Massive weekend of footy!!!

Massive Premiership Weekend

This weekend is big!! I am writing this on the back of two results which look to have made the Premier League run in very interesting for the lucrative Champions League spots. 

At the beginning of the day, Arsenal were fresh from an absolute thrashing of the "in form" Spurs side at the Emirates. Arsene Wenger, a man much criticised this season, claimed the manager of the month award for February and the team sheet for the game today was exactly the same as the last. Something that couldn't be said much, if not at all, this season with injuries and suspensions blighting the progress of the gunners. One thing was standing in the way. A liverpool side who had just won the League Cup after a nail biting 120 minutes and penalties at Wembley against a burly Cardiff team. The fact it was at Anfield didn't help the situation for the North Londoners today. Although historically they have had the odd triumphant night in the past, Liverpool were going into the game unbeaten there all season.

The game against Tottenham showed that the team have great spirit and desire to win. In my opinion much more so than the Arsenal of the last couple of years. The obvious problems defensively were easy to see last weekend, especially in the first goal. Adebayor had shed loads of space to slot Saha through on goal with players at sixes and sevens. That thing called "desire" though is something Arsenal seem to have harnessed just at the right time.

Arsenal vs Liverpool

The match started with Liverpool absolutely dominating. Wenger'd side couldn't even string two passes together. The final ball and first touch of some of the players, who only seven days before had performed with pure class, was non-existent. After a while the domination payed off and the controversial Luiz Suarez was brought down in the box by the faintest of touches by Szcezney, with the Uruguayan flying through the air and holding his shin like he'd been shot. Yes, it seemed to be a penalty but was there any need to react like that? I'm not so sure. 

Charlie Adam wanted to take the spot kick but Dirk Kuyt, who scored in the shoot-out in the cup final wasn't having any of it in such a crutial game. Unfortunately for him, the big Polish keeper made an absolutely outstanding double save, flying across the goal like a dolphin at Sea World! All afternoon he pulled off save after save, the best being from an outstanding Suarez run and shot which would have been a contender for goal of the season if it had gone in.

In the middle of the first half though, all the pole's good work was undone. A cross in from the right was cruelly sliced into his own net by Laurent Koscielny. The Londoners were now on the back foot and playing like a bunch of amateurs. It didn't look good. Fortunately the have a Dutchman by the name of Robin Van Persie in their ranks. A man who gives David Blaine a run for his money when it comes to magic moments. An absolutely sublime ball by right back, Bacary Sagna, was headed in by RVP with ease, getting inbetween the two Liverpool defenders. Totally against the run of play, they were back in it. This was so important. I think, if they'd gone in 1-0 down at half time there was a danger of the flood gates opening. Luckily for Wenger and his men, Liverpool really cannot finish to save their lives at the moment. Suarez, who was the linchpin for the scousers, hit the post and chance after chance was foiled by Szcezney and the goofy striker needs to imprtove on that goal return if he is to get Liverpool back to their glory days.

The second half Arsenal seemed to have solidified in defence but Liverpool still had so much of the ball it only looked a matter of time before they got a second. This was not to be. After a clash between Mikel Arteta and Jordan "how the hell am I worth £20million?"Henderson off the ball, the ex Everton man was left Unconcious on the floor and had to be supplied with oxygen and a back brace when leaving the match. It was a complete accident, but it was a horrific end for a player who has been very solid in the heart of that midfield this season. The time that was taken to sort Arteta out meant that there were 8 minutes of injury time. A similar situation between the two sides happened last season at the Emirates, where Dirk Kuyt converted a penalty in the 96th minute. I presumed, much like everyone else that this may happen again, and it did, but not for Liverpool.

That man, Robin Van Persie was put through by a lovely chipped through ball by the outstanding Alex Song which the number ten finished on the volley, side footing past Pepe Reina who will be very disappointed at being beaten at his near post. Arsenal hung on for the win, meaning they are now only 4 points behing Tottenham in 3rd place, who have to go to Manchester United tomorrow.  Liverpool, 10 points behind, are seemily out of the race. The result also meant that Arsenal went 3 points ahead of Chelsea, who played West Brom at 3pm.

The End For Villas Boas?

