When I was a teenager it almost felt like that the European Cup was part and parcel of the domestic honors scene along with the league and FA Cup. It was in essence only a trophy that English clubs seemed to contest. Liverpool triumphed four times in 1977, ’78, ’81 & 84, Nottingham Forest twice in ‘1979 & ’80 and Aston Villa in 1982 – but then came the Heysel disaster and a five-year ban on English teams competing in Europe with Liverpool serving an additional year.

Since that horrific day in Brussels, 23 finals have been contested and English clubs have won the princely total of two!

And if I was to be completely honest with hand on heart, I would have to say that both victories owe a huge amount to luck and incredible collapses by the two teams in world football who you’d bet the house on if you were offered these two scenarios – a one goal lead in injury time and a three goal lead with a half to play.

Who could possibly think that United would score two goals in injury time as its usually, Bayern Munich, that break hearts (just ask Getafe in the UEFA Cup) but fate smiled on the Red Devils on the epic night in Barcelona. As for AC Milan throwing away the Mt. Everest of leads in Istanbul, impossible, but I guess that’s why they call it the ‘Miracle of Istanbul’.

So without these freak occurrences, English clubs in all seriousness would not have won the European Cup since Liverpool beat Roma in 1984.

This year though, if the semifinals play out they way I think they will, an English teams name will be engraved on the trophy. Luck may still play a part in the final result but at least it won’t be at the expense of those ‘Johnny Foreigner’ types from Europe.

Tuesday

Liverpool v Chelsea

At first glance this fixture has all the appeal of a trip to the dentists minus the anesthetic. In fact it has been described by Argentine great, Jorge Valdano in the following way ‘Put a turd hanging from a stick in the middle of this passionate, crazy stadium (Anfield) and there are people who will tell you it’s a work of art. It’s not: it’s a turd hanging from a stick.

When six previous Champions League meetings have produced a grand total of three goals, its hard to argue with Valdano’s description but this time though I believe a turd won’t be laid for the simple reason that Liverpool does not get Anfield in the 2nd leg. This will force Rafa Benitez to play a more expansive game in the 1st leg on Merseyside because the Reds must travel to Stamford Bridge with a lead. The reason is that the Blues are all but unbeatable on their home turf.

When you factor in revenge, the ‘it must be our time’ mentality and a desire to win the ‘big one’ before this Chelsea team breaks up, fireworks are a must. I also believe the players will make a contest out of this in spite of Avram Grant.

One final note is the continuing doubt over the fitness of Steven Gerrard. Who knows if Benitez is playing mind games but should the Liverpool captain be missing the odds of the Reds making their third final in four years lengthen considerably in my book. I backed Liverpool months ago to win it all – without Gerrard all bets are off!

Wednesday

Barcelona v Manchester United

Unlike the Liverpool/Chelsea saga this fixture at first glance has the purists drooling and they’ll be positively drowning in saliva if both teams recapture the magic of the 1999 Champions League. The two group games produced 12 goals and two amazing 3-3 ties. I’m not expecting that quantity this time around as defensively, United, are a far superior unit and don’t seem capable of conceding that many goals.

Offensively though they can score for fun and with Barcelona in terrible shape coming into this contest a 0-0 in Spain followed by a 3-0 victory at Old Trafford would have the Red Devils advancing.

Fans of Barcelona might think I’m disrespecting them but their current form reminds me of Arsenal. They’ve only won four times in thirteen and seem to be running out of gas at the wrong time of the season despite at times playing fantasy football. Supposedly Thierry Henry isn’t happy - Ronaldinho is busy learning Italian and eating pasta - Frank Rijkaard is flirting with Chelsea, which all results in bad form and unrest in the camp. All signs point to a spanking, which is something the English clubs used to hand out to the rest of Europe on a regular basis.

It was thirty-one years ago this year that English teams began their seven-year domination of Europe’s top cup competition. With a domestic team guaranteed to make the final in 2008 that will now be four consecutive years with English representation and with a victory, two wins in that same period.

With the Barclays Premier League now the cash cow of world football, it sure feels to me as though a new era of dominance has begun and will continue for the foreseeable future.

Until then, I’ll meet you at the far post.

‘Grand Slam Sunday’ has emphatically established one simple fact – the ‘Big 4’ should now be renamed because certain memberships have been revoked. Lets now call it what it really is…the ‘Big 2’ – Arsenal and Liverpool it’s time to reapply.

Back on December 12th 2007 I did the first part of the A-Z of ‘GSS’ – here is part II.

Arsene Wenger you’ve been penny wise & pound foolish and now its cost you the title. I told you to buy in the January sales. You may get deals in the summer but you’ll have won nowt when it counts. What a time to have your worst run in over a decade?

Balls & bottle because Avram Grant finally demonstrated that he may have both when it matters.

Cristiano Ronaldo is putting together the finest season I can remember. Thirty-four goals is ridiculous and fifty cannot be ruled out. When one speaks of FIFA World Player of the Year, there can be only one serious candidate.

Didier Drogba maybe playing his last season in English football after sulking through most of the campaign but the man is still one of the deadliest strikers in the world when it comes to showing up in the ‘big’ games. Are you listening Adebayor!

