I will not take cheap shots at Liverpool. I will not take cheap shots at Liverpool. I will not take cheap shots at Liverpool. I will not take cheap shots at Liverpool.
Sorry, the Ludovico Technique didn't take.
I need a taste of the old ultra-violence, err, Anfield bashing.
What a week it's been. Mericifully this weekend's game against Stoke isn't at Anfield. If it were, I'd expect major, angry, boozy protests before, during and after it. And could you blame them?
Where in the world should I start?
How about Tom Hicks' son telling a Liverpool supporter in an email to, "blow me, fuck face"? You don't even need a punchline for this one, though somehow it reminds me of the episode of "Seinfeld" where George had sex with the cleaning lady, leading to his termination from Pendant Publishing. My brain tells me, though, Tom Hicks Jr. didn't use the "Was that wrong?" defense upon being terminated from the Liverpool board.
Let's see what next? The Maxi Rodriguez signing? Sure, why not?
Admittedly, I'm not watching Atletico Madrid on a week-in, week-out basis, but to me this is a backward signing. Sure Maxi-Rod has a nice resume and an all-time highlight worthy goal from the 2006 World Cup.
But is he what Liverpool needed? Granted, due to the triple-hit of injuries of Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard and Yossi Benayoun, Rodriguez is now needed to play, and more importantly perform instead of simply giving Javier Mascherano a buddy to go eat steaks with.
Look at it this way. With Dirk Kuyt and Benayoun, who've only been the most consistent performers at the club this season, where was Rodriguez going to play?
It reminds me of a baseball or basketball team with money to burn signing free agents -- think the Minnesota Timberwolves throwing cash at Ramon Sessions last summer -- for no point, although in fairness Rodriguez didn't cost anything to sign from Spain which is a bit of red flag, no?
On the other hand, signing Marouane Chamakh from Bordeaux seems like a solid move, that's all the more important now that Torres is hurt for at least six weeks. At 26 years old and coming off a Ligue 1 championship, this at least seems like a savvy buy, even more so when it came by fending off Arsenal and others. Then again, look at the other forwards that Benitiz has purchased over the years -- Morientes, Keane, Voronin, Babel, El Zhar, Crouch, Bellamy, Ngog etc. Not a lot of home runs there, Torres aside. Not even any singles.
Whatever. At this point what's the point heaping on the club, which is doing a fine job alienating its fans on its own, most notably with the idea of selling naming rights to their fabled new stadium -- still a taboo in England -- coupled with a crushing FA Cup defeat at Anfield to Reading.
Is there some sort of sick game going on, like in "Trading Places" where two rich guys are playing an elaborate prank that only they're in on. Otherwise, to call Liverpool anything short of a disaster right now, isn't fair.
What is, however, unfair is the way Hicks and Gillett have taken this club and driven it square into the ground. At any other club in the world, Rafa would have been sent packing months or years ago. Isn't the old logic, you can't fire the owners, so fire the manager? But to continue to let him make moves and shape the club is setting the team further and further behind the pack.
Sadly, until the Yankee carpetbagger owners make enough profit can selling to some Arab oilmen materializing out from an oasis or finally get clearance for the new stadium, Liverpool will continue to sink down the drain.
This is something that pisses me off across all sports. The fans are what make the owners and players rich, but we have next to no rights, outside of the member-based clubs of certain clubs in Spain and Germany. Any sane court of law would rule that Hicks and Gillett have committed acts so heinous at Anfield, they should be stripped of the team (possibly tarred and feathered) and sent back to America, where they've done a good job running the Texas Rangers and Montreal Canadiens into the ground, too. Of course, the new owners will probably be just as bad -- go as Portsmouth.
Alas, thoughtless, greedy owners are as much a sport of sports as stadium hot dogs.
As a person that isn't exactly a Liverpool fan, per say, but does get chills during refrains of "You'll Never Walk Alone" this is a sad, sad disgrace of tradition.
Me? I'm about the least sentimental person on this planet, but for whatever the reason, traditions matter to me sports. It really doesn't give me any great pleasure to see what two clueless buffoons from the States have done to a classic English club.
