How long does Torres need to sort his crisis of confidence out? 6 months on from the world cup finals, still he’s struggling?
I don’t believe he wants to play for Liverpool football club anymore.
He has been consistantly 10 yards off the pace all season, he is not hassling centre backs, he plays devoid of any positional sense, he does not look hungry, a token run towards any defenders clearing the ball, without so much as a tackle of block, is neither use nor ornament to anyone.
The Torres we paid more than £20 Million for, was alert, sharp, sat on the last man and frightened the life out of him, with pace, and running in behind the defence into the space. Defenders didn’t know if they should push up and risk being left stranded if any balls came over the top, or sit deep and be skinned as he ran at you with pace and trickery.
You only have to look at Torres this season and look at the Torres who destroyed Vidic in beating Man Utd 4-1 at old trafford.
Put him in the reserves and let the coaches there iron out his problems and give his place to a hungry forward who has positional sense in his play.
Another nightmare waiting to happen, is the continuous playing of players, out of position!
School boy error, it may be fine for half a game due to injury, but when opposing teams see Dirk Kuyt on the left instead of his familiar right side of midfield, it gives their winger and left back a lift and an attacking option.
It is school boy stuff Roy, for proof of this observe Fulham last season.
Fulham’s team picked itself. Players played week in week out alongside the same players in the same positions.
Why you are made manager of Liverpool, then decide to change players around and in and out of the team every other week god only knows.
Get a basic way of playing, put the first team in those positions and if changes are needed, make them gradually.
Let the team know a couple of bad games and then someone else will be given a chance in their position. To regain their place they must perform in the reserves and hope that the first teamer in their place has a couple of bad games, giving them another chance.

I really cannot understand why managers find this technique so difficult?
Play players consistantly in positions they were bought to play in.
Take Meireles for example, an attacking midfielder with a shot like a mule, scoring many goals ala graeme souness, from the edge of the penalty area.
Bought to provide more goals from midfield.
Where has he been played so far?
Right wing, left wing, sat in front of the back four, as a defensive midfielder. Why?
Maxi is another one. Starts scoring a few goals from the wing and midfield, then he’s “rested” – why?

Playing players in regular positions allows relationships to build and teamwork to grow, which increases defensive and attacking options.
They management can start coaching individual players in how they want them to play, improving individual technique.
It really is that simple

The successful teams I have watched through the years in English football, Early 70s Leeds team, Liverpool through the 70s and 80s, Everton in the 80s, Nottingham Forest of the late 70s early 80s, Ipswich Town’s cup winning team, etc, have all had several things in common – making unknown players famous.
Once a club forget what put them in their dominant position, the unknown names that run through the core of their teams, and starts paying big money for “talent” then their days as the top club are numbered.
Liverpool’s best days consisted of teams made up of players from lower leagues and even gaelic football, the big money signings came much later, which slowed the fall from the top.
Nottingham Forest went from the old second division to European champions in a few short years with names such as Gary Birtles, John Robertson, Viv Anderson, Archie Gemmill, John McGovern, etc, all grafters from outside the top circle of footballing stars.
Manchester United tried for decades to buy the title, a succession of managers and big money stars passed through the club, Ferguson was himself close to being sacked, when injuries forced him to put out a young relatively unknown team of players, Beckham, Scholes, Giggs, Neville brothers, etc, and he struck gold.

Any line up of players brought in from outside the top tier, taught to play in a certain way, at the core of the team, can dominate English football. It is what makes our league unique.
This is why English teams are so successful in Europe, the pace and passion is rarely matched abroad. (Hence why, when we have international matches, where the play is slower, more methodical, we struggle – where as if we played as a league team, Capello has already stated this, we become close to invincible!)
Wayne Rooney is no different from Kevin Keegan, star of the Liverpool show, or Graeme Souness the midfield power house wanted by clubs around Europe, or even Ronaldo and his bizarre exit from Old Trafford.

Man Utd should simply sell him off for big money to any club stupid enough to pay big money for him.
Arsene Wenger knows all too well how much damage to a club can be done by holding on to players when they don’t want to be there.
Although I admire Rooney for sticking to his guns, I can’t help thinking we have seen all this before.

The difference this time, is that Ferguson is trying to justify his position by playing to the media. No manager should do this, the old Fergie would have kicked Rooney into the reserves for a couple of weeks or left him on the subs bench for weeks in full view of every fan.
Personally, if a player states they want to leave my club, then I don’t want to see them in the first team again.
Liverpool are seeing now, how damaging the promise of first team football to get players to join or stay can be to a club.

Before you start messaging me saying Chelsea are buying the titles they have won, just take a look at how long they have been playing together!
Big names they maybe, but the core of the team have been together through four different managers over 5,6 even sometimes 7 seasons.
Occasional additions are added with the odd injured player leaving. The example of Joe Cole is a stark one.
Seemingly a great pick up from Chelsea, as he is not offered a new contract, but watch him play, he’s lost a yard of pace, he’s trying to play a central role without the engine, he’s now too slow to do damage on the wing, he’s no longer a special talent.
Chelsea were right to let him go, Liverpool were wrong to pick him up, especially if, as it appears, he’s been offered a guarantee of first team football.

To be a top club you require hungry players, who are always looking over their shoulders, knowing that one or two bad games could see them out of the first team for at least three or four games.
No individual is ever bigger than a successful club.
Until Liverpool get back in this habit they will remain a mid table side with the occasional decent season, Man Utd are about to realise the exact same thing happening to them.

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?