Emmanuel Eboue you’re amazingly talent with a golden future but when are you going to grow up. Pouting, jawing and acting like a spoilt brat isn’t going to win you matches.

Frank Lamaprd you’re so overrated.

Gerrard, Steven you’re so overrated.

Home field advantage is massive.

Idiotic behavior is unacceptable at the highest level especially in matches that decide titles. What Javier Mascherano was playing at is anyone’s guess but if I was to offer an explanation ‘energy’ drinks must surely be the culprit because his mouth was working way faster than his brain.

Jamie Carragher has been a magnificent servant to Liverpool but you’ll need a mechanical digger to find him now. Wayne Rooney practically corkscrewed him down to China during one second half mazy.

Kalou, Salomon what a swing and a miss. Wow…what a sitter. What was missing…a silver platter, napkins, and waiters?

Liverpool Football club has now played almost 12 hours of Premiership football without scoring against Manchester United. When you wonder why it’s been eighteen years since you’ve had a sniff of domestic league glory…wonder no more!

Michael Carrick you’ll be truly appreciated by the OT faithful one day. I thought you were superb.

Nani, nice, nimble and naughty celebration after a sensational finish. I thought SAF had banned you from impersonating a gymnast.

Old Trafford has been a haven for the ‘prawn’ sandwich brigade for most of the campaign – it was positively exhilarating to hear it get back to ‘meat-and-potatoes’ mode on Sunday.

Pepe Reina you were United’s best player…Zoinks!

Questions that were answered: Chelsea just simply refuse to lose at fortress Stamford Bridge- that’s now 78 matches without defeat in domestic competition. United have had Liverpool’s number since 1993 – that’s a lifetime in football.

Rooney, Wayne you should’ve scored a couple but your all-round performance was a reminder that you are England’s greatest hope and most outstanding natural talent.

Steve Bennett you’re either a brave man or one big spoiler. I thought the first yellow card to Mascherano was well deserved for his late challenge on Paul Scholes - you’ve got to keep a lid on these pressure cookers before they explode. It then looked like the Argentine started badgering you, leading to the second yellow card as he sprinted 20-30 yards to get in your face. I guess we’ll never know what he said but I sure hope it was worth the red.

Ten…“Manchester United have all but wrapped up Premiership title number ten. Who wants to argue that?” If any of you do have a beef with that statement, come on down the FSC studios and I’ll buy you a snack from our deluxe vending machine and explain why you’re out to lunch.

Understated brilliance is the hallmark of Ricardo Carvalho. Forget the loss of John Terry and Petr Cech. When this man is out, the Blues are half a team.

Vidic, Nemanja reminds me of Jaap Stam with his beastly presence in the heart of the United back four. Ronaldo make take the plaudits but it’s the Serbian that provides the defensive steel making

Wesley Brown, so you think you deserve more money from the Old Trafford printing press? Putting one past the Scousers will certainly help loosen those purse strings...maybe!

X-cuses from the Professor and the Rotator are beginning to ring hollow because the Frenchman and the Spaniard are both brilliant coaches. The two men will meet three times over the next few weeks. Only one will have the opportunity to move on and possibly save their seasons. Who will it be…stay tuned?

Yesterday reminded me that the gap between the ‘haves and have nots’ is growing. We must find a way to redress the balance or the exclusive club that United and Chelsea have created will never accept new membership.

Zzzzzz’s, not a chance this time around. ‘GSS’ before Christmas was a snoozer while this was the real deal.

Until then, GTBI is retired and I’ll meet you at the far post.

Grand Slam Sunday, Fantastic Four, Judgment Day, whatever you want to call it, December 16th is a four-and-a-half hour period…THAT I WANT BACK!

My heart told me that Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea would play the kind of fantasy football we saw from the likes of AC Milan, Barcelona, Bremen and…Wigan.

My brain told me it would be cagey and short of entertainment.

Guess whom I’m listening to next time especially as the West Coast kick off for the Anfield rascal was 5.30am.

Here is the A – Z critique of the finest that England has to offer.

Arsene Wenger couldn’t beat Jose Mourinho with a big stick and a large bulls-eye attached to the ‘Special One’s’ posterior but show him Avram Grant and Chelsea become a 3 point ATM.

Benitez...you getting sacked in the morning, sacked in the morning, you’re getting sacked in the morning.

Capello…good luck mate, you’ll need it.

Defense…wins matches. If you don’t believe me, ask coaches in the NFL.

Edwin van der Sar…if I spent as much time as you waving at my mum, I’d be out of a job. The same goes for you Petr Cech.

Frank Lampard…you are so overrated.

Gerrard, Steven…you are so overrated.

Highbury, you’re missed but the Emirates packed for a night match is pure theater. You could move this fixture to the West End and it would still snap, crackle and pop.

Ian Wright, you’ve taught your son SWP well, but blimey, the lad couldn’t finish a fish and chip supper. My boy, right, could’ve tucked that 75th minute sitter away.

John Terry, just because you’re the England captain does not give you the right to act like ‘Billy big boots’. I’m certainly not saying you deserved to get crocked but it looked from my standpoint that you had it coming.

Kuyt, the Dirk kind. Endeavor, commitment, hustle are great words if you’re a player trying to impress Steve McClaren but when a match is screaming out for class, you’re well out of your league.

