Do As I Say Not As I Do

So 1 0 up at half time.

Hope Liverpool manage to score again in the second half.

Otherwise St Stevie of Me may have to resort to this just to make sure victory is secured.

You know what they say.

A Punch And A Kick Does The Trick

This is post number 800!

What am I doing to celebrate?

Well I'm stuck in a London hotel at a 2 day planning event, wishing I was tucked up next to my lover instead.

Even if he has been surreptitiously posting on my blog.

He proved to be right about Sven, although I am much more sceptical about his Beckham story.

So as I surface this evening after a day ensconced discussing important things with important people, I can at last concentrate on the things that really matter, such as what is going on in the football world.

Which at the moment seems to revolve around throwing punches from what I could see.

Like this.

And this.

Excepting of course a certain £80million player, when kicking seems to be much more the order of the day.

I do hope he didn't get his nice white kit all dirty.

Five Nil Five Nil Five Nil Five Nil

I'm struggling to hear myself think here.

My lover is wandering round the house singing "Five Nil, Five Nil, Five Nil Five Nil".

It's not that I begrudge him the win.

But it is a bit hard trying to hold a conversation;

Georgina: "What are we having for tea?"

Lover: "Did you see that first goal? What a finish."

Georgina: "What have you got on at work tomorrow?"

Lover: "Steven Gerrard is a god".

Georgina: "OK. I give up. Five Nil Five Nil Five Nil Five Nil".

Worried Men

There are a few worried men in the football world at the moment.

Obviously Steven Gerrard has his on-going court case on a charge of assault.

And now Robhinho has been arrested and bailed following an allegation of a serious sexual assault.

Meanwhile, Martin Allen has the look of a worried man. Not without cause.

And despite Wenger's bravado, I'm not convinced he isn't just a little bit twitchy.

But remember boys - it is just football after all.

Don't worry - be happy!

Saint Stevie Of Me

I don't know if I have mentioned it before but my lover and I have a show on a local community radio station. We broadcast every other week and the show is two hours of music and chat.

It probably won't surprise you to know that lots of the chat is about football. We try to find out about local sporting events but also chat about the latest stories in the wider footballing world.

Anyway yesterday I took great delight in putting my lover on the spot on air.

I said to him "Put your hand on your heart"

After a bit of moaning he did.

"Now look me in the eye and tell me Steven Gerrard didn't dive" (referring to the so called penalty earlier in the week against Atletico Madrid).

It was one of those rare moments when my lover is lost for words.

It was a shocking display though wasn't it.

Gerrard - or "Saint Stevie of Me" as he is known in our household - is on record as criticizing players who dive. Ruining the game and all that.

Hard to credit someone can be that hypocritical.

Maybe it's called something else when he does it.

The Great Capello?

So Capello is going to confront the Lamps/Gerrard challenge head on is he?

As a girl quite new to football I am still trying to make sense of one of the unfathomables of English football.

Namely that these two superstars can't play together.

So - fact or myth?

Well as I understand it, the problem is they are too similar. Gerrard is apparently the more versatile and so more likely to be played out of position. But Lampard does what he does really well and would be a loss to the team.

Yet although these reasons are cited, I don't hear comparisons with other similar pairings, past or present. It is almost as if everyone thinks it should be able to work and why it doesn't remains a mystery.

Presumably then, if The Great Capello can pull something out of the hat and succeed where all others have failed, he will be hailed as the greatest football magician in England's history.

We'd like that.

Not a lot.

But we'd like it.

Neither Rhyme Nor Reason

I hear Hicks may be in a fix tonight. I hope no-one picks on him. But if he will mix with the fans who at the moment are pretty sick of him, what does he expect?

Rafa, the gaffa will be hoping Gerrard plays well 'ard tonight, if only to detract from the fact that the pact has fallen apart in the boardroom.

Grant will be hoping he can supplant the chants of the fans for Jose.

I have to say that at the end of a long day, I'm looking forward to putting my feet up to watch the cup.

And have no fear - I'll swig a beer (or two) as I cheer for those dear Liverpool boys.

I just hope the match isn't a bore as we've seen before and that someone scores early doors.

Fingers crossed tomorrow's post is not about how Liverpool lost.

Handbags At Dawn

I'm not usually prone to schadenfreude as you know, but I can't help a wry smile about the antics at Newcastle. Keegan is adamant that the appointment of Dennis Wise as Executive Director of Football was no surprise to him and that his position as manager has not been undermined.

I can't help feeling that he protesteth a little too much though. What do you think? I see handbags at dawn.

Much more interesting though, I think, is the immienent announcement of the England team for the forthcoming friendly against Switzerland on February 6th.

Will he or won't he include Beckham, if only for the one match. Many notable voices are speaking out in support of him getting his 100th cap for England, joining the elite group comprising Bobby Moore, Bobby Charlton, Billy Wright and Peter Shilton. Voices such as that of Sir Alex Ferguson, Steve McLaren and Sven Goran Eriksson.

And who will be Captain? I favour Gerrard.

As for other players, I would have David James in goal and Rooney would definitely feature. Be good to see some new faces too though. Kitson, Bentley and Young must be contenders.

And what of those who don't get picked and think they should? More handbags at dawn perhaps?

Oh well - not long to wait now. I will just have to manage my excitement somehow in the meantime.

Licensed To Thrill

Steven Gerrard has had a difficult few days. Not for any football related reason, but because he ran into a child with his car.

From the reports I have heard the child is in hospital but will be OK. Gerrard has apparently visited today and took a signed football shirt and a pair of Wayne Rooney's boots. The boy is a Manchester United fan.

Gerrard was driving a Bentley, despite being partial to the odd Austin Martin. Like James Bond.

Given his love of cars, maybe he should have a go at this.