All that matters

When Haverhill Rovers' impressive winning run of seven successive league games stuttered to an unceremonious end at FC Clacton last month, it was perhaps not surprising that they did what they do best and get back to winning ways as soon as possible. That 2-0 defeat was followed by a late surge to steal the points of visiting Hadleigh and the completion of an impressive league double over CRC, before crashing to a narrow home defeat by league leaders Leiston. It was a mixed bag of results - not the indomitable winning run, but an impressive points haul given the opponents.

Wivenhoe Town were the latest victims of Rovers' recent upturn in form as they were vanquished 1-0 at New Croft to join an ever increasing list of teams that have taken no points off Rovers this season. It was a scrappy game from the outset, with neither side really taking control, and Rovers struggled to establish themselves in the first half despite having the wind on their backs. I was disappointed to see new striker Owen Paynter not appearing after his injury debut against Leiston, and Dalton O'Brien did not seize the chance to shine, although in fairness his service through the middle from Marc Abbott, and from Jack Higgs and Louis Harper on the wings, was not what he would have expected.

Harper's cross-cum-shot from the half way line was probably the closest Rovers got to breaching Adam Wilding's goal, but Wivenhoe seldom made chances of their own either in what turned into a midfield scrap. Fortunately, one thing manager Peter Betts has shown in this campaign, and something I always trust he will do in games, is to inspire his side into an improved second half showing. Anthony Fernandez' introduction certainly seemed to liven up proceedings, and it was not long before Rovers started to exert their superiority.

When the breakthrough finally did come, it was as scrappy as the game that preceded it. Stuart Wardley, who again was immovable at the back along with captain Marcus Hunt, initially saw his header cleared from Abbott's corner. Wilding's poor clearance though only sent it back to the centre half's head, and as it nodded it goalwards again all sorts of bodies stumbled and tumbled in front of it - at first I thought it was Stuart Kingham's goal, but later confirmed that it was Wardley's. Wivenhoe never showed much intent or ability to penetrate Rovers' defence after that, and the points were secure.

It was a good result in a good weekend of results which saw Rovers' title rivals - nice not to have relegation rivals - drop points to keep Betts' team in third place in the Ridgeons Premier League table. Betts admitted it was not a memorable performance, but also addressed that at half time with the change of shape. “As long as we get the result at 4.45pm on a Saturday afternoon then that’s all we’re worried about”, he told me.

It was, however, a sign of the strength of this Rovers side - not only are they fulfilling the age old cliché of winning while not playing well, but they are also continuing to strengthen and increase the depth of the squad. First Dalton O'Brien relegated Craig Cutts to the substitutes' bench, before Liam Paton's arrival saw him leave the club entirely. Fernandez has returned to the squad and is in and around the first team, while Betts also praised Haverhill's cricket captain Adam Dellar, who has been making his way onto the bench but not yet the pitch in recent games as he looks to fit in at centre half.

What makes this even more impressive is that new striker Paynter has not yet established himself in the side, who along with O'Brien, will surely provide Betts with a selection or formation headache for the remaining 15 fixtures. He should be fit for Saturday's game and getting back into the team. Added to the mix is the re-signing of central midfielder Joe Harvey, a 'box to box' player that was a scholar for Tottenham Hotspurs and Northampton Town. Betts described him as 'one of the best, if not the best central midfielder this club has had'. And don't forget the talismanic Neil Cogger is still to return from injury, and should be back in a few weeks, further strengthening the side.

It will certainly make an impressive line up, a testament to Betts' ability to build his side on a shoestring budget. He recently appealed for town businesses to support the club, and if he were to get that support, along with the club's current success, they could go on to much greater heights. Promotion is not possible in this campaign, but Betts told me a top four finish would be 'like winning the league' with the budget they are on. The team could no doubt push for it next season with this squad intact and firing, and there is still the small matter of potentially finishing the season as winners of the Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup as Rovers entertain March Town on February 22 in a semi-final they can be confident of winning.

Before then, however, Rovers next play against Great Yarmouth Town on Saturday (February 12) at New Croft (kick off 3pm). They showed steely character to come from two goals down to nick a point there in October, and Betts described them as a side that 'don't play football'. No matter what physical presence they offer though, Rovers will no doubt have the talent and confidence to continue their fine form and ensure another three points before dinner time on Saturday.

Changing the elite

Just when the weekend results were starting to look predictably familiar, Arsenal went to Eastlands and taught Britain's newest group of millionaires how to play football. I watched the game and was as surprised as I was impressed by the way Arsenal ruthlessly dispatched Manchester City - last season's memories of Emmanuel Adebayor showing his love for his former team by stamping on Robin van Persie's face and running the length of the pitch to share his jubilation with visiting fans seemed distant.

I'd already written them off before the game - Arsenal always seem to get roughed up when they play physical teams, though it least at seems Bolton taught Jack Wilshere a thing or two about tackling. City have become the new rough boys, with midfielder Nigel de Jong preferring to somewhat modify Liverpool's anthem to his own 'You'll Never Walk Again'. With three defensive midfield powerhouses City always look hard to get at, but credit to Arsenal they bossed them from the start. The early dismissal of bad-Boy-ata obviously helped, but some games can be made more difficult and less open against ten.