Liverpool…eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years, eighteen years…sorry did I say eighteen years...and counting.

Manchester United own Rafa Benitez. In the Barclays Premier League the record is this. Played 7, Won 6, tied 1.

Nemanja Vidic is the most commanding center back in England.

Owen Hargreaves may have cost Sir Alex Ferguson an arm and a leg but for every minute he plays take another ton of the hefty $34 million price tag.

Patrice Evra is the most exciting left back in England.

Questions were answered on Sunday and the grades are in. United and Arsenal get ‘A’s. Chelsea and Liverpool a big fat ‘F’.

Riise, John Arne, you used to be the darling of the Kop but I’ll wager a weeks wages that come January you’ll be surplus to requirements…why…try beating the first defender with a cross for once.

Shevchenko, Andriy. If we want players who can’t finish in the MLS we’ll stick with the lads we’ve got at 1/100th of the price.

Tevez, Carlos…form is fleeting, class is permanent. Have any of you ever seen a forward pairing (Tevez & Rooney) that works as hard as these two do on both sides of the ball.

Ugly…but three points is three points.

Van Persie, the Robin kind. I know you’re a little rusty but c’mon. How many ways do you want to beat a keeper before you score?

William Gallas, you know how to bite the hand that used to feed you however I suggest you find a new barber, you’re current one seems to be blind.

X-factor…just how important will that 5/6 point gap between the top two be at the end of the season.

Y…are we always led to believe that big four clashes will be epic.

Zero chance that either Liverpool or Chelsea will win the Premier League this season.
I’m not really that bitter about Sunday but wouldn’t it be nice, if just for once, the headline on foxsports.com was ‘wow…football’ and not the gridiron kind.

Until then, get the beers in.

The one that pays the piper calls the tune – and if Liverpool owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett want to hear Rafa Benitez whistling ‘Dixie’, well, the Spaniard better put his lips together and blow.

That the business world of football is changing is of no surprise to anybody however the speed of the change often catches traditionalists on the hop. For instance who would’ve predicted five years ago that the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea, the cream of English football, would be under American and Russian ownership respectively – but it happened and with it has come a ‘new’ set of rules.

The last ten days at Anfield have seen those ‘new’ rules enforced in a soap opera that would’ve put ‘Brookside’ to shame. When Benitez threw his pacifier out of the stroller over the possibility of being denied cash to finance January transfer targets, I’m sure he was thinking that the American duo would wipe it off and pop it back in his mouth. Instead, Hicks and Gillett decided that ‘tough love’ would be the order of the day. Rafa was put firmly in his place and if all reports are to be believed, the man who masterminded the ‘Miracle in Istanbul’ came dangerously close to losing his job after calling out his paymasters in public. I guess you could say that what we have here is a classic case of a failure to communicate that also includes the Chief Executive, Rick Parry.

With all the bluster its sometimes hard to read between the lines but I believe what Rafa basically wants is Javier Mascherano neatly tied up in a bow and sitting under the Christmas tree plus a couple of other inexpensive baubles. The problem that Hicks and Gillett are having is that they’ve already spent a tidy sum on Ryan Babel and Fernando Torres. The thought of spending another $32 million on the Argentine without a guarantee of Champions League football snapped the wallet shut tighter than a gnats chuff. No decisions will be made until the result of the final winner-take-all Group A match versus, Marseille, is known.

Adding to the confusion are rumors that Hicks and Gillett might not be on the same page when it comes to management and that the fans are unhappy with the way the pair have treated the Spaniard.

On the first count, Tom Hicks stated that he and Gillett are still tight and that gossip that he was about to sell up are false. “I am not selling any of my shares to anybody. I’ve not idea why anyone would think that. It was rubbish,” he said while scribbling a SELL order to a minion!

On the second count, the fans certainly spoke during the week marching to Anfield en mass before the FC Porto match and demonstrating their vocal support for Benitez in the way that only Liverpool fans can do. With the players also backing the gaffer, Rafa, can claim to have the hearts and minds of what we’d like to think are the two most important ingredients in any club.

With the owners basically being the absentee type though, there is only ever going to be one factor that stirs their emotions…the bottom line.

Look, as much as the ‘bean counters’ (that’s what hard-nosed businessmen are at the end of the day) profess their love for our sport and clubs, ‘where is the cash’ is the final question. If you really think it’s the welfare of the club that takes precedent, I suggest you jump in the Artic Ocean for a minute or two and wake up.

I’m not sure about Hicks’ devotion to the Reds but Gillett has publicly stated that he fell in love with Liverpool after watching a DVD of that famous night in Turkey when the impossible happened. Did I tell you that the Saints are my favorite NFL team, yeah I had some ‘gumbo’ once at the Farmers market on 3rd & Fairfax. I love the Miami Heat - Rum Runners are delicious. The Yankees are awesome - their hats are cool. What I’m saying is the passion is tenuous – it’s as deep as a paper cut. If a better offer comes along…see yah!

