Five-Star Berbatov

Five star performance from one of football's finest artisans.

Few dazzle like Berbatov when he is on fire, last that comes to mind is Dennis Bergkamp.

Man Utd 7 Blackburn 1

Liverpool's Twentyman. The secret to our glory days.

Born in Carlisle, Geoffrey Twentyman (1930 to 2004) is Liverpool's most notable Chief Scout during the Glory days between 1967 and 1990. Geoff Twentyman began his playing career in Carlisle and went on to make 170 appearances for Liverpool as a Central Defender, scoring 18 goals. He made quite an impact as Liverpool's center guard, strong and steady, fitting well into the English's rough and direct game, full of physical contact.

Following his retirement as a player, Geoff Twentyman had a short stint managing at Morecambe and Hartlepool before Bill Shankly called him in as a Chief Scout. As the KOP reminiscence the hay days where Liverpool dominated the game, we would recall the great managers of Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and Kenny Dalglish. What they all had in common was great players, all thanks to a great scouting system, revolving around Geoff Twentyman.

Geoff Twentyman had a vision. He believed that Liverpool had to focus on recruiting players from the North or Midlands in order for them to adapt better to life at Anfield, and believed that they will commit more passion and dedication to the club and their game.

Geoff Twentyman used his charismatic personality and his experience as a player, to successfully scout notable players such as Alan Hansen, Terry McDermott, Ian Rush, Malcolm MacDonald, Trevor Francis and Andy Gray. All of whom contributed to Liverpool's dominance and became legends of the KOP. During his reign as Chief Scout, the only Southern player recruited was Paul Walsh, much against his recommendations, in 1984. Geoff Twentyman left for the Rangers in 1986 to join up with Graeme Souness and this also marked the decline of Liverpool's dominance.

A club is made up of its players, management and fans. It is the players who determine how the club play its game and it is the fans who are the cheerleaders of the game, providing the players and the club a reason to do well. Together, passion and tradition is put in place, something which till today defines the Liverpool Football Club.

We today lack what Geoff Twentyman had provided in the late 1900s. Liverpool needs to recognise the importance of a good scouting system and a good youth academy. This is a plea to John Henry to recognise this. Time is needed but an action is needed right now. The game may have changed since the 1900s, but what remains constant is the need for a player to possess passion, determination and skill. Let us begin an era of rebuilding at Anfield as we prepare for dominance once again.

Read more about Geoff Twentyman in a book titled "Secret Diary Of A Liverpool Scout".

Tribute to Alex Ferguson

As Sir Alex celebrates his 24 year reign at Old Trafford, I salute the man who remains one of my favourite heroes in football.

Sir Alex alone defined the Man Utd of today; he created a superclub of football clubs. We have come to identify with Sir Alex's ingenue when it comes to footballing tactics and player management. And we have seen his astute eye for talent, from Eric Cantona to Cristiano Ronaldo.

In the same breath, we have also come to terms with Sir Alex's fiery Scottish temper, and the infamous "hairdryer" treatment he dishes out when he demands more from his beloved team. of course, there were the politics at a big club which he handled admirably. Call him an ironfist at Man Utd all you want, but he has the record to prove he is the most successful manager modern football has ever seen in his trophy-laden 24 years at the helm of Man Utd.

There are many pretenders to the label of "best manager" today, not least Jose Mourinho who has won at every club he went to. But Jose had the benefit of riches from Russian tycoons and Spanish monarchs, while Sir Alex built a club on youth policy and banked on local heroes like Bryan Robson, Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs. It was a touch of masterclass that saw him bring on Eric Cantona, Ronaldo or even Wayne Rooney that will add that extra bit of world class to the rampaging Red Machine of Manchester. It was Alex Ferguson who made Man Utd a world phenomenon of free flowing football, passion and the enduring commitment to be the best.

Who will replace the Grandmaster at the hotseat waiting to be filled when one day Sir Alex shall finally step down. It is anybody's guess but it is hard to fathom what big shoes the new manager will have to fill in. Will he ever be good enough? For surely he must lack in some area Sir Alex has achieved in abundance; PR skills, player management, tactical acumen, risk-taker, drill seargeant, cheerleader, mentor, coach, disciplinarian, father, the gaffer...

Sir Alex shall remain in the folklore of Manchester United as long as the club shall exist. And he obviously is not quite finished yet.

Beckham news... what's the big deal?

And so, I caught a glimpse of the latest news in Major League Soccer... David Beckham made two assists as LA Galaxy beat some other team in the MLS to gain entry to the... whatever...

Who the heck cares about the MLS?

