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Roy Hodgson isn’t exactly a popular figure on Merseyside and this is justifiably so according to a multitude of Liverpool fans. They find themselves with an uninspiring football style that witnesses players looking dejected and the belief that transfers will rectify this predicament with the backing of the new ownership in the New England Sport Ventures. But if Liverpool fans have observed the NESV at work in baseball then there is a slightly more shrewd policy implemented to gain success against money wielding clubs. What I’d like to assess is whether Hodgson is the correct man for this policy?

The Red Sox, with a financial structure that limited their capability to compete with the big spenders had to find another mode to attain success. This came in the guise of using statistical models which allowed unbiased, clear and precise determinations made on players purely based on their efficiency. With this model they could acquire value in the market by unearthing talent that had been missed due to certain circumstances and profit from the short-sightedness of their rivals. This punctilious approach will now be enacted at Liverpool to try and curb the financial outlay on transfers whilst remaining competitive.

The difference between impersonal statistics and the appreciation of the human condition presents itself here. With the statistics being stared at with cold, calm and calculating eyes by the NESV, it has evidence behind it for the faith given it, but this is in baseball and not football. Football involves far more technical and physical ability in a general sense as opposed to the specificities of pitching and batting which can be monitored fairly consistently. With these statistics there is no room for the appreciation or empathising of the human temperament, numbers don’t forgive failure they merely accentuate it.

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If a player performs poorly, the stats won’t lie and will highlight it, but they won’t necessarily explain why a player hasn’t performed well. The majority of players will have a foundational base of skill sets, but it is the psychological constitution of a player that establishes whether or not they can cope with pressure, expectation, failure, excessive rewards and the other aspects you have to manage in order to be successful. Statistics wouldn’t absolve failure in view of these excuses and a forgiving hand may only be extended if conscious of the entire picture.

Regardless of my thoughts on the mathematical formulas that could come to determine the transfer policy at Liverpool, is Hodgson the right man to see it through? He has found quality in unearthing players such as Brede Hangeland and revitalised the careers of players that had seemingly run along a plateau for some time in the likes of Danny Murphy, Bobby Zamora, Paul Konchesky and Zoltan Gera. This presents the value in the market that NESV are striving for, but would those same statistics have given the aforementioned players the chance to progress and realise their potential under suitable guidance from Hodgson? It would appear that they wouldn’t because with these types of player you take a risk, which is why value is gained when you accomplish the potential you saw in them.

Statistical formulas such as Pro Zone are supposed to remove as much risk as possible and eliminate human error, for we are a fallible lot, but without risk we lose the initiative and route to success. But then is this system taking a risk in itself? I think Hodgson would appreciate the assistance of such a system, but in a game that is so complex and emotionally invested as football the intuitive elements shouldn’t take a back seat to the stats. Hodgson after all would pick the team, train them, impose his style of play (does baseball have such a diverse difference in approaches as football?) and be responsible for the results. He is the right man given time, but so are you on Football Manager with the statistics at hand.

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Wigan boss Roberto Martinez has stated that it is likely that the relegation battle will go down to the last day of the season.

The Latics picked up a 2-0 win over Stoke at the weekend, and the Spanish coach is predicting a tight conclusion.

“The other results are going to be like this until the end of the season,” he told Sky Sports.

“We’ve been in this situation before and we know the last seven or eight games of the season the bottom five are going to pick up a lot of points and there’s going to be many twists and turns.

“You can only control your own fate. We need to have as many points as we can when May 13 arrives.

“I don’t think there is a bad team in this league and I don’t think there was a bad team last season. Everyone will be fighting until the end.

“Our last two fixtures are against Blackburn and Wolves, and it’s very difficult not to think it’s going to go down to the last day of the season, but we’re pleased with that because we’ve been through a difficult season, we had eight defeats on the trot and we’re very happy to be able to perform in the manner we do being in the bottom three positions,” he concluded.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Kenny Dalglish is looking to make QPR’s Moroccan international Adel Taarabt his first summer signing, and the Metro has reported that the Scot will use Joe Cole as ‘bait’ in order to get his man.

The former Spurs youngster has been instrumental in helping QPR regain promotion back to the Premier League with 19 goals and 16 assists. The Championship player of the year has also been rumoured to have caught the eye of Chelsea and Arsenal.

