Alex Ferguson fielded an inexperienced team for last nights championship league match, with qualification all ready assured this was something of a non game. The only thing too look forward too was an opportunity to cast an eye on Manchester united’s future stars, in particular from an Irish perspective Darren Gibson and his development.

Manchester United youngsters started with an attacking intent, in fact they should of scored as early as the second minute, Park claimed possession in the middle of his pitch and spotted the run of Obertan out on the right, he put him through with a superb through ball, Obertan tried too cross for an oncoming Macheda but Macheda missed, surely Obertan should of taken the ball on himself and had a pop.

Fergusons young guns kept on the pressure, after six minutes Park had a go from twenty five yards out a shot which the keeper spilled an oncoming Macheda though he was in but was waved offside and the replay was conclusive and that the linesman got it right.

In the eleventh minute vidic misdirected a free header from seven yards out, obertan crossed from a corner but it seemed Vidics mind was elsewhere, and if the rumours coming from the Manchester press are too be believed then his mind was most definetly elsewhere as Manchester is riff with stories that Vidic wants off in summer too sunny Spain.

Despite United’s pressure it was Besiktas who made the break through, in the eighteenth minute, A cross field ball from the Turks finds Rodrigo Tello just outside the United area to the right and he curls in a left-foot shot that takes a crucial deflection off Rafael and leaves Ben Foster diving in vain as the ball sneaks in at the far post.

However Obertan had a chance too equalise for the host in the twenty-ninth minute, Danny Welbeck put him through one and one with the keeper his low shot never really bothered Recber in the Besiktas goal. From their it stayed nip and tuck till the half way point.

In truth the second half was something as a let down, the only spark came from an Obertan attacking run in the 60 minute, after getting possession close to the half way line, he duly went on a mazey run, beat four players and shot but recber was equal to it.

Ferguson tried to inject some urgency into a flagging untied by introducing Carrick, Evra, and Michael Owen, it took until the 90 minute till this came to affect, in the ninety second minute Anderson played a  one two with owen at the edge of the box, Anderson crossed for Macheda, Recbec saved well from the header but Macheda in truth should of scored, from resulting corner Wes brown raised above everyone headed to bottom right hand corner but Recbec pulled off a world class save.

Pros for United tonight will be hard to come by, maybe Obertan is one to keep an eye on, very good at taking players on and running with ball has close control and very skilful but his final ball as it stands now is very poor indeed just like the whole of the Manchester team tonight.

I woke up to two very good news.

The first won’t be revealed.

The second was rather refreshing. Liverpool out of the Champions’ League. It took quite a while to digest and it was followed by a good laugh.

Truly, I hope they would finally acknowledge that they are nothing but a has been, a good has been but a has been.

I am trying to be as just as I can here, the key word being trying. I sympathise with the players actually. Liverpool had been rather cursed with managers killing of careers. I pitied the likes of Milan Baros, Luis Garcia, Peter Crouch even Robbie Keane. Such potential went wasted in Anfield. My hatred for Liverpool is the hatred of a rivalry, nothing more. In fact during their days of Jamie Redknapp, Steve Mcmanaman and Robbie Fowler, I thought they excelled up to a certain level.

At the moment the current manager is definitely under utilising Yossi Benayoun who in my opinion is a gem for Liverpool. Like how Arsenal is depending on darling Fabregas ( I find him really cute and I’m a woman, we watched football for more than one reasons, deal with it), the same Liverpool is depending on Torres. The man delivers no doubt, but how does one deliver if one is not properly fed? They rose but only on certain occasions which is clearly not enough. This season is not theirs to take. The manager will soon fall out of favour. If things aren’t turned around, Liverpool will no longer be part of the big four especially with Spurs and Villa battling their way through. Liverpool will just be a team who used to be good. As it is, they are sinking in what appears to be a quicksand. Good luck Liverpool or is it good riddance??

Now, I am not saying my darling Manchester United is raring to go in the rhythm of perfection. No, even the devils have got their work cut out for them. Ronaldo is never miss but a gap still needs to be filled. Sir Alex cannot live in denial. I believe in my team but we are still not good enough for the likes of Champions’ League. I still see Berbatov as a liability. He has proven to be a waste of money.

