Fastest Hat Trick In The Premier League: Robbie Fowler

Robbie Fowler has left Liverpool for about 4 years now. He went on to carve a career for himself in Australia only to find himself back in England, currently serving as Assistant Manager at MK Dons (currently 5th in the English League One).

Well, I began to do a little search for more information about the "God" of KOP and found out that he still holds the record for scoring the fastest hat trick in the English Premier League. Fowler managed this at Anfield on the 28th of August, 1994, during a game against Arsenal.

I look forward to seeing this little feat repeated or beaten and maybe it would be done by one of his disciples at MK Dons.

Penalties changed the game.

On Saturday evening, we saw Liverpool and Manchester United experience vast differences in their feelings towards penalties. Liverpool was one goal up in the 50th minute and looked to continue their revival, only to have their game thwarted by two penalties in the 62nd and 88th minute. Both penalties were taken by Chris Brunt and they ended Liverpool's run of success in the Premier League. Separated from Manchester City (currently 4th place) by a mere 8 points but with a game down, Liverpool will have to work hard on the rest of their games to put up a challenge for the last Champions League spot. But considering all that has happened with Liverpool this season, we should be glad they are where they are today. It could have been much worse. Manchester United on the other hand were shockingly 2-0 down at Upton Park during Halftime and a 2nd half revival by Wayne Rooney changed the game for them. Rooney's outburst levelled the score by the 73rd minute and a 79th minute penalty gave them the upper hand. They eventually ended winning 2-4 but honestly, I was secretly rooting West Ham at half time when I saw the scoreline at 2-0. Too bad they weren't good enough to defend their lead and to extend it further. I suppose this is what Manchester United is about, what Champions can do even when they are 2-0 down. Two great teams, playing on the same night, but with very different scores and very different feelings at the end of the game, all because of penalties.

Ngog happy to see Torres leave?

I would have thought that the sale of Torres might have been celebrated by David Ngog who have been at Liverpool since 2008 and have struggled to make the first team at Liverpool despite being given many chances to prove himself.

Ngog is a strong, quick and with his agility, has the potential to cause problems for defenders. However, Ngog seems to lack composure in front of the goal and have a poor first touch. More importantly, despite the many opportunities given during Torres absence due to injury, Ngog has failed to impress with a lack of goals to be awarded as a first choice striker at Liverpool. He was benched under Benitez and continued to be regarded as second string during the short stint with Hodsgon.

The sale of Torres could have been the best news for Ngog as he might have enjoyed an automatic promotion to first string under Dalglish. Never did he expect the arrival of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll, which may have pushed him down further the pecking order at Liverpool.

Being 21 years of age, Ngog has probably another 2 years to prove himself at Liverpool. Work hard Ngog. Push yourself harder to be a better player. He probably needs some pyschological help and mediation to help him compose himself better when he is most needed, in front of the goal. Replicate your proudest moment during the 2-0 win over Manchester United (2009) in every game you play. Do that and you may enjoy the status of "Legend" at the KOP.

I'm interested to see if Ngog will have what it takes to establish himself at Liverpool. Only time (though not much) will tell.

Torres loses

Fernando Torres was non-existent.

Chelski lost despite playing at home and a three pronged attack featuring Anelka, Drogba and Torres.

Liverpool seems to have picked up a dogged revival, most likely influenced by their manager Daglish.

A new goalscoring hero emerges in Raul Meireles.

Chelsea have lost their title bid.

Ancelotti I think will lose his job at the end of the season, and I suspect strongly that there will be a big clearout at Stamford Bridge.

Dizzy end to the transfer window

Desperation drives people to do desperate things.

January's transfer window is always full of melodrama and this season's proved the same.

The biggest involved the 50 million pound transfer of Liverpool's Fernando Torres to Chelsea and the ridiculous (in my opinion) 35 million pound replacement Liverpool bought in Andy Carroll.

Paling in comparison, even though they are huge sums of money too, are the deals in excess of 20 million pounds each for Luis Suarez to Liverpool and David Luiz to Chelsea.

This signals the intent of Chelsea and Liverpool, who are not having the best of seasons.

Well, this is football. Roman Abramovich is starting to throw his weight around again, while Liverpool's owners are sadly just desperate.

Chelsea bought themselves a crocked Fernando Torres really. I don't think he is as good as when he first came to the BPL. I too can't see how you can pair Anelka or Drogba with Torres.

Liverpool bought an unproven striker in Carroll... yes, he scored a few goals this season, but I don't think he is worth more than Berbatov or Darren Bent who moved for 24 million to Aston Villa, for the matter. He is too raw to be worth that much money. Newcastle got themselves a fantastic deal in my opinion, but will they get relegated due to a lack of goals for the rest of the season and wanting money instead? We shall see.

Well, this makes for great entertainment. We will see how it all pans out. But too much stupid money going around for now.

