20 Years of Hurt Shows No Signs of Shifting

As the final whistle blew at the end of the 1989 FA Cup Final, fans of both Liverpool and Everton could never have envisaged that their respective teams were going to be struggling and trophy-starved twenty years down the line.

For Liverpool, everything was well with the world. Just over a decade of total dominance over the domestic game would be replaced by the new order being constructed in the bowels of Old Trafford by Alex Ferguson. Everton, suffering from UEFA's ban of English clubs from European competition in the aftermath of the Heysel disaster, resulted in the blue half of Merseyside not realising their potential in Europe at the height of their powers. Although not as successful as their neighbours, Everton have as yet never returned to the dizzy heights of the 1980s.

Fast-forward to 2010 and Merseyside has a distinctly bleak outlook for its footballing giants. Both teams struggling in the league and knocked out of the League Cup at the first hurdle; taken all the way to penalties by comparative minnows. The legacy of Shankly and Paisley was well and truly washed away in the rain on Wednesday night as Liverpool were knocked out at Anfield by lowly Northampton. Roy Hodgson has well and truly got a job on his hands as he seeks to repair the hurt and wounded Liver bird.

A stuttering start to the Premier League season has only served to

highlight the vast chasm between Liverpool and the rest of the so-called 'Top Four'. Problems off the field combined with a mis-firing team whose confidence is torn to pieces mean that Liverpool now, realistically, face a period of re-building and mediocrity if they are to re-create the successes of a quarter of a century ago. The sooner the club is sold the better. Without a stable ownership and regular funding, the vicious circle that currently hangs around Anfield will continue to blight the club's fortunes. The ticking time bomb of Fernando Torres's future will also do more harm than good untill the club has a stable foundation once again.

David Moyes has done a superb job in the 8 years he has steered the Everton ship and perhaps is the victim of circumstance as his team goes in the search of their first win of the season in all competitions. While their crisis may not be as pronounced as the one across Stanley Park, the Toffees find themselves in the relegation zone with a measley two points from five games. Bill Kenright has publicly stated that the extent of his finances means he has taken his beloved club as far as he can and that new investment is needed in order to breach the top four. However, Moyes has an academy at his disposal that has produced the likes of Wayne Rooney and Jack Rodwell with the latter emerging as a force for club and country.

The key to any success for both clubs will be continuity and confidence. It's non-sensical to lay the blame at the feet of the manager already particularly in Hodgson's case. As Manchester City look to wrestle the mantle of England's best Blues from Chelsea and sit alongside Manchester's Reds as the UK's two leading clubs, it appears that Merseyside must rebuild in the shadows of their great rivals before they can return to the heady days of that May day in 1989.

Franchise or Not to Franchise?

The decision to convert Rugby League's top-flight to a franchise system divided opinion across the sport. However the exploits of Crusaders under Brian Noble has proved the benefits of abolishing promotion/relegation and enjoying added financial security.

Seen as the whipping boys when they joined the league two years ago, it appeared to be a step up too soon. A shaky 2009 season ended with the deportation of 6 players for breaching visa regulations before encountering financial problems off the field.

After little success in South Wales, the club was sold and relocated to Wrexham in the north. The move seems to have re-ignited Welsh passions for the lesser-known code of their beautiful game. Crusaders attracted over 20,000 more supporters than their first season including a five figure attendence for the visit of Leeds Rhinos.

On the field, the combined management guile and tactical nous of Brian Noble, Iestyn Harris and Jon Sharp have guided the Welsh club to their first ever play-off campaign having finished rock-bottom of the table the year before, only winning three games along the way. Bringing in the likes of Jarrod Sammut to build around players like experienced former British and Irish Lions captain Gareth Thomas and club skipper Ryan O'Hara has transformed the no-hopers into an attractive, points-scoring, winning team.

Seen by many pundits and fans alike as a minor miracle, Crusaders have managed to break into the top half of Super League following in the wake of Catalan Dragons who were last season's surprise play-off package. In the process they have proved in just two seasons how much franchising levels the playing field. Although the heavyweights of Wigan, St Helens and Leeds still dominate, the gap between top and bottom is narrowing all the time.

Is this an example for mainstream sports like football to follow? There have been rumblings in the past suggesting the creation of a franchised European super league that would displace the incumbent Champions League. With Super League pioneering the idea for European-based sport, could others soon follow suit?

