If you have a fix for soccer and can’t wait for your side’s next match, do the next best thing and join your fellow EPL Talk readers from around the world in the FIFA 12 league. The format is going to be the same with each team playing the other teams twice.

To join the league, please follow the directions below after starting up the game.

1. Select XBOX Live
2. Select Custom Games
3. Select Online Leagues
4. Select Join a League
5. Search for “EPLTalk” as the league name or “EPLT” as the abbreviation
6. Select the league and confirm you want to join

The only stipulation is that users that join must pick a English league club. Also be considerate of the fact that a league full of Manchester United and Chelsea is quite boring. While no specific quota will be placed, users that pick a club that is already very well represented may be removed. Also, any users picking a club outside of the English leagues will also be removed from the league.

League nights will be Wednesdays from 8PM to 10PM (EST) and I encourage people to play at least one or two games per week. If you don’t play a league match for a few weeks, you’ll be considered out of the competition and removed to free up a spot for someone else.

Unlike last year, there will only be one league and it is on a first-come-first-served basis (no password). There is a limit of 32 teams and these spots will be filled as users join. Don’t worry if you don’t get a spot right away! Spots will open all the time with users dropping out or being removed – keep checking back!

Feel free to contact me at gjhunt(at)gmail(dot)com or by sending a message to the gamertag “Zombie Gaz” with any questions or for help joining the league. Or you can post suggestions in the comments section below.

And if you don’t own FIFA 12 yet, what are you waiting for? Order your copy today.

Have fun and I hope to play a lot of your guys soon!

Editor’s note: If any of you are interested in playing in an official EPL Talk league for FIFA 12 on the PS3 and/or PES 2012 for Xbox 360, please let me know in the comments section. And if there’s enough of a demand, we’ll set those up.

My obsession with football started as a young boy when I began to collect football stickers. Through the collection of these stickers I formulated the kind of professional player I would be when the time came. I didn’t support a football team at the time (stickers also determined this) but I supported players. John Barnes and Gary Lineker were used to cement my future as an England international, left-footed forward with pace.

The manager never really came into my thoughts as a young football fan. Some managers oozed a certain winning mentality but the modern, commonly held belief of the intellectual conductor wasn’t present. The manager was, at best, the motivator, or, at worst, the man that set up the cones at training.

Admittedly, my perception of the game has changed since this early time but I also believe that the story of football has written itself a new narrative with the manager at the forefront. So much so that it’s become cliché to even suggest his importance.

His image is flashed on screen for us countless times throughout a match. Here he is looking anxious before a match, shouting at the players, celebrating a goal, looking stern after an opposition foul, becoming angry about a missed call, or hanging his head in shame over a conceded goal. Many of the major events in a match are put in relation to this man for the viewers. The football still supplies the plot but the manager provides us with our protagonist (or antagonist). Self-proclaimed, die-hard followers of the Premier League would struggle to name the starting goalkeepers, left-backs, or even center-forwards for all twenty sides. Asked to provide the twenty Premier League managers and the task is much easier.

We want to be the manager. Even the modern-day equivalent of stickers, video games, has countless examples of this infatuation with becoming a manager.

There are still children dreaming about that left-foot volley to the corner of the net. Some children may have a different dream these days. They imagine the day their stroke-of-genius deployment of two wing-backs and a holding-midfielder is the real reason for the roar of the crowd.

The manager has risen from club secretary to official face of the club since the creation of football teams worldwide. He has moved from the man that kept the record books to man that is larger than the football team he manages. Commentators and pundits refer to Ferguson’s United or Wenger’s beautiful, passing football.

He even has books written about him. The Manager by Barney Ronay, an excellent book that discusses the rise of the manager into the modern game, unearths some of the origins of the manager’s image and attempts to discuss what kind of person the manager really is. While the book wasn’t ever intended to be an academic study of the merits of various tactical thoughts of managers, it does address some of the often listed character traits of successful managers. When all these traits are put together, to many the manager appears to be a father figure, a scary headmaster, a politician you’d like to have a beer with, or some combination.

Yet despite all this popularity, he is little more than decider of players and positions during an actual football match. His only other real role having to do with a game of football is what he says, or does not say, to the players. While this may seem to be just about everything that there is to do, this is really not much in relation to even one, single football match. Even the purchasing of players has been taken from his list of job responsibilities at some clubs. After talking to the media, amping up / scaring the team, and picking the players and formation (something that many of us feel we could do a better job of), it’s up to the players to get the job done. He is then left to either become the scapegoat for club and player ineptitude or savior for lifting his players (all the while not doing much different in either scenario).

The idea of the manager being wholly responsible or all to blame for results is to make a system with many variables look like it all comes down to the whims of one man. This is ridiculous. To some, suggesting that this is absurd may not come as very controversial at all. I suggest listening to fellow fans and media but understanding that this article may not provide much reflection for you. To others, this begs to ask the question of who is responsible if not the manager. While I refuse to fall into the same trap of blaming one party for an entire club’s woes, I would suggest the players as a possible start.

The point is that the owners (a common euphemism for cash), back-room staff, the manager, a dash of luck, and mostly players play a part in a team’s performance. In addition, former owners and managers often continue to play a role. When a team fails to obtain the results they are perceivably entitled to, the fans and media seem to have a checklist of blame that progress from the manager’s tactics, the manager’s transfer policy, the manager’s man-management, and usually ending in the owner’s lack of investment. Players rarely, if ever, come into play (pun intended) unless it is to discuss the manager’s man-management.

All managers have come under close scrutiny at some point in their career but one of the most extreme examples from a fan-base and the media recently is the demonization of Roy Hodgson at Liverpool.

One reason fans have cried for his removal is, what I believe to be, the myth of his lack of tactical knowledge. Hodgson is, if anything, a man deeply involved in tactics to the point of players at Fulham labeling their endless repetition of team shape at training as tiresome. This is all, however, beside the point for me. 4-4-2, zonal marking, 4-3-2-1, team pressing, or the deep, lying midfielder have nothing to do with what is wrong with Liverpool right now. Jonothan Willson, Michael Cox of Zonal Marking, and like-minded individuals may cringe at the idea of tactics taking a backseat but a quality player will be a quality player in any position without needing to be told what square to position himself in. Tactics come into play and they can definitely give that extra push that is sometimes required. In the Hodgson’s Liverpool example, however, I believe bad purchases have been made in the past and the world-class players are often failing to rise above. Swapping one man’s 4-4-2 for another man’s 4-3-3 won’t change Liverpool’s chance of winning games. Further, tactics often don’t improve a player or team but aim to exploit weaknesses in the opposition.

This leaves us with the question of his ability to both manage players and, to a lesser extent, the media. This is where I will somewhat concede to the critics. While at Fulham, he seemingly could say no wrong. He was polite, soft-spoken Hodgson. This is quite different to his time at Liverpool where he has experienced quite a few moments of idiocy when opening his mouth. One quote that sticks out as especially odd to me was during a discussion about Fernando Torres and an alleged move to Manchester United. Hodgson didn’t exactly express the sentiments most supporters would have wished for considering this is the club’s long-time rival.

“I am not naive to believe there won’t be any danger and we will never lose a player like Torres, I understand these things can happen. I don’t believe we will lose him, we will do our best to ensure he stays…”

Having said all that, I still believe this has little to do with a match of football. His man-management / media relations may be lacking and Torres may look at a quote like that and wonder what his manager was thinking but I would still expect a world-class striker to make his supporters proud as soon as the interview is over and the match begins. To say Hodgson’s man-management is wholly responsible is to say that a kind word or two and the proverbial “arm around the shoulder” of professionals is all that stands between Liverpool and former winning ways. Again, this probably has something to do with the trouble at the club but not the sole reason.

Being as unbiased as possible as a twenty year supporter of Liverpool and, while critical of at times, a supporter of Hodgson, I fail to believe that one man can be responsible for the play I’ve seen this season. Any manager on the bench cannot change the fact that the players are making silly mistakes and are not fighting for the shirt and crest they wear. This coupled with a bench that hardly strikes fear into the opposition has seen the club at a historic low. This season I have seen some good football. I have also seen our most often excellent goalkeeper booting the ball right into a striker’s feet, defenders falling over themselves trying to intercept a simple through ball, midfield players spending an entire match passing backwards in fear of mistakes, and strikers not willing to put the work in to hold the ball up. As absurd as it sounds, I’m sure he’s addressing these basics with the players during training but at some point responsibility must at least partially shift. Having said that, when results do turn I will also be the first to point out that Hodgson isn’t the only reason.

The point is that I don’t believe another manager would do much better without improvement in the squad and players stepping up. Removing Hodgson is an especially bad decision considering the need to pay off Hodgson’s contract and find a manager willing to work at a club that will give him little say in who the club purchases.

In the very first chapter of Barney Ronay’s book, The Manager, he discusses one thought on why the manager’s position was even dreamed up in the first place during the late 1800s and early 1900s when, again, he was little more than club secretary.

“The crowd called for blood, and they got it: secretarial blood. Mute, office-bound – but also dressed in the directorial waistcoat and watch-chain – the sacrificial lamb was already on premises. The secretary was about to get his big break. It seemed unlikely to be a very happy experience.

Here we come to a central dramatic irony in the manager’s story. The fact is, his first real high-profile public act was to be sacked. Getting the boot was where it all started. The manager was born to be sacked, and sacked with some sense of cathartic public ceremony.”

This is how it has always worked. It is much easier to take all that dispersed anger out on the one man from whom we have come to expect too much. The owners need not address all these messy issues mixed up with a team’s performance. They can just fire, hire, and repeat.

