Just One Of Those Teams...

Liverpool - beach balls need not apply..

2009-10-24T12:40:00.008+01:00

Well, the first real nerve jangler of the year is almost here in what is the biggest game in British and probably world football.

I made my second trip of the season to Old Trafford last week for what turned out to be a fairly routine outing against Bolton, last ten minutes aside. Standing on the concourse watching the Villa match started off a great footballing weekend and getting a text just after 3pm telling me that a beach ball had just put Sunderland ahead added the icing to the cake after our rather fortuitous opener.

The train home seemed much more satisfying that evening, in stark contrast to the same trip last March when I hurried away from the ground after witnessing our 4-1 drubbing at the hands of the enemy. It seemed to take forever as I lay slumped against the window as the train snail-paced the entire way.

Will there be similar feelings tomorrow?

Well all signs point to no but what does form mean when this game comes rolling around?

The midweek game on the pinball pitch seems to have taken little toll on the squad except for Fabio cramping up far earlier than a professional should, showing his lack of match exposure of late. He won't feature tomorrow, so even that can be forgotten.

There's no doubt that we look better with VDS back in nets but we are still leaking goals (as are everyone at the moment as the Premier League average three goals a game at present) and maximum concentration will be needed tomorrow as surely even the boo boys at Anfield will get behind their ailing team and give them a much needed lift.

My team for tomorrow would be :

VDS
Neville (playing like the Neville of old at present)
Evra
Ferdinand
Vidic (given his form though, I'd not be sad at all to see Jonny Evans start)
Valencia
Giggs
Fletcher
Carrick (Ferguson hates him, fully expect Scholes to start)
Rooney/Owen (the romance of Owen playing would be fantastic but Rooney is our best player)
Berbatov

Ferguson MUST resist the temptation to go Berbatov alone up top if Rooney doesn't make it, we are toothless with him playing as a sole striker. I can see us going three across the middle with Valencia on the bench. He played the full 90 in Moscow and I feel that may indicate his being dropped for this game.

Liverpool's injury worries are well documented this week. Personally I hope Glen Johnson plays, the space he leaves could see Evra and Giggs having a field day down the left. Gerrard normally does very little against us (watch that come back to bite me in the ass) so if he starts at anything less than total fitness, I won't lose any sleep. Torres looks to have made it back and we'll need Rio to have a blinder to keep him under control as Vidic seems like a rabbit in the headlights when the Spaniard gets him in his sights.

So am I confident? Well yes, as much as I can be for this game I guess. On paper, we should win but the old clichés ring true in games like this.

I hear Eric Cantona is sitting in the Anfield Road End tomorrow, in many different seats.

Oooh ahh.

Whatever happens, there will be Strongbow. And vodka.

In celebration, hopefully.

The day after the night before

2009-10-04T08:39:00.004+01:00

Sigh. Did anyone not see that coming after the team was announced?

Giggs rested before an international week he won't take part in?

Ditto for Ferdinand?

Danny Welbeck starts on the right?

Nani starts at all? (Yes, I've gotten over my hope from his preseason form)

No striker on the bench?

Whatever has happened between Ferguson and Carrick needs to be resolved. Our best player at picking a pass and retaining possession and he's reduced to the role of bit part player.

Despite one media outlet deciding we were "out thought and out fought" I didn't think we were outplayed to any great degree. I actually thought both teams were wasteful in midfield and as such play broke down time and time again.

Bent's goal was a great turn and hit but a limited player like Cattermole shouldn't be finding that much time and space in our half of the pitch. Jones' was always winning that header, such is Foster's form at present.

Berbatov again looks the part, holding the ball up well but with no one to play off him last night as Rooney had a rare bad showing.

Scholes' attitude at the moment is pathetic. Every game is now guaranteed to see at least one of those trademark tackles and his inability to control himself is costing the team. In a night when he was flanked by younger, lesser players he needed to keep his head and disappointed once again. Losing the ability to pass the ball five yards wasn't ideal either.

The biggest groan has to be with Ferguson. His team selection insulted the fans, the players and Sunderland and we got exactly what we deserved for his pre-match dismissal of the Mackems.

On a day where we should have taken advantage of at least one of Chelsea and Liverpool dropping points, we stumbled to a barely earned draw and allowed the rest of the league to see our soft underbelly.

Super fan? Me? If you say so.

2009-10-02T17:35:00.002+01:00

It’s been a long time since I updated. I got lazy. I'm getting older and possibly trying to be oh-so middle class as I find myself playing golf as often as possible. I even did the unthinkable recently and didn’t watch the Wigan match because I wanted to play golf instead. I did have my mobile with me (a big golfing faux- pas)and was checking the score so technically I’m still a super fan.

Super fan. What a weird term. On one of the forums I use, I am routinely referred to as a super fan and it isn’t meant in a good way. Why? I’m not totally sure, there certainly isn’t a logical reason behind it.

One of the reasons seems to be that I question the club and don’t accept everything that the club (and specifically Ferguson) does as perfect. This always seems to be fellow Man Utd fans who follow this line and often those who don’t go to matches. Why? I can only assume they personally feel inferior because they don't go. I’ll clarify my stance on that one right away: people who go to the match are NOT by virtue of their attendance better (and better is an entirely subjective term here in any case) fans and I would NEVER try to use the fact that I get to some games as furthering my point, although very many people do. On the contrary, I seldom voice opinions on any games I’ve been to in detail until I’ve seen the entire game back on TV. Only then can you really dissect the game and see things up close. I actually hate people who try and say you see more if you’re at the game. Simple fact is that you don’t and that’s pathetic football snobbery at its worst. Anyway, it’s strange that people use this against me, I’ve only started going in the past couple of years when it become financially viable and I’ve only been to one game so far this year because it’s become largely unviable again. Life responsibilities, eh? Getting too old.

Another reason I get called it is that I’m not shy in voicing my views and stating them as fact. There’s a horrible little trend online of people suffixing almost everything with “in my opinion”. Things aren’t always opinions. When Tevez was shocking for us for the majority of last year, that wasn’t an opinion, that’s fact. Saying that Mascherano isn’t as good as Fletcher isn’t an opinion, it’s fact. Saying that we aren’t better in any shape or form for Ronaldo leaving isn’t an opinion, it’s as stone cold true as a fact can be!

People are so slow to change their minds in football and they let big names go to their head. How can Darren Fletcher be better than Mascherano? One’s Scottish and was crap about five years ago, the other’s the Argentinean captain, cost multi-million pounds and is continually linked to big clubs. Well then, we’re sorted. No need to watch them actually play the bloody game, we can easily state Mascherano’s the better player without needing to see so much as a highlight reel!

I had a online “discussion” with an avid Argentina supporter who fails to accept that Tevez was rubbish last season and, by virtue of being a Chelsea supporter, he also claimed that Mikel is a better player than Fletcher. Given that Mikel is barely even a football player, it’s safe to say that certain people can’t see past their bias, eh?

So yea, I’m a super fan. You know people are struggling for arguments when they feel the need to say “No point discussing it with him, sure he’s always right” in that fun little way that they do. If I’m lucky, they’ll tack on one of those eye-rolling smilies for good measure. Sometimes people need to walk away from their keyboards, it’s clear they are getting worked up over what they read. You can tell when they’ve reached critical mass as the profanity starts to fly thick and fast. Or asterisks if the particular forum is pleasant like that. Would these same people, frantically smashing away at their keyboard in anger, get so testy if they were down the pub chatting about the game and someone stuck hard and true to their opinion? Nah, course not. Or at least I’d hope not. This is the internet though. Best to get wound up first and figure out if there was any need to later.

“Why… this guy has said a different thing than I felt and has worded it strongly… I can’t possibly not call him a colourful metaphor!”

That’s a great expression, colourful metaphor. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Go watch it, you’ll be a better person for doing it.

In all honesty though, once I see someone get wound up I tend to let them run with that particular stick. It’s good to sit back and watch the fall out.

Sunderland this weekend. It’s an evening game, so my golf won’t impact on that. To leave Darren Bent in my Fantasy League team or not? Ah, decisions, decisions.

Captain, there be cider here!

2009-09-01T19:48:00.001+01:00

I return from Manchester triumphant!

Not always the result that looked on the cards but for the second time in a row I return from this fixture having seen us come from behind in a less than convincing display to win 2-1. I’ve never seen us do anything but win against Arsenal, actually. I’m bad luck sometimes but when it comes to Arsenal, you want me to be there.

The match really isn’t that important, something much more important came to light on Saturday. The only bloody sell cider in Old Trafford now! GTFI. The team sheets rolling across the screen on the concourse couldn’t distract me from those beautiful bottles adorning the fridges. Yes, the fridges. THEY WERE COLD! No more warm, disgusting Bud in the ground.