At least Tom Hicks has never walked to the center line of Anfield at half time, dropped trow and pinched out a brown, Texas-sized loaf. The way it's going, we're not too far away from that, if it hasn't metaphorically already happened.
Other stuff:
* Doesn't it seem like forever since the Premier League played? And all of a sudden we have a three, if not four, team race for the title with Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City. Doesn't it seem more realistic to see City and Arsenal push Chelsea, as opposed to United, especially in light of Sir Alex's ref-whining wearing thin on everybody?
* Speaking of Manchester United, there financial situation is dicey, I think. I've read a few things here-and-there about what the Glazers are doing, and frankly, it makes my head hurt. Whatever happens, as much as the Glazers are hated, the team has won three-straight Premier League titles and a Champions League. Not too shabby, no?
* Patrick Vieira and Sol Campbell back in the Premier League? What's next, Dennis Bergkamp dusting off the boots and suiting up for Birmingham City?
* Oh right, Setanta is still in play until Fox opens up Fox Soccer Plus, which will probably cost you some money. (If anyone is getting FSC-HD, let me know.)
Saturday:
* Stoke City v. Livepool -- (Live, ESPN2, 7:45 a.m.) Weird transfer, Stoke grabbing David James from Portsmouth. Was Tomas Sorensam that poor? Was Tony Pulis steamed by the Maynor Figeuroa goal from beyond the halfway line? If I'm a Danish fan, I'm not happy about it. (Update, as of Friday morning this loan might not happen.) Should be fun to see what kind of lineup Benitez throws out there, no? Dirk Kuyt, get ready to run. ... Stoke City 1, Liverpool 1
* Tottenham v. Hull City -- Prayers go out to Jozy Altidore, who likely won't feature in this one because of the crisis in Haiti. Back to the game, with Man City chugging up the table, Spurs can't afford to drop points, especially at home, to teams like Hull at White Hart Lane. With Benoit Assou-Ekotto with Cameroon in Angola, Spurs might finally need to get something -- anything -- from Gareth Bale. Now would be a good time. It would probably also be a good time for Harry Redknapp to pay his taxes. Suffice to say, whenever he pens his autobiography, I'm queuing up to purchase it. ... Spurs 3, Hull City 0
* Chelsea v. Sunderland -- (Live, FSC, 10 a.m.) Nice weekend for Chelsea, last time, without even kicking the ball as the Blues watched Arsenal and Manchester United stumble to draws. The Blues, as we know, haven't played all that well lately, stubbing their toes, too. Chelsea hasn't played in two weeks and needs to get its swagger back, which could be tough without Didier Drogba in the mix. Still, Stamford Bridge is Stamford Bridge. ... Chelsea 2, Sunderland 1
* Wolves v. Wigan -- Not a good year to be a Premier League club with a name that starts with "W", as Wolves, Wigan and West Ham are a combined 14-31-14 (w-l-d). Maybe they can all trade rosters and see if nobody notices. ... Wolves 1, Wigan 0
* Manchester United v. Burnley -- (Live, Setanta, 10 a.m.) Remember those heady days when Owen Coyle led the Clarets to an upset over the champions at Turf Moor? Well Burnley fans, you'll always have Paris. ... Manchester United 3, Burnley 0
* Portsmouth v. Birmingham -- Poor, poor Pompey. For a loyal fan base, they deserve better, especially as local rivals Southampton have also fallen from grace. Where are they going to find players to even fill out the uniforms by the end of the season? Or pay these players? What a shame. Birmingham loses Lee Carsley for a couple weeks, but should be able to keep the goodwill going. ... Portsmouth 0, Birmingham 1
* Everton v. Manchester City -- (Live, FSC, 12:30 p.m.) Genuinely excited for this match. As you read earlier, I'm kind of, a little unabashedly in love with the play of Carlos Tevez lately. City, with all its attacking players, is playing a nice brand of football. After a solid debut, Landon Donovan will have his work cut out for him against an in-form Slyvinho. Also, Lucas Neill to Galatasaray? He must be have one of the unlikeable locker room personalities in the game today. Is he sleeping with other players girlfriends or something? Pulling an Arenas? ... Everton 1, Man City 2
