Goodbye el nino

Fernando Torres is the new Andrey Shevchenko one Chelsea wag whispered tonight.

The £50m Spanish forward looked out of sorts and was finally substituted by Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Torres missed three excellent chances that on better, more confident days he would have tucked away with ease.

In fact he had harder chances when he hit his brace against his new employers in November.

So what has gone wrong for Nando?

Is it just a case of adjusting to the more sophisticated, slower pace of the west Londoners?

Or is he going to turn out to be another expensive flop like Shevchenko.

Torres will not have a chance to redeem himself this weekend when the Blues face the Toffeemen in the FA Cup replay at the Bridge.

Sadly for him, he is cup-tied having already played for Liverpool.

Drogba will be restored to his rightful place having being disgracfully dumped on the bench as Ancelotti's tactics backfired woefully.

The Ivorian did more in 30 seconds when he was brought on than Torres did all night.

If Chelsea are to regain at least fourth spot in the league and qualify for the Champions League then Drogba, if fit, must play - Torres needs help - just depends what kind - a psychologist or a proper coach?

To anyone who doubts Crouch, his 18 goals for England have come in 17 starts and 18 sub appearances. Only two of them came from the bench. That means 16 goals in 17 starts. That is very, very good, by any standard

To anyone who doubts Crouch, his 18 goals for England have come in 17 starts and 18 sub appearances. Only two of them came from the bench. That means 16 goals in 17 starts. That is very, very good, by any standard

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres wants to replace Cristiano Ronaldo as the Premier League's top player.

The Spain forward, who has scored 50 goals in 84 games for the Reds since signing from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2007, is confident he can help end the Merseysiders' 20-year wait for a league title and put the achievements of the Portuguese in the shade.

Torres said: "Of course, my ambition is to be seen in that same way as Cristiano Ronaldo was seen at Manchester United.

"First we have to win trophies. I know only then will people be able to speak the same way about Liverpool and me as they have done (about) Ronaldo and United.

"We're excited because we think this can be the year for Liverpool. But we know how difficult it's going to be."

I doubt Man Utd will do it this time around.

Do you think Liverpool are looking favourites?

Liverpool are the number one team in Europe, according to Uefa's co-efficient ranking system.

Wednesday's famous 1-0 victory over Real Madrid at the Bernabeu propelled the Reds to the top of the official Uefa table for the first time since 1985.

The complicated system ranks clubs on their performances in European competition over the past five years, with points being awarded for matches won and the standard of opposition.

Liverpool top the table with a score of 114.077 points, ahead of Premier League rivals Chelsea, who are in second with 110.077 points.

Arsenal (fifth) and Manchester United (seventh) are the other English teams who occupy a position in the top ten.

The Reds have also amassed the highest points total for the current season with a tally of 18.1775.

Bayern Munich are in second place, while La Liga clubs Barcelona and Atletico Madrid hold joint third position.

UEFA co-efficient rankings:

1 - Liverpool FC (114.077)

2 - Chelsea FC (110.077)

3 - Barcelona (109.403)

4 - AC Milan (109.306)

5 - Arsenal FC (101.077)

6 – Sevilla FC (100.403)

7 - Manchester Utd FC (99.077)

8 - Bayern Munich (93.664)

9 – Olympique Lyonnais (90.576)

10 - Inter Milan (87.306)

Former F1 World Champion Niki Lauda believes stars like Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel could save their employers money by also competing in the DTM.

Lauda has suggested that Formula 1 drivers should 'double up' again as they used to back in his day - arguing grand prix winners like Hamilton and Vettel could also be put to use in the DTM to boost the popularity of the pan-European touring car series.

Liverpool waste chance to open gap at top

Eurosport - Mon, 01 Dec 22:37:00 2008

Liverpool went top of the Premier League but failed to open up a three-point gap as they were held to a 0-0 draw by West Ham at Anfield.

Rafael Benitez's side recorded their second consecutive goalless draw at home that sees them go just one point above Chelsea, while the Hammers move up to 13th.

The final whistle was greeted by a chorus of boos from the home support, who saw their team miss several good opportunities to open the scoring.

Chelsea's home defeat at the hands of Arsenal give Rafael Benitez's side the chance to go clear at the top of the table, at a time of year when - in recent times - their title hopes have already been quashed.

Calzaghe v Jones Jr

CALZAGHE WINS BY UNANIMOUS DECISION!!! All three judges score it 118-109 in his favour.

Hamilton unhappy with stewards

Eurosport - Sun, 12 Oct 10:45:00 2008

Formula One World Championship leader Lewis Hamilton has said it was unfair to punish he and Felipe Massa equally after their respective mistakes in the Japanese Grand Prix.

McLaren driver Hamilton's advantage over title rival Massa is down to five points after the Brazilian was promoted to seventh following a post-race penalty for Sebastien Bourdais.

Bourdais was adjudged to have been at fault when he and Massa touched as the Frenchman exited the pit-lane, while the Ferrari driver served a drive-through penalty for earlier causing Hamilton to spin and the Briton suffered the same fate for forcing Raikkonen off the track at the race start.

Hamilton said he committed an error after losing his pole position to fellow front-row starter Raikkonen while indicating that he was not happy that Massa was not punished more heavily.

"You can always look back and wish you did something else," he reflected. "I made a mistake and I paid for it. This sort of thing happens: you've just got to keep your head up and keep going.

