Liquid Football - A Slicker Football Blog

Premier League To Play Matches Abroad! One Slight Problem Though...

Here's the jist from BBC:

An additional round of Premier League fixtures, extending the season to 39 games, from January 2011

Four clubs to travel to one of five host cities, with two games taking place in each venue over a weekend

Cities would bid for the right to become a host, not for individual matches

Points earned from the games would count towards the final Premier League table

In this 'special' 39th game, lets say that Man Utd are drawn against Derby, and Arsenal have to face Man City. I can imagine that Derby, Arsenal and Man City will be peeved that they have to play significantly harder matches than Man Utd. It's a big impact pyschologically, and potentially points wise too.

The SPL received worldwide criticism after introducing the split in 2000. I see no reason why the EPL won't suffer the same fate.

In the end, it's all about the greedy fat cats at the Premier League wanting to get richer and bigger at the expense of the fans and integrity of English football.

Are you opposed to the propositions, or do you see it as an excellent opportunity for the EPL to grow? I'd like to hear your comments below.

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Capello Drops Beckham - The Right Call

Poor David Beckham. Under most managers, he would have been given his 100th cap against Switzerland in what many see as a meaningless friendly. It would be a fitting tribute to a man who has provided quality, determination and flashes of brilliance to England's national team.

Unfortunately for the LA Galaxy man, Fabio Capello is not most managers.

But surely Beckham deserves to be given this honour. Fair enough, if it was a competitive match, one would be looking to have their strongest squad available. But a friendly? At least stick him on the bench.

The above viewpoint would likely have been that of Steve McLaren, or any other English manager who could relate to Beckham's contribution to their country. Again, Capello is no such man.

In an almost brutal, machine-like manner, the Italian has removed any chance of Beckham playing for England again, purely on the basis that (in his opinion) the right winger isn't good enough.

But it is the truth that if Capello is to stick to his guns and drive his adopted country forward to the depths of international tournaments, he must pick his squad on quality and form, nothing else.

Professionalism is the key here. If he bowed to the media build-up about 'Centurion Beckham', it would only undermine his leadership and authority.

The only person this negatively affects is Beckham. On the positive side, it sends out a strong clear message to England players that they'll need to be playing at the top of their game, otherwise they face the chop. Complacency is eradicated, respect is in place, and consistently good performances will arrive.

This was Capello's first big decision as England manager. He got it spot on.

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Spurs' New Defence - Can They Propel Tottenham Into The Top Half?

Tottenham's defence committed 3 errors on Sunday to gift Man Utd a 3-1 victory; it's seemingly become the norm these days for Spurs fans to watch in agony as Dawson fluffs yet another header, or as Lee Young-Pyo gets turned inside out once more by a winger.

Their back line has been guilty of some incredible faux-pas's this season, one of the main reasons Martin Jol lost his job. There's no point in having Keane, Berbatov and Lennon up front if Sir-Flap-A-Lot is between the sticks.

Juande Ramos has clearly seen the need to improve the rear of his lopsided team, and has set about beefing it up with introducing a new 'keeper, an attacking full-back, and a no-nonsene defender with plenty of experience.

Couple this with the return of Ledley King and the soon to be fit Bale, Tottenham may just have one of the best defences in the Premiership. Or will they? Let's take a closer look:

Strengths

Assuming that Hutton will sign, the back 4 will have a lot to offer up front, never mind guarding the goal. Bale and Hutton are both excellent at bombing forward on the flanks, often passing their midfield partners to create chances for the strikers.

Hutton has strength, pace and at times brilliant dribling skills, while Bale has the speed and dead-ball expertise to trouble any goalkeeper in the world. Not to mention the fact that Ledley King isn't afraid of scoring from set plays either.

Defensively, King and Woodgate are solid, doing the basic things right with hardly any silly slip-ups. You don't get signed by Real Madrid if you can't play (...well, unless your name's Thomas Gravesen). Alan Hutton has also proved he's no pushover at the back, and will run all day to help out both his fellow defenders and attackers.