I say it once, I say it again... football (I mean soccer...) will NEVER reach cult status in the United States, I don't quite believe the Americans know what footballing passion really is. Its a country of baseball, basketball, football (the American kind), Nascar (the most boring thing on TV, watching cars running in circles)... anyway they even invented a name for football called "soccer"... what the heck is soccer?!??!

And for the sake of the footballing gods, Beckham being there is the lamest joke since Pele went to the USA... he is way past his due date, and LA is a just a glamorous hangout for him. I'd rather watch the J-League frankly (I refuse to stoop low enough to say I will watch the S-League though, cos that will be impossible...)

I have only respect for USA goalkeepers, cue Brad Freidel, Tim Howard, Kasey Keller... the rest of what they call soccer is bullsh**. Pretty much like this blog.

There you go, I said my piece. Now spare me the news of David Beck-ham and his merry men. More Victoria please...

Anfield rocked as Chelsea was downed 2-0 by Liverpool.

Liverpool is finally showing some signs of life as they beat Chelsea 2-0 at Anfield.

The commitment and cleverness in Dirk Kuyt's 11th minute pass led to a goal from Torres and this was followed by a brilliant strike from Torres at the 44th minute. The game was practically over by the first half as Chelsea struggled to provide an answer to Liverpool's strike force.

This has helped ease Liverpool's woes and helped further open the competition for top spot as Arsenal succumbed to a home defeat by Newcastle and Man Utd claiming a narrow 2-1 win over Wolves.

I do hope that Kuyt and Torres can further their performances this weekend at Wigan! Come on now Liverpool! You Can Do It.

Crouch no Van der Vaart.

Tottenham seem to suffer a hangover from their inspired triumph over Inter Milan at home during mid-week, as they slumped to a 4-2 away defeat to Bolton at the Reebok Stadium on Saturday.

Just 2 weeks ago, Rafael Van der Vaart came to Tottenham's rescue, claiming a goal against Everton to steal a much needed point from Everton in front of the home fans at White Hart Lane.

This week, we see Van der Vaart being left out of the squad, leaving Crouch alone up front. Tottenham only managed 2 goals coming from Hutton and Pavlyuchenko, which makes us wonder if Crouch simply lacks the instinct to bring in any goals other than his occasional header from amongst the confusion during set pieces. To make things worse for Tottenham, Gomes' "butter fingers" allowed in 4 goals which made their 2 goals somewhat of a consolation as they failed to complete their comeback to equalise for the needed point to challenge for this season's Championship spot.

Having played just over 10 games, the season is still young but the competition is fierce. Hopefully, the loss at Bolton won't come back to bite Tottenham at the end of the season as they mount their challenge for honours in the English Premier League.

Suggestion: Stop Crouch from further embarrassing himself. He has failed to score a single goal in the league this season and a total of 8 in the league last season! I'm sure Harry Redknapp can better entrust his faith and dreams to someone who looked less like a pair of chopsticks on the field.

Liverpool's Star; Dirk Kuyt - The Special One.

In light of all the recent spats involving Liverpool; Benitez releasing his bursts at Christian Purslow and Roy Hodgson, another involving Kenny Dalglish and some unrests amongst current and ex players, I believe it's time to focus on some positive news about the club.

Every club seem to have their valued player and I believe Liverpool has its very own. Out of all the 34 first team players (13 internationals), I somehow feel that Dirk Kuyt deserves this special mention.

First brought into Liverpool in 2006 as a striker, Dirk Kuyt has proved himself time and again to be part of the essence that makes up the Liverpool spirit. He has established himself as an amazing player, playing an important role for both Rafa Benitez and Roy Hodgson. A phrase to describe Dirk Kuyt, he "never fails to deliver" when required.

Just hitting 30 this year, I do hope that Dirk Kuyt can stay on with Liverpool for another few more seasons to guide the youth at Liverpool, building its youth academy to its original glory. Let's see more young players from the youth acamdey at Liverpool, displaying the commitment and passion that Dirk Kuyt has vivdly displayed in every match, on and off the pitch, for club and country.

On a separate note, Roy Hodgson may seem like an antediluvian, but his old fashioned ways may be just what Liverpool needs to ground the entire club for required rebuilding.

Exciting new talent

The Champions League often reveal the stars of tomorrow. Remember a certain gangly young man called Wayne Rooney who blasted in a hat trick against Fernabache on his debut season in the Champions League?

Last night's Champions League matches showcased the talents in the BPL.

Most notably, they are all exciting wingers.

Bebe, Obertan and Bale. Watch out for these new names as they storm down the wings for Man Utd and Tottenham for the rest of this season.