So, it happens again, Liverpool, my club, sign a player I have openly despised for quite some time. Craig Bellamy, with memories of Paul Ince back in 1997 fresh in my mind, arrives at Anfield with hopes of helping the club clinch the League title for the first time since 1990, and a reputation as a trouble maker.

The comparison with Ince is perhaps unfair on the self-proclaimed ?Guv?nor?, who, although a mouthy so-and-so with a reputation for fall-outs with fans, team-mates and managers, kept his public behaviour under control and his newspaper appearances were largely limited to the back pages rather than the front. Craig Bellamy however, has had a number of brushes with the law, cautioned and fined for assault and threatening behaviour, and his public outbursts have brought the wrath of managers and press alike. So, a comparison with Lee Bowyer (who Liverpool were close to signing a few years ago) would perhaps be more fitting. At the time I was relieved that the Bowyer signing fell through, I wouldn?t have to justify anything to anyone, or try and defend the indefensible, but I will not have that luxury this time.

So, we have our own mouthy criminal at our famous old club! It?s with this that my mind drifts back to one of my favourite footballers of all time, the ?Great Dane? that was Jan Molby. His range of passing and thunderbolt shots made him a hero of all Anfield, but he too fell foul of the law, jailed for three months for drink driving and evading arrest in 1988. Molby returned, Liverpool FC and its fans forgave him, and he stayed at Anfield for another seven years? his battles with weight only adding to the legend. Double standards on my behalf?

We all know that had Liverpool not had the great goal scoring drought at the turn of the year, they would have finished well clear in second place (and challenged Chelsea for the title, maybe, possibly??), and Bellamy found the net 17 times in 32 games last season - form that far outstripped that of all our strikers. He also offers something different to what we have available at the minute, he adds pace and great control when running with the ball to the shear brilliance of Fowler?s finishing and awkwardness of Crouch, which can only be good. So, on the field of play at least he should be a great asset, and at ?6 million probably a bargain compared to some of the other players we’ve been linked with!

It?s off the field, and his relationship with boss and colleagues, that worries me somewhat. Has a spell under the hardman Mark Hughes tamed the beast in a way that another hardman, Graeme Souness, couldn?t? How will Rafa handle this particularly British trait of hard-drinking, hard-living footballer? Frankly, it?s an unknown, but in Rafa we trust!

Still, it could be worse; we could be trying to sign that wee runt Jermaine Pennant?

The Premiership looks set to start off in sedate fashion with none of the big clubs having been placed against each other in their opening fixture.

Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea all enjoy home advantage against Aston Villa, Fulham and Manchester City respectively while new boys Sheffield United host Liverpool, Watford travel to Goodison Park to play Everton and Reading host Middlesbrough at the Madejski stadium.

With plenty of transfer activity in store for next month once the World Cup draws to a close it’s hard to tell just how any of the respective sides will line up but with this week’s cruciate ligament injury ruling him out for at least the rest of the year, Michael Owen will play no part in Newcastle’s opeing game at home to Wigan Athletic.

Arsenal v Aston Villa
Bolton v Tottenham
Chelsea v Man City
Everton v Watford
Man Utd v Fulham
Newcastle v Wigan Athletic
Portsmouth v Blackburn
Reading v Middlesbrough
Sheff Utd v Liverpool
West Ham v Charlton

For the last few years I’ve railed against Chelsea and Roman Abramovich for their spendthrift ways and their ability to buy a mid-sized West London club the title two years on the trot when before they could have played another fifty years and never sniffed such glory but I always thought that they were a menace because they had such an unfair advantage all to themselves.

Hearing the rumours of Uncle Roman’s proposed deal to buy Didier Zokora, star of Ivory Coast’s World Cup campaign, and loan him out straight away to his old friend Alexandre Gaydamak who has bought control of Portsmouth really makes the veins on my forehead throb. We’ve seen him sign Alexei Smertin to send some money to his friends in Russia and then loan him out to other clubs in successive seasons and the same with Jiri Jarosik who has now seemingly collected enough cash and has moved on to Celtic to actually play a bit of football in a settled environment but I’m getting pretty tired of this old friends network skewing the Premiership even further.

Maybe the fans of Portsmouth, Charlton and Birmingham who benefit from having these players join them and don’t have to fork out cash for them in transfer fees think it’s a great idea but is there any football fan who hasn’t wondered at what is going on behind the scenes with these deals?