Radek Cerny is a good shot-stopper (like Robinson) and seems to have an air of confidence about him which reassures the players in front of him (unlike Robinson).

Weaknesses

The big bleedin' obvious one here is can they all play a few games in a row without crocking themselves in some way? King and Woodgate are both the personification of injury-prone, while young Gareth Bale is currently nursing a broken bone. If they can't all keep fit, that means one of their other 'defenders' will have to come in, which I'm sure will be music to the ears of strikers across the EPL.

Also, have any of them played with each other yet? Not really no. Woodgate and Hutton are brand new, Bale won't have had a decent run with King or Cerny yet, and even those 2 have just started together. Defences need time to gel, to form an understanding, and throwing some decent players together could have the opposite effect intended.

Plus, Cerny's a bit crap really isn't he?

Overall

If they can keep themselves fit enough to gel together and create some synergy, they'll have one of the best defences in the Premier League. Will they stop enough goals however to close the 10 point gap between them and 10th-placed Pompey? Feel free to leave your comments below.

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Juventus To Sign Sissoko and Mellberg... Why?

Momo Sissoko of Liverpool and Olof 'The Hairy' Mellberg of Aston Villa have agreed or are certain to agree moves to Juventus by the end of the season, BBC reports here and here.

So before I go on, let me get this straight. An unused Liverpool substitute who hasn't had the best of performances this season, and a solid but unspectacular defender signing for an Italian giant, currently sitting 3rd in Serie A.

Does anyone else find this slightly odd?

No disrespect to either player. Mellberg's solid defending is one of the reasons that Villa are 5th, and Sissoko has on occasion put in a decent performance.

But one has to think that a club the size of Juventus, with Champions League and Serie A ambitions, would be looking at players of a higher stature. Then again, they did sign professional footballer impersonator Jean-Alain Boumsong, and he isn't exactly doing too bad.

Let's take a look a why Juve should sign each player, why they'd be mad to do so, and who the Bianconeri should be looking to buy instead.

Momo Sissoko

Sign the contract:
Last season, Sissoko played some superb games in the middle of the park for Liverpool. He has composure, accurate tidy passing and makes good choices when under pressure. The Malian has played numerous times in Europe alongside Steven Gerrard, earning a man of the match award against Barcelona en route to the Champions League final.

However, a certain Mascherano came along, usurping the role of holding midfielder, effectively putting an end to Sissoko's tenure on Merseyside. But at 23, he has time left in his career to develop and make an impact.

Tear up the contract:
If Juve want to be challenging for any sort of silverware, they need to be signing world-class, proven midfielders. Not a flash-in-the-pan like Sissoko. He has been disappointing this season to say the least, and has failed to rise to the challenge of fighting for his place.

Anyone remember Liam Miller? A young midfielder at Celtic who was dictating games, doing the dirty work and making his side tick. Plonk him in a bigger team (i.e. Man Utd), and soon Mr. Neat and Tidy was being shipped off to Sunderland. I can't help but feel Sissoko will follow a similar path.

Why not try these?:
Gilberto Silva (Arsenal) - He's still first choice for Brazil, and would probably jump at the chance for regular 1st team action.
Xavi (Barcelona) - Hefty price tag, but Xavi is a class act. One of the most underrated footballers in Europe.
Claude Makalele (Chelsea) - He's getting on a bit, but has the qualities of Sissoko and then some. Chelsea now have Essien holding so it wouldn't take much persuasion (rubles) to free him.
Torsten Frings (Werder Bremen) - Another excellent player who is often overlooked. Has played solidly for Bremen the past season, will Juve take another shot at signing him?

Olof Mellberg

Sign the contract:
The Swede has been at Aston Villa for as long as I can remember. A solid, resolute and no-nonsense defender, his consistency over the years for club and country speaks volumes for his professionalism. And for a grand price of £0.00, it's not a bad deal economically on Juventus's part.

