Youth set up:
In the past three seasons, the youth team has been right on the ball as regards league position and the youth cup. Where are these players coming through? Kelly and Spearing are the only ones I see, and their appearances (even when the team is losing regularly) are few and far between and involve substitutions.
Reserves:
We have a great string of reserve players, who, no matter how many injury problems and defeats, just don’t seem to get close to playing for the first team. How many more promising talents are going to farmed out to other clubs when on the verge of a break through into the first team?
The first team:
I have said it before and I’ll say it again, you cannot have players build up relationships on the pitch if every other week they are playing alongside different players!
How can Babel build rapport with his defensive back if he’s being subbed every time he plays and the defender is different?
Lucas, Ngog… are these players of the quality Liverpool need in a 65 match campaign?
Continuing to chop and change the first team put out for each game does not encourage competition for places.

It’s time to move on Rafa, Liverpool FC cannot afford to plod on any longer. Bring in a manager who will support the structure of the club, its traditions and its heart, no single player is bigger than the club and it is unfair to continually rely on two, maybe three, top quality players to keep its position in any competition.
The fans demand that the first team is put out for all games, get a system in place and stick to it, then everyone who supports/works for the club knows what is happening.

Football:
Chelsea are playing Stoke City, Chelsea are 1-0 down, a couple of injuries, at the end of the first half, the third official holds up the injury time to be played board… 8 minutes!
Chelsea scored.
Second half, with 88 minutes played, Chelsea are still being held at 1-1, the injury time board goes up again, another 5 minutes to be played.
Chelsea scored in the 94th minute to win the game.

Tennis:
Serena Williams slams her racket against the floor in frustration at her own failings, she was given a warning.
When facing match point, she was given a foot fault by the line judge (when replays show she did not foot fault on the point, the line judge got it wrong) after a verbal outburst at the line judge, the umpire listened to the line judge then took a penalty point from Williams, costing her the match!

Formula one:
Watching the Italian Grand Prix this afternoon, it is dull!
Less overtaking opportunities, safety this safety that, its becoming mundane.
It is less about sport and more about generating money. For the fans that have paid good money to watch a “race” I feel sorry, they should have their money refunded!
“I went to monza today and saw a thrilling race where the winner took the lead with a faster pitstop!”
Come on sporting world wake up, anyone would think that influences and corporate money are dictating sports?

Getty images

In fact, the opposite is true.
The top four “mini league” is not a major factor in deciding where the premier league title goes each season.
What decides a team of champions, is a little more complex.
New teams playing in the premiership:
Last season, the top flight of English football witnessed a dramatic change.
Liverpool of the late 70s/early 80s had Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest to contend with, (ie, teams with managers that cared not one instance for the dominating clubs) and in the late 90s Liverpool had the Wimbledons and Leeds Utd teams that swam against the status quo tide.
Last season we had Hull City and Stoke City, not possible title winners, but teams who are just as dangerous in causing damage to the big clubs.

They both have managers that don’t care for the “in club” of the well known, established managers. They show respect to other teams, but don’t feed off the back of the bigger clubs.
They have the ability to be unpredictable and dangerous, to encourage other teams to do what they do, have a go at the big clubs. For English football, they have been a breath of fresh air!
Last season we saw Hull City come to Anfield and terrorise Liverpool. They repeated this at Manchester Utd, they won at Arsenal they destroyed Newcastle in their own back yard.
The pundits said they were freak results, the pundits were wrong.
Stoke City held Liverpool home and away, to a 0-0 draw. They upset some of the stale middle league teams by beating them and, in a small way, contributed to the downfall of Newcastle and Middlesbro, sending them to relegation.
But there is a more damaging aspect creeping up on the big clubs, the end of Alex Ferguson’s control and influence!

What Fergie has done over recent seasons, has been no different from Shankly and Paisley’s boot room.
A cunning trickery that has benefitted Man Utd each and every season.
Instead of the “boot room” Liverpool used to have, Man Utd’s manager has “shared a bottle of wine” after every game.
The cosy club of Sir Alex Ferguson visiting a little ground and a manager who is fighting tooth and nail to survive in the premiership, in awe of this “great man” trying to learn from him, inadvertantly giving away titbits of information, that only end up benefitting Manchester Utd in their chase for yet another title.

