Taking Sides: Liverpool vs Everton

I don't know what happened to Everton! I do have the NEW GUARDIAN next to me though - bought in Waterstone's! - so I will look in there, on real paper.

It's true, 'barely kinetic' was good.

Dr C makes a good point: there are some teams who are - to some of us - a big turn-off. I have always loved MotD with no little reverence, but it's getting to the point where whenever Bolton / Blackburn / Boro / Brum playing each other is announced I start thinking it's time to go to bed, or at least pick up the nearest Amis.

Oh NO! I have just looked at the Everton result.

I think recent years have seen more players of the highest quality at the top of the English game than ever before. I remember the days when an Ardiles was a real rarity, but now as well as most of the best of the British Isles every team has stars from all over the world - there is just about zero chance that a player like Henry would have played here in previous generations. The style of play here is different from that in Spain and Italy (I have all the sports channels at home, and have watched quite a lot of games from there too), and while the best of Italy may be the superior in tactical organisation and discipline, and the top couple of Spanish teams play with breathtaking flair, I like the balance in the premiership - this is undoubtedly based on what I grew up to understand, and no kind of measure of relative worth. Of course there are dreadfully boring and unpleasant teams, but I think we are sometimes prone to compare our extensive familiarity with dreary Blackburn-Birmingham matches to Real-Barca and the Milan derby, because we don't see the equivalent 13th vs 12th scared-to-lose games from those leagues.

The hype is absurd and nonsensical, interested only in trying to convince us every match they select is huge and thrilling. It's almost as if it's advertising rather than serious criticism, sometimes.

I agree entirely with the political objections too - and much as I care about politics, I've never cared so much when it's football. I love watching the game, and the loathsome stuff behind it, the growing elitism and risk of complete fossilisation at the top, are all bad things and I think they will damage the game and I am against them - but I still enjoy watching the game in a way that I can almost completely detach from that stuff.

I hardly miss a game. I don't go to many - I don't have the time or energy, or maybe just not the sense of commitment or whatever, to follow my beloved Bristol Rovers around the country from my London home - but I have all the Sky Sports channels and Prem+ and when there's a live game involving English teams, I'll be watching. When I go on holiday, MOTD is about the only thing that HAS to be videoed. Some of those games are rubbish, same as they always were. It is better when there is something at stake - this point has been well made relating to Greece at Euro 2004, and there are meaningless Premiership games, but until the last month of the season when that all-important 11th place is all that's at stake, I rarely find a game where I'm not interested in some aspects.

Enough rambling. I love football, and while I'd really like more competition and unpredictability right at the top, I'm enjoying it more in recent years than ever before, I think. (And the football threads here really contribute towards that - they have been my favourite things on ILE for a long while now.)

I don't think I explicitly said that none of this makes our league the best in the world or even the most exciting, but it's among the best (on the basis of its best teams' international performance and the number of great players - we got more players nominated in the new world players-voting player of the year awards than any other) and its range of styles is more or less what I find natural, and because I care it's the most exciting for me. Most of that could be said of their leagues by Spanish and Italian fans, and that's fine with me - there's no right way of assessing what league/style you most enjoy.

The players: greedy mercenaries. Rio Ferdinand refusing to sign a hundred grand a week contract at the club that had paid him well over a million to do nothing for eight months while he sat out his self-inflicted suspension. Ashley Cole's sickening behaviour towards Arsenal. Craig Bellamy's numerous sins. Various alleged rapists. False displays of loyalty (what exactly was Crespo's badge display about yesterday? this man has spent a year trying to get away from Chelsea).

The matchday experience: I really miss terraces. I really miss being able to turn up on the day, without a ticket, and just paying on the door. I miss being able to afford to go whenever I felt like it (I never paid more than a fiver in the 80s, even allowing for inflation that would probably be less than a tenner now). There might be more people in the grounds nowadays, but there isn't much of an atmospehre. When the premiership started I like the fact there was a lot more football on TV, but now there's far too much on. In the last two seasons, before I jacked it in, nearly every game I went to got shunted onto a Saturday morning or a 4pm Sunday - not much fun when it's a five-hour drive away.

The championship 'race': I don't think anyone really thinks there's the slightest possibility of Chelsea not winning the league. At the end of the season probably the same three teams: Arsenal, United and Liverpool will be battling out for the Champions League spots some 20 points behind. Most of the other teams will just be taking part in a grim struggle to stay in the league to avoid financial meltdown. It's a safe bet that at least one of the promoted teams will go down (this season Sunderland), sometimes it's all three.

The style of play: Negativity rules. Fear of failure is so big that most teams just pack the midfield and keep everyone behind the ball. This is not just the teams at the bottom. What was the travesty of Liverpool v Man Utd today? If Scunthorpe went to Stamford Bridge and got a 0-0 draw then they could be pleased with it, but when the two biggest teams in England set out to achieve a 0-0 draw there's something wrong. Why should anyone pay to watch that, never mind pay forty quid to watch people who earn more in a month than you'll earn in a decade? I would say Arsenal were the exception to this, but they've lost it now.

The owners: Somebody say something good about Abramovitch. Or Glazer. Or Freddie Shepherd.

I actually think Liverpool are quite good, just as I've said before lacking a Cristiano Ronaldo type player. But the midfield really seemed alot stronger than United's today, we were winning the ball constantly.

I only go to the kinds of games that aren't on TV, that you can just turn up for, even sometimes standing, and the prices aren't so much over a tenner. I mostly watch on TV, so lots of games there is a good thing, for me.