Buy The Manager: The Absurd Ascent of the Most Important Man in Football by Barney Ronay

Note: This article was written prior to Liverpool’s latest poor result against Blackburn. In the few hours since the end of that match, even more speculation about Hodgson’s job have surfaced and it is very likely he could be leaving the club soon. Though I planned on publishing this later in the week, I have pushed it up because I believe this game was the perfect example of how the club uses the manager as a sacrifice to their fans despite it being clear that fault was literally at the feet of the men that, save Steven Gerrard, seemingly couldn’t be bothered to fight for us, the supporters, on the pitch today.

The sale of Liverpool from the grips of Hicks and Gillett was always going to be a messy one but no one could have foreseen the events that took place in the last few days of this sale. The excellent Guardian web site and Official Liverpool web site kept supporters up to date with the latest developments but it still proved difficult to make sense of what was happening. Here is an attempt to briefly summarize the major events leading up to the sale.

• Hicks and Gillett buy the club in early 2007 and are subject to some fan protests within the first two years of ownership.

• In April of this year, Martin Broughton is appointed the chairman of Liverpool. His responsibility is to find a buyer for the club.

• After a few rumored buyers and failed attempts, the Liverpool board meets with N.E.S.V. and agrees a sale. However, Hicks and Gillett believe the sale greatly devalues the club and attempt to remove members of the board with allies that are against the sale.

• The Liverpool board are forced to make the attempted sale public and take their case to the London courts. After the judge sides with the board, they are granted approval to go forward with the sale.

• Hicks and Gillett file a restraining order against the board in a Dallas court. They also file to sue the board for damages.

• The Liverpool board once again convene in a London court to decide if the Dallas court and restraining order has any legal authority in the case. They court, once again, sides with the Liverpool board and Hicks and Gillett are asked to throw out the restraining order or face legal trouble in Britain.

• Rumors circulate that Hicks is attempting to sell his shares to Mill Financial in an attempt to make them the primary owners of Liverpool FC. Mill Financial already took over Gillett’s shares after defaulting on loans.

• Hicks and Gillett withdraw their restraining order against the board after a delayed court hearing in Dallas.

• N.E.S.V. buy the club for what is thought to be around £300 million with about twenty minutes left until the Royal Bank of Scotland would declare the club in administration. Liverpool are left with no debt and a new owner that appears to not be the ultra-rich money splasher of other big clubs like Manchester City and Chelsea but a smart businessman that has proven his ability to take a historic club back to winning ways.

• N.E.S.V. and Liverpool supporters decide to develop Anfield in place of building a new stadium and are able to greatly increase their revenue almost right away at a reduced cost to the club. Liverpool then go on to win the remainder of their games and are able to quality for the Champion’s League.

Well, maybe that last bit was a little wishful thinking.

The events leading up to this sale were difficult to make sense of. Please feel free to leave me a comment if you feel I left something out or have a detail wrong.

Also, I think my thoughts on the sale are pretty much spelled out in this article but please let me know what your thoughts are on the sale and new owner.

If you’re jonesing for soccer during the international break and can’t wait that long until you see the next match, do the next best thing. Play FIFA 11 online. This is just a quick reminder that an EPL Talk league has been setup on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

To join the league on either system, please follow the directions below.

• Select XBOX Live
• Select Friends Leagues
• Select Join a League
• For Xbox 360 – enter “EPLTalk” in the League Name field and select Start Search
• For Playstation 3 – enter “EPL Talk” in the League Name field and select Start Search
• Select the league and confirm you want to join

FIFA 11 on Nintendo Wii doesn’t feature any friends leagues, but post your handle in the comments section below and The Gaffer will add you to the ‘buddies list’ on the Wii. The Gaffer’s handle on FIFA 11 for the Wii is ‘epltalk.’

The Xbox 360 league is limited to 32 teams and you can join with any Premier League team you wish. However, please be considerate of the fact that a league with 20 Manchester United and Chelsea teams is quite boring. Contact Gaz (Gamertag “Zombie Gaz”) with any questions or help joining the league.

The Playstation 3 league is limited to 20 members and you should contact Martin (PSN ID “esomedina”) before joining as he is trying to get one (and only one) representative from each Premier League club. Also contact Martin with any questions or help joining the league.

Both Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 leagues haven’t yet decided on league nights or times but will post any decision to the league news. You can always, however, just check the league standings to see who is online at any time and invite them to a game.

And if you don’t own FIFA 11 yet, what are you waiting for?

With reports that Fabio Capello will more than likely retain his position as manager of the English National Team, Roy Hodgson could be out of the running for the England manager position he was supposedly interested in. It is also reported that Liverpool have agreed to pay around two million to Fulham and that the Manager of the Year winner could come in with a two year deal.

Hodgson could be the perfect manager for Liverpool at this time. He has international experience with spells in Sweden, Italy, Switzerland, Finland and United Arab Emirates that would help Liverpool with their desire to win a trophy in Europe. More importantly, he has proven at Fulham that he can get the best of a squad despite any financial restrictions.

Some of the other names that have been brought up for the Liverpool position are Didier Deschamps, Kenny Dalglish, Manuel Pellegrini, and even Martin O’Neil. The club didn’t appear to be in any rush to appoint a new manager and there were some fears the club could start the season without a full-time manager.

With some players reportedly leaving the club (including Yossi Benayoun and Javier Mascherano) a new manager would have the opportunity to put his stamp on the club almost immediately with some new signings.

I personally think this is the best news that Liverpool fans have had in a long time. Roy Hodgson is a quality manager that conjures up memories of some of the great Liverpool managers of the past.

Every country has its historic matches that will never be forgotten and England’s rich World Cup history provides many celebrated games. Say phrases like “1966 World Cup”, “hand of God”, “David Beckham free kick”, “Gazza”, or “losing to penalties” to an England fan and watch his eyes light up with pleasure or grief thinking about the matches that define the England National Team.

Sometimes these great, historic games are not the matches that you remember (for no other reason than maybe not being alive at the time). You may take these famous matches into historical perspective but you actually remember the games that, for some reason, speak to you in some way or other. It could be as simple as a goal that you find stunning, the debut of a player you particularly like, or your club players carrying the side. It could just be that the game represents to you a particular time in history for the team.

Here are five England matches (and an honorable mention) I find particularly memorable.  While not necessarily a list of the best England matches I’ve seen, these are the ones I will never forget.

• Against Scotland in 1996

What I most remember about this match is Gazza’s flick over the Scottish defense that was followed by the famous celebration in this two goal win.

• Against Argentina in 1998

I fondly remember this match for a very young Michael Owen dribbling past the Argentine defense to score an inspired goal. Not so fondly remembered is the David Beckham red card and loss to penalties.

• Against Germany in 2001

If beating Germany wasn’t enough, this game featured three of my club’s players score five goals against the opposition.

• Against Greece in 2001

The amazing David Beckham spot kick merits this match an inclusion on my list of memorable matches.

• Against Argentina in 2005

I’ll never forget this back-and-forth match that resulted in a win over Argentina. By now, you can probably guess who my favorite England player was in the past.

• Honorable Mention – Against Croatia in 2010.

To relate this back to the approaching World Cup we’re all anticipating, I find this recent match memorable because it displays the goal scoring ability of the current crop of players.

England will meet the US squad on June 12th at Rustenburg in South Africa and fans in the US are already anticipating what will probably be one of the most watched games in the States. Unfortunately, history is not on the US squad’s side. England have appeared in thirteen tournaments and made it to at least the quarterfinals seven times. The US, on the other hand, has eight appearances in the tournament and has made it to the quarterfinals once. As far as team matchups are concerned, England definitely has the advantage having played the US nine times and only lost twice. I don’t think that will stop the enthusiastic US side from taking it to England but you see the difficulty they face.

On the England fan and media side, a simplistic, arrogant view has been predominant concerning the US squad. They appear to underestimate the US squad and, although the England team rightfully is the favorites in this group, may find themselves to be in for quite a surprise against an eager US side. Just one example of this arrogance is England’s The Sun when they summed up this idea by printing a headline with the word “easy” being an acronym for England, Algeria, Slovenia, and Yanks.

I think a major problem with the US fans and media, however, is their unjustified belief that the game against England amounts to some sort of grand significance. To listen to some fans and media, one might think that beating England was more important than getting out of the group stage. During the US international friendly with the Czech Republic on Tuesday, I was amazed at the amount of times the announcers brought up England. I understand that this is the first game for the US in the tournament but the obsession seems to hinge on unhealthy. Even the new US shirt seems disrespectful to the talented US teams in the last decade or so by celebrating a 60 year old win against England that didn’t result in advancement from the group stage. Why are the US fans so concerned with beating England?

• US fans view this as a chance to prove themselves.

With most American soccer fans watching the Premier League and possibly even having England as their “second” side, there’s the hope that the birthplace of football will give the US some credit. However, I don’t believe that beating England will do this. Constantly qualifying for the World Cup and having players at top clubs accomplishes this much more convincingly. Plus, even if the US demolishes England, a loss at this point in time to the US will still be seen as a fluke in England and will gain little respect.

• Many US fans view this as a rivalry.

It seems many US fans view England as a rival and see this as the equivalent of an international derby. Maybe it’s because of our close political ties or the amount of ex-pats living in the US. This rivalry, however, doesn’t seem to be a shared one. Paul Bestall wrote an excellent article last week describing the regular, England fan’s view of the US squad. His view is that England does view the US as a threat – but just like any other team out there. He writes, “…as with Algeria and Slovakia, the team are expected to win. Nothing more, nothing less.” I feel similarly – that English fans want a win against the US but it wouldn’t mean anything more than a win against Slovenia. England fans just don’t seem to share the US fan’s intense feelings about the game, only the expectation that they should win. The US already have a shared rivalry and it’s Mexico not England.

