All posts by h79snht.top

Charlie Adam is a player that divides opinion. Some see him as offering a genuine threat in the final third and in possession of a wonderful range of passing; his detractors often state that he lacks composure against top-class opposition and that he can be too prone to Hollywood balls. As is often with cases like this, the truth lies somewhere in between. What is without question though, is the pivotal role which Adam has in this new-look Liverpool side, which brings me to the point, if you take Adam out of the side, does it affect the balance of this Liverpool side? And is it for the better?

It’s my contention that Liverpool operate best in a 4-3-3 formation with Suarez as the focal point of the team’s attack. It allows a fluidity to their attacking play and it draws the best out of those around the Uruguayan. However, trying to pin down Dalglish to a consistent formation is like trying to nail jelly to a wall.

So far, Adam has started in every single league game this season for his new club and has a respectable three assists and one goal from his first six league outings. Last season at Blackpool, Adam struck twelve times and created nine goals in what was ultimately an exciting but unfulfilled campaign. It’s obvious what he brings to the party – the much-coveted and often elusive ‘end product’.

The Scotland international was deployed in a two-man midfield alongside Lucas Leiva against Spurs, but during his stay at Anfield thus far, he’s predominantly been used as one part of a triumvarite. To put it simply, the theory behind the Lucas/Adam axis is that the Brazilian holding man does the tackling, and that Adam does the distributing. So far, the results have been mixed

It’s worked when this Liverpool side has been on top, but when they’ve been put under pressure, as they were in the game at White Hart Lane, Adam’s lack of pace has been found wanting and he has been guilty of diving in far too easily on occasion.

When Dalglish has opted for a midfield three, Jordan Henderson has come in alongside both Adam and Lucas and the balance struck has certainly been a lot better. It’s somewhat reminiscent of the line-up that Blackpool went for last season with Adam in the side. Lucas doubles as David Vaughan and Henderson as either Elliot Grandin or Keith Southern.

Playing in a three-man midfield, as Liverpool have done at times this season, is what suits Adam best. It grants him more freedom, time on the ball and less of a disciplined role in tracking back. But does this then mean that Adam needs a degree of protection in order to get the best out him?

A fact that is often glossed over, though, is just how poor Adam’s disciplinary record has been since his stay in the top flight. His record of 13 yellow cards and 1 red card since the start of last season is second only to Newcastle’s Cheik Tiote. He finished last season with the third-most fouls in the league, behind just Tiote and Kevin Davies. He’s already joint-second this season, alongside who I hear you cry? That’s right, you guessed it, our man in the north, Cheik Tiote.

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In short, his dismissal against Spurs last weekend had been an accident waiting to happen for quite some time now. His lack of mobility tends to mean that he struggles in a two-man midfield and he was brutally exposed by Spurs high-tempo style of play. This further begs the question, can Liverpool afford to cater their side’s style of play just to tailor to Adam’s needs? And does he represent something of a passenger at times?

It’s worth noting that Adam’s two finest performances in a Liverpool shirt so far have been against a ten-man Arsenal side and when Liverpool were 3-0 up against Bolton and cruising. Does he have the ability to step it up against a finer class of opposition when the going gets tough? It’s fair to say that the jury is still out on that one.

Another potential spanner in the works is this long-awaited return of Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard from a serious groin injury. Gerrard and Suarez have the potential to dovetail brilliantly in the future and the role he takes up in the side on his return could have an effect on Adam’s. in the short-term

Gerrard’s return opens up all number of possibilities, though. He could step into a role just behind Suarez or Andy Carroll up top. He could drop into a midfield three alongside Adam and Lucas, with Henderson making way, or he could play out wide.

Dropping Adam from the side, in theory, affects the balance of the side. His balls from deep are a great way of relieving pressure and the presence of his long-range passing has been seen to bring out the best in both Suarez and Stewart Downing. It makes Liverpool a more expansive, open outfit and as a result, a more attacking and attractive proposition.

The side have lacked a player capable of putting the ball on a sixpence since the departure of Xabi Alonso, and while Adam is nowhere near being in the Spaniard’s class, the point remains. However, if you were to drop Adam from the side upon Gerrard’s return, it frees an extra space up top, with Dirk Kuyt, Craig Bellamy or Andy Carroll the likely benefactors of the England vice-captain’s return to central midfield.

