Stoke’s first league win in 26 years over Liverpool was fully deserved in a scrappy but intense battle which saw the disjointed Reds placed on the back foot. Ricardo Fuller opened the account by poking home from a messy pinball passing while Kenwyne Jones wrapped up the win by slotting in coolly.

It is embarrassing to see Liverpool struggle with the tempo and could not make decent shots on goal. Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres were so off-color, they hardly do justice to the effusive praises written earlier. To make matters worse, Lucas Leiva, one of the better players, got sent off.

Recent loss of points against lesser teams prove that clinching the Premier League title is still a distant dream for Liverpool. After a stirring comeback against Napoli and vanquishing Premier League leader Chelsea, the Reds felt ready to take on the world but bravado is no answer to structural problems.

Roy Hodgson has wasted no time in highlighting his “fairly small squad with a few injured senior players.” Hodgson feels he has inherited a banal squad and his first XI kept functional solely by 1-2 players. The rebuke from Rafael Benitez was swift; after all the Spaniard has splurged a considerable sum and does not relish his successor pouring scorn on his recruitment.

In fairness, when Benitez clinched the European championships and second spot in the Premier League, he was able to exploit the attacking prowess of Torres and Gerrard and rely on Finnan, Carragher and Hyypia for a solid defense. But since the departure of Hyypia, Finnan, Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano, the core has weakened considerably.

Notwithstanding new financial fair play regulations and austerity measures sweeping across Europe, new owner John Henry has to open his purse string in the next transfer window, else Liverpool will see its competitive edge being eroded further.

Champions League qualification for Liverpool is no longer a certainty unlike the past where usual contenders are Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal, in different order. These days, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton want a bite of the cherry too and they have formidable squads to stake their claims.

Conversely, Liverpool have looked vulnerable given their thin squad and a manager who has never won the Premier League or Champions League titles. Admittedly, Hodgson possesses a wealth of coaching experience at the club and international level. In Europe, he is held in high regard, having served on the UEFA and FIFA technical study groups.

Roy Hodgson’s last job has burnished his reputation in England, which was in tatters from an earlier stint at Blackburn. Fulham secured an unprecedented 7th place in the Premier League, and then their first major European final the following season.

Though Fulham lost to Atletico Madrid, the impressive run in the UEFA Europa League garnered Hodgson the prestigious LMA Manager of the Year award. Given Fulham’s dearth of talents, Hodgson had outdone himself and it was not surprising that a troubled Liverpool board favored him ahead of their favorite son, Kenny Dalglish who holds the figurehead role of “Ambassador and Head of Football Development.”

So far, Roy Hodgson’s effort at steadying the ship has been mixed, if not negative. Liverpool scored only four goals and picked up just five points from a possible 21 away this season. Away form has always been Hodgson’s Achilles heel; in 105 away league games since Bristol City, Blackburn, Fulham and Liverpool, he has managed only 13 wins and 35 draws.

Managing a club of Liverpool’s stature is different from Fulham where they are more accustomed as underdogs and avoiding relegation. Since the ’90s, the Reds had lost their dominance and worse, its reputation defiled by the rancorous drama of Tom Hicks and George Gillett. Despite the disappointments, the fans still have high expectations every season – top four placing, if not silverware.

Unfortunately, mid-table seem more realistic if Hodgson is unable to stop Liverpool from dropping points in away games. Dishing out this kind of mediocrity will seal Hodgson’s fate in the same way that Rafael Benitez was not pardoned for a poor season. Meanwhile, Kenny Dalglish ‘s stock is rising. Roy Hodgson felt the affective divide when livid Liverpool fans clamored for Dalglish during the defeat to Stoke.

Hodgson said: “If the club decide they want to give the job to somebody else, then I’ll have to accept that. I can’t get upset every time the fans chant someone’s name. They may have to do it a few more times this season, because I can’t see us going through a season winning every single game.”

Roy Hodgson is being honest, but the defeatist attitude will not endear him to the fans. To make matters worse, Glen Johnson – who was criticized by the manager for his poor form – hit back by describing Liverpool as ‘boring’ under his charge. The last thing Hodgson needs is internal strife and losing the support of key players. It also doesn’t reflect well on his man management skills.

Despite Kenny Dalglish being the fans’ top choice and Roy Hodgson having little chance of eclipsing his predecessor Rafael Benitez in winning the Champions League, I believe his immediate dismissal is counterproductive.

Since 1991, Liverpool has gone through several management changes, including Graham Souness, Roy Evans, Gerard Houillier and Rafael Benitez. Each manager brought a new direction but the constant transformations in transfer strategy and formation are disruptive, financially wasteful, and left the club nowhere near its much craved Premier League title.

Rather than having the whole process start again, Liverpool should live by its decision in appointing Roy Hodgson. To be sure, Hodgson is still on track for European qualification. Those who expect him to perform miracles in his first season which saw Liverpool narrowly escaping administration and a 10 points deduction, need to wake up and smell the roses.

Roy Hodgson can heave a sigh of relief that player transfers are taken out of his hands; the fans have one less complaint. Damien Comolli, the newly installed Director of Football, has to identify and purchase suitable reinforcements. The Frenchman comes with a big reputation as talent evaluator, recommended by Billy Beane, close friend of John Henry and general manager of Oakland A’s baseball team.

Billy Beane is best remembered for his use of objective metrics in baseball. The statistical analysis on players’ performances allows him to find talents worth more than their market value. John Henry wants this approach replicated at Liverpool and Damien Comolli is deemed the best person to implement it.

As scout and sporting director, the Frenchman picked up from obscurity Koulo Toure, Emmanuel Eboue and Gareth Bale, all admirable coups which fit into Henry’s long term value-for-money strategy.

However, it is not clear if Comolli will bridge the gap between the manager and owner/directors. His presence has certainly made Kenny Dalglish more of a peripheral figure. Very likely, a clash of egos may erupt soon. At Tottenham Hotspur, Comolli undermined successive managers Martin Jol and Juande Ramos by signing players without their knowledge. His return to Saint-Étienne as sporting director in 2008 has also hastened the departure of manager Laurent Roussey.

On the surface, Roy Hodgson has welcomed Comolli’s arrival, even though he was caught off-guard by the club’s sudden announcement.
The Director of Football is an eminent position at continental clubs but has never caught on in England. Overlaps and conflicts with the all-powerful manager often arise as the scope of work is not clearly defined.

Having assumed the role of Director of Football at other clubs, Hodgson may be more understanding towards the new hierarchical structure. But a fallout is inevitable if Damien Comolli decides on transfer deals unilaterally or try to teach Hodgson what to do.

In a sign of things to come (putting Hodgson and Dalglish in their place), Christian Poulsen could be axed just months after signing for Liverpool. He was bought by Hodgson in the summer, with the blessing of Dalglish, along with Joe Cole, Raul Meireles, Paul Konchesky and Milan Jovanovic.

They had been largely lackluster but Poulsen is the biggest flop, considering the intention for him to replace midfield stalwart Javier Mascherano. Damien Comolli views Poulsen as part of the ills of the old regime in which aged players with little resale value were signed.

He wants to bring in a younger player with better ability. In this case, I believe Hodgson has no argument, seeing how Poulson’s lack of pace, energy and passing made the £5m outlay appear extravagant as compared to Spurs £8m bargain for Van der Vaart.

Since Hodgson has tried and failed to impress with his transfer policy, I doubt John Henry will parlay more money for another round of trial-and-error by the former. Damien Comolli has to convince Henry that Liverpool needs more reinforcements in the January transfer window.

Due to injuries, Roy Hodgson has been deprived of fielding his best team on several occasions. Daniel Agger, Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Joe Cole and Glen Johnson saw more action in the treatment room, while Fabio Aurelio, Dirk Kyut and Ryan Babel have not hit peak fitness after recovering. Liverpool’s resurgent form, albeit short-lived, has coincided with returning players and increased confidence.

As it is, the Reds appeared stretched from playing two matches in a week. One wonders what happen when Christmas come around as the schedule becomes tighter and players usually make do with two days of rest. If Liverpool are again decimated by injuries, they could end up back in the relegation zone.

With the benefit a full team and new options, there is hope for Hodgson to avoid mediocrity. Of course, he has to motivate the players to show the same passion as Steven Gerrard and step up their performances. Gerrard and Torres cannot be at their best in every game, so their team mates have to drive the team forward, take chances on goal and close down on opponents too. Playing as a team has been Liverpool’s recipe for success from the mid 60′s through the mid 80′s.

If the relationship stays harmonious, Comolli’s expertise will strengthen Liverpool in the long run and the fans can expect more unpolished gems like Martin Skrtel to arrive rather than expensive but over-the-hill superstars.

A possible target in January is France under-21 midfielder Dimitri Payet who caught the eye of Comolli at Saint-Etienne. Other transfer activities could involve Dutch utility man Urby Emanuelson. The 24 year-old is versatile and may eventually be available on a free if contract negotiations with Ajax break down.

Comolli should focus on quality defenders too as as the backline has been inadequate and sloppy at times, leaving Pepe Reina to fend for himself. Against Chelsea, the Reds were cruising but had to endure close shaves in the second half. Against Wigan and Stoke, luck deserted them and the defense crumbled under relentless pressure.

Liverpool had conceded more goals than they scored and it is discomforting to know Hodgson’s conservative lineup of 2 holding midfielders in front of the back four (similar to Rafael Benitez) is still insufficient to stop opponents from scoring. Hodgson will do well to focus on the defensive frailties, as the midfield is still capable of holding its own and creating chances for the lethal Gerrard-Torres front line.

Besides recruiting talents from aboard, it has been a while since the youth academy churn out players who take the league by storm. During Benitez’s era, no notable youngsters made their mark and it is worrying where the next Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen or Steven Gerrard will come from. Traditionally, Liverpool possess a resolute English core; and the youth may just get a chance to flourish under Roy Hodgson.

