Bleacher Report - Articles by Barney

Roma Come From Behind Against Atalanta to Retain The UWCC Title

Barney — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:59:47 -0500

Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship (UWCC) witnessed another defence today as champions Roma travelled to Bergamo to take on struggling Atalanta in Serie A.

The home side came into this match looking over their shoulders at a potential relegation dogfight should they not improve fast. With just one win in five, Atalanta needed to kick start their season with a good result against an in-form Roma side.

However, their confidence must be in tatters after their last outing, a humiliating 1-0 loss to minnows Lumezzane in the Coppa Italia, throwing up one of the biggest shocks in the competition's history.

Roma would have been looking to capitalize on that, but at the same time would be weary of an Atalanta backlash. Having gone four games unbeaten going into this match, including a draw with league leaders Inter, they were understandably the favourites.

And, this time, the favourites came out on top as Roma came from behind to run out 2-1 victors.

Claudio Ranieri's men almost got off to the perfect start when, after just ten minutes, the dangerous Mirko Vucinic found himself on the end of a sweeping counter-attacking move.

His shot was well saved by Atalanta goalkeeper Andrea Consigli, but Vucinic was left reflecting on what perhaps should have been the opening goal.

Instead, that goal came three minutes later, and Vucinic's misery was further compounded by the fact it went in at the other end.

A ball down the left hand side found Fabio Ceravolo in an alarming amount of space from Roma's point of view. The Italian proceeded to enter the penalty box before cutting inside Juan and curling his shot past the despairing dive of Julio Sergio to give the home side a shock lead.

Juan was involved at the other end some 15 minutes later, this time gifted a chance to redeem himself and level the sides in one action.

A vicious free-kick from David Pizarro found the Brazilian centre-back who somehow headed over from close range. Had he scored, the flag would have more than likely gone up, but it was still a golden opportunity missed for the away side.

The first-half hero from last week, Francesco Totti, almost helped Roma to an equaliser ten minutes later, as he won his side another free-kick.

John-Arne Riise stepped up to unleash a trademark thunderbolt, but the Norweigan's effort flew just over the bar.

Roma finally did get the all-important leveller right before the half-time interval, and it came from another set piece.

This time it was in the shape of a corner, and Pizarro's cross found Vucinic, who climbed considerably higher than his marker to head the ball home.

While going into the half-time break ahead may have done wonders for Atalanta's confidence, the equaliser seemed to have the opposite effect, and Roma took control in the second half.

Despite this, they weren't able to conjure up many clear-cut chances in the opening stages of the second half.

In fact, their first meaningful effort came ten minutes in when Vucinic, alert as always, spotted Consigli off his line and tried to lob the Atalanta 'keeper. The idea was faultless, but the execution just let him down as it drifted past the post.

After benefiting from a comeback last week, that of skipper Francesco Totti, Roma finally completed a comeback of a different kind just after the hour mark and, once again, it was Vucinic who was the architect.

His delayed cross found the lung-bursting forward run of Simone Perrotta, who added the finishing touch with his head, leaving Atalanta manager Antonio Conte scratching the same part of his anatomy at the lack of marking.

While Roma's first goal seemed to deflate Atalanta, the second galvanized them, and this, along with Roma's willingness to defend their newly acquired lead, led to the home side seeing more of the ball.

Their two Simones teamed up to create a good chance, as Padoin sent in a cross for Tiribocchi, but the latter just couldn't make significant contact to tuck it inside the post.

Cristiano Doni then had a long-range effort of his own which Julio Sergio needed two attempts to gather.

The final moments produced a number of chances as Atalanta strove for the equaliser and Roma looked to hit them on the break.

Riise narrowly avoided turning the ball into his own net after a dangerous cross from Valdes before Tiribocchi claimed, perhaps too ambitiously, for a penalty after a tussle with Juan.

Tiberio Guarente flashed a diving header just inches wide as the time ran out for the home side, but it was Roma who could have had the final say.

Vucinic was once again involved as he fed the ball through to Totti, but the captain's shot was well saved by Consigli.

The result means Roma become the first UWCC Champions to win an away match since Chelsea beat Stoke on Sept. 12th of this year. Ceravolo's goal was also the 50th goal scored in UWCC title matches this season.

78.6 percent of voters in the poll correctly predicted that Roma would successfully retain their UWCC title against Atalanta, so well done once again to the majority!

Roma's run

Roma 2-1 Fulham (Roma become new champions)

Inter Milan 1-1 Roma

Roma 3-1 Bari

Atalanta 1-2 Roma

(Click here to see the complete history of Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship)

Roma's next title defence comes on Thursday as they host Basle in the Europa League. Could Basle become the greatest club side in the world?!

Moment Of Truth: Two Weeks To Define The Future Of Liverpool FC?

Barney — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:47:13 -0500

Countless words have been spoken and thousands of column inches written about Liverpool's season thus far.

Topics ranging from Xabi Alonso's exit to Alberto Aquilani's fitness, and from Rafael Benitez's job to Jamie Carragher's form have ensured that they have rarely been off the back page in recent months.

The reason for this is simple. A season that started with so much optimism threatens to implode before Christmas. Some may say it already has.

But in Liverpool's two remaining Champions League ties, they have a chance to save the season and salvage hope of an unlikely revival.

A common criticism of the Anfield faithful is that they live in the past, always referring to the days when they were the dominant force in football, and look to the future, with next year always seeming to be "their year".

Is it because it is easier than living in the present?

Wherever the fans choose to "live", the fact is that their club is in a perilous position.

The upcoming match against Debrecen is arguably the most important of the season, with a win being paramount for Liverpool's chances in the Champions League.

Should Fiorentina fail to beat group leaders Lyon, it will all come down to the final game between the two sides.

Liverpool never do it the easy way, do they?

A win against Debrecen is widely expected, but it is by no means a foregone conclusion. The trip to Hungary makes the bout, which Liverpool narrowly won in the reverse fixture, a somewhat unknown quantity.

In the stadium named after one of the greatest footballers of all time, Ferenc Puskas, Liverpool's current crop have a chance to write their names in the history books with a good display.

There will, undoubtedly, be many comparisons between the predicament Liverpool find themselves in now and the one in 2005.

A good win against Debrecen would create an enormous interest in the Fiorentina match, provided the Italians don't topple Lyon.

It would be almost like Olympiakos all over again, where Steven Gerrard emphatically slammed Liverpool through to the next round, before guiding his team to the most unlikely of triumphs.

It is, of course, too early and ambitious to suggest any repeat of Istanbul, but tonight's match against Debrecen could prove to be a turning point for Liverpool's floundering season.

If results go their way, it would give them the impetus and confidence to believe that they might be able to pull off another Champions League miracle.

Confidence is key. Liverpool's run of just one win in ten games is unacceptable by their high standards, and it has surely knocked the self-belief of most of the squad, particularly those who have been given the brunt of the criticism.

There will, as ever, need to be a bit of luck involved. Lyon must avoid defeat against Fiorentina, otherwise the season could go from bad to worse.

If they do, then perhaps that will give the players a little spark of belief to join the inevitable flicker of fire that precedes the weekend's Merseyside derby.

Such a big match could be the perfect catalyst for Liverpool's revival. The win against Manchester United was great, but it meant nothing but bragging rights after they failed to follow it up.

This time, a failure to back up a win against Everton with a run of victories will ensure Liverpool's exit from the Champions League, as just one match separates the derby and the potentially vital match against Fiorentina.

The next two weeks, starting today, are crucial for Liverpool.

Champions League progression, and the substantial prize money that comes with it, are massively important. But one season's early exit from the Champions League isn't disastrous.

What would be disastrous, however, is the failure to secure a top four spot. A bad result at Goodison Park on Sunday could be the final nail in the coffin for Liverpool, and perhaps even Rafa Benitez this season.

With the likes of Tottenham, Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Everton all competing for a place in the already full top four, the challenge is greater than ever, and Liverpool must rise to it.

While neither of these worst-case scenarios would cripple the club (touch wood), both combined would be devastating, which is why the next two weeks are so important for the future of Liverpool as one of the world's top clubs.

Sure, a loss to Everton wouldn't mean Liverpool are out of the running for that fourth spot, not by a long shot, but it will certainly hurt their chances and add further injury to the already wounded confidence of the club.

These next 14 days could turn a bad season into either a good one or a terrible one for the Reds, and could quite possibly affect the club's entire future.

Captain Francesco Totti Returns To Ensure Roma Remains Best in the World

Barney — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:48:56 -0500

Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship (UWCC ) witnessed another defence yesterday as champions Roma took on Bari at the Stadio Olimpico.

Both teams would have been eager to hit the ground running after the international break and, although Roma were coming into this match on the back of an impressive draw with league leaders Inter Milan, they were by no means clear favourites.

Bari started the match three points better off than their opponents and, despite playing at a ground in which they had never won, manager Giampiero Ventura would have been hopeful of grabbing something from the game.

He didn't count on the returning Francesco Totti immediately hitting his best form, however, as the captain helped Roma cruise to a 3-1 win.

Totti had been missing for a number of weeks due to injury, and all eyes were on him to see whether he could jump straight back into the type of form that has made him a hero at the club.

He didn't disappoint.

But Mirko Vucinic almost stole the spotlight within the first two minutes. As Roma made their attacking intent clear from the first whistle, Vucinic took the ball past two defenders before curling a delicate shot towards the bottom right corner from the edge of the box, only to see it bounce back off the foot of the post.

Bari had a fantastic chance of their own a little over a minute later in a frantic opening to the match.

A lovely through ball found Barreto's run but the Brazilian striker shot straight at Julio Sergio.

Roma took full advantage of this let-off just minutes later after a mistake by Andrea Ranocchia.

The Bari defender was caught in possession by the ever-alert Vucinic who continued to burst into the box, only to be brought down by goalkeeper Jean-Francois Gillet, although replays suggested very little contact.

The stage was set for the returning hero to step up and, sure enough, Totti converted the spot-kick with typical aplomb after just six minutes.

Less than ten minutes later, Totti showed his quality once more from another set-piece. This time it was a free-kick just outside the box, which was laid off to him before the talismanic skipper hammered it past Gillet.

Despite Totti and Roma looking in ominous form, Bari weren't ready to throw the towel in just yet and, but for a magnificent piece of goalkeeping from Sergio, they would have been right back in it.

Antonio Langella got on the end of a cross at the back post, connecting perfectly with a volley only to see Sergio demonstrate unbelievable reflexes to claw the ball out from underneath the crossbar.

Sergio's opposite number was soon in action again, this time courtesy of Jeremy Menez's low strike, which Gillet turned round the post.

But no matter how many cameos either 'keeper, or indeed any other player, made, it was always going to be the Totti show, and Il Capitano capped the perfect return with another stunning goal before halftime.

After a moment of pinball inside the Bari penalty area, the ball fell to Totti who, from a tight angle, fired it home with deadly accuracy and power to complete a stunning hat-trick.

While the match had gone better than he could have dreamed of, he could, and perhaps should, have extended his tally.

After finding space on the right hand side, he shot powerfully, but this time Gillet was equal to it, beating the ball away.

Bari had a chance to salvage a glimmer of hope before halftime when Barreto brilliantly slipped in again, but, as with his earlier chance, he shot straight at Sergio.

With such an action-packed first half, it was a wonder the players had anything left for the second, but they did and it was Bari who came out fighting.

Vladimir Koman threatened on occasion, working Sergio, before the Roma 'keeper was well and truly beaten by Sergio Almiron. Fortunately for the home side, Almiron's thunderous effort from long range cannoned back off the crossbar and Roma escaped with their three-goal lead intact.

And they looked content to sit back and defend that lead, which inevitably handed the attacking initiative over to Bari.

Koman had another good chance after a momentary lack of concentration in the Roma defence as they all left a wayward back-pass from Nicholas Burdisso for each other, allowing the Hungarian Koman to steal in. Once again, however, Sergio was equal to the task.

Bari finally got the deserved breakthrough on the 75 minute mark when Roma's Marco Andreolli inadvertently headed in from a corner for an own goal.

Totti's brilliant hat-trick was only the third in UWCC history, following in the footsteps of Darren Bent and Steven Gerrard, and the first of this season, while the same applies for Marco Andreolli's own goal, with only Jamie Carragher and Kolo Toure having netted at the wrong end in a UWCC title match before.

Totti's penalty was also the 16th penalty in UWCC history, becoming the eighth different player to score from the spot.

For once, the majority of voters in the poll correctly predicted that Bari wouldn't be able to take the title off Roma, so well done to the 77.8 percent of you who got the right answer!

Roma's run

Roma 2-1 Fulham (Roma become new champions)

Inter Milan 1-1 Roma

Roma 3-1 Bari

( Click here to see the complete history of Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship)

Roma's next title defence comes next Sunday as they travel to face Atalanta. Can Atalanta become the best team in the world?!

The Great Debate: Should Video Technology Be Introduced In Football?

Barney — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:12:32 -0500

It has been just three days since Thierry Henry used his hand to help send France through to the 2010 World Cup, but already it has passed into international folklore.

The furore surrounding the incident has been unprecedented, and has raised a number of questions to which many are demanding answers.

One long-running debate it has re-opened is about the use of video technology.

This argument seems to be raised numerous times each season, but still nothing has been done to implement the idea.

UEFA President Michel Platini has expressed his views on the matter, saying that football is a "human game", in which mistakes are inevitable. With such a stubborn man in a position of power, the chances of a change in the foreseeable future are slim.

However, the number of incidents suggesting video technology is the future of football seem to be rising, with the most recent being the hand of Henry.

As with all suggestions, though, there are pros and cons to introducing this into football.

The main arguments for technology are simple. It works in other sports, such as rugby, cricket, and tennis, and it would severely reduce the level of mistakes made by the officials which, in turn, will ease the pressure on them.

The referee will know that, if he is not 100 percent sure about a decision, he can refer it to the video ref who can make the correct call after watching numerous replays.

The main excuse for a referee mistake is that he only has a split second to make his decision, and can only view the incident from one angle.

The extra official trial currently taking place in the Europa League goes some way to addressing this issue, but video technology would end it altogether.

However, this raises a host of questions.

What circumstances would there have to be in order for the referee to call on the video replay? Would the ball have to be dead and the play stopped?

If so, what would happen if a team has a shot which they think has gone over the line but bounced back into play? The referee wouldn't be able to ask the video assistant until the next time the ball goes out of play, which raises yet more questions.

What happens if the opposition goes up the other end and score before the ball goes dead again? Would the referee look at the video evidence, see the ball did actually cross the line and award the original team the goal while disallowing the other?

Or does he stop play immediately, risking preventing the team another chance in any ensuing melee and significantly slowing the pace of the game down?

To think that the most straight forward use of the system raises so many questions is a small indication of how drastically the introduction of such measures would change the sport.

If we were to take rugby's example, then the video ref would only be required for goal-line incidents.

In rugby the system is used to check the grounding of the ball or whether or not the player was in touch when going for a try.