Last season, Dalglish’s Liverpool side built their impressive run of form upon the backbone of Lucas and Jay Spearing. So far, Spearing has struggled to force his way into the starting eleven this season ahead of the glamorous acquisitions of Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam. He may be as ugly as sin and perform an unglamorous role, but Spearing was pivotal last term and a recall may add balance to a platform in danger of tilting over in favour of attacking intent.

Charlie Adam looks to be a decent signing at £7m, but whether he should be so assured of a guaranteed role in Liverpool’s starting eleven remains in question. The balance of the side looks a lot better with Gerrard and Spearing in place of Adam and Henderson.

The knock-on effect, though, could be a less extravagant style of play. To stick or twist are the options available to Dalglish at present, but for me, Adam’s place shouldn’t be taken for granted. He certainly lacks both the flexibility and adaptability to perform at his best in different systems and formations. His presence may be a necessity for the time being, but whether it does so in the future remains to be seen. As a rotated squad player, Adam has a lot to offer, but as a regular starter, Adam may be causing more damage to the team’s shape than he’s worth in the long-run.

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You can follow me Twitter @JamesMcManus1

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Fulham play Newcastle tonight in the Premier League and it will be an interesting game for a number of reasons. I will again be playing the Picklive fantasy football game, and here is who I will be choosing.

The question concerning Newcastle is how they will get on without Andy Carroll, and with that in mind Ameobi might be worth a punt tonight. Newcastle have not had Carroll all month but have still managed 8 points from 12 without him. Ameobi has been leading their front line in his absence and they have not changed their style of football massively. I expect Newcastle will look to test out Fulham’s Stockdale with some direct balls into the box, since Schwarzer is away in the Asian cup.

If you fancy a bigger risk Leon Best recently scored a hat-trick. Their other option is Nile Ranger, a similar player to Andy Carroll but obviously more raw. I hope he will come good for Newcastle in the long run. I expect him to pick up a few goals in the second half of the season, but not tonight at Fulham, bare him in mind for future weeks.

They still have goal threats from midfield in Barton and Nolan. These two are likely to be involved in most of their goals, Barton being their set piece taker and Nolan being their top scorer now Carroll is a Liverpool player. Barton, has been much better in a disciplinary sense this year as well, so I am not too worried about him getting a card.

Fulham’s Dempsey has been in good form in front of goal this year, scoring 8 times in the league. He is good in the air and with his feet so I will be picking him. Other than that, Murphy recently proved his worth, getting a brace of penalties against Spurs. He also takes set pieces, and with the likes of Hangeland lurking, Murphy might prove a shrewd bet. The other players I would consider are Simon Davies who has been in good form this year with 2 goals and 4 assists, and Andy Johnson who is now fit again. He scored away at Wigan and has started the last 4 EPL games.

Tonight I am going for Barton, who provides excellent balls into the box. I narrowly decided to pick him over Ameobi, because if Ameobi doesn’t score he is likely to score fewer points. The other two I am choosing are Dempsey and Johnson, since I fancy Fulham to get 3 points tonight and a goal to come from one of these two.

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The timing was exquisite. As the nation prepared to drown itself in a sea of alcohol and spend the following day feeling very sorry indeed, the FA decided to release the 115-page document explaining the reasons behind the 8-match ban for Luis Suarez for making racist comments to Patrice Evra, also documenting the full process from beginning to end.

What was clear having ploughed through its contents was that the FA and the independent panel had done their homework. Every angle had been covered, every piece of evidence obtained, every possible witness spoken to, every ‘i’ dotted, every ‘t’ crossed. Nothing was left untouched, including the ramifications of the final decision. What was even clearer (to me and surely millions more) was that the actions of Liverpool immediately after the size of the ban was announced have ensured that this great club’s name has been thoroughly dragged through the mud.