So the game. Arsenal should’ve had a penalty, Foster’s really worrying at times, Rooney’s was a stonewall penalty, Eboue’s a funny character, Van Persie has enough talent to stop rolling around on the deck whenever he feels a breeze, Fletcher’s retained his great form for a third season, Ferguson’s a moron for playing one up top at home, Vermaelen is a very good player.

I should apologise to the three kids sat in front of me for swearing so much, though they did seem to find it funny at the time… that’s assuming they weren’t just amused by my drunken slur of a voice.

The burgers outside OT aren’t the best, are they? Oh well. Can't have everything.

No big transfers for us. Shame, means Anderson’s still at the club. *sad face*

Better or worse than last season?

2009-08-27T12:18:00.000+01:00

What a strange first week we’ve had. In losing to Burnley, we’ve encountered a disaster but come out the other side with more points than this stage last season. We always start slowly, don’t we? A loss to a newly promoted team at this stage isn’t the worst thing that could happen, they seem to have a knack of hitting the ground running (before spluttering out later in the campaign). The performances have been worrying at times though.

Liverpool are also having a torrid time as they were convincingly out-played by Spurs last weekend and devoid of ideas against a plucky Villa on Monday just past. Their squad really does look paper thin. If you believe some rumours, they want Michael Carrick to replace the departed Xabi Alonso. Even if the rumours are true regarding Ferguson having a bust-up with the Gatesheadian (not a word) I can’t see us selling one of our best midfielders to help a bitter rival strengthen.

The Modric rumours are equally scary. It’s cry time if we swap Carrick and money for the decidedly uninspiring little Croat. He’s no Boban. What a player he was. The 1998 World Cup was really won by Croatia, in spirit if not in reality. I never could forgive Laurent Blanc for his actions in that game. Anyhoo…

Chelsea. Ominous. Arsenal. Surprising. Spurs. Solid.

Interesting season ahead. We need to up our game massively this weekend when Arsenal roll into Manchester (as do I for my first attendance of the season) if we don’t want to be mugged in our own backyard. A draw would do the Gunners very nicely whereas I think we need a win to restore a bit of confidence that we can compete this year.

My prediction: cider on the train, cider in the street, warm Bud in OT (do they ever actually have a chance to get chilled?) and cider afterwards in a nice little pub in Manchester. TV21 makes a good venue, I find.

Berty Mee said to Matt Busby...

Man Utd 1 - 0 Brum

2009-08-16T15:42:00.002+01:00

We won the first match of the season. Crazy happenings.

It was great to see an officiating performance of such a high standard. They only missed a blatant red card on Carr early doors when he was all over Berbatov when the Bulgarian was clean through. Then they let Carr stand on Berbatov's foot in the box, no penalty given. To top things off, they ruled out a perfectly good Owen goal for offside. Ok, to the every day watcher it's offside but when the replay is shown you can see that the Birmingham defender has his leg extended beyond Owen's.

Oh well. Ferguson will get on the blower and fill the FA in. We should get those rewarded back to us against better teams.

Good points? Valencia being very direct. He'll be a star. Rooney looking sharp. Fletcher giving players hell in midfield, snapping into tackles and making himself known. Berbatov holding the ball up and bringing the midfield into play.

Bad points? Giggs and Scholes. Woeful, especially Giggs. Couldn't do a thing right.

Hopefully we'll get some defenders fit at some point this season.

Still... three points out of three. How strange.

Here at least, life can go back on hold.

2009-08-16T08:58:00.006+01:00

...and I sort of wish it wasn't.

I woke up at 6.30am yesterday, I had a round of golf booked for the morning and I can never sleep when I'm looking forward to something like that. I took the time to cast my eye over my Fantasy league team, agonised over the inclusions and then decided to leave it well alone (much to my later chagrin as Drogba bagged a brace).

So I finished up at the 18th halfway through the Chelsea game and the first thing I did was run into the bar to see the score. 1-1 at that point. Gerrin. Next stop was the golf shop as my brother pondered new clubs. I was supposed to be moral support as he spent more money than he should on "shiny metal sticks" but I found myself dandering around the shop, eyes glued to the internet on my mobile and generally being a moving obstacle for all other patrons in said shop, checking all the scores. Bent for Sunderland? More points for me.

So we get home about 4.30pm, just in time to put on Soccer Saturday and see the full times rolling in. Then the Everton v Arsenal game comes on (Arshavin, Neville, Cahill. POINTS! Or not, as it turned out.) so I watch most of that.

I was tired last night, so I didn't watch Match of the Day in the end. So I got up this morning to watch it. Wasn't it funny seeing Tevez start on the bench and then City play fairly poorly? Ireland scored though. Didn't pick him this year. Amateurish mistake.

Now it's 9am and I've got a few hours before the game starts. Might go to the driving range in a bit to kill some time. I'll be thinking about the game the whole time though. Sigh.

I'm not going today. I've scudded them on the last two opening days to lacklustre draws so at least I'm out of the equation. My first game this season isn't until we play Arsenal. Didn't they look poor yesterday?

So yea. Football's back and it will dominate everything for another ten months. My mobile bill will surely rise as I can't not know scores when I'm out.

Why do we do this? Why do women put up with this? I don't know. I really hate it, I think. Probably not in all honesty. I wouldn't change it though, not for a second. I was at the Middlesbrough - Sheffield United game last Friday night. The home fans soon got stuck into a rendition of "One Bobby Robson". I must admit, I felt a tear in my eye. I met the big man at Newcastle train station a while back. He took a few minutes to stop and talk to us. Absolute gent of a man. He shared something with many of us. He loved football. Certain things transcend rivalries and bring everyone together. Football is one of them. For example, I hate Liverpool but I can't imagine a world without them and they'd surely admit the same.

So. Where to from here? Ranting, elation, despair, ridiculous outflow of money and then a two month break (World Cup season though!) before we do it all again.

One game at a time though, eh?

This season's contenders: Same three again?

2009-08-07T16:58:00.003+01:00

Someone replied to my last entry asking me about how I thought the season was going to pan out and I gave a very coy answer.

I’ll say from the off, I don’t think City or Arsenal are in it this year.

City have some great names but not so many as they’d like to think and it takes time to get that many new players to gel. I do think they could play a major part in where the league ends up as they should give any team a run on their day, including the traditional big guns. Add in how utterly woeful they’ve been in preseason and I just can’t see it happening soon enough for any kind of challenge. Could Hughes be unemployed before Christmas?

Arsenal just lack the strength in depth that I think is needed to attack on all fronts. Too many of their best players have a knack of picking up injuries and Wenger’s inability to replace players and supplement his squad will show once again that he isn’t quite in the top bracket of managers he once was.

So I think it’ll be between the same three as last year.

On paper, Liverpool and ourselves have both weakened. Madrid have poached arguably our two best players in Ronaldo and Alonso and the way in which both teams replace those players will be key to the season coming up.

I’ve championed the signing of Valencia from the moment the rumour first appeared midday through last season, I think he is an excellent player who could well flourish under the added pressure that comes with playing for the Champions of England and the great history of Manchester United. I also feel that Michael Owen could well turn out to be a little diamond, pinching vital goals for us as the season goes along but I don’t expect him to return to his very best.

Other signings are much more low key and may not play a pivotal role this season; Obertan and Pogba already present in the squad with Ljajic and Diouf set to join up later in the season. Personally I’ve got a lot of hope for Tosic after he stepped it up in preseason. He reminds me of a left-sided Kanchelskis and we all know that the KanKan Man was the best player to grace the club.

A massive bonus for us this season would be to keep certain key players off the physio table; Carrick, Ferdinand and N E RightBack would be a good start.

The single most important factor we may struggle with is goals. No matter how much the most head-burying fan wants to pretend they aren’t bothered by Ronaldo’s departure, even they must accept that it’s a huge loss in terms of the goals he scored and also the amount teams had to sacrifice by marking him constantly. In a dream world, Berbatov will hit the ground running after his first preseason with the club, Rooney will finally get that central role he craves and will start scoring the goals we’ve always thought he had in him and the likes of Owen and Macheda will chip in consistently. Not asking for much, really.

Liverpool also suffered a huge loss this summer as long term want-away Xabi Alonso finally secured his move to Real Madrid. Liverpool have moved quickly to replace the Spaniard with Aquilani, a good player in his own right but it’s hard to imagine him doing quite what Alonso did last season. He is also injury prone. This could see Liverpool struggle to maintain their form from the end of last season. Moving Gerrard back would be excellent from everyone else’s point of view, he simply can’t perform in that role to anywhere near the standard people expect. Even better would be for the offensively ineffective Mascherano to be asked to perform a playmaker’s role. That would bring great mirth.