• Beating England will bring exposure to the sport in the US.

I’ve heard this argument a few times (and many times from people I respect) and it still doesn’t make any sense to me. The argument is that by beating England people will start to see their national side as real contenders and take notice of them. The US beat Spain, an arguably much more talented side than England, last year and it didn’t seem to raise any awareness other than with the enthusiast. I believe common sense should lead you to understand that (as said before) continuous advancement in the tournament and quality US players signing for top clubs should be the main goals for the US in order to raise awareness of the sport. Beating England or Spain without these two goals being met is not enough.

In addition, I think anyone that thinks the US will beat England is letting one of the above reasons cloud judgment. Would US fans take a similar stand on a matchup between Greece and Germany or Egypt and Argentina?

The question of who will win aside, US fans should not be so concerned with England. If the US squad and their fans really do want to prove themselves to the world and advance the game in this country, they have to forget about England and focus on the tournament.

With no more English football to watch, it’s off to play the transfer rumor game again. We all know many of these transfer rumors just end up frustrating us. However, it provides a little bit of a fix while we wait for the World Cup to begin.

Sir Alex and Manchester United have done pretty well for themselves in the transfer market over the years. They saw enough promise in an 18 year old Wayne Rooney to pay about 25 million pounds to Everton, paid around a mere 12 million for Cristiano Ronaldo, and signed a top EPL defender, Patrice Evra, for just over 5 million.

Just like with the Liverpool Transfer Rumors article, the newspaper accuracy for Manchester United stories isn’t too great. The English newspaper with the highest percentage of correct transfer predictions is (again) The Independent with about 40% accuracy. The worst appears to be The People with about 12%.

Here’s three Manchester United transfers in and three Manchester United transfers out that I think are among the more likely.

• Joe Cole – IN

Joe Cole looks set to leave Chelsea this summer and it’s anyone’s guess as to where he goes. If I were to put money on it, Manchester United would be my bet for Joe Cole. Joe Cole’s ability to be versatile is a huge plus for Manchester United and he could even be used in a forward position for the side.

• Jack Rodwell – IN

Everton boss, David Moyes, still insists that the youngster isn’t for sale (although we’ve all heard that before). There are quite a few clubs looking to take on the 19 year old midfield player if the sale does happen for the Englishman. I think Manchester United will out Arsenal and the likes for this player if Everton decides to part with him.

• Karim Benzema – IN

The rumors say Real Madrid seem ready to unload Karim Benzema this summer and Sir Alex is keen to sign the French striker after a failed attempt last summer. Even though I’m listing this as one of the more likely transfer rumors to happen, I think the only way this will happen is if a certain struggling, Manchester United striker is unloaded to free up some funds.

• Anderson – OUT

There have hardly been many rumors about Anderson but this makes sense to me so I’m putting it on my list. A falling out with the manager followed by a season ending injury seems to me to put Anderson on offer to any and all takers.

• Dimitar Berbatov – OUT

In my opinion, Berbatov really hasn’t lived up to his over 30 million transfer this season. There haven’t been too many English sides looking at the Bulgarian but he could find his way to another European club next season. The real question is if Sir Alex is willing to give up on the player so quickly (and possibly lose millions) or if he even should do so. Generally, this isn’t the way he operates but pressure to take some of the burden off of Wayne Rooney’s shoulders may change his thinking this time around.

• Nemanja Vidic – OUT

This is on my list despite how bad of an idea I think this to be. Vidic is a quality defender and I believe Manchester United are making a mistake if they do in fact sell the Serbian. The rumors of his leaving are plentiful, though. Vidic could find himself at any number of top European sides next season if the rumors are true.

What does everyone think are the most likely rumors to come true at Manchester United?

The season is over (save a Champion’s League final on Saturday) and the World Cup is not starting until mid-June. If other fans are anything like me, they are looking for a fix through whatever English football scraps they can find. Transfer rumors are these scraps. Every spare moment I would usually spend watching a match, I scour the internet for news of a new signing or the inevitable story that a star player is leaving a club.

Reading a rumor that a star playing is signing for your club next season can be exciting but you have to put these rumors into perspective. The English newspaper with the highest percentage of correct transfer predictions is The Independent (although The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian are close behind) with about 38% accuracy. Let me repeat that – the best predictor gets about one in three right. The worst is News of the World at about 12%. With no EPL teams left playing, this is what I’ve been reduced to.

I plan on doing a few articles on these early transfer rumors but to begin I want to look at a club dear to my heart, Liverpool.

There are some rumors I won’t even comment on here because they just don’t seem very likely to me. Joe Cole transferring in or Dirk Kuyt and Alberto Aquilani transferring out are just not going to happen if you ask me. Also, I think Kenwyne Jones would be a great signing for Liverpool but I just can’t see it happening after the transfer falling apart in January.

Here’s three Liverpool transfers in and three Liverpool transfers out that I think are among the more likely (but not necessarily welcome). By the way, I’m considering Albert Riera leaving Anfield to be a given here.

• Steven Ireland – IN

Steven Ireland could find his way to Liverpool in a number of different ways. The latest rumor has Liverpool getting cash, Emmanuel Adebayor, and Stephen Ireland in exchange for Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres. While that specific scenario is very unlikely, I believe Steven Ireland will be playing at Anfield somehow next season.

• Milan Jovanovic – IN

This transfer appears to be just about final. The Serbian striker is coming from Standard Liege where he scored 13 goals for his side this season and won the Golden Shoe award. Will this be another Benitez signing like Torres or a disappointing flop like Aquilani?

• Carlton Cole – IN

Liverpool needs a striker (or two) and Carlton Cole needs a better club to play for. Despite West Ham and Carlton Cole failing to impress this season, I believe Carlton Cole could turn into a world class player given the chance at a decent club. This transfer could be a win for the club and the player.

• Fernando Torres – OUT

This would be the biggest loss to Liverpool and would improve any side in the world. No one at Anfield would want to lose the striker but the transfer money may be too much to pass up. Something to think about is Rafa’s role in this. Although Rafa Benitez is not very popular right now, his remaining at Anfield could have a lot to do with Torres staying at the club.

• Steven Gerrard – OUT

To anyone that has asked me about this, I’ve replied in the same way all season: “Gerrard is going nowhere”. I still don’t think Gerrard would join another English side, however, he may still be lured to another European side. Again, maybe the cash will be too much to resist given the financial situation.

• Yossi Benayoun – OUT

A number of clubs have shown interest in Yossi Benayoun and for good reason. While he has proven to be a great player, he just doesn’t seem to fit into the Liverpool side with Rafa in charge. Liverpool may look to cash in on him during the summer and rumors put Spurs as the latest to show interest in signing the Israeli.

What does everyone think are the most likely rumors to come true at Liverpool?

However, there is another race that I would argue is much more important to the majority of English teams than who wins the title or who qualifies for the Champion’s League. Staying in the top-flight or being promoted to the top-flight is the central goal for many clubs in English football. With some clubs the goal of “staying up” could be considered near vital. Most of us here will agree that this system of promotion and relegation is great for many reasons. The fight in the Championship for this promotion into the Premier League is like nothing else and getting new clubs into the league keep it relatively fresh each season. I’m a huge fan of the idea and will often use it to pique interest in my non-football-watching Americans. It seems to be an aspect of English football that Americans find really interesting.

There are a few points of contention, however. To begin, the play-off system doesn’t seem fair to some supporters. It’s possible that a team that ended the season in sixth place would be promoted to the top-flight, while third through fifth spot are left behind wondering how this could happen. It’s certainly exciting but has to be frustrating when your team could have more points than the team able to reap the benefits of the Premiership. Wouldn’t just promoting the top three teams make it much fairer?

Also, there is the whole problem of competiveness. The argument is that certain teams have no realistic chance that they will be able to complete on the same level as a Chelsea or Manchester City and will not spend big or at all for fear of taking that debt into relegation. These teams are happy to just make 17th and, therefore, ensure the status-quo is kept. Why not just always have 20 teams that can build over the years without fear of relegation – thus making the Premiership more competitive over time?

As far as the current relegation battle is concerned, we’re definitely seeing it start to get more and more of a concern for clubs. Portsmouth look like they’ve secured last place but Hull City, Burnley, West Ham, Wigan Athletic, Wolves, or Bolton could find their club in the Championship next year.

Newcastle and West Bromwich have all but secured a spot in the Premier League with Nottingham Forest, Leicester City, Swansea City, Cardiff City looking to be the teams that will be entered into the playoff system. Blackpool, Sheffield United, and Middlesbrough may have an outside chance of making it into those playoff spots too.

As for my thoughts, I love the idea of promotion and relegation and feel that a play-off to determine that last Premiership team provides a great end to the season. Also, even newly promoted teams are getting more and more competitive with the so-called top clubs.

As for my picks, I’m going with Newcastle, West Bromwich, and Cardiff City to come up with Portsmouth, Burnley, and West Ham going down.

Who do you think will be promoted and relegated this season? Also, what are your thoughts on the current promotion and relegation system and do you think the play-off system is fair?

Along with the recent dip in form at Manchester City has come an unrest amongst the fans who have began to question as to why virtually the same team as the one that began the season so brightly currently appears to lack energy, creativity and flare. It seems as though one way or the other, the reasoning’s all revolve around the central midfield, the common consensus being that Mancini has brought with him the Italian obsession of defensive midfielders, breaking the link between the midfield and attack.

