I just got back from the Soccerlens match-viewing party in Lahore for the Liverpool-Arsenal game, and I can’t forget the look on the face of Steven Gerrard 3 minutes into extra time – total disgust at his team’s situation and how far behind they had fallen after the heady days of last season.

Steven Gerrard (talking to The Sunday People earlier in the week):

“To me it’s not puzzling at all that we are where we are. The league table never lies and we’re in the position we’re in for a reason.

That tells me we haven’t been good enough and consistent enough, so it’s down to myself and the rest of the boys to take responsibility and put that right.”

After the game there was talk amongst Liverpool fans that Gerrard was tired of playing in a team with such little quality – and this Liverpool fan who emailed us right after the game seems to feel the same way:

John S:

i have just cancelled sky sports,i cant watch another game torres and gerrard are the only great players at the club.they are being let down buy most of the rest.cant even see liverpool being in the top ten after that match.total crap,i have been a fan for 30 years and this is the worst ive seen in that time

Liverpool’s performance wasn’t that bad – in fact apart from Glen Johnson’s madness around both goals, Liverpool did fairly well and shaded the game. But they also lacked the quality to pry a misfiring Arsenal apart and were clumsy in their efforts to get back into the game once going behind (the clumsiness epitomised by N’Gog running in front of Gerrard and taking the ball out the left flank when Gerrard had space in front of him to run straight at goal).

I still rate Rafa Benitez as a manager and I don’t think he’ll leave or that the players are against him or even that Liverpool aren’t good enough to finish in the top four – Rafa can definitely turn things around at Anfield – but as a manager you can’t keep blaming your owners and a lack of money for your failures when your spending in the transfer window has been below-par over the last 5 years.

Liverpool need to reinforce their squad in the summer – failing to qualify for the Champions League – if the season ended today they wouldn’t even qualify for the Europa League – is simply not an option, even if a new face in the top four will be a welcome sight for non-Big Four fans.

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has voiced his frustration at his sides failure to compete at the top of the table this season. Liverpool currently trail leaders Chelsea by 13 points, they lie in seventh and have lost five times already. Their performances have been some way off the form that led them to finish second last season and you can understand Gerrard’s frustration. The player feels that he cannot gain legendary status at the club until he has secured a Premier League winners medal.

He said: “It’s frustrating to be where we are in the league now because this was meant to be the year where we were going to be right up there all the way through,

“It would mean everything to win it. It’s frustrating not to have it already and I’ve come close on a couple of occasions.

“I will continue to fight for the Premier League from now until I stop playing. Hopefully I can add it to my collection because it would round a fantastic career off.”

Gerrard turns 30 in May and has seen the current campaign disturbed by injury. I don’t think it is particularly fair to hazard a guess on how long a player can continue at the top level but Gerrard probably has another good few seasons in him. The England international does admit he would see it as a massive failure if he doesn’t deliver a Premier League title to Anfield during his spell at the club.

He added: “I’ve been around for 11 years and I’m getting towards the 30 years of age mark now, so I’m running out of time, I want to make the most of the next four or five years.

“I’ve still got many more ambitions and dreams that I want to fulfil before I finish.

“I don’t think I’m a Liverpool legend, you can only call players legends when they’ve finished and you look back on their careers and they have been successful or a top player throughout.

“A lot of people give the legendary status out too early for my liking. I don’t see myself as a legend – I see the likes of Dalglish, Hansen and Rush as legends.

“They have been there and done it. Hopefully one day I can look back on what I’ve achieved and can say I’m a part of the legends at this club, but I certainly wouldn’t put myself in that bracket now.”

Personally, I think Gerrard is perhaps being a little harsh on himself. It isn’t a player’s place to claim they are legendary at a club but Gerrard’s achievements on Merseyside must surely rank him up there with the most esteemed of Liverpool players. His performance in their Champions League success and on numerous other occasions are indeed ‘legendary’ and he will always be fondly remembered amongst the club’s fans, of that there is no doubt.

I think it is fair to say that, barring a miracle, the title is beyond Gerrard’s reach this season. However, Liverpool aren’t far off being a great side (as they showed last season) and you feel with maybe three or four new additions they could easily compete with the best in the league, the question is – will they get them?

