Liverpool can win 2016/17 but its not going to be easy

Liverpool can win the title but they have to keep their focus and momentum. They have arguably the finest striking force in the English game as is evident by their lead in the goals ‘for’ category but have an Achilles heel in defense that continues to be problematic. Jurgen Klopp may address this in the January transfer window.

In addition the Reds will be without the very influential Sadio Mane for several weeks and will need some time to reintegrate Philippe Countinho back into the side following his injury.

Their greatest strength this season though is that they have proved to be tremendously capable in distributing the scoring load which makes them less vulnerable ultimately to a single injury . Lallana, Henderson, Milner and Firmino have all been wonderful.However problems could arise if injuries and suspensions pile up.

Fortunately for Liverpool have only Domestic fixtures to concern themselves with and while this is true of Chelsea as well it make work in Liverpool’s favour who after the Old Trafford match up this coming Sunday (Jan 15) will have a schedule that is even more biased towards home games for the Reds.

We will have to wait and see. Still predicting good times ahead for the Reds. YNWA.

Soccer Upsets....love them or hate them...here are a few

15 Greatest Cinderella feats at the World Cup or European Championship

1. Denmark obtaining a late invite into the 1992 European Championship (Yugoslavia was banned from playing) and then going on to win the competition.
2. Greece fighting their way to the final and then defeating hosts Portugal in the 2004 European Championship.
3. Czechoslovakia defeating World Cup Winners and defending champion West Germany to win the 1976 European Championship.
4.  North Korea defeating Italy 1-0 in the World Cup group stage in 1966
5. The US defeating England 1-0 in the World Cup Group stage in 1950
6. Uruguay defeating hosts Brazil in front of a crowd of almost 200,000 to win the 1950 World Cup
7. Northern Ireland defeating hosts Spain in the 1982 World Cup Group stage
8. Algeria defeating West Germany in the 1982 World Cup Group Stage
9. Cameroon defeating defending World Cup Champions Argentina in the Group stages in 1990 and then going on to reach the quarterfinal
10. Senegal defeating defending World Cup Champions France in the Group stages in 2002 and then going on to reach the quarterfinal
11. South Korea defeating Portugal, Italy and Spain on route to reaching the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup
12. Costa Rica defeating Uruguay and Italy to reach the quarterfinals of the 2014 World Cup
13. Bulgaria beating Argentina and Germany to reach the semi-finals of the 1994 World Cup
14. Iceland 2 England 1 European Championship 2016
15. Wales 3 Most expensive team in existence Belgium 1

Liverpool - not feeling warm and fuzzy

Despite the fact that Liverpool seem to have improved their attack with the acquisitions of Christian Benteke and Danny Ings I am still not feeling the confidence that I believe that I should be with this apparent improvement in squad depth. Two goals in four games (one of which was controversial) do not appear to highlight an attacking format that will be the envy of the League. Part of this is that the stakes have been raised. Man City have retooled and while Chelsea, Man United and Arsenal are still struggling to fire on all cylinders one can sense that it is only a matter of time before these giants hit their stride.Couple this with the impressive performance of Swansea/West Ham/Leicester and it is obvious that Liverpool will have to scrap for each point if they are intent on consolidating a top four finish. However it is still early days. The Premiership may yet throw up a few curve balls that will possibly bounce in the Reds favour. We live with hope.

The Forgotten guys

The following is a list of ten unheralded players in the EPL. All of these individuals contributed immensely to their respective squads but their performances (usually low key but effective) never earned them the same accolades as some of their more illustrious peers.

1. Martin Keown – Easily one of the best man-markers of his generation. Keown regularly shackled physical opponents such as Didier Drogba and Mark Viduka. His position sense was textbook in its application and he was the mainstay of a stingy Gunner’s defence for over a decade.

2. Dietmar Hamman – He did his job and he did it very well. The Liverpool teams that had Didi in their spine were resolute in performance as his calming influence and control of play in his half of the field could steady any torrent. His actions in Istanbul on that night in 2005 is the stuff upon which legends are built.

