The manager has risen from club secretary to official face of the club since the creation of football teams worldwide. He has moved from the man that kept the record books to man that is larger than the football team he manages. Commentators and pundits refer to Ferguson’s United or Wenger’s beautiful, passing football.

He even has books written about him. The Manager by Barney Ronay, an excellent book that discusses the rise of the manager into the modern game, unearths some of the origins of the manager’s image and attempts to discuss what kind of person the manager really is. While the book wasn’t ever intended to be an academic study of the merits of various tactical thoughts of managers, it does address some of the often listed character traits of successful managers. When all these traits are put together, to many the manager appears to be a father figure, a scary headmaster, a politician you’d like to have a beer with, or some combination.

Yet despite all this popularity, he is little more than decider of players and positions during an actual football match. His only other real role having to do with a game of football is what he says, or does not say, to the players. While this may seem to be just about everything that there is to do, this is really not much in relation to even one, single football match. Even the purchasing of players has been taken from his list of job responsibilities at some clubs. After talking to the media, amping up / scaring the team, and picking the players and formation (something that many of us feel we could do a better job of), it’s up to the players to get the job done. He is then left to either become the scapegoat for club and player ineptitude or savior for lifting his players (all the while not doing much different in either scenario).

The idea of the manager being wholly responsible or all to blame for results is to make a system with many variables look like it all comes down to the whims of one man. This is ridiculous. To some, suggesting that this is absurd may not come as very controversial at all. I suggest listening to fellow fans and media but understanding that this article may not provide much reflection for you. To others, this begs to ask the question of who is responsible if not the manager. While I refuse to fall into the same trap of blaming one party for an entire club’s woes, I would suggest the players as a possible start.

The point is that the owners (a common euphemism for cash), back-room staff, the manager, a dash of luck, and mostly players play a part in a team’s performance. In addition, former owners and managers often continue to play a role. When a team fails to obtain the results they are perceivably entitled to, the fans and media seem to have a checklist of blame that progress from the manager’s tactics, the manager’s transfer policy, the manager’s man-management, and usually ending in the owner’s lack of investment. Players rarely, if ever, come into play (pun intended) unless it is to discuss the manager’s man-management.

All managers have come under close scrutiny at some point in their career but one of the most extreme examples from a fan-base and the media recently is the demonization of Roy Hodgson at Liverpool.

One reason fans have cried for his removal is, what I believe to be, the myth of his lack of tactical knowledge. Hodgson is, if anything, a man deeply involved in tactics to the point of players at Fulham labeling their endless repetition of team shape at training as tiresome. This is all, however, beside the point for me. 4-4-2, zonal marking, 4-3-2-1, team pressing, or the deep, lying midfielder have nothing to do with what is wrong with Liverpool right now. Jonothan Willson, Michael Cox of Zonal Marking, and like-minded individuals may cringe at the idea of tactics taking a backseat but a quality player will be a quality player in any position without needing to be told what square to position himself in. Tactics come into play and they can definitely give that extra push that is sometimes required. In the Hodgson’s Liverpool example, however, I believe bad purchases have been made in the past and the world-class players are often failing to rise above. Swapping one man’s 4-4-2 for another man’s 4-3-3 won’t change Liverpool’s chance of winning games. Further, tactics often don’t improve a player or team but aim to exploit weaknesses in the opposition.

This leaves us with the question of his ability to both manage players and, to a lesser extent, the media. This is where I will somewhat concede to the critics. While at Fulham, he seemingly could say no wrong. He was polite, soft-spoken Hodgson. This is quite different to his time at Liverpool where he has experienced quite a few moments of idiocy when opening his mouth. One quote that sticks out as especially odd to me was during a discussion about Fernando Torres and an alleged move to Manchester United. Hodgson didn’t exactly express the sentiments most supporters would have wished for considering this is the club’s long-time rival.

“I am not naive to believe there won’t be any danger and we will never lose a player like Torres, I understand these things can happen. I don’t believe we will lose him, we will do our best to ensure he stays…”

Having said all that, I still believe this has little to do with a match of football. His man-management / media relations may be lacking and Torres may look at a quote like that and wonder what his manager was thinking but I would still expect a world-class striker to make his supporters proud as soon as the interview is over and the match begins. To say Hodgson’s man-management is wholly responsible is to say that a kind word or two and the proverbial “arm around the shoulder” of professionals is all that stands between Liverpool and former winning ways. Again, this probably has something to do with the trouble at the club but not the sole reason.

Being as unbiased as possible as a twenty year supporter of Liverpool and, while critical of at times, a supporter of Hodgson, I fail to believe that one man can be responsible for the play I’ve seen this season. Any manager on the bench cannot change the fact that the players are making silly mistakes and are not fighting for the shirt and crest they wear. This coupled with a bench that hardly strikes fear into the opposition has seen the club at a historic low. This season I have seen some good football. I have also seen our most often excellent goalkeeper booting the ball right into a striker’s feet, defenders falling over themselves trying to intercept a simple through ball, midfield players spending an entire match passing backwards in fear of mistakes, and strikers not willing to put the work in to hold the ball up. As absurd as it sounds, I’m sure he’s addressing these basics with the players during training but at some point responsibility must at least partially shift. Having said that, when results do turn I will also be the first to point out that Hodgson isn’t the only reason.

