Emmo’s Blog

Posted by Emmo on April 28, 2009

As I began to write this it started off as a “Liverpool have just come up short” piece but as I got halfway down it changed to a “why the blazes cant Liverpool still win the league?” piece

As it stands Utd are 3 points clear with a game in hand. That game in hand against Wigan who are in free fall at the moment and are managed by Utd old boy Steve Bruce. In the other 4 games Utd face Borough, Manchester City, Arsenal & Hull.

If we are being realistic only City and Arsenal are capable of beating Utd.

Unfortunately for Liverpool by the time Utd face Arsenal the title could have already been claimed but what if Arsenal lose to  Utd in the Champions League semi final and want revenge or if Arsenal beat them in the CL and want to destroy Utds title charge as well? If there’s one team (along with us) that’s capable of beating Utd 3 times or not losing to Utd in the next few weeks then its inform Arsenal. I guess the worst possible scenario is that Arsenal get through to the CL final and rest players against Utd in the league. But Wenger has given Liverpool his word that Arsenal will be going to beat Utd at Old Trafford like they did at Anfield last week.

The we turn to the Blue half of Manchester who love to stop Utd in their tracks. Robinho has found his form again now the weathers a bit warmer and Stephen Ireland is in the form of his life. Utd were lucky to get (another) 1-0 at the Eastland’s earlier in the season and City will have a great incentive to beat Utd and possibly hand Liverpool the title.

Borough are fighting for their lives and Hull could also be relegated by the time they meet Utd so with that I really feel that Utd will (need to) come up short against City and Arsenal.

And that’s were Liverpool come in.

Liverpool face free falling Newcastle at Anfield on Sunday, a tricky tie at West Ham, a possibly relegated WBA and the final game of the season is at home to Spurs.

There is no reason that Liverpool can take 12 points from 12 out of these games. In my opinion only the West Ham game could cause us problems but if we are on our game then 3 points should be no problem. The way Spurs crumbled at Old Trafford gives Liverpool hope even if Spurs go 2-0 up at half time.

If Utd take 9 points from games against Hull, Borough & Wigan,  lose the other two and Liverpool win all 4 it will come down to goal difference which (just) favours Liverpool at the moment.

They say the team that wins the league in the best team over the course of the season.
I may be biased but for the first time this year that might well not be the case if we don’t win it. If Utd win the League it will be because Liverpool lost it. Silly draws against Stoke (twice), Fulham, Hull & West Ham will be the games that cost us. If Torres had been fit for these games then maybe they would have been wins. Ifs, buts and maybes but you know what I’m trying to say.
When Utd didn’t have Ronaldo at the start of the season they were near bottom. So if Utd can struggle with Ronaldo of course we will struggle at times without Torres.

This could still be our year.
YNWA

Posted under Football, LFC

Posted by Emmo on April 1, 2009

April fool’s day normally brings out a few tricks on the radio and newspapers but in the early hours of April 1st I thought Talksport had played the best one in years.
A few moments into Ian Collins’s late show the breaking news was that Alan Shearer was to become what seemed like Newcastle’s 37th manager this season.  It may have been April 1st but amazingly this was no wind up.

This is what Toon Army fans have wanted since the fiasco of Kevin Keegan, Dennis wise, Joe Kinnear and Chris Houghton. OK so Dennis Wise hasn’t had a go on the Newcastle management merry go round ride but his appointment caused King Kev to walk so ill include him. I just can’t understand why this (Shearer) appointment is so welcomed by the Toon.

I truly do not know what Newcastle United’s chairman Mike Ashley is doing in appointing sofa pundit Shearer as manager. Just because you appoint a legendry player as manager doesn’t mean success. The failures of players as managers far outweigh the success’s.

Ashley only needs to cast his eye over the North East to see that Middlesbrough and Sunderland are fighting relegation after employing ex-players as managers. Keane didn’t play for Sunderland but it was his first managerial job. He did excellently in his first season getting them promotion from the Championship but struggled in his 2nd season, his first in the Premiership and was sacked in his 3rd.

Gareth Southgate, the man who for some reason didn’t have to take his coaching badges to get the job has constantly seen his side flirt with the drop since his appointment. This season it looks as if that flirting will turn into a full blown affair with the Championship. Borough have won only 1 in 13 games (against Liverpool no less) and that is relegation form.

It’s no surprise that the top 4 teams in England have managers that have learnt their trade in the lower leagues. Only Ferguson was a successful player but he cut his cloth in Scotland. He did wonders at Aberdeen and eventually after 5 poor seasons turned it round at United. Both Benitez and Wenger were never good footballers and knowing this studied the game for years managing teams out of the top flight before being ready to take a job with a top club.

Due to his dicky ticker it was obvious that Kinnear could never carry but what does Alan Shearer bring  to the Newcastle table other than his popularity among supporters? Not a lot. Shearer hasn’t even been coaching a youth or reserve team. I doubt half the players at Newcastle have never even met Shearer. Some, especially the foreign players, may not even know who he is. The players Shearer played with have long gone as Newcastle have brought in expensive flop after flop in the last few seasons.