3. Ole Gunnar Solsjaer – Solsjaer (please don’t bring up that mind numbing Sunshine song) was in all likelihood the best super-sub in the history of the EPL. His scored 91 times in an eleven year stint with United where he was largely positioned behind the pecking order of Cole, Yorke and Van Nistlerooy. However many of the goals that he scored were key game breakers delivered with clutch precision. The extra-time strike in the 1999 Champion’s League Final being the most memorable (or most forgetful if you are a Bayern Munich fan).

4. David Batty – They will not make David Batty highlight videos but when it comes to work rate, endurance over ninety minutes and a tireless effort over the full game David Batty was right up there with the best. He was an important player for EPL minnows Blackburn (even if they were minnows with money) as they stormed to the apex of the table to essentially become the last provincial team to win English footer’s most coveted piece of silverware.

5. Claude Makelele – Not only was CM the linchpin of a great Real Madrid squad (renowned for its turn-of-the-millennium Euro success) he continued, without missing a beat, playing the same role at Chelsea. Together with Michael Essien the two established a partnership that would ensure midfield domination by the Blues against almost any opposition, thus allowing the likes of Frank Lampard to continue marketing himself as midfielder while establishing a goal scoring profile more akin to a striker. Makelele was the master of the tackle and distribution double act and performed his craft with a standard per excellence.

6. Danny Murphy – The Murph was your antidote to flashy play but when it came to dropping a free kick ball into the box for forwards to lunge in on he had an intrinsic knack matched by few. Couple that with three consecutive Old Trafford fixtures games where his goals were the deciding factor in Liverpool victories and Murph certainly earns his place on this list.

7. Gary Pallister – He was the first defender to switch teams as a result of a really big transfer (at least for the time) but Pallister paid his bosses back with his vital performance in the back four. His partnership with Steve Bruce was crucial to United’s inaugral EPL triumph in 1993 and the double winning feat that followed the year after. The Devil's genesis as a team emerging from the wilderness of League success owes much to players like Pallister. Nevertheless he appears to have dropped back, behind the likes of Nemanja Vidic, Jaap Staam and Rio Ferdinand when discussing United’s central defence legends and he is rarely mentioned in the same breath as those later stars by the club faithful. THis is somewhat of a shame.

8. Ray Parlour – In an Arsenal midfield and strike force loaded with a plethora of talented continental players (Anelka, Bergkamp, Petit, Viera, Overmars ), Ray Parlour was the standout Englishman, He chimed in regularity from the wide position and gave the Gunners balance in an attack that was by all measures extremely lethal.

9. Markus Babbel – At the height of his play Babbel was the best RB in the Premier League (yes..he was better than Gary Neville). He could tackle move forward, pass and cut through from the periphery. A great asset to both Liverpool (especially in the 2001 Treble winning season) and Germany Babbel’s career was prematurely ended as a result of a debilitating immune system illness. Had he not been so inflicted I believe that his presence on the pitch would have helped Liverpool avoid the drop off in performance that defined the end of the Houllier era.

10. Shay Given – Playing in goal behind the porous defence that is the Newcastle back four is no easy task. Not only does it invoke images of running across a shooting range when the Marines are engaged in target practice it has to be from a keeper’s perspective an exercise in frustration. Yet Irish national keeper Given played this role for twelve years (354 games) rescuing the Magpies with quiet dignity from many a perilous outcome.

The EPL Top Twenty

The birth of the premiership is largely an artificial demarcation point in the history of English Soccer having said that my Top TWENTY since 92/93 - taking into account the metrics of individual performance, contribution to their respective clubs and all around impact on the game as an evolving dynamic are:1. Ronaldo 2. Shearer 3. Henry 4. Schmeichel 5. Keane 6. Gerrard 7. Cantona 8. Scholes 9. Bergkamp 10. Giggs 11. Beckham 12. Aguero 13. Lampard 14. Owen 15. Viera 16. Zola 17. Drogba 18. Suarez 19. Makalele 20. Yaya Toure.

There are lots of United players in the Top Twenty but this is understandable as they have been the overriding force since 93. Suarez should be higher (had he stayed longer) and Torres could arguably oust Toure had he not 'tanked' at Chelsea. Gareth Bale has the potential to be a top twenty player as well but his length of time in the league knocks him out of the top twenty for now.. Ronaldo took the game to a new level and helped United win three titles in a row. He was far and above the top player during his era of involvement.

