The only thing that doesn’t make sense, apart from the transfer fees, is Newcastle’s agreement to let Carroll leave. But what these moves mean for the summer transfer window is what is really interesting.

For Newcastle, a star striker is an absolute must. The fact they would already have had to strengthen other areas will now be overshadowed by the search for a new goalscorer. And that assume they now survive in the Premiership. Without Carroll, that is not a certainty. Their ability to attract the best is not what it was, the loss of their best player will not help that, and it’s going to be a difficult summer for them in the transfer market.

Liverpool, on the other hand, will be hoping they’ve resolved the loss of Torres with Carroll. Personally, I feel that’s unlikely but the addition of Luis Suarez is inspired. He had a fantastic World Cup for Uruguay and impressed me. If he can bring that form and talent to the Liverpool side they can look forward to a much brighter second half of the season and beyond. The Anfield side will be looking at other areas of their squad instead, notably the defence, I’m sure.

At Chelsea there will be significant changes I feel. Ancelotti will no doubt look to rebuild his side around new signing Torres and you can expect some significant departures as he does it. I also feel that Abramovich will insist on some sort of return following his £70m outlay on Luiz and the Spanish striker. So who will go?

Drogba, it seems, is past his best and at 32 could be deemed surplus to requirements unless he sparks off a stunning partnership with Torres this season. He would still command a decent fee too. Chelsea’s other striker, Nicolas Anelka is a year younger, which isn’t much and has had a less significant impact on the side in terms of goals. He still offers quality and pace, though, and Ancelotti will have to decide between the two as to which is best to partner Torres.

Or he could choose to jettison them both, raising some £10-£12m in the process and seek out a new, younger model. At the same time, he’ll be looking at his midfield and wondering what to do. Is the current set up of Lampard, Essien, Kalou and Mikel, supported by Malouda and Ramires, the right one? For me, it actually is but Ancelotti may see it differently (especially with the usually indestructible Lampard showing his age in terms of injuries) and a summer transfer wouldn’t be a summer transfer window without Abramovich splashing the cash!

In defence, Chelsea look to have plugged a huge gap with the signing of Luiz so the only possible change there would be at right back. Terry, Alex and Luiz will share the centre back roles, with Terry bowing out to age and letting Chelsea form a potentially superb Luiz/Alex axis, while Ashley Cole will remain first choice left back for the Londoners and England for at least a couple more years. Only Bosingwa, Ivanovic and especially Ferreira (how is he still there?!) need worry.

Could Drogba and / or Anelka end up at Newcastle then, as Chelsea look to forge a strike partnership of similar success with Torres? It’s possible that at least one could end up there.

Outside of these three you can fully expect Manchester United and Arsenal to be as frugal as ever. United NEED a goalkeeper now van der Sar has announced his retirement in May, while Wenger will be confident about his current squad, if not his chances of holding on to Fabregas for yet another season.

Sir Alex Ferguson will find that goalkeeper but his search for replacements for Giggs and Scholes will go on. And on. As the players are themselves. Wenger will need to look for a Fabregas replacement, just in case, and he must surely look to replace the inept (but oddly lucky) Bendtner too. Outside of that, the current top two in the Premier League will consider themselves healthy in player terms.

The only other side who will be looking for real quality to push on to real success is Tottenham. Redknapp stated he was only one or two players from winning the League. I don’t think he’s too wrong with that, but who and what those two players are is a debate for another article!

In the meantime, there’s a title race on that Manchester United look to be cruising through, unbeaten as they are this season while the other challengers slip up around them. But nothing is ever certain, especially in this league. Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle proved that on January 31st.

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Who's laughing now?

It doesn’t come as much of a shock, to be perfectly frank, as what they said was clearly sexist:

Keys: “Somebody better get down there and explain offside to her.”
Gray: “Can you believe that? A female linesman. Women don’t know the offside rule.”
Keys: “’Course they don’t. I can guarantee you there will be a big one today. Kenny [Dalglish] will go potty. This is not the first time, is it? Didn’t we have one before?”
Keys: “The game’s gone mad. Did you hear charming Karren Brady this morning complaining about sexism? Do me a favour love.”