I haven't seen the game yet, but Andre Villas Boas is surely destined for the chop after Chelsea went down to an 81st minute goal by defender Gareth McAuley. Torres, yet again, not on the scoresheet and a difficult period for Abramovich, who has sacked managers doing alot better than the Portuguese in the hot seat. He surely must have run out of patience by now, and the rumours that Rafa Benitez could take the reigns have got stronger over the last couple of days. I really feel for AVB. A young manager, given a big job, and I really did want him to succeed. He did very well at Porto. Yes, it's the Portuguese League, but still, you don't lose that talent over night. The pressure of a pushy owner, and fans who now have the taste for success after years of no trophies means that a more experienced head looks to be called for. Someone who can handle superstars, knows the Champions League inside out, and his own man who won't be swayed by the powers that be above him. Chelsea are still to play 6 out of the top 7 clubs, so it could still change but the way they are going it could be too much for them to get a Europa League spot.

With Man City easily dispatching Bolton today, United will be pumped up for the Spurs game, and it looks to be an absolute cracker tomorrow. That gap between the two North London clubs could be closing. Whatever happens, we are due for a very exciting end to the season!!!

Happy as...Harry

Football Crazy

What a crazy week or so in the football world!! Arsenal winning 7-1 against Blackburn, a cat on the pitch at Anfield on Monday, the F.A. strip the England captaincy from John Terry and now England have no one at the helm just before a major championships. This, I cannot get my head around.


Let's start with Terry. The guy is definitely a little bit dodgy. He does come from a background of drug dealing and god knows what else, but nothing excuses casual racism during a "game"  of football, or at any other time for that matter. The thing is, however the words he said to Anton Ferdinand look on the tv, we have a system in this country where you are innocent until proven guilty and I think the F.A. should respect that. I understand that the press would have a field day during the European Championships when Terry would have to conduct interviews, but it isn't as if he hasn't been engulfed in controversy before (notably when he couldn't keep his trouser snake out of his best mate's girlfriend). The job of a captain and manager is to take all the criticism and flack and deflect it away from the rest of the squad so they can concentrate on football. I know that this is a fairly perverted view, but I think that if all the focus was on him, the rest of the team could get on with their preparations and think about winning the bloody thing!

So, the F.A. called Terry in for a meeting and politely asked him to step down as captain, which was certainly a sensible thing for him to do on paper, but as the patriotic and committed player he flatly refused, which I think does show why he has the mental strength to lead his club and country. Unfortunately they said "fine, we've given you the option so we'll make you piss off ourselves!" Not sure those were the exact words, but you get the gist. The problem was, they went behind Fabio Capello's back when doing this, and the last time I checked it was the kind of decision that involves the manager. You wouldn't see the Glazers demoting Vidic from the captaincy at Manchester United. Every decision involving the squad would be made by Ferguson, and I don't understand why it isn't the same at international management. Why employ a guy when you are only going to disregard his opinion anyway?

Capello says "Ciao"

Last night, the shocking news unfolded: "Capello steps down as England boss".  I was fairly taken aback to be honest. I new the two parties were in for the meeting yesterday, but I thought they would keep Fabio from reeling with a nice big cheque and a pat on the back with the assurance that it was the last involvement in team matters until he steps down as manager after the Euros. Apparently it was all something to do with an interview Capello made to an italian newspaper undermining the F.A.'s decision, but I'm not entirely sure, but what I do know is that the whole thing is a bit of a mess. One day we will go in to a major championships without any hoo-ha or scandal and be totally focussed and win a bloody trophy!!

Replacing Fabio

The next task is to get someone in, pronto. There is one obvious candidate. A man who literally hours before Capello's resignation was giving a press conference outside Southwark Crown court after clearing his name for tax evasion. A story in which there were more dodgy dealings than a Guy Richie movie and involving two of the seediest characters in English football. A man who, when phoned up will either be at the dogs or eating ham, egg and chips. Harry Redknapp. To be fair to him, he is the most successful English manager around at the moment. He has taken Tottenham from their worst start to a season ever, to Champions league and playing the best football in the premier league at times. He oozes Englishness with his cockney ramblings and "Dirty 'Arry" nickname. He is one of the only managers in the league who seems to give the press the information that they need. When asked about potential transfer dealings and targets, you can always tell he is giving as much information as he knows or can be allowed to divulge. If you have a good relationship with the journos it's half the battle won already!

After going down the foreign route a couple of times, I think everyone would like to see an Englishman at the helm. Someone who can actually do a job, unlike Steve McClaren who was given it too early and  was totally over whelmed. The big problem is the fact that Harry was lined up to take the job at the end of the summer. Tottenham would have finished the season, the Euros would have been done and dusted and a fresh start could have been made for the world cup in two years time. Unfortunately this has all happened prematurely. Will Redknapp leave Tottenham right near the end of a season where they may finish above their great rivals Arsenal? I don't think he has the heart to do that to his most successful team he has managed in his long career.