Take into account though that City have a positive goal difference of fifteen, scoring a total of forty eight goals and at the present time lying in fourth place in the Premier League and the argument seems to take a significant dent as a whole, but perhaps the problem is in the individuals. Gareth Barry, City’s summer signing from Aston Villa has not yet proved to be the box-to-box midfielder that his C.V may have suggested, although he has displayed a superb range of passing and the ability to dictate a game’s tempo. Lacking in pace, he perhaps is most destructive as a deep lying play-maker, similar to the role he adopts for his national side.

Patrick Vieira, recently signing from Serie A, still has to prove he has the ‘legs’ for the Premier League and is able to cope with the pace that demands such high fitness levels. Judging by his performances so far and the unnecessary lash out at Glen Whelan on Tuesday night, he still has a lot to prove to the City faithful. At six foot four he offers height and strength that potentially could bolster the midfield and if he is ninety percent of the player he was at Arsenal, then there is no reason as to why City’s midfield should lack an attacking side in the future. Complementing Barry and Vieira has been the Dutchman Nigel de Jong, a small but menacing holding midfield player, who’s job it is to break up opposition attacks and supply the flair players – the likes of Bellamy, Wright-Phillips and Tevez. Many state that he has been one of Manchester City’s most influential players this season, but often goes unnoticed patrolling in front of the back four.

This leaves Stephen Ireland, who undoubtedly was City’s star player last season, netting thirteen goals and picking up the Greater Manchester player of the year award. Unfortunately for the young Irishman, his performances this season have been short of average, not being helped with niggling injuries forcing him to miss sections of the season. Clearly, City miss his hunger to attack and his astonishing but still under-rated work ethic and creative instincts that formed him into one of the league’s best players last season.

Ireland appears to be the missing piece to the puzzle, someone who can play between the defensive midfielder/s and the strikers and with the likes of Barry and de Jong assisting him, it can only be a matter of time before the man from Cork finds his form once again.

Belief is an oft-used word by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, as he has belief in his team’s abilities to vie for the league and perhaps more.  There’s unquestionably great technical skill at the Emirates, but more often, at crucial moments, belief is what Arsenal lack.  The Gunners will relish their top spot in the league for a few days, and it’s deserved, in developing a bit more grit since a humiliating loss to Chelsea at home in November.  Belief should be in large supply in north London, after coming from behind to beat Bolton 4-2.

There was of course, a controversy unseen (but later apologized for) by Wenger, leading up to Fabregas’ goal,when William Gallas crunched into Mark Davies, that made one wonder if the big clubs do get preferential treatment from referees, no matter what Alex Ferguson says.  Alan Wiley certainly missed one on that occasion, but Owen Coyle’s fury should soon be dissipated with hosting Burnley, his last club only days ago, in less than a week’s time.  It’s certainly tough to take over the reins any time in the Premier League, but to start off with two against Arsenal is something the new Bolton gaffer will be glad to be done with.

If you were to look at the Gunners’ two games with Bolton (the first, a 2-0 Arsenal win at the Reebok last Sunday), spectators have gotten a decent return in their viewing.  Last night’s game was unquestionably the highlight, with Bolton putting two past Arsenal at the Emirates before a half hour had passed.  And that was the moment, just a shade before thirty minutes had elapsed, that you wondered if Arsenal would frustrate themselves, as they have done in the recent past.  Steady in attack, even resilient, the Gunners played on and Tomas Rosicky thumped home Arsenal’s first goal before the half, beating a flat-footed Jussi Jasskelainen at his near post.

The controversy came in the 52nd, when Gallas stepped on Davies’ ankle, and Arsenal played on, resulting in a Cesc Fabregas goal from such an acute angle, Robin van Persie would’ve been proud.  Tomas Vermaelen added Arsenal’s third after a scramble in the box less than fifteen minutes later, and a nicely-finished goal fromAndrei Arshavin in the 85th saw the Gunners go top.

It’s nearly impossible to not let  Gallas’ tackle mar Arsenal’s temporary perch above the Premier League, but it’s almost just as impossible to see how Arsenal don’t deserve at least a share of first or second place at this point in the season.  The league leaders have stumbled up to this point, and an extravagantly-assembled Manchester City and nose-diving Liverpool have seen the word “parity” bandied about in the league.  If there was a team to deserve a share of first place, the Gunners deserved it, getting it done without van Persie, Nicklas Bendtner, and now Alex Song (arguably Arsenal’s most-improved player this season), off on African Cup of Nations duty.

Chelsea can easily reclaim the top spot against Birmingham next week, and Arsenal find a tough run of games coming up (Aston Villa, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool).  But it only takes a glance at where the Gunners were at this time next season to see a marked improvement to Wenger’s talented side.  If there was an Most Valuable Player award in the EPL, Fabregas would surely be a front-runner.  He’s the only player at the moment in Arsenal’s attack who can take control of and change a game.  Robin van Persie is that kind of player, but Gooners will be lucky to see the Dutchman sharp and fit before the season’s over.

Perhaps this is the best opportunity or Arsenal in five years to win the league.  The last time Arsenal looked a credible side to vie for the trophy was the season it all fell apart for them, after Eduardo’s horrific injury.  Perhaps that is what makes Gooners a little apprehensive to speculate on their team lasting the marathon.  And one only look at Eduardo now, who remains a good reader of the game, and clever on runs, but lacks some of the pace and finishing he had pre-injury.

One thing is impossible to deny.  The captain Fabregas and Arshavin are indispensable.  As long as they miss the deadliness of van Persie, the Gunners rely far too much on those two.  Of course you would look to those them when they’re fit, but Wenger’s side seem guileless and sometimes plodding when either are missing.  As much as it hurts to say, they are talismans.  There are questions about Manuel Almunia, the depth of Arsenal’s back line, and the squad’s ability to play well without the ball.  But if you want to talk about belief, it’s difficult to see how Arsenal can lack it at the moment.

[BBC Football, Just Arsenal]

For once Arsene Wenger got angry at his team.  Or so say his players, as they point to his halftime talk as a motivator for coming from a goal down to beat Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield.  Apparently, he told his players they didn’t deserve to wear the Arsenal shirt, which surprised them, as well as those familiar with the Frenchman’s tendency to coddle his players.  Perhaps that’s simply his belief in their abilities, but lacking sharpness can’t always be the reason his side drop points.

And the Gunners did lack sharpness, as they have since the loss of Robin van Persie.  They did not play well in the first half, and if Torres had a few games under his belt to regain his own typical sharpness, it could’ve easily been 1-0 to the Reds in the first fifteen minutes.  Actually, make that two goals,  as the Reds also could have had a penalty after William Gallas upended Steven Gerrard in front of goal.

Against a nearly-full strength Liverpool side, Arsenal maintained much of their diffidence since the loss of van Persie, looking quick and aggressive in midfield, but not in front of their opponent’s goal.  Liverpool were more threatening, and were the first to score, from a Dirk Kuyt goal that highlighted Manuel Almunia’s poor performance on the day.

After the apparent Arsene Wenger dressing down, which has some sort of imaginary comic value, Arsenal’s first real attacking opportunity resulted in a Glen Johnson own goal, which did enough to give the Gunners the confidence to press on for the second, another moment of skill and power from Andrey Arshavin, who was left isolated most of the game.  Like last year at Anfield, Arshavin proved his immense value to an injured and incomplete Arsenal side, doing just enough against Liverpool.

From there, it be a tense last half hour or so for Gooners, and desperately hopeful for Liverpool fans, urging their side to reassert itself and end their skid of poor performance.  While Arsenal were more than lucky from the own goal, and the non-call earlier, Liverpool did very little to really take it to a less than sharp Arsenal side.

Arsenal may have bounced back after suffering a heavy defeat to Chelsea, but Liverpool’s inability to take points from the Gunners flattered them.  In third place, six points out from the league leaders, and with a game in hand, Wenger insists his side are still in it.  Mathematically, yes, but there are some holes in that side.  Either Wenger is going to have to practice his angry face for every half time talk herein out, or Arsenal need to show more decisiveness in going for the jugular.

For Liverpool, it isn’t a crisis.  Thanks to Manchester City unable to do the business against non-top four sides, Spurs dropping points, and their nearest competitors below them being Birmingham and Fulham, the sky isn’t falling for Benitez and the Reds.  Aston Villa did well to beat Manchester United and stake a drive for the top four, but we’ve yet to reach the halfway mark, and why expect anything else except business as usual.  With Torres getting more match fit and no Champions League to worry about, Liverpool’s season starts now, as Benitez says.  Unfortunately, they started this new one the way they started the actual one.

[Guardian, ESPN]

Two years ago, Eduardo’s injury, William Gallas’ tantrum and a successive streak of draws dismantled the North London side, and Arsenal fans were left with an empty, sick feeling in their stomachs, a bit like the minute Jens Lehmann got sent off against Barcelona in the 2006 Champions League Final.  Only, this time, there was the horrific nature of the Croatian’s injury and the realization that Arsenal were a young and callow team that crumbled to pieces.  Now, and the Gunners are playing some of their best football.  Robin van Persie has become more of the striker he was when he first became a first-teamer for Arsene Wenger, Cesc Fabregas is a seasoned 22, and Andrei Arshavin can only be labeled a success, especially considering Wenger sold Kolo Toure for for about 2 million less to Man City.