Currently, youngsters like Martin Kelly, Jonjo Shelvey, Jay Spearing, Dani Pacheco and Nathan Eccleston are given more match time, thanks to the absence of senior players. While throwing the youth into the Premier League cauldron may have adverse effects if they are not ready, it is better than practicing in the reserve squad forever.

For all of Roy Hodgson’s limitations, he does not possess some of Rafael Benitez’s frustrating habits. The latter is known for rotating players or keeping them in cold storage for inexplicable reasons. Robbie Keane virtually gave up on Liverpool after being kept on the bench even when the front line is lacking firepower.

Hodgson has stuck largely with a winning team and only resting Gerrard and Torres for important fixtures. Having a settled squad will reap dividends for Hodgson in the later part of the season.

A New Dawn under NESV

Roy Hodgson’s future may look bleak, and it is hard to see him at Liverpool beyond next season. Nevertheless, I like the changes which John Henry is putting into place. He is building an institution where managers are dispensable but it ensures stability at Liverpool. They can remain on track to challenge for trophies, whoever is in charge.

The fans need not worry about implementation like Tom Hicks and George Gillett who painted a rosy picture but underachieved. In fact, their leveraged buyout left only a trail of destruction in its wake. On the other hand, John Henry knows what a successful club entails.

Since Henry’s company, New England Sports Ventures, took over Boston Red Sox in 2002, the club has been perennial playoff contenders in the Major League Baseball and have won two World Series titles, emerging as one of the most successful teams of the last decade.

The Red Sox also consistently top the average road attendance, only the small home capacity of Fenway Park prevents them from leading in overall attendance. Every home game since 2003 has been sold out—an MLB record that has spanned over seven years.

Besides appointing Damien Comolli as part of an American styled corporate makeover to curb wasteful transfer policy, John Henry is also aiming to cut expanding wages. Under Rafael Benitez, Liverpool wage bill increased from £66m in 2004 to over £100m in 2010 which is unsustainable.

Henry said: “There were a number of unpleasant surprises during our due diligence. The wage bill is high, it’s going to be higher next year and we’re not a young team. That was disappointing.”

The twin approach of greater accountability on transfer funds and wage bill will bring Liverpool in compliance with the break-even requirement by UEFA.

John Henry has also expressed distaste at the overarching power of agents and players in Premier League which he likened to the “wild west.” In the United States, Henry said players generally see out their contracts and clubs were in control.

It must have been a “culture shock” to Henry when he saw Wayne Rooney forcing Manchester United into submission over his astronomical wage demands and the club having to come out the next day to assure all is well. The NESV owner is firm that he will not be held to ransom and players who are not committed to Liverpool’s cause will not be retained.

That could be too early to say though; if Steven Gerrard wants similar wage terms as Wayne Rooney, Liverpool will be unwise to walk away. Fact is, there are players who are hard to replace, else Liverpool will not be missing the pin-point passing of Xabi Alonso.

Whilst Damein Comolli goes about uncovering raw talents, Liverpool have to retain its key assets too. Pepe Reina has expressed his intention to move on and Chelsea are keen to pry away Fernando Torres who has become too much of a bogeyman for the champions. If the trio are missing from Liverpool team list, appointing Kenny Dalglish as manager with a bunch of kids in tow is not going to win championships either.

Nevertheless, John Henry is sending the right message that players who are under contract must toe the line. It is time for football clubs to gain an upper hand since the Bosman ruling skewed contract negotiations in favor of footballers. The days of pandering to players could be over.

As John Henry control expenses, he also has an eye on increasing Liverpool’s top and bottom line through TV revenue and merchandising. He walks the talk, with his Boston Red Sox generating impressive off-field revenue despite a moderate fan base.

As Liverpool’s brand and popularity in Asia and Middle East is largely untapped, Henry is virtually sitting on a goldmine by bringing the club closer to these markets. There is no reason why Liverpool cannot grow their revenue to compete against Manchester United and Chelsea.

Manchester United have boosted commercial revenue around the world by targeting global sponsors in a range of new categories and Liverpool are expected to follow suit. A new stadium with larger capacity is being evaluated and that will certainly generate more gate receipts to repay debts and buy new players.

After the turmoil of the past year, I am looking forward to a new chapter for Liverpool, even if major trophies for this season seem a remote possibility. The title race is going to be tight as there is not a single team which appear invincible this season.

Liverpool’s closest rivals are dropping points – Chelsea just suffered a 3-0 defeat to Sunderland, while Manchester United are starting slowing again and Arsenal have its usual youth and inconsistency problem. Man City and Spurs are also not looking like automatic top 4 finishers with their shaky forms.

Liverpool remain a match for any side on its day but they have to improve their mental approach towards bread and butter games. The Reds have always excelled in cup competitions and outwitted Goliaths but the occasional display of brilliance is not enough to win a Premier League title.

This weekend, Liverpool take on West Ham and it is time to pummel the opponent into oblivion. West Ham, winless since September and nestling sweetly at the bottom of the Premier League table, will be foolhardy to go on the offensive at Anfield.

Roy Hodgson must throw caution to the wind and unshackle his team. Playing a defensive setup against Stoke and Wigan has shown Hodgson’s naivety. You do that in Champions League against European teams but not teams which are clearly short on quality.

That is not to say West Ham are just a ragtag team of losers. Scot Parker and Luis Boa Morte are likely to hold the midfield together while Carlton Cole and new star Piquionne will feature up front. Matthew Upson will lead the defense in front of Robert Green. That is a fairly decent assemblage and Avram Grant will certainly want to capitalize on Liverpool’s loss of confidence.

I don’t have much illusions about Roy Hodgson winning anything, if he proves to be better than mediocre, it is an achievement. If not, the Liverpool board should blame themselves. The fans should let Hodgson do his work, instead of having knee-jerk swings from positive to negative reviews.

By the way, it is not a long way off from 4th place… having another unbeaten streak, starting with West Ham, will see Liverpool creep higher up the table. Even with an injured Steven Gerrard, the odds are good at most online betting sites for Roy Hodgson to beat West Ham handily. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

Even if Everton’s performances had at times surpassed its opponents and certainly don’t warrant relegation, the Premier League table doesn’t lie. The club languishes at bottom of the pile without a win this season following defeats to Blackburn, Aston Villa and Newcastle and draws with Wolves, Manchester United and recently, Fulham.

It is not the first time that Everton had started slowly. For the fifth time in nine seasons under David Moyes, the Toffees have failed to secure three points a game from their opening quintet of matches. This is the worst run yet..

One has to go back to 1994 to see Everton failing to win in 12 matches, a sham which eventually cost manager Mike Walker his job. But even if that streak is replicated today, I doubt David Moyes will be sacked in a hurry.

While betting houses have slashed their odds on his dismissal and the fans are getting restive with their increasingly prominent post-match boos, Chairman Bill Kenwright remains an avid fan of David Moyes’s managerial abilities and transfer dealings.

In David Moyes, he has a manager who delivered consistent top-six league placings over 8 years without miring the club in debts. There are more capable managers but they won’t come cheaply and Everton hardly feature as their preferred appointment.

It is David Moyes who is upset with himself for the club’s worst start in 16 years and may quit on his own accord. He was linked to Aston Villa and has no lack of suitors should he wish to advance his career, if Everton self-destruct and his painstaking work comes undone.

At the moment, there is nothing to suggest David Moyes’s loyalty has wavered. He is desperate to protect his legacy and set the situation right, beginning with Fulham last Saturday. The encounter was far from easy though as Everton had only won once at Craven Cottage since 1966.

Under Mark Hughes, the task of defeating Fulham became more arduous. Fulham had drawn virtually all their league fixtures and shown a lot of character to claw points from the opposition even when they were outmaneuvered. Besides a never-say-die spirit, Mark Hughes team is also known to be uncompromising. In fact, Hughes stressed on a tougher approach after Bobby Zamora and Moussa Dembele fell victim to bad tackles earlier.

Speaking of toughness, David Moyes is also keen for Everton to “return to some of the old ways.” He was upset with the character of his team and challenged his players to scrap their way back to form, saying: “The biggest concern for me is that we have lost our competitive edge in the last few games. The one thing you could never do was beat Everton up.”

With both managers upping the ante, this was bound to be a tight match. True to form, a goalless stalemate ensued, which means Everton are still seeking their first victory. On the positive side though, the Toffees got their first clean sheet of the season and things can’t get worse as they are already at the rock bottom of the Premier League. It is one way up from here, as David Moyes gallantly declared.

To be sure, Everton improved by leaps and bounds – the passing was fluent, forward play incisive and the midfield did not concede ground easily. Fulham were pinned back for long spells but despite being bossed around, its defense held firm, thanks to the efforts of goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.

Steven Pienaar had the first chance for Everton but his shot was saved by Mark Schwarzer who was at full stretch again to meet Mikel Arteta’s dipping effort from 25 yards minutes later. Yakubu then wasted a Seamus Coleman cutback by attempting a fancy backheel with the goal gaping. The Nigerian had gilt-edged opportunities to make amends later but ended up empty-handed.

Well, if your strikers miss so many chances, you will have problems winning your opponents, even those from lower leagues. It is a sign of weakness and invitation for the other team to turn the table around. Fortunately, Fulham were tame in attack. If they had thrown caution to the wind, they actually stand a good chance of dealing the killer blow instead.

Tim Howard hardly saw action until Dickson Etuhu sent a diving header into his arms from Carlos Salcido’s cross. Everton survived a bigger scare when Sylvain Distin was caught out by a pass from Danny Murphy and Zoltan Gera pounced in for a shot which went wide. But that was as good as it got for Fulham.

The uplifting aspect from this encounter is that the Toffees rallied to their manager’s call for action by giving their all. Just days after the torrid performance against Newcastle United which Moyes described as their “worst,” the Merseyside club reached a new low when they were embarrassingly dumped out of the Carling Cup by League One strugglers Brentford.

Being eliminated, even by a lowly opponent, is secondary in the grand scheme of things. In fact, Everton should consider it a blessing in disguise as they can now focus on the Premier League with their limited resources. The worrying aspect is the players’ poor attitude – they didn’t share the manager’s anxiety in stopping the rot.

