Do Pool Fans Need To Kop On?

All I know is that if I was out there and we got a penalty in the 89th minute to make it 1-1, there’s only one place it’s going. Right in the top corner – of the Kop!

- John Aldridge

John Aldridge is a Liverpool legend, and in the above quote he has expressed the sentiment of many a Liverpool fan ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Chelsea. Many – not all – fans of The Reds would rather watch their team lose at Anfield  then see them win, and as a likely result, likely see Manchester United win the Premier Division title.

Manchester United are seeking their 19th title, which would overtake the record currently shard with and previously held by Liverpool. The Scousers’ place in football’s record books, a place of which their fans have told me they are extremely proud, would be erased making the Chelsea clash so critical. Nonetheless, surely it is sad at best and disgraceful at worst that Liverpool fans, and former players such as Aldo, are looking for their own team to lose when they are still in the hunt for a fourth place finish and a Champions League spot.

If the roles were reversed, I’m not saying that I would always cheer on my own team when the consequences of a win would be so undesirable. However, it is a shame that Liverpool fans are reduced to this. The real disgrace, simply, is that the ‘Pool find themselves in a position where they’re consigned to cheering for the other team, and not getting a chance (yet again) to see their side aim for the title. That is the product of several years of mismanagement at Anfield, with Rafa Benitez as the main culprit.

Should those fans root for a Chelsea win tomorrow, then the financial losses incurred by missing the Champions League, and the potential need to sell the likes of Torres and Gerrard will cost this club even more dearly in the years ahead.

I hope those fans realise what they are really cheering for.

SKY Shine With Champions League Coverage

Sorry for my brief silence.  I’ve been doing other things and to be honest I’ve also been struggling to think of anything to write about that’s not related to Darren Sutherland.  It’s really knocked the boxing community here in Ireland for six.

I guess the biggest story on a wider sporting scale this week is the return of the Champions League.  This year, more than ever with so many debutants, the group stages don’t seem overly appealing – I always feel that it is a competition that doesn’t truly get underway until the knockout stages.  Clashes such as Liverpool v Debrecen and FC Zurich v Real Madrid are unlikely to inspire anyone bar the most die-hard of fans, or at the very least the fans of the underdog.

I am, as I’ve no doubt mentioned on here before, a fan of Manchester United so I tuned in to a fair chunk of their game against Besiktas in Turkey last night.  TV3 have the rights back here in Ireland so, naturally, I watched it on SKY.  I was glad I did.

Their coverage is immense.  Now, the punditry was meh – Michel Salgado’s English made him a puzzling choice for the studio panel – and I am a fan of Martin Tyler and Andy Grey.  What I really enjoyed last night, however, was the technical elements of what I was watching.  I accept, now, that this may be old news to many of you reading but since I’ve literally never been at home on a Champions League evening in recent years, it was my first time watching all eight Champions League games at once.

To give you a brief overview of how the system works, when you press the eponymous red button you are presented with a choice of eight games (on a Tuesday that is.  ITV have first choice on Wednesday evenings from this season meaning there will be seven games to choose from tonight).  Naturally, I picked the United game but when there was a goal, a little banner flashed across the screen.  I press that little red button again and, lo and behold, I’m watching Guti score in Switzerland or Inzaghi poaching one against Marseille or whatever – it really is a stunning service.

Now what SKY are doing is not revolutionary – I know of at least one other provider in the States that does something similar on an NFL Sunday, while the BBC have been giving viewers the opportunity to choose between sports at the Olympics or matches at Wimbledon for a few years now.  Yet, I enjoyed last night and again tonight, though the service was marred by the aforementioned absence of one game, in this case Liverpool v Debrecen.

In a world (and a blog) where we sports fans love to give out about all sorts, I’m going to take this rare opportunity to tip my hat in the general direction of SKY and say thanks for the entertainment.  Now if only the same levels of commitment could be shown to other sports...

Adebayor Aside, City Are Coming

It looks like Emmanuel Adebayor is set to be given a ban of up to six weeks for his actions in Saturday’s win over Arsenal. Rightly so, too, in my opinion. The striker is accused of stamping on former teammate Robin Van Persie – when slowed down it does seem that he kicked out at Van Persie’s head.



However, the incident that troubled me most was his goal celebration. Quite why he saw it fit to run the length of a pitch to taunt the Arsenal fans I don’t know, but this is just the sort of behaviour we’ve come to see from the striker. He showed himself to be childish and insolent in his final season at The Emirates and his lack of effort on the pitch was clear for all to see. Disappointing as his behaviour on Saturday may have been, it certainly was not surprising.

However, we need to take a moment to look at the broader picture here. While Mad-ebayor may have stolen the headlines on Sunday’s back pages, the truth is that something else is at play. We could just have a new world order on our hands when it comes to the Premier League.

City’s 4-2 win was impressive in a way that not even the score line can convey. They were clinical, and organised in a way that a galaxy of stars shouldn’t be. There was no Tevez, no Roninho and no Santa Cruz in the side on Saturday but nonetheless Hughes’ side bossed the game. De Jong marshalled the defensive midfield while Gareth Barry and Stephen Ireland did enough to upset Arsenal’s usual slick passing. Sure, Arsenal had more possession and more chances, but City took there’s. This was a team performance that belies the way in which they’ve risen to become a genuine power in football.