36 goals in 11 games  is impressive, reminding us of the old Arsenal, just after “1-0 to the Arsenal” became ironic after Wenger’s arrival.  But the Gunners still seem a bit thin on the bench, especially in that back line.  Thomas Vermaelen has been more than excellent, as Gallas seems to maintain his level of play despite all the distractions of having a crap personality and age.  Once one of those two pick up an injury though, and Wenger is left to pick from Phillipe Senderos and Mikael Silvestere.  Perhaps Senderos picked up incredible knowledge and quickness while he warmed the bench at Milan, and perhaps Silvestere will defy age and the two will be able to pick up the slack at times for the rest of a long season.  Either way, the Gunners will have to keep scoring at will to catch Chelsea, who seem to be much tighter defensively, or at least don’t seem to fall asleep on set pieces as much.

It would be nice to see Arsenal regain a little bit of it’s luster, at least to break up the monotony of Manchester United and Chelsea.  With Liverpool their own worst enemy, and struggling with a thin bench, they’re seemingly out of the picture.  There’s very little staking-of-claims on the title going on between the Blues and the Red Devils, and the clash between them last weekend was akin to a pair of battering rams knocking each other senseless in the middle of the park, with a few little handbags thrown in.  A push into the top four by Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur has seemed to have fizzled out, as the former spend their time performing in front of ownership in Qatar, and the latter deal with well, being Spurs.

The Gunners have yet to hold their own against a tough side.  The season’s only a third of the way through, and who knows how durable Fabregas and Arshavin will be all season long.  Perhaps we’ll know a bit more at the end of November, when Chelsea come to North London for a visit.  With Jose Bosingwa, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole out, now’s the Gunners’ best chance to make up a bit of difference and become a threat for the title.

Arsene Wenger likes to talk about being patient, letting his young team develop, all the while holding that belief is the central tenet to winning.  Gooners, do you have belief that your team can win the title this year?  Have they matured enough, and does Wenger have the right pieces to bring some silver back to North London?

The fallout of Manchester United’s 2-2 draw with Sunderland extended to the dressing room, as reports suggest Alex Ferguson and goalkeeper Ben Foster had a bit of an argument.  Foster made a poor decision coming out to catch Andy Reid’s chipped ball for Kenwyne Jones, resulting in the Black Cats’ second goal.  He should have punched the ball clear instead of catching it, but honestly, is that really the reason the Red Devils dropped two points on Saturday?

The Gaffer wrote earlier about Ferguson’s reaction to a perceived lack of fitness and poor game-handling on the part of ref Alan Wiley, which the Manchester United gaffer may have to pay for.  The same Alan Wiley he was yukking it up with on the sidelines after seeing his side go up a goal against Manchester City in the sixth minute of added time.  Sometimes you end up on the better side of luck.  And despite Ferguson’s protestations, his side were lucky to draw against Sunderland.

Sorry, but one moment of brilliance from Dimitar Berbatov doesn’t dismiss the fact that you only drew that game because of an unfortunate Sunderland own goal.  Manchester United should have put this game away, especially after Kieran Richardson’s sending off.  They very well may have scored on their own anyway, but it doesn’t excuse the fact that Ferguson is merely drawing attention away from his team’s poor performance, while playing his mind games with the FA.  He may have to pay a fine or even suffer a ban, but it’ll be worth whatever bugs are in the referee’s heads in their upcoming games.

And it works . . . to an extent.  All the talk in the papers have been about Ferguson’s comments on Wiley, and now his supposed tiff with Ben Foster.  While it’s been discussed, Manchester United’s poor performance hasn’t been touched upon as much as it would normally would have.  Sir Alex knows what he’s doing, and although we can all see it coming a mile down the road, we all turn our heads like sheep.

But he has to be fretting on when Edwin van der Sar will be ready between the sticks, and what to do about the lack of creativity in attack.  Sunderland approached the Red Devils well, but they’re hardly Chelsea or even Manchester City.  We may be looking at a more competitive league this year, but there’s some sparkle missing from Old Trafford.  Ryan Giggs continues to amaze at his age, while Paul Scholes merely ages.  Berbatov, despite his superb goal, has yet to show his Tottenham form.  Either way, the talking points for a team that Ferguson envisions shouldn’t revolve around a bunch of players that were around in the last decade, or waiting for someone to get hot.

As for Ben Foster, he’s merely on Fergie’s shit-list, which doesn’t bode well for him.  We all remember the nasty cut on David Beckham’s face that ruined his boy-band looks for a week or two .  He soon left, as did Roy Keane and Ruud van Nistelrooy when they were deemed useless in Ferguson’s mind.  And he was perhaps right in most instances in letting highly-valued players leave before the beginning of their downfall.  Unfortunately, Foster doesn’t fit into that category.  He merely plays the part of victim in Ferguson’s typical bullying charade.

[Guardian, EPLTalk, Daily Mail]

If there was an ideal start to a new season for Gooners around the world, this certainly was it.  With Samir Nasri, Theo Walcott, Tomas Rosicky (again), Johann Djourou and Abou Diaby on the injury list, it looked like Arsenal were to start this year’s campaign with substantial injuries, though having Cesc Fabregas, Andrei Arshavin and Robin van Persie on the team sheet can hardly be called less than full-strength.

Fortunately for the Gunners, Arsene Wenger’s side met up with an Everton that was seemingly still in preseason exhibition mode.  The Toffees shipped six against an admittedly rampant Arsenal side, but Everton didn’t make it exactly difficult for the visitors as they seemingly switched off on defending set pieces.

Arsenal scoring from set pieces?  Rare indeed, just as rare as the long-range strike from Denilson for the first goal, from a perfectly-weighted pass from Fabregas.  Where were the walked-in goals, the multiple-pass forays into the box, hoping the opposing keeper will fall over and let you tap it in?  The following two goals came within five minutes of each other, one from each centerback, both while unmarked.  After that, the floodgates opened for the Gunners, and it’s easy to see why David Moyes is so disappointed in his team’s performance.

It’s one game in, and it’s difficult to take anything from the first game against a team that is known for starting poorly, but Wenger’s acquiescence to 4-3-3 certainly makes for something more entertaining.  Now, I know talking formations is sort of like arguing semantics, because just as 4-3-3 can look incredibly offensive in it’s free-flowing best, it can also become a defensively dour 4-5-1, as evidenced by Arsenal’s run to the Champions League Final in 2006.  Chelsea’s glorious wide-play days with Mourinho quickly became stunted midfield battles as soon as the Blues were up by a goal or two.  And of course, I may say 4-2-3-1, which to you may be 4-5-1.

But Wenger’s insistence on 4-4-2 has apparently softened (perhaps with the departure of Emmanuel Adebayor and the arrival of Arshavin), and his experimentation with a more Barcelona-esque formation should provide not only entertainment, but perhaps the best conditions for the types of youth at Arsenal.  Speed wins in individual battles, typically leads to goals, and more often than not, beats guile.  And guile may be what’s missing from Arsenal in the last few years, so being a year older and wiser can only benefit the Gunners.

More importantly, despite playing against a rusty Everton side, the two most lightweight players at Arsenal last year, Alex Song and Denilson, had excellent games today.  The holding midfielder role will be one that’s openly debated at Arsenal, and perhaps another season of tag-teaming may be in store.

That may be enough, and the relationship between Thomas Vermaelen and William Gallas is crucial if Arsenal are to play with the freewheeling style of Barcelona, or at least win while doing so.  It is a good sign, though, when both your centerbacks score, even if they were unmarked.

And that’s the risk that Wenger is taking.  He speaks a lot of belief and dedication, and unless he’s on the verge of making a midnight deal before the window closes, he’s dedicated to the players he has, and hopeful in the return of Eduardo, Nasri and Rosicky to form.  A little withdrawal of 6 million for Rafa van der Vaart couldn’t hurt either.

There’s a lot of talk about Man City cracking the top four, and Arsenal may be the most logical choice, as they’ve been seemingly punching above their weight the last few years.  And of course, the loss of Adebayor and Kolo Toure can hardly be seen as positive on the pitch, even if it is on the balance sheet.  But with other teams making little splash in the transfer window, just as this may be Arsenal’s year to be knocked out of the big four, it also may be their year to lift some silver.

[BBC, Goal, Daily Mail]

Wednesday’s Confederations Cup semifinal between the United States and Spain had David v. Goliath written all over it. Coasting to the semis with three wins out of three, it looked like Spain was about to teach the US a lesson in tiki-taka.

With the US advancing to the semis after shipping six goals to Italy and Brazil, the drawbacks of a two group, eight team tournament were pretty clear.  How a side that was blown out in two games and won one deserved to go through may not seem right, but hey it’s group play, and it’s not like Italy and Egypt did themselves any favors.

For European champions Spain, with the flash of Liverpool’s Fernando Torres and Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas, and a partial spine of Barcelona in Xavi, Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol, this should’ve been their 16th straight victory, and a record-setting 37-match unbeaten streak.

Instead, the US rendered Spain impotent, thanks to stellar netminding from Everton’s Tim Howard.  The scoring came courtesy of  Fulham’s Clint Dempsey, and Villareal’s loaned-out striker, Jozy Altidore.

How a squad could look so horrible against an aging Italy and look so good against a pretty side like Spain isn’t that surprising.  Anyone who’s watched Arsenal fail to finish against a mid-table team will tell you that even the least technical and lumbering of sides can win if they’re organized and take advantage of mistakes.

