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 League Cup Magic - 27/10/11

King Kenny's first year back in charge after 20yrs away from his beloved Liverpool and with his return he has brought the magic back to the League Cup.  Over the last two decades the Cup has declined from it's former prestige due to the introduction of the riches of the premier league and the champions league.  Seen very much as a burden to managers or an excuse to play not just their reserve team but also in some cases their under 16's the league cup has got some of it's swagger back.

Look at the top 5 teams in the hat for the last eight - Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal and then of course sprinkled with Blackburn, Palace and Cardiff just for those supporters of the championship teams to get that all important big draw.  Sods law they'll draw each other but we'll let Jeff and the boys decide that on Saturday.

So back to King Kenny, he understands that his team will not win the premiership this season - the amount of money spent by Man City and the class they have in their ranks will be to difficult to topple this season so he's canny enough to take this route as the opportunity to deliver to the Liverpool faithful their first Silverware in 6yrs. Yes it will be tough with the quality in the competition left but the others have bigger fish to fry in the champions league and challenging for the title so this will be a great opportunity for the Reds.  Don't forget Kenny has won this trophy as a player 4 times so obviously it means something magical to him!

Roberto's Rave Wave - 22/10/11

Amazing scenes midweek with the normally cool calm collected Mancini celebrating with an extraordinary rave wave after Aguero scored in the dying minutes to give Manchester City there first historic win in the Champions League. This I believe is, was and will be a pivotal moment in City's history as they showed true champion credentials by emulating their illustrious neighbours by scoring the all important late goal.

With their tails up they go into this weekend's derby full of confidence and not only with that all important win but also 2 points ahead of United which is the first time since 1968 they go into a derby above of them - amazing I know.

The game is being hyped hyped hyped for City but it's actually more important to United than City - If United lose they go 5 points behind the Sky Blue Machine and Fergie will also know that they are the real deal.  Rooney's wondergoal and the charity shield comeback will go out the window for this game as it's start fresh.  Aguero will be once again the key man and with the United back 4 chopping and changing more times this season than probably the last 5 seasons it could be a difficult afternoon at the United back.  

I see it being a close game and then once again the Roberto Rave Wave coming out in the final minutes and the Sky Blues get another historic win but then again they are playing United! 

Mystic0311 Blog- Arsenal's Demise

I have to comment on the sudden demise of one England's greatest football teams - Arsenal. I know it's only 3 games into the new season but the biggest thrashing to the so called top 4 since the inception of the premier league will have huge ramifications for the club.

Top players will not likely want to move to Arsenal this season knowing a top 4 finish will be extremely difficult and the chance to miss out playing in Europe's Elite competition next season, just ask Torres who left his beloved Liverpool fans behind for the warmth of Chelsea's Champions League. Yes, Arsenal may be in it this season but they won't win it and will find it difficult to escape the group stages let alone the last 16. 

Why has this happened well this maybe hard to take for those die hard Arsenal fans but it's down to one individual - the manager Arsene Wenger - the man who is putting the Arse in Arsenal. Yes he has been the most successful manager in Arsenal's history but this is what is clouding his and those die hard Wenger fans judgement. 

The true proud frenchman of the modern era has always had that air of arrogance and stubbornness, mainly due to his technical knowledge and vision. Now though that stubbornness has led Arsenal to this precarious position. We've all heard over the last month Fabregas and Nasri are going nowhere, when we all knew, even my mam who hasn't a clue about football, that they were off before you could say "je ne sai quoi". 

This has left the biggest void in Arsenal's history to fill within the next couple of days before the transfer window closes. If Wenger accepted defeat on these two earlier in the transfer window he could have let them go sooner so the funds could have enticed the players he's missed out on mata, downing, to name but a few. 

Yes no doubt players will be brought in but nothing which will be able to turn Arsenal's season around. Wenger in the Europa League next season battling against the scots and Irish - maybe he should try his hand to rugby instead.

Nick's View - New season, status quo?

New season, new neighbourly challenge on the horizon for United? Not yet…… So here we go, as long as those pesky little blighters stop smashing up our town centres, the big kick off we’ve eagerly been waiting for is almost upon us. Ever since I was a little handsome lad, I’ve never failed to get excited by a new football season. 

Being a Liverpool fan, 2 months away from the game has always been enough time to eradicate the mediocre (sometimes terrible) memories from the previous season. Enough time to forget how far we were from an elusive 19th, enough time to trick me that this time, it’s “going to be our year”. I should really know better by now, but isn’t that we all love football? The peaks and troughs that we’ve all experienced as fans, it’s why we keep coming back for more, the hope that the new season will be the time when our team gets it’s fucking act together! 

