KUYT AND CROUCH WATCH OUT, VORONIN IS THE REAL DEAL!

As the media fanfare made its way from Anfield after seeing Torres arrive, it was almost like Andriy Voronin sneaked in the back door such was the difference in the media coverage of both events, but Voronin is here to do more than merely make up the numbers and he could be the surprise package in this years Premiership.
This is a must see clip of our new striker in action.


Now i know a lot of people will say that You Tube videos should not be taken very seriously as it it is not too hard to manage to make a players career to fit into three minutes and make him look good, but there really are some impressive goals there and what makes them impressive is some of these bullet shot goals of his are taken by his right and left foot, and also just by his physical presence he looks like he really is suited to the Premiership.
A lot of his play is very similar to the role Dirk Kuyt played at Anfield last year, he can score goals but is better known for his hard work and setting up his strike partner and is a strong player, so he seems like the perfect cover for Kuyt, if Kuyt ever does become tired, but i think Vorinon will not be happy waiting for Kuyt to become tired to play, this guy is here to win his place alongside Liverpools record signing Fernando Torres and if his style of play is any indication, a little old thing like Kuyt standing in his way will only be a short lived obstacle.
Now i don't believe that Kuyt will be displaced so easy, but if this Ukrainian can succeed where his fellow country men have so spectacularly failed in the past great strikers such as Rebrov and Shevchencko that after arriving in the Premiership with great reputations soon relies that reputations are worth nothing in the toughest league in the world, but i just have this feeling that Andriy Voronin is different and he has found the league that suits his style of play, so Crouch and Kuyt watch out he really is here to play first team football so take nothing for granted.

HENRY WHO ?

Allowing Thierry Henry`s departure to Barcelona could prove to be one of Arsene Wengers best managerial decisions, as Henry seems to have gone stale at Arsenal and this move could benefit all parties involved.

Henry will be a success in Spain but Arsenal are doing a great bit of buisness by getting 16 million pounds for a player that will be 30 in less than two months time, a large part of his game is reliant on speed and that i think has already started to wane, but he probably has one or two more seasons at the top, but at Barca he will have to fight for his place from day one.
Wenger is a true master in the transfer market and as hard as it is to replace Henry, who would bet against Wenger using the 16 million to bring in a new young striker that may have us saying in a few years, Henry who?

Media reports suggest that Arsenal may actually be after 2 strikers one young and one experienced. Many names have cropped up as Henry`s replacement but Anelkas is by far the most interesting, could it be possible that Wenger has the confidence that he could turn around the career of the incredible sulk. Remember the potential that Anelka once had when he was under Wenger`s stewardship before, he had the talent to become as good or even better than Henry but bad advice and a shocking attitude have meant that his talent has been wasted and although we have seen glimpses of what could have been, he is in reality a mediocre striker now, but Wenger may feel that Anelka may have matured and if Wenger was to take him on again Anelka will know that this his his last chance to become the player he should already be. At the moment this is all media speculation, but Wenger has the potential to surprise all and i think there is little doubt that Anelka would jump at the chance to let Wenger rekindle his career.

There is also talk of Wenger leaving Arsenal but i cant see that happening, some say that Henry leaving may be a sign that Wenger may join him in Spain, but the simple fact is Wenger has always cashed in on his major stars when the time was right, think back to Marc Overmars, Emmanuel Petit, Patrick Viera and now you can add Thierry Henry to that list of players that Wenger thinks have offered all that can be offered to the club. I believe Wenger is looking to the future by selling Henry, with the cash he can improve his squad, he already has a squad of young talent that if supplemented with a bit of experience in midfield and attack we could see a very different Arsenal next year that does not only want to play pretty football but also wants to win games even if its that means that results become more important than playing the game beautifully.
This is going to be one of the most interesting transfer seasons at Arsenal for years, it is a out with the old and in with the new, but the big question is can Wenger pull off another transfer miracle and will the new be as good as the old that has served the Arsenal faithful so well.

IS HE WORTH 27 MILLION?

Fernando Torres seems the most likely to join our ranks , he is not my first choice but he is young and Rafa can improve him and improve his goal per game ratio which is the all important key for the new Liverpol striker, we already have Kuyt and Crouch to set up the chances all we need now is someone to put it in back of the net and that's where we need to spend big, but i am really not sure that Torres is the answer to our goalscoring problems, but here he is anyway...............you decide is he the answer to our problems.

LIVERPOOL CRISIS?

A lot of promises have been made by the new owners of Liverpool football club, but so far we have seen little in the way of results, is it now time to start to worry?

Rafa Benitez has already voiced his concerns over the inaction of the clubs new owners Tom Hicks and George Gillet, and to be honest a week ago i already wanted to write this story but i thought for sure we would see some new big name arrivals at Anfield this week, but it now seems even with new owners very little seems to have changed in the way Liverpool Football Club conducts its transfer dealings, we still seem to drag our heels at every given opportunity.

It is no secret that our two major priorities this close season are a striker and two wingers of a higher caliber than we have had in the past. Eto`o and Tevez are names that keep cropping up for the striker role, but because of our time wasting other teams have now joined the hunt for these players with Inter Milan now willing to pay 40 million for Eto`o effectively pricing us out of the race for his signature and now Man Utd seems to be interested in Tevez, but Tevez could still be bought his friendship with Mascherano is a major plus and we also have Bellamy as bait, but this can also show us how much the new owners are willing to invest in Liverpool. There is one more option to solve our striker problem and it is a lot cheaper, If media reports can be believed Newcastle are interested in Bellamy and are very unsure whether Michael Owen wants to stay at St James, so the scenario for Owen to return to Anfield seems to be opening up, it would be close to a straight swap deal with maybe a little money going Newcastles way. But it is not a good deal for Liverpool, Owen is undoubtedly a better player than Bellamy but he is no good to us if he is on the treatment table half the time, we need a striker that will score for us week in week out and because of Owens injury plagued past, we just cant rely on him, but it will be interesting to see if the Americans go for the cheap option.

Trying to sign the wingers has really shown where our go slow approach is just not good enough in the world of todays football, Daniel Alves is now one of the most sought out right sided players in Europe today but he could and should have been at Anfield a long time ago but the most glaring mistake so far in this close seasons dealings has been the handling of the Florent Malouda transfer, this is a player that could have easily been signed within a few days of the start of close season with his media statements which were nearly as good as saying come and get me, but no we waited and waited until Chelsea sorted themselves out and now it has opened up into a two horse race, so now because of our snail`s pace we will have to compete with the Chelsea`s billions.

This transfer season was supposed to be all about catapulting Liverpool into serious title contenders, Man Utd won the League last year so they are the benchmark, now not only do we have to improve to beat the standards they set last season but we now have to contend with the signings that they made in the first few days of the close season, Nani, Anderson and Hargreavs will improve their team and if we are to overcome them we have to sign top class players soon.

Now i know some will say that it is early days and a lot of time is left to sign players, and we have resigned our major players on extended contracts but as time goes on other clubs will become interested in the players that Benitez really wants to sign and we must remember Rafa Benitez is one of the most sought after managers in world football today, so if the new owners don't deliver the big names that he needs to do his job maybe we will lose a lot more than big name signings.

THE DISGRACE THAT IS UEFA

Uefa`s shameful handling of the Champions League final in Athens this year and then its cowardly attempt to blame the Liverpool supporters for the fiasco shows that major changes are needed to make Uefa accountable for its actions.

