With this opportunity landing in your lap, you’ve got to take it.  But the questions was (and still is), can my knackered old knees handle it? 

I’d finally got my right knee fixed with surgery in May.  The knee that I completely screwed whilst training and running the London Marathon in 2006.  I had been unable to do any excercise since, but got back to light jogging at the beginning of December - almost 3 years later.  The picture below shows what happened in the meantime…Fit Lukas to Fat Lukas!

No question. Sod the knees.  I need some bleedin excercise.

But who is this, coming to steal Neville’s mantle? None other than the pouting irritant, Frank Lampard. 

Apart from the England football team dilema of ‘Lampard or Gerrard’, which pisses me off simply for the fact that anyone with any bleedin sense can see that it’s a friggin no brainer, Frank Lampard is quickly becoming the focus of my bar room vitriol because of his goal celebrations.  He always looks so fucking smug - like he’s just had your wife, and he wants you and everyone in the stadium to know about it.

Even as a Liverpool supporter, I can begrudgingly admit to admiring the way that United have played over the last 12 months, and Chelsea, when Drogba first arrived completely ripped up the Premiership.  Lampard and Neville however, epiomise why there is such distaste eminating from Anfield towards these clubs.  We don’t like Neville, but while he’s been away injured for so long, a vacuum of contempt has appeared, which Lampard has willingly charged headlong into.

Now, am I missing something, but are England no better, or worse than they have ever been? 

Sir Alf Ramsey failed to take England to the World Cup in 1974.  In 1978 Ron Greenwood failed to repair the damage done by Don Revie, and they again failed to reach the World Cup.  Not even Bobby Robson could take England to Euro 84, and 10 years later Graham Taylor famously “did not like that”, as England once again failed to qualify for the World Cup.

So, how many foreigners were playing in England’s top division in 74, 78, 84 and 94?

As ever, it’s more comfortable to pick on the easy target, than actually address the real problems.  Not only is Johnny Foreigner coming over here and nicking all our jobs, he’s also turning us into shit footballers.

Geat real.  England are simply not producing good enough footballers.

So, why are England, or indeed Wales not producing?  Well, ok, that’s a bit harsh.  We are producing talent, just look at Micah Richards, Aaron Lennon, Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott and Wayne Rooney.  The problem is we are not producing enough talent.  Anybody who works in the academy system will tell you, that the talent is there, but standards need to improve. The bar needs to be raised higher.

What the media appears to be ignoring as well, is that we are still playing catch-up. We will produce these players, but the modern academy system has only been in place for the last ten years.  The model in Holland, for example, has been around for a lot, lot longer.  A very successful junior & youth system that was influential in the development of our own, and is held up today by our coach educators as an example of how to develop young talent.

Yes, undoubtedly, there is some talent in the lower leagues that is being overlooked, and the scouts at the top level have a lot to answer for.  I’m sure they prefer to be sitting in some La Liga team directors box watching the Spanish kids perform than standing on the terraces at Barnet.  The small pool of talent that we do have in England and Wales may not be getting their chance, but I’m not sure this is because Fernando Torres and Christiano Ronaldo are squeezing them out.

Right now, England, you just do not have enough quality.  Owen, Gerrard, possibly Joe Cole, and still even Beckham have what it takes, but as for the rest of the squad, put them man for man up against their counterparts at France, Italy, Spain, Brazil & many, many others, and they just don’t stand up.

Why is it that the British media believes that English players are surely, naturally gifted, that they don’t have to improve what they do, just boot out all the foreigners and they’ll miraculously produce a world beating team?

Over the next ten years we will see a flood of talent come through, as the academy system finally bears fruit, but ironically, by then we will probably have a “foreigners quota” in place, which will no doubt be hailed the saviour of British football.

…and no, I’m not even going to comment on Wales.  They’re fucked.

Look out Chelsea, we’re breathing down yer neck…

All I ever write about on this site is football.   I wish I had more of a life at the moment, that would give me something remotely interesting to say.  But, work right now is all encompassing, putting a strain on all areas of my life.  Working 12 hours a day, 7 days week is slowly driving me insane.  There is a light at the end of the tunnel - mid September.  If I can just get there.

Anyway, the little ray of sunshine in my life which is the Premiership, began again on Saturday - and it did not disappoint.   Liverpool did, for the first time in years, hit the ground running. 

At first, it appeared to be turninng into the same old story when Villa got awarded a late, and dubious, penalty.  Melberg put it away, but Liverpool just wouldn’t roll over and die.  The difference between this and Sheffield United match at the beginning of last season was significant. The last five minutes were played as if we wouldn’t, couldn’t lose.  Gerrard stepped up for a last minute free kick 25 yards out, and put it in the postage stamp.  Destiny.  Our time is nigh.

Prediction: If we beat Chelsea on sunday, we will go on to win the league.  Top by Christmas, and never looking back.

 So, what’s been happening?

On the football side of things, Liverpool knocked Chelsea out of the Champions League Semi-Final, before losing the final in Athens to A.C. Milan.  Enough has been written about the events in Athens, so I wont bore anyone with my thoughts on that matter.

Looking forward, I had been convinced for a little while, that Theirry Henry was about to sign for Liverpool, when he went and joined Barcelona.  “I wouldn’t have transfered to any other club in the world”, carped the Va-Va-Voomer, so why was he at Melwood two weeks previous?

Anyway, there is a school of thought now, that this may have played into Rafa’s hands, by unsettling Eto at Barcelona.  Rafa the Gaffa may well now be able to persuade Eto to jump ship, if he is no longer garunteed a starting place.  This situation could become even more unstable for Eto if Gudjonson doesn’t transfer out of the Nou Camp.  Watch this space.  It could happen.

What looks more certain, however, is Fernando Torres move from Atletico Madrid to Anfield Road.  Whilst Atletico are still holding out for 27 million, which would trigger a contractual release clause, I wouldn’t mind betting they setle for 19 million + Cisse.  This would be an ideal situation, allowing Liverpool to offload the brittle boned, strutting peacock with the bad attitude.

Away from football, it’s all work, work, work.  Not really condusive to a great family life, but it looks like things will settle down by September.

Think I’m going to catch up with Porky & Dunc at the weekend on a bit of a jolly to Swansea.  No doubt there will be casualties.  Should give me something to write about though.

Back soon

F*@#in Joe Cole.  The bloody nemisis of Liverpool.

Liverpool started slow.  Too slow for my liking.  You could see that Chelsea goal coming a mile away.

A good performance in the second half, coundn’t hide the woeful inadequacies in the first.  Why Did Rafa opt for Zenden?  Ok, by his standards he had a good game, but he just hasn’t got the pace to run past the full backs.  And as for Arbeloa, he was straight up shit.  He was even worse on Saturday against Portsmouth - I suspect he’ll be off in the summer.

Hopefully Finnan will be back to shore it up, and if Gerrard can produce one of his finest European performances, we might just be in with a chance.  In fact all the boys will need to perform at the very highest level.

C’mon the reds!…I can hardly bare to watch

(back row from left to right: Callum, Dom, Will, Thomas.  Front row from left to right: Joseph, Jack, Ollie, John & Zac)

The future of Kilgetty Football Club entered their first proper tournament on Sunday. 

Narowly defeated in 3 matches, but glorious in one as they trounced Dafen FC 4-0, with Ollie coming out of goal to score two (that’s my boy!).