That is exactly what this young side needs. Victories against Fulham and West Brom on the back of Wednesday’s win against Roma will set Arsenal on track for a strong end to the season. The coveted fourth Champion’s League spot will be theirs, but more importantly, a growing confidence will accompany the young Gunners to the next season. If they can welcome the return of Fabregas and Rosisky, land Klass Jan Huntelaar and reap the best of Ashavin, Nasri, Denilson and Diaby, Arsenal will be scintillating. For the sake of the EPL – I hope they are! Watching United run away with yet another title is simply getting old, as has yet another failed Liverpool attempt. In the age where cash wins championships, let there be a team of enthusiastic young ones strung together on a tight budget playing attractive passing football with sheer pride and bravery to win the league. Bring on the underdog!

Until then, all we have to settle for is an exciting relegation battle.

With only seven points separating 13^th and 20^th place, a win by either of the bottom clubs can see them leap frog out of the drop zone. Make it two wins and they are up to a comfortable mid table place. Sorry, did I say comfortable?

Playing in the top flight for the first time, Hull City at 13^th place in the middle of the table are anything but comfortable.  With 29 points raked in and six points above the drop zone, they face Blackburn, Newcastle, Portsmouth and Middlesbrough ready to overtake Hull in the coming weeks. A loss in any of these games will put Hull in a very precarious position. The toughest test awaits as their last five games see fixtures against the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Villa.  Middle of the table at the end of February, Hull City may very well make a quick return to The Championship.

The clubs in this ‘sinking seven’ are presenting a treat to all the neutrals alike. Tottenham, the Carling Cup finalist and currently one spot below Hull, have 4 games against each of the top four and another four games against fellow relegation strugglers. Blackburn, the only non – ‘Big 4’ team to have won the Premier League and now third from the bottom, are up against three of the ‘Big 4’ with another five games against the other relegation fighters. With nothing separating the bottom seven, the season is shaping out to be a game of Relegation Roulette. 

Liverpool fans out there, I am sad to say, but today is going to be a nightmare, for this is when it will all come apart. Let’s start with the Premiership. The draw against Man City over the weekend meant that Liverpool reached their tenth draw this season. Both Liverpool and United have roughly the same away form (Liverpool have one more win and United one more loss), but it is at Anfield that Liverpool are particularly disappointing. They have drawn six times there, all games which they were favourites to win, so it has to be considered 12 points lost.

United have lost twice this season. Since the start of the EPL, they have lost an average of five and a half games a season, which is good news for Liverpool fans. If Liverpool have a perfect run-in and United lose their quota of games, the title will go to the Reds. The statistics-backed truth couldn’t be further from the title however. United’s average is based on 16 years. Their average number of losses a season for the past five years come in at just under five games.  And then there is the matter of considering Liverpool’s average, which is somewhere at the wrong end of eight and a bit losses.

The painful truth? Liverpool have had a fantastic season so far, outperforming their average self.  United have been about the same as previous seasons, Chelsea quite a bit worse, and Arsenal pretty much terrible. That is why Liverpool are second in the league. Good progress as it is, this has come at the expense of domestic cups, and at the grace of Arsenal and Chelsea. The occasional League or FA trophy appeases fans. This year, Liverpool run a real risk of a second consecutive trophyless season.

The reason for the pain? Its cash money, plain and simple. When United beat Blackburn at the weekend, they had five players, Carrick, Ferdinand, Nani, Berbatov, and Rooney, that cost more than 15 million quid. That’s not counting the likes of Ronaldo, who only cost 12 million, and Hargreaves, Tevez and Anderson, who were either on the bench or out injured. United easily have nine players that were bought (rather than their current value) at more than 15 million.

The Liverpool team who drew at “Fortress Anfield” to the team with the worst away record had two players bought for 15 million or more: Mascherano and Torres. And that was it, there is nothing else. The most expensive player on the bench was Babel, increasingly looking like an older John Barnes on a diet of jerk chicken, who was bought for 11 million pounds.

Like having someone pull a plaster off as slowly as possible, tonight’s game against Real Madrid is going to be painful for Liverpool fans. Rafa Benitez has said that the game has no bearing on the security of his job, which basically means that his American owners have said that he better deliver the Cup or ship out.

When the Champions League draw was made, the tie against Madrid looked like an easy one. The next thing Real did was lose their match against Barcelona and all but concede the title. Since then, they have not lost a game, scoring ten goals in their last two, and have cut their twelve point deficit to seven. Liverpool have seen an eight point lead converted into a seven-point gap.

If Liverpool go a goal down, Benitez won’t be able to resist playing Gerrard. In the worst case, Gerrard will get injured, Liverpool will lose, Benitez will get fired and Liverpool will start to “rebuild” their squad yet again, still with little poundage and with less tactical expertise, and United will have tied their record for most number of domestic titles. In the best case scenario, the only difference will be that Gerrard won’t get injured.