Athens was a complete shambles, but Uefa`s shame was in the fact that they had been warned well before the final of exactly what would happen, but because they know best they totally ignored all advice and instead pretended that it would be all right on the night.
As with all clubs there is a tiny percentage of fans that are looking for trouble and the bigger the club the bigger the fan base is, those numbers go up, but there would have been no trouble in Athens if Uefa had listened to the advice and warnings that they were given. The problems started when Uefa gave only a paltry 17,000 tickets to each club in a stadium that holds 63,000. Uefa gave 20,000 of the tickets to the 'Uefa family' and a further 9,000 via a ballot. So Uefa actually gave nearly half the tickets to non fans of either club, this is madness and it highlights how this organisation has no regard for the clubs or their fans that it is supposed to represent.
They were also pre-warned that there was forgeries on the open market but decided that the best course of action to take was no action at all and this is what caused the biggest problems. Fans with forged tickets entered the ground, many who thought their tickets were legitimate and left many standing outside with real tickets only to be told that the stadium was full.
The whole affair was a complete mess and as i said before it could have been totally avoided if Uefa had not thought that they know best.

But the claims made by Uefa spokesman William Gaillard that `Liverpool supporters are the worst behaved in Europe´ beggars belief, this is the very same man that just before the final said that Liverpool supporters 'have a tradition of good behaviour'.
So which version from the same man only a couple of weeks apart do we believe. The first version or the second one that was made after the Athens debacle, the debacle that Mr Gaillard and his partner in stupidity Mr Platini caused because they believe that they always know best and never let the facts interfere with there beliefs.

English football has had its problems in the past and was without doubt the worst villain in Europe in the 80`s, but if we look at the 3 top leagues in Europe now The Premiership comes out head and shoulders against the rest. It is a league where Racism has for the most part been removed unlike in Spain and Italy where the ignorant masses are rampant and can still give shout their monkey chants and other racist remarks at certain players and face little or no consequences whatsoever. In Rome, Man Utd were warned beforehand of the deadly hooligan Roma fans, but like Spurs in Spain no one warned them of the hooligan type police, that battered all before them. In Italy you could see why police would be wary of fans because in the horrible old days of English hooliganism fans wanted to beat up opposing fans but in Italy they have taken it to a whole new level by throwing explosives at police trying to kill them and have been successful. But despite this, idiots at Uefa have decided that to cover-up their own mistakes Liverpool Football Club must carry the banner of the worst fans in Europe.

This all reminds me of Will Carlings famous description of the Rugby Football Union Committee as "57 old farts". Now i don't know how many old farts there are in Uefa but this latest Uefa show of `We answer to no one´ really should open up the debate would football be better served if the G14 had more influence and i really hope the G14 is expanded to nearly all clubs not just the rich, to show that there really is an alternative to this out of date, dying dinosaur of an organisation led by people who seem to value there own importance above the people that makes the very existence of their very precious organisation possible, the players and the fans of the clubs that they seem to have little or no respect for.

EMPIRE OF YOUTH

The major story at Liverpool Football Club this summer are which big name stars will or will not arrive, but as this is going on, Rafa Benitez has been slowly and surely adding the best youth talent from every corner of the globe, to the Anfield ranks.

We all talk about Eto`o, Teves and co but we often forget that Rafa has been building this youth empire for the past two seasons, this week he added three more players to the fold by signing the two Hungarians, Krisztian Nemeth, Andras Simon and Swedish teenager Alexander Kacaniklic. This is really a sign of how badly The Liverpool Academy has performed just by the fact that we seem to have to replace most of the youth players with players that Rafa thinks might actually make it to the first team and he cannot be blamed, no player that started at the Academy has become a regular or will be in Liverpool's first team next season. Steven Gerrard spent the last few months of his tutorial there, but he can hardly be labeled a product of the Academy. The target when The Academy was set up was to have one player introduced to the first team each season, so far we have had zero, all we have done is produced players for the Championship and lower divisions.
Whether its down to the present day football youth climate or the miss management of the Academy we may never know, but i think it is in large part to Steve Heighways intolerance to having any interference from the past two managers of Liverpool, men who are more talented than himself in nurturing young talent.
Benitez`s global network of scouts have been as active in searching out the stars of tomorrow as they have been finding the stars that the first team needs today, this is a sign of Rafa`s plans for his and Liverpool's future, It mean we can discard any talk of him leaving Liverpool in the near future because he is here to build a footballing empire in the mould of the past Liverpool teams. He has broken down the old system of the first team manager not interfering in youth team development and we can hardly blame him as the top players in the youth team are players that he has bought.

Already his endeavours into the youth system should pay off, next year i expect to see Paul Anderson been given a go as he has earned rave reviews since his arrival, other players that have a very good chance of breaking through are Besian Idrizaj Jack Hobbs, Godwin Antwi and Astrit Ajdarevic. These are all players that he had to pay to get them to the Academy and these and the others that Rafa bought are in reality the only ones with a real chance to make it into the Liverpool first team.

When the spine of a team is built at the youth level the results can be astounding, Man Utd and the Beckham, Giggs, Scholes, and the ugly brother Nevilles early era is the perfect example, I believe that if that team had come about as the same time as the Chelsea millions, the Man Utd team that had grown together as players would still win the league just because they had already spent so many years playing and knowing each others game so well.
This is what Rafa is trying to achieve, but as always with youth players it is very unpredictable, players that seem great when they are fifteen might fizzle out and by the time there eighteen and may be no better than the Nevilles, so therefore not good enough for Liverpool.

The future`s bright the future`s red, and with Rafa handling the youth team we can expect the spine of the Liverpool teams of tomorrow, to be very much influenced by Rafa`s youth policy of today.

WHAT LIVERPOOL NEED TO DO TO BRING THE TITLE HOME

Our shortcomings have become obvious over the past season, but now Rafa Benitez has at last the warchest to make Liverpool Football Club a serious contender for the league title, and this is what he needs to do in the transfer season to make it happen.

In goal Reina will once again reign supreme with Daniele Padelli as his cover and we may see Scott Carson off loaded.
In defence Carragher is the only guaranteed player to start a game if fit, Agger his partner for this year may seem his obvious partner but as seen in the way he was totally outdone by Drogba and the fact that Mourhinho singled him out as the weak link in the first leg of the Champions League means there could be some substance that Liverpool want to sign Gabriel Milito. The left back position seems to be between John Arne Riise and Fabio Aurelio, although both are great going forward there will always be question marks about their ability to defend, but both should be safe next season. On the right back it is a lot more complicated, it is no secret we want Daniel Alves but what position would he play, Finnan does a great job at right back, but as Alves can also play right back or midfield,so where would Rafa want him to play, i would be a bit wary us trying to play someone on the wing that is naturally defensive like the case of Riise on the other wing.


In midfield is where things are most complicated and a lot revolves on one current Anfield player, Alonso may or may not be on is on his way out, but i think we have already bought his replacement, Lucas the 20 year old Brazilian. Next year i expect to see Gerrard occupy his favoured central midfield role and have Mascherano playing alongside him and Lucas and Sissoko being backup.
In the wide positions is where Liverpool need major improvements and i think as good as Pennant has improved over the final months of the season another top class right winger is needed but on the left we could actually be looking for two, Zendon is on his way i hope, and Kewell also, so that just leaves us with Gonzalez who has been unimpressive since his much highlighted move, but this is his first season so maybe Rafa will give him another chance to prove his worth, as for the wingers we could sign for these positions the media list is endless, but one name that keeps cropping up is Simao Sabrosa ,Joaquín Sánchez has also been mentioned along with just about every decent winger playing in the Iberian Peninsula today so for wing positions it really is any ones guess who Rafa will opt for.