Mellberg has also been known to bring comedy to the football field, most notably this own goal (although it probably wasn't his fault).

Tear up the contract:
Juve have the 3rd best defence in the league, do they really need an ageing defender who's never found a club better than Villa for 7 years?

His style of play will probably not mix well with Serie A. In England, the rule generally speaking is, 'if you get the ball, it doesn't matter how much of the man you get'. In Italy, any sort of physical challenge, legal or not, is likely to end in a free-kick for the opposing team. Unfortunately for Mellberg, getting physical is the basis for his game.

Why not try these?:
Samuel Kuffour (Livorno) - despite being around for ages, Kuffour has a few years left in him yet, and has experience of Italian football with Roma and Livorno.
Luisao (Benfica) - Strong, hungry and unbeatable in the air, £9 million is definitely worth it (compare it to 2 Marlon Kings... or 1/2 a Darren Bent).
Rafael Marquez (Barcelona) - A proven, continental defender who can command games from the back. With Milito and Puyol able to form a decent partnership, Barcelona could be willing to let him leave, but will the Italians turn recent speculation into a solid offer?

What do you think? Is The Old Lady making a couple of shrewd signings? Or will they fail to adapt, warm the bench, and then eventually get shipped out to a Championship side? Leave your comments below.

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Why Cristiano Ronaldo is NOT the greatest player in the world

OK, so here's the argument for Ronaldo being the creme de la creme of footballers all over the world:

Kudos to 101 Great Goals.

Pretty convincing, but here's few reasons why Portugal's pretty boy isn't a patch on some of the other talent around Europe.

1. Overhyped
Ronaldo turns out a decent performance against Newcastle, and the entire press begins waxing lyrical about how he could be the best player of all time. 4 words: Calm the hell down.

Sure, he scored a hat-trick and performed a few tricks, but it was by far a great hat-trick. His second was class, but the first bobbled over the keeper and the third took a deflection. If Rooney had a bit more luck he would have easily had a hat-trick also.

And in case anyone else hadn't noticed, playing well against Newcastle ain't that hard these days.

2. Diving
How can he be a role model when everytime he gets tapped in or just outside the box he falls quicker than Northern Rock's shares? What really takes the biscuit is the way Ronaldo gives the ref the big puppy dog eyes as if about to burst into tears.

A good player has the tricks and skills to create and score goals. A great player is a true role model to others in the game in every field. Does Ronaldo have honesty and integrity? It's most certainly up for debate.

3. Big Games
There's no denying the outstanding record of scoring 16 goals in 18 Premier League outings, but where is he when the big clubs come calling? Last season, he was practically invisible against AC Milan in the Champions League. He failed to perform at his usual high standards for Portugal against France in the World Cup, and against Greece in Euro 2004. And this season, he barely made a difference in the game against Liverpool on the so called 'Grand Slam Sunday'.

Good against lesser teams, but a great player would perform when the heat is on.

4. Humility
Racing against Bugatti Supercars? Diamond Earrings? ORANGE boots? You tell me that the man does not openly believe that he is the best thing ever to grace this Earth.

OK, maybe I'm exaggerating slightly, but it would still be nice for him to show some humility once in a while. Some of United colleagues are excellent examples of men with talent but plenty of modesty also (Giggs and Scholes come to mind).

5. Other Competition
So what players possess the skill of Ronaldo but the qualities above also? Well, Kaka', Ronaldinho, Rooney, Fabregas... just to name a few.

While these players may not have the tricks and skills to match the man with the world's fastest feet, they possess the qualities such as maturity, humility, integrity and the ability to carry a team that the Great Cristiano Ronaldo does not yet have.

And let's not forget the lesson in football Kaka' gave CR7 and his Man Utd teammates last year in the San Siro:

Case closed.

