic was caught in a dilemma. Should they continue marking him or let him drift into space.

The final nail in the coffin came when Ferdinand decided to take the latter option as he misjudged the flight of Xavi’s cross and allowed a 169cm midget (average Asian height, though…) to score from a free header.

It was as if he had read the English newspaper on the previous day as they described Ronaldo to be more of an aerial threat than him. Well, that certainly is shuts them up. This “Next Maradona” could be the real deal.

With their treble at stake, Man Utd put up no fight at all. The 5 shots in the first 10 minutes were actually all they could muster. And unsurprisingly, Ronaldo showed his usual petulance after being in the pocket of Carles Puyol throughout.

They were out with a whimper.

Man Utd could blame no one, to be honest. The loss of Fletcher was pivotal and the sheer brilliance of Barca outclassed the English champion. Players whom you would put your money on to drag them back into the game went missing. United was clearly not at their best.

So there goes the chance of winning a second treble in Sir Alex’s reign. But what a sweet victory for Pep Guardiola. Only his first season in charge of a club of this stature, he took them into greater heights by being the first Spanish team to win the treble.

They could dominate in the years to come, with Xavi, Iniesta and Messi being the spine of the team. Man Utd, meanwhile, should not take the knee-jerk approach to this as it was a bridge too far but would be exaggerating to say they’re in any sort of trouble.

With this team, this defeat could be a blessing in disguise as the problems and shortcomings of the squad will now be even more apparent and it’s just the right time to make amends through signings and pre-season training sessions.

All in all, Barca was not only the champion of Europe but more of a champion of football. Kudos!

Champions League Preview: Liverpool vs Chelsea

By Gareth Freeman

It seems almost as if this fixture is a part of the regular football calendar now, rather than a random draw. This is in fact the eighth time these two teams have met in the Champions League and by now we’re all used to watching these two play out some enthralling ties. Chelsea’s semi-final victory over the Reds last year was a dubious one and I’m sure Liverpool will be keen too even the score this time around. Another stat that might give the Anfield faithful a bit of comfort, in four Champions League meetings at Anfield – Chelsea have scored just one goal.

I don’t think it really matter whether you’re at home in the first or second leg to be honest. The best team over two legs will win, its as simple as that. With Liverpool’s current form they should go into this tie as favourites with the sports betting odds but we all know how good Chelsea can be. Guus Hiddink will have to do without Nicolas Anelka though, the Frenchman has been in fine form this season and his presence will surely be missed by the Stamford Bridge side. Didier Drogba missed Chelsea’s victory over Newcastle at the weekend but it looks as if he will be fit for the game at Anfield. Drogba is without doubt a great player but for me he hasn’t been in top-form this season and if he isn’t fully fit he won’t be at the top of his game.

For me there are three players Liverpool need to really get the better of if they are too beat Chelsea – Frank Lampard, John Terry and Petr Cech. In Lampard Chelsea have a midfielder almost of the standard of Gerrard (ok, not really but he does score the odd cracker). Lampard is Chelsea’s star man and stopping him will be crucial if Liverpool are to progress to the semi-final stage. Terry has already admitted he is ‘dreading’ marking Gerrard and Torres but if there is a centre-half equipped for the task it is John Terry. If he is on top of his game chances will be few and far between but with Torres, Gerrard and Benayoun Liverpool have the players to make the most of even half-chances. Cech is probably the best keeper in the world and beating him is never going to be easy, lets just hope he doesn’t pull off a wonder game.

In the other Champions League tie on Wednesday night Barcelona welcome Bayern Munich to Camp Nou in a game that will decide Liverpool’s opponents should they progress. Barca and Bayern are the joint top scorers in the competition this year and if you’re betting backing over 2.5 goals might be a good idea. I’ll leave you with one last fact ahead of tomorrow’s meeting with Chelsea - in 11 games against English opposition in the competition (inc. last year's final against Manchester United) Chelsea have only won three games. Liverpool's only other English opponent (without Chelsea) in this competition has been Arsenal, who they beat 5-3 on aggregate in last year's quarter finals.

Title Race Down The Wire

Fulham 0
Liverpool 1 (Benayoun 90+1)

Going down the wire seems a good expression of this season’s English Premiership title race but it’s more of an understatement after this weekend’s round of fixtures. Scintillating, fascinating and exhilarating. Those were the words epitomising 2 separate fixtures of the 2 closest title rivals.

Like a classic tug-of-war fashion, nobody seems to be giving up and when pressure seemingly gets on one side, they overcame and lived to fight another day. The battles were won but the outcome of the war is still a mystery.

And any slip-ups now surely will tip the scale. It’s either Man Utd or Liverpool, with Chelsea having an outside chance of sneaking it when nobody’s even talking about Guus Hiddink and his under-performing team.

United were set to face the team that were downed 5-0 by Liverpool last week while the Reds visited Craven Cottage to face the team that helped them a great favor last week after their shock 2-0 win over United.


That was the fascinating factor. In football, when adrenaline pumps and pressure gets on, form goes out the window and statistics doesn’t add up at all.

Villa, who were in dire form of late, visited Old Trafford to face a wounded giant. The humiliating defeat by Liverpool would surely give people the impression that United would have it easy at home as well.

But John Carew begged to defer. But sadly, despite some colossus effort, Villa still went down 3-2 with new kid on the block, Frederico Macheda scoring the winner in the 92nd minute of the game. Mark of the champions? Definitely.

Despite being outplayed at times and losing several key players, United managed to bounce back and avoid an embarrassing 3 games losing streak. The game was played at break-neck pace and it was end to end.