Written by  Gareth Freeman

Three straight league trophies in the competition rated the best in the world is a terrific success, even for a team of Manchester United’s stature. Sir Alex Ferguson and his team definitely have to be congratulated for that but their domestic domination looks set to end this season. Never mind the fact that Liverpool and Chelsea look more serious now than they have been during the last few years, but it is United’s own problems that are going to cost them what would be a record fourth successive Premier League title.

The downtrend of this team obviously started with Ronaldo’s departure to Real Madrid but that was definitely not the only reason. Even though I am far from being Ronaldo’s biggest fan, I have to agree with the general opinion that United are not the same without him. His goals and ability to link well with strikers is what Ferguson will miss the most as even last season when Ronaldo was utterly disappointing in most of the games, he still managed to score 26 goals, 18 of which were scored in the Premiership.

And it was when Sir Alex opted against signing a matching replacement for the Portuguese that we all knew United would fail in their title bid. Antonio Valencia is not the sort of player who can change the course of the game by himself, even though he is an excellent team player.

The team now desperately lack a creativity in midfield as Scholes and Giggs are well past their prime, while Anderson and Nani wouldn’t be leading players in the team like Bolton, let alone Manchester United. Carrick and Fletcher are very good players indeed, but they cannot be expected to provide those killer balls for Rooney and Berbatov.

The only bright spot this summer has been Dimitar Berbatov, who seemed to finally be at the desired level, but he has desperately lacked support from his teammates. Rooney is simply tracking back too much and he is more of a link between midfield and Berbatov than he is an actual striker. 20 goals per season are the best we can expect of him.

Than there is Michael Owen, who is starting to look more like a gamble and less like a bargain. His movement and working rate are top notch but he simply cannot score. He misses the chances he would have converted blindfolded during his Liverpool time and what use of him if he ain’t scoring.

The back line is still looking competent even when players like Vidic and Ferdinand are out with injuries, but rock-solid defence cannot win you games. It looks as though Sir Alex Ferguson will have some major rebuilding to do, or maybe he will decide to end his career when his team lose the title and let his successor do the job.

The dawn of the new premiership season is upon us and this year we might have something special on the cards. Of course the usual battle at the top will be very exciting but there is potential for something more intriguing. This season we have three clubs that have come up that could easily still be in the league when May comes around.

On paper Birmingham and Wolves have solid squads, and with a little luck both teams should be able to compete to stay in the league. Burnley on the other hand don’t look as good on paper and they don’t have the same squad quality that the other two have, but they do have a solid record against other premiership sides from last seasons cup competitions.

Last season was a shock to many that two of the newly promoted teams managed to stay up, but looking at the quality of play it really was not such a shock. This is the main reason that it’s more than possible for all three teams to stay up this season. The EPL has many poor teams. Blackburn, Stoke, Bolton and Wigan will be fighting against the drop all season, and when you add to that my two favorite teams for the drop Portsmouth and Hull you then see why these new teams could easily stay outside the bottom three.

So what factors will stand out for the new boys?

Wolves will bring to the table the best young players from last seasons Championship, Wayne Hennessey, Michael Kightly and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, along with the young guns, comes new signing Kevin Doyle and unsung hero Karl Henry.

Birmingham has the most solid squad including future England No1 Joe Hart and new signing Christian Benítez.

Burnley has probably the best young manager in the game today and he’ll be looking for is new signing Steven Fletcher who signed from Hibs to be the player leading the line as the Clarets push for safety.

Do you think any of the newly promoted teams can survive in the Premier League this year?

Hull City had a tremendous start to their first ever Premier League season and they were even expected to mount a challenge for the European places. Phil Brown was hailed as one of the best managers in the league, but that did not last long. The Tigers started losing games week in week out and there was nobody capable of stopping the dreadful run. They did manage to narrowly avoid relegation, but only because their rivals were even more pathetic than they were. Things have now changed considerably and Hull are seen as one of the main candidates for the drop next season. The reason: nobody wants to come to Hull.

Phil Brown knew he needed to reinforce the squad over the summer and he immediately started looking for new players. He first missed out on Marc-Antoine Fortune, who opted for Celtic and then they failed to sign Zamora, Owen, Frazier Campbell and Darren Bent. Phil Brown even had an offer accepted by Manchester United for Frazier Cambell but he didn’t want to rush the deal and ended up losing the striker to Sunderland. That was one striker Hull could have signed and Brown has been a real fool at missing such an opportunity. Apart from Steven Mouyokolo, who came from Boulogne, the Tigers have signed no other players, not because they didn’t want to but because they couldn’t.

