Barclay's Premier League Best XI and Review 2014

Man City lifted the trophy for the second time in three seasons.

It may be hard to believe, but another season of the Barclay's Premier League has come and gone.  There was no shortage of story lines this season between manager antics, the resurgence of a traditional power, and the title race again coming down to the last day.    If those stories don't suit you, how about the fall of a league giant or perhaps one the greatest relegation escapes in recent memory?  It was all there this year.

First off, congratulations are in order for Manchester City, who clinched their second title in three years by virtue of a 2-0 win over West Ham at the Etihad yesterday.  No disrespect to Liverpool, but City was the class of the league this season.  The biggest reason for this is defense.  City only yielded 37 goals this season, while Liverpool gave up 50.  Crystal Palace gave up 2 fewer goals than the Reds, and Hull City only gave up three more.  You can't say enough for Manuel Pellegrini and the job he did for City this season.

Of course the best defense in the league this year went to Chelsea.  They only gave up 27, ten fewer than City, who were in second place.  Unfortunately for Jose Mourinho's squad, they once again lacked the fire power to score with the likes of City and Liverpool.  Samuel Eto'o and Fernando Torres both scored some big goals along the way for the Blues, but neither proved able to score consistently and make themselves a constant threat up top.  Still, 3rd place and a run to the Champion's League semifinal is a decent year for Chelsea, and they'll certainly be looking to spend big this summer, with both Diego Costa and Edinson Cavani's names being bantered around the rumor mill.  It will also be interesting to see if Mourinho brings Romelu Lukaku into the fold after he had another great year on loan.

Back to Liverpool though.  What a tremendous season they had.  If not for a stinging home defeat to Chelsea and last week's huge stumble at Crystal Palace, they might have really pushed City to the limits.  However, the defense issue reared it's head at Selhurst Park, as Palace scored three goals in the last 11 minutes to tie Liverpool and all but end their title hopes.  Brendan Rodgers has brought Liverpool back into the Champions League and back into title relevance, but look for them to try to fix some of their issues at the back this summer.

But now, let's get to some awards, highs, and lows.   Let's start with a refresher on the Champions League Spots and teams that were relegated.

BPL Champions League Qualification Spots--
Manchester City
Liverpool
Chelsea
Arsenal.  (Playoff Qualification Round).

Teams Relegated From the BPL--
Cardiff City
Fulham
Norwich

As for the relegated folks, I seriously feel for Cardiff supporters.  I loved watching their matches and the passion they bring, despite having some flake of an owner try to alter their club identity to fit his National promotion agenda.  To that I say good riddance, Vincent Tan.  Fulham was just bad this year, and they were all over the place both in the transfer market and in the manager scene.  Hopefully they can find some stability in the Championship and bounce back up next year.  Norwich?  Meh.  They had a good run, but just couldn't sustain it.  Even the firing of Chris Hughton late in the season couldn't help them as they became the victim in Sunderland's great escape.

Surprise Team of the Year: CRYSTAL PALACE
Palace looked to be in serious trouble at midseason, bleeding goals and scoring none themselves.  They were mired in the bottom three and looked to be a good bet for relegation.  Then they did something incredibly smart, they hired Tony Pulis.  Pulis had been instrumental in Stoke's BPL rise, but was let go after last season as the Potters wanted to go in a different direction from Pulis's defensive style.  As it turns out, that defensive style was just what the doctor ordered for Palace.  They found themselves not only propelled out of the bottom three, but all the way to an 11th place finish.  I'll be looking forward to seeing them in the league again next season.

Disappointment of the Year: MANCHESTER UNITED
Is there any way that this can go to any other club?  The appointment of David Moyes turned out to be a complete disaster as United fell from champions to seventh, behind Moyes' old club Everton.  The defense was a complete screw up for most of the season and United suffered with injuries in the attack with Wayne Rooney and RvP missing significant time.  Moyes bought Juan Mata in January, but that seemed nothing more than a booby prize in the end as the former Chelsea man failed to be a game changer in the midfield and was often a defensive liability.  In the end, Moyes was sacked and Ryan Giggs guided United to an unremarkable finish, but at least he wasn't Moyes.  That brings us to our....

Story of the Year: David Moyes, damaged goods.
Moyes was the hand picked successor to Sir Alex, and hey, he won the Community Shield, but it was all down hill from there for United.  A decent run in the Champions League wasn't enough to save Moyes, as he often looked like he was in way over his head with the pressure on, something he didn't have to deal with much at Everton.  Is he really damaged goods now?  It will be interesting to see where he ends up.  Somebody will give him a shot.

And now finally here is the Puddle's Best XI for the Barclay's Premier League, 2014.  I'm sure all the players mentioned will value this extremely high honor.....ahem.

GK--David De Gea: Manchester United

Defenders--Branislav Ivanovic: Chelsea.  Gary Cahill: Chelsea.   Vincent Kompany: Manchester City. Leighton Baines: Everton.

Midfielders--Adam Lallana: Southampton.  Steven Gerrard: Liverpool.  Yaya Toure: Manchester City.  Eden Hazard: Chelsea.

Forwards--Luis Suarez: Liverpool.  Daniel Sturridge--Liverpool.

Player of the Year--Luis Suarez: Liverpool

Manger of the Year--Brendan Rodgers: Liverpool.

One last note, I want to thank NBC Sports for the tremendous job they did in their first year with the BPL broadcast rights.  It was so awesome to be able to watch any match I wanted to, live or on demand.  Now we just need to get Rebecca Lowe on twitter.

I hope you all enjoyed the BPL season as much as I did.  With the World Cup and the summer transfer window coming up, there will be plenty to talk about this summer, but I can't wait for August.

Opinion: Bitey Suarez Isn't a Victim; 10 Match Ban Just Fine

Maybe somebody should actually FEED Luis Suarez (thesun.co.uk)

If you're not a regular reader here or a twitter follower, let me state one thing just right up front.  I'm a Chelsea fan, so I'm not pretending that my thoughts here are unbiased.  In fact, they're heavily biased, that's why I put the word "opinion" in the title.  Also, I'm not sure anybody questions the ability that Luis Suarez has to do some amazing things on the pitch.  He's a great goal scorer and can dish out the assists as well.  Unfortunately, it could be that his other antics have finally gone too far this time.