No, I don't see anyone but Chelsea winning it this year, and I would rather it was more competitive - but this is the first season I can ever remember being like this. For me there is still plenty to be interested in with the fight for fourth (Liverpool were as obvious a 4th last year, and didn't get there), the fight for other Euro places, the fight against relegation (I was incredibly excited by the last day of the season last time, because of that), plus two Cup competitions.

Yes, the Liverpool - Man U game surprised me. I wouldn't have thought either team can afford to comfortably settle for a point, and they were more concerned about risking that 1 point than in chasing an extra 2. I guess Man U figured that they'd defend with seven men, and rely on the front 3 to make something happen - and there's enough talent there that this would work often (or maybe Ferguson still fancies Scholes to get forward and score, even if no one else does). As you say, Liverpool are strong and solid, but perhaps lack a touch of brilliance up front.

I'm not saying it's glorious and perfect, and although today wasn't so good (the Blackburn-Newcastle game was very bad most of the way through too), yesterday was very enjoyable, especially if you have some fondness for West Ham, as I do.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/germany/article/0,2763,1573570,00.html

Wow: having been 21 PERCENT ahead, the CDU (Merkel) have come in just 3 SEATS ahead!

I think this is hilarious! What a campaign that represents for the SPD, since Schroder (to me) so inexplicably cast himself up for removal from office c.4 months ago. Really, given the way they started out, it is a pretty dire result for Merkel ... isn't it?

We could easily lose the next three (City & Spurs away, Chelski home). We just have to remember that almost everyone less than 10pts ahead of us is basically rubbish as well.

Astonishing really, the German election.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/4289046.stm

Angie and Gerhard have been holding talks!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/germany/article/0,2763,1580426,00.html

One solution floated yesterday was that Mr Schröder could serve under Mrs Merkel as a foreign minister and deputy chancellor

I wouldn't do that, Gerhard.

Perhaps it would be a wrench for him to leave Anfield, though. He would have to listen to his heart, during a long night of telephone calls and single transferrable votes.

I think Liverpool did great to hold unstoppable Chelsea at 0-0. I would be glad were I one of their supporters. Well done, Liverpool!

Everton won in Europe, which was quite good. It is a pity that their European adventure is over, though. But tomorrow, they play Manchester City: they should get a point. I am alarmed to learn, though, that they have only scored one league goal by 1st October.

They 'can't buy a goal'!

Yes, things really are looking up for the Toffees. (Please supply punchline).

Maybe Everton could start running out to this rickety, ramshackle, downhome rootsy cover?

Perhaps privately.

And in less detail.

I still think "Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em" would be appropriate.

I can't remember that tune, PJM. This is a good idea: think up tunes from other TV programmes, that Everton can Run Out to.

...

I know! Edge of Darkness!

They could Walk In to it, at the final whistle.

"The Bobfox, did you realise that 'Johnny Todd' (track 6 on disc 2 of 'A Tree With Roots' is the Z-Cars/Everton song?)
-- Mooro (david.moore9...), May 1st, 2005.

8< snip >8

Mooro - no, I have not noticed that, on the CD!"

I like their 'Folsom Prison Blues'!

I am listening to the CD (II) now, you see. It is 'See You Later Allen Ginsberg'.

After considering the remainder of the immediate family and learning that
domestic violence was apparently a way of life among them, the judge took
the unprecedented step of allowing the boy to propose who should have
custody of him. After two recesses to check legal references and confer with
child welfare officials, the judge granted temporary custody to Everton
Football Club whom the boy firmly believes are incapable of beating anyone.

Everton 1-1 Chelsea

I was impressed by Shearer's belligerent refusal to shake hands and subsequent interview.

- You've played against some great centre-halves in your time, some real bruisers... what was the difference this time?

- Well, he wasn't great, for starters...

Liverpool 2-0 West Ham

Well done, the scouse teams.

(Sorry I didn't see you on Saturday, Pinefox; Ava wasn't happy and we really had to go...)

Fine strikes in an emphatic win. Well done, the Reds!

Villa's Premiership points tally of nine has never before been in single figures after the first 11 matches, but if they held Liverpool they would become the first club ever to register 150 Premier League draws.

It worked!

I do note that Moyes has "not ruled out" buying back Gravesen in January, seeing as we get first refusal at mates' rates or something. No one's ever as good second time around, of course - David Johnson, Andy King, Howard Kendall, Duncan Ferguson...

There's not exactly a world of difference between these 1-0s and the 0-1s; I think Boro had the best of it and we hung on a bit. Van der Meyde/Beattie combo starting to come good, like Dave Thomas and Bob Latchford.

Peter Crouch finally has a use, I see - wrestling defenders in such a clumsy way it looks like he's the one being fouled. Neat trick. Dalglish used to do something similar with his arse.

Liverpool on verge of record-breaking run

Everton take battling counter-attack point from crumbling Old Trafford, and rise to season's high of 15th

Christmas comes early, for both halves of Merseyside!

PS / somehow it was wrong, wasn't it, on SPoftheYear last night, that George Best was celebrated with 'In My Life'? Should have been something by Them or solo Van, surely; or even the Undertones. But it also made me think: the Beatles always get associated with LFC - but never with EFC. I mean, would a Dixie Dean or Adrian Heath retrospective get 'Hey Bulldog' or 'Across the Universe' played over the top?