Things are looking bleak for Hull and I don’t really see how they can avoid relegation next term. Michael Turner and Bernard Mendy are likely to leave and few others could follow. It seems that Hull was just a one-day wonder and the odds are they will suffer next season. The damage has been done and it is now too late for regrets.

Liverpool officials expect Xabi Alonso to complete a deal to Real Madrid within hours and Rafa Benitez has already found a replacement for the Basque player. Roma midfielder Alberto Aquilani is thought to have already agreed a deal with Reds, and now the two clubs need to agree on the transfer fee. Liverpool are waiting for Alonso deal to come through so they could focus on signing Aquilani.

Rafa Benitez has finally come to terms with losing Xabi Alonso but he needs to sign a replacement as soon as possible as the season starts in two weeks. Latest reports from Italy suggest the Spaniard managed to convince Aquilani to join Liverpool, with the player agreeing to five-year deal worth €4 million per season. Roma are prepared to sell as they are in poor financial situation and the asking price is thought to be in the region of €20 million.

25-year-old Aquilani is the product of famous Roma youth academy and he’s been tipped as one of the hottest prospect in Italy. He has already made a handful of appearances for the senior national team but spent most of last season on sidelines and this will be an opportunity for a fresh start.

Kolo Toure looks set to become second Arsenal player to join the City revolution after Emmanuel Adebayor. Citizens are reportedly close to completing £15 million deal for the Ivorian defender, whereas Arsene Wenger wants to use this money to buy Mirko Vucinic from Roma, as the Montenegrin striker is seen as the perfect replacement for Adebayor.

Even though Wenger was expected to reinforce his squad before the start of the season, it seems that the team will be even weaker than last year. Emmanuel Adebayor has already made a switch to Manchester City, while the latest reports suggest Kolo Toure will do the same. One has to wonder just what Wenger is doing by selling two key players from last season to none other than the direct rivals for the top 4 finish.

Kolo Toure will definitely be a great addition to Mark Hughes’ squad, especially after John Terry decided to stay at Chelsea and Citizens are now looking as the team capable of mounting a serious top 4 challenge. Arsenal, on the other hand, will try to sign a replacement for Adebayor, and even though Marouane Chamakh was thought to be Wenger’s first choice, latest reports suggest the Frenchman has set his sights on Roma striker Mirko Vucinic, who is worth £20 million.

The Montenegrin striker has been linked with both Manchester United and Tottenham, and even though Wenger’s negotiating position is not that good, the aforementioned clubs have puled out of the race, which should make Wenger’s job lot easier.

If it wasn’t for Florentino Perez and his early transfer window ‘shock and awe’ superstar shopping spree, a shopping spree which has seen the triple trophy winning exploits of Joan Laporta’s men at the Camp Nou quickly forgotten by anyone not from Catalunya, then what must be regarded as the summer’s most ludicrous deal to date would surely never have come to fruition.

Yes, Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Barcelona is ludicrous. More ludicrous than Lyon paying 24 million euros for the unproven Lisandro Lopez; more ludicrous than Benfica paying 7 million euros for the nowhere near good enough Javi Garcia; and far more ludicrous than Manchester City paying upwards of 30 million euros for the staggeringly overrated Emmanuel Adebayor. It is simply astounding.

It can’t have been easy for Laporta and Co. to watch on as Perez signed, in the space of a couple of weeks, not one, but two, dual FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon d’Or winners. If this wasn’t pain enough, they then had to deal with being beaten to the signature of a player they (and most of Europe) desperately wanted, one of the world’s most promising forwards in Karim Benzema.

But, to their credit, through it all they took the moral high ground. “We will not stretch the arm more than the sleeve,” Laporta told AS. “We will make the changes we have to make, but the players that are interesting to us, we must get them under reasonable conditions.”

So far, the Catalans have brought in three new Brazilians - a quality left back in Maxwell, plus two exciting youngsters in defender Henrique (back from a loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen) and striker Keirrison from Palmeiras. Each of these deals represents careful consideration of both the present needs and future vision of the club.

But whilst astute, these deals have hardly been headline grabbing. And Laporta knows it. He knows that, to refocus world football attention away from the Spanish capital, away from Florentino and his Galacticos, and back on his club, he needs a major signing. A massive signing. He needs his own Galactico.