Anyhow, I’ll stop there as most of you won’t be Liverpool fans and we’ve probably got no chance this year….which brings me to the point of this article, who’s going to win the league? This promises to be a very interesting season. Last year, I think we can all agree that United won because they were jammy…..no really. Chelsea lost the plot after a hugely promising start, Citeh were still going through the process of creating a new team and Arsenal really should have won it, the League Cup final being the game which saw them begin a ridiculous capitulation.

Lets start with Arsenal then, very few people seem to fancy them but they’ve got fantastic players, even if, as expected, Fabregas and Nasri are ripped away from them. They already have promising replacements in the shape of Aaron Ramsey, who possesses similar attributes as Fabregas and finished last season strongly. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could be the man to take the place of Samir Nasri, £22m for a player with only one year left on his contract seems too good an offer to turn down. If Arsenal can reinforce their defence they could be dangerous this season, especially with Wenger seemingly running out of time to stave of calls for his head. I can see them going close.

I’m really not convinced all is well at Man City. Balotelli is a ticking time bomb for starters, how long can he keep disrespecting the club? Mancini really has taken a gamble on this guy and for me, it won’t pay off. Big buys like Lescott and Milner look like they went backwards in their careers last season and despite winning the cup, I don’t see it being the springboard to greater things that everyone expects it to have been. I’m not convinced Mancini’s negative tactics will be enough to overtake United either, they have to start taking the game to their opponents more and believe in themselves……I just can’t see it happening this year, top four again for Citeh. 

No sniggering now! If Liverpool are to get into the top four (shut it!!!), then Chelsea look the most vulnerable and the most likely to drop out. There are so many unknown factors for them this season. How will he players respond to such a young manager? Will Torres finally show up? How will they cope with a player who, for me, is one of the most underrated and consistent performers in the league, Michael Essien, who’s out for at least half of the season? Are John Terry and Frank Lampard, massively integral to their success since the Abramovic era began, past their best and injury prone? The aura and team spirit that was created under Mourinho had dissipated, despite the valiant efforts of the unlucky and sacked Carlo Ancelotti, a ridiculous decision in my view after winning the double only the season before. Only time will tell but I think a rot had set in last season and despite a strong finish I can really see them struggling this year. 

Now I have to mention United, it pains me to say this but what a machine they’ve been over the last 20 years. Every time I write them off they seem to find enough talent within the team to carry out the instructions of the super prick that is Sir Alex Ferguson. Even with players like Johnny Evans, John O’Shea, Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher, they look invincible and are always the team to beat. United biggest weapon is the self belief that no matter what the situation, they will find a way to win; this comes of course from having a sustained period of success. United will continue this way until ‘Sir’ finally lets go of the reigns. This seems unlikely to happen anytime soon, especially having built a new team. He will also want another crack at Barcelona after they were given a football lesson in the champion’s league final. His appetite will have been further wetted by the return of Kenny Dalglish, he’ll no doubt love to see him off…..in fact, and whilst new rivalries come to the fore, it could in fact be the oldest of adversaries that could become a thorn in the side once more. 

The two outsiders are predictably Liverpool and Spurs and the result of the final game of last season for these two, could finally show us all if qualifying for the Europa league is indeed bad for your domestic prospects. Harry Redknapp has recently said that it could harm Spurs’ chances of reclaiming the top four spot relinquished last season, which must surely beg the question, why didn’t they field a weakened team at Anfield last season and allow Liverpool the chance to plod around the also rans of European football? It could be decisive for Liverpool, that despite being unable to attract top names to the club due to lack of European football, the recuperation period will be enough to make up for a supposed lack of quality in the ranks. I’m backing Liverpool (funny that), to break back into the top four, Fenway Sports Group expect it and so do I. 

So there we go, I’m going for United to win the league (ouch)…..Arsenal to surprise everyone and go a close second…….City to gel as a team even further and cement there place amongst the elite……..Liverpool to snatch fourth from Chelsea as Fernando cries himself to sleep on the bench…….Spurs to finish a jet-lagged sixth, sell their best players, lose Redknapp to England in the summer and return to being crap all over again. So that’s my 2p worth anyway, I’m sure that in 9 months time, all this will be proven to be a pile of bollocks and I’ll be stripped of whatever dignity I have left….at least I’ll still have my splatter belt. Goodnight, godbless.