The Madness of Managers...

To embark on a career in football management there are two indispensable traits (aside from the obvious need for technical/tactical nous and man-management) that are required if the candidate is to have any chance of success or survival.

The first of these is an ultra thick skin with which to protect the fragile creature within from the onslaught of criticism from the fans, the media, his chairman and even from his own players.

I remember Alan Hansen saying during the 1994 World Cup that he hoped football never caught on in the United States. The reason: they'd end up being better than us. We might have reached that point. The US are preparing for their sixth World Cup on the bounce. Scotland are missing out for the third time in a row.

An underwhelming final completed a largely disappointing World Cup last night, with Spain edging out Holland to lift the trophy for the first time. And just as in the European Championship final two years ago, it was Cesc providing the assist for the only goal, this time setting up Iniesta to crash in the winner just minutes from a penalty shoot out.

Alan Hansen on top form last night as he was sneeringly patronising about New Zealand. His failings as a pundit are being highlighted this year by the excellent performance of new BBC signing Clarence Seedorf. Seedorf is everything Hansen could have been, maybe once was, if he hadn't settled for the lazy route of interminable banter with Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer.

Alan Hansen on top form last night as he was sneeringly patronising about New Zealand. His failings as a pundit are being highlighted this year by the excellent performance of new BBC signing Clarence Seedorf. Seedorf is everything Hansen could have been, maybe once was, if he hadn't settled for the lazy route of interminable banter with Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer.

IT'S FAIR to say that it's not just ITV that has taken some stick for some of their coverage at this World Cup, particularly the coverage of the tournament's lesser lights. The BBC have been getting it in the neck as well. To give you an example, what I'm talking about here is things like Alan Shearer's self-proclaimed "expert analysis" that amounts to a conveyor belt of cliches and the kind of insight that even a child of six would describe as laughable.

Well done Martin Taylor you big fucking sop.
I don't give a shit that Taylor was 'devastated' or 'didn't mean to hurt Eduardo' because he isn't 'that type of player'.
Talk is cheap.
The biggest fact is that lanky lump has single-handily ruined Eduardo's Arsenal career.

It's this year's must-have for any side looking to finish near the top of the Premier League: a player who prompts the question, ‘What does he do?'
This man is a central midfielder. He's not a tackler, nor is he a creator. He doesn't score many goals – in fact, he rarely looks to get into the box.

After a two-week break for Arsenal Station due to illness, I return to my blogging duties at the best of times. After our satisfactory result/disappointing performance at Liverpool last weekend, Arsenal needed to put in a quality performance. Of course, there are huge issues still surrounding the squad, but a 6-nil victory, no matter the opposition, can only give the team confidence going forward.

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina is the clear contender to be the Reds' player of the season, according to former Anfield defender Alan Hansen.
The ex-Reds skipper feels that few of Rafael Benitez's men have demonstrated such consistency and commitment as the Spanish keeper, who has been second to none at Anfield over the course of what has been a tricky campaign.

When Jamie Carragher made his Liverpool debut more than 13 years ago, he could only dream of one day being spoken of in the same breath as Alan Hansen.
As two very different defenders, it is unfair to compare them.
What is clear, though, is that they've both produced the quality required to join an elite band of players who can say they've played over 600 times for Liverpool.

Daniel Agger's clever backheel gave Liverpool the lead in a controversial first half of their Europa League quarter-final first leg against Benfica in Lisbon.
The Dane produced the perfect start in the ninth minute by converting Steven Gerrard's low free-kick but Ryan Babel was sent off on the half hour for pushing Luisao in a melee started by the Brazilian centre-back.

Former Liverpool captain Alan Hansen believes keeping Steven Gerrard at Anfield is crucial to the club's aspirations of success.
The Reds midfielder is desperate to win the Barclays Premier League with his hometown club but another disappointing season has only increased speculation he may look for a new challenge as he turns 30 in May.

The BBC has announced a disappointing line up for its 2010 World Cup coverage. Can ITV respond by doing even worse? Probably.
Let's look at the BBC's plans first. Anchor and top grinner Gary Lineker is to present coverage of matches live from the BBC's studio in Cape Town in the company of dour Alan Hansen, Alan "very much so" Shearer and Lee "oh shut up" Dixon.

By Chris Wright

Liverpool legend Alan Hansen has stuck the boot in to the club's recently-departed manager Rafa Benitez, claiming that the Spaniard has left the squad in the worst state it's been in for half a century.

