Odds and Sods

Liverpool may make a part exchange offer for Aston Villa captain Gareth Barry.

Barry, 27, has made 325 appearances for Aston Villa and 18 for the English National Team.  He can play in the left and center of both defense and midfield.

Martin O’Neill has asked that Peter Crouch be included in the deal, though Liverpool could also be enticed to include on-loan keeper Scott Carson and defender John Arne Riise.

Villa reportedly rejected a previous £10m offer for Barry.

It was a night to celebrate English dominance, or continental decrepitude, depending on your perspective.  We knew it would be an all-Premier League final, the only question was whether Liverpool or Chelsea would move on to play Manchester United in Moscow.  After a predictable 1-1 regulation draw, and an entirely unpredictable 2-1 extra-time, it was Chelsea who prevailed 4-3 on aggregate

Liverpool gave a creditable effort.  The Reds relied on Rafa’s tactics, grit and European romance, but they could not escape Chelsea’s superior squad.  Liverpool have elite players–Torres, Mascherano, Carragher and, by some interpretations, Gerrard– but Riise, Benayoun and Kuyt fade behind a Chelsea squad loaded with Essien, Ballack, Lampard and the rest.  Ryan Babel and his scuba mask tried admirably, but the vaunted Liverpool magic died in the first leg with Riise’s errant header.

Chelsea have finally reached their Roman-inspired destination but it comes ironically in the midst of squad shuffling, managerial turmoil and less than inspiring performances.  Most indicative of this were the heroes of the night, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba–the players most miffed at Mourinho’s departure and the players most likely to leave during the summer

The rhetoric regards this Chelsea-Man U final as an awesome, magical match–a clash between titans.  The result could decide the legacy of arguably the two most decisive reigns in the Premier League era, Ferguson’s sovereignty of United and Abramovich’s change at Chelsea.  It should be a hallmark occasion for English football, but something about it feels a bit empty.

Liverpool and Chelsea are often blamed for sucking the essence and style out of football, and no player embodies that more than Dirk Kuyt.  His work-rate is tremendous., his vitamins are in order, and he covers great ground.  At the same time, he has the finesse of a demented walrus and is as pleasing to the eye as a swarthy Barbara Bush.  He is…effective. 

It was Kuyt who jack-knifed a bobbler through the rugbyman’s five-hole to put the Reds 1-0 up, the lone puncture in this dreary affair.  The margin held for much of the match.  The result would have placed Liverpool in a commanding position for the second leg at Stamford Bridge, but it was not to be.

In the 95^th minute, John Arne Riise inexplicably executed a diving header, straight into the back of his own net, saving Chelsea from themselves.  It was a moment of pure madness.  A magic night at Anfield.

Riise’s gaff gives Chelsea the conch for the return fixture, a precious away goal that, with Chelsea’s defensive record at home may prove decisive.

But, do not count out Liverpool.  They are prone to fits of craziness, but often that works to their advantage.  If Chelsea merely come out to hold, Liverpool can easily weasel back into it.

Fernando Torres has titillated the Anfield crowd with thirty goals this season, but–due to recent revelations about the club’s finances–banks may cut his Merseyside career short.

Liverpool borrowed £31.5m last summer to purchase Torres and winger Ryan Babel, unusual since most Premier League clubs use TV revenue cash to cover transfers.  The club took out a letter of credit, which they are obligated to repay in 18 months.  If the club cannot repay or refinance the loan, banks could force the Reds to sell both Torres and Babel a year from now.

The club already pay £30m per year on interest payments for the £350m loan granted to Hicks and Gillett to purchase the club.  An additional payment would surely preclude the extravagant spending required for a serious title challenge.

The announcement arrives amidst George and Tom having another spat regarding the perilous state of their elaborate bubble scam gone awry. 

Despite Champions’ League optimism, the club’s future remains wedged between the cheeks of financial instability under debt ridden Americans and of potentially shady foreign investment from Dubai Investments Co.  Either way the outcome still stinks.

The Kids, they’re alright.  But alright does not win you a title.

Yes, Arsenal got hosed.  Theo Walcott’s coming out party was spoiled by a pathetic penalty decision, a putrid product of the Kop End.  

Stevie G got to grin and smile like he had won the match, though he did everything in his power to lose it by squandering so many possessions.

But, a win would only gloss over glaring problems.  Problems for which Wenger has not had to account.

Why was the squad not strengthened in January?  Arsenal is the fifth wealthiest club in the world, why are they turning a profit in the transfer window?  What future glories are so great that one can pass up a shot at the title or the Champions League?  Why have they gone two months without playing decent football?

Wenger scoffs at the outrageous sums spent for Torres and Babel, yet these are the two players who killed his team’s hopes today.

He seems to have the answers for all of football’s ills, yet sits incredulous when his team – starting a central midfielder and a right back on the wings – struggles to attack the goal.

Wenger may still have a magic hat.  But, when the rabbit repeatedly comes out dead, it begins to lose its effect.