All fans are blinkered to some extent towards the discrepancies of their own club, players, manager and fellow fans. But a section of Liverpool fans have simply refused to accept that the decision was just, or even that their player did anything wrong (something the player himself has admitted). Predictably, since the allegation was first made, a lot of fans have settled on their viewpoint along club lines. With little or no evidence available, they decided it was a disgrace, or entirely justified. Liverpool fans were dismayed that he could be banned for one person’s word against another’s. Suddenly they were all experts in South American linguistics too, having hastily read on the internet whatever arguments backed up their individual viewpoint.

What staggered me most though was Liverpool’s response to the initial ban. To call it ill-advised would be doing it a disservice. Staggeringly, flabbergasting, moronically ill-advised might be closer to the truth. The club may not have agreed with the decision (for reasons that escape me), but there is a way to deal with such things, and that wasn’t it. Surely the sensible option would have been a quick statement, expressing their disappointment at the decision, and that they would make further comment on release of the official document. United, and Alex Ferguson, recognised that it was best to keep quiet and let the process take its natural course.

But not Liverpool. They somehow decided that full-frontal offensive drive was the order of the day. Their statement was a horrible mishmash of flimsy evidence, spurious claims and mistruths.

‘It is also our opinion that the accusation by this particular player was not credible – certainly no more credible than his prior unfounded accusations.’

The assertion in their official statement that Patrice Evra “has form” for this sort of thing is quite simply a lie. It needs repeating, again, that the two past allegations of racist abuse against Evra were not made by the player himself. One was made by a deaf United fan who had lip-read comments, another was overheard by Mike Phelan. Such a distortion of the truth can be expected in some quarters, but a football club with a PR department and legal representatives should perhaps be setting their sights a tad higher. It was a claim Dalglish first made to the referee when first hearing about the allegation post-match.

‘We find it extraordinary that Luis can be found guilty on the word of Patrice Evra alone…’

Oh dear. As we shall see, all parties accepted the case was not a case of one man’s word against another’s, thought it was of course at the heart of the allegation. More lies.

‘It is key to note that Patrice Evra himself in his written statement in this case said ‘I don’t think that Luis Suarez is racist’. The FA in their opening remarks accepted that Luis Suarez was not racist.’

Well done Liverpool – you have realised that he was not banned for being a racist. What point beyond this were they trying to make?

‘Luis himself is of a mixed race family background as his grandfather was black…He has played with black players and mixed with their families whilst with the Uruguay national side and was Captain at Ajax Amsterdam of a team with a proud multi-cultural profile, many of whom became good friends.’

The barrel is now truly being scraped. My “best friends” argument is one that reeks of desperation. And proves nothing anyway, being irrelevant to the case, except for the mention elsewhere of the panel wanting to have a very strong burden of proof.

‘We would also like to know when the FA intend to charge Patrice Evra with making abusive remarks to an opponent after he admitted himself in his evidence to insulting Luis Suarez in Spanish in the most objectionable of terms. Luis, to his credit, actually told the FA he had not heard the insult.’

And now the barrel has been scraped out of existence – having run out of arguments, let’s try and blame the other guy instead eh? And we are expected to give a player credit for admitting to have not heard something??!

And then there was the T-shirts. Just thinking about  them makes me cringe. Let’s be clear, the judgement was not that Suarez was inherently racist, but that he made a racist comment, which is a different thing altogether. And the document’s findings took away any doubt. The panel that came to pass judgement was independent, and was approved by Liverpool. The panel hired two experts in South American linguistics. Lawyers aplenty were involved, as always. Other players gave evidence. Dalglish openly criticised the delay in a decision in a press conference – yet Suarez’s representative had asked for a delay in proceedings so that they could collate evidence – which the FA mostly granted. The FA didn’t grant the full period delay asked for as they argued it was in the player’s interests to conclude matters as soon as possible.

