During the last week, a three-part interview of US captain Carlos Bocanegra has been published on the official Ligue 1 website. Earlier in the year, Ligue 1 also conducted an exclusive interview with Charlie Davies as well. Is seems like Ligue 1 has become a very friendly environment for American players abroad.

In the first part of the interview, Bocanegra talked about his club team, Rennes, and how they are struggling to play as a team. “I think the biggest problem for us is that everybody has been in good form individually, but not as a team. Players have been having a good game when other guys haven’t been performing so well. Our problem is in the group effort and getting everyone to play well at the same time,” said Bocanegra.

Also, Bocanegra played his 50th game in Ligue 1 recently. He stated that he played over 100 games for Fulham and hopes that we can do the same thing in Ligue 1 as well.

In the second part of the interview, Carlos said that he wishes that he could express himself at Rennes as much as he can at USNT matches. He said that there is a language barrier. “I try and remain the same, but the problem at Rennes is that I can’t always express myself the way I would like in French and that is hard for me because sometimes I feel like I can’t completely get my point across. But you just try and lead with your actions.”

They also touched a bit on the Charlie Davies accident and that he feels very confident that Davies will be back for the World Cup and Ligue 1 play next year, as much of the USNT does.

In the third section of the interview, Bocanegra is asked about Rennes chances for the season. He says that his team can still challenge for the title. But we assume that this whole interview was taken before the Lyon match. Still, Rennes currently sit in 11th place in Ligue 1 and look very unlikely to win the title or even make a European competition spot.

He also said that the biggest blow to Rennes has been the exclusion of Jimmy Briand and Jerome Leroy, both suffering from injuries.

No matter what is said in the interviews, which I think puts Bocanegra and US Soccer in a positive light, it seems that American players are being treated quite well as players in Ligue 1. Yes, Freddie Adu wasn’t looked at quite as highly at Monaco, but he was on loan and not part of their plan. Davies and Bocanegra are important parts of Sochaux’s and Rennes’ success, and continue to get a lot of press attention on the Ligue 1 website.

While other American players around the world seem to be drowned out, especially in the EPL, Ligue 1 seems to respect the fact that Americans are deciding the make France their home. I sure hope American players take note of this and that for Carlos and Charlie can attest to the value of Ligue 1.

Part 1 - Bocanegra Exclusive: ‘We’re fired up for Lyon’

Part 2 – EXCLUSIVE: Bocanegra: ‘Charlie Davies will be back!’

Part 3 – EXCLUSIVE: Bocanegra: ‘We can still play for the title’

I have said for a while that I think that Ligue 1 is the best league in the world from top to bottom. Thomas, our other contributor on here, has written a few articles saying the same thing.

But, as of today, Ligue 1’s site has come out and said it. So, therefore, it is game on between the Ligue 1 and the other leagues.

Here is what is on the front page of the Ligue 1 website:

So, there we go. Ligue 1 has thrown down the hammer. I think it is quite interesting that Ligue 1 did an article like this, but I am glad they did. And with two teams already in the Champions League, I think they are making a reasonable argument.

Today’s sports headlines are dominated by the forthcoming Eire v France football match this Saturday. There are, understandably, high levels of anxiety in France that they may not qualify for the World Cup next year in South Africa. Finishing second in one of the less strong groups has already been a savage blow to French pride, I’m not sure they can take being dumped out of the World Cup by the Irish.

L’Equipe has devoted four pages to this very topic, including a run-down on the Irish team by former or current French team mates. Aston Villa’s very own Richard Dunne has been singled out for a special mention on account of his aerial capabilities, particularly from set-pieces. French-speaking Irish pundits such as Tony Cascarino and Liam Brady have been interviewed at length and their views sought on the likely outcome. Everyone seems united in their view that Domenech is the weak link, being much less tactically savvy than Trapattoni.

One current (Loic Remy) and two ex-Nicois players (Rod Fanni and Hugo Lloris) feature in France’s squad along with a whole host of French players currently lighting up the English Premiership and Spain’s La Liga. Leaving aside the one notable absentee from the squad, Frank Ribery, man for man the French are either equal or superior to the Irish in every position. But football is a team game, the Irish have great team spirit and will not be a pushover. Just ask the Italians, who drew 2-2 at Croke Park last month.

Postscript: Friday and L’Equipe has extended it’s coverage to 41/2 pages. No doubt it’ll be going into overdrive this week end with further pre-match coverage tomorrow and the, all important, post match analysis on Sunday. Any bets on 6 pages?

Saturday Postscript: It’s 7 whole pages!

It is with an extremely heavy heart that I write this posting to my blog. I really had hoped that this would be our year; (Yes. I’m a Liverpool Fan). But once again, like back in Houllier’s penultimate year, it was a false dawn. I’m pragmatic and as such realise that while some will still talk up our chances, we are now, in early November out of the Title race and hanging on by a very thin filament thread of hope to qualifying for the later stages of the Champions League.  So I think it’s about time we used the rest of this season to sort out our defense and this poxy zonal system we currently have which has flattered to deceive for the last two years. And with that in mind we should sign Karen Lambert……

If nothing else, she will be well within our January budget and can’t be any worse than Andrea Dossena, Jose Miguel Gonzalez Rey (Josemi), Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Philipp Degen, Jan Kromkamp, Mauricio Pellegrino or Gabriel Paletta who lasted a whole 12 months! I reckon we could do a whole lot worse than Karen to help tighten up our defense and give it back some well needed steel!

Now I know a bunch of you will think I’m joking, but to be honest our season is in such a shambles, and yes I appreciate we have had an injury list as long as the Berlin wall recently, we could do a lot worse in January than sign her! She could even come in as a coach.

I believe with those tackling skills and aggressive behaviour on the pitch she would hit it off straight away with Sammy Lee for a start. The rest of the first team might just get the kick up the hole they need at the moment, if nothing else, they certainly wouldn’t want to be substituted for a girl, so maybe they might just give each game a bit more focus and concentration, which is sorely lacking around Anfield at the moment.

When you take all these factors into consideration, it could just be the masterstroke we need this season to get us back on track. Drastic times call for drastic measures and I can’t think of anything more drastic than what I’m proposing…..

For the opening 40 minutes Spurs looked comfortable defensively containing  Arsenal… then it all went wrong!

In attack Crouch was getting nothing but long ball ****, which is so frustrating. I mean it was so obvious it wasn’t working why did the team and Harry let the long balls continue throughout the game?

Defensively I truly think it’s purely a mental thing with Spurs, I mean pro teams just don’t concede 2 goals in the space of 2 , it’s unforgivable. Spurs did the same at Man U last season despite being 2-0 up. They completely collapse time and time again, to spectacular effect like no other team. Something is not right and I don’t think it ever will be unless they get a host of new players/characters in, as their players have done it too many times and not learn the lesson to say it won’t happen again and that they can rectify it.

Not sure exactly how to fix it, but it’s a massive problem that will mean they can’t match the top 4/5 not just purely on football terms but mentally. This was most apparent when they needed just a draw away to West Ham in order to clinch 4th in the league, which they had held for months previously and with that clinch the elusive Champions League spot away from rivals Arsenal. But nooooo not Spurs they managed to be undone by a dodgy lasagne and failed to get that paltry point.

First thing that comes to mind as I’ve been struggling to come to grips with this for some time now. Why does this guy keep getting picked for England, one of the greatest football nations on Earth? I mean his club side Aston Villa don’t even pick him, and for a very good reason his game is extremely limited. Yes sometimes he holds the ball up half decent connecting the midfield and attack but surely that alone does not make him England material?