Sunday:
* Aston Villa v. West Ham United -- (Live, Setanta, 8:30 a.m.) Aston Villa were like Krispy Kreme at the start of the 2000s, hot hot hot. Then, overnight, they went to not not not. Villa did field essentially a first-choice team on Thursday in the Carling Cup semifinals, except for Brad Guzan over Brad Freidel in nets. Maybe that reinvigorates the campaign, however with what Mancini is doing at City, fourth place might still remain out of reach. ... Villa 2, West Ham 0
* Blackburn v. Fulham -- Maybe a game for the old-time English football diehards? Perhaps only if Blackburn shows up, which they haven't done all that often. ... Blackburn 1, Fulham 0
* Bolton v. Arsenal -- (Live, FSC, 11 a.m.) Let's say this, the Reebok Stadium might actually have some life this week now that Coyle is in charge. It certainly adds to the unpredictability factor of this match. Sometimes Premier League games go to a certain script, and this one would be Bolton getting a result in Coyle's return to his former club. Doubt Arsene Wenger is reading these scripts. If Cesc Fabregas plays, it's hard to see Bolton holding Arsenal off the scoreboard, although some of the big bruisers that the Trotters have -- Kevin Davies, Johan Ellmander, Ivan Klasnic -- are the type of players that trouble the Arsenal defense. ... Bolton 1, Arsenal 2
Don't forget, I'll be on the Twitter-wire during the games.
Last round: 2-1
Season: 105-94
Sorry, the Ludovico Technique didn't take.
I need a taste of the old ultra-violence, err, Anfield bashing.
What a week it's been. Mericifully this weekend's game against Stoke isn't at Anfield. If it were, I'd expect major, angry, boozy protests before, during and after it. And could you blame them?
Where in the world should I start?
How about Tom Hicks' son telling a Liverpool supporter in an email to, "blow me, fuck face"? You don't even need a punchline for this one, though somehow it reminds me of the episode of "Seinfeld" where George had sex with the cleaning lady, leading to his termination from Pendant Publishing. My brain tells me, though, Tom Hicks Jr. didn't use the "Was that wrong?" defense upon being terminated from the Liverpool board.
Let's see what next? The Maxi Rodriguez signing? Sure, why not?
Admittedly, I'm not watching Atletico Madrid on a week-in, week-out basis, but to me this is a backward signing. Sure Maxi-Rod has a nice resume and an all-time highlight worthy goal from the 2006 World Cup.
But is he what Liverpool needed? Granted, due to the triple-hit of injuries of Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard and Yossi Benayoun, Rodriguez is now needed to play, and more importantly perform instead of simply giving Javier Mascherano a buddy to go eat steaks with.
Look at it this way. With Dirk Kuyt and Benayoun, who've only been the most consistent performers at the club this season, where was Rodriguez going to play?
It reminds me of a baseball or basketball team with money to burn signing free agents -- think the Minnesota Timberwolves throwing cash at Ramon Sessions last summer -- for no point, although in fairness Rodriguez didn't cost anything to sign from Spain which is a bit of red flag, no?
On the other hand, signing Marouane Chamakh from Bordeaux seems like a solid move, that's all the more important now that Torres is hurt for at least six weeks. At 26 years old and coming off a Ligue 1 championship, this at least seems like a savvy buy, even more so when it came by fending off Arsenal and others. Then again, look at the other forwards that Benitiz has purchased over the years -- Morientes, Keane, Voronin, Babel, El Zhar, Crouch, Bellamy, Ngog etc. Not a lot of home runs there, Torres aside. Not even any singles.
Whatever. At this point what's the point heaping on the club, which is doing a fine job alienating its fans on its own, most notably with the idea of selling naming rights to their fabled new stadium -- still a taboo in England -- coupled with a crushing FA Cup defeat at Anfield to Reading.
Is there some sort of sick game going on, like in "Trading Places" where two rich guys are playing an elaborate prank that only they're in on. Otherwise, to call Liverpool anything short of a disaster right now, isn't fair.