Whatever it is, I somehow sympathise with them. This year was their best ever start to a Premiership campaign. They had a seven point lead over Manchester United on New Year’s Day. Now, they trail United by the same amount. Many Liverpool fans are now declaring that it is already too big a gap for them to recover with just a dozen more games to go.

It’s a truly sad turn of events and Liverpudlians look ready to throw in the towel. Everything they have tried close to two decades now has failed, so it is probably a natural progression to probably hope for the only one person who has actually gazumped United in the recent past - Jose Mourinho.

How could we blame them? Being the only ones among what we consider the Big 4 without a Premiership title must be rough as it is. And then to lose such a big advantage that they managed to garner early on is probably like the final twist of the knife.   

The thought of the serpent-tongued, self-claimed-messiah, making a return to the EPL by joining Liverpool is entertaining. It would be quite remarkable on multiple levels. That man alone could probably save the British tabloids from recession and, truth be told renew that drama that we have missed in the last two seasons. Who knows, maybe even give the Reds a title.

Even with him currently coaching in Italy, Mourinho’s comments and views about the EPL is still thoroughly amusing. His disagreement with Arsene Wenger’s comments on Man United being “untouchable” a day before his Inter faces Sir Alex’s Devil’s was classic Jose. And not just that but to imply that Man United’s successes and their great game was somehow his doing is a stroke of pure genius.

Even though Jose's successes at Porto have come under scrutiny due to the revelation of Porto’s match fixing scandal, and perhaps his success is more a factor of money rather than his coaching prowess (Abrahamovic's billions), but the fact of the matter is, Mourino is a lovable rogue. Can you imagine being Ferguson right now? Waking up early in the morning, well rested before flying off to Milan to play a relatively tough fixture at the San Siro. You're sipping your morning cuppa, grab the newspapers, flip to the sports section and see that the same annoying twit you finally managed to get off your back over a year back, boasting and taking credit for your team’s fine performance and victories, since. 

Now you can’t help but watch tonight's game. And the psychological pressure is suddenly not on the team facing the defending champions, but the defending champions themselves. To add to that, Beckham has openly warned his former club of the dangers that Adriano and Ibrahmovic present and that is certainly not going to help his former team’s morale.

Not always has Mourinho beat Sir Alex with a better squad or tactics. It was exactly these kinds of little things which he is so good at that probably gave Chelsea the upper hand on numerous occasions. The Special One is certainly not holding back even now, and expect Inter to beat United tonight, partially because of his “off the field” tactics.

In any case, I'm expecting to meet more Liverpool fans determined that Mourinho is the right man at Anfield in the days to come. Especially if Inter secure that win tonight.

The race to the Premiership title is slowly revealing itself as a bore of a lone marathon. Watching Man United gallop away with the title is like watching Paula Radcliffe in one of her road races. There is just something off-putting about both their styles but it is effective and more often than not, they cross the finish line ahead of the rest.

This last week, United made doubly sure of winning the title by first demolishing Fulham midweek and followed that up with a weekend win over relegation threatened Blackburn Rovers. United may have lost their run of clean sheets when Roque Santa Cruz scored for Blackburn in United’s 2-1 victory, but the win put them eight points clear of second-placed Liverpool with only 12 games to play.

The manner of victory itself was slightly fortunate. Cristiano Ronaldo could well have been sent off if the referee had not missed him kicking out at David Dunn. A strong appeal for a penalty when Morten Gamst Pedersen went down in the United box was also waved away by referee Howard Webb. To make matters worse for Blackburn, Ronaldo grabbed the winner on the hour with an audacious free kick.

How Liverpool wished they could get themselves out of trouble like United. They may have already performed miracles this season but it seems a Liverpool season collapse is becoming as regular as the expected capitulation when the England cricket team goes out to bat.

Man City, low on morale, almost illogically produced their finest away performance of the season to earn a point at Anfield. The combination of resolute opponents and Liverpool’s own inability to create clear-cut chances has meant this was the sixth team to leave Anfield with a draw, none of them from the top four. In contrast, United have only dropped 2 points at home all season long. What a difference those 12 points could have made to the title race if Liverpool had won all their home matches.

Those familiar problems for Liverpool began to resurface: a lack of incisive passing, over-dependence on a certain absent captain and an inability to convert chances. Though, Liverpool could well count themselves unlucky as they always seem to come up against teams in particularly good form on the day.  Although Liverpool hardly deserved any more from the game, if the referee had spotted City’s Richard Dunne punching away a goal bound Yossi Benayoun header, it could well have been a repeat of the stirring comeback at the City of Manchester Stadium earlier in the season.