On Radio Five Live this morning was a woman (whose name escapes me at the moment, but she’s on the board of Wolves, is a big name in women’s cricket and knows Keys and Gray well, apparently) defending the pair, putting it down to banter. But Five Live played the audio clip and it didn’t sound like banter to me. It sounded like real exasperation at a woman, A WOMAN, getting involved at the top level of English football.

The comments are at best unkind and at worst bigoted. That said, in this day of knee-jerk reaction and over the top reporting while it may not be a surprise they have been suspended do they really deserve it?

There’s arguments on both sides. That sort of talk shouldn’t be allowed on TV, that’s for sure. But it wasn’t. It was a private conversation off air that was recorded and leaked. You might not LIKE what was said, but everyone is entitled to their opinion, no matter how outdated it is, including Keys and Gray. They should, in my opinion, be publicly vilified and professionally warned, not punished.

Of course, Sky can’t be seen to be going easy on them so suspension it is. What now for the cornerstones of Sky Sports’ football coverage over the last 25 years or so? Can they bounce back in the roles they have enjoyed so smugly for years or will they be fired and replaced? And if so, who with? Who can do the job as well as they have?

Your thoughts and opinions please!

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What's Tom Hicks smiling about? Very little.

The cloud that has been hanging over Anfield for the last year or so – the Hicks and Gillett-shaped cloud – has often been blamed for the decline in Liverpool’s performances on the pitch.

So does that mean that with the current light at the end of the tunnel – the baseball-shaped light – shining through the gloom that the former European giants will start to play better? Will the understandably improved mood around the club translate into points on the board?

One glance at the Premier League table tells you one thing – nothing is going to make things worse at Liverpool right now. Third from bottom, six points from seven games and, whisper it, in the relegation zone. It’s far too early in the season for anyone to panic but something has to change and manager Roy Hodgson has said many times it needs to start at the top.

You get the impression from Hodgson that he feels like his hands are tied at the moment, but he should still be doing better with the players at his disposal. Benitez left a lot of average players behind but he also left Torres, Gerrard, Carragher and a couple of others. Relegation candidates they should not be.

It has been said that the players are hiding behind the boardroom turmoil as an excuse for underperforming and to some extent that’s true. It shouldn’t matter what goes on behind he scenes when those players run out on the pitch and for anyone to claim that Liverpool are in 18th position because of it is ridiculous.

That said, it does play a small part. The doom and gloom has spread to the fans and hey in turn have passed that on to the pitch during games. Let me be clear, I’m not blaming the supporters, merely showing the path that the depression at the top has taken to the players.

That there is now hope in the form of New England Sports Ventures, owners of the rejuvenated Boston Red Sox, will follow a similar path. The current chairman Martin Broughton will be feeling happier, Roy Hodgson will be allowing himself optimistic thoughts, the fans (some of them at least), will be feeling that too and on Sunday I expect that to translate to the players as they run out at Goodison Park for what is the most important Scouse Derby in years.

It’s not just pride Liverpool and Everton – only one place and a marginally better goal difference ahead of their rivals remember – are playing for. The game could well set the tone for the rest of the season for each club. Defeat would be a massive blow to the players’ confidence, while victory will provide a much needed shot in the arm for both clubs.

Just a couple of days ago my money would have been on Everton. They have performed better than a so far feckless Liverpool side and had more reason to be quietly confident playing at home.

Now I’m not so sure. This seemingly imminent take over of Liverpool, wiping out their debt and leaving a clean slate for Hodgson to begin building a team in his own image, should uplift the players as well as the fans. I now expect a more aggressive, more confident Liverpool to take to the field and a narrow victory to follow.

Even a 1-0 win at the home of their fiercest rivals will do. From there, the only way is up for Hodgson, Liverpool and New England Sports Ventures.

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A hat trick against Liverpool will instantly turn you into a star at Old Trafford – especially if you’re the first for 64 years, but Berbatov was already winning people over before that. The question is how?