Everton could have emerged victors, had the superiority in the opening 20 minutes, an early lead and near misses not lull them into complacency. While Brentford hung on and increased the tempo, Everton caved in and nearly allowed the former to snatch victory in normal time. Hence, the Toffees cannot lament the 4-3 defeat in the penalty shoot-out which was already a luxury.

It was the same spiritless display against Newcastle United and David Moyes remarked that he will have joined the fans in booing the team too. Given that Newcastle had not won at Goodison Park since 2001, Everton were expected to seize the day and grab three points, but a solitary goal by the Magpies spoiled the party.

Not much separate the quality of players in both teams but Newcastle won on commitment and desire to win. Perhaps the Toffees didn’t feel a sense of urgency, believing that things will come good at the end of the season. However, if they continue to take things for granted, they will be the relegation candidate their position suggest.

At least, the Fulham match salvaged some pride for Everton and proved that character and technical abilities of the team are still intact. Now David Moyes has to fix the goal scoring department and leaky defense. Against Aston Villa, Everton forced 18 corners and pulverised the opponent but ended up in a 1-0 defeat. The wasteful finishing was also replicated at Brentford and Fulham.

Everton have always lacked depth in the striking department. If the first choice forwards are off-form, the back-ups proved inadequate too. So far, Everton had netted just four times in the Premier League and are awaiting the first goal on their travels. The fact that Everton’s top goalscorer is midfielder Tim Cahill (2 goals) also illustrates the strikers’ collective failure. Unfortunately, Cahill is out injured and his driving force is deeply felt.

Louis Saha can be a lethal poacher on his day but he is too injury prone. Manchester United didn’t extract much value out of him and David Moyes is still trying. Right now, Louis Saha has a calf injury sustained in the Aston Villa match which will put him out for at least 3 weeks and then he needs more time to regain match fitness. By the time he is back, the fight for European qualification is either lost or the team has already overcome the crisis.

Victor Anichebe is also facing a long spell on the sideline and has yet to feature this season. The Nigerian striker has been at Everton for seven years but has seen Louis Saha and new signing Jermaine Beckford pull ahead of him in the pecking order. He is a fringe player and could be out by the next transfer window if Newcastle make good on their interest with a reasonable offer.

The free-transfer summer recruit Jermaine Beckford is still finding his feet, though he shows great promise. Beckford scored 31 goals to fire Leeds United to promotion last season. He was subsequently named as the League One Player of the Year, an accolade he also collected in 2008.

Jermaine Beckford will bring pace and mobility to the Everton front line but it remains to be seen how he copes with the pressure and higher standard after jumping two divisions into the Premier League. For Everton, the best source of goals remain Aiyegbeni Yakubu, but his confidence and sharpness has plummeted.

There has been pressure on David Moyes to field two forwards to capitalize on the abundant chances but it will mark a drastic shift from his ultra-defensive 4-5-1 formation. I believe Moyes will not discard a formula which has worked wonders in the past and he lacks quality strikers to launch a two-pronged attack. Sometimes, more doesn’t mean better.

Besides the frontline, Moyes has to shuffle a limited pack in other departments too. Everton have a talented Team A with with strong work ethics. Mikel Arteta, Steven Pienaar and Leon Osman are great players who can step into any top-four clubs. Their presence allow Everton to dish out an attractive style of football where they create chances by fluent passing instead of launching the ball in mid-air and hoping to get lucky in the box.

But right now, most of Moyes starlets haven’t hit top gear and Team B doesn’t rise to the occasion when the regulars falter. The star pairing Mikel Arteta and Steven Pienaar need to rediscover much of their chemistry. Back-ups Marouane Fellaini and John Heitinga tried to helm the sputtering midfield but was no match for a swashbuckling Newcastle comprising of Joey Barton, Kevin Nolan and debutant Cheik Tiote.

Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and Magaye Gueye will take time to come good. As for youngster Seamus Coleman, he scored an inspiring goal against Brentford and has potential to be Everton’s answer on the right flank.

It may be too late to get reinforcements now and David Moyes can only hope the Toffees eradicate their mental block of being slow starters and regain confidence soon. Ironically, David Moyes may not have saw this crisis coming, else he could have made better use of the ‘Lescott money.’

Based on their steady pre-season preparations, the fans expect Everton to charge out at the starting gate. This year, Moyes made sensible changes in routines and arranged different fixtures. Short of tricking the players into believing they were heading into the second half of the season, there is not much to fault the pre-season.

An Australian tour produced six wins out of seven. This time, there was no transfer saga involving key players, unlike the tapping of Joleon Lescott by Manchester City last season which created much distraction and turmoil in the dressing room. Play-maker Mikael Arteta announced his commitment and desire to establish Everton in top four by signing a new deal, rejecting overtures from Arsenal and Manchester City.

David Moyes also had a fully fit team at his disposal (a rarity in recent seasons) which led Everton captain, Phil Neville, to proclaim that nobody’s spot is safe in the team because of the strong competition. Even Moyes was confident enough to say in pre-season: “We don’t have any money, but we don’t need any right now either.”

Well, six weeks on, David Moyes is having a hard time choosing his first XI for the visit to Craven Cottage, but not in the manner envisaged by Phil Neville. Injuries have decimated his squad and he has limited options to lead his frontline.

David Moyes has acknowledged that the lead comes from the manager in reversing the poor form. There is hope in history for a sterling comeback. Back in 1995, Everton with Joe Royle replacing Walker, went on to lift the FA Cup with an approach labeled The Dogs of War. Moyes’ Everton, finalists in 2009 and a more solid team, are capable of a repeat.

Currently, Everton is facing a confidence crisis and David Moyes has been encouraging the players that they are good while wielding a stick by asking them to earn the right to be in the first XI. Everton has to rediscover their fighting spirit, even at the expense of exquisite passing. In short, winning ugly with a physical approach.

In order to fulfill David Moyes one way up challenge, Everton had to get some consistency besides injecting more steel in their play. The week before, they managed a stirring comeback at home to Manchester United which was supposed to be a sign of good things to come, only to plummet to a new low in the Premier League.

I believe the acrimony swirling around Goodison Park is only temporary as Everton will again push for the Europa League places come May. David Moyes is an old hand in this game and will make sure that the crisis doesn’t consume the team. Last season, Everton took just 15 points from their opening 14 games but they proved their critics wrong eventually.

It may take another month or so before Everton move steadily up the table but with Tim Cahill’s imminent return, it will boost the team in terms of purpose, leadership and goals. I won’t be surprised if Everton start showing the mettle and character for which they are known for, when they go to Birmingham next and then facing Liverpool at Goodison Park.

Indeed, if Everton get a good run under their belt, they will be ready for the Merseyside derby which presents an excellent chance for them to destroy Liverpool, a club in turmoil from debts, new manager and exodus of players. And that will be a great morale booster. Stay tuned for updates..

For David Moyes, his club remains mired in a relegation battle but they can hold their heads up high. It is hard to connect, based on this performance, Everton’s rough patch of two league wins out 16 as they edged out Liverpool in every aspects except finishing. Moyes rightly declared that “I don’t feel we’ve come off the pitch losers.”

In the first half, the Reds struggle to hold their defense together and were flirting with calamity. If not for the composure of goalkeeper Pepe Reina, the mood in the Reds dressing room will have been vastly different. Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez will again have to fend off barbed questions on his management during the post match interview.

Besides Reina’s superb form, Lady Luck has also conspired against David Moyes to render hard work and enterprise irrelevant. In the 12th minute, Javier Mascherano fired a shot which took a firm deflection of Joseph Yobo’s left foot to put Liverpool ahead.

It was a gift from heaven but Liverpool’s second goal was a gift from the Everton’s backline. Yobo was the vilian again when he he failed to intercept a crucial pass Dirk Kuyt lobbed in Gerrard’s direction. That allowed Gerrard to set up the shot for Albert Riera which Tim Howard palmed out and Kuyt immediately pounced upon for the second goal.

Not surprisingly, David Moyes was left fuming at such elementary errors. He said, “In any games but especially big games, you hope you don’t get into situations with those mistakes.” Moyes substituted Yobo with Lucas Neill but the damage was done already.

If Everton’s defense was a shambles, Benitez has little to gloat in this department too. Fortunately, Reina was magnificent between the posts. He saved a Jo’s effort from point-blank range in the first half and Tim Cahill’s free header on 71 minutes. The double save, which came with Liverpool 1-0 up, essentially sealed Everton’s fate.

Everton had their chances to draw level as they found the net twice but Jo was judged to be offside. Jo is not a clinical poacher and that pretty much sums up the attacking options David Moyes has at his disposal. Even purchasing Peter Crouch or having Louis Saha back from injury will improve Everton’s finishing.

Overall, this is a performance which should give David Moyes and the fans some encouragement. I am impressed by Steven Pienaar’s creativity. Moyes made a shrewd move by switching him to the right flank instead of the usual left. If not for a niggling knee injury, he may have wrought greater damage on Liverpool’s defense.

Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, in Pienaar’s usual berth, was also up to the task but he spurned two gilt-edged chances, including one chance which skewed off his left shin after an elegant flick of Tim Cahill’s head.

Everton’s position remain precarious, sixth bottom and three points off the relegation zone. There are also stiff challenges looming – Tottenham at home and Chelsea away. However, I believe if they continue to get their fundamentals right, like in this derby, get some defenders during the January transfer window (either through loans or transfers), they should be climbing up the league table very soon.

As for Liverpool, they did little to convince their critics that the worst is over. There was little fluency and possession in their game. Steven Gerrard may have united the troops with a rallying call but he has not led by example on the pitch. Gone was his crisp passes and marauding form up front, even though he contributed with a match-winning effort.

Liverpool fans can heave a sigh of relief that their captain can still turn a match around in a moment of brilliance. However, the inability to dominate proceedings is worrying and he needs to improve on his match fitness. A half fit Steven Gerrard is still an useful asset to Benitez but with a flurry of matches coming up, there is a risk that he may get injured again.