They were also playing after being put under intense pressure by Liverpool, one of those rare occasions where the ball was in Liverpool’s court and they managed to deliver it out. It is not, of course, without some minor hiccups.

Oh, I meant the crossbar and the post.

The last 2 games at Craven Cottage offered a comparison between the 2 title rivals and it’s fairly obvious to us that Liverpool have built up this newfound resilience in them which doesn’t last them to the 70th minute or the 80th minute but right to the end.

When United came and were outplayed, the fragility of their character was apparent. The heavy defeat by Liverpool did the damage and the players lost the plot. Paul Scholes thought he was in the beach of northern France playing beach volleyball while Wayne Rooney thought the corner flag at Craven Cottage had ‘punch me’ written on it.


Despite scoring 2 against Villa last night, the ‘best-player-in-the-world-tm’ showed that he’s the player you’ll want in better days but not on those dark and gloomy ones. A lack of determination and ‘get-stuck-in’ attitude meant that he was more of a liability.

In contrast, Liverpool lived true to the ‘it’s not over till it’s over’ motto made famous by Rocky Balboa. Despite severe frustrations and the seemingly familiar feeling of ‘it’s just not our day’, they fought on and found their deserved glory.

It came in the 91st minute, the 11th time Liverpool found the net beyond the 90th minute, a sign of character and resilience. This time, it was Yossi Benayoun who popped up with the beauty.

The Israeli captain infuriated the Reds camp last week after agreeing to travel for the international games and unsurprisingly, came back with a plaster and some medication for his foot.

The players came back from the international break giving Rafa Benitez some selection problems (not saying that it doesn’t affect Sir Alex but he should blame the red cards instead) but he still was able to field a pretty strong line up.

Eyes were lit up the moment they saw Andrea Dosenna on the left flank. Gerrard and Torres, the golden partnership, was reformed again.

Yet they were not able to put the ball in the net and with Dosenna’s headed balls more attracted to the goal frame and Gerrard’s lacklustre performance, it was probably meant to be yet another bad day at office.
We’ve seen Liverpool done it over the past few seasons when they were put in the driving seat to apply pressure on their rivals but fail to capitalize. This time round, Benayoun decided enough is enough and put an end to this mental blockage and misconception.

The away end of Craven Cottage was bouncing and singing “we’re gonna win the league” and were in raptures. So did Old Trafford 24 hours later. Such emotions and such excitement. With 7 games to go, the margin of error is getting thinner and the neck to neck race will really give fans of both sides the edge of the seat experience.

How many times have we, Liverpool fans, felt this way? Seldom. But finally we’re in it so I say let’s enjoy it. Whether we falter at the end or gain glory, I must say the team has moved on to another level with Rafa Benitez and what we’re going to achieve this season will be a perfect platform for the Reds next season.

First Real, Then United

Manchester United 1 (Ronaldo pen 23);
Liverpool 4 (Torres 28, Gerrard pen 44, Aurelio 77, Dossena 90);

“This has to be the best week since 2001”, harped Sami Hyypia, the veteran Liverpool defender who was hailed as one of the heroes at the Theatre of Dreams (or Nightmare, depending on which side you support).

The Finnish defender put the 4-1 win over Man Utd and 4-0 over Real on par with Liverpool’s 2001 Treble season where they won the League Cup, FA Cup and the UEFA Cup.


It was a whirlwind week for Rafa Benitez’s Reds as they scored 8 goals in 2 games. Seems like no big deal but it was against the might of Real Madrid and the champions of Europe and the world (depending if you believe the Club World Championship is an accurate portrayal or not), Man Utd.

As a Liverpool fan, it was to my dismay that I missed out (I had to watch a replay) on probably the result of the decade. I love to see Liverpool dominating in Europe, which has became a norm. But to see us so comprehensively defeat Man Utd at their backyard is something else.

It was Rafa Benitez’s 100th win and how sweet it must’ve been to gain it at Old Trafford. The manager’s call for respect came with two huge results. I would go on my knees now and beg the Liverpool owners to make him sign the contract. There’s no other manager I would want at helm.

He too, proved that his theory right. He mentioned about the fact that if Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres started more games together, Liverpool would’ve been even closer to United than they are now.

The dynamic partnership was formed last season and it was definitely fruitful thus far. It was as if they’re match-made in heaven. All credit to Benitez, whom dovetailed them into one of the most potent strike force in the football world. The annihilation at Old Trafford was the byproduct of it all.

The duo gave a master-class performance and showed the world that the 4-0 win over Real Madrid on Wednesday was no fluke. It wasn’t a one-off performance.

What they did to former World Player of the Year, Fabio Cannavaro, and Portugese defender, Pepe, they inflicted it on Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand as well.

For Torres, a seemingly frail figure, it is beyond imagination that he outpaced and out-muscled Vidic with such ease. The boy is on fire. He tormented the acclaimed ‘best defender in the Premiership’ to the point that the Serbian thought that an early shower was the best way to exit the match (He was sent off).

And what a celebration too, for the Spanish striker. Raising up 5 fingers, a reminisce of Robbie Fowler’s taunt at United fans during his time at Man Citeh.

For Steven Gerrard, it’s probably more personal. For all the disappointments at Old Trafford and seeing them almost equaling his beloved team’s English league title record, he yearns to see his team be over and above their rivals.


Indeed, he showed his desire when he led by example and was nerveless when he dispatched his penalty with ease. The large frame of van der Saar and the barisan crowd in Old Trafford didn’t put him off.

