Walking Alone?

Two losses out of the first three games isn't what Liverpool supporters would have envisioned for this current side. With the likes of Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard, you'd expect them to have nine points out of the nine possible. However they are currently struggling at the moment and even though I have yet to watch a game, I believe I know where some of the problems lie.

Fernando Torres and who?

During this summer, it was said that they were chasing after the likes of David Silva and David Villa. Well both of those players weren't available for them and I believe only chasing after those two players probably stunted their transfer season. They did not buy a creative enough forward to match the likes of Torres. And the current strikers just aren't good enough to mount a challenge for the Premiership title. Ryan Babel has regressed as a player during his time at Merseyside. He can't even score the open net chances he has. Andriy Voronin probably wishes he was back in Germany because I don't think his game is made for England. Good player but just not Premiership material. Playing a one-man front-line with Steven Gerrard just behind isn't going to scare many. Stevie G is at his best when he's making deceptive runs into the box area or bursting runs from his deep midfield spot. This is much harder this season when teams are stacking two defensive midfielders in front of him and after he gets through there, he has a back-line to worry about, even for a World-Class player of his stature, it'll be hard even for him to break down defenses. I believe a 4-4-2 formation with a defensive midfielder and Steven Gerrard as the attacking midfielder would be much more suitable because Gerrard could come into play almost un-touched due to the center halves having to cover the responsibilities of Torres and another forward. However who is that compliment striker??

Aquilani? Is he the answer from the departing Xabi Alonso?

I've read a blog on football-italia.net (http://www.football-italia.net/blogs/al99.html). The blog says that the transfer of Alberto Aquilani is more gain for AS Roma than it is for Liverpool. The blog also goes in depth with the fact that he was suppose to be the next Totti of AS Roma and is suppose to be Italy's next best thing. However Roma gave him away for fish and chips (well not exactly) and you know why? Umm I haven't seen Aquilani in any of the three league matches that Liverpool has played in. Oh that's right he's injured. AGAIN. Roma gave him up because he cannot stay off the treatment table and now he's out until sometime in October. Xabi Alonso was the protection that Steven Gerrard needed, even though Mascherano is a suitable defensive midfield. He still cannot provide the threat that Xabi does and I don't think that Aquilani would be enough also, I mean if he cannot handle the Serie A game, what's going to happen when he plays against a Wigan or a Bolton side who loves nothing but to run into you and hurt you.

Does Benitez really want to be there anymore?

With the lack of huge signings and the money he got from the Xabi Alonso deal not being used at all. One may have to wonder about Rafa Benitez's commitment to this current side. I do not know if truly believes that he can win the Premier League with this club as currently constructed. He's always complaining in the media about why money isn't being used to sign the players that he wants to sign. I believe he's growing tired of the English game. Having to deal with the American owners who don't want to give him a dime and managers in this league getting under his "use-to-be" thick skin (i.e. Sir Alex Ferguson). I think he just wants to enjoy the nice warm weather of Spain and have full control of his club like I'm sure he was use to. I don't think Real Madrid will be a club he could go to, especially with the things he's said about Xabi Alonso even saying that Aquilani is a better passer and creator than Xabi. That's not going to go well with the current Galatico.

However it could be said that he isn't placing huge priority to the Premiership. He wants to stay in the top four so they can get a Champions League spot, but maybe he doesn't have the desire to win the Premier League like Chelsea does or Manchester United every year. Every year he eyes the Champions League as his trophy that he wants and we'll find out in the next few weeks whether they can mount a challenge for it. If he feels like he can't win that this year, I won't be the least bit surprised if he ponders about leaving. Even though I said he might be tired of the English game, he might think that Manchester City (if City don't come up with the expectations of this season) could rejuvenate him. Think about it, he will have good players to his disposal plus he could jab a knife into his most hated rival Sir Alex by moving across the street. You never know with football.