I believe this victory has given Rafael Benitez a repreive. He came into this game with his future highly uncertain , a similar predicament to David Moyes. Liverpool has crashed out of the Champions League as the top seed in the group, with a game still left to play in the group phase. That is arguably Liverpool’s worst performance in recent years.

While Liverpool did enough to beat Debrecen, fate was not in their hands as Lyon failed to score an equalizer. The fact that Liverpool won but have to depend on the benevolence of others to qualify means, in the words of Steven Gerrard, “they only got what they deserved.”

Besides the absence of Champions League football, Liverpool fans have to contend with a lack of money and quality players, squabbling owners, long injury list, new stadium plan shelved, and an inability to rack up victories consistently in the previous 10 games.

Not all factors are within Rafael Benitez’s control but as the manager, he cannot shirk his responsibility that the players who started regularly are not good enough, out of form or lose their focus. Liverpool can’t defend set pieces and have an unhealthy dependence on Gerrard and Torres.

For how long can the Reds base their foundation for success on the performance of so few individuals? Extraordinary talents they may be, but they are not robots and will fall short eventually.

The acquisition of Alberto Aquilani is also baffling. It is too early to pass judgment as the player has hardly seen any action, but for a relatively thin squad, there is little sense to sign a player who would miss the opening three months of the campaign.

To be sure, stepping out of the shadows of Xabi Alonso is no easy task as the Spaniard has five years of stellar service. Rafael Benitez may have assumed that Lucas is ready for the big stage, or at least stand-in until Aquilani was ready, but that faith was misplaced as Liverpool often cede possession in midfield.

That’s not entirely Lucas’s fault as he did put up some commendable efforts. The problem with Lucas is that he was never cut out to be a playmaker of Alonso’s calibre. Mascherano is a holding midfielder and can’t do that either, which is why Liverpool looked short on creativity and penetration this season.

Alonso not only linked up play in the final third of the pitch with his vision and accurate passes but he was also able to bring out the best in his team mates. Hopefully, Aquilani will have that effect and can last the pace of an arduous season.

Rafael Benitez is not in a hurry to rush Aquilani into action, which could be a wise move as the player will have more time to integrate into the team and prevent aggravating his injury. Only time will tell if Aquilani can repay the faith, patience and money lavished on him.

With the influx of foreign players, managers and owners, the Premier League is getting more competitive by the year. Outlier clubs like Manchester City, Tottenham and Aston Villa are now breathing down Liverpool’s neck, trying to squeeze into the top four. Instead of keeping up with their rivals, Liverpool have, however, gone backwards, after the events of this summer.

Xabi Alonso was sold and replaced with someone who is injury prone and has not started a game yet. Glen Johnson was recruited and while that wasn’t a bad deal, there are no further funds for Benitez to bolster his squad, after improved contracts for key players and Benitez. That left Liverpool with a weaker squad and more vulnerable to injuries.

It’s time for Rafael Benitez to take an honest hard look at the reality and stop splurging money on players who have to be sold off later or languish on the bench because they fail to perform. Financially, Liverpool are on a knife edge and losing their football powerhouse status is not an option.

The consequences of not finishing in the top four of the EPL, and missing out on a shot at Champions League glory are disastrous. Just think of the demise of Leeds United.

Rafael Benitez is coping with the pressure so far, and has insisted that he will see out the five-year contract he signed earlier this year. If he does not want to be sacked prematurely, there are a few departments which needs tweaking right now.

The defense is running low on confidence – Skrtel is having a terrible run of form and Agger is injury prone so Liverpool will definitely benefit from the arrival of quality defenders. The club will also need to strengthen its attacking department. N’Gog is trying his best but he’s not ready to act as a back-up to Torres.

The rumor mill has placed Ruud van Nistelrooy as a candidate to arrive at Liverpool. This may not the best option because of his age but being cash-strapped, van Nistelrooy will be value for money. He is an experienced striker (certainly no slouch in the Premier League) and should be able to deliver the goods. In fact, if Ruud van Nistelrooy is not beset by injuries, he will still be among the top scorers in the La Liga.

In order to raise cash for recruitment purposes, Benitez will do well to offload some of the deadwood in his current team. Babel, Degen, Voronin, Plessis and Dossena are a massive drain on the wage bill and don’t pull their weight adequately. I believe Liverpool fans will not miss them if they were to be offloaded tomorrow. Some of the players who have moved on like Sissoko, Crouch, Hyypia, Alonso and Riise are more effective than the current bunch of laggards.

There are some promising lads in Liverpool reserve squad including Pacheco, Spearing, Kelly, Eccleston and Amoo. None of them have the same finesse as Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen or Robbie Fowler and are likely to become utility players, if Rafael Benitez gives them opportunities to break into the first team. Thanks to budget constraint and injuries, we may just see more of these youngsters soon.

Will Liverpool ever win the Premier League? This is a question which a lot of people are asking. Unfortunately, as is so often in the past, just when the dream appears within grasp, it slipped away. Last season, Liverpool secured 86 points. At one stage, the Reds were free and clear of United and looks likely to clinch the Premier League title, with a comfortable cushion to boot.

A capitulation resulted in Manchester United winning their third league title in a row, but Liverpool humiliated the Red Devils with an impressive win, proving that the champion may not be the better team.

Regardless of what Alex Ferguson insinuated that second spot is already Liverpool’s best position, the fans are sold on the idea that Liverpool have made good progress and the club would win it next year. All they need is to go that extra mile.

Yet four months later, this “progress” has been destroyed. Liverpool are out of contention for the Premier League title and have to make do with the Europa League. Silverware may once again be missing in Liverpool’s cabinet.

Nevertheless all is not lost and I am loathe to dismiss all of Benitez’s efforts during his tenure. The fans have to remember that it wasn’t smooth sailing last season too. Benitez was in the middle of negotiating a contract extension, the owners tried unsuccessfully to sell the club, Liverpool were bogged down by wretched draws at home, etc.

It was only in the later part of the season that things settled down and Liverpool went on a fantastic run. If Rafa remains committed to the Liverpool cause and is willing to work with what he has, the rewards for having a stable team will eventually come.

The team is happy again as the winning feeling is back. There is a renewed team spirit in the squad with many of Liverpool’s best players backing Benitez after pressure mounted on him to resign. Skipper Steven Gerrard has called for unity, while Fernando Torres and Jose Reina have said Benitez is the right man to lead Liverpool back to the top of Europe.

Rafael Benitez reflected on his first away clean sheet of the season and the momentum that successive wins can bring. “Winning a derby is very difficult and also very important but we are higher in the table now, everybody is happier and hopefully we will keep winning some games,” he said.

Liverpool may well win the Europa Cup, FA Cup and finish in the top four come the end of the season. The fans would then hail the campaign as a great success and forget about the shortcomings in the squad. The season may get even sweeter if Manchester United stumble in their title campaign and fail to achieve a record 19th league title.

Liverpool are now back to fifth in the Premier League table and just two points behind fourth place Arsenal. This bodes well for their customary late Premier League charge. Don’t write off Liverpool just yet as Rafael Benitez thrives on a siege mentality and the Reds are at their most dangerous when the chips are down.

After trading in the “world’s best player” and then signing an over-the-hill striker whose panache has been eroded by a stint at Newcastle and long term injuries, is Alex Ferguson running out of options already? Maybe Ferguson is not desperate but rather, the 32 page glossy brochure depicting Owen as a charismatic, cool, good-looking, articulate, clean, fresh, fit and healthy player have worked its wonders on him.

We will never know but from a financial perspective, this roll of the dice by Alex Ferguson presents mutual benefits and little risks. Manchester United secured Michael Owen’s service on a free transfer and will pay him a low basic salary of about £20,000 a week, with massive performance-related bonuses which could take him close to £110,000 a week. Compared to previous costly errors in the transfer market, this is a shrewd investment by a long mile.

For the player, he gets a taste of Champions League football (instead of fighting relegation battles with Hull and Stoke) and a chance to add Premier League titles to his career highlights. The top-notch training facilities, medical team and lower expectations from Manchester United fans will also provide a conducive environment to resurrect his flagging career, just in time for the World Cup next year.

David Beckham has shown that money is secondary, provided he can fulfill his dreams of playing for a prestigious European club and representing England in the World Cup again. He willingly accepted pay cuts in AC Milan and virtually paid out of pocket to settle terms with LA Galaxy. Fabio Capello was rightfully impressed with his determination and there is no reason why he should not give Owen a fair chance if the latter rediscovers his lethal scoring instincts.

Currently, shirt sales attributed to Michael Owen are stagnant, which means that Manchester United fans have yet to warm up to this former stalwart of arch rival, Liverpool. It will take several match-winning performances for Michael Owen to prove his mettle, win over the skepticism of the fans and vindicate Alex Ferguson’s judgment.

However, even if the club has to contend with a non-performing Owen, the financial losses can be written off easily. Of paramount concern is the dearth of quality reinforcements which could hinder their title campaign next season. With Manchester United’s massive debts, not winning trophies and being forsaken by football fans is a recipe for financial disaster.

In Europe, challenging the likes of Barcelona which handily defeated them in the Champions League and the awe-inspiring Galaticos II of Real Madrid is becoming an uphill battle. On the domestic front, Liverpool and Chelsea breathed down Manchester United’s neck in the closing stages and if not for their inconsistencies which proved insurmountable, the Premier League race could have a different outcome.

Indeed, Manchester United should be beefing up or at least retaining its core assets but they were forced to sell Cristiano Ronaldo, their most reliable source of goals, to Real Madrid. Carlos Tevez is also set for a move to Manchester City or Chelsea, further reducing United’s front line options.

In fairness, Ronaldo has been clamoring for an exit for some time and Alex Ferguson has done his best to extract much value from the Portuguese. Keeping him for another season will only result in a disgruntled player with diminishing returns on the pitch and lower market value as well as disruption to team spirit.