Given the reaction to the Henry incident, however, this would not be substantial enough for football.

The handball was unprofessional behavior in open play, and wouldn't have been referred to the video ref under the rugby usage. It was akin to throwing a forward pass or deliberately blocking a defender to create the try.

If the Henry incident was sent to be looked at again, then where do we draw the line?

If handballs are called into question alongside goal-line incidents then the flow of the game would be really disrupted. Not to mention the inevitable calls for it to be implemented for offsides too.

The pace of a football game is often it's most intriguing factor. A match blighted by stoppages usually amounts to a poor spectacle, while a free-flowing, open game provides quite the opposite.

It has been suggested that only the "big" decisions should be handed over to the video ref, but what constitutes as "big" decisions?

Are they only those which happen inside the penalty area? If so, what happens when a player is wrongly penalised on the edge of the box, and his team concede from the resulting free-kick?

It ended in a goal, so the decision must have been a big one. Even if the free-kick was on the half-way line and a goal still materialised, the choice to award the free-kick would have been a dubious one.

But if those free-kicks had amounted to nothing, the decisions suddenly become irrelevant.

The difference between "big" decisions and irrelevant decisions often comes with the result and consequences of said decisions and, unless the referee were to ask his video watching colleague after the outcome, how is he to know which are the "big" decisions he is meant to refer?

If video technology is to be introduced, it would have to be done all over the pitch which would inevitably harm the pace of the game.

Another problem these proposed measures may encounter is the common, and vital trait of all referees.

The officials in the France vs. Ireland match obviously didn't see anything untoward with Gallas' goal, so they are unlikely to succumb to the protests of the Irish players.

Opposition players almost always argue the decisions of the referee, but the official never changes his mind. Perhaps the dishonest nature of footballers has come back to haunt them in this sense.

If the referee was convinced Gallas' goal was valid, he isn't going to listen to the Irish complaints that it wasn't, and therefore the video ref wouldn't be called into play anyway.

Another issue raised in this debate is the entertainment factor of football. I've already mentioned the fact that the pace of the game could be seriously affected, but you also need to look at the factor of controversy and talking points in games.

It may not be the case when your team is involved, but these type of incidents create a spark of entertainment within football. There are other means, yes, but few wonder-goals can compete with the level of debate Henry's handball has caused.

The "water-cooler effect" suggests that viewers go into work or school the next day and talk about the incidents that occurred.

Fewer controversial incidents could lead to less talk and buzz about the game, less excitement and outrage surrounding incidents, and fewer strong opinions about such moments.

The Germans still talk in hushed tones about Geoff Hurst's second goal, and England's third in the 1966 World Cup final. The English speak in much the same way about Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" goal 30 years later.

For once, I think I agree with Platini; football is a human game, and unless someone can come up with a faultless video technology plan, I think it should remain that way.

The beautiful game has existed for well over a century without such measures, and has thrived into the most popular sport in the world.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it, as the saying goes.

Some may argue that football is "broke", but it isn't. No sport is perfect and, in striving for perfection you risk losing what made it so popular in the first place.

An error-less, machine-run game sounds a lot less appealing to me. I like the talking points, and I like the controversy football brings.

Think of a football world without Henry's handball, without Diego Maradona's "Hand of God", and without Geoff Hurst's goal. Sounds dull and boring, doesn't it?

Bringing in video technology would be a step in the right direction to eliminate the natural human error, but a step in the wrong direction in regards to the excitement football brings and everything that made the sport so great.

The Great Debate: Should FIFA Allow Ireland vs France To Be Replayed?

Barney — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:21:46 -0500

Controversy, cheating, and conspiracy.

These have been the three buzzwords this week in football's latest soap opera as Thierry Henry's "Hand of Frog" put France through to the World Cup in South Africa at the expense of Ireland.

Twenty-three years after Diego Maradona made enemies with every person in England with his infamous "Hand of God", Henry seems to have done the same with the Irish.

With the ball bouncing out of play, Henry clearly used his hand to claw it back in, before poking it across the goal to William Gallas, who headed in from a yard out.

Much to anger and astonishment of the Irish, however, the referee didn't blow for a handball, instead awarding the goal to the French.

Understandably, everyone involved not wearing a blue shirt was incensed, and the fallout has made the back pages of newspapers all over the world.

The most recent news is that FIFA, football's governing body, has rejected Ireland's appeal for a replay of the match.

But should they have let another match take place?

First, I will look at the argument from the side of the Irish.

Not only did Gallas' goal rob Ireland of a place in the World Cup for the first time since 2002, but it also robbed them of history and an awful lot of money.

The price of a World Cup campaign to the economy has been quoted as being as high as £1-2 billion, money Ireland will now have to go without. Undoubtedly, Henry's handball is the most expensive in history.

To go out in such circumstances is incredibly galling, particularly considering they had put in so much effort just to get to that stage.

But should the size of the implications of the result have any impact on FIFA's decision? No, I don't think they should.

A game of football is a game of football, and controversial things happen all the time. FIFA can't sanction a replay because then it'd be one rule for matches with a lot at stake and another for the "less important" matches.

I remember having a similar feeling at the end of the Tottenham vs Manchester United game a few years ago. In that match, you will remember, Pedro Mendes had a shot from the halfway line which clearly crossed the line after Roy Carroll's mistake.

The referee and linesman, however, insisted that it hadn't, and Spurs were robbed of a goal.

I distinctly remember feeling a massive sense of injustice for Tottenham at the end of that game, and I strongly believed that it should have been replayed. The match was much less important than Ireland and France's World Cup qualifier, but FIFA has to treat them both the same.

The laws of the game are the laws of the game, be it at Sunday league level, Premier League level or international level.

Did England get a replay against Argentina for Maradona's handball? No. Unless FIFA want to set a new precedent that they will follow thereafter, they have to abide by their rules.

Under the circumstances, then, the match couldn't have been replayed, and FIFA made the only reasonable decision. I do, however, think that a change of rules should be thought about.

A post-match panel of officials could look at any controversial decisions and decide what action should be taken. Whether this action could be extended as far as a replay in extreme circumstances is up for debate.

What it could include, though, is a citing system similar to that in rugby, where a player can be penalised after the match for incidents the referee has missed or misjudged the seriousness of.

Would this be applicable to Thierry Henry though?

Well, to answer that it must be established whether he handled the ball on purpose.

Henry has since admitted the ball hit his hand, although he insists it was accidental, and has apologised and even said a rematch would be the fairest option.

But replays suggest he did handle the ball on purpose.

When it first strikes his arm, it looks like a natural reflex action, but then he seems to scoop the ball back into play with his hand.

He knew he was cheating at the time, but I don't think he was thinking of the consequences of his actions or the major ramifications they would have.

He instinctively tried to keep the ball in play and create a chance for his team. Yes, this is technically cheating, but it is no worse than diving or any other form of bending the rules for your own gain.

Henry is unfortunate that his actions have been magnified due to the importance of the game, and I don't think he would have been cited had the system been in play.

Should he have owned up? In a perfect world, yes, but he can't be expected to. Incidents like Paolo Di Canio catching the ball because the opposition goalkeeper was injured are heart-warming moments, but they are most certainly the exception to the rule.

So is Henry a cheat? I suppose that, by the letter of the law, he did cheat, but I would have done the same and so, I'm sure, would most of the Irish bemoaning the hand of Henry.

The match, it must be remembered, was as important to France as it was to Ireland. If you had a chance to slightly bend the rules if it meant going to the World Cup finals, would you do it? I know I would.

On that point, would Ireland be so accepting of a replay if it was Robbie Keane who handled and they who had progressed?

The incident also opened up the seemingly endless video technology debate, which I will be discussing in a future article.

It also caused several members of the Ireland set-up to question whether FIFA favour the bigger, more glamorous nations, an argument spurred on by the seeding of the qualifying teams.

This ensured the likes of Portugal and France wouldn't meet each other, instead getting potentially easier ties.

Viewers in neutral countries would rather see Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry than Richard Dunne and Damien Duff, that is a fact, but favouritism cannot be spawned from greed and potential money-making.

Whether or not FIFA planned, or rather expected the bigger teams to go through will be cause for argument until the World Cup kicks-off, but for now, the Irish just have to lick their wounds and get on with it.

I sympathise with them, I really do. I can imagine the whole country is printing off pictures of Henry to stick on their dartboards, and I would be doing the same if England were in their position, but I don't blame Henry for doing what he did and I certainly don't blame FIFA for not allowing a replay.

In fact, the only people that can be held responsible are the officials. Ireland were just unlucky that they were stuck with a referee and linesman who, like Robbie Keane and co., won't be making the trip to South Africa.

Has Rafael Benitez's Time at Liverpool Been a Failure?

Barney — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:51:47 -0500

The title of this piece may have surprised you.

Sure, Rafael Benitez is going through a bad patch, but how can a man who led Liverpool to fifth place in his first season and had turned that into second place by last season be a failure?

How can a man who won two of the biggest trophies in English football—the Champions League and the FA Cup—in his first two seasons be a failure?

How can a man who, while winning that Champions League, gave Liverpool fans arguably the greatest night in the club's illustrious history be a failure?

Well, in my last article, I looked at Benitez's future at the club and whether he had taken Liverpool as far as he could.

In this article, I will be looking at his Liverpool career so far and whether or not he has been a success at Anfield.

Since Benitez joined in the summer of 2004, he has been the subject of countless column inches and has courted controversy at every corner.

From his decision to let golden boy Michael Owen leave to his dreaded rotation policy, from his epic encounters with Jose Mourinho's Chelsea to his latest duels with Sir Alex Ferguson, including the infamous "fact" rant.

Incidentally, I came across an interesting fact of my own the other day: The first letters of the five teams Liverpool have lost to in the league this season (Fulham, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Tottenham, and Sunderland) spell out the word "facts."

Benitez seems to either be a tactical genius, nullifying the effects of some of the world's best players, or a stubborn manager who refuses to change his game plan, whether Liverpool are playing at the Nou Camp or the...err...Sportsdirect.com@St. James' Park.

Quite simply, he has become a man people either seem to love or hate.

Until recently, all Liverpool fans seemed to adore him. After all, he gave us Istanbul.

But now, even some of the Anfield faithful have turned on him, which, for a club with such a rich history of supporting their managers, spells trouble.

Sure, the legendary stadium isn't filled with a constant tirade of abuse, but the trademark "Rafa Rafael, Rafa Rafael, Rafa Rafael, Rafael Benitez" chant is being heard less as each week goes by.

The reason for this? One win in nine matches.

Yes, that run of results is unacceptable for a club of Liverpool's stature, especially when it included the worst run of defeats for more than 20 years, but is it enough to wipe out five years of progression?

Quite simply, no.

Benitez's record at Liverpool, whatever the current state of the club might be, is actually very impressive.

The recent win against Manchester United was Benitez's 200th game in charge of the club.

His record of 114 (57 percent) won is only bettered in the history of Liverpool Football Club by "King" Kenny Dalglish, who won 120.

Which means that Benitez has had a better start than the great Bob Paisley (113 wins), the incomparable Bill Shankly (106 wins), and his predecessor Gerard Houllier (101 wins).

Sure, Shankly may have taken over a club floundering in the second division, but to top Paisley, who inherited Shankly's great team, is some achievement, even if it is just by one game.

Arguments may arise that the league was more competitive in those days, with no "Big Four" and a lot less money, so how does he compare with the longest current serving managers in the league?

Arsene Wenger, the man who transformed Arsenal from George Graham's boring outfit to the most watchable side in the country and arguably the world, won 110 of his first 200 games, a win percentage of 55.

Sir Alex Ferguson, considered by many as the greatest manager of all time, won just 87 (44 percent) of his first 200.

So, at this stage in his career, Benitez has done better than the two most successful managers of the Premier League era.

Does that mean he will go on to emulate them? Of course not. I believe he can, but you just have to compare Houllier's and Ferguson's stats to show that the first 200 games don't indicate the way your career is going.

What is does show, however, is that he needs to be given time. Ferguson and Wenger were given time and showed exactly what they can do. What if Liverpool got rid of Benitez and let a potentially legendary manager slip through their fingers?

But there is a flip side to every argument.

So far, I have argued the point that I believe is right: Rafael Benitez has not been a failure at Liverpool.

Others may argue that he has, and I can see their logic very clearly.

Benitez was brought in to win the Premier League title. Pure and simple. It may not have been his sole goal, but it was certainly the main one.

He was chosen largely for his work at Valencia, where he broke the duopoly of Real Madrid and Barcelona, and the question on everyone's lips was whether he could do it in England.

So far, he hasn't. Therefore he has failed—and he will continue to fail until he does win the title.

Whether he wins another Champions League or two more FA Cups, he won't have been a success until he achieves his primary objective.

Can he do that? Only time will tell, and I pray that he gets that time.

Save Our Season: Has Rafa Benitez Taken Liverpool as Far as He Can?

Barney — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:04:01 -0500

As we approach mid-November, a season that began just four months ago and held such exciting expectations for Liverpool has collapsed in spectacular fashion.

After last season's impressive second place finish, many thought that 2009/10 would be the year that Liverpool finally ended 20 years of title-less hurt.

However, after just 12 matches, Rafael Benitez's men are languishing down in seventh place, having lost to Fulham, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Chelsea, and a beachball.

Just a dozen matches in and already an S.O.S call is being transmitted—Save Our Season.

Usually that acronym's ties with Liverpool go only as far as the Spirit of Shankly, but another manager could do with some of Shankly's luck at the moment.

Benitez has been the main focal point of criticism aimed at Liverpool's below-par form, with some suggesting he is weeks, perhaps days away from being given the sack.

Just one win in the last nine matches is the type of form Anfield rarely sees. The fact that that one win was against Manchester United could be the only reason Benitez still has a job.

However, something that is often overlooked is that Liverpool had gone on a six-match winning streak before this, wins that included hitting six past Hull and four past Burnley.

Of course, this doesn't excuse the recent run of results. In fact, it merely serves to raise more questions. Still, at the start of the season I was firmly in the Benitez camp, and that hasn't changed just yet.

While I may not be completely outraged if Benitez gets sacked now, I still think doing so would be a mistake.

Granted, he has been in the job for five years now, and has had time to stamp his authority on the squad and build what he thinks is a team that can challenge for titles.

Last season, he was proved right. Progress was the key word on the red half of Merseyside.

So far this season, though, be it due to the sale of Xabi Alonso or a completely different factor, it is quite the opposite. A quick scan of the Liverpool teams in recent matches gives a stark reminder of the relative lack of quality Benitez has to work with.

The likes of David N'Gog, Andriy Voronin, Sotorios Kyrgiakos, and arguably Lucas Leiva are not good enough to challenge for the title. The worrying thing is that these players have seen a fair amount of game time too.

Others, like Stephen Darby and Jay Spearing, may be superstars in the making. In the case of the latter, I think this is likely, but they're not players who will help you tackle the big boys yet.