When Berbatov was at Spurs he was a hero to the Tottenham fans. His undoubted talent shone in a team that lacked, at the time, true quality players. He was a big fish in a little pond and he thrived. When Manchester United came calling with a £30 million transfer fee Berbatov had made it. And it’s that, I think, that led to him to cause such frustration amongst the United supporters.

The Bulgarian arrived at Old Trafford believing his own hype. He ran out each week thinking that was all he had to do. There was no need to work, to track back, to tackle, to even chase a ball. He thought it would all be handed to him on a plate and he’d just bang the ball into the back of the net. Even if that had happened, it would not have been good enough for the Old Trafford faithful.

We love a skilful player, we love attacking football but it has to come with endeavour and effort. Berbatov did not show that and his performances in a team of equals, a team of grafters too, suffered for it. The criticism he received was justified but I think that played a part in his seemingly uninterested demeanour too. He loves to be loved.

No-one doubted his ability, it was his attitude that was under the microscope and it wasn’t good enough. Quite why it took two seasons for the realisation to dawn him I don’t know, but Berbatov HAS realised that he has to add work rate to his ability. So far this season that’s just what he’s done and the results are there for all to see.

Back home in Bulgaria, Berbatov enjoys a celebrity that has been likened to Beckham. The difference between the two is that, love him or hate him, Beckham worked hard on the pitch every time, he never gave less than 100% even when things weren’t going his way.

If Berbatov can keep his work rate up his ability will do the rest and the form he has displayed so far will continue. In addition, he will feel the love from the supporters and this, too, will help him perform. The sky is the limit for him then.

The rebirth of Dimitar Berbatov has just begun, but it looks as though he’s going to grow into the player Sir Alex Ferguson always believed he could be, even when the fans and media did not.

I mean, just look at this overhead kick!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpxRd2nAKgM[/youtube]

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Finishing seventh in the Premier League last year was viewed by many as an anomaly, a blip that signalled the end of Rafa Benitez’s reign. The truth is, despite the presence of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, that is as good as this Liverpool team is.

Much of the blame for Liverpool’s decline will be laid at the door of Hicks and Gillett, the club’s American owners. Boardroom unrest, mounting debt, internal squabbling…it all affects the players on the pitch, it is said.

Well, sorry, I don’t buy that. Not getting paid, like happened at Portsmouth, will affect a player. Power struggles between Americans at board meetings simply won’t. So no, I do not accept that boardroom turmoil affects what happens on the pitch. It will affect the ability of the manager to add to and strengthen his squad but that’s it.

In Liverpool’s case, I really don’t think that has happened yet anyway. Certainly Benitez had enough money to spend to attract the likes of Torres, Mascherano and Aquilani. Hodgson, on the other hand, IS likely to find his hands tied in the transfer market, loosely at least. Fortunately for Liverpool, he’s well used to that.

No, Liverpool’s fall from the (near) top can be laid squarely at the door of Rafa Benitez and a squad that is well below the quality required to challenge for or in Europe. Benitez is gone now so there is very little point talking about what he did at the club, except to say his signings, like many managers at Anfield before him, simply aren’t good enough.

Gerrard, Torres and Mascherano aside, there is not one player at Liverpool that last season’s top three of Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal would want in their squads. Carragher is usually mentioned at this point – but I don’t believe Carragher would be half the player he is at any other club. He loves Liverpool, that’s why he performs as he does for them.

Mascherano, it seems, will soon be gone, further weakening the team. Torres is short of fitness and maybe desire. Gerrard is suffering from the lack of quality around him.

Let’s be honest, the overall performance in last night’s game was as bad, if not worse, as any from last season. Hodgson’s decision to play 4-4-2 did not help and he will have to review how he gets the best out of this team and Gerrard and Torres in particular. Hodgson, basically, needs time.

Not only to assess what he has, which is very little, but also to find the formula for success with it. Given time, I’m confident he will do it. I’m NOT confident he will get the time. And that will be down to the boardroom and what happens there. New owners might signal a new manager, while the continued involvement of Hicks and Gillett will only undermine Hodgson in terms of available money.