On the BBC's endless moaning about goals & entertaining football is a post from: Just Football

"Its real parasite football," pronounced Mick McCarthy brashly about 75 minutes into Brazil 0-0 Portugal. "Desperately disappointing stuff," bemoaned Jonathan Pearce at the final whistle.

By Ollie Irish

I would laugh, of course (it's only a game), but instead I'm weeping. Weeping for Andy Gray, for Sky Sports, for Sven, for Steve McClaren, for Martin Samuel, for The Sun, for Alan Shearer and Alan Hansen, for the FA, for 1966 and all the f**king bullsh*t that continues to contribute to England's inability to play this game we all love.

If you wanna be the best,and you wanna beat the rest.Oo-ooh! Dedication's what you need.
So the late Roy Castle reminded us each week as we were growing up.
The BBC's football team have remained the best at this World Cup and they've beaten the rest. But they've left many of us questioning their dedication.

If you wanna be the best,and you wanna beat the rest.Oo-ooh! Dedication's what you need.
So the late Roy Castle reminded us each week as we were growing up.
The BBC's football team have remained the best at this World Cup and they've beaten the rest. But they've left many of us questioning their dedication.

Why us gooners have much to be proud of Aria Khani The recent world cup final was contested between a technically gifted Spanish side and a very hard working and talented Holland. The Spanish victory was hailed by Alan Hansen and co, as a good result for football. They marvelled over the passing game and [.

Guardian correspondent Emma John had a chance to sit down with Liverpool legend Alan Hansen to discuss his past, playing with his brother, and more. Premiership Talk brings you this content based on our affiliation with The Guardian.

This article was written by Emma John, for guardian.

Those of you with a keen eye (or a lonely RSS reader) may have noticed I've been strangely absent of late, and you would be right work has taken over spectacularly, and I have just enough time to get home, eat, sleep and get up to start again. All great fun (seriously), but the blog has taken a bit of a back seat.

By Ollie Irish

1. David Ginola and Lee Dixon > The Two Alans. Ginola and Dixon may have kicked lumps out of each other back in the day (Ginola once named Dixon as the best opponent he ever faced), but as colleagues on the MotD2 sofa, they showed the potential to be punditry's excellent new Odd Couple.

By Chris Wright

A timeless image

As you may be aware by now, Liverpool continued to plumb new depths at Anfield on Saturday after being well and truly bested by newly-promoted Blackpool, eventually losing out 2-1 thanks to goals from Charlie Adam and Luke Varney.

Short on analysis, high on profanities (you can borrow that, Stan) Mick McCarthy's hilarious post-match irony following Wolves' draw with West Ham on Saturday got him into OTP's Top 10 conclusions. But that wasn't the only feedback he received on his rant. Alan Hansen's immediate reaction, live on Match of the Day, was that it [.

Brazilian acrobat, villain-turned-hero. Was signed by Spurs from the Eindhoven Circus in 2008 to be long term replacement for fans' hero Paul Robinson. Spent early part of his career at the Lane doing impressions of Manuel Almunia and was described by goalkeeping expert Alan Hansen as 'the worst keeper to ever play in the Premier League'.

Sunday's match up at Anfield will be tough for us, especially with the news that Aaron Lennon will most likely miss the match. Harry will make a decision on whether to include him in the squad or not tomorrow.
Can we call on Bentley? Probably not. When I look back on his stint with us, it really annoys me that he simply couldn't be asked.

By Ollie Irish

An evening stroll for Chelsea, this. They brushed aside in-form Birmingham like Roger Federer crushes unseeded players in the first round of majors, i.e. with disdain and efficiency. Frank Lampard scored twice clinical strikes, both after Florent Malouda had put Chelsea in front with a routine header in the fifth minute.

Sol Campbell vs Wayne Rooney will be the definitive battle of the biggest game of the season so far, and Rooney will be irresistible. The leg injury suffered by Thomas Vermalaen on Wednesday night at Villa Park will rule him out against the Premier League champions and Campbell will almost certainly have to start the game and play the full 90 minutes.

By Ollie Irish

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Arsenal 1-3 Man Utd. Or, Fergie 1-0 Wenger. United got their tactics spot-on, Arsenal didn't.

This must have made very depressing viewing for all Gunners, especially as it was spookily similar to last year's Champions League semi final at the Emirates, when United crushed their hosts on the counter-attack.