Other top players knocking on the Top Twenty List include Petr Cech, Robbie Fowler, Ruud Van Nistlerooy, Michael Essien (when healthy), Steve McManaman, Rio Ferdinand, Jaap Stam, Tony Adams, Emmanuel Petit, Jamie Carragher, Sol Campbell and my personal favourite outsider Matt Le Tissier.

English Football - An overview from the Stratosphere

Year in and year out it is more clear then ever that English Football has fractured into three tiers that notwithstanding the injection of nouveau cash are for all intent of purpose permanent features. The divisions are:

a. The Money Elites – Represented by Chelsea, Manchester City and the queen bee of them all Manchester United, the money elites dominate the game as they simply have far greater financial recourse than their opponents. While Chelsea and City are essentially the product of foreign capital United thrive on a brand that has become the textbook case of how-to-sell your image. Regardless of the methodology the end result is money in the coffer. Lots of it and what better tool than money to eventually buy enough quality players to offset mistakes in the transfer elites. The Money Elites are footer’s powerbrokers. They own the game in a sense, and in a league with no salary or spending caps, will continue to dictate the future results and league silverware having already secured every EPL title since 2005.
b. The Old Guard – Arsenal. Liverpool and Spurs fall into this category. Each team has a formidable football pedigree (although perhaps less so with Spurs) and march into every season with much fan expectation. Occasionally they will push the Money Elites to the brink as Liverpool did in 2014 or Arsenal regularly do but the Old Guards are limited. They are forced to sell in order to buy and despite some clever cost cutting business strategies, particularly by the Gunners, are ultimately governed by more constrained moneybags, that at the end translate into a glass ceiling with respect to league titles. The Domestic cup realm has brought success but the Cups (FA and League) have declined in stature over the last fifteen years and with the obsession of European football, a phenomenon that will unlikely not abate, this is largely an afterthought. Nevertheless these teams still carry the history of old, a reminder of a time when Footer was less vulgar and more focused on activities on the field, than those of the boardroom. A lost era for now and a source of joy for those who enjoy waxing with nostalgia.
c. The Feeder Teams – This designation includes the rest of the Premier League and now fits historically storied clubs like Aston Villa, Everton, Newcastle and West Ham just as well as it does the yo-yo teams of Leicester, West Brom (who seemed to have settled down) and QPR (who will sit out the next season in the Championship but will probably return in 2016 so I will still count them as an EPL hangover). While many of these clubs have developed exciting brands of Football (Swansea and Crystal Palace for example) their principal function is to furnish the bigger boys with quality players, while systematically navigating the expected loss in performance that comes from bleeding your team dry. Southampton seems to have mastered this skill and boasts what is arguably the best academy development system in the English game but unfortunately for their supporters and lovers of a more diverse league these clubs will almost certainly not break the top four let alone win the title. This may change with the arrival of a billionaire saviour who has the wherewithal to transform the club into another Manchester City. However real fans are unlikely to hold their breath in anticipation.

Passing Phases in Footer..

Some Football teams (Soccer to you Yanks) have been prominent on an International level for brief periods of time (the Golden Age), only to disappear into the aether soon afterwards. Here are a few nations and the period in which they elevated themselves above the usual norm.

1. Hungary (1950s and 1960s)
2. Belgium (1980s)
3. Scotland (late 60’s early 70’s)
4. Ireland (late 80’s early 90’s)
5. Poland (early 70’s to mid 80’s)
6. Turkey (early 2000’s)
7. Greece (mid 2000’s)
8. Soviet Union (60’s)
9. Czech Republic (mid 2000’s)
10. Norway (90’s)
11. Denmark (late 80’s early 90’s)
12. Bulgaria (mid 90s)
13. Romania (90s)
14. Morocco (late 80s and early 90s)
15. Croatia (late 90s)
16. Northern Ireland (early 80s)

World Cup Predictions III

I hit 7 out of 8 on the Round of 16 Projections (I erred on the Costa Rica Result) but I am predicting that both Argentina and the Netherlands will win today. It looks as though Neymar will be out for the rest of the tournament but I can still see Brazil reaching the Final. Brazil v Argentina next Sunday...if that is the case I will be cheering for the latter. It would be incredible to see Messi lift a World Cup Trophy to re-confirm his status as the Greatest Player in the History of the Game.