The point is that I don’t believe another manager would do much better without improvement in the squad and players stepping up. Removing Hodgson is an especially bad decision considering the need to pay off Hodgson’s contract and find a manager willing to work at a club that will give him little say in who the club purchases.

In the very first chapter of Barney Ronay’s book, The Manager, he discusses one thought on why the manager’s position was even dreamed up in the first place during the late 1800s and early 1900s when, again, he was little more than club secretary.

“The crowd called for blood, and they got it: secretarial blood. Mute, office-bound – but also dressed in the directorial waistcoat and watch-chain – the sacrificial lamb was already on premises. The secretary was about to get his big break. It seemed unlikely to be a very happy experience.

Here we come to a central dramatic irony in the manager’s story. The fact is, his first real high-profile public act was to be sacked. Getting the boot was where it all started. The manager was born to be sacked, and sacked with some sense of cathartic public ceremony.”

This is how it has always worked. It is much easier to take all that dispersed anger out on the one man from whom we have come to expect too much. The owners need not address all these messy issues mixed up with a team’s performance. They can just fire, hire, and repeat.

Buy The Manager: The Absurd Ascent of the Most Important Man in Football by Barney Ronay

Note: This article was written prior to Liverpool’s latest poor result against Blackburn. In the few hours since the end of that match, even more speculation about Hodgson’s job have surfaced and it is very likely he could be leaving the club soon. Though I planned on publishing this later in the week, I have pushed it up because I believe this game was the perfect example of how the club uses the manager as a sacrifice to their fans despite it being clear that fault was literally at the feet of the men that, save Steven Gerrard, seemingly couldn’t be bothered to fight for us, the supporters, on the pitch today.

Our second installment of ‘Premier League Links Of The Day’ is here! Today’s video features Dimitar Berbatov and his thoughts on his recent five goal performance.

Here’s the links:

• EPL’s 10 dirties players [Bleacher Report]
• Adrian Durham’s team of the week [Talk Sport]
• Carroll has the X-factor [Mirror Football]
• Clint Dempsey backs Mark Hughes [F & H Chronicle]
• Aaron Lennon’s unbelievable week [Tottenham FC ]
• Liverpool players adjusting to Hodgson [Liverpool FC ]
• Ashley Young makes a blooper reel [Goal]
• Bolton vs. Blackpool match highlights [101 Great Goals]

Feel free to follow me on Twitter and let me know if you’d like to suggest an article, video or photo for inclusion on the Premier League Links Of The Day.

If you believe Liverpool manager Raphael Benitez there are few midfielders more suited for the Premier League than Lucas Leiva. After all, Benitez has spent much of his 2009-2010 campaign lobbying on behalf of the twenty-two year old Brazilian. Benitez praises Levia’s work rate and dedication to the team, all the while ignoring his glaring deficiencies. Liverpool supporters from Merseyside to Mumbai have been lamenting Leiva’s inclusion in Benitez’s first team since the departure of Xavi Alonso. Replacing Alonso was always going to be a challenge, but after Sunday’s dismal performance against Chelsea it is concretely clear that Leiva is never going to be the man for that task.

This is a player that is simply not good enough for the daily rigors of the English Premier League. Yes, at times he looks like a fluid player that is capable of stringing together a few passes. However, against the likes of Chelsea, Aston Villa, and Spurs he has looked entirely out of his depth this season. The Chelsea match was particularly striking. Leiva appeared tactically naive and physically inferior as Chelsea’s midfield bossed the game and easily pushed the Brazilian off the ball. Benitez has exhausted the English media by plugging Leiva’s ability to give his all, but after Sunday’s 2-0 defeat it is obvious the midfielder brings little more than useless energy to the side.

Moreover, this is not a new problem for Liverpool. Benitez has been attempting to integrate Leiva into the first team for the better part of two years. So I put the question to you, the readers of EPL Talk: is Lucas Leiva good enough for Liverpool Football Club? Is his style of play strong enough for the English Premier League? If nothing else English football is associated with pace and physicality, two qualities that Leiva clearly lacks. At times the midfielder forlornly wanders the middle of the park, giving balls away while simultaneously disrupting Liverpool’s offensive output.

This behavior has deeply effected Steven Gerrard’s play in 2009. Against Chelsea the Liverpool skipper was forced to drop deeper in an effort to link midfield with attack, disrupting his offensive rhythm with Fernando Torres. Gerrard is renowned for his forward runs and box-to-box capacity, but on Sunday fans saw little of this as Chelsea ran riot in the second half.