The FA has hit Suarez with a violent conduct charge and a ten game ban after Suarez bit Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic during their 2-2 draw at Anfield last weekend.  Suarez was not punished during the match and was still on the pitch to score a last minute equalizer when, had the referee gotten a good look at the incident, one would think he would have been red carded.  For his part, Suarez accepted the violent conduct charge, but disputed that the usual three game ban was not enough.  His pleas fell on deaf ears at the FA, which they rightly should have.  More on that in a minute.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, after condemning Suarez's act, has now come out and said that Suarez has been victimized by the FA, calling the ban overly harsh.  It's easy to see why Rodgers would do this.  Even with the acquisition of Daniel Sturridge, Liverpool has been pretty much a one man band up front with Suarez cranking out the hits, and dives, and yellows, and handballs, and now the bites.

Suarez is not a victim here.  Yes, it's true that Ivanovic was not injured on the play.  Still, Suarez made a choice to engage in an action that no sane footballer, let alone a sane human being, would undertake in the middle of a sporting match.  Suarez knew that he has a long prior disciplinary record with the FA, and had to imagine that the act would bring about a lengthy ban.  The FA had to put their foot down.  He made a deliberate choice to do what he did, knowing the punishment could be harsh, and did it anyway.  For Rodgers to portray him as a victim is idiotic, and goes far beyond a manager sticking up for his player.  Some things are indefensible.

So why is the ten match ban for Suarez just about right?  I'll give three reasons.

First, as mentioned earlier, Suarez has a long disciplinary history with the FA in his short time in England.  To put it more simply, his reputation now precedes him.  Of course the biggest issue prior to this was was the eight match ban he earned for racially abusing United's Patrice Evra.  I'm not buying his explanation that "that's how we say stuff back at home."  Evra's race didn't need to come into at all, period, and Bitey learned that lesson the hard way.  He's had violent conduct bans before as well, plus he is a known cheater.  He's one of the biggest divers in the Premier League and has shown his willingness to risk a handball when he thinks he can get away with it.

Second, Suarez has bitten people during matches before.  A little over two years ago Bitey sank his teeth into PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal, as seen in this pic from thetimes.co.uk:

Yum yum, right Bitey?

For that infraction, Suarez was handed a seven match ban by the Dutch FA.  Taking that into account, the English FA would have looked silly by going any less than seven, and being that it was a second incident, really had to make it more.  Something has to get installed in Bitey's brain that this behavior is unacceptable and is going to hurt both him and his club.  Period.

Finally, Liverpool have to be given a reason to either regulate Suarez's behavior on their own, or send him packing.  For two years now Liverpool managers, first King Kenny and now Rodgers, have looked the other way and winked at Bitey while he cheats and perpetrates his antics on the pitch.  "Just keep scoring the goals, Bitey, and we'll brush everything else under the rug."  Hell, they even wore tshirts supporting him during the racism row, yet I'm sure Liverpool fans would feel pretty hard done by if someone directed that word at one of their black players, and rightly so.  Liverpool continue to take the results and the goals and are given little if any incentive to crack down on their player.  I can totally see the thought process going like this Sunday afternoon: "He'll get a three game ban, which is fine, because we're out of the running for this year anyway.  Then we can start again next year."  Well oops, Bitey will miss the first, what, six matches of the 2013-2014 campaign?  Now we're getting somewhere.  Give Rodgers a reason to control him, or sell him somewhere else where he can disgrace another league.

Liverpool is a proud football club with a glorious history that their supporters, players, staff, and owners should quite rightly be very proud of.  Their crest and banner inspire more passionate support and tradition than almost any other football club or sports team in the world, and again, rightly so.  One would think that the supporters, players, staff, and owners would be tired of this joker tarnishing their image.  I really hope Liverpool dumps him and gets a standup player worthy of the Premier League and the Liverpool crest.  Then maybe the headlines coming out of Anfield can get back to football instead of sounding like they're previews for the new season of The Walking Dead.

Liverpool Escape Mansfield Town With More Suarez Controversy

Luis Suarez clearly handled the ball on his match winning goal. (AP Photo)

Luis Suarez.  Is there a more controversial player today in the Premier League?  Perhaps Mario Balotelli, but to be fair, a lot of his "issues" happen off the pitch.  As for Suarez, he put himself right back in the thick of things in an FA Cup third round tie at Mansfield Town today, clearly settling the ball with his hand before banging into an empty net for what turned out to be the match winning goal for Liverpool.

The Reds visited the non-league side at One Call Stadium, where 93 places separated the clubs on the English pyramid.  Despite the rather horrendous condition of the pitch, Liverpool were able to employ their passing game early on to control the match.  It looked like they might run away with the proceedings after Jonjo Shelvey slipped a through ball to new man Daniel Sturridge in the seventh minute.  Sturridge easily tapped  the ball by Mansfield 'keeper Alan Marriott to make it 0-1 to Liverpool.  It was his first goal in a Liverpool shirt.

After that, Mansfield Town went into survival mode and were somewhat able to stymie Liverpool's offense, largely through the efforts of Marriott.  In the 15th minute he managed smother the ball as Sturridge once again drove on goal, then got low again in a 1v1 with Shelvey in the 29th to keep the score 0-1.

Manfield finally found their feet though, and weren't about to roll over for the EPL side.  Forward Matthew Green, in particular, gave Liverpool fits for much of the match.   In the 33rd minute he came up with Mansfield's best chance of the first half, driving a shot in on goal from the edge of the penalty area and forcing a good save out of Brad Jones for Liverpool

Toward the end of the first half Liverpool really sat back and started to absorb Mansfield's pressure, resigning themselves to try to hit on the counter attack.  It almost worked in the 45h minute as Sturridge again found himself through on goal.  He drove the ball along the ground toward the outside of the far post only to be foiled by Marriott, who hit the deck at full stretch, parrying the shot away to keep it 0-1 going into halftime.

Mansfield came out like a whirlwind in the second half and immediately took the match to Liverpool, heaping the pressure on Brad Jones' goal.  In the 52nd minute Green put a ball on target that Jones was able to haul in, but not before it took a bounce off of a Liverpool player's hand.  It would not be the last controversial handball no-call of the match.  One minute later Louis Briscoe slammed a shot in from aways out, but Jones was again up to the task.

Knowing his team needed a second goal in a bad way, Brendan Rodgers subbed Luis Suarez into the game.  He made an immediate impact and caused immediate controversy.  In the 58th minute, he used chaos in the box for cover as he raised his right hand, settling the bouncing ball down to his foot.  Now having the ball under control, he tapped it into the net for the second goal, with all the Mansfield town players instantly screaming for handball.  Suarez even kissed his arm as he celebrated, but it seemed everyone in the stadium saw it except for the referee and the linesman, and the goal stood.  It really was obvious.