Pre-match, Wayne Rooney stoked fire the proportion of the Australian forest fire by stating how much he hated Liverpool. Well, that came as a surprise. Nobody saw that coming from a Evertonian Scouser (Sense my sarcasm).

How much it must have amused the Reds as they saw him throwing tantrums and hands on his head on more than one occasion. The camera never fails to pan his direction after each of the 4 goals.

Yet we should continue to focus on Liverpool. After the heroics of Gerrard and Torres were followed up the up and rising of two unlikely heroes.

Fabio Aurelio, so often named a sicknote, put on a fabulous performance in continuation of his midweek contributions. He’s pretty injury prone but one could see his ability once he is able to consistently feature in the side and how important he is to Rafa’s plan.


With Vidic sent off with a rugby tackle, Aurelio was given a chance to further punish United. And he did with his wonderful left foot. It arced above the wall and whistled into van der Saar’s net. The Dutch goalkeeper totally rooted to the spot.

Just when you thought 3-1 was an exceptional result, Andrea Dossena puts the icing on the most magnificent cake any Liverpool fan could’ve imagined with a fourth, right on the 90th minute mark.

Once again, a long ball was not dealt with and all the Italian defender needed was a touch before the ball was lobbed over van der Saar (rooted again) and into an empty net. He definitely didn’t impress anyone with his performances all season, considering he cost 7 million pounds. But in the last two matches, he probably has attained a cult hero status at Anfield.

‘Robbie Keane who? We have Dossena!’ - One of the fans said with delight.

Indeed it seems like a dream. The results have definitely given Liverpool a breath of life and a dose of confidence. It didn’t, of course, blow the title race wide open in any account but Liverpool and Chelsea must’ve sensed blood. United is still with a game in hand and 4 points ahead.

Barring a catastrophic and calamitous self-destruction of United, the title is still theirs to lose. But the 4-1 result must have been like a mortal wound inflicted and doubts of their invincibility must have crept in.

Now, we’ll have to see how Alex Ferguson’s men react to it. Will they come out stronger like before or would they shun away responsibilities like how Ferguson dodged BBC/Sky Sports reporters after the defeat?

Whatever it is, the result definitely brought about a breath of fresh air into the Premiership. This could go down the wire!

We might not win it this season but I feel that we’re much closer now and this season could very well be a springboard for next season, where I feel a few players of the right caliber could bring us to higher level.

Funniest Football Argument to Date

During Man Utd's 2-1 win over Newcastle last night, there were reports stating that Utd's prancing Portugeezer winger, Cristiano Ronaldo, was involved with a 'heated exchange' with Newcastle's hand-ball-on-the-line expert, Steven Taylor.

The transcript is as follow:

Ronaldo: You're a rubbish footballer.

Taylor: At least I'm not ugly.

Ronaldo: But you're a rubbish footballer.

Taylor: I know, but you're still ugly.

Brilliant.

Rivalry Between Reds And Red Devils Spread To...

Facebook. A new phenomenon people can't live without nowadays. Here's a warning to you who's making loads of friends on Facebook that don't trust everyone. And it's a testament of how hatred of a certain club can turn people bonkers :)



'A married Manchester United fan drove 400 miles to begin an affair with a girl he had met on Facebook, only to discover it had been a hoax set up by two rival Liverpool supporters. Stuart Slann, 39, made the nine-hour trip from his home in Sheffield to a remote farm in Scotland last month on the promise of meeting the woman he had been swapping suggestive messages with for several weeks.

'However, after arriving at the deserted house and waiting for a further three hours in his car for "Emma" to finish work and show up, the two pranksters called him to confess. To add to his humiliation, they recorded the conversation and put it onto Facebook, the social networking website, and video-sharing website YouTube, along with an embarrassing photograph.

'It was then that Mr Slann's wife Louise, 32, discovered the "affair". Their marriage is now over. Mr Slann said: "It was a cruel thing to do. I've been taken for a ride. They wound me up good and proper."

Stevie G Tribute - 100 And Counting...

I'm gonna do a round-up of some of the best goals Steven Gerrard had scored in his 400 odd games at Liverpool...

BUT! It's probably easier to put up all 100 of them here than to pick 10 and call them 'the top 10 Gerrard goals' because so many of them are just sheer beauty and you just can't seemed to rank them up. It's like putting 100 Angelina Jolies in your face and ask you to pick from 1 to 10!

So in no order, we go through the...let's just say...highly important goals that he scored in his Liverpool career.

Starting off with...where he started, with the jersey number 28.


1999-00: vs Sheffield Wednesday

This is where it all started. A familiar rampaging run through the heart of the Sheffield Wed defence. A sign of things to come? Most definitely. How exciting was it then, to watch the young number 28?



2005-06: vs West Ham United (FA Cup Final)

Nobody ever forgets this. This IS the Steven Gerrard final, written all over it. It epitomizes what Gerrard is about. Wearing his heart on his sleeve, pulling Liverpool out of however deep the shit is and a tinge of arrogance in his celebration. 3-2 down and he nicely timed it right on the mark when the stadium announcer blared out how much time was left.

It must have rung in his ears 'this is how little time you have to change it, so why not?' And God, did he let fly an absolute cracker that no Liverpool fans will forget for the next 20 years and more.



2004-05: vs Middlesbrough

I don't want to comment much. Just watch.



2000-01: vs Man United

Nothing better than to score against those scums, eh? And a nice one as well, looping over Fabien Barthez, albeit not that difficult....