That Galactico was supposed to be David Villa. The Valencia striker would have been perfect. He’s a genuine superstar and would fit in wonderfully as a direct replacement for the departing Eto’o. Plus, signing the man who Perez really wanted but couldn’t get would have been a major victory. A symbol of Barca’s continued domination of Madrid.

He made a great offer, 42 million euros plus Keirrison on loan, but it wasn’t “scandalous” enough for Manuel Llorente, and in the end, Valencia wouldn’t budge. Neither would Bayern Munich when it came to Franck Ribery. And  as for poor old Diego Forlan, the reigning Pichichi winner and six million euro cheaper option than Villa, simply wasn’t a big enough name in the end.

And so, in desperation, Laporta has turned to Ibrahimovic, the man Perez passed on, the man willing to play anywhere as long as it wasn’t the San Siro, the man widely regarded as a Champions League flop, because this man represented the Barca chief’s last hope of signing anyone close to being a Galactico.

The ‘Ibracadabra’ deal, or the “100 million euro deal” according to Mourinho, the deal which sees Inter get a 25-30 goal per season striker in Samuel Eto’o, a player Barca beat them too last summer in Alexander Hleb and cash in the region of 50 million euros, is hardly ‘reasonable’. Frankly, it reeks of Laporta’s need to match Real Madrid, and in particular Florentino Perez, when it comes to big, headline stealing deals. His ego has got the better of him.

Perez may have paid enormous fees for Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo - but both players were needed to remedy serious squad deficiencies. In reality, Barcelona don’t need Zlatan. How will he make them a better team? He may possess impressive technical skills, but he certainly doesn’t stand out when compared to Xavi, Iniesta and Messi. Ditto for his skills in dead ball situations. At Inter he was a match winner, at Barca he’s just another player. The one thing you can say the Swede will bring with him is height - he will finally provide Pep’s team with an aerial option in attack. An expensive option.

What Barca need is an out and out goal scorer. An in the box predator. Eto’o but not Eto’o. Keirrison fits this description, but he’s not ready. ‘Ibra’ is not in this mould. He is closer to what Thierry Henry was when he arrived from Arsenal two seasons ago, and his first season was a disaster. The Barca style of football almost ruined him. With the amount of money Laporta is prepared to spend on ‘Ibra’, one has to wonder, why not Kun Aguero?

When Zlatan Ibrahimovic is presented at the Camp Nou next week, presumably in the number 9 shirt, he will no doubt make a speech thanking Joan Laporta, Barcelona and Internazionale Milano for making his ‘dream’ move a reality. There’s one more man the Swede shouldn’t forget to thank, a man who has had as big a say in his transfer has anyone - Florentino Perez.

Update: Pompey confirm Paul Hart as permanent manager.

Sulaiman Al Fahim is set to complete his takeover of Portsmouth FC after the club confirmed that a deal had been reached with the UAE businessman, who has also passed the Premier League’s moneybags fit and proper person test.

The delay in the takeover had been due to the financial due diligence being conducted by Al Fahim’s people, which was also completed last week.

Al Fahim now takes over as Porstmouth chairman and his first task will be to try to make sure he can hold down any players entertaining thoughts of leaving and then rebuild the team for next season.

Another pressing matter that Al Fahim will look into is the construction of a new stadium, something that the previous owners had planned to do but delayed due to financial constraints.

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Owen Hargreaves’ career at Manchester United has been plagued with injuries ever since he made the £17 million move from Bayern Munich, but it seems that he is finally set to return to football. The holding midfielder spent entire last season on the sidelines recovering from double knee surgery, but latest reports are suggesting he should be ready for first team action in September.

Owen Hargreaves was expected to give United much needed cover for the back line but he suffered setback after setback and couldn’t help the team at all last season. However, his rehabilitation is going just fine and he should be able to make a full return to training very soon. After missing the club’s Asian tour, he is expected to join the teammates at Audi Cup in Munich later this month, and even though he will not play at the competition, he will be training with the team. Sir Alex Ferguson expects the player to be ready for first team action in September and Hargreaves’ return would definitely be a big boost for the team.

This season is the turning point for United and the team would profit a great deal if Hargreaves manages to stay fit. The midfield area is no longer as strong as few years back with Scholes and Giggs nearing the end of their careers, while Anderson and Nanni are desperately underachieving. Owen Hargreaves is a versatile player and his return to full fitness would definitely boost United’s chances of having another successful season. When he is fit, Hargreaves is one of the best holding midfielders there is but he desperately need a couple of injury-free seasons in order to realize his potential.