"We [he and Massa] both got the same penalty, but I didn't hit anyone and he did. I guess that's just the name of the game."

Before learning of Massa's second point thanks to the Bourdais punishment, Hamilton said the World Championship race was unaffected by events at Fuji.

"I don't think it makes any difference," he said. "I lost one point today, which I guess is damage limitation, and we'll move on to next week.

"We will still be just as competitive, and we're going to make sure we win the last two races - not at any cost, but we plan on winning."

Premier League - Everton deny sale talk

Eurosport - Fri, 10 Oct 23:53:00 2008

Everton officials have denied speculation the Premier League club is on the brink of being sold.

Reports had suggested a deal was at an advanced stage, linking chairman Bill Kenwright with a trip overseas for face-to-face talks with a potential buyer.

However, the club have confirmed this was not the case on their official website.

A spokesman said: "Contrary to this afternoon's media reports, the club is not on the verge of being sold.

"Mr Kenwright spent this afternoon in his London office."

Kenwright said in September that he is more active than ever in his search for new investment to support boss David Moyes' team-building plans and he would consider selling - but only to the right investor

La Liga - Agger targeted by Real Madrid

Eurosport - Fri, 03 Oct 10:58:00 2008

Liverpool defender Daniel Agger is a target for Real Madrid after the Spanish champions confirmed they are keen to sign the Dane in January.

The 23-year-old has struggled to break into Liverpool's starting line-up after a long rehabilitation from a broken foot, with manager Rafael Benitez having opted to start the season with the defensive partnership of Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel.

Benitez is believed to be keen to keep Agger at Anfield - who has two years remaining on his contract - but Real Madrid vice-president Jose Angel Sanchez admitted they are poised to make an offer.

"He [Agger] is a player we have been looking at for a long time and it is likely we will bid for him in January. He is a world-class player and without doubt he would fit into our plans," Sanchez is quoted in The Times.

King Eric fears for United

Eurosport - Mon, 29 Sep 12:39:00 2008

Old Trafford king Eric Cantona has revealed how he fears for Manchester United's future once iconic manager Alex Ferguson leaves his post.

Cantona, who won four league titles and two FA Cups in the nineties as the key man in Fergie's team, recently said of his infamous kung-fu attack on Crystal Palace fan Matthew Simmons: "I didn't punch him strong enough. I should have punched him harder."

Such temperance is what we love about Eric - what we don't love is that ridiculous Partouche advert - and he has applied it once again with regards to the future of a club that employs Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez among a phalanx of fledgling, established and veteran stars.

"I can understand why the fans are concerned," he said. "The philosophy of the club will never change while Alex Ferguson is at the club. After he leaves... that's what makes me worry.

"Ferguson is so strong, so popular: he can control everything. For the moment nothing has changed there - apart from in an economic way

Let's all laugh at Tottenham

Not many clubs inspire the same level of schadenfreude in other fans as Tottenham Hotspur.

In which case your average neutral would have looked on with glee as the Lilywhites lost 2-0 at Portsmouth, with both goals coming from former Spurs players, and the defeat leaves the north Londoners bottom of the table after six games, behind even Newcastle.

At the same point last season, Derby County had double that, and they are officially the worst team in history. That's a scientific fact, and you can't argue with science.

And, like erstwhile Derby boss Billy Davies and his successor "Sweaty" Paul Jewell, it seems as though Spurs boss Juande Ramos has no idea what his best team is.

The away fans at Fratton Park let their frustrations be known when they chanted "You don't know what you're doing" at the Spanish coach as he substituted Roman Pavlyuchenko for Darren Bent late on, seemingly resigned to the notion that they cannot play together without really trying it first.

The last set of fans to chant that at their own boss were the Newcastle fans at Sam Allardyce, and look how that turned out

Hamilton 'not thinking about title'

Lewis Hamilton has said he is not thinking about the Formula One World Championship even though there are only four races left.

The 23-year-old Briton arrives in Singapore this week with a one-point lead over Felipe Massa - pending the outcome of his appeal hearing into the Belgium Grand Prix - as the championship enters its final phase with six drivers still mathematically in the hunt.

"I don't think about the title or the other drivers, I just think about doing the best job I can each time I get into the car," the McLaren driver told F1's official website.

"Clearly a number of drivers can still win the title and so I have to make sure that I do my best.

"I don't bank on anything other than myself and my team. I am focused on my challenge and my racing."

Hamilton appeal rejected

Lewis Hamilton said he was disappointed but not depressed after a court rejected McLaren's appeal to have the Formula One leader reinstated as Belgian Grand Prix winner.

The decision left the 23-year-old Briton just one point clear of Ferrari's Brazilian Felipe Massa with four races remaining.

The governing FIA said in a statement that the court of five judges had "concluded that the appeal is inadmissible" after Hamilton gave his version of events at the hearing in Paris on Monday.

"Article 152 of the International Sporting Code states that drive-through penalties are 'not susceptible to appeal'," the FIA added.

Hamilton, who was demoted from first to third at Spa-Francorchamps in the September 7 race after cutting a chicane, will now start Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix with 78 points to 77 for Massa.

Be honest with yourselves and not a fan of one and a hater of the others.

i am going for all the clubs make the play offs and at least two teams in the semi finals

LIVERPOOL and CHELSEA

I am confident he will keep his cool,and finish the job he started,but what do you lot think.

Am i being biased as an English man.???