All posts by h79snht.top

The recent influx of new faces at Liverpool this summer has simultaneously served to reignite optimism amongst the club’s fans and place doubts over the futures of several members of the playing personnel.

Among the players rumoured to have the Anfield axe hanging above his head is forgotten man Alberto Aquilani. Aquilani, a marquee signing two summers ago, has returned to Merseyside after Juventus failed to stump up the fee needed to turn his loan deal into a permanent one.

The player’s agent Franco Zavaglia has dampened speculation that his client will be the next player to follow Paul Konchesky out of the club. Speaking to milannews.it, he said: “The possibility of seeing Alberto back in the Italian championship is very small at the moment. At the moment I believe Aquilani will be wearing the Liverpool shirt next season.”

The former Roma man featured in both of Liverpool’s pre-season friendlies last week, and turned in a particularly noteworthy performance in the second half of the side’s 6-3 win over a Malaysian All-Star XI on Saturday. Indeed his display was deemed to be so impressive that it prompted a complimentary tweet from club owner John W. Henry, who said: “One missing link last year: Acquilani. Put the ball near Ngog and the goal and it’s going in. Too much talk of them somewhere else.”

Whilst pre-season friendlies against vastly inferior opposition are seldom the barometer of a team or player’s quality, Aquilani’s contributions sought to reassure the club’s management of his undoubted ability and class. Many, including the player himself, will be hoping that these recent performances and Henry’s ringing endorsement will prove to be catalysts for a revival in his Anfield fortunes.

A successful transition to life in the Premier League is an accomplishment that has eluded some of the continent’s most distinguished footballers. The high-profile examples of Andriy Shevchenko and Juan Sebastián Verón illustrate how hard adapting to English football can be. Aquilani’s initial introduction to the Premier League was made even harder by several aggravating factors.

The midfielder arrived at Anfield carrying an injury, and may have forced his recovery in order to hasten his return to first-team action. Aquilani’s return from injury also coincided with a dismal run for the Reds, which included an ignominious early Champions League exit. Most tellingly, many erroneously saw Aquilani as a direct replacement for the much-loved and much-missed Xabi Alonso, despite earlier suggestions by then manager Rafa Benitez that the two were very different players.

Speaking after the Italian’s arrival, Benitez said: “Alberto is a player who has quality, game intelligence and can pass the ball quickly. He can play more offensive than Alonso did in the final third, and he has more accuracy in his final pass.”

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After enjoying a sustained run in the team towards the end of 2009/10, Aquilani actually ended the season with the best assists per minute rate of any player plying their trade in Europe’s top five leagues, vindicating Benitez’s earlier assertion.

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Since replacing Roy Hodgson, Kenny Dalglish has emphatically demonstrated his mastery of man-management and motivation. Glen Johnson and Martin Skrtel were two notable beneficiaries of the Scot’s return, whilst youngsters John Flanagan and Jay Spearing can also attribute their first-team ascensions and subsequent success to the faith of Dalglish. Should he stay, Alberto Aquilani could be the next player to reap the rewards of a little bit of King Kenny confidence.

Do you see an Anfield future for Alberto Aquilani? Let me know below or on twitter at www.twitter.com/zarifrasul

Sergio Aguero’s move to Manchester City is edging closer to completion and I couldn’t be happier. No I am not a Manchester City fan but in Aguero I think City are acquiring one of the most exciting talents in world football and he looks set to grace England’s top tier next season. Like most wonderkids from Argentina he carries huge expectation with him whether he goes but whilst City line him up to be the next Carlos Tevez, can Aguero go on and be better than the man he is replacing?

Aguero, or El Kun, has been plying his trade with Atletico Madrid in Spain’s La Liga for a number of years and like his former teammate Fernando Torres, he also now looks set to test his talents in England. Despite the attacking wealth at City’s disposal, the possible departure of captain Carlos Tevez has obviously left Roberto Mancini needing a replacement. And in Aguero you are getting that like-for-like replacement that the departure of Tevez would require.

Both Argentine internationals are small in build (both around 5ft 7in) and not your conventional target frontmen. At 23 Aguero is four years younger than Tevez, allowing Aguero time to develop and adapt to the English league. When Tevez arrived in City he had experience of the Premier League with West Ham and Manchester United but Aguero may take slightly longer to settle at City than Tevez. If the quoted £38million figure is correct then City are also doing a good deal business wise if they can sell off Tevez for a higher amount.