It’s funny because it doesn’t seem that long ago that supporters were lambasting Sir Jack Walker at Blackburn Rovers for changing the rules of the game. At least Jack loved his club. His passion for Rovers was second to none. He never answered to shareholders. Today’s owners are more like the Oakland raiders, Al Davis…’just win baby’

I think what we’re finding out is that the supposed riches these new owners bring come with a price. As ‘Barry the Baptist’ said in ‘Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, ‘when you dance with the devil, you wait for the song to stop.’ My message to Rafa and other clubs under foreign ownership is the following…the music is still going strong, except perhaps there will be a time when it isn’t your favorite tune.

Until then, get the beers in.

December 16, 2006 doesn’t feel like an important date or milestone – and in football reality it isn’t when you consider that the season begins in August and ends in May.

This date did have significance to one of the ‘big four’ though as it was at this point that they managed just their second away win of the Premier League campaign. The team I’m talking about is Liverpool Football Club. Looking back, it’s very difficult to fathom out just why and how it took over five months for Rafa Benitez squad to register two maximums away from Anfield. In fact it doesn’t seem possible but the history book doesn’t lie.

That record book doesn’t lie now either – with two away games played, two away games won, 100% perfect on the road and the demons of last seasons domestic travels hopefully banished. When you consider that the Reds took a paltry two points out of the twenty-one offered last year while finishing twenty-one points off the pace to Manchester United, this start is explosive.

For sure the title isn’t won in August and September but the foundation for a challenge in late April and early May is certainly built in these two months. As we’ve seen from the last few seasons, getting off to a flyer is a ‘must’ as it allows you the breathing space to drop a point or two when the fixtures start piling up. Looking ahead at Liverpool’s next four opponents Derby (h), Portsmouth (a), Birmingham (h), and Wigan (a) you can’t help but see a fat and tasty twelve-point feast.

So what is the difference between Liverpool 06/07 & Liverpool 07/08…Benitez summed it up with his post match comments after their latest victory over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. “We have a stronger squad now and we know we have the confidence in the players.”

What he also has, I believe, is more confidence in…himself.

Despite winning the Champions League and FA Cup, I’m not sure that Benitez believed himself to be a top Premiership manager – this season I have no doubt that he thinks and knows that he is the best. Even in this embryonic stage of the campaign he appears to have developed a cutthroat instinct not only towards his team but to his managerial adversaries. The cuddly Rafa who’d sit down and have a beer with you no longer exists. He has been replaced with a Rafa that’ll call you out in the press. A Rafa that’ll dive straight into the deep end. A Rafa that is prepared to go to war and play mind games with the best in the business.

That doesn’t mean he won’t still fiddle about though…just maybe not quite as much as before!

That’s good news for Reds supporters who have in the past been concerned with his tweaking. Seven members of his starting eleven have appeared in all three league matches - a minor miracle when you consider the tinkering ‘Rafa the Rotator’ likes to perform. The Spaniard even had the luxury of giving his skipper, Steven Gerrard the afternoon off against the Black Cats. Would Jose Mourinho dare take that luxury with Frank Lampard, SAF with Ronaldo…I think we know the answer to that question?

Yes, we’re only three games in and yes, it’s too early to tell the whole story but the signs scream that Liverpool are not content with being a ‘Cup’ team and here is why.

Pepe Reina has yet to make a telling save in 270 minutes. The two goals he has conceded were a non-existent penalty (Finnan/Chelsea) and an unlucky penalty (Carragher/Villa).

The back four of Steve Finnan, Jamie Carragher, Danny Agger and Alvaro Abreloa reminds me of Phil Neal, Alan Hansen, Phil Thompson and Joey Jones – seriously good company.

In midfield its an embarrassment of riches with competition for playing time as fierce as is ever been – just ask new signing, Youssi Benayoun, Harry Kewell, Momo Sissoko and last seasons darling, Javier Mascherano.

While upfront, Peter Crouch can’t get a game as his watches, Dirk Kuyt, new Anfield hero, Fernando Torres and Andrij Voronin take the glory.

Rafa Benitez has at last built a team that can challenge for Premiership glory. It’s spectacular, it’s deep and it’s hungry to end almost two decades of heartache.

Quickly back to dates. December 16th 2006 is not one the Kop will remember fondly despite that second away win because they knew that once again the Holy Grail had slipped away. Football is a sport rich in dates though. On December 15th 2007, almost a full year later, that Holy Grail the Kop so deeply craves may just be passed to them…Manchester United visit Anfield – tell me your hair isn’t standing upon your necks!!!

One final thought - last year I had Liverpool winning the Premiership title and I was horribly wrong. This season I jumped off the wagon and I believe I’ve made a big mistake.

Until then, get the beers in.

Is it possible for seven inches to be the difference between a glorious campaign or one built around…if only…I wish…it was harder than it looked…and failure?

I guess we’ll find out the answer to this loaded innuendo question by May but in the mean time we’ll make do with Tottenham Hotspur star, Jermain Jenas and his probable thoughts as he drifted off to sleep on Saturday night. If he is smart though, in future years he’ll more than likely turn his improbable miss against Liverpool into a lengthy ‘fishermans tale’ for the grandkids.