Even if the terms Suarez admitted to using are acceptable in Uruguay, it is not a valid excuse. Suarez was not in Uruguay, and what’s more has been in Europe for five years, so should have some idea by now about what is and what isn’t right. He admitted to the panel that it wasn’t acceptable, and he wouldn’t do it again – that’s what is commonly known as an admission of guilt. A key point in the decision was the simple fact that Suarez was seen as an unreliable witness. And the key example of this was his account of pinching Evra on the arm. Suarex claimed initially in his statement that it was done to diffuse the situation – but at the hearing, after being asked six times, that this wasn’t the case. This changes everything, as it discredits the claim that Suarez said the word negro in a friendly manner in the middle of a heated argument – this claim is simply close to unbelievable, as the report mentioned. The changing of accounts made matters worse – Liverpool blamed it on “bad drafting” yet Suarez’s representative had already commented on what great care had been applied to constructing the statement. The 115-page report makes clear references more than once that Suarez’s account of events was inconsistent with the video evidence, unlike Evra’s, and what they repeatedly mention is that no attempt was made to explain away the discrepancies. What’s more, Suarez’s account in his witness statement contained three differences in all to his account given at the hearing in November.

And it wasn’t just Suarez. When Comolli (Liverpool’s Director of Football) reported to the referee after the match what Suarez claimed to have said, there were further discrepancies with Suarez’s own account of what he said. And yet despite all this, the club continue to claim it is the FA’s errors that have led to this outcome. But as the report said: ‘

‘The impression created by these inconsistencies was that Mr Suarez’s evidence was not, on the whole, reliable. He had put forward an interpretation of events which was inconsistent with the contemporaneous video evidence. He had changed his account in a number of important respects without satisfactory explanation.’

The Liverpool party used Suarez’s background as part of his defence – he had a black grandparent, his wife called him negro (due to hair colour though), he has black friends, has black team-mates throughout his career and has never had any problems previously. However, this defence also helped strengthen the final decision of the panel, as they were aware because of his heritage that they would need an even stronger burden of proof to find him guilty of the charges – thus, their final decision became even more “appeal-proof”. The commission found clear evidence that Suarez did not say the word negro just once (important in determining his intentions). They found him to have said it seven times. And the experts conclusions? Suarez’s remarks would be “considered racially offensive in Uruguay and other regions in of Latin America”.

The club have dug themselves a massive hole. If they had appealed after the release of a 115-page document that most sane and sensible people have agreed shows the ban to be just, then they would rightly be open to indignation for backing a player found guilty of racist comments. If they didn’t appeal, it will lead to a host of questions as to their ill-advised response to the original ban. Effectively they are admitting everything they did was wrong. Even so, that’s surely their best option available, surely their only option available. And it is thankfully what they did. But rather than move on, they just kept on digging.

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Another statement was soon forthcoming from the club, some of which is detailed below.

‘In its determination to prove its conclusions to the public through a clearly subjective 115-page document, the FA panel has damaged the reputation of one the Premier League’s best players, deciding he should be punished and banned for perhaps a quarter of a season. This case has also provided a template in which a club’s rival can bring about a significant ban for a top player without anything beyond an accusation….. In America, where Liverpool ownership resides, there was a shameful bigotry that prevented black athletes from competing at the highest levels for decades….. ……..Continuing a fight for justice in this particular case beyond today would only obscure the fact that the Club wholeheartedly supports the efforts of the Football Association, the Football League and the Premier League to put an end to any form of racism in English football. …..It is time to put the Luis Suarez matter to rest and for all of us, going forward, to work together to stamp out racism in every form both inside and outside the sport. It is for this reason that we will not appeal the eight-game suspension of Luis Suarez.’

Another laughable release. They must be taking a lot of people for fools if they think that a 115 page document has left out vital areas of the investigation. Or if they think that we should believe that they are aware of other information that would change everything but aren’t going to release it or appeal. For what possible reason would the FA try and set up Suarez and Liverpool? Yes, Liverpool say the Football Association is to blame for damaging the reputation of a man that was found to have used the word “negro” seven times. However strongly Liverpool felt over this, surely they realised the need for some apology, even for unintentionally causing offence? Damage limitation was necessary, but not forthcoming, bar a vague apology finally from Suarez yesterday. As Martin Samuel commented in the Daily Mail, this has been a PR disaster, a legal disaster and a sporting disaster considering an eight-match ban may have been avoided with greater contrition from the start.  Liverpool are upset that he seems to have been convicted on areas of probability rather than absolute proof, but with ample video evidence that we won’t have seen, we must assume there was the aforementioned strong burden of proof. And either way, there was a way to deal with this whole affair professionally. What could be most damaging is the perception of a club known around the world, that has been in existence for well over a century.