But the big name signing this summer is going to be the Striker, we all know we need a top class one but we cant seem to agree on who that should be. The two names that seem to be top of the list are Tevez and Eto`o.
Tevez has already proved that he can handle the premiership while Eto`o has shown what a loose cannon he can be, but I have posted stories before that have hinted that my preference would be Eto`o above the merits of Villa, Tevez and co.
Some people may say he would not suit the rotation policy that Rafa employs, but remember this, Rafa only rotates the players that are not playing good enough as Carra, Gerrard and Kuyt proved from last season. Tevez would be good and probably not that hard to get because of his friendship with Mascherano and using Bellamy as bait but still i think Eto`o is the man that can bring us to the next level, and Rafa proved with Bellamy he is not afraid to take on a troubled player if it can help the team, and even though most of Europe wants to sign Eto`o i believe that the wheels are already in motion to use Alonso as a serious bargaining chip to make sure that Eto`o will be playing for Liverpool next year.

IN THE AFTERMATH OF ATHENS

The gods looked down on Milan, and leveled the score from two years ago for these two historical giants of European football. But this result is not all bad for Liverpool Football club as there was a also a valuable and harsh lesson learned.

Liverpool fans and players a like have learned that grit and determination given by players like Gerrard Carragher and Kuyt cannot on its own guarantee success and that's why major changes have to be made.
Fans from AC Milan and Liverpool Fc will always argue on who deserved to win, and it is made harder by the fact that both teams play so different styles of football but i think its pretty fair to say that both teams were pretty even , but that will only ever be an opinion. The simple fact is Ac Milan won their seventh European cup and it is refreshing to hear Benitez and his players say that Milan deserved to win on the night, none of the Mourhinho and Chelsea type whinging and complaining.
Some may even say that Benitez had one eye on next years league title when he selected his team and continued to play Xabi Alonso even though he would have been the natural player to be replaced by Crouch as Mascherano was doing such Good job of keeping Kaka quiet up until his departure. Alonso would have bean very wary of signing a new contract if he thought he would be playing second fiddle to Mascherano next year.

What this Athens adventure has shown is how threadbare the Liverpool squad actually is, Zendon (sorry i always come back to Zendon) should never represent any club at the highest level such is the European cup but Rafa felt that Kewell was not fit enough and Gonzalez is either not good enough or not ready, but there was more serious problems with the selection. Steven Gerrard`s best position is central midfield, its not a debate anymore its a fact, but in the biggest game of our season we had to play him out of position because Kuyt is the only striker we have worthy of the title, world class, Crouch maybe someday but he seems more super sub material right now. If we had the influx of money that we are about to receive earlier and had another world class striker and a top left winger then i honestly believe the result in Athens would have been very different because Milan were there for the taking with Rafa`s tactics and a team that he could be confident of.

But this is football and we cant always get what we want, but one thing i do want is for Gerrard and Co to carry the disappointment and the pain of losing this final all through the summer , and use the memory and lesson learned and with the reinforced team Rafa will build will hopefully get them off to the flying start that has eluded us for so many years now. Liverpool have been shown where they need to improve and Rafa has already berated his new owners to give him the cash quick, and you cant blame him.

Two players that he has missed out on were Eto`o before Barca signed him and Alves who will cost triple now because the board did not move and back him fast enough. I have followed this club all my life from the Paisley glory years all through the title barren years, and i have seen managers come and go that promised the holy grail but Rafa is by far the man most likely to deliver the premiership holy grail back to the Kop faithful,there have been a lot of false dawns in between, but now we have one of the top managers in the world and for the first time since the game has moved into mega buck land we can actually compete at the very highest level for the signature's of the very best in the game.
This summer expect a host of top names to arrive at Anfield and next season those same names coupled with Gerrard and co`s desire to put aside the pain of the Athens should see us mount a serious challenge on the cup we really want, The Premiership.

WHY ROBBIE FOWLER WILL ALWAYS BE GOD AT LIVERPOOL

Robbie Fowler, one of the greatest strikers to have ever graced the game has for the second time drawn a close to his Anfield career and this time its for keeps, but it all could have been so different.

The Toxteth Terror was lucky to have the amazing skills he had, but was so unlucky that when he made his breakthrough into the team that he loved so much, Liverpool Fc`s empire and stranglehold on English football had just come to and end. Due to bad decisions by the board and management of Liverpool Fc, Fowler never got to win the League with his beloved club, something that had become routine in Liverpool teams gone by.

But when Fowler burst onto the football scene in 1993 he was an instant success scoring on his first team debut against Fulham in the league cup and in the return leg showed what was to come by scoring all five goals in a decisive win.
Fowler has other amazing records to his name, the fastest hat trick in premiership history will take some doing to overtake, four minutes and thirty-three seconds against Arsenal, a top team and at the time renowned for their stingy defence.
Fowler earned his nickname `God´from his early days playing in front of the kop, he scored a massive amount of goals over 30 in each of his first three seasons, but it was not the quantity of goals that he scored, it was the quality of these goals that will always endear him to the Anfield faithful.

Fowler was simply born in the wrong continent, if he was born in the slums of Sao Paulo and his name was Kakadinho the whole world would be worshiping his early goals as the best ever scored, but instead he has always been labeled as the spiceboy from Toxteth that made good. If people think its crazy to compare him to the greats of South American football you must take a look of clips of Fowler early exploits, they will amaze you, even when he was only 18 he was not just scoring but putting the ball away with aplomb and a confidence that a lot of the players that we today regard as the best can only dream of.
With Fowler the term `the most natural finisher´has been used so much that it has lost some of its meaning, but you only have to look at his massive goals haul and more importantly, the quality in these goals to see why so many people say this about him.

Fowler was never the same after his knee ligament injury in 1998, gone was the predatory instinct that was so much of his game, gone were the legs that had previously carried him into the deadly runs that left opposing defences bewildered and even more importantly he seemed to have lost some of that cock sure scouse confidence in his own ability that had reassured his following on the Kop that he could truly walk on water.

But his first exit from Anfield was a disgrace, he will always be remembered as one of the true Anfield greats, but the way Houlier maneuvered him out will always be a black mark against the French manager. Fowler deserved more than that, he never got a chance to say goodbye to the Anfield faithful, and i remember an interview that Fowler gave at the time and for me it sums up the relationship between Fowler and Liverpool. The reporter badgered him by trying to get Robbie to say something bad about his departure from the club, but Robbie replied in the most serious voice i have ever heard him speak `you will never hear me badmouth anything about Liverpool Football Club´, and he was true to his word, even though an injustice had been done against him, he has never slagged of the club which most players today in the same situation would have done.

This is a guy who sat in the Ataturk stadium and watched his team like all the rest of the scouser fans, the team he knows he should be playing for, play the greatest game of football the world has ever known, that takes guts but it also shows how much he loves the Club and will always be a fan.

But he is still here now, and remember his return to Anfield was a fairytale and this fairytale ending was not fulfilled against Charlton in the last game of the League campaign so perhaps there is another chapter. What i will be watching as much as Benitez`s starting 11 in Athens is if God is selected to sit on the bench, and if he is, who would bet against him fulfilling his destiny to win glory for himself and the club whose history have become so intertwined.

RAFA AND THE KEWELL GAMBLE HE MUST TAKE!