Of course Liverpool’s misfortunes are not the sole responsibility of one player. Jamie Carragher has looked his age thus far and Dirk Kuyt has been incredibly ineffective on the right during this young season. Liverpool’s internal struggles are also well documented, as owners George Gillette and Tom Hicks continue to drag the club’s reputation through the mud.

Nevertheless, Leiva’s lack of creativity in midfield is the most pressing matter for the Reds on the pitch. Summer signing Alberto Aquilani is returning to health and is predicted to make his first start for Liverpool in the Carling Cup at the end of October. Even if Aquilani usurps Leiva’s place in Benitez’s midfield, Liverpool will still need to call on the Brazilian down the stretch. Most pundits cite Liverpool’s lack of depth as the primary reason that the Merseysiders will not end their twenty-year title drought in 2010. The fixture congestion created by playing in four competitions will certainly test this theory, and Lucas Leiva does little to ease these concerns.

Though Beckford and Leeds fell short, the Yorkshiremen proved up to the challenge against Liverpool.

Somewhere between Leeds and Manchester on the M62 I was able to truly digest my four-day jaunt back to my native land for the third round of the Carling Cup. Working in football in the United States is a great privilege, and in Pacific Northwest the advent of Seattle Sounders FC has been a revelation for Major League Soccer. However, there is simply no substitute for a strong dose of the English game. As soon as I got off the plane and began preparing for the third round tie between Leeds United and Liverpool old emotions began flooding back.

Long before kickoff all of Yorkshire was buzzing with conversation about this massive fixture. I was reminded of match-ups between these storied northern clubs that took place during my childhood. There were numerous references to Mark Viduka, Tony Yeboah, and other Leeds legends that put Liverpool to the sword in ‘the good old days’. Despite the fact that Leeds and Liverpool had not played one another in five years, the atmosphere on match day was strangely familiar. Leeds city centre was stuffed with United supporters, as many of the old guard came out of the woodwork for this unique encounter. In every pub classic anthems like “In Your Liverpool Slums” and “Only Sing When You’re Stealing” echoed in jubilation, and I had to be careful to conceal my Liverpool leanings. My father and his mates reveled in my discomfort, and after several hours of banter the supporters began boarding coaches for Elland Road.

Predictably, the motorway resembled a car park, and the heavily inebriated Leeds mob forced the doors of the coach open in mid traffic. A sea of white and blue washed over the road, and in the distance Elland Road loomed ominously over the eager supporters. While this historic football ground is revered by the Leeds faithful, away fans approach Elland Road with caution during their respective visits. This was no different for the red and white clad Liverpool horde, and a large police presence was on hand to snuff out any trouble. As helicopters circled the ground with their spotlights aimed at the hooligan element, my large party of family and friends dipped inside the Peacock for one last pint before kickoff.

Fortress Elland Road

The atmosphere in the pub and around the ground was simply electric. It was as if the years had been rolled back to reveal a fixture between two of the top teams in England competing for Champions League positioning. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. Prior to the match, Leeds United manager Simon Grayson stated that he did not want his side to be distracted from the League One campaign. While this one-off fixture with Liverpool presented a wonderful opportunity for Leeds, Grayson wisely played down the Carling Cup tie to keep his side on task. Leeds are two leagues and forty places below their Scouse counterparts in the English football pyramid, and few were expecting the Yorkshire club to push Liverpool.

Yet as the supporters filed into the ground there was a sense that Leeds were truly up for this big occasion. The Elland Road end was filled with 7,000 Liverpool supporters, as the boisterous Mereysiders stretched from the Lowfields paddock all the way to the West Stand. While these individuals delivered a powerful rendition of “The Fields of Anfield Road”, Leeds United’s supporters refused to be outdone and responded in kind with an overwhelming version of “Marching on Together”. These competing sets of supporters created a cacophony of noise, and Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher hailed the atmosphere as, “One of the best in England.”  Leeds routinely draw over 25,000 people to League One matches, but on this occasion Elland Road was packed to the hilt with a capacity crowd of 40,000 on hand. The noise inside the stadium was hair raising, and United’s form on the pitch only increased the fervor.

Unlike many lower league sides that encounter Premier League opposition in cup ties, Leeds did not panic against the likes of Carragher, Javier Mascherano, and Ryan Babel. Liverpool manager Raphael Benitez was even forced to bring on Steven Gerrard and Glen Johnson in the later stages of the match, while Fernando Torres eagerly roamed the touchline. Leeds played their usual brand of dynamic football, maintaining consistent build-up through the midfield and feeding the ball to star target man Jermaine Beckford. The Whites attacked beautifully, and on 13 minutes Beckford headed the ball towards Luciano Becchio who placed an attempt into the back of the Liverpool net. With an early 1-0 lead, United supporters shook the stands with their emphatic celebrations. Unfortunately, the center official waived the goal off after the linesman declared both Beckford and Becchio offside. Television replay revealed that this call was inaccurate and that the goal was indeed valid, but Leeds could do nothing to plead their case.