2004-05: vs AC Milan (Champions League Final)

Another one that nobody forgets. One of those finals which should be captured in films and sold to Hollywood and outdo any shitty Ben Stiller flick. 3-0 down at half time and nobody gave us a chance. Hell, nobody gave us a chance at the start.

But he came, he saw and he headed in the first of 3 within 6 minutes. I'll always remember those arms flailing in the air and the look of confidence in him. It's as if he knew we were going to win. It's unfair to show just the goal he score so I'll put up the whole video.



2005-06: vs Aston Villa

Cracking goal! Finished with aplomb, just like any of his 'usual' goals and that, is out of this world.



2005-06: vs Everton

Again, it was scored against a bitter rival. Not just that but here, I am running out of speculatives to describe all his goals. Honest...



2007-08: vs Newcastle

A similar freekick to his 100th goal. Outside the box and an absolute thunderbolt. Even Shay Given was made hapless with that kind of shot.



2004-05: vs Olympiakos

The goal that made Andy Gray cream in his pants. 'OWWWW YOU BEAUTY!!' Indeed. If it didn't go in, I don't think we'll make it as far as the Champions League final and winning it. Probably one of the most important and spectacular goals ever scored by the skipper.



2000-01: vs Alaves (UEFA Cup Final)

Sadly, I can't find a video on it. But it speaks volume as a young Steven Gerrard parading his talent on a big stage (it was for Liverpool, back then) and to score in a cup final was pretty good.

Hope that you like it. I don't have time to make it all into a compilation but well, let this post bring you guys back some good memories. Nothing will take away the joy I experienced when Mr. G scored that goal in the FA Cup final.

What about yours?

Hell Yeah!

The above picture speaks a thousand words, really. Can't remember the last time we beat the scums but well, all hoodoos will be broken sooner or later and in this case, 4 long years after Rafa Benitez took charge.

Wasn't able to watch the game so my dear friend from AnfieldReds.blogspot.com updated me with the live score.

3 minutes in and it's as if the inevitable happens, albeit a little too early. Tevez got ManYoo ahead at Anfield. We who are football fans knows that having a turning point of the game so early in the game could be a boon or even bane for the leading side.

Of course on the hindside, the latter happened as Liverpool completely dominated from then on and we can safely say United bottled it big time. But take nothing away from Liverpool as their hunger and desperation showed throughout and of course, action speaks louder than words. We saw how Mascherano and co. hounded any players in white that has the possession of the ball.

Although all eyes were on Dimitar Berbatov who made his debut for United at Anfield, it was another debutant who caught the fans' eye. It was Albert Riera, who didn't impress anyone including Stuart Pearce during his previous stint at Man City.

But the traditional left winger produced a performance worthy of praise as he weaved past Wes Brown without much trouble and even showed a piece of brilliant skill through a well-timed backheel. His movement and cooperation with Fabio Aurelio was commendable. Seemed like he was around for years.

It was a fantastic results and Rafa will surely want to build on this. But we know how inconsistent Liverpool have been for the past God-knows-how-long so we'll have to see if Liverpool's title credentials are realistic or just another faux pas.

Egg On Face Moment

Over at Football365 forums, a wonderfully titled thread 'Woodgate: Transfer of the Season' became a laughing stock. Why? Have a look:

16:53: Tottenham 1-0 ManYoo

Thread Content:

2 Games
2 Clean sheets.

Eat S**t MotherF**k*r

Then....

1654: GOAL Tottenham 1-1 Man Utd

Very, very late doors. So late Van der Sar is up for the corner from which Carlos Tevez volleys home Nani's corner at the near post.


Seriously, never EVER post before the final whistle. ManYoo really have to thank the forummer for posting on that thread.

Again, 2 games, how many clean sheets? :P

For more, laugh here!

Comical Fergie

I think other than the Liverpool vs Chelsea game on Sunday night, much attention was also focused on the Manchester derby. A new look Man City under the guidance of England's favourite manager, Sven Goran-Eriksson, got all 3 points despite giving ManYoo 98% of the possession.

One thing struck me during the match though. The camera panned towards Fergie when Tevez missed a sitter from 2 yards out and his reaction was....

To put it into context...

Haha!

The Bitter Man - Neil Warnock

Probably Clutching On Staws

It's hard to find a more hated football manager than former Sheffield United manager, Neil Warnock.

Reputed with a sharp tongue and a brain that is unable to work cohesively (might not be true), he has come up with some classics over the years including the spat with the classy Arsene Wenger.

Like all humans, we all turn to others and always the first to point the finger and blame somebody else.

First of all, he was absolutely livid with West Ham for their Harry Houdini-esque escape from relegation in lieu of his team.

He wasn't pleased with West Ham and alleged that they made illegal payments for the signing of Javier Mascherano and most importantly, Carlos Tevez, whose case is still outgoing at the moment and became the most boring talking point of the entire summer.

As deluded as he is, his club chairman and him appealed to the FA as they truly believe that the result will overturn and that they will be reinstated back to the Premiership.

Fat hope.

Next, he blamed ManYoo and Fergie for letting West Ham snatch a surprise victory at Old Trafford that guaranteed their survival.

If you and your Sheffield U could beat Wigan at home, things wouldn't be so complicated, eh? But too bad, you and your men failed to beat them at Bramall Lane.

Here is the clincher. He bet against Liverpool in the Champions League final after he felt that Rafa and Liverpool betrayed Sheffield U by fielding a weakened side against Fulham, in which the Cottagers won and ultimately saved a place for next season's Premiership.

This is how bitter a man can get. Don't let it get you, Neil. You need some help and should stay away from football as long as possible.