Harry Kewell has been out injured all season and has only played a few minutes for the first team in the last two games, but such are Liverpool`s problems on the left wing that the Australian could and should start against AC Milan in Athens.

Kewells return from injury has handed Rafa Benitez one of the toughest decisions of his managerial career. Kewell is physically fit but has had so little playing time he would not normally warrant a start in a game of the magnitude that is the Champions Leagu Final, but he has become a contender for a starting berth for two reasons, one being that he has been impressive since his comeback. Against Charlton he turned the game when he came on setting up Alonso`s goal, coming close to scoring himself when he hit the post and finally rounded off his day by scoring a penalty.
But the more compelling reason why he should start in Istanbul is because the other options are Bolo Zenden or Mark Gonzalez. Riise could play there but he really is the only natural left back we have and he seems to be more of a threat when he runs from deep and has another attacking player on the wing to play off, so i think like the Chelsea game Rafa will keep Riise in his natural position.

Zendon and Gonzalez should not start, Zendon is just simply not up to this standard of Football, the first leg against Chelsea showed how bad he actually is, he had more attacking opportunities than anyone on the pitch but wasted one after another and seemed content to just win corners. Gonzalez ability is still very unknown, considering all the hype that surrounded his arrival at Anfield he has been a disappointment this year, but he deserves one more season as he is still young and he has shown glimpses of the player we had hoped he would be.

So as impossible as is seemed even just two weeks ago Kewell has given himself a chance to turn a total nightmare of a season into a fairytale ending. He is a player who has had an injury plagued time at Liverpool and has not had it easy, but because of these injuries Liverpool Football Club and its fans have never seen the best of Kewell and it is easy to forget how good he actually is. A lot of people expect Kewell to leave Anfield this summer, but i hope like Gonzalez Rafa gives him one more season to see what an injury free Harry Kewell can offer Liverpool.

Rafa played Zendon in the two Chelsea legs so we must assume he is once again the favourite to start in Athens, but it was clear to see in the Charlton game where Zendon started and was replaced by Kewell, that even a match unfit Harry Kewell is a much better player than a fully fit Zendon.

Benitez has already hinted that Kewell has a chance of starting by saying that he may be able to last sixty minutes or so, but as always with Rafa`s team selection we would be surprised not to be surprised.

COULD ALONSO BE LEAVING ANFIELD?

Rafa Benitez dropped Xabi Alonso for the Champions League semi final against Chelsea, and this may become the trend next season, but how long will the Spaniard be willing to bide his time on the bench before saying `Adios´.

Before i go any further i think its important to say that i do not want Alonso to leave Anfield, he is one of the best midfielders in the world and if Liverpool are to truly compete for the league they need two players in each position, and if Gerrard gets injured there is no one that could fill his boots, but Alonso is as close as you will get.
Liverpool are at the dawn of a new era, cash is going to be made available to Benitez on a scale not seen before at the merseyside club, he will be strenghtening all areas of the squad but the positions with the most priority are the wings and up front. The wings will be where the biggest transformation comes, i can actually see two players being bought, one for each wing, and these will not be players that have potential, but players that have passed that stage of their career and are already able to compete at the highest level, Jermaine Pennant and Mark Gonzalez will have to fight for their place in the starting line up with the new arrivals and that is good healthy competition for the club.
Who these players are is anyones guess, the media give different names on any given day, but one thing is for sure Rafa will bring players in to fix this Liverpool Fc problem that has gone on for years, but when we have two good natural wingers where does that leave Steven Gerrard. It means that his days on the wing are over and he is going to be playing in his natural position, central midfield, what Liverpool fans have been crying out now for years.

But the big question is who plays alongside Gerrard in this new look Liverpool football team, most people would automatically say Alonso, but the Gerrard, Alonso combination has its problems, its a little bit similar to the England problem of Gerrard and Lampard, where people say they are too similar and cannot play together.
Alonso and Gerrard give the same problem to a lesser degree mainly because Alonso is a lot better player than Lampard and has learned to tackle and became tougher since he moved to Liverpool.
There was no problem in the Alonso Gerrard combination until Momo Sissoko arrived and then we seen how a real terrier such as Sissoko with his tackles, breaking down play and non stop running helped our midfield performance, but with Sissoko his distribution of the ball has got progressively worse so lately there has not been much point playing him because as soon as he wins the ball he passes it straight back to the opposition.
But the man who Rafa picked to play alongside Gerrard in the Chelsea game, has a mix of Alonso`s and Sissoko`s talents. Mascherano has it all, he can tackle, track back and even if his passes are not as visionary as Alonso`s he has the talent to spot the runs of the forwards and execute the pass, its simple play but very effective and the plus of having a player that can do this but also tackle and break up play means that he must be picked so that it gives Gerrard the freedom to surge forward and be a menace to the other team, all the time knowing that Mascherano has his back covered but can also launch his own attack given the opportunity.

It is no secret that Barcelona would love to sign Alonso, and it is also no secret that Benitez is a great admirer of Samuel Eto`o, he tried to sign him before Barcelona snapped him up. Because of Eto`o`s relationship with Barca all the top clubs in Europe will be interested in signing the Cameroonian this summer, but Liverpool if they decided to let Alonso move to the Nou Campcould work out a deal and jump to the head of the line.

So as unthinkable as it may seem, if what i think will happen and Mascherano is chosen as the best partner for Gerrard, we have to ask ourselves what is better for Liverpool Football Club, a disgruntled Xabi Alonso sitting on the bench or in my opinion the best striker in the world Samuel Eto`o spreading fear among all Premiership defences.

LIVERPOOL FC V AC MILAN, ITS ALL ABOUT REVENGE NOW.

AC Milan booked their flight to destiny by destroying Manchester United in the rain lashed San Siro, and destroyed is not too strong a word to describe this footballing lesson and it sent a clear warning to Liverpool Fc that a mammoth task lies ahead.

A lot had been said about Milan's ageing squad of players but the blend of the experienced players and the sublime skills of Kaka produced one of the finest performances by a team in this competition for years. Milan were deadly in attack and broke up the Man utd play so well that Alex Ferguson's men never really entered this contest and at the end were probably lucky that Milan's irresistible football only produced 3 goals.
But Milan`s game was made to look even better because of their oppositions pure lack lustre performance. Sir Alex must be scratching his head wondering where did it all go so wrong, United`s fatigue probably played a part, but it was all Milan from the very first minute, while Man Utd looked like a team totally out of their depth and were lucky that it took Milan 11 minutes to get the first.
Man United are a much better team than their performance in Milan suggests and some might say that Ferguson whose measly haul of just one European cup for a team that has dominated the Premiership for so long got his tactics wrong, but i don't think the answer lies there, during the game he tried all that he could he moved his players around changed formations but whatever he did the flow of the game remained the same, so it really has to be blamed on the players and especially the big name players who just did not show up, Rooney was a spectator for much of the game while the much talked about battle between Ronaldo and Kaka on who is the best, never materialised, the Brazilian showing that he is a true contender for the title of `best footballer on the planet´ but it was a little unfair on Ronaldo as he is younger and in truth this is his first real headline grabbing year. Milan surely had one eye on the final and who their opponents would be and used this as motivation in overcoming Utd.