I would argue no other nation within Fifa’s World Top 20 would play Heskey within their starting line-ups. As he offers literally zero goal threat and for a striker that aint good!. Carew at his club side Villa offers a much better option, holds the ball up well and scores goals. Heskey can jump for headers, but not actually score them, can hold it up, but does not have the technique to play players in and lacks the instinct to get into goal scoring positions.

Only a team like England would persist in playing him as we like strong, fast physical players. Whereas the rest of the world encourage skill, flair and technique in their players from a young age.

Here is my list of strikers I would pick ahead of Heskey to partner Rooney and why.

1. Carlton Cole

Plays a very similar style of game to Heskey, leading the line for West Ham very well the last 2 seasons and, imagine this, actually scores goals. Very strong, can hold up the ball and run the channels just aswell as Heskey, while also having the technique to create chances for himself and others. He’s also impressed during his brief cameos for England.

2. Peter Crouch

Has an astonishing record of 18 goals in 35 England appearances, yes some of the goals were against some of football’s minnows, but alot were also sub appearances.  Lacks the strength of Heskey, but is more effective in the air, has better technique and is better at bring others into play.

3. Jermaine Defoe

I’m convinced he will score at least 20 goals this season and his recent performances for England are evident of how effective this guy is as an out and out goal scorer. I would say he is England’s best actual striker. As I regard Rooney as more of a creative forward. As he prefers to drop deep and dictate play.

4. James Beattie

Has been criminally largely overlooked for England despite performing consistently for some of the Premiership’s lesser teams.  Since arriving at Stoke City he has been a regular scorer. Beattie scored 7 goals in 16 games last season, that’s almost 1 goal in every 2 games for a relegation battler.  Offers just as much of a threat in the air as he does on the floor.

5. Kevin Davies

Yeah lol, but i’m serious… He’s not the greatest striker ever but he does the “Heskey role” better than Heskey! Despite not being the best goal scorer over the years, he had his best season in 08/09 scoring 11 goals in 38 games, a tally Heskey can only dream of! Like Heskey a very limited player but exceptional at attacking set pieces,  strength, holding up the ball and aerially.

Fulham 3 – 1 Liverpool

It’s been a very disappointing week for Liverpool FC. After the victory against Manchester United many believed the win will help kick start our season and allow us mount a challenge for the title. I still believe we can challenge and haven’t lost any hope on Liverpool’s title credentials as it’s too early to write us off and plus I would never throw in the towel until the last day of the season and I expect the Liverpool players and staff to have the same attitude.

 Many say that Liverpool’s squad does not have enough strength in depth, they may have a point but I don’t agree totally. Our squad may not have 22 world class players as it would be impossible to keep everyone happy but I feel we have enough quality to cope with major injuries but when you have more than half the squad missing due to injuries, the team will obviously suffer. Unfortunately luck has not been on our side either as four players were struck with a virus just before the Fulham game which adds to the ever growing casualty list. In addition I’ve read that 12 players will be missing for this Wednesday’s game against Lyon including our top players in Gerrard, Torres, Glen Johnson, Riera, Aurelio and Aquilani. This has resulted to Benitez being helpless and choosing some inexperienced players under extreme restrictions and for people coming with all guns blazing by saying he’s recently lost the plot, well I think they have no knowledge of football and need to be educated. Sometimes I feel people forget that we have one of the best tacticians in the game and therefore should be grateful that we have a world class manager in the calibre of Rafa Benitez. If you don’t believe me do your research and check his stats. Paul Tomkins, a journalist who writes regular articles on liverpoolfc.tv, made a point that Benitez in his first 200 games has won more games than Wenger, Ferguson and also Liverpool greats Shankly and Paisley. Benitez has won 114 of his first 200 games, 27 more wins than Sir Alex Ferguson over his first 200 fixtures. So judge Rafa on the last five years and not the last five games.

It’s so easy to criticise the manager on decisions he has made which may not have worked but at the end of the day you have to look at the players on the pitch who are under performing and they should take as much responsibility as the manager. I have to agree the decision to take off Benayoun instead of Voronin, who I can definitely say does not meet the standards of being a Liverpool player, was bizarre. But the introduction of Eccleston was needed as there was no attacking threat on the wings and with Eccleston’s pace, this would have helped create space in wide areas and through the middle to help produce scoring opportunities. The substitution of Torres has surprised many people for some reason. People are forgetting that despite the fact Torres is scoring goals, he is not fully fit and has been on painkillers all week. If he was kept on the pitch for longer, he could have aggravated his injury which would definitely have damaged our campaign and guess who would have been blamed for keeping Torres on; Rafa Benitez. So he can’t win all the time. Benitez was right to take him off as Torres has been faced with a lot of problems ever since he got injured during the international break last month and people need to realise that he was only risked against Fulham was because there weren’t many attacking options available.

Even though I am a supporter of Rafa Benitez, I will be honest enough and say he has made mistakes in the past and present. One of them in which is bringing Andriy Voronin back to Anfield. This is a player who is definitely not in the calibre of playing for Liverpool FC. The main reason why people say we do not have enough quality in our squad is because they look at Voronin and automatically assume that our second string is on the same par as Voronin, this is not the case and thank God. This is not a personal attack on Voronin but I believe he does not contribute anything to our play. In the Fulham game we only created two chances, one being the goal and the other with Benayoun hitting the crossbar. Voronin is a very slow player and has no sort of impact in terms of pace, strength, movement or even shooting ability. Whenever he has the ball he chooses the obvious passes and still gets caught out in possession and his lacklustre style of play just slows the whole tempo of the game and in my opinion this is the main reason why there was a lack of creativity and no urgency shown in our attacking play against Fulham. I personally believe it was a mistake to bring back Voronin as he has nothing to offer to our team and even when he comes on as a substitute, the player has no impact as he has no pace and moves like a slug. Very harsh words, I know but this is my perception of the player.

I believe Rafa Benitez should give Dani Pacheco a chance as he plays in the same position to Voronin; second striker. I have been very impressed with Pacheco especially during the pre season and recently in reserve games. I believe he has shown great development since his arrival in 2007 and deserves a chance in the first team as he is an exciting prospect and would be a breath of fresh air for the supporters and the squad. Personally I believe we have a gem of a player in Pacheco, who came through the youth ranks of Barcelona, who were not very impressed when we quickly snapped up the teenager from the Spanish giants. His style of play would suit the team as he would complement Torres very well. He would play just behind Torres where he would use his skill and magic between the lines to create opportunities for himself and players around him. He possesses great ability in dead ball situations and from his recent games for the reserves there is indication that he is on the verge of becoming a free kick specialist. The only reservation I have about Pacheco is that he needs to be more clinical in his finishing and he sometimes tends to overplay by holding on the ball for too long. But playing alongside quality attacking players like Torres, Gerrard and Benayoun will only help his development and can learn his trade by being around experienced players.