Joe Cole and his family have failed to settle on Merseyside since moving away from the capital after the Englishman’s free transfer from Chelsea and are eager for a return to London. One stumbling block could be Cole’s current reported wage of £90,000 a week, however Liverpool’s owners are keen to ‘splash the cash’ and could offer the former West Ham man a lump sum payoff to facilitate his move to QPR.

Kenny Dalglish is looking to make QPR’s Moroccan international Adel Taarabt his first summer signing, and the Metro has reported that the Scot will use Joe Cole as ‘bait’ in order to get his man.

The former Spurs youngster has been instrumental in helping QPR regain promotion back to the Premier League with 19 goals and 16 assists. The Championship player of the year has also been rumoured to have caught the eye of Chelsea and Arsenal.

Joe Cole and his family have failed to settle on Merseyside since moving away from the capital after the Englishman’s free transfer from Chelsea and are eager for a return to London. One stumbling block could be Cole’s current reported wage of £90,000 a week, however Liverpool’s owners are keen to ‘splash the cash’ and could offer the former West Ham man a lump sum payoff to facilitate his move to QPR.

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Manchester United may remain  unbeaten but their away form continues to disappoint as Saturday’s match at Sunderland can really be considered yet another missed opportunity.

Although like previous trips on the road there were positives, not even the best MUTV-style spin can hide the fact that no wins in four away games is simply not good enough for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men. Forgive me but I for one am a little tired of trying to ‘look on the brightside’ as Chelsea edge further and further away at the top of the table-and let’s not even mention the noisy neighbours.

When a Liverpool defeat is the highlight of your footballing weekend, you know that certain issues need to be adressed and its time for United to deal with them before its too late. Yes Sunderland are a good side- just like Fulham, Everton and Bolton- but you cannot win league titles by failing to win your away fixtures and watching City leapfrog over United in the table merely underlines the fact that something’s not right.

Of course, as I’m thinking of getting tattooed on my forehead ‘its not all doom and gloom’ but like Mickey Phelan’s penchant for wearing shorts no matter what the climate, United’s  failure to beat what is essentially a mid-table team is getting rather troubling.

So what did we learn from the trip to the second-best Stadium of Light in football other than the fact that it’s becoming compulsory to put ‘draw’ on the accumulator coupon next to a United away game?  Oh, and the Reds still haven’t had a three o’clock kick-off.

Rafael is the present not the future. Rafael Da Silva picked up where he left off in Valencia with another quality display at right back. Okay he made the occasional mistake but how else is he going to learn if he’s not given the chance to make them? When it comes to mistakes the young Brazilian has a long way to go before he matches the amount John O’Shea can usually muster, so it looks like it may be time to give him a proper run in the side. Defensivley Rafael can be a tad worrying but that will surely improve and the lack of an outstanding candidate at right back- even though I think Wes Brown is world-class, but for some reason Fergie doesn’t agree- it is now time to give the youngster his chance.

Saturday’s performance was another reason why its now time to give Rafael the run he deserves, he may be young and occasionally a little reckless but he’s a quality player and a real threat going forward, as someone once sang ‘the time to hesitate is through.’

Too many strikers can get messy. I’m all for having five options up front but if United are going to make the most of them then Fergie needs to work out the right ones to use for the right games. Michael Owen  was totally anonymous in the first half and while he can lament the lack of service- rightfully so- it was obvious United would have benefitted from the energy of Chicharito or the class of Dimitar Berbatov. I realise that Berbatov had played a mid-week game as a lone striker and Fergie may have felt he was not up to ninety minutes but surely if he can play one half he can manage two. United looked a far better team when Berbatov was on the pitch- ditto Chicharito- and had either of them been given more minutes then we may have seen a different result.

Darren Fletcher needs to improve. Sunderland seemed to work out fairly quickly that keeping Paul Scholes quiet was a surefir way to stifle the brunt of United’s creativity. With Scholes was being closed down within seconds of recieving the ball it meant that it was up to others to try and conjure up something in midfield. Anderson gets stuck in but is still yet to get back to full fitness. The game was crying out for Fletcher to do more than just tackle people and give the ball to Scholes. At the start of the season I claimed that if United were to regain the title then Fletcher had to raise his game against the so-called ‘lesser teams.’ Put him against Chelsea or Arsenal and Fletcher’s like a man possessed, however he needs to do it more consistently. There is an argument that he’s merely a defensive midfielder not responsible for creating attacks. However we’ve seen Fletcher influence games in the past, moving the ball forward and it was crying out for something similar at the Stadium of Light. Like the game against Bolton the Scottish skipper seemed unwilling or unable to generate any sort of attacking moves and United suffered because of it.