Well here’s to me being wrong (about the Manchester United’s not being good enough that is)

XOXO

This season is starting to take the wrong turn for United after they lost to both Liverpool and Chelsea but I cannot say I expected them to do much better. This team have reached its peak last season and they are in desperate need of rebuilding. Antonio Valencia is the only notable player to have arrived last summer and he is already showing signs of promise but more need to follow. This side have a couple of missing links and the only way to save this season is by significantly reinforcing the squad in January. Not that I believe Fergie will do that but this is what United need at the moment.

Right-back

Vidic, Ferdinand and Evra are among the best there is at their respective positions but United don’t have a right-back to match. Gary Neville is well past his prime, Rafael is still too young, while John O’Shea and Wes Brown are good players but right-back is not their natural position. Ferguson need an attacking full-back like Glen Johnson or Dani Alves, who can be a big threat going forward, while being reliable at the back as well.

Someone to replace Paul Scholes

Paul Scholes has had a remarkable career and he gave everything he’s got to United but he is no longer a player he one was. His creativity and pin-point passes to his teammates drove United forward for so many years but now the boss has to find him a replacement. Anderson is showing occasional glimpses of quality but he is by no means consistent enough or good enough to occupy Scholes’ role for the years to come. Both Carrick and Fletcher are really good players but they lack the vision and that subtle touch needed to be the creative force of such a big team.

Left winger

Antonio Valencia have proved his potential this season and is getting better by the day, thus it seems the right wing position will not be a problem. However, there is one place vacant on the left hand side. Nani had his chance and failed to take it, while Giggs still has something to offer but he will be 36 in few weeks’ time. Ji-Sung Park seems like the best choice at the moment but he is much more a player who works for the team (definitely good to have him around) than a creative force up front.

Centre forward

Dimitar Berbatov is occupying the place at the moment but the Bulgarian is simply too inconsistent to be considered United material. Wayne Rooney needs a centre forward to play off him, someone like Ruud van Nistelrooy, who can lead the soccer stats charts and take some pressure off Rooney, which is something Berbatov simply cannot do. Michael Owen can help the team by coming from the bench or playing some less important games but he can no longer command a starting berth.

After six years of boycott, Sir Alex Ferguson will have to start talking to the BBC. That’s a result of new Premier League media rules in effect from the start of next season. Ferguson has not spoken to the BBC since 2004 when a Panorama documentary claimed that his son, Jason, was using his father’s status to gain influence in the transfer market.

It remains to be seen how Ferguson chooses to interpret the new rules. Maybe he will continue to send assistant manager Mike Phelan to BBC MotD interviews. Personally I think Ferguson should consider the advice from Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor (AD 121 – 180) who is perhaps best known for his Meditations on Stoic philosophy:

“Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart.”

There’s no question that football clubs and broadcasters are tied more closely together than ever before, be it by fate or commercial realities. Global television is at the very heart of the business logic that brings millions of pounds to players and managers. Through television the “product” (a football game) can be sold to millions of people with very little additional production cost for each viewer.

It is well documented that Ferguson considers press conferences a total wast of time (except, I suppose, when they can be used for mind games) and occasionally treats reporters to rants from the Joe Kinnear School of Media Relations. I wouldn’t mind a more stoic approach in the future.

Luis Nani, il duttile centrocampista utilizzato anche come ala dal tecnico del Manchester United, Alex Ferguson

I’m beginning to think there is more to Telegraph’s recent articles about our 16-year-old academy player Ravel Morrison than meets the eye. In fact, I think they might be part of a long-term scheme to make him a star for United and England.

Morrison is a tremendous talent. Telegraph’s football correspondent Henry Winter rates his potential as better than Jack Wilshere of Arsenal and up with Jack Rodwell of Everton. Two players who are generally acknowledged as perhaps the two hottest teenage prospects in England.