My analysis of the Fulham game is that our performance wasn’t poor nor was it fantastic, it was very average. This is evident as the first half showed that we had 74% of possession but the problem was we did not create any clear cut chances and Fulham produced one attack in the whole half and scored. Also the Torres goal was a moment of brilliance as it was a goal that came from nowhere. I’ve been very impressed with Degen’s attacking play and it shows that he’s a decent cover for Glen Johnson as he plays in the similar mould. But his defensive play really needs to improve as he gets caught up too often in possession when he goes on his adventurous runs and leave gaps in the defence which will be punished by the opposition. The second half was a mixed game as Fulham got hold of more possession and showed more belief in their play especially after Torres was substituted. Two players that I feel produced decent performances for Liverpool were Benayoun and Lucas. Benayoun had a good game but became frustrated as there was a lack of movement from some players in particular Voronin and this resulted to attacks breaking down. Lucas had a great performance especially in the first half as he showed create confidence with distributing the ball all over the pitch from deep positions and roaming around the pitch to create an attack. The two red cards were both incorrect decisions and it does not help our cause as the suspensions will have a major setback on our run of games. But Rafa Benitez has suggested today that both red cards will be appealed. The first red against Degen was definitely not a red as there was no contact made but the second red card against Carragher is debatable but on his defence he did get the ball so he has every right to be disappointed with the decision. The manner we conceded the goals were just sloppy. For the first goal Insua should have been tighter on Zamora and reacted better as he showed no determination in retrieving the ball. The second goal was just a simple mistake by Dirk Kuyt who is a hard working player but in this situation should not have tried to keep the ball in play as Degen was not in a good position to collect the ball. After the two red cards it was difficult to maintain any shape in defence and this was evident with the third goal. 

Overall the score line was not the right indication of the game or even Fulham’s performance but from a Liverpool point of view this result was a disaster and unexpected. This season we have not shown any consistency where one week we can produce a word class performance and in another week our performance can be terrible and below par. But I feel we have to forget what’s happened and simply focus on the next game which is against Lyon. Our downfall for this season is that our performance away has been awful so therefore we have to treat this game like a cup final as it is a must win game and the result could determine the rest of our season.

 A Halloween horror show – Craven Cottage was the scene of the latest nightmare in Liverpool’s woeful season. If last Sunday’s victory over Manchester United was the treat for Liverpool’s fans then they must have believed that the tricks came in the form of some bizarre decisions made by Benitez throughout Saturday’s game. The defeat was their fifth from eleven games in the league and their sixth in their last seven outings. Again Liverpool’s title challenge appears to be dead in the water. The only change in this annual realization is the timing – this time the children are ducking for apples instead of waiting up for Santa. 

Anxieties must have been raised amongst the travelling supports early in the day, in fact prior to kick-off when the teamsheets were released. A brief appraisal raised suspicions over the validity of Rafa’s assertions last weekend that his squad possesses in-depth quality. Kyrgiakos, Degen and Voronin were drafted in to the starting eleven in response to Liverpool’s mounting injury list. At least Torres was fit. However, the star striker has often failed to shine his brightest in Gerard’s absence. Saturday was another prime example of this. He lived off scraps, chased everything down, got one chance and scored one goal. However even his frustrations have now become visibly apparent, no more so when he hammered the ball across the pitch in irritation of how the match was developing. 

Benitez has remained consistently bullish and stubborn throughout his Anfield career but even now he must be feeling the intense pressure that surrounds his managerial reign. Ronnie Whelan has become the latest former great to join the growing chorus of disillusionment with Benitez’s tactics and general decision making process. 

The irritation is just and well founded. In a team that is frighteningly short of creativity without its jewels of Torres and Gerrard, Benitez hauled off the former with the match level and on a knife edge. After falling a goal behind, he reacted by bringing off their only proven playmaker in Yossi Benayoun. The substitutions were baffling. Benitez later confirmed that Torres was brought off as he was carrying a groin injury. There was no obvious physical deterioration in the striker and it must have crossed the mind of many observers that Benitez was retreating to his over-cautious form once again. If Torres could have played on then he should have played on. There was no additional excuses made for Benayoun’s exit only that fresh legs were needed. 

The calls for fresh legs and faces in the managerial line may reach a crescendo if another defeat is inflicted by Lyon in the Champions League. Benitez has never made an effort to endear himself to the owners and George Gillett and Tom Hicks might take the £20 million it will cost to part company on the chin. The fireworks may well be saved yet for the boardroom in Merseyside on Wednesday night.

It was billed as an epic encounter; Rafa under pressure after Liverpool’s worst run for 22 years and in desperate need of a win. United on the back of a midweek victory and looking to maintain top spot by overcoming their bitterest rivals in their own backyard. What transpired was a lacklustre affair devoid of  intensity and quality. Neither team played with the precision or confidence of a side who believe they will be sitting top of the table next May.

Not surprisingly the fitness of Gerrard and Torres dominated the pre-match hype, as everyone knows the merseysiders are a different beast when the deadly duo are in the side. In the end one was enough to turn the match. As the contest looked certain to end a stalemate Torres, as he so often does, popped up with a moment of genius, latching onto Benayoun’s wonderful through ball and beating Ferdinand for pace and strength before pulling off a cracking finish.

United had no option but to chase the match and still managed to create nothing. When Carragher somehow escaped a blatant red card having prevented a guilt-edged chance for Michael Owen it was clear that lady luck had deserted United in Anfield. Insult was duly added to injury when Ngog slotted Liverpool’s second goal in injury time after Vidic had been sent off.

Ferguson needs to learn from this embarrassing display as Liverpool exposed some obvious flaws in the United team. Playing Scholes and Carrick in the centre of midfield simply doesn’t work. Both are holding midfielders and have an inclination to drop deep even when United push forward. On Sunday United constantly knocked long balls up to Berbatov and Rooney. The Bulgarian had the beating of the centre backs for the most part but once in possession he was stranded with only Rooney for support. Time after time the duo were starved of any supporting thrust coming from midfield. Giggs and Valencia did their best to help out on the flanks but without anyone offering themselves in midfield the visitors were repeatedly outnumbered and dispossessed.

The only move really open to Ferguson was to move Nani onto the left and play Giggs behind the front two. This is by no means a title-winning midfield. Nani is far from the finished article and only shows flashes of potential. Giggs is most effective on the left. Scholes, while a master on a good day, doesn’t have the consistency of years past. Carrick….is there really anything good we can say about Carrick? He passes well sometimes, only sometimes. He lacks any kind of passion or desire, he repeatedly fades into the background when backs are against the wall. In many ways he’s the opposite to the previous number 16 at Old Trafford.

So look to the bench, who do see? Park, Anderson, Fletcher, Gibson. There’s no shortage of effort or work ethic but is there any genuine class? Anderson has yet to fulfil the potential he showed in his first season in the Premiership. Park does the defensive work well but is limited when on the ball. Fletcher has really upped his game this season, picking up a few man of the match awards. The Scot has added assisting and scoring to his arsenal proving his more than just a destructive nuisance to opponents. World class? Im afraid not. Fletcher is merely the best of a bad bunch.

It is now painfully clear that Fergie needs an attacking midfielder. A Scholes of old, a Zidane, an Iniesta, a Schneider, this is the type of performer United crave. Even the return of Owen Hargreaves won’t added the necessary attacking flare needed. Unfortunately for Sir Alex there isn’t such a simple solution for the defensive problems. United still boast the same quartet that proved so formidable last season. Why then do the reds look so vulnerable at the back this season? Confidence! Ferdinand and Vidic are woefully lacking in confidence, so much so that Rio is under pressure to keep a place in the national side. Evra and O’ Shea have been impressive for most of the season, but the centre-backs are the heartbeat of any defense and at the moment United’s is too weak to last a long season. Fergie has to hope for some consistently solid outings to boost confidence or his two big centre-backs will be exposed again as they were on Sunday.

I’m sorry Lyon fans, but I have to bring it up. This week, Olympique Lyonnais, the mighty French side that defeated Liverpool at Anfield, were crushed on the road with a 4-1 loss to Nice. While Nice is a team that has played under their potential this season, they were still a team that was in the relegation zone.

I have heard some people saying that this shows that Lyon’s win at Anfield was ‘a fluke’. That a Liverpool side that was banged up should have won against Lyon. They base this on the fact that Lyon lost to a team that was in the relegation zone.

