This match was always going to be focused on the saga between Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra and unfortunately things didn't get off to a very good start in a game which saw Liverpool lose 2-1.
Luis Suarez decided not to shake Patrice Evra's hand to which Evra reacted physically to by attempting to pull Suarez's hand away from De Gea's.

The artist formerly known as England's Brave John Terry. Again.

Innocent or guilty, right or wrong the time has come for the Chelsea captain to leave the Three Lions, and the circus surrounding them, behind. Permanently.

An era passed

It's difficult to argue however much I disagree with the Football Association's decision to relieve Terry of the England captaincy in wake of the racist abuse trial he faces in July.

For the second time, Chelsea's John Terry has been stripped of the England captaincy. The English Football Association confirmed that Terry was informed of the decision by FA chairman David Bernstein in a phone call Friday morning.

Terry is due to stand trial in July over racial abuse allegations after an incident with QPR's Anton Ferdinand and there has been mounting pressure within England to remove Terry as England's captain ahead of this summer's Euro 2012 competition

The FA released a statement on their web site which read:

Following the decision to adjourn the court case against John Terry to July, The Football Association confirm he will not captain the England team until the allegations against him are resolved.

For the second time, Chelsea's John Terry has been stripped of the England captaincy. The English Football Association confirmed that Terry was informed of the decision by FA chairman David Bernstein in a phone call Friday morning.

Terry is due to stand trial in July over racial abuse allegations after an incident with QPR's Anton Ferdinand and there has been mounting pressure within England to remove Terry as England's captain ahead of this summer's Euro 2012 competition

The FA released a statement on their web site which read:

Following the decision to adjourn the court case against John Terry to July, The Football Association confirm he will not captain the England team until the allegations against him are resolved.

As you all know by now, John Terry has this morning been stripped of the England Captaincy once again. The "Official statement" from the FA reads as follows:

"Following the decision to adjourn the court case against John Terry to July, The Football Association confirm he will not captain the England team until the allegations against him are resolved.

By Chris Wright

"Say what now?"

The FA have just released the following statement:

"Following the decision to adjourn the court case against John Terry to July, the Football Association confirm he will not captain the England team until the allegations against him are resolved.

We all talk about New Year's resolutions. You know what I say about them: view ‘em as "guidelines" more than "rules" and you'll live a far more guilt-free year. So that's that.

But I'd like to start out 2012 with another kind of "resolution." As in, I'd love to see some quick resolutions to vexing issues in the domestic game.

Suarez has let down himself, Liverpool, Dalglish and football by Liverpool correspondent David Maddock

Luis Suarez's guilt over racism charges has devastating implications far beyond even the impact on Liverpool;s season. The first thing manager Kenny Dalglish must do on Wednesday morning is revise his plans for the January transfer window, so that they include the search for a proven goalscorer.

A lot of people have been arguing that Syracuse assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine is innocent of all charges against him. But a recent tape released of Bernie Fine's wife talking to the alleged victim has all but cemented his guilt.

Bernie Fine is accused of sexually molesting Bobby Davis, who was a ballboy for Syracuse.

The Daily Mirror today has a front page story that the London police are considering charging John Terry with making racial comments to QPR's Anton Ferdinand.

According to the Mirror story the police have quizzed six senior Chelsea players about what was said during the match and have sent the file to crown prosecutors to make a final decision.

Saturday's 0-0 draw with Swansea condemned Liverpool to their third successive home draw in the Barclays Premier League, leaving Kenny Dalglish to call for improvements from his players.
Another frustrating afternoon at Anfield with the Reds again unable to break the deadlock, was compounded when Andy Carroll missed a guilt-edged chance when he lashed against the crossbar - the tenth time Liverpool have been denied by the woodwork in 2011-12.

Another Monday morning and off to work for many faced with the negative banter that an Arsenal defeat brings. But worse, not just any defeat the Spuds have turned us over, years of disingenuous crowing at our North London neighbours is coming home to roost today. All that "I can't wait to get to work" of previous years, doesn't work so well today does it?