City, worryingly for them, seem to struggle when they fall behind, and they must look to address this. Arsenal have been a 'promising' team for too many seasons, for too long merely threatening to show their potential - perhaps they have finally peaked and reached it? The days of their teenagers getting bullied in the North seem to have passed, and the team has matured both physically and mentally. Samir Nasri finally looks a quality player, and every season Cesc Fabregas stays is a benefit. Even Niklas Bendtner, who at one point looked like he'd sturggle to kick the ball into the right stand, seems to able to score freely. And surely every neutral enjoys watching City lose?

The only other shock result - which sadly should have been predictable a year ago - was Liverpool lumbering past Blackburn. Jamie Carragher continued to show his fine finishing skills, unfortunately in front of the wrong goal like usual. Sotirios Kyrgiakos is fast becoming the surprise hero of the doom and gloom, the cheap centre half scoring his second of the season and playing well at the back - who would have thought a £1m fourth choice player would be outscoring our £26m World Cup winning striker?

But Torres soon brought his goal tally level with the Greek's, and after Blackburn pulled one back the absent superstar popped up to fire home the winner, also making me pay for finally losing patience with him in my fantasy football team. And yet he celebrated like a naughty child being sent to his room without dinner. With all the elation and optimism of the new takeover by New England Sports Ventures and the action in the courts in London and Dallas, it was rather humbling for the players to remind us that Liverpool are still rubbish. Sigh.

No such trouble for Manchester United - despite the week of tabloid focus on Wayne Rooney showing the indecision of a woman choosing what to wear for a night out, they still managed to put two past Stoke. Javier Hernandez scored one of those ridiculous goals that you laugh at/fume at when it goes in on FIFA - depending if you score it or concede it - before Tuncay looked to be sending them home frustrated. I was disappointed to see 'Chicharito' (isn't that a pokémon?) pop up again minutes later to bundle home the winner and take three points from the Britania Stadium. But why does he have a nickname on his shirt? It does seem bizzare, but somewhat the norm for Latino players (Kaka, Robinho, Ronaldinho - none have their actual names). Will we see 'Evra' changed to 'French Mutineer', 'Scholes' changed to 'Ginger Ninja' and 'Rooney' changed to 'Shrek'?

No doubt everyone watched the whole Rooney saga unfold with some bemusement - how you can say all your fellow employees are crap and then run back into their arms is beyond me. Alex Ferguson had already appeared the tearful father on television and Rooney's mafioso advisors issued a statement saying they 'lacked ambition' and there weren't assurances about 'future investment in the squad'. Maybe having won almost every trophy on offer before your 25th birthday isn't enough?

But he sharply about turned, obviously because of assurances of investment rather than money, and set off to Dubai to patch things up with his forgiving wife and spend Average Joe's weekly earnings on lunch. People raging about the size of his salary - speculated to be between £160k and £250k a week - have every right to be angry with such ridiculous amounts being paid, but do rather miss the point that being a private company makes Man Utd unaccountable. Were it the BBC director general or a politician then they would have every right to complain, but in this situation the best way is to complain with the wallet by not buying merchandise or funding the television deals that allow this spending and allow Rooney to chortle as the computer screen while watching the numbers on his bank account increase like a clock in fast forward.

There were of course more games involving the top sides, but what can be said about Chelsea that isn't an old and riddled cliché? They edged past Wolverhampton Wanderers with even manager Carlo Ancolotti admitting they weren't at the best - the sign of true champions as all on Match of the Day will gladly remind us each time Chelsea don't win by more than two goals. They do look formidable and difficult to stop, and no doubt likely to retain the title.

Tottenham Hotspur are looking increasingly stronger and consistent week by week, earning a credible draw when they hosted Everton after Gareth almost Bale'd them out at the San Siro mid week. Rafael van der Vaart is fast becoming the signing of the summer, and I doubt Harry Redknapp would want to swap him for Joe Cole now. Despite Spurs' struggles they are finding their consistency, and have a squad that make not just Liverpool but also Manchester United somewhat envious.

Spurs gatecrashed the top four last year, but can they do it again? City have been keeping pace at the summit of the table and threaten to challenge for the title, not just the top four. Arsenal have matured into a side that may do more than just fade away at Christmas, while Chelsea continue to look invincible - though City have proven this isn't the case. Manchester United have been scraping by and don't seem the powerhouse of old, while Liverpool are struggling to even aim for the top half of the table. Three years ago the 'Big Four' was a fixed and rigid phenomenon - after last year's change and City's spending, it may never be the same again. We seem to be developing a much more fluid league, and though it may be a while before we have competition for the title, we certainly seem to have a league where more and more teams can harbour realistic ambitions of breaking into the Champions' League.

(Picture: The Daily Mail - Ian Hodgson)

Down the pan

Where did it all go wrong? When the season kicked off there seemed to be a good dose of healthy optimism around Anfield. Rafa Benitez had gone after five years and an anticlimactic season ending in the indignity of having to be content with another season condemned to the Europa League. In came Roy Hodgson from Fulham, the man who could do no wrong after leading the Cottagers to the Europa Leaue final, narrowly losing to Atletico Madrid after vanquishing holder Shaktar Donetsk, Italian legends Juventus, German champions Wolfsburg and the city that would host the final, Hamburg. In light of this success, little was made of the fact that his Fulham side had dropped five places in the league from last year - incidentally, the same slip which cost Benitez his job, though from seventh to 12th is less noticable than second to seventh - and just one away win all season.