And Spain’s mistakes cost them.  Altidore’s goal in the 27th minute showed how strong the youngster is, but also made Joan Capdevila look like a limpid rag doll.  Dempsey’s goal in the 74th made the Spanish backline look comical, from Pique’s deflection of Landon Donovan’s cross off his heel, to Sergio Ramos’ touch to setup the Fulham striker for the US’s second goal.

The big names like Torres and Fabregas were shut down by the lesser-known names like Dempsey and Howard, and it’s hard not think of Fabregas’ Gunners if you saw Spain today.  So fluid and dominant in posession, La Roja look like Barcelona, with a few Premier League stars and a couple of Merengues at the back (and of course the Davids: Silva and Villa).  But, like Arsenal, they lacked that final ball, and mistakes in defense hurt them dearly.

What can you take from this upset?  Perhaps not much; though the US will ride a wave of euphoria until next summer’s World Cup, but whether or not the they can achieve results from the same tactics in a bigger and deeper tournament remains to be seen.  For Spain, it’s merely a blip.  It may put Vicente del Bosque in the papers a bit more for the wrong reasons, but with Italy on the wrong side of the hill, Spain still is the team to beat in Europe.  It does however, show what you can do against the top-ranked team in the world if you can contain Xavi.

While there’s really nothing else to watch between seasons, the Confederations Cup’s perceived relevance is artificial at best.  New Zealand and South Africa’s inclusion, as representatives of Oceania and the host of the 2010 World Cup, respectively, does little to set pulses racing.  But the prospect of the United States possibly facing Brazil in a final may be enough to get Americans into football and away from sah-ker.  That is, if South Africa don’t pull off an upset of their own on Thursday.

Spain 0 – 2 United States [FIFA]

Claude Makelele’s grit in Chelsea’s midfield and ability to play a quick pass made him the fitting example of the ‘Claude Makelele’ role, whatever that means.  It’s even been said that he’s managed to define the holding midfield position as much as Franz Beckenbauer the sweeper role.  And he’s now cashing in on the footballer bio.

Makelele may have been adored at Stamford Bridge, but perhaps not so much anymore.  Maybe it’s an attempt to sell hardcovers, or perhaps there’s some sort of perceived slight from Chelsea’s brave captain John Terry on the former French international while he played under Jose Mourinho in London.  Undoubtedly, it’s an attempt to remain relevant at the end of his career, as any bio indicates.

Whatever the reason, much like Ashley Cole’s revelation that Cesc Fabregas was the main perpetrator in Pizzagate, Makalele’s decided to heap the culpability for Jose Mourinho’s departure from Chelsea on JT’s broad shoulders.

Apparently, Terry was unhappy with Mourinho’s assessment of his performance in the wake of back problems and went to chief executive Peter Kenyon to issue a transfer request.  And this is where the word ‘talisman’ comes in.  In owner Roman Abramovich’s mind, that was JT and not Mourinho, and the Portuguese was out.

Understandably, this may have simply been the inevitable outcome when two egos as large as Mourinho’s and Abramovich’s inhabit the same club.  The notion that Mourinho left Stamford Bridge via ‘mutual consent’ was always hardly believable, but even the outspoken Mourinho had to filter his comments regarding the billionaire owner; he is a Russian oligarch after all.

It’s easy to label this as more celebrity footballer heresy, a tactic to sell books.  But it isn’t hard to believe that what Makalele says is true.  While Mourinho and Abramovich may have built Chelsea into the contender they are today, they also built a cult of personality around their players.  Even Makelele was one, having ‘defined’ his eponymous role, and Frank Lampard and John Terry were the biggest of the heroes.

John Terry has endured a long career at Chelsea.  He may only be 28, but his body has endured the abuse that can age a man, due to beginning his first team career early and his selfless attitude on the pitch.  He’s the first man for Chelsea to put his body on the line for the good of the side.  But at some point the hero worship must get to every player, and I’m sure one of the highest-paid at Chelsea isn’t immune to believing his own hype.  Like all top center-halves, his experience will extend his career, but even the best are falliable.

Perhaps it was the end of a whirlwind ride for Jose Mourinho at Chelsea.  Perhaps the itch was already there for the charismatic manager, and the rest of Europe beckoned anyway.  But you have to wonder if there was a legacy there for the taking for the Blues and Mourinho.  Since his departure, it’s been nothing but heartache for fans and there’s a certain aura surrounding Chelsea, epitomized by their loss to Barcelona in the Champions League.

It’s hard not to see a group of overpaid, overblown egos, from Didier Drogba to Ashley Cole, and yes, perhaps even the selfless captain.  Makelele also blames Mourinho for ruining the camaraderie of the dressing room at the Bridge, going to show that despite being a sport of men, it’s a world of little boys, all getting their feelings hurt.   Guus Hiddink may have the opportunity to end his time at the club with the satisfaction of a cup win today, but Chelsea remain a pilot-less ship.

[ESPN, Daily Mail, Times]

After watching Arsene Wenger’s young guns humiliated at home for the second time in less than a week, the perennial questions surrounding Le Professeur’s philosphy and transfer window policy are being whipped about in earnest.

The possibility of a waning Arsenal side doing enough to steal third place from Chelsea could only be called that, a possibility, if the Gunners’ recent performances were anything to go by.  Conventional wisdom should tell us that Arsenal would take it the Blues, especially at the Emirates, because, you know, Arsenal can get up for any game.

Obviously not.  What used to be mainly frustration at Arsenal’s inability to win ugly against lesser opponents now encompasses the worry that the squad as a whole are simply too far from competing with their main rivals.  Given the attitude and posture of this Arsenal side, I’d be reluctant to pick them over any of the other top four clubs in a one-off game.

There have been countless pleas for Arsene Wenger to make some big moves in the transfer window.  The emphasis is on big moves, rather than big names, and Andrei Arshavin may be as big a name as Wenger may dare to touch.  But there is no denying that there are gaps in the Gunner’s squad, and most of the finger-pointing is towards the back of the pitch.

While Arsenal at their best (in the Wenger era) relied more on their goal-scoring prowess more than defensive rigidity, the back line employed by George Graham and nurtured by Wenger could easily be labeled as the stable basis for success.  Kolo Toure and William Gallas perform admirably at times, but this isn’t the partnership of the future at Arsenal’s back, obviously due to age.  The yearning for a tall, atheltic centerback has fallen on deaf ears in north London, and the work of Manchester United’s Ferdinand and Vidic remain the elusive high standard.  A pipe dream, perhaps, but Chelsea can seem to make do with John Terry and Alex or Ivanovic.

Of course, the a capable shield in front of the back line has yet to pop up since Mathieu Flamini left for AC Milan.  While Wenger may have ignored the impact of the Frenchman’s departure, it’s hard to see why you’d let someone go that not only allowed your star midfielder to focus on going forward, but also could play a number of positions.

And, there is the inevitable urge to replace the spine of the team with perhaps a keeper and another striker.  All this, of course is the kind of talk that’ll go on until it becomes apparent that Wenger has his eye on an unnamed 16-year old who’s ambidextrous and pacey, but has only played 18 minutes in his professional career.

While I’ve argued in the past that Arsenal lack that mental toughness and will to really make the season count, and that they flatter themselves by looking to get closer to silver than they really are, it all has to start with a few key players.  Not an exciting cup-tied front man in the January window.  And not Amaury Bischoff.

I do believe that simply grabbing a big goon who can find a ball with his empty head is not the way to go.  And perhaps there are a shortage of those players with bite who can also begin an attack with great vision.  But surely, there must be someone that Wenger will deign to throw a few million at who can at least appear to belong in an Arsenal shirt.  Phillipe Senderos played the part well in the past, and if not for Didier Drogba, the moans surrounding him wouldn’t be as loud.

But what to make of Emmanuel Adebayor, Robin van Persie and Nicklas Bendtner?  Adebayor can be brilliant in the right formation, RvP can be downright majestic, and well, Bendtner nicks the odd goal here or there.  All have been valuable to the team, but to a team struggling to remain relevant within the top four.  What about Abou Diaby, whose first touch is simply not good enough?  Or the often-quiet performances of Denilson and Alex Song?

Where do you look and who do you go to if you’re Wenger, looking to infuse something into his squad?

Experience is often spoken of, but there’s much to be said of intensity and a tenacity, something missing among the talent and promise at the Emirates.

[Times Online]

Gooners and Nike execs are already familiar with the Cesc Fabregas Show.  Tonight at the Emirates, it was the Cristiano Ronaldo Experience.

Though Ji-sung Park started off the scoring for Manchester United on a Kieran Gibbs mistake, it was Ronaldo who sealed the deal for the Red Devils on a searing free kick.  Eleven minutes into the biggest match of the year for both teams, and Manchester United fan’s could confidently book their tickets to Rome.

The result is less surprising than how it transpired.  Quite simply, tonight’s leg in London was a repeat of the first leg.  Only this time, Manchester United got the goals they deserved, given their dominance over the 180 minutes.

With Alex Ferguson’s side beginning their typical late-season surge, Arsenal seem the reverse of them, with players drifting in and out of injury, and a general lack of sharpness when it comes to their passing game.  The security of fourth place and Aston Villa’s poor run may have made the Gunners a bit complacent, but more likely, the simple fact is that Arsenal are not yet the team to compete at the highest level.

Andrei Arshavin has adapted to the league quickly, and there are some true adolescent gems at the Emirates. Arsene Wenger’s young team continue to show flashes of brilliance to instill optimism, but in the end, lack the consistency and tenacity required to touch silver.  There is no doubt Wenger is the one of the best spotters of young talent.  Unfortunately for him, Ferguson is the best builder of teams.

