Alonso should be respected

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is dead wrong. Xabi Alonso made a decision not to travel with the Liverpool team yesterday for their tussle with Inter Milan as his girlfriend was on the verge of giving birth.

This is a mistake. Events like these don’t happen every day. A man deserves this moment regardless of what is at stake, and in this case of bunch of boys punting a ball around. A little perspective on what is meaningful in life would be useful. Also a bit of respect for what is meaningful for the individual.

Alonso has been on the back foot at Anfield ever since the arrival of Javier Macherano and the recent emergence of Lucas.

Apparently Alonso was prepared to join up with the team after the birth but Benitez then announced that he was not going to be travelling and had to make due with what he had.

Ultimatum at Liverpool: you have 1 day

Liverpool owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks have denied, denied, denied that they have discussed a sale of the club to the Dubai based investment fund DIC, but the most open secret since Elton John and Freddy Mercury is now coming to a head.

Gillett and Hicks have 1 day to take it or leave the offer from the government run fund. The offer on the table is 400m pounds.

Tired of the runaround, well it’s not the first time: DIC has played this ‘last chance’ card before and are much more eager to buy than the owners to sell even though their tenure at Liverpool so far has been nothing short of an embarrassment. So typical with a desperate buyer, Gillett and Hicks are trying to gouge out a huge sale price.

Tom Hicks has especially been adamant that there is no negotiation taking place. Pffff, raspberries everywhere.

The current Liverpool owners are becoming very, very unpopular among fans for a variety of high profile blunders. Recently one of the owners sons was chased from a pub.

This is what you get when you bed non-fans from non-football countries. I remember all the back slapping and ya-hoo ride ‘em cowboy to the title blather on the message boards.

It’s looking more obvious by the day that this club ownership merry-go-round in the Premiership is doing nothing good for fans. A few transfer and a higher ticket price, some PR headlines when it starts, obituaries when it goes sour. That’s all.

Liverpool have gone to the rodeo and been ridden by a pair of cowboys -but pulling away the veneer, the cowboys are wearing suits, and there are no bulls, just bull****. You my friends are just the kind of donkeys that are perfect for riding their money bags into the sunset with.

"You'll never walk alone" is now officially "you'll never ride alone".

Football’s top 10 highest paid players in the world revealed

A survey came out today that publishes a list of the highest paid footballers in the world. Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool all represent the Premiership and dominate the list while AC Milan and Barcelona are the only non-English sides listed. It certainly appears the money is in England now.

The list in order:

1. Kaka (AC Milan) 6.6m pounds
2. Ronaldinho (Barcelona) 6.31m pounds
3. Frank Lampard (Chelsea) 6.04m pounds
4. John Terry (Chelsea) 6.04m pounds
5. Fernando Torres (Liverpool) 5.86m pounds
6. Andiry Shevchenko (Chelsea) 5.77m pounds
7. Michael Ballack (Chelsea) 5.77m pounds
8. Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd) 5.69m pounds
9. Theirry Henry (Barcelona) 5.69m pounds
10. Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) 5.69m pounds

Is the tide turning on Liverpool owners?

Dismay is taking hold at Anfield since Tom Hicks, Liverpool co-owner, let it out that Jurgen Klinsmann was approached in November to take over as manager should Rafa Benitez be fired (I mean quit). You’d think a lesson was learned since Tottenham was caught with their pants down approaching Juande Ramos. But what happened? And is Liverpool getting a case of buyer’s remorse?

First of all, nobody knows why Tom Hicks spilled the beans. My guess is he beat a newspaper to the scoop and headed off the surprise. The other possibility is to sound out to the football world that he’s not afraid to do whatever it takes. Letting people know about Klinsmann sends a signal.

One thing is for sure, Benitez’s position at the club is seriously weakened. I think in America, they call this "blowback".

Hicks defended his approach calling it an “insurance policy” in case Benitez quits. But why would be led to believe this when the manager has been nothing but dedicated. For one, I don’t believe this.