But what about goals? The success of Tevez at City came down to his fantastic goal scoring record and ability to change a game. With Aguero City have the same attributes. Aguero has scored 121 goals in 280 appearances for club and country (compared to Tevez’s 151 in 361). Aguero also matched Tevez’s 20 goals in their domestic leagues last season.

Another attribute so crucial to City’s success last season was Tevez’s ability to create a moment out of nothing. Aguero’s skill, pace, fast feet and eye for goal means he has similar quality. He has the frightening ability to take on and beat defenders with the upmost ease. Premier League defenders may be relieved to read about Tevez’s probable departure but with Aguero they will have little to time to relax.

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But there are ways in which the two differ. Tevez’s inability to stay at a club longer than a couple of years has been very unsettling. He clearly wants to leave and there is no doubt that this very public desire to move on has affected the club, players and manager in some way. Aguero joined Madrid aged 18 back in 2006. After understandably taking time to settle in a new country, Aguero went on to have a huge impact in La Liga. He has been on the radar of the European elite for many years and despite obvious interest in his services, he has shown a loyalty to the club that developed him beyond what many would have expected. Aguero seems keen to join City and that is crucial for Mancini. But one thing that may be lost in replacing Aguero with Tevez is Tevez’s ability to influence the team. Tevez’s played an integral role on the pitch last season in rallying the City players to victories with his endless work ethic and leadership skills. Aguero won’t offer the same presence but it will be up to City’s more senior players to take up that particular void left by Tevez.

Despite City’s obvious intentions to replace Tevez with Aguero, there is still a slim chance that both could be playing at the same club next season. The saga that is Tevez’s transfer looks far from completion whilst Aguero is nearing his move to Manchester. I do expect Tevez to still leave, with City maybe more willing to do business after signing a suitable replacement but it would be an interesting situation if both were at City come the start of the season.

The loss of Carlos Tevez will always be a blow to City after his influential time with the club but in Aguero, they have the best replacement possible to continue their aim of reaching the very top of world football.

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If you want to read more of my bite size, 160 character views and thoughts follow me on Twitter @jennyk5

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Pick over a current world eleven? Easy. Decide upon the worst FA Cup final suit in the history of Wembley clashes? No problem. Choose from a list of classic football video games and identify a winner? Impossible.

I thought this was going to be the most fun article ever. The idea of smashing out hours of qualification drama on FIFA: Road to the World Cup with a fledgling Trinidad and Tobago side and once, just once winning the league title on Pro Evolution Soccer 5 sounded incredible.

Alas, my task was a little tougher than I thought it might be. Can I justify including Steven Gerrard’s Gameboy Advance game in the list, even though no one will have heard of it? Can I possibly get a mention in for ‘Michael Owen’s World League Soccer’ and the painstaking banter between the forgotten Peter Brackley and Ray Wilkins every time there is a lull in play?

I know I can’t possibly please everyone, but all of the games on this list are absolute masterpieces, one way or another- let me know your favourite…

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10: FIFA Street (2005)

Presumably inspired by the Nike advert from the 2002 World Cup, FIFA Street was EA Sports’ attempt at trying to bridge the gap between themselves and the phenomenally successful Pro Evolution Soccer series.

Released in between their 2005 and 2006 editions, the game never really took off, and was a little too complicated, however there was enough about it to admire its inventiveness. Putting Peter Crouch on the front cover, however, was not the smartest move in the world…

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9: FIFA 2000 (1999)

By the turn of the century, the FIFA series was almost untouchable. Helped by a number of turkeys released around the same time, such as; ‘Michael Owen’s World league Soccer’ and ‘This is Football’, the game franchise was a significant force to be reckoned with. This edition, released in October 1999 managed to pack in the first comprehensive season mode and the ability to unlock classic teams.

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8:World Cup Italia 90 (1990)

Not quite the game that started it all off, but one of the first attempts to try and tie in a major tournament with a video game release. Sega’s Mega Drive was not renowned for its sports simulators, however there was much here that later games would build on.

The interface is very reminiscent of arcade soccer games that adorned cinemas, leisure centres and airports throughout the 1990’s, and for a game that is over 20 years old, the concept and graphics hold up well.

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7: FIFA RTWC (1998)

Back when I first acquired a football game for the PC, my main requirements were that the goalkeeper could get sent off and that you could give every player on your side a peroxide blonde haircut in tribute to the Romanian side that donned the look in that year’s World Cup.

