Liverpool Return to Form, Dalglish to Thank

Liverpool FC currently occupy fifth place in the English Premier League, which qualifies them for the Euoropa League next season. Early in the season, Liverpool were three points above relegation. What changed?

Two things come to mind: The Fenway Sports Group and Kenny Dalglish.

FSG replaced the previous owners and immediately made changes to the club. The best decision, by far, was the firing of Roy Hogdson and the hiring of Kenny Dalglish - the main topic of my article today.

Photo from the Independent

Dalglish made immediate changes to the club. Primarily, our style of play switch from the long-ball orientation to the short passing style that Liverpool employed during the height of the club's success in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Not only is the short passing more enjoyable to watch, it has proven to be very effective given the players we have at the club. Dalglish recognized that we possess speed in our defensive backs and precision passing in our central midfield.

The long ball approach was taking our talented midfield players of Maxi Rodriguez, Steven Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt, and Lucas out of the game and making them nonfactors in the offensive movements. With the implication of short passing, we got them more involved in the offensive build up and became more threatening in the final third of the field. I think nothing supports this change more than the performances of Dirk Kuyt. Always the hard worker, Kuyt struggled under Hodgson (as did many other players), but as soon as the short passing approach was introduced he seemed to have more of an effect on the final score line.

Dalglish's greatest contribution of all has to be the most intangible: his altering of the atmosphere at the club and improvement of the attitudes of its fans and players.

It is no secret that many were unhappy with good old Roy and that the players looked more than a little disillusioned on the field and fans were getting angrier and more worried by the day. Dalglish's appointment sparked interest and optimism amongst many people.

A key development in the improvement of the team atmosphere is found in the transfer of Fernando Torres. It was obvious by his on-field attitude that he did not like life at Anfield. Many questioned why we would let him go to another club in midseason, let alone those Blue rent boys in London! However, this seems to have been an amazingly good move on the part of the Red management.

Luis Suarez celebrating a goal with Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard

Not only did Dalglish remove the poison from the water, he brought in two footballers that have brought this club to the level it should be in Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll. Carroll's move has been hampered by injury, but his few short appearances have been positive. As for Suarez, he has been nothing short of sensational in my book. His energy and attitude have been inspiring and have led to fantastic performances thus far.



To summarize, the appointment of Kenny Dalglish as caretaker manager has been brilliant in every sense of the word and I wish for him to become permanent manager of Liverpool FC. He is taking this club in a great direction and I want him to be able to take us as far as he can.

If Dalglish is made manager,  I will look forward to watching the Reds play next season and will be optimistic of their position in the table this time next year (as if I ever don't look forward to watching them play!).

Best Quote In a While: Cathal Kelly

On rare occasions, the way in which a game is played rises to the level of art.

Not here, of course. North America’s just-win philosophy in all athletic disciplines precludes developing a young talent for its own sake. We are the Spartans of sport, routinely celebrating mediocre players and bad eggs who manage to eke out ugly victories. - Cathal Kelly

The article continues on as to why Americans are considered sport snobs because we don't value talent as much as we value winning. It also highlight's Barcelona's style of play and looks ahead to their game versus Arsenal which is taking place... as I write this post!

 This is one of the first article's I've read and really appreciated in a long time. Go and read the rest of the article here. 

Opinion: Maryland Will Not Get Into NCAA Tournament

The University of Maryland men's basketball has had a terrible year. They've managed to beat terrible teams, but completely disappear when they play decent teams. Imagine my surprise when I read stories about how the Terps are sitting "squarely in the bubble" or how they'll squeak their way into the tournament if they win out the rest of their season. They are situated very far on the wrong side of the bubble and can't squeak their way to home win against Virginia Tech (who are considered a bubble team).

Maryland's Predicted Final Destination

Wake up to reality, people. The Terps are not even average: they are bad. Plain bad. Look at how they performed in their biggest home game of the season versus Duke on Wednesday... they didn't even show up. It was a nationally televised game and Maryland's players didn't even make a decent effort towards earning a respectable result. Maryland is a one man team and one man teams don't make it into the NCAA tournament; one man teams make it into the NIT. And this Terp team won't even make a decent run in the NIT. Prepare for major embarrassment.

So, stop saying how the Terps will make it into the field of 68. They won't.

Pre-Maryland vs Duke

Inside the Comcast Center, home of the Terps

It's that time of year again when you start to see shirts with "Beat Duke"( or worse, "F*ck Duke)" being worn around campus. It's that time to spend 7+ hours being squished between two tall, drunk frat boys outside of the Comcast Center's student entrance.

The administration has taken a preventative approach to the game this year, sanctioning and supporting the "Beat Duke Week" initiative headed up by the Student Government Association (SGA) in an attempt to reduce rioting. You can see the site at BeatDukeWeek.com

Not only will there be a post-game bonfire, but 60 SGA members and about 40 regular students have been given tickets for special admission. They get in a special entrance at 5:00 and have had their seats reserved (plus they each get to save "one" seat for a friend with a regular ticket). These students and SGA members have pledge to not chant any profanities during the game and will therefore be strategically placed to sit near ESPN's microphones (aka strategically placed in the best seats in the house).

Duke is without Kyrie Irving, who they lost to a foot injury earlier this season. With Irving, the Blue Devils looked unstoppable; without him, this is a winnable game if three things happen:

1. Terps successfully defend the 3 point shot: The Blue Devils are traditionally a very efficient team from long range. They are very vulnerable when they are ineffecient from 3 point land as we saw when Duke went 1-13 from the arc in their loss against St. John's over the weekend. Maryland has had issues defending the 3 as we saw in their outing at Cameron Indoor, but if they can be successful at shutting Duke down or if Duke goes stone-cold from the 3 point arc, Maryland has a shot.