Unlike Arsene Wenger who confessed that his transfer budget is not as generous as reported and Liverpool’s financial quagmire as highlighted by KPMG, Manchester United are flush with cash (from Ronaldo’s sale) and they still maintain a winning touch as domestic champions and consistently deliver in Europe, yet world class talents are reluctant to bite the bait.

Karim Benzema, one of the fans’ favorites, was clear about his career path and never wavered from his ambition to join Real Madrid. As for Franck Ribery, he is understood to show a firm interest in playing for Liverpool. David Villa will only contemplate the overtures of Barcelona or Real Madrid, rather than the gloomy weather in Manchester.

Manchester United’s next target is Aguero but he lacks pace, height and clinical finishing, yet is outrageously expensive. The deal will also require Berbatov to move in the opposite direction, and is a poor exchange even if the Bulgarian’s laziness and inability to convert crucial penalties earned the ire of United’s fans. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, a key member of the current Dutch side, is unappreciated in Real Madrid but Manchester United have yet to table an attractive bid.

But before we jump to the conclusion that Manchester United board has not tried hard enough or are using the money to pay off financial obligations, we have to understand that Spanish clubs traditionally enjoy an upper hand in the transfer market. Florentino Perez’s re-appointment as Real Madrid’s President further strengthened their appeal.

Manchester United always come a distant second when competing on equal terms for established Latin players since the days of Gabriel Batistuta, Marcelo Salas, Patrick Kluivert, Ronaldo, and Ronaldinho. The arrival of Carlos Tevez is more of a fluke due to the intricacies of his contract, West Ham’s troubles, and the absence of major clubs’ interest.

Under such circumstances, perhaps the fans should be thankful for the arrival of Antonio Valencia (a virtual unknown poorly rated), Michael Owen, and another French youth winger Gabriel Obertan who offers lot of promise, but don’t expect any of the three to make major contributions immediately.

We can draw parallels for this dry period of talents to the 2006/07 season – when United sold Ruud van Nistelrooy to Real Madrid and only signed Michael Carrick from Tottenham Hotspur. Fortunately, Carrick managed to bolster a weakened midfield and has since matured into a player capable of holding the fort for the Red Devils.

Of the three recent signings, I place greater faith in Michael Owen to measure up to expectations. Home grown finishers in the Premier League don’t come any better than Michael Owen. In May 1997, at the tender age of 17, he burst onto the scene and began an illustrious career of breaking goal scoring records.

His electrifying pace, poacher’s instinct and goody two-shoes nature made him a hot football property, exactly the type of player who will sit well with Alex Ferguson. England also placed high hopes on Owen that they can finally terrorize opponents into submission.

At Liverpool, Michael Owen forged a fearsome partnership with Robbie Fowler and in fact, hastened the departure of the moniker of God. Owen became Liverpool’s top scorer every season since 1998 until he left the club and had scored more than 150 goals. Despite England’s early exit from the World Cup, Owen was named the 1998 BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

In 2001, Michael Owen’s late brace in the FA Cup final against Arsenal took the trophy to Anfield and he completed a treble of honors by winning the UEFA Cup Final against Deportivo Alaves. At the end of the year, Owen became the first English player in twenty years to win the European Footballer of the Year award.

Unfortunately, Michael Owen’s bout of injury in 2003-2004 resulted in a bleak season for Liverpool. Gerard Houllier became the first victim, followed by Owen whose sale to Real Madrid for £8 million was approved by incoming manager Rafael Benitez. Despite being confined to the bench, Owen still ended the La Liga season with thirteen goals, and achieved the highest ratio of goals scored to number of minutes played.

The downfall started when Newcastle United held out an olive branch to Michael Owen who wanted more match time to be in top form for World Cup 2006. The deal was sealed but Owen ended up spending more time in the treatment room than playing for the Magpies. It is fair to say that his injury stems from mismanagement and bad luck.

The broken metatarsal in 2005, tearing of the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee in a short-lived World Cup 2006 that kept him out for a year and the hernia operation in 2007 effectively destroyed the aura surrounding Michael Owen. In all, he suffered injury or illnesses 16 times during his time at Newcastle and made only 58 Premier League starts.

At Manchester United, I believe Michael Owen will receive better care to shake off his rustiness and get back to full fitness. Under the watchful eyes of Alex Ferguson, the signs from pre-season training are good that the player still retain his scoring touch, is working hard and enjoying his time at Old Trafford. After all, Owen has many friends in the United squad, thus integrating into the team is not a problem.

I believe Alex Ferguson yearns for the return of a conventional striker. Last season, Manchester United have incredible firepower in Ronaldo, Berbatov, Tevez and Rooney, but they fail to outscore their closest competitors. Instead, United’s success was largely based on sound defending as they won games by the odd goal and embarked on a record breaking run of not conceding goal for 1212 minutes. Ferguson will certainly want the defensive discipline to continue but having another clinical striker to put away chances increases their title hopes.

But from so many strikers, why did Alex Ferguson gamble on an injured player? For one thing, he appreciates the fact that rewards, if materialized, greatly outweigh the risks. A case in point is the purchase of Ruud van Nistelrooy. The deal was nearly axed when the Dutchman ruptured his cruciate knee ligaments during a training session. Nevertheless, Manchester United persevered and completed the transfer in 2001 by paying PSV an additional £500,000 for the player’s services.

It turned out to be an excellent transaction as van Nistelrooy repaid the faith and money during his five years stint with 150 goals in 220 appearances as well as becoming the club’s all-time European scoring record with 38 goals.

While Michael Owen may have lost the blistering pace in his youth, he is still among the most clinical strikers in England. If Owen can thrive during Houllier’s era which saw a Liverpool side engaging in a patient game of short passing and counter attack, then he should love the fluid, entertaining play by the Red Devils.

Owen will certainly benefit from the dominant possession and chances created by Manchester United compared to the dis-spirited and incompetent players at Newcastle. Sometimes, the quality of service is so good, a striker need only be there physically to stick the ball into the net.

Manchester United’s attacking style also reduces the need to depend on pace since most opponents are pinned back and have to defend in numbers. Thus, timing and positioning are more crucial factors to capitalize on crosses from the flanks as well as link up play from midfield. Eric Cantona, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were among the influential strikers during Ferguson’s reign but each did not make their mark based on speed.

In terms of commercial success, Michael Owen isn’t a glamor signing like David Beckham who sells merchandise by the truckloads. Fortunately, Alex Ferguson’s transfers stand in contrast to Real Madrid’s vision. He prefers hatchet men to deliver, and the United brand will take care of itself. Thus, he is more than happy to have Real Madrid take David Beckham off his hands, even in the face of huge commercial losses.

Since Michael Owen is not going to start often, his value lies in being a veteran who has played at the highest level and rise often to the occasion. Owen can strengthen the bench for the big games, in the absence of Carlos Tevez.

The Argentine may win hands down in terms of pace and technical skills like passing, dribbling and ball control, but Manchester United have saved themselves £22 million. In addition, Tevez’s impact is not as significant as Cristiano Ronaldo and can be rendered redundant by Rooney.

Owen compensates for his one-dimensional game with a high conversion rate which stands proudly above Tevez, Torres, Berbataov and Rooney. Thus, little separates both players as they are expected to net 10-15 goals a season when coming off the bench.

Michael Owen also serves another purpose of acting as a model to improve the prodigious talents of Danny Wellbeck and Federico Macheda. In recent years, Ferguson has shown a propensity for signing vintage players. Laurent Blanc, Teddy Sheringham and Henrik Larsson were regarded as past their best but their purpose was to impart experience and skills to the youngsters.

Alex Ferguson has certainly come a long way from the impulsive ’90s when he wiped out old guards in one fell stroke and immediately blooding the youth team. However, competition has intensified tremendously and a team of hot-blooded youngsters may be a risky formula for success.

Just look at Arsenal. Beautiful football is dished out by a bunch of youngsters who are not short on skills, stamina and eagerness but their inability to capitalize on chances and hold their ground when the going gets tough is a major stumbling block.

Welbeck and Macheda will eventually step up but not after they have gained consistency and experience. Speaking of experience, some fans may prefer Samuel Eto’o or Thierry Henry. I agree they will be more beneficial for the youngsters but the price will not be cheap either. Since Alex Ferguson has been a long-time admirer of Owen and regards age as an asset rather than liability, this is a good time to pick up a distressed asset for pennies on the dollar.

Overall, Michael Owen makes an ideal replacement for Ruud Van Nistelrooy, an out-and-out striker who put goals away at close quarters. Ferguson can toy with different options by either fielding Berbatov in the hole while pairing Owen and Rooney up front. Or Rooney can play in a withdrawn position, leaving Owen and Berbatov to lead the front line.

But for every transfer success, there are also failures for Alex Ferguson. The United’s medical team cannot always perform miracles. Louis Saha and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were laid out for long spells and could not last the rigors of a full season. Eventually, they moved on.

I cannot say if Owen will be another Louis Saha or Ruud van Nistelrooy but since any player will need a few games to settle down in a new environment, and for someone who is low on confidence and fitness due to a myriad of injuries, it is fair to give Owen a longer time to hit top gear before judging him.

However, assuming Owen rediscovers his form, there are flaws to his game that make Cristiano Ronaldo appear indispensable. Owen may be a natural finisher (with one foot) but he lacks creativity, nor is he capable of holding the ball up on his own or getting past defenders with trickery. He has to feed off other players and his limited game outside the box means you have to build the team around Owen.

Despite these flaws in his game, I am more worried about Owen’s attitude and desire to win. Detractors of Cristiano Ronaldo may denigrate him as a flamboyant peacock and dirty diver, but nobody can deny that he demands an exacting standard of himself and possesses a burning desire to be the best footballer.

Cristiano Ronaldo trains hard – polishing existing skills and experimenting with new tricks to become a more complete player. Alex Ferguson has revealed the secret to the magic which Ronaldo weaves on the pitch and the answer is alarmingly simple: tireless hours of practice.