Sadly, the holy grail of the goalkeeper getting sent off was still some years away, however this game remains very close to my heart. A meticulous qualification process was available to those with patience, and the database of players and teams from across the world was unrivalled. The commentary of Des Lynam, Andy Gray (R.I.P) and John Motson was also world class.

6: Pro Evolution Soccer 2 (2002)

Who would have known that a game which referred to West Ham as ‘Lake District’ would go on to be such a major success? The Japanese company, Konami, were responsible for the creation of the Pro Evolution Soccer (Winning Eleven) Series and in the early years of the PS2 implementation, rose to become FIFA’s biggest rival.

Games snobs initially refused to play PES because of the lack of licencing on any of the top sides or players, however the addictive nature of the series took off, even with a control system which was in direct contrast with its rival.

Played now, the game feels very dated, but the framework for success was laid here for more illustrious successors.

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5: Championship Manager 2 (1995)

Before the 2004 Eidos/ Sports Interactive split put paid to this top selling franchise, Championship Manager, was a humongous hit for football fans. Like Sensible Soccer, it was the first game of it’s kind with creators Paul and Oliver Collyer, designing the game from the confines of their bedrooms.

Starting slowly, the series exploded with the release of Championship Manager 2. Implementing many of the key features which adorn management games today, the 1995 release remained popular even after more updated versions were made available.

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4: FIFA 2010 (2009)

When the Playstation 3 finally hit shelves in the first quarter of 2007, the big question surrounded how EA Sports and Konami would deal with the transition from PS2 to PS3.

FIFA games from the early noughties had become formulaic and to be honest, pretty dull. As always they were a visual treat, but the ability to bend the ball in on the volley from 40 yards every game quickly became mundane.

When PS3 came along, everything changed. Konami struggled to transfer the fluidity of the PS2 hits when developing a visually more impressive product for the new console. EA Sports were quickly ahead, learning from many of the mistakes they had made in the PS2 era.

FIFA 2010 was an amalgamation of the best parts of the franchise’s visually stunning past, and the addictive playability that had contributed so much to the success of EA’s rivals.

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3: Pro Evolution Soccer 6 (2006)

I once sat down with a friend at university and had a race to 100 (ish) wins on ‘Pro Evo 6’ over the course of a term. It was the sort of titanic tussle that I will look back on with my grandchildren and explain how I gave away a 35-6 lead and recovered from being 95-70 behind to draw level at 99 apiece.

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There was something about Pro Evo 6 that compelled you to keep playing. It had neither the technical wizardry of recent FIFA Playstation 3 versions, nor the endearing loveableness of earlier Konami incarnations, but it was just so damn addictive.

Despite drinking enough Red Bull to believe that Tal Ben Haim might actually be a decent central defender, taking the shoulder buttons out of my controller because I believed it made Michael Ballack run faster, and not showering for three days I eventually lost the series 105-103. Needless to say, I struggled with the ladies that term…

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2: Football Manager 2005 (2004)

After being the product of the Eidos/ Sports Interactive split in 2004, Football Manager has set new standards for sport’s management games. Quite simply, the level of detail and control afforded the armchair fan is insane.

Sports Interactive have done particularly well in creating a consistent interface across each edition which they still release on an annual basis. The biggest advantage over competitors, however was the introduction of the network game, linking armchair fans all over the world. Millions of courses, degrees and exams have been failed the world over as a result of this particular feature.

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1: Sensible Soccer (1992)

When I took a straw poll of my friends’ favourite games on this list, Sensible Soccer was the first name on everyone’s lips.

When you look at the game’s level of invention, it is not hard to see why it remains such a popular title. Originally released for the PC, later 3D versions were released, however, it was this basic, birds eye view of the football pitch that initially won over fans.

The 1994 release of The Sensible World of Soccer was later named as one of the ten most important video games ever created by a Stanford study. Most uniquely, SS managed to transfer it’s charms across all platforms and systems- a feat that both FIFA and PES have yet to manage.

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Compiled by Cameron Sharpe

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Sir Alex Ferguson has full belief in his youngsters to fill the injury void at Old Trafford. United suffered a triple blow last weekend, losing three of their first choice defenders, therefore a big few weeks lay ahead for Chris Smalling and Phil Jones.