The "goal" really took the steam out of Mansfield, and the match devolved into a scrappy affair on both sides as the pitch continued to scar up.  However hope was restored to Mansfield fans in the 79th minute.  Colin Daniel crossed the ball into the box where Green was waiting for it.  He turned it toward the goal, where it defected off of a couple of different players and in to make it 1-2 with 11 minutes left.

Mansfield piled on the pressure in the final minutes, but was never able to get the equalizer.  They came the closest in the first minute of stoppage time when Green cranked a shot in on target, but once again Jones turned him away to preserve the full time score at 1-2 to Liverpool.

So in the end, Liverpool moves on in controversial style.  Mansfield Town acquitted itself very well though as Liverpool's second line players again failed to impress.  As for Suarez, as much as he handles the ball, he should take up goalkeeping.  You have to feel for Mansfield, who really were hard done by.

Transfers Kick Off: Sturridge to Liverpool

Forward Daniel Sturridge has signed a deal at Liverpool (football.co.uk)

The January transfer window has been open less than two days, and already Liverpool is off to an active start.  Today they have announced that they have acquired Chelsea forward Daniel Sturridge and signed him to a long term deal.  The move has been long rumored, as Liverpool had sought him in the last transfer window.  It is thought that the transfer fee was around 12 million pounds.

Sturridge, the former Manchester City product, has been frustrated at his lack of playing time at Chelsea and hinted early this season that he was ready to move on.  He has scored 24 goals in 96 career EPL matches, including 8 goals during a loan stint at Bolton that lasted for five months.  He has started 31 matches in his EPL career.  Recently his playing time has been hampered by a couple of nagging injuries.

Liverpool hopes that the 23 year old will take some of the load off of Luis Suarez, who has been left as the club's only viable strike option after Andy Carroll was loaned out to West Ham and Fabio Borini was sidelined with a broken foot after failing to impress early on.  Both Sturridge and Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers have said that they expect him to stay at the club for a long time.  That remains to be seen.

It also remains to be seen if Sturridge can handle the the load as a top line striker.  A lot of his production has come from the substitute's bench.    It will also be interesting to see if he can remain healthy.  Still, he'll be number 2 behind Suarez, and if he can develop chemistry with the Uruguayan, it could end up being a major coup signing for Liverpool.

On the international level, he represented Great Britain at last summer's Olympic games in London.

Europa League: Udinese Downs Liverpool at Anfield

Giovanni Pasquale celebrates his goal for Udinese (Sporting Life)

Do you remember all those good feelings around Liverpool after they thumped Norwich last weekend?  Well, after yesterday's Europa League loss, neither do they.  The Reds held their own in the first half against Italian side Udinese, but a dismal performance in the second half doomed them to a loss that not even Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard could rescue them from.

Now to be fair, Udinese are obviously a much better side than Norwich, but one would still fancy Liverpool to do better at Anfield.  While Udinese generally looked better at the opening, both sides traded chances from set pieces in the first 15 minutes.  In the 8th minute Sebastian Coates headed a corner low toward the bottom of the Udinese goal, but Zeljko Brkic made a great save for the Italians.  Then in minute 14 Mehdi Benatia got his head to a free kick for Udinese, but like his counterpart, Pepe Reina was up to the task, parrying the ball the around the post to keep the match level.

Liverpool got the first goal of the match on 23 minutes, slightly against the run of play.  Stewart Downing sent a cross into the area that Jonjo Shelvey connected with on a late run.  The midfield man headed a nice shot down past Brkic to make it 1-0 to Liverpool.

After conceding the first goal, Udinese went into a little bit of a funk.  The closest they got to an equalizer in the first half was from a shot by Antonio Di Natale, who curled the ball just wide of the top corner of Reina's goal in the 29th minute.  However, despite the increase in possession, the Reds could not up their lead and the half ended on the 1-0 score line.

Udinese made them pay for that right off in the second half.  They made an attacking substitution at the interval, inserting Andrea Lazzari.  He paid divedends immediately, centering a ball to Di Natale in the 46th minute.  The striker calmly and clinically slotted past Reina to tie the match at 1-1.

Things got a little scrappy for awhile after the equalizer, but kicked back to life in the 71st minute, much to Liverpool's dismay.  Udinese sent a free kick into the Liverpool six, but Coates rose and headed the ball into his own net to give Udinese the 1-2 advantage.  It got worse for Liverpool just a minute later when Giovanni Pasquale scorched a shot from outside of the box into the bottom of the goal to make it 1-3.

Brendan Rodgers has made some important subs of his own, inserting Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard into the lineup for Liverpool, and Suarez seemed to start the Reds on the comeback trail in the 75th minute.  The Uruguayan banged a free a kick over the Udinese wall and into the top of the net to make it 2-3 with 15 minutes left.

In the end it would be too little too late for Liverpool, though not for lack of effort.  In the 77th minute Suarez sent in a bullet header from close range that was well saved by Brkic.  Suarez must have thought he had scored.  However, in the last 10 minutes Udinese's defense really solidified, blocking most of Liverpool's attempts and forcing them to to shoot from at least mid range.  It was pretty impressive, but they are an Italian side after all.  They were able to hold their advantage and pull out the three points with the 2-3 win.

Hillsborough Report Blames Police in Disaster

Earlier this week the Hillsborough Independent Panel released their report on the 1989 disaster that lead to the deaths of 96 Liverpool supporters.  The panel, headed by James Jones, the Bishop of Liverpool, reviewed thousands of secret documents from over 80 different organizations related to the disaster.  These documents had been available to families of the 96 at Liverpool Cathedral, and are now being made public along with the findings.

At the heart of the matter is the question over how much, if any, responsibility was to be borne by the local police in the incident.  Police herded over 2,000 Liverpool fans into overflowing standing room only sections in Sheffield, England, on April 15, 1989.  Ninety-Six fans were trampled or suffocated to death as the emergency unfolded at an FA Cup semi-final match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. 

According to the panel, Police tried to coverup their culpability by blaming Liverpool fans. The report also confirms that potentially life saving medical attention was denied to some of the injured fans.  This has resulted in several public apologies in the UK, including high profile ones from the Football Association and British Prime Minister David Cameron.  Also, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers and Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson have called for football fans throughout England to end the tasteless taunting chants about the both the Hillsborough disaster and the Munich Air Disaster, which killed members of Manchester United's team and staff and on February 6, 1958.