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Rio Ferdinand is vital. If United are to win the title, then they’re going to need Ferdinand for at least the majority of games. Rioferdy5 as he calls himself on twitter was back to his commanding best and United looked a lot better because of it. While Jonny Evans has done an admirable job filling in for Ferdinand he’s not quite in the same class and despite the fact that Nemanja Vidic was wearing the captain’s armband it was Rio who seemed to be marshalling the defence. United’s second successive clean sheet with Ferdinand back in the starting line-up is no coincidence.

Patrice Evra should not be ‘rested.’ Some may disagree- as they always do with a lot of what I write- but for me Evra is the world’s best left-back and is absolutely fundamental to the United team. Although he’s not looked as sharp since the World Cup -debacle- he’s still an immense threat going forward and the prospect of him and Rafael getting down the wings on the overlap would have been a scary one for Steve Bruce’s men.  In the second half we even saw Vidic getting down the left flank- my mate called it ‘disorganised’ I called it ‘total football.’ I’m aware that Evra played midweek but I feel dropping him was a gamble that backfired as although O’Shea did put in the -extremely- occasional cross he’s never going to be as much of a threat as Evra.

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I don’t want to bore you with all the details because as most of you know, the past few days have been quite eventful. With the resignation of Fabio Capello as England Manager and the even better timing of Harry Redknapp being cleared of tax evasion, there is no better way to parade the inevitable outcome of Harry being the next England head coach.

Despite the Football Association’s poor attempts to hide their unconfirmed decision, it doesn’t take a genius to know the Tottenham boss is wanted by the FA. So in that respect what is next for the club left in the middle of all this?

Spurs have been one of the most exciting teams in the Premier League, largely down to Harry’s free flowing philosophy. They currently sit in 3rd place with just 13 games to go and although winning the league seems unlikely at this stage, there is little doubt in my mind that Redknapp will secure a top four finish for Tottenham before being called to manage at the Euros.

So who should Daniel Levy turn to if he fails to retain Harry’s services at Tottenham? Here is my shortlist of three:

Rafa Benitez – As surprising as this may seem to Tottenham fans, I genuinely think Rafael Benitez would be an interesting bet to take over at White Hart Lane.

And why not? He has Premier League experience with Liverpool and also a Champions League medal to boot. He has also proven in the past for Valencia and Liverpool that he is tactically sound, leading the La Liga team to two titles in 2001 and 2004.

The Spaniard may not bring the flair and free flowing football that the Spurs faithful have seen often this season but I think it’s fair to say he has a winning mentality. I accept that Rafa didn’t have the best of spells at Inter Milan but you could argue he wasn’t given enough time.

With 350 games for Liverpool, Rafa managed to merit a 55.47% win record with 194 victories, so there’s no doubt he has what it takes to win in the Premier League. With regards to his style of play, you could argue it won’t suit Spurs, but the truth is, with the players Spurs have there’s no harm in grinding out results in harder games now and then, which he’s proved he can do in the past.

In addition, back to back Champions League finals with Valencia in 2000 and 2001 is no mean feat, especially when you go to win it with a Liverpool side in 2005. The only downside is that sometimes his transfers can be questionable but he’s certainly a potential candidate worth considering.

Frank Rijkaard – If anyone has the ability to replace Harry Redknapp then the Dutchman holds a strong case in my opinion. Frank Rijkaard’s personal style would most certainly complement the way Tottenham play at present and they wouldn’t lose any of their attacking prowess with the former Barcelona boss commanding things at the lane.

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Rijkaard revolutionised Barcelona’s style of play during his time there and he could take Tottenham to the next level in challenging for the title. His time at the Nou Camp was highly successful with a win percentage of 58.61% during which time he landed two La Liga titles, as well as one Champions League title back in 2006. In some quarters Rijkaard is credited as the man who actually laid down the strong foundations that Pep Guardiola has been working from in the past few seasons.

Rijkaard is currently coach of the Saudi Arabian National Team, although it remains to be seen whether the Dutchman will find the challenge at Tottenham too hard to turn down if the opportunity presented itself.

