Tag: Liverpool

The Torres tornado rips through town…

L03_Yossi_Benayoun__897129aLiverpool are back in business and they can thank Fernando Torres for inspiring their recent good form. As predicated last week by many of us fans, it appears as though the Spanish superstar is really getting back to his biting best. Torres scored a superb hat-trick on Saturday as the scouse house thumped Hull City 6-1. It was a Torres tornado that ripped out the hearts of Hull fans. And if I were a Hull fan I’d be worried. Is Torres the best striker in the world right now? What would Liverpool do if he got injured? Panic I guess!

It’s definitely been a fascinating season thus far. Burnley beat Manchester United a few weeks ago, but Tottenham thrashed the Clarets 5-0 this weekend. Arsenal thumped Wigan last week, but the Latics embarrassed Chelsea with a surprising 3-1 win on Saturday. I love the unpredictability of a season. The topsy turvy results can drive you mad, but it sure does make it interesting when more than two teams are in with a shout. The Premier League is exceptionally exciting right now and it’s superb to see the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham making a run for it.

Keane was sensational for Tottenham on Saturday. There have been many whispers about Keane’s form so far this season. With Peter Crouch doing well and scoring, the Irishman had a point to prove this weekend. And boy did he prove it! Keane scored 4 goals and inspired his team back to winning ways following two consecutive losses. It was a good result for Spurs. They needed to bounce back with a win and they certainly got a lot more than that by trouncing Burnley. Life is still happy down the Lane. Would you play Keane and Defoe up front? Would you like to see Crouch play with Defoe and Keane?

Chelsea were unusually poor against Wigan. Nobody had a particularly good game and losing Cole to an injury is a real blow for the Blues. I can’t help but wonder something fellow football fans. Do you think John Terry’s claims last week that he helps Roman Abramovich make decisions about who stays and goes at the club had an effect on the team this weekend? Why does he continually have to illustrate his clout at Chelsea? If you were a player, would that bother you? There always seems to be something going on behind closed doors at Stamford Bridge.

Arsenal and Manchester United both deserved to win their games. For Arsenal walking away with 3 points following a London derby was a good result. Manchester United were all over Stoke but just couldn’t finish them off. It was Ryan Giggs who took the reigns and drove United to a win after coming on as a substitute in the second half. Giggs is in amazing form and you can see the confidence in the team when he’s playing. It must be hard for Fergie to leave him out, but age probably dictates that more than form. Can United afford to lose Giggs this season? Do you think Berbatov plays better when Giggs is in the team?

Portsmouth are beyond help. The good thing for Portsmouth fans is their team put up a tremendous fight against Everton on Saturday. They had more possession and lots of chances but just couldn’t finish. Sure they were unlucky hitting the bar and post a couple of times. But sometimes you also make your own luck and for Portsmouth, I just don’t see where that is going to come from.

Who scored your goal of the week? What or who grabbed your attention this weekend? Who was your player of the week?

The weekend that was…

08_Ashley_Cole_cele_892833aChelsea look sublime. Can anyone catch them? Ancelotti is doing a fantastic job at the Bridge so far this season. He has the team swinging their pants down the King’s Road again. Ashley Cole is scoring goals now!! The Blues are looking good. They’re looking real good. Can anyone beat them? Do you think Chelsea are they putting all their efforts into this season as they won’t be able to transfer players and make a real run for the league next season?

Arsenal looked good against Wigan. But let’s face it, they should be beating teams like Wigan by 3 or 4 goals. Vermaelen is really proving to be a solid signing by Wenger. It’s still early in the season to make judgements about him, but he certainly is looking good. He gets forward and puts himself into scoring positions. Arsenal fans should like that. He reminds me of Vidic a little. Fabregas was wonderful against Wigan and I would like to see him shine more in the big games. I agree with the commentator though…the atmosphere at the Emirates was like a testimonial game. Where’s the chanting and the excitement? And what about the players. Who cares if it’s the 4th goal…you just scored for Arsenal so show some passion please!

