Ferguson has Rafa seeing Red (and other stuff on a Monday morning)

So it is done, Manchester United equalised their head-to-head match-ups with Liverpool this season with a 2-1 win at Old Trafford. The win whether I agree that Antonio Valencia dived to get the penalty for Wayne Rooney or not puts them atop the English Premier League that is clearly a three-team race. Arsenal and Chelsea are in contention and if you ask me, it's good for the league.

It is sad to see Liverpool powerless to stop the Red Devils in their march for a 19th English title; one that will break an 18-all tie between the two clubs. What is even more damning is that the Merseysiders have not won the domestic title in two decades while United have vaulted to the top.

Is this similar to the Boston Red Sox winning two titles in the last several years and finally ridding themselves of whatever hexes and jinxes that were supposedly in place against the New York Yankees? Definitely. Now the two clubs compete as equals and baseball is better for that.

As for Liverpool... it is one thing to be a contender and it is another to be a club in disarray. And let's not mince words about them for they are seriously in deep shit with troubles on and off the pitch. It's a lost season with only the Europa consolation silverware still available. But that's how it is. Next season should be wholly different. No Reds fan can accept anything less. Rebuild that team now beginning with the manager. I have refrained from taking shots once more at Rafa Benitez in the last couple of months because I threw up my hands in surrender.

Every manager has a feud with a player but Benitez seems to have an awful lot of them -- Peter Crouch, Ryan Babel, and Albert Riera are but a few. The cast at United has been the same for years while for LFC, the only ones who have been there since their 2007 Champions League finals appearance are Stevie G, Carra, and Pepe Reina.

Oh, well. At least Barcelona beat Real Zaragoza 4-2 with a hat trick coming from Lionel Messi. And Bordeaux went ahead of surprising Montepllier on goal difference (56 points apiece atop the French Ligue 1) after beating Lille 3-1 at home. Yoann Gourcuff fan here! He scored Bordeaux's third goal to complete the rout.