There is an appreciation of Arsenal and what they represent, with their passing ethos and enthusiastic side of youngsters.  But how long must we seek to find words to explain the ups and downs of a Jekyll and Hyde side?  Callow, inexperienced, petulant.  Naive, slight, lacking that cutting edge.  All of these are often thrown about when the Gunners are torn apart by a mid-table side, let alone humiliated at home by a top four side.

The debate continues over the efficacy of Wenger’s decision to remain young and lean.  Fiscal prudence is always more desired than extravagance in the transfer window, and Wenger has built and preserved his club better than anyone. Except Alex Ferguson, who coincidentally, finds himself on friendlier terms with his French nemesis since Arsenal have won nothing in the last five years.

You can argue for more depth in all positions, more height at the back, more bite in front of the back four, and less talking from Emmanuel Adebayor and Nicklas Bendtner.  And perhaps less spitting from Cesc Fabregas.  But there is no denying that this is a team lacking the fire to compete with Manchester United.

There are elements of Wenger’s inaction that hurt his club’s chances, just as there are elements of his thrift that place the club in good standing for the future.  Arsenal essentially are battling above their weight-class, both on the pitch and the bench, despite record revenue.  At some point, Wenger is going to have to take a chance and splash out some cash.  Arshavin was always the wanted man, but the lateness of the move ruled him ineffectual for the majority of the season, and absent for the Champions League.

There cannot be an argument that Arsenal lack a few things in their side.  In the long-term, it may be players, but today it was guile and rhythm, those things we expect from an Arsene Wenger side.

Just how long the best players on the team will wait out the building process remains to be seen.  Perhaps Arsenal will lift some silver next year, but until a statement of intent is made, either in the transfer window or in performance, it remains boys against men, as it was today at the Emirates.

[Guardian]

Arsenal fans love to speak of Arsene Wenger’s shrewd and miserly eye for talent.  Up until a few years ago, Wenger’s net spending in the transfer market was something around ten million pounds, extraordinary when you consider the amount of trophies Arsenal have won since his arrival.  Of course, much of Wenger’s bottom-line performance can be attributed solely to selling Nicolas Anelka, who’s sale managed to pay for everyone else on the France squad, including Thierry Henry, Sylvain Wiltord and Robert Pires.

All of this is great for Gooners, just another aspect of Wenger’s purist notions of the sport.  With clubs’ spending ballooning every year, this is just another badge to point to when arguing in Arsenal’s defense, kind of like driving a Prius in middle Texas.  A lot has been made of Wenger’s philosophy, not coincidentally, since the last time a team of his came close to sniffing  silver was three years ago while mired in a battle for fourth place.

Arsenal’s wage bill is one of the league’s largest, but the stubborness in which Wenger deals with the transfer market certainly differs from most of his peers.  Definitely shrewd, his reasoning is that in order to maintain the financial stability of the club, he must be prudent and not give in to the temptation of spending big in the windows.

A good portion  of Gooners realize that this would not even be a discussion if it were not for the Frenchman.  Arsenal fans would not have such high standards without Wenger, who has not only spoiled fans in north London, but fans of the game overall.  But to consider that one or two good players could be what keeps their team competitive down to the end, many are frustrated at times with the lack of signings.

On their day, Arsenal can beat any team.  If they’re really on their game, they can even make it look easy.  But it can’t always be their day, which is why big squads are so important.  For Wenger, it’s a competition like the Champions League that may redeem him rather than the long marathon of the domestic campaign.

Wenger’s bargain boys will find it hard to slay the big spenders [Daily Mail]

It’s quite rare to find myself defending Rafa Benitez in any respect, but I think the recent comments by Sam Allardyce are more than ridiculous.  After Liverpool’s 4-0 romp of his team, the Blackburn manager claims Benitez showed a “lack of respect” for failing to meet for the traditional post-game drink.  In addition, he claims:

“I think if everybody has a look back at his gestures you will see them as pretty dismissive to me and the Blackburn ­Rovers team as a whole . . . I was hugely disappointed by those gestures. I think they were disrespectful and quite humiliating. Having looked at them again this week, I think I’m right and ­everybody will see why I’m complaining.

“The feeling was that he had written us off. It was open arms and then a ­crossover of the arms as if to suggest that was it. I admit it was a hard game, a difficult game for us, and we were well beaten by an outstanding Liverpool side. But in terms of respect, you don’t expect those sort of things to happen in a game of football. I was very, very upset by it.

“The game is hard enough as it is without a fellow manager doing what seemed to be an undermining gesture. I then waited to have a word with him after the game in his room, but as usual and unfortunately, he didn’t turn up.

“Not explaining himself by not turning up in his office really shows what he is like. The only people I saw were [Liverpool head coach] Sammy Lee and a few of the staff, but he never showed his face. That was just as disappointing as the gesture, and it typifies the man.”

“I gave him the opportunity by being courteous enough after being beaten 4-0 to go and have a drink in his room. There was no need for those sorts of gestures, and my opinion as to whether I’m right is obviously going to be speculated upon by other people, but I think I’m right.

“He would have had the opportunity to have explained himself if he had turned up in his room, but [he] didn’t, so that’s why I’m talking about it today. It’s in the past now and I’ll move on, but I just want to make everybody aware of what I consider to be a lack of respect for me, the Blackburn Rovers players and the football club as a whole

Is this really an issue?  If you’ve just been beaten 4-0, do you really want to have a drink with your opposition?  I love the quote “it’s in the past and I’ll move on”, but only after reviewing the video the past few days, and commenting on sideline gesticulations from nearly a week ago.   Time that could be spent, I don’t know, making your team better.

There’s a misguided notion of honor and camaraderie that simply doesn’t always exist, and I don’t necessarily think it makes the game any much better.  Fair play and sportsmanship are undeniably things every sport wants to impress upon future generations of players and managers. But to make something out of nothing makes Allardyce look embittered and a poor loser, and how he does not comprehend how his comments do more harm than good (at least for himself) is beyond me.

Sure, a handshake and a few words are nice, but winners hate losing, so sometimes they’re not in the mood.  And, when they win, sometimes they just don’t care about sharing a glass.  Of course, Allardyce may not know much about that.

Sir Alex Ferguson joins Sam Allardyce in criticising Rafael Benitez [Guardian]

We love a good midweek match now and then and Liverpool v. Chelsea was the record put on repeat as the Reds met up with the Blues for their requisite Champions League match for the season.  While not a league game, it may as well have been, if not for the evening kickoff and painfully overplayed Champions League anthem, while the pride of England stood proud at Anfield.

Well, the game ended with Chelsea thumping the hosts for three, throwing a serious damper on hot Liverpool, at least in the Big Cup.  That’s not really the story though.

If anyone saw John Terry moaning after the match about Liverpool players hounding the ref for the yellow card that ultimately benches him next week, don’t tell me your jaw didn’t drop when you heard the drivel coming out of his mouth.

I was just saying to Stevie (Gerrard) that it’s disappointing to see  his teammates sort of surrounding the referee demanding a yellow card.  I felt is (sic) I went for the ball; that’s all I ever do as a player.  I spoke to (Pepe) Reina, he said that it wasn’t a yellow card.  He knew I was on a yellow, and he was asking for it . . . . It’s just disappointing when fellow professionals ask for the yellow card.

Before you Blues fans go nuts and threaten to stand up for JT’s honor by meeting me at some junior high school parking lot late at night, you have to admit you had to cringe a bit when you heard this.  Really, JT?  This from the guy on that certain London team with players who love surrounding the ref when a foul’s been committed, whether culprit or victim.  Did he not grab a yellow out of a ref’s hand a while back?

We know it’s a charged atmosphere in a match, and players are genuinely the victim of harsh calls at times.  But you know you’re on a yellow.  You know everyone else knows you’re one a yellow.  Of course Stevie G’s colleagues are going to try and get you sent off.  They’re all from the continent, that Liverpool side, so one can expect them  to border on the dramatic when it comes to getting stuck into, particularly when the challenge is clumsy.

The point is, stop the crying.  So you’re suspended for the next match.  In a competition you lead 3-1 and are finishing at home. To not make it through to the next round, where you’ll play, by the way, would be a colossal collapse on your team’s part, like, say, letting a center-back take one of the first penalties in the Champions League final, but that’s another story. If Chelsea can’t advance, even without their captain, they certainly don’t deserve to.

The brave Captain Enger-land shouldn’t groan about his suspension after watching a reserve defender slot in two against one of the hottest teams in the toughest league.  Especially over something he’s done himself in the past.  JT, if I was your friend on Facebook, I’d send you some virtual tissues or something similarly absorbent to soak up those tears.

[Guardian, Who Ate All the Pies?]

This weekend’s premier match, Manchester United hosting Aston Villa, was seemingly alight with some very sensitive microphones.  I’m not sure if the press box was the culprit, or perhaps those huge foam-covered ones on the touchlines, but you could hear shouts of “Don’t foul him” and “C’mon Jonny”, the latter directed to United’s fill-in centerback, who was given a bit of trouble by Villa today.  If only it was the press box, because the sound of journos hitting the backspace key would have been deafening, particularly after Ronaldo scored his and United’s second goal of the match.

In the 60th minute, it looked to be yet another stumble for the reigning champions.  Three losses in a row for Alex Ferguson?  About as rare as a Liverpool Premiership trophy, at least so it seemed until the last few weeks.  It was bound to happen, one thought, and if so, this would be the game.

Without Nemanja Vidic, Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov, Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes, to call the side depleted would be an understatement for the Red Devils.  Danny Welbeck may have seen some time on the pitch, but 17-year old Federico Macheda’s inclusion on the bench spoke to such thinness after the international break.