Nevertheless, the season got underway after two tedious slogs around Europe and the optimism was reinforced. Joe Cole, who had laughably compared to Lionel Messi, seen as the shining light of moving the club forward by attracting talented British players. He quickly put that to rest with his first red card while wearing his first red shirt, but there were still many positives to take from the game. Liverpool had showed the kind of determination and togetherness that had been an earmark of Fulham's Europa League campaign, only coming undone to a talented Arsenal side after a last gasp howler, despite competing for half the game with ten men.

But, unfortunately, the results didn't get any better than this. A humbling defeat at Manchester City, with a potentially naive 4-4-2 formation coming undone, was followed with a scrappy 1-0 win over yoyo club West Brom. Tehn came the goalless draw at St Andrews in which Liveprool were lucky to get a point - a result perhaps acceptable at Fulham, but not at Anfield. There were again signs for optimism despite defeat at Old Trafford, Steven Gerrard continuing to drag a lifeless side to dizzying heights with two quickfire goals almost grabbing an undeserved point.

Then things desceneded even further - first with the Carling Cup farce at home to Northampton. After seeing David Ngog head Liverpool level at the death, I thought he had spared the manager's blushes. After all, Liverpool had not lost a penalty shootout for umpteen years. Though it would be unfair if Northampton had not been victorious, their couragous display deserving to take the headlines when other high fliers such as Chelsea and Manchester City also exited the competition.

Clutching straws, Hodgson assured fans that things would be better if he could get successive wins in the next two Anfield games - both winnable fixtures against Sunderland and newboys Blackpool. First Steve Bruce was left fuming that the Black Cats had lost at Anfield - that itself a damning indictment of how far Liverpool had fall - after a comical and dishonest goal, finishing the game 2-2. Next up was the game that every side in the Premier League will expect to win, and what followed was an even more depressing result.

Blackpool had already suffered humbling experiences at Stamford Bridge and the Emirates, but that did not dampen their spirits as they won 2-1 at Anfield, with Liverpool fans no doubt thinking the club's positions in the table should be reversed. Ian Holloway has showed attacking ambition since promotion and a casual attitude, a refreshing change to the defensive mindset that many promoted teams display. Their victory was deserved - another damning indictment of Liverpool.

Seven games into the season with just six points to show for it - even Hodgson has admitted that it's relegation form. He asked to be judged after ten games - but with just three remaining to reach that landmark, can he really turn things around? Questions will rightfully be asked and fingers pointed, but it's difficult to establish who is to blame.

Hodgson did not inherit a strong squad - nor did he receive the funds to adaquately rebuild it. Javier Mascherano's departure was ill timed and unhelpful for the club. Joe Cole has promised more than he has shown, Christian Poulson has looked poor, and Raul Meireles is still settling into the league. Other biys looked more forward looking than for the present - Jonjo Shelvey and Danny Wilson are promising prospects, but not particularly helpful in the current plight. And Middlesbrough fans were glad to see tha back of Brad Jones.

Is Hodgson the right man for the job? Marseille boss Didier Deschamps revelation that he was approached for the job certainly implies that other first choice candidates were either unavailable or unwilling. Hodgson does appear to be a stop gap - the mark of a regime who want a man who can manage on a shoe string without complaining or becoming involved in board room politics and who will likely be seen as expendable if and when ownership changes.

Unfortunately, he may also be seen as a small squad manager unable to juggle the large team need to succeed at the top end of the league - the release of Alberto Aquilani on loan to Juventus would suggest that. Another concern is his style of play being far from attractive or ambitious, and if he can handle the expectation of not managing a mid table club - the fact that he has managed Inter Milan would suggest otherwise, but he is certainly not flourishing under pressure.

There has been much amusement from rival fans at Liverpool's decline, and people insisting that the club should not have such high expectations. Some even say Champions' League football is an unrealistic target. But lets be realistic - save for last season, Liverpool have consistabtly finished in the top four. Xabi Alonso was missed after his departure when the club finished just short of Manchester United, but was never the force he was made out to be after he left.

The club has a rich history, and with that comes expectation. It is too early to write them off as the next Leeds - debt may be crippling, but many clubs are under this burden, notable United in England but also Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain. There still are quality players at the club and it will still have the ability to attract a calibre unavailable to other clubs. Yes, Tottenham Hotspurs and Manchester City have strenghened, but both looked shoirt of top form last season and have continued to slip up this term, lacking the consistantly to seriosuly challenge. Liverpool should be among them pushing at the top for the top four places at the very least.

Liverpool will not sack a manager after just seven games, and rightly so - not just because it is poo conduct, but because the club can scarcely afford to. Hodgson has made a poor start and, despite his mitigating circumstances, must accept a chunk of the blame. Despite having a thin squad, no money to buy new players and a world class striker desperately short of form in Fernando Torres, it is still a manager's job to inspire and motivate his players and draw up the tactics that lead to success. He is also the one accountable for other's failings. Football is fickle and results talk - if Hidgson can get three wins on the spin then things will look a lot brighter and he may be able to talk more confidently about being judged after ten games.

(Picture - The Daily Mail)

Does anyone care about Europe right now?

Sorry if this seems to be coming a bit late - espeically after a fresh weekend of Premier League action - but as there's little to say about the top flight, except optimistically repeating that we should wait another five games for Chelsea to slip up and Liverpool to climb the table, I thought it would be a good opportunity to look at if teams and supporters are actually bothers about their European travels at this stage of the season. Four of England's six representatives eased to victory in an undefeated opening round, but it was notable the lack of ambition or indeed urgency that was present.