Prior to Hull City and Stoke City arriving in the premiership, it was a cosy closed shop. The more they became chatty with Fergie, the more unlikely it became that these smaller clubs would cause Manchester Utd any problems on a wet wednesday night in the harsh British winter games.
Mistakes would happen, long runs of a lesser team not getting any points from their games with Man Utd would occur.
Look at Steve Bruce, in his games against his old club, he has gone 18 games without a win against them. Middlesbro’s record against Man Utd under Steve McClaren and Bryan Robson, who used to be at Man Utd, was abismal, yet when Arsenal or Liverpool came to town, they would get draws or even beat them.

The information Fergie gets from his discussions over a bottle of wine, with the lesser teams, is invaluable.
The managers of lesser teams see it as a bonus for them, they get to speak to “the great man” they may get a favour or two as regards the loan of a player, whilst Fergie gets information on how the smaller club prepares/plays their games. He gets insight into where the strengths and weaknesses of their team is.
Fergie also gets valuable information on exciting players these clubs plan to sign. He has been known to step in and buy them, but not play them, just to stop smaller clubs getting an advantage?
“Loose talk sinks ships” so said the old wartime saying, never has it been more apt than in the world of football.
One smaller club that didn’t subscribe to this “cosy club” was Southampton. They would regularly thump Man Utd, taking points from them, in one instance when they thrashed them 6-2 at the Dell, Alex Ferguson refused the BBC permission to use highlights of the game, once it had been aired on match of the day.

Stoke City and Hull City last season, kicked sand in the face of the big clubs and I hope they continue to do so this season.
With Burnley not yet being part of Fergie’s little gatherings after a match, they too caused an upset, beating a very average Manchester Utd side.
As the number of new clubs appearing in the premiership grows, so the big clubs dominance dwindles.

Fergie’s cosy little club is shrinking, which explains why we had such an open league championship last year.
It has not gone away though, which shows that no matter how the “top four league” do against each other, the title is won and lost against the smaller clubs.

English football loses Bobby Robson

With Ipswich Town, Robson took on and beat some of the best Liverpool teams, winning the FA CUP, UEFA cup, and were twice runners up in the league, with a style of football that is still played at Portman Road to this day.
Success with Barcelona, Sporting Lisbon, Porto and PSV Eindhoven followed, but it is for his achievements as manager of England in the World Cup finals that I will always remember him.

In 1986, Mexico, we watched as his team of established and younger players turned up the heat on the rest of the world as we battled through to the quarter-finals, facing the “mighty” Argentina and Maradonna in his prime.
Despite the gulf in experience and skills, England more than overcame their nerves, after the infamous “Hand of God” goal and the world class strike from the world’s best player, England set about the so called giants of the world game.
John Barnes was introduced on the left wing, feeding the ever more threatening Gary Linekar, England managed to pull it back to 2-1.
Then with just seconds remaining, Barnes curled a cross in which beat the keeper and curled agonisingly across the front of goal, just beating Linekar’s outstretched boot. The chance had gone and England were out, beaten by a goal which was clearly handball.

After a disappointing performance saw us knocked out of the European championships in 1988, Robson took charge of the England team at the Italia 1990 World Cup finals.
What a roller coaster ride we had!
Who can forget Nessun Dorma?
The edgy 1-0 win over egypt with a Mark Wright goal that saw us win the group – The last second David Platt goal against Belgium that took us through to the quarter finals.
The brilliant Roger Milla and the Cameroon team that came so close to knocking us out, we broke their hearts and won through 3-2 after extra time.
The real challenge was about to come. Desperate for revenge against Argentina for the “Hand of God” – this side had Maradonna, but they were nothing like the team that we had faced four years earlier in Mexico.
Between us and our glorious revenge, was West Germany, perhaps the worst team to come up against in a World Cup finals match!

West Germany were not lighting up the tournament, their team was ageing but still dangerous, as all German national sides are.
At the end, only a penalty shoot could deny us, as devastating as it was, thankfully West Germany went on to beat Argentina in the final.

For all of us, just simple fans, who were not even born in 1966 when England triumphed, this was our ‘66!
It was a great occasion enjoyed by millions of England fans all over the world, all created because of a small group of players, picked and motivated by Bobby Robson.

A true gent of the game, a very humble and honest man, who did everything he could to encourage players of all levels, ages and nationalities. Bobby Robson never forgot his roots and the fans, always showing great humility.
Rest in peace Bobby, you will be sorely missed.