Their back line will continue to be fairly solid, such is Benitez’s way. It will be interesting to see if Aquilani serves as a direct replacement for Alonso and he retains his two holding midfield system that brings solidity at the expense of flair. I’ve long said Liverpool need to be more attacking to have a chance of winning the league and they’ve yet to secure players this summer that would suggest they’re going to do that. Torres will bang them in as always, Gerrard will get his fair share from his slot behind the front man (if kept there) and the main sticking point is where will the rest of the goals come from. Benayoun was in great form at the end of last season, as was Dirk Kuyt, but the likes of Riera, Babel (Liverpool’s Nani) and Lucas (Liverpool’s Anderson) will need to up their attacking input substantially to supplement the front two.

So we move onto my tip this season; Chelsea.

If Drogba, Joe Cole and Essien had been fit all last season, I doubt Liverpool would have been our closest rivals and I can’t even say I’d be sure we’d be champions right now. I know all teams can use that as an excuse but losing Essien, Cole and Drogba is akin to us without Ronaldo, Rooney and Carrick or Liverpool going for large periods without Torres, Gerrard and Alonso last season. Could you imagine those teams doing so well? I think not.

Ancelloti is considered by many to be a CL manager but we shouldn’t overlook the controversies around Italian football of late and the overall decline of that league. He cannot polish the proverbial turd. I think he’ll have enough nous about him to stage a real challenge and they’ve strengthened well in a player like Zhirkov though at the other end of the scale I don’t share the views that Sturridge is worthy of Stamford Bridge. Overall, Chelsea have the most players that I’d love at Man Utd. Cech, Carvalho, Zhirkov, Joe Cole, Essien (the best midfielder in the league)…

If Drogba can find renewed enthusiasm for the game, Anelka is utilised correctly for once and Essien and Lampard stay fit, they will boss teams out of most games without breaking a sweat. Keeping Terry is also a major plus, for his leadership if nothing else.

If Chelsea (Roman Abramovich) can resist the temptation of ignoring the league in search of elusive European success, they are going to be a real force this season and as such are the team I think the rest will be chasing this season.

City shopaholics while Wenger has garage sale

2009-07-30T17:23:00.000+01:00

Well, our “small time” neighbours in Manchester are really going all out this summer aren’t they? You have to wonder how Roque Santa Cruz feels at this point. He joined expecting to be spear-heading Man City’s rise to global domination and has been subsequently supplanted by two of the most lovable(!!!) chaps in football, Tevez and Adebayor. Then you have the likes of Craig Bellamy, sour faced at the best of times. Who shall feel the wrath of his infamously misguided golf club when he notices how far down the pecking order he is? Maybe that shiny pack of Titleist Pro V1s will finally meet their maker as their owner realises the true use of his hitting stick.

No one can blame ol’ Sparky for playing Footie Manager in the real world, who wouldn’t? Sadly someone hacked his game and gave Real Madrid more money than him. Well, I say money but I really mean gravitas. Not that I can say much as our own beloved Cristiano Ronaldo at last got his much publicised trip to the Spanish capital. We’ll chalk that one up to the old Iberian link and say that the lad wanted to help out poor old Real, struggling in the shadow of big, bad Barca. Still, if Real wanted to illicit a response with their wacky spending, they managed to send heads in Cataluña into a spin as the supremos at the current European Champions (that still hurts) found it necessary to swap Samuel Eto’o, £40m and Aliaksandr Hleb for Zlatan Ibrahimovic. They’ve basically swapped the better player and more cash than you could wipe your arse on as well as a more than capable midfielder for a player who weakens them. Baffling. On the other hand, a great bit of business by Jose Mourinho who spoke out this week and confirmed one of the worst kept secrets in football by saying he wants to take over when Fergie decides it’s time to step down. Is that a good thing? Yes, please. I firmly believe that had Roman’s trigger finger stayed itchless, we may not be sat here today as thrice winners in the past three years. Is he attacking enough? If not, we’ll make him. You don’t get by as a manager here without an attacking mentality, even if it is to our detriment!

It’s still too early to tell where the main contenders stand but Arsenal fans will have the most cause to worry as another summer is slipping by without necessary additions being made. In fact, the opposite is happening as Wenger is failing to keep players from the temptations of Eastlands. How many trophyless seasons must pass before the majority realise that Wenger isn’t the great manager people think he is? Does it really matter if he’s a master at spotting youth when he lacks the ability to keep senior players happy and attract big names in the transfer market? A manager must be a more complete package than that and Wenger has failed to move with the times as England plays a bigger part (some would say now the biggest, given the last few years in the Champions League) across Europe. That isn’t to say it’s an easy transition. We ourselves struggled in the early part of this decade as Ferguson sent out baffling, frustrating formations in Europe and it appeared to take some coaxing from Carlos Queiroz and a LOT of tweaking to get it right. I think it would be a good for both parties should Wenger and Arsenal part ways. Controversial? Nah, not at all. He doesn’t win things. He can’t build a strong squad. Sentimentality is now all but lost in modern day football and this is one occasion it shouldn’t be retained.

Audi Cup final tonight. Hands up who couldn't care less?

Pre-season football and Michael Owen?

2009-07-20T17:20:00.003+01:00

It’s been a while. I’ve left the new style for the site to someone else and he seems to have disappeared off into the sunset. Liverpool supporters, eh?

Strange times. Michael Owen’s banging them in on our ~~Annual Fund Raising Drive~~ pre-season tour while Man City are using posters of Carlos Tevez doing the one good thing he did all last season as propaganda pieces.

The Michael Owen transfer is a strange one. When he was being linked with Everton I was defending him to a Toffee, pointing out that he doesn’t actually miss many games (plays more than Torres, for example) and will score goals for any team who gives him the service. Then he goes and signs for us and I’m less than enthused. I’m also not disappointed. Is he better than Tevez? In my mind, yes, or at least he is much more in line with what we need; a goalscorer. If he plays, he’ll get a decent return of goals but he isn’t the player that was superb for Liverpool and Real Madrid. Don’t let people tell you he was bad at the Bernabeu, he had an excellent goals/min ratio and was a victim of the Galactico ethos.

As for Tevez, well I wish I could say good luck to the fella but I can’t. I’m disappointed in the magically changing attitude of many fellow Manchester United fans who have now decided that he’s not a great player and that his attitude does in fact stink. A shame it took Tevez to be so blatant with his repugnant behaviour but they got there in the end, no?

Anyone have the misfortune of seeing our first game against Malaysia XI? What a woeful spectacle that was. I don’t think I’ve ever seen two teams pass the ball directly to each other as often in my life. It looks like Nani is getting his chance. Anyone who watched that game will be crying over that statement. A goal doesn’t hide his overall ineptitude.

I’ve got a choice tonight between watching today’s game replayed on MUTV and Ronaldo’s debut for Real against Shamrock Rovers. The joy! I’ve already been told Owen has scored again but I’ve avoided finding out the exact result. I’m on tenter hooks.

Fletcher vs Mascherano

2009-06-23T18:43:00.003+01:00

It's slow season, so I'll keep this ticking over my putting up modified versions of posts from some online debates I take part in.

This article is discussing the two players mentioned in the title, their form and so on. The basic point was fans of Liverpool suggesting that Fletcher isn't as good a player as Mascherano. When I say "you" it's in direct reply to Liverpool fans that I was having this little tête-à-tête with. Their opinions should be clear from my replies.

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You say Mascherano is a superior player than Fletcher, yet performances on the park say otherwise. You're so totally caught up in the spell of having an exotic name with a big reputation that you automically propel him above a player who's been a bit part player for us with a terrible reputation as a make-weight only surviving at the club because he shares the manager's nationality. Open your eyes, look past that and see what they do on the pitch. You take the typical, moronic football fan opinion that once a reputation is forged, it can't be changed. Fletcher is a lesser player and can NEVER change that. It isn't like players can improve, eh?

In the last two full seasons, Fletcher has been better than Mascherano, even thought two years ago Fletcher played much fewer games he was always excellent when he played. Mascherano had a storming run at the end of the 06/07 season when he first arrived but hasn't built on that to have any claim to be truly world class.

As a break up guy, superb. Always has been. One of the best in the business and in that role alone is a better player than Fletcher. It's a shame for the Argentine that that's all he brings to Liverpool. He doesn't link up midfield. He doesn't read the attacking side of the game. He offers nothing beyond the half way line.

I find it hilarious that you have the temerity to accuse me of bias when you are the one putting a media built reputation (Argentine captain, Maradona loves him, must be superb) over performances. Note that at no stage am I saying that Mascherano is a poor player. I'm saying that he hasn't been as good as Fletcher in the last two seasons, especially the one just finished and that he doesn't offer enough in his overall game to be considered world class.

Put your woe-is-me attitude to one sided and drop the bias line. I'm never biased in these regards. I'd take Torres in a heartbeat. Alonso made Carrick look average this season.

Tell you want, mind. Kleberson's better than Gerrard. WC winners medal, experience in other leagues and more than any of that... he's got a Brazilian name and so must be better. Viva la extranjero.

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This second one is a later reply, posted after a few more people had commented on how Fletcher was definitely not as good a player as Mascherano with no actual discussion of the players.