In the eyes of all Liverpool fans that night in Istanbul in 2005 is viewed as the greatest comeback of all time, but Milan must view it as the greatest capitulation in their clubs proud history and i cannot imagine as a player or a fan how it feels to be 3 nil up in the final of the greatest club competition of them all and then see it all fall apart so spectacularly. It must have been one of the most shocking and utterly disappointing moments in sport for players and fans alike, and the ultimate way to exact revenge would be to beat the team that caused their nightmare in a rematch at the same stage of the competition.
In Carlo Ancelotti they have one of the top managers in the game today who has been there done that and bought the t-shirt so expect a very well prepared and fired up Milan for the encounter in Athens, this will be the game of their lives for many of the Milan players, such was the hurt two years ago in Istanbul.

But Liverpool Football Club are not to be taken lightly either, this competition has become their speciality and overcoming the odds has become another. Rafa Benitez has some key advantages over Milan, Liverpool have a greater variety to their attack, Riise and Pennant down the wings, Alonso or Gerrard through the centre or the thing that Milan hate and fear the most as shown against Bayern, the ball over the top to Crouch, bypassing their formidable midfield. But central midfield is where this battle is going to be won or lost, one explanation for Man Utd`s demise against Milan is that their midfield has no bite, they still have not been able to find a player in the Roy Keane mould and it let Ivan Gattuso and Co break down and dominate midfield. But against Liverpool its a totally different proposition, the Anfield outfit have the passion and drive of Gerrard, the killer incisive passes of Alonso, Sissoko`s tenacity and non stop snapping at the heels of any opposing player or the man i hope will be chosen to partner Gerrard in the middle Mascherano, who combines the talents of both Alonso and Sissoko and is a perfect foil for Gerrard. Rafa has some very tough decisions to make but he has a squad capable of putting out a team that can beat Milan. And remember this Milan team despite their great performance against Man Utd is not as good as the team that we beat two years ago, but this is a much improved Liverpool team not only in personal but also now have the confidence and belief that they can beat any team in the world.

MOURINHO CANT PUT UP OR SHUT UP

Sometimes in sport, people get the rewards from their efforts, and Jose `the gob´ Mourinho got his at Anfield. His non-stop tirade of pre-game comments and abuse were well and truly answered by Rafa Benitez`s men in red.

Most of the talk before the game was coming from the self appointed `special one´ Mourinho, his comments included little digs, like Liverpool had only played 3 or 4 big games this season while Chelsea had played 27 or that Liverpool would would chase Drogba around all night trying to get him booked, but i think by far his best comment and the one that must make us question is he nowadays really playing with a full deck of cards, was the Liverpool Fc are only a small club jibe. Now anyone on this planet who has an interest in Football has heard of Liverpool Football Club and if Liverpool have 5 European cups in their trophy room what does that make his team that have a grand total of Zero. But the craziness of that comment was best summed up by Steven Gerrard after the game when he said that when the players read that statement that `Mourinho did the team talk for us´. Good on you Jose, if only you could motivate your own team as well.

Its pretty hard to be surprised by any nonsense the special one mutters anymore because his claims against not just Liverpool but other clubs like Man utd have become so stupid and vicious, his personal attack on Chritian Ronaldo that he is uneducated because he comes from a poor background shows how low he has got, but his after game statement that Chelsea were the better team and were the only ones trying to score beggars belief even by his crazy standard. What game was he actually watching because it could not have been the one sided affair at Anfield. Liverpool had 3 or 4 times the amount of chances as Chelsea and a perfectly good goal ruled offside.

But i think the end is nigh for crazy Jose for a couple of reasons, his Russian paymaster must be so sick of Jose alienating all neutral fans and making Chelsea the most hated team in the game at the moment. Remember this is a team that before Romans rubles arrived had no history and very few enemies outside of their London derbies, and in this short space of time Jose has turned them into probably the most hated team on the planet with his so stupid comments. The second and most compelling reason was summed up by Rick Parry when he said about Chelsea `I guess when you've invested £500m it's a fantastic season to win the League Cup´. What Parry said is very true with Chelsea`s massive investment Roman Abromovich must really be thinking is Jose the right man to spend his money and when should he stop the rot, also remember Gus Hiddink is still waiting in the wings.

I dont expect the special one to be at Chelsea next year and it will be no loss for English football, he is not special, any good Sunday league amateur manager given the same resources could achieve the same if not more and his comments which at the start were comical have turned vicious as in the Ronaldo case, but when he said Liverpool were a small club he tried to belittle far greater men than himself, men like Shankly and Paisley and when he did so he paid the price, how better to fire up Stevie Gerrard and Co by saying that the iconic figures from the club were just little men from a little club.

IS ROY KEANE ON HIS WAY BACK TO HAUNT LIVERPOOL FC?

Being Irish and also a Liverpool fan, Roy Keane as a player always caused a dilemma for me when he played, despised him playing for his club but tried to forgive that when he played for his country.
But now it is impossible not to have the utmost respect for what the Boxer from Cork has achieved in his first season as a manager.
When Keane took over,Sunderland had just got relegated from the top league with the lowest points tally in the history of the Premiership, they followed this up with losing their first four games of the season and were bottom of the Championship table. This gives some idea of the type of squad Keane inherited.
When Keane took over i thought he might someday be a success because he had learned so much from being Alex Ferguson`s voice on the pitch for so many seasons, and he is not a stupid guy, his bust-up with the Mick McCarthy and the Irish squad at the World all came from the fact that Keane thought the Irish squad were ill-prepared and did not have enough discipline in training, and the results of that Irish campaign proved him right.
But what i think what has shocked most people is the way he turned a less than useless, no confidence squad of players into a team that has probably made one of the biggest u-turns in football history.
Some people might say that he had an advantage that he used his connections to sign players like Dwight Yorke or get Man Utd players on loan, and that was an advantage, but it is cancelled out by the fact that he took over the team four games into the campaign.
Keane has done a magnificent job, but like managers before him who have got their teams promoted to the Premiership his biggest test is ahead of him, getting promoted is one thing staying there is another thing. But who is going to bet against Keane keeping his Sunderland in the Premiership.
We have seen Keane pass one part of his managerial test, being able to motivate his players and get his tactics right in games, but he has a much bigger challenge now. He can motivate the players all he wants but now that he is in the Premiership he is going to have to improve his squad, and now he cant rely on old team mates or favours from Man Utd. He needs to deal in the transfer market and like all the teams without big money he needs to find gems in the transfer market and convincing them that Sunderland is the team to join, this is going to be a tough test but looking at the way he has adjusted to the managerial life i think he can also pull this off.

Always with Keane there will be the question will he return to Old Trafford as Alex Ferguson`s replacement, i do think he will someday manage Man Utd but i also think he knows its better to let someone else to be the follow-up act to Sir Alex. Keane is no fool and knows that Sir Alex is a hard act to follow and if the new manager does not win the title in the first year, he will be regarded as a failure, then enter Keane and he will be given time to sort out the mess by the Old Trafford faithful.

As a Liverpool supporter it is not easy to write a story about the accomplishments of one of our oldest and deadliest foes, but Keanes transformation from an animal of a player who would use any means to win a game into the manager who has turned into the calm figure of a man who was out walking his dog away from the glare of the media world when his team completed the miracle of getting promoted against all odds from when he took over deserves plaudits from all corners of the football world and cannot be ignored.

ONE NIL TO JOSE

Liverpool have an uphill battle at Anfield on Tuesday night, because of an under-par performance by the players and their manager at lasts weeks encounter at Stamford Bridge.