I say this as a Liverpool fan, Ronaldo has been a burden for Man Utd, yes he has scored over 100 goals for the club, but to suggest to every fan (and its the fan’s club) that his heart was with Man Utd, only to tell his agent (after Kaka’s move to Real Madrid) that he wanted to leave Man Utd.

Many Pool fans slate Gary Neville, but I don’t. He has shown great loyalty to the club, he has won many trophies with them and maybe will do again, either as a player or as part of the coaching staff.
Ronaldo has made a big mistake moving away from one of the most successful clubs in Europe, at 24 he maybe a millionaire, but will he win things with Real?

Real Madrid are a legendary club, of that there is no doubt, but last season they were beaten by Barcelona to the Spanish league and came nowhere in the Champions league.
Manchester United do not need this type of player, as with Pool teams of the past, no player is bigger than the club!

The FA Cup final should always remain the same:
- Marching army band entertains the fans
- “Abide with me” is sang by all supporters, music provided by the band
- The fans sing the national anthem
- The teams are introduced to a member of the royal family
This year, the football association should hang their heads in shame!

The tv commentator told us, “There are traditions that are always kept for a Wembley cup final!”
We got “Abide with me” by a gospel choir, with a totally different arrangement, in a totally different key, whilst the camera showed us the fans, who couldn’t join in as they didn’t understand this “modern” version.
We got a national anthem sung by an opera singer!
We got the players being introduced by Kofi Annan! (Secretary-General of the United Nations)

Disgraceful!
If tradition is important to the FA, then why have they dumped all the wembley traditions, and not incorporated the twin towers into the new stadium?
It is the fan’s day, it is the fan’s competition, cut the modernisation and lefty new layout, give us back our FA Cup final!

Darren Fletcher has been outstanding for them this season, between himself and Carrick, in front of the back four, rotating as one goes pressuring the ball and the other sits in, to stop runners.
Without Fletcher last night, Man Utd had no midfield and being up against three of the best midfielders in the world, you’d have thought the Utd midfield didn’t show up at all!

The game itself was a good one, some excellent Barca passing in midfield, after an early burst from Utd. For once it was a clean game, most players tried to stay on their feet and play the ball.

Another down side for Utd, was their lack of pace around the pitch. They looked unusually lacklustre in pressing the ball. No doubt the resting of players (missing the game against Hull) as is so often the case, cost them on the night, as they were not fresh.
I have never understood why teams drop complete sides, to rest them for big games.
Players need to be match fit to avoid injuries, playing regularly.
When Liverpool came back from 3-0 down against AC Milan, they had been fighting against a backlog of games and chasing trophies, so most of the team played every week, even in midweek games.
They were able to pick up the pace and that changed the game.

When Pool lost to AC Milan in the final two years later, they were rested before the game and looked lethargic during the match, unable to call on match fitness energy that they had previously.
The British way of playing week in week out has paid dividends in the past, as regards European trophies, so why tinker with a winning formula?

The title:
I fully expect Man Utd to equal Liverpool’s record of 18 championship wins tomorrow, against Arsenal.
The only minor spanner in the works could be Arshavin, who has been electric for the gunners, when he’s been fit.
Utd just need one point to clinch the title, which is surprising, as they have been pushed all the way by both Chelsea and Liverpool, but who also both slipped up, when they really should have won games, taking the pressure off Utd.

Over the whole season, Liverpool’s mid season series of drawn games looks to have cost them the prize that I and every Pool fan, dreams of, the league title.
Unusual this time as Utd have lost more games, Liverpool have just lost twice, in games they really should have got something from. Will this highlight to Benitez, that he cannot buy the title, but needs to bring reliable players, the likes of Jay Spearing, etc, through the youth set up, into the first team. Players of this ilk are vital on wet rainy wednesday night games in Bolton, etc.

Utd have struggled against some teams this season, but have used their “home grown” players to great effect. I remember them struggling 0-0 against Bolton, then scoring late on to clinch a vital 3 points, one of three games they did this as the games in cup competitions mounted up and they picked up a couple of injuries.

It’s about time we saw more teams of Hull and Stoke’s type, that comes up from the championship and have a right good go at the big clubs.
I’m tired of the stale mid to bottom half of the table clubs who just plod on and don’t put up a good fight against the top five clubs.
It would also be a refreshing change, if clubs managed by ex fergie players, actually took points from Utd.
The amazing figure of Wigan (managed by Steve Bruce) versus Man Utd games was plastered everywhere last weekend.
In 13 attempts, Wigan have drawn 2 and lost 11 against Utd.
To be fair they did give Utd a good go in midweek, once again it wasn’t enough.