The only consolation for Liverpool is that in previous seasons, they may not even have had the courage or quality to get the equaliser, let alone the winner after going a goal down to such stubborn opposition. The title may also already have been all but mathematically beyond them. At the moment, at least they still have hope.

Liverpool have still only lost one game all season in the league and although their task of usurping United are not impossible, time is running out fast. They may already need some help from opposing teams to stop United, but they need to get their own house in order, and fast.

Trumpets have been blowing all week. “Chelski in chaos”. Arsene Wenger admits United are “untouchable” and now talk of Uniteds “psychological boost” against Liverpool. It is as if Uniteds ribbons are already on the Premier League trophy. 

And why not? With United’s fearsome form, records have broken on route to the top of Premiership. The Ferdinand-Vidic backline has become a fortress. In the midfield, United boast its ‘evergreen’ duo of Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs playing like it is 1996 again. Fergies forwards are giving him a headache as he is spoilt for choice between $486 million worth of talent in Rooney, Ronaldo, Berbatov and Tevez.  It’s all been said before, two trophies already in the bag - another four lie in wait. 

But let’s not get too excited. The fixture list is excruciating. Winning the League and all the other riches is going to be a herculean task. In the span of eight days, United are up against Blackburn, Inter Milan and Tottenham in Premier League, Champions League and League Cup clashes respectively. 

Ok, so Blackburn isn’t going to be a problem. In fact, Van Der Sar will welcome the chance to win the European record for clean sheets at Ewood Park. While the goalie receives the accolades, let’s not forget Vidic. The steady Serb has been winning header, and tackles in all of United’s 14 clean sheets. It is no wonder Van Der Sar had only 24 saves to make in the last 14 encounters.  

But that might soon come to an end. With a certain Jose Mourinho and the golden boots of Zlatan Ibrahimovich, United’s recent run of form might hit a wall. The stats don’t lie. Mourinho leads Ferguson 6-1 in head to head encounters. To make matters worse, Inter just tucked away a star studded AC Milan to put them 9 points clear at the top of the Serie A. If they survive Inter, United have the likes of Real, Juventus, Barcelona and Porto amongst others to deal with.  

From the Champions League, United travel to Cardiff for the Carling Cup Final. With Robbie Keane and Jermaine Defoe back at the helm, the Lilywhites will be charged to defend the trophy they won a year ago. Fighting relegation, out of the FA cup and trailing Shaktar Donetsk by two goals in the UEFA cup, this tiny trophy is their only shot of pride this season. United will have their hands full as Ferguson fields his young fledglings who brought them to this final. 

Turning our eyes back to the Premier League, both United and Liverpool have 13 games to go. Vidic and Berbatov talk about the 5 point lead being a big psychological advantage for United. They need to brush up on their history. Psychology counted for nothing as United overcame a 10 point league to pip Newcastle for the title in 1996. Again it counted for nothing as United did the exact opposite as they blew a 12 point league to let Arsenal win the league in 1998. 

Looking ahead, United are up against Liverpool on March 14. Assuming all things remain unchanged, a Liverpool win at Old Trafford can set the stage for a nail biting finish. From there, United risk dropping points at Villa, Spurs, City and Arsenal while Liverpool face similar challenges with Villa, Arsenal and Spurs.   
Come May 24^th, the ribbons on the trophy are undoubtedly going to be red and white. Liverpool or Manchester, something tells me Arsenal will decide.

Hold on to your horses. The return of Eduardo, the much missed Croatian striker is a great relief for the Gunners but not necessarily the answer to all their woes and suffering form.

Two superb strikes on his return and it looks like Eduardo has picked up exactly where he left it a year back with that horrendous injury. That's a great start for someone who many believed to have been forced into early retirement. It also surely is a major moral booster to Arsene who has been losing everyone that mattered to injury, one at a time.

Eduardo's return is quite timely, with Adebayor sidelined for at least three weeks with a hamstring injury he suffered against Tottenham a week and a half back. There is still the 21-year-old Danish international Bendtner as an option up front, but the lad is still young, inexperienced and it shows on the field. He's a tough kid, makes the runs, fights for the headers but has yet to hone his killer instinct that is much needed to find the back of the net consistently. So all his remarks of how he should be starting all games is just immature gibberish.

Goals, or more accurately the lack of them regularly, has been Arsenal's biggest problem the whole season. Since the absence of Fabregas, the midfield has become non-existent with Denilson and Diaby unable to successfully hold or make use of the centre to supply the balls forward. As a result, an already shaky and unconfident forward line now does not even have chances to try their luck.

Van Persie has pretty much been a one man attack force for the Gunners for months now. Seriously, this over reliance on him alone to produce result was becoming something of joke for a team like Arsenal, who are undoubtedly considered one of the finest teams in the EPL and Europe.