I don't know what's going to happen with this current side. Last season, I was saying that they would probably win the Premier League and look what that got me. Maybe this is just a start of the season slump that they will hope to get out of in tomorrow's game against Bolton. But with Manchester City and Tottenham playing very well and the rest of the top four looking good at the moment, I'm not liking their chances at a top-four finish.

Go D.J. that's my D.J.

I'm sure Steven Gerrard was not saying this in a bar early Monday Morning. In fact him and his friends were beating the shit out of him because the DJ did not play his favorite song. Now the debate starts should he keep his England place for this. We all know that his play warrants him being in the squad but as for a role-model standpoint, do you want little kids to look up to him? And I'm sure that is the question the English FA and Fabio Capello are asking themselves. I'm sure Stevie G isn't a bad guy but when things like this happen you have to wonder how kids will look up to him and they might follow his example.

Now dre, what about John Terry, he has been in trouble before and now he is England's captain

True and honestly that is a very good reason why Stevie G should keep his spot. However even though John Terry is the captain of England, how many people actually know or care about John Terry. JT is an overachiever in my opinion who probably exceed anyone's expectations. And if you were to say who is the better center back b/t him and Rio, I think people who know about the game would say Rio. However Stevie G has a bigger aurora around him then JT and this could affect the team in negative ways too. People would have to answer questions about it and people would debate whether he should actually be in the squad for the time being

I don't think anything will happen to him. I don't think he'll lose his spot completely. I'm sure Capello will make an example out of him and leave him off the starting lineup for the friendly against Spain in February but I don't think he'll be in exile and honestly who in England is going to care what he does. I mean me and a Stevie G supporter were joking about the whole thing and I'm sure others will be too so I'm guessing what will happen is that he'll get a slap on the wrist, maybe a 30 day suspended jail sentence and then we'll all forget the whole thing within the next year.

Backtracking??? and what to do with gerrard and lampard

So I remember before the England-Croatia game yesterday. Everyone was trying to talk about how the players on this England team wasn't world-class and they are just not good enough to make other leagues or other national teams and the fact that Croatia will wipe the floor with them in Zagreb. And I would tend to agree with them and that maybe some of these players are the product of the foreign talent that they have on the clubs. Yeah, England has talented players but still they might just be as good as the players that are around them on their club teams. For example Jon Terry has his best performances with Chelsea and the portuguese Carvalho and the same with Ferdinand and Manchester United with the Vidic.



A day later after a Theo Walcott hat trick and a demolitioning of Croatia. Everyone is talking about this tean like they are going to win the World Cup and they have everyone in the media just peeing in their pants talking about this team. It was only a day ago where people said that they did not have a chance of winning and would probably be grateful with a point out of this game. Now they are currently on top of the world in their terms, but i'm going to stay cynical because there could be one game that brings back in the England sucks chants for the media. And don't forget you have to re-incorporate Steven Gerrard back on the team once he gets healthy or do you? I don't know these questions will be answered by the next year when qualifying will end and hopefully for football (aka soccer) sake that England will be in this world cup and prove the doubters (and that includes me) wrong.

Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard; that is the real question. What to do with him? Should you put him back in the lineup as an outside player or try to get him inside or to just leave him out of the starting 11 altogether. I think most England manager would be scared of leaving one of their "world-class" players on the bench but I don't know about Capello. He seems like he would be the kind of guy who would keep egos in check. I would think about doing this, when Gerrard gets healthy and they keep on with these results, leave him on the bench, because he should not be playing out wide I like Cole, Walcott, or Bentley being out there. They are natural born wide guys and they should be the ones playing their over just star guys. Maybe if Lampard isn't playing up to his capabilities you switch them on and off because it's obvious that they cannot play together, we've seen it many of times and it just doesn't work. And they play the same way with their club teams and probably both are on form with their club teams, then Capello should base what he should do with those two on national team training sessions and the games that they play with England. The best chance of England winning is either having one or the other on the feld not both.