Editor’s Note: Geoff Reid appears on WVHooligan.com each week. Today he returns to talk about what’s going on with legendary Brazilian Ronaldinho. Feel free to leave Geoff your thoughts below.

In 2005 and 2006 he dazzled crowds with excitement in Barcelona and beyond with his skills and beaming smile. He won World Soccer Magazine’s 2005 world player of the year and FIFA’s award followed by a Champions League title in 2006 with a few La Liga titles thrown in there as well.

The question is what happened to Ronaldinho?

I must admit I’m a big Ronny fan and still am. He symbolized what makes the game beautiful and enjoyable to watch. I still have a poster of him on my bedroom wall since my college days. We must also remember is that he is still at a big club playing his football compared to his fellow countryman Adriano who had bags of potential earlier this decade when Inter Milan snapped him up, then we all know what happened to him. Ronny is playing for the other Milan giants and while last season he didn’t fully impress in the red and black it was more then a transition to Italian football then anything else.

After the 2006 World Cup where Brazil by their own standards failed at the quarter final stage to France in a rematch of the 1998 final. At club level a new phenomenon by the name of Lionel Messi started to take center stage and next thing we knew Ronny wasn’t first choice under Frank Rijkaard anymore. Once Rijkaard was out the door and replaced by former club captain Pep Guardiola the former world player of the year was sold to Milan.

What caused his demise?

While there is no specific answer for this, there are several different theories. Firstly, he probably read all the press clippings about him with everyone praising him and rightly so, and getting caught up in all the hype which leads us to the next possible answer: after winning the World Cup in 2002, the Champions League in 2006 and a few La Liga titles in between what else was there for him to win? He won the two biggest trophies in world football with his national team and club side and domestically was part of a dominating force. This now leads us to the third possibility: stories about him spending too many nights out on the town in the Catalonian capital and a poor showing against arch rival Real Madrid in his final season at FC Barcelona had all the writing on the wall.

Can he turn things around and prove himself again?

Absolutely and I’m not saying that because I’m a fan, this season is perfectly poised for him to recapture his old form. First of all, Milan have a new manager in Leonardo which is a big risk for the Rossoneri being a rookie manager but someone who knows Ronny and the club well being a former player. Last season it was clear changes needed to be made in Milan and Carlo Ancelotti leaving was good for him. While Carlo is an outstanding manager, he was too loyal to the veterans at the club and no matter how good or how hard Ronny tried it could not compare to Paolo Maldini in his final season of his career. A new manager means players have to prove themselves and his situation is no different. Another thing going for the Brazilian is his age being only 29. A player of his talent never loses it overnight.

On top of all that, add in this being the season before the world cup begins which no doubt he’ll be in the Brazilian squad of 23 for South Africa, but a starting spot will be up for grabs with the talent pool the size of Brazil’s. He should also be more motivated this coming season by playing Champions League football again after playing in the UEFA Cup last season and trying to wrestle the Scudetto back from city rivals Inter Milan should be enough motivation in itself, especially when their manager is the arrogant Jose Mourinho.

Lost in all these reasons as to why he lost his form we also must take into account his bad luck with injuries in his final season with FC Barcelona. Injuries will slow a career way down and even end a promising one, just ask John O’Brien. For him just like any other player in the world is it all comes down to confidence. Sacha Kljestan is exactly the same in that sense. Injuries plays an important part in lacking confidence. Ronny had this summer off and it was his first summer off in a few years and will be fully rested going into pre-season which makes a world of difference.

I fully recommend to everybody to purchase tickets for Milan friendlies this summer if they’re playing in your area not only to see Oguchi Onyewu in a Rossoneri shirt in the flesh, but also Ronaldinho because I’m predicting a big season from him this year and I fully believe we will be seeing a new fire lit under him to do well with club and country.

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Del Amitri and football are not something that usually mix. Certainly not with any success, anyway (see this example of World Cup pessimism for details). But whilst musing over Michael Owen’s “Eastenders-end-scene” switch to Manchester United this weekend, it was hard to ignore one of Justin Currie’s lyrics.