World Cup Predictions II

Round of 16 looms huge on the World Cup stage. In the pool that I am entered in I predicted that a Suarez-less Uruguay would come up short against Colombia as the brilliance of James Rodriguez continues to astound and so it was to be.The Golden Boot battle will continue to electrify the footer world with Messi, Robben, van Persie and Neymar solidly placed in the mix as well. Brazil were disappointing and I really expected them to defeat the Chileans in regular time. In fact it was Chile that was unlucky not to win after the power shot from Mauricio Pinilla rattled the cross bar. Brazil will really have to up it if they hope to beat Colombia in the quarters. Neymar had a mediocre game and Hulk was clearly their best offensive threat. For the rest of the round I believe that the Dutch will beat Mexico, Greece should see off Costa Rica, Argentina will beat Switzerland, Belgium will end the run of the US, Germany will send Algeria packing and the French will bid adieu to Nigeria.

Sell Suarez...A Plea from a Liverpool fan

As much as I admire Luis Suarez's goalscoring skills (he surely is one of the top five players in the world today) his biting behaviour in the otherwise dull Uruguay v Italy game must be wholeheartedly condemnded. This is the third time in his career that Suarez has been guilty of such stupidity and I hope that Liverpool (the club I support) will see fit to sell him to either Real Madrid or Barcelona. The Reds could do with the cash, especially if it is sweetened by a pot that may include Karim Benzema or Alexis Sanchez. Liverpool will also benefit by ridding themselves of the headache that characterizes the actions of this manboy and the added money could be well spent by investing in a plethora of young stars viz. Lallana, Shaw et al.

World Cup Update June 23

As predicted Brazil and Mexico are through in that respective order. The Dutch did well although they left it late to beat Chile and Spain salvaged pride by mauling the Aussies who return home with a record that does not do justice to their otherwise admirable performance (they led the Dutch 2-1 at one point in their clash). Portugal kept Iberian hopes alive yesterday but look like a shadow of the 2006 team that made it to the final four eight years ago. Ronaldo is not fully fit and it shows. The US could do some damage and may put a wrench in my predictions on this front (I had Germany and Ghana going through from the so-called Group of Death). Neymar now has four goals to his credit and if Brazil go far he could be the most likely Golden Boot winner. I am not a huge fan of this Brazilian team. It pales in comparison to the team of 2002, let alone 82 or 70 and seems like a facsimile of the 94 squad that groaned their way to victory. Nevertheless it is results that count and this Brazilian squad seems likely to trudge on to success carried on by the inertia of home field advantage,

Suarez to Barcelona for 50+ million pounds + Alexis Sanchez

As a Liverpool fan I would take this in a second. Sanchez is worth about 30 million pounds and comes with less baggage than Suarez. Liverpool can buy three players with that cash. A forward line of Sanchez, Sturridge, Lambert and Borini should be more than a threat next year. I can't see this being a great move for Suarez...he will have to play third fiddle to Messrs. Messi and Neymar in Catalonia. Not only that but Barcelona are a team in transition..it looks as though they have lost Xavi and Iniesta is on the downside...without an adequate supply line it doesn't matter who you have up front.

World Cup Predictions I

This tournament is all over the place. I thought England performed as expected in Group C and were unlucky not to take at least one point from their opening two games. I am still picking them to beat Costa Rica with Uruguay and Italy playing to a draw. Final standings - First Place Costa Rica...Second Place Italy. Brazil and Mexico should emerge from Group A with the hosts topping the group (sorry Croatia fans..I know the win against Cameroon got you all excited). The Dutch will top group B at the expense of Chile while the Spaniards will salvage some pride when they beat Australia. Colombia and Ivory Coast will move through from Group C, with the tournanent's most boring team (Greece) relegated to the nether regions Group E has France written all over it but Ecuador will pip Switzerland to the second spot. In Group F Argentina will emerge with Nigeria following close behind. The Iranians will seize third spot with a win over Bosnia (who can pride themselves on a decent rookie campaign) Group G will favour Germany who will beat the US to capture top spot. Second spot will be a toss up. I am picking Ghana to take it after they arise from the dead to defeat a limp Portugal. Group H..the group of sleep...Belgium to win with Russia in second place.