This, again, shows the lack of knowledge of Premiership fans, most whom rarely look at other leagues, and assume that their league is superior. Anyone that watches Ligue 1 could tell you that Nice has been playing under their potential and that there was a possibility of an upset in the making as Lyon travelled south. In fact, though I picked Lyon to win, I said that this game could be quite close and maybe the upset of the week. And I think that any Ligue 1 fan could agree with that assessment.

But does Lyon’s loss, along with some others, show the strength of Ligue 1? I have argued that Ligue 1, along with the Bundesliga, have the best teams from top to bottom. Only in these leagues does it seem like the underdogs have a chance to win.

Therefore, lets look at some of the other leagues. In the last 24 years, La Liga has only three other teams that weren’t named FC Barcelona or Real Madrid winning the championship. In England, only two teams out of the top four have won the title in the last 21 years. In Serie A, only two team out of their top five (Roma, Lazio, AC and Inter Milan and Juventus) have won the title.

Ligue 1, on the other hand, has had eight champions in the last 20 years. And, unlike the other league who have always had a ‘top four’ or ‘top five’, Ligue 1 doesn’t really have a clear cut ”top four”. Yes, I know that people are going to say that the top 3 teams are Marseille, Lyon and Bordeaux. But the fact is that before Lyon won their seven championships in a row, they had yet to win a championship. Bordeaux has only won six championships in their entire history. PSG, another team that has only won the championship twice since 1970, started in the Championnat National, winning that, and then winning Ligue 2. Rarely in England can you see a team go, in 16 years, from being a League One team to Premier Champions. But that is what we saw in Paris St-Germain.

And we can go on. Lens, a team that won the championship in 1998, were just promoted from Ligue 2 and are now fighting relegation yet again. In 2001, Nantes won Ligue 1. Now they are in Ligue 2.

And, unlike the Premiership, where we see teams being relegated mostly because of financial problems (example Leeds United), Ligue 1 teams are usually deomoted because they just have a bad season. Rarely does finances play into the equation.

See what I am getting at?  Ligue 1, unlike La  Liga, the EPL and Serie A, is unpredictable. And as you look at the table today, Montpellier HSC would be heading to the Europa League. In fact, the two teams that represent Ligue 1 in the Europa League have been struggling this season, with Toulouse in 11th place and Lille in 15th.

In Ligue 1, the saying “any team can beat any other team on any given day” is the truth. In EPL, the usual ‘upset’ doesn’t happen as often. If Manchester United lose, it is usually to Liverpool, or Manchester City, or another top team. Rarely do we see a team like Burnley do what they did at the start of the season.

But in Ligue 1, we have seen the ‘top’ teams lose to the ‘bottom’ teams. Why? I feel that the teams at the bottom half of the table, like St. Etienne, Lille, Nice, Toulouse and PSG (who are now in 13th), can defeat a team like Lyon, Bordeaux or Marseille. And these teams lower in the table have already proven that they can do this.

Lets look at Bordeaux’s losses… Auxerre and St. Etienne, not exactly powerhouses this season. Lyon…Nice and Sochaux, again, not powerhouses. Marseille lost to Valencienne. Monaco lost to Nancy, Sochaux and St. Etienne. This shows that there is some diversity in the teams and that, truly, any team can beat any other team on any given week. And Lyon’s loss to Nice just proves that.

So, Liverpool fans, don’t look too much into this lost. Let’s face it…if Nice were in the EPL, they would be at least midtable right now.

It has been a nightmarish few weeks starting with the loss to Fiorentina, then Chelsea, which I had all predicted, and then now it looks likely we will struggle to even get a draw at the Stadium of Light when Sunderland tries to use the same tactics they bombarded on Manchester United on us. The week or so when England went on to secure their own qualification for the World Cup and Spain played a pair of meaningless qualifiers now looks to have stabbed the final nail into our human coffins as we look set to be totally destroyed even before taking the field against Sunderland. Why is that so? Stevie G and Torres will be out of the game, confirmed by Rafa and even though they have not looked the same devastating pairing this season yet, they have still produced the goals required when the rest around them have not exactly fired on all cylinders. Liverpool’s luck has clearly deserted them and we all know that if you want to win a league title, in this case our precious 19th, you still have to have large doses of luck to go with whatever substance you have – we proved that when we dominated two and three decades ago, and also now those really time conscious Mancunians are benefiting from it having flown our coop. Even Kyrgiakos has decided to go crock his knee although he will only be out for about 10 days and isn’t first choice but he is important cover if Rafa needs to pile on the defenders to guarantee our one nil wins.

Now I really hope we still manage to pull it off on Saturday against Sunderland because if we don’t, it will surely be all over for us. even a draw would not be useful because United look all but have sewn up the win even before they play since it would be Bolton who are really rubbish now. Spurs are also running away from us and that’s a real disgrace. Back to my original train of thought – I pray that we will win, but I’ve been correct on most counts on Liverpool’s games so far and this time there’s nothing coming out of this except a draw at most, and that will only be if Sunderland decides to do another Anton and shoot themselves in the foot. Take out Stevie G and Torres and there’s really a Liverpool lineup bereft of quality. There’s Benayoun yes but precious little else. Who else can score the goals or even create them? Benayoun has been great for us make no mistake about that but he really does struggle to make an impact -consistently- when called upon from the start, and I can see why Rafa is hesitant about putting him on unless he has no other choice. But he’s still better than having Aurelio in midfield in place of him oh my goodness. Babel continues to frustrate and his number is surely up before too long. I just can’t see where the goals are going to come from and we need them.

Add to that the whole host of players returning from the qualifiers, the make or break Champions League tie against Lyon this coming midweek, and something has got to give. Some positives could be Agger coming back to start – with little to choose from upfront, I can see Rafa putting up a wall in front of the defence. But he has been more adventurous the past two seasons so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. I also hope that the break would have given Carra some time to get his act back together – he has been atrocious even with his unquestioned effort on the field. It is clear now that his lack of pace is starting to really tell and Rafa might need to consider some changes in terms of how Carra should be viewed in the back four. He can still go on, much like how Hyppia was used in tandem with him in the early years. Perhaps it could still have something to do with both Agger and Skrtel yet to mature in a way that Carra did when partnered with Hyppia. But we need to develop a real, more consistent and balanced central pairing – I don’t care if it’s Agger or Skrtel because both of them are good and have their own good points – Agger is quick and can offer some options moving forward, Skrtel is a more traditional gritty defender, no nonsense and I really love his spilling his guts out on the field each time. He looked dodgy in his first game if everyone remembered, but then really flourished when given the chance to settle. Agger has real injury problems though and I’m really keeping my fingers crossed that he can overcome all that and come out stronger, but back problems can be a real pain in more ways than one and hard to come back from with extended periods of play.

So what can we expect later? I still think we can just tap out a draw, but the rest of the players will have to really step up and shoulder the burden of the missing Liverpool Golden Double Act of Stevie G and Torres. Masch and Insua might also be left out since they had to play two emotionally and physically draining games with Argentina plus the long distance flights. Masch has also been worryingly off his game – alright he played well against Chelsea but still was made the fall guy for the mistake that led to the opening (killer) goal. But I saw him for Argentina against Uruguay and he looked far from comfortable. Of course most of them looked far from comfortable under Maradona that classic clown act, even Messi, but Masch was panicky and made several stray passes. He has been not much different this season for us. Agger also played both games for Denmark and he might have to be given a rest. In fact most of our players were involved. They would be one tired bunch while Sunderland will be just gnashing to get back in action after that amazing draw against Utd. It really looks ominous at the Stadium of Light.