Jose Mourinho – Famously known as the ‘Special One’ and a manager I’m sure that almost every Spurs fan would love to see at the Lane. His record speaks for itself with a win ratio close to 70% that has included a trophy haul that includes six titles in three different countries, as well as two Champions League titles.

Known for his disciplined tactics, Jose has brought a different style to Real Madrid who play with a certain swagger warranting them a place at the top of the La Liga at present. If Spurs are serious about challenging for the title this is arguably their man.

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Jose Mourinho has already stated he will be leaving Real Madrid this summer, but reports have suggested his ambitions to be reunited with Chelsea again, who he won back to back titles with in 2005  and 2006, however whether that happens remains to be seen.

So they are my three candidates for the Tottenham post, but who would you like to see take the reins at White Hart Lane?

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Blackburn Rovers manager Steve Kean believes one more victory will be enough to secure survival following a 1-0 win over Bolton Wanderers.Martin Olsson’s goal in the 20th minute at Ewood Park on Saturday was enough to secure Blackburn their first win since January.

They are now 15th in the English Premier League table with 38 points, three points clear of the relegation zone with three matches of the season left to play.

Blackburn are away to bottom side West Ham United next, before a home match against league leaders Manchester United.

They travel to second bottom Wolverhampton Wanderers on the final day of the season.

“We’ve got to play West Ham and we’ve got to play Wolves in the last game so everybody can’t get three points,” Kean said.

“So I imagine if you’ve got 40 points and a good goal difference, which we have, that’s going to see you safe.”

“I thought we performed with a lot of attitude and spirit and togetherness,” he added.

“Today there wasn’t a want for the points, there was a need which is a very different emotion. You could feel it in the dressing room.”

“The lads had a focus and I thought they gave an outstanding and professional performance. They gave me every single thing I asked for before the game and more.”

Bolton boss Own Coyle felt his makeshift team did not deserve to go home empty handed after a committed performance.

“I’m frustrated,” Coyle said.

“I felt the application the lads put in was terrific given again we were decimated by injury and really had a makeshift team.”

“We started the game well and probably could and should have scored and then we’ve shot ourselves in the foot with the goal we’ve lost.”

Bolton bounced back from a 5-0 FA Cup semi-final thrashing against Stoke to beat Arsenal 2-1 last week, but the match against Blackburn proved beyond Coyle’s team.

“I think a lot of them acquitted themselves very well in terms of the effort, both physically and mentally, they had to give given how big the last couple of weeks have been for them and coming off a tough midweek game as well,” he said.

Liverpool stalwart Jamie Carragher has reason for cheer after signing a new two-year contract with the club.

The deal coincided with the club's sale as New England Sports Ventures finalised their protracted purchase from detested owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, and the 32-year-old former England international is glad both issues have been resolved.

"We've been talking about it for the last couple of weeks but obviously there's been more important business for the club to deal with and rightly so," he said.

"Mine was put to the back of the queue and that was no problem but it's finally sorted now. When Liverpool offer you a contract you sort it out pretty quickly. I'm looking forward to hopefully finishing my career at the club.

"Since the day I made my debut, my dream would have been to finish my career at the club and hopefully now that will be the case."

Meanwhile, manager Roy Hodgson has welcomed the move, claiming the veteran is still one of the best defenders in the Premier League.

He said:"I'm really pleased Jamie has been offered and agreed a new contract. He's part of the heart and soul of this club and is a man who literally would do anything to achieve success for the club and he has proved it over the last ten years or so in the Premier League.

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"His contribution on the field has been of the very highest quality. Jamie has been one of the few players in the seven league matches this season who could hold his hand up and say 'I can't do any better, you could never put a lack of result down to my performance'.

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Bolton moved themselves out of the relegation zone after beating a slack Liverpool side to record only their second win at the Reebok Stadium this season.

OWen Coyle’s side had lost eight of their 10 home games and hadn’t been victorious in front of their own supports since beating Stoke 5-0 back in November. However goals from Mark Davies, Nigel Reo Coker and Gretar Steinsson sealed an unlikely success against Kenny Dalglish’s side as their hopes of Champions League football suffered a massive hit with Craig Bellamy scoring their consolation. At the other end of the table the Trotters provided themselves with a huge boost in their bid for survival moving out of the bottom three in a game that could prove to be a huge turning point in their season. As for Liverpool they’ll be once again ruing their inability to score goals as a blunt attack featuring Bellamy and misfiring Andy Carroll failed to break down a Bolton defence that has conceded 47 goals in 21 games.