Talking 'Bout My Generation

England's convinving despatch of Bulgaria on Friday night should be a watershed for the national team.

Fabio Capello's promises of change and revolution have been met with cynicism in some quarters not least in the eyes of this keen observer. England have for too long relied on the talents of the 'golden generation' of Terry, Beckham, Lampard, Gerrard and co. The time has come for a new order of youth and attacking flair.

Joe Hart has shown domestically and at international level that he has what it takes to hold onto the England number one jersey for years to come. A commanding presence and calm, assured shot-stopping skills provide sturdy foundations on which Capello and future England managers can build a formidable defence.

In front of him, the partnership of King and Dawson at Tottenham Hotspur has long been overlooked partly down to the 'untouchable' status of Terry and Ferdinand. Players like Phil Jagielka and Garry Cahill put in weekly shifts for their respective clubs so why not try them at an international level. Cahill in particular proved himself adept at slotting in when needed when he replaced Dawson. Glen Johnson and Ashley Cole have made the full-back slots their own with the prospect of the talented Kieron Gibbs champing at the bit.

The midfield is where the most talent lies. Adam Johnson is the most exiting player in the England squad at the moment. It's fantastic to see a player who possess all the traits of an old fashioned winger: someone who wants to take on players, beat them and whip in a deadly cross. Nurtured properly, he could be the creative and penetrative spark that England have been lacking since the days of John Barnes and Chris Waddle. Theo Walcott has also proved in recent weeks why he should have been in South Africa and looks set for a regular spot on the right of midfield. With Johnson on the other wing, England could have a pair of irresistable, creative and goal-scoring flanks.

James Milner and Tom Huddlestone are also players who have exciting international prospects but need to be given a chance. Of the current crop, Gareth Barry has made the holding role his own and, looking further ahead, Jack Wilshere, under the tutelage of Arsene Wenger will certainly take over from Gerrard/Lampard as England's Trequartista in the heart of midfield.

Jermaine Defoe looks to be settling in alongside Wayne Rooney as the goal-getters up front with strikers like Darren Bent waiting in the wings with a string of fine performances domestically.

Here's hoping that so long as Signor Capello sticks with this new blend, that the young guns provide successful, attacking and above all, an attractive brand of football.

Old-Gold Fever

Getting back into the swing of writing regularly is something that I've decided must start now. An entire summer rich with sporting action and not one blog! I deserve nothing less as a journalist than to be put in the stocks and mocked till the cows come home. Failing that, it might be appropriate to reflect on what has so far been an explosive start to the 2010/11 season.

Swindon Town's indifferent start to the season aside, it's already apparent that pre-season expectations are already starting to crystalise; Chelsea have thus far been in an imperious and ruthless vein of form. Manchester United still rely on the sage-like influence of Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs and Liverpool are still wobbling as Roy Hodgson's stewardship is yet to take flight. At the other end, all three promoted sides have settled nicely; a heavy defeat and a morale-boosting win already under their respective belts. The problems at Aston Villa and West Ham are already having an effect on their campaigns but it's another club in the West Midlands that deserves a mention.

Wolverhampton Wanderers, under the guidance of Mick McCarthy, appear to have slipped under the radar. Following promotion as champions of Division One (oh ok, The Championship for all you perfectionists), they were widely expected to plummet straight back down into the Football League. As was predicted, the stars of the previous season failed to shine. The likes of Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Michael Kightly, so pivotal in promotion were left floundering out of their depth in the top-flight.

Wise old Mick however, brought in players like Kevin Doyle, Michael Mancienne and Nenad Milijas to stabilise the squad, adding the elements of experience, flair and penetration to the blend. This careful combination of hard-work, desire and creativity was responsible for keeping the famous old club in the Premier League.

Now the squad has had time to gel, coupled with the addition of Steven Fletcher and Stephen Hunt, Wolves have an added dimension to their play. Their start to the season was exemplified by their performance at Everton: penned into their own half for large periods of the game, a quick break in the second half ended with Ebanks-Blake stealing his side a point in a classic away performance.

It's still early doors as far as the season is concerned but with a sturdy spine through the team and Ebanks-Blake appearing to be coming back into form, the famous old-gold shirts of Wolverhampton Wanderers get my vote as the surprise package of the season. Watch this space..