By five o’clock this afternoon we will know a lot more about Zola’s West Ham side.  Today’s London derby against Fulham at Upton Park is effectively a cup final, and it will need to be played like one.  Fulham will be more than up for this, they rested players on Thursday in the Europa League with us in mind.  It’s as much a must win game for them as it is for us.  Game on.

Three points could take us up to fourteenth place in the Premiership, a jump of five places.  Defeat however will leave us rooted in the bottom three.  We simply have to win.

Matty Upson may return from his calf injury but Jack Collison’s return looks unlikely, new recruit Franco is not yet fully fit but my feature off the bench.  Zavon Hines may return to the starting line up after being boosted by his England U21’s call up midweek.

Likely line up :

Green

Faubert – Tomkins – Upson – illunga

Parker – Noble

Diamanti                        Jiminez

Hines – Cole

Talking Hammers Prediction – West Ham 2-0 Fulham

Truth be told I have yet to recover from our Tuesday horror show and I’m also beginning to think I’m a prophet of sorts as my gut was telling me something bad was gonna happen at the Artemo Franchi and they had to go and make my worst nightmare come true. I thought that Liverpool would struggle against Fiorentina and everything went horribly wrong on Tuesday and it was possibly the worst result and performance ahead of a truly important fixture against Chelsea today. The hangover was bad for me since that day and I wasn’t even sure if I could write anything ahead of our trip to the Bridge but I’m not about to miss out on every step that we are taking towards the Big 19th Title.

Before I talk about Chelsea and what is not an exaggerated claim by media and the football talkshow experts who are really just like you and me that the result would either destroy one team’s title hopes while brewing hope for the winner, I need to let it out on the display on Italian soil. Truly horrible. What on earth were the lads thinking when they decided to play like that? Off night? I never really believed that every player could just play so badly like that and then after a half time talk presumably some hairdryer action from Rafa, the whole team played much better and could have drawn back but the momentum and sharpness were already lost with their pathetic performance in the first half. Rafa was right to feel totally distraught but I think he made it worse for himself and the rest of us by deciding to experiment once again. What was Aurelio doing in the starting lineup? I wasn’t sure if he was to play on the wing (which he can’t) or in the middle (which he can’t either). Babel and Riera aren’t the best around but surely they would have done a better job on the wing if that was where Aurelio had to roam. If it was to be in midfield replacing Masch then what was Stevie G doing? I firmly believe that Rafa underestimated Fiorentina and decided to give a rest to Masch to recover in time for Chelsea but in doing so played his cards wrong in terms of the Argentinian’s replacement. I thought his days of being Tinkerman no. 2 were long gone but I guess sometimes relapses are in order, but not at the expense of results please.

On to the War At The Bridge and Chelsea are bound to have some sort of response against us unless Ancelotti is really Scolari in disguise. Then again the Brazilian is doing quite well right now in Uzbekistan although it was kinda amusing to see his team Bunyodkor Tashkent putting in a mighty effort but falling short against the very aptly named Pohang Steelers in the Asian Champions League. Sidetracking a little but it was truly a great tie that one – back and forth action with plenty of goals to talk about. Was surprised that these sides could produce such high quality football but I guess it’s time we wrapped our heads around the fact that the top Asian clubs can compete well. Scolari gets paid really well too from what I’ve read and maybe Ancelotti is plotting a similar path with the way he is running the Blues right now. Asked what was wrong with the team on Wednesday after another lacklustre effort against Apoel, he replied “I don’t know.” Not the best answer considering the media hacks are just waiting to tear him down as the latest saviour and deliver of European glory for Chelsea. I wouldn’t say there’s really anything wrong since they still won and at least they didn’t defend as badly as they did against Wigan although giving the ball away remained a problem. Then again that’s what our lads were doing against Fiorentina too and we lost. I guess this difference in quality might show again tonight although I hope not. Things aren’t looking good again for Liverpool and to be honest we’ve only been beating up the likes of Hull and Burnley which don’t exactly put the fear in any team. Ok so we struggled to beat teams like them last season, while getting ahead of the Big Four etc. Looks like the balance has been shifted and there is just something about Rafa that he struggles to find the perfect balance each season. Of course the excuse of losing Alonso dealt a big blow along with Hicks and Gillett continuing to shaft a big one to us by giving him no money to buy more players. But over 20million quid was blown on an injured Italian who is still a mystery to us not acquainted with Italian football.

Ok rant out of the way and now really onto the game. This one is really big in terms of whether we can go on and surprise everyone, including us fans, that Liverpool will win the 19th title this season. It is clear that we don’t have the quality this season, but sometimes the best team doesn’t always become champions and you can only see the evidence laid out in recent years ever since the Premiership was established with the title landing somewhere north where timekeepers go missing at crucial stages of each game. Not content with getting their hands on the trophy again undeservedly as we were the best side last season, now we have had to cede the comeback kings tag to those Mancunians again. If we can beat Chelsea at the Bridge, the belief will return and grow stronger. Just like last season. But we had Alonso then and he scored the winner, and also played a major major part in many of those Big Four clashes by getting players from the other teams sent off. Who can do that now? Lucas will probably get himself red carded instead. Stevie G is too busy covering him to link up with Torres. And Torres is increasingly keen to throw tantrums like a spoilt brat which I am really surprised at. But there have still been times this season when all of them played like Kuyt and the results came. This is just the game to do that and I wouldn’t be surprised if Kuyt replaces Carra in the beloved old jingle that we want 11 Kuyts in the team.

You never know what to expect from Chelsea except that they are still a boring old team and Drogba and Anelka look really deadly together. With the way our defence has been playing lately, I wouldn’t be surprised if we were down 3-0 or worse by half time, especially if they attack our zonal marking system again. Truly pray that Rafa would have picked up on that by now and be flexible instead of being obstinate. My gut is telling me that we’re heading for another defeat but my heart hopes for a magical display and three points that would be just as important as the ones that we snatched last season at the same venue. Keep the faith (I try).

Here we go again peoples – ‘The Friday Night round Up’.

The defeat to Manchester City last Monday night was inevitable.  Just by looking at the forward options available to both sides it becomes clear what an against the odds challenge it was:-

Manchester City :- Bellemy, Tevez, Santa Cruz, ect.

West Ham :- Cole………………….Hines?…….

I think Zola would have looked at these fixtures (City,Liverpool) and not expected to get much from them.  What was important though was the performances.

I felt the performance in both the Liverpool and Manchester City game were nothing to be ashamed of.  Lets face it, in the City game we should have come of the pitch at half time with the scores level at 2-2, and how many teams will be able to say that during the course of the season ?.

Sunday however is a different story.  It’s hard to believe we have a must win game this early in the campaign – but we do.  Failing to beat Fulham at home would create a not only a massive media reaction but also turn most of the fans towards the negative thinking of relegation.

Many fans and pundits are already saying we are on the tracks to relegation, i feel some perspective is needed.  I’ve compared our results so far to the corresponding fixtures last year – its cheered me up !! look :-

Wolves (weren’t in Premiership 08/09, so for comparison lets put in West Brom away) 3-2 defeat

Wigan (a) 0-1 win

Blackburn (a) 1-1 Draw

Tottenham (h) 0-2 defeat

Liverpool  (h) 0-3 defeat

Manchester City (a) 3-0 defeat

Points Total 4

Points of view ‘Talking Hammers ? – please comment.

West Ham fans will always be hard to please.  I am no exception.  We as West Ham fans have and always will expect more from our club.  For years we’ve seen our ‘Acadamy of football’ conveyor belt passing world class talent through Upton Park into the World of football.  We’ve attracted special players to our club because of who we are, the football we play and the players we produce.  Many West Ham fans will tell you we won the World Cup, a constant reminder stands at the beginning of Greenstreet in the form of a 4-tonne bronze statue of Moore, Hurst and Peters.

