Why do I love football so much?

After an opening day like my team Liverpool had yesterday, it is an easy question to ask; thankfully when you look at the bigger picture the answers come equally as easy. Nineteen goals across seven games; two teams scoring five; great goals from Demba Ba, Mladen Petric and Zoltan Gera amongst others. If I am struggling to convey my anguish, the next picture of Liverpool centre half Dan Agger just about sums it up. The noise he makes at exactly this point is precisely how I feel.

One picture says it all as Dan Agger leaves the field of play.

The result was not good for Liverpool but there are positives. Just.  Luis Suarez looked like a man that has not really had any rest this summer and was as sharp as a tack, but boy does he need to improve his goals per shot ratio. Liverpool could have had the game by the scruff of the neck if the Uruguayan had taken a couple of his four or five chances.  After going down to ten men at one-nil down it was never really going to be our day, but Liverpool showed signs throughout the game of a team that is trying to implement a new style of play. It didn't help that Fabio Borini and Joe Allen looked a little overawed at times, Stewart Downing was poor for most of the sixty minutes he spent on the pitch, so after we went down to ten men we were effectively playing with half a team. There isn't much more to be said, other than chalk this one up to experience and move on. It's a shame that we have to move on to playing the current champions Manchester City at Anfield next Sunday. At least with Moroccan winger Oussama Assaidi signing for the Reds this week we should be subjected to Stewart Downing on a less regular basis. I do think that we would benefit from one or two more to bolster our strength in depth. There are still rumours about Cristian Tello and Theo Walcott coming from Barcelona and Arsenal respectively. Perhaps the most controversial Reds-related transfer rumour of the moment is that David Moyes is trying to make Charlie Adam the first player to cross Stanley Park since 1992 when Graeme Souness sold Gary Ablett. With Joe Allen coming in, perhaps Adam's chances will be limited so he may be better taking the opportunity to leave while it's there. It is reasonably safe to say that Liverpool's season probably won't get worse, but i hope it gets better sooner rather than later. 

To sum up the rest of the Premier League's games, 0-0 against Sunderland might be a big indication of how Arsenal will get on without Robin van Persie, who signed for Manchester United this for £24m this week. Fulham 5-0 Norwich probably says more about Norwich than Fulham, but the south-west Londoners will be glad of a fantastic start to build on having lost a few players already, as well as having Clint Dempsey on strike trying to get out of Craven Cottage. Swansea's Michu looks an exciting prospect, scoring two as well as Nathan Dyer as they smashed QPR 0-5 at Loftus Road. Reading and Stoke finished 1-1 although it could have been different but for a bit of a howler by Royal's keeper Adam Federici. West Ham beat Aston Villa 1-0 at Upton Park in the battle of the claret and blues, Kevin Nolan scoring the only goal five minutes before half time. Finally, Newcastle beat Tottenham at St James' Park with Hatam Ben Arfa scoring the decisive goal from the spot in the 80th minute. This came just four minutes after Jermain Defoe had equalised Demba Ba's stunning opener. Perhaps the most exceptional (and funniest!) event of the game was Alan Pardew getting sent of for physically abusing the linesman. He has subsequently apologised and labelled his actions as ridiculous, but he will probably still face sanctions from the FA. 

On balance I am much relieved that the football is back, I just hope from a personal point of view that things take a massive upturn sooner rather than later.

 SPORT SHORTS

Huge congratulations to Rory McIlroy who tore the field apart last weekend at Kiawah Island to win his second major, the US PGA Championships, sealing victory by eight shots. Britain continued to stamp it's authority on the sport as four of the top five were from these shores. 

The third Test match at Lord's is very finely poised between the two best sides in the world at the moment, England and South Africa. The Proteas are slightly ahead at the moment, but a few early wickets on day four can change the complexion of the game completely. We'll find out tomorrow who'll be the victor in the battle for number one in the world. 

Troubled club Portsmouth fought for a 1-1 draw in League One yesterday having fielded a team of eleven debutantes. Much credit should go to manager Michael Appleton who signed ten players on loan and short term contracts on Thursday in order to make the fixture happen. 

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