Why Liverpool is in danger of losing everything.

Poor management.

And I don't mean the manager, I mean the people in charge in the boardroom.

How does allowing Roy Hodgson to leave at such an early stage in the season do anything to help the cause?

You think Kenny Daglish is going to change anything in the short term?

The problems inherent at Liverpool is that the team is simply not good enough, they are not a great team whereas Tottenham and Man City are building great teams. Secondly, they are way too thin on reserves, other than Torres and Gerrard and maybe Kuyt and Reina, the squad is lacking quality.

So, sacking the manager is NOT going to help. The Liverpool fans are not going to be appeased this season, no way should they be expecting a rousing finish. It is going to be a long rebuilding process, since the days of Rafa Benitez's era of overspending on poor players. No youth players coming up, injuries along the season, impatient and over-eager fanbase, this is a nightmare scenario for King Kenny. He could be fighting a potential relegation battle. We all know how things go in a downward spiral way too quickly.

One of the biggest mistakes made when Newcastle got relegated was releasing Sam Allardyce, and thought that a cult hero in Alan Shearer will lift the spirits of the club.

A club like Liverpool needs stability at the top, and I thought Roy Hodgson was unfairly and prematurely denied his time to do things his way, the Kop didn't allow him and I feel the Kop got it wrong.

Time to go, Roy Hodgson?

I will leave this as an open-ended question and reserve my Mancunian comments for later.

Is it time for Roy Hodgson to leave? Has the Liverpool fans seen enough? Are the new owners losing their patience quickly?

What do you think?

Love to hear from the Liverpool fans.

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".

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.

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.

Strong managers make a difference.

Every club faces its own set of problems, be it financial or management. However, these problems technically shouldn't affect a club's performance, due to an assumption that the players, managers and coaches alike, are there to play a good game of football.

Of course, all of that has changed due to the nature of the sport and the league, where employees of the club are worried about their paycheck and players are deemed as assets of the club, thus traded as a commodity.

Liverpool is looking to fall into administration. I urge Roy Hodgson to step up as a manager. I urge the players to step up as players of the game. The fans do not support Liverpool because of its wealth, the fans support Liverpool because of its history as a football club. A club that plays a good game of football. A club that delivers results on the field and off the field. A club that is respected for its tradition and its values.

It is important that the manager takes control of the atmosphere in the dressing room, ensuring that the right attitude is instilled in his players. To ensure that the club's administrative problems are not a concern of his players and definitely should not be his priority.

I stress again, every club has its own set of problems. Manchester United has its own problems, with fans disliking the owners, with the club making an overall loss. These should never be an excuse as it is the manager who holds the fort in terms of the game.

Roy Hodgson, take the reins in the dressing room. Do honours to Liverpool by putting out a team that delivers a good game of football.

What is wrong with Liverpool?

'Nuff said.

Roy Hodgson is not having the best of times at Liverpool.

The fans hate the owners, the owners hate the fans.

The players are lethargic and not used to the new style of Hodgson.

Looks like a long season ahead for Liverpool

Discrimination against Liverpool Fans.

Other than the usual job requirements, Nom Nom Media added another clause, stating that the applicant must not be a Liverpool fan. Although this is followed by cheeky emoticon (:P), it still doesn't change the fact that the company is blatantly discriminating against Liverpool fans.

check out the ad here:

(http://www.nuffnang.com.sg/blog/2010/07/01/we-are-hiring-again-growing-to-conquer/)

Nom Nom Media is the exclusive media reseller for Nuffnang, whilst Nuffnang is Asia's first and leading blog advertising community. We can only begin to wonder why a company of such stature amongst the online community chose to put such a discriminating clause in their job advertisement.

Putting aside that I am a Liverpool fan, it is disappointing our following in football is now going to affect our job opportunities. I empathise with my fellow Liverpool fans, who might have been eyeing for this position. Truly disappointed to know that such things are happening. Liverpool fans should do something about this. Football fans around the world should do something about this.

NO WAY SHOULD WE ALLOW OUR FOLLOWING IN FOOTBALL TO AFFECT OUR JOB OPPORTUNITIES!

Is Roy Hodgson the one?

Some news to distract all serious football fans from the World Cup.

Is Roy Hodgson the man to lead Liverpool forward?

Well, I think for some fans, this will come as a shock to their system. Especially those who have come to expect a Gerard Houllier or Rafa Benitez; managers who stimulate the affections of the Kop at the start but fade quickly in two seasons.

But clearly, the board is taking on a new direction in employing perhaps a wiser and older British manager, one that is pretty shrewd, experienced yes... but probably has no major credentials on his honour roll... yet.

It is way too early to speculate if Roy is the man for the job, but this could well be a step in the right direction for Liverpool. For one, his job must be to hold on to what remnants he has in the dressing room and convince Fernando Torres that he is an ambitious manager.