Manchester United and Champions' League newboys Tottenham Hotspur were the first up for their group stage ties, and were also the two to fall shot. United's Carling Cup kids laboured on their way to a 0-0 home draw with Rangers, which says as much about how seriously the club treats the competition at this stage as it does about the state of Soctish football. Sir Alex Ferguson clearly assumed he could focus on the league and their upcoming game with Liverpool to field a weakened side in Europe, and after the recent failings of Celtic and Rangers in Europe this approach is understandable. But Rangers also showed a lack of ambition with their 9-1 formation never likely to have a go and try and score, more likely to have everyone standing on the goal line to keep the hosts out. It was disappointing to see such a performance, but United will still be confident of progressing.

Slightly more ambitious were Tottenham, who surrendered a 2-0 advantage to draw in Werder Bremen. Their fans are obviously optimistic about their European hopes, but at what stage will the club opt for pragmatism over ambition? It would be an achievement for the club to reach the kock out stages as they share a group with holders Inter Milan, and though much has been made of Harry Redknapp's improved squad, is it deep enough and experiences enough to cope with the Champions' League and Premier League? Is European success more important than qualifying for the same competition next year? Teams outside the traditional 'Big Four' have thrown away their UEFA Cup prospects to either surrvive in the league or aim to qualify for Europe again, so what will Spurs' attitude be should they find themselves in a simlair situation?

On team that no doubt harbour realistic hopes of winning the tournament in Chelsea, whose ruthlessness in the league continued as they dispatched MSK Zilina 4-1. Winning the competition takes luck and skill, and Chelsea have certainly been lacking in the former over the last few years. It is clear owner Roman Abramovich yearns this trophy above all others, and manager Carlo Ancolotti knows that it will be key for him to have the opportunity to build a dynasty at Stamford Bridge. They rarely had to break a sweat in the opening game to win - and they eased past West Ham in the preceeding league game at a training ground pace.

Can Chelsea win the Champions' League? I think so - I also think they will have more desire than many of the other teams. In 2005 they lost to champions Liverpool to an admittedly dubious goal - in 2006 they lost to champions Barcelona - in 2007 they lost to runners up Liverpool on penalties - in 2008 they lost the final on penalties - in 2009 they lost to champions Barcelona in a game where they should have been awarded at least one decisive penalty - and in 2010 they lost to an Inter Milan side inspired by previous manager Jose Mourinho who still knew the ins and outs of the side. See a pattern emerging? Chelsea usually lose in dubious or unfair circumstances to the side that wins the tournament, and it is still the big unticked box on their 'to do' list. For all the praise given to Barcelona, they have hardly excelled in the competition recently, scraping past Chelsea and beating United before being outclassed by Inter, who proved that a combative and disciplined style - similar to Chelsea's - is effective in nullifying their passing game. Real Madrid may have the superstars but have struggled to perform in the competition consistently for the last several seasons. Of all the contenders at the top, Chelsea must consider themselves among the forerunners.

Is is optimistic to think the same can be said for Arsenal, despite their clincal opening rout of Portugese side Braga. Arsenal have consistantly beaten teams that open up to play against them, and, though they are getting better at coping with it, still struggle in a combative game. Last season's rout at the Camp Nou showed that even playing their game against better teams won't work, despite a valiant fight back at the Emirtates. They will assume qualification, but may be found out against top quality sides in the latter stages.

Over in Europe's B tournament - which I now must unfortunately take an interest in and suffer the humiliation of watching football on Channel Five - both Liverpool and Manchester City eased through their first games. Liverpool, despite not being good enough to qualify for the Champions' League last year, looked much too good for the Europa League as they did last year. The weakened side never seemed too troubled by Steaua Bucharest as they eased to a 4-1 victory that even allowed Luca Levia to score. Without taking the game too seriously it was a comfortable result and a damning indictment of the standard of teams in this competition - remember last season, had it not been for Diego Forlan and the away goals rule, Liverpool would have reached (and probably won) the final against Fulham. Again this year they look a top side when in this B tournament and should go far without breaking too much of a sweat.

Manchester City looked hungry as they beat SV Salzburg 2-0. Roberto Mancini should have no problem motivating his side to excel and end their trophy wait - it seems any will do, not neccessarily the leage at this point. They will face sterner tests but, like Liverpool, will have the quality to go far in this competition without too many problems. This may be a competition where not just the team with the most quality, but also the team with the most desire, is the most successful.

Despite all these successes and struggles, it was noticable the lack of support at this stage of proceedings - indeed there were swathes of empty seats inside Old Trafford. So do fans really care at this point? It seems Chelsea, United and Arsenal can safely assume groups stage qualification, and that is when the real football starts. The seeding system ensures that the top teams do not have to meet any of their rivals until the latter stages, which takes the excitment away somewhat, save for a few unpredictable results. Sound sfamiliar? The World Cup employed the same format to ensure the top seeded nations would not meet until after the group stage.

So why does this seeding have to happen? All it does is ensure smaller teams cann't enjoy the benefits of progressing in the tournament while the more established and richer teams can safely plan their way into the last 16 at least. It effectively enforces a system of inequality that will continue to widen due to the financial benefits. Would a non seeded system be welcomed? Soom yearn for the days of the old knock out tournaments and only league champions entering, but sureluy that would be more unfair - as it stands, four English teams may be able to win the tournament, along with two Spanish and two Italian, so that pool of eight teams would shrink to three under a champions only policy.

