It was in typical fashion that the Daily Mail – “Premier League stars in cold: New 25-man squad rule has megabucks players sitting it out” – reported the new ruling regarding limited squad size this week. According to the paper, Premier League players would see their careers end or they would be collecting £40,000 every week whilst spending match days in the stand.
The epic tale of how Liverpool Football Club was born in the wake of the split of Everton Football Club, by Chris Rowland.
By Gareth Roberts. IT SEEMS strange to say it when he’s yet to even meet all his players or pick a team for a competitive match, but Roy Hodgson is winning me over.
Before getting started, a quick thank you to those who voted in the poll; of those who participated, 86% thought the site represented either Very Good (34%) or Excellent (52%) value for money, and only 1% said it did not represent any kind of value for money.
Thankfully Roy has taken the advice of Peter Bruckner and co. – I don’t see the point of procuring the services of an elite Sports Science department – and then ignoring them. The Europa Cup has to be low on the list of club priorities, and it’ll be a nice chance to see some of the youngsters …
By my reckoning, teams expected to challenge at the top end of the Premier League need approximately six attacking players; exactly where they line-up in the team is open to adjustment, but Roy Hodgson’s approach at Fulham – which was understandably more negative – will not translate.
Word would have it that Liverpool are in the market for a left back. Strange position, No.3. Certainly, by its nature, not a particularly glamorous role. However, depending on the strategy employed by a coach it can emerge as almost completely different positions in any team formation.
Whilst I lost faith with Gérard Houllier before he was sacked in 2004, I do think he did a fine job up until 2002. However, his incredible attack on Benítez cannot mask the fact that Houllier left a pretty dire squad low on value and morale, and that in almost every way you look at it, the Spaniard did better than the Frenchman.
It’s been a weird few days. First, the hard-to-fathom sale of promising, albeit rough diamond, Emiliano Insua – all the more strange as he was the third and final left-back out of the club in six months – followed shortly after by the signing of a player who wanted wages Liverpool could not match, Champions League football the club couldn’t offer and a locale that was not in, or near, London.
Three teams, three huge clubs in their own right, with vast support, illustrious histories and a generous sprinkling of trophies, have all suffered from a common blight, one of a distinctly red hue. Spurs, Man City and yes, our blue neighbours have had to live for years in the perennial shadow cast by their giant red neighbours. They’ve been almost defined by not being Arsenal, Manchester United or Liverpool.