Two, he needs to find some young British talent from lower divisions and bring them into an ageing and shallow squad. It is a challenge for him to harness his scouting network to look for rare gems in unexpected places; but that he did manage to pick out for Fulham during his time at Craven Cottage, just to name a few... Dickson Etuhu, Clint Dempsey, Brande Hangeland etc. considering Liverpool has little funds to compete with the big boys. Won't be surprised if Etuhu joins to replace a certain-to-leave Javier Mascherano.

I think the coming season is a season of consolidation for Liverpool and Roy Hodgson is the man for the job. Fulham did manage to consolidate a respectable position in the BPL despite being low on transfer funds when he was in charge.

Boring boring Liverpool might just be the pragmatic step forward for the most successful club in English football. *shrugs*

Rafa Benitez has to walk alone after 6 years with Liverpool.

It is official. Rafa Benitez has left Liverpool by mutual consent and with compensation estimated around 6 million pounds.

Benitez has helped Liverpool reach highs and lows throughout his 6 year stint. Winning the Champions League and finishing 2nd place in the 08/09 Season for BPL. Benitez is well known for his queer tactics and positioning of players on the field. Despite a poor 09/10 season, Benitez did afterall contributed to Liverpool's growth over the last 6 years.

Now that the inevitable has happened, the question lies in the who the successor will be. Will it be Kenny Daglish, Roy Hodgson, Guus Hiddink or even Mark Hughes? We will probably find out after the World Cup.

TST editors would like to wish Rafa Benitez the very best in his future career. TST will follow closely the developments at Liverpool and wish for a quick and informed decision to bring someone who will lead Liverpool to win the elusive BPL.

Will Torres go?

The conquest of Chelsea for 09/10 has yet to settle and there are already plenty of rumors spinning in the transfer market.

Question of the pre season before the next BPL season starts: Will Fernando Torres go to Chelsea, the newly crowned English champions?

Well, the naysayer will tell you its highly unlikely, given the animosity between the blues and Merseyside, and Torres's professed loyalty to Liverpool.

But the reasoning will tell you Torres is sick of no silverware, poor tactics, lousy club management and low finances. All of these will supercede his loyalty and point him to the exit door. Where else but the English champions Chelsea?

Based on Torres's valuation, only a handful of clubs will dare pick up the tab. Real Madrid, Man Utd, Chelsea and Man City. Real is obviously out of the question, since Torres childhood club is Atletico Madrid, Man Utd will not fork out a 100 million for any player. Man City is not at the highest pinnacle of footballing achievements yet even if they have all the resources to lure him. So the next likely destination --> Chelski of Roman Abramovich.

Liverpool fans, keep your fingers crossed, and your hearts ready for the defect of one Spanish cult hero to London.

Confidence brings out the best in you.

Confidence brings out the best in you.

Liverpool definitely showed that, as they played with confidence, playing the best as they ever should against Sunderland.

Kudos to Liverpool. 3-0 against Sunderland is no easy feat.

Torres leaving Liverpool?

It was recently reported that Fernando Torres, the start striker for Liverpool, is considering a switch away from Liverpool in the summer if Liverpool fails to present itself as a serious title and trophy contender through recruitment of top quality players.

Top quality seems to be rather subjective especially in the world of Benitez. After all, he seems to believe that Aquiliani and Glen Johnson are pretty top quality players.

It is getting quite tiring to read about players wanting to leave the club because the club is not a title contender and thus would affect their future. I am not personally in the industry and thus, I suppose players have objectives to play for their country and maybe secure commercial deals? To achieve these goals, players may feel a need to be exposed to high profile competitions, in order to represent top brands and thus allow their agents to negotiate a good deal for all parties.

I can't help but think about all those inspirational movies revolving around sports. Movies such as "Cool Runnings", "The Mighty Ducks", "The Titans" and many more. These movies are usually based on a true story, depicting how "heart" can change things in a game, how passion and effort means more than just talent. It seems that in reality, talent, hard work and passion do exist but in a different manner. Talented players seek higher grounds, players work hard towards transferring to a better club, players are filled with passion for a club who serve them well, i.e. win win situation. I know I'm making a lot of generalisation here but reality seems to be so.

What might make a good movie would be a story about Portsmouth, if they manage to stay up in the Premiership despite all the odds against them. Maybe they can instill some fantasy back into my world, back into the world.

Torres did say these though:

"It's too soon to talk, I honestly think that we're going to be fourth, but for me Champions League qualification isn't so important."

"I've left my home and it's clear that I owe Liverpool many things, and I'm very happy here. The fans have treated my like one of their own, but I'm going to think about my future and hopefully it will be here. I think these fans deserve to win."

"Beyond thinking about me, I think the club deserve to get back to winning (trophies), but they know themselves that right now that it's far off."