While United mounted several other scoring opportunities, including a point blank attempt on goal by Beckford, Leeds were unable to find the back of the net again. Liverpool withstood the pressure and claimed a 1-0 lead through David Ngog in the 66^th minute, sending the away end into raucous scenes of merriment. The Merseysiders retained their lead until the final whistle, but Leeds proved their worth against one of the top sides in the country. Grayson could not hide his admiration after the match, stating, “Nobody expected us to win this game apart from the players in our dressing room and, if you speak to them, they’re gutted.”

The Carling Cup is often viewed as an inferior competition contrasted with league and FA Cup campaigns, but you wouldn’t know that at Elland Road on Tuesday evening. Leeds supporters left the stadium with their heads held high and a feeling of satisfaction, knowing that their side played with the grit and pride that is associated with their iconic white shirt. Liverpool boss Raphael Benitez hailed the home support in his first appearance at Elland Road, and the Anfield manager appeared relived to have claimed a result at the end of the night.

A worthy applause for the Yorkshire Whites.

Although I was off to Eastlands the next day to see Manchester City take on Fulham in continued Carling Cup action, the conversation revolved around Leeds’ performance late into the night. At Del Rio’s Italian restaurant in York (a regular finishing point for my football group), United supporters lamented missed opportunities, but ultimately there was a feeling of pride in the club’s efforts. For a side that has been relegated twice in four years and suffered a fifteen-point deduction, this was indeed a good thing.

Leeds supporters are many things but no one can accuse them of disloyalty. As the club anthem states, “We’ve been through it all together, and we’ve had our ups and downs.” For now it seems that the downward spiral may have ended, and if Leeds can continue to maintain pole position in League One, it may not be too long before Liverpool return to Elland Road.

That the EPL is the best championship in the world is plain for everyone to see.  The teams are far and away the strongest, most physical, and quickest.  With exceptions to super teams like Barcelona, the four Premier League teams involved in the Champions League can (and do) knock off foreign opposition rather easily.

Yet in 5 finals in which an English team has played, only two have been champions.  A 40% winning percentage doesn’t seem bad, but consider that the winner between Man United and Chelsea had to be from the EPL.  That leaves 4 finals that a continental team could win, and they have won 3 of them.  1 out of 4 is not at all impressive, especially considering the ease with which the EPL teams seem to reach the final.  So what accounts for this discrepancy in dominance and silverware?

One account might be that the English teams have been unlucky to only win one.  I would disagree.  If anything, Liverpool (and by extension, the EPL) are the luckiest winners of the four games, beating a Milan team that really should have won if not for a string of miraculous goals and saves.  Barcelona and Milan in ’06, ’07 and ’09 were in far greater control of the games than their British opposition, though Arsenal at least had the excuse of being a man down.

One account might be that the EPL is not as dominant as it seems.  There is strong bias in the English-language press, and it manifests in the constant recitation of English superiority.  Considering this, one could argue that despite the routine losses, continental clubs actually put up the stiffest resistance to English clubs.

One can  see this during the 2009 edition.  Over two legs, Manchester United beat Arsenal by 3 goals, but Porto by 1 and Inter by 2.  Chelsea beat Liverpool by 2 but could only beat Juventus by 1 and could only tie Barcelona.  Against weaker opposition in the group stage, the EPL looks fantastic, but against top clubs, especially those with lots of players with Champions League experience like Milan and Barcelona, passing through to the next round in the knockout stage is never assured.

Unfortunately for this theory, those who actually watched the games will probably say the 1 and 2 goal score lines do not really do the games justice, and that Chelsea should have won the second leg by at least 1.  The EPL teams have been stronger over the past five seasons; it should be quite clear to anyone who watches for a few matches with EPL clubs and then compares it to a Porto vs. Atletico Madrid showdown, for instance.

I would argue that the reason is a strange combination of luck and inspiration, and maybe a touch of club attitude.

The best team does not always win the Champions League.  In 2007 Milan was not the best club in the tournament.  They were lucky at times, but mostly it came down to a Kaka playing like he was inspired by God.  (Oh, that’s right, he actually was.)  He single-handedly took apart Man United, downed Celtic, and was the impetus behind both Inzaghi goals in the final.  During that season in the Serie A, they finished 5th.  Runners-up Liverpool were 3rd, ahead of Arsenal on goal difference. They were also not the best team in the competition, they were like Milan in that they were best at the competition.

AC Milan, according to their website, is the most successful international club in the world.  It seems part of their culture to do well in in tournaments, just like Liverpool seem to light up on European nights as they flounder in EPL purgatory.  There’s no science to it.  Arsenal and Chelsea try and try to be successful in the UCL but it hasn’t come.  Sometimes the best win, like in 2006, 2008 and 2009 but often times the teams that are good at winning it do so, like in 2005 and 2007.