Far too often we take things for granted. This might sound trite and at times can come across as somewhat hypocritical depending on who is saying it, for it is usually referenced as part of a guilt-inducing prose by one who is afforded similar luxuries in life to those to whom they are admonishing.

Mohamed bin Hammam wants answers.

Bin Hammam, a recent challenger to president Sepp Blatter's throne who was given a lifetime ban from FIFA after being found guilty of bribery by the organization's ethics committee, has yet to receive documentation outlining the reasons for his expulsion.

The great Arsenal garage sale appears to be gathering apace in the last seven days. Jay Emmanuel Thomas has sashayed out of the exit door without the indignity of it subsequently hitting him on the arse. Emmanuel Eboue is attracting suitors with a thousand strong red and white clad army offering a temporary airport taxi service.

Outwardly benign, really rather malevolent.
Inviting your enemies round for a house party is a nice gesture. Until they realise that most of the guests have only turned up to celebrate your achievements.
Cruel that.
Spare a thought for Falkirk's fans. Off the pace in the First Division title race, financially suspect, offloading players here, there and everywhere and stuck with a divisive manager for another season.

According to the L.A. Times and Paul Doyle in the Guardian, a secret recording has emerged of Laurent Blanc actually saying the horrible things he has recently been accused of having said.

So I owe Mediapart an apology for some references to their being media whores. And hacks. Sorry.

But some of you would not be fit for jury duty.

By the end of this week, we will know what if any sanction has been levelled against Queens Park Rangers with regard to the Alejandro Faurlin affair. The club itself (and by this we mean the management and/or the owners) will get whatever it deserves, should it be found to be guilty. This, however, is not the place to discuss what sanctions may or may not be levelled against the club just yet.

John Terry is haunted. Not by the faces of referees he screamed in, not by guilt brought on by being a serial philanderer, not by the failure to produce the goods in the England shirt, not by eating human babies every day. No, EBJT is still haunted by missing a penalty in Russia. Buck up JT, maybe hopping into the sack with Mrs Cech will help to ease the pain!

Man City's exit from the Europa League at the hands of Dynamo Kiev on Thursday night has certainly been a wake up call for Mancini and his superstars. Coming into the second leg on the back of a 2-0 defeat in Ukraine, City desperately needed their key players to perform at the best if they were to overturn the deficit.

Samir (left) and Ibrahim Afellay. The thought police are watching, Kickettes. (Images via facebook & twitpic, )

Regular readers will be aware that the thirst for booze knowledge in the Kickette office knows no bounds. In order to sate this thirst (for your benefit as well as ours, you understand) we force ourselves to venture deeper and deeper into dark, unexplored territories; places where angels fear to tread.

How unlucky can a team be? Tim Howard had a blinder, and our penalty curse strikes again. My reaction to watching Chelsea's sinking ship was like going through the seven stages of grief I think I've stalled on depression for now, but which one have you hit?

Feeling a bit listless?

Part Two of my 'How Football Manager Ruined my life series...here is part one

Eventually, my time at HSV drew to a close. It was after my January modules in the second year of college, with results of B,E,E, that I realised that I needed to stop. I had got lazy; Football Manager at this point had become not only an addition, but also a distraction.

Most of my pleasures in life are not guilty, not even that brief Celine Dion period around 1997. A tiny few I know are wrong, but can't resist, like the dark twisted mirror of Ben Vogt's writing. If I had been a lawn and garden obsessed, pompous, stuffy poet and memoirist instead of an arrogant, design obsessed asshole blogger, The Deep Middle would probably approximate my output.

For anyone who might have missed it, Theo Walcott had this to say after Arsenal's FA Cup third round match against Leeds:

"I want to apologise to the managers because I actually dived. I was trying to win the penalty.

"I had a little joke with the referee afterwards saying ‘that was my first dive, can you tell?