Moore - Hurst - Peters - and Wilson

The point is we are proud.  We as supporters have made an emotional investment in this football club.  It hurts when we are losing – to the point of ruining a weekend.

Today we find ourselves in the bottom three of the Premiership.  I agree it hasn’t been the best of starts, but our league position is false.  Fans have to look at what we have been up against in our opening games.  Some will argue that “if we aren’t expecting to beat the good sides we play why are we even trying to compete in the Premier division”, but when you re-examine the league games we’ve played the facts are as follows :-

Wolves (a) 0-2 Win

Two nill away win against the newly promoted winners of the championship.  Tricky first game of the campaign in front of there ’still celebrating’ crowd.

Spurs (h) 1-2 Defeat

One – two loss to our big rivals.  Disappointing but we played well, creating many chances and taking the lead in spectacular fashion before two serious lacks of concentration gifted Spurs the points.

Tottenham are currently fourth in the league after beating burley 5-0 yesterday.

Blackburn (a) 0-0 Draw

A very poor game and performance.  We held the ball well but never looked like scoring or conceding.  Would have expected to pick up three points.

Wigan (a) 0-1 Defeat

This game could have gone either way – maybe we should have had a goal with Carlton Cole’s disallowed effort just before halftime but thats football.

Yesterday Wigan beat the league leaders Chelsea 3 – 1 !!

Liverpool (h) 2-3 Defeat

A classic game in which we took on last years Premier league runners up on style.  Could have and should have led the game inside the first two minutes.  Never gave up and always looked a threat.

Yesterday Liverpool beat Hull City 6 – 1 !

We have two games in hand -  the first of which is against Manchester City on Monday night.  Bookies will tell you we won’t win.  In fact the current odds average is ’seven to one’ that we will take three points from Eastlands (maybe worth a tenner?).  So it is likely we will lose away to the rich boys.  This will fuel the relegation fears in fans and surely provoke the first cries of Zola out – which would be ridiculous.

What we currently have in the making is what we have always wished for.  The current crop of young players Tony Carr has produced seem really special.  Players such as James Tomkins and Jack Collinson are showing levels of football maturity rarely seen at such a young age.  Not to mention the excitement provoked by the recent performances of Zavon Hines and Junior Stanislas.

This sort of youth product isn’t seen at many clubs in the country and if  we can just start holding on to them we really are a good team in the making.  Zola is perfect for this – This is why he has been brought to the club.  Keep the faith.

Penny for your thoughts Talking Hammers ?

]]> http://gunnerstoday.wordpress.com/2009/09/27/premiership-fulham-arsenal-craven-cottage-2009/ Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:03:59 +0000 gunnerstoday http://gunnerstoday.wordpress.com/2009/09/27/premiership-fulham-arsenal-craven-cottage-2009/

Alan Hansen on Match of the Day gave credit to Fulham. And deservedly so. But at the same time he took away credit from Arsenal. He said on another day Fulham would have won, but Stoke never looked like winning against Utd. Which for me translates as Utd were solid, Arsenal by comparison were weaker. Fair assessment? Perhaps? But it is a very flawed way of thinking.

You cannot compare Fulham against Stoke. There is a big difference. Fulham play attractive football. Stoke do not. Theirs is an attritional based style, (keep-it-tight-and-hope-to-steal-goal). They do this every game. Even the most die-hard Stoke fan would agree with this. But Fulham often take the game to the opposition And don’t forget Fulham didn’t just beat us last season, they beat Utd as well at the Cottage.

Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, I suppose. However, if I say Fulham play attractive football I must expand on this. At times, it felt as if Arsenal were getting a strong taste of their own medicine. There were neat one touches, angled passes and quality crossing to supplement that. On the other hand, we struggled to find any coherency in our own game.

Fulham managed 12 shots on target and a further 6 off target. Mannone made at least 5 good saves. Before kick-off I was critical of his inclusion. I suppose I owe him an apology. His outstanding performance won’t win him the number one jersey just yet. It does however, remind Almunia of his need to buck up his ideas.

 Almunia is more experienced and definitely better than Mannone but the Italian showed a great sense of determination. He was in no mood to be charitable to Fulham. Something Almunia must add to his game.

Commentators for the game were critical of Fabregas and Arshavin, two important components of our creative hub. We can go easy on Arsh as it was his first match back from injury. Can we really be harsh on Cesc though? 17 misplaced passes suggests we must. Then again this was down to Fulham’s general organisation, they seem to make us feel as if the game was about to end any minute soon. And they limited us to just 4 shots on target.

And it was Cesc who found the most important pass, setting up Van Persie for his goal. That was the only shot on goal for RVP, if we can disregard his awful free kick effort. Last week he was accused of being wasteful. This week he scores with his weaker foot, perhaps he must try this more often.

It looked a game destined to have a close scoreline for me. We reversed the same scoreline of last year’s encounter. And although we didn’t outplay Fulham as we thought, winning a game when we weren’t at our best, is proof that this team is learning to “grind-out” results.

By the way, Walcott wasn’t on the bench. Can someone please explain that to me? I thought that was a certainty. Even Vela made it on the bench!

Ok I want to talk about the possibility of us finally winning our 19th title and today’s game against Hull City would probably be more important than many might think. So we all expect to win, and that is definitely what should be expected from a club like Liverpool. But so many times last season and the past decade (or more) we have consistently failed to look decent against these teams. Alright, we did look great last season, but failing to find the net means whatever you do during the rest of the game counts for nothing. And in the end yes it really counted for nothing because we won nothing. Credit to the lads for playing really well as a whole but these games really cost us in the end.

So the most important thing is to make sure we end up with the three points. I still think Rafa will rest a number of players, or at least once the points are wrapped up early (if possible), he’ll bring the likes of Stevie G, Torres and maybe Masch off. The latter might need some rest after playing against Leeds United as well. Tuesday’s game against Fiorentina will be a very tough one – those Italians are tough to break down and we don’t look that special anymore this season without Xabi so it would probably be the team that grinds the best that gets all the points. We can’t afford to drop any either and you know Fiorentina would know our zonal marking weaknesses by now.

So back to Hull City and we need to win this in order to add another brick towards our dream for the big 19. On the surface everything looks really straightforward and a foregone conclusion. Phil Brown can’t manage. Hull City can’t defend. They know how to lose and this is Anfield. Of course, the latter didn’t seem to work well last season (or for more than the past decade) so we have to discount it. Maybe make the sign larger in the tunnel. We have become really patient in the past two or three seasons and don’t quite break down easily as we did in the past whenever we concede a goal or the opposition does something at what may look like a crucial period during a game. That is why we appear to have taken over the throne of comeback kings even though Chelsea and those Mancunians are doing their best to wrestle it back. But I’d rather we sweep teams like Hull City aside easily if we are to win the title. Because you don’t see Man Utd having to comeback every other week, especially against the minnows. So two things to look out for that might restore my faith and belief that we can still win the title this season – to beat Hull City easily and not need to make any comeback, or not having our heads drop if we do let in a goal first.

Now for Ryan Babel. After Leeds United, I am starting to think that if we are to win the elusive title, we need to do something with this boy. For all the skill and pace he has, and all the vocal determination he has sounded out, what has Babel really been doing on the training ground? He still provides no end product and keeps making the wrong choices with and without the ball. So many times he broke through the Leeds ranks on Wednesday but each time he basically wasted his final pass or decision. I’m beginning to believe that Rafa actually doesn’t spend any time coaching the lads and making them better players. Looking at his style and character, he probably tells them ok now it’s all up to you to show me that you can break into the team and do something special on the field. It’s all up to you! Because if the coaching staff has been spending time with Babel, the boy should be a world beater by now! It only took less than a season for Man Utd’s staff with Ronaldo and look at him now – bullying the little teams and that’s what we need at Anfield! C’mon Rafa – please take Babel aside and really really make him into the class player that you claim that he should be when you first signed him.