This season the best team won, but they also had all the right ingredients.  They had Messi the inspired superstar; they had the 93rd minute Iniesta wondergoal, and the general team inspiration in quest of the first Spanish treble.  Barcelona might not have the history of Milan or Liverpool, but it looks like they’re trying to build it.

While the EPL dominance may continue for 2 years, 5, or 10, I’m not sure how many Champions League trophies will find their way back to England.  As long as teams like AC Milan, Barcelona,  Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are around, the gulf in class can be overcome on any given European night.

In Part 1, I described how the 2006 World Cup drew me into football.  With the World Cup finished, I was hungry for more. I turned to the English Premier League to slake my thirst…

Part 2: Inhaling the Premier League…

When the World Cup ended I went into withdrawel. I bought a Playstation2 and a used copy of FIFA 2006. I ordered the Review of the Season DVD 2005/06. I scoured Netflix for any and all football related films (not much to choose from… I think Bend It Like Beckham, the original Fever Pitch and Green Street Hooligans made up their entire football library at the time). And I read Fever Pitch (Nick Hornby’s fine book)… twice. I knew none of this was close to a substitute for the real thing. But it’s what I had.

I was eager to find a Premier League side to follow, but unsure how to choose one as an American. How I wished I had geography or genealogy on my side—was it too late in life to adopt an English grandfather?

Two problems arose in my search for a side…

1)Limited access to the matches:

I didn’t have cable and could only watch the FSC matches at the nearby British soccer pub (see Part 1). And while the Coat of Arms opened early for World Cup matches, by the fall they were back on their normal schedule. I couldn’t catch many of the matches live. I watched some replays there, but lining up my schedule with the pub’s schedule with FSC’s schedule was hit or miss to say the least. And Setanta USA was nowhere to be found. (The Coat got it right after I moved to Boston.)

I felt confident one or two SFMs (Spectacular Footballing Moments) could direct me toward the right club. A call for me to answer. Initially, I felt drawn to Liverpool. Peter Crouch and Steven Gerrard stood out for me in the World Cup (see Part 1). And I’d been a childhoon Beatles fanatic, watching my father’s videos of Help and A Hard Day’s Night until the reels were worn down. Reading everything I could. So I was enthralled with the Scouse accents and the city of Liverpool from a young age.  But in 2006, I wanted some kind of footballing sign to assure me. An awe-inspiring goal. A come-from-behind win. Some moment to capture me on an instinctual level like the countless SFMs that seduced me during the World Cup.

If I’d been in Boston then, I would have had plenty of Irish pubs with all the right channels and been surrounded by loads of supporters. The live feed and the lively atmosphere I craved.

With that kind of access I would have seen Crouch’s 80th min header in the Community Sheild. Daniel Agger’s 25-yard blast against West Ham. Xabi Alonso’s goal-from-his-own-half(!!) against Newcastle. John Arne Riise’s long scorcher against Tottenham. Seeing these shots from distance in match context could have pushed my Liverpool curiosity into a full-blown seduction. (Any shot from outside the box that went in seemed completely earthshattering to this newbie. I still long for a 25-yard+ blast when Gerrard or Alonso run onto the ball in promising spots.)

But then there was my other problem:

2) I overthought the decision too much:

Given little access to the matches, I compromised my desire for spontaneous matchday inspiration by working too much logic into my search. I should follow a London side, I thought. I had friends in London. There’d be places to stay when I travelled over to watch matches. I knew the city. I loved the city. I’d find a London side. The fact the Simmon’s article agreed with this thinking reinforced my attempt at process.

That season London had six clubs in the Premier League. Chelsea, Arsenal, West Ham, Fulham, Charlton and Tottenham Hotspur.

Chelsea was out. I’d read up on Roman Abramovich sinking his own money into the club to buy up the best talent, essentially dropping all business pragmatism for instant success. No thank you.

Arsenal was tempting after reading the brilliant Fever Pitch. But I was seeking a club in the English Premier League after watching England play in the World Cup from an English pub in New Hampshire surrounded by raucaus English folks. While I enjoyed their style of football, Arsenal didn’t appear to have any English starters. Thus, I couldn’t get excited about supporting the Gunners.

West Ham had an allure, but Green Street Hooligans put me off them, as it did for Simmons. I blame Elijah Wood.

Fulham didn’t do anything for me at that point. They didn’t have Clint Dempsey yet. Dempsey was the only American to score during the World Cup and he was a standout player for the New England Revolution, my local side. He would debut for Fulham in late January, but by then I was already falling for Liverpool. Dempsey would thank me by scoring his first Premier League goal against Liverpool. If he’d gone to Fulham in the previous summer, it might have been a different story.

Charlton. Ah, Charlton. A solid mid-table side for years, but in 06/07 they were known to me as the side who are slightly better than Watford. Charlton were relegated in May.

And so, plagued by logic and overthinking the matter, I briefly flirted with Tottenham Hotspur. I didn’t witness any magical moments to draw me to the club. I liked Robbie Keane and they played in London. That was about it. I hadn’t found that SFM. I think I was getting tired of looking. I just wanted a club.