2. Duke has limited second-chance point opportunities: If Maryland forces Duke to take tough shots, the Terps have to rebound and convert Duke's misses to Maryland points. The Terps give away second chance points too often and have the losses to show for it.

3. Duke plays man-to-man defense: If Duke comes out playing the zone, I expect a long night for the Terps. It is no secret that Maryland struggles with their outside shooting and the zone forces them to take those long-range shots. The best example of this is the Virginia Tech game; the Hokies played a zone and, as a result, the Terps struggled offensively. Jordan Williams, the Terp's main offensive threat, all but disappeared from the game. If Duke plays man-to-man, Maryland will be able to run an offensive with which they are familiar and comfortable.

The game starts at 9pm and will be on ESPN.

Liverpool: Torres Out; Suarez, Carroll In

Fernando Torres

Fernando Torres has completed a £50 million ($79.5 million) transfer to Chelsea, which is highest transfer fee ever for any English club. Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll move to Liverpool for £22.8 million and £35 million plus add-ons, respectively. Fan reaction to the transfer of Torres to a league rival has been quite negative, with images surfacing on the web that feature 'Pool fans burning the ex-number 9's jerseys in the streets.

Torres has already spoken of his delight with the move to Chelsea, stating that, "It's always very tough to play against Chelsea, they are one of the biggest teams in Europe, always fighting for everything. So after that there is no more to look forward -- it's the top level and this is the target for every footballer."

Harsh words coming from a man that had previously feinted love and admiration for Liverpool, but hardly surprising. He left Atletico Madrid for Liverpool and the higher wages and a chance at Champions League football. Now he has left Liverpool for Chelsea and the higher wages and a chance at Champions League football. It is clear what is most important to the Spaniard.

Andy Carroll

Liverpool scrambled to find a replacement over the last 24 hours, with Newcastle's Andy Carroll being the player that the club decided to bring in on a five and a half year contract. He has the qualities that New England Sports Venture (NESV) designated they wanted in their signings: youth, marketability, and visibility. He is a tall striker that has been on a hot streak this season, netting 11 goals in 19 league games. Carroll has spent the majority of his career in the Championship division, but he has been projected as a star for the future and earned his first cap for England this past December. Carroll will become Liverpool's new number 9 and will have a lot to prove thanks to his hefty transfer price of £35 million, the highest transfer fee in Liverpool Football Club's history.

Unfortunately, Carroll has been quoted as saying that he did not want to leave Newcastle, his boyhood club, and was forced out of the Toon for the money. The Independent reports that Carroll said "I'm gutted to be leaving my hometown club, I was told to go. I didn't want to leave that's why I signed a five-year deal [with Newcastle in October]. I was pushed out of the door." This revelation certainly puts a damper on the new signing. Who knows how this could mentally eafect Carroll's performance on the field.

Luis Suarez is LFC's new number 7

Prior to the Torres saga, Liverpool managed to lure 24 year old Luis Suarez from Ajax to Merseyside on a five year and a half year deal. Suarez was captain of the Amsterdam club and has made 38 international appearances for Uruguay. In 2010, he scored 35 goals in 33 league games on his way to claiming the title of Dutch Footballer of the Year. Hopefully his goal scoring ability translates well to the English game.

In the end, Liverpool must be happy with their lot this January transfer window. Getting £50 million for Torres was a steal as he has not performed well enough over the past two years to justify that amount. While Carroll's transfer fee is somewhat overpriced, his monthly wages will be nowhere near the' £110,000 a week Torres was receiving. So, if Carroll is as good a player at Liverpool project, this transfer will remembered as a fantastic piece of business. Suarez's signing had reignited the hope of the Liverpool faithful and he is seen as a perfect striking partner to the tall Carroll.

The new signings will have a chance to showcase their talents when Liverpool play host to Stoke City this Wednesday.

Robbie Keane On Loan to West Ham

Robbie Keane has completed a loan move from Tottenham to West Ham.

Robbie Keane during his time at Liverpool

Robbie Keane was the Tottenham captain before he completed a transfer move to Liverpool for the 2008-2009 season. His time at Anfield was marked with a scoring drought and a dip in form and ended when he returned to Tottenham during the January transfer window. Things were never the same for the Irish captain as he struggled to return to his pre-Liverpool form. Keane was loaned out to Scottish side Celtic during last year's January transfer window and will be with the Hammers for the remainder of this European domestic season.

A Case in Journalism Ethics: Erin Andrews

Erin Andrews, an ESPN sideline reporter, wrote an article in which she mentioned TCU players were slipping around the field in their Nike shoes. It has been revealed that Andrews has a deal with Reebok, a Nike competitor, to endorse a new sneaker line that has been developed. This is a good case to discuss journalism ethics.

The industry standard is that news organizations prefer their reporters do not sign endorsement deals, as it creates a possible conflict of interest and may compromise journalistic integrity. This situation is not without precedent, but what is without precedent is that Andrews wrote negatively about a competitor's product before anyone knew she had a Reebok deal. Does that compromise her journalist integrity?

Andrews has social a status that few other sportscasters have attained. Andrews has called herself an "entertainer," and I have to agree that she is more of a television personality than a traditional journalist. The issue with that is that many people recognize her as a journalist, not an entertainer, and therefore her statements and articles are assumed to be written to honor journalistic integrity.

ESPN stated that they will disclose Andrews' endorsement with Reebok in her future articles. Maybe they should disclose that Andrews is not a journalist, but a television personality. That would help avoid any future confusion.