So I’m expecting plenty of goals tonight as long as Rafa will leave Stevie G and Torres on the field, and maybe Benayoun too. We’d probably let in a couple as well since Carragher really looks a liability now as his age has finally caught up with him (still the Man though – plays his heart out each time), Skrtel suddenly looks lost which is a pity since he was such a tough cookie before his injuries, Agger looks more like Jonathan “Sicknote” Woodgate and Johnson prefers to score goals. Need to get them playing as a unit again and really know how to play the zonal system. Other teams have done it before and it’s not like the worst system one can use. Again, Rafa might not actually train the lads on the ground.

Once again Talking Hammers will dissolve the weeks West Ham related activities in our regular feature – ‘ The Friday Night Round Up’.  It’s been another disappointing week to be a Hammer’s fan, but chin up, it’s been a lot worse than this.

We start our seven day round up with the highly entertaining game against Liverpool last Saturday.  Throughout the aftermath of the match many a West Ham fan were predicting a season of doom and gloom.  We wonder if these negative fans were the same fans who campaigned against the Alan Curbishley regime.  During which, although sometimes boring, we did seem to win this type of game.  We asked for attacking, attractive football and that is what Zola is giving us.

The least said about the Bolton game the better.  We started really well and looked like we had the beating of them, but it wasn’t to be.  Teams simply can’t give Bolton that many set pieces and expect to keep a clean sheet.  Our fitness does seem to be an issue as we look very tired in the last quarter of games, this needs to be improved.

With no game this weekend we could find ourselves in the bottom three come sunday night.  How much can we really expect from monday nights trip to the City of Manchester ?, it would need a really special performance to take home three points.  Do we have it in our locker ?

Comments please.

Zola in Thought - Photo Taken from The Guardian Newspaper

During the last two games it seems we have run out of steam with twenty minutes to go.  Is it just me or have we got a slight fitness problem.

Carlton Cole looked shattered against Liverpool and others carried the body language of a team in the deaths of extra time of an epic cup game.  Alright, Saturday was a case of us putting in one hundred and fifteen percent to make up for the difference in quality.  However, something is pulling me back to pre-season and our lack of first team outings.

I can’t seem to erase the horrible memories of that Asian Cup game against Tottenham, they appeared to be weeks ahead in terms of pre-season fitness.  Yes we had one friendly canceled but wasn’t both teams heading for the same Premier League weekend.

I fear, because of the of shallow squad we have, players were deliberately under worked in pre-season to avoid burn out and injury.  I might be clutching at straws but something is a miss ?

Penny for you thoughts Talking Hammers ?

Before the dust even settles from the weekend we find ourselves on yet another match day.  Tonight the team travel to The Reebok to face a Gary Megson’s Bolton side in the Carling Cup.

Zola will almost certainly give us our first view of Mexican  Guillermo Franco.  I suspect in place of Carlton Cole.  Zola has openly spoken of his preferred formation which features one main striker with two smaller forwards just behind him.  Zola will find it hard to drop Zavon Hines after the weekend and Diamanti should also start as he needs to get games under his belt.  Inter Milan’s Luis Jiminez is available after missing the five goal Liverpool thriller on Saturday but should only start on the bench.

We have never liked going to the Reebok and normally struggle to get a result but I think tonight will be different.  The Bolton fans aren’t happy with the Megson style of football and will soon turn on the home side if it doesn’t go their way.  I predict a two nil win to West Ham with Hines and Franco getting on the score sheet.

What do you think Talking Hammers – Please Comment

Twitter Trending Topics have often been seen as the best way to guage what the mood is right here, right now, in the land of Twitter. Be they Michael Jackson, Iran Election, or Mrs. Slocombe’s Pussy, the rise of the popular keyword has been significant.

The importance of the Trending Topics sidebar too has grown. If a brand can get their name or product to trend, hey presto, promotion, for free, in front of millions of eyeballs.

This has led to many brands and many people gaming the system – look at the Moonfruit scenario – and this means that, for the most part, Trending Topics do not necessarily reflect the true nature of the main topics of conversation on Twitter.

This means that they are no longer relevant. A waste of space which does nothing but promote oft-repeated hashtags, which are largely nonsensical to the end user. The end user does however, like Trending Topics, so they can get that snapshot of what is important at any one time.

What I’d like to see is localised Trending Topics, made up from individual user’s followers and followees. You have 100 followers and 100 followees who are not into the NBA for example, but do watch English Premiership football. Your Trending Topics will include relevant tidbits about the English Premiership, because the Topics are taken from your followers not the mass, but not the latest basketball game because it is not relevant to you, despite it being a Twitter-wide Trending Topic.

This would make conversations more relevant to each user, encourage users to find other users with similar interests and help to prevent brands and spammers from gaming the Trending Topic system.

Yes, this may be initially difficult to implement due to API calls and such, but, for Twitter to grow they have to find ways of keeping the platform free from spam and relevant to its users. By helping users to make their experience more personal they can do both of these in one swoop.

This week will be an interesting one with the match of the midweek against Leeds United in the Carling Cup. Many fans like me are getting excited about it since we don’t get to play Leeds that often nowadays with them sinking to League One. Sometimes you wonder if we might end up like them with the current state of our financial affairs. One bad season, out of the Champions League and we could see our debts landing us the boot from the FA or even worse, now that UEFA have decided to be financial authorities as well. But we did ask for it by giving the soul of our club to those Americans and can only hope that either they find some new gold chest or they cannot resist a big money offer from a group or person who has the best interests of the club at heart.

But back to the game. News is that it is sold out at Elland Road. All 37,000 tickets. The fans are turning out in force to see their red hot side take on us mighty Scousers. Unfortunately (or fortunately) depending whose side you are on, there won’t be anything mighty about Liverpool because you can be sure Rafa will field mostly second stringers like Dossena, Babel (yes I consider him a second stringer until he actually learns how to play the game), Voronin and some of the local lads which I hope will happen because they really need to be given a chance. Still waiting for Nemeth to make the grade – the boy is good and just needs to be shown some faith. I expect Lucas to feature again as well since Rafa is obviously intent on giving him the limelight and every chance to get better. Whether that happens in the eyes of the majority of us remains to be seen, but I do reckon he is not that bad a player and still remember him spraying passes around just like Alonso when he first arrived. What has happened since I am not sure, but I do get the inkling that his style has changed under Rafa (now a destroyer).

So with mostly the reserves in action, I don’t look forward to it. Leeds are a team on fire right now – they keep winning and it’s about time I guess. They missed out on promotion the last two seasons and it looks like their year this time. Still a long way to go though but if they boot us out of it, it would probably give them a massive lift. But such a result could hurt our momentum and that is something Rafa should really take into consideration. Playing our best 11 might risk injuries and less I forget, fatigue. But maybe the gaffer could let them play for at least a half or when the result is a certainty whichever comes first. You can be sure that with the media always on our back and painting a constant picture of doom and gloom and Rafa going bonkers, losing to Leeds could send the result on to the back page headlines and putting the first team under pressure again in the next Premiership game. Even though they were not involved in that game. But that’s just how the widespread negativity towards the club is at the moment, or perhaps the ridicule we are receiving due to the mess Hicks and Gillett have caused.