It appears Hicks has also led himself into legal repercussions in what is called a “constructive dismissal” because the owner has undermined someone’s position while still in it. This undermines an implied mutual trust that is part of any employment contract and entitles Benitez to compensation.

Are Liverpool supporters getting frustrated with the ownership? Rumors of selling the club are out there. It seems that the Texan style of ownership doesn’t really mix too well with European football. It just seems like Hicks and Gillett are learning on the job.

While it’s easy to heap pressure on the manager, what about owners that are failing to own the club in a way that lends towards success. I find it troublesome that the elements of Liverpool that are good are not being supported. Rafa Benitez has been a good for Liverpool. Hicks and Gillett have spent money, but are failing to let people get on with their work.

I remember all the glee about the money pouring in when they bought the club, looks like money is just money. Money gives access, its what you do with it.

Is Benitez really sunk?

Amazingly yes, just about. Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez appears to be on his last legs as manager of Liverpool and for one, I think it’s a disgrace.

Benitez will battle to keep his post but it seems only a matter of time like it did with Martin Jol and Sam Allardyce. Will he stay on for the rest of the season? Probably because I am really convinced that Jose Mourinho is going to be the next Liverpool manager.

To be so badly undermined when owner Tom Hicks admitted that he had attempted to recruit Jurgen Klinsmann to replace Benitez is a hard pill to swallow. This man has won the Champions League and has brought the team back to life. Fernando Torres would never be a Red without him. And that brilliant goal at the weekend shows why Liverpool are going to be a force soon. Unless the revolving door starts up again.

Benitez, it has been revealed, was already aware of the meeting with Klinsmann in California all the way back in November. So it looks like he was going to be sacked if he did not make it to the next round of the Champions League. The party line is he was contacted in case Benitez left for Real Madrid. BS.

As of now, Benitez is a lame duck. How can he effectively manage the transfer window and the dressing room with endless speculation? Usually you can blame guys like me for that, but this time it came from right in your own backyard. George Gillet and Tom Hicks have not been terribly slick in their management of Liverpool so far and while they have put in cash, it takes more than that to really succeed. Look at Newcastle. Now Benitez is not a saint in this, but really, have his comments in the past led to this? No. Pressure for success has. Liverpool want it yesterday.

Often times, this kind of pressure makes want it yesterday become wish it were last season.

City’s worst nightmare: Premiership giants at the gate

Micah Richards is holding out for big money. Stalled contract talks have England’s big 4 clubs watching closely as the finest young defender in world may be on his way. Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea would probably climb over each other for a shot at Richards. Should a move away from Manchester City become a reality, you’ll see a bidding war that has never been seen for a defender before.

City fans hope that the stall is part of the process of negotiations, with Richards apparently wanting 70k pounds per week and the club offering around 50k pounds. The offer on the table would see Richards the highest paid player at the club by a mile. But 70k is not too much considering the talent and the big 4 won’t hesitate one iota forking up the cash. A defender with his pace and leaping ability is a very rare commodity and City has had a lot of success this season because of him. Just consider how many goal saving tackles that have been shown on Match of the Day.

Richards departing would be a nightmare for City fans and you can’t blame the club, they are doing everything they can to keep him. Will money trump the young man’s loyalty? It usually does.

You can’t fault Micah Richards for having aspirations but if City should land in the Champions League next season there is no reason to leave. Personally, he should stay 2-3 more years regardless and really cement his abilities in a place which will be forgiving and appreciative.

A two horse race already?

While the points may not yet tell the tale, the trend going into the middle of the season is for Arsenal and Manchester United to pull away in a two horse race. Chelsea and Liverpool are talented, but the top two looks to have more horsepower and edge to pull away.

If you notice, Avram Grant has lost twice to the top 4. That 2% that Mourinho added has cost them, while they have beaten teams they should have beaten, they have lost to Arsenal, a team they have not lost to for over 2 years. Losing John Terry, that happened last year as well, remember?