It’s in stark contrast to the visiting back four that has the second best defensive record in the Premier League but it took only four minutes for Bolton to breach it as Davies fired low into the bottom corner after striding unchallenged from just inside the opposition half. That seemed to stun the Liverpool rearguard into a sense of bewilderment as,moments later the usually reliable Jose Enrique lost possession to Chris Eagles on the right only for his cross to evade every white shirt in the penalty. Dalglish’s side struggled to get themselves into the game but finally sparked into life as they appealed to referee Kevin Friend for a penalty after the ball appeared to hit Zat Knights hand. The official merely brushed away any pleas and the Reds found themselves two down as Eagles picked his way through a gap in the 27th minute before dinking the ball over for Re0-Coker to finish from six-yards. The away side upped their efforts after that and halved the deficit eight minutes before half time as Bellamy raced onto Carroll’s flick before clipping the ball over Adam Bogdan.

The Reds seemed to increase their momentum after break in search of an equaliser but their hopes of a comeback were dashed early in the second half as Steinsson volleyed past Pepe Reina after David Wheater had rose highest to nod Martin Petrov’s corner across goal. Liverpool laboured after that with Daniel Agger hitting the bar with a stinging 25-yard drive and Bellamy testing Bogdan with a tame low shot. However Dalglish’s men failed to sufficiently threaten the Bolton defence as Coyle’s men gave themselves a timely lift with games against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City on the horizon.

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Porto returned home to celebrate their Liga Sagres title with a 3-2 win over Sporting Lisbon on Sunday, while Benfica defeated Beira-Mar.Porto, who clinched the Portuguese league title at bitter rivals Benfica two weeks earlier, finally made their triumphant return to the Estadio do Dragao to a rapturous reception from their fans.

The atmosphere was briefly tempered when Sporting took the lead through Andre Santos, whose long-range attempt in the 18th minute took a deflection off team-mate Matias Fernandez and skipped past Porto goalkeeper Helton.

But scores were level eight minutes later as Falcao, Porto’s prolific Colombian striker, brought the home fans to their feet with a header from 12 yards out.

The Colombian nabbed a second five minutes after the restart with another header, this time a diving effort to connect with Joao Moutinho’s chipped cross from the right.

Substitute striker Walter, brought on for Falcao, also got in on the act with an 87th-minute goal, one that was equalled by Fernandez one minute later to dampen fan celebrations until the final whistle.

Elsewhere, Benfica returned to winning ways after consecutive league losses with a 2-1 victory over Beira-Mar.

Second-half goals from Brazilian defender Sidnei and Argentine attacker Franco Jara put Jorge Jesus’ team back on the winner’s list, albeit with second spot on the table already wrapped up.

Substitute Ghanaian attacker Ishmael Yartey scored what proved to be a consolation goal in the third minute of stoppage time for 10th-placed Beira-Mar.

Portimonense kept their slim hopes of remaining in the top flight alive with a 1-0 win at Uniao de Leiria.

A 63rd-minute goal from Pedro Silva was enough to bring his team within six points of safety with three league games to go.

Madi Panandetiguiri was sent off for the losing side after picking up two bookings in four minutes, while Silva too received his marching orders 11 minutes before full-time.

Finally, Rio Ave made it three-straight wins with a 1-0 victory over the struggling Naval 1 Maio.

Defender Milhazes scored the only goal of the game in the 13th minute as they moved to within a point of a Europa League spot.

Fulham’s England striker Bobby Zamora is facing at least four months out of action after suffering a serious leg injury in the 2-1 win over Wolves at Craven Cottage.

Zamora damaged his right leg in a challenge with Karl Henry just before the half-hour mark and had to be stretchered from the field after receiving oxygen.

Cottagers boss Mark Hughes later confirmed:“If the injury is as we think it is, it’s likely to be four months.

“If the surgeon goes in tomorrow and finds other damage rather than just the break, which is four centimetres above his ankle, it will be even longer than that. The four months looks like a minimum.

“It’s a shame but I don’t really lay the blame on the player (Henry). It’s one of those.

“There’s always a danger if you get tackled from the side or from behind that players’ legs can get trapped.

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“I don’t think there was any intent to hurt Bobby. You don’t expect the circumstances of the injury to be the result of a challenge like that, but it can happen.”

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