“It’s hard to say you love someone, and it’s hard to say you don’t”

Football fans tend to be a strange lot, immune from the usual boundaries of love and affection, but still willing to put their heart on the line time and time again. How many times has a promising start to a relationship been soured by a missed penalty, a serious injury, a murky transfer request, a painful departure? How many times have you thought your new £10m striker was “the one”, only to find he was actually El-Hadji Diouf? Or Emile Heskey?

In Owen’s case, things were a little easier. Liverpool fans had heard for years how this wonderkid was tearing up records for our youth team, and leading the charge for England schoolboys simultaneously. We had heard about his electrifying pace, his cold-eyed, surgical nature in front of goal, and the fact that he had a rock-solid personality. We had high hopes.

And then, in May 1997, we saw him. Seventeen years of age, not so much as a whisker adorning his chin, running clear of the Wimbledon defence to latch onto a pass from Stig Inge Bjørnebye, and sidefoot past Neil Sullivan with the panache and confidence that would become his trademark. It was in vain, defeat at Selhurst Park that night extinguished our bid for a title that had looked in the bag at the turn of the year (we famously ended up finishing fourth in a two horse race that season), but a star was very much born, the 1997-98 season was awaited with renewed optimism.

I remember that summer, 1997. All the talk was of one thing. Owen & Fowler. Fowler & Owen. These two strikers would go on to become the greatest partnership ever to wear the red of Liverpool, no doubt. Fowler had scored 31 goals in 1996-97, 36 the year before, 31 the season before that, and 18 in his debut campaign. He already wore the moniker of God as if it had been invented for him, fusing- as the Guardian’s Rob Smyth astutely observed recently- “the mischief of Ferris Bueller with the swagger of Liam Gallagher”. Now he had a sidekick, and not just any sidekick, one with the acceleration, awareness and self-belief to notch goals in any situation, against any defence.

And so we fell in love. We knew Owen had grown up an Evertonian, but then so had Fowler. And McManaman. And Rush. Never bothered us then, why should it concern us now? Especially when the kid was cool enough on his first senior start for the club to convert a penalty, again at Selhurst Park, again against Wimbledon, to earn us an opening day point. A week later his goal earned another draw at Blackburn, and his pace was already causing seasoned defenders to experience a set of emotions ranging from mild discomfort to all-out-distress. All of a sudden Liverpool had the hottest property in world football, and it looked like a marriage made in heaven.

Twenty three goals in his debut season was better than Fowler had managed in an admittedly weaker side four years previously, and his eighteen league strikes earned him a share of the golden boot with Dion Dublin & Chris Sutton (honest). But that spring, something changed with Owen and Liverpool fans. Something happened that really shouldn’t have made us feel the way it did. He made his England debut.

Aged 18 years and 59 days, Owen was the youngest England cap of the 20th century when he turned out against Chile at Wembley, and instantly the public clamour for his inclusion in the 1998 World Cup reached fever pitch. This kid simply had to go to France, Glenn Hoddle owed it to the nation. Not to Liverpool, but to England.

Some cynics argue that from the moment he made his England debut, Owen became England’s Michael Owen, rather than Liverpool’s. It is a tad harsh, after all it wasn’t Owen’s fault he scored the most incredible goal for his country at that World Cup, thus propelling himself to almost iconic status.

And it wasn’t as if his performances for Liverpool diminished either, the following season he managed 23 goals again, despite picking up a serious hamstring injury towards the back end of the season at Leeds. But still Liverpool fans found it hard to admit their feelings. Most still felt a sense of loyalty towards Fowler, even though God’s influence was waning as injuries took their toll on his youthfulness, whilst some simply found Owen’s apparent lack of personality a barrier. Either way, it is undeniable that he was never afforded the reverence his achievements arguably merited.

In my case, it was a little different. I can remember where I was when I fell in love with him. I was in my Grandad’s house, watching Liverpool, or more specifically, Owen, systematically dismantle Newcastle United at St James’ Park in August 1998. The game had an extra edge to it because it was the first game since the departure from Tyneside of Kenny Dalglish, to be replaced by Ruud Gullit and his brand of “sexy football”, the Gallowgate End was packed with dreadlocked wigs and optimism. And Owen humiliated them.

His first was a clinical poacher’s effort, smashing a rebound inside Shay Given’s near post after the Irishman had saved Paul Ince’s long-ranger, his second was all about pace and finishing as he raced clear onto McManaman’s pass to slide through Given’s legs, and his third was simply special, and secured my affections.