Tottenham have hit the skids. They need to stop the bleeding right now before their sensational start to the season requires a blood transfusion. Surely losing Modric cannot be the reason they’ve lost 2 games can it? Has Modric become that influential down at the Lane? Who is going to step up and fill that role? Do you think ‘Arry should start Jenas? They looked weaker to me with him starting. And I think Lennon needs to stay consistent if he wants to be the starter on that right side for England. That means good performances every single week.

Liverpool seem to be getting back on track. Torres looked superb at West Ham. His first goal was finished with pure strength and determination. And the winner he netted was again proof that Torres can score any goal, anywhere, anytime. The power behind his header to make it 3-2 was fierce. I for one am excited to see him almost back to his best. Let’s see how the next few games go. For me, Gerrard is really slow out of the blocks for the scouse house this season. Benayoun and Kuyt are playing really well together. And as for Carra, I still believe he’s a liability and could cost Liverpool games this season. As I’ve said in previous posts, leave him on the bench. You need someone with more pace back there. Carlton Cole embarrassed him.

Burnley pulled off a huge win at home against Sunderland. Great performance, good win and another 3 points to help them in their efforts to stay in the Premier League. It’s amazing how moving to a new club transforms players who are lacking in confidence. Nugent was amazing. His first goal was one of the best goals scored this weekend. I bet Paul Hart is wondering how Owen Coyle got him to play like that! It’s a long hard season so securing these points early is a good thing for Burnley. Let’s hope they don’t suffer the same fate as Hull City. They are far more exciting to watch than Hull were last season! Seeing such an old club like Burnley do well right now is a great football story. Sunderland on the other hand need to get their act together. Bruce has a good set of players, but they don’t seem to have an identity yet. Perhaps that will evolve over the season.

It’s great to see Everton winning big again. They dominated Blackburn Rovers and hopefully this win will give them every confidence to start climbing that Premier League table. They have been rocked by so many injuries again this season, but you never hear David Moyes complain about much. He just puts his head down and gets on with it, which is why so many people respect him. I for one would like to see him do well.

Aston Villa are also playing much better right now. Good results in the last couple of weeks should give them a boost. Let’s see if they can hang in there.

Here are my nominations for Goal of the Week. What do you guys think?

1. David Nugent against Sunderland (1st goal)

2. Michael Owen against Manchester City

3. Vermaelen against Wigan (2nd goal)

4. Bellamy against Manchester United (1st goal)

5. Torres against West Ham United (1st goal)

What caught your eye this weekend?

Welcome back Champions League football…

ITALY SOCCER CHAMPIONS LEAGUEThe most electrifying competition in all the football land returns today. Finally, the Champions League is here. The wait is over. It’s game time people.

There is much excitement and anticipation for the teams that are appearing for the first time. UEFA’s rule to allow league champions from smaller countries has only added to the beauty of this competition and with the added flavour of lesser known champions from Russia and the Netherlands, we have many David vs Goliath clashes to look forward to. So please welcome APOEL Nicosia, Maccabi Haifa, Debrecen, Rubin Kazan, Unirea Urziceni and AZ. This is it. Don’t get scared now!

Many of Europe’s elite teams are also competing for glory again this year including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan AC Milan, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Juventus. But there are also some clubs that could be a force to be reckoned with in the near Champions League future. Could this be the year for team’s like Wolfsburg, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, Fiorentina, Marseille and Lyon?

There’s no doubt this could be the most arresting year yet for Europe’s biggest and best competition. Ronaldo, Rooney, Kaka, Messi, Gerrard, Lampard, Fabregas, Arshavin, Ribery, Eto’o and many other elite players will be fighting for the ultimate trophy in football. Prepare to be intoxicated by their wizardry and passion. Who will dazzle the world with their feet? Which team will be victorious? Can you see any upsets happening in these first few games?

Welcome back Champions League football. We’ve been waiting for you…

All this money and nobody to spend it on…

77928_featureRoman Abramovich must be throwing his toys off the oil rig this week. Chelsea have been banned from buying or loaning players in the transfer market until 2011. I hear you all now…”it’s about time isn’t it?! For a club like Chelsea, this is a disaster of gigantic proportions.