At Anfield on Saturday, a venue that Spurs hadn’t won at in over 10 years, Jenas had an opportunity to put his club on the road to victory with a chance that must go down in the books as an ‘absolute sitter’. Even the phrase ‘my mother would’ve scored that one’ was being whispered in certain corners and the pain on Martin Jol’s face was there for all to see – and just to prove how cruel football really is, Craig Bellamy immediately missed a far simpler chance at the other end only for Mark Gonzales to save his blushes.

The blow to the Londoners was the equivalent of a Mike Tyson body shot in his heyday. Their remaining supply of air was violently expelled and with the Reds rampant, defeat number four was all but assured.

Now I’m certainly not advocating that we give up on Spurs just yet, especially since I predicted that they would finish 3rd in my pre-season preview, however there is reason for alarm and if I were Martin Jol, I’d be sorely tempted to scan the situations vacant page on a more regualr basis.

The reason for Jol’s apparent lack of job security can be easily identified and unforunately for the Dutchman it’s been the downfall of almost every manager who’s ever had the misfortune to coach this most ‘beautiful’ of games…goals!

Tottenham are firing more blanks than Tom Cruise in his latest ‘Mission Impossible’.

Two goals in six league matches is pitiful and the scary thing for Jol is that they’re not playing that badly when compared to some of the awful Spurs sides that have sat in mid table obscurity since the Premier League began in 1992 (ironically the EPL was the ‘brain’ child of former Tottenham Chairman, Alan Sugar).

Yet it was all meant to be different this season in the attacking department.

The addition of Bulgarian hitman Dimitar Barbatov for close to $20 million was clearly a sign of their and new sponsors, Mansion’s intent. The return of Eygptian hot head, Mido was another indicator of how desperate the North Londoners were on wresting supremacy away from their near neighbors Arsenal. The fact that they’d kept hold of Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe, scorers of 83 EPL goals for Spurs despite other suitors sniffing around seemed to say we’re serious…’about what’…I’m now forced to ask.

Tottenham and more specifically Jol are in trouble regardless of whether they beat Slavia Prague in the 2nd leg of their UEFA Cup clash this week (they hold a 1-0 advantage from the 1st leg) and their next five EPL mtches holds the key to their season.

Firstly they’ll host high flying Portsmouth at the Lane before travelling to a resurgent, Aston Villa. Then it’s three local encounters with West Ham, Watford and Chelsea. I believe that if they have only 7-10 points by the time they take on the Blues at home this will be the make or break game for Jol.

Consider this fact - Chelsea have 32 game unbeaten streak over Spurs in the top flight and if my estimated point tally is anywhere in this ballpark, Spurs will be desperately close to the relegation zone, making this the turning point of their season. Mark down November 11th if you’re a fan because this has ‘twitchy bum time’ written all over it.

And to think…but for seven inches I wouldn’t even be having this conversation and Jermain Jenas would be strolling around White Hart Lane with a smile on his face.

Until then, get the beers in.

The English Premier League super scheduling computer often throws up mouthwatering match-ups but rarely has it allowed the ‘fantastic four’ Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal or more appropriately the managers Jose Mourinho, Rafa Benitez, Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger to collide on the same day with so much at stake.

With the phrase ‘must win’ being tossed around like dice at a Las Vegas craps table for the Gunners and the Reds in their respective road trips to Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge, you knew that goals would be at a premium – however pride, power and passion, the intangibles of football would be the key factors and so it proved in 180 minutes of compelling, absorbing and utterly fascinating Sunday morning action.

With the smoke now clearing the battlefield it’s time to evaluate the performances and what it all means to the managers of the ‘FF’.

Chelsea & Jose Mourinho

Much was made of the ‘handshake’ row between Mourinho and Benitez before the start of this contest in the hopes of ####ing it up to Tabasco proportions – not that it needed it. My own view is that it’s a football match not an arm wrestling contest and thankfully that antagonism was put to rest in the tunnel between the two managers.

As for the Blues display it was typical Mourinho football and he summed it up perfectly in his post match comments. "Sometimes if you win with just quality, playing fantastic and scoring a lot of goals you can feel you are a great team. But you need these matches where you feel you are a team ready to fight. My players were very brave and the team fought very hard."

There was no doubt about the fight in Chelsea’s play as they had to compete for 40 minutes while playing a man down after Michael Ballack departed the pitch after a nasty and spiteful challenge on Mohammed Sissoko. With John Terry and Ricardo Carvallho  marshalling the back four in the most dominating central pairing in the Premiership, it was always going to be a long day for the visitors. The fact they didn’t create as many quality chances as Liverpool will not rankle the ‘Special One’ either especially if Didier Drogba can keep finding the net in spectacular fashion. His 41st minute strike was a goal worthy of the occasion and a fitting way to decide the destination of the points.

Liverpool & Rafa Benitez

Benitez has an abundance of riches at his disposal for the 1st time in his Anfield reign and that is his problem at the moment. I believe he doesn’t yet know who his best XI is yet. Leaving the red hot Peter Crouch on the bench seemed a waste and slap in the face to a man who is in the best form of his career while Chelsea killer, Luis Garcia didn’t even make the trip to London.