What is, however, unfair is the way Hicks and Gillett have taken this club and driven it square into the ground. At any other club in the world, Rafa would have been sent packing months or years ago. Isn't the old logic, you can't fire the owners, so fire the manager? But to continue to let him make moves and shape the club is setting the team further and further behind the pack.
Sadly, until the Yankee carpetbagger owners make enough profit can selling to some Arab oilmen materializing out from an oasis or finally get clearance for the new stadium, Liverpool will continue to sink down the drain.
This is something that pisses me off across all sports. The fans are what make the owners and players rich, but we have next to no rights, outside of the member-based clubs of certain clubs in Spain and Germany. Any sane court of law would rule that Hicks and Gillett have committed acts so heinous at Anfield, they should be stripped of the team (possibly tarred and feathered) and sent back to America, where they've done a good job running the Texas Rangers and Montreal Canadiens into the ground, too. Of course, the new owners will probably be just as bad -- go as Portsmouth.
Alas, thoughtless, greedy owners are as much a sport of sports as stadium hot dogs.
As a person that isn't exactly a Liverpool fan, per say, but does get chills during refrains of "You'll Never Walk Alone" this is a sad, sad disgrace of tradition.
Me? I'm about the least sentimental person on this planet, but for whatever the reason, traditions matter to me sports. It really doesn't give me any great pleasure to see what two clueless buffoons from the States have done to a classic English club.
At least Tom Hicks has never walked to the center line of Anfield at half time, dropped trow and pinched out a brown, Texas-sized loaf. The way it's going, we're not too far away from that, if it hasn't metaphorically already happened.
Other stuff:
* Doesn't it seem like forever since the Premier League played? And all of a sudden we have a three, if not four, team race for the title with Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City. Doesn't it seem more realistic to see City and Arsenal push Chelsea, as opposed to United, especially in light of Sir Alex's ref-whining wearing thin on everybody?
* Speaking of Manchester United, there financial situation is dicey, I think. I've read a few things here-and-there about what the Glazers are doing, and frankly, it makes my head hurt. Whatever happens, as much as the Glazers are hated, the team has won three-straight Premier League titles and a Champions League. Not too shabby, no?
* Patrick Vieira and Sol Campbell back in the Premier League? What's next, Dennis Bergkamp dusting off the boots and suiting up for Birmingham City?
* Oh right, Setanta is still in play until Fox opens up Fox Soccer Plus, which will probably cost you some money. (If anyone is getting FSC-HD, let me know.)
Saturday:
* Stoke City v. Livepool -- (Live, ESPN2, 7:45 a.m.) Weird transfer, Stoke grabbing David James from Portsmouth. Was Tomas Sorensam that poor? Was Tony Pulis steamed by the Maynor Figeuroa goal from beyond the halfway line? If I'm a Danish fan, I'm not happy about it. (Update, as of Friday morning this loan might not happen.) Should be fun to see what kind of lineup Benitez throws out there, no? Dirk Kuyt, get ready to run. ... Stoke City 1, Liverpool 1
* Tottenham v. Hull City -- Prayers go out to Jozy Altidore, who likely won't feature in this one because of the crisis in Haiti. Back to the game, with Man City chugging up the table, Spurs can't afford to drop points, especially at home, to teams like Hull at White Hart Lane. With Benoit Assou-Ekotto with Cameroon in Angola, Spurs might finally need to get something -- anything -- from Gareth Bale. Now would be a good time. It would probably also be a good time for Harry Redknapp to pay his taxes. Suffice to say, whenever he pens his autobiography, I'm queuing up to purchase it. ... Spurs 3, Hull City 0
* Chelsea v. Sunderland -- (Live, FSC, 10 a.m.) Nice weekend for Chelsea, last time, without even kicking the ball as the Blues watched Arsenal and Manchester United stumble to draws. The Blues, as we know, haven't played all that well lately, stubbing their toes, too. Chelsea hasn't played in two weeks and needs to get its swagger back, which could be tough without Didier Drogba in the mix. Still, Stamford Bridge is Stamford Bridge. ... Chelsea 2, Sunderland 1