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The African Exodus... Who Will Suffer?

The African Cup of Nations kicks off in a couple of weeks’ time, sparking a mass evacuation of some of England’s top Premier League talent. So which club will be worst affected by the ‘most poorly timed competition of the year’? We assess each leaving player’s value using our own 5 star rating system, and what the total effect will be on each Premier League club.

5 Star Rating:

5 stars – Vital to the team. Irreplaceable.
4 stars– First team player. Has an able deputy.
3 stars – Bench player. Usually brought on during a game.
2 stars – Bench player. Not used very often.
1 star – Not in the squad. Won’t be missed at all.

The Teams:

Arsenal

Emmanuel Eboue – 4 stars
Kolo Toure – 5 stars
Alexandre Song – 2 stars
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Total – 11 stars

Arsenal have solid back up in the form of Rosicky for Eboue, who looked off form against Burnley, however Toure will be sorely missed. Senderos is a solid back up, but does not have the same defensive qualities as the Ivorian. As a whole they should still be able to function as a free-flowing attacking machine.

Birmingham City

Richard Kingson – 2 stars
Radhi Jaidi – 3 stars
Mehdi Nafti – 4 stars
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Total – 9 stars

Birmingham will only seriously miss Nafti out their 3 Africans, having put in some good performances for City this season. However, they should have enough midfield cover to cope with his loss.

Blackburn Rovers

Aaron Mokoena – 3 stars
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Total – 3 stars

Only one gone for Blackburn, they should be able to cope fine with their current 1st team.

Bolton Wanderers

Abdoulaye Meite – 4 stars
El Hadji Diouf – 5 stars
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Total – 9 stars

Only 2 players gone for Bolton, but 2 massive players at that. Meite has been a rock in front of the back 4 for the Wanderer’s so their already fragile defence will be even more exposed. And with the absence of arguable their most creative player in Diouf, they could be in real trouble upfront as well.

Chelsea

Michael Essien – 5 stars
Didier Drogba – 5 stars
Salomon Kalou – 4 stars
Jon Obi Mikel – 4 stars
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Total – 18 stars

Chelsea could be in trouble. The best striker in the Premier league, his back up, arguably the best defensive midfielder in England and a talented young midfielder have all jetted off, leaving huge gaps of world class quality throughout the team. It appears as if the African Cup of Nations has come at just the wrong time for Chelsea’s title push.

Everton

Joseph Yobo – 4 stars
Yakubu Aiyegbeni – 5 stars
Victor Anichebe – 3 stars
Steven Pienaar – 4 stars
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Total – 16 stars

Everton will be in a similar boat to Chelsea, missing 3 1st team players, notably their best defender in Yobo, their best striker in Yakubu, and one of their more dynamic midfielders in Pienaar. Expect Everton to suffer a dip in their otherwise excellent form.

Fulham

Diomansy Kamara – 3 stars
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Total – 3 stars

Fulham should be fine with David Healy and Hammeur Bouazza up front.

Liverpool

Momo Sissoko – 2 stars
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Total – 2 stars

If anything, the Malian’s departure will allow space on the bench for someone with greater quality.

Middlesbrough

Mohamed Shawky – 1 star
Mido – 1 star
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Total – 2 stars

In Boro’s case, what ain’t used... ain’t missed.

Newcastle United

Obafemi Martins – 5 stars
Geremi – 4 stars
Habib Beye – 4 stars
Abdoulaye Faye – 2 stars
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Total – 15 stars

What Big Sam would not have wanted. His captain and top striker to be absent for 3 weeks while the club plummets down the Premier League table faster than it takes for St. James’ Park to exit. Can Owen step up to the plate in his striking partner’s absence?