In my work as a newsreader, I often call City’s home ground ‘The Middle Eastlands’ in reference to the way in which the club’s Arab owners are bankrolling their tilt at Premier League glory. Yet Saturday’s team wasn’t an example of how money has changed their fortunes. Adebayor, Touré and Lescott aside, most of the players on show for The Citizens were of the solid and dependable sort. Their man of the match was Craig Bellamy (not that I ever thought I would call him dependable) and among their other players on show were the likes of Shay Given, Micah Richards, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Wayne Bridge. All solid players, but none of them (with the possible exception of Given who was a relatively inexpensive purchase) are world-beaters. While the likes of Carlos Tevez and his reputed £47m transfer fee may grab the headlines, the quiet truth is that Hughes is quietly assembling a squad capable of breaking up the Big Four.

I am a Manchester United fan and thus should hate Manchester City and all who are partial to City but even I would welcome a much-needed change in the Premier League. And in a season when Liverpool and Arsenal are both struggling (even at this early stage), the truth is this could be the year that finally happens. I predict that we will see Manchester City play in the Champions League next season after they finish in the top four come May.

Can they maintain their impressive start and finish even higher than that? Probably not. I expect theit 100% start to end at Old Trafford on Sunday, but it won’t be an easy game for my Red Devils.

Owen to Man United?

Apparently Michael Owen's representitives are in talks with officials in Old Trafford regarding Michael signing for United. This is a very interesting development, and somewhat surprizing for Ferguson who looks like he's willing to gamble on a player who many Premiership managers weren't willing to risk signing.
Owen has had a number of injury riddled seaons at Newcastle, but to be honest, he was always a threat when fit.
Ferguson has been on the look out for a new striker after the departures as Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo. He had hoped on bringing French internationals Karim Benzema and Franck Ribery to Manchester, but Real Madrid seem to have won the race for both their signatures.
Owen could be a massive hit with United, if he remains fit, but that is something that may be beyond him.
On the streets of Manchester earlier one local Unted fan gave this reaction. "He's Shit". A bit extreme, but maybe that gentleman is speaking the truth. Hull City were chasing hard to bring Owen to the KC Stadium. A Hull fan (pictured) gave this reaction when he heard that his club may have lost out on Owen's services; "Ah Shit!".
We'll see what the outcome is and where Michael Owen will be playing his football next season.

Cristiano Ronal-Go!

I'll have more on this later on, but for now here's two quick points on Ronaldo's move to Real Madrid.

It's a good deal for United. Ronaldo wants out, has done for some time, and though there was little evidence of this on the pitch this year, that would have come in time. Rumour has it that this deal has been done for some time and that wouldn't surprise me - keeping him for one more year after the shenanigans of last summer is good going.

Secondly, while I'm not going to point out the lunacy of spending so much on players, Real Madrid have now spent about €138m on two players this week. Either Perez is the President they needed all along or we're in for another failure, a Galacticos Mk II if you will. Time will tell. I can't wait to see.

Still Recruiting

Hey all

College exams this week meant a bit of a lull on the blog, and that lull will go on into next week probably. I'm being brought away for a couple of days.

There'll be all change once I come back though. The Almost Daily Sports Blog will be relaunched before the end of the month with new features, a new design and most importantly, new writers. If you want in, contact me for more info. gavingrace@hotmail.com

Now, back to the match. Come on United!!

The Premier League - Raging Bull Or Cash Cow?

It's transfer deadline day. Between work this morning (in Spin Southwest) and keeping an eye online since I came home, I've been keeping one eye on it most of the day. Well done the BBC!

The interesting move of the day, for me, is the purchase of Manchester City by a UAE based business group. SKY News say that these guys have ten times the money of Roman Abramovich and judging by the rumours today, they're willing to spend it too. They're just the latest club to be bought up by oligarchs - Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester United and of course Chelsea have all been purchased by owners from foreign lands in recent years.

I don't mind their origin. They can be English or Estonian for all I care. What does worry me is that these are businessmen, with their eyes fixed firmly on the ca$h they can make from these deals. SKY, Setanta (and increasingly foreign TV companies) have boosted the coffers of the Premier League as a whole. That money makes today one of the most fascinating days of the year, when (literally) hundreds of millions of pounds are spent on players from all corners of the world.

I worry about the future though. What happens when the bubble bursts? What happens when the owners pull out? Where will that leave the fans who have been loyal in the dark days of terraces, muddy pitches and All-English XI's? The bubble may not burst for some time - the Champions League etc. mean that the clubs have several sources of income. Yet, this will dry up in time. That's the nature of the market.

Speaking of the market, that very same commercialism has brought about these riches. It is the reason that the League is the strongest in the world. It is the reason that these oligarchs are here and, it is the reason that they cannot simply be banned/removed. The future is bright, for now, but in these times of economic uncertainty clouds will soon gather on the horizon.