* Wolves v. Wigan -- Not a good year to be a Premier League club with a name that starts with "W", as Wolves, Wigan and West Ham are a combined 14-31-14 (w-l-d). Maybe they can all trade rosters and see if nobody notices. ... Wolves 1, Wigan 0
* Manchester United v. Burnley -- (Live, Setanta, 10 a.m.) Remember those heady days when Owen Coyle led the Clarets to an upset over the champions at Turf Moor? Well Burnley fans, you'll always have Paris. ... Manchester United 3, Burnley 0
* Portsmouth v. Birmingham -- Poor, poor Pompey. For a loyal fan base, they deserve better, especially as local rivals Southampton have also fallen from grace. Where are they going to find players to even fill out the uniforms by the end of the season? Or pay these players? What a shame. Birmingham loses Lee Carsley for a couple weeks, but should be able to keep the goodwill going. ... Portsmouth 0, Birmingham 1
* Everton v. Manchester City -- (Live, FSC, 12:30 p.m.) Genuinely excited for this match. As you read earlier, I'm kind of, a little unabashedly in love with the play of Carlos Tevez lately. City, with all its attacking players, is playing a nice brand of football. After a solid debut, Landon Donovan will have his work cut out for him against an in-form Slyvinho. Also, Lucas Neill to Galatasaray? He must be have one of the unlikeable locker room personalities in the game today. Is he sleeping with other players girlfriends or something? Pulling an Arenas? ... Everton 1, Man City 2
Sunday:
* Aston Villa v. West Ham United -- (Live, Setanta, 8:30 a.m.) Aston Villa were like Krispy Kreme at the start of the 2000s, hot hot hot. Then, overnight, they went to not not not. Villa did field essentially a first-choice team on Thursday in the Carling Cup semifinals, except for Brad Guzan over Brad Freidel in nets. Maybe that reinvigorates the campaign, however with what Mancini is doing at City, fourth place might still remain out of reach. ... Villa 2, West Ham 0
* Blackburn v. Fulham -- Maybe a game for the old-time English football diehards? Perhaps only if Blackburn shows up, which they haven't done all that often. ... Blackburn 1, Fulham 0
* Bolton v. Arsenal -- (Live, FSC, 11 a.m.) Let's say this, the Reebok Stadium might actually have some life this week now that Coyle is in charge. It certainly adds to the unpredictability factor of this match. Sometimes Premier League games go to a certain script, and this one would be Bolton getting a result in Coyle's return to his former club. Doubt Arsene Wenger is reading these scripts. If Cesc Fabregas plays, it's hard to see Bolton holding Arsenal off the scoreboard, although some of the big bruisers that the Trotters have -- Kevin Davies, Johan Ellmander, Ivan Klasnic -- are the type of players that trouble the Arsenal defense. ... Bolton 1, Arsenal 2
Don't forget, I'll be on the Twitter-wire during the games.
Last round: 2-1
Season: 105-94
Labels: English Premier League, Liverpool, Prem Picks, Soccer
I was discussing the Maxi move with a friend of mine who is a hardcore Scouser and he just shook his head and told me, "I've given up trying to understand what that fat prick is doing." So maybe a time to make a move?
Everyone on that team needs to be made available for the right price. If Madrid or Barca came with an 80 MM GBP offer for Torres, they should take it. Especially if the bulk of that could go back into the transfer market. They could use that money to get something like Dzeko, Huntelaar, and a CB.
I would hold off on giving fourth spot to City until they beat somebody. Since Mancini has taken over they have certainly looked good, but they've beaten Stoke, Wolves, Middlesbrough and Blackburn. Looking at their schedule, their season boils down to late Feb/early March - @ Stoke, v Liverpool, @ Chelsea, v Spurs, @ Sunderland. Everton is probably their toughest match between now and then, unless you count whatever crap Fergie throws out in the Carling Cup.
I'll be pulling heavily for Ghana today - an Ivory Coast loss today followed by a Burkina Faso result on Tuesday would have Drogba back for next week's FA Cup match at Preston. And more importantly, the following week's games against Birmingham and Burnley.
Benoit Assou-Ekotto is not with Cameroon, he withdrew from the tournament due to "injury" (apparently in part angered because Seb Bassong was left out of the squad).