To confirm this totally bizarre arrangement it’s also been announced that Shearer is bringing football expert and coach Rob Lee to assist him!!!  Lee is Shearers golfing budding and just because they are best mates doesn’t get you 3 points on a Saturday afternoon. Like Shearer, Lee has spent most of his time since retirement as a pundit. Shearer can’t bring in any players due to the window now being shut and has 8 games to save them from the drop. He has to use the same players that the other managers had to use and all with no expertise in football management. He has his work cut out.

Of course Shearer has nothing to lose. He will always be a legend for Toon fans and they won’t be relegated due to these remaining 8 games. They are already in the bottom 3 on the strength of the 30 previous awful performances. The only strength Shearer may have is getting the best out of the forgotten man Michael Owen. But he still has to work with Martins and Amoebi and that’s a lot of training and time they don’t have to get them firing on all cylinders.

I really feel that Newcastle have a chance of being relegated. Shearers first game is against Chelsea (home) and they still have to play Liverpool, Spurs and Villa all away. The vital games if they are to survive are the home games against Middlesbrough & Portsmouth. If they are still struggling then the away game at Stoke will be their biggest game of the season.  You just can’t see where a run of form is going to kick in for them. They have been awful on the road this season and have taken some beatings at home as well so every game looks difficult for them.

I think Mike Ashley has to take a lot of blame to take for the state of the club. Hiring and firing at will causes no stability at the club. Players all always coming and going and I can’t remember Newcastle’s last good signing?
Ashley is certain to go at the end of the season but if the club is relegated then he won’t get a good price for the club. But the damage will have already been done by then. The “Cockney Mafia” will have bled the club and supporters dry leaving them facing trying to get back into the big time and that’s not easy. Just ask Charlton and Southampton supporters who are facing a 2nd relegation in 3 years.

As a Liverpool fan some of you may wonder why I have done this piece on Newcastle. The reason is that they contributed to 2 of the greatest games I have ever seen. The two 4-3 games in the 1990s are amazing and Newcastle played their part in that. Also I think every neutral football fan wanted them to beat Utd to the title in 1996. They were 12 points clear and blew it. I don’t think the club has ever truly recovered from that. Who knows where they would be now if they were Champions that year? Would they have been a Blackburn, one season wonders or would they have gone on to greater things? No one will ever know but even as a massive LFC fan I would have “loved it, loved it” if they had won the title that year.

Posted under Football, Other Football

Posted by Emmo on April 1, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

Shinedown – Sound Of Madness

Originally released in June 2008 the Sound Of Madness is US rockers Shinedown’s 3rd album.
Relativity unknown in UK the roumers began to surface in late 2008 that these guys were something special.
In Jan 09 the small concert venue in London that was booked had to be moved to a bigger building to contain their ever growing fan base. This was  largely down to the song Second Chance getting heavy rotation on metal channel Scuzz.

The bands new found popularity prompted their label to re-release Sounds Of Madness in early March 09.  The re-release has 13 songs which include 2 UK Bonus tracks (but for some reason no longer has the bands biggest hit Second Chance?) and is a superb collection of heavy rock & melodic tunes . One song even contains a full orchestra.

In front man Brent Smith they have someone who can not only write great songs but also has the voice to match those excellent lyrics. Smith can match his voice perfectly to the tempo of the song which is what’s needed as the album goes from heavy to mellow and back again.

The album kicks off with 3 fast paced songs (Devour, Sound Of Madness & Cry For Help) and only takes a moment to slow down during the albums 4th song The Crow & The Butterfly.
Shinedown seem at home with any type of song but I think they sound best in the slower moments. Don’t get me wrong I love heavy & fast songs but if a band can do a slower song well that to me that’s the sign of a great band.
Another reason for me to say that they seem best during slower moments is during Call Me the band use a full orchestra and are obviously proud of it.

Smith said “we wanted to push out the boundaries on this album. We wanted to think this isn’t possible then record the impossible.”

If you are thinking that maybe Shinedown are another Daughtry or Hinder think again because when they rock they rock. The bonus song The Energy is testament to that. A truly great rock song that I can’t believe was left of the original.

I don’t know why the song Second Chance is left off the re-release and it seems that its only available on the import copy. This is another excellent song so check out Scuzz as this song has to be heard.

2009 seems like it’s going to be huge for Shinedown. The have been hyped up but have the songs to back up that hype. The first great (re)release of 2009 is now out there.

My rating: 8/10

Track listing:

Devour
Sound Of Madness
Cry For Help
The Crow & The Butterfly
If You Only Knew
Sin With A Grin
What A Shame
Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide
Breaking Inside
Call Me
I Own You
The Energy
Son Of Sam

Posted under Album Reviews, Music