Another issue, sadly as with all aspects of football, is how the financial rewards become paramount to the sporting achievements - Tottenham's qualification did not spark congratulations of their sporting accomplishment, but rather awe that they would be netting extra tens of millions. Is that all the Champions' League is? Is Europe's premier club competition just a money making machine? That would certainly explain United's complacent approach and a seeding system designed to benefit the bigger teams.

And if that is true, then what hope is there for the Europa League? As I said, City will be motivated for sporting success due to their financial situation anyway, but Liverpool never really looked concerned, and most fans, myself included, would prefer Champions' League qualification to Europa League success. It would be nice if pride and glory could again replace money as the primary motivator in sport, but those days may be long past.

(Picture: Reuters)

Humbling the pretenders

In a weekend when the established Premier League giants ground out the results that were expected of them, what was more interesting was to see two of the league's teams most hopeful of cracking that cartel being humbled. First were Tottenham Hotspur, continuing last year's inconsistancy with their first home defeat of the campaign to the team that were fast becoming 2010's whipping boys. Hugo Rodallega's second half strike was enough to condemn Spurs to defeat and go some way to perhaps vanquishing the raised expectations after last season's fourth placed finish.

There is no doubt that Wigan are a poor side - conceding ten goals in two opening home fixtures, four to the play-off promoted side, is proof of that. Wigan have since last season looked poor whenever going behind, choosing to collapse to crushing defeats more often than show the spirit that saw them overturn a two goal deficit to beat Arsenal 3-2 with ten minutes remaining. In the reverse fixture of this game last season this was proved, as Spurs rampaged to a 9-1 home win and eased to a 4-0 away thrashing. But when they have gone ahead they have looked a decent side, beat Liverpool 1-0 among other noticable results last season.

Spurs should remeber that last season's campaign was not without a hitch - despite home wins over teams including Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea, they still suffered the indignity of losing at home to Stoke and being doubled by Wolverhampton Wanderers. Finishing fourth was quite an achievement, but was down to the failures as others as much as their own success. While they may just sound like a Liverpool fan being bitter, it is notable that their main competitors could not perform to a consistant level - Manchester City ended up drawing around a quarter of their league games, seven in succession, Aston Villa often fell short at the crucial time, Everton failed to start playing to their potential until March and Liverpool's woes are well documented. Tottenham are succeptable to getting carried away with a good result or two, and then crashing against 'inferior' opposition - if they want another good league campaign they must resolve this, and they will be crushed in the Champions' League if they do not. No doubt the depth they have added and the squad built up will help to deal with the many games, with players like Rafael Van der Vaart likely to prove key.

Manchester City were the other aspirational team to be found wanting, succombing to the kind of late winning goal that they should be accustomed to by now after their red rivals won three games against them in this manner last season. Darren Bent stepped up to take a woeful penalty - not that the Black Cats will mind as it somehow went in - and steal the points at the Stadium of Light. Carlos Tevez put forward his effort for worst miss of the season with the sort of effort that would make an eight year old in a park cringe. City may have spent their hundreds of millions and may have a bench worth more than the bottom half of the table combined, but what will propel them up the league is results at Sunderland and the like, not at Anfield and Stamford Bridge.

The players no doubt find it easy to be motivated for the top draw games, when they take on other multimillionaires who are occupying the slots at the top half of the table. They may well get convincing results against these sides - last season they were the only side to double Chelsea. However, it is often more important to be able to defeat the sides you are expected to, as Liverpool proved when a single home goal in games against West Ham and Fulham two seasons ago would have been sufficient to win them the Premier League. If a side can beat every team at home and all of the bottom ten home and away that's 90 points and the title. The Sheikh's players may perform when they feel the need, but they will need to perform on cold nights in Wigan and Bolton and get three points when a goal down with stud marks in their legs if they are to truly realise their ambitions and not falter at places like Sunderland.

Elsewhere in the league the usual sides got their usual results. Liverpool managed to beat West Brom, and though I was disappointed that it was only by one goal, at leat Roy's boys have their first win and Fernando Torres has shown he is still capable of scoring with his hair a different colour. Manchester United eased past West Ham, who were once their bogey team, with a comprehensive win. Nani played the sort of game fans will hope he can every week, while Wayne Rooney still looks some way off the mark.

Chelsea had no problems in beating Stoke, proving that they can play fancy football and win a fight when they have to. More concerning was Frank Lampard's hat-trick of missed penalties - he seemed to emulate the Darren-Bent silly little sprint on the spot before running forward and aimlessly passing it towards the goalkeeper, which is clearly a bad strategy. Hopefully Steven Gerrard will be taking spot kicks for England from now on. Arsenal showed how they have matures past the team of three years ago who would always be bullied into defeat every time they travelled up the M6 with a win at Blackburn. Theo Walcott seems to be developing well which can only bode well for the national team.

Wolverhampton Wanderers look increasingly like an established Premier League side every week, and this time succombed to a draw against Newcastle. There are already calls for Andy Carrol to join England and the centre forward seems to be proving himself at the top level. I expect Newcastle to steer comfortably clear of relegation this season and quickly establish themselves as a mid table side. Blackburn took a point from their first home game and suffered the heartache of a late equaliser against Fulham. While it is always nice to see a team take the fancy football approach rather than the Stoke throw-it-and-head-it-in appraoch, team's that play this style without the quality are always likely to get relegated for their naivity, as West Brom prove every other year.

