Bleacher Report - Articles by Liam McClintock

Chelsea and Liverpool : Shouting to the Top!

Liam McClintock — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:13:27 -0500

It's tough at the top. Well, joint top, but that's top never the less, isn't it?

Liverpool and Chelsea go into this weekends round of fixtures locked together at the summit of the Premier League, with only goal difference separating them.

Chelsea have been impressive against the weaker sides this season but have struggled against both Manchester United and Liverpool, getting just one point from the game against United and losing their fantastic 86 league winning streak at home to Liverpool.

Tottenham also managed a draw at Stamford Bridge under Juande Ramos, before the Spaniard was given the boot.

Liverpool have beaten Merseyside rivals Everton away, Manchester United at home and Chelsea away, and in doing so have managed nine points out of the three biggest games of the season so far.

The odds that Newcastle can maybe sneak a point at the Bridge on Saturday may be obscene, but you just never know this season. Man United trail both Liverpool and Chelsea by eight points, and Arsenal seem to have pressed the big red button in the Emirates labelled "Do Not Push!" with Gallas the prime suspect for that.

Liverpool play host to Fulham, a side that are doing relatively well under Roy Hodgson, but you'd expect three points from the Anfield side in all honesty.

Chelsea entertain Arsenal next weekend, which begs to be an absolute powderkeg of a game crying to be ignited. Liverpool play West Ham at the turn of December, so, with both teams flying high, who knows what will happen come Christmas.

What has to be said is that Liverpool are definitely challenging this year, and that's what the Anfield faithful have been crying out for for years.

If this challenge is to be sustained, then a few players in the January transfer window need to be obtained with a few moving in the opposite direction... (cough..Dossena, Degen.. cough).

If both teams can carry on their fantastic form then it will be hard to pick between them for the top spot, with United and Arsenal battling it out for third and fourth place.

What has to be said is that Manchester United just simply cannot be discounted from the title race, as many a pundit has said over the years "Never write United off".

Are England Really That Fab Under Capello?

Liam McClintock — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:05:42 -0500

Most Liverpool fans will tell you they are "Scouse not English." I am one of them; I'm not ignorant toward my place of birth when it comes to the International scene, it just bores me.

The pundits mainly club together and pick England to win the World Cup or the European Championships, so wasn't it nice to watch the Euro's this year knowing England wouldn't go out on penalties at some stage? I'm very glad Spain won, as it meant Fernando Torres' excellent debut season at Liverpool didn't end completely trophyless!

What really gets to me is the likes of Wayne Rooney, Gary Neville, and John Terry playing for England when every week they sneer and scream at their supposed England colleagues. Think of the team you support; could you really cheer your fiercest rivals' horriblest player if they won the World Cup? I couldn't, no way.

The lower-league teams have more of an affinity with the national side, but that's more to do with the fact they don't support very glamorous sides or have little to no success with their respective clubs.

Fabio Capello is a manager whom I admire and respect, and was shocked to see him take on an International job at this stage in his career, especially the England job. If anyone can get this rag tag bunch of prima donnas playing as one then it will be him, if he cannot then there is absolutely no hope for the English football side.

Players like David Beckham coming on for 10 minutes and receiving a full cap is absolutely preposterous, play the full game or even a half or nothing at all. At this rate Beckham will eclipse Peter Shiltons record of 125 caps, with a few meaningless substitute appearances against the likes of Moldova or Liechtenstein.

Then we have the much maligned Lampard/Gerrard debate which has grown so tiresome that it actually makes me feel like screaming. Both are fantastic players but they cannot play in the same side, as the other doesn't know when to attack or defend, which is a big tactical disadvantage. Both should play, so play Gerrard off Rooney, Barry and Lampard in the middle with Ashley Young and David Bentley on the wings. Simple.

How Ashley Young isn't a regular starter for England is a massive joke, and is another reason why I simply cannot fathom the England side. The best players who perform week in, week out aren't given the chance to shine. Instead, their more illustriously bigger named colleagues get the limelight for that 3-0 "drubbing" of San Marino.