These are dark days for Liverpool and their supporters and a reassessment of expectation is required. Forget the top four and Champions League football. It’s not possible with this team. My probably unwelcome advice to the supporters is to accept that for now, Europa League football is the best they can expect while the manager rebuilds the club, the team and the football played from the bottom up.

Liverpool fans will have heard that before though. Benitez had a five year plan and it didn’t work. Hodgson needs a similar amount of time. Patience, I imagine, is in short supply in the Kop. Nevertheless, it’s what is required, because finishing higher than seventh year looks to be beyond them at the moment.

It’s the players that have to step up now. I don’t believe they can or want to, Carragher, Gerrard and Torres aside. Am I being too critical? Let me know in the comments!

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Liverpool are a team in decline, whether the supporters want to hear it or not. The ownership issue isn’t likely to go away any time soon and until it does there’s no real way the club can move forward. On the training ground and on the pitch Hodgson can work his magic but he will always be hampered by what happens upstairs.

Clearly he will build his team around the epic duo of Torres and Stephen Gerrard, now likely to see his career out at Anfield, and will attempt to bring the best out of some of the club’s underperformers as he is so good at doing. The addition of Joe Cole was an unexpected boon, helping the loss of Benayoun to Chelsea, and once Hodgson has got rid of the increasingly disruptive Mascherano there’ll be more scope for moulding a team in his own image.

This is a job that requires time, however, and it seems to me to be unlikely that Torres would be prepared to wait. Yet he has said he will, for another season at least. Has Hodgson promised something then? Like Champions League qualification THIS season? Quite a claim to make, given the current state of the club.

More likely it’s one of those “stay a season, if we don’t qualify I’ll let you go” deals. Because Roy Hodgson is no fool and he must know that rebuilding Liverpool is a task that will require seasons, not season. It’s possible he is shrewd enough to drag the team to fourth spot, his success with Fulham suggests he can, but it is far, far from a given and competition is fierce in the Premier League now.

Getting back to Gerrard, one wonders why he is still at Liverpool. He hit his peak two seasons ago and his standards have steadily dropped since. Don’t get me wrong, he is still a fantastic player and would be a boost for any squad, here in England or in Europe. Nevertheless, his best is behind him, bar an Indian summer, and he must soon regret not moving on from Anfield in pursuit of more success than he has enjoyed so far. We must admire his devotion to the club he supports, but we must also question his desire to stretch himself.

Too late now? Probably, in all honesty. “One more season” he’s been telling himself for at least five years and he has again. Partnered with a fit Torres, Liverpool will be a force – just not one on a par with Chelsea, Manchester United or Manchester City (but maybe Arsenal). Fail again and Torres will likely depart. What does Gerrard do then? Resign himself to being a hometown hero or attempt to seek that Indian summer abroad? We’ll have to wait and see.

In the meantime, we must see if Hodgson’s magic can galvanise a squad deep in depression enough to finish fourth and potentially retain their two stars. Succeed and the only way is up for Liverpool. Fail and one fears for the future even more.

The odds are against it – but they were against Fulham ever appearing in a European final too…

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But I’m just not feeling it. The ONLY thing that’s ‘good’ about this upcoming season is that the annoying international match always scheduled for this time of year takes place BEFORE the season starts. About time.

Now I know once the Community Shield kicks off the excitement will begin to build, the problem these days is that the constant media coverage of transfer news and, more pertinently, the constant rumour-mongering is deadening the senses.

Oh, for the days when you first knew about a player signing for your club when they held the damn press conference. It was exciting. That’s all ruined now by the speculation – with so many rumours flooding our eyes and ears, you know one of them is going to be correct and it’s a pretty safe bet which one, usually.

Enough about that though, it happens every year and it’s not going to change now. It shouldn’t really affect what used to be a growing excitement about the first day of the season, should it. Yet that isn’t there either. Now maybe it’s my natural pessimism about the chances my own club (Manchester United) has of success this year – that could certainly be the case.