Birmingham are another intimidating looking side who should steer well clear of the bottom three, especially with their recent transfer activity in securing ex-Arsenal playmaker Alexander Hleb among others.They took a 2-0 lead on a tough trip to Bolton before throwing the game away, and were no doubt helped by Jussi Jaaskelainen's red-mist moment that saw him slap Roger Johnson. Johnson acted surprised at the petulant outburst and didn't retaliate - why these footballers show petty violence and not just a good thump and a proper fight is always bemusing. Aston Villa were the other team to get back to winning ways after their thrashing at St James' Park the week before. Everton continued to look blunt up with Jermaine Beckford struggling to make an impact outside of League One - they missed the chance to sign another striker but will need to sharpen up if they are to realised their potential early on this campaign.

So the teams in and around the top half of the table need to become consistant if they want to challenge for honours - and invariably make the Premier League a more exciting an unpredictable one for its followers. Chelsea and Man Utd will always be near the top and regularly grinding out the important results - now we just need a more wide spread winning mentality and focus in other teams to have six or seven teams scrapping at the top instead of just two.

(Picture: Daily Mirror)

Ups and downs

Expectations have been surpassed or fallen short of as the Premer League season entered it's second weekend and Britain's teams fought for the right to represent the country in Europe. Tottenham Hotspur managed to silence the sniggers coming from the Emirates as they overturned their first leg defeat in Bern. Harry Redknapp's minions overcame what had the potential to be a very nervy affair as they thrashed BSC Young Boys 4-0, with a hat-trick from Peter Crouch sparing their blushes and the numerous 'men against boys' puns that would have been reversed in their defeat. They will face tougher tests ahead - most obviously against holders Inter Milan in the group stage - but they also face Werder Bremen and FC Twente in a tricky group.

There were no such fears about the group stages for the other three English teams. Manchester United face Valencia minus their two best players, Buraspor (?? a Turkish side, so expect plenty of flares on the pitch) and Rangers, who will no doubt continue the recent fine Scottish tradition of failing to win any significsnt European games. Arsenal will be trying not to kick too many balls down the mountain as they head to Braga, while Partizan Belgrade and Shakhtar Donetsk, the last winners of the UEFA Cup before being humbled by Fulham the following year, should not pose too many problems. Chelsea were handed what looks like on of their annual favouable FA Cup runs (when they usually have to beat several Championship and League One teams and then a couple of mid-table Premier sides to reachthe final) as they face Marseille, Spartak Moscow and Zilina, a Slovakian side.

In Europe's second tier competition, which I now unfotunately have to take more than a passing interest in, I was pleased to see Liverpool edge past Trabzonspor - it's just unfortunate they haven't beaten any proper teams yet. Man City's millions saw them ease past FC Timisoara, with forgotten multi-million pound additions Jo and Shaun Wright-Phillips even managing to get some match time. Aston Villa continued to make fans wonder why they are so keen to get into the Champions' League with another insipid display as Rapid Vienna beat them 3-2 in Birmingham. Celtic meanwhile continued to shame Scotland in Europe as they slumped to an embaressing thrashing at Utrecht, with Dundee United and Motherwell doing their part to ensure our northern neighbours would play no part in the Europa League.

In the Premier League there were mixed fortunes and some surprise results. I was obviously disappointed to see Liverpool fall short at middle Eastlands, with a second successive Reina appearing to assist Tevez in getting his second. The team looked naive to set out in a 4-4-2 formation, and though City seemed unambitious by setting out with what looked like three holding midfielders and a back four, they clearly had more urgency and tempo and were deserved winner. Although one point from two games isn't a good start for Liverpool, the team had the same return from these fixtures last year, and had played two good teams. Pundits often speculate that to win the league you must beat the best teams, but the reverse can be true - if a team can win all of its home games and double every team in the bottom ten then that's 90 points, enough to win the league. Although this was a humbling blow for Liverpool, their season can still be defined with success in their other fixtures.

Chelsea though face the opposite dilemma of not having been truly tested yet. They eased past Wigan in a game that showed little promise of repeating last season's upset. It's too early to condemn any team, but Wigan look like they have overstayed their welcome in the top flight - they seem to have been riding their luck for the last three seasons. Each year the club sells its best players, and not neccessarily to better clubs, but often in a sideways move to rivals. Though this may be essential to their finances, it creates a situation whereby every player is not performing for the good of the team, but is rather treating each game as an audition to showcase his talent and aim for a transfer and a pay rise at a different club. This policy was bound to condemn them eventually. Roberto Martinez's men also look lost and bewildered once behind, and instead of making a 1-0 deficit 1-1 they are more likely to make it 4-0 or more.

Arsenal brought Blackpool back down to earth after the previous week's thrashing of Wigan with a 6-0 thumping of their own. The Seasiders are not likely to win these games - certainly not if they try and play open attacking football against a team assembled for ten times to cost on ten times the wages - and will be targetting other fixtures to take points from. Theo Walcott started to look a quality player and not just an impact one, and England fans will be hoping his improvement is both fast and continuous. Man Utd continued to take little joy back up the M6 from Craven Cottage as Fulham salvaged a draw. Nani irked fans with his inconsistancy as a season of poor penalties continued and the visitors could not kill off the game. After Brede Hangeland was no doubt pleased to redeem himself by equalising late on after putting the opposition ahead, and it made a surprise to see Utd dropping points in the closing stages instead of winning them.