Carlos Tevez's Contract

Well, it has been going on for quite awhile now and it's really getting a little tiresome. Just when various parties are taking each other to court, I've received a photocopy of the contract of Carlos Tevez.

Seems like MSI will be fighting a losing battle....












Haha! Credit to the Football 365 forums.

Fixture List For 2007/08

Probably a bit late but I think it's important for fans and writers to analyse the fixture list. We've seen how important a good fixture list is to a club like how Man United got a pretty decent first 4 to 5 games and once they got their momentum on, they started to steamroll over teams.

So instead of doing a research on only Liverpool, I'll widen the scope and look at all the big 4 clubs.


Arsenal

vs Fulham (H)

vs Blackburn (A)

vs Man City (H)

vs Portsmouth (H)

vs Tottenham (A)

It's a pretty decent run in starting with Fulham, whom we all know, looked the most likely to be the whipping boys in the Premiership 'old boys' group. But there are also tricky trips to Ewood Park as well as an early visit to rivals, Spurs' White Hart Lane. Portsmouth might also pose a threat although Arsenal might feel happy enough to start off with a home game.


Chelsea

vs Birmingham (H)

vs Reading (A)

vs Liverpool (A)

vs Portsmouth (H)

vs Aston Villa (A)

On paper, looked a little easier than Arsenal's with them welcoming Premiership new boys, Birmingham, to Stamford Bridge in the openning game. Although the game against Liverpool is a little too early for anyone's liking, it's still finely poised and if the Blues can overcome the Reds early on, it might give them the extra boost they need for the title race.


LIVERPOOL

vs Aston Villa (A)

vs Chelsea (H)

vs Sunderland (A)

vs Derby (H)

vs Portsmouth (H)

It's always not the best to start off the season away from home especially Liverpool's tendency to be so absolutely tosh away from home. But it's always a good thing to play the 2 new teams early on although I'm not suggesting they will be all easy 3 points.

The Chelsea game early on is a good test for the team as both teams will be fresh and eager and it'll probably be a test of the quality of the squad.

And I notice what a horrid fixture Portsmouth has at the beginning of the season....


ManYoo

vs Reading (H)

vs Portsmouth (A)

vs Man City (A)

vs Tottenham (H)

vs Sunderland (H)

Probably quite an easy run in but like the other clubs, they play their major rival quite early on in the season. The meeting with Man City should be an interesting one while having Spurs and Portsmouth could potentially be banana skins for the defending champions.

I've done the early season run in for the big 4 clubs and looking at the entire fixtures list of our beloved Liverpool FC, here are some important matches to be noted. One day before my birthday, it'll be Liverpool vs Everton, the Merseyside derby. The match is also smacked right in between a visit from Spurs and also a trip down south to face Arsenal.

Then on 15th December, we'll welcome the Red Devils to Anfield.

In early February, the Reds will face off with Chelsea in the reverse fixture and the Blues will be facing Portsmouth prior to the visit and then to White Hart Lane after that. It'll prove to be quite a tough 3 weeks for Chelsea.

And then from late March to early April will be Liverpool's toughest stretch by far with firstly a visit to Old Trafford, then entertaining bitter rivals, Everton and then off to the Emirates to play Arsenal.

But what I'm doing is only speculating and we know that talking football on paper never really works. Whatever happens, we will hope that Liverpool do their best to get maximum points from the first few games and it'll probably enable the team to go an extra mile later in the season.

Blues Triump In Forgettable Final

It was supposed to be a grand opening and a curtain raiser to the newly built Wembley stadium. After years of waiting and investing 800 million GBP in it, it was finally unveiled just in time for the biggest and oldest cup competition in England, the FA Cup finals.

It looked like money well spent, it was sophisticated and magnificent albeit complains about the price of the beverages over there that led on to a 'boycott' which didn't seemed to work. And what a fitting way to have the two best teams in England 'deflowering' the new Wembley.

Well, it was supposed to be but to be honest, it wasn't a spectacle at all.

Beneath the shades of the sophisticated and modern looking stadium was a display of dire, insipid and over-cautious football. How ironic is it to hold the first FA Cup final at the new stadium only for it to be renounced as yet another forgettable one?

Chelsea once again triumph in the domestic cup front with a double after bagging the League Cup earlier this season. Although the quality of the match was lamentable, nobody could say much about the quality of the match winning goal from Didier Drogba.

It was an expected stalemate all the way to the 90th minute mark and the over cautious approach from both side means the chances were few and far between.

But when the 'Top Drog' strikes forth, not even ManYoo, whom majority of the players were nominees for the PFA Team of the Year, could stop him from grabbing the 33rd goal of the season.

It was incisive, precise and deadly. Drogba picked out Obi Mikel's pass, laid it off first time to Lampard, whom volleyed the ball skillfully back into the path of Drogba. Already shrugged away his man marker, Drogba waited for the right moment before firing past Van der Sar.

With the match locked at goalless and neither teams looking superior, it usually takes a moment of brilliance to decide the tie and this time round, it was Drogba the match winner, as always. One would have to wonder how could Chelsea cope without him and with the African Cup of Nations next season, who can they replace him with?

With the focus very much on Chelsea for the past week and also for the wrong reasons, pressure was mounting and very much on Jose Mourinho's men. Despite further strengthening to their squad last summer when they included Ballack and Shevchenko into their roster, they weren't up to their usual standards and the FA Cup is perhaps, a saving grace for Mourinho.

Once again, neither side deserves to win it and perhaps if it was a boxing game, United could've won on points as they looked more threatening and willing to come out of their shell but Chelsea took the game by the scruff of the neck and finish off the game just at the right time.