Picking up possession 45 yards from goal, Owen showed his strength to hold off the challenge of Laurent Charvet, before knocking the ball beyond the challenge of Phillipe Albert, and clipping the most exquisite of finishes beyond the flailing Given with the outside of his right foot, before celebrating with a surprisingly-amusing rub of his hands. It was class, and cheek, personified, and if you couldn’t love that then you didn’t deserve the lad.

Yet some people didn’t. They still cringed every time he appeared on television talking about wanting to do well for club and country, they still cursed when he sold his soul to advertise Lucozade et al, they still longed for Fowler to return to his old ways and give them someone edgier to worship again. But, painful as it is to say this, Fowler’s best days ended when his cruciate went at Goodison Park in 1998, and from then on it was Owen who carried the mantle for Liverpool, who Gérard Houllier built his team around, and who the fans were forced to build their dreams around.

For a while, it looked like our dreams- and Houllier’s- would be realised. Owen’s 24 goals in 2000/2001 helped Liverpool to an unprecedented League Cup, FA Cup & UEFA Cup treble, with his most memorable contribution coming in single-handedly overturning a goal deficit to Arsenal in the first ever Cardiff FA Cup final (the day even the non-believers were forced to believe).

The same year he picked up his most-famous hat-trick, in Munich against Germany, and in December, he became the first Englishman in twenty years to pick up the prestigious Ballon d’Or award as European Footballer of the Year. Meanwhile he was very much the premier striker at Liverpool now, with Fowler jettisoned to Leeds after an era-ending row with Phil Thompson. How could anyone doubt him? Especially as the next two seasons brought about the best goals return of his career (29 in all competitions), second place in the Premier League, and another League Cup triumph.

Yet in the meantime, there was an underlying problem with Owen at Liverpool. His contract, signed as a 20 year old with the world at his feet, was edging ominously close to its expiry date, and Owen was visibly disheartened at the diminishing quality of Liverpool’s squad under Houllier, and the increased burden he (along with the likes of Steven Gerrard & Jamie Carragher) was being forced to shoulder as a result.

Houllier’s departure in 2004 saw the arrival of Rafa Benítez and, with funds and squad depth in short supply, one of the Spaniard’s first acts was to take the tricky decision to sell Owen to Real Madrid for a cut-price £8m+ Real squad player Antonio Núñez. Liverpool fans were outraged and heartbroken in equal measures. Both at the board for allowing our best forward to leave for such a fee, but equally at Owen for seemingly walking out on the only club who would ever love him.

His year’s (under-rated) soiree in Spain completed, and with Liverpool bagging an improbable and unforgettable Champions League triumph, the time came for Owen to return to the Premier League. Would Liverpool be willing to forgive and forget? Would Owen? The answer seemed to be yes to both, but on 30 August 2005 came the news that all but ended a love affair that had seemed destined to last forever- Owen had joined Newcastle.

Liverpool it seemed could not match Real’s asking price, and England’s number one striker would be heading for the North East instead. His return to Anfield on Boxing Day 2005 saw what is commonly described as “a mixed reception”, the truth was there were more boos than cheers, and the only reason they seemed a bit muted were because we felt sorry for him having to play for such a poor side.

And to be fair, the sympathy was retained pretty much throughout his stay on Tyneside. Injury after injury, manager after manager, messiah after messiah, we all felt for Owen as his career faltered beneath the circus of St James’. He still showed glimpses of his old self, a brief reminder for England in the autumn of 2007, an apparent rebirth as an attacking midfielder under Kevin Keegan, but the general consensus was that Liverpool had seen the best days of Michael Owen, and for that it was perhaps time to let bygones be bygones, and appreciate the memories he gave us.

But then, this. Owen had been linked with some pretty surprising moves this summer in the wake of Newcastle’s relegation, Stoke, Hull, even Everton seemed well placed to snap him up. His advisors even commissioned a brochure advertising his services to potential suitors, with some pretty cringeworthy adjectives banded about (Owen apparently is not only “good-looking” and “cool” but also “sincere”).

It is doubtful that Sir Alex Ferguson would place too much stock in such a gimmick, but if, by chance, he did peruse the paraphernalia during his summer, then it is likely that one statistic will have jumped off the page at him. Owen last season managed just ten goals for Newcastle, but his chance conversion rate was statistically the best in the league. In a struggling side under immense pressure, that is no mean feat. At a better side that can be priceless. So United took the plunge. His wages are likely to be hefty (though no heftier than some), as is his signing on fee, but in truth the move represents little gambling from either side. Owen knows he will get chances, United know he will get goals.