The fact that they are on the bench regularly highlights the club's lack of depth.

Who is to blame for this? Well, earlier I said that Benitez didn't have great tools to work with, but this squad is entirely his making. Only Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher remain from the Houllier era.

Surely then, the criticism for lack of depth should fall squarely at Benitez's door, even if he has had limited resources compared to others.

It is, however, important to remember that he has brought in some top quality players.

A common falsehood used about Liverpool is that they are a "two-man team." Yes, when Gerrard and Torres are injured, we badly miss them, but who wouldn't?

If Rooney and Vidic were injured for Manchester United, they would struggle. If Drogba and Lampard were unavailable for Chelsea, they would struggle. If Van Persie and Fabregas were missing for Arsenal, they would struggle.

Liverpool have arguably a better starting 11 when everyone is fully fit than their main competitors.

Pepe Reina, Glen Johnson, Javier Mascherano, Steven Gerrard, and Fernando Torres are all, in my view, the best players in the league in their respective positions.

Jamie Carragher is still a heroic defender, and with an on-form Agger or Skrtel alongside him, Liverpool are tough to break down.

The returning Alberto Aquilani should provide the missing piece of the puzzle since Alonso's departure in the midfield, and Dirk Kuyt's efforts for the team cannot be underestimated.

But despite this, Liverpool are 11 points off the top of the table, out of the Carling Cup, and facing elimination from the Champions League.

Is this due to bad management? As a Liverpool fan, I can tell you that there are few managers more frustrating than the Spaniard, but you don't turn into a bad manager overnight.

So has Benitez taken Liverpool as far as he can? At the moment, I'm still not convinced.

However, I have always said that while Liverpool are progressing, Benitez's job should not come into question. Only when they start regressing should that question crop up.

At the moment, they are regressing, so it comes as no surprise that Benitez is under pressure.

Roma Still The Best Club in The World After Draw Against Inter Milan

Barney — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:04:51 -0500

Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship (UWCC) witnessed another defence today as newly-crowned champions Roma took on Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan at the San Siro in the first ever Serie A UWCC title match.

Just three days earlier, Roma had become the first ever non-English UWCC champions after beating Fulham in the Europa League, but they faced a tough test against league-leaders Inter Milan in their first match.

Roma entered the game way down in 14th place, while Inter's eight match unbeaten run, six of which were wins, made them clear favourites on paper, particularly with the home advantage.

But the game is played on grass, not paper, and Roma upset the form book by grabbing a hard-fought draw against the home side.

And, to be honest, they could have probably won it.

Mirko Vucinic almost got the away side off to the perfect start when, just three minutes in, he got on the end of a fantastic defence-splitting pass before rounding 'keeper Julio Cesar only to be dispossessed by a back-tracking Lucio.

It was an early scare for the home side, but it didn't seem to spark them into action. Certainly, they weren't seriously threatening Julio Sergio's goal.

In fact, it was Roma who looked most like scoring. Vucinic threatened again not long after when he was given too much space by the defence. His long range effort never really troubled Cesar but he had way too much time to line up his shot.

Then, after 13 minutes, Roma got their deserved breakthrough.

A long ball into the penalty area from Marco Motta found Vucinic once more who this time made no mistake, looping his header high over Cesar's head and into the net.

This finally woke Inter up, and they tested the Roma 'keeper for the first time in the match shortly afterwards.

Maicon's effort from outside of the box was comfortably saved before Diego Milito got behind the Roma defence and forced a great stop from Sergio.

An injury to influential midfielder Daniele De Rossi slowed play down a bit, but Roma were soon creating chances of their own again.

John Arne Riise unleashed a trademark thunderbolt from a free-kick that deflected narrowly wide of Cesar's right-hand post before a similarly speculative effort almost caught his opposite number off guard.

Thiago Motta received the ball out on the left touchline with seemingly nothing on. Then, out of nothing, he let fly at goal, and forced a decent save out of Sergio.

There was still time in the first half for Roma to test Cesar again through Jeremy Menez but, even though it hadn't gotten any worse for them, Mourinho was visibly annoyed with his team's performance.

His response? Two half-time changes, including bringing striker Mario Balotelli on for midfield anchorman Patrick Vieira.

The subs must have made an immediate impact because, within three minutes of the second half starting, Inter Milan were level.

Thiago Motta picked up a loose ball on the edge of the penalty area before sliding a through ball to Samuel Eto'o who spun and shot past Julio Sergio.

Riise then came close with another free-kick, but again he saw it fly narrowly past the right-hand post.

Inter responded with a close effort of their own on the hour mark, Dejan Stankovic coming close with his effort from outside of the box.

Just three minutes later, Roma had yet another chance to get a second, but Julio Cesar was equal to it.

Some slick build-up play led to Vucinic tapping the ball down to Menez, but his goal-bound strike was well saved by the Inter shot-stopper.

Substitute Stefano Okaka-Chuka then almost provided a moment of magic when his strong run led Roma's counter-attack up-field. A one-two with Menez gave Okaka-Chuka a sighting of goal, but his powerful strike was just too high.

With ten minutes left, it was the away side who looked hungry for the winner, and so unsurprisingly it was they who came closest to getting it.

A lovely through ball from Marco Motta found Ricardo Faty, but yet another good save by Julio Cesar denied him.

As the clocked ticked down towards the 90 minute mark, Inter finally starting showing the desire to grab all three points, and they had a couple of good chances to steal them.

First, Samuel Eto'o was left unmarked inside the box, but his volley was disappointing, ending up quite a long way wide.

Then, just two minutes later, Balotelli found some space inside the box, but his cross-cum-shot ended up missing Eto'o's outstretched boot by inches.

The result means that Inter Milan have had three unsuccessful UWCC title challenges which, with no title reign to their name either, puts them alongside Stoke, Aston Villa, Manchester City, and Arsenal as the least successful teams in UWCC history.

For the eighth match in a row, the minority of voters in the poll got the right answer, correctly predicting that Roma would keep their UWCC title, so well done to whoever got it right!

Roma's run

Roma 2-1 Fulham (Roma become new champions)

Inter Milan 1-1 Roma

(Click here to see the complete history of Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship)

Due to the international break, Roma's next match isn't until Sunday 22nd November when they will host Bari. Could Bari become the best club in the world?!

Roma Become First Non-English UWCC Champions with Win Over Fulham

Barney — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:00:17 -0500

Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship (UWCC) witnessed another defence today as champions Fulham took on Italian side Roma at the Stadio Olympico.

Roma came into this match in indifferent form, having recorded just one win in their last five games, but the home advantage provided by the cauldron that is the Stadio Olympico once again made Roma the firm favourites, just as they had been two weeks previously in the return fixture.

Fulham surprised most by dominating large parts of that match, but a late goal for Roma gave the Italian side a draw.

Their performance in that match, and the subsequent draw against Manchester City and win against Liverpool, however, had shown fans and pundits alike that Fulham were not a team to just make up the numbers.

They showed this again tonight but, despite a spirited effort, the West London side were unable to avoid defeat, having two players sent off on their way to a 2-1 loss.

It started so well for them. They were the brightest team in the early exchanges, much to the chagrin of the home supporters.

Their play seemed to take Roma by surprise and, after just 20 minutes, Fulham took an unexpected but deserved lead.

Zoltan Gera's pass found Clint Dempsey who, in turn, cut the ball back to Diomancy Kamara. The Senegalese striker was then tripped by Roma's goal hero of the reverse fixture, Marco Andreolli, and the referee pointed to the spot.

Kamara picked himself up, dusted himself off, and coolly slid the ball past Doni to give the visitors the lead.

The goal seemed to spark the Italians into action and Phillipe Mexes should have given his team the perfect reply soon after.

Mexes met a dangerous cross from Cicinho, but the Frenchman headed just wide.

Mexes was involved again a few moments later after his effort was blocked by John Pantsil. The players and home support screamed for a penalty to be given because of the suspected handball, but this time the ref refused the claims.

Both teams looked dangerous at times, but it was Fulham who were looking the more comfortable.

And they should have perhaps been twice as comfortable as the first half wound down.

Kamara missed a golden chance to double his tally when his header from Paul Konchesky's cross went the wrong side of the far post as far as he was concerned.

There was still time for yet another Fulham chance before the half was through, though. This time, it was Clint Dempsey who found himself in space, but his shot ended up going wide.

The second half began with a game-changing moment. Just three minutes in, Erik Nevland tackled Daniele De Rossi from behind, and his foul was deemed bad enough by the official to warrant a red card.

Replays suggested the dismissal was harsh, but the Norweigan striker had no option but to leave the pitch.

Fulham, who had been on top with 11 men on the field, suddenly found themselves under a lot more pressure, and there is no doubt that Nevland's red card drastically changed the course of the match.

Almost immediately after the incident, Roma's Rodrigo Taddei worried Mark Schwarzer with a long range effort.

Taddei then turned provider for Stefano Guberti, whose close-range header was directed wide.

As Roma continued to press for the equaliser, Fulham refused to give way. However, time was becoming their enemy, and it seemed like a matter of when Roma would get the goal, rather than if they would.

And many inside the ground thought they had the much sought after equaliser on the hour mark when Guperti's strike was met by a fine save from Schwarzer.

The home crowd wouldn't have to wait too much longer for a goal, however, as after 68 minutes, former Liverpool player John Arne Riise's strike from the edge of the box deflected off two players, including his younger brother Bjorn Helge, wrong-footing Schwarzer.

The Australian shot-stopper was picking the ball out of the back of his net once more less than ten minutes later as Roma took the lead for the first time.

Taddei's cross was met with a close-range header from Stefano Okaka-Chuka which beat Schwarzer, despite the Fulham keeper managing to get a hand on it.

Even when Fulham threw everything at Roma late on, it was the home side who looked more like scoring.

Schwarzer was called into action once again when Okaka-Chuka forced a save after an acrobatic effort.

Fulham had one last chance to level the scores, but Chris Baird's goal-bound effort was cleared by Mexes.

The evening went from bad to worse for the Cottagers with just seconds remaining, however, as Paul Konchesky fouled Taddei to receive his marching orders.

The win means that Roma become the first non-English team to hold the title of unofficially being the best club in the world.

Fulham's four-game run as champions brings their all-time title defences tally up to 13, second in the rankings behind Chelsea's 29.

The two red cards mean that Fulham are the most ill-disciplined team in UWCC history, having had three players receive their marching orders, the other being Stephen Kelly.

Just 37.5 percent of the voters in the previous poll correctly predicted that Roma would claim the UWCC title from Fulham, so well done to the minority once again!

Roma's run

Roma 2-1 Fulham (Roma become new champions)

(Click here to see the complete history of Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship)

Congratulations to the new champions!

Roma's first title defence comes on Sunday and is a tough away tie against Jose Mourinho's league leaders—Inter Milan. Can Inter become the best team in the world?!

Fulham Shock Liverpool in Halloween Horror Show To Retain UWCC Title

Barney — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:52:13 -0400

Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship (UWCC ) witnessed another defence today as champions Fulham took on former champions Liverpool at Craven Cottage.

Fulham came into this match unbeaten in their past five games, with impressive draws against both Roma and Manchester City making up their second UWCC title reign so far.

Liverpool, on the other hand, were in unpredictable form to say the least. A loss midweek in the Carling Cup to Arsenal may not have been too surprising, considering the players who took the field, and a win against Manchester United last week was encouraging, but there was no arguing that Rafa Benitez's men were underachieving.

Still, they were firm favourites heading into this one, and could've reclaimed a top four spot had they gathered the three points.

But Fulham had other ideas, and produced another shock result, running out 3-1 victors over the nine men of Liverpool.

Despite Liverpool's obvious injury woes, they had the better of the opening exchanges, dominating possession without creating any telling chances.

They came within a few inches of taking the lead just after the 20-minute mark, however, when Yossi Benayoun found space at the far post, but his effort bounced back off the Fulham crossbar.

The home team took full advantage of this let off with their first meaningful attack just moments after.

Bobby Zamora stole a yard from both his markers to get on the end of a Damien Duff cross and give Fulham an undeserved lead.

The goal didn't really change the manner of the match, however, as Liverpool continued to control the possession. Despite this, Mark Schwarzer had a relatively quiet day, with only a few moments seriously troubling him.

One such moment came just before half-time. Phillip Degen, making a rare league start, crossed the ball into Andriy Voronin, another unfamiliar face in the league, whose header rebounded off Aaron Hughes and fell to Fernando Torres, who lashed the ball in first time with a volley from the edge of the box.

The second half began without any major incidents, but it certainly didn't stay that way.

The first talking point came when Benitez, already under enormous pressure, took off Torres, despite the score being 1-1 and having no-one of similar quality to replace him.

Another talking point followed soon after as Jamie Carragher and Bobby Zamora tussled for the ball in the penalty area. Zamora wanted a penalty, but the referee waved it away.

Zamora's anger turned into delight within minutes, however, as Fulham took the lead through Erik Nevland.

Paul Konchesky broke down the left following Dirk Kuyt's attempt to keep the ball in play, and his cross found Zoltan Gera, who nodded the ball down to Nevland to slot it past Reina.

A bad day turned into a terrible one for Liverpool then as first Phillip Degen, then Jamie Carragher saw red to reduce Liverpool to nine men.

Degen's late tackle on Clint Dempsey earned him a straight red, while Carragher was given the same punishment just moments after for a professional foul on Zamora.

Both can feel hard done by, especially Carragher who appeared to get the ball.

The numerical advantage proved vital as Liverpool couldn't lay siege to the Fulham goal as they otherwise might have, and Benitez had to replace a player who may have posed a threat in Dirk Kuyt, with a defender.

His substitution decisions may cause him some grief in the coming week as, along with taking Torres and Kuyt off, he also replaced the in-form Yossi Benayoun with league debutant Nathan Ecclestone at 2-1.

Liverpool's misery was compounded three minutes from time as Nevland found an unmarked Dempsey who calmly put the ball past Reina. The Halloween horror show was complete.

Still, at least we're not drawing anymore...

Dempsey's goal was his fifth in UWCC title matches, becoming the ninth player to reach that milestone.

Degen and Carragher's red cards were the 10th and 11th red cards in UWCC history, and Liverpool become only the second club to have had two players sent off, the first being Manchester City.

For the third week in a row, the majority of voters in the poll predicted that Fulham would lose their UWCC crown and for the third week in a row they were wrong! Well done to the 37.5 percent of people who got it right!

Fulham's run

Fulham 2-0 Hull (Fulham become new champions)

Fulham 1-1 Roma

Manchester City 2-2 Fulham

Fulham 3-1 Liverpool

( Click here to see the complete history of Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship)

Fulham's next title defence comes on Thursday as they face the intimidating journey to the Stadio Olimpico to take on Roma in the Europa League. Surely they can't upset the odds again...can they?

Fulham Fight Back Against Man City to Retain UWCC Title

Barney — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:40:51 -0400

Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship (UWCC) witnessed another defence yesterday as champions Fulham took on big spending Manchester City at Eastlands.