I do believe we are gaining momentum, if not with our defending, at least with the results. We’ve never been the best of sides, and if fans are still comparing us unfavourably to last season with Alonso in the team, then just look at the games and results recently – we’re still having to come back from lost causes quite often. The one thing that is still there (or at least returning) is the spirit in the team. That was really what made us tick last season and if we can go at it again, we should still be in the title stakes. That doesn’t mean I think we have a great chance of winning it – but I’ll keep the faith. One thing is for sure, Aquilani must work well for the team and has to stay injury free once he’s back. Or maybe we should have gone for Cassano instead.

The win at Upton Park was fantastic. Quite a game and it was great to see Torres enjoying himself again. He cut a frustrated figure ever since returning from the Confed Cup and even sounded like he was tired of the Premiership. Rafa probably gave him a good clip on the ear and now he’s showing hunger again. Benayoun is also starting to show that he can play from the start and do it well, which is what Rafa claimed he wanted before he gave him that spot. The question now is what happens once Aquilani is back. Knowing Rafa, the Italian would probably have to fight for his place like the rest. Interesting though to see that the two natural wingers in the squad are not given starts even though the gaffer wants to play a wider and more expansive game. Babbel might not deserve a start but I’m still of the opinion that Riera has done relatively well each time he’s played.

So on to Elland Road and hopefully whoever gets to play, does well. Important game no matter what others might say, in or outside the club. The boys need to win and I hope they do. Rafa has already sounded out the warning that Leeds play a direct game quite often and that could mean trouble with our zonal system again. Maybe the replacements might actually be good at that.

Frank Nouble Halts Fan - Photo Taken From The Independent Newspaper

The official FA website has today spoken out about the investigation into the Millwall Carling Cup game.  Full Quote below.

An update on investigations into the events at the West Ham and Millwall game.

The FA’s extensive investigations into the events at the recent West Ham versus Millwall fixture are drawing to a close.

CCTV footage from approximately 47 cameras inside Upton Park is still being examined along with other lines of enquiry.

Both clubs have co-operated and provided assistance in relation to the enquiry and The FA expects to be in a position to confirm the outcome of the investigation in the coming week.

The FA has also been liaising closely with the Metropolitan Police in connection with the disorder outside the ground, whilst West Ham published photographs in Saturday’s matchday programme to assist in the identification process.

Quote Source – TheFA.com

Talking Hammer have interviewed two West Ham stewards who were on duty on the night in question.  Unfortunately we can’t post the interviews until the investigation has closed.  However we can reveal that West Ham United security had a well thought out game plan and the general feeling is that it was a success.

I can’t see us being chucked out of the competition as it would be difficult to blame the nights events solely on West Ham United.  A small fine is a likely outcome with strict guidelines for future clashes with such rivals put in place.  My only fear is that the FA will want to show the world they will come down hard on such incidents to ease the impact it has on England’s 2018 World Cup bid.  Lets wait and see.

Please comment – The site needs you !

Torres Brace Beats West Ham - Photo From The Telegraph Newspaper

West Ham United 2

(Diamanti (pen) 29, Cole 45)

Green, Faubert, Tomkins, Upson (Gabbidon 25), Ilunga, Behrami (Kovac 28), Parker, Noble, Hines, Diamanti (Dyer 65), Cole

Subs: Kurucz, Spector, Payne, Nouble

Liverpool 3

(Torres 20, 75, Gerrard 42)

Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Insua, Mascherano, Gerrard, Benayoun (Aurelio 85), Lucas, Kuyt (Babel 60), Torres (Riera 90)

Subs: Cavalieri, Kyrgiakos, Degen, Dossena

West Ham lost by the odd goal in five after a lively clash at Upton Park with Liverpool this afternoon.  After being involved in two very dull matches against Blackburn and Wigan, fans were finally treated to a game you just couldn’t take your eyes off.

Right from the second minute the game was alive.  Hines robbed Carragher to give himself a one on one with Pepe Reina only to see his shot thump back off the post.  Liverpool also had some early chances with ex-hammer Benayoun coming close with a low drive and Torres shooting wide.

It was Liverpool who took the lead with a classic Torres goal.  The Spanish striker beat Tomkins and rode a late Upson tackle before beating Green at the near post.  Upson never recovered from the late challenge and was replaced by Danny Gabbidon shortly after.  Things looked bad for West Ham three minutes later as Valon Behrami left the field almost in tears after suffering injury twenty eight minutes into his first start since his knee injury last season.  Then, right out of the blue West Ham got themselves back into game.  Zavon Hines burst down the left wing and into the area before being brought down for a penalty, up stepped Alessandra Diamanti.  The Italian slipped as he struck the ball, but somehow managed to find the back of the net.

West Ham seemed to have the upper edge before Steven Gerrard headed a Benayoun corner on to Kuyt who poked Liverpool ahead on forty two minutes.  A real blow before half time.  This though, only seemed to lift West Ham as they went on to win a free kick via the ever threatening Hines.  The resulting Diamanti set piece was defelceted wide by the Liverpool wall.  Noble then sent in a peach of a corner and Carlton Cole nodded home to equalise on the stroke of half time.  Game on!

The Second half carried on like the first with both sides attacking on the break.  Diamanti grew with the game and tested Pepe Reina with a trademark curling corner that was just tipped past the head of Hines.  The game then started to slow down as both teams seemed to tire.  Kieron Dyer came on and looked lively on a couple of occasions before Torres dealt the killer blow.  He out jumped two West Ham defenders to head an excelent Babel cross pass Rob Green.  West Ham failed to recover and finished another Premier League game without any points.

I must say I really enjoyed this game and felt we gave a really good account of ourselves.  Stats will say its our worse start to a season for years but this was a game against a team that nearly won the premiership last year.  Losing a five goal thriller against such opposition is really not that bad.  Role on Manchester City.

P.s. A little side note.  When I cancel my ESPN subscription after the Manchester City game Monday week, my reason will be Chris Waddle.  How this man gets commentary jobs is beyond me.  Anyone agree ?

Dean Ashton - Photo taken from The Sun Newspaper

Gianfranco Zola has finally broke the silence over Dean Ashton.  He spoke on the subject of the ever absent striker during Fridays press conference.

“I can’t say ‘I’ll give you three months’, I can’t force his progress along. But I do respect his willingness to come back and I am going to be supportive to him, not the one who is pushing him.”

“We have not discussed that (retirement) at all and anyway he knows I trust him and whatever he does I have been trying to help and will keep trying to help him.”

“He is one of the players that I have had a lot of hopes for I have been waiting one year and I have not had him.”

“According to everyone, including myself, he was one of the best players of the team.  He made my job much more difficult.”

“I am very sorry for the boy and I imagine what he is going through and that he is suffering a lot. All my thoughts are with him. I wish that he will find his way forward as soon as possible.”

“I have not interacted with him very much because he has been out, He knows that I want him very much and he is one of the players that if I had him on the pitch our performances would have been better.”

Gianfranco Zola 18-9-09

The day Dean Ashton Held my Daughter

I Met Dean Ashton in 2007 and what struck me was how down to earth he was.  He was just like a normal bloke off the street, openly telling me about his home life and how his wife was expecting his  first  baby.  He even asked to hold my four month old Daughter.  He was very excited about playing for West Ham.  I wish Dean the best of luck for the future, hopefully he can put this nightmare behind him and crack on with his career.  He is, after all, still only 25 years old.

Dean Ashton is now the only noticeable absentee from the first team squad ahead of tonights home tie with Liverpool.  Zola has fit again Valon Behrami, Kieron Dyer and left  back Herita llunga all available.