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Certainly when you write a blog about Liverpool Football Club, it can be very frustrating when the club are so silent on transfer matters. As a fan of the club though I do prefer it this way, despite the fact it makes my job more difficult, as we have seen too much going in public over the last few years. When they have something, they will say it, and I am happy enough to go along with this.

With the advent of modern technology and the internet though, patience seems no longer to be a virtue. Instant gratification is a consequence of the modern age, and as with all bodies, the media must go with the times. This site, and others like it, are the result of the blossoming of social media such as Facebook, twitter, the Blogosphere and the demand for news on Ipads, mobiles and any other device you care to mention.

To satisfy this clamour for information, sites spring up to fill the voids where there is a demand, and news aggregators such as NewsNow are a useful way of filtering the internet into stories that interest the reader. Of course, the demand for transfer stories from readers in the summer months means sites fill up with gossip and rehashed rumours to boost visitors and pageviews. This site is no different of course, and I will not pretend otherwise, but one of the biggest effects of this demand for new information is not only the large amount of fabrication that goes on, but also a mentality among some readers to expect instant results from our clubs, especially on transfers.

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I am, like many others, not immune to demanding more immediate results from my club so I can at least write a few blog articles about it. I want to know what Kenny Dalglish, FSG and Damien Comolli are planning but I fully appreciate the reasoning behind the silence we receive from Anfield.

To be perfectly honest I love reading rumours with us being linked with the likes of Santi Cazorla , Juan Mata , Aly Cissokho , Blaise Matuidi and Mamadou Sakho but especially with so many sites blatantly making up stories these days, it is hard to know who we are actually interested in.

There are more solid foundations to us being linked with the likes of Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing because such rumours originate from people at the Times such as Tony Barrett, the Daily Telegraph and the Independent who have more reliable sources than most, but they are never 100% reliable.

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Frustration does set in inevitably when you hear the club being linked with every name under the sun, and yet seem to be signing nobody at all. From my point of view the best thing to do is either don’t read the rumours and wait for Liverpoolfc.tv to announce the signings, or read them and accept it for what they are; hearsay. Patience is a very difficult concept to grasp in this day and age, but the Reds are asking for it, and I trust that most Reds fans understand this despite the 24 hour rumour mill of NewsNow and twitter.

Read more of David’s articles at Live4Liverpool

Arsenal will have to wait to see whether they have signed Velez Sarsfield midfielder Rick Alvarez, who is the subject of transfer bids from Inter Milan and Roma also.

Palermo president Mauricio Zamperini has revealed that his side were interested in the Argentinian, but were put off by the £11 million price tag – which has been met by their Italian rivals.

“We were close to signing Alvarez for half the price they will now pay for him but my colleagues took it easy and no agreement was reached,” the outspoken 65-year-old is believed to have said in The Sun.

“Where will he go? He was going to sign for Arsenal but Inter Milan made a move and that is where I believe he will go,” he concluded.

The Buenos Aires side’s chairman Fernando Raffaini confirmed that the European trio were battling for his services.

“Alvarez could be in England or Italy because we are negotiating with several clubs in those countries. Until it is signed, nothing is confirmed, but many clubs are interested, including Inter, Roma and Arsenal,” he concluded.

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The 23-year-old impressed in helping Velez to their 8th national Primera Division title in 2011.

Arsenal will forever be in my heart. But a little bit of love for the club I have followed for 40 years died yesterday thanks to a box office wallah who effectively denied me the chance to take my boy, aged six, to Stoke.

All I wanted to do was collect a ticket from the Britannia box office, a duplicate of one that hadn’t arrived in the post to a mate on the away season ticket scheme. Simple, right? Er, no. Let me explain. My mate lives and works in Scotland and wasn’t going to the game so as a gift suggested I take Josh on him. Cheers, mate, the Arsenal family spreading the love. Josh could go to his first away game having already been 10 times to see the Gunners at the Emirates.

All I had to do was ring the box office and explain. I did. In short the girl on the blower wasn’t having it. She pointed out that only the intended recipient could collect the ticket. Yes, but he is in Scotland and isn’t going and he is giving me the ticket I argued.