But Ravel also has an attitude problem. He is rumoured to be difficult to handle and not to be overly commited to training. The official site manutd.com today published an article about 17-year-old midfielder Robbie Brady. Brady is asked who is the worst trainer at United and his answer is: “I’ll say Ravel Morrison. When he’s on his game he’s quality. But I reckon it’s just when he fancies it!”

So Alex Ferguson has on his hands a superbly talented youngster who is not motivated enough to put in the hard work necessary to reach the pinnacles of the sport. I suppose that all coaches at United are aware of this and that everything possible is done to strengthen Morrison’s motivation. But someone might have felt that it could be further lifted by the support from a very respected football writer. This would have the added advantage that it would raise the awareness among people around Morrison that he is “a potential gem for 2014″. I therefore believe that someone (SAF?) has had a word with Henry Winter.

This fits with my assumption that Henry Winter can hardly have found out about Morrison’s quality by stalking football grounds in the Manchester suburbs. I would be surprised if Winter himself has seen a single one of our youth team games during the last twelve months. In his position I can’t see how he could find the time to.

All in all, a nice plot if it works. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

“The case against Ferguson lacks perspective. It is like hounding Barack Obama for double-parking outside the White House. “

“This is the club boss who could supply more than half of England’s starting XI in Ben Foster, Wes Brown, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Owen Hargreaves and Rooney, let alone cultivating Ravel Morrison as a potential gem for 2014. Better than Kieran Gibbs and Jack Wilshere, certainly up there with Jack Rodwell, if Morrison does emerge as the pre-eminent English footballer of his generation, it will be because of a certain Scot’s shrewd guidance.”

Henry Winter in the Telegraph.

Better than Wilshere, up there with Rodwell… As you might remember from my previous post I rate Rodwell as the most promising teenager in the PL. Maybe only because I’ve never seen Morrison in action. Please give him a game in the Carling Cup!

Kudos must go to one eagle-eyed forumite who spotted the above banner whilst mindlessly masturbating over pictures of pneumatic blondes on the NUTS website. The credit is not so much for spotting what is, after all, a very obvious fuck up, but more for spotting it whilst ogling a teenaged girl dressed in nowt but her skimpies. That, good readers, is a focused, sharp brain.

Alex Ferguson, by the way, would be well at home on our forum. And not just because he probably spends his working hours looking at nude women rather than doing anything constructive. No, a game doesn’t go past without him commenting on the state of refereeing in this country. He thinks he has it bad? He wants to come and deal with the motley collection of myopic, egotistical pirates we have in the Unibond.

I’m sick and tired of Alex Ferguson blaming the referee as soon as we drop points. Over the last few weeks he’s told us that Alan Wiley is not fit enough (Old Trafford Oct 3), claimed that Martin Atkinson was in a ridiculous position to award a crucial free-kick (Stamford Bridge Nov 8) and questioned whether Andre Marriner has the necessary experience for the PL (Anfield Oct 25).

Ferguson has a hot temper and it sometimes gets the better of him. But I also think that he’s clever enough to know when to unleash a tirade and when not to. My conclusion is that these outbursts are deliberate attempts to bully referees into giving United preferential treatment. I don’t like it.

Regardless of what you think about Ferguson’s strategy the obvious question is if it’s working or not. The answer depends on whether the average referee is (perhaps unconciously) thinking “maybe Fergie has a point” or “I’d better prove that I’m not easily manipulated”. Either way I think Ferguson risks diluting any possible effect by complaining about the ref after just about every game when we’ve lost points. He has quite simply cried wolf too often.

It would take a full-scale scientific study to ascertain whether United are in fact harshly treated by referees over a season or longer. Personally I’m leaning towards the view that if there is a bias it’s probably in favour of United, mainly because of the crowd pressure at Old Trafford.

Click on the thumbnails to see full size (Bấm vào hình nhỏ để xem hình lớn):

Some things never change. My wife has not sucked my cock in two years, Spurs fans still believe that they are a top four team, and Alex Ferguson gets away with another verbal attack on a referee after his team has lost.

Then we have the MLS play-offs which I compare to teenage dating. Trying to get a wank in the back row of the movies while Aladdin is playing. Meanwhile the real players are smoking weed and drinking Crown in some decked out pad with the sounds blaring. MLS will always lag behind the NBA and EPL. Teenagers trying to get a wank, that’s all it is.

