DON'T SACK RAFA!

He had the dream start didn't he? Champions League glory in his first season (04/05), FA Cup in his second (05/06) the Champions League final in the third (06/07). Everything seemed right and the red half of merseyside were happy with their Spanish leader. 

However, the last two years haven't quite been as good as the initial three but this season, they've been terrible. Having come so close to wining the league last season, a lot was expected out of Liverpool and Rafa this year. But an early exit from the Champions League and a poor string of results in the premier league is hardly what the fans had bargained for.

 To be honest, Liverpool have been punching over their weight for quite some time now. They've got a very average squad that relies too heavily on Gerrard and Torres. An injury to either and the team struggles to replace them. Their victory against Manchester United earlier this season, did them more harm than good. "The Comback was on",  "Liverpool will rise again", "Bring on the season now", were major headlines that circulated the papers the next day. The expectations were high once again. But Liverpool really were never back in it. 

Players like Lucas, Insua, Babel, N'gog, etc aren't quite top four class and their inability to bring in quality players is what is costing them this season. Their 'flukes' are being highly exposed and to add to that, their board room problems aren't helping either. 

I see a way out though. And its quite ironic too. For it involves someone not going out who already seems to be on his way out. Confused? Im talking about Rafa Benitez.

Now's the best time to keep the Spaniard at the club. Give him a new contract. Make him feel secure. Lift his spirits first and you will definitely see a positive change. He knows how the league functions and we saw how close he came to domestic supremacy last season and bloody hell, the man even knows how to win The Champions League. 

Let this season be treated as a 'detox' period for him and the club. Let the board trouble settle, give Aquilani and Rodriguez time to adapt, get rid of the unwanted players and build the youth system. Bringing in a new manager will not only be a very costly affair but will also further unsettle the existing players and the staff. Now is the time for the players and the fans at the very least to unite and believe in their manager. Rafa's saying he can do it. So why not trust him. 

Also, its the only way Torres and maybe even Gerard will stay at the club. Yes, some of you may argue with that but think of it this way -  Assuming Liverpool finish 6th/7th, Rafa is sacked, Manchester City come in with a 100mn pounds for Torres and Madrid come in with 60mn pounds for Gerard. Who's to say the board wont sell!

And if they sell, Liverpool will burn. It's that simple.

WE ARE THE ARSENAL

Being a United fan, I had this big dark secret which I only kept to myself. I'm going to let it out now. "Thierry Henry" was my idol. It was THAT squad - Pires, Henry, Bergkamp that really lit up the Premier League those days.

And then, one by one they left. Bergkamp was no more. Henry was no more. I began to wonder whether the mighty Arsenal would fall too. But today, I feel they'v come a long way. Their quality of football is excellent, the talent coming through is remarkable and finally, the mighty Gunners - after 3 years of false hope and under -achievement are finally stepping up. Cesc Fabregas has come of age and how! Their on field class is matched by an equally amazing youth academy/scouting system thats been put in place. When Wenger signs an unknown kid, its not too long before that kid's name is being chanted by the Emirates faithful.

But, they are still unproven. The kids have grown up and its time for them now to repay the faith put in them. And this season will be a very important one for them. The media, the fans are all getting impatient  and Arsenal must deliver.

And deliver they will! They have the squad (at least the starting 11). Arshavin and Vermaelen have been outstanding recruits and the team look a lot more composed now. Sure, its still an injury ravaged squad but its not a disadvantage when the other teams are also suffering from that. Look at Man United's defensive woes for instance. Carrick at centre-half!

As a United fan, 3 years of battling Chelsea and Liverpool have made me realize how much i miss the Arsenal rivalry. The Keane and Viera bust ups, the media wars between SAF and Wenger, etc.
In a way, I would love to see the Wenger-Ferguson relationship turn sour again. For the good of the rivalry, the truce needs to be called off and the mutual respect be thrown out of the window. Let the game's get feisty.

Having said all this, Arsenal could do with some 'cover'. Sol Campbell's been a shrewd signing but he needs to prove himself again. They desperately need a striker to partner Eduardo up front and an attacking midfielder to complement Fabregas. Abou Diaby is overrated and I feel he would do a lot better playing for a lesser side. So too would Bendtner and Eboue. This could be Arsenal's season. Having gone top of the table last night, the pressure is on now.

So failure once more - and Barca have a new midfielder!

DAWN OF AN ERA

We are now entering a new world of football, aren’t we? No more can a six year old child predict a scoreline at ease. The playing field has finally been leveled. I sit up a little more these days when I see the big four play the lesser sides. The gap has narrowed.

Birmingham have been on fire this season! Having gone on a 13 game unbeaten streak, that includes draws against Liverpool Chelsea and Man United. Clearly they’re one to watch out for. Bankrolled by their new Honk Kong owners, the club is finally seeing success after years of relegation dog-fights and championship stints.

But what really is making an impact on clubs like Tottenham, Aston Villa, Birmingham, Fulham etc. is the excellent management system in place. Harry Redknapp, Martin O’Neill, Alex Mcleish and Roy Hodgson have been outstanding managers thus far.