It seems to me that we’re standing still and allowing the rest to catch up with us, not least our bitter rivals, Manchester City. The first eleven they COULD put out this season is frightening. The only consolation I have is that this is City, hence they will find some way of cocking it up. They always do. Oh, and the fact Mancini does nothing for me as a manager – gone by Christmas if I was to guess.

A saving grace? Liverpool are no closer to winning that 19th title than they were the last time they won it. Further away in fact. Lovely.

Chelsea haven’t done too much, but they didn’t need to – age is being cited as their potential downfall. Not seeing that THIS season myself. Arsenal continue to rebuild and will push the top two, whoever they may be. It is not a forgone conclusion it will be Chelsea and Man Utd yet again.

Not with City and now Spurs assembling really good squads. So yeah, maybe it’s that.

Or maybe I’m just getting old and (more) cynical, wondering what the point of it all is? Which may have you asking why I wrote this article in the first place!

Well, I’ll be at Old Trafford a week on Monday to watch us take on Newcastle and I strongly suspect that buzz will come flying back then. I wanted to record the lack of it now to compare it to. Because what happens ON the pitch is so much more important to me than what goes on OFF the pitch and it’s THAT that gets me down. I cannot be bothered with it anymore. Just give me the Beautiful Game, in all its magnificence and leave the rest of the crap to those more willing to play in it.

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Ford Super Sunday will feature Liverpool versus Arsenal from Anfield on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports HD1, while the first Monday Night Football welcomes Newcastle United back to the Premier League as they visit Manchester United at Old Trafford, also on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports HD1.

Not a bad weekend of football, especially for High Definition viewers.

FULL LIVE SKY SPORTS FIXTURES

DATE	GAME	KICK-OFF
AUGUST
Saturday 14	Tottenham v Man City	12.45pm
Sunday 15	Liverpool v Arsenal	4pm
Monday 16	Man Utd v Newcastle	8pm
Saturday 21	Wigan v Chelsea	5.15pm
Sunday 22	Fulham v Man Utd	4pm
Monday 23	Man City v Liverpool	8pm
Saturday 28	Blackburn v Arsenal	12.45pm
Sunday 29	Bolton v Birmingham Aston Villa v Everton	1.30pm 4pm
SEPTEMBER
Sunday 12	Everton v Man Utd Birmingham v Liverpool	1.30pm 4pm
Monday 13	Stoke City v Aston Villa	8pm
Saturday 18	Stoke City v West Ham	12.45pm
Sunday 19	Man Utd v Liverpool Chelsea v Blackpool	1.30pm 4pm
Saturday 25	Man City v Chelsea	12.45pm
Sunday 26	Wolves v Aston Villa Newcastle v Stoke City	2pm 4.10pm
OCTOBER
Sunday 3	Chelsea v Arsenal	4pm
Monday 4	Wigan v Wolves	8pm
Sunday 17	Everton v Liverpool Blackpool v Man City	1.30pm 4pm
Monday 18	Blackburn v Sunderland	8pm
Saturday 23	Tottenham v Everton West Ham v Newcastle	12.45pm 5.30pm
Sunday 24	Stoke City v Man Utd Man City v Arsenal	1.30pm 4pm
Sunday 31	Bolton v Liverpool Newcastle v Sunderland	1.30pm 4pm
NOVEMBER
Monday 1	Blackpool v West Brom	8pm
Saturday 6	Bolton v Tottenham	12.45pm
Sunday 7	Arsenal v Newcastle Liverpool v Chelsea	1.30pm 4pm
Tuesday 9	West Ham v West Brom	8pm
Wednesday 10	Man City v Man Utd	8pm
Saturday 13	Aston Villa v Man Utd	12.45pm
Sunday 14	Everton v Arsenal Chelsea v Sunderland	2pm 4.10pm
Sunday 21	Arsenal v Tottenham Fulham v Man City	1.30pm 4pm
Monday 22	Sunderland v Everton	8pm
Saturday 27	Aston Villa v Arsenal	12.45pm
Sunday 28	Newcastle v Chelsea Tottenham v Liverpool	1.30pm 4pm

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That’ll make for a nice return to the top division for West Brom. The same goes for Championship champions Newcastle, who travel to Old Trafford for a reunion with Manchester United while Blackpool get their first ever taste of Premier League action at home against Wigan. The Tangerines will be well pleased with the tie at Bloomfield Road as it gives them a great chance of getting some points on the board early.