City went into this match with a 100% home record so far this season and this, coupled with the star power available to boss Mark Hughes and Fulham's dismal away form (just eight away games won in the past four seasons), made the home side firm favourites to outclass their opponents.

But the West Londoners weren't in bad form themselves. Unbeaten in their last four games, including coming within seconds of a famous victory over Roma in their last match, Fulham were no strangers to overcoming the odds.

And overcome the odds they did, recovering from a two goal deficit to grab a point, the final score being 2-2.

The defensive nature of Fulham's tactics was clear to see in the first half, as Roy Hodgson tried to implement the same counter-attacking game that saw his side almost beat Roma.

Predictably, then, it was City who had the lion's share of possesion and chances.

Emmanuel Adebayor created the first chance, laying a pass off to Carlos Tevez, but the Argentinian saw his shot bobble wide.

Adebayor then had a half-chance of his own. Craig Bellamy's cross from the left was just behind him, and the ex-Arsenal man produced a clever back-heel but it never seriously tested Mark Schwarzer.

As the game wore on, evidence of Fulham's counter-attacking philosophy was plain to see as Hodgson's plan looked like coming to fruition.

One such counter-attack presented Diomancy Kamara with a good opportunity to open the scoring.

Bobby Zamora poked the ball through but Kamara, one on one with Shay Given, took a heavy touch which allowed the City goalkeeper to collect the ball at his feet.

It was City who were the dominating force in the match, however, and they should have taken the lead soon after Kamara's chance.

Wayne Bridge's long range effort deflected to Nigel De Jong inside the box whose effort produced a stunning save from Schwarzer.

The half ended in controversy after referee Kevin Friend disallowed Micah Richards' headed goal. Martin Petrov's corner was met by the Englishman who beat Schwarzer, only have his goal ruled out for a push by Gareth Barry on Chris Baird.

If Richards felt a sense of disbelief at the decision, it was nothing compared to what everyone inside the ground felt soon after the second half kicked off.

After some good work on the left by Kamara, Clint Dempsey's shot was deflected into the path of Zamora who, with the goal at his mercy from just six yards out, side-footed the ball over the crossbar in one of the worst misses you will see this season.

And City took full advantage of this remarkable let off. A corner from Bellamy led to Barry poking the ball to Adebayor who held off the defenders to knock it on to Lescott who, amidst a goalmouth scramble, managed to squeeze it over the line to give City the lead.

This lead was doubled just minutes later too, when Martin Petrov linked up with Gareth Barry before getting the ball back, finding some space on the edge of the box, and curling it past a helpless Schwarzer.

In the space of a few minutes, City had gone from somehow not being 1-0 down to being 2-0 up. Then, in the space of just eight minutes, it was all level again.

Stephen Kelly's cross found Bobby Zamora who went some way to redeeming himself for his earlier miss by chesting the ball down to Damien Duff who shot low and hard past Shay Given.

It was another cross that caused the problems for Fulham's second goal too, this time Clint Dempsey rising highest and directing a fine header past Given.

In the space of just 15 minutes there had been four goals, and the drama didn't end there.

Gareth Barry came close to restoring City's lead with his header, while Kamara almost gave Fulham the three points with an effort of his own.

The result means that Man City join Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Stoke as the least successful teams in UWCC history, each losing all three of their title matches.

Again, the minority of people who voted in the poll correctly predicted the outcome of this match, with just 20 percent backing Fulham to retain their title!

Fulham's run

Fulham 2-0 Hull (Fulham become new champions)

Fulham 1-1 Roma

Manchester City 2-2 Fulham

(Click here to see the complete history of Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship)

Fulham's next title match comes on Saturday as they host Manchester United's conquerors. No, not Burnley but Liverpool. Can Rafa Benitez's men beat Fulham and become the first ever three-time UWCC Champions?!

Fulham: Still Best Team in The World After Heartbreaking Draw With Roma

Barney — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:15:42 -0400

Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship (UWCC) witnessed another defence today as newly crowned champions Fulham took on Italian giants AS Roma in the first ever Europa League UWCC title match.

The title of this piece may surprise you. Surely a draw against one of the biggest names in European football would be a major, historic achievement for Fulham?

While that may have been the mindset at the start of the game, at the final whistle it was Roma celebrating as if they'd won the competition and Fulham looking distraught.

The match saw a return to West London for former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri, and also an intriguing brother vs brother battle as Fulham's Bjorn Helge Riise was named in the starting line-up to face his more famous sibling, John Arne.

Bragging rights were shared in the end as Roma found a dramatic late equaliser to make it 1-1.

It was Fulham's Riise who caused the early problems, marauding down his wing and giving the opposition defenders something to think about.

And it was his corner that led to the opening chance of the game, the ball eventually falling to Jonathan Greening, whose shot was pushed round the post.

Greening then won another corner after his shot was deflected wide, from which Stephen Kelly had an effort well saved again by Roma 'keeper Doni.

Surprisingly, despite Roma's more illustrious reputation, it was Fulham who were outclassing their opponents, and their hard work soon paid off.

Bobby Zamora's shot deflected narrowly wide before Brede Hangeland out-jumped his markers to nod the home side into a deserved 1-0 lead soon after.

This rude awakening was perhaps what Roma needed as, for the first time in the match, they started to threaten Mark Schwarzer's goal. The Australian had to be alert to deny John Arne Riise's fine effort just before half-time.

As the second half progressed it looked as if Fulham were content to defend their slender lead and try and hit Roma on the counter-attack.

Roy Hodgson's plan nearly worked as Bobby Zamora's cross almost found Diomancy Kamara before the same two players combined again, this time Zamora's pass finding a way through the stretched defence only for Doni to gather the ball at Kamara's feet.

Roma's second-half dominance started to pay-off as the minutes wore on, however, with Schwarzer making a fine save from Mirko Vucinic's equally impressive curling effort.

With Roma seemingly camped inside the Fulham half, a breakthrough seemed inevitable, and it came after 75 minutes as Roma's Riise was brought down from behind by Stephen Kelly.

There was no doubt in the referee's mind that it was a penalty, but doubt of a different kind crept in soon enough as, even with the extra official behind the goal, the red card was mistakenly shown to Hangeland.

After a few moments deliberation, in which the Fulham players were adamant the two officials had made a mistake, the ref changed his mind and rightly sent Kelly off.

As Jeremy Menez stepped up to take the spot kick after a dramatic few minutes, the Fulham faithful behind the goal desperately tried to put him off. It must have worked as Schwarzer made a great save down to his right to blow the roof off Craven Cottage.

With Fulham desperately trying to find a moment of peace under the relentless Roma attack any delaying tactics were welcome, and Eric Nevland almost provided the ultimate one with a fierce effort beaten away at his near post by Doni.

At the other end John Arne Riise squandered a half chance as he came storming in at the back post only to send his shot wide.

Just as it looked like Fulham had secured a famous victory, Roma were awarded a controversial corner from which Marco Andreolli found himself in space to control and volley past Pantsil, who got a touch which may have taken it past Schwarzer's despairing dive.

There was barely time for kick-off as Fulham had to come to terms with seeing victory snatched from them with the last kick of the match.

Menez's penalty was the 14th in UWCC history, and only the third to have been missed, while Stephen Kelly became the ninth different player to be sent-off in a UWCC title match.

Just 30 percent of voters in the poll correctly predicted that Fulham would hold on to their title against Roma, so well done to the minority!

Fulham's run

Fulham 2-0 Hull (Fulham become new champions)

Fulham 1-1 Roma

(Click here to see the complete history of Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship)

Fulham's next title defence comes on Sunday as they travel to face the riches of Manchester City. Can Fulham pull off another shock or will City become the best team in the world?!

Fulham Beat Hull To Regain Status As The Best Club In The World!

Barney — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:29:39 -0400

Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship (UWCC) witnessed another defence today as newly crowned champions Hull took on former champions Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Hull came into this match struggling to find form, despite their most recent match being a 2-1 win over Wigan, and Phil Brown knew he'd have to follow up on that result to make it worthwhile.

Fulham, on the other hand, were unbeaten in two matches but not faring much better. In fact, before kick-off, the two sides were level on points, albeit with Fulham having a game in hand.

Ultimately, it was Roy Hodgson's men who ran out 2-0 winners, making Hull the second consecutive team to lose the UWCC title on their first defence after Wigan did the same before the international break.

Many had predicted Hull's poor start to the season, but few had anticipated Fulham having the same problem after their remarkable season last year.

Perhaps that shock caused the caution and lack of ambition that plagued the opening exchanges of this game as, for the most part, neither team looked like threatening the opposition's goal.

After 25 minutes, however, this changed when Bobby Zamora spurned a great opportunity.

Diomansy Kamara provided a magnificent pass which split the Hull defence, only for Zamora to shoot over from inside the six yard box.

While this seemed to liven Fulham up somewhat, Phil Brown's men looked devoid of any ideas to break down their opposition's defence.

Damien Duff saw two long range efforts go close before the deadlock was finally broken just before half-time.

Another Duff effort was parried by Boaz Myhill, but Zamora reacted quicker than everyone to head past the sprawling Hull City 'keeper.

Any hope that the goal would prompt an exciting second half quickly evaporated as, while Hull looked marginally better than they did in the first, they were still massively unconvincing going forward.

Stephen Hunt had a half-chance when he controlled well inside the box, but his shot didn't trouble the Fulham goal. Not even the introduction of Jimmy Bullard, returning from injury against his former club, could motivate the team.

In fact, it seemed to motivate Fulham more than it did Hull as a matter of minutes later, Fulham doubled their lead through Diomancy Kamara.

Bobby Zamora broke down the right before playing the ball across to Kamara who made no mistake, slamming the ball past Myhill.

The game looked more or less dead at 1-0, but the second completely killed off any hope of a Hull fightback.

Fulham could, and perhaps should have gone even further ahead before the final whistle was blown. Clint Dempsey missed two good chances and Zamora came close to grabbing a second with his shot from the edge of the box.

It ended just 2-0 however, and Phil Brown was left pondering just why his team were so lacklustre.

The result means that Fulham embark on their second reign as UWCC champions, the third team to achieve that feat after Liverpool and Chelsea.

It was also Fulham's seventh match as challengers to the UWCC title, more than any other team, and they now hold the joint record for amount of successful challenges as well as the record for most unsuccessful attempts.

78.6 percent of people who voted in the poll correctly predicted that Fulham would beat Hull and regain the UWCC title, so well done to the majority!

Fulham's run

Fulham 2-0 Hull (Fulham become new champions)

(Click here to see the complete history of Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship)

Fulham's first title defence comes on Thursday in a tough Europa League tie against Roma. Can Roma beat Roy Hodgson's men to finally take the UWCC title out of England and become the best club in the world?

Jamie Carragher: A Season Too Far?

Barney — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:17:57 -0400

Liverpool's season has not got off to the start they had hoped for. There is no denying that.

With fans dreaming of finally ending that ever-growing wait for a league title after last season's impressive display, much was expected of Rafa Benitez's men.

But after three defeats in their opening eight league games, they face an uphill struggle to even be in contention for the title come early 2010.

Many explanations and excuses have been provided for why Liverpool aren't living up to the hype; from Benitez not being fit for the job, to the sale of Xabi Alonso, but one such suggested reason would have been unthinkable prior to the season's start.

Jamie Carragher is past it.

Many Liverpool players have been forced to face the criticism levied at them, from bit-part players like Ryan Babel and Lucas Leiva to the key men like Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard.

But before the season we all knew that Babel was too inconsistent. We knew that Lucas would struggle to fill Alonso's boots. We even knew that Gerrard and Torres could occasionally go missing in games.

But Jamie Carragher was always Mr. Consistent at the back. On the rare occasion Gerrard didn't step up to the plate, you could be sure Carragher would be there to help out defensively.

So far this season, however, Carragher has been one of Liverpool's worst performers at times. He has admitted such himself.

But is he really past it, or is he just going through a bad patch of form?

Carragher joined Liverpool's first team in 1996 and, as such, he is the longest-serving player currently at the club.

For much of his early career, he was used as a utility player, his versatility being his downfall in trying to tie down a regular starting spot, but this changed when Benitez took control.

Benitez put Carragher into centre-back, where he was a revelation. His performances on the road to Istanbul, and in Istanbul itself, were every bit as important as Steven Gerrard's.

Who could forget the last-ditch tackles and interceptions while his legs were ravaged by cramp?

At that point, there was no defender in the world I would rather have in my team.

Carragher was willing to die in that Liverpool shirt and, while he may not have been the most technically gifted footballer, he fast became one of Liverpool's most valuable.

And so he continued until, it would seem, this season.

Fans now see the man who has played almost 600 matches for Liverpool, including a club record 119 in Europe, as expendable. They suggest a centre-back pairing of Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger would be better suited for the team.

Now, I know there is no place for sentiment in football, but how could fans, particularly Liverpool fans who have adored him for so long, turn on him so quickly?

If you're not good enough, you shouldn't be playing, end of story. But Jamie Carragher is still good enough.

A few bad matches shouldn't mean a player who has given 13 years to the football club should be vilified.

Carragher has always been prone to the occasional mistake. This is an aspect of his game that has been greatly improved under Benitez, but no player can ever totally eradicate it.

He made a mistake against West Ham by conceding a sloppy penalty, and one against Chelsea when Didier Drogba got past him to set up Florent Malouda who made it 2-0.

As far as the latter is concerned, even the very best defenders in the world, a category under which an on-form Jamie Carragher could be placed under, would struggle with the pace, power, and trickery of Drogba in full flow.

No player should be exempt from criticism. Carragher has not been playing well this season, and he knows it. Gerrard has not been as good so far this season either.

To think about dropping either of them, however, is preposterous.

Carragher is still an integral part of the Liverpool team. I doubt anyone in red wants the team to win more than he does. He organises the defence and is every bit as influential as Gerrard.

Jamie Carragher is still among the most important players Liverpool have.

Expendable? Try indispensable.

Hull City Become The New Greatest Club Side in The World

Barney — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:54:49 -0400

Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship (UWCC) witnessed another defence today as newly crowned champions Wigan took on Hull City at the KC Stadium.

Wigan had shocked the country with their 3-1 win over Chelsea last weekend, ending the Blues' 100 percent record in the process. Roberto Martinez knew, however, that it was consistency that was important, and the win over Chelsea would mean very little without a result to back it up.

Hull, on the other hand, had met a big four team of their own. Their 6-1 defeat to Liverpool equalled their worst ever loss in the Premier League, which happened to be against Wigan.

Phil Brown was experiencing a tough 2009, with just two wins so far, and Hull were already beginning to prepare for a relegation dogfight.

Despite their woeful recent form, however, it was Hull who got the win and became the new UWCC Champions, running out 2-1 victors in the end.

Hull had the better of the opening exchanges as they looked to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and make a strong start.