An inquest in 1991 ruled the deaths accidental, but families of the 96 are hoping that the findings of this panel will result in some legal action being taken.  No individual or organization has been held fully accountable. Prime Minster Cameron has said the report will be handed over to Attorney General Dominic Grieve, and that the Court will have the final say as to whether charges will be brought at this time.

More information about the report and it's findings can be found here, on the official UK site.

EPL Dealings: Down to the Wire!

Forget throwball and politics, it's officially transfer deadline day!  Different leagues across Europe wrap up proceedings at different times, but if the business is to be done, it has to be done today!  For the Barclay's Premier League, the window officially closes a little more than 15 hours from the writing of this entry.  Some big moves have already gone down in the last couple of days with promise of more in the next few hours!

                                                       

In one of the big high profile moves of the day, Liverpool striker Andy Carroll has joined West Ham on a season long loan deal.  Reports are also saying that the Irons will have an option to buy at the end of the loan.

Carroll cited the fact that he had worked with West Ham boss Sam Allardyce at Newcastle as a big reason why he wanted to make the switch.  Last year Liverpool paid 35 million pounds for the big striker's services, but it appears the Hammers finally met the loan conditions.  Carroll told West Ham's website that he's just looking forward to playing games and hopefully scoring some big goals for the side.

Elsewhere in London, QPR have confirmed the signing of Inter Milan goalkeeper Julio Cesar.  The deal is still pending international clearance and the visa process, but the Brazilian looks set to begin a four year stint at Loftus Road.  In 7 years between the pipes for Inter, Cesar won the Serie A title five times as well as the UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup.  This is a big addition for Mark Hughes' side.

Elsewhere in England, Swansea City have finally agreed to a fee to sell Scott Sinclair to Manchester City.  The Swans rejected a 6.2 million pound offer on Tuesday, but the new City offer supposedly has possible bonuses taking the price up to around 8 million for the former Chelsea man.  Sinclair is holding talks with City on personal terms.  If this goes through, the Swans are likely to continue in their pursuit to sign Spanish veteran Pablo Hernandez from Valencia

Finally, back in London. Fulham look set to sign up Manchester United man Dimitar Berbatov.  At last reports Berbatov was at Fulham taking a medical.  Fulham had previously sold Moussa Dembele to Spurs earlier this week, and they're still fielding options for Clint Dempsey.

That brings us back to Liverpool, who are trying to land two rather large fish.  As mentioned earlier, rumors have persisted that Anfield is keen to move for US International Dempsey, who has sat out Fulham's opening matches.  However there has been little concrete evidence of the process going forward, so it remains to be seen.  The other rumor for the Reds has to do with Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente.  However, this deal was seen as contingent upon being able to SELL Andy Carroll, so it remains to be seen.

One thing is for sure, by the time my American readers get this in the morning, the landscape will have shifted even more.  Look for a full round-up tonight on the Puddle.

EPL Thoughts: Liverpool Gifts City a Point at Anfield

Carlos Tevez celebrates his equalizing goal (Reuters)

Last week Liverpool played poorly in a loss to West Brom at the Hawthorns.    They faced an even tougher test this weekend as they hosted defending champions Manchester City at Anfield in their home opener.  There was much to be excited about for the Liverpool faithful in this one as things looked a lot better on the offensive end.  Unfortunately, two absolute howlers at the back gifted City all they would need to walk away from Merseyside with a point in their pocket.

City started out on the right track as they they probed for weaknesses in Liverpool's back line.  However the Reds did a really nice job of limiting any quality looks at goal for the Champions.  In the 9th minute Aleksandar Kolarov sent a threatening free kick on target, but Pepe Reina was positioned well and was able to easily field the shot in front of net.

However it was only a little bit of good fortune that kept the game level in the 19th minute.  Carlos Tevez squirted free of the defense and sent in a shot/cross along the end line.  Reina took a diving stab at it as did Martin Kelly.  Neither of them could alter the ball as it ended up rolling pretty much right on the goal line toward the far post.  At the end, it struck the post and took an Anfield friendly bounce away from the goal and the Reds breathed a sigh of relief.

Liverpool ended the first half with a bang, quite literally.  In the 34th minute Steven Gerrard sent a good looking corner kick into the City area and Martin Skrtel came flying in from nowhere to meet it.  His bullet header gave Joe Hart no chance before it stabbed into the back of the net to give Liverpool the 1-0 lead going into the interval.  Skrtel celebrated, but he would have a further effect on things in the second half.

The second half started a bit slowly, but turned into a real cracker when it came to life.  Luis Suarez nearly doubled Liverpool's lead in minute 50, but didn't get enough on his shot as his slow ground roller dragged just wide of the far post.  Then in the 63rd the Champions were able to equalize.  Tevez sent an airborne ball across the face of goal, one that Reina should have been able to punch clear rather easily.  However he totally botched it, and the ball went through to Kelly.  The fullback also could have cleared, but it bounced off of his knee and fell to Yaya Toure, who took full advantage for City.  The Ivorian easily tapped the ball into the open goal to equalize at 1-1.

Credit goes to Liverpool for not dwelling on their misfortune though.  They came right back to the other end of the pitch looking to reclaim the lead.  That happened in the 65th minute off the foot of Luis Suarez.  The mercurial striker had difficulty finding the target in the early going, but he sent a gorgeous free kick around the Manchester City wall that beat Joe Hart into the bottom corner to make it 2-1 to the Reds.

Manchester City piled on the pressure though, and there was still plenty of time for Liverpool to suffer from another self-inflicted wound.  In the 80th minute Skrtel sent a lazy rolling back pass in toward Reina from about a third of the way up his defensive half.  The Reds defender seemed blissfully unaware of the presence of Tevez for City, who easily picked off the pass and headed toward the goal.  He juked Reina out of his boots in the 18, and easily slotted home the goal to make it 2-2, which was the score at the full time whistle.

First off for City, it's not good news that they're giving up so many goals.  Defense was a strength of this team last season, and as yesterday's result shows, they can't win every match 3-2, especially with Aguero out injured.  If they can tighten up at the back though, they should be fine.  Tevez seems to be firmly back in the fold, which will help immensely.  

Liverpool is extremely unfortunate to drop points in this one.  Brendan Rodgers said after the match that they should have won.  This is true.  Both City goals were gifts from Liverpool, especially the second one.  You can't just press on and ignore that though.  If the Reds defense can't become more disciplined, there will be more gifted goals in the offing and more dropped points on the horizon.  It was definitely a step in the right direction offensively though.