Eduardo's return is therefore a more than welcome and should ease the pressure on the Van Persie to a certain extent. Plus with new signing Arshavin currently building his match fitness should add more fire power to the Gunners' frontline. But despite these developments, for us Gunners fans to start celebrating and suddenly raising our expectations will likely prove to be trap.

For Arsenal to actually stage a comeback to break back into say the top three will need the entire currently missing team (including Rosicky) to come back, Sagna learning how to cross, Diaby being able to pass, Nasri and Vela manhandling opponent defenders, and everyone on the first team to play in top form for the rest of the season. That plus a substantial amount of luck. The odds of all this happening immediately isn't exactly low, so lets not get carried away too soon.

This weekend against Sunderland, with the return of Walcott and Arshavin on his debut, will probably be the first glimpse into what we can expect from the Gunners in the remaining dozen odd games. It would probably be best not to expect anything spectacular but I'm pretty sure it is not going to be as torturous as the last few games we have painfully been subjected to. 

What are we to make of Hiddink’s appointment? To begin with, he is certainly one of the most respected managers in the game. His successes with the South Korean, Australian and Russian national teams cemented that reputation. Together with a successful club period with PSV in the earlier part of this decade, Hiddink has largely been beyond reproach when it comes to a discussion about his managerial ability. He is deemed to have a golden managerial touch despite notable difficulties in the past managing clubs in Spain and the Dutch national team.

As far as respected managers go, Hiddink has few equals. He should command the respect of the Chelsea players, at least initially. But Scolari’s example also shows that even a World Cup winner can be forced out by player power. But, rest assured, we can expect the crafty Hiddink to be able to negotiate the huge egos at Stamford Bridge. He is famous for being a superb man-manager and motivator. He is able to get the best out of his players regardless of where he has coached.

Tactically, he is also extremely astute. He is said to not favour any particular system, preferring to assess the players he has at Chelsea before deciding the shape of the team. From Korea’s 3-4-3 to Australia’s 4-5-1 formation, Hiddink has shown that he can bring success given different cultural and tactical scenarios. That will stand him in good stead as he assumes control at Chelsea. Perhaps, the most salient point to consider is does he have the time and ultimate focus of his players to get the way he wants them to play? In his previous jobs, he had total control, and those around him moved mountains all so he could do his job well.

It was already reported that he has spoken to a number of players in private and also had a hand in the team tactics in Chelsea’s FA Cup triumph over Watford on Saturday. If that performance was to give any clue to Hiddink’s thinking, then solidity will be a key point, with Chelsea’s fullbacks ordered not to attack with as much verve and careless adventure.

But the main question is whether Hiddink can be Chelsea’s hero at the end of the season, rescuing them from a 10-point gap to overhaul Manchester United? The advantage is that Hiddink has no pressure on him. If he does not succeed then critics will deem he did not have enough time and he assumed an impossible position at the club. People are half-expecting Chelsea not to turn their season around and that would suit Hiddink just fine as the underdog. It is when Hiddink and his teams are underestimated that they are at their most dangerous. As he has shown with all the most recent teams he has managed, you ignore Hiddink at your own peril.

Scenario 1: Manchester United take the title (again)

Not only will it be a historical victory which sees the Red Devils complete yet another three-peat for Sir ALex, it will also see them tie the all time title win record with fierce rivals Liverpool. He will thank his boys' hard work and good fortunes, but Scolari's sacking will be seen as one of the potential reasons and bumps as to why pre-season favourites Chelsea were probably not able to stop the big red machine.

Scenario 2: Chelsea takes the title

The Blues make a historic comeback from fourth place and edge out the Devils to take the crown. The credit will undoubtedly all go to Golden Guus, who worked his miracle yet again to achieve what was thought impossible. Abramovich is genius for having seen the flaws in his club under Scolari and having successfully secured Hiddink's services. Hiddink might quit coaching the Russian team to stay on at Stamford Bridge after all. And get the sack in the following mid-season when Abramovich decides he can manage Chelsea all by himself. 

Scenario 3: Manchester City sign Kaka or Messi

Despite getting a fair share of bad press and being often times ridiculed throughout the course of this season, if City manage to finally sign more super stars they are going to look back to last week and pat themselves on the back for officially removing Thaksin from their board of directors and as the club chairman. The former Thai premier is somewhat an international fugitive and having him on the board has been detrimental to City's already suffering image under their new Abu Dhabi owners. Thaksin's omission does not automatically make this club that much more appealing, but at least, I would argue, it is a step in the right direction. 

Scenario 4: Portsmouth get relegated

Already tied for 16^th position, Pompey are severely lacking in form. Now with the departure of Tony Adams there will only be a bunch of assistants trying to save the team from a season in the Coca Cola. The bigger blame might fall on Redknapp's departure, but Adams (though untested) will probably be their last proper manager for this season. In any case even if Portsmouth manages to stay clear of relegation, once again Tony's departure might be regarded a wise decision.