Does Michael Owen desire to win titles and improve himself? Or does he believe that an old dog cannot learn new tricks? Is he content to warm the bench or just go on the pitch and put in 90 minutes of insipid performance and then collect his wages at the end of the day? If he has this kind of attitude, no football club or manager can help him.

During the final matches of survival for Newcastle, I was disappointed by the Geordies’ lack of heart and character and their nonchalance towards relegation. Great hopes and responsibilities were thrust on Michael Owen but he did not respond in a positive manner. Thus, it remains to be seen if Owen works hard all the way at Manchester United or only impress in the first few matches.

As for Liverpool, they may be indignant but there is hardly any betrayal here. Michael Owen wanted to move back to Anfield on two occasions, giving them first priority and agreeing to take massive pay cuts but to no avail, probably because of injury concerns, transfer fees and more importantly, Benitez’s hesitation.

By the way, Owen is not the first player to ply his trade for both clubs, thus the animosity should not get out of hand. Previously, there were Phil Chisnall and Paul Ince who was appointed Liverpool’s captain. Sir Matt Busby also played for Liverpool before going on to manage Manchester United, making them the first English club to win the European Cup.

Nevertheless, Owen’s arrival at Old Trafford will deepen the rivalry which runs through both clubs from fans to boardroom. Such moves are frowned upon as can seen by Alex Ferguson’s refusal to allow Gabriel Heinze and Carlos Tevez to cross over to the enemy and similarly Steven Gerrard “just would not come.”

Relations between United and Liverpool reached new lows last season with Benitez’s infamous rant about Ferguson. This transfer certainly adds spice to the rivalry and it will be fascinating to see Owen visit Anfield with United in the Premier League on October 24.

Considering Michael Owen’s contributions for Liverpool, the fans should wish him all the best, even if he plays a significant part in a fourth consecutive Premier League title for Manchester United and their record 19th title. I hope the treatment will not be as belligerent as what we saw from the Catalans when Luis Figo switched from Barcelona to Real Madrid.

Will Manchester United get over the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo? There are no shortage of punters backing Owen to be the top Premiership scorer next season and also making the World Cup squad next summer. We shall see, in a few months’ time. Stay tuned for updates.

The importance of Steven Gerrard to Liverpool’s title charge cannot be understated. He was again in the thick of action when he turned creator in the last minute and could have scored himself, but he neatly gift-wrapped the goal for Fernando Torres. It was a perfect present to mark the long-awaited return from injury of the Spaniard.

Despite Rafael Benitez’s absence, Liverpool maintained a steady advance in all three competitions, the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup. This year, there is extra motivation for the Reds to excel in the less heralded domestic cup competition, in memory of the Hillsborough disaster 20 years ago, when 96 fans died at the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.

Due to past disappointments, critics, including Benitez himself, are not convinced that Liverpool have the experience and winner’s mentality to clinch their first Premier League title in two decades but I will take nothing away from their inspired run since Boxing Day. Liverpool consolidated their position at the top of Premier League table while their competitors slipped up.

The Reds dispatched Bolton 3-0 and reaffirmed their title ambitions with a 5-1 demolition of Newcastle United at St James’ Park. Steven Gerrard became the toast of Anfield after imposing his game and scored two superb goals.

In fact, his second goal eclipsed the record of John Barnes, one of Anfield greats. The latter scored 108 goals for Liverpool in 409 games between 1987-1997 and Gerrard has now notched 109 in 464 appearances. Considering Gerrard’s role as a right midfielder, that is an achievement worth celebrating. And in England, what is a celebration without booze and girls?

So, with adrenaline pumping, the lads headed to a nightclub in Southport. And it is here that the top of the world feeling turned into a nightmare. A brawl broke out which resulted in a broken tooth and four stitches to a head wound for a part-time DJ, just because he refused to play a Phil Collins song.

Gerrard (together with five mates) was arrested and for the longest 20 hours, he was in silent contemplation behind bars. The police released him but on January 23, he will face charges of affray and assault occasioning bodily harm. If sentenced, Gerrard could face up to 5 years of imprisonment.

Liverpool fans must be wondering if they will ever fill their cabinet with another Premier League title. Last year, the club was beset by uncertainties over Benitez’s rotation policy, his possible departure, and the internal bickering between its owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

This season, while Liverpool’s debts remain an overriding concern amid the global credit crunch, at least some semblance of stability has been restored and it is reflected in their dominant league position. Rafael Benitez is close to signing an attractive £16 million four year contract, with a smaller war chest available though.

Nevertheless, maintaining enough momentum to clinch the title remains an uphill task and Liverpool simply cannot afford to lose Steven Gerrard’s leadership, creativity and attacking prowess.

Not surprisingly, Rafa Benitez has pledged Steven Gerrard his full support. Sammy Lee, the stand-in manager, also weighed in by vouching that Gerrard is a true professional. Gerrard’s captaincy is not in doubt but Benitez will not tolerate any more distraction and warned that focusing on the pitch is top priority for everyone.

Benitez said: €œSteven is our captain and a key player for us, but more than this, I know him as a nice person. He’s trained with the other lads after a couple of days off for the squad, and is keen now to focus solely on his football.”

There is support for Steven Gerrard’s innocence and good character everywhere. Messages of support flooded in from England players, David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand. The Football Association insists that Fabio Capello’s criticism of Gerrard does not indicate an exclusion of the midfielder from the England squad.

The media has also been busy casting Gerrard as a goody two shoes. Special mention was made of Gerrard’s organisation of charity work with Kenny Dalglish just before the incident.

If we are to consider Gerrard’s upbringing, it is easy to understand his aggressive streak, although he channeled his belligerence on the pitch with admirable discipline. Like Wayne Rooney and Joey Barton, Gerrard hailed from the gritty neighborhoods of Liverpool. In 2007, the cold-blooded murder of innocent 11 year old Rhys Jones by Sean Mercer shocked Britain.

How can teenagers be so remorseless in taking another human life? Well, that is the tough environment we are contending with. You got to be streetwise to survive the chaotic feuding gangs. Petty disputes like girlfriends can involve casualties, especially with the liberal use of firearms. Call it collateral damage if you are caught in the maelstrom.

Another mitigating factor for Gerrard’s unseemly behavior will be his fame. As great trees attract the winds, so great fame attracts envy and hatred. If a celebrity want to wind down in a bar, be subtle. There are people who will seek you out to get their moment of fame or simply to create trouble, and the situation can get ugly, especially after alcohol has loosened your self restraint.

To be sure, we cannot expect our Premier League footballers to lead a monk’s life and avoid nightclubs altogether. It is up to their own indiscretion if they want to be featured in the press – drunk, sexually uninhibited, violent, taking drugs, etc, considering that they are role models for the young.

For a long time, Steven Gerrard has enjoyed an exemplary family-man image and his fans will expect him to be at home with his wife and 2 kids, instead of a wild night out with the guys. I believe that image has sustained irreparable damage due to this incident.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if Gerrard had been provoked or was under the influence of drinks, the fact remains that the act of violence was committed. We do not yet know the full circumstances of the case, but putting Steven Gerrard on a pedestal may indirectly interfere with the course of justice.

It is hard for the judge and jury not to be influenced by all the support and praise heaped on Stevie Gerrard. Will they be pressured into acquitting Gerrard and then apply a double standard to another less famous person with the same crime?

We certainly cannot exonerate a perpetrator just because we have been assured that he will “never walk alone” or that he is “nice,” “good at creating goals,” and “indispensable to Liverpool and England.” Fitting such sentiments into findings of “not guilty” is not morally right.

For now though, Steven Gerrard is innocent until proven guilty in the eyes of law. And Liverpool have to put this incident behind them, especially when a taxing fixture list includes two clashes with derby rival, Everton, in a week (in the Premier League on January 19 and then in the fourth round of the cup the following weekend).

Will Liverpool win another Premier League title in the absence of Gerrard? I am highly skeptical and January 23 may just be the the fateful day that derailed Liverpool’s title challenge.

I admit that I will be as disappointed as Liverpool fans if Steven Gerrard turns out to be guilty. What do you guys think of Gerrard’s affray breaking up Liverpool’s momentum at this critical juncture?

In a refreshing change this season, Rafael Benitez has refrained from tinkering with his squad – the rotation policy was discarded in favor of keeping the team spine together and results so far have been favorable.

Liverpool maintained pressure on their rivals with a 2-0 victory over Bolton at Reebok Stadium on Saturday. It was actually more sweat than inspiration and Bolton aided the chore with their insipid performance.

The match started off with a dominant Liverpool, intent to show that the midweek defeat by Tottenham in the Carling Cup was no major setback. Bolton may have anticipated the backlash and preferred to defend deeply. Gone was Bolton’s trademark tough, physical style as they allowed Liverpool to command the midfield without much hassle.

Liverpool’s possession was nearly rewarded in the 21st minute when Dirk Kuyt’s scorcher left Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen stranded but the bar saved his blushes. Seven minutes later, Dirk Kuyt could not be denied as he scored a brilliant header from Fabio Aurelio’s cross.Robbie Keane and Steven Gerrard wasted chances to add to the tally while Bolton were made to rue their fortune when Gary Cahill had a header ruled out for a foul on Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina.

After the break, Bolton manager Gary Megson made a crucial change by introducing Ricardo Gardner in place of Fabrice Muamba. Gardner injected greater urgency to Bolton’s play and he was unlucky to miss two glit-edged opportunities. Bolton were now playing with greater sense of urgency and purpose and Rafa Benitez was forced to field his trump card (Fernando Torres) in a bid to regain the offensive.

The Spanish striker was still recovering from his hamstring injury and it was a high-risk gambit which paid off handsomely for Benitez. Torres turned creator in his first touch of the game but Steven Gerrard slid the ball wide. There was no mistake in the 73rd minute when Torres delivered a perfect cross for Gerrard to head past Jaaskelainen.

Bolton’s hopes of a comeback were effectively dashed. The match swung Liverpool’s way again and Jaaskelainen could not afford to take it easy as Xabi Alonso, Torres and Lucas took turns to test his reflexes. No further damage resulted, not that it mattered as the victor was never in doubt.