“I think that we deserved more because we created clear chances but at the end you need to score to win” he said, obviously not looking in Crouch’s direction. 
An eight point gap has now opened up between the two teams however Benitez isn’t being trapped into pushing the panic button just yet. "We need to think about the next game (Newcastle). It's a long race and the most important thing is that the team is improving. If we can win the next three points we will be closer and we will see what happens”, he said. If they don’t get the maximum against the Magpies on Wednesday that finger will start looking for that button.

Manchester United & Sir Alex Ferguson

If there is one thing in life Sir Alex Ferguson loves doing it’s beating Arsenal and in particular Arsene Wenger - their psychological battles over the years have been legendary. With Chelsea now in ascendance though the spotlight has been off the two competitors in recent seasons, however that hasn’t stopped Fergie owning the Frenchman in the Premiership in their last eight meetings.

With the chance to all but cosign Arsenal to also-rans this season the Red Devils fluffed it big time. Previous defeats of this nature have seen the Scotsman blame all and sundry and true to form he pointed to the exertions of Wednesday nights Champions League game against Celtic as the culprit for a flat performance. “With the emotions of it and the pace of the match, it was a real Scotland-England type of match with that type of tempo. It was end to end all night and that's without question one of the things I have to look at. Today we lost momentum in the second half when we stopped passing forward, and that was a sign of tiredness. It was the second-half that disappointed me. We tired as a team in the last 20 minutes.”

Perhaps Sir Alex should look to the fact that Arsenal was the first real side his club has played this year and that maybe the 100% start was a little smoke and mirrors. United is still a team in transition despite the addition of Michael Carrick who surprisingly didn’t start and was instead replaced by the limited John O’Shea. Wayne Rooney is still not match fit while the central pairing of Wes Brown and Rio Ferdinand does not fill me with any confidence.
With three relatively easy fixtures before the visit of Liverpool on October 22nd there is enough time for the Scotsman who recently stated his desire to stay at the helm for another two years to get the machine humming to the right tune.

Arsenal & Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger attempted to play down the importance of this match but even he would’ve been aware that if Arsenal had lost, the gap between them and United would’ve been a massive and insurmountable 13 points – but in epic fashion they did the unthinkable.

One can’t help but think that this Arsenal team is a club in transition and not capable of mounting a serious challenge for the title this season however Wenger believes differently, “transition is a word you don't want, we want to win the championship. I said it before the game and I say again afterwards this team has great potential and spirit as they have shown again today and I strongly believe in the ability of the players and the team.”

Without their talisman, Thierry Henry, I thought that the Gunners would be very lucky to escape with a point but they outplayed and outfought United in every department playing Arsenal football. It was fast, lively, and attractive and more importantly disciplined defensively – no doubt the result of the season to date.

Over the course of these two matches the ‘FF’ will have learnt more about the character of their new look teams and I’m sure come the dog days of January they’ll all be at their familiar places in the table.

Until then, get the beers in.

If you were to build the physique of the perfect football player where would you start?

Building from the bottom up we’d perhaps begin with the calf muscles of Graeme Souness as they resembled ham-hocks on steroids followed by the enormous thighs of Diego Maradona which were seemingly thicker than the General Sherman Tree. Paul Gascoigne’s puffed out beer barrel chest would be ideal along with the ‘Pop-Eye’ arm strength of Pele – a fearsome package eh coming in at around 5’10 and 175lbs.

Greek Gods, let alone world class defenders would quake as this rampaging bull made its way towards you intent on bursting the back of the net. No doubt a fearsome proposition and the prototype for a center forward for the modern game – and then there’s Peter Crouch!

Adonis he isn’t but at 6’7 ‘Pantera Rosa’ or the Pink Panther’ as he’s known at Fox Sports Espanol is the tallest player to have ever represented England. Looking at his spindly body build though a career treading the circus lights with Barnum & Bailey would seem more appropriate. If he has a calf muscle I believe that the little fella’s stay well hidden behind the protection of his shin pads. I’ve seen sparrows with a more defined set of quadriceps while you fear that his very chest my collapse when teammates hug him after yet another goal – and as for his arm strength…I fear Kate Moss could take him down in an arm wrestling contest.

With 10 goals in his first 13 international matches Crouch’s scoring record is exactly on par with the legendary Jackie Milburn who scored a few goals here and there for Newcastle United (200). This puts him 45th on the all-time goal scoring charts however if he keeps up his torrid scoring pace of 2006 within four years he’ll be in sniffing distance of Bobby Charlton (49), Gary Lineker (48) and the ultimate poaching machine, Jimmy Greaves (44).

What I find most remarkable though is the fact that in this short space of time Crouch has turned the jeers that greeted some of his earlier England appearances into cheers. He has now even attained a certain degree of ‘cult’ status what with his robotic dancing style goal celebration and ‘surfer dude’ casual attitude to everything thrown at him – nothing seems to faze this lad.

I first remember seeing Crouch as a seventeen-year-old at the Tottenham Hotspur training ground in the heart of Essex in 1998. My long time mentor, Bill Songhurst, had told me about this ‘giraffe’ of a lad he’d been working with and said “you’ve got to see this boy. He’s built like a daddy-longlegs but there is something special about him”. Bill had been working on improving Crouch’s quick-feet mobility using agility ladders as his stride was deemed to large to play in tight spaces. It was obvious to me that he did have that ‘something’ special however you could also see there was a certain amount of uncoordinated movement and that was perhaps the primary reason that Spurs didn’t sign him and let him slip through their hands to QPR.