Now all we can do is wait and see how it will all play out. But what we can definitely say with some degree of certainty is that this week will go down as one of those rare 7 days that changed the EPL.

Five minutes of magic from Fernando Torres saw Liverpool overcome a resilient Portsmouth side. With 3 points in the bag, Rafael Benitez breathes a sigh of relief as Liverpool keep their title hopes alive. His counterpart for the evening – Tony Adams - however, swallowed the bitter pill, a stark lesson for young managers. The Premier League is no place for amateurs.

Neither is it a place for world cup winners. Big Phil Scolari, the only World Cup winning manager in the Premier League since its inception, was handed his pink slip yesterday after seeing Chelsea slump to fourth place. A draw to relegation fighting Hull City saw Aston Villa leapfrog Chelsea for third spot - their highest league position since the David O Leary era.

One would truly question the motivation behind Roman Abramovich. If the sacking of Mourinho was anything to go by, his recent killing would probably have something to do with Scolari’s demand for complete autonomy over the Chelsea side. Somebody needs to tell Mr Abramovich that the only ‘Yes man’ manager he’s going to find in this business is his buddy Avram Grant. It looks like Abramovich regrets saying goodbye to the Special One. In him Chelsea had the man they needed. Avram Grant couldn’t do it and Big Phil, the master tactician that he is, wasn’t the right choice either.

With a team built around aging super-egos, it takes one truly charismatic enforcer to bring the hearts together. Arsene Wenger of the 97-98 double fame is the perfect example. Big Phil, in all his genius simply does not have the presence to demand respect. Chelsea needs a man that can stand in the dressing room and demand attention. They need a general. A certain no nonsense Guus Hiddink would fit just right. Phil’s misery began the moment he arrived. His big contract, one of the key factors he accepted the deal, disguised Roman’s reluctant to spend this year. Roman’s oil seems to be running low as he tightened the strings on Chelsea’s purse. Instead of Robinho, he got a Deco on discount and when Chelsea needed a mid season boost, Roman gave him a freebie on loan in Ricardo Quaresma. As Roman sealed the lid shut on Chelsea’s Roubles, one can only wonder how he could afford £15million to rid himself on one of the best managers in the world.

He survives a stay of execution from his critics when Liverpool pulled off a miraculous twice-come-from-behind, injury time victory over a struggling but battling Portsmouth at Fratton Park to fire Liverpool back to the top of the league, albeit briefly until Man United won 1-0 at West Ham. But the topic of discussion for last weekend was Benitez’s starting line-up, featuring six defenders and a holding midfielder. Once again, Benitez blind-sided all of us with his tactical decisions. 

Was he right in leaving so many key players on the bench especially after losing inspirational captain Steven Gerrard for three weeks? If results are to be the judge, then we cannot argue with him. It is equally plausible to say a well-rested Torres benefited from coming on toward the end of the game as it would to have the opinion that Liverpool would not have been in that position in the first place if he began the game. These things we will never know save for a multi-dimension time machine that allows us to view alternate realities. 

But Benitez has often been credited with tactical decisions that have turned games around. His astute nature in accessing games is often thought of as his main strength. But for every great decision that he has made, often many could have the view that it was foolhardy of him to have put the team in that position in the first place. 

In Liverpool’s superb fightback against AC Milan in the Champions League, you can imagine football coaches round the world referencing Benitez’s genius of bringing on Didi Hamann in the second half to change the game. But it was his decision to begin without a holding midfielder, thinking his team can out-attack mighty Milan in the first place that put them in that position. 

That was not a dissimilar decision to Alex Ferguson’s choice of putting David Beckham in central midfield for the 1999 Champions League final against Bayern Munich. Although that decision was enforced by the suspensions to Roy Keane and Paul Scholes, Beckham was a disaster. Victory exonerated both Ferguson and Benitez, as again was the case for Liverpool at Fratton Park. Whether it was genius or otherwise depends on the result at the end of the day. As the season approaches a climax, our memory of Benitez’s managerial abilities will be shaped in the coming weeks.  But perhaps, sometimes, its better to be lucky than good.

We have been offered a lifeline. In the week gone by, the transfer dealings surrounding Robbie Keane and David Beckham have reminded us of the joy playing brings. Manchester United’s tribute to their modern icons draws us back to a time when kids, armed with belief in their hearts, could win the Premier League. We end the week with a mouth watering clash of a rejuvenated Spurs taking on the Gunners. Perhaps the papers this coming Monday will publish something worthy of the sport.