At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of Manchester United blogs that includes a delicate matter to handle at Old Trafford; United criticism bordering on the ridiculous, while Fergie was perhaps premature in letting Wes Brown go.

We also look at the best Manchester United articles around the web this week.

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Caption Competition: From one Man United ‘keeper to another

Was Sir Alex Ferguson premature in letting him go?

What a difference 12 months makes at Old Trafford?

How to handle this delicate matter at Old Trafford

This United criticism bordering on the ridiculous

United succeed where both Chelsea and Arsenal fail

Manchester United’s ability to adapt is what sets them apart

Why United’s supporting cast has such a key role to play

Wenger looking to pip Fergie to £11.5m Ghanaian

Fergie eyes up £20m Plan B

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Best of WEB

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Les Sealey. A Tribute To A Great Man. – Red Flag Flying High

Fergie lauds teen Pogba as Reds future but what of the present? –United Rant

We can handle the injuries but there is one major concern – The Busby Way

Why Does Sir Alex Ferguson Subject Himself To This Every Week –United Religion

Living with United… Paul Greenhoff interview – 7Cantonas

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Click on image below to see Carles’s latest lady

I touched on it in an article yesterday about the positives and negatives from the Wolves game, but I think it is worthy of elaborating about how the Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez began to gel during the match on Saturday. You can see for yourself in the video below in Carroll’s best bits how Suarez and the Geordie are beginning to link up better, thanks to StrawberryFieldsLFC for the footage:

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So why has the partnership begun to gel? As you can see from the five minute highlight reel, one of the most noticeable things is that Andy is playing a lot more to his strengths. Some of this can be attributed to his team mates too who are beginning to learn how best to use the 22 year old and the rest due to Andy playing differently himself. At the end of last season when he was fit, and at the start of this season, 1 of 2 things has been happening.

1) The Reds have been pumping up long balls to Carroll so he can hold up the ball or flick the ball on. The problem has been the Geordie has been too isolated and either flicks the ball on to nobody or cannot keep possession of the ball because of an aimless hoof up to him.

2) Carroll was playing far too deep when the Reds have the ball higher up the pitch. There were too many times where the Reds have got into good crossing positions and Andy hasn’t been at the back post where he should have been.

The first issue was generally down to the fault of the team while the second issue could be contributed to Carroll’s lack of confidence. Both factors combined to mean that Carroll wasn’t been utilised to the best of his abilities.

Against Wolves, these problems seemed to have been addressed to some extent, and it is benefiting the partnership between himself and Suarez. Carroll, even when playing up front alongside Suarez, has been too isolated and with aimless long balls being pumped up to him, it was not a surprise he was ineffectual.

The likes of Steve Clarke and Kevin Keen have surely been working on these problems in training as it was evident that the Reds elected to play the long ball a lot more selectively and you can see that Carroll knocked down the ball to both Suarez on a number of occasions and once to Steven Gerrard later on in the game to get a long shot away. Players such as Suarez were playing a lot closer to Carroll, and the link up play between the pair improved exponentially because of it. You can see a partnership beginning gel as a direct result of the pairing actually playing as a pair.

Another big factor is of course how Carroll elected to play the game himself. There seemed to be a lot more energy about Andy around the pitch, closing down players and making forward runs. It paid dividends in the fact he actually played a lot more of the game inside the opposition penalty area than he has done recently. He was nearly rewarded with a goal but was unlucky to hit the post from a header.

So in conclusion, we saw a more confident Andy Carroll on Saturday, playing to his strengths with the team better able to utilise his abilities, and in the process helping him strike up better combination play with Luis Suarez . Let’s hope he continues in the same vein of form in his next match and he gets a goal too.

Article courtesy of David Tully from Live4Liverpool

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Fancy VIP tickets to the Merseyside derby in style this Saturday – click on banner to find out more

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On October 17th 2007, Roman Pavlyuchenko announced himself to English football fans, scoring both goals in Russia’s 2-1 European Championship qualifying victory over England.

Less than a year later, following impressive displays for Russia at Euro 2008 and with a formidable goalscoring record in Russian football, Pavlyuchenko signed for Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of around £14 million.

In his three full seasons thus far, Pavlyuchenko has scored at a rate of over a goal every three games, yet this season the Russian has found himself on the periphery. Currently Emmanuel Adebayor, Jermaine Defoe and Rafael Van der Vaart are above Pavlyuchenko in the pecking order up front.