Mourinho's dog might have gotten him into all sorts of trouble but it's his top Drog that might have bought more time for him.

Drogballs' Weekend Roundup

Grand Finale Didn't Disappoint

How many of us neutrals actually think that Sheffield United will be the one joining Charlton and Watford in the Championship next season?

I can tell you it's not a lot, considering the Blades had the upperhand and with their fate lying in their own hands. They were up against fellow strugglers, Wigan, who were in an absolutely horrendous form prior to the game and looked very likely to falter at Bremall Lane.

Considering it was Sheffield United's home ground, it was definitely no easy task for Paul Jewell's men and they were marked as the underdogs for this game. Wigan's survival is also closely link to the simultaneous match going on at Old Trafford, where West Ham did everything they could for survival, to dampen United's joyous mood after winning their first Premiership title since 2003.

But before the battle on the pitch had even started, the war off the pitch has already heated up. The 'Gang of Four', Charlton, Sheffield Utd, Fulham and Wigan were all involved in a law suit against West Ham and they were contesting the Premier League committee, who only fined West Ham 5.5million GBP due to the problematic signings of Tevez and Mascherano.

The quartet felt it was unfair and wanted West Ham to be docked off points just like AFC Wimbledon did few seasons ago after fielding 6 loanees on the pitch at the same time. They felt that the sentence should be more severe rather than just monetary compensation.

When all the world seemed to be against you, that is when the true character shows and West Ham put up a magnificent showing at Old Trafford to not only put a little sour note to a supposed celebratory occasion for United but also ensured their own safety.

Ironically, the man who got them to do a 'Harry Houdini' is none other than Carlos Tevez, the one who got them into trouble, well not his fault anyway. Since he scored his first goal for West Ham in the 4-3 defeat to Spurs back in early March, he was on top of his form and managed to dragged West Ham through.

Although Sir Alex fielded a weaken side, one should never question the integrity of the Red Nose as is probably saving the tired legs from the FA Cup Final this Saturday.

And that's probably why some of us are glad to see the back of Neil Warnock and his Blades. He have been banging on about clubs playing their weakened side and giving the relegation strugglers a foothold. And that constant whinging and moaning has got on the nerves of many neutrals.

Although, to me, I was very surprised to see Sheffield United going down because although they have been languishing in the bottom half of the table for majority of the season, they have been able to make their home a very difficult place for teams to go to and they are relatively stable compared to the likes of Wigan and West Ham.

But their away form have been abysmal and that probably is the stumbling block for their season. Losing key striker, Rob Hulse, is also another major turning point for them and their struggle to get goals means they'll always have less chances of winning.

Wigan went on a 10 games winless streak and were a totally different side from the one we saw last season. Their season hasn't been good by any means and they've probably became the team 'nobody gives a damn about' this season.

Yet when it all mattered, they turned up. Sheffield United sank. And that was how it all went wrong for the Blades. It was a bitter and cruel twist of fate as time wore on, Wigan's fortune began to change while West Ham showed true character and resilience despite ManYoo's futile attempt to dash their hopes of survival.

Paul Scharner puts Wigan ahead but Jon Stead equalised for Sheffield United. The turn of the tide came when Sheffield Utd captain, Phil Jagielka, handled the ball in the box and it was up to the former Blades player to put the final nail in Sheffield United's coffin. He slammed home the penalty and soon, it became a one way traffic game where the home side piled pressure and waves upon waves of attack at Wigan's goal.

But as we all know, football is never predictable. The final showdown of the relegation battle sums it all up really. The beauty of it, of course if you're a Blades fan. How things turn 360 degrees in your favour in a matter of seconds.

Well done Wigan and especially, West Ham. They put up their best when they were called to and although they merely survived by the skin of their teeth, both the teams know that it is extremely vital to stay in the Premiership.

This season has been yet another tremendous one considering the champion is not Chelsea this time round.

The relegation battle that boils down to the last day of the season is exhilarating and has been a fantastic showing for neutrals.

Although not as epic as the one 2 seasons ago, it still has been top notch while the the battle on top were a little different.

Basically, ManYoo steamrolled through almost all the teams while Chelsea playing catching up till the point they ran out of gas. They are considered the 'Big Two'. Then Arsenal and Liverpool fought for the 3rd and 4th place till the last day of the season as well but it doesn't really matter, isn't it? They are called 'The Other Two'.

Whatever it is, it has been a wonderful season and although I was disappointed to see us not challenging the title once again, it is still enough to excite and kept us at the edge of our seats. Bring on next season! Faster!


Managerial Musical Chair Begins

It is a norm that after the end of the season, there will be managerial casualties and also, jumping ships.

Big Sam Allardyce was the first as he quit Bolton two games before the end and is now appointed as the new Newcastle Utd. manager.

He is known for bringing out the best from the players and I've got a good feeling he'll succeed and excel at St. James' Park. Of course, lots of work needs to be done still as the club is fast becoming more like a medical centre than anything else.

Injuries aside, the dressing room hasn't been united through Glenn Roeder's last days as Oba Martins is reportedly missing while Charles N'Zogbia walked out after finding himself on the bench.

Money will be available for Fat Sam, finally, after years of limited budget at the Reebok Stadium. With Freddy Shepherd being the contributor, he'll now be able to bring in quality players without having to scour through the free transfer market for past-it players.

Paul Jewell, too, left his position at Wigan. It was only 48 hours after the miraculous survival and it is believed that the last few months has heaped so much pressure on Jewell that he can't take it further. A break is needed.