Good luck to Fabio, I loved him at AC Milan, Roma, Juventus and Real Madrid but my disregard for the National side remains, despite who manages them.

This isn't a dig at people who support England, good on them, but its more of a statement of club ambitions ruling my heart and my head. Michael Owen is the prime example of why I feel this way, leaving Liverpool to play for a bigger club, winning nothing, coming home to Newcastle to boost his chances to play for England, now football's newest Tampon (in for a week, out for a month) hardly plays, yet has the cheek to be Newcastle captain.

Owen couldn't motivate a carrot. Owen often wonders why he wasn't accepted to the hearts of Liverpool fans like Robbie Fowler was—the difference is simple. Fowler was a Liverpool striker who happened to play for England; Owen was an England striker who happened to play for Liverpool.

Steven Gerrard: Kop Captain or Kop Out?

Liam McClintock — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:22:04 -0500

Somewhere deep in the dungeon that is the Emirates Stadium, Arsene Wenger is having a crisis meeting with his players (and his conscious) as to who the next leader of men will be to take over the role of captain.

Cesc Fabregas would be a fantastic captain, but in a few years time. Burdening him with such a huge weight could severely affect his growth from wonderkid to worldclass in the long run.

Kolo Toure isn't even in the team at the moment and once Sol Campbell left, so did Toure's presence as a complete defender, as his foil was gone.

Who else is there to lead by example? William Gallas should not have been appointed in the first place, given his rant about the players this week. Gallas is as egotistical as a player comes, and in my humble opinion one of the most overrated defenders that I've had the pleasure of watching.

A terrible role model for the game with his incessant outbursts, bouts of unprofessionalism on and off the pitch and also a defender taking hold of the No. 10 shirt left vacant by Dennis Bergkamp? As Andy Millman would say "Is he having a laugh?"

This brings me to my original point, something which I have thought long and hard about ever since the whole Chelsea debacle. Steven Gerrard, the current Liverpool captain, isn't really that good a captain when you think about it.

Ready to give up the No. 8 shirt of his "beloved" team supported since a lad for the riches of the Chelsea renegades in search of a Premier League or two. Believe that, and you'll believe that the Chuckle Brothers are in fact father and son, rather than sharing bunk beds.

Jamie Carragher and Javier Mascherano are two players who should be ahead of Gerrard in the pecking order for captain. In Carragher we have someone who will die for the team without even blinking an eye, ditto Mascherano.

Carragher will scream and shout all match, it doesn't matter who the opposition is, and make sure the players get their jobs done. Mascherano is very vocal and his grasp on the English language is getting to the point now where he could easily command the team as much as he commands the respect of every single fan in the crowd.

Gerrard is a fantastic player, probably the best player we have but captain he is not. Games pass him by, and let's be honest, the only reason he was given the captaincy was to massage his ever growing ego.

Gerrard doesn't give as much to the role as Carra or El Jefecito would. We are fortunate to have a team full of captains—Sami Hyypia, Torres was captain at Atletico, Carra is vice-captain, Masch is now Argentina captain, and there are others who will grow into the role too. Agger and Skrtel will surely captain Denmark and Slovakia respectively one day.

The thing about this whole situation is that Gerrard will not step down as captain, and changing captains sends out too big a message to the squad I feel, and wouldn't benefit anyone so it looks as though we are stuck with the miserable, frowning Huytonite.

Carragher should definitely be the one who is captain, but long term, Mascherano is definitely the number one candidate, just edging out Torres and Agger/Skrtel.

The Chelsea saga may be over but the doubt still hangs in my mind about Gerrard's approach to the side he loves so much. I just want what is best for the team. Someone who can organize the side from goalkeeper to forwards.

Gerrard just isn't that man.

Step up JC, and be the voice of the team.

Liverpool FC : Come In Number 19, Your Time Is (Hopefully) Up!

Liam McClintock — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:27:29 -0400

Okay, hands up who thought after seven games that Liverpool would be sitting joint top of the lofty perch that Sir Alex Ferguson so famously knocked them off?

Sorry for the pause, I had both of my hands up and couldn't carry on typing, forgive me.