I judge players on their performances. Fletcher's have been better in the past year, if not two.

The media tells you that Mascherano is a world class player, captain of Argentina and affords him all the wonder and grandeur of being foreign (ie. exotic and thus better in their eyes). Fletcher is still too boring for the media. An unassuming Scottish lad who goes about things quietly and who has, as you have said, only benefitted in terms of appearances due to the loss of Hargreaves. You are happy to leave your opinion right there because it suits you. That's how you hide behind the media, backing up your stance with what they say for the most.

In terms of potential ability, I'd happily say that Mascherano looks like he has a better career ahead of him. He's established in a better international team and doesn't have the stigma hanging over him of being a bit-part player. He also benefits from being the best in his position at his current club. Fletcher doesn't have the luxury as a fit Hargreaves (does such a beast exist?) will surely replace him in the side if/when he returns. I have massive reservations over his all round game. As much as it's easy to hide behind the fact that he's seen as a destructive midfielder thus his attacking outlet doesn't matter, that's not at all true. Football is a different beast now, players need more to their game. A holding midfielder shouldn't be so limited as Mascherano is going forward; this covers both his vision in reading the attacking side of the game and also his technical ability to operate there.

If you believe this doesn't matter so much, fair enough. I wouldn't be happy to carry such a player in my side. If you think I'm understating his ability, then I suggest you watch him more. He relies so much on his athleticism, it's almost alarming.

I've long said that a massive problem for Liverpool has been the style in which they attack. They rely so heavily on individuals, the system can't cope without them. Gerrard, Torres, Alonso. Going without these players who can continually add attacking flair to the game causes long term problems for Liverpool. Players like Lucas and Mascherano can't add this. Players like Keane and Vieira, true greats in the game, scored goals and were attacking outlets. Mascherano doesn't and until he does, he won't be on top of his game or world class imo. Not for Liverpool anyway. At Barca, he'd be much more suited to their style. They have many more attacking options, so his destructive style would probably be enough. Think of Makelele at Chelsea and Real Madrid. He thrived because he had so many good attacking players in front of him. Robben, Joe Cole, Lampard, Duff and then the Real Galacticos in the likes of Figo et al.

So yea. Mascherano. One of the best man markers around, great tackler and very atheltic. The kind of player who plays with real passion and so fans love. Like Tevez at United. And my opinions on him have shown that passion isn't enough when your overall game is lacking, I wanted him out from very early.

-------

So, am I just being biased? I don't think so. I know what I see on the pitch and over the last two seasons, especially the one just finished, Fletcher has been superb and Mascherano hasn't played to the same standard. Forget reputation. Players improve and get worse and I'll judge them on what they've done recently, not a mass of media spin that is given an indefinite Use By date.

Superb News: Tevez is set for City

2009-06-20T14:20:00.003+01:00

We offered £25.5m for him? Whoever sanctioned that should be ashamed of themselves.

We won't miss his lack of pace, his inability to locate the penalty area, his five league goals, his woeful standard of fitness and the whinging to the media about not being treated fairly, Joorabchian orchestrated or not.

If he is City bound as is expected then the collection of morons that booed Ferguson's (correct) decision to take Tevez off as we secured a draw to win the league will have to bow their heads in shame. In fact, anyone who still believes the ludicrous media myth that Tevez is world class is monumentally deluded. No matter what the odious little pleb does it won't be to a standard that we need or deserve.

So we were offering £25.5m for Tevez, £17m for Valencia and £40m for Ribery, if reports are to be believe. That means we have a transfer kitty of at least £80m if you follow that to the logical conclusion. That could be interesting.

An early end of the Ronaldo saga.

2009-06-11T12:24:00.002+01:00

Well, if he was going to go we wanted it to be early. Ferguson ideally does his work early in the window, aiming to get players in for a preseason and settled in the area before the season kicks off.

So where to from here? These goals MUST be replaced.

I'd love to see one of Aguero, Benzema or Villa at Man Utd. Benzema is continually linked and he's probably the most likely now but Villa's goals would be my first choice; just look at how Torres adapted.

I think Antonio Valencia will join now, a somewhat direct replacement to Ronaldo on the right but he brings less goals in a more conventional right winger style.

Ribery is heavily linked and I've been vocal in the past against him, I just get this niggling feeling he won't adapt to the pace of the league. Strutting your stuff in Germany is one thing but the Premier League is a different matter.

Nani is being touted as going back to Sporting with Moutinho moving the other way. We do need to bolster the centre midfield but I'm not convinced he's the man.

In defence, I'd love to see Glen Johnson come in at RB, freeing up Wes Brown to be RB/CB cover and allowing Rafael to learn his trade more.

One more thing that I feel is essential. None of the £80m should be spent on Tevez. He should be left firmly in the past at Man Utd. We need better.

End of Season Lethargy - ring the changes, Fergie

2009-06-05T11:46:00.003+01:00

Well, with the enthusiasm of Champions League runners-up, I've taken a back seat with this blog yet again.

I'm going to attempt to learn some website techno-wizardry over the next few weeks and hopefully start again with my own site away from blogger at this same address in time for the new season.

I can envisage myself toiling extremely hard only to return to blogger, which has in all honesty served me very well since the New Year.

I'll leave this season on the following note; yes, our season limped out in a horrible manner but we're still the English team to beat. The position we're in now is still where everyone else wants to be. We've got a damn good shot at number 19 next year but we need to strengthen the team, especially in midfield where we are currently lacking. I wouldn't be sad to see Nani and Anderson both leaving. The love in over the Brazilian especially must be over. Too many fans have spent the season creaming themselves over how he matched Fabregas in a 2-2 draw that is now two seasons ago. I think Hargreaves may well retire sooner rather than later.

I also won't be sad to see Tevez leave, if that which looks inevitable occurs. He's been poison coming towards the end of the season. His constant bleating to the fans about how he hasn't been treated well was pathetic, but no more pathetic than the fans who booed his removal against Arsenal or who chant "Sign him up" when he does something mediocre. Five league goals and a pot belly. That's what he brings to the team. If he put as much effort into getting into shape as he does twisting the media to secure a completely undeserved contract, maybe he wouldn't be running scared that he'll be a Liverpool or City player next season. I can only assume we're trying to get a striker in now so that we can let him move on, lest be forced to sign him.

I'm willing to give Berbatov an entire preseason with the club, something he didn't have last season, and judge him around Christmas time. So much talent, he just needs to channel it in new ways.

Defensive cover would be nice though Wes Brown returning would be like a new signing. Rafael's appearance this last season was a breath of fresh air, along with his brother to cover at RB. Rio and Jonny Evans needs to shake this knack of picking up injuries... hopefully a rest will do them wonders.

I'll sign off this post with a wish. Please, Benzema. Please.

Catching up - Part 1

2009-05-11T13:09:00.000+01:00

Since my last post, I've had my first trip to Wembley, old or new. I'm in hurry to return.

I'm not sure what was more disappointing; the team that Ferguson insulted the traveling fans and the FA Cup with or the fact that we were so close to going through in spite of that line up.

It was the little things that annoyed more than anything once the game had started; Danny Welbeck's reluctance to use pace to take on as one-paced a right back as you could ever hope to see. Tevez's continual refusal to behave as a striker. Ferguson's ridiculous bench that couldn't change a game should they be playing Sega Classics on the PS3. The penalty takers.

The weekend on the whole was fun though. I spent it with an Arsenal fan, so we had mutual mourning to do. The Everton fans were superb throughout, making a good atmosphere before, during and after the game and being sound for a chat in the hotel after the game. We even had one discussion where a dyed in the wool blue said that Gerrard was the best player in the league. I suppose you can expect them to overlook Rooney given his history.

Wembley is a fantastic stadium. Massive without feeling distance from the pitch. The facilities inside are superb, the amount of space on the concourse is astounding. A shame about the pitch, eh?

Onto midweek and one of Ferguson's many days of reckoning in the aftermath of the semi-final defeat.

Luckily he was vindicated in many ways as we coasted to a very comfortable win against Portsmouth who never really troubled after a reasonably bright start.

The next game was a rather less sedate affair. Those who remember the 0-3 to 5-3 game will have been forgiven for thinking this was orchestrated but it unfolded exactly as we all knew it would. Eh, no. I'd written off our season at half time, in my own typical fashion.

A lot of time has passed so I won't go into details on the match except to cover the most controversial moment of the game...

No, not the penalty. You'll see almost identical penalties erroneously given all over the country, all season long. I'm talking about the decision to allow Wilson Palacios to stay on the pitch after a two-footed lunge on Ronaldo which thankfully the Portuguese evaded, lest his season be ended there and then. The lack of backbone demonstrated there set the tone and it was no surprise that Jenas went unpunished when he lead with his arm into Berbatov's face. Would Spurs have scored twice if down to ten or even nine men? No, thought not. Still, everyone loves a moan about us (myself included all too often)...

