Manchester City v Liverpool! | Paul Doyle
• Hit F5 for the latest or select our auto-refresh button below • Follow Spurs v WBA and
Wigan v Sunderland match centres • And email your thoughts to paul.doyle@guardian.co.uk Paul will
be here from around 7.15pm. In the meantime, here's Jonathan Wilson on why Liverpool have struggled
to score goals this season: Liverpool sit a reasonably contented sixth in the table.
The Question: why are Liverpool struggling to score at home? | Jonathan
Wilson
Liverpool's scoring record at Anfield has been poor but those who blame bad luck and Andy
Carroll may be missing the point Liverpool sit a reasonably contented sixth in the table . They
have conceded fewer goals than anybody else in the Premier League and, although a gap of 11 points
to the leaders is probably too much to make up, there is no reason why they shouldn't mount a
strong challenge to qualify for the Champions League.
Even before the terrible news that Vidic's season is over, many of us were already questioning
whether the football Gods were conspiring against United with an unusually high rate of injuries
this season. Indeed, some have gone further, raising the concern that this is not an isolated
phenomenon but the continuation of a trend that has been evident for several years—a fact that
would point to a more earthly cause such as human incompetence, rather than the mischievous deeds
of some dastardly deity.
If you're a loyal Kopite, today's controversial loss at Stoke probably wasn't
the best way to start your weekend. That said, don't hit the panic button. There are plenty of
reasons to be thankful if you're a Red, and I'm not talking about the fact that George Gillett and
Tom Hicks no longer own the club.
What madness is this?
Do I detect a hint of confidence creeping around this Scotland squad?
I feel I do.
So let us pause a while and pay some small tribute to the still oft maligned Craig Levein.
The disaster of the 4-6-0 formation in the away tie against Czech Republic.
Thank the deity that doesn't exist it's over. The Modric saga and Harry's inability to pass by a
camera without giving an interview meant the last few weeks have been excruciating. Let's get on
with it now and play some football. However, here's no denying the backdrop of genuine tension on
deadline day.
By Chris Wright
It wasn't so very long ago that we saw Sivasspor get a tarpaulin down at the side of the pitch
and slaughter a sheep as a sacrifice to the Gods of goal difference, and now comes this Karsiyaka's
attempt to upstage their fellow countryman.
By slitting a camel open and smearing it's blood on their player's faces (some of whom look
decidedly undecided about the whole thing), some divine deity is duty-bound to afford the club the
edge in the race for promotion from the Turkish second division which seems a little unlikely to
us, but hey ho.
Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz
Who do you think is more disappointed with Saturday's 2–2 draw, DC United or the Philadelphia
Union? For the second match in a row, the Union have shown they have the fortitude to come from
behind and, if not secure maximum points as they did at home against Chivas, at least secure a
point against tough, conference opposition on the road.
The Philly Soccer Page " Player ratings and quotes: Union 2-1 Fire
Losing Amobi Okugo in the first minute did not bode well in such an important match. But when
Peter Nowak says his team has a fluid system, he means it.
Union 2-1 Chicago Fire | Philly Union Talk
In a stunning turn of events, God Himself, creator of the universe as we know it, cancelled
Saturday's scheduled Rapture and subsequent End of Days.
Morning folks,
the weather in Dublin this morning is like the Arsenal mood. Grey, miserable and drizzling
slightly with a chance of heavy rain later in the day. The first two were probably sufficient for
the description but there you go.
There is a fairly widespread acceptance that Saturday's display against Blackburn has cost us
our chance of the title.
We know. Javier's hair. We'll discuss in a minute. Images: Zimbio.com.
Italian footballers! Oh, how we love to love. And yet? Much like the rude arse Yetis placed
outside our favourite nightclubs whose sole purpose in life is to push us away from guest list
queue towards the one full of peasants, footballers' fashion choices often act in a similar,
aggressive shoving manner to our senses.