The question must now be asked as to whether he has a long term future in North London or whether his days are numbered. Harry Redknapp has stated that while he wishes to keep hold of Pavlyuchenko, a significant improvement from the former Spartak Moscow man is required. If no improvement is forthcoming, will he be shipped out in January?

Pavlyuchenko would surely benefit from a consistent run of first team football, something he would expect if he moved in January. With a number of Russian clubs set to be monitoring his situation, a move could be a distinct possibility.

A perceived lack of flair is perhaps what keeps him from being a truly top striker; however his other attributes are impressive. A good touch, good movement, he can finish with either foot and he is no slouch in the air.

Tonight, Spurs face Rubin Kazan in a Europa League tie, with Harry Redknapp set to field a largely second string side once more in the competition. If Pavlyuchenko can put in a performance of the highest quality against the strong Russian outfit it may just kick-start his season and a reaffirm his long term future.

If not, and the Russian is subdued as he leads the line, it may well signal the beginning of the end for Pavlyuchenko as a Spurs player.

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Comment below and follow me on Twitter @CamHumphries for cutting edge debate regarding all things sport. 

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has stated that he is disappointed to have conceded a late equaliser against Newcastle on Sunday, as a Shoala Ameobi goal meant spoils were shared at St James’ Park.

Spurs were looking for their fifth straight Premier League win, and goals from Rafael van der Vaart and Jermain Defoe looked to have clinched an impressive away win for the White Hart Lane outfit.

However the Newcastle substitute pounced to equalise after 86 minutes, much to Redknapp’s frustration.

“When you’re 2-1 up in the 80-whatever minute you’re looking for the three points, that’s for sure,” he told Sky Sports.

“This is always a tough place to come and they’re unbeaten this year so they’re a tough side, but we were in a position to finish them off and at 2-1 I felt very comfortable.

“We were looking to get forward more and I thought we could go on and nick another goal. We got in some great positions on the break, but didn’t pick the right ball or whatever,” he stated.

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew however has heralded his team’s fighting spirit, and feels his side could have won the game also.

“It just shows the spirit in the group and the character that we have,” the home coach said after the game.

“We’re feeling confident and we played very, very well today against one of the top teams. We walked off slightly disappointed that we hadn’t won it. We had a couple of great chances towards the end,” he concluded.

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The draw means that Newcastle remain unbeaten after eight Premier League fixtures, whilst Spurs sit in sixth place after the result.

By Gareth McKnight

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In light of yesterday’s article about the dwindling support for youth prospects perhaps it’s time to consider some of the positives we are faced with. Just because our top clubs aren’t directing the sort of effort that they should be it doesn’t mean there aren’t still plenty of bright young talents about. Whether they’re closely guarded or out in the public eye these young talents are what remind us to laugh us to laugh at Rio Ferdinand’s downturn in form rather than lament it. Every time we fear a replacement for certain positions won’t turn up we’re relieved to find out that someone called Jack Wilshere appeared and that Carrick or Barry won’t have an important role in the European Championships this summer. Thank god.

So here are the top ten English youth prospects – click on Lewis Dunk to unveil list

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Follow me on Twitter @H_Mackay

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The Chelsea manager’s latest scathing tirade against former Manchester United and Sky pundit Gary Neville was as shocking as it was ill-advised. Whether it be that he’s  just unfamiliar with the all-encompassing nature of the English press or that he’s genuinely cracking under the pressure, the state of paranoia that Villas-Boas is currently operating under is both bizarre as it is unsettling.

The young Portuguese manager railed against his critics after his side’s 3-0 thumping of Valencia that saw them progress top of their Champions’ League group after a sticky run of form. He stated that: “My players deserve respect they don’t get. We’ve been chased by different kinds of people and pressures. Here we have given everyone a slap in the face.”

It seems odd to blast your critics after such a convincing victory to begin with. Chelsea have justifiably been criticised this season for a series of displays that only served to highlight what a comparatively fragile squad they have when you look at season’s gone by, they’ve lacked discipline, consistency and have been guilty of far too many individual errors. Most importantly, up until the Valencia game, whenever the opposition was of a continental calibre, Chelsea were soundly beaten.