A lot of us also believe that its just the top 4 that’s getting weaker and weaker. Arsenal losing Hleb and Flamini, Liverpool losing Xabi Alonso, Manchester United losing Ronaldo. Well that’s not entirely the case. What’s really happening is, that the lesser sides are only getting stronger and stronger. A maverick like attitude is being adopted by the ‘pretenders’ as I like to call them. Theres no more respect for the elite. Every game is worth 3 points now. And look at the Big 4 squads. They still have at least 2 world class players playing in every position.

But the real winner here is Football. That dominating era is no more. We’re witnessing the dawn of an era where the term ‘The Big 4’ is history and the term ‘The Big 8’ may be in the rising.

English Football is getting more and more interesting. Sure, you may still bet your life savings on either Chelsea United or Arsenal winning the league this season.
But how about you bet on that happening 3-4 seasons later.

Exactly! I didn’t think you would.

QUIZ TIME

Test your football knowledge. Lets see what you got.

1.Which English team were the first to do the 'Double', i.e winning the Premier League title and the FA cup in the same season?

2. Which team made its first appearance in The Premier League in the 08/09 season?

3. Who is the Chief-Executive of the FA?

4. Which player won the 'Golden Boot' for the 2006/07 campaign?


5. Who is the current manager of the England U-21 team?  


6. Which team has the words "Arte Et Labore" on its crest?


7. Who succeeded Roy Keane as Sunderland's manager?


8. Who scored the first ever goal at the Emirates stadium?


9. Whom did Martin O'Neill succeed as Villa manager in 2006?


Post your answers below and try not to cheat.

Get 4 or more right and you know your football.

Bring Home the CUP!

Ive been a die hard fan of Manchester United since I first watched them play on screen one blissful night in my hotel in Kuala Lampur. This was i think back in 2003 when Beckham played his last for the club. Henry at the time was 'The Man to Watch' and Arsenal were pretty much the league dominators back then.

One Cup final that was actually prized in those days was The FA Cup. I remember that game against Milwall that ended with Manchester United winning 3-0. It was an awesome feeling. The season had been mediocre really, with Arsenal running away with the title unbeaten. A sick feeling for a United fan, but hats off to them. That FA cup semi-final was a special one. It was against Arsenal, with Scholes netting home the only goal of the game to make it 1-0 in the 32nd minute.

THAT, was the last time Manchester United lifted the FA cup. Its a shame really. 7 years have gone by, and the charm is now missing. The prestige of it has been junked off by top club managers who now only see this as part of a learning curve to blood their youngsters. The Cup still holds dear to a lot of fans, who still see this as the decider for domestic supremacy.

As a United fan, Ive seen it all in the last few years. The Champions League, Premier League, etc. But what i really want to see the club winning now is the FA cup. Dumped yet again at an early stage (by a lowly Leeds side), I probably will have to wait another year. But i hope SAF learns from this, and plays a full strength team next season. Bring Home the Cup - i say! For silverware is what we're all about.

RISE OF THE PRETENDER - MANCHESTER CITY

And then came the season of the pretenders. Breaking into the glorified “big Four”, could we really see the rise of a new regime? Some say so, some rubbish its acclaim but my count is…Watch Out.

For nearly seven years now the English League has been dominated by mainly four clubs (more like three), Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. Be it the financial edge, passion ridden fans or the pure on-field class, a separate strata has taken ruling which looks to stay for many -many years to come. Or so one would say after all these years of pretty much observing the same round up of the top 4.

But then,   there was light. Enter – Manchester City. Bankrolled by an Arab Billionaire with a vision (probably Gucci), people started talking. Ambition was finally injected into the ‘lower’ strata of the ‘society’ and signings like Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure, Gareth Barry etc. showed exactly what they were aiming for.

Watch out for them. On their day, they seem to destroy opposing teams, and have indeed proved their mettle with fabulous performances against Liverpool and Manchester United.

The reason why I see them emerging as a force is primarily down to their desire to win. When I watch City play, I see the hunger in the players (best described by Adebayor’s Arsenal celebration) and their quality of football is excellent. Mark Hughes has adopted an intricate sense of play which seems to baffle even the grandmasters of the stubbornest of defences. 

Sadly, he too is a fallen prey of the imaginary "Instant Success" attitude that blots football today. Speaking of which, they have come under some criticism regarding their own defence, which has indeed been a problem, but trust Roberto Mancini to sort that out.

Another revelation, Stephen Ireland has been absolutely sensational. With Elano being shipped off to Turkey, Ireland has provided that attacking flair to maximum degree which made him City’s ‘Player of the Year’ last year.

Robinho’s goal against Arsenal last season was one I will never forget. Chipping the ball past Almunia, it was rightly prized as “Audacity of the highest quality”.  It is this ’audacity’ to disrupt life at the top 4, that I see key in City’s progression.

Currently 5^th in the standings (with a game in hand), the future looks bright for the Blue half of Manchester. And u never know….Premier League glory? WATCH OUT!

 My prediction: 4^th place


P.S - Looking forward to Patrick Viera's visit to Arsenal!