Footer Update

Liverpool's season has been on the up and up since I last wrote with victories against Manchester City (3-0) and Birmingham (5-0) as well as a gritty draw (1-1) with Arsenal at the Emirates. I stand by my earlier suggestion that the season is a stinker but if the stars align it may be possible for the Reds to pip Spurs for fifth and earn a place in the Europa Cup.

The real excitement is in Spain. I am hoping that Barca will win the Spanish League (which they should) but they may come up short against Mourinho's squad in the Champion's League who seem to have found their stride. In the other clash Manchester United should come through against Schalke but I doubt that the Devils have enough in the tank to take care of either of the Spanish giants.

What a stinker of a season

The English football season has been disappointing and I never thought that I would say this but a part of me wishes that it were over. Yes over......Man U,the kings of the comeback (but really the force of three seasons ago), are winning the title by default as both Chelsea and Arsenal spiral into mediocrity. Man City are doing enough to stay in the top four but are hardly setting the world on fire (as their expense book would indicate) while Spurs have clearly set their sights on taking the Champions League at Wembley and seem content with a Europa League place next year.

However the performance of all of the above dwarfs my team, Liverpool, who except for the handful of performances (against Chelsea and Man U at Anfield), have been downright awful. Pathetic is a better word perhaps.

The Reds are in six spot courtesy of the insipidness of the rest of the league rather than their own stealth. The loss count has ballooned to 12 games (the same as bottom placed Wigan) and the likes of West Ham, West Brom, Blackpool (twice), Blackburn and Wolves can all gloat, having at one time or another, taken the three points from Liverpool.

If this were not bad enough Liverpool can add to their failures an inglorious exit from the Europa League at the hands of minnows Sporting Braga, whose 'world class defense' (once guilty of being at the receiving end of a 6-0 Arsenal thrashing) completely shut out the not-so-big red machine 'attack' over two legs. Couple this with first effort losses against Northampton and Man U in the Cups and the case for shutting the door on this season is made ever more clearer.

Fortunately there is always next year (the beauty of sports) but until then I will bury my head, watch reruns of the glory years and hope against all evidence that the Reds can recover from the malaise that has been the story of 2010-2011. Good luck guys.

World Cup Review

The 2010 World Cup Ended Two weeks ago. Here is my overall assessment.

1. It was a better World Cup than 1990 and 2002 but not as great as 1982, 1986, 1994, 1998 or 2006.

2. 10 Best player in the tournament:
a. Inietsa - Spain
b. Snjeider- Netherlands
c. Forlan - Uruguay
d. Villa - Spain
e. Muller - Germany
f. Xavi - Spain
g. Puyol - Spain
h. Pique - Spain
i. Donovan - US
j. Kuyt - Netherlands

3. Five teams that impressed:
a. Spain
b. The Dutch (except in the final)
c. Germany
d. The US
e. Japan

4. The Choker Award goes to Argentina

5. Biggest wastes of space: France, Italy, Cameroon.

6. Surprise packages: Uruguay, New Zealand and South Africa.

7. Really Bland Teams: England, France, Italy, Switzerland, Paraguay and North Korea

8. To watch out for in the Future: Germany and Brazil.

9. Critical Items missing from the World Cup (but don't hold your breadth for 2014)
a. Goal Line Technology
b. Professional Referees

10. Weakness of 2010 World Cup - Really poor set plays

The World Cup Round Down

England are stinking out the joint but will probably come right against Slovenia.
The Argentinians are the class act and the Spaniards, Brazilians and Italians need to step up to the plate. It hasn't been a great tournament so far but I expect more in the knockout round.

Stand by for a team by team synposis later on in the tournament.

