OH KAY ON…LEVY, KENYON, GERRARD, SPAIN AND ADVERTS

He’s great. He’s a prat (delete as appropriate)

Doesn’t it astonish you how quickly Premier League chairmen can change their minds these days. A few months ago, Spurs supremo Daniel Levy accused Robbie Keane of being a ‘negative influence’ on the dressing room and sent him off with a flea in his ear as he joined Liverpool. Now, the Irish international is back at the club and has been made team captain. Similarly, Peter Kenyon of Chelsea described Luiz Felipe Scolari as ‘one of the great coaches in the world’ when he was hired to replace Avram Grant who, just days earlier, had taken Chelsea to their first ever Champions League final. Scolari lasted about 28 weeks before Kenyon gave him the heave-ho. Has Scolari become a bad manager in that time. Probably not. The question should surely be, was he the right man for Chelsea in the first place and if not, shouldn’t Kenyon and his owner take the blame?

Stevie G needs some Z’s

It’s terrible news that Steven Gerrard is out for at least another 2 weeks with a hamstring injury. No one will feel his absence keener (or should that be Keaner) than his manager Rafael Benitez. But in another strange outburst, the Spaniard has gone off on one again. Criticised for substituting his captain before the end of the 1 – 1 Premier League draw at Wigan, he explained that Gerrard was tired. He then blames the midfielder’s tiredness for causing the injury. Two things here. If Gerrard is knackered, why pick him? But, perhaps more importantly, why is he tired? He’s a professional player who at 29 should be at the peak of his powers. He’s played around 35 games in 6 months which averages out at approximately 6 games a month or 1 every 5 days. Perhaps Benitez ought to look at making a signing from the amateur ranks where players easily match Gerrard’s games per week ratio whilst also holding down a full time job.

Last chance saloon

I love Spain. I have friends there and spend a considerable amount of time on the Costa Blanca. However, with tonight’s friendly international in mind, should there be any repeat of the vile racist abuse that was aimed at England’s black players when they last appeared on a Spanish pitch, then Fifa must act and act big. No more fines, no more threatening ‘games behind closed doors’ – they should deduct points from Spain’s World Cup qualifying campaign and continue to do so until the Spanish get their house in order.

Beckham Sensation (This story has been co-written by ITV Sport)

Footy Boots can reveal a story so huge, that it will shake the world to the core. Today, former England captain David Beckham announced that he ‘have a break, have a Kit-Kat……looking for the best value car on the market, it has to be the all new Volkswagen Golf…….. for fresh breath with hardly any calories, tic-tac is the answer’ with Posh, Gary Neville and a pineapple. Remember, you read it (or maybe not) here first.