Again, she pointed out that only the intended recipient could collect the ticket. Surely, I countered, the rules could be bent a little to allow me to take my son to the game. To nurture the supporters of the future. To support a club under fire after hiking season ticket prices and membership costs. To support a club without silverware since 2005. To support a club that could do with all the support it could get given the current movement opposing so much about the Arsenal of 2011. At a virtual dead rubber of a game with only Champions League qualification riding on it. I say ‘only’ – Lord know that other lot would celebrate long into the night at this achievement – but, to qualify that, we could have been going to Stoke to win the title.

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I added that they could check me out as a loyal follower with home and away season tickets and that surely my ID would suffice along with the permission of the guy who owned the ticket. After repeating myself and adopting a heated, incredulous tone but still getting an unswerving monotone response I asked to speak to the away scheme manager. I was put on hold but lost the plot and slammed the phone down in anger at the Emirates entrenchment.

Two minutes later a bloke called Jason called to berate me about my attitude. I was, according to him, “rude and agrressive”. I argued that I was merely frustrated and wasn’t rude, didn’t swear and delivered what I thought, even if I say so myself, was a reasoned, eloquent argument. I then pointed out that if he was only ringing to question my attitude then the conversation should end sharpish. What other business rings their customers to have a go at then once they have questioned their service? Unbelievable.

I couldn’t reason with Jason. I couldn’t talk to him about my Dad collecting me from the schoolboys at Highbury to go into the cavernous, wondrous North Bank. Peanuts, all roasted. My first NLD at WHL in 1975. Liam Brady. Brussels 1980. Oxford Road against the Mancs early 80s. The agony of York away. The joy of Anfield 89. More than 60 grounds in Europe following MY team.

Yes, I’ll be at Stoke, but my nipper won’t be. My six-year-old son who runs round the house singing, “Ooh, ahh Ray Parlour” and is being brought up like me and his Grandad before him to be Arsenal, will miss out. I don’t suppose it will bother the likes of Ivan Gazidis and will have zero impact on the club’s corporate goals and ideology of global domination. But ignoring the lifeblood of the club, its loyal fans, is to do so at its peril. As for our excellent manager Arsene Wenger – an utter genius who I admire greatly – I quite understand why he has too much on his plate to let one whining fan upset the Emirates evolution. Don’t ever take my Arsenal away, eh?

A few weeks ago I read about the Black Scarf chaps who are marching from Blackstock Road to the ground to voice their concern about the deepening division between what you might call old school supporters and the club. Not for me, I thought. I ‘support’ the Arsenal, don’t we have enough detractors without rebelling ourselves?

Then I spoke to Jason. Now I am joining the march. It has hit me that I am the very same supporter, with the same set of beliefs, for whom these boys are marching.

And my away season ticket for the next campaign? You can stick it right up your Arsenal.

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Article Written by Carl Eldridge at Arsenal Insider

FootballFanCast.com WORLD Exclusive, Robbie Savage’s Face in a Baby Scan

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It’s not too often that come the end of the season the Manchester United trophy cabinet remains unfilled. For years on end, the Premier League crown has called the Old Trafford museum its spiritual home, but even on the occasion when it does end up somewhere else, United always manage to win at least one other competition to soften the blow. Sir Alex Ferguson and co face a different scenario this May though – a year without a trophy at all. But what will that mean for a team still very much in transition? Could it be the end of the road already?

It seems a little knee-jerk, but after back-to-back defeats to two of their biggest rivals, the wheels look as though they may be about to come off at the worst possible time. I think it’s fair to say that the only reason United are still top of the league is because the teams around them have been equally inconsistent. But next season they won’t be so fortunate. Chelsea will be a lot better next season after their new recruits have had a chance to settle down, Arsenal mature with each passing year and it’s only a matter of time before Manchester City put up a real fight for the league title.

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You could argue decisions didn’t go United’s way at Chelsea – that happens. But anyone in the game will tell you it’s all about the reaction to such defeats. Man United’s wasn’t good enough at Liverpool and it highlighted a huge problem. Wes Brown and Michael Carrick are no longer good enough, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs are resembling luxuries and Wayne Rooney looks a shade of the player he did last season. I’m not suggesting they should all be flogged off in the summer, but as the senior players in the side responsible for bringing through the next generation, it definitely presents a problem that Sir Alex must address sooner rather than later.