Stuart Pearce has been announced as the care taker manager for the game against the Netherlands on 26th February. I think, if Redknapp is to take the job, he should be part of the behind the scenes team for that game and do it on a part time basis until the end of the season where he should take charge permanently. I cannot see a man so patriotic and striving to be the top dog in football turning down the biggest honour an English manager can be offered! Unfortunately this may happen.


Other Options


As I have said previously, I think the F.A. will try and go English or, at least, British. Other decent candidates are few and far between though. My next option would be Martin O'Neill. A man who actually applied for the job back in 2006. The way the Irishman has transformed an extremely average Sunderland side into a consistent and well oiled machine in such a short space of time shows his tactical awareness and ability to motivate players, which I think is more suited to international management, as a lot of the top clubs just buy the talent in and send them out to play, which you obviously can't do  with national sides. The problem in geting O'Neill would be that he has only been in his current role for a very short period of time and there is little or no chance of him leaving.

Alan Pardew is another name being banded about, but I dont feel he has proved himself at Newcastle quite yet after some dreadful spells at Southampton and West Ham. The rank outsider could be Blackpool manager Ian Holloway, who was superb in the Premier league last season and is in the same bracket as Redknapp with his patriotic and pure views on the game. After those names I really do draw a blank. Why is it we can't produce top English managers any more? There certainly aren't many in the Premiership!

Overseas candidates must include Arsene Wenger, who is surely nearing the end of the road at Arsenal, and Jose Mourinho, the Portugese genius who is rumoured to be leaving Real Madrid at the end of the season.

One thing is for sure, whoever takes the job is going to have to fight hard to get the English team back up with the best, and has the expectation of a nation, desperate for silverware. I certainly wouldn't want the task...would you?

This video is why Harry is perfect for the job!!

Who is your first choice? feel free to comment below and share this blog with your friends/enemies!

Euro Trash

Team GB?


Obviously this is a little bit early, but its a massive summer of sport this year! All the talk is about the Olympics and the pointless notion of the GB football team. I feel for the athletes a little bit, as they work tirelessly for years building up to an olympic games. It's their world cup finals and a special event for them. The last thing they want is a last minute decision to be made to whack a "British" football team in there made up of players who are past their best, or from countries that aren't good enough to qualify for the major competitions and are going to treat it like a bit of a kick about. It's like a pub team turning up at the European championships. You can hear it now: "This years final is contested between Spain and...The Dog And Duck!" Don't get me wrong, the idea of a British team is fairly mouthwatering. The dream of Bale and Ramsey being English has been talked about in pubs up and down the land. If, back in the day, we had the Manchester United midfield of Giggs, Scholes, Keane, and Beckham, the France World Cup in 1998 may have ended up in our trophy cabinet. The problem is, we are going to have toddlers and old, fat A list celebrities in the side. It's going to be like a charity game, and the kit; don't even get me started on the kit!

Rooney's Replacement


Apart from the London (fun and) games this year, which half the country couldn't give a rats arse about, there is the small matter of the European Championships. Our talisman and arguably our best player, Wayne Rooney, is out for the first couple of group games which means someone has to step up. I look at our list of strikers and it doesn't fill me with much confidence. Jermain Defoe; one of the best finishers about, but can't get into the Tottenham first team to save his life. Andy "womanising brute with feet shaped like Toblerones" Carroll who looks less like £35million every second he plays. If someone bought him for £3.5million they would feel ripped off in the form he's in at the moment. Darren Bent is looking fairly tidy this season but I feel his goal scoring ratio could be better. He has never quite looked 100% comfortable in an England shirt. There is also Peter Crouch, who has always looked like he couldn't play football at all and would be more at home as one of the giant papier mache characters in the rio carnival. Whenever he has played for England he has always delivered, but will Capello take a punt on him? My bet is either Welbeck or Sturridge, who looks the complete player if he can sort his head out. I could see him playing with Rooney just off him when his suspension is over. The thing is that Rooney and Welbeck have the understanding of having played together all season, which could be the key when the scouser is back in the fold. Also, keeping Hernandez out of the side takes some doing and he's proved he can score goals!