Roman Abramovich isn’t just a cash splashing village idiot from Siberia, he’s cold and calculating and this latest stunt with Zokora is proof of it. If Zokora goes for the money and joins Chelsea before being immediately farmed out then we’ll be able to draw some conclusions of his main motivation with his career, if not then “tu salut” Mr. Zokora, I’m sorry I doubted you. Roman’s main aim with the Zokora signing will be to disrupt the transfer plans of his nearest rivals in the only way he knows how: spend a lot of money to prevent them getting the players they want.

He’s done it before with Scott Parker and most famously with the ludicrous price he paid for bench warmer Shaun Wright Philips. Liverpool and Arsenal may have been interested in SWP at ?15m but at ?23m they realised the lack of value and backed out. Once again money ruled over everything else for both player and club. Manchester City must have been rubbing their hands with glee, ditto Charlton with Parker. Good old Roman sharing the cash around, isn’t he a great fella?

I’m sure the Glazers at Manchester United are seeing him for what he is though, Roman didn’t step in with a ?15m bid when they were selling Phil Neville so maybe he’s not quite as cash happy as everyone makes out. Same with Arsenal when they sold Patrick Vieira.

I’ve seen the future of English football and it isn’t pretty, the continued presence of the Russian billionaires makes it even worse and sadly for the fans, the Premiership chairmen with their noses in the trough, sucking up whatever Uncle Roman gives them, don’t even care.

The first two games of the World Cup have had a few surprises, some disappointments, and only two teams (Argentina and Spain) showing true class. Going into the final matches for each group, there are many countries with a chance to advance, and only a few meaningless games.

Group A

Both Ecuador and Germany are both on six points and will be playing to avoid England in the next round. While Germany have two convincing wins, Ecuador’s pacy forwards could take advantage of the host’s defense and pull an upset. Ecuador just need a draw to top the group. Niether Poland nor Costa Rica have a chance of advancing.

Group B

England plays Sweden in a match-up of two teams who have yet to live up to their potential, and are progressing slowly. Much will depend on the fitness of their main strikers, Wayne Rooney for England and Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Sweden. Trinidad and Tobago still have a chance to get to the Round of 16 if England wins and they defeat Paraguay by a few goals. Paraguay have looked awful in their first two matches and could be thinking about the plane ride home. T&T seem inspired and could pull off the miracle. Second place could be decided on goal difference. England will advance in first place with a win or a draw.

Group C

Holland and Argentina are both assured of advancing to the next round and it’s unclear whether the two teams will play to win or will use the match to play some reserve players and rest their starters. Argentina has looked flawless so far and should win regardless of whom they play. Sadly there is no place for the Ivory Coast in the next round but they should have a bright future. Serbia and Montenegro have been one of the biggest disappointments of the finals and they will be happy when it ends.

Group D

One of the worst performances in Mexican history against Angola this past weekend gives the Africans a slight hope of advancing into the next round. If Portugal win, and they should, the Africans could leap over Mexico if goal difference is in their favor. This would be historic for Angola and a national disaster for the North Americans who see themselves as a world power. Iran should be proud of their performances but still do not have the quality to get the results they desire.

Group E

The newly crowned Group of Death sees every team with a decent chance of advancing. Unlikely though it is, Italy can still be knocked out of the tournament so they will be playing to win against the Czech Republic. Italy are through with a draw or win. The Czechs could be through with a draw but really need a win. As they are not the same team without Jan Koller and Milan Baros, an Italian win looks likely. If this happens, then the winner of the Ghana v USA match will go through. The Africans seem most likely to advance although you never know how the Americans will play.

Group F

Brazil has already advanced to the next round and the biggest question for them is whether coach Carlos Parreira is brave enough to start Robinho in the place of the useless (okay that’s a strong word) Ronaldo. Brazil are a different team with Robinho up front and Parreira should be strong enough to make the call. The other three teams in the group still have a chance of qualifying and the possibilities are endless. Japan could benefit from Brazil playing a mostly meaningless game or they could just as easily fall apart as they have been inconsistent and they are playing Brazil. The Australia v Croatia winner likely goes through and you have to think the Socceroos have the edge as coach Guus Hiddink has instilled in them the organization and guile to go deep in the tournament, where Croatia still do not look comfortable in the final third, having yet to score a goal.