Then there’s the pathetic LA Super Classico ruck with David Beckham showing off his new haircut which looks as though some mental patient cut it. Shaved sides, long on top. You look like that miserable singer from the Smiths, Morrissey. You pathetic tosser!

So we have just under two weeks ahead of us with no Arsenal matches. Sure we have the Ireland verses France World Cup qualifying play-off, but really, that game is like methadone for a heroin addict. We Arsenal fans have to wait until November 21st for our next fix – Sunderland away. By the way, Steve Bruce, the Black Cats manager looks scary. A monster in fact. He looks like someone staring at themselves through the back of a spoon. Horrible.

Last words come from Roy Keane again. Today he talks about Wolves manager Mick McCarthy and ex-Ireland boss Jack Charlton during a tour of the USA in 1992.

“In the morning we were due to fly home, Steve Staunton and I went out for a drink. We forgot about the time and were late arriving back to the team hotel. The rest of the party were sitting on the coach outside. Steve and I raced to our rooms to pack our bags. As we boarded the coach, ‘Big Jack’ started ranting and roaring: “Where the fucking hell have you been? You’ve kept us all waiting.”

“Go and fuck yourself,” I told him.”

Keep it Arsenal

Geçen sene, “geldikleri gibi giderler” türünden söylemlerle Premier Lig’e merhaba diyen Stoke City, debut sezonda istikrarlı bir görüntü çizince ikinci ve herkesin yorumladığı üzere en zor senede Hull City ile birlikte mercek altına alındı. Hull City kadar flaş bir ilk sezon geçirmeyen Pullis ve öğrencileri bunun verdiği rahatlıkla ikinci sezonda şu ana kadar son derece başarılı bir görüntü çiziyorlar. Görüntüyü netleştiren isimlerin belki de en başında Ferguson‘un yetiştirdiği Ryan Shawcross var.

Sezon başında Benitez stoper ararken ısrarla Ryan Shawcross‘u isteyince İspanyol‘un yine boş bir stopere tonla para vereceğini düşünmüş, sinirlenmiştim. 8 milyonluk teklifin Pullis tarafından reddedildiğini öğrenmem sinirime tuz biber olmuştu. O tarihten itibaren ön yargılı bir biçimde tek gözümü Shawcross‘a yönelttim ve bu süreç bana ne kadar yanıldığımı gösterdi. Başta Ferdinand olmak üzere neredeyse tüm İngiliz stoperlerin yerlerde süründüğü şu dönemde Shawcross kalitesini herkese gösteriyor.

Utd altyapısından yetişmesine rağmen tek bir resmi maçta bile kırmızı formayı giyemeyen Ryan kiralık olarak Antwerp ve Stoke‘da 1,5 yıl geçirdikten sonra 2 milyon karşılığı, tapusuyla Stoke‘un oyuncusu oldu. Stoper oynamasına ve genç yaşına rağmen inanılmaz bir istikrarla, giydiği formayı geri vermemeyi kendine huy edinmiş, 3,5 yıllık profesyonel futbol hayatında 15 gol atmış bir devden söz ediyorum.

Bir haftadır Stoke‘la yeni sözleşme imzalayacak, spekülasyonları bitirecek haberleri çıkıyordu. Pek inanmıyordum ama bugün resmen 4.5 yıllığına anlaşıldığı açıklandı. Pullis ve tüm camia derin bir oh çekmiştir. Benitez‘le birlikte hayal kırıklığı paydasının en büyüğü Ferguson‘un diyebilirim. 2 sene önce gönderdiği oyuncuyu geri almaya çalıştığını görmemiştim, hem de sattığının 7-8 katına ama o rakamlara bile başaramadı. Ocak ayı için ciddi ciddi Shawcross‘la ilgilenen Ferguson dev stoperi Stoke‘a satarken sözleşmesine “ilk transfer hakkı Utd‘ındır” maddesi koydurmasına rağmen Ryan‘ın Stoke‘a olan sevgisi ve İngiltere‘nin Dünya kupası kadrosunda yer almak için sürekli oynama gerekliliği yüzünden amacına ulaşamadı. Çıldırtacak derecede formsuz olan Vidic ve Ferdinand‘ı son maçta yedek bırakan İskoç hoca kime yönelecek merak ediyorum.