I’d expect Man Utd to be too strong for Arsenal tomorrow, Utd to win 3-1.

The relegation battle:
I don’t want Hull City to go down (that will be a kiss of death then) this season they have been a breathe of fresh air!
They have had a go at all the teams in the top flight this year, with the exception of one or two games, every club has had to battle it out with them.
At the time they went to Old Trafford, they were higher in the league than Man Utd and at one point, were the top team in the land!
However, I think their time may run out this weekend.

Away to Bolton is never an easy game, but with Bolton now safe for another season, will they relax or try to push on?

Newcastle have now got above Hull, with a much better goal difference. Last week’s win over Middlesbrough was huge for them.
Had they lost they would have been in deep trouble, as it stands they have survival in their own hands again.
At home to Fulham (who are chasing a european place) they should win and be safe (due to Hull’s poor goal difference) as Fulham on the road are less than average. At home, Fulham would have been odds on to win it.
Middlesbrough have gone in my view. They surely cannot pull it around can they?
With Alves out this weekend and Wheater their defender missing also, a hungry Aston Villa are visiting, who themselves have Everton breathing down their necks for 5th place and a european place.

West Brom could be the surprise package. Although bottom for a long while now, their home form in their last two games has been electric!
3-0 and 3-1 wins are just what the doctor ordered. They can now only catch two teams who are not in the relegation places, which brings me on to the one team that no pundit seems to be talking about… Sunderland!

They got rid of Roy Keane (now at Ipswich) and placed Ricky in charge. Their results turned with away draws and home wins for a while, but recently they just cannot score.

Bizarre it may sound, but all three North East clubs could go down this season. With the bottom clubs all being close to each other, it certainly hasn’t been dull this season.
With games being played on Saturday, Sunday and Monday due to television commitments, those playing later could be much more comfortable before they even kick off.

Whatever happens, there will be heartache and wild celebrations this weekend in the premiership…

Ronaldo’s dramatic efforts to win a free kick, which led to Utd’s second goal against Arsenal last night, was a farce!
I wonder what he would do, if he was at home and he stubs his toe on the coffee table? Would it involve 10 minutes of rolling around on the sofa?
Would his partner rush in with a wet sponge?
Would he then hobble to kitchen, grimacing as he goes and trying to flex his foot to ease the pain?
Do us all a favour and give it a rest!

Problem 2:
Darren Fletcher, (I speak as a Liverpool fan) is a victim of a complete joke.
He has played his part in Man Utd’s season, they have battled through to the European cup final, only for him to be suspended, for winning the ball with a well timed tackle!
Under UEFA rules, Man Utd can only appeal if the referee admits he has made a mistake. The referee will not admit his mistake, despite clear video evidence that his decision was completely wrong!

At the speed of the game and where the ref is on the pitch, mistakes can be made, sending him off was bad enough, giving Arsenal a penalty was even worse, but suspending him from the biggest single game of his career (One of the biggest games in any player’s career) and refusing to reverse the decision, makes a mockery of UEFA.

The lad made a perfectly timed tackle, come on UEFA, step in and put this right, then change the rules, before it happens to any other player!

Do you think Darren Fletcher should miss out on the final?

All too often a player is “rested” or comes on as a sub and gets an injury which ends their playing for that season.
Gazza, Beckham, Bryan Robson (for England) are just some of the high profile names to have experienced this.
The latest name is Phil Jagielka, the Everton defender who has been exceptional all season for his club, he breaks into the England set up, holds off Man Utd and books a place in the FA cup final, is rested for a game then comes on as a sub, falls awkwardly, is stretchered off and his season is over.

I can sympathise with this. Many years ago in my youth, I was playing for an under 15 side, who lost almost every week in their league matches. Bottom of the league on -2 points our club’s one saving grace, was qualifying for the league’s “FA cup” final.
The day before our big game, I was taking part in cross country at school, as I walked back to the changing rooms, I tripped over a foot high, small edging wall, scraping right down my left shin.
So bad was it, I was not allowed to play in the final, I was absolutely gutted!

Devistating for the player, disastrous for the club and their fans, nobody wins. Heartbreak!