BLEACHERS BREW EST. MAY 2006

Someone asked me how my blog and newspaper column came to be titled "Bleachers Brew". It's like this, it's an amalgam of sorts of two things: The bleachers area in the stadium/arena where I used to sit when I would watch baseball, football, and basketball games and Miles Davis' great jazz album Bitches Brew. That's how it got culled together. I originally planned on calling it "The View from the Big Chair" that is a nod to Tears For Fear's second album, Songs from the Big Chair. So there.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Seeing red. This weekend's clash between Liverpool and Manchester United is huge in every sense of the word.

I've not really said much about Liverpool this year. But I have been watching their games and gnashing my teeth at their slipping down the standings. They aren't even in the top ten of the Premier League! One win in four games and now Reds legend Jamie Redknapp is taking shots at Fernando Torres. Can't say I blame him when everyone has taken shots at the Spaniard since his poor play at the World Cup. But I am not going to play the blame game even if Alex Ferguson has launched another broadside against Rafa Benitez who is in exile with Intermilan (but the Scot nailed him all right). The great play of two years ago when they nearly won the title is but a memory.

When Joe Cole first appeared as a Red during the press conference that announced his transfer from Stamford Bridge to Anfield, he said that a player of Steven Gerrard's caliber deserves a Premier League medal. I agree. I cannot keep watching my DVD of Istanbul, you know.

Now Liverpool is going to Old Trafford for the first rivalry match of the season. Both teams are somewhat in disarray what with MUFC conceding two goals to Everton in injury time for a disappointing draw and Wayne Rooney's life being tabloid fodder. LFC is just as in bad shape. I guess there's no need to go through that because it makes me angry. 

It's a game that can change LFC's fortunes. They may be a mess in the front office but if they win on the pitch then it gives people something to cheer about after all, they're 3-1 against them in the last two years. It should have been 4-0 but MUFC came back to win at Old Trafford 2-1 in their final meet of last season. Fernando Torres and Joe Cole both play well against United and the Red Devils will have their hands full. Let's see how El NiƱo does against Nemanja Vidic. And I'm sure that after being left off the squad in their last game against the Toffees, Rooney will be back on the pitch. It's an important match even if Rooney is from Liverpool himself. 

I am, however, quite concerned with Liverpool's backfour of Glen Johnson, Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger and who's it going to be -- Sotiros Krygiakos? They have to be rock solid. Carra has lost a step but they gotta hold the fort for Pepe Reina who has been peppered with some nasty shots from in the final 15 minutes of the match. It seems that for the Reds player in the World Cup, it's only Dirk Kuyt who had a great World Cup. Yes, I know Gerrard scored two goals but England... was horrible. Spain won but Torres was a non-factor. Hopefully, the slump or whatever you want to call it ends with the match versus their ancient foe.

Time to get going, Liverpool! YNWA!

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