Liverpool have the same syndrome. A draw was at least demanded at home for their onset of players, but another loss to the top 4 sucks the air out of their confidence. Its not Benitez can’d do it. They beat Chelsea solidly early in the season, before Mourinho left. They have what it takes, but the rotation policy doesn’t explain their inconsistency. Winning the Champions League didn’t send them to the next level. They are a player or two away, and Fernando Torres is truly El Nino.

Chelsea is out of it as far as I am concerned. Liverpool, with the potential of a group of very fit players at the end of the season could make a strong run if they hit a stretch of form. I know what Benitez is trying to do, and I respect his confidence that at the end of the season he will be there with so many combinations tested that he may play his best 11 for a stretch of 10 games and win them all.

Arsenal and Manchester United are not going to pull away from eachother. The gap between them is so close. It looks like William Gallas, scoring the winner at the weekend really looks like the team’s new Patrick Viera and a side with so much pace and incredible passing is hard to beat not to mention attractive to watch. With Crisitano Ronaldo the owner of the team and a great defense who can bet against United? There is so much stability there, and is the team that can cope with injuries better than any other team in the Premiership.

Lend Money and Make Profit!!

Rafa re-opens transfer money debate at Liverpool

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has given an interview to Spanish paper AS in which he discussed the amount of funding that has been spent on players at the club and complained that the Reds are not even at the same level of Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal but are expected to be title contenders.

From the owners perspective, the team has spent alot, from Benitez’s perspective, their spending is not even in line with the top 3. Manchester United have spent some 70m pounds this season, only a fraction of what Liverpool have spent.

Benitez:

“There's a misunderstanding when people speak of the money Liverpool have spent. Between what we have spent and recovered, we're at a similar level to those at the top but not the biggest sides ... we have spent 40 something million and recovered 26 million.”

He’s actually correct. Liverpool have really spent very little when you compare the players which have left the club and those that have joined. I’ve always agreed with Benitez on the transfer row. The American owners don’t yet understand the intricacies of the European transfer market and Benitez does.

Benitez again:

"Many people say we have to win the title because of the money we have spent but other teams such as United, Chelsea, Newcastle United or Aston Villa have also spent a lot of money. Arsenal have been spending a lot on young players for years and now are reaping the rewards. "

Last year Jose Mourinho complained that he had defensive problems and needed a central defender. Now Benitez has the same problem. I will fault Rafa for not considering injuries at the beginning of the season and signing someone, but this is the moment to correct it.

"We have a central defensive problem because it was not possible to close a deal for Gabriel Heinze and then Daniel Agger was injured. That is forcing us to play with Sami Hyypia, who is 34, and Jamie Carragher for two games a week and with the intensity here, it is not easy to support this. Our idea is to bring a balance to the team in that position."

Agreed. The owners must face reality and not just focus on the new ground.


Lend Money and Make Profit!!

Youth skipper close to Premiership move

Tottenham Hotspur are fighting with Liverpool over the transfer for 19 year old Sporting Lisbon midfielder Adrien Silva.

Silva, who plays in central midfield has been held from the starting lineup in Lisbon because of fellow youth stars Miguel Veloso and Moutinho, is getting attention from all over England. He's very skilled and a natural leader. Spanish side Sevilla is also looking to bid for the 3m pound rated player.

Silva sees the move to the Premiership as a dream, is well aware of scouts watching him and welcomes the transfer. He's noted for his ability to play box to box and work ethic.

Was a Liverpool game fixed?

Yesterday I reported on a 96 page dossier handed over to Europol for investigation for match-fixing. Could the Liverpool record breaking Champions League win over Besiktas have been fixed? It has reportedly been on the list of suspected matches within the dossier, one of a total of 26 matched mentioned, 15 being closely scrutinized.

Liverpool blasted the Turkish club 8-0 at Anfield last month, the largest margin of victory ever.

An article in Germany's Suddeutsche Zeitung reveals an influx of bets on the winning margin just before the kick-off at Anfield. There is no suggestion that the Premier League team was involved, the implication being that Besiktas players threw the match.