With a 107 goals in 254 appearances for the Lilywhites, Keane captained Spurs with his heart on his sleeve. He’s back now and destined to resurrect the hurting club.  It takes sheer fortitude to make the u- turn he did. Turning away from his boyhood dream, he chose what mattered most.  Looking away from the money and glory, he picked a relegation battle. From a title contender to a club on the verge of death, Robbie’s choice tells us one thing – his passion lies on the pitch and it burns strong in this money filled sport.

David Beckham – the man model marketing magnet who chose life in Hollywood – wants another permanent shot at the highest level. Winner of 10 major trophies at Manchester United and Real, Beckham is prepared to accept a huge pay cut to enjoy his football once again.

Playing like a man on a new lease of life, a screaming free kick against Genoa and another finish against Bologna tells the world that David Beckham is far from finished. With the 2010 World Cup in his sights, century capped Beckham resonates desire. Keeping the likes of Ronaldinho on the bench, Beckham is seizing his opportunity. Like a child savouring his last piece of candy, Beckham is doing what he does best. He will trade the Galaxy of comfort to fight for his love of this beautiful game at its highest level.

Beckham’s former teammate makes the headlines as Manchester United announced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as an official Icon of the club. Playing with a 90 minute smile, Solksjaer enjoyed every moment like an Indian summer.  He entered his first season expecting to play in the reserves but went on to become the clubs top scorer that campaign. As he fell through the pecking order, he remained 100% comitted.  A late goal to knock Liverpool out of the FA Cup, 4 goals in 15 minutes to outclass Nottingham Forest and that divine goal in the Champions League serves as the legacy this man of honour, devotion and true passion. 

As billionaires buy up the sport, the week gone by has reminded us that one thing cannot be bought – the true love of the game.

No one could blame Keane for seeking greener pastures and fulfilling his ‘childhood dream’ to play for the Reds. To have a chance at European glory, and play with the likes of Gerrard and Torres, and for a master tactician was too good to miss. Sold back at a loss, Keane’s departure may yet unravel the Reds to an unfortunate possibility of a title-less season or if the Chelsea game was anything to go by, freezing Keane out and allowing Torres to shine may perk the team up the table again. 

The two distinct possibilities may well depend on the fitness of Torres. Liverpool rekindled their hope for a Premiership title with a controversial win over Chelsea; showing life without Keane may not be so bad after all. Considering Torres’ rehabilitation isn’t fully complete, another episode on the sidelines or with the physiotherapist isn’t very unlikely.  

Liverpool could still rely upon Kuyt, who had some sterling performances early in the season, and will need both Babel and Ngog to step up, though it’s unlikely any of them could hope to be as prolific as Torres and influential as Gerrard. Although Keane was unable to form a successful partnership with Torres, Rafa Benitez can still count on the double Dutch team of Kuyt and Babel to be deployed as centre-forwards if the need arises, and not to mention Benayoun, who was brilliant against Chelsea, could be used as second striker.   

As George Gillette had put it: certain rant, by a certain manager, against a certain other manager, very quickly precipitated into a slump in form for the Reds. It seems that for the most part, Liverpool's undoing in January was caused primarily of their own volition which was a pity that they didn't need any distractions as they finally transformed into serious title contenders finally. In some way, Keane’s departure is one less distraction for the side; no longer conspicuously on the bench, or in the stands, it may prove to be a boon. With nine drawn games so far, and at the same time a better than usual record against the Big Four this season, it’s difficult to see which direction Liverpool head next.  

Keane seemed to be an unwitting pawn in a tug-of-war between Benitez and Rick Parry over the control of player transfers. How else could you explain Keane having been on the bench after a spectacular performance against PSV? While Keane may have fluffed some good opportunities - the open goal he missed against Bolton comes to mind - it would seem that he was judged too harshly, too quickly. Had Ferguson that little patience, Berbatov would have been sent packing back to Spurs, as well. But I guess, there aren’t any second chances when you’re competing for the EPL title.  
While Keane bids good riddance to Benitez, his arrival into the Tottenham fold may spark another much needed surge. Taking over the captain’s armband, Keane will no doubt be out to prove his predatory skills, and with the Spurs playing Liverpool in their last Premiership encounter for the season, we could expect an ironic end to Liverpool’s 2008-2209 campaign. Will Benitez live to regret his "calculated risk"?
 

Let us all breathe a collective sigh of relief. This whole Arshavin soap opera-esque drama is finally over (or is it?). I have yet to recall another transfer that was this complicated, stretched out and just plain ridiculous.

Honestly, going by his outstanding performances in Euro 2008, Andrei Arshavin should have been snapped up last summer. He was brilliant in that tournament. He captured the imagination of all managers, especially the ones with much cash at their disposal. Everyone knew there would be a bidding war and eventually the one who offered the most cash to Zenit would prevail and in return have this creative attacking midfield maestro on their side by August.