Portsmouth

Sulley Muntari – 4 stars
Nwankwo Kanu – 3 stars
John Utaka – 4 stars
Papa Bouba Diop – 4 stars
Djimi Traore – 1 star
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Total – 16 stars

Take away 3 of your most powerful and forceful midfielders, and you’ll be left with not much physical element to your side. Pompey thrive on this, and so could for once get out muscled in the middle of the park, perhaps costing them control of games.

Reading

Emerse Fae – 2 stars
Andre Bikey – 2 stars
Ibrahima Sonko – 4 stars
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Total – 8 stars

In truth, the Royals will only miss Sonko, and he’ll be adequately replaced during his tenure away. Don’t expect much change at Reading.

Sunderland

Dickson Etuhu – 4 stars
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Total – 4 stars

Roy Keane could have done with the Nigerian’s solid performances in the middle for Sunderland during this crucial winter period, but with the Irishman looking to strengthen across his whole team this January, he will hope to find an ideal replacement.

Tottenham Hotspur

Didier Zokora – 3 stars
Hossam Ghaly – (-1) stars
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Total – 2 points

Zokora faded out of the picture for a few games under new boss Ramos, but was drafted in for the last 2 and performed admirably. However the marauding Tom Huddlestone should provide ample foil. As for Ghaly, he gets negative stars, as the team would probably train better anyway without his petulant attitude.

West Ham United

John Pantsil – 2 stars
Henri Camara – 2 stars
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Total – 4 stars

Neither player has made any sort of impact at Upton park this season, so don’t expect Alan ‘Curbs’ Curbishley to be seeing them off at Heathrow airport with a bunch of flowers and a ‘Come Home Soon’ card.

The End Result?

Arsenal’s slight weakness at the back could see Manchester Utd leapfrog them. Chelsea should be caught by Liverpool due to the loss of Drogba and Essien, while Everton may slip down the table with Villa and Blackburn leapfrogging them before the end of the tournament arrives.

Pompey’s lack of goals at home won’t be helped by a decimated midfield, and Bolton could sneak into the relegation zone without 2 of their key players. As for Sam Allardyce and Newcastle, expect the odds to be slashed on him being handed his P45 come February.

What do you think will happen to the teams suffering from their African-born players? Will they drop or stand firm? And do you agree or disagree with the ratings given above? Feel free to leave your comments below.

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Roy Hodgson: A Good Appointment?

Roy Hodgson was today announced as the new Fulham manager, signing a long term deal with the London club after they had sacked Lawrie Sanchez.

The 60 year old Englishman's first game / baptism of fire will be against Chelsea at the start of the new year, so how will he fare in at a club who many feel will be in the bottom 3 come the end of the season?

We take a look at Hodgson's previous management jobs throughout a varied and long career, and how well he fared at each.

1976–80 Halmstads BK
His first management job was in Sweden, where he took Halmstads to 2 Swedish Championships and 2 Allsvenskan league titles.

1982 Bristol City
A less successful stint back in England ended after winning just 3 of 20 games in charge.

1983–85 Örebro SK
Hodgson enjoyed a 50% win rate, but no trophies or league wins on his return to Sweden.

1985–90 Malmö FF
It was at Malmo that Hodgson had his most successful stint as manager, as he won 5 consecutive Allsvenksan league titles, 2 Svenska Cups and led them to being Swedish Champions twice. He also, along with Bob Houghton, revolutionised Swedish football by introducing the 4-4-2 formation, pressing tactics and advanced training regimes.

1990–92 Neuchâtel Xamax
His next move was to Switzerland, where he had an indifferent spell with nothing achieved of any great note...

1992–95 Switzerland
...but enough to land him the job of Swiss national coach. He guided the country to the World Cup in 94 (reaching the 2nd round before losing to Spain) and Euro 96, but joined Inter before the tournament began.

1995–97 Internazionale
Hodgson took Inter Milan to the final of the UEFA Cup, but lost on penalties to German outfit FC Schalke.

1997–98 Blackburn Rovers
He guided them to the UEFA cup in his first season, but was sacked early at the start of his second due to a poor run of results.