To sum up his team’s demise, Bolton boss Gary Megson: “We didn’t get in their faces in the first half. “In the second-half we did much better but we made a couple of elementary mistakes and you have huge problems at 2-0 down against a team like that.”

Bolton fans may be feeling frustrated over the injustice served by the referee (Styles had earlier awarded a penalty against Bolton at Manchester United) while Liverpool was again the beneficiary of “honest mistakes” by officials. Favoritism of the top teams, maybe, but that is for another discussion.

In any case, Bolton can only blame themselves for their generosity in front of goal, and it is all the more unforgivable, given the absence of two first-choice Liverpool defenders, Alvaro Arbeloa and Martin Skrtel. Torres was unleashed only in the final half hour which limited Liverpool’s finishing prowess. Thus, I will credit Liverpool for laboring hard to secure possession and claim victory.

Will Liverpool achieve a double this season? It is too early to say as the league table can go topsy-turvy come Christmas when the matches come thick and fast. Much has been said about Benitez “coming to his senses” and discarding the rotation policy but I think it is unfair that rotation has become a bogeyman for teams aspiring for the Premier League title. Rotation is still necessary when the players are injured or exhibited poor form.

To be sure, there are pros and cons to a rotation policy. In the past, Rafael Benitez’s main defense for rotation hinges on availability of fresh troops towards the end of the season where they mount a ferocious charge on the titles. This strategy was a masterstroke in cup competitions as you need only do the bare minimum to advance past qualification stages, and then focus on delivering the killer blow in the finals by fielding the best possible team.

In fact, losing matches in cup competitions could be a strategic move, in order to prevent burnout, gain experience for second-stringers, avoid a stronger opponent or even to eliminate a favorite. However, the Premier League is all about consistency and every point counts. You cannot struggle to collect points for the better part of the season and then expect to snatch the league title  at the end.

Last season, critics lambasted Benitez for being obsessed with keeping players fresh at the end of the season when there’s nothing to play for. Benitez has carried rotation a tad too far by tinkering with virtually all positions last season.

This season, Liverpool has displayed a new found consistency in the Premier League. There is a chemistry between players after playing together regularly and team spirit is high. Not surprisingly, Liverpool had turned some draws into narrow wins, an important characteristics of winners. Barring injuries, I will venture that Liverpool’s best form could well be ahead of them.

The title race is also shaping up in an interesting manner for Liverpool. For better or worse, Chelsea have discarded the stifling approach of Jose Mourinho in exchange for entertainment. These days, if the first goal is scored by Chelsea, you know there are more to come, unlike Mourinho who frowns on showmanship and prefers clean sheets over extra goals.

The new Chelsea under manager Scolari adopts an expansive style full of attacking verve and it is a joy to watch but the Blues have become more vulnerable at home (surprise!). This is due to teams adopting a tighter back line to contain the marauding Blues whereas in away matches, there is a tendency for teams to take on Chelsea. Scolari will, of course, relish such open duels with the quality of players at his disposal.

Currently, Chelsea are top of the Premier League with a huge goal difference and are set to qualify for the knock-out stages of the Champions League. On paper, everything is going as planned but the aura of invincibility has been pierced. Clearly, Chelsea’s Archilles heels lie in teams which are well organized, adopt tight defenses and launch swift counter-attacks.

This can be seen in the penalty shoot-out defeat at the hands of Championship club Burnley in the Carling Cup at Stamford Bridge, as did the Champions League loss at Roma and the Premier League defeat at home to Liverpool. Not since the end of the 2005-06 season had Chelsea lost three times in six games or less.

Then, there is the meltdown of Arsenal. Just one week after defeating Manchester United 2-1, Arsenal fell flat on its face again in a 0-2 loss to Aston Villa. The Gunners, nine points adrift of joint leaders Chelsea and Liverpool, had already lost four times in their first 13 Premier League games this season, something unheard of since the 1994-95 season.

Statistics revealed that no team have lost as many in the first 13 games and went on to clinch the League title or even second place. Third place is a realistic target but it is scant consolation and will only hasten the departure of key players like Cesc Fabregas and Adebayor as they no longer perceive Arsenal as a Champions League and Premier League challenger.

Manchester United, as usual, are never the most consistent of the front-runners and in their usual trip, fall and pick themselves up manner, no alarm bells need to raised about the Red Devils dropping points. They do not particularly crave the top spot (at least until Christmas) where they stepped up a gear in the second phase.

It is clear that none of the Big Four are consistent enough this season and Liverpool can capitalize on this situation. So long as Rafael Benitez keeps the winning team together and the Reds last the pace without major injuries and suspensions, I don’t see any reason why they should be discounted as Premier League champions.

However, it remains to be seen if discarding rotation policy will be at the expense of a superior edge in April and May, given that Liverpool do not have as deep a squad as Chelsea and Manchester United. At the very least though, if Liverpool disappoint their fans, I am sure that rotation policy will not be vilified as the culprit this time round.

Grant just about deserved the plaudits in this pulsating outing, after all, nobody expected him to come so far. He made two changes to the team that started the first leg at Anfield – Michael Essien and Salomon Kalou were fielded to add more bite to the attacks. Indeed, Chelsea were determined to seize the intitiative and Drogba forced the first save of the night in the 6th minute with a long range effort which keeper Reina was alert in saving on the bounce.

Liverpool, wary of the unbeaten Stamford Bridge fortress, preferred a patient approach. Their game plan lies in soaking up pressure and then delivering the ball to Torres at the first opportunity. It almost worked when the Spaniard raced onto Gerrard’s fine pass four minutes later, only for Petr Cech to block his shot.

This was Liverpool’s only shot on target in a first half where Chelsea dictated possession and created more chances. Drogba – so impressive in the weekend win over Manchester United – was again in the thick of action but he spurned a glorious chance by clipping wide after an incisive through pass by Lampard.

Ballack tried his luck with a long range effort but it was punched away by Reina. Liverpool were unfortunate to lose Martin Skrtel to a knee injury, and things got worse when Chelsea broke Liverpool’s resistance on 33 minutes. Kalou slipped through the offside trap.. barely, and latched onto Lampard’s sublime pass. Reina made a diving stop but he did not recover in time to stop Drogba from drilling in the rebound.

The one-way traffic continued as Ballack struck a superb free-kick which just missed the mark by inches in the 42nd minute. Liverpool were relieved to go into the break with the score just 1-0. Right after the interval, an ineffective Gerrard who had been restricted by Makelele, showed his mettle by delivering a sublime free-kick which found Kuyt. The latter forced Cech to make a one-handed parry but Liverpool failed to kill off the stray ball.

As the match progressed, Benitez decided to make significant changes – Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso were instructed to venture forward and Gerrard was pushed further up to support Torres. Benayoun and Kuyt switched flanks, and slowly but surely, a more lively Liverpool emerged.

It was Chelsea’s turn to sit deeply and their rhythm all but vanished; their lack of concentration was exposed when Benayoun crafted an assist for Torres who swiveled and lashed in the ball with aplomb. It was Liverpool’s first goal at Stamford Bridge in nine matches, and extra time was destined based on the level terms.

The extra period was not short of drama and controversy. Essien’s drive from 22 yards flew into the net, but the goal did not stand four Chelsea players were offside. The Blues protested that they were not interfering, to no avail. Their efforts were rewarded when seconds later, Sami Hyypia felled Ballack. The referee pointed to the spot and Lampard, with remarkable poise and nerves, converted brilliantly.

At this critical juncture, Torres was taken off and in came Ryan Babel. In the 105th min, Chelsea went two goals clear when Drogba swept home Anelka’s pass from six yards. Then, Hyypia stumbled in the box but no penalty was given. In the 117th min, Cech made an elementary blunder when he failed to stop Babel’s 35-yarder.

It set up a nail-biting finale but Chelsea persevered to seal a tie with Manchester United in Moscow. The home fans were in raptures and they could yet become the first London club to lift the most prestigious prize in Europe. Chelsea captain John Terry felt his side deserved their place in the Champions League final. He said: “It’s fantastic. I think we’ve fully deserved it over the years.”

Terry expressed admiration for Lampard’s character after his mother died last week. This event not only spurred Lampard to put in exemplary efforts for the club but has also united his team mates to create history for themselves. Grant also paid tribute to what the midfielder has done, considering the emotional distress.

Avram Grant was proud to have achieved something which Jose Mourinho had never managed to do with Chelsea. He joked: “There’s only one ‘special one’.” But this was special against Liverpool. They are a fantastic team and Rafa played tactically. You need to be clever against him but we did it. We have created history and I am very proud we did it my way.”

The emphasis on the word “my way” must have grated on Mourinho’s ears; knowing his competitive nature in provocative situations, I wonder what he has to say about that. For now, Roman Abramovich must be a happy man. Victory is especially sweet for him if he gets to conquer Europe in Moscow.

His decision to sack Jose Mourinho seems to be vindicated and achieving a Grand Slam of trophies justifies all the money spent thus far. There is no reason for the bankrolling to stop if desired results are achieved so the fans can expect more top quality signings in the summer and they will be Grant’s men.

I say Grant’s men because I believe a mass exodus of players is not far away. Despite the wild celebrations now (yeah, the applauds, embraces, back-patting and dancing are all good), but end of the day, a large section of the fans and players do not love Grant and neither will they give him credit for anything.

A lot of the old guards still hold Grant in contempt and every judgmental error he made is magnified. Wenger can afford to throw away a comfortable lead and lose so many points in the last couple of months, without as much as a whimper from the fans or media, but if that happens to Grant, I believe he will skinned alive.

My candidate for the man of the match has to be Drogba. While his loyalty to Chelsea is still debatable, there is no doubting his passion and commitment last night. Is Drogba selfish and big headed? I will say yes, his spate with Ballack over a free kick in the previous match against Manchester United suggests he has an enormous ego, but when he is in such stellar form, the fans are ready to forgive him. So long as he puts his goal-scoring ability to use and gets the job done, he will continue to feature prominently as the main striker.