Nick Barmby latched on to Stephen Hunt's cross and his shot deflected off Maynor Figueroa, prompting claims of handball from the home support. The referee waved play on, much to the chagrin of Phil Brown.

Dean Marney should have done better with a shot that was straight at Kirkland, but Hull were well and truly in the driving seat.

Eventually, Wigan woke up and started creating chances of their own. Mohamed Diame forced a fine save out of Boaz Myhill, who followed it up by smothering the ball at the feet of Jason Scotland.

Scotland came close again soon after, but his shot trickled just wide.

Hull responded with a chance of their own. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink rose to head the ball towards goal, but it just drifted past the right hand post.

Kamil Zayatte had a chance to break the deadlock just before the interval, but his header went the wrong side of the post as far as Hull were concerned.

In an entertaining game with a fair amount of chances, there was a distinct lack of cutting edge in front of goal during the first-half, something Wigan looked to put an end to as they came out flying in the second half.

Maynor Figueroa and Paul Scharner both had efforts that flew past the post within a minute of each other as the Latics looked to gain a lead they could then protect. Diame was then denied a great chance by a last ditch challenge by Paul McShane.

Hull came close themselves through Zayatte's close range strike before the dealock was finally broken.

Vennegoor of Hesselink had had a sighter earlier on in the match, and on the hour mark he used his head again to steer the ball past Kirkland before running off to celebrate his first goal for the club.

While Wigan had been the team looking most likely to score before, the goal seemed to take all the fight out of them, and Geovanni doubled Hull's lead eight minutes later.

Hull looked to be cruising to a rare victory until Scott Sinclair got a late goal to set up an exciting finale, which the Tigers eventually managed to resist.

The result means that Hull are the new UWCC Champions, and that Wigan become the first club to have lost the title on their very first defence.

39.3 percent of people in the poll correctly predicted that Hull would beat Wigan to win the UWCC title, so well done to the minority!

Hull's run

Hull City 2-1 Wigan Athletic (Hull become new champions)

(Click here to see the complete history of Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship)

Hull's first title defence comes in Monday, 19 October as they travel to West London to take on former champions Fulham. Can Fulham once again become the greatest team in the world?!

Wigan Athletic: The New Greatest Side in the World After Beating Chelsea

Barney — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 14:20:50 -0400

Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship (UWCC) witnessed another defence yesterday as champions Chelsea took on Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium.

Chelsea's encouraging start to the season—six wins from six in the league and a place in the fourth round of the League Cup—had fans optimistic of an all-conquering campaign.

With Carlo Ancelotti yet to taste defeat as a manager of an English club, things looked promising for the club.

Wigan, on the other hand, had only won twice all season and had already suffered heavy defeats at the hands of Arsenal, Manchester United, and Blackpool. In addition to this, they had never beaten a top four side in the Premier League.

Needless to say, then, that the smart money was all on Chelsea to pick up the three points.

In what will undoubtedly prove to be one of the biggest shocks of the season, however, Wigan came away with the win, and deservedly so, running out 3-1 victors in the end.

The visitors had the better of the early exchanges, forcing Wigan back and putting them under the expected pressure. It was Wigan who got the opener, though, after just 15 minutes.

Following a short corner, Charles N'Zogbia whipped in a dangerous cross which was met by the head of Titus Bramble who couldn't fail to give Wigan the lead.

Instead of sitting back and protecting the invaluable lead like many of the "smaller" clubs would do, Wigan carried on playing, stopping Chelsea at the same time.

Much to everyone's surprise, it was Wigan who looked most likely to get another goal.

John Terry saved a goal-scoring opportunity with a fine last-gasp tackle before Emmerson Boyce saw his close-range effort saved by Petr Cech.

Despite Wigan's domination, they couldn't get a goal before the half-time interval and were duly punished immediately after the break.

Florent Malouda embarked upon a jinking run to set up Didier Drogba who managed to squeeze the ball past Chris Kirkland for his 100th Chelsea goal.

Chelsea's delight turned into despair just five minutes later, however, as Cech brought down Hugo Rodallega inside the box. Phil Dowd pointed to the spot before heading to his pocket and showing Cech the red card.

Substitute keeper Hilario's first action was to pick the ball out of the back of his net after Rodallega picked himself up, dusted himself off, and fired his penalty straight down the middle.

The expected Chelsea onslaught was once again found wanting as the visitors couldn't create any meaningful chances.

Frank Lampard had a half-chance with a header, but that was about as good as it got for the Blues.

Even in the dying seconds they didn't look like scoring and, after going down to nine men courtesy of an injury to Ashley Cole, their misery was compounded when Paul Scharner made it 3-1, inflicting Carlo Ancelotti's first Premier League defeat.

The result brings to an end Chelsea's record-breaking title reign of 22 matches, as well as their record winning streak of eight matches, and makes Wigan the seventh team to hold the UWCC title.

Drogba's goal was his 13th UWCC goal, extending his lead in the goal-scoring charts while Rodallega's penalty was the 13th penalty in a UWCC title match.

Petr Cech's red card was the eighth time a player has been sent-off in a title match but the first from Chelsea.

Just 10.9 percent of voters in the poll predicted that Wigan would beat Chelsea and claim the UWCC title, so well done to anyone who got it right!

Wigan's run

Wigan 3-1 Chelsea (Wigan become new champions)

(Click here to see the complete history of Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship)

Wigan's first title defence comes next Saturday as they take on Hull. Can Phil Brown's men make Wigan the first team to lose the UWCC title on their first defence?!

Chelsea Still the Best Team in the World after Carling Cup Win

Barney — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:01:24 -0400

Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship (UWCC) witnessed another defence today as champions Chelsea took on Queens Park Rangers in the Carling Cup.

Chelsea had become a formidable winning machine under Carlo Ancelotti in the Premier League, and the Italian was looking to carry on that form in the Carling Cup.

As has become the norm with top clubs, it was a weakened side that Ancelotti sent out. This gave him an opportunity to see how other members of his squad coped in a competitive fixture.

QPR, on the other hand, were looking to focus attention back on the pitch after Flavio Briatore's ban from Formula One had raised questions over the Italian's association with the club.

A win against the likes of Chelsea would certainly get people talking about the team rather than board members.

Despite a spirited effort, however, it was Chelsea who came away with the 1-0 win in the end.

Chelsea fans were provided with some good news before a ball had been kicked. Both £18 million signing Yuri Zhirkov and Joe Cole were in the starting line-up, the former making his debut and the latter returning from a lengthy injury.

Despite this experience coupling the youthfulness of others, Chelsea were unable to exert their authority in the first half.

Eighteen-year-old Fabio Borini came close for the hosts, heading just over the crossbar, but other than Juliano Belletti seeing his free-kick tipped over, this was all the Chelsea faithful had to shout about.

Florent Malouda and Joe Cole both had chances to trouble the scorers, but neither made the 'keeper work.

QPR didn't look like taking advantage of this, however. Akos Buzsaky came closest for them in the first-half as he saw his shot fly just past the post.

The deadlock was finally broken seven minutes after half-time. Joe Cole showed what Chelsea and England had been missing throughout his injury spell with a through ball to Salomon Kalou who fired the ball past Tom Heaton and into the goal, via the post.

Frank Lampard then added a touch of class to proceedings, slipping Borini in on goal, but Heaton was equal to his effort.

Chelsea had a nervous moment before the end with Buzsaky's long range strike proving tricky for Hilario, but they never really looked like conceding.

They should have doubled their lead when Joe Cole was denied by Heaton, but Ancelotti will be pleased that his side cruised to a win, although the style in which they did so won't strike fear into potential opponents.

Kalou's goal was his sixth UWCC goal, putting him equal fifth on the all-time list of goalscorers behind Didier Drogba (12), Frank Lampard (11), Nicolas Anelka (9), and Florent Malouda (7).

90.9 percent of voters in the poll predicted that Chelsea would retain the UWCC title against QPR, so well done to the vast majority!

Chelsea's run

Liverpool 1-3 Chelsea (Chelsea become new champions)

Chelsea 4-3 Bolton Wanderers

Chelsea 4-4 Liverpool

Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal

Chelsea 0-0 Everton

West Ham 0-1 Chelsea

Barcelona 0-0 Chelsea

Chelsea 3-1 Fulham

Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona

Arsenal 1-4 Chelsea

Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn

Sunderland 2-3 Chelsea

Chelsea 2-1 Everton

Chelsea 2-2 Manchester United (Chelsea won 4-1 on penalties)

Chelsea 2-1 Hull City

Sunderland 1-3 Chelsea

Fulham 0-2 Chelsea

Chelsea 3-0 Burnley

Stoke 1-2 Chelsea

Chelsea 1-0 Porto

Chelsea 3-0 Tottenham

Chelsea 1-0 Queens Park Rangers

(Click here to see the complete history of Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship)

Chelsea's next title defence comes on Saturday as they travel to Wigan in the Premier League. Can Roberto Martinez's men beat Chelsea and become the best team in the world?

The Manchester Derby: Something Old, New, Borrowed, and Blue

Barney — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:42:37 -0400

Sunday afternoon bore witness to two big matches in the Premier League. Two top four hopefuls took on two title contenders in a day of what promised to be thrilling football.

And it didn't disappoint.

Chelsea took on, and ultimately dispatched their London rivals Tottenham in the day's later kick-off, but the show had already been stolen by the events at Old Trafford where Manchester United battled Manchester City.

It was the most important derby in recent memory as, for the first time in a long time, both sides had ambitions of success and squads of comparable quality.

Couple that with the various sub-plots in place, from ex-United player Mark Hughes vying for mind-game supremacy with former boss Sir Alex Ferguson to Carlos Tevez's involvement after being "welcomed to Manchester."

So often the anticipation that precedes these matches is followed by an anti-climax, but in this instance that was far from applicable.

City's summer of spending had been widely condemned but Mark Hughes didn't care. He was still enjoying his, and City's honeymoon period.

The match against United was the biggest test they would face to see whether or not they could hang with the big boys.

The controversial thriller against Arsenal suggested they could, and their performance on Sunday did nothing to contradict that, despite walking away with nothing.

The difference largely came from something old and something new.

The "something old" came in the form of the inimitable Ryan Giggs, whose marriage with United seems to be getting better as the years roll on.

Despite being 35 and in his 18th year at United, Giggs put in a man of the match performance, proving he was every bit the equal of the "dream team" City had assembled.

His magnificent pass in literally the last second of the game not only summed up his majestic performance, but also gave way for the "something new" - Michael Owen.

Much was made of his summer transfer to United, mainly due to the fact he shot to stardom at arch-rivals Liverpool.

Some called him a traitor, some said he was a mercenary, and others said he had done the right thing, but one thing everyone seemed to agree on was that it was a great transfer for every party directly involved.

United got a world-class striker without spending any money and Michael Owen got one more shot at the big time, and a chance to make the flight for the 2010 World Cup.

His goal after it looked as if Craig Bellamy had rescued a point for the visitors made him an instant hero in the red side on Manchester, no easy task for a former Liverpool idol.

Who'd have thought that Gary Neville and Sir Alex Ferguson would be celebrating a Michael Owen goal at club level so enthusiastically?

Who'd have thought that Owen would be sprinting into the corner of Old Trafford after scoring a winner and not have the 75,000 fans in attendance baying for his blood?

It was a bizarre sight to say the least.

The "something borrowed" got a very different reaction.

Carlos Tevez, who was applauded off the same pitch and heard his name chanted by every United fan just four months ago, was booed every time he touched the ball.

Owen had gone from villain to hero; Tevez had gone from hero to villain.

He so nearly had the last laugh, though.

The work-rate and passion that made him a cult-hero at Old Trafford almost made him public enemy number one at the same venue.

He caught Ben Foster in possession, leading to Gareth Barry's equaliser, and came within a few inches of getting on the score-sheet himself, clipping the outside of the post when clean through.

"Something blue" could also be attributed to Tevez. Once a red, now a blue; a mantra Mark Hughes could also adopt. Or it could be given to the now infamous "Welcome to Manchester" sign, which showed banter in football is not dead, but is seriously frowned upon.

But the something blue is, predictably Manchester City. Their mood must have reflected their kits after Owen's late goal, and the controversy that surrounded the result can't have helped.

Hughes bemoaned the time-keeping for Owen's goal, although the one-second extra time played was entirely reasonable given the position United were in on the pitch.

All in all, it was one of the best Manchester derbies ever, and proof that City can indeed hang with the big boys in the league.

Would they have fared better had any of Emmanuel Adebayor, Robinho, or Roque Santa Cruz been available?

No-one can answer that conclusively, although the quality of those players suggest that it may have been.

If one thing can be sure, however, it's that the stormy, tumultuous, and long-lived relationship between United and City will not end here. In fact, the latest, and possibly the most exciting chapter, has only just begun.

Chelsea Thrash Spurs in London Derby to Retain The UWCC Title

Barney — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 19:17:47 -0400

Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship (UWCC) witnessed another defence today as champions Chelsea took on London rivals and former champions Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge.

Both sides had made fantastic starts to the season, with Tottenham's early form leading some to predict a possible top four finish.

They were brought tumbling back down to Earth last Saturday as Manchester United ran out 3-1 winners, but hopes were still high that Spurs could at least end Chelsea's 100 percent record so far this season.

Carlo Ancelotti wasn't going to let such a record go without a fight, however, as he was looking to further his already impressive record as a Premier League manager.

Tottenham, however, promised to be the toughest opponents he has had to face in the league so far.

Despite this, he guided his Chelsea side to an emphatic and comfortable win as the only team in the country to have a perfect record made it six from six with a 3-0 win.

While eventually the win was accomplished with relative ease, Tottenham began well, yet it was Chelsea who came closest through Jose Bosingwa.

The Portuguese right back picked up the ball on the corner of the penalty area before unleashing a thunderous swerving effort which cannoned back off the crossbar.

Not too long after, the action moved up the other end of the pitch as Jermain Defoe was released by Wilson Palacios. His resulting effort, a low drive stopped by Petr Cech, was disappointing from a man in such good form.

Cech was tested again soon after, this time from a Tom Huddlestone effort. The Tottenham midfielder surprised Cech with a snap-shot from the edge of the area, but the Chelsea shot-stopper was equal to it in the end.

Spurs continued to create chances throughout the half, including a Jermaine Jenas effort which flew narrowly wide, but it was Chelsea who got the breakthrough.

Frank Lampard gave an indication of Tottenham's problems with balls into the box by heading just past the post after beating three defenders to the ball, but it was Ashley Cole who was to punish them.

The Chelsea full-back sprung the offside trap to convert Didier Drogba's cross with a low diving header.

If the first-half had been a good one for Tottenham with one bad point, then the second was a bad one with few good points.

First they lost the influential Ledley King to injury after he had turned to try and chase Drogba. Drogba went on to create a chance for Lampard which the England man uncharacteristically shot wide.

They then had a huge penalty appeal turned down by Howard Webb after Robbie Keane was sent sprawling by Ricardo Carvalho's mistimed challenge. Replays showed there was contact but Keane's apparent hesitancy in going down may have convinced the referee otherwise.