1999 Internazionale
Hodgson's second stint at Inter lasted all of 2 months.

1999–2000 Grasshoppers
He then returned to Switzerland with Grasshoppers, and was soon a serious candidate to take over the vacant England manager's job before being beaten by a certain Sven Goran Eriksson.

2000–01 F.C. Copenhagen
A move to Denmark landed Hodgson a Superliga title in his 1st season in charge.

2001 Udinese
With the Italian club he managed a 40% win ratio.

2002–04 United Arab Emirates
Hodgson's 2nd second in charge of a national team was less successful, as he was only able to guide the Middle Eastern team to 5th in the Gulf Cup.

2004–06 Viking FK
A return to club management saw Hodgson take over Norwegian side Viking for 1 1/2 seasons.

2006–07 Finland
One of his more successful jobs in management came as head of the Finnish national team. Hodgson took Finland close to qualification for Euro 2008, despite being in a group with Portugal, Poland and Serbia.

To say that Roy Hodgson has been around the block and has some experience would be a massive understatement. You can't be in management for 30 years without knowing what your doing.

He has never enjoyed steady success, and perhaps worrying for Fulham fans due to his recent successful role with Finland, one good job is usually succeeded by an average one.

However, Hodgson is known for building teams that are hard to break down with a solid foundation and players playing at their maximum potential.

If anything is certain, Fulham could have done a lot, lot worse, and it will be certainly interesting to see how Hodgson performs in his 16th different managerial post.

How do you reckon Hodgson will fare, given his style and past record? Leave your comments below.

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Attention! French Moron Approaching

UEFA President Michel Platini today said that he has yet to be convinced by England's World Cup 2018 bid, according to BBC Sport.

The Frenchman has stated that he is unhappy with the amount of money being thrown around in English football, and also with the fact that there is a lack of young homegrown talent coming through the ranks.

Platini too has apparently sent out more love letters to the heads of all European governments, expressing his concern about the "malign and ever-present influence of money."

1. What the hell has homegrown talent got to do with a country hosting a World Cup? If they can do it professionally and safely while promoting the name of football, then they should host it. Full stop.

2. So what that there's money awash in the game? It's what happened when lot's of people are interested and invest in a certain business. You don't see people getting up in arms with the cash being splashed in say, the electronics market.

3. Are these the same letters that asked for violence and racism to be met with nothing but zero tolerance? Ah yes, that's why racist and sectarian chanting are still being punished with 'slap on the wrist fines'. Maybe you should spend less time in front of your typewriter and more time sticking to your policies.

Oh and a final thought Mr. Platini. The 'evil currency' that you hate so much... is it the same money in the game that pays your wages and actually makes your job meaningful? I thought so.

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Chris Hutchings: 6 Losses and You're Gone

If a man who is tasked with keeping a 'smaller' club inside the Premier League loses 6 difficult games on the trot is soon sacked, then the English top flight is in a very sorry state of instability.

The sacking of Chris Hutchings has all the hallmarks of a 'knee-jerk reaction', much like his appointment in the first place one might suggest. If every club reacted like this, Davies would have gone, Redknapp would be nowhere, and Martin Jol would have vacated the Spurs hot seat many weeks ago.

The fact that it is now referred to as a 'hot seat', is further indication of how volatile and insecure the job is of a Premiership manager.

Was Dave Whelan right to give him the chop? The reaction around the footballing community has been mixed. Jonathan Stevenson at BBC Sport remarks that "The assistant, it seems, simply does not appear to have what it takes to be the manager in a division as unforgiving as the Premier League." Whereas over on Left Back, The Mac makes the observation that the 6 fixtures were in no way easy, and that Whelan should have followed the example of Boro chairman Steve Gibson, who has kept Southgate for so long due to his impressive record with teams of equal quality.