Pessimist's Porto Preview - Jager bombs are nice

2009-04-15T13:44:00.001+01:00

Eh, I hate this game. No, I don't. I love it.

Where has the defensive unity gone? Does Mister Vidic think his job was done to secure Player of the Year or something? We're looser at the back than Taylor Raine. Van Der Sar looks like a gibbering wreck and was probably rested against Sunderland to allow the new meds to kick in. Do we even have any right backs any more? Don't say Gary Neville, he's as much a right back as I am. Do us a favour, Gary. Fall on your sword. Walk away from the club, ta.

The Porto game showed yet again what can happen when a team sets about us. The confidence is so utterly drained that we bend over and accept the resultant bumming in an almost apologetic manner. Both their goals game from individual errors but that's absolutely no excuse for the pasting they were giving us in the first half. It has been touted as Paul Scholes' worst game in the red of Manchester United and I find it hard to disagree. Perhaps he fancies a brief flirt in Liga Sagres and was getting used to the surroundings. Only Patrice Evra and Wayne Rooney actually came out of the game with their reputations in tact in my eyes, though Evra will need to show a little more defensive nous against a team who attacking so aggressively.

The Sunderland game is a strange one. The media portrayed us as struggling when the reality is that we dominated the game for large parts and were very good value for the win, but again there were ridiculous defensive errors. Enough about those. Another goal for Macheda, intentional or not, will have the young man brimming with confidence and putting pressure on Berbatov, who has regressed once more to the slow, lazy oaf of a player we saw at the start of the year. A few good touches against Sunderland don't make up for his lack of goals.

So what's going to happen tonight? We are favourites to progress at a ground we've never won at (I think no English team has ever beaten Porto in Porto, though I may be wrong) despite being second best at everything at Old Trafford.

Is it possible? Absolutely, if any team can do it, it is us. That's surely the message Ferguson has to be reminding the players. We have players that the rest of the world envy; Ronaldo, Rooney, Evra, Vidic, Ferdinand... we have a fantastic set of supporting players to allow the flair players to do their work; Scholes, Carrick, Van Der Sar... We even have talented players who seem loath to exhibit their abilities; Nani, Anderson, Tevez, Berbatov...

If we can get some spirit and belief back into the squad, the sky's the limit. We're the match of any team on the planet, whatever the media may think about Barcelona.

That said, I believe Barca are rightly the current favourites in the Champions League as they have the form. I can still see Chelsea progressing from their semi though, if they can look after Messi. Step up Mr Essien?

I'm not sure if the butterflies in my stomach are the kebab and Jagerbombs from last night or the nerves of the game later. Probably both.

A marriage with Macheda

2009-04-06T14:06:00.001+01:00

So I survived my first ever wedding and I also survived the game yesterday, though my heart is a little worse for wear.

Actually, my Saturday was very similar to my Sunday, it's amazing how much a wedding can resemble a game of the old footer.

Let's take it step by step -

The ceremony vs the build up.

No one actually cares about this bit, it's all hyperbole. The line ups are revealed, the formal arrangements all agreed and all the onlookers await the good times later on. In this regard, the ceremony was probably the more enjoyable as my potential granny-in-law's hearing aid started whistling loudly just as the minister piped up. I struggled to contain my mirth at this, as the church in question was tiny and everyone stared in our direction. The only person who couldn't hear it was the poor old dear herself. In stepped future mummy-in-law and my laughs were over. Boo. The chirpy minister probably loses out to the pre-match Sky comments, his attempts at being funny and berating the lack of singing were as cringe worthy as Andy Gray's best “Take a bow, son”.

The Meal vs the first half.

Kick off is upon us. All the pretence is over. Both sides are clearly divided in their allegiances (bride v groom's guests, United v Villa) and take their respective positions on the pitch/tables. The early minutes are tense as both sides get their first couple of drinks. Neither side is giving an inch. One side begins to edge it, but no... there's a shock! There's a handled back pass working in my favour, I get my first drink free of charge. The Bulmers isn't my usual poison but it tastes as sweet as a Ronaldo finish today. Yes, I'm winning. I'm getting drunk free of charge. I'm sticking it to the man.

1-0

My joy is soon checked though, I'm sat at a table with no one I know apart from my girlfriend, and they (like Villa) have no love for United as they cheer when they realise Chelsea are beating Newcastle and I look despondent. Villa take back control of the game and as Carew slots in his header, it's just like that first trip to the bar where I actually had to pay. It lessens the fun but at 1-1 it's all square, and I am still drinking at this wedding so this could go either way!

Post meal entertainment vs the next 35 minutes.

The meal is over, I'm still a little hungry, my money is flowing out of my wallet like Ashley Young past old man Neville and I'm summoned for the dreaded photos. Come on now, this isn't fair. I'm the boyfriend to the cousin of the bride! How the hell is that worthy of involvement in the photos? To add insult to injury, I need to set my drink down for this. What's going on! Right on queue, we can marry this (pun not intended but I'll pretend it was) to Aston Villa's dominance after the break and when I return to my seat to observe The Beatles tribute band sound checking (surely the most overrated band to have existed since the dawn of time), it feels like a bundled Agbonlahor goal.

What's going on? I'm not drunk yet. I'm still hungry. I'm having my ears subjected to this tripe. Please... Please Help Me!

2-1 down.

The piss up vs 80th minute to 85h minute

What is happening? The Beatles have started banging away and they're playing all the songs I can actually tolerate and perhaps the Bulmers is doing more than I credit it. My girlfriend's sister's boyfriend David has arrived and is seemingly intent on catching up on the alcohol stakes. The fact that my latest pint has been delivered courtesy of the girlfriend's dad always adds to the pleasure and it's almost inevitable that my mood is now on the up, just like a Ronaldo 18 yard strike to bring things level. This night can go either way now. What's it to be?

2-2

The bar (David inspired) v the end of the game (Macheda inspired)

The hour of reckoning, I'm at the bar and with the accuracy of a Ryan Giggs through ball, I find David purchasing his latest round. This potential future giant provides the impetus we need to kick on and dominate this one. Aftershock, one round thereof. The smattering of bridesmaids and other assorted girls at the bar join us as the first one feels like a Ronaldo shot, just over. It's good, it's a kick up the arse but it's bitter. We need more! The next Aftershock feels like a Danny Welbeck chance, narrowly saved as the great feeling is surely only one more drink away. Delirium kicks in, it's my turn to take a chance and as I ask the barman for lime and salt, David reminds me that I've ordered sambuca.

This is it, the moment of truth, one shot away from that elusive victory or one shot glass away from that all conquering buzz. Macheda being jostled off the ball at the end of the box feels like that first smell of the sambuca, that realisation that this isn't a nice feeling at all. But then, as Macheda turns Luke Young, it's the sambuca pouring down my throat. The slow motion feeling as the ball curls around Brad Friedel's despairing dive and as the ball nestles into the far corner, it's that warm, tingling sensation in your stomach as the drink settles in for the evening.

3-2

Ecstasy.

It was all worth it.

This is what it's all about. Football and life.

I return to cider, safe in the knowledge that this feeling is going to last the rest of the night. My liver is destroyed by the wedding, the ten odd pints of cider during the day and those three beautiful shots.

My heart is destroyed by the football, and all that took was those three beautiful shots.

Yes, three shots is all it takes if the ground work is right.

Life mirrors football.

Football is life.

Internationals are dead, long live domestic football.

2009-04-03T12:00:00.002+01:00

It's been another substantial break since my last post, mostly down to having nothing to talk about and my acute case of football loathing there for a while. For the first time in a while, I was greeting the international break with relief. The team was clearly burnt out, emotionally, with tempers flaring during the Fulham farce.

Normally I don't take too much time for the internationals, keeping an eye out for Northern Ireland, England and our players but I actually found myself glued to the box for both of our internationals this time around. Jonny Evans turned in two Man of the Match performances, in my opinion, and that bodes fantastically well for Sunday where he will deputise for the suspended Nemanja Vidic. Hopefully Rio will be there also after limping off for England in midweek.

Also for England, Wayne Rooney found a smile on his face once more with a superb game against Slovakia and a good shift put in against the Ukraine, while his strike partners fell away around him. Heskey's absence from Sunday's game is actually a curse as the infinitely superior John Carew will now surely start.

Even Carlos Tevez found the score sheet as Argentina wiped out Venezuela 4-0, but then featured in an energy sapping high-altitude game as they were embarrassed 6-1 by Bolivia in La Paz.

John O'Shea was literally shedding blood for the Republic of Ireland's cause midweek as they scraped a draw against ten man Italy.

Ronaldo was rubbish as Portugal messed up yet again, Evra didn't have too troubled a time against Lithuania in either game as France secured two 1-0 wins against the minnows.

Meh, have I missed anyone? Probably have, don't really care.

So by Sunday we'll probably be two points behind Liverpool. How they hell have we let that happen?