Almost immediately afterwards, and with Howard Webb's ears still burning from Keane's protests, Chelsea doubled their advantage.

Former Chelsea man Carlo Cudicini kept out Drogba's effort, but Frank Lampard was quickest to react, pulling the ball back for Michael Ballack to bundle it in.

The game was put beyond doubt five minutes later when Drogba showed pace and power to get away from Vedran Corluka before the Croatian's last ditch lunging tackle served only to guide the ball past his own 'keeper, leaving Drogba free to tap it in.

Tottenham's misery was compounded when Sebastien Bassong fell heavily, smashing his head against the ground before being stretchered off. Drogba was later carried off on the same stretcher with a knee injury.

The win was Chelsea's 11th consecutive Premier League win, a club-record equalling feat, and it was also their 20th successful defence of the UWCC title.

Drogba's goal was his 12th in UWCC matches, meaning he is now the top scorer in the history of the competition.

72.2 percent of voters in the poll predicted that Tottenham wouldn't be able to end Chelsea's UWCC title reign, so well done to the majority!

Chelsea's run

Liverpool 1-3 Chelsea (Chelsea become new champions)

Chelsea 4-3 Bolton Wanderers

Chelsea 4-4 Liverpool

Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal

Chelsea 0-0 Everton

West Ham 0-1 Chelsea

Barcelona 0-0 Chelsea

Chelsea 3-1 Fulham

Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona

Arsenal 1-4 Chelsea

Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn

Sunderland 2-3 Chelsea

Chelsea 2-1 Everton

Chelsea 2-2 Manchester United (Chelsea won 4-1 on penalties)

Chelsea 2-1 Hull City

Sunderland 1-3 Chelsea

Fulham 0-2 Chelsea

Chelsea 3-0 Burnley

Stoke 1-2 Chelsea

Chelsea 1-0 Porto

Chelsea 3-0 Tottenham

(Click here to see the complete history of Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship)

Chelsea's next title defence comes on Wednesday as they host Queen's Park Rangers in the third round of the Carling Cup. Can QPR, or indeed anyone, beat Chelsea to become the best team in the world?!

Chelsea's Champions League Quest Begins With a Win Over Porto

Barney — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:34:16 -0400

It is the trophy Chelsea have been lusting after for years now. The one major piece of silverware that has eluded them since Roman Abramovich's riches arrived at Stamford Bridge.

Only football fans could still want something that has caused them so much heartache in recent times.

Louis Garcia's "phantom goal" (as it is known to all non-Liverpool fans) put them out at the semi-final stage in 2005; a penalty shoot-out provided them with the same fate at the same stage against the same opponents two years later as well.

In 2008 they came within one kick of European glory, but a slip by John Terry led to a recovery in the penalty shoot-out by Manchester United who went on to win.

Just last year, further heartbreak came in the form of Andreas Iniesta, who scored a last minute winner to dump Chelsea out at the semi-final stage once more after a number of contentious decisions by referee Tom Ovrebo.

Despite all this, tonight Chelsea gave the Champions League another go, with many fans and pundits tipping them to finally get their hands on the trophy.

As they kicked off their latest campaign, they were also defending Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship (UWCC) for a record 19th time.

Their opponents were 2004 Champions League winners Porto, a team who had never won in England and were a shadow of the side Jose Mourinho lifted the trophy with five years ago.

Chelsea, on the other hand, had been through their own Mourinho era, and the new boss, Carlo Ancelotti, brought a European pedigree that eclipsed even that of the "Special One".

Hopes were high, then, that he could maintain his 100 percent record as Chelsea boss to get their Champions League onslaught off to a winning start.

And that is exactly what he did, seeing his Chelsea side run out 1-0 winners.

It was a far from convincing display, however, as the Blues struggled to exert their authority without the suspended Didier Drogba.

Frank Lampard tried fill the Ivorians goal-scoring shoes and take advantage of the treacherous conditions with a low drive from long range which was kept out by Helton in the Porto goal before Hulk tested Cech with an effort of his own.

Lampard again came close not long after, being denied once more by a good save from Helton.

Despite Porto's main objective being not to lose, they had moments where they could have taken what would've been a shock lead. Indeed, in the first half, they were very much Chelsea's equal.

Guarin should have punished Chelsea's poor marking just before the break after he was left free inside the box. His header sailed over the crossbar, however, leading many inside Stamford Bridge to breathe a sigh of relief.

As it turned out, it was Porto who were punished first.

Chelsea began the second half in the best way possible - taking the lead.

Nicolas Anelka forced a good save out of Helton before reacting to the rebound quicker than anyone else and opening Chelsea's Champions League account for the season.

It wasn't long before more chances were created. Florent Malouda could only find the side netting before Salomon Kalou powered a header towards goal, only to be denied by another impressive Helton save.

As the match wore on, Chelsea's second-half dominance began to subside, allowing Porto back in the game. Guarin was denied twice by Cech before the Chelsea goalkeeper kept out Varela in fine fashion.

It was a nervous ending for Chelsea as Porto flooded forward looking for an equaliser without ever really threatening the goal.

In the end, they not only failed to level the scores, but finished with ten men too, Francisco Fernando paying the price for his over-zealous and late challenge on Ashley Cole with a second yellow card.

Those two yellows became the seventh red card in UWCC history, while Chelsea extended their record winning streak to six games.

Of the 53 voters in the poll, 77.4 percent predicted that Porto would not be able to get the three points against Chelsea, so well done to the majority again!

Chelsea's run

Liverpool 1-3 Chelsea (Chelsea become new champions)

Chelsea 4-3 Bolton Wanderers

Chelsea 4-4 Liverpool

Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal

Chelsea 0-0 Everton

West Ham 0-1 Chelsea

Barcelona 0-0 Chelsea

Chelsea 3-1 Fulham

Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona

Arsenal 1-4 Chelsea

Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn

Sunderland 2-3 Chelsea

Chelsea 2-1 Everton

Chelsea 2-2 Manchester United (Chelsea won 4-1 on penalties)

Chelsea 2-1 Hull City

Sunderland 1-3 Chelsea

Fulham 0-2 Chelsea

Chelsea 3-0 Burnley

Stoke 1-2 Chelsea

Chelsea 1-0 Porto

(Click here to see the complete history of Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship)

Chelsea's next title defence comes on Sunday as they face Tottenham at Stamford Bridge. Can Spurs topple Chelsea and regain the UWCC title?!

Chelsea Late Show Maintains Status As Best Team in the World

Barney — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 13:32:49 -0400

Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship (UWCC) witnessed another defence today as champions Chelsea took on Stoke at the Britannia Stadium.

Stoke had picked up maximum points from their two home games so far this season, and were looking to use their home advantage to pull off a shock result.

Chelsea, however, would undoubtedly prove to be tougher customers than Sunderland and Burnley, Stoke's two previous visitors to the Britannia, and were looking to extend their 100 percent record under Carlo Ancelotti in the league to five games.

Only a stoppage time goal allowed them to do that, however, as Chelsea eventually ran out 2-1 winners, much to the disappointment of the home crowd.

The win should deflect attention from the transfer ban imposed by FIFA, but Chelsea had to work hard for it.

Branislav Ivanovic's mistake inside the first 10 minutes almost gave Stoke a shock lead. He inadvertently provided a great chance for James Beattie, but the Stoke striker dragged his effort a long way wide, injuring himself in the process.

As has been the situation in all of their games so far this season, Chelsea dominated the possession. Despite this, no clear-cut chances were forthcoming and, for the third time already this season, they fell behind.

A cross from the right caused Petr Cech problems, and his indecisiveness was capitalised on by Abdoulaye Faye.

Predictably, Stoke looked to defend their lead, which led to even more Chelsea possession, which this time was turned into chances.

Ashley Cole saw his shot saved by Thomas Sorensen before Robert Huth flung himself in front of John Obi-Mikel's powerful effort.

It seemed like a matter of time before Chelsea broke Stoke's rearguard action, and they managed it at the end of the first half with eight minutes stoppage time being played.

It was in the third of those eight minutes that Chelsea struck. Frank Lampard's through ball found Didier Drogba, who used his strength to see off Faye before smashing a first-time effort past Steve Simonsen, who had earlier come on for the injured Sorensen.

The second half was incredibly one-sided, with Chelsea creating chances seemingly at will and making the most of Stoke's willingness to settle for a point.

Not for the first time this season, however, Chelsea struggled to turn those chances into goals.

Salomon Kalou came agonisingly close to connecting with Florent Malouda's cross before Drogba squandered a good chance, hammering the ball over the crossbar.

Stoke had their moments, however. Robert Huth nearly scored against his old club when he headed narrowly over the bar, but such moments were rare.

Chelsea pushed harder for the winner, with Frank Lampard and Michael Essien both coming close on a couple of occasions.

The chances continued to come but time was running out, and it looked as if Stoke would escape with a point until Florent Malouda popped up in stoppage time of the second half.

His rasping strike gave Chelsea a hard-earned and deserved point, but Tony Pulis can feel disappointed that his team's spirited defensive display wasn't rewarded.

The result means that Chelsea have extended their UWCC title record to 18 matches, twice as many as the previous record holders.

Malouda's late winner was his seventh UWCC goal, putting him third on the all-time list, and it was also the 150th goal in UWCC history.

Drogba's goal was his 11th, confirming him as the joint highest scorer with teammate Frank Lampard.

Chelsea's win is their fifth in a row, breaking the previous record of four in a row that was jointly held by Tottenham, Manchester United, and Chelsea themselves.

Of the 34 voters in the poll, 85.3 percent of them predicted that Stoke wouldn't be able to beat Chelsea, so well done to the majority!

Chelsea's run

Liverpool 1-3 Chelsea (Chelsea become new champions)

Chelsea 4-3 Bolton Wanderers

Chelsea 4-4 Liverpool

Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal

Chelsea 0-0 Everton

West Ham 0-1 Chelsea

Barcelona 0-0 Chelsea

Chelsea 3-1 Fulham

Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona

Arsenal 1-4 Chelsea

Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn

Sunderland 2-3 Chelsea

Chelsea 2-1 Everton

Chelsea 2-2 Manchester United (Chelsea won 4-1 on penalties)

Chelsea 2-1 Hull City

Sunderland 1-3 Chelsea

Fulham 0-2 Chelsea

Chelsea 3-0 Burnley

Stoke 1-2 Chelsea

(Click here to see the complete history of Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship)

Chelsea's next title defence comes on Tuesday as they kick off their Champions League campaign against Porto at Stamford Bridge. Can Porto finally take the UWCC out of England and become the best team in the world?!

England: Serious World Cup Contenders or Overrated Pretenders?

Barney — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:13:47 -0400

There have been a lot of momentous occasions in the history of the England football team, as you would expect from the nation that created, perfected, and exported the world's most popular sport.

Some of these have been joyous occasions, the 1966 World Cup immediately springs to mind as the stand-out moment, but others could support that, such as the 5-1 demolition of Germany in 2001.

Others have been not so enjoyable, such as the humbling at the hands of Hungary in 1953, and being dumped out of the 1950 World Cup by relative minnows USA despite a haughty arrogance that England were still the masters of football.

The ultimately adoring, yet at times scorning English public have been witness to a whole host of great players as well.

The likes of Dixie Dean, Stanley Matthews, Tom Finney, Billy Wright, Bobby Charlton, Jimmy Greaves, Bobby Moore, Gordon Banks, Kevin Keegan, Peter Shilton, Bryan Robson, Paul Gascoigne, Gary Lineker, Tony Adams, David Seaman, and Alan Shearer have all pulled on the Three Lions shirt.

Many of the current crop, namely Steven Gerrard, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, and Michael Owen, look set to add their names to that illustrious list of legends.

Yet, for all these star players, England only have one major international title to their name—the aforementioned 1966 World Cup.

Whether that success was entirely international is debatable too. After all, the tournament was held in England itself.

Indeed, not only have the players listed above, as well as a whole host of others, failed to achieve on the highest level, they have greatly underachieved.

Finney and Wright were part of the squad that travelled to the 1950 World Cup with Matthews joining them later, fully expecting to play a part in the tournament after England brushed aside USA.

That never happened, and the English received a wake-up call that would be emphatically confirmed three years later when Hungary thrashed them twice.

The 1966 side was a great team. It didn't rely on great individuals, although in Bobby Charlton and Moore it had them.

Nobby Stiles, Martin Peters, Jack Charlton, and Geoff Hurst were never the greatest players in the world, or indeed at their respective clubs, but Alf Ramsey made them into great team players, leading England to success.

England has never reached those heights since.

The most recent case of underachieving English stars came in the fateful Steve McClaren era.

Failure to qualify for the 2008 European Championships was a huge shock and an eye-opener as to where England stood in the world.

Yet, on the 09/09/09, an England side consisting of largely the same players unequivocally booked their place in the 2010 World Cup against the same side that prevented them from reaching the last major tournament—Croatia.

Already, due to the exciting football England are playing (it was a 5-1 win that sealed their World Cup place) and the 100 percent record they have maintained, fans and pundits alike are asking whether England have what it takes to win the competition.

While this talk is massively premature (anything can happen in a year, after all), the fact that England's star players are starting to live up to their hype is encouraging.

It has also reassured me that England are not overrated pretenders.

Despite the relative lack of success in international tournaments, English players have proved that they can compete with their foreign peers.

The Ballon d'Or is widely regarded as the most prestigious individual award in football, even more so than the FIFA World Player of the Year award.

Stanley Matthews won the first ever Ballon d'Or in 1956, while a year later Billy Wright came second and Duncan Edwards third. Johnny Haynes of Fulham also came third in 1961.

Two years later, Jimmy Greaves matched that position, and just three years after that, Bobby Charlton became England's second winner of the award. He finished runner-up for the following two years, and his World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore equalled that placing 1970.

Kevin Keegan was the next Englishman to receive Ballon d'Or recognition, coming second in 1977, followed by consecutive wins in '78 and '79.

Gary Lineker came second in 1986, while ten years later Alan Shearer came third in the voting.

David Beckham finished behind only Rivaldo in 1999, while in 2001 Michael Owen gave the Ballon d'Or it's first English winner in over 20 years.

In 2005, for the first time in almost 50 years, England had two players in the top three, with Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard missing out to Ronaldinho.

England's five winners of the award puts them fourth in the all-time table alongside Brazil and Italy, not bad company I think you'll agree.

While the Brazilian stats may be skewed by the fact that non-Europeans weren't eligible until 1995, the fact that England have had a representative in every decade proves they consistently produce world class players.

So why the lack of silverware?

Lack of depth could be one reason. If one player gets injured, England need a player of a similar quality to take his place.

This has been a problem in recent years especially, highlighted by the loss of Wayne Rooney in Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup.

Perhaps the biggest reason for England's continued underachievement in international tournaments, however, is the lack of a strong "team".

Sir Alf Ramsey built one in 1966, but since then the world class players haven't been backed up by good team players.