The 6 losses which led to Hutchings' departure weren't exactly the simplest of tasks. Losing to Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool is to be expected of a lower-half team, with only very late goals conceded against Pompey and Reading extending the run. The loss away to Birmingham is perhaps the only result there that can be classified as a poor performance with a disappointing result.

Surely, the Wigan board (including the astute businessman Dave Whelan) must have seen for themselves the nature of these results, and not just decided 'right, 6 defeats, he needs to go.'

A club like Wigan, with no offence and every respect to them, are not a side that should be expected to finish in the top-half of the table. Their fan-base, history and quality of players suggest otherwise. Over time, they may strengthen (such as Portsmouth or Blackburn) and then have perhaps European ambitions. But for the time being, avoiding relegation must be top priority, and with that in mind, those 6 results were probably to be expected.

Would anybody else have been able to do better? Probably not, which makes the sacking seem even more ludicrous. Unless there was a tactical genius on board, those results would still probably not have gone their way.

The timing is also very strange. By sacking him after the Chelsea game, and not before, it shows that the Wigan board were expecting something from the that match. It's an unrealistic expectation to get points off any of the big 4, never mind a side that crushed Man City the week before. Chris Hutchings should have been given a few more games, against teams that were the same level as Wigan, to give a true assessment of how well as a manager he was performing, and what the Latics could realistically hope for come the end of the season.

Clearly, Wigan feel that somebody can do better. Maybe they're right, maybe they're wrong, and only time will tell. However, with Souness the most likely candidate to take up the reigns, I wouldn't hold my breath for a sharp turnaround.

Do you think Wigan were right to sack Hutchings? Who should be appointed to take the club out of the relegation zone? Comments below please.

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Should 3rd Place Championship Teams Go Up?

Derby suffered their umpteenth defeat of the season to Everton on Sunday, and have yet to justify their place in the Premier League yet this season. The guys at Left Back think that Derby are so poor, the EPL should be fined for letting them participate.

The previous year, Watford had a similar ride, picking up few points and being relegated several games before the end of the season.

So if the Premier League is to establish itself as the best league in the world, should it be letting 2nd rate sides play with the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal et al? Or would that just be plain snobbery? Let look at the cases for, and against, teams like Derby competing in the top flight.

1. The Play-Offs

For: Without the play-offs for 3rd place, the Championship wouldn't be nearly as exciting. Just 2 teams that go up? Sounds very dull and elitist.
Against: The play-offs aren't bad, but it should be the second place team with the second-bottom team from the Prem. A true test of who deserves their place in the top flight.

2. Dreams

For: The dreams of smaller clubs should be easier to realise. Making it into the top flight would be a proud day for most clubs, why decrease their chances by 33%?
Against: Once the 3rd place team is promoted, they are effectively humped dry by most teams in the league, turning watching your club into a miserable, depressing and sordid affair. More like shattered dreams.

3. Unpredictability

For: The great thing about smaller teams being in the EPL, is that sometimes upsets are caused, sometimes affecting the title race and making football that bit more interesting.
Against: And sometimes, in fact most times, the bigger clubs will brush past them with a 2nd string side as they await a real challenge. The only thing unpredictable is how the 3rd-placed team will handle the humiliation of losing 6-0... again.

4. Guaranteed Entertainment

For: Even when said smaller-club loses, it provides entertainment in the form of goals and sweeping attacking play by the other side.
Against: It also guarantees 3 points for the other side, and sometimes there's nothing more dull than watching a one-sided encounter.

5. History

For: Some 3rd place clubs perform well when they are promoted; West Ham United, Bolton Wanderers and Ipswich to name a few.
Against: Watford (twice), Derby, Crystal Palace, Wolves...

6. Money

For: It's good that smaller clubs get a share of the pie. It's very bad for the game how all the wealth is concentrated at the top, and it's leading to a huge divide in quality between the Premier League and the Championship.
Against: The Premier League isn't a charity. There's a reason why the top clubs get more money, because they're better, play some of the most attractive football in Europe, and fully deserve their place in the top flight. The last thing they need is some wee team effectively nicking their cash because they managed 3rd place in a lesser league. Hardly seems right.