Liverpool have not admitted any contact by UEFA regarding the match but this adds to a long list of suspicious bets placed in Europe.

Could Liverpool be angling for Mourinho?

I've been very suprised at the recent strife at Liverpool between the clubs owners and manager Rafael Benitez. Could this be deja vu because it sounds all too similar to what happened at Chelsea with Jose Mourinho.

The way this is playing out in public is a very worrying sign of things to come at Anfield. I was very sceptical of the notion that Mourinho would be pushed out of Chelsea but I was dead wrong, and that has made me speculate that Liverpool have their sights set on a return to England for the special one with a switch of color from blue to red.

Could Jose Mourinho be the next Liverpool manager in waiting? Have there been secret approaches in Setubal to line him up for next season and could this be an explanation as to why Liverpool are hedging on transferring any new faces (not to mention handing the transfer reigns over to Rick Parry) to the club and saving the funds for a Mourinho entry? It's a very interesting idea.

My feeling is the owners have lost confidence that Benitez is the kind of manager to bring Liverpool to the next level. Insiders have speculated that the club has not improved much since the big spending summer and the player rotation policy has annoyed players and fans alike.

How can a manager who has brought a European crown, a final and is in the position to make a strong run at the Premiership (not to mention the total dismantling of Newcastle at the weekend) this season be under pressure? Simple. Liverpool have their eye on Mourinho and are looking to next season already.

Thoughts?

Liverpool: we wuz robbed

Dirk Kuyt can add himself to a list of Liverpool footballes who have been robbed in the last year and a half, this player being robbed while he was away on international duty with Holland.

Jerzy Dudek, Daniel Agger, Peter Crouch and Pepe Reina have all had their homes broken into since last year. The theives are mainly targeting the players while playing for Liverpool or on international duty.

Dudek was on holiday in Poland when thieves took a Porsche, jewellery and his 2005 European Cup medal. Crouch and Agger were robbed back in September 2006 while away on international duty. Reina was hit while away during last year's Champions League semi-final.

What a result

What a result for Liverpool. A record-breaking 8-0 win against Besiktas at Anfield finally resembled the 6-0 thrashing of Derby earlier this season.

Now let’s just hope that the rotation policy won’t disrupt the form and flow of the side that played against Besiktas. You can bet a result like this will silently challenge Rafa Benitez to leave things be.

The play was brilliant, as good as Arsenal was a few weeks ago against Slavia Prague in which they demolished them 7-0. Benitez called it “almost perfect”, almost because the other team had one chance.

But this result will be meaningless unless Liverpool beat FC Porto and Marseille next month. Liverpool have scored only one point in its first three group games and sit third in Group A with 4 points. Marseille sit on seven and Porto, eight.

It was Liverpool’s biggest win in the European Cup in 27 years and could be the spark the team needs to get their challenge in the Premiership back on track.

Liverpool win approval

Liverpool have been given the go-ahead to re-design their stadium to the tune of 400m pounds in Stanley Park. The city council's planning committee gave permission to move just yards from their current Anfield ground to a 76,000 capacity stadium, the same as Manchester United has at Old Trafford.

The new stadium will initially hold 60,000 but will allow for extensions. Interestingly, the turf will be sunk 26 feet into the ground to allow more room for tribunes. Anfield holds 45,000.
Liverpool had already planned a new ground but new owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett ordered a return to the drawing board. Ground may be broken right away and is planned for completion in 2010.

Government funding will be used to redevelop the old Anfield ground and will include a new park, sports centre and hotel.

Talk of substitution, but how good was he?

Everywhere you read about Liverpool’s weekend derby victory over Everton, you read about Steven Gerrard being substituted. But what about the Liverpool new boy who replaced him? He looked class to me.

Lucas Leiva, recent Liverpool arrival from Brazil was introduced into the Merseyside derby on Saturday midway thru the second half to the look of astonishment not only by Gerrard but throngs of fans mouthing “WTF?” as the camera panned the stands.