I'll be keeping my hopes up, believing in passion, talent and hard work. Hopefully I won't be disappointed. It doesn't hurt to dream a little, sometimes?

GG knows nothing.

Yes, all beloved Liverpool fans who are reading this. I am sure by now, you should have realised just how bad this season is going to be. The good news is Benitez isn't going... ...

And guess what, his owner has come out to back him. George Gillett or affectionately known here at thesoccertalk as GG (Gigi) has come out to defend his manager who has come under heavy fire from pundits, commentators, fans and every ex-player who bothers to say something. Benitez just cannot pay his ass off for a win these days. His players are not responding to a war cry synonomous with Liverpool football club, and his warrior in chiefs, Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres are obviously feeling the strain, they are crumbling with injuries too often now...

What in the world is Liverpool up to? That drive, that determination, that hunger is lost on the players... and only a fool will deny that Benitez is responsible at least to a certain degree of what is happening. Sure, he hasn't got much to spend, but he spent a helluva lot of money on one clumsy right back now, called Glen Johnson. Too much in my opinion even if Glen was great last season. Benitez is a whiny pig, I wish Liverpool fans realise how much they got to lose by keeping him. Frankly, I don't like his chances of lifting Liverpool up to the lofty heights it achieved last season. He is a "nearly" man, and so often than not, the "nearly" man has been depending on his Champs League glory years to back himself up.

And who the heck is GG to talk about football. He is a Yankee whose home sport is baseball, basketball and American style football, not the beautiful game we are talking about here. GG says Benitez is one of the top five mangers in the world.... pfft.... not by his predicament now... no way !! I could easily count five managers way ahead of Benitez in the craft of management. The five untouchables... Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho, Arsene Wenger, Fabio Capello and Pep Guardiola... and I betcha Roy Hodgson, Carlo Ancelotti, Guus Hiddink, Steve Bruce and Frank Rijkaard can outdo Benitez any day with the resources and the fan base Liverpool has. How about local legends like Kenny Daglish and Kevin Keegan?

Eat your words GG, you shouldn't even talk about soccer. Just keep watching that debt you are running sky high for the club...

Time's up?

The curtains for Champions League football this year falls early for Liverpool. Winning 1-0 against Hungarian opponents Debrecen was a useless stat as they fail to qualify for the 2nd round.

Its a shame that Liverpool, traditional European powerhouses are knocked out so early in the competition. It wasn't so long ago that Rafa Benitez was deemed the saviour of Liverpool football club having won the Champions League in a dramatic comeback win. Things have obviously moved on, and Liverpool has been on a journey of ups and downs. Last year was more of an up as they challenged for the BPL crown and almost got it had it not been for a dip in form mid-season. This year is a terrible start for the Kop faithful. Unable to win domestically, their poor form had even affected their usual dominance in European football. It is one of the lowest points for all Liverpool fans.

Truth is, is it time for Rafa Benitez to go? Sure, we should not put all the blame on the manager. Afterall, he has had bad luck, losing Torres and Gerrard to injuries this season. But can he blame his luck? We all know the failure to plan is a plan to failure. As a seasoned manager who knows how important it is to have able backups for key positions, he has not done reasonably well enough to cover up the holes upfront. Without Gerrard and Torres, Liverpool is thin and toothless. Whatever happened to Kuyt? He is left on the right these days. Only Rafa knows how to misplace players from their best positions.

Robbie Keane will be so useful backing Gerrard up, but Rafa didn't see it that way. Alonso will not have left if Rafa did not condemn him before he shone in the heart of midfield. 20 million for a right back is debatable by any standard of spending by a manager. The owners meanwhile get lambasted by the Kop faithful for spending little. Well, the stats show that Rafa had been the spendthrift. The reserves are dry because the Spainard had spent on misfits like Babel, Degen, Dossena and now maybe Aquilani. He got rid of a class player like Robbie Keane and God knows why he let go of Bellamy who could have given him great wing play. Mark Hughes demonstrates how to use Bellamy effectively on the wing at Man City, something Rafa never saw.

Rafa has also done little to develop the Liverpool youngsters. How many Liverpool youth academy players can you mouth off now, considering Man Utd has got players like Fletcher, O'Shea, Brown, Evans, Welbeck and Macheda playing regularly for Man Utd, having been groomed at Man Utd's Academy. Disappointing really for a club of Liverpool stature that had produced greats like Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen, Jason McAteer, Jamie Redknapp, Steve McManaman and many others.

Has Rafa lost the plot? He might have won the Champions League and came close to pipping Man Utd, but reputation counts for little at times when a fresh change might ignite new ideas and renewed vigour. Think Guus Hiddink or maybe the Special One Jose Mourinho (boy, will that be an explosive relationship...)

Well, the Liverpool faithful are not complaining, so why should a Man Utd supporter worry?