EPL Thoughts: West Brom vs. Liverpool

Zoltan Gera (left) celebrates his opening goal against the Reds. (Reuters)

Well, it was only the first game of the new season for Liverpool, but that's not very encouraging when it goes as poorly as this one did.  Certainly West Brom can be a tough place to play, but when you're a club like Liverpool, most folks are gonna figure you for at least a draw.  The Baggies came out and hit Liverpool in the mouth though, out-muscling the Reds, particularly along the back line.  Brendan Rodgers might want to address that issue.

West Brom really came out on the front foot, and it seemed to take Liverpool by surprise a bit.  The Baggies seemed keen on not letting Liverpool get into the new passing strategy that the former Swansea boss wants to implement.  They produced a couple of early chances as well, with Liam Ridgewell coming close with a drive in the 3rd minute and Shane Long missing a chip shot from an angle in the 9th.

After that Liverpool started to settle in some, and some flashes of Rodger's philosophy began to emerge as Liverpool took control of the possession stat.  Unfortunately for the Reds, the ability to finish was nowhere to be seen.    Luis Suarez in particular missed several good looks, though he did force an early save out of West Brom 'keeper Ben Foster in the 16th minute.  Meanwhile Stewart Downing and Fabio Borini were less than inspiring. with the Italian attacker in particular looking very tame and rattled on his Liverpool debut.

West Brom finally took advantage of Liverool's rocky defense and inability to score shortly before halftime.  In the 43rd minute Martin Skrtel looked to head a West Brom corner clear of danger, but it fell right to the Baggies' Zoltan Gera, who smashed a tremendous volley into the top of the net to make it 1-0 going into the interval.

The second half was pretty much the same as the first, for awhile.  However it call came crashing down on Liverpool starting on the hour mark.  Daniel Agger pushed Shane Long over in the penalty area in the 58th minute, not only resulting in a West Brom spot kick, but earning himself a red card for denying a goal scoring opportunity.  Things looked a little brighter a minute later for Liverpool, when Long sent a weak spot kick that was easily saved by Pepe Reina.

However the Reds conceded a second PK just three minutes later as Martin Skrtel clipped Long in the box.  This time Peter Odemwingie took the kick and smashed it into the side of the net to make it 2-0 to the Baggies.

Then the wheels really came off for Liverpool, as the Baggies pretty much dominated the last 20 minutes of the match.  The highlight came in the 77th minute when Chelsea loan product Romelu Lukaku headed home his first of the year for West Brom off of a cross from Liam Ridgewell, wich made the full time score 3-0 at the Hawthornes. 

It was an organized and impressive showing for West Brom, though they gave up quite a few chances to Suarez.  They might tighten up a bit.  For Liverpool, not much went right.  Steven Gerrard had a nightmare match, and it's tough to see who is gonna score for the Reds if Suarez isn't on target.  It's not going to get easier for them, as they get City next weekend.

Puddle's 2012-2013 Barclay's Premier League Preview

While I love my home domestic league, Major League Soccer, my first footballing love is England, specifically the Barclay's Premier League.  I'm very excited about the prospects for the upcoming season, and here are my non-expert thoughts and predictions on the new year.

The TOP FOUR: UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Who Are Ya designs has a shirt that's emblazoned with the Barclay's Lion and reads "Fourth is the new first."  In this era of the Premier League, this is really true.  For most clubs, you can fail to win the title, but still be viewed as having a successful campaign if you land in one of the top four spots that qualify for the big money of the UEFA Champions League.  Here's who I bet on seeing there next spring, in no particular order:

We'll start with the defending champs.  Manchester City has not been active at all in the offseason, but they've retained the services of key men and I can't really say as I've seen another team pass them up in the transfer market.  I fully expect City's stingy defense, top 'keeper in Joe Hart, and potent attack to have them at least back in the Champions League spots at the end of the season.

How about their cross-town rivals, Manchester United?  They'll be looking for redemption this season.  Not only did they lose the Premiership title to the "noisy neighbors" at City, but they exited the Champions League after the group stage and finished without a trophy.  They've upgraded some, acquiring Shinji Kagawa from Borussia Dortmund.  At the time of this writing, they're still in the mix to land Robin Van Persie as well.  My question about United is at the back though.  Can they stay healthy, and can David De Gea round into form as top EPL 'keeper?  Whether they push for the title or not, I can't see them not being in the top four.

Next up is Chelsea FC.  After winning the Champions League and FA Cup in underdog fashion last year, I look for the Blues to be a lot better in league form.  Yes, they lost Didier Drogba, and that's a huge blow.  Fernando Torres will need to step big time.  Daniel Sturridge will need to regain some of his form as well.  The Blues are still in the running to acquire Hulk from Porto, which I think would be a great pickup.  The midfield is stacked with guys like Lampard, Mata, Ramires, and new arrivals Eden Hazard and Marko Marin, who can play on the wing as well.  The question is, can they hold together at the back after some less than impressive defensive performances in the preseason.  David Luiz will have to show some maturity for sure.  There's no reason why the Blues should not compete for the title and the Champions League spots, and the pressure will be on if they stumble out of the gate.

I really have questions about who will get the other spot.  I believe Arsenal will have issues without Van Persie, but I don't think Andre Villas-Boas is a good fit at Spurs, who also look likely to be losing Modric in the next 48 hours.  I'm going to go with Newcastle United here.  The Magpies were a force to be reckoned with last season, and if they can stay healthy, they have a good shot at making a run for the top of the table.  If Demba Ba can stay healthy and team up with Papiss Cisse, Alan Pardew could have a top attack on his hands.  Cisse was unstoppable toward the end of last year.  Pardew will get the most out of them, and I expect them to land in the Champions League Spots.

Movin On Up--EVERTON
Speaking of managers who get the most out of their sides, don't be surprised to see David Moyes and Everton hanging out in the upper part of the table, maybe even with an outside shot at a top 4 spot.  Losing Tim Cahill is blow, but despite his enormous work rate, had a real tough time figuring prominently at Everton last season.  While the Toffees have not been able to secure the services of Landon Donovan, they did bring Steven Pienaar back from Tottenham, and finally were able to sign former Ranger Steven Naismith, who can play either in the midfield or at forward.  Pair him up with Nikica Jelavic (above) and the Toffees, who were formidable during the second half last season, could see a rise up the table.  I'd put them just outside the top four, with a chance to take one of the domestic cups.