Did I think Liverpool would beat Manchester United at Anfield? Yes. Especially when I saw Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard sitting on the bench, and I'll tell you why.

I knew that the players had to bond, immediately and play as one. That afternoon I witnessed a togetherness from the moment Carlos Tevez strode forward unmarked and caressed the ball wide of Pepe Reina, despite the Mark Wright-esque last ditch efforts of Slovakian centre back, Martin Skrtel.

Fans' heads did not go down, there were a few moans and groans of "here we go again" but every single one sang louder and more passionately as the game went on, possibly forcing the error out of Edwin Van Der Sar (or was it Edwin Collins?) to draw level.

Albert Riera was looking dangerous on his debut against the same team he made his Premiership debut against in the colours of Manchester City, prompting the "lucky charm" tag and to be honest it might well have been true.

I remember that day so well, when Robbie Fowler scored the goal that endeared him to City supporters as much as the Liverpool faithful and ran to the fans who had entered a state of pandemonium giving it the five times sign.

Dirk Kuyt was faultless, Robbie Keane chased down Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand like a man possessed, and Javier Mascherano began to get over his early mistake and completely own the game. A friend of mine once said of Mascherano, "It's as if he takes it as a personal offence when the opposition has the ball."

Wise words, but said friend also reckoned that "Torres has no left foot" as we drove home from Marseille's Stade Velodrome, having witness Torres explode onto the Champions League scene with a goal that sent the travelling Kop bouncing around like 4000 Scouse Jack in the Boxes!

Fast forward to the Goodison derby this year with "El Nino"—on a self described "slump"—silencing the Toffees supporters with two absolute quality strikers, only to be harshly denied a hat-trick as it seemed Dirk Kuyt didn't want to wait until the end of the match to swap shirts.

The only "big team" that Torres has not scored past a little into his second season is Manchester United, and he has only had two bites of Sir Alex's bright red cherry nose at the time of writing.

A coming of age for the Liverpool side came at around 4.10 pm, Sunday 5th October 2008 after trailing 2-0 at Eastlands to an ever improving Manchester City side. Rafa Benitez produced another one of those rousing half time team talks that only he seems to be able to perform (See Olympiacos, AC Milan, Luton, West Ham etc.) and when Torres went for his hat trick in the final minutes of injury time, the ball trickled off Robbie Keane and there was no player more deserving to be a match winner than Dirk Kuyt, smashing the ball into the roof of the net—sending those that made the short trip into a sense of rapture.

For once it made everyone turn to one another and say "Blimey, maybe...just maybe."

Liverpool would be top of the league if Steven Gerrard's "phantom goal" against Stoke City had stood, and our goal difference would have been a tad better off too, but surely this blemish added to such a performance.

Now I must turn back to Dirk Kuyt here, I admire his steely determination and athleticism, his stamina levels are second to none, and more often than not after shouting in despair I have had a mate tell me, "You know what you get with Dirk, 100% effort."

Realistically I would like a flairy winger who can terrorise defences whilst scoring and assisting for fun but I must concede this; Kuyt is growing on me game by game. He must be a manager's delight.

With players like Kuyt, Mascherano, Carragher, Skrtel, Agger, Hyypia, Gerrard, and Keane all willing to put their bodies on the line for the club, Rafa has not only built a steady ship but an armada ready to win any battle put before him.

This Liverpool squad can finally be described as a team, with Skrtel's injury allowing ball playing centre back Daniel Agger a reprieve, there seems to be players who can step up and do well all around the pitch (Andrea Dossena and Philip Degen take note, and, ahem, Mr Degen, if I ever have the pleasure to serve you again, maybe you should order a diet drink and just one bag of Maltesers next time, and possibly clean away your mess at the end of the performance...I bet Steve Finnan would have!!)

All in all a promising season looks on the cards and it's not about winning the league this year, it's about challenging.

That's all we ask.

Liverpool FC And The Premiership Title: It's a Marathon, Not a Sprint!

Liam McClintock — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 04:43:39 -0400

So it's back, the attractive lure of the Premiership for those lucky enough not to have to endure working weekends.