Replacing Gerrard was hard enough, but a Derby, and a close one at that? A lot to ask of a youngster, but Lucas, last year’s Brazilian player of the year, showed remarkable composure, ability, and some neat footwork.

He was controlled and passed the ball very well and if it were not for Phil Neville’s goal line cheating, would have been on the score sheet and with the winner to boot. Lucas looked like he could be a regular starter to me. Could I date the unimaginable and suggest he may actually play ahead of Gerrard this season? Too early for anything like that but I can bet you that a few more solid and controlled displays from the youngster might see it actually happen, and you can bet Rafa has the balls to do it.

Rotating into a downward spiral

How many times have you seen it when a coach decides “right, I’ve got a big squad now, I am going to keep everyone rested” only to see the performances of the team turn stale and the results suffer? Liverpool showed just that against Birmingham City today in a boring game. Last week Benitez rotated players and also drew 0-0 against Portsmouth.

Liverpool went close a few times but it was all very ponderous in the end as Birmingham showed some character to deny Liverpool any space near the box and maintain a disciplined draw. Not the most interesting football but a point away is a point away.

I accused Birmingham of being one of the Premiership’s worst three, I can say I was wrong, they might be one of the most boring three but they showed they are a tough squad.

For Liverpool, Rafael Benitez left Fernando Torres out of the starting line-up again. When he finally came on at the hour mark he looked the best player on the pitch but by that point Birmingham's had already parked their team bus in front of goal.

Ryan Babel was unimpressive, Voronin wayward, Kuyt strong but unfocused and Steven Gerrard struggled to make ends meet with any of them.

Over and over again coaches think they can rotate their way to success. Some rotation is vital but when you have players with the look on their faces like Torres did on the bench, you better think twice. The kid is there to score and looks hungry: let him loose. Play your best 11 and rotate one or two at a time. If Rafael Benitez thinks he can rotate his way to success he’ll look back and see a rested team 15 points adrift.

Liverpool striker chased by Italian and pair of Premiership clubs

Peter Crouch may be moving on during the transfer window. Juventus, Manchester City and Portsmouth are both vying for the player’s services.

Portsmouth have expressed interest, as Harry Redknapp, who has already sold Peter Crouch twice, will make a third attempt to re-sign the striker as he continues to build a strong side at Portsmouth.

Sven Goran-Eriksson is also interested as the rumors persist that he will be handed a massive transfer kitty during the January window and it appears Crouch is tall on his list.

But Liverpool appear disinterested in selling the striker to another Premiership club and it’s been rumored that Juventus are interested in the striker to coming to Italy. Apparently Crouch is interested in the chance to play abroad.

Crouch has slipped to fourth choice at Liverpool and he is out of contract at the end of next season which means that Liverpool will look to sell sooner rather than later should they choose to let Crouch go.

Liverpool look like champions

I’ve been very impressed with this season’s Liverpool squad, so much so that I’d have to say I think they are going to beat out Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea for this seasons Premiership crown.

Yes, I know it’s very early going but Liverpool have shown they can win, win ugly and win big -something that you saw Manchester United do last season and Chelsea the season before. For all the boredom that their match against Sunderland, they won ugly; against Chelsea they lost a bad penalty decision in a match that should have saw them take the 3 points, and against Derby County they won big. Despite being up 2 and then 3 and then 4-0, they kept sniffing for goals. Something Tottenham, up 3-1 against Fulham didn’t do.

The new depth in the Liverpool lineup is paying serious dividends and so is the pairing up front. Rafael Benitez, that awful beard aside, had made exactly the right decision to play Dutchman Dirk Kuyt alongside Fernando Torres. They play well together, attack the box and offer lots of different threats. When you are defending against strikers, it’s much easier when they are not multi-faceted, but with Liverpool now, you have 4 strikers that can all bring different things to the game and a pair of starters with pace and a great nose for goal. So far, Fernando Torres has been the best signing of the season so far.