We’ve seen him dismantle squads before, so sentiment isn’t an issue for the 69-year-old. The Premier League has been there for United to lose this season, and I’m sure Fergie won’t take too kindly if his side do throw it away. United have a lot of youngsters who he has put faith in, but you can see the likes of Obertan, Anderson, and Bebe making way along with a few of the first team regulars if United do manage to capitulate in the manner they are threatening to do so.

Any trophy this season will paper over the cracks at Old Trafford and will give Fergie the time to go about building another team without the media predicting a ‘crumbling empire’ at Old Trafford. But if they fail to win the much sought after record 19th title, Ferguson could once again look to the future to bring about more success next season. Is it time for Sir Alex to start again? I get the feeling we are one Premier League trophy away from the answer.

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If you want to read more follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/@joino

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Roberto Mancini believes that Manchester City need 90pts in order to land this season’s Premier League title.  The Italian believes the form of United and Tottenham means that City will need to obtain the highest points margin since 2008 if they wish to be crowned Champions come May.

Elsewhere in the news Villas-Boas quashes Rodwell rumour; Kenny Dalglish remains bullish, while Arsene Wenger concedes he had luck on his side.

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Villas-Boas quashes transfer rumour

Wenger had luck on his side

Mancini glad to be top at Christmas

Sir Alex Ferguson delighted with performance

Moyes hails Leon Osman’s form

Kenny Dalglish remains bullish

O’Neill feels Sunderland got their just deserts

John Terry facing charges over racism

Harry Redknapp claims transfer deal is dead

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TRANSFER TALK

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Chelsea wait in the wings to sign Krasic on loan from Juventus – Daily Mail

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Toon boss Pards joins Jan sales – Sun

Aston Villa facing fight to land Swiss midfield star – TalkSport

City line up Birmingham starlet Redmond – Mirror

Chelsea and Liverpool suffer blow in Ocampos chase as River rule out sale – Daily Mail

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For many fans, the problem with the power structure at Arsenal is that, since the departure of David Dein, the club has been lacking individuals willing to contradict Arsene Wenger. From Pat Rice and Boro Primorac to Ivan Gazidis and Peter Hill-Wood the Arsenal manager appears to have all of them eating out of the palm of his hand. So what then should Arsenal fans expect of Stan Kroenke? You’re as likely to see ‘Silent’ Stan around The Emirates as you are to see Ed Miliband delivering seminars on charisma, but that does not mean that the largest sports mogul in the world will not be keeping a keen eye on the club he paid close to a billion dollars for in April last year.

His NFL franchise the St. Louis Rams have recently finished a disappointing season, similar to the one Arsenal are enduring at the moment, what better way to understand the north London club’s new owner than to observe his behaviour towards his other teams. So what was Kroenke’s reaction to the Rams having such a poor season? A major restructuring of the club. Head coach Steve Spagnuolo and general manager Billy Devaney were both shown the door in what Kroenke described as a ‘difficult but necessary’ change for the club.

This begs the question: could we see a similar scenario at Arsenal come the end of the season? With the Arsene Wenger’s tenure apparently wearing thin with The Emirates’ crowd and Ivan Gazidis testing the patience of every Arsenal fan with his lack of negotiating skill could Kroenke really be the man to initiate success-inspiring change at Arsenal? His overhaul of the management of the St. Louis Rams certainly showed that he is not afraid to put sentimentality aside for the success of the club, even if it was an injury crisis that hampered the Rams’ season rather than the coaching staff.

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The problem is of course is that Arsenal is still a profitable club under Wenger, he still has the ability to make money for Kroenke and come the end of the season we could see a subconscious differentiation from Kroenke between ‘for the good of the club’ and ‘for the good of my pocket’. The same goes for Gazidis, who we know does a good job expanding Arsenal’s global brand but is found wanting when it comes to transfer dealings – most notably selling one of the world’s best central midfielders and Arsenal’s captain for a pitiful initial £25m. For Barcelona President Sandro Rosell to announce shortly after the transfer that Fabregas was actually worth closer to £60m was a bitter pill for Arsenal fans to swallow and not one they will forgive Gazidis for easily.