To my knowledge at least, the media have gone relatively easy on Villas-Boas so far. He’s been criticised, correctly in my opinion, for trying to change too much, too quickly. Obviously eager to get his Stamford Bridge revolution under way, he’s overhauled their style of play, integrated a higher defensive line, changed the club’s transfer policy and started to tear apart a previously successful side, ruthlessly dropping the likes of Frank Lampard to the bench and Alex and Nicolas Anelka to the reserves.

Almost every article that I’ve seen written on Villas-Boas criticises the current state of the Chelsea side, without heaping the blame solely on the man in charge. How could you? He’s only been in charge for four months. Criticisms of the club have almost always been directly followed with the caveat that Villas-Boas, unlike a few of his predecessors, needs more time. The main issue that’s prompted this so-called ‘persecution’ is the history of Chairman Roman Abramovich and his happy trigger-finger.

It also appears to have taken on a personal effect on Villas-Boas too, with him continually singling out of Gary Neville for criticism. The Chelsea manager clearly doesn’t like Neville, not many people do, but that doesn’t mean that he’s a poor pundit. Far from it in fact, Neville has proven, despite some early nerves, to be bother irreverent, funny and insightful. He’s been a breath of fresh air.

Villas-Boas stated after the Valencia game: “We see a (former) Manchester United defender (Neville) say in the preparations for the game things like, ‘I don’t want to be one of the Chelsea players today, I couldn’t play this game and it is a difficult game for them’. This is out of this world for me, I don’t believe this. This is a continuous persecution; it is aggression towards one club.”

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That continued today with: “I’d say this to his (Neville) face with most pleasure. You can’t speculate and invent things that are going on. Some people can have more or less an idea. But not him. He cannot know. You cannot approach a top Brazil central defender saying he’s commanded by a kid with a PlayStation. That’s ridiculous. Comic criticism and the lack of in-depth criticism from top ex-professional players… when they take the route to the ridiculous; I think I have a word to say. He (David Luiz) plays for the team with most [world] titles, so be careful with what you’re saying. What does he know about the Chelsea dressing room? What does Gary Neville know about our dressing room? How can you imagine what is going on in the Chelsea dressing room? How can you know? Have you been here? Do you know where Cobham [Chelsea’s training ground] is? You don’t even know how to get here. I’m normally indifferent, not watching on the telly to see what these people say. But I was watching the television at that moment and I was gobsmacked.”

Ironically the only thing comical is this quite frankly baffling rant against a man who is paid handsomely on TV for his opinions. The only thing gobsmacking about this is that a Premier League manager has saw it fitting to launch such a stinging personal attack on a pundit. Gary Neville will be grinning from ear to ear today. Mission accomplished. Villas-Boas has taken the bait and been made to look downright foolish as a result.

It’s reminiscent of Joe Kinnear’s infamously childish rant against Daily Mirror journalist Simon Bird back in October 2008 after the former Wimbledon manager had just unexpectedly taken over a struggling Newcastle side. Kinnear said to Bird “you’re a c**t” before he’d even sat down in his chair at the press conference. While it may be hilarious to watch, it’s simply not the type of behaviour befitting of a Premier League manager.

David Luiz has been terribly poor this season. There is no other word for it. Kudos must go to Neville for providing a genuinely witty piece of punditry. According to Villas-Boas’s twisted and flawed logic, you can only criticise Luiz if you have driven to and played at Cobham training ground. Well I have, Andre, and he’s bobbins, so there.

Villas-Boas stated after the Valencia game: “It is unfortunate for you guys (the media) because you have to report on a brilliant win for Chelsea and we qualify first in the group. It is difficult for everybody and today this is difficult for you.” Putting aside the fact that AVB is doing a handy trade in irony and a startling lack of self-awareness, the problem with attacking the media is, is that you become the story. It detracts from the player’s efforts.

The defeat to QPR for example, Villas-Boas raged after the game after seeing both Didier Drogba and Jose Bosingwa dismissed, correctly may I add: “The ref (Chris Foy) was poor, very very poor and it reflected in the result. I spoke to him at the end and I was very aggressive to him. I don’t care if he’s OK or not.

“Everyone can have a bad day, but this was not a bad day for us. It was a good day for us and a bad day for the referee. Three of the games played by Chelsea were influenced by the referee, and this is not Premier League level. Conspiracy theories can lead to bans and lead to you calling us cry-babies and we’re not, but it keeps happening.” The story should have been about how well Chelsea played with 9-men after the break, how close they came to forcing a result and about the team’s spirit, instead we were treated to little more than the Andre Villas-Boas show and he was fined £12k for his inflammatory and petulant remarks.