Bu imza ile birlikte şunu söyleyebilirim ki, her ne kadar bu hafta kaybedilen Hull City maçında Tuncay‘a yapılan tavır sebebiyle kızgın olsam da, Stoke kalıcı bir Premier Lig kulübü olma yolunda sağlam bir adım attı.

When you watch a game of football live or on the TV, there is one constant – the relentless, unerring abuse of the officials.

No matter how clear the red card, no matter how far over the line the ball was, the players, manager and spectators alike, all enjoy lambasting the referee for his conduct during the game.

The Football Association (FA) sought to rectify this unacceptbale behaviour by launching the RESPECT campaign last year into all levels of football – grassroots all the way up to the professional arena.

The most recent example of an incident involving the abuse of officials is the furore surrounding the outspoken comments of Sir Alex Ferguson. The Manchester United manager lambasted the referee, Alan Wiley, for being “unfit” and lethargic”. The outcome was a protracted affair riddled with apologies and drafted statements designed to diffuse the simmering situation:

Is the campaign working?

With recent events involving Sir Alex Ferguson in mind, one can feel justified in asking the question – has the recent RESPECT campaign launched by the FA last year had any effect on dissent in football? One way of addressing this question is to analyse the effect of this drive at the lowest level of amateur football – saturday league.

I went to watch a TECK League Cup match between Surrey Fire FC and Oxshott Royals, both of whom are in the Kingston District League Division 2, to assess whether respect is filtering down to grassroots football. Several key protagonists in the world of amateur football were interviewed, this is what happened:

Highlights of the Match

The game was tightly contested with Oxshott running out the eventual winners to progress to the next round. The best way to asses whether a particular campaign is working is to ask the officials that have been sanctioned with the task of monitoring the treatment of themselves and other officials. The game had its share of incidents, which are highlighted in the next clip with the referee:

The Referee’s Decisions and Opinion

The referee insinuates that the campaign is working, which contradicts the comments of other members of the football community.

The Manager

The manager, often a fountain of abuse, is another key commentator on the current conduct of players and officials alike. The manager of Oxshott Royals offers his opinion on whether the Respect campaign has been effective:

The Player

The humble player is the most common harbinger of hatred for officials, always complaining that that wasn’t a foul, the ball had definitely crossed the line and that their player was never offside, despite being 60 yards away. Here’s what a defender had to say:

The Spectator

Last but not least, the fanatics. The supporters of a team can sometimes prove invaluable to a teams struggle against insurmountable odds, but they can also be a prime source of abuse of the officials. Here’s what an avid football fan had to say:

The Conclusion

It is clear that the general consensus is divided on whether the Respect campaign is working at grassroots level. The referee appears to agree that the campaign has improved the conduct of players and managers, especially this season. Whereas the manager, player and spectator believe that the campaign still has a distance to go before being declared a success.

The campaign is still in its infancy and a better appraisal of its virtues can be made in two years time, when a review is to be expected to be conducted by the FA.

Ultimately, the referees and their assistants are charged with an unfavourable job that leaves them vulnerable to a barrage of abuse from all sides. We, as supporters of the fine sport that is football, must appreciate their endeavour and be thankful for the sacrifices they make, which in some cases can be their sanity.

By Adeola Aderounmu

I watched Chelsea vs Manchester United game on TV on a friend’s invitation. For many reasons, I hardly sit to watch a premiership game. I fear that gamblers and mafias have hold of the games. I also think that some people already know which team would excel at the end of the season. I may be wrong but it is easy to predict the best 4 teams in the premiership for the past 1 decade.

As I watched this particular game which Chelsea struggled to win by one goal to nothing courtesy of a John Terry Header, I saw how players could really show traits of mental disorientation. Passion apart, the players of Manchester United need some psychiatric evaluations.