The scoreline from the first leg is 1-0 to Chelsea but in the battle of the two managers, Rafa Benitez and Jose Mourhinho, the blues are also one up because of some not so easy to explain decisions by Benitez. Both managers really did their homework on the opposing teams and both did actually find the Achilles heal of the other team.
Mourhinho decided that Drogba one on one against Agger was a recipe for success and he was proved right, while Shevchenko led Carragher as far away from the action as he possibly could, effectively taking both men out of the game, Drogba tormented and got the better of Agger all night. Benitez also found Chelsea`s soft spot, their problematic right back position, filled this time by Paulo Ferreira. As soon as the game started Liverpool Fc attacked Ferreira`s position at every opportunity, because of Benitez`s team selection and his unwillingness to change his approach this Chelsea weakness was never fully exploited.

Before kick off, many Liverpool Fc fans, myself included were left feeling even more anxious about the big game when the Liverpool starting eleven was announced, two names were causing all this extra anxiety, Bolo Zenden and Craig Bellamy. Peter Crouch had been in great form leading up to this game while Bellamy had not really hit his best form since returning from injury, and as i think as everyone knew this would be a tight congested game, surly the extra option of a ball over the top for Crouch to set up play instead of continually trying to find that incisive, defence splitting pass would have had Chelsea more on the back foot.

But the name that screamed out the most from the starting eleven was Zendon`s, he has never been effective for Liverpool on the left, he was ok in the middle of the park, but at Stamford Bridge i hope he has proved to Benitez that he has no future at the club. He had by far the most attacking possession of the ball, more than any other player on the night and all he did was continually kick the ball at Ferreira while attempting crosses, it seemed like he thought the ball would eventually magically pass through Ferreira`s body. I think Benitez`s original plan was to play Finnan right back, Arbeloa left back and then push Riise forward in midfield to threaten the Chelsea right back position which would have put a lot more pressure on the home team, but Finnans absence threw these plans out the window resulting in Benitez having to find another solution for left midfield, and i believe this is where he made one of his biggest mistakes since he took the reins as Liverpool boss.

Benitez had three options to fill this so important left midfield spot, he chose Zendon and we all have seen the results of that decision, the next and probably what most people would have expected was Mark Gonzalez, he may seem a bit lightweight in the premiership but with his speed and skill he would have have caused Chelsea problems and would have done a much better job than Zendon. Rafa`s third choice for this position is the one i really wished he had gone for.
I think our most in form player over the last couple of games has been Jermaine Pennant, he really has improved since he got a bit of confidence and even though he is a right winger Rafa has in the last few games been tinkering with the idea of him playing on the left. Against Wigan Rafa changed Pennant to the left wing for a spell in the game and he was as effective on the left as the right even swinging in a great cross for Liverpool`s opener.
Whoever should have started Pennant Gonzalez or Zendon will always be up for debate but one thing that is not debatable was that Rafa`s inaction was a mistake, it was obvious to all that Zendon was not making any headway and was wasting most of Liverpool`s attacking chances and Rafa had these other options sitting on the bench but did not take the chance on Gonzalez`s inexperience or Pennant playing out of his natural position, but surly these were chances worth taking after he seen Zendon waste chance after chance.

This tie has swung in Chelsea`s favour but not by much, if Chelsea score at Anfield Liverpool will need three to win, but Liverpool also have a lot going for them in this second leg. A lot has been said about the Anfield roar and the twelfth man. Some is true some is not, Chelsea`s players are too experienced to become intimidated by the cauldron that is Anfield, but what the Kop can give is the most vital part of Liverpools game that was missing in Stamford Bridge, the fire in the belly, never say never attitude that has done so well against the worlds most expensivley assembled sides in the last few years.

Remember one thing, this is Liverpool Football Club and overcoming the odds has become a recent tradition in this clubs European adventures and overcoming a 1-0 deficit at Anfield is a lot easier than the challenges we faced on our way to lifting that cup in Istanbul. So expect to see the players ultra-motivated by a manager who has a very big point to prove.

WOULD SIR BOB PAISLEY STILL BE THE GREATEST TODAY?

How would the greatest manager in the history of the game fare in the media saturated world of today's football, where footballers resemble Hollywood stars more than the Stanley Matthew`s of the past.

People have different views on who is the greatest manager in British football of all time, fans of Manchester Utd will either say Matt Busby or Alex Ferguson, fans of Liverpool will be divided between Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley and others will put forward the merits of great managers like Jock Stein, Alf Ramsey, Bill Nicholson, Brian Clough and many others.
If the title went to the manager who won the most silverware then the title would go to Paisley, but i think that would be unfair to the rest of the challengers, they all faced different challenges when they took charge of their respective clubs, so its not all about medals and cups its about what they did for their respective clubs. That is why we can never say who is the best from the past, we can only state what our opinion is, and here is mine and why.

For me Paisley will always be the greatest, but it is impossible to write about him without mentioning the great Bill Shankly because their managerial careers are so intertwined. Shankly took over at Liverpool when they were a mediocre team in the old second division, who every year nearly got promoted but always fell at the last hurdle. Shankly took them into the first division and went on to make them the best team in England and started the Liverpool empire, and for his achievements the Liverpool fan base will always be divided on who was the greatest, Shankly or Paisley, but as one journalist once said `Shankly lit the fire, and Paisley fueled it´.
But for me this also shows why Paisley comes out number one, Shankly was the great motivator of that team while the soft spoken Paisley was the better tactician and would have a quiet word here and there with the players, while Shankly`s achievements at building the Liverpool empire might seem the greatest feat, we have to remember that Paisley played a major part in all of this.

When Shankly made his shock announcement to the world that he was retiring and made his recommendation to the board that his replacement should be his number two, Paisley reluctantly accepted, and on the first day of pre-season training walked into the dressing room and announced to the players 'Shanks has gone and they're giving me the job even though I didn't really want it. But we must try to carry on what he's started'.

And from here the Paisley era started, an era that would produce the greatest football club team the world has ever known, a team that in nine years won six League titles,3 European Cups,1 UEFA Cup, 1 European Super Cup,5 Charity Shields and 3 League Cups. This was all done by a man who would never raise his voice and would potter around Anfield in his flat cap, woolly cardigan and carpet slippers.

But the question is how would Paisley fare in the football world of today, with the Mourhinho and the Ferguson`s that the modern game has produced. No doubt Shankly would relish the modern day war of words between managers, but it would be short lived because of Shankly`s quick wit and killer statements no one would dare take him on. But Paisley would never reply, such was his mannerism and instead let his team speak for him on the pitch.

But people that think that Paisley could or would not embrace the technology that is part of the modern game would be very much mistaken. When Paisley finished his playing career he took a huge interest in psychology and physiotherapy and actually sat in on a number of operations to learn more about the human body and its injuries,

Paisley's had an amazing ability to spot and diagnose injuries early on, and it was said that he could diagnose a player by just watching him walk. He said himself `I'd always had an interest in physiotherapy and psychology. The physio side probably stemmed from the knocks I got as a player. I found that valuable later on. It stood me in good stead. If I was pinned down I'd say that was my greatest asset. I could speak to players and give them examples of injuries and how they heal´.
Whatever he was doing worked because while at Liverpool they had very few long term injuries compared to other teams of the day.

He was decades ahead of his time in realising the importance of having a squad of players being ready for battle both mentally and physically. He was a man of few words but when he spoke people listened.
When he reluctantly took over the helm at Anfield many people thought because of his soft spoken manner and his very few words that he was too soft to run and continue the building of the empire built by his predecessor Shankly, how very wrong they were. He showed his ruthlessness by selling Kevin Keegan the star of the Liverpool team of the day which in comparable terms would be like selling Steven Gerrard today. But he bought one Kenny Dalglish, and the rest is history.
Imagine Bob Paisley in today's modern game, one picture keeps coming to me, Jose Mourhinho standing in his technical area on the sideline in his expensive Armani suit and beside him, the grandad like figure of the great Sir Bob Paisley in his flat cap, woolly cardigan and carpet slippers.