Man City, meanwhile, sacked Stuart Pearce after a dismal season in the league. With only 4 points off the relegation spot, Man City struggled throughout and despite spending big on Giorgious Samaras, Bernado Corradi and DaMarcus Beasley, they were short of fire power up front and broke an all time record of only 10 league goals at home this season. Shocking.

It might not end here as the board begins to assess the managers while the likes of Chris Coleman and Paul Jewell still about, the musical chair might not end just yet.

Drogballs' Weekly Thoughts

Chelsea Falters, ManYoo Crowned Champions

A part my soul will die after typing the following line.

Congratulations, ManYoo, for winning the title and you guys deserved it 100%.

Ouch. Okay, back to point. With the heat of the race heating up over the past few months, it was finally extinguished at The Emirates Stadium on Sunday after Chelsea failed to get all three points and effectively ending their title chase.

Since Abramovich bought over the club, Chelsea had never played the chasing pack until this season, with ManYoo in their best and all Chelsea could do was to keep chasing and at times, it looked like it was hanging by a thread.

There were times when it looked like ManYoo could do with the biggest cock-up in the history of the Premiership, surpassing the great Newcastle team back in 1996, managed by Kevin 'I'd love it!' Keegan. But they showed character and were were unfazed by Chelsea's constant harrying. With the Blues hot on their trail weekly, they made it to the finish line with some poise.

And to finish the race right at the backyard of their most bitter rival must have made Fergie smiling like an idiot despite knowing that Chelsea still COULD delay the celebrations. But deep down, he knows it. Just that gut feeling from the wily old manager who ply his trade longer than I am on earth.

That's why he probably didn't watch the Arsenal-Chelsea game and was having a whisky, playing golf as he said.

Perhaps that sort of attitude made ManYoo who they are today. The little bit of arrogance yet with some style. You see it in Ronaldo, don't you? His rise to stardom was much helped by the farce during the World Cup and since then, he was different gravy from the rest.

Rooney, said to have a disappointing season by some of the press, replied them by scoring a grand total of 21 goals. Maybe too much expectations heaped on the shoulders of the scouser but I don't think anyone expects him to score 40 anyway. Although overshadowed by his enemy in Gelsinkirgen, he's still a integral part of the winning team.

Do I still need to mention Giggs, Scholes and Neville? Their experience probably got United through the last stage of the season when so much pressure were on the team and all the focus and spotlight of the world are probably on them.

Comparing Chelsea's injury this season to ManYoo's, it's a far cry to be honest. You could say that ManYoo were pretty 'lucky' with it but towards the end of the season, you could see the injuries started to pile.

Although their results went a little awry in some cases like the one against Boro and Portsmouth, they still managed to scramble past the finishing line .

Chelsea on the other hand probably paid the price for their 'luck' that was shown to them in previous seasons. Cech and Cudicini were out for a period of time and how unlucky is it to lose two key goalkeepers in the same stretch? Tells you a story about how even with two goalkeepers, it's never safe.

They have tripped and bungled in certain parts of the season especially towards the end when it seemed vaguely possible for them to catch up with ManYoo, failing to capitalise on two or three occasions. Newcastle and Bolton comes to mind.

Lightning don't strike the same place twice but Chelsea's downfall could probably be plotted back in February when they lost to a certain team that kicked them out of the Champions League recently.

Whatever it is, the news is out and although we'll have to get some earful from our fellow ManYoonited fans in the coming months but truly, it's hard to argue as to who are the real winners this season. From day one, they steamrolled past everyone and ground out the right results when necessary.

Well done. (I'll probably write more about this in another separate post because I really have a lot to say!)


Charlton Relegates, West Ham Hanging On

It's quite a surprise as to how West Ham, despite having a really indifferent season, are still hanging on for survival in the Premiership to this day and dragging on the relegation battle down to the wire.

But perhaps just, by the skin of the teeth. But it might also just be a delayed judgment from the London club.

With the title sealed, signed and delivered to ManYoo, there is still one thing that hasn't been confirmed and that's the number 18th spot in the Premiership.

And no, it's not a nice place to be.

Financial implication aside, how painful is it to see a long time regular of the Premiership losing their top flight status? Charlton for example, was relegated last night after failing to win at the Valley. And what an apt name for them, anyway.

They've been made the model of any promoted club that wished to stay while Wigan and West Ham were probably the opposite. They had a fairy tale first season in the Premiership and then went on to crash and burn in their second. How did they do it? Well, it's quite easy when complacency creeps in.

When Mascherano and Tevez signed for West Ham, big things were expected from the Argentinian duo. As a losing side from last season's FA Cup Finals, lots of expectations were heaped on them to do well and go a step further that is Europe but they faltered.

Wigan, meanwhile, has turned from a club that drew lots of attention to the club nobody cared about, even their fans. A rugby town by nature, the 'fans' aren't probably long time supporters and is it any surprise that they all left when Paul Jewell's Wigan lost 3-0 at home to fellow strugglers, West Ham.

They sold some influential players like Jimmy Bullard and Arjen De Zueew in the summer and they never looked like the Wigan last term. Heskey is back to his 'causing his club to relegate' shocker while Henri Camara was a spectre of his former self.

Wigan will face Sheffield United away next while West Ham will visit Old Trafford. Who has got the easier game? Answer is probably none because both are tough teams to beat especially away. And if West Ham thinks that Fergie might play his reserves against them, then they might be in for a shock because I believe they're in for a celebration and would love to put up a good show for their fans before their celebratory finally takes off.