Thankfully, around this time, I got access to just about all the matches on Setanta and Fox. My Irish co-worker Noel (a Manchester United supporter) took pity on me and my co-worker Tim (another American seeking Premier League action) and started taping the Fox matches. An Mancunian regular named George (City supporter) started taping the Setanta fixtures for us. I cleared my head. I could finally watch every match aired in the States.

The tapes weren’t as good as watching live, but it was easy enough to avoid the scorelines in New Hampshire. So on the 2nd of January, I sat down to watch Liverpool v. Bolton Wanderers from the day before. It was scoreless until the 61st minute when Jermaine Pennant ran onto Dirk Kuyt’s pass and lauched in a screaming intercontinental ballistic missile into the box. There was Crouchie. Waiting and hungry—he’d been goalless in 11 league matches.

I’d seen YouTube clips of bicycle kicks. But I didn’t imagine Peter Crouch in all his 6-foot-7-inches of awkward-looking glory could pull one off. (He’d already scored one against Galatasary in September, but I didn’t know about it yet.) Now, he launched himself at Pennant’s ball, which was about to streak behind him. His body twisted in the air like a convulsing stork and he met the ball in mid-air, launching it past Juusi Jääskelainen. One-nil.

In no time at all, Liverpool were on the attack again. Kuyt launched his own cross into the area. As two defenders converged on the ball, Steven Gerrard steamed in, jumped, parted the white sea, and volleyed it home with the side of his foot. I was in heaven. Two SFMs in 60 seconds!

Later, Dirk Kuyt would run onto Luis García’s through-ball and, under pressure, finish from the tightest of angles. Across the face of goal and in. Brilliant.

I said goodbye to the practical reasoning of following a London club and returned to the call of my initial instincts. I watched the next few Liverpool matches with greedy abandon. Sadly, Arsenal knocked Liverpool out of the FA and Carling Cups in succesive matches, but then there were wins against Watford, Chelsea and West Ham with Crouch scoring three more times. My first ninety minutes of Derby Day action was a let-down, with neither Liverpool nor Everton finding the net.

And then I watched the 2-1 loss to Newcastle away…

Strangely enough, it was the Newcastle loss that sealed it for me. That bitter result in the rain. So much Liverpool dominance but not enough finishing. Bellamy’s early goal made me sure Liverpool would have the day, but the Magpies pulled it out with a goal from Martins and a converted penalty from Solano. But I was with Liverpool all the way. I was as mesmerized by their loss as any of the recent wins. It was feeling the true sting of the dissapointing result that made me realize Liverpool were the side for me. I was invested. Watching them grit it out in the rain in the Northeast, squandering chances somehow pushed me over the edge. Right reasons or not. I’d be for Liverpool from then on.

(That was meant to be a 500-700 word piece. Inevitably, it got away from me there. If you’re still with me at the end… thanks for reading! Let me know in the comments how you came to follow your own club. Next week: What Makes A Classic Match?)

Gutted: n. 1) A feeling of intense desolation, akin to the feeling of having one’s insides ripped out. 2) A sweet colloquialism that should be adopted into American parlance along with the words “wanker”, “bullocks” and “knackered”. Example: Ethan Armstrong will be gutted if Liverpool FC sell Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid.

Here it is: if Liverpool stay fit and don’t lose Xabi Alonso, they’ve already got the winning formula.

The recent £17m move might be the key to solving their big problem: Glen Johnson will be instrumental in helping the Reds dissect the ten-man defenses of Stoke, West Ham, Fulham, (and I presume…) Wolves, Birmingham, Burnley, etc. If Liverpool could have figured out how to get through such throngs of penalty area loiterers last season, they would have won the title with room to spare.

Also, from what I’ve seen of summertime Riera, it looks like he’ll come back with the bristling promise he displayed last fall. He looks good. He stalled last winter. But he’s allowed one first season rut. Now it’s time to get to work turning defenders and launching in balls. Get to it, Albert. I know you have it in you.

So, between Johnson and Riera (with help from Insua/Aurelio) Liverpool will have a solid wide game on both sides. Something Zenden and Pennant didn’t bring. Kuyt does a fine job turning people, but doesn’t have the speed of a winger. Sometimes he has a cross. But now, I see the Dirk making sweet interchanges with Johnson who will be charging in from backfield like Napoleon storming across a continent. I’m seriously getting excited about this. Especially Johnson.

Liverpool should go in for one more quality signing (more on this in part 2). But the most important thing is they don’t sell Xabi Alonso. Mascherano either.

At this point, I don’t think either of them will go, but I can’t muster the confidence to believe Florentino Pérez isn’t in his office, right now, watching highlights from May’s 2-6 spanking: when Barça obliterated Real at Real. He hurls the remote through the television. He stands on his desk and, à la Gary Oldman in The Professional, he screams: “Bring me everyone!!!!”

