OH KAY ON…LIVERPOOL, MAN CITY, SOL AND SUPPLE

Liverpool’s start

Statistics can tell you many things. In the Premier League for instance, it’s commonplace for the team that wins the title to lose 5 or 6 games during the season. This is what Liverpool are spouting after 2 defeats from their first 3 games. “Don’t panic” is the cry from Anfield. “We can still win the big prize.” Maybe.

Liverpool have two major problems though. First off, they just haven’t played that well. Against Spurs they were OK but against Villa, for all their possession, they were distinctly under par. Secondly, as the wise old sage Sir Alex Ferguson suggested recently, Liverpool'  might struggle to equal the 86 points they recorded last season – a massive total for a team who didn’t lift the Premier League trophy.'  For all their talk of challenging for the ultimate prize, Liverpool need to start performing on the pitch, and quick.

City additions

Joleon Lescott has completed his move to Manchester City for a fee reported to be in the region of £22 million. It takes the club’s recent spending spree to around £120 million. That being the case, wouldn’t it be easier for all of us if the media started reporting on who hasn’t signed for the club rather than who has?

For Sven and County

Still on the subject of money, I wonder how Sol Campbell will get on at Notts County? The former England defender has given up a possible swan song in the Premier League and signed for the ambitious and cash-rich League Two side. After such a fine career, no-one can begrudge Campbell a decent pay-day. But come on – £40,000 a week? Some of his new colleagues will be on closer to £500 – £750 a week.

Manager Ian McParland and Director of Football Sven-Goran Eriksson have got their work cut out to deliver on the pitch but as time goes on, it may well be in the dressing room that they will have produce their very best.

Not so Keane

Who would have thought that with Roy Keane in charge, Ipswich would be second from bottom of the Championship with just one point from four games? But perhaps even more surprising is the decision of Town’s 22 year old goalkeeper Shane Supple to walk away from the game.

In this day and age when most of us (I would suggest) believe that players are vastly overpaid and hugely underworked, it sort of restores your faith in humanity that a young man can make such a momentous decision rather than hanging on in there and taking his pay check every month.

Either way, I’d have loved to have seen the look on Keane’s face when Supple told him that “there’s more to life than football.” Perhaps he’s going to spend more time walking his dogs?