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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FA Cup semi-final preview

Who will lift the FA Cup this year?

 Well the middle of April is upon us, and that means it is semi-final time in the oldest, most prestigious, and some would say the best club knockout competition in the world; The FA Cup. And this years semis are both poised to be absolute crackers as they are both derbies. I still am not sure about playing the semi-finals at Wembley, but I understand that the FA have to make back their £800 million deficit, but contrary to that I do think it devalues the final in a way. Maybe Elland Road and Villa Park are not really suitable anymore, but why not play the games at Old Trafford and The Emirates?

SF1: Liverpool v Everton 14 Apr 12.30pm

The first semi-final is very much a game that has history with the FA Cup. A reminder of years gone by; Lineker v Hansen; Rush v Ratcliffe; Kendall v Dalglish. The Old Wembley!
This game has always been billed as 'the friendly derby', and I believe that it still is. My family is very much living proof of this. I am one of four boys, two of which are reds, and the other two are blues. The first result I look for after Liverpool's is always Everton's, even if it is so I can give my brothers and my Mum some banter! I would have to admit though, that I have been a bit quiet on the banter front ever since Everton beat Sunderland. Despite David Moyes' attempts to play down his teams chances, Everton would be favourites in most peoples eyes. They have been in a very rich vain of form since the turn of the year, and Liverpool's form couldn't be more different. Having only picked up nine points in the calender year, our only real shining lights have been getting to this semi-final, and beating Everton 3-0 in the league a few weeks ago. Maybe this will be the inspiration that the mighty reds need. Key areas for Everton all seem to be positive on the face of things. Tim Cahill is coming back to form, and Nikica Jelavic looks to be settling in nicely. Tim Howard is, and has been for some years, an outstanding goalkeeper; and with Phil Jagielka coming back to full fitness at the right time The Blues should be just about at full strength. I wish the same could be said about Liverpool. Having lost Pepe Reina to a suspension last week, things are looking bleak to say the least. In Reina, Lucas and Agger, three of our most influential players of the season will all be missing. Hopefully Captain Fantastic Steven Gerrard can inspire Liverpool to the final.

SF2: Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea

 

All the talk up until now has been about the timing of this game, which is strange to say the least, but both teams will have to grin and bear it. It is a shame for Chelsea though, because they should be given the best opportunity to beat Barcelona which will be near impossible at the best of times. Yet another faux pas by the FA. 
In a way, this game is quite similar to the first semi-final as we have one team who had a great start to the season but have faltered a bit recently, and another that started poorly but are coming on strong at the right time. Spurs would be many peoples team of 2011, but since all the talk of Harry Redknapp being the stand-out candidate for England manager they have seemed very much unsettled. They do still look to be playing well, but have seemed less clinical than usual. They do have so many match winners in Bale, Modric, Adebayor, Defoe....(the list goes on!) and they also have a quality defence backed by Premier League stalwart Brad Friedel. On the other hand, Chelsea could not have been in more disarray before Christmas, but since removing Andre Villas-Boas and replacing him with a man deemed not good enough for West Brom last year, they strangely seem to have found some timely cohesion. Having reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup and the Champions League, you would think that Roberto Di Matteo would target Spurs as an easier team to beat than Barcelona; as good as Spurs are it is a bit of a no brainer. With this in mind I expect Chelsea to go all out to win this game, and as it is Spurs only opportunity to win a trophy this term they shouldn't leave anything behind either. 

SPORT SHORTS

• The final day of The Masters at Augusta today, and the Brits will have some work to do if one of them is to bring home the title. My money would be on Phil Mickleson as not only did he have a storming round yesterday, but he's done it before. I am sure Augusta will bite back at some point though.
• Despite making the point in my description of this blog that I can't stand Horse Racing, I do watch the Grand National. I pick a horse based on a combination of its name and its jockey, and this year I'm going for shakalakaboomboom. I hope all get round safely, and I hope there are people left in Liverpool to go to Aintree. Are there people in Liverpool who don't like football? I doubt it. 
• I make this point in my shorts as it is something that makes me very sad and very angry; even twenty three years on. On April 15 1989 96 people died at Hillsborough at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. Without doubt it brings a tear to my eye and rage to my heart, every time. All I want to say is Justice for the 96. Gone, but never ever forgotten. 

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