At Loftus Road, Crouch immediately made an impact in a losing season scoring 10 times which led to a 1.5 million pound move to Portsmouth in July, 2001. The air down on the South Coast seemed to suit our hero well as he scored a further 18 goals in just 37 starts which provoked Aston Villa into making a big money move, splashing out 5 million pounds for his services.

Villa Park though has proven to be the graveyard for many footballers in recent times and so it was for Crouch as he was eventually loaned out to Norwich City for a spell before returning to the South Coast to play for Portsmouth’s most hated rivals, Southampton in July, 2004. Despite 16 goals for the Saints he was unable to stop their slide to relegation, experiencing the drop for the second time in his short career.

Up stepped Liverpool and for the princely sum of seven million pounds Crouch would return to the Premiership where he would embark on the most barren spell of his football life.

Between July 26th 2005 when he made his Liverpool debut in the Champions League against FBK Kaunas and December 3rd Crouch went 19 matches without a goal before finally breaking his duck against Wigan Athletic. Watching him fluff sitter after sitter almost became a sport in itself with a good Reds fan of mine uttering the immortal line “he couldn’t hit a cow’s arse with a banjo” after contriving to spurn a chance that looked easy to score than miss.

Since that time though the goals for Liverpool have come at an average of one every three games which while not prolific is a decent enough return for a player who is just about to enter his striking prime. Admittedly he’ll never #### them home with the brute force of an Alan Shearer or the finesse of a Robbie Fowler but with those long legs able to stretch in front of defenders and towering height the variety of goals he is able to score is infinite.

Often taunted as a ‘freak’ by opposing club fans, Peter Crouch in my mind has the physical attributes to become a ‘freak of nature’ in international football. Premiership opponents may have a tactical plan for him but when it comes to the one-off international game this is where Peter Crouch has the perfect physique and at just twenty-five-years-old, the best is yet to come.

Until then, get the beers in.

Getting out of the blocks fast is a term usually reserved for athletics however it applies just as well to the English Premiership. Chelsea have proven to be the undisputed masters of this technique over the past couple of campaigns exploding into action as soon as the first whistle blows leaving challengers eating their dust.

This opening weekend the Blues once again showed that they have the class and the killer instinct as Manchester City were toyed with despite Jose Mourinho fielding a below strength team. Heaven knows how they’ll look once Michael Ballack, Joe Cole and maybe even William Gallas rejoin the team.

The only sour note for the Stamford Bridge mob must be the continued loss of confidence and form of Shaun Wright-Phillips. The adopted son of Arsenal legend, Ian Wright, looked a world-beater when playing for Sunday’s opponents, Manchester City, a few seasons ago but since his $46 million dollar move to the Blues the kid’s got two left feet. It was painful watching his every attempt to make something happen explode in his face and when Mourinho changed him for Salomon Kalou, you felt it was to save him from further embarrassment. I have a feeling we’ll not be seeing too much of SWP this year and wouldn’t be surprised if he moved on to a less pressured environment.

Other than the Blues clinical dismantling of City, the other aspect of the game that interested me was Mourinho’s body language. With City’s rivals, Manchester United having played earlier in the morning you could sense that the ‘Special One’ wanted to throw down a marker of sorts. There was a hint of impatience about the Chelsea gaffer that even Didier Drogba’s wonderful goal could not dispel such are his high standards.

In a way the reaction of Mourinho reminded me of Sir Alex Ferguson when the Scotsman was riding high in the late 90’s. Ferguson’s displeasure when his side displayed anything less than the absolute killer instinct was legendary – and that is what has been missing from the Red Devils over the last four years.

With losses and ties littering their 1st ten EPL matches over the last two seasons, United have left themselves too much to do in the closing stretch, which is why I believe the performance against Fulham was of vital importance to the momentum of the team. Remember this side will be missing Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes in the coming weeks and unlike Chelsea they do not have a squad filled with as many impact players.

In a league filled with huge egos’, one-upmanship is the name of the game and SAF will be secretly pleased that in this opening weekend that United scored five while Chelsea ONLY got three.

On the other side of the ego train, Mourinho and Ferguson’s two biggest rivals were left moaning and scratching their heads.

Arsenal and Arsene Wenger laid the big egg at the opening EPL fixture at Emirates Stadium. In all honesty the smart money should’ve been all over the tie because the pressure to get the win was just too much for the Gunners youngsters – while the Villains were desperate to impress the new boss, Martin O’Neill, with a performance of character and will.

This was achieved in startling fashion with the end result being two massive points dropped by Arsenal to a side that they have not failed to beat in their last 16 Premiership encounters.

The final member of the established challenging quartet, Liverpool, also had their own problems and like United will be missing key players for a number of weeks after crucial opening day injuries. John Arne Riise and Jamie Carragher will have given Rafa Benitez gray hair as the Reds boss saw both players depart in the space of eight minutes before even a half of football had been played.

One can’t be sure if these knocks unsettled what is an experienced team but to drop points to new boys, Sheffield United is unthinkable when their stated goal is to win the title.