Boom. £100m. Xabi and Javier move to Madrid. (Hey… that’d be a good name for a Spanish-language bromantic comedy…)

Seriously though: please stay, amigos.

These two are the core of this team. With them controlling midfield, Steven Gerrard knows he can burst forth and tear apart defenses. The back four know they’ve got a first wave of defense (largely in Mascherano) to break up attacks before they need to worry. Stick Lucas in for either Alonso or Mascherano, and the captain won’t soar with the same confidence, the centre-backs won’t feel as covered. Mascherano’s a brick wall. Alonso’s a seer. Strength and vision. These two are the Liverpool midfield. Irreplaceable. Unless, of course, Real wants to do a straight swap, one of them for Kaká… What say you, Señor Pérez? No? It was worth a try.

Now, (assuming there’s no coup on Xabi and Javier), if every Liverpool starter can agree not to get injured all season, the Reds can absolutely win the title as they are. But who can depend on that? What happens if Stevie or Torres get laid up for a long stretch? I said if Liverpool stay fit. We can’t bet on that. The Reds need an insurance policy…

Tomorrow: Part 2…

Warning: Harry Kewell will come up in the discussion. No, it’s not what you think. But I’m giving you some advanced notice so we can all stay friends.

As we count down the hours until tomorrow’s clash of titans in Rome, wondering if we’re going to enjoy a goal fest or another penalty kick shoot-out, here’s a look at the most memorable European finals from the last ten years:

Liverpool 3-3 AC Milan 2005

One of the most legendary comebacks of all time in any sport. Milan took over in the first minute of play with a stunning goal from Paolo Maldini. The fastest in the history of the European Cup final. Liverpool knew they had a mountain to climb after Hernan Crespo found the back of the net in the 39th, but when he scored again in the 44th, the Reds must have felt it was game over.

But what is imagined to be the best dressing room pep talk in the history of dressing rooms must have had the right effect. In the second half, Liverpool switched on and found three goals of their own within seven minutes. John Arne Riise launched the ball in from wide left for Steven Gerrard to head home in the 54th. Vladimir Smicer converted a gutsy chance from distance in the 56th. And minutes later, after Gennaro Gatusso took down Gerrard in the box, Xabi Alonso rebounded his own saved penalty save to put the Reds level.

Liverpool won on penalty kicks.

Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich, 1999

Bayern Munich scored early off a set piece when Mario Basler fired a 25-yard shot around United’s wall. The German side would stifle play and tactics, and United could not find a breath of fresh air for some 85 minutes.

The miraculous moments came from two substitutions. Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came on in the 66th and 80th minutes respectively and would prove to be the lighting rods for victory.

After the three minutes of injury time had been announced the scoreline was still 0-1. But Ryan Giggs soon found Sheringham in the box who was able to put United level. The United supporters erupted, expecting their side to have a decent chance in extra time. But it would never be needed.

A corner kick found Sheringham’s head, and when the ball fell earthward, Solskjaer was able to volley it into the roof of the net.

The miraculous late win handed Manchester United the treble since they’d already won the Premier League and the FA Cup. They were the first English side to achieve this feat.

Real Madrid 2-1 Bayer 04 Leverkusen, 2002

Unlike the above finals, this battle will not be remembered for a stunning comeback or timely drama. The winning goal was scored at the end of the first half and there would be no goals in the second. It is memorable because the goal itself was possibly the greatest ever scored in a European final.

Real scored early after a long throw found Raul in the box. The Spanish wonderstriker put it home on eight minutes.

On 13 minutes, Leverkusen’s Lucio connected with Bernd Schneider’s free-kick to put his side level.

The remaining minutes of the half had some glimpses of opportunity for both sides, but mostly it was stifled play and no real look at goal until in the closing moments of the half, when Santiago Solari put Roberto Carlos into space on the left side. The wing-back let the ball bounce once before launching it into the area where Zinedine Zidane was lurking just inside the box. The French legend slingshot the ball home with a magnificent turning volley. It was a brilliant feat and enough to win the match.

I saved this one for last, because I feel like we might be in for something like this tomorrow. I can see United and Barcelona stifling each other’s tactics, teetering toward a draw and threatening penalty kicks, until someone (be it Messi or Ronaldo) finds that moment where space and opportunity poke their heads up at the same time for a split second of brilliance to make its mark and define the game.

I have a feeling it will be one of those. I don’t anticipate a goal fest.

Thanks to bbc.co.uk and uefa.com for the match reports to jog my memory for the happenings in these finals.

Marco van Basten told us Ryan Babel might just be the next Thierry Henry. And there have been some instances to suggest the 22-year-old could be on the path to greatness:

Babel’s 40 yard blast against Chelsea to give Liverpool a breath of hope in last year’s Champions League semi-final.

His arched rocket past Edwin van Der Sar in September to give Liverpool their first win over Manchester United since 2004.

And his header on target followed by a sharp rebound to put Saturday’s match against West Ham out of reach.