But from a Liverpool fan’s perspective, it is a move that finally severs any ties Owen may still have with the club. It’s hard to say you love someone, but I loved Michael Owen. And it’s hard to say you don’t, well I don’t. Sorry Michael.

Stewart Downing has now joined Aston Villa on a 4 year deal after completing a medical. Although Downing looks to be out of action until October, Martin O’Neill will be delighted having signed another young, talented English player.
The deal is believed to have cost Villa around £12 Million, with Middlesbrough likely to spend most of this sum on strengthening their squad before trying to regain their position in the Premier League.
read more http://footyblog.net/2009/07/16/aston-villa-sign-stewart-downing/
 

1. There’s no “Ronaldo” in “team”

While Cristiano Ronaldo may have appeared to carry Manchester United game after game, it was only because the system set it up that way. When I wrote about Sir Alex Ferguson’s new plan the initial feedback was “yeah, but who will replace Ronaldo!?” It’s a simple solution.

Just like when Ruud van Nistelrooy left the club in 2006, everyone is looking to replace that one star player. When Ruud and all of his goals left, the fans were crying out for Fergie to sign a 30 goals a season striker to replace the Dutchman. No such signing came in, but somehow the Red Devils managed to secure a first Premier League crown in four seasons.

Now, with Cristiano Ronaldo gone, Sir Alex Ferguson is clearly opting for the same fix. Instead of trying to replace a single man and his goals, the wily old Scot is signing players that will fit into the new system. Cristiano Ronaldo scored forty-two goals in one season? So what? With him gone that means the rest of the team will split those 42 goals amongst each other; Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Owen, and the midfield will all gain some tallies.

At the end of the day football is a team game, and eleven men working together is far better than one. Sir Alex Ferguson is getting the right players for a new system, and they will all be pieces of the puzzle.

2. The class of 2009

United will forever be remembered for their famous crops of youngsters. Last season we were lucky enough to get a tiny glimpse of what’s been going on behind closed doors at Carrington as Federico Macheda and Danny Welbeck got significant playing time, but there’s still more to come.

Kiko Macheda and Welbeck should have even more chances to shine this season, and fellow youngsters Ritchie De Laet, Fabio, and maybe even Davide Petrucci could see some senior action during cup games. Just like the beginning days of the Nevilles, Beckham, etc., these youngsters are hungry and determined.

3. Owen Hargreaves

Before you write this guy off, think back to May of this year. United were chasing an unprecedented second straight Champions League victory, but Barcelona’s midfield played with United and put the English champions to the sword. United fans were clamoring for a Michael Essien-type player, and one is already waiting in the wings.

Yes, Owen Hargreaves has been hurt for an entire season, and yes his health is being compared to the fragile Louis Saha, but if he can remain healthy this season then United will be getting back a solid midfielder. Owen can tackle, can shoot, and can take some worldclass freekicks. It may be a cliche, but Owen’s return is like a new signing for the club.

4. Squad players

Cross-town rivals Manchester City are catching a lot of heat for their summer exploits this far, but Mark Hughes knows exactly what he’s doing. Manchester United’s success in recent years has been down to the fact that the Red Devils’ squad is much deeper than their rivals’.

Even without Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez this rings true. Last season saw the emergence of some fairly average players like Darren Fletcher make the step up into useful squad players, and expect more of the same this season. If you look across the board there are very few positions where United is thin; the defense is as solid as ever, the midfield has been bulked up over the summer, and the front-line has experience and youth.

5. The white Pele

Wayne Rooney was billed as England’s savior when he was only a teenager. Now, years later, people are still saying the same thing - but still in anticipation. It’s time for Wayne Rooney to stand up, and there’s no better time than in a World Cup year. On top of that, Rooney will have a chance to play an entire season with Michael Owen, who could quite possibly be Rooney’s strike partner come June in South Africa.

Even without all of the extra motivation, Wayne Rooney should be in top form due to the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo. Instead of being pushed out wide to compensate for Ronaldo’s lack of tracking back, Rooney will be able to stick to his central role and get in front of goal this season. “Shrek” will not have to focus on getting back and playing defense - this season it’s all about the goals.

It’s for these five reasons that I truly believe that Manchester United could make history this time next year. A record fourth consecutive Premiership crown? It just might happen.