Top teams just do not let this sort of thing happen. Cast your minds back to the opening match of last season and Chelsea eking out a decision against Wigan in the 93rd minute. That’s what Championship teams do against the rookies.

Every game in the Premiership is precious and a fast start has become the key to success and failure at both ends of the table. Will Arsenal and Liverpool regret these dropped points – we’ll revisit this in a couple of weeks and find out.

Until then, get the beers in.

It is notoriously difficult to read anything into pre-season matches even when they carry the additional motivation of silverware but on Sunday at the Millennium Stadium there can be no doubt that a marker of sorts was laid down by Liverpool.

In the 11th meeting in just two and a bit seasons between Rafa Benitez and Jose Mourinho we saw a new look Reds team that seems more than capable of finally of giving two-time English Premier League Champions, Chelsea, a run for their money.

The difference in the Merseysiders from their previous two campaigns under the Spaniard was obvious from the opening whistle in Cardiff and that difference was pace of an electrifying nature. With a starting line up that included new signings Jermaine Pennant and Mark Gonzalez, Liverpool took the game to Chelsea from the off instead of sitting back and looking to strike on the counter attack as they have done in previous seasons under Benitez.

The mentality of this decision had the Blues constantly on the back foot and maybe it is a lesson that the rest of the Premier League can pick up on. For too long we have seen teams approach Chelsea cautiously, which has allowed Mourinho’s club to dictate matches. Ironically though the opening goal of the game did spring from a counterattack as John Arne Riise was allowed to pick up a Blues corner, run the length of the field unmolested before smacking a 25-yard drive past Carlo Cudicini. Replays suggest that the Italian should’ve done better and I would agree as Cudicini seemed to dive in installments. Perhaps not the best way to win the starting job from an absent Petr Cech!

With this high octane pressure style of football, Chelsea’s two new stars had very different beginnings to their Stamford Bridge careers. Michael Ballack was a non factor before departing with a hip injury after 26 minutes, his one contribution picking up a yellow card for a spiteful hack on man-of-the-match, Mohammed Sissoko. $56 million dollar striker Andriy Shevchenko on the other hand made quite an impression on me. His pace and control when he found space was outstanding while his equalizing goal was a thing of beauty as he expertly controlled a Frank Lampard pass 1st time on the chest before coolly slotting past, ‘Pepe’ Reina.

On the subject of Lampard his involvement was reminiscent of his World Cup displays for England and I think he’ll admit that he was lucky to survive the 90 minutes after taking a wild swing at Bolo Zenden. Match official, Martin Atkinson obviously deciding that Lampard was going for the ball(s) however the match ball was nowhere to be seen as he clattered the Dutchman from behind.

The 1-1 score-line after 45 minutes certainly flattered Chelsea but to their credit they showed greater invention and desire as the 2nd period got under way. Shevchenko again showing what a versatile and complete striker he is with a smart near post header that brought out the best in Reina nearly gave Chelsea the lead but that would be that in terms of really putting the Liverpool back four under pressure.

With Sissoko dominating his more illustrious opposite number, Michael Essien, Liverpool slowly began to stamp their authority on the game and use their new found weapon…pace effectively - especially so when Craig Bellamy entered the fray.

I for one was a little suspect when Benitez brought this at times troubled young man. No one doubts his talent but on and off the field incidents have followed the Welshman from club-to-club. It appears though that Benitez is confident that he has the man management skills to bring out the best of this exciting and unpredictable player and to date you’d have to give him an ‘A’ in that department.

Bellamy skinned, John Terry, forcing the new England skipper into a crude obstruction foul and then minutes later took Ricardo Carvahllo to the cleaners with a game winning cross that Peter Crouch put away although you’d have to ask where ‘JT was. The Chelsea defender was a good 3 yards away from his international teammate – one hopes that the England captaincy hasn’t already dulled his competitive edge.

A competitive edge definitely wasn’t missing from Jamie Carragher and 2nd half substitute, Steven Gerrard though as they lifted the Community Shield Trophy for the 15th time in club history giving Benitez only his 3rd win against his Iberian neighbor.

Mourinho bemoaned the lack of a deep bench in his post match comments saying that, “today our bench was not very good, with some kids". He also said that a lack of match practice was also responsible for Liverpool’s victory. Either way there is work to be done back at the Bridge before Sunday’s opener against Manchester City.

Benitez will also feel the same way as his club has shown inconsistency leading up to this victory. However the gauntlet has been thrown down and the Spaniard will deservedly claim victory in the 1st of many psychological battles that are surely going to occur during the next nine months between these two proud and great clubs

Until then, get the beers in.

 

 

 

The 'Special One' must've been chucking the tea cups around the dressing room because the Blues have a lot more purpose about them in the opening 15 minutes of the 2nd half.

The Reds have bossed the first 6 minutes and refuse to allow Chelsea to settle. Ballack gets the 1st of many yellow cards with a terrible challenge on Sissoko.

Here we go ladies and gentlemen. The 11th meeting between Iberian neighbors, Jose Mourinho and Rafa Benitez.

In all honesty I'm already a little bored of Liverpool/Chelsea. Hopefully they'll only meet three times this season.

Lots of new and expensive faces for both the Blues and the Reds.

Let's get it on.