After Lens launched a legal fight to out Chelsea’s actions, world governing body FIFA finally put their foot down on a touchy subject that many clubs are actually guilty of. Tapping up, inducing and poaching happens in abundance. But just like the diving incident with Eduardo last week, it seems Chelsea are the club of choice to be made an example of when it comes to the ethics of transfers. It looks like Chelsea might be able to appeal, but the process is a little tricky.

The player involved in this entire incident hasn’t even kicked a ball for the first team yet. Gael Kakuta is now 18 years old and has actually done exceptionally well for the reserve team. He has been suffering from an ankle injury, but is widely tipped to make it into the first team at some point. He better. After all this fuss, Kakuta had better turn out to be a huge talent. If not, surely executive heads will roll at Chelsea.

It seems as though the Blues are not the only team in hot water right now. Le Havre are also planning to lodge a complaint against Manchester United. They say United poached 16 year old prospect Pogba and that he has agreed to join the Red Devils next season. United say it’s nonsense. Could you imagine if United suffer the same fate as Chelsea? Liverpool, Arsenal and the rest of the Premier League would love that wouldn’t they?

For now, many fans will be highly satisfied with Chelsea’s punishment. Surely this will weaken the team as they won’t have the ability strengthen their squad during the transfer windows. How do you think this will affect Chelsea? Can you see them being successful without buying players until 2011? Are their younger players talented enough to make the jump to the first team? Like Eduardo, do you think Chelsea are being held up as an example of what won’t be tolerated any longer?

The Penalty Gods punish Arsenal…

zeus-greek-mythology-687267_1024_768They say you reap what you sow. And the Gunners can tell you it’s true. Not even a Godly strike from Arshavin could save Arsenal. They lost to Manchester United in a game they absolutely should have won. They gave away a costly penalty and some might think it was the Gods punishing them for Eduardo’s dive against Celtic earlier in the week. Were the Penalty Gods trying to put the world right at Old Trafford on Saturday? Did Arsenal deserve at least a point for their efforts? Will they bounce back in their next game against Manchester City? Do you think Wenger could play up front after showing his water bottle kicking skills?

Manchester United were exceptionally lucky to get a win against Arsenal. I know they came back and gave it a good fight, but in the overall picture of play, Arsenal made United look really average. The penalty decision was questionable and the own goal from Diaby was incredibly unlucky. Arsenal then had a goal disallowed in the dying seconds and again, you’ve seen them given. Rooney was brilliant. He is the spark for United. His passion drives the team and you can’t deny their never say die attitude. Rooney is the engine though. He is United right now. They need him more than ever. The Gods were certainly on the Red Devil’s side in this game.

Tottenham won again. You read that right people. Tottenham won again. What did they put in the juice down at the Lane? Surely they can’t keep this up can they? ‘Arry is doing a superb job so far this season. It’s a shame Modric will be out for 6 weeks. They say it’s a broken leg. What a blow as he’s been sensational. How will this affect Spurs? Lennon has been on fire in the last couple of games and deserves his England recall. Crouch helped change the game when he came on and he too deserves his call-up from Capello. Can Tottenham really win the League? Can they keep this up? Or will they be arguing about ketchup in a couple of months?

Chelsea look dangerous. They demolished Burnley. Remember, Burnley beat Manchester United last week. Interesting that, don’t you think? Chelsea look connected as a team. They look like they are playing for each other. They’ve maintained the spirit Hiddink recreated from the Mourinho days. Ancelotti has added his flavour to the mix and the Blues are looking good. Frank Lampard continues to impress for me. And it might be painful to hear because I know it’s painful to write but…Ashley Cole is having an incredible start to the season. What do you think of Chelsea?