Whilst Chelsea sprinted to the top of the Premiership in Usain Bolt style fashion, Liverpool meandered along slowly but surely like Paula Ratcliffe in a 100 metres dash.

Similarities between last season's opening last gasp 2-1 win at Aston Villa, and the 1-0 win over Sunderland can be made to some extent. However, the fact is that Villa were a team on the up and we outplayed them; in contrast, Sunderland are a side left feeling hard done by for not having something to show for their efforts.

The Keane and Torres partnership shows more signs of improvement, with the Irishman cleverly controlling with his right foot on the edge of the box before shooting narrowly wide of Craig Gordon's right hand post. As the two carry on, they'll prove to be a deadlier twosome than Riggs and Morter from the Lethal Weapon movies.

As the season progresses there will be twists and turns galore, that's a given, especially with title favourites Manchester United dropping points at home to a much maligned Newcastle side—which I'm sure Kevin Keegan absolutely loved.

Deco impressed magnificently on his debut, Anelka appears to have found the perfect man to take him from Sulk to Silk, in fact everything in the Chelsea engine appears to need no maintenance for the time being.

But just wait until Big Phil comes up against the Wigans of this league, who ex manager Mourinho would describe as 'Park the bus in the goal' teams. Patience is one of the English words Phil needs to learn as soon as possible.

Returning to Liverpool, it's refreshing to be able to play as badly as we did and come away with 3 points. In an ideal world, a draw would have been the right result, but fortunately for Rafa we do not live in an ideal world and the flash of absolute brilliance that was bestow upon Fernando Torres was worthy of winning any game.

The game was changed at half-time, when Xabi Alonso was brought on for Damien Plessis. The Spaniard soon began pulling the strings in midfield.

With 10 minutes remaining, Alonso strode forward and passed the ball to Torres. Quick as a bullet, the No. 9 controlled the ball, nudged it forward and smashed it into the bottom corner, all from outside the box.

Torres went wild, Gerrard ran over and hugged him, the travelling Kop went nuts and bounced to Torres' theme.

Roy Keane was candid as ever in his interview, it's refreshing to see a man as modest as he is honest. Keane said Liverpool would be glad to see the back of his side, and he was right.

Few times have a side played so badly under Benitez, and the Spaniard will not have been impressed, just relieved to come away from a tricky game with a clean sheet—as Steve McClaren calls it, the most important thing in football.

The big test will come when Liverpool play the other Top 4 teams—whether the Reds can play better and regularly take points off them.

Similarly, Rafa's side cannot afford to draw so many games at home.

All in all it promises to be a cracking season ahead, one of many different twists, turns, shocks, and spills.

But aren't we lucky to have football back in our lives? The beautiful game, call it what you will, whoever you support it's an absolute joy to hear that familiar Match of the Day theme tune echo through the TV once again.

Year of the "Liverpool": Oh Wait, Didn't We Say That Last Year?

Liam McClintock — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 07:30:25 -0400

"We need to take points off the other top 4 clubs."

"Take Gerrard and Torres out the team and you've got a mediocre side."

"Benitez can't rotate and expect to win the league."

The doom mongers and naysayers have already spoken, weeks after the transfer window opened.

With the imminent arrival of Robbie Keane, is still not enough to put a smile on the red half of the Merseyside mouth, and it begs a serious question: "Just how far away are Liverpool from being genuine challengers?"

Granted, if Keane does sign it will introduce a new angle for the attacking verve of the team yet we still find ourselves repeating the need for wingers, any team who wants to win anything cannot perform without the pace, flair and creativity that the likes of a Quaresma, a Ribery or a Mancini would bring.

Ribery is happy at Bayern Munich, and with Mancini swapping Rome for Milan, albeit the blue and black side, Quaresma is the name we find ourselves linked with on more than one occasion.

As a fan, you crave for the likes of a Quaresma, who will excite the crowd, something we haven't seen since King Luis left in the makeweight for El Nino to storm the Premier League defenses, and as frustrating as he was attacking he would either make your rub your eyes in disbeliefe or try and tear out a chunk of hair from your head.

