Guest Blog: John Henry and Liverpool FC

This week I’ve written a guest blog for World Football Commentaries in which I consider the arrival of John W. Henry and New England Sports Ventures at Liverpool. Do they have what it takes to get Liverpool’s season back on track? Are they the people to provide success for the red half of merseyside in the long run? Can the Liverpool supporters take to a new set of American owners so soon?

To find out the answers to these questions, click on through.

Ian Holloway: A manager not allowed to manage?

Holloway prepares to watch his Blackpool side face Villa.

I’m amazed that there has been such a furore over Ian Holloway’s selection of a ‘weakened’ side against Aston Villa last week, a game that the Tangerines lost only very narrowly. It recalls the ridiculous fine handed to Mick McCarthy and Wolves last season for fielding a weakened team against Manchester United, a decision I criticised them too. At the end of the day, it boils down to this: who has the right to decide whether or not a player is good enough to play for any given Premier League team?

Because ultimately, all Ian Holloway has done is picked a team of Blackpool players to play for Blackpool. Those 11 players were all registered with the club and with the Premier League. By the laws of the game and the competition Holloway is well within his right to play them. Hell, with the introduction of the 25-man squad rule this season, surely the football authorities should be pleased that Holloway is utilising the younger players in his squad.

Bright Young Things: Why we’re in danger of taking the shine off another Golden Generation.

The team that the BBC predicted would win Euro 2008...

Last week, a German friend of mine very kindly sent me a link to an article that was published back in January 2003 on BBC Sport’s website. The title of the article is “Why England will win Euro 2008”, and it outlines the incredibly promising crop of young talent that England fans, and BBC journalist Dan Warren in particular, were excited about back in 2003, and suggests that England had the potential to win Euro 2008. As you can imagine, it makes for interesting reading, and you can find it here.

When you read it, a few things immediately spring to mind. The first is “gosh, wasn’t the internet ugly back then”, but a close second is “hang on, who on earth is Martin Taylor?” While some of the names touted in the squad as future world- or at least Europe-beaters are familiar names – the likes of Rooney, Gerrard and Rio Ferdianand for instance – some of these players are now, seven years later, worryingly obscure.

Guest Blog: Should Stoke Abandon Plan B for Route 1?

Hi all, the other day I wrote a guest blog for World Football Commentaries in reaction to Stoke’s 1-0 defeat at Goodison Park last weekend. Stoke seem to be coming a bit unstuck this season and these troubles have coincided with Tony Pulis’ attempts to add a bit of flair to the much-maligned direct football that has seen them achieve mid-table comfortably in their two Premier League campaigns to date. My question is, should Pulis abandon these attempts and return to the route one football if it means success?

Click through to read the article…