Liverpool were lucky. The good news for them is they had a very average performance and still won the game. It was so typical of Gerrard to hit a winning goal the way he did when he was not really a factor throughout. This will help the team’s confidence and seeing Torres and Gerrard score will help. Not sure about the new signing Kyriakos. Let’s give the guy more time though. Carragher is a liability at the back. Rafa should stop acting with his heart and start acting with his head when it comes to Carra. He’s a good player to have on the bench. If Liverpool want to win, they need to fix their problems at the back.

Manchester City kept their 100% record alive. Adebayor scored again. Gareth Barry is the most impressive of their new signings. He has to be one of the best midfielder’s in the country. Let’s see how City do in the next few weeks when they meet Arsenal and Manchester United. They are doing well, but for me, they are not interesting yet. It was good to see Everton win. I think Distin is a solid signing for them. Villa won their second in a row so that will help them continue to build their confidence. Stoke are in 4th place! Go on Stoke!

What stood out for you this week?

It’s a Topsy Turvy game this football…

MrTopsy-TurvyLast night Aston Villa beat Liverpool 3-1 at Anfield. Liverpool fans must be feeling sick this morning. This is not how they planned out their season at the pub this summer. It will take a lot more than a couple of pints to erase this miserable loss.

Did anyone tell the Liverpool players the summer is over and it’s time to get back to work? Do they know it’s not pre-season any more? Someone send them the memo.

Liverpool just don’t look like the same team right now. Torres appears sluggish. Gerrard looks lost. The defense looks dodgy. The midfield is uninventive. The majority of the team can’t finish. And the manager is too busy moaning instead of coaching. Get off your soap box Rafa and get on with it. Stop acting as though the world is against Liverpool. Start doing your talking on the pitch.

Liverpool need to bring in a couple of new players. The scouse house has another week or so to splash the cash in the transfer market. It’s tough to talk about whether or not they will be better with Aquilano as we haven’t seen him perform in the league yet. And despite his acquisition, they could still use an additional midfielder and perhaps even a little more firepower up front. They cannot afford to lose too many more games. We all saw what happened to Arsenal last season. Once they lost 3 or 4, there was no turning back. It was over.

The new season is up to it’s old tricks again. We have plenty of drama early on. Hold onto your balls as though Ronaldo were firing one right at you people. This is going to be one Topsy Turvy season. Are you ready to roll with the nutmegs?

Legend Robbie Fowler…

fowlerThey refer to him as God in Liverpool. To this day he is adored by the Kop and every other inch of Anfield. He is untouchable. He is one of their finest. And Robbie Fowler certainly is a Premier League legend.

Dynamic, inventive and sometimes controversial, Fowler was an incredibly gifted player who became a real football superstar with Liverpool during the 90’s. He was part of the glamorous “Spice Boys” gang that also included Jamie Rednknapp, Steve McManaman, David James and Jason McAteer. I didn’t think the label was deserved, but perhaps it was those shocking white suits they wore at the 1996 F.A. Cup Final that really ignited the media’s attention!

Most people thought this so-called “Spice Boys” team under achieved by not winning the Premier League title. And despite the tag he and his team mates received, nobody could deny the brilliance of Fowler in front of goal. He loved to hunt for goals and defenders were his prey. He would torture, twist and turn them embarrassingly inside out. He was one of the most natural finishers the Premier League has seen.

Although he never became a Premier League champion, Fowler still enjoyed the taste of victory and success by winning the F.A. and League Cup twice and he also won the U.E.F.A. and Super Cup respectively. From 1993-2001 he made 246 appearances for Liverpool scoring 122 goals. He scored twice in that famous 4-3 victory over Newcastle United, a match from the 1995-96 season which many refer to as “the greatest game every played.”

But in 2001, Fowler’s fairy tale with Liverpool came to an end. Following huge frustration at being left out of the squad and falling behind Emile Heskey and Michael Owen as a first choice striker, Fowler departed for Leeds. It was weird because you always expected someone like Robbie to stay at Liverpool his entire career. It didn’t seem quite right seeing him in a Leeds shirt. When he departed from Liverpool, Fowler’s career was never the same again. Following his time at Leeds, God then moved to Manchester City, then to Cardiff City and finally to Blackburn Rovers.