At times Babel shows the dexterity, vision and clever movement that Henry radiated endlessly during the Frenchman’s tenure in England. But for Babel these moments come in limited quantity.

For every instance when he turns a defender and bursts into space, there are a dozen when he twists himself into a cul de sac and loses the ball. For every instance when he makes a wonderblast on target, there are countless times when his selfishness forces him to ignore a teammate who could be in on goal from the simplest of passes.

Watching him during his first season, I thought Babel would come into full being in a year or so. He was young. He was adapting to the EPL. It would take time. I could see from his first league appearance (when he was subbed on against Aston Villa in August 2007) he had loads of promise. There was speed and wiliness just waiting to burst forth and van Basten’s Henry comparison seemed viable.

This season, there were moments when Babel showed signs of maturing. He seemed more settled in the league and was passing more when previously he would have charged forward, hogging the ball.

But despite continued signs of promise, Babel has yet to show any signs of blooming into the next superstar. By his own admission, Babel cannot cling to the “well, he’s still young” excuse for much longer. He needs to show his true worth every chance he gets.

A bit part of the problem is Babel hasn’t had enough first team experience this season to enjoy a solid platform on which to grow. Rafa Benitez likes to use Babel primarily as a substitute. And while Babel’s fresh pace and energy make a great weapon to bring on against tiring defenses, giving the lad periodic 20 minute windows to try to score a goal is not the best recipe for his development.

Van Basten has made similar criticism and thinks Babel should have stayed in Holland longer rather than warming Liverpool’s bench.

But Babel could still have something to offer Liverpool. For the Reds to truly challenge for the title over the next few years, they’ll need to use the upcoming transfer windows to chase after the depth of Manchester United and Chelsea. Babel may be among the players sold to raise funds for incoming talent, but Liverpool would be wise to maintain a collection of versatile players. Men who can fill more than one role. Babel can play as a winger or as a striker, and though he won’t be a first choice Albert Riera or Fernando Torres, his utility in two areas helps Liverpool make the squad deeper. Two for the price of one.

And while Gerrard and Torres are unequivocally Liverpool’s top hitmen, if either of them go down with injury next season, Babel can come on as the first striker (as he did when Torres came off on Saturday) or in support.

Hitting the goal against the Hammers makes me wonder what his future will be. I would have thought he was on his way out. Now I’m not sure. The kid has a place. If he gets the chance to play regularly, he could still prove to be a good buy for the Reds. Babel needs to have patience with Rafa and Rafa needs to have confidence in Babel.

Did the coach bring him on in London to reveal his confidence in Babel? Or was it to show him off to potential buyers?

1. Didier Drogba
Possibly the sulkiest striker at Chelsea, Didier Drogba has been constantly linked elsewhere since the departure of the Special One in 2007.  First Barcelona and La Liga, and then Inter and the Serie A tempted the hitman.  Drogba has alternately loved the London club and then claimed he was unhappy.

The attitude might have worked under a coach like Mourinho who manages to inflate the egos of his players and have it be good for the team, but under less authoritative management, the ridiculous on-pitch squabbles between Ballack and the Ivorian result from this destructive synergy.

Now the big man has lost some of his pace and is 31 years old, the time might be right to move to Inter to see out the rest of his days.  Though the Inter staff will want someone younger to invest in the future, Mourinho could argue that Drogba’s proven goal-scoring record in the Champions League is just what the team needs to send them past tough European opposition.  Further, if Ibrahimovic is actually sold (unlikely), then Mourinho will certainly need a non-alcoholic striker (sorry Adriano) to replace the Swede, and Drogba, comparable for power and size, might just be the fit.  He doesn’t have the “Ibra-cadabra” but in a league that doesn’t require as much pace, and where his considerable weight would count for even more against less hard-tackling defenses, Drogba would surely be a deadly finisher.

2. Daniel Agger

As the numerous Liverpool fans have voiced already in this previous article, Daniel Agger is an excellent defender who is suffering on Liverpool’s bench.  This isn’t an instance of a player needing time to develop – Agger is ready to play on any top European team.  To become a defender that gets worldwide recognition, Agger needs to stay healthy and get regular playing time, and this simply isn’t happening at Liverpool.  The last thing he needs right now is to be sitting on the bench.  Skrtel and Carragher deserve their spots, so the best move for Agger would be a move elsewhere.

Real Madrid need a new center back; Cannavaro is most likely headed back to Italy and Metzelder is out of favor.  Agger has the ball skills to play in the Spanish league, and there could be no complaints about club ambition.  Madrid also have the galáctico-sized budget to lure the defender away with high wages.

Closer to home, Manchester City certainly could use defenders more than they need Kaka, but Agger might prefer the bench of a title-worthy Liverpool than a project that may or may not be competing for a Champions League spot next year.

There has also been talk about the two Milan clubs going to war over Agger’s signature, and both aging defenses could use a classy center back with a future.

To be honest, any club can use a classy center back with a future, the question is, which will make room?