However you would expect that, being former chief executive of the MLS, Ivan Gazidis was probably one of the major reasons for Kroenke’s faith in Arsenal, thus his departure seems unlikely. A further worry for Arsenal fans should be that even if Kroenke were to sack Arsene Wenger, with so little time spent watching Arsenal games and a questionable knowledge of football in general, how strong a position will Kroenke be in to either recognise the type of manager that Arsenal would need as Wenger’s replacement or identify which manager has those qualities. This might be largely up to Peter Hill-Wood but even he seems out of touch in recent years.

How too should Arsenal fans read Kroenke’s situation with the LA Dodgers, an MLB team that the American tycoon has bid for. Should they be worried that Kroenke seems to have a greater interest in adding to his collection of teams rather than focusing on providing success for them? Looking at his other ventures you can deduce that Kroenke certainly won’t be embarking on any Arsenal shaped extravagances any time soon, that’s not his style. However he’s not afraid of initiating changes, indeed the American media has suggested that Kroenke is bidding for the LA Dodgers because he intends to move the St. Louis Rams to Los Angeles, which is no small feat. So what can we infer from our knowledge of Kroenke? That he’s not scared to make big decisions, that he’s definitely not Abramovich or Mansour, but above all he’s interested in making money. If you needed any proof that Wenger had the full support of Kroenke you need only look to the American’s interview with The Telegraph, in which he said:

“Arsene is one of my favourite people I have met in the last 20 years. He is a great person and I love the way he handles himself. I love his focus. He is a very intelligent guy. You can talk to him about anything and, when he starts talking to people, I really love to listen to him…I have tremendous confidence in him. He is one of the great managers in the world…With Arsene, it [leaving the club] is his decision and only he will know that.”

So it looks ominous for the ‘Wenger-out’ brigade, at least another season looks likely for the Arsenal manager should he refuse to walk, but Kroenke has proved that he is prepared to shake things up, when he might do so is another matter altogether.

For more Arsenal news and stories follow me on Twitter @H_Mackay

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Bayern Munich and Inter Milan meet in a Champions League round of 16 tie at the San Siro on Wednesday in a rematch of the 2010 final.Italian powerhous Inter got the better of their German opponents at the Santiago Bernabeu on May 22, winning 2-0 to secure a treble of European Cup, Serie A title and Coppa Italia. Bayern were forced to settle for a runners-up medal in Madrid and consoled themselves with a domestic double of Bundesliga championship and DFB Pokal Cup.But both sides have slipped considerably since their all-conquering form of last season. Inter lost coach Jose Mourinho to Real Madrid just days after he guided them to their third European crown. His replacement, Rafael Benitez, lasted just seven months before being shown the door as a consequence of disappointing results at home and abroad. Brazilian Leonardo, brought in on an 18-month contract, has orchestrated a minor revival to see the team rise to third in the league.But with the players struggling to replicate their impressive performances of the previous campaign, Inter appear unlikely to become the first team to retain the European Cup since 1990. Bayern have also endured a disappointing season to date. Dutch coach Louis van Gaal and the bulk of last year’s squad remain at the Allianz Arena, but they made an awful start to the Bundesliga season and allowed Borussia Dortmund to race into a commanding lead. With Dortmund 13 points ahead already, Bayern appear destined to surrender their crown. In a rare piece of good news, dangerous wingers Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben – the duo who fired Bayern to success in 2009/10 – finally took to the pitch together for the first time this season two weeks ago and were on the field again in a 3-1 win over Mainz on Sunday.Inter, meanwhile, could only scrape a 1-0 win at home to mid-table Cagliari. Centre-back Lucio and playmaker Wesley Sneijder have been rushed back into action by Inter for the key match. Bayern forward Mario Gomez should recover from an ankle injury, but the departure of Martin Demichelis to Malaga in January has left a hole in the centre of defence. Ukraine midfielder Anatoliy Tymoschuk has filled in with mixed results and may be targeted by Inter forward Samuel Eto’o. Diego Milito, scorer of both goals in the final, is injured, while Giampaolo Pazzini is ineligible, meaning out-of-form Goran Pandev could start alongside Eto’o.