Group G

The biggest disappointment of the tournament so far has to be the play of France. To advance they will need to defeat Togo probably by 3 goals to leapfrog Switzerland and/or South Korea. The French will have to do it without Zinedine Zidane who has possibly played his final match for Les Bleus as he is disqualified for yellow card accumulation. This could actually help the French as maybe coach Raymond Domonech will be forced to play a 4-4-2 instead of his previous system, which unsuccessfully isolated striker Thierry Henry. With a partner he can be the proficient goalscorer he is with Arsenal. The winner of South Korea v Switzerland automatically goes through. The Koreans were not supposed to play so well outside the friendly confines of their own home, but have surprised with their speed, fitness, and determination, the same factors that propelled them to the semifinals four years ago.

Group H

Spain has been very impressive in their two wins by a combined total of 7-1. They may rest players in a meaningless match against Saudi Arabia. Tunisia and Ukraine will play in Berlin with the winner moving on. Ukraine are certainly the favorites after recovering from their 4-0 defeat at the hands of Spain to defeat Saudi Arabia by the same score. Ukraine advance with a draw, Tunisia needs a win.

After surviving the ’90s with barely a central midfielder on the professional books at White Hart Lane (who can forget the mid ’90s Gerry Francis pairing of Darren Anderton and Andy Sinton at centre midfield?) it looks like Daniel Levy and chums are intent on chasing, signing then selling every midfielder in Europe to balance things up.

My rant last week about Manchester United’s blatant attempt to unsettle Michael Carrick seems to have had the desired effect with the much vaunted Geordie preparing to sign for United for a reputed fee of ?15m. So much for loyalty in football (as if I ever believed in it anyway). Saying that ?15m represents a handsome profit on a player who only cost around ?2.75m from West Ham and if we were some homebased business selling antique candlesticks on Ebay we’d consider it a damn fine piece of business.

Sadly Tottenham Hotspur is a football club were the profit should always be a nice by-product of losing a player rather than the main reason for selling them and although Levy and the board are supposedly not too happy at losing Carrick I’m sure the idea of making him sit his contract out in the reserves will be overridden by the thought of 15 very large ones in their pocket and no chance of another Sol-style Bosman mishap.

In some good news Stephen Reid has signed a new four year deal at Blackburn Rovers and the rumours circulating of his impending arrival seem to have been premature. I’m not overly concerned because his signing would have smacked of a David Pleat style move, more Hoddle than Jol and hardly a major step forward as we try to bridge those last elusive few poinst to Champion’s League qualification next season.

Didier Zokora of St. Etienne and the Ivory Coast looks a lot more likely however with Mr. Commolli’s good relations with his old employers at St. Etienne hopefully proving the deciding factor for us rather than the intervention of ‘Appy ‘Arry at Portsmouth with a wallet overflowing with his own Russian gangster’s wedge. Zokora has looked rather good in the couple of World Cup games I’ve seen him in but then so did Ilie Dumitrescu back in 1994 and we all know how that finished up (for Ilie it finished at our usual dumping ground of West Ham which should be warning enough for Zokora).

Knowing Spurs we’ll probably pick up one of those Togo players who were too busy asking for their money to want to play in the World Cup. Sounds just like a few Spurs players over the last ten years that I could (but won’t) name…

No surprise there then as I wouldn’t have been totally shocked to see Sven play Wayne Rooney against Trinidad and Tobago from the start either. It’s quite obvious that England (and by default, Sven) are pinning their entire hopes for achieving anything resembling success at this World Cup on Wayne Rooney and I think it’s both a kop out on everyone else’s behalf and a damning indictment of the Sven / Steve McLaren regime.

I’m not going to mention the Theo Walcott selection again because it doesn’t even start there, they’ve got a squad full of quality players. What World Cup squad wouldn’t be overjoyed to have the likes of John Terry, Gary Neville, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Michael OWen in their ranks? Quality players with the experience at the top level to make other teams hurt when it comes down to it but Sven, after so many eyars in the job, still has no idea how to make them function as an effective team and can owe the gratitude for not succumbing to another humiliating defeat to minnows Trinidad & Tobago to John Terry’s first half goal line clearance.

