Monday Morning Pitch Talk

Liverpool took out Chelsea yesterday in the second biggest match-up of Super Bowl Sunday. Plus, in a highlight of my morning, a Guardian reporter used "gimp" to describe the tussle: "The slight difference in the set-up of their central midfields, with Liverpool playing 4-2-3-1 and Chelsea 4-1-4-1, means that the two mould into each other. These sides fit like a gimp mask, restricting each others' oxygen and movement."


Wow. But with i5hooligans on the putz, I'll post my football ramblings in the Lodge, much to the predictable dismay of Goose and Casey, if Casey takes off his Spock ears and actually logs on. Sunday's brace from Torres hopefully is a sign of things to come and that the Spaniard is rounding into last season's blistering form that saw him net 30 goals.

I'm curious on Jimbo's take on the Premier League action through the transfer window (which end today, apparently extended due to the snowstorms in England). And Champions League thoughts from Train (since his Blues did not look good & Scolari looks like a much lesser version of the Special One.


Spurs bought back Robbie Keane from Liverpool at the deadline. His style of play obviously doesn't suit a style of play like a manager like Benitez establishes. I wish him luck at Tottenham. Kuyt is just better and the same type of player. I do wish we would have signed at least one speedy winger for the second half of the league fixtures, but apparently it twas not to be. Andrei Arshavin to Seatown's Arsenal squad? Let's get this thing rolling again!

Monday Pitch Talk

ALTHOUGH Shawn claims that I only post when Liverpool wins, that is completely untrue. I only post when I have time. And when I'm procrastinating. I have two 12 page papers due by Friday that I only have an outline on one done so far... yet I'm caught up on football. No, Goose... not the NFL combine. We are talking the football the world knows. And it being the A.M., I'm busting out a late night Monday Pitch Talk for ya Wilco style.

By taking out a scrappy Reading club, Liverpool is now set up for a tough five-game stretch that will define their season in the EPL and in Europe. Manchester United are next at Old Trafford, then Everton, followed by three clashes with Arsenal, including both legs of the Champions League quarter-finals. We will see if they have it in them.

Arsenal again drew to an inferior club, beginning to look like my Reds during a winless January. With the aforementioned Champions League draw and a mighty tough league schedule the remainder of the 2nd half of the season, the Gunners might have just fallen from the top of the table for good. Train's Chelsea squad is quietly lurking within striking distance in 3rd. With all the chanting for Grant's head, I think the Blues' fans are missing a great season here.

America's team in Fulham pulled off a shocker versus Everton, which leads me to bring up that Jimbo is going to have a Pitch Talk on Tuesday with all of the regulation worries that must be discussed with 8 matches remaining. Can Fulham pull out of the zone with upcoming consecutive matches versus also-ran struggling clubs in Newcastle United, Derby, Sunderland and Reading? Jimbo will bring the details tomorrow. Stay tuned...

ESLEWHERE in the world, with my brother by my side [Mike was down in La-La land on business], I witnessed PSV completing the knocking off of Spurs in UEFA this past week. I was pleased to see the Dutch squad with a ton of noticeable young talent finally pull through in a big [well, kinda big] match against a quality opponent. Spurs were the butt of a joke again. [Sidenote: Speaking of jokes about Tottenham... the movie In Bruges is worth your 10 bucks at the movie theater, and it includes a great quip about Spurs. The film altogether was very good, with quality acting, clever writing, and it is very well edited. Taking on the subject of death is a tough one, and they pulled it off.]

IN SERIE A, Inter bounced back from losing domestically and in the CL with a 2-1 win over Polermo. While Roma kept chase with a decision over Milan under the same score. Roma have a chance to overtake Inter. A small chance. But still a chance. Milan on the other hand, needed those 3 points versus Roma, and are now 4 points back from non-Champions League play next season. Personally, I think Fiorentina is going to blow it versus Napoli and Lyon in these next two weeks.

Sid Lowe believes this is the worst LA LIGA in history. Barca sh!t the bed in an attempt to gain points on Real. After the league leaders lost on Saturday, the Messi-less Barcelona squad only could managed a draw. They are done, put a fork in them. Barcelona's coach Frank Rijkaard will be looking for a job in six weeks time. I'll celebrate St. Patty's right now by pouring one out for the doomed Dutchman, than making another and drinking it down slowly.

Monday Pitch Talk

AND WE'RE BACK! With both Chelsea and United winning their Champions League matches then subsequently falling to second rate clubs in England's FA Cup, the importance of the FA Cup has now reached a new low... regardless of SAF's tirade against the referees. Although it would be tragic because of the rich history of the Cup's, the FA should think about removing the Premier League from one of the competitions and letting the Championship and lower divisions battle it out for alleged glory.

In league play in England, we saw Arsenal draw against the much weaker Wigan... and Liverpool continue their improved form versus the seemingly regulation bound Newcastle side to regain fourth place. Torres is on fire, simply a force of nature. Moving on, a hiccuping Spurs club got over their Carling Cup hangover with a 4-0 Premier League thrashing of West Ham at White Hart Lane. Now we'll see if they can beat the Dutch side PSV in Eindhoven to continue on in the UEFA Cup.

I don't have any updates from Serie A, La Liga or the Bundesliga, since I didn't watch any non-Premiership matches over the weekend. As always, I recommend listening to the Guardian Unlimited's Sid in Spain to get the low down. Or Jimbo and his sidekick Train can chime in with an update from his viewings. Sorry, Train. But you're the sidekick... at least that's just the way I'm writing it.


Lastly, it was looking like half of the Gillet/Hicks ownership debacle at Anfield was going to come to an end with DIC in Dubia buying out Gillet for 49% of the holdings of L'pool. That, until today's news that Hicks is pulling out of the talks. Not good news for the Reds. The faster the better for those Texans to get out of the owners box as far as I'm concerned. After talking to a couple of new Facebook friends [that I randomly met playing poker on Facebook] from Liverpool about the team, they are convinced the two will eventually sell all of their shares. Apparently the papers over there are going crazy over the possibility.