But like all fairy tales, there was to be a happy ending and he did return to Liverpool for one last season in 2006. Fowler walked away with a Champions League Runner-Up medal and on May 13th, in his last game for Liverpool, he would be given the captain’s armband. Just before the game would end, Fowler would be substituted to a standing ovation. At least he got to say goodbye to the Kop end the right way.

Following his second stint at Liverpool, Fowler’s overall record was 191 goals in 369 appearances. He is the 4th highest scorer ever in the Premier League. People say he should have played more for England too. He made only 26 senior appearances for his country, scoring 8 goals. For some reason he couldn’t quite nail down a regular place in the squad. This was debated across many newspaper columns for a good few years.

Regardless of his failures with England, Fowler has certainly left his mark on the game and an eternal foot print in the hearts of Liverpool fans. To this day, Fowler’s name is chanted by fans around Anfield as though he were still wearing that #9 shirt. He was an exceptionally talented player and very exciting to watch. Where do you rank Fowler?

Burnley 1 Manchester United 0. This is not a typo…

burnley-goal_666x45_870581aWelcome to the Premier League Burnley! In your first home game of the season, you beat Manchester United, the reigning champions of England. Soak it up. Congratulations. Your victory was much deserved.

Two veterans led the way for one of the oldest clubs in British football. Robbie Blake scored a stunning goal that any world class striker would be proud of. And goalkeeper and fan favourite Brian Jensen was immense in goal. Known as “The Beast”, he saved a penalty from Michael Carrick (which Rooney or Owen should have taken) and was a giant throughout the game in front of goal. The entire team played good football and they should all be proud.

Owen Coyle could have taken the job at Celtic this summer but he chose to stay at Burnley so he could finish the job after getting them into the Premier League. He’s built a good side. They appear to have a togetherness that will help them through a gruelling Premier League season and their passion, fight and belief shone through against one of the best. But let’s not get carried away. Hull City started off causing mayhem and destruction and we all know how their season ended don’t we? Will Burnley end up like Hull? Can they build on this incredible win and survive the battle at the bottom? They did beat Arsenal and Tottenham in the Carling Cup last season.

Here are some fun facts. Burnley’s population is a little over 73,000, just under the average attendance at Manchester United’s home games. This was the first top flight match at Turf Moor since 1976. It has been 41 years since Burnley have beaten Manchester United. Welcome back to the big time boys!

From what I saw from the mid-week games, Chelsea and Tottenham look hot. Arsenal also look like they are a different proposition this season. Defoe looks like he’s a man on a mission. Not only does he want to do well for Tottenham, but you can sense his determination to get into that World Cup squad for England. Could it be a battle of London this season for the title? Who knows. Liverpool bounced back well at Stoke last night and it was good to see Torres playing well. Without Ferdinand and Vidic at the back, United look vulnerable.

Are we in for a sensational season or what?

What does your crystal ball say..?

crystal_ballI’ve resisted. I’ve tried everything to curb my urge to talk predictions. Who are we kidding though? How can we avoid it? We all know it’s out there. Everyone’s already talking about who they think will win the league. It’s inevitable. Wouldn’t it be nice to know if we are fan prophets? Come on. You know you want to.

Here’s how I think the Premier League will finish this season. What does your crystal ball say? What do you see in the footballing future? Come May, we will compare our tables and a fan will rise as the British Soccer Diva Premier League Champion.

1. Arsenal

2. Chelsea

3. Manchester United

4. Tottenham

5. Liverpool

** Shocked yet??

6. Manchester City

7. Aston Villa

8. Everton

9. Sunderland

10. Wigan

11. West Ham

12. Fulham

13. Stoke

14. Blackburn

15. Birmingham

16. Portsmouth

17. Hull

18. Bolton

19. Burnley

20. Wolves

Heaven, I’m in heaven…

gods-sunshineFinally, the agonizing wait is over. The greatest show on earth is back. The passion, the agony and the ecstasy of the Premier League is already in full swing. I loved every single second of opening weekend. How was it for you?