West Ham reinforced their credentials as relegation candidates as they crashed to a home defeat by Bolton Wanderers - exactly the sort of game they should be looking to take at least one point from. Avram Grant is already conceding that staying up is the aim in what looks like a difficult season, especially with the Davids undermining his authority and demoralising the squad. West Brom showed that good football can beat mediocre sides and they will be hoping for more similar results to their win over Sunderland - though if they continue this style against the Chelseas and Man Utds there will be more thrashings than narrow victories.

Tottenham may have shown that the Britannia Stadium is not the fortress it was as they ensured Stoke have no points. It took a fluke goal and a contender for goal of the season from the revelation that has happened since moving Gareth Bale a few yards further up the pitch (Glen Johnson take note, perhaps?) and a perfectly good goal being disallowed, but it is these fortuitious breaks that are needed for a successful season. Everton's 4-6-0 formation continued to fail, and without a quality recognised striker there will be more pain ahead in dropped points as they drew 1-1 at Goodison Park with Wolverhampton Wanderers. Permenantly injured Louis Saha and league one success Jermain Beckford will not be good enough to take Everton forward - a step up of two divisions is a big ask for any player.

Birmingham still impress under the shrewd Scot Alex McLeish as they came from behind to beat Blackburn. Ben Foster looked strong in goal apart from his strong penalty save, and his improvement can only be good news for the England team. The surprise result of the weekend came with Newcastle United's thrashing of Aston Villa at St James' Park, with Andy Carrol the player everyone (well, myself at least) regretted not having in their fantasy football XI. Just when it seemed the Villains were going to be fine after Milner moved north to quadruple his salary, they get thrashed by a newly promoted side and dumped out of Europe - strange how much things can change in a week. The Magpies should have enough to stay up this season, and hopefully their fans will be content with that and not demanding Champions' League football already.

But despite all the mixed starts for different teams both home, away and abroad, it's worth remmebereding that it is only the second week of the season. Title can't be won yet - but they can be lost. There will be harder and easier games to come for all, so it is much too soon for any fans to become too disappointed or elated with their team's performance. Lets wait until at least ten games in before starting to make reasonable aims for the remainder of the campaign.

(Picture: The Guardian)

And we're off!

And so the rollercoaster of football has begun...all before the Premier League has even kicked off. Players have been abandoning England faster than the Titanic and Martin O'Neill became the first managerial casulaty.

There was also the small matter of the Championship kicking off. Ipswich have already started better than last season's debacle after coming from behind to beat Middlesbrough. I was keeping an eye on the score on my phone while at New Croft and when I saw the half time score thought that was that - perhaps they could taken even longer to get a win this season than they did last season? But they showed some spirit to fire home three times after the break to win at the Riverside, with Jon Stead scoring, who I always findly remember for his virtuoso goal against West Ham for Sheffield United in ther Premier League to win 3-0 while Bramall Lane sang 'That's why you're going down' - how cruel irony can be. They followed that up with a 3-2 extra time win at Exeter to advance in the Carling Cup. Now Roy just needs to keep them at the top end of the table and away from the dogfight they were embroiled in last season.

I was obviously quite disappointed to see Sheffield United finish opening day with a meagre point. However, a 1-1 draw at least season's play off finalists can't be seen as a bad result.

Elsewhere, the Villains kept the focus on the Premier League as Martin O'Neill stormed off. The reasons why still haven't been clarified, with most speculating it has something to do with transfer requests that he opposed being accepted. Barry left for Man City mediocrity after O'Neill blocked him the year before, and £12m with a year to go didn't seem a bad offer. Likewise if the amount being suggested that Eastlands will pay for Milner, around the £24m mark, are accurate, then that's double the figure Villa paid the year before. Other suggestions have been of Friedal and Ashley Young moving on - wikipedia proudly, albeit briefly, stated that Young 'plays as a winger or second striker for Tottenham Hotspur' though this has now been corrected to 'Aston Villa'. Could there be any truth to this? I got excited when I read 'Liverpool in talks over Young', only to sigh that is was Luke Young instead. And if Spurs sign Young, what will Bale, Modric and Krancjar think about it? I thought their days of signing miniature galacticos, regardless of how they would fit into their system, were over.

On another note, who will be the next manager to go? And how long will it take the managerial merry-go-round to get into full swing? I think Roberto Mancini will be the next to face the axe after a thumping defeat in their first home league game.

A lot has been made of O'Neill's relationship at Villa Park, and the troubles of the new 'sell to buy' policy. But a question remains, just how possible is it to make a football club a sustainable business? Abramovich has poured million into Chelsea, and with the club making annual profits that Sir Fred Goodwin would be proud of, there will be people living on the moon before they break even. Barcelona have been sweeping trophies and winning all before them for the last two years, but despite their success they can't pay the salaries of their squad. Arsenal seem to be a sound business model, but have yet to win anything for five years. Fans despise the debt-laden systems of Liverpool and Man Utd, but the vast expenditure of Chelsea, Madird and City are in no way sustainable. So what is the attraction to top businessmen? Can football be a successful club and business? It seems that was what Randy Lerner sought to accomplish at Villa, and now he may have lost his manager for it.