Tevez to start up front on his own? Or perhaps we'll see Ronaldo play there again? Or Danny Welbeck? Hmm. Whoever plays, we must attack Villa from the off. They're on a relatively poor run at the moment and we need to put someone to the sword to get us back on track. A strong midfield with Giggs, Scholes and Carrick would be excellent and should be enough to control the game. Ronaldo on the right, Tevez and Welbeck up front. Or perhaps Park on the right, Giggs left, and Ronaldo and Tevez up front? This isn't even mentioning Anderson and Fletcher.

Even with injuries, we have options and we need to show that our lesser seen players are up for the task.

God, please just give me a win. I think I'll have a cider during the game, to take the edge off my hangover from the night before.

Going to my first ever wedding. Are they fun?

The two week implosion - where's my Strongbow?

2009-03-23T10:19:00.000+00:00

After the entire internet ignored my blog for a few weeks, I received this comment after Liverpool's demolition of Aston Villa - “bad weekend for manc bloggers the world over”.

The writer left themselves anonymous but their succinctly put reply reminded me I hadn't made a post in a while. I haven't been avoiding it because I'm a fair-weather blogger, I just haven't had much to say in all honesty.

Needless to say, I could vent all day long about our attempts to destroy our season in a two week period. There are many factors to blame for our current arse-over-tit form; Ferguson's selections, big names prancing around the pitch like gurning women, sheer bad luck in some cases.

For Saturday's debacle I'm going to edge towards Ferguson being the main problem. In a game where we needed to stamp our authority early on and show the opposition that we weren't in the midst of a crisis of confidence, Ferguson decided to drop our best player and talisman, Wayne Rooney. This move was to accommodate Dimitar Berbatov, the last player in our entire squad that you would want at your side in battle, and a battle is exactly what we have turned the season into. Pairing him with Ronaldo was merely insult to injury, as a recalcitrant Ferguson seemed determined to prove that he had a trick up his sleeve to turn us around from our drubbing at home to Liverpool.

The midfield saw the teaming up of Giggs, Scholes, Fletcher and Park. Attacking outlets – virtually nothing. Now, don't get me wrong, they are all good players in their own right, but not in this combination. By removing Ronaldo from midfield, we had no real natural width (our main attacking strength when we play two wingers) and so our normal style was completely negated. Dropping Michael Carrick is simply moronic at any time.

The game itself started poorly, the penalty and sending off are almost inexplicable aside from the fact that Paul Scholes has form when it comes to playing volleyball in either box. He must shoulder a large portion of the blame for this result and won't shirk away from that responsibility, unlike our esteemed manager who will look to blame everyone but himself.

Once Danny Murphy did what he always does, that was all she wrote. At no stage were we ever going to get anything from this game.

Berbatov sulked around, Ronaldo moaned, the defence decried each other visibly all afternoon.

By the time Rooney was sent off for daring to throw the ball back to his team mates too quickly, we were already two down after a very fine finish from Zoltan Gera, a very good little player in his own right.

All was not lost, with Chelsea unexpectedly losing at White Hart Lane but Liverpool dispatched Aston Villa with consummate ease as they eased past our goal difference and to within one point of us in the table, albeit we do have a game in hand that won't be played until a couple of weeks from the conclusion of the season.

The international break couldn't come at a better time. Hopefully Ferguson will have noted how susceptible Aston Villa are looking at present and actually set out to impose our game on them, something we haven't done since the Fulham cup game. We'll have to do it without Vidic, Scholes and Rooney, with Berbatov possibly missing due to injury after leaving Craven Cottage with his foot in a cast after an awkward looking ankle injury. Is that a bad thing?

I didn't drink during the match. Two week self imposed hiatus from the sauce. What am I thinking?

Man Utd v Liverpool in the Champions League, please.

2009-03-16T10:09:00.001+00:00

I'll cover the Inter game before I discuss our footballing lesson at the hands of Liverpool.

We won 2-0. We were woeful. Yet, we won.

OK, that's the Inter game covered.

Onto Saturday then...

I put a large portion of the blame onto our esteemed manager, who was maybe one too many whiskies down the line when he handed his team sheet in for this one.

Anderson? Seriously? In a game of this magnitude, you pair Carrick and Anderson together, and then decide to supplement that with Ji Sung Park? So basically you're inviting Liverpool onto you, the game after they've just won 4-0 against Read Madrid... Oh and guess what two players appeared in our 2-1 loss at Anfield in September? Anderson and Carrick. Inspired, Sir Alex. I doff my cap to you.

Well, at least you won't have made the mistake of picking Carlos Tevez up front.

Wait... what? YOU HAVE?!

Jesus is weeping openly at this stage.

End result of these choices?

A team devoid of any attacking presence in the centre of midfield, allowing Liverpool to put two players on Ronaldo at all times. The crowd around me loved having a moan about Ronaldo's failures all day, but for all Javier Mascherano's drawbacks he is a fantastic man-marker (his performance against Kaká in Athens was testament to that) and this coupled with Fabio Aurelio forcing the Portuguese inside (something Ronaldo normally revels in) towards the Argentine captain was enough to keep him quiet all day. This freed up acres of space in the centre of the park but sadly Anderson doesn't have the footballing brain to see such a thing and was a passenger for his much too lengthy stay on the pitch.

Anderson has ability, but is having a shocking second season and needs a stint in the reserves to realise the basics once more. Paul Scholes may have played on Wednesday night, but with the space afforded in centre midfield all day, he could have ran the show. So could Ryan Giggs, for that matter, who thrived in a similar game against Chelsea in January.

As for Tevez, well, not much needs to be said. Woeful positionally again, doesn't commit players, doesn't beat enough players and has a disgraceful shooting ability for one so lauded. Sadly, running around aimlessly all day still pushes some fans' buttons.

The back four had a mare. Simple as that. No excuses to be made. It happens. Given the number of games they've excelled in now for two and more years, I won't single any of them out and just say that days like Saturday are few and far between and sadly one came on the worst day possible. If they'd been on top form, we'd have struggled to have kept a superb Torres quiet and off the score sheet.

Rooney was wasted in exactly the same manner as from around 2004 to 2006 (and tellingly in the Anfield fixture this season) as a winger and could do nothing to impact the game, which wasn't his fault as he has never been a winger despite Ferguson's insistence that the biggest games mean playing your best player out of position.

By the time Ferguson made the much needed subs, he messed up again by destroying any shape we still had. It was 2-1 at the time, so no mad panic, but he abandoned all semblance of a formation by removing Michael Carrick, our best player at gelling the team together, Ji Sung Park who was our best player on the day and Tevez, which was his only good decision at any stage in the game. The three subs did the sum total of nothing but I doubt anyone could have in the system we were employing.

Rooney was now moved to the other wing, with Ronaldo suffering the same baffling treatment. Berbatov and Tevez went up front with Scholes and Giggs in midfield. I think. It was hard to tell what was going on before my eyes.

Ferguson's drivel about being the better team was expected, he rarely gets too critical during the season, and hopefully this will be a one off in what could be a season to eclipse 1998-99.

When the Champions League is drawn on Friday, I want Liverpool. I didn't before but now they are the only team I want to see. If we were to put them out of their beloved European Cup, the momentum would have shifted right back to Old Trafford and should put an end to their season. It should be the side that our players and Ferguson want to see, too.

Go on UEFA, rig it. You know you don't want the potential carnage of Man Utd versus Liverpool versus Rome.

I'd even want the second leg at Anfield.

Are three pints enough to see off Liverpool?

2009-03-10T19:11:00.002+00:00

As promised, Three Pints has chipped in with his thoughts on current affairs surrounding those 'uns from the other end of the East Lancs.

So Mr Pints, I know you fairly well now and your opinions on current events around Anfield but try to outline for us your current state of minds regarding Rafa Benitez and specifically his rant (which can be heard here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZHosq1fxSM – if you need a reminder)...

As things are, Rafa Benitez is not the man to lead Liverpool to a League Title. His choice of football is far too defensive. People sometimes say that Jose won the league with Chelsea being defensive, but this is incorrect. Mourinho is a shrewd operator, and I'd like to see him take the helm at Liverpool. His rant was embarrassing. Whilst a lot of the stuff he said may or may not be true, the fact he came out publically and said it was no good. The effect it had on the players was evident as our form dropped quicker than a prostitutes pants.

The current situation at Anfield is definitely not ideal. Two American owners who don't give a rats ass and a Chief Executive who blocks transfers. Now, United have an American owner that doesn't care, but your manager is in control of absolutely everything. In our situation, Benitez has to ask Parry, and this obviously leads to a lot of friction. Solution? Yanks out, Parry out and Benitez either puts together a proper squad or he gets out too.

In a previous post on your blog, Three Pints, you mention a core of players you believe are vital to Liverpool and that the rest are basically expendable. Who do you blame for this accumulation of poor players? Rumours abound that Rick Parry undermines Benitez at every turn in terms of funds available and on players targeted...