Manchester United put in a reliable performance, Chelsea were predictable, Liverpool looked unsavoury and Arsenal were sublime. Of the other teams challenging to break into the top 4…Tottenham looked impressive, Manchester City dazzled for about 10 minutes and Aston Villa were woeful. Now seeing as this is only week one, we won’t get too carried away with what we’ve seen thus far. Remember how we all thought Deco would be another Zola after Chelsea’s first game last season? Well I’m sure we don’t want to make mistakes like that again as we kick-off the 2009/10 campaign. But as fans, we can’t help ourselves in saying what we see, even if it is just week one!

So here’s what I saw and we’ll start with last season’s top 4…if Arsenal can sustain that type of play throughout the season then they have the ability to carve-up any team in the Premier League and I’m even going to say they looked as good as Barcelona when they are at their best. Vermaelen looks like a great signing and Gallas seemed to play exceptionally comfortably with him. Fabregas and Denilson were on fire and Bendtner shined playing on the right for the Gunners. We know Everton aren’t that crap. But are Arsenal really that good?

Hull were very unlucky. Chelsea got very lucky. 6 minutes of injury time. Really referee? Despite that, you can’t deny Drogba his free-kick winner in the dying minutes. Drogba was Chelsea’s best player. It’s as though he’s playing to redeem himself from the disgusting outburst he had during last year’s Champions League semi-final. If he’s going to play like this all season, he could be the key to the Blues success. Can Drogba deliver this year? For Hull, it could be another struggle. I can see why Michael Turner is attracting the likes of Liverpool. He was a rock for Hull and by far their best player. Does anyone else ever mistake him for Michael Dawson though? Can you say twins?

Manchester United already missed Ronaldo in their first game of the season. Who wouldn’t? He’s one of the world’s best players. Sir Alex Ferguson has said it’s going to be tough without him. And it might well be for United as they defend their title. New signing Antonio Valencia had a solid home debut and Berbatov’s touch at time was exquisite. However, the main man for United this year will be Rooney. They need him to stay fit. Without him, they will struggle. Rooney could have an award winning type of season. The shackles are off. Watch him fly. Can Rooney be a sensation? Do you see United winning 4 in a row?

Not to hit the panic button just yet, but Liverpool didn’t look good at all. There was no invention in their play and it felt as though Alonso was missing from that midfield. Torres and Gerrard were rusty and Benitez should have played Benayoun from the beginning. Babel just can’t cut it and he gave another poor performance. Glen Johnson had a great debut for the reds and was the reason they won that penalty. Benitez might need to buy a couple more players before the transfer window ends. And he needs Aquilano to get fit as soon as possible. Can Liverpool mount a challenge this season?

Now to the top 4 wannabees…Tottenham rolled over Liverpool and looked more like title contenders in this first game. From defense to attack, they dominated and made Liverpool look like a very average Premier League team. Modric, Huddlestone and King controlled the game. Defoe looks ready to rumble. Ekotto is establishing himself as an elite player and Lennon could still use some refnining. Is it me or does Huddlestone remind you of Hoddle? And if it wasn’t for his bum knees, could Ledley King oust Terry or Ferdinand from the England squad?

Manchester City, the new billionaire boys club of the Premier League got off to a great start. Don’t let the score fool you though. Blackburn put up a good fight and could have taken a point from the game. There’s no question Adebayor was flying from the word go, but for me it was the likes of Gareth Barry and Shaun Wright-Phillips that were at the heart of everything good for City. Mark Hughes still has a lot of work to do. They still look suspicious in defense and once again, Robinho had another average game. You can’t help but wonder how this team will react in a moment of adversity. I can see them tearing each other apart. Can you?

Notable mention of course goes to Wigan for a superb start beating Villa. Note to all Wigan fans…just remember how good a start Hull City made last season! And this is just week one. See…I told you it was too hard to keep the ole’ gob shut. Heaven, we’re in heaven…