Taking "The Ox"


Without the surge of goals we need it could be a real struggle, but I am ready to be proved wrong. The italian post man pat look-alike came out in the press this week and said he may take Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain as his "wild card". I think it would be a super addition to the squad. He looks twice the player that Walcott was at 17 when he was hauled across the world to basically watch a world cup by Sven. He has also made Champions League appearances and played against the likes of Manchester United and held his own. He seems to have no fear, and could be the difference if he comes on in the tight games you anticipate at a major championships. Another name that is a must for me is Micah Richards. For me, he is the perfect footballer; Big, commited, quick, great touch, good passing range and has been known to finish like a striker at times. The fact that he is one of the only survivors of the old Manchester City team and has managed to hold his own when the gazillions brought in from the far east has meant he could be replaced at any time by any right back in the world. He has been "Mr Consistency" all year and hopefully he won't burn out and can carry it on to the Euro's. With Cahill and Terry playing together at some point in Chelsea shirts it could give us the extra stability at the back that we need.

I do rate our chances this year, and I know there is a long way to go until the summer, injuries and suspensions can all appear in the run in at the end of the season, but if we can keep everyone fit and healthy you never know!


The Dave Capello "Without Rooney"starting XI:

                                                       Hart

                Richards             Terry              Cahill              Cole

               Walcott               Parker      Lampard               Young

                                 

                                                 Defoe

                                        Sturridge/Welbeck

Some controversy I know, but that my opinion. What would your team be? Feel free to comment below!

Quiet Monday after the Super Sunday

So, it turns out that I am no Mystic Meg when it comes to predicting football results but who could have foreseen the events that unfolded at the Etihad yesterday afternoon? A spurs side who are full of confidence up against a team without their captain, who has been the rock of their defence this season. It had all the makings of a classic, and in some respects it was.

I was in the pub, slightly hung over and eating a roast with friends which meant my full attention wasn't on the first forty five minutes but even so, I could tell that it wasn't setting up to be the rocket fuelled battle that I was expecting. How wrong I was!

The second half kicked off with our stomachs full of beef and the chit chat out of the way, eyes glued to the big screen. The players seemed to have gained that little bit of extra umph to kick the game into over drive. We commented on David Silva having a quiet match, and as soon as the words exited our mouths he slotted an inch perfect pass to Nasri who fired home with style. My spurs supporting friends didn't seem too worried and I definitely felt they could get back in to it, but with what seemed like seconds it was 2-0. A scruffy goal by Lescott. Now, I have never been to the Etihad, but I know some Man City fans and they can be proper mental, and I can imagine the atmosphere at this point was like 40,000 of the soldiers from 300 shouting and screaming encouragement at their team (but obviously without the tiny pants) which could have put spurs necks firmly in the sand. Wrong again!  Within a minute a big hoof upfield is flicked into Jermain Defoe's path by the truly awful Savic. The small striker showed his class by rounding Harte and finishing calmly in the empty net. I couldn't hear the commentary too well but I can imagine it was the point when Martin Tyler shouts "Game On!" A phrase over used on tv but does charge up the listener for what is set to come.

Five minutes later and up stepped Gareth Bale, valued at £150million before the game, whose monkey like ears gleamed in the sun light as he curled a shot past the finger tips of the City keeper. By this point I thought they could have pushed on and maybe snuck a winner, just for my predictions sake, but Harry Redknapp took off Van Der Vaart and brought on Jake Livermore to try and hang on to the point.

Next came the controversy. Mario "Why always me, I don't know what all the fuss is about, what do you mean I'm in the papers AGAIN?" Balotelli had come on the pitch and seemed to get in a tangle with the perfect 1950s footballer Scott Parker. The replay showed not only had he kicked him in the head, but then stamped on it which, in my book, should have been a red card but as it happened so quickly, Howard Webb didn't spot it. This turned out to be a catastrophic point in the match for Spurs. With 10 seconds of injury time left to play, Ledley King decides to play "paper, scissors, stone" with Balotelli with his legs as the scissors and the italian as the paper. When playing this game I tend to advise people not to do it in a penalty area at the very end of one of the biggest games of the season in the Premiership. Webb gave the penalty. Who was involved in the incident and then stepped up to slot home for the win? Of course it was Super Mario. How does he steal the headlines week after week?