Drogba is passionate but do not be mistaken that he is fighting for the club’s honor or for Grant. He is putting in his best efforts to clinch the Premier League and Champions League medals to add to his resume. Nothing wrong with that and it serves the club’s purpose anyway. But expecting him to stay because it is Grant’s wish, even with the most attractive salary and benefits, is highly unlikely.

It is clear Drogba is still emotionally attached to his former boss, Mourinho, and with the latter’s arrival at Inter Milan next season, fresh speculation is sparked on the future of Drogba and Lampard. Italian newspapers have reported that Inter are preparing a £35 million bid for the pair. Mourinho signed Drogba for a club-record £24 million in 2004 from Marseilles and Lampard is highly regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world.

Next season will be interesting as I missed the melodrama and whines from the Special One. Trust me, Mourinho can’t wait to clash with his former club in the Champions League and put Grant to the sword, proving once and for all, who is the real McCoy.

As for Liverpool, I believe Rafael Benitez made a fatal mistake in infuriating Drogba before such a critical match. The Ivorian purposely slided towards Liverpool bench to celebrate in front of Benitez who has accused him earlier of being a diver and mentioned about a dossier of the striker’s antics.

Under Grant, Chelsea have shown a tendency to self-destruct and issuing such statements only serves to unite the players. Liverpool are a club with glorious achievements and the lesson for Benitez in another barren season is to focus on the domestic competition instead of just doing well in the Champions League.

The trophy cabinet cannot be empty for too long, especially the Premier League title. While getting to the semis of the Champions League can temporarily paper over weaknesses, the ambitions of players like Gerrard and Torres will not be satiated with only a top-four finish every season.

Benitez can take heart though as the team once again came very close to the Champions League crown with sufficient chances to eliminate Chelsea in both legs. The squad is still young and will develop given time. In view of the destabilizing factors and Benitez’s precarious position at times, he has done an amazing job of steadying the ship and preventing his players from being distracted.

If Liverpool desire success, they have to stop the bickering among the owners and give Benitez a strong vote of confidence. Handing him a war chest to bolster the squad is also necessary, at least for another season.

Manchester United will be clashing with Chelsea again and both are still in contention for a double. United’s shaky form makes them liable to drop points again in the Premier League. Against Barcelona, a team not famed for suffocating defenses, United got a break and capitalized on it through Paul Scholes.

However, it is a different ball game against Chelsea as the players are well drilled in the art of defense since Mourinho’s era. United fans can seek solace though that Ronaldo and Tevez were not in the first XI so Chelsea are not infallible in the finals.

The entire season has now condensed into the results of another three more matches. For many outstanding players in both clubs, they are upon the threshold of greatness and it is up to them to prove their place in history.

The match was clouded by security concerns because of the arrival of an unwelcome man, Tom Hicks. There was no telling if fans’ displeasure at the power struggle and the debt-ridden status of their club will turn into violence. However, Hicks defiantly showed up in the Anfield directors box, paying scant regard to personal safety.

Rick Parry was relegated to the back of the seats by Hick’s entourage. Gillett did not make the trip but invited a DIC consortium comprising their chief executive and negotiator. Fortunately, the political sideshow matters little to the vociferous Anfield crowd who were engrossed on the pitch action.

Both teams began in cautious fashion and given their penchant for winning “efficiently,” goals were expected to be a rare occurrence. As the minutes ticked away, it was Liverpool who got into the groove with a confident and enterprising display. They dominated proceedings and were rewarded with a goal before half time.

Unfortunately, Liverpool did not press home their advantage despite further clear-cut chances. Eventually, Chelsea made the Reds pay for the profligacy. Grant had to thank Riise for gift-wrapping the away goal and Petr Cech who produced amazing saves to deny an embarrassing scoreline. I am impressed with Cech’s tenacity as he had suffered severe injuries to his skull and recently had stitches inserted in his face following a training ground incident but his composure and sharpness were still intact.

Dirk Kuyt launched Liverpool’s first real threat when he raced onto Alonso’s long pass but his poor chest control allowed Carvalho and Cech to clear the danger. Swimming against the tide, Chelsea nearly broke the duck as Frank Lampard picked out Joe Cole with a sublime chip in the penalty area but Cole could only muster a weak volley.

In the 29th minute, Didier Drogba charged towards a through ball and Carragher was left to chase him down. At the final moment, just when the Ivorian appeared ready to pull the trigger, Carragher struck his foot out and both tumbled outside the penalty box. Drogba instinctively clamored for a penalty but referee Konrad Plautz dismissed the protests.

This was actually the second blatant foul by Carragher. As early as the 2nd minute, Drogba’s raw pace and power had already pushed Carragher to the limits. Drogba bullied his way through and the only way to stop him was to commit a foul, rather than affording him a sitter. I do not blame Carragher as Drogba is a defender’s nightmare when he is on song, just ask Arsenal’s rearguard who was torn apart ruthlessly.

In the 31st minute, the Gerrard-Torres partnership spun into action. Gerrard who was shackled tightly by Makelele till then, managed to carve out a defense-splitting pass to put Torres clean through. However, hopes of securing an early lead were doomed when Cech made a superb stop to frustrate “El Nino.”

Liverpool were not discouraged, their relentless forays yielded a goal after 43 minutes. Kuyt robbed Lampard outside the box and a neat exchange between Alonso and Mascherano saw the Argentine loping a speculative pass a few yards away from Cech. A mix up between Makelele and Ashley Cole allowed Kuyt to pounce, sliding his shot under Cech.

Chelsea were punished for their carelessness but what is disappointing is their reaction after half-time. Instead of firing on all cylinders to make up for lost ground, they were equally lackluster. Grant has apparently not done a proper job of pumping up his men’s morale in the dressing room.

Liverpool continued to pursue a second goal as Ryan Babel caused chaos in Chelsea’s defense by surging past Paulo Ferreira and whipping in a low cross that led to a blocked Torres shot. Babel remained a constant danger and went close again in the 60th minute with a dipping half-volley.

Chelsea finally awoke from their slumber when Michael Ballack met Lampard’s free-kick with a glancing header which Jose Reina held well. Florent Malouda then took Lampard’s pass and cut inside Alvaro Arbeloa. Just as Malouda was about to shoot, Mascherano slid in with a crucial block.

In the closing minutes, Gerrard forced a brilliant one-handed tip-over from Cech as Liverpool sought to close the match. Cech then denied Torres with another fine stop at his near post. Unfortunately, out of the blue (as Chelsea were still pegged back by the Reds till the final minute), the match was turned on its head.

With virtually the last kick of the game, Salomon Kalou swung in a cross from the left and Riise, diving to head clear, succeeded only in diverting the ball into his own net. Anfield fell silent as Liverpool were left to rue what might have been if they had taken their chances well.

Benitez was understandably devastated by the late goal. He was critical of the referee for the amount of added time, but had sympathy for Norwegian defender Riise. He said: “These situations are difficult. You can’t blame the player. Those kind of balls when they bounce are difficult to deal with. We are all very disappointed to concede an own goal so late in the match.”

“But we had three clear chances and in games like these it is hard to create chances. We needed to take them. We have to go to Stamford Bridge and win now. It will be difficult but we have enough confidence in ourselves to do that.”

As for Grant, his tenure has not been convincing even as Chelsea maintained their lofty second place in the Premier League. He believes that the fans and Abramovich will be pleased to be presented with a Champions League final in Moscow but the main issue for them is to fill the trophy cabinets, not fighting all the way to be second best; so far nothing has been won.

Grant was glad to gain the advantage, especially after Benitez had subtly “insulted” his abilities in pre-match interviews. He said: “We want to be in the final. We took a big step today. Drawing 1-1 away from home is always a good advantage. It will be tough in the second game though.

Grant also did not forget to pay tribute to his own tactical brilliance, saying: “When they scored we made some changes. We knew for an away game it was important to score so we used Nicolas (Anelka) and Kalou and changed the midfield and it was a good result for us.”

I feel Torres is not his clinical self in this match. He took too long and too many touches to line up his shot and that gave Cech sufficient time to prepare and to close down his angle. Babel and Kuyt put in the mileage and assists down the flanks well so I had little complaints there.

The turning point for Liverpool was when Fabio Aurelio had to be stretched off and replaced with Riise. Up to this point, Liverpool’s defense was holding up well and fended off Chelsea’s attacks competently.

On the other hand, Chelsea were beset with a malfunctioning midfield. Frank Lampard was too careless in possession and Joe Cole lost his usual trickery and mobility. Michael Ballack was a pedestrian and did not help the team gain possession nor opened up the opponent’s defense. As such, Drogba was deprived of service for long periods to cause any serious damage.

Chelsea love the direct approach, aiming for long balls and hoping for the best. If Drogba can pounce on mistakes, then great, if not, wait for the opponent to attack and then get the defenders to kick the ball up in the air again. Even after Liverpool took the lead, Chelsea looked more interested in doing damage control.

It is clear Grant is relying solely on his players’ qualities to win games. Unlike Mourinho’s era where the team knew what to do and were highly organized, the players were now running the show themselves, without Grant’s direction or advice.

I believe Chelsea are feeling upbeat, not because of the slight advantage but rather they felt that Lady Luck was finally on their side. After suffering semi-final exits at Anfield in two of the last three seasons (Luis Garcia’s ‘phantom goal’ in 2005 and penalty shootouts last season), Grant has a chance to outdo his predecessor, avenge those bitter memories and most importantly, to achieve history for Chelsea FC.

However, it is too early to count the chickens. Though Chelsea have the upper hand, their resources will be stretched thin with a colossal match against Manchester United on Saturday and then a few days after, to face Liverpool again in the second leg. The players will be tired and they are expected to give their all since Chelsea still retain a chance of becoming Premier League champions.

Liverpool can prepare a nice surprise for them with plenty of time on their side as their Premier League fourth spot is almost secured, it will be folly for Chelsea to write off Liverpool.