I think the blame for our accumulation of poor players must be shared between both Parry and Benitez. Parry has been known to deny Benitez the funds required to sign the players he wants. An example of this is Gareth Barry (must point out I can't see why we'd swap Alonso for Barry) when Benitez didn't get the man he wanted. However, Benitez is the one who actually signs the dung. Babel, Kuyt, Lucas, Skrtel, Dossena, Benayoun. None of these players are good enough to be League Winners. You only have to look at what Liverpool do when we struggle in a game. United bring on Carlos Tevez, Liverpool bring on Ngog.

Given that Benitez guided you to the top of the table, the argument is there that the squad is good enough. I assume you don't agree, so do you agree with me that this year has seen a fairly poor performance across the board and that Liverpool simply took advantage of that until we found our form?

The only reason Liverpool were top of the league is because of the poor form of the other teams around them. It took you lot quite a while to find form. The fact we were still top after so many home draws is indicative of this. If you want to challenge for a league, you must win all your games at home. This is an absolutely vital part of becoming Champions. You also must impose your style of play on other teams. For instance, when we go away from home, we set out our team as it suits us and the other team sets out theirs to try and counter-act it. Not the other way around. We shouldn't go to other teams and change formation to try and defend against a possible threat. We play our game and force them to change! Manchester United do it, Chelsea did it when they were Champions. Arsenal too. To answer your question, no our squad is not good enough. Out of it, Reina, Agger, Carragher, Gerrard, Alonso, Mascherano (ok, he's having a bad time but the quality is definitely there) and Torres can be considered good enough. The rest need shipped out and the team needs to be built around this spine. We need pacy wingers who aren't afraid to beat their man on the outside (Babel and Kuyt can't do this, they always go inside, Babel especially) and whip in a good ball. We need another GOOD centre forward. Someone to compliment Torres, in an ideal world, David Villa. We need two full backs, and not rubbish ones, I want Rafael and Evra standard please.

You come to Old Trafford hoping to do the league double over us, something you haven't done in a fair while... What team do you think Benitez will go for and would you change it? And what do you think the result will be?

I think we'll not go defensive like we would have if we were above you. We HAVE to win this game (well not really, I consider it over already) so I think we'll set out our stall in the usual manner. 4-5-1. Reina, Carragher, Skrtel, Dossena/Aurelio (Aurelio is the less shit of the two), Arbeloa (I can't remember the injury situation at right back so I'm going with him) at the back. In the middle the usual, Gerrard and Alonso with Mascherano just behind. Kuyt and Riera out wide (yes, apparently Dirk Kuyt is a winger. Go figure). Up top Torres. Torres will be marked out of the game no doubt, by a very much in form United defence. We'll try feeding balls into him and they'll be cut out every time or else he'll get the ball 20 yards from goal with his back to goal and 4 defenders in his way. As for changing it, it's been shown this season that we actually cannot play any other formation successfully, so while I'd love to go 4-4-2 we just cannot do it (the fact we only have one decent striker doesn't help either). Player changes? Tough one. Again, we have no strength in depth, so it's like swapping piss for shit. As for the end result, I'm going to go for a clear win for United. 3-0, just like last time, except this time I really hope that little scrote Nani doesn't score one and Mascherano shuts his mouth.

If you do come away from OT with a win, is your title chase back on? How do you see the league panning out from here?

Even if we do win, it's 4 points with a game in hand for you, so realistically, we are still 7 points behind. I can't see you losing 3 games. No way. If you win, then it is most definitely over - 10 points with a game in hand. Our title challenge is over, and at the time of writing, the match tonight (Tuesday) makes or breaks our season. Get dumped out of the Champions League and this really has been a shitty season (I may go as far to say that even if we win the CL it's been a shit season). As for the league panning out, I see United winning it by some distance. 13, 15 points clear, or something like that.

And finally... The Quintuple – can we do it?

Yes. Who is going to beat you? You are in unstoppable form and it's going to take some seriously bad luck or a serious off day for you to lose. At the very least, you'll clean up domestically and possibly get a bad draw in the Champions League (us :p). Come on Inter Milan, might I add. But in all seriousness, I think the quintuple is most definitely on and you have a good enough squad that you can rotate players to prevent burnout and not compromise quality. The Quintuple is there for you, the only people who will stop you winning it is yourselves.

Well, even I must say, I didn't expect our lad to be as defeatist as this. The Quintuple is never happening in my opinion, but I am glad to see that you've seen through Skrtel for the poor player he is!

You can read more from Three Pints at his blog, www.threepints.co.uk and it's linked from my read blogs section.

I set off early doors tomorrow for Manchester, armed with cider and a Gogs. It could get messy.

Inventive title here or summat.

2009-03-09T15:18:00.000+00:00

It's been a while since I've had a few minutes to sit down and write out my thoughts but I'll try to keep this brief.

On Wednesday night, I took my chances and took a seat amongst the Geordies at St. James' Park, situated directly below the away end. The chill in the air seemed especially bitter as Van Der Sar made a monumental error to throw away the clean sheet record he was amassing, gifting the ball straight to Lovenkrand's feet as the ex-Rangers player tapped it in. I almost forgot to look happy as the goal went in. The game itself, as many do, blurs for me (yes, cider) but I clearly remember Rooney's shot for the equaliser slamming home and just about stopping myself from exalting the striker, scoring in his fourth start in a row. I'm told that what didn't look too serious from our spot high in the stand when Taylor could have been sent off and that we could have had a penalty, but this was washed away by Berbatov's finish to give us the win. This time I was unable to keep myself under control and jumped from my seat, fist in the air, before catching myself in the nick of time and proclaiming, “For fuck sake, Newcastle”... Ahem.

One thing that should be noted is that on going 1-0 down, our fans were louder than ever and made the Newcastle crowd seem non-existent. This is in stark contrast to the game at the Riverside I covered in my last post. There's a real buzz around the team now that we can and will get ourselves out of anything.

After that game, I found myself downing tequila, Aftershock and Jagerbombs, so you'll forgive any lapses in memorable content from the game.

Fast forward a couple of days, and I was in London for the cup game against Fulham, but sadly I wasn't at the game, rather a weekend away planned a long time ago. I managed to catch the game and was initially worried by more indecision at the back, VDS looking a bit worried on occasion but we soon settled down and a promising Carlos Tevez performance was the icing on the cake for a game that in honesty we sailed through, though again injuries to Ferdinand and O'Shea are worrying. The only thing that kept us from Champions League success two years ago was the crippling injury list to the back line and we are teetering on the edge of that again.

I'm hoping to find time tomorrow to have a word with the writer of Three Pints and ask him a few questions about the upcoming game against Liverpool and where he thinks things have gone wrong. You can read his work at www.threepints.co.uk.

Inter Milan on Wednesday. Someone buy me a new liver.

The Carling Cup comes calling, Liverpool left lamenting

2009-03-02T12:56:00.001+00:00

Well, the curtain has been drawn on the Carling Cup for another year, and after the stands had emptied, Champagne spilled and the floodlights turned off, it was Manchester United who left the ground as winners.

As the players had strode up the steps to receive the cup, Ben Foster carried on that unusual trait of goalkeepers by leaving his gloves on for the celebrations. Perhaps he was scared of dropping his Man of the Match bottle of bubbly or even the Carling Cup, a trophy notable only for its lack of size. It reminds me of the trophies my father used to bring home after once again winning Player of the Year in his local pool league.

I had my usual cider haze going on that just about dulled the edge of nerves. Actually, I was still essentially sober at kick off. I found it hard to get worked up for this one from the edge of my sofa, a hotel room going to waste down in London as I failed to secure tickets in time, but by the latter stages of the game both my nerves and the Strongbow were running on empty. I made a strange comment, well for me anyway, as the game progressed through extra time, to my girlfriend... “I just can't see us losing this, there's something about us this year.” and even a post made on a forum as I waited for the penalties proclaiming that Tevez would take the first penalty (he didn't), would go the same side he always does (he did) and he would miss (thankfully, he did not) was more said in preparation to be shocked rather than honest belief.

Once again we looked assured at penalties, almost German to use a stereotype, with four excellent spot kicks being enough to seal the win after O'Hara hit a weak spot kick that Foster saved well and the massively disappointing David Bentley failed to even find the target from just 12 yards. It was fitting that Foster had a winning ticket in the lottery of penalties, having kept us in the game twice with smart saves from Aaron Lennon and Darren Bent. The former was especially impressive, having a field day against Patrice Evra who looked at odds with the former Leeds player's direct running at times but once again Lennon's final ball wasn't quite up to scratch.