There were tears, tantrums and looks of disbelief around the pub. We were half time in our super Sunday and another big game was about to start. Ten years ago this match would have been massive. Yesterday it seemed to lack that excitement and interest that it has lost since Wenger's men started not being able to get their hands on a trophy and United seem to have become a bit hit and miss in recent times and are dangerously close to being knocked from their mantle at the top of the league by their closest of rivals.

With Vermaelen back for Arsenal, the back four looked like a solid unit for a change and with the inclusion of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for his first start of the season it was starting to look like a more exciting day for the Arsenal fans. It was a real battling performance from both sides throughout, but after seeing so much drama in the first game, little could come close. the atmosphere wasn't quite as electric and the biggest cheer was when someone sitting behind us called Nani a "vagina". Very odd terminology to describe a professional athlete!

As expected, the manchester side dominated the first half and just before the break got the goal they had been striving for, set up by the 89 year old Ryan Giggs, who has one of the highest pass completion ratios in the league. He sprayed a fabulous cross which was despatched tidily by the head of Valencia. The Emirates crowd did not like that. Boos rang around the stadium as their team trudged back to the dressing room. All this grand new stadium has seen in it's short years has been disappointment it seems, apart from the obvious Thierry Henry moment against Leeds.

Just over half way into the second half the game opened up and Oxlade-Chamberlain, who was fantastic all afternoon and put Theo Walcott to shame on the other wing, slotted a ball to Van Persie who finished beautifully off the post. I was amazed that the Gunners were back in it, after thinking there was a danger of a repeat performance of the Old Trafford mauling before the match.

This encounter too, had a turning point. Three minutes after the goal and Arsene Wenger did something that a whole stadium, everyone frequenting a bar and pub,  people at home  and even Arsenal players disagreed with. He took off "the Ox", an 18 year old flair player who can create chances at the drop of a hat and seems to have no fear, and brought on the wet blanket that people call Andre Arshavin. I do feel sorry for the guy. He came to Arsenal with the reputation as one of the worlds best, and has somehow ended up as a shadow of his former self and unfortunately an easy scapegoat for already frustrated fans. In the 81st minute the little Russian tracked back as best he could and defended, how can only be described as a blind man running with fake legs on ice. Valencia almost walked passed him as he flew across his path and disappeared off to somewhere near Camden. After a one-two with Park he gave the ball back to Welbeck who scored another nice goal to add to his growing collection. Even with ten minutes still to go, I could already hear the commentator in my head screaming "Game Over!" and so it was.

It was an emotional Sunday afternoon filled with lovely food, great company, drama, excitement and goals. Almost all the best things about watching the Premier League.

The title is now in City's hands, and with Dirty Harry's court case and imminent imprisonment an unwelcome distraction, it looks to be down to which end of Manchester the trophy ends up this year. But, all can change in a second. That's the beauty of football!

MADCHESTER!

I know that there are some great fixtures today, notably Everton Vs Blackburn, Sunderland Vs Swansea, and Chelsea are in action against Norwich, but surely all the focus and excitement this weekend is going to be on the North London/Manchester title shattering games tomorrow.

It's going to be a classic 'Super Sunday', even if they both end up 0-0, which is unlikely to happen with Arsenal's "leakier than a bum after a night out on the curry and beer" defence, and Man City's unstoppable strike force. To be honest, the fact the forwards cost about £8gazillion you would expect them to bang in a few goals. My girlfriend claims that her Lois Vuitton bag is tougher, more beautiful and well made than her normal hand bags. The fact it cost a fortune, I totally agree with her, but I don't understand paying that much for something you just have on your arm when you go out and  keep your keys and tampons in! I feel the same about expensive strikers.

I don't necessarily agree with Arsene Wenger's philosophy of plucking a guy from the Ethiopian league, who has just come out of primary school and has no eyes but "potential" and cost three lima beans, but paying £20million as apposed to £60million makes more sense. Although, there are players such as Messi and Ronaldo that are probably worth the heavy fee as they can run a whole side consistently, every week.

Spurs have managed to forge a team that is playing the best football in the league at the moment and Harry redknapp hasn't spent a ridiculous amount of money. He's been sensible and, yes he's dodgier than the Mitchell brothers put together, but he's managed to get some real bargains in his side. To pick up a player of Adebayor's quality on a season long loan is a fantastic coup. To get last season's writer's player of the year for £5.5million in this day and age is quite something and to have Modric, Van der Vaart and Bale in your side (all be it two of them bought by Ramos) and not even paying £30million for the lot is pretty good business in anyone's book. The only real weakness I can see in the side is Assou-Ekotto. After his wonder goal the other week you can see he can succeed going forward, but defensively I think he can be left wanting far too many times. Aside from that, Harry is "Mr.Motivator" (obviously not the crazy lycra clad fitness freak of the mid 90s) and I think the way spurs are going, they can sneak a win and totally blow the title race wide open.