But things didn't quite work out that way and instead we were subjugated to six months of endless speculations, unnecessary verbal volleys and a whole lot of drama. Don't get me wrong, following this particular transfer has been fun. It has kept things exciting to some level, but at the end of the day such melodramatic haggling practices might become detrimental in the long run.

What Arshavin has revealed is the business of football isn't as simple as it seems. Or maybe it's just business with these Russians. Not to sound racist or anything, but having been in the land of the Tzars, the KGB and eventually Putin there is some things you learn pick up. Both during and after the USSR, everytime I visited I  learned if there is one group of people that can make life or any professional dealing a living nightmare, it has to be the Russians.

Seriously, do some research if you don't understand what I mean. After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the transformation to a democratic Russia, the world saw for the first time a rise of a force that would take the world by storm, the Russian Mafia. Never heard of before the early 1990s, these guys outwitted and outdid the almost century old and infamous Cosa Nostra in just a matter of a few years. Suddenly the world became witness to petrol mixed with water, lowest grade vodka sold at premium prices with premium labels, and the flourishing of the illegal arms industry like never before.

What I am trying to get at here is that Russians just have a knack for always making the best money possible regardless of the consequences. Arshavin was an asset and Zenit knew they would always have the upper hand. They could afford to make life hell for all those interested in Arshavin and in the process they would get the best deal at the end of they day.

So the Russians proved their skills yet again. But this bargaining and haggling seems to be getting a strong foothold in the EPL even outside the Russian circle, which takes me back to my original point of such practices having a negative consequence in the sport. Robbie Keane's return to Spurs was yet another classic example.

Football club executives will always try and get the best deals possible. It's all about the bottom line. But what I question is whether these same people ever have any consideration for their potential future players. Let alone all the speculation reported in the media everyday, the players themselves go through some rough emotional roller coaster rides.

I would hate to be Keane right now. It is pretty much the same as being a ping pong ball honestly. How does one focus and give 100 percent when placed in a situation like he is in. Or Arshavin for that matter, who arrives in London thinking the deal is finalised only to wake up the next morning, the last day of the transfer window, to hear the deal had been called off yet again and that he's expected to be back in St. Petersburg immediately. And when he's just about to board the plane he gets another call; and he might be staying after all.

How can any player not be affected by such dealings? Why would they even want to play for either team anymore when they have been treated as nothing more than just mere commodities? Well, I'm just glad this window is now officially over and done with. Let's pray the Arshavin and Keane sagas we saw this time around were one of those rare exceptions when it comes to transfers, and not a new standard.

Yesterday was supposed to be a blockbuster day for sporting enjoyment, especially for us in Asia as a fortunate result of our time zone position on the globe. A late Sunday lunch to get over Saturday night’s excesses was followed by a relaxed gander round the shops on a day when the crowds seemed to stay away.  

Post-Chinese New Year is a great time as most people are busy with their families or huddled in groups over the blackjack table. I felt delightfully blissful as a settled down to a mid afternoon pint to enjoy the Australian Open final between the world’s two best tennis players: Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. 

Those two have elevated tennis to a different level. The number of amazing shots they come up with in a match is just staggering. They are like sport’s answer to Matrix’s Neo and Agent Smith. They are the yin and yang of the tennis world that serves up technique and skill from a different dimension.  

But there was more to look forward to for the rest of the day. There was the Tyne-side derby between Newcastle and Sunderland, before the main event featuring Liverpool and Chelsea. After the exhilaration of the tennis, sadly football failed to delight in the same way. 

Sunderland were denied a victory when a highly dubious penalty was awarded to Newcastle when Steven Taylor went down in the box. The Black Cats were the more enterprising of the two sides but did not receive just rewards for their efforts. However the incident did not hide the poor quality of the game where both sides were to blame. 

The main event of the day also proved to be a disappointment. Chelsea and Liverpool games always seem to contain a lot of tension and little else. Neither side could get any fluent attacking going. All the talk would be about Frank Lampard’s harsh red card but neither side looked like breaking the other one down until Chelsea went down to 10 men. Liverpool probably deserved their victory just for putting in more effort into trying to get three points but again quality was sorely lacking in the last third of the pitch as they found it hard to carve up a dogged Chelsea team. 

Yes, poor refereeing decisions marred both games on Sunday night. But if this is the best of the Premiership on such an eagerly anticipated weekend clash between two title contenders, then we would be more entertained somewhere else. Try watching a Nadal-Federer match the next time it happens - at least they never seem to disappoint in terms of both quality and in terms of dramatic value.

One special night in the month of May in 1968, the crimsoned squad of Manchester United fell to their knees with tears rolling down their cheeks. The feeling was new; of glory and splendor never seen. Years of struggles, losses and heartache, brought them to this moment. The emotions could not be guarded any longer as they embraced the sweet taste of victory. Europe had been conquered and the horror of Munich laid to rest. 

Yet, 6 years later, Manchester United were relegated.