Therefore, if England's best fail to shine, which has been a popular criticism in recent years, then the team will inevitably fail.

Fabio Capello seems to be incorporating that team spirit into the current side, which gives me the hope that England can finally show the world what they're capable of by the time the 2010 World Cup rolls along.

Will they win it?

It is way too early to tell, although the possibility of Argentina, France, and particularly the bogey team Portugal not qualifying will increase their chances.

If Capello's era thus far has taught me one thing, though, it is that England are serious contenders, and not just overrated pretenders.

The Great Pretender: Should Diving Be Practiced, Preached, or Punished?

Barney — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 11:08:34 -0400

The picture on the right shows a clear foul. The cringe-worthy position of Slovenian defender Bostjan Cesar's ankle is made even more shocking by the fact the ball isn't even in the picture.

In fact, the ball is quite a way off the ground.

So, what did Wayne Rooney get for this off-the-ball foul?

A penalty.

What did Cesar get? A yellow card, and a probable lifelong ambition of playing at Wembley cut cruelly short, as he was unable to continue.

The penalty was allegedly given for Cesar pulling the shirt of Rooney, causing the Manchester United forward to tumble inside the box, injuring Cesar en route.

This incident gave rise to another debate about diving, a talking point that has been rife in the game since Eduardo conned referee Mejuto Gonzalez into awarding a penalty in the Champions League qualifier between Arsenal and Celtic.

That dive earned the Brazilian-turned-Croat a two-match ban from European competition in an unprecedented crackdown on a serious problem in the game.

Diving has been a much disputed topic in football for a while now, and it is a problem that has proved very hard to solve.

UEFA's Eduardo verdict, and indeed the spree of diving-related yellow cards the following weekend, looked like the beginning of a new era in tackling the problem, but the enormity of the task could prove too much for even UEFA to handle.

At what point does a dive become a dive?

Is it when a player goes to ground and there is no contact, or is it when a player goes to the ground too easily?

Was the Rooney incident on Saturday a dive or a frustrated kick-out at the defender? Either way, he deserved a yellow card but got away with it.

Was the penalty Rooney won against Arsenal a dive? Replays have suggested that he was already on his way to the ground when Manuel Almunia made contact. Will incidents such as this, even when there is clear contact, be counted as a dive?

Was it simply bad refereeing? The whistle and resulting penalty prompted a shocked and perhaps confused silence around Wembley before everyone figured out what had happened.

UEFA's proposed move to incorporate an extra two officials behind the goals to judge such decisions has a very limited scope.

Everyone but the referee felt that Saturday's incident was not a penalty. Would the two extra officials be able to overrule the referee, or would he simply be adamant he saw something no one else did and award the penalty regardless?

Post-match replays may prove him wrong, as they did in the Eduardo case, but then do teams have to kick up a big fuss to get UEFA to review the situation? It certainly seems the only way to get them to take notice is to make a scene.

This touches on a serious problem in the fight against diving: consistency.

I commend UEFA for looking to stamp it out of the game, but what use is making an example of Eduardo if they don't follow it up?

Unfortunately, I don't think they can.

Diving is such a huge problem in the game that it may be too hard to get rid of it. It occurs numerous times all over the pitch in every game, so unless only controversial decisions that lead to a game-changing moment are to be reviewed, the most reasonable resolution I can think of is having a panel to review every game.

This subjects the game to a level of scrutiny that will play on the minds of players and would be likely to cause even more dispute.

It would also lead to unprecedented levels of suspensions. Most players have dived in their career, especially if we consider going down too easily as a form of diving.

There are probably at least 20 or so incidents like these in every game. If all these players were to get the same punishment as Eduardo—which they should, as they are also "deceiving the referee"—then we won't be left with enough players to take to the field!

It may be the most reasonable and indeed only feasible solution I can think of, but it would almost certainly ruin the game.

So, if we can't beat them, should we join them?

Is it time to accept diving as part and parcel of football, just like we do other means of cheating such as cynical fouls and deliberate handballs?

Perhaps it is.

Recently, in the Pro Evolution Soccer series, diving has been made part of the game.

Children playing this are then going to think that it is just another aspect of football which, if you can master, will give you the edge over your opponents.

While this could be detrimental to the game in the long run, it looks increasingly inevitable.

If it becomes accepted or acknowledged as a way to gain an advantage (albeit an illegal one), will we see managers actually telling their players to dive and players practising it until it becomes a fine art?

For all we know, this may well already be happening.

The bottom line of football for managers is to win. If they don't, they lose their jobs.

If diving helps them win, then will they be persuading their players to refrain from diving or preaching to them that it is the future?

It is more likely to be the latter.

For football fans, the thing they want most when their team is playing is to win. Winning in the right way may come second, but that is still less important than grabbing the three points.

If diving helps the team win, then will the fans condemn the player who threw himself to the ground? Probably not.

Sportsmanship is still applauded in football. For example, Paolo Di Canio catching the ball when the opposition goalkeeper was injured despite having an open goal in front of him led to plaudits for the Italian striker.

If I was a West Ham fan, however, I'd have preferred it if he scored the goal.

The lack of other examples like this shows that sportsmanship is an increasingly rare phenomenon in today's game. Smaller examples often occur, but the level of deceit in the game far outweighs it.

There are few things more frustrating then being cheated out of a win by the opposition, but if a player from your team cheats to win you the match, you are first and foremost happy that you won.

So, if diving is such a big problem that UEFA can't deal with it, and if fans', managers', and players' best interests are fulfilled by a dive, is it time to accept it into the game?

Should players practice diving? Should managers preach diving, or should the clubs punish diving?

Morally, the answer is obvious. In pure footballing terms, though, it becomes a lot more complicated.

An acceptance of diving could be seen as the beginning of the end for football or the latest tactical innovation.

In a perfect world, it would be eradicated, but as that solution is nigh-on impossible, what else can we do but accept it as part of the game?

The Spanish Inquisition: Should Rafael Benitez's Job Be Under Threat?

Barney — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:52:20 -0400

Go to Anfield on any given match day and you are guaranteed to hear two things. One is, of course, the rousing rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone" before kickoff, while the other takes place during the match itself.

Almost every home match, and the majority of away matches in the past five years, has been witness to the Liverpool faithful chanting Rafael Benitez's name.

He is a cult hero on Merseyside.

Indeed, he has become such a revered figure to the red half that his name is mentioned alongside the likes of Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, and Joe Fagan.

In terms of managerial cult hero status, arguably only Shankly can top Benitez.

Why is this so?

Well, he gave Liverpool their greatest moment for over 20 years when he led the Reds to their fifth European Cup in Istanbul. It could even be argued that it was the greatest moment in the club's history.

A year later, he brought the FA Cup back to Anfield, and hopes that the "dark age" was finally over came with it.

Since then, however, no other silverware has arrived in the Anfield trophy room.

Still, though, Benitez retains the unflinching support of the vast majority of Liverpool fans.

In a similar trophy-less period, even Arsene Wenger at Arsenal is starting to come under pressure.

The reason for the continued support of Benitez is the progress being made in the league.

For 20 years, Liverpool have been searching for their elusive 19th league title, a search made all the more frustrating and urgent by Manchester United's domination and increasing title count.

Every season under Benitez has raised beliefs that Liverpool could end that wait, culminating this preseason, when the Reds were many people's favourites to claim the title.

A poor start to the season, including two early losses, however, has caused most of those people to change their predictions, and has even led to some saying Liverpool will be lucky to stay in the top four.

While these sorts of overreactions this early in the season are ludicrous, Liverpool's poor start is unavoidable.

Naturally, there have been scapegoats, most notably Lucas Leiva. Benitez himself has criticised the senior players in the Liverpool squad, including captain Steven Gerrard.

He said the tactics weren't to blame; the players on the pitch were, effectively pointing the finger everywhere but himself.

Is this fair? Or is Benitez actually to blame?

Well, some would argue that it was Benitez's transfer dealings that have caused the poor start.

Xabi Alonso's departure was a big blow, and the Spanish midfielder has since said that Benitez's willingness to get rid of him last summer in order to bring in Gareth Barry contributed to his decision to leave for Madrid.

Replacing him with a player who he knew wouldn't be fit for the start of the season raised eyebrows, to say the least.

Others may argue that it is Benitez's rigid tactical plans that are hurting Liverpool.

His refusal to adjust his formation has led to the inclusion of Lucas, who has since attracted a lot of unfair criticism for his performances.

Not only that, but the lack of variation when it comes to substitutes could be called into question. Between the 60- and 70-minute mark, Benitez almost always makes a change.

This lack of diversity in both the tactical plans and the substitutions has made Liverpool predictable and thus easy to counter.

An away team knows exactly what they have to do if they know exactly what the home team is going to do.

However, a common description of the likes of Garrincha and Stanley Matthews was that you knew exactly what they were going to do, but you still couldn't stop it.

More often than not, thanks to players the quality of Gerrard and Fernando Torres, this is the case with Liverpool.

Benitez's tactics are tried and tested, and they have worked so far. Why stop now?

The title of this piece asked whether Rafael Benitez's job should be under threat.

The answer, for me, is simple: No.

The question of will it be under threat, however, is very different. The answer to that, especially should Liverpool fail to beat Burnley next Saturday, may well be yes.

Benitez has a famously rocky relationship with the Liverpool owners, and with the importance of money created by success greater than ever, any hint of failing to meet the expected standards will spawn pressure.

But it is Benitez who has raised those standards to the highest they have been for two decades. Can he really be held fully accountable should he fail to meet them just once?

Indeed, even if the season was to carry on in this way and Liverpool struggle to make the top four, is one underachieving season enough to negate the work of five good seasons?

I know for a fact the opening three weeks of a season isn't.

Were it not for Benitez, Liverpool would be regularly hoping for fourth spot, not thinking of it as a worst-case scenario.

Rafael Benitez's job should not be under threat until there is continued and definite regression.

Unfortunately, the reality is that rightly or wrongly, lightly or strongly, anything other than a win against Burnley will lead to questions over his future.

Chelsea Still the Best Team in the World After Thrashing Burnley

Barney — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:49:39 -0400

Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship (UWCC) witnessed another defence yesterday as champions Chelsea took on newly promoted Burnley at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea were looking to continue their impressive start under Carlo Ancelotti, who can already boast a Community Shield title alongside a perfect Premier League record from his short time in England.

Burnley had also got off to an impressive start, with Owen Coyle's men shocking Manchester United and Everton to pick up six points from their first three games.

They couldn't improve on that tally yesterday, however, as Chelsea prevented a trio of shock results with a polished display and a 3-0 win.

Despite their encouraging start to the season, Chelsea had come under some criticism for their lack of a cutting edge at times. The amount of possession they have enjoyed in every match so far this season should have led to more goals.

The same criticism could perhaps have been applied in the first half against Burnley.

Despite playing some beautiful football, a style of play which Roman Abramovich has been pining after for years now, they once more couldn't find the finishing touch to take the lead.

In the frantic opening stages, Chelsea missed three goalscoring opportunities, the best of which fell to Nicolas Anelka who, after catching Andre Bikey in possession, took a heavy touch which allowed Brian Jensen to come and smother the ball.

Chelsea's imposing attacking prowess almost came at a cost, however, as Burnley found themselves with two golden chances to spring another shock.

The first came through Chris McCann who scooped his effort over the bar after some neat footwork, while Martin Paterson wasted an even better chance moments later, skewing his shot past Petr Cech's right-hand post.

A first half of sublime football from Chelsea looked like it would also prove to be a frustrating one for them as they were unable to find the back of the Burnley net, due in large part to the sterling efforts of Brian Jensen in goal.

"The Beast," as he is affectionately known, saved from Michael Ballack, John Terry, and Frank Lampard before Chelsea finally got the deserved breakthrough in stoppage time of the first half.

Some nice link-up play between Michael Essien and Didier Drogba set up Nicolas Anelka at the back post, and this time the Frenchman made no mistake.

The second half began as the first ended, with a Chelsea goal. Anelka was involved in the build-up play this time, finding Frank Lampard, whose cross was headed in by Ballack.

Burnley showed signs of capitulating as Chelsea began to dominate the game even more than they had in the first half, and the result was well and truly beyond doubt just five minutes after Ballack's goal as Ancelotti's men got a third.

Lampard was again the provider, setting up Ashley Cole, who smashed the ball past Jensen for a rare goal.

There was to be no more changes to the scoreline, although Chelsea will feel there probably should've been. Were it not for Jensen, there definitely would have been.

The big Dane denied Essien and Ballack once again before being beaten, only to see Tyrone Mears clear Salomon Kalou's effort off the line in the dying moments.

Chelsea's record-breaking run as UWCC Champions continues, with the total now at 17 matches. Anelka's goal was his eighth in UWCC history, putting him third in the all-time list.

71.4 percent of voters in the poll correctly predicted that Burnley wouldn't be able to beat Chelsea, so well done to the majority!

Chelsea's run

Liverpool 1-3 Chelsea (Chelsea become new champions)

Chelsea 4-3 Bolton Wanderers

Chelsea 4-4 Liverpool

Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal

Chelsea 0-0 Everton

West Ham 0-1 Chelsea

Barcelona 0-0 Chelsea

Chelsea 3-1 Fulham

Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona

Arsenal 1-4 Chelsea

Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn

Sunderland 2-3 Chelsea

Chelsea 2-1 Everton

Chelsea 2-2 Manchester United (Chelsea won 4-1 on penalties)

Chelsea 2-1 Hull City

Sunderland 1-3 Chelsea

Fulham 0-2 Chelsea

Chelsea 3-0 Burnley

(Click here to see the complete history of Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship)

Due to the upcoming international break, Chelsea next title defence will take place on Sept. 12 when they travel to the Britannia Stadium to take on high-flying Stoke City. Do Tony Pulis' men have what it takes to become the best side in the world?!

Violence at West Ham vs. Millwall Blown Out of Proportion

Barney — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:55:11 -0400

Last night saw the main bulk of Carling Cup second-round matches take place, but events on the field were overshadowed by fan behavior at the West Ham vs. Millwall tie.

Before the match even kicked off, there were reports of violence outside the ground between these two London rivals. One 44-year-old man was stabbed in the chest and had to go to hospital.

But the trouble didn't stop outside the stadium.

There were three pitch invasions throughout the course of the match by a relatively large group of West Ham fans.

The first came after Junior Stanislas equalised for the Hammers in the dying moments of the match to send it into extra-time.

Another goal from the same player, this time from the penalty spot, prompted another, more serious, pitch invasion. Referee Paul Taylor took the players off while the stewards worked to contain the invaders.

The third goal and final whistle sparked yet another pitch invasion, with the West Ham fans in question looking to incite their Millwall counterparts in the away end.

Pitched battles outside the stadium continued during the match and after it as well, with police struggling to handle the volatile mix.

The reprehensible actions of these football hooligans have been widely condemned by all involved in football, and rightly so, but can anyone reasonably say it came as a surprise?