It seems the only way to be successful as a club is to make a loss as a business - for a fan to buy the club and accept that the owner will not be able to make an operating profit from running the football club. Teams that come up already plan for relegation - teams like Burnley and Blackpool do not spend big for fear that when they get relegated they will make a loss, so instead of signing quality players on high wages to stay in the Premier League they instead sign mediocrity on low salaries and feel doomed. It seems those who come up take a gamble - keep wages and fees low and prepare for relegation, or spend big and hope to stay up. At the higher end, this applied to European qualification, with top teams assuming Champions' League qualification to build their budget, and those below having to gamble and hope to qualify to make the money - effectively spending the cash before they have it and hoping they will. When this goes wrong, the results are clear to see, with Leeds the classic example.

Elsewhere, Fabio Capello was forced back into the tabloid firing line as he had to pick his first squad since the World Cup, and England's supposed homecoming parade against Hungary has descended into a parade of professional managers all moaning and bickering about the time of the game, from Sralex Ferguson to the never outspoken Neil Warnock. Players sought to abandon ship and disassociate themselves from the farce that the England team has become - first Brown and then Paul Robinson, while Michael Carrick showed that although injury may stop him from the immense pride of donning and England shirt, it won't keep him away from helping Man Utd to win the Community Sheild. The team is on such a high that even the captain says he would be booing them from the Wembley stands tonight.

But the big question is, who cares that Brown and Robinson won't be appearing for England? Glen Johnson is, admittedly, a liability as right back, and would sturggle to defend a sand castle from a toddler. But was Brown any better? He has played as 'utility man' for the Man Utd defence - an euphemism for someone who isn't quite good enough to fit into any one position consistantly. And what fond memories of Robinson will we have? His Croatia air kick is no doubt his defining memory, but lets also remember his other comedy blunders such as providing the assist for Russia's 2-1 win, and my favourite was during a Tottenham game when he caught a long ball and fell backwards into his own goal - unfortunately his Spurs exploits were soon eclipsed by Gomes' weekly attempts to kill Vedran Corluka. Though with Calamity James' numerous blunders, Wally Carson acting as a ramp for a Croatian backpass to send them to Euro 2008 and Green-fingers hopelessly palming the USA into the lead, it seems we have a rich and recent tradition of comically bad English goalkeepers. Hopefully Joe Hart will put an end to this.

Anyway, we'll see how good England are looking when they entertain the Hungarians tonight. At the very least we'll just have to hope the players are all up for it and hungary. It should soon be revealed why Martin O'Neill left - and what he plans to do with the Liverpool and England vacanice recently filled. And of course, come the weekend we have the resumption of the Championship, the football league, and Premier League kick off to anticipate.

(Picture - Press Association)

Backwater tour of Europe continues

And so it seems Liverpool got enough gold rings to ease past Dr Robotnicki and into the next round of Europe's inferior competition (okay, the Sonic jokes got old long ago). So far everyone seems to be getting excited about how they beat a team that many believe would be more suited playing in the Ryman League than the Champions' League. But Joe Cole looked sharp on his debut and David Ngog, though still not an apt replacement for Torres and his fibreglass legs, is at least scoring a few.

After the difficulty of having the reserves come home triumphant from Macedonia, they now face a journey to Trabzonspor- although it sounds like a type of medicine, apparently it's a town in Turkey. Just when you thought Besiktas, Fernerbache and Galatasaray weren't glamorous opposition...

Anyway, hopefully Liverpool will do well in the Europa League. Although it seemed like they didn't want to be there after being relegated from the Champions' League last season, I thought they still gave it a good go. And if it hadn't been for Diego Forlan, the bane of English football last year, we would have had an English winner.

However, most English teams in the competition seem to treat it with some disdain. And why is this? It isn't the Champions' League and teams do have to suffer the indignity of being televised on Channel Five, but it is still a European competition. Bolton were in a good position to do well a few season ago before exiting to Sevilla, and Villa decided to promote their resources to their annual quest to finish sixth rather than have a good run in Europe. Fulham took it seriously and humbled the mighty Italian legends Juventus and the rigning champions Shakhtar Donetsk among other, so hopefully more will follow their example in the future.

Of course Villa have the chance again this year as they face Rapid Vienna, while Manchester City's millionaires will face thge might of Timisoara - not an ancient warrior, a city in Romania. I hope Villa do well and take the tournament seriously, and I believe City will. I'd be surprised if they treated it as anything except an audition for where they hope to be next season, but with their squad of £20m + players then they should be able to compete on all fronts.

And let's not forget the Champions' League draw - Spurs were no doubt pleased to be facing Young Boys - the Swiss team, not Arsenal's Carling Cup team. They have avoided Braga, who spectacularly humbled Celtic to show just how poor Scottish football has become, and once they reach the group stage the luck of the draw could be theirs. It will be interesting to see if their squad can cope with the Premier League and the Champions' League if they have a good run in the latter. If they have to choose, will it be for Euro glory at the cost of a mid table finish or for a high Premier League finish as the European dream passes them by?

So now it's not just the Premier League to eagerly anticipate - Spurs fans are ready for their first season in Europe while Liverpool and City fans will be unenthusiastically preparing for their competitions. With a good spread of English representation, lets hope they all put in a good showing (with Liverpool coming out on top of course) to show UEFA that Barcelona aren't the only side that can play good football and that the Premier League is still better than La Liga.

(Picture courtesy of the BBC)