They contested many of the referee’s decisions and made outright demands from the refereee including that a Chelsea defender should be red-carded. Ricardo Carvalho brings down Wayne Rooney and Darren Fletcher wants the defender to be sent off. I thought that is a crazy trait. Is Darren Fletcher normal?

Jonny Evans should be SERIOUSLY investigated by the English FA. If I have my way I will banish him from football for life. What kind of example was he potraying to the millions of children all over the world who watched that game? If he wanted a profession in Kung Fu then he should go have a chat with Jackie Chan.

Jonny Evans more or less attempted to murder Didier Drogba. What if Drogba died from the shock of the attack on his abdominal region?

And can Alex Fergusson shut up for once and stop blaming the referee every time his team loses a game? What does Alex Ferguson have to say about Drogba’s yellow card when Jonny Evans had attempted to “kill him”?

I just hope I don’t get another invitation too soon to see another premiership game. Each game I see always leave me angry especially as it seems the referees all need magnifying lenses to see clearly.

It’s been a busy few weeks, with at least 9 new Interns starting their Internships at Laing O’Rourke and Ellis Williams Architects, the news that Man City have joined the other Manchester employers offering Manchester Internships with a great media Internship, and a VIP visit in October from none other than Sir Alex Ferguson! Depending on whether or not you’re a Red or a Blue (or indeed even a football fan at all!), Fergie’s visit will be met with varying levels of enthusiasm, but like him or not you can’t deny it was a pretty good start to the Internships for several Laing O’Rourke Interns when he came to the Manchester Central extension project. Autumn Interns Adam Smith, Abdi Ahmed (both big Utd fans) and Niall Lewis (a City fan, but he secretly loved it!) joined 2008 Intern Jack Burnett and Laing O’Rourke Mentor Dirk Pittaway for the special press call, and also met Schools Minister Ed Balls and Iain Wright (not Ian Wright, which would’ve been bloody great!), the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Children, Schools and Families. They were in Manchester to launch the government’s new careers initiaitive, aiming to promote careers advice to young people from primary school age and had heard about Manchester Internships and wanted to find out more … seal of approval indeed! They brought with them a whole host of TV crews and journalists to interview and photograph our Interns. I’ve posted some images below … and you can check out some of the footage on ITN, Channel M and the DCSF website.

We’re also really pleased to announce that MCFC have joined Manchester Internships! MCFC are renowned in Manchester for having a genuine and committed approach to developing young people, and we’re really pleased to have them on board. They’re already offering a media project, which is great news for young Manchester creatives, and have plenty more in the pipeline.
And MCFC will be joining all the other Internships hosts, senior Councillors from the city of Manchester and a whole heap of committed people who make Manchester Internships possible at our BIG Celebration in early December – when we will be celebrating the dedication and hard work of every 2009 Intern. There’s been so many great Interns this year it’s a good job we’ve hired the Great Hall – a suitably grand venue, I’m sure you’ll agree!

Manchester United have a habit of scoring late, late goals, a habit that brings them back from the brink of redemption all too often. This uncanny knack is an innate quality of a team that is dubbed to have a never-die attitude.

United snatched a draw against Russian side CSKA Moscow which further validate United’s inveterate habit of late, vital goals. Indeed, it was Antonio Valencia’s 91st minute deflected strike that earned the Reds a place in the last 16 of the Champions League.

The point of my blog tonight is to question the motives of playing under-strength sides. Against CSKA, United gave a Champions League debut to Federico Macheda, handed a second start to Fabio da Silva and rested a number of first time regulars.

The culmination of a rookie United side resulted in what one newsreader called “play-time at Old Trafford” for the Muscovites, a clear nod to the newly born Kai Wayne Rooney. Indeed, his father Wayne Rooney cut a brooding presence on the substitute’s bench, as CSKA set about exposing a flapping United defence. The late fightback spared United’s blushes, but cannot act as a carapace for a slow-witted performance.

Now, let me firstly say that I regard Sir Alex Ferguson in somewhat heroic light, but secondly add that some of his decisions leave me scratching my head at times.