Well, there's the 2 sides of my brain written out for you. What do you reckon Liquid Fans?

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England Don't Have Talented Players - What?

Lets take a look at what the Times thought of the performances of English players over the weekend in their ratings out of 10:

GK, Green - 8

DF, Richards - 3
DF, Ferdinand - 6
DF, Carragher - 8
DF, Brown - 7

MF, Hargreaves - 8
MF, Lampard - 8
MF, Gerrard - 8
MF, Cole - 8

CF, Owen - 4
CF, Rooney - 9

An average rating of 7 out of 10. And that's not even England at full strength. With the exception of:

Owen (who is England's top goal scorer),

Micah Richards (who is the one of the few bright lights of England's recent campaign),

and Ferdinand (who was hardly tested on Saturday),

that score would be 8 out of 10.

I propose to the next person who is worried about the 'lack of quality in the English squad' that they shut their mouth and open their brain.

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Juande'll Fix It!

A 2-1 loss at home. Not the best way to impress your boss-to-be, and it gives Juande Ramos a glimpse of the huge task that faces him if he wishes get Spurs into the top half of the table at least.

There will be a few things that Juande must deal with, getting the defence tighter, removing some of the excess up front (ie Defoe), and improving the overall morale of the players and supporters. But there's one difficulty that stands out above the rest.

Paul Robinson.

The biggest problem of them all. A talented 'keeper who has the confidence of Jaap Stam in a penalty shoot-out. Many pundits praised Martin Jol for sticking with Robinson during troubled times, citing that it would improve his confidence if he knew he had the manager's backing.

This, psychologically, should work, but still the mistakes kept coming, the shots kept being palmed to strikers, and the crosses were still being dealt with nervously. Ever since that fateful night in Croatia, England's No.1 has never looked the same player. If keeping him in doesn't work, leaving him out might do the trick.

Ramos should care more about having a good goalkeeper more than whether or not Robinson will recover from his current turgid form. The Spaniard's responsibility is not to Robinson or England, but to Spurs, and if that means signing a new 'keeper then so be it.

There are numerous goalies out there that would do well for Spurs, and without causing too much speculation, Ramos may dip his hand into the Levy's piggy bank and go scouting around his former club Sevilla. If Spurs have Champions League aspirations, there is one thing they need before that: a solid man between the sticks.

The top 4 clubs in the EPL are the top 4 not only because they have solid defenders, midfield maestros or prolific strikers, but also due to a top class goalkeeper. Lehmann, Reina, Cech and Van Der Sar would easily make it into a list of the top 10 'keepers in the world. Would Robinson on present form? I'll let you decide on that one.

If Robinson recovers, then that's good news both for him and Juande. If not, don't expect the new boss to be sitting idle come the January transfer window.

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Scotland Move Within 2 Places Of England - Time For A Friendly?

In the latest FIFA rankings, Scotland have jumped to 13th while England have slumped to 11th. (Further proof that, even though I'm a Scotsman, the rankings are the biggest load of pish ever. I mean c'mon, we're above Mexico and Russia)

About time for a Scotland v England friendly at Hampden Park then? If so who would take the victory and bragging rights?

The Players
England on paper have the stronger set of players. Terry, Ferdinand, Cole(s), Gerrard, Lampard, Rooney and Owen would walk into most teams in the world, although Scotland have the likes of Craig Gordon, Alan Hutton, Scott Brown and James McFadden always looking impressive whenever they don the dark blue shirt. Their downfall could be the creative spark in midfield, while Robinson in goal could be England's. However, if you were to create a dream team of Scotland mixed with England, the southerners would dominate the line-up.
England 1-0 Scotland

The Team
How well the players work together is the key to any successful side. England perf

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