Frank Lampard looks like a world beater in his role for Chelsea, Steven Gerrard likewise for Liverpool, Michael Owen scores goals for fun wherever he’s played and yet Sven can find no way of playing these three men together to the best of their combined abilities. Brazil can incorporate the individual talents of Kaka, Robinho, Adriano, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo in an attacking quintet which works and Sven can’t quite juggle the tactics to get the best out of two hard working, goal scoring midfielders and a nippy goalscoring striker?

Don’t let the thought of Sven leaving give England fans hope for the future either. Remember who is the tactical brains behind the current England management team and then think of who is going to take over the England job.

Too much pressure on Wayne Rooney as an individual and nowhere near enough pressure on the idea-less coaches who are holding the side back from doing their best. I know who I’d be blaming once they do go out and it won’t be the Scouser with the looks of Shrek and the footballing touch of an angel.

So World Cup 2006 has begun and already we?ve seen some stellar individual performances, and aside from the peerless Juan Roman Riquelme, three other players have caught my eye. Those players? Arjen Robben, Didier Drogba and Michael Essien. Of course, you?ll immediately realise that these three are all Chelsea players, and that is what is most interesting about them. All three were outstanding in their respective countries opening games, which led me to think ? when was the last time they played so well for Chelsea?

Against Serbia and Montenegro (who were admittedly rather lacklustre) Robben produced a scintillating display of old-fashioned wing play, his direct, pacy running caused the Serbian back four all sorts of problems, and proved that you don?t need fancy tricks to beat a man (were you watching Cristiano Ronaldo?). The thing is, it?s been a long time since Robben performed like that for Chelsea regularly, and certainly did not approach such peaks in the season just gone. Freed from Mourinho?s tactical shackles, the Dutchman was allowed the freedom by Marco van Basten to play to his strengths.

For Chelsea, he is expected to work hard and to track back, and while most managers would like their players to work for the team in this way, sometimes you have to accept that this does not suit all players. No matter how hard Mourinho tries he will never make Robben into the kind of hard-working, defensively-minded player he clearly craves, and by expecting Robben to play this way he is stifling a player who, on his day, is one of the most exciting players in Europe.

For Holland, Robben is allowed to largely neglect any defensive duties and concentrate solely on attacking. Look at his goal against the Serbians ? when van Persie flicked the ball on Robben was Holland?s most advanced player, playing off the shoulder of the nearest centre back, and when he times his runs correctly his blistering pace means that he?s unlikely to be caught. Chelsea should use Robben in this way as well. With a team shot through with as much quality as theirs is they can afford to allow Robben the freedom to roam and to attack the way that Holland do. Certainly it would bring more flair to a side often criticised as dour and workmanlike throughout the course of last season.

Essien, it seems, has a similar problem to Robben. It would appear Mourinho regards the Ghanian as an alternative ? and successor ? to Claude Makelele. Now, while Essien is undoubtedly an excellent central midfielder, a Makelele he is not. The Frenchman?s forte is staying back, breaking down attacks and keeping possession with simple short passes. Essien is much more attack-minded than that. He produced a powerhouse performance for Ghana, overpowering an Italy midfield that was hardly short of quality itself. Essien?s barnstorming forward runs were reminiscent of his Lyon days and the form that earned him that ?24m pound move to England.

It is unfortunate that if you mention Essien to any English football fan and they will probably be reminded of a couple of infamous fouls he committed in his first season rather than any memorable performances, yet Essien on Monday looked a different player to the man who has flattered to deceive thus far in his Chelsea career, and again we must question why, and again it brings us back to Mourinho?s tactics.

Essien, once memorably described as ?a bundle of muscles? is a real box-to-box midfielder and the possessor of a very decent shot, yet the tactical rigidity of Chelsea?s system stymies his best qualities. He is strong, quick and has the stamina to run all day, yet for Chelsea his forays into the opposition penalty box are rare (perhaps for the fear that he and Lampard will cancel one another out, in the way that Gerrard and Lampard do for England), but to use Essien simply as a Makelele-style holding player negates many of his best qualities ? something that Paul Le Guen understood, but Mourinho does not seem to.

The much-maligned Didier Drogba also showed against Argentina what a top-class striker he can be when he is really motivated. Clearly, he is desperate to do well for his country, and appears to thrive on the responsibility the Ivory Coast entrusts in him. For the Ivory Coast he is the captain and the main goal-threat, for Chelsea he is used merely as a battering ram to outmuscle physically weaker sides. For the Ivory Coast he is he focal point of their attacks, for Chelsea this is not always the case.