The myth about Gerrard being taken from the team weakening us on the whole needs to be dispelled, as the fact of the matter is players like Carragher, Agger, Reina, Mascherano, Alonso and Babel are fit enough to grace any of the top teams in the league.

Gerrard and Torres are a match made in heaven, like Owen before him, Torres finds space where there may be none, drifting in and out of defenders like Casper the friendly ghost.

Gerrard’s ability to link the play will now be burdened by Keane and I truly cannot wait to see a team consisting of Gerrard, Torres, Keane and Babel as a four-pronged attack.

Alonso and Mascherano behind them, with Lucas and Plessis as a back up.

David N'Gog is a name that does not breed familiarity but in Rafa we trust, and the fact Jean Alain Boumsong is his cousin will not sway my view either way.

In truth, I am duly excited about the start of the season and throughout the next few articles I will try to encapsulate the atmosphere surrounding Anfield as well as possible.

Benitez is, bit-by-bit, improving the squad to what he wants and what he needs.

Although a third “trophyless” season may be one too many for the Anfield hierarchy, the fans back Rafa with all their might.

Hicks and Gilett will face another season of uncertainty from the fans until they make Benitez their priority instead of making a quick buck.

We can always look forward to one thing though, finishing above the “Blue boys” from across the park.

Xabi Alonso or Gareth Barry? Spanish Precision or English Grace?

Liam McClintock — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:01:28 -0400

Xabi Alonso. Detrimental to 25th of May 2005. First season in the English game. The score stood at 3-2, to a nervy Milan side; having controlled the first half with some of the most beautiful football you're likely to see.

12 yards out seemed a long way, through the plastic screen I squinted at. The penalty needed nerves of steel, he missed but he had the nous to tuck away the rebound, despite Alessandro Nesta smashing in from behind and the massive frame of Brazilian Dida sliding in front of him.

Top corner, left footed. Bang. 3-3. If anyone deserved to be the hero that night, it was him. Alas there was 14 Heroes, subs included. Add to that the FA Cup, and a few other trinkets along the way, to the European Championships he has just won then it begs the question, Gareth who?

Alonso would be suited to the Italian game, with Juventus seeming to be plying the rights for the "best midfield in the world song" already poaching Momo Sissoko from us.

Gareth Barry hasn't won an awful lot. Sure, his left foot is very talented, and he is a mean set piece taker, corners, free kicks and an assured penalty master. Yet, I struggle to find a place for him in my best 11. Left back? Wasted there, and with the imminent arrival of Udinese left back Andrea Dossena he wouldn't get much playing time there it seems.

Barry and Steven Gerrard are good friends and have been since the Lilleshall England days, it tells the story for England where the resurgence of the English midfield is dominated by Barry and Gerrard, with Frank Lampard seeming surplus to requirements.

The two go together like a well oiled machine, Barry the cog to Gerrards spoke, firing the engine room for the forwards, be it Rooney, Crouch or Owen (When he isn't strengthening the Newcastle physio's muscles or bank balance).

Can that form be replicated for Liverpool? Well with Mascherano just behind them, Barry supplying the second striker in Gerrard for Torres it very well could. The team of,

................Reina

Finnan Carragher Agger Dossena

..........Mascherano Barry

Kuyt.........Gerrard............Babel

...............Torres

Could very well bear some fruit, but change Alonso for Barry and you have the same thing. Lucas will want some playing time, as will the new youngster to emerge from the academy, Damien Plessis

(If you wish to see one of the most assured débuts ever, see the Arsenal v Liverpool match from the Emirates from last season, unbelievable composure from one so young).

Of course there will be more signings made, you would hope. Kuyt is a good stop gap for the time being but to make the next step up we need some flair and a more creative force coming in from the right whilst Babel flatters to deceive and we have only seen him in glimpses of the potential which Marco Van Basten described him as "the next Thierry Henry" despite being Dutch.

All in all, Alonso and Barry could both be in red shirts next season but I know who I would rather have, sorry Stevie G, Gazza Bazza will have to make peace with the crazy one, Martin O'Neill. Xabi stays.