Might Be a long year for--LIVERPOOL
Last year I picked Liverpool to regain their form and finish in the top four.  Well, we saw how that worked out.  King Kenny is gone.  Craig Bellamy is gone.  Dirk Kuyt is gone. Andy Carroll may be gone, but Liverpool seem to have too high of an asking price.  Brendan Rodgers is set to bring a new  philosophy to Anfield, but I'm not sold on it.  He's brought in Italian attacker Fabio Borini and a Swansea holdover in Joe Allen, but the Reds will need more than that.  They've been linked with Clint Dempsey, but apparently have not met either Fulham or maybe Dempsey's price.  In the end, I just don't see them improving much.  If Liverpool supporters want back in the top four, they'll need more patience than Hodgson or King Kenny were given.

And the winners will be:  MANCHESTER CITY
Last year my creed during the season was that I wouldn't bet against United.  This year, I won't be betting against City.  The key here is what I mentioned earlier:  City have not been big spenders, but I don't see anyone as quite catching up to them.  Both Chelsea and United have improved significantly (especially with United on the verge of signing Van Persie) but I think both of those squads have questions at the back, where City does not.  I look for the Citizens to repeat their Barclay's Premier League winning campaign.

EPL Moves: Bellamy Leaves Liverpool, Lukaku Loaned

Welsh International Craig Bellamy has returned to Cardiff City on a new deal.

There have been some interesting moves out of the Barclay's Premier League today, particularly from Anfield.  First off it has been announced that Craig Bellamy has left Liverpool to return to Wales and League Championship side Cardiff City.  Bellamy won the Carling Cup in his second stint at Liverpool last season, but had been vocal about the fact that he'd like to return to Wales and be closer to his family.  Two seasons ago Bellamy played for Cardiff on loan from Manchester City and really enjoyed it.  He is expected to join the Blue Birds in training next week and will be available for selection when they open up league play vs. Huddersfield next Friday.  The transfer fee was not disclosed, but Bellamy has signed a new two year deal with Cardiff.

However the Reds will be gaining a different Welsh International to help fill the void.  Sky Sports is reporting today that former Swansea City man Joe Allen has finalized his move to the red side of Merseyside.   The deal was finally completed after Allen attended Liverpool's Europa League match yesterday at Anfield.  He'll be reunited with former boss Brendan Rodgers.  Allen scored 4 goals in 39 appearances across all competitions last year for Swansea.

Chelsea FC was also active today, this time in the loan market.  They've sent striker Romelu Lukaku on loan to West Bromwich Albion for the season.  The man hailed as "the new Drogba" had a hard time getting into the team last year with so many forwards ahead of him, failing to tally a goal in 8 appearances.  He'll now join West Brom after playing with the Blues on their USA tour this summer and will hopefully gain some experience with the Baggies.

EPL: Liverpool and Aston Villa Name New Managers

Liverpool named Swansea Boss Brenden Rodgers as their new manager

Late last week two of the bigger questions in the EPL offseason were answered.  Who would take over the helm at both Liverpool and Aston Villa?  Liverpool sacked King Kenny after spending a ton of money and only getting the League Cup to show for it.  Aston Villa sacked Alex McLeish for sucking so bad that the club was nearly relegated.  Interestingly enough, both clubs went with younger managers who had brought their respective former teams up to the Premier League the year before.

First in line Liverpool announced on Friday that Swansea City boss Brenden Rodgers had been selected as their new man.  Rodgers led newly promoted Swansea City to an 11th place finish on 47 points.  His side was credited with playing some of the most attractive football in the Premier League.  The 39 year old has previously managed Watford and Reading as well.  He also worked under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea.

Swansea will not come away empty handed though.  Liverpool will compensate them for the fact that Rodgers was still under contract.  According to Swansea the two teams also agreed that Rodgers would not attempt to sign any Swansea players for 12 months.  Liverpool has yet to confirm this however.

Aston Villa announced their new manager over the weekend as well, though with considerably less fanfare and more controversy.  They appointed Norwich City manager Paul Lambert as their new boss.  This did not make Norwich very happy.  Supposedly Lambert tendered his resignation to Norwich last Tuesday, but the Canaries did not accept it.  There hasn't been much word on other details.

Lambert led Norwich to a 12th place finish last year, also on 47 points.  His managerial experience includes Livingston, Wycombe, and Colchester before leading the Canaries up through the ranks.  Villa was also criticized for prying McLeish loose from Birmingham City last year, so it will be interesting to see how this newest experiment works out.  Personally, I think Villa needs more than a new manager.

Liverpool Sack "King Kenny" Dalglish

Kenny Dalglish has been sacked by Liverpool FC 

I'm not sure we'll ever know what the final straw was that got Kenny Dalglish fired at Liverpool.  Was it poor league position?  Was it the fact that Everton finished higher than Liverpool?  Was it Liverpool's fairly dismal showing through two-thirds of the FA Cup final?   Was it the fact that Anfield lost pretty much all value as a home field advantage?  Maybe it was because King Kenny thought the Carling Cup was enough.

Whatever the final reason, Fenway Sports Group announced today that they have terminated Dalglish's contract after a year and a half on the job.  Apparently Dalglish had been in the United States meeting with Fenway sports group, and returned to the UK yesterday.  The announcement comes less than 24 hours after his return.

In all reality the problem is most likely the fact that club spent heavily into the players King Kenny wanted, but ended up with nothing to show for it except for the Carling Cup.  The investments include the much maligned Andy Carroll, Jordan Henderson, and England winger Stewart Downing who failed to tally a single goal or assist in EPL play this last season.

Fenway Sports Group had this to say in a statement:

"Fenway Sports Group and Liverpool Football Club announce that Kenny Dalglish is to leave his post today as manager after having his contract terminated. After a careful and deliberative review of the season the club came to the decision that a change was appropriate. It is not a decision that was reached lightly or hastily. The search for a new manager will begin immediately."

Somewhere Rafa Benitez is laughing right now.

FA Cup Semifinals 2012: Liverpool vs. Everton

Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll celebrate Carrol's winning goal.  (Getty Images)

It's obvious to state that Liverpool's Premier League campaign has fallen short of the mark this season.  Also, a lot of the major news off the pitch (Suarez) has overshadowed what the club has already done.  However, Liverpool have kept the faith in the domestic cups this season, and after winning the Carling Cup earlier this year, now stand just one win from claiming the FA Cup as well.

Their eternal Merseyside rivals, Everton, didn't make it easy on them though.  They're in a much longer trophy drought than Liverpool, and coming into this one they were very much the in form team and a trendy pick to upset their more famous red clad neighbors. 