His decision to constantly change his side may be apt considering the array of talent he has at his disposal, but personally I feel it adds to create inconsistency. Ferguson, in particular, has struggled to strike upon a trusted combination in midfield this season, with a string of combinations being used. The likes of Carrick, Anderson, Fletcher, Scholes, Nani, Valencia, Park, Giggs, Obertan and Tosic have all been played at some point this season.

United’s lack of stability of presence in midfield has seen the Red Devils stuttering for form, something that continued with the raft of changes that resulted in a draw against CSKA. One of last year’s key performers, Michael Carrick has looked under-confident after being benched early in the season, and I feel sure that players like Scholes, who are in and out like yoyo must struggle for consistency, as must the team.

I guess it will always be the nature of being a football fan to not understand manager’s decisions, and let’s face it, we wouldn’t have much to yarn about if our manager’s made the decisions that we wanted all the time.

But, one thing is for sure. When superstar players like Wayne Rooney are left out sides, they will inevitably be needed at some point. So why not play them from the start, let a lead develop and then haul them off. It just makes more sense to me, but I am just a football fan, what do I know.

         After six defeats from their last seven games, the knives are being sharpened at this minute for Rafa Benitez

 ahead of Liverpool’s crucial Champions League group game against Lyon on Wednesday. No doubt the Spaniard is under pressure, arguably the most intense since his arrival to Liverpool five years ago, but don’t be too surprised if he gains another European victory in France.

         Benitezs’ European track record ranks as one of the best over the last five years. In 2005 Liverpool won the famous trophy, snatching victory after almost certain defeat in Istanbul against Carlo Ancelloti’s AC Milan. Their victory astounded football fans around the world, the win showed evidence that there was some romance left in the game. Hard as it is to believe now, Alex Ferguson even sent Benitez a ‘dossier’ of how Benitez and Liverpool shut out Milan in the second half and went on to win the game; the way Didi Hamann kept Kaka in his pocket, and how Liverpool closed down the space Milan’s midfield had exploited to much effect in the first half. A sharp football mind like Ferguson’s noticed the astute tactics Benitez had used to such effect.

        A repeat final was on the cards in 2007, and although Milan got the better of Liverpool that time it was now widely acknowledged that Benitez and Liverpool were to be taken serious in Europe, their style of football added to the ferocity of Anfield on a European night made them Liverpool of the few teams nobody wanted to face. The following two seasons could also be deemed successful: a semi final defeat (2008) and a quarter final defeat(2009), so what are the factors the have Liverpool as underdogs going into the game in France on Wednesday?

       After all, it was only last April when Liverpool trailed Chelsea 3-1 going into the quarter final second leg in London, and after that game the Chelsea players surely felt relieved following the fright Liverpool gave them; at times that night you would have had to fancy Liverpool to progress. Is Wednesday night’s task harder? No way. Getting a win against Lyon is never harder than having to beat Chelsea by three clear goals. If you read today’s papers though, it seems Liverpool have little chance. They media forget that it’s the same manager, and the eleven players who start will be as strong as the ones who started in the Chelsea game. Yes there are injuries, and no Gerrard, but Torres is at his most prolific stage in his Liverpool career to date even if he does start only eighty per cent fit. Yossi Benayoun has never been playing better, and it looks likely that new addition Alberto Aquilani will start, adding his flair to a midfield which already has the steel of Mascherano.

        Liverpool will line out without reguler players and will look vulnerable at times, but this is were Benitezs’ mind comes to the fore. He will have his players close down Lyon and allow them little space, Mascherano along with Lucas will operate with that in mind in midfield, allowing Benayoun and Aquilani to feed Torres.  The Liverpool defence, who have been poor lately, will have learned from their naivety in the reverse fixture and keep Lyons attack quiet.

          I expect it will be a tight, scrappy game, with only one goal being the difference at the end. If Liverpool perform with the discipline and concentration that Benitez has drilled into them since he took over they should come through victorious. Knowing it’s a must win game the Liverpool players will surely give that bit extra, like they did against Man Utd recently, and silence the critics of themselves and their manger.