So if people want to know if famous sports people from the past would succeed in today's world, they should look no further than Bob Paisley, not only would he survive in today's game, he would thrive in the world of today's football, his biggest attributes when he managed was that he could spot talent from a mile away, that he was not afraid to change his tactics for different teams as he proved with his European conquests, he embraced new ideas on fitness and psychology, so as to the question could he survive, if he were around today he once again conquer the football world.
And finally, we dont need the government to recognise what the great man achieved by giving any gongs or medals, to all Liverpool fans across the globe he will always be the great Sir Bob Paisley.

COULD MICHAEL OWEN BE ON HIS WAY BACK TO LIVERPOOL FC?

The little striker is just returning after a lengthy injury layoff and immediately his future at Newcastle Utd has become the focus of the media spotlight, if he does leave is it possible that the prodigal son could make a dramatic return to Anfield.

At the moment it is all speculation by the media linking him to a move to Manchester Utd, but a fully fit Michael Owen would be a target for all the top clubs, but here lies the problem, has he left his injury plagued history behind him.
Will any club be willing to invest the money and take the chance, that they can rely on him to be able to play the majority of games in a season. It is a huge risk, even if he plays and stays injury free from now till the end of the season, because of his history, would many people be surprised if he broke down again at the start of next season.
If he is bought by one of the top four, that club will be taking a huge gamble, but if he has overcome his injuries nightmare and can stay fit then the club that signs him will have one of the most prolific and proven strikers in the history of the Premiership.
Its not hard to believe the media stories that Alex Ferguson is interested in the former Liverpool player, and a inform injury free Michael Owen playing at one of the top teams would once again become one of the top strikers in the Premiership, and Man Utd have other strikers in reserve should Owen become injured, so i think the media reports could have some foundation, so maybe Ferguson see`s this as a gamble worth pursuing.
Chelsea are always after players and sometimes its just about not letting the competition sign them, and Owen on form for one of the top four would be a threat to the Stamford Bridge outfit, but this threat could easily be nipped at the bud by signing him, and once again a fully fit Owen paired with Drogba would be an attacking force most teams would fear.

Arsenal are the team most in need of a proven goal getter, so i suspect they will be more interested in his medical reports than anyone. They need someone apart from Henry to spearhead their attack, everything else at the club is good but they just cannot put the ball in the back of the net. They could go for someone foreign or a young player but it normally takes a foreign player at least one season to adjust to the Premiership, i think its time for Arsenal to buy someone proven because as good as a team as they are, its time now to start winning silverware once again...the pressure is on Arsene for results.

The last of the four is Liverpool Football Club and by far the most complicated transfer destination for Owen.

Liverpool also need a prolific striker, as much as i rate Dirk Kuyt and as hard working as he is, he seems to better suited to setting up play and providing chances for other players than an all out goal getter, a 20 plus a season premiership scorer is what we need, Owen would fit that bill perfectly but there is a little bit of baggage to this grand reunion.
When Owen left Liverpool Fc, his exodus left a bitter taste in the mouth of many Liverpool fans. His reluctance to sign a new contract meant Liverpool were held to ransom when they were forced to sell him for only 8 million to Real Madrid with only months left on his contract. It was not all his fault Liverpool Fc should have sealed the deal earlier in the year or sold him in time for Benitez to replace him but still we were left starting the season one striker short because he seen the bright lights of Real Madrid and left his old club in the lurch .
Later that season it seemed like justice when we won the Champions League without him while he spent most of the season on the bench at the Bernabeu , but in his season at Madrid he eventually forced his way into the team and actually had the highest goals per minutes played ratio in La Liga that season, also that season he came through the season nearly injury free from playing less games so maybe Benitez`s rotation system may help with his injury problems.

All this would be a tough on Newcastle Utd who paid 16 million for a man who has only played eleven games so far for them but Owen will want to play Champions League football and there very little indication that he will get it at St James`s in the near future.

Owen has never endeared himself to the Anfield crowd in the way that Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard or Jamie Carragher have done, but he has produced some great displays and created some great memories for Liverpool fans, the FA Cup victory over Arsenal in 2001 will always be the Michael Owen final.
So Liverpool signing Owen is not very straight forward, it will divide Liverpool fans but also Liverpool now have other options, Samuel Eto`o and David Villa are names that keep cropping up. They are the best that Europe have to offer right now, but it normally takes a season or two for these players to adjust to the Premiership or in some cases like Morientes they may never adjust to it. With Owen this is not a problem he was educated in Premiership and knows what it takes to succeed.

Owens history of injuries would be a huge gamble for any club, but a fit Owen would also be huge plus for any of the top clubs.
If he proves his fitness for the rest of the season, even as risky as it is i think one of the top four may launch a bid. Owen`s first choice would be a move back to Anfield, but sadly for him i think one of the other three teams are going to be more interested in him. Liverpool now have the resources they need to at last make a proper challenge for the league title and after so many false dawns its just too risky bringing the little striker back home.

BATTLE OF BRITAIN....THE SEQUEL

It was Chelsea`s destiny to overcome Valencia and set up a chance to exact revenge on their conqueror's from two years ago, but Liverpool Football Club will not fear the Stamford Bridge outfit, and may even relish the opportunity.

As i sat and watched the Valencia-Chelsea game, i knew as soon as Chelsea scored the equalizer it was not a matter of `if´ Chelsea went on to win, it was just when and how they would overcome Valencia. When the draw for the Quarter-finals was made and Liverpool Fc and Chelsea Fc had been given a chance to reenact their semi-final from two years ago, nothing was going to get in the way, even Chelsea having to play many peoples favourites for the cup, Valencia.

Chelsea deserve credit for their fightback, after the game at Stamford bridge and that away goal it was going to be an uphill struggle travelling to Estadio Mestalla, and after going a goal down to former Liverpool player Morientes`s strike a lot of teams would have been dead and buried but Chelsea found the reserves to fight back and get that all important second away goal.

Liverpool's entry into the reenactment was simpler, they had to beat PSV, an inferior team depleted by injuries, it was all over after the first leg, Liverpool simply destroyed PSV in Eindhoven, and in the return leg simply went through the motions resting players, trying to not pick up injuries or cards, it was all a formality.

Both managers, Liverpool`s and Chelsea`s claim that the other team has the advantage, Jose Mourhinho claiming that Liverpool are only playing in one competition so that all their efforts will be concentrated on the Champions League, and meanwhile Rafa Benitez saying that with Chelsea`s outlay of money over the past few years on players for their squad they have the resources to play for a multitude of competitions at this late stage in the season. Both claims are valid, everyone that can read knows how much money Chelsea have spent over the last couple of years, and even if we sometimes think they have overpaid, they still have a huge squad of world class players, so the playing too many competitive games excuse does not wash. Liverpool fc will rest players but not many because the Anfield team still need results to guarantee a chance of champions league football next year, so both claims by the opposing managers really cancel each other out.