This is unfortunate for Drogba, who is unlikely ever to be ?the main man? at Chelsea, especially not now Andrei Shevchenko has been signed. Although having said that, the Ukrainians? signing could prove a boon to Drogba, as he seems to play better when paired with another up front (as he was for Marseille and is for the Ivory Coast) rather than as a lone front man. Who knows, next season, with Shevchenko for support, Chelsea might finally see the best of a player unfairly compared to Emile Heskey.

Some teams arrive at the World Cup as the finished product. They play well from the beginning and never let up. In 2002 Brazil won all three of their group games handily and never looked back.

Often though a team will use the group stages to prepare themselves for the knockout rounds. They have the quality to get past the lower level teams in their group, but need fine tuning if they are to succeed later against stronger teams.

In 1994, Italy barely made it out of their group, finishing third and surviving solely on goal differential. They ended up in the final. In Italia 90, Argentina also finished third in their group with an identical 1-1-1 record before playing in the final.

England fans will be hoping that their poor form will have the same results (except for maybe actually winning the final). They clearly have work to do, but there are signs that things could and should be looking up.

In yesterday’s 2-0 defeat of Trinidad & Tobago, Wayne Rooney’s appearance gave an immediate spark to a team that had previously seemed lost and he will almost certainly start from now on. Though Peter Crouch missed several easy chances, he was at least in a position to put the ball in the net and he did recover to put his team ahead.

The decision of coach Sven Goran Erikkson change to a 3-5-2 formation with David Beckham playing deeper and more central showed that maybe he is willing to take a few chances which also bodes well for England. And the addition of Aaron Lennon brought pace down the right side which England haven’t taken advantage of yet.

Its up to Sven to use the tools he has at his disposal, but if he does, England will most certainly improve as the tournament goes on.

In the end, while not living up to their expectations as far as form, England still haven’t given up a goal, are top of their group and with the return of Rooney, finally healthy at all positions.

Last night’s 1-0 defeat of Poland by Germany was a stark reminder at how much of a difference a small roster decision can make. Both teams were immensely affected by their decisions to include or not include certain players.

Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann decided he didn’t have enough speed in the lineup towards the end of the match. He called upon Oliver Neuville and David Odonkor. Neuville has appeared for his country 53 times and was certain to be on the World Cup roster. Though Odonkor had played for the U-21 and U-19 teams, he had no senior national team appearances and was called upon ahead of proven veteran Kevin Kuranyi.

The decision by Klinsmann to name Odonkor caused a huge backlash from the German public and press. But the coach defended himself saying the 22 year old “?gives us something we urgently need: speed, surprise and a bit of cheekiness.”

Klinsmann’s instincts were correct and Odonkor’s speed down the right side completely changed the complexion of the match, concluding with the injury time winner, started with a pass from Odonkor to Neuville.

Poland have not scored in their two World Cup matches and have looked bereft of ideas upfront. Curiously coach Pawel Janas decided to leave the Poles leading scorer during qualification, Tomasz Frankowski off of the team. Overall the striker, who plays for Wolverhampton in England, had scored 10 times in 18 national team appearances. But Janas was not convinced by Frankowski’s recent club form and he was left at home.

But in their matches against Germany and Ecuador, the Poles have not scored and have managed just 9 shots on target. Perhaps the next Polish coach, as Janas is sure to be replaced after this tournament, will get things right going into Euro 2008 qualification.

Chelsea have given Eidur Gudjohnsen permission to travel to Barcelona to open talks with the European champions on a possible ?8m deal. Gudjohnsen has been linked in the past few months to English clubs Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur but unsurprisingly his number one target is Barcelona who have enthralled all of European football this season with their attacking brand of football.

Gudjohnsen will be offered a three year deal at the Nou Camp as Barcelona complete their mission to replace Henrik Larsson who is returning to Sweden to play for Helsingborgs after playing a pivotal role in Barcelona’s European Cup final comeback against Arsenal after coming on as a second half substitute.

Despite being at Chelsea for six years, Gudjohnsen never really established himself as a first team regular and with chances limited even further over the past year after Chelsea signed Dider Drogba and Hernan Crespo returned from a loan spell at AC Milan, the Icelandic star now feels that it is better for his career to leave Stamford Bridge for pastures new and with Barcelona interested it seems to have been a wise choice.