I have very fond memories of listening to match commentaries on the radio back in the UK. Whether it was Radio Devon or BBC Radio Lancashire or BBC Radio Sheffield & South Yorkshire, pottering around the kitchen or the garage with the radio on keeping in touch with the local match, with updates on everything everywhere else.

Mark Murphy concludes his marathon round-up of the African Cup of Nations with a round-up of the latter stages of a competition that was, sadly, upstaged by events that took place before a ball had even been kicked.

The climax to Group C summed up this Cup of Nations, a curate's egg of a tournament which ran out of good football from the second week onwards.

Liverpool legend Alan Hansen feels that this week could be the perfect time for Rafa Benitez's side to face Arsenal.
The Reds head to the Emirates on Wednesday having put together a seven-match unbeaten run. They have also kept clean sheets in six of those seven games.
Arsenal, in contrast, has endured a diffcult last few weeks, and has just suffered consecutive defeats to Chelsea and Manchester United.

Disclaimer: This isn't a Top Ten, just a selection of past and, in one case, current Liverpool players who I think are worthy of a mention for their World Cup finals record. Who have I missed?
Kevin Keegan: 1982 for England
Injuries and a poor qualifying record restricted him to just 26 minutes of World Cup finals football
Alan Hansen: 1982 for Scotland
Failed to dislodge an Aberdeen central defence partnership and made a right mess of one tackle against the USSR
Jan Molby: 1986 for Denmark
Part of the so-called Danish Dynamite Team which included Michael Laudrup
Graeme Souness: 1978, 1982 and 1986 for Scotland
A formidable opponent who usually raised Scotland's game by force of personality alone
John Barnes: 1986 and 1990 for England
Set up Gary Lineker against Argentina in 1986 and repeated the trick minutes later only to see the second chance cleared
Steven Gerrard: 2006 and 2010 for England
While he missed out in 2002 through injury, and failed to score from the spot in 2006, Gerrard may still end his World Cup career as England captain
Dietmar Hamann: 1998 and 2002 for Germany
This clever and much-respected German became only the second Liverpool player to take part in a World Cup Final
Kenny Dalglish: 1974, 1978 and 1982 for Scotland
Probably his country's greatest ever player, Dalglish's Liverpool – Scotland link was forever cemented by the headed goal at Anfield against Wales which secured a place at the 1978 World Cup (before anyone moans, I know this wasn't a World Cup finals match, but I had to put it in anyway)
Michael Owen: 1998, 2002 and 2006 for England
Fondly remembered for his breathtaking arrival on the World Cup scene in 1998, Owen went on to provide some hope against Brazil in 2002, succumbed to injury in 2006, and now looks extremely unlikely to play in 2010
Roger Hunt: 1962 and 1966 for England
Known to Liverpool fans as "Sir Roger", striker Hunt already had a formidable goal scoring record before the 1966 tournament.

Another European night, another reason for Liverpool's statisticians to scribble another entry into their books.
While, inevitably, the focus was on Steven Gerrard after he took his tally of European goals to 33, surpassing Alan Shearer as Britain's all-time leading scorer in continental competition, there was another significant foot note.

Following painstaking research from the nation's leading football pundits, and Robbo Robson, it has been discovered that many Arsenal players amazingly - do not take kindly to being maimed every other year.

As well as not relishing the time-honoured British traditions of seeing their stricken teammates' limbs hanging off by a spindly thread and receiving oxygen as they leave the pitch, it has also been rumoured that Arsenal are also believed to be, shockingly, mainly foreign (ed-I know!

"Destiny" is such an abused word in everyday football language! Everything and everyone seems to be "destined" for something or other. "We were always destined to win this or that game" or "The boy...
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Back in the early 1950's Manchester United made a far sighted decision which had major ramifications for the club at the time and has continued to produce handsome dividends until this very day....
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Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher reckons the Reds are the only top seven Barclays Premier League side to have underachieved this season.
Early exits from the title race, Champions League and FA Cup have left Liverpool FC looking for consolation in the form of securing fourth place and winning the Europa League.

Former Liverpool FC player Alan Hansen is convinced the Reds will clinch a place in the Europa League semi-finals as Fernando Torres is back on song.
Torres heads into the first leg match against Benfica in Portugal on Thursday night on the back of scoring a brace in the victory over Sunderland on Sunday.