In fact, Everton was the stronger team in the first half.  After some initial possession from Liverpool, Everton really started to get their attack together.  Their first chance came in the sixth minute, in the form of a set piece chance from Leighton Baines.   Unfortunately he put his kick just slightly over the bar and Liverpool breathed a sigh of relief.  In the 21st minute, Nikica Jelavic tried a bit of a scruffy overhead kick, but it was saved by Brad Jones in goal for Liverpool.  However the former Rangers man drew first blood just 3 minutes later.  Liverpool's Jamie Carragher tried to clear the ball out of his own box, but it bounced off of Tim Cahill and fell right to Jelavic, who slotted past Jones to give Everton the 0-1 lead.

The goal did seem to wake Liverpool up a bit, and they slowly got better as the half wore on.   Still, at the halftime whistle, Everton still clung  to the 0-1 lead.

Liverpool ratcheted up their play in the second half though, while Everton seemed to come out dragging.  The Reds had a great chance to equalize in the 47th minute, but somehow Andy Carroll put his free header wide of the near post and it was Everton's turn to breathe again.

Unfortunately for the Toffees and their supporters, it was an Everton defensive blunder that gifted Liverpool their first goal and really let them back into the match.   In the 62nd minute, Sylvain Distin tried a long back pass to Tim Howard, but it didn't hit it anywhere near hard enough.  Luis Suarez rushed onto the ball, beat Howard one on one, and slapped the ball into the net to tie the match at 1-1.

After that the energy seemed to drain from Everton even faster.  They carved out a couple of half chances but never again threatened Jones.  Finally in the 87th minute, Carroll went from goat to hero.  The big center forward rose on a Craig Bellamy corner kick and headed it into the net to stun Wembley Stadium and hand Liverpool the 2-1 win.

Everton wallowed in the despairing loss as Liverpool celebrated.  They really were the better team in the first half, and were holding their own in the second until Distin's major defensive miscue.  From there, it was pretty much all Reds, as they now look ahead to their second cup final of the year.

Puddle's Goal of the Weekend: Dirk Kuyt in the Carling Cup Final

Not the best vid, but pretty good for a TV grab. Anyway, why is this my goal of the weekend? If you watch carefully, you'll see Kuyt fall backwards as he hits the shot, but still get power behind it and get it on target. Great goal.

Congrats to Liverpool F.C., 2012 Carling Cup Champions!

Steven Gerrard lifts the Carling Cup trophy! (AP Images)

Tonight the Puddle passes on it's congratulations to Liverpool FC and captain Steven Gerrard on winning the 2012 Carling Cup. They defeated a valiant Cardiff City club in a penalty shootout to claim their 8th League Cup title. The win also entitles them to a spot in next year's Europa league, but the Reds will have their sites set higher. This was their first trophy in six years and first under their new American ownership group.

2012 Carling Cup Final: Cardiff City vs. Liverpool

Joe Mason puts Cardiff up 1-0 (Carling.com)

There's always something special about a cup final, even if it's not huge like the Champions League. Cup finals are fairly unique to footy, and the teams always get up to play when there's silverware on the line. Certainly both Cardiff and Liverpool got up for this one. Cardiff was trying to become the first non-English side to win a English league major trophy since 1927. Liverpool was trying to win it's first trophy in six years.

The Reds announced their intentions quite quickly, as Glen Johnson cracked a shot off of the crossbar in the second minute. Liverpool would go on to control most of the possession in the early minutes, as well as in the entire match. However, a theme started to emerge. Despite Liverpool's possession and good build up play, they were having a hard time working the goalkeeper. Andy Carroll got a couple of header chances. One went wide in the 15th minute, and had another easily saved in the 18th.

Cardiff on the other hand drew first blood on what was only really their second attack of the match. In the 19th minute Kenny Miller slipped a ball through the Liverpool defense to Joe Mason in the six yard box. He deftly put the ball between Pepe Reina's legs to give Cardiff City the improbable 1-0 lead.

Liverpool didn't miss too much of a beat after that as they continued to possess and attack. Unfortunately, they turned out to be very wasteful. Both Andy Carroll and Jose Enrique sent shots into orbit, and even Steven Gerrard had a tough time finding the target, The first half came to an end with Cardiff City still clinging to their 1-0 lead.

The second half was pretty much a direct continuation of the first, with Liverpool dominating possession, but not converting their chances, Jordan Henderson went way off target in the 47th, and Charlie Adam had an effort blocked in the 52nd. Liverpool did find their breakthrough in the 60th though. Luis Suarez hit the post after a corner kick, but the rebound went right to Martin Skrtel, who calmly kicked the ball into the net to equalize at 1-1.

Cardiff was certainly stunned after that, and the fatigue started to show on the faces of both sides. The Blue Birds did get a couple of chances to win it late on though. Ben Turner hit a header just barely wide in the 83rd, and Kenny Miller scraped the paint off of the top of the crossbar in the 88th. At full time we were still tied at 1-1, and went into extra time.

The first fifteen minutes of extra time were fairly uneventful, but controlled by Liverpool. Luis Suarez did have a potential winner cleared off the line in the 92nd, and Craig Bellamy went not too far high in the 105th, but after the first 15 minutes, it was still 1-1.

So the two teams switched sides and got it on one more time. This time, Liverpool was able to poke their heads in front. In the 108th minute, a Cardiff player hit a bad clearance right to Dirk Kuyt in the area. It took Kuyt by surprise a little bit, but even as he tumbled over backward he managed to poke a shot toward goal that snuck in the bottom corner to give Liverpool the 1-2 lead. Cardiff wasn't out though, they had some heroics of their own up their sleeve. In the 118th minute, Ben Turner got a rebound given up after a corner and nutmegged Reina once again to tie the match at 2-2 and send the Wembley crowd into a frenzy.

Since the extra time couldn't sort things out, the match went to the penalty shootout. Steven Gerrard went first for Liverpool, and had his shot saved. Kenny Miller then hit the post for Cardiff, and Charlie Adam sent his kick into the cheap seats for Liverpool. Don Cowie drew first blood for Cardiff by beating Reina, only to have Liverpool come back level with a professional strike from Dirk Kuyt. Next up for Cardiff was Rudy Gestede, but he also hit the post and put the advantage in Liverpool's hands. Stewart Downing scored next for the Reds, and Peter Whittingham equalized for Cardiff at 2-2. Then Glen Johnson hit the roof of the inside of the net to make 3-2.