Creating a siege mentality at a club is fine, but not when it’s this contrived. It’s just not believable. Villas-Boas, obviously under intense pressure from above, is seeking to galvanise an underperforming side, but it’s just so obvious. It’s been fabricated entirely by their manager. There is no underlying agenda. I very much doubt whether the players even believe it themselves.

Villas-Boas has and always will be compared to his counterpart and former colleague Jose Mourinho. The thing is, whenever Mourinho launched into one of his rants, he did it with a degree of style, panache and a knowing smile. Villas-Boas just appears to have lost the plot, seemingly detached from reality.

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Villas-Boas is a promising manager, he needs to be given time to address the myriad of complex issues that face this current Chelsea side. The task in hand is simply far greater than anyone had previously envisaged and their decline has been sharp. However, the current plan by Villas-Boas to attack the media for perceived ‘persecution’ is both embarrassing and laughable in equal measure. Dare I say it; the only person with a biased viewpoint is the manager himself.

You can follow me on Twitter @JamesMcManus1

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A sustained challenge on a place in the top four, the return of inspirational captain Steven Gerrard, and a quick-fix to the problem of Lucas Leiva’s long-term injury may be the things at the top of Liverpool fans’ Christmas wish lists. But what of a certain former Spanish striker who has struggled considerably for form and who may be available for extremely less than he left Anfield for 12 months ago.

The talk of a return to Liverpool for Fernando Torres is bound to intrigue fans, even those who expressed fervent displeasure at the manner of his exit last January. But with reports of Chelsea looking to cut their losses on the Spanish striker and very little chance of a return to Spain (for a host of reasons), the arrival of Torres could be the catalyst that turns the race for Champions League places heavily in Liverpool’s favour. Of course, there’s the issue of a player who has been lacking form for the best part of 18 months. He’s struggled to rediscover his composure, pace and finishing even under a number of different managers and the change in system during his time at Chelsea. The arrival of compatriot Juan Mata was also clearly not enough to re-energise Torres and get him out of his seemingly lifelong trough in form.

But with new arrivals at Liverpool and a system that is perhaps more in tune with Torres’ game, could Luis Suarez and Charlie Adam be enough to entice Fernando Torres back to Anfield and complete the challenge he so frustratingly failed to accomplish the first time round?

The dilemma facing manager Kenny Dalglish regarding the unavailability of Lucas in the centre of midfield is also cause for concern. Fans would like nothing more than to see one of their one excel at that position, and Jay Spearing may be heading the queue to fill the void left by the Brazilian. However, other avenues of possibility could be a switch in tactic from the frequently used lone striker—which obviously has left Andy Carroll starting from the bench—to something more suited to using what Kenny Dalglish has at his disposal. Something to bring out the best qualities of a number of new arrivals at Anfield could be deploying Carroll in a permanent role in the starting XI. Stuart Downing, from wide positions, has shown thus far that he is capable of stepping up to a team with far greater ambitions than Aston Villa, and full-back Glen Johnson has shown his own capabilities in the final third.

Moreover, the turn of the year could signal a welcome return to the line-up for Steven Gerrard. The Liverpool captain, who has been troubled by injury for much of the season, is expected to resume training in the coming week and will likely play a part over the busy Christmas period. While there is still uncertainty to a number of the players who arrived at Anfield over the summer, the return of Gerrard is something that will hugely increase Liverpool’s fortunes on the pitch. The prospect of Wembley in the new year is also something fans will look to, and with Gerrard’s performances in finals in recent years, the occasion is set-up up for successful run to the Carling Cup final.

While it’s difficult to asses how Liverpool will react to the loss of a key player as well as their inconsistent form thus far in the league, what is certain is the desire for the team to be back among the finest Europe has to offer—the Champions League. The January window may represent a welcome pit stop in the season to re-evaluate what is needed for the squad—and it isn’t very much. Another midfielder to help protect the back-four? Yes, maybe. But at what cost for those lining up from the recently impressive youth academy? Similarly, a move for the out-of-favour Fernando Torres could reignite the Spaniards seemingly lost desire to play the game, but Liverpool fans would surely rather love to see Andy Carroll turn a corner and live up to the huge sum of money that brought him to Anfield and become an integral part of the side for years to come.

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