In all, their destiny is in their own hands and it'll be interesting to see who stays up. My heart tells me West Ham, though.

All Results:

Man City 0-1 Man U

Everton 3-0 Portsmouth
Fulham 1-0 Liverpool
Newcastle 0-2 Blackburn
Reading 0-2 Watford
West Ham 3-1 Bolton
Wigan 0-1 Boro
Villa 3-0 Sheff. Utd
Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea
Charlton 0-2 Tottenham

Champions League Round Up

ManYoo's Self Destruct Performance Ensures Istanbul Encore

So much for an all-English Champions League finals.

It might be a dream to the neutrals and a dream for the United fans of a prestigious treble but all were swept away by the torrential rain in Milan last night.

It was supposed to be the weather that people from Manchester should get used to but Kaka and Co. doesn't necessarily agree.

The duo went on to torture and punish a naive Man Utd and put them under their sword.

Set out with a 3-2 lead from the first leg, Sir Alex didn't learn his lesson from his ever repetitive fellow manager, Jose Mourinho, and came to Milan thinking of perhaps, shoring up the defence, hold and see what happens.

But what happened was disastrous. It was a whitewash. No chance.

Within the first 5 minutes, Milan already found ways past the creaking United defence, breaking little sweat. They managed to race Nemanja Vidic back injury and his presence is more like a gamble than anything else.

Kaka continued to torment the shell shocked ManYoo defence till the point they self destructed and lost the grip of the game from then on. Seedorf drifted into the link-man position and nobody was there to pick him up. Carrick was nowhere to be found while Scholes is largely anonymous.

The 3 times winner of the European Cup then went on to score another, an exact carbon copy of the one Kaka scored previously. Although seemed to have lost a bit of agility and pace, the Dutchman still managed to evade a 3 defenders before placing it past van der Sar.

From then on, ManYoo threw everything they could but it just wasn't enough. The wonderful comeback over the weekends at Everton came to mind but that game alone took so much energy off the players.

They were tired and exhausted. Milan, although hailed as the 'uncle' team, had more in their reserve and progressed with some style. With Sir Alex like a rabbit caught in the headlight, he threw on Saha for O'Shea, left his right flank exposed and the inevitable happens 30 seconds later.

Of all people, Gilardino scored and that was the final nail in United's coffin. Often criticised for not living up to his reputation, Gilardino was dropped to the bench and replaced by Inzaghi up front. Maybe that spurred him up a bit.

One thing's for sure, playing at 100km/h like United are dangerous in Europe. Because they won't work. And when they're supposed to play it patient in Europe, they don't have the necessary quality and a Plan B.

Ronaldo and Scholes were made Gattuso's bitch while the rest were either abysmal or non-existent.

Maybe the Premiership race has taken it's toll and ManYoo stumbled at the last stage but the garden still looks rosy on their side. But for Fergie, it's certainly disappointing as he has only brought United to two European Cup finals in his 19 year career at ManYoo.

So it's AC Milan vs Liverpool again. I'm salivating. Are you?

UEFA Champions League Final

23rd May 2007
Athens Olympic Stadium

AC Milan (ITA) vs Liverpool (ENG)

Funny Things I Dug Out

The aftermath of the Champions League semi finals is one to savour but only if you're Liverpool or Milan fan. There are so many things flying around with even our CEO, Rick Parry coming out to have a sly dig at Chelsea having said 'I guess when you've invested £500m it's a fantastic season to win the League Cup'.

Here are two other class humour from Football365 (as always, my source):

Okay, this is really mean. Sorry ManYoo fans. But I can't help it.



Oh how about TShirt365 giving glory to our Zen Rafa. Will look really funny if you wear this out though! If there's anything funny you'll love to share, do drop me a mail or comments.

Andy Gray - Best Pundit, Ever!

.....Not!

Just like most football commentators/pundits, they usually have something against Liverpool and will spunk all over English teams, most notably ManYoo or Chelsea.

But that's beside the point because we all know Andy Gray is a bluenose of Everton. I had the joy and pleasure to read his recent article over at Football365 and was aghast at those words he wrote in there.

I myself, as a football lover and blogger, don't go around saying 'this team is hopeless' and 'that team is ordinary'. I know in football, everything is possible and 'being favourites' is just an over-rated cliche used before games because favourites or not, it's what happened on the field that counts.

Now, allow me to refer back to his article and you know what, laugh at him. Because the first thing that struck me after AC Milan pwned ManYoo last night was to find that article again. It's so laughable it's hard to believe it's from a pundit/commentator. Now, let's see:

I believe that Milan side is ordinary

Not only will United get a result in Italy next week, they will beat Milan in their own backyard. I think they've got the Italians running scared - they're not a great team and they know it.

Go through the team - the keeper is dodgy and the back four is creaking and should hold no fear for United's forwards. Anything else to be scared of? Pirlo? No. Seedorf? No. Ambrosini? No. Gilardino? Definitely not.

Chelsea will be happy to play in exactly the same way as they did in the second half at Stamford Bridge. They will allow Liverpool plenty of the ball, surrendering possession but ensuring that actual chances are few and far between. Knowing how good they are at that game, you would have to make them favourites to progress.

It's hard enough to score one goal against a resolute Chelsea

People make a lot of the Anfield crowd and yes, there is something special about that stadium on European nights, but we're talking about Chelsea and superstars of the game here. They're not going to be fazed by that atmosphere.

Some people say Ronaldo doesn't turn up in the big games. I'd dispute that with anyone

Linkage

You know what, I present you:



You got merk'd.