The tie of the opening weekend is undoubtedly Arsenal versus Liverpool at Anfield. Liverpool, presumably with a new manager in place, will look to get off to a good start to provide the foundation for a more successful season than last year but they won’t find it easy against Arsene Wenger’s men. Expect this one to move to the Sunday for Sky coverage.

The two teams that battled it out for fourth place last season, Tottenham and Manchester City, get to resume their rivalry early as City travel to White Hart Lane in a potentially mouthwatering clash that could also be chosen by Sky.

Premier League Opening Day Fixtures

• Aston Villa v West Ham
• Blackburn v Everton
• Blackpool v Wigan
• Bolton v Fulham
• Chelsea v West Brom
• Liverpool v Arsenal
• Man Utd v Newcastle
• Sunderland v Birmingham
• Tottenham v Man City
• Wolves v Stoke

Full club-by-club season fixtures here.

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Carragher announced his international retirement in 2007 after failing to secure his position as first choice centre back despite appearing in both the 2004 European Championships and 2006 World Cup.

His form for Liverpool at the time was at its peak but John Terry and Rio Ferdinand were chosen ahead of him for England on a regular basis. When up and coming players were selected ahead of him when one or both of the first choice duo were missing, Carragher decided he’d had enough.

Many England supporters were unhappy with his decision, considering it a snub to the country. Whatever you think of Carragher’s choice, it cannot be denied that his statement in his autobiography (Carra: My Autobiography) that he put playing for Liverpool ahead of playing for his country was a massive error.

When Fabio Capello asked Carragher to return to the England fold for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa it shocked many commentators and supporters alike. How could Capello consider asking a man who had snubbed his country to come back? The England manager is not one to listen to anyone else when he thinks he is right, however, and Carragher duly accepted the offer.

His reasoning was thus:

“The World Cup and Champions League are the highest levels of football. I’m not getting any younger, we have no Champions League football next season and I am keen to work under Fabio Capello.”

So basically, if Liverpool had qualified for the Champions League he would have turned down a chance at playing in the World Cup. That doesn’t smack of commitment to the England cause, more a man looking at personal ambition and achievement.

There is nothing wrong with that, of course. There isn’t a footballer alive or dead who didn’t think of his own career and look to further it. Yet it must rankle with England supporters that the only reason Carragher accepted Capello’s call was for personal reasons, not for the good of the country he has already said is less important than his club.

Nevertheless, Carragher is now likely to fulfil his dreams and play alongside John Terry in the World Cup thanks to injuries – and only thanks to injuries – to the unfortunate Rio Ferdinand and Ledley King.

Is he up to the job? It’s ironic that Carragher returns to the international duty off the back of his worst season for Liverpool in many years. He’s now 32 and his already questionable mobility and speed is diminished.

Positionally he is fairly sound but in a tournament blessed with the likes of Ronaldo and Messi, Carragher will be found wanting. His partner Terry also lacks pace and mobility so what we now have is a pedestrian central defence reliant on positioning and awareness. It’s a dangerous foundation on which England will try to build.

While Carragher’s commitment to England off the field can, quite rightly, be questioned, his commitment during 90 minutes on the pitch cannot. You get the feeling with him that it wouldn’t matter who he was playing for, during the game he will give his usual 100%. That is not a concern.

The unlucky duo of Michael Dawson and Matthew Upson especially will look on unhappily if Capello does choose to partner Carragher with Terry but it will complete an incredible return for the man from Bootle.

Let’s hope it doesn’t turn out to be a disastrous one, for the supporters if not for Carragher himself. One wonders how much sympathy there would be for him should his selection cost England.

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