In the mean time here are some of my takes on the history of the World Cup

8 Greatest Winning Teams (in order) since 1950

1. Brazil 1970
2. Italy 1982
3. Argentina 1986
4. W. Germany 1974
5. Brazil 2002
6. England 1966
7. France 1998
8. Brazil 1958

8 Greatest teams never to have won the World Cup

1. Netherlands 1974 (in my opinion the second greatest World cup team ever)
2. Hungary 1954
3. Brazil 1982
4. England 1970
5. Brazil 1998
6. Brazil 1950
7.Italy 1970
8. Netherlands 1998

3 Weakest teams ever to win the World Cup

1. West Germany 1954
2. Argentina 1978
3. Brazil 1994


5 Weakest teams ever to reach the World Cup Final (Weakest first)

1. Argentina 1990
2. Germany 2002
3. West Germany 1986
4. Netherlands 1978
5. Italy 1994

5 Most Exciting World Cup Competitions

1. Mexico 1970
2. England 1966
3. Switzerland 1954
4. Spain 1982
5. France 1998

5 Most boring World Cups

1. Italy 1990 (by a mile)
2. Chile 1962
3. Brazil 1950
4. Japan/South Korea 2002
5. South Africa 2010 (possibly)

Ten Greatest Matches

1. Italy 4 West Germany 3 - 1970
2. Italy 3 Brazil 2 - 1982
3. Portugal 5 North Korea 3 - 1966
4. England 4 West Germany 2 - 1966
5. Netherlands 2 Argentina 1 - 1998
6. West Germany 3 England 2 - 1970
7. Italy 3 Argentina 1 - 1982
8. Argentina 2 England 2 - 1998 (Argentina won on penalties)
9. Scotland 3 Netherlands 2 - 1978
10. Brazil 4 Italy 1 - 1970

2 Most Boring Finals

1. West Germany 1 Argentina 0 - 1990
2. Brazil 0 Italy 0 - 1994 (Brazil won on penalties)

Ten Greatest performances by a player at a World Cup

1. Mardonna - 1986
2. Garrincha - 1958
3. Garrincha - 1962
4. Zidane - 1998
5. Rossi - 1982
6. Cruyff - 1974
7. Ronaldo - 2002
8. Muller - 1970
9. Lato - 1974
10. Kocsic - 1954

10 Most Disappointing Teams

1. Italy - 1966
2. France - 2002
3. England - 1950
4. Brazil - 1966
5. England - 1958
6. Argentina - 1994
7. Spain - 1998
8. Italy 2002
9. Portugal 2002
10. Sweden 1990

6 Best Cinderella Teams

1. Bulgaria - 1994
2. Croatia - 1998
3. Belgium - 1986
4. South Korea - 2002
5. Chile - 1962
6. Turkey - 2002

World Cup Predictions

Argentina to win the whole tournament. I am backing England but the South Americans have far and away the greatest attacking force in the tournament (although there are questions about the defense which may leave me with egg on my face).

Here are my predictions for Friday and Saturdays matches. A few on the edge

SA vs Mexico - A draw. Possibly 1-1.
Uruguay vs France. 1-0 to the French.

England vs USA. 2-0 England.

Lets see...I may have to rethink my strategy.

Footer Season in Review

9 Positives

1. Manchester United failed to win the EPL and more importantly the Champion's League.
2. Liverpool did the double over Everton.
3. Twente Enschede won the Dutch Eredivisie proving that their is still a sliver of hope for the small market clubs.
4. Real Madrid came away empty handing even after their big buck spendings on Ronaldo, Kaka and Benzema.
5. Superb individual performances by Lionel Messi in particular....as he makes a strong case to possibly be the game's greatest.
6. The fantastic run of Fulham in the Europa Cup...too bad they came up short.
7. World Cup Anticipation....there are at least seven candidates who can win in South Africa.
8. Barcelona's pure footer that verged on the poetic.
9. Pepe Reina solidifies his credentials as one of the best goalies in the world.

9 Negatives

1. The crisis that is Liverpool and their disastrous 90/10 season.
2. United win another League Cup
3. More boredom in the FA Cup as Chelsea triumph again.
4. Jose Mourinho wins a treble with Inter Milan...another boost for his ego.
5. English teams perform poorly in Champion's League.
6. Rangers top Celtic in winning the SPL.
7. Egypt win the African Nations Cup.
8. England suffer key injuries and look increasingly anaemic as World Cup 2010 rolls closer.
9. Diego Forlan axes Liverpool then Fulham in Europa League.

Champion's League Final Four

Barcelona destroyed Arsenal, Bayern edged out Man U while Inter and Lyon emerged victorious. I was .500 in my picks....Nothing special but at least the equation has simplified...This is Barca's tournament to lose and Messi is clearly the World's #1 player.