Overall, the game won't leave too many lingering memories, it wasn't a showcase of fantastic football. There were a couple of talking points along the way... how did John O'Shea stay on the pitch after as blatant a second yellow tackle you'll ever see? What was going through Foy's mind when he booked Ronaldo for clearly being taken down after a good bit of footwork saw him nip the ball away from Ledley King's despairing lunge? A combination of not wanting to send anyone off and fear of being labelled a ref willing to accept Ronaldo's perceived diving I guess. Either way, even these thoughts will fade into the mists of time as there can be little time for panegyric as time moves fast in football these days and the small matter of a game at St. James' Park on Wednesday closes in, a game I do have tickets for in a marathon couple of weeks of football for myself.

I started this off with the pleasure of taking up a seat at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday afternoon, hopeful, but not expectant, that our dear old friends from Teesside could fashion a nail for the Anfield coffin. As always, I had a couple of pints down my neck by the time I took my seat, and was actually reasonably impressed by the Riverside Stadium. It gets a reputation as a soulless, empty bowl but there was good voice on show on this day and the stadium looked full to my eye. The Liverpool fans were located in the stand to my right (as time went on in the game, it became clear that there were also away fans located in the three seats immediately to my right as well as directly behind me) and I could not help but be unimpressed with the so called legendary travelling Kop.

Like most away sides they piped up early on with their biggest songs, You'll Never Walk Alone aka The Celtic Song, Fields of Anfield Road aka a butchered version of the other Celtic song, a couple of other nice ditties before their Torres song, which apparently we stole to sing about John O'Shea. Ahem. Needless to say, not a peep was to be heard once the first goal went in, right in front of their stand, as the woeful Skrtel tried to hide from all around and Xabi Alonso stared to the skies, presumably offering a prayer for the dying title challenge.

The man sitting directly to my right could do nothing but offer muted applause as the locals danced and cheered around him. I assume his mate was trying to be even less conspicuous, wearing an England shirt (Liverpool fans, like our own, famously don't have much time for their national team... although is that now Spain in their case? Yea, they won the Euros, they'll be having some of that then) but his face visibly soured as time pressed on and he disappeared for a while, probably to fill up on some of the familiar Carlsberg on offer from the concourse bar. At full time, the Scouser sat behind me muttered to his mate, “We've just handed the Mancs the title.” which I don't agree with just yet. I even heard one of the Boro fans saying, “The only bad thing about today is helping United”. Bad thing? Wash your mouth out, fella. This was a glorious day. Even as I made my way back into town, I received a text message informing me that Kapo had equalised for Wigan just for Lampard to net an injury time winner I had to smile as it meant Liverpool had dropped to third. Next year will be your year, friends. Next year.

Carling Cup build up - Interview with spooky

2009-02-27T15:24:00.005+00:00

In preparation for Sunday's Carling Cup Final, I've had a quick chat with spooky, a fellow blogger who is reaching moderate levels of infamy amongst his fellow Yids for his satirical (we think) letters and posts to Daniel Levy, chairman at Tottenham Hotspur. Not afraid to call a spade a c**t, how does spooky feel as the game draws closer?

First of all, you're an absolute bastard for getting tickets for Sunday. I found out today that if I'd logged on to the net last night after 11pm, I'd have been able to get two tickets but they've since gone. Gutted, I tell thee.

So how important is this match to you? Redknapp obviously thinks it matters more than the UEFA Cup...

spooky: It's a Cup Final, even if it isn't a proper Cup Final. It's important because we are at Wembley and its pretty horrid to lose (even if we have rather apologetically got there). Doesn't fill me with pride like last seasons run. And as for Harry, he sees this as an opportunity to claim silverware, so he can double it up with the 'miracle escape from relegation with a bare bones squad' and call SSN up to discuss it in more detail. We had to rest everyone on Thursday because any injuries would have made it more difficult than it already is to overcome Utd. Ironically, a strong team might have won through.

Winning the UEFA Cup = UEFA Cup football next season
Winning the Milk Cup = No European football next season

It's all a distraction anyways. Premier league games are playing out like miniature Cup finals at the minute. At least that's what my heart is telling me.

From our side, we have no clue who to expect in certain positions. Darron Gibson has been promised a starting place, sigh, and Anderson played 45 minutes of a reserve game yesterday and is expected to feature at some point. We expect Welbeck to play up front, maybe with Tevez or Rooney. The backline maybe picks itself due to injury though. Who do you expect to start for Spurs on Sunday? Can Campbell play, or is he ineligible?

spooky: Dawson and Woodgate I hope. Not sure how fit King is, so its all dependent on the injections his knee gets prior to Sunday. Corluka will probably play. And possibly BAE. Any variation won't do much in scaring the Utd frontline. If that frontline includes first teamers. Campbell can't play. He has hardly figured this season for us. Looks a livewire when he cameos but not in our plans it would seem for the all important league games.

Regardless of the team selected, I can see our lot 'turning up' and having a go because its a Cup final. Expect Bentley to have a stormer.

Hahaha, I crack myself up, I really do.

If you do win on Sunday, can you see it having a knock-on effect and having the impact to finally push you away from the relegation battle? Surely you fall into the clichéd category of “Too good to go down”?

spooky: Last time out, it had the opposite effect and the players stopped playing all the way up to Ramos exit and Redknapp's arrival. We do have the quality to see us safe, I don't expect us to re-visit the bottom 4 or 5 positions now. However, the fundamental problem at Spurs remains the culture of failure that Carrick mentioned when he left us for your lot. Spurs shouldn't need a Cup Final to inspire them. In fact, they will probably not bother that much if they win it because, you know, we'll be Milk Cup double winners, innit. Open bus parade time.

Much of our title aspirations this year and over the last couple of years has been helped massively by Michael Carrick, a player who doesn't seem to get as much animosity as our newest Spurs old boy, a player I used to refer to as a gormless Geordie but who is now much improved and one of my favourite players at Man Utd. How do you think he has done since his move?

spooky: He's done good. Model professional. Unlike Berbatov was pretty much up front and honest about things, and as much as it hurt for him to point out what we all knew but chose to ignore, he left because he had to. And he has been proved right. In a dream world all these players would still be at Spurs and we'd have a splendid side, but in reality, they know to shift on out.

Even off the back of two good seasons under Jol, he felt there wasn't something quite right at the club. Sums it up. Of course, others will just tell you he left because he wanted instant success which Utd could offer him.

Modern day footballers are never going to remain loyal if there's a better offer on the table.

Like I said, he's done good. But at Spurs, the illusion would make him even better as he'd orchestrate play from midfield. We got less of the world class and more of the ordinary down our way at the minute.

Lastly how do you think the rest of the season will pan out for both teams? Are the bookies right that we're set to dominate the world? Will shrewd 'Arry do the business yet again?

spooky: Utd will win the title. Not sure about the Champions League, although English clubs will probably share the final again. Utd v Liverpool just for larks.

Us lot will survive to once more grace the Prem next season, where I expect Harry to last till around Christmas before we appoint our next messiah.

You can read more from spooky on his own blog at www.dearmrlevy.com or by clicking his link in my blog list on right!

Inter Milan fail to impress and Benitez betting suspended

2009-02-25T12:41:00.001+00:00

Ah Fergie, you sly old dog. You did it again. Sure enough, come match time, there was Jonny Evans lining up at centre-back with O'Shea slotting in at right back. Although Evans did begin to struggle towards the end, it was academic as once again the hugely overrated Ibrahimovic failed to turn up when it really mattered and Adriano looked the slow, ponderous waster he has long been. The much lauded Maicon, who has also never been anything more than average, was made to look ordinary once again by decent opposition. It was the old hands who kept Inter in this game early on as Woody Harrelson, er, I mean Esteban Cambiasso produced an outstanding performance constantly doing just enough to dampen our attacks.

The strangest choice of the night seemed to be Berbatov up front on his own and the Bulgarian struggled all night to cope with most of his best working coming through earning free kicks. Ronaldo was also on the end of a lot of niggling fouls, especially in the first half when he gave young full back Santon a torrid time as we dominated but couldn't find that elusive goal. Inter looked a new team in the second half and pressed hard early on with Adriano guilty of missing a sitter. The Milan bench huffed and puffed about the referee, substitute goalkeeper Toldo getting booked for his moaning, but in reality he had a good game, stamping down on the Italian's penchant for kicking ankles all game long. He did book Rooney for a fantastic tackle, showing that even a good ref isn't above letting reputations go before players, but all in all he had a good showing.

Taking a 0-0 back to Old Trafford is scary, knowing a score draw will see us out, but we showed last night that we're a class above Inter Milan and should be impose our game on them in the second leg, we should progress.

Breaking news at the moment is the decision by leading bookmakers to suspend betting on Rafael Benitez leaving Liverpool. Has this been caused by opportunist punters putting two and two together and getting five, with regards to Rafa's activities while in Madrid for his Champions league match or is there more to it? I can't see him leaving just yet, it may well be a carefully thought-out plot to once more strengthen his hand in contract negotiations. He is hell-bent on securing total control at Liverpool before he will stay, something surely no one would grant someone with his transfer record and bottling mentality.