The biggest difference I see in the top 4 teams so far this season is how efficient Liverpool are in front of goal. Arsenal are traditionally wasteful, Manchester United are squandering chances and great build up play and winning 1-0 when they do, and Chelsea are uncharacteristically squandering opportunities as well.

While the new look Chelsea are definitely more open and exciting to watch, as Roman Abramovich has requested, they are more vulnerable. I know Jose Mourinho thinks this is a mistake, as I do, but it looks like the meddling owner will have to learn the hard way. Chelsea are built on compactness and relentless pressure turning into opportunities. With this new open style they are exposed regularly as they were against Aston Villa and aren’t really creating great chances. Villa won because Chelsea were all over the place. It was a great game to watch but not the way a Champion plays.

In fact, it seems like Liverpool look like the Chelsea of 2 seasons ago and Chelsea are trying to be Manchester United of last season. You decide which is working.

As for Manchester United, they have a great squad. Owen Hargreaves looks top class and the buildup play is excellent. Nani looks worth every penny, and Ronaldo should be even more deadly this season than last. Unfortunately, losing Wayne Rooney for so many weeks will dent their chances, and they seem to have a lot to integrate into their side.

As for Arsenal, no team is more fluid in midfield and confident on the ball. They also have an excellent defense. But again, and again, the same complaint: they should be winning 3 and 4 to nil and too often scrape by. Robin van Persie is definitely top drawer but Emmanuel Adebayor is a lost cause. He’s causing more problems on the pitch than he is solving and should be dropped. He’s out of sync and should be in sync by now. Arsenal made a mistake not getting a top notch striker and it will cost a very talented team their chance.

For these reasons, Liverpool seen to have put it together just at the moment that their main contenders are all under shifting sands. For my money, Liverpool are good value for their first place and will raise the crown for the first time in a very long time.

Want to watch a crap game? Sunderland vs Liverpool

Sometimes you have to win ugly. Liverpool did that, and considering their away woes last season, I am sure the faithful won’t care much. But to the neutral there was nothing worth watching. Liverpool were jagged and all Sunderland cared about was not letting them play. A timeless classic it was not.

Momo Sissoko and Andriy Voronin both scored their first Premiership goals in either half and it was enough for three points. I could probably end the article here.

Sunderland started the match especially badly. They could have conceded in the first minute. So much for Roy Keane’s bla bla bla after last weeks drubbing. At one point around half time, the possession meter stood at 71-29% for Liverpool.

Sunderland's effort was actually not too bad, you must say they had success disrupting the Liverpool attack, but when they had the ball they just ran out of ideas over and over again and ended up hoofing the ball hoping for a lucky break.

Sunderland’s goalkeeper Craig Gordon is clearly their best player. He stopped the game from being a rout. Sunderland are weak in every part of the pitch and are going to have to fight for every point they will earn.

A funny moment fairly late on was watching Jamie Carragher let Rafael Benitez have it after it took him forever to substitute him after an injury. A bit of trivia, Sissoko’s first goal was Liverpool’s 7,000th League goal.

If you taped Match of the Day, you can safely fast forward this one.

Too many eggs in one basket

Gabriel Heinze banked on a hearing to force his move from Manchester United to Liverpool and was left wanting as they ruled against him. Too many eggs in one basket, and now egg on his face.

United was in dispute with Heinze because the club had given him written permission to seek a new club as long as the fee was 6.8m pounds. The Premiership arbitration panel ruled that the document “envisages only an international transfer".

With the transfer window closing down in 10 days time, Heinze better move fast because he is certain to spend a season in the reserves otherwise.

Manchester United’s Alex Ferguson and David Gill travelled to the hearing to present their case. Their basic argument was that they were under no obligation to sell Heinze to a rival. All along I thought Heinze would lose the argument. It’s up to the club to accept or reject an offer. Even with a written statement that they would allow a transfer, it’s still up to the club to decide where.

If Heinze would have won, it would be the first move since between the clubs since 1962.
Heinze can appeal, but should cut his losses and get out of town fast.