Chelsea i think have accumulated one advantage over their foes that has not been spoken about yet. When Liverpool won the Champions League two years ago they came through insurmountable odds, the game against Olympiacos is one obvious example where against the odds they needed goals but got them, that psychological win drummed into the players that its not over till its over and nothing is impossible, the same mentality they held onto against Chelsea and Ac Milan that year, and we all seen the results of that. And now Chelsea`s fightback against Valencia will have instilled that same confidence that led Liverpool to glory in Istanbul.
But one big black mark on Chelsea`s hope is the man that got them this far,Michael Essien missing for the first leg is a huge loss, he has been the driving force behind the team this year and will be really missed.

For all Chelsea´s millions they can still only put eleven men on the pitch at one time, and this is where the problem of Liverpool`s lack of funds is deleted by the intelligence of their manager.
Under Rafa Benitez Liverpool have built a squad of players, where maybe twelve or thirteen are truly top competitors, the rest being fill gap players or up and comings. The league table never lies, and it is true Man Utd and Chelsea have the best squads in The Premiership. Liverpool have not had the squad that is capable of sustaining a challenge for what is still the`Holy Grail´for all Liverpool fans, The Premiership.
But what Benitez has done is built a team that when he puts his best eleven on the pitch can compete with anyone in the world, perfect for cup competitions but with his, so far limited funds unable to compete in the weekly grind of the league.

Both teams are pretty equal, but Liverpool will overcome Chelsea because in Benitez they have the most tactically astute manager in football today, you only have to listen to the constant one way war of words from Mourhinho to know that the special one is worried about not being so special any more, Jose is worried because he knows that Rafa has out thought him in the past and this is now a much better Liverpool team then the one that left John Terry weeping on the Anfield turf the last time these two met at this stage and the Chelsea team of then was more superior..

And there is one more huge incentive for Liverpool to overcome the Chelsea challenge, a dream for all Liverpool fans, this is where Man Utd come into the story, nothing in this world would give Liverpool fans across the globe better pleasure than beating their oldest foes in the greatest club showcase of all.

THE MYSTERY THAT IS MASCHERANO, AND BLOWING BUBBLES

Not playing and then selling Mascherano could go down as one of the biggest mistakes in Premiership history and makes it easy to see why West Ham find themselves in a relation battle with decisions like that.

Mascherano was totally frozen out at West Ham first by Alan Pardew and then by Alan Curbishley, how have these two seemingly intelligent managers deemed him not good enough to play for West Ham and maybe this is one reason for their clubs demise. I could have understood him been frozen out if he was sloppy in training or just was not putting the effort in but after getting clearance to play for Liverpool football club, Benitez played him on his first opportunity four days later to make his debut against Sheffield United, so Benitez must have thought he was fit enough to play.
A lot more happened at West Ham than we know, Pardew had two players brought into the squad that he knew absolutely nothing about, the fact that the two players spoke no English did not help.
Mascherano was already a bystander when Curbishley arrived so the trend continued from there, but it is no excuse for a team in a relegation battle to exclude a player with Mascherano`s talents.

Since Mascherano has arrived at Liverpool we have seen what a truly world class player he actually is, and more mockingly for West Ham the type of player he is. Mascherano is one hundred percent fitted to the Premiership, his dogged tackling and never say never attitude is perfect for the English game and a team in a relegation battle like West Ham sure could use a player like him, so why is he not still championing West Hams cause.

One little insight this week was given by Rafa Benitez, when asked about why Mascherano had done so well at Liverpool Rafa replied that at Liverpool it is easier for Mascherano because of all the Spanish speaking staff, if this is true,how unprofessional of West Ham for letting one the best players to pass through their club for years and not have given him a fair chance because they could not go out of their way to solve the problem.

Since Mascherano has moved to Liverpool i have started to think something i never thought i would.....selling Sissoko.
Sissoko has been a great servant for the club but unfortunately his passing seems to getting worse and worse, there is not many better ball winners in the prem but with Momo, soon as he wins the ball he passes it straight back to the opposition, Mascherano is very different when he wins the ball, he has the Gerrard or Alonso ability to play that incisive pass to start an attack and he is aware of where his team mates are at all times. I thought that Sissoko been dropped for the last few games might have been a wake up call to him, but his passing was as bad as ever against Reading and with both Mascherano and Sissoko playing in the same game it was the perfect opportunity to compare both players, and it was not good for Sissoko. Mascherano`s tackling was better timed and his distribution of the ball was miles ahead.
Sissoko is still young and under Benitez`s guidance will improve but Barcelona want Sissoko, we want Eto´o, if the situation arose that Sissoko`s departure to the Nou Camp would put us in pole position to capture the signature of Eto`o then for the good of the team, Liverpool Fc would be willing to part ways with Sissoko.

All this comes about because Rafa seen in Mascerano what two West Ham managers did not see in the Argentinian and what a huge loss it is for West Ham and if they do go down this year people will point at this as an indication of how badly the club has been run.

COULD ROMANS RUBLES ACTUALLY BE GOOD FOR THE GAME?

Roman Abramovich`s riches have forever changed the game in England, could it be possible that this is actually a good thing not just for Chelsea but also the other big three, Liverpool Fc, Arsenal and Man Utd.

My view has always been that with the introduction of the Russians money has ruined the Premiership, the crazy sums of money payed for players they need, and worst of all the crazy money that has been paid for players they don't need, talented players like Shaun Wright Phillips who has completed just 2 full 90 minute games in the Premiership so far this season, Wayne bridge is another talent wasting away at Chelsea, which is also hurting the national team.
It would be easy to blame the players, by saying that they know what they are getting into when they sign for Chelsea and are just after the money, but we do not know what has been said to these players by Mourhinho or their agents when the transfers are happening, perhaps they are been told that they are going to be playing regularly but then arrive only to find themselves warming the bench.

These are some of the negatives (only some, but there are more) but there has been one big positive after the introduction of the Chelski millions, all the other teams have had to rise to the new challenge. Chelsea raised the bar and the other big three have had to follow suite, and the results are there to be seen. Liverpool won the Champions League two years ago Arsenal were in the final last year and this year we have three teams from the Premiership in the quarter finals, a huge improvement on the pre-roman years.

Man Utd are a shining example of this, last summer they bought Michael Carrick for 18.6 million, it was a crazy price to pay for a run of the mill midfielder but Man Utd needed him to compete against Chelsea so they gave in to Spurs ransom price and now they are reaping the rewards.
In years past they would have laughed of that asking price and waited for someone else at a later date because they might have been able to do without Carrick for another season but such is the pressure that the Chelski millions put on the other clubs that there is no waiting for tomorrow, teams have to invest more every season to compete with Romans Rubles.

For years English football fans have missed out on watching the cream of the worlds best players playing in the Premiership, the likes of Kaka, Ronaldinho or Messi, all these players deemed the Premiership not the place to be but all that is changing now in a large part to Romans Rubles. Samuel Eto`o is one of the most wanted players on the planet and he has already hinted that Liverpool Football Club is his next preferred destination, and others will follow to the Premiership.

Man utd, Liverpool Fc and probably Arsenal next have combated the Chelski millions by getting foreign (American) investors, but they are not the only ones to gain by this new trend, Spurs payed for a lot of good players with the Carrick money, and its the same for the smaller teams, transfer fees will be higher and still the bigger clubs will buy players that have proven themselves in the Premiership as a first option.

With the increased tv money next year and the money spilling over from the bigger clubs to the smaller clubs expect the Premiership to go from strength to strength and as much as i hate Roman`s Ruble`s, it has had this one beneficial side effect, and it should return us to the days when the English teams dominated Europe and finally we should see the worlds finest plying their trade in England.