Both Millwall and West Ham have notorious football firms, and when the two meet, there will always be fireworks.

The FA tried to quell this inevitability by reducing Millwall's ticket allocation, but those without a ticket simply tried to make trouble outside the ground.

Although hooliganism is a much smaller problem now than in its heyday some 30 years ago, there are times when the police have to focus on damage limitation rather than out and out prevention.

Last night was one of them.

To be fair to them, they did a very good job limiting the damage. Things could have been a lot worse then they actually were, so they should be applauded for their efforts.

Should there have been a bigger police presence at the Upton Park station and other notorious "battlefields?" Perhaps, but there was always going to be some sort of trouble.

So why do I think it has been blown out of proportion?

Simple. I have read numerous comments about how football is going to regress to the dark days of the 1970s and '80s, when hooliganism was rife across the country.

It will not. West Ham vs. Millwall matches happen very rarely, and when they do, it is a big occasion for the minority of fans who prefer fighting to watching football.

Last night was a one-off.

However, it does not reflect well on the country as a whole. Other countries have a bigger problem with hooliganism than England, yet it is England which has the worst reputation.

Last night's events will bring that to the forefront of everyone's mind once again, not least those deciding where the 2018 World Cup will be held.

It is entirely possible that the problems at Upton Park yesterday will come under scrutiny by that panel, and it may play a big part in their decision.

There will be consequences and serious ramifications.

To clarify, I don't think the authorities are overreacting here. They need to do everything they can to avoid things like this happening again, and making an example out of those guilty this time would be a good way to do that.

It is the football fans around the country who are overreacting.

Suggestions from fans on the BBC web site include banning both clubs from all competitions this season and relegating them, deducting 30 points from each club (resulting in almost certain relegation), and declaring all their results void.

While a Carling Cup ban and fines may be in order, the above suggestions are massive overreactions in my opinion.

There is no need to batten down the hatches just yet. We aren't returning to the dark days of football hooliganism.

That being said, the actions of those last night cannot be excused, and the minority who caused the trouble should be suitably punished.

What punishments, if any, do you think should be dished out to a) the pitch invaders; and b) the clubs?

Usain Bolt or Jesse Owens: Whose Berlin Performance Was More Impressive?

Barney — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:17:35 -0400

The year is 1936, and Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime is well under way. Just three years later, Germany would invade Poland, and the deadliest conflict in human history, World War II, would begin.

Yet, inexplicably, the Olympics were to be held in the fulcrum of Nazi Germany—Berlin.

It was seen by Hitler as a chance to show off the nation's superiority; a chance to demonstrate his demonic view of the "perfect race."

One man, however, had not read the script. Jesse Owens, a black American, single-handedly undermined the entire Nazi regime by winning four gold medals.

He had to endure racism, discrimination, and a partisan nation fiercely behind his German competitors and emphatically against his participation, yet he still triumphed.

The Jesse Owens story has since gone down in history as one of the greatest sporting moments of all time.

Fast-forward to the present day, and the dust has just settled on another great moment in sport: Usain Bolt's latest record-breaking spree.

In the same city where Owens so boldly stood up against the odds, Bolt blew everyone away once again.

The "Lightning Bolt" first came to worldwide attention at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The style in which he smashed the 100m world record shocked the world. He ran it in 9.69 seconds, and he eased off in the final 20 meters.

He followed this up with another gold medal and world record in the 200m, and then put the icing on a very tasty cake with success in the 4x100m relay.

Everyone wanted to see whether he could do it again at the World Championships. There was a buzz about track and field like never before, as one of the greatest characters to have graced athletics became revered around the world.

He didn't disappoint.

He smashed the 100m record once again in a jaw-dropping 9.58 seconds before shaving the same 0.11-second margin off his own 200m record, running an unbelievable 19.19.

Usain Bolt had left the world speechless again.

Owens triumphed in the face of adversity. Bolt triumphed in the face of impossibility.

But whose performance was more impressive?

Well, in terms of medals, it was Jesse Owens'. His four gold medals, in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay, and the long jump, outweighs Bolt's haul.

In terms of pure athletic performance, it was probably Usain Bolt's. The way he cruised to victory has never been seen before, and may never be seen again. At just 23, he is known as the greatest sprinter of all time.

Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, and Roger Federer may disagree, but never have I seen such total domination in a sport as what we are seeing with Bolt.

But we can put the medal count and the athletic aspect to one side when making the decision.

Usain Bolt ran fast. He had nothing else to worry about.

Jesse Owens ran fast with the weight of the world on his shoulders; he ran fast with the criticism of a racist society on his back; and he ran fast with all the hopes and dreams of his fellow African-Americans on his head.

Under such a weight of expectancy and responsibility, there is no doubt that Jesse Owens was, is, and always will be the most impressive sprinter of all time, no matter how good Bolt gets.

Chelsea Maintain Perfect Record To Retain The UWCC Title

Barney — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 15:59:37 -0400

Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship (UWCC) saw another defence today as champions Chelsea took on their West London neighbours and former champions Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Chelsea came into this match on the back of a good comeback win against Sunderland, and Carlo Ancelotti was keen to continue his 100 percent record as a Premier League manager.

Fulham were also protecting a perfect record this season after their opening day win at Portsmouth, and would have been hoping for a performance similar to the one that earned them a point against Chelsea in this fixture last season.

Chelsea were too strong for them this time, however, as they won 2-0 to continue their record-breaking UWCC title run, a record once held by Fulham.

In a scenario Chelsea have found themselves in all-too-often already this season, Fulham set out to frustrate and nullify the Blues' attacking duo of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka.

And, much like Chelsea's opening two games of the season, they looked short of ideas at times, failing to break down the opposition's sturdy defence.

John Obi Mikel came closest to doing so in the first half an hour for Chelsea but his effort flew just past Mark Schwarzer's left post.

This came after Fulham had a chance of their own through Clint Dempsey. The American midfielder found space inside the box only to scoop the ball over the crossbar.

The first half looked like it would end in frustration for Chelsea until Drogba stepped up just three minutes from the break. Some slick build-up play led to Anelka slipping the ball through to the big Ivorian, who calmly slotted the ball past Schwarzer.

Fulham didn't capitulate, however, and continued to frustrate Chelsea throughout the second half. Carlo Ancelotti's men were comfortable with their 1-0 lead but also seemed unable to extend it despite prolonged periods of possession.

It was left to the front two again, and they eventually found a way through. Anelka and Drogba swapped roles this time, with the latter finding Anelka who took the ball round the 'keeper before sliding it into the unguarded Fulham net to wrap up the three points.

The result means that Chelsea maintain their perfect start to the season, and sit in second place behind Tottenham on goal difference.

Drogba's goal was his tenth in UWCC history, becoming only the second player to achieve that feat, while Anelka's seventh UWCC goal puts him third in the all-time goalscoring list.

Fulham's loss means they are the first team to have lost five time as challengers in UWCC title matches.

Incredibly, 66.7 percent of voters in the poll predicted a Fulham win, so well done to the minority!

Chelsea's run

Liverpool 1-3 Chelsea (Chelsea become new champions)

Chelsea 4-3 Bolton Wanderers

Chelsea 4-4 Liverpool

Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal

Chelsea 0-0 Everton

West Ham 0-1 Chelsea

Barcelona 0-0 Chelsea

Chelsea 3-1 Fulham

Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona

Arsenal 1-4 Chelsea

Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn

Sunderland 2-3 Chelsea

Chelsea 2-1 Everton

Chelsea 2-2 Manchester United (Chelsea won 4-1 on penalties)

Chelsea 2-1 Hull City

Sunderland 1-3 Chelsea

Fulham 0-2 Chelsea

(Click here to see the complete history of Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship)

Chelsea's next title defence comes next Saturday as they face a Burnley side who have already thrown up a few shocks this season. Can they do it again and become the best team in the world?!

Chelsea Come from Behind Again to Go to the Top of the Premier League

Barney — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:37:57 -0400

Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship (UWCC) saw another defence today, as record-breaking champions Chelsea took on Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

Both recorded wins on the opening day of the season, with Chelsea needing a 92nd minute strike from Didier Drogba to complete their comeback against Hull.

No such comeback was needed for Sunderland, as they beat Bolton 1-0 courtesy of Darren Bent's debut goal.

They couldn't make it two wins out of two tonight, however, as Chelsea once again came from behind to eventually run out 3-1 winners.

Bent only had to wait five minutes to open the scoring at the weekend, and another first-half goal today, albeit not as early, gave him two goals in two games in a Sunderland shirt, as well as giving the Black Cats an unexpected lead.

Bent set-up Kenwyne Jones who saw his shot blocked before Bent reacted quickest to control the ball and fire the shot under Petr Cech for the 100th league goal of his career.

Much like the weekend match against Hull, Chelsea dominated the possession, but found it difficult to break down their opponents in the first half.

And when they did get their chances, they couldn't take them.

Michael Ballack saw his effort cleared off the line by Lee Cattermole before the new Sunderland midfielder denied another Chelsea opportunity, this time launching himself in front of Jose Bosingwa's goal-bound effort.

While the first half arguably belonged to Sunderland, the old cliche of "a game of two halves" rang true in the second 45, as Chelsea dominated.

They began in impressive, although not necessarily clinical style, with Branislav Ivanovic and Didier Drogba both squandering great chances when left unmarked in the penalty area.

They wouldn't have to wait too long for the equaliser, however, as Ivanovic flicked the ball on from a corner, leaving Michael Ballack to add the finishing touch just seven minutes after the restart.

The goal seemed to galvanize Chelsea, and their saviour at the weekend, Didier Drogba, played a huge part in their second goal less than ten minutes later.

The big Ivorian striker embarked on a powerful run, only to be felled by George McCartney inside the box. The referee had no choice but to award the penalty, and Frank Lampard duly dispatched the spot kick.

With 20 minutes left on the clock Deco, so long left in the shadows under Guus Hiddink, capped off a masterful second half display with some magic of his own to make it 3-1.

There was still time for another Drogba chance to be missed, and a cameo performance from Andriy Shevchenko before the referee put Sunderland out of their misery.

The result was Chelsea's 15th successful defence of the UWCC title, extending their already impressive record title run. Frank Lampard's penalty was his third in UWCC history, an his 11th goal overall, furthering his lead as the competition's top scorer.

Darren Bent also got his sixth goal, becoming the joint third-highest scorer in UWCC history, and the first player to score for two different clubs.

In the poll, 100 percent of the voters correctly predicted that Chelsea would retain their UWCC title, so well done to everyone that voted!

Chelsea's run

Liverpool 1-3 Chelsea (Chelsea become new champions)

Chelsea 4-3 Bolton Wanderers

Chelsea 4-4 Liverpool

Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal

Chelsea 0-0 Everton

West Ham 0-1 Chelsea

Barcelona 0-0 Chelsea

Chelsea 3-1 Fulham

Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona

Arsenal 1-4 Chelsea

Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn

Sunderland 2-3 Chelsea

Chelsea 2-1 Everton

Chelsea 2-2 Manchester United (Chelsea won 4-1 on penalties)

Chelsea 2-1 Hull City

Sunderland 1-3 Chelsea

(Click here to see the complete history of Barney Corkhill's Unofficial World Club Championship)

Chelsea's next title defence comes on Sunday, as they travel the short distance to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham. Can Roy Hodgson's men become the best club in the world?

Arsenal Have All but Won the EPL Already: Opening Weekend Reaction

Barney — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:02:28 -0400

And so it begins. This past weekend saw the beginning of another Premier League season, and it began in style.

There were shocks, late goals, and plenty of drama. No match ended in a draw, the first time that has happened on the opening weekend since 1980.

It certainly was one of the best opening rounds of matches in recent memory.

It also seems to be the one which has caused the most overreaction in recent memory.

Two results in particular seem to be the main culprits here: Arsenal's 6-1 thrashing of Everton at Goodison Park and Liverpool's 2-1 defeat at the hands of Tottenham.

Let's start with the Arsenal match.

Their performance was impressive, there is no doubting that. Most would have been expecting an away win, but the manner in which it happened made the league sit up and take notice.

But was it really that much of a surprise?

In recent years, Arsenal have often gone to Goodison Park on the opening game of the season, and they have always won. On two of those occasions they recorded 4-1 scorelines.

This 6-1 thrashing was beyond even that, however, and it has been dubbed as a two-fingered salute to their critics.

It isn't.

If they keep those performances up for the entire season, then they will be entitled to do that. A one-off performance, however, doesn't mean anything.

Cast your mind back to the final game of the 2007-08 season, and you may remember Middlesbrough's 8-1 demolition of Manchester City. One year later, that Middlesbrough side was relegated.

While the two situations are very different, the point is that anyone can have a mind-blowing performance which, coupled with some woeful defending, will result in a big scoreline.

The way people are going on about this particular Arsenal result sounds like they think the Gunners will run away with the title.

I wasn't particularly surprised by the scoreline. Arsenal, on their day, play the best football in the entire league. They are capable of dismantling anyone.

They are also capable of capitulating when facing teams like Stoke or Bolton.

That 6-1 win will be cancelled out by a loss or a few draws against teams they should beat.

I wrote a preview of the Premier League season a few days ago where I predicted Arsenal coming in fourth place. Suddenly, simply because they have had one good performance, people expect me to change that prediction.

I will not.

The same applies for Liverpool.

Their opening day performance was poor, and it resulted in defeat to Tottenham at White Hart Lane.

Last season, Liverpool lost two games, and the Spurs fixture was one of them. The other was to Middlesbrough, a team who aren't even in the league anymore.

I would gladly accept a repeat performance this season, even if it means losing the opening game.

To write them off simply because of that performance is foolish, just as thinking Arsenal are suddenly back to their best due to their showing is.

While momentum is important in football, drawing conclusions from the opening round of matches is nonsensical.

Let's look at last season's opening weekend results to see how little they really matter.

Stoke were comfortably beaten by Bolton, leading everyone to believe they were as good as down. That didn't happen.

Blackburn went to Goodison Park and got a win. Everton went on to claim fifth, while Blackburn struggled for a time against the threat of relegation.

Hull, who eventually finished 17th, beat Fulham, who ended up in seventh. Middlesbrough beat Tottenham, only to get relegated at the end of the season, and Liverpool scraped past Sunderland before going on to record their best Premier League season ever.

Chelsea demolished Portsmouth, establishing themselves as early favourites for the title, only to finish third, and eventual champions Manchester United only managed a draw at home to Newcastle, who, of course, were relegated at the end of the season.

The results on the opening weekend of the Premier League season rarely bear any correlation with the final league table.

Yes, Arsenal were impressive, but that is only one part of the season. They have another 37 to go. That same line that is being used to bring Arsenal fans down to earth can be used to reassure Liverpool fans too.

Arsenal are not suddenly the best team in England, Liverpool are not out of the title race, and Tottenham will not break into the top four.

If this is an indicator of what the rest of the season will be like, however, we're in for another good one!