That left it all to Anthony Gerrard. He's the younger cousin of Liverpool's Steven Gerrard. If he missed his kick, his older, more famous cousin would lift the Carling Cup. Yeah, kind of sounds like a Hollywood script. Anthony did indeed miss his kick, quite horribly, giving Liverpool the Carling Cup 2-3 on penalties. As soon as it happened, Steven went not to his team, but to his younger cousin to console him. It was a real class move on his part.

This really was one of those matches where it really stinks that someone has to lose. I know it's cliche, but it's true. Cardiff played their tails off all match long and truly left it all on the pitch. In the end, penalties is a cruel way to decide a trophy, but congratulations to Liverpool for winning the Carling Cup!

EPL: Manchester United vs. Liverpool

Phil Dowd escorts Evra away from Pepe Reina post-match. (GETTY IMAGES)

Generally these two big rivals don't need any help rekindling their rivalry, but they indeed got extra fuel for the fire Saturday morning. I don't really need to rehash the Suarez vs. Evra thing leading up to the match. Suffice it to say Suarez acted like a racist fool, got caught, and got penalized. Still, the footballing media isn't about to forget about it, especially when it came time for Evra and Suarez to shake hands prior to this match. You've probably seen the video. Evra offers his hand. and Suarez acts like a two year old and walks by. Evra then makes it worse by trying to grab Suarez, who shrugs him off, causing Rio Ferdinand to then refuse the handshake of Suarez.

After that little charade, we finally got to the match. In truth, the match wasn't that great, and small wonder that it later got eclipsed by everything surrounding it. Fireworks almost flew early as Evra flew in on Suarez with a meaty challenge, but ended up bashing into Ferdinand instead. A few minutes after that Glen Johnson beat Evra and sent a shot in on the United goal, but it went wide. It was to be Liverpool's only chance for quite some time.

Manchester United took firm hold of the match, even though they failed to score in the first half. They set up a few good chances but weren't able to capitalize. Ryan Giggs set up Scholes once with a cross, but Pepe Reina easily saved the header to keep the score 0-0 going into the half.

Then more fireworks happened. Ferdinand sent Suarez to the ground with a legal tackle just before the half, but Suarez and Liverpool thought differently. Suarez then again channeled his inner two year old and slap kicked the ball away. His teammates rounded him up quickly and urged toward the tunnel. Unfortunately, Patrice Evra doesn't know how to let things go either, and he apparently tried to get into Suarez's face in the tunnel, resulting in a spat between both teams that required the local police to sort out.

Once back on the field, Liverpool continued in their general malaise, but United came out on fire, particularly Wayne Rooney. Rooney has never had a ton of luck against Liverpool, but he made them pay the price in this match. In the 47th minute, Giggs sent in a corner that fell to Rooney on the far post. He slammed it into the back of the net to give United the 1-0 lead. Then just three minutes later, Jay Spearing lost the ball to Valencia right outside of his own 18. Valencia scooted the ball over to Rooney, who once again scored a goal to give United the 2-0 lead. It was turning into an all around nightmare for Liverpool.

With about ten minutes left Liverpool finally got a lucky break and got into the match. Charlie Adam sent in a free kick that bounded off of Rio Ferdinand and came to Suarez, who capitalized on his fortune by beating David De Gea and making it 2-1. Obviously this didn't sit well with the United players or supporters. Liverpool attacked more throughout the final 10 minutes but really couldn't muster anything, and United held on for the 2-1 win.

More controversy flared after the match as Patrice Evra went all over the pitch in a kind of stupid looking victory dance. At one point he placed his celebration right in front of Suarez, who gamely kept walking. His teammates responded though, running over to the scene, quickly followed by United players, stewards, and police. All in all, it was a great big cuck up by both players.

However the fallout has been worse for Liverpool. Not only did Suarez act like a complete fool, but King Kenny held a very incredulous press conference, pretending not to know what happened and stare down any reporter who dared ask about it. Since then both Liverpool's sponsor, Standard Chartered, and their owners, American John W. Henry's group, have brought pressure on the club, prompting apologies from both Suarez and King Kenny.

What a joke.

FA Cup 4th Round: Liverpool vs. Manchester United

Liverpool has been somewhat underwhelming in the league this year, nobody could really deny that. Their cup form has been impressive though, especially at the expense of the Manchester sides. Earlier this week they eliminated City from the Carling Cup and looked to take United out of the FA Cup on Saturday.

The match was pretty heated, as it usually is when they two sides get together. Though United had the better of the possession throughout the match, Liverpool were more than able to get the touches they needed to get the job done. Maxi Rodriguez woke David De Gea early in goal, with a stinging shot in the 4th minute. Ryan Giggs responded a few minutes later for United though, hitting a shot right at Pepe Reina.

The teams continued to exchange chances throughout the first half. Andy Carroll sent yet another disappointing header high in the 11th minute, and Antonio Valencia hit the post for United in the 17th. The first goal of the match would go to Liverpool though, as Daniel Agger headed home a goal in the 21st to make it 1-0 to Liverpool. United's marking on the set piece left a lot to be desired, but De Gea's positioning was horrid on the play as well.

United would strike back before half time however. Ji-Sung Park, who always seems to come up with the big moments in the big games, volleyed in a goal from a fantastic cross by Rafael to equalize the match at 1-1.

Again United came out controlling the ball for much of the second half, but Liverpool had the best chances. United looked somewhat lost in the final third without the injured Wayne Rooney. Steven Gerrard forced a save out of De Gea off of a free kick in the 67th minute, but United immediately countered that resulted in a shot by Michael Carrick going just wide of the Liverpool goal.

Dirk Kuyt came in as a second half sub for Liverpool and again put the hurt on United, as he is known to do. In the 88th minute Reina booted the ball down field to the head of Andy Carroll, the big center forward flicked on to Kuyt who, absolutely torched Patrice Evra and slammed the ball past a struggling De Gea to give Liverpool the 2-1 win.

The loss puts United out of both domestic cups and the Champions League. It's tough to see them really caring much about the Europa League, so I suspect their focus will continue to be on retaining the Premiership. Liverpool of course, are still in the running for both domestic cups.

DANIEL AGGER SCORES FOR LIVERPOOL. (Alex Livesey--Getty Images)

Puddle's Goal of the Weekend; Dirk Kuyt Sinks United

Okay my fine readers, I present to you my choice for goal of the weekend in this 4th round FA Cup weekend. In the 88th minute at Anfield, Dirk Kuyt took a flick on from Andy Carroll and blasted it into the net to give Liverpool the 2-1 win. To ad to the enjoyment of the Liverpool faithful, Kuyt just torched Patrice Evra on the play. I'm sure after this, Evra would rather walk alone.