The 90’s saw the rebirth of the club. Fergies fledglings, led by King Cantona and the fiery Roy Keane grew wings and reached that very pinnacle again. With the quickfire goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Solskjaer that dramatic Catalunian night in the Nou Camp, the ribbons of Bayern Munich - which adorned club football's most coveted trophy - were quickly replaced by the red and white of Manchester's. 

The years that followed saw United enter a slow decline. Losses to Bayern Leverkusen amongst others in the Champions League saw the once hungry Red Devils slide into mediocrity - a level of mediocrity that might still have been beyond the wildest dreams of most other clubs but still mediocre nonetheless when you compare it by the standards that Sir Alex Ferguson had set for his team in recent years.  Three years on, United achieved their lowest Premier League finish in a decade before going four years with only one FA Cup to show. 

The ghosts of the Holy Grail haunted United yet again. Drinking the wine of European glory seemed to satiate their desire for seasons to come. With the same squad resuming this season, predictions surrounding the champions of Europe were cautious. Howlers by Edwin van De Sar saw United slow off the blocks. Injuries to key players such as Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Nemanja Vidic seemed to threaten United’s core. Victories slipped as the attacking trident of Ronaldo, Paul Scholes and Dimitar Berbatov struggled to find their scoring touch. The situation was all too familiar for football historians.  

As Liverpool dominated the standings in the first half of the season, United flew to Japan to compete in the FIFA World Club Championship. A dismal United showing was on the cards, akin to the 2000 edition. Led the by the return to form of Rooney, United toppled the best from every continent to crown themselves Champions of the World. Van Der Sar’s renewed confidence shored up the United backline as they rolled into the record books, overtaking Chelsea and Peter Cech in the count for the most consecutive clean sheets in the League. And 11 games without conceding a goal has seen them leapfrog both Liverpool and Chelsea to stand 2 points clear at the top with a game in hand. 

With the Charity Shield and World Club Championship already in the bag, the League Cup Final waiting, a place in the last 16 of the FA Cup and progress to the knock-out stages of this season's European Cup come February, while being top of the table at the moment with a chance to go 5 points clear, and you can see why United's fans have a fire in their hearts. This is not the United of the past. That ghost has been laid to rest. The last supper has been digested and they are hungry for another feast - a feast that will only be complete with the wine of the Holy Grail. Only a certain Jose Mourinho stands in the way.

As in other dire times of need, fans will be looking at the mythical Rafa Benitez for his tactical and motivational wizardry to guide Liverpool out of the doldrums. As the saying goes, the Reds can't buy a win at the moment. Yet, in recent weeks, Benitez himself seems to have masterminded Liverpool's current slide. While Benitez deserves much of the credit for guiding his team to phenomenal performances, as in their European Cup win, it seems like he also deserves a bulk of the blame for their recent slump.  

Last night’s game again saw Benitez's typically cautious behaviour that may have cost his side all three points. Resting Fernando Torres and taking off Steven Gerrard against a battle hardened Wigan side who were playing at home was risky, especially being only a goal up. The lack of ambition from of a top-four side is hardly what you would expect at this stage of the season, not to mention, a recipe for disaster.

While they maintained much of the possession and goal-scoring opportunities, Liverpool failed to capitalise, allowing Wigan to draw level with a penalty. Robbie Keane’s late entry into the game was barely noticeable against a revived Wigan. If Keane has failed to integrate himself within the squad, Benitez has been abysmal at incorporating Keane into Liverpool's attacking set up. It’s not hard to imagine Keane decamping at the very next opportunity, bar for the fact that he very much wants to stay and play for his boyhood team.

While Benitez may have found solace in statistics, incanting past season victories and their improved performance this season, his managerial grip seems to be slipping. It’s more likely you’ll see a Dodo bird in your life then to see the master tactician admit that he is clueless. But that’s what seemed to have happened, as their performances against mid-table clubs continue to be an excruciating thorn in their sides especially when they lose unnecessary points. Having met Everton twice in a week, Benitez should have been able to unpick their arch-rivals, but instead, it was Everton’s Cahill that had unsettled and surprised the Reds on both occasions.  

Who could blame Liverpool fans for painting the town Red prematurely? Their splendid start to the season, which included victories over United and Chelsea seem to herald a new era in the Premiership, and one with a very nostalgic possibility; a league title that has eluded them for twenty long years. But the celebrations have somewhat been muted at Anfield, and Liverpool now faces a visiting Chelsea side for the fight for second spot, an ominous perspective for Liverpool coming into the weekend. And with United unlikely to lose at home to Everton, Liverpool has little hope of regaining their top spot. Let’s hope they don’t get too comfortable in their current position. Catching United in the league and beating them to the title is still a feat that I’m sure Liverpool fans will be hoping to achieve.