Manchester United are going through a bit of a weird spell at the moment. We aren't talking Harry Potter style weird, but something isn't quite right. It's a big period of transition for Sir Alex's side, with the Giggs' and Scholes' of this world finally dying out after what seems an age in the starting line up and youngsters like Smalling, Cleverly, Welbeck and Jones coming into the side. Don't get me wrong, these are all future star international players, but I just think that they lack the cool heads that a player gains from a few years battling it out for titles in big games. The thing with Ferguson is that he has been through these types of seasons before and always seems to come out the other side smelling of roses, and don't get me wrong, United are not far off the top of the league and you can never rule them out.

With Arsenal still blighted by injury and United fresh from beating Man City I can't see anything other than the win being taken by the northern side. The way the gunners played against Swansea was the worst I have seen them since Bruce Rioch was in charge back in '95. Swansea were fantastic though, and are most definitely recreating the respect that was forged for Blackpool last season. Let's hope for them that it doesn't end in the same way!

Dave's predictions: Arsenal      1 - 3       Man. Utd.
                               Man. City  1 - 2       Spurs

January Sale!

January is upon us! That's right; fat bellies, empty bank balances, cold weather, and THE TRANSFER WINDOW! 


This time of year is one of the juiciest in any football fan's calendar. I spend my time trawling the backs of newspapers, blogs, websites and of course Sky Sports News! Harry Redknapp is surely going to be sitting in a Range Rover next to his, somewhat, mute assistant manager giving the cockney spiel to some freezing reporter who has been waiting for hours for some meaty gossip! The glamorous news readers will be pouting their way through the next month ready to give the story that will shock, astound and delight people around the country!

The biggest coup so far has to be Gary Cahill's move from Bolton to Chelsea for an understated £7million. A player who could barely hold down a starting birth at Aston Villa, but has come into his own at Bolton single handedly dragging them out of the dirt it seems and after getting his first few England caps will be a super defensive partner for John Terry that the blues have been craving since the departure of Ricardo Carvalho in 2010. The way Arsenal tore them apart earlier in the season was so uncharacteristic and was a far cry from the unpenetrable team of Mourinho's reign at the Bridge.

Staying with Arsenal, I can't even begin to decide who, what and where needs strengthening this January. They have been decimated by injury but it seems that the squad as a whole just cannot cope with even a slight crisis. I bet Arsene Wenger would happily take Messi on a free, or Neymar for £2million, but will probably end up buying a 2 year old Belgian attacking midfielder, who is "the next big thing"!

I do love the whole excitement of it all. I get the same feeling that I felt at Christmas in the late 80s and early 90s. One of wonder, excitement and even magic. The last minute dealings of last year with Torres and Carroll moving on was fantastic. Totally worth being sat on the couch all day with supplies like I was locked in some sort of panic room.

I can't see Manchester City doing that much business to be honest. The team is flying and even the loss of the Toure's to the African Nations cup, will just be absorbed by their outstanding squad. Maybe they could grab that big name in central defence that can partner Kompany, who is looking like a Premier League great already, years before the big guy reaches his prime.

Tottenham will spend their time trying to hang on to Bale, Modric and Defoe like rabid dogs on leads chasing a cat with Harry flying along behind, leads in hand. My bet would be Defoe moving to somewhere, maybe Liverpool. The reds looked like world beaters on paper at the beginning of the season but as the old cliche goes; "the game isn't played on paper". The Suarez situation was not dealt with very well and has been an untimely distraction for the team, with a £35million Andy Carroll looking like a sunday league thug that couldn't hit a banjo with a cow...or something like that.

With Manchester United waiting quietly in the wings to snap up the next Phil Jones, they are always dangerous at this time of year. Somehow they pull out the millions of pounds even though the club are in massive debt. Not being proficiant in accountancy I'm not quite sure how that works, but Ferguson seems to get away with it time and time again. The lower teams in the division will be scrounging for that bargain and I think january 31st will be one to watch this year!

Here's to crisps, big bottles of Coke, pouty presenters, helicopters, drama and of course Jim white. The silver haired, scottish, transfer deadline day GOD!! Bring it on!