Shifting Gary Neville to partner Evans in the center may have kept him from the terror of marking Ashley Young, but the knock-laden veteran looked less than dominant, and you had to wonder just how costly Vidic and Rooney’s suspensions would prove to be, especially after Villa went ahead.  Carlos Tevez was the requisite workhorse, and Ryan Giggs was the typical class act on the ball;  it was less the worry that United had enough in them to get past Aston Villa, but the realization that the makeshift backline may not last against the speed and directness of the visitors .

Ronaldo started off the scoring 14 minutes in, with cracker into Brad Friedel’s far corner off of a rolled Ryan Giggs free kick.  The beauty of such a goal was quickly forgotten fifteen minutes later, as Villa equalized with a John Carew header.  If you hadn’t been paying attention, you certainly were now.  Aston Villa’s second goal in the 58th minute, coming off of a Ronaldo dispossession, made the United backline look anemic, with Carew crossing in for a wide-open Gabriel Agbonglahor header at the far post.

From there, you began to ponder the headlines, because despite possession, it was an open enough game to see United dropping even more points.  But Ferguson threw on Macheda, like that relative unknown reserve striker that goes to the World Cup because, well, why not?  And that move will be big enough for pundits and United fans to place all their plaudits upon.  Like a high school football coach making changes at halftime, this was where one’s money is earned, and without any of the Phil Brownesque machinations.

Ronaldo’s second goal was perhaps better than his first.  Muscled off the ball and flopping down, the Portuguese winger actually picked himself up and put himself in a good position to receive the ball as it pinged around the edge of the Aston Villa box.  How he had so much time to line up his precise roller past Friedel just inside his left post made Villa look tired, and the momentum was given to United in the 80th, and it looked to be long quarter of an hour left for the visitors.

Macheda’s goal came in extra time, after a prolonged assault by the Red Devils.  With his back to goal, he gestured to Giggs to play it to his feet, sent his defender the wrong way with a backheel into space and squeezed off a shot that curled past Freidel at the far post as he fell onto his back.

There wasn’t much to say after that, only wistful empathy for Aston Villa and sheer bewilderment at whatever it was that turned the tide for Manchester United. Be it luck, the experience and calm needed to manufacture goals from behind, or the inspired substitutions of Alex Ferguson, or perhaps all of these, but United certainly eked one out with high drama.  Kind of like Liverpool’s win yesterday.

The shot of the sobbing Manchester United fan will be seen hundreds of times to illustrate the meaning of this weekend, especially when you watch a match like this.  Emotionally battered, he could barely control his tears, almost in disbelief that his team pulled it out.  I’m sure many a Liverpool fan can relate.

[Goal, Bleacher Report]

Manchester 3-2 Aston Villa [BBC Football]

Thanks to a brace from Emmanuel Adebayor, Arsenal continue on their quest to retain Champions League play for next year.  With a vacuum of newsworthiness over the last weeks, at least in regard to the Premier League, speculation turned to Cesc Fabregas’ return and whether or not the Gunners were a better team without their young captain.  Yes, there are papers to sell.

Arsenal were, before the international break, perhaps the best they’ve been all season, and the anticipation of Fabregas, Adebayor, and Theo Walcott returning to fitness seemed to be coming at the right time.  Losing Robin van Persie and Abou Diaby to injuries picked up on international duty, and Samir Nasri to the flu, Wenger certainly hoped his returning stars could find their rhythm today.

Surely Fabregas would need time to find his form, especially that precision passing and perfectly-timed first ball.  All the returning skipper was able to do was set up both of Adebayor’s goals, from perfectly-lofted kicks into City’s box for last season’s 30-goal scorer.  While still short of playing at his best, today’s assists simply show how much of Fabregas’ value derives from his innate vision.

Unfortunately for Manchester City, Mark Hughes found himself using up two substitutions before the break, and was already without Stephen Ireland.  Wayne Bridge and Vincent Kompany limped off early, and Robinho, due for a spell on the bench, was heard from very little throughout the match.

There was nothing unusual in Arsenal’s performance.  They were dangerous in their passing style early on and throughout the game.  Adebayor’s goals were finished with some magnificent class, but ultimately resulted from City’s inability to defend.  While dazzling, some of the Gunners’ best play fizzled out in their opponent’s 16 yard box.

Walcott stretched the defense, and with crisp passing, it looked to be a long day for the Citizens.  More surprising was how Arsenal arrived on the ball first.  It’s not often this season when a Arsene Wenger can say his team were winning the majority of 50-50 balls, and really owning the midfield.

It was always a tough day for Mark Hughes and his side, a team with a horrendous away record.  But if you can keep Arsenal from creating tempo and lengthy possession, you’ve always got a chance.  City certainly began the game with that intent, but couldn’t seem to maintain it.

Advantage shifted straight to the home side shortly after the first goal, despite some City pressure on Manuel Alumnia.  After the second, it became seemingly one-way all the way.  What few chances City had were on the break, and Arsenal did well to snuff them out and resume their possession game.

Adebayor’s brace afforded Wenger the opportunity to sub him and Fabregas before a full ninety minutes, and it easily could have been more than a two-goal win for the Gunners.  Like many victories for Arsenal when they are on their day, there always could have been more if not for spurned chances.  Much credit is due to Mark Hughes’ side for not letting the score really get away from them.

Oh, how much good a little time in fourth place can do, which seems to be Arsenal’s motto these last few years.  You could argue that City’s performance flattered them, but with players returning to fitness in a side finding it’s form, optimism has fully returned to north London.

Arsenal 2-0 Manchester City [Premier League]

What a time for an international break.  Despite perhaps one of the most exciting weekends in the Premier League this season, we now must endure the pomp and criticism surrounding the Three Lions as they take on Slovakia in a friendly on Saturday.  More importantly, they meet Ukraine in a World Cup qualifier the following Wednesday.

Of course, this simply invites more reflection on David Beckham’s cap total, Ledley King’s knee, and the general lack of dynamism in the England camp.  As interesting as it may be to ponder Fabio Capello’s selections and omissions, we’ll have to let the Premier League simmer for a bit, until it resumes on April 4th.

The domestic campaign begins anew in earnest the following day, when Manchester United host Aston Villa at Old Trafford.  Both sides will be coming off of truly terrible results, although the Red Devils seemingly have much more to play for than a Villa side in turmoil.

For Aston Villa, various cup competitions meant they began their season early, and with a small squad.  Martin O’Neill has used only 19 players all season, and it’s coming back to haunt him.  Losing Martin Laursen to injury and having Gabriel Agbonglahor raising the fans’ ire has certainly endangered their fragile perch on the cusp of qualifying for Europe.

As good as Villa looked at times early in the season, you only have to look at Arsenal’s freefall last year for reference.  Like the Gunners of 07-08, the immediate future looked bright, only to have it fall to pieces after injuries and some lackluster results.  Villa’s lone point from five matches resembles Arsenal’s decline after losing Eduardo to a horrific injury last year.

That’s right; Martin Laursen, at least in this case, is Aston Villa’s Eduardo.

Villa can still pull it off, but it requires some mistakes on Arsenal’s part and a massive turnaround in terms of form.  Arsenal’s remaining matches aren’t without any possible hiccups, as they still must meet Liverpool and Manchester United away and host Chelsea.  Throw in the FA Cup and the Champions League, and there will be some tired legs and knocks in the Emirates dressing room at the close of the season.

Remaining Premier League matches:

Aston Villa – Manchester United (A), Everton, West Ham, Bolton (A), Hull, Fulham (A), Middlesbrough (A), Newcastle

Arsenal – Manchester City, Wigan (A), Liverpool (A), Middlesbrough, Portsmouth (A), Chelsea, Manchester United (A), Stoke

Manchester United took their eye off of the prize on Saturday with what can only be categorized as a meltdown at Craven Cottage.  Maybe they’ve got their eyes on too many prizes, or perhaps they’ve played too many games.  51 matches, to be exact, significantly more than Liverpool and Chelsea, who’ve played 44 and 45, respectively.

According to Alex Ferguson, this is the best side he’s managed, and that may be true in terms of size and depth.  The Red Devils started slow but surged their way to the top with some ugly wins, and with second-team players.  Because of that, it’s difficult to disagree with Ferguson.  While a 5-goal stunner may make the headlines and get people talking, it’s those 1-0 wins with John O’Shea, Darren Fletcher and Jonny Evans in the side that seem to sum up what Man U’s all about this year.  The things you have to do on the road to the Quintuple.

While certainly teetering precariously at the top, a game in hand and a one-point lead over a revitalized Liverpool means that their destiny remains in their hands.  Liverpool impressed greatly over the weekend, but against a Villa side that’s dropped off considerably.  Losing Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney to suspensions increase the nervousness in the red end of Manchester (or London), and we’re all chomping at the bit to see how Ferguson’s side respond.  Like all of the above, fatigue from multiple cup competition and injuries will be what keep the Red Devils lifting the trophy again.

Remaining Premier League matches:

Manchester United – Aston Villa, Sunderland (A), Portsmouth, Tottenham, Middlesbrough (A), Man City, Wigan (A), Arsenal, Hull (A)

Liverpool – Fulham (A), Blackburn, Arsenal, Hull (A), Newcastle, West Ham (A), West Brom (A), Tottenham

Can Liverpool maintain the pressure on Manchester United?  More importantly, will Manchester United hand Liverpool the opportunity to lift the Premier League for the first time in it’s storied history?