A tale of two cities … and four clubs

NOV 29 — Last February, Roman Abramovich sacked Felipe Scolari, having grown fearful that Chelsea might fail to qualify for the Champions League. He had the money and the absolute power to decide Chelsea’s fate and, being a successful businessman, knew when to cut his losses and get someone to turn the club around.

Guus Hiddink stepped in, direct from Moscow, thanks to Abramovich’s arrangement with the Russian Football Federation. The oil billionaire was already paying the Dutchman’s salary to coach the national side, so who could deny him the right to “lend” him to Chelsea for a few months.

The London team got third place and now have an even better manager to scale, or possibly even surpass, the heights that Jose “The Special One” Mourinho reached in 2005 and 2006.

That’s what is supposed to happen with the big clubs in the big leagues, be it in Spain, Italy, Germany and, of course, England.

Not that I condone sacking managers and changing the guard twice or thrice as what happens in some clubs. But there is a time for action when all the elements that should elevate if not maintain standards for the future good of a big club is not maintained.

Liverpool is one such club. They can only wish they had the same luxury as Chelsea now. Having been knocked out of the Champions League (CL) by December, with one match left in the group stages, they are also doing just as badly in the English Premier League (EPL).

The Reds have won just two of their last 11 games to fall well behind in the EPL title race. Manager Rafa Benitez has even dropped his expectations to just making the top four spot for possible CL action next season.

Club CEO Christian Purslow has yet again backed Benitez to improve the club's fortunes this week, while the Spaniard has repeatedly stressed that he does not fear the sack.

For “15 minutes that shook the world” in May 2005, Liverpool FC are now paying the price. Yes, the Champions League comeback and penalty shootout win over AC Milan gave all Liverpool supporters false hopes for a brighter future.

But a high ratio of failures to success among the incoming players has been the main reason for Liverpool’s lack of greater success. Benitez is no Alex Ferguson, and definitely no Arsene Wenger when it comes to the transfer market.

In his time at the club, only Pepe Reina, Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano who are/were fit to wear the red of Liverpool. Alonso has now left due to Benitez’s stubborn attempts at bringing in an English player who's not even good enough to lace Alonso’s boots. It's no secret that Mascherano wants to leave the club too and how long will it be before the other two decide to move on?

Another new player who is yet to be tested is Italian Alberto Aquilani. It is time Rafa stopped the Aquilani cameos. The £20 million (RM116 million) so-called big summer signing was brought in as a substitute just to waste time as they struggled to hold on to a 1-0 lead against Debrecen in the mid-week CL tie.

Liverpool fans need to see some hope for the immediate if not long-term future. With Steven Gerrard and Torres jumping on and off the physio's table with worrying regularity, the fans need someone else to believe in. Aquilani has been hyped by Benitez as just that hero.

All Reds fans are now screaming “unleash the Italian”. Otherwise, there will be a growing sense that his succession of cameo appearances displays a lack of trust from the manager.

It is time for Rafa to prove that this purchase can make a real difference and banish all those who continue to yearn for Alonso.

If Liverpool do sack Benitez, and if he does require the reported £20 million pay off, why don't they just give him Aquilani. Seriously, what other use would Liverpool have for the Italian if he is clearly behind Lucas in the pecking order.

One cannot help but laugh at the spot they are in. They often mocked Everton’s “past glories” status, but apart from that “shootout CL lottery” win in 2005 and an FA Cup in 2006, they have done nothing of note under this manager and even less under Gerard Houllier, Roy Evans and Graeme Souness.

Fortunately for Benitez, his team get a quick shot at redemption when they take on city rivals Everton at Goodison Park tonight. Liverpool beat Manchester United last month and speculated if they were becoming like the Manchester City of old. That is to say that they can get excited about big local rivalries and derbies, but fade into obscurity for the rest of the season.

Liverpool's problems have been dissected at length, but not many seem to have noticed that Everton's situation is similarly poor. The Toffees might be in a better position in their European table, but the domestic troubles are just as bad.

David Moyes can point to a lengthy injury list, and the fact that arguably his best two players (Phil Jagielka and Mikel Arteta) have been unavailable for the whole season, but Tim Cahill has been ever-present, Sylvain Distin is a more than capable replacement for Joleon Lescott and he's even got 10 starts out of Louis Saha.

While the number of injuries has been disruptive, one suspects that the key men left standing (Cahill, Marouane Fellaini, Joseph Yobo) simply aren't performing to the required standard.

Indeed, without Saha's eight goals they would be in serious trouble — only Diniyar Bilyaletdinov has bagged more than once — and logically they could have been six points poorer and second from bottom in the table.

Everton have not beaten Liverpool at home since September 2006 when Cahill scored a brace in a 3-0 victory. Taking into account the current poor form of both sides suggests the winner at Goodison is anyone's guess. Only a fit Torres is likely to help tip the scales in favour of Liverpool.

If Liverpool has Torres, then naturally one could equate that Chelsea has Didier Drogba. The only problem is that Chelsea also has Nicolas Anelka, Michael Essien, Deco, Salomon Kalou, etc. You get the idea. Money, money, money, it’s a rich man’s world … yada yada yada.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that. If it happened to Arsenal, in the true sense of a tycoon’s riches backing the club and not some purchase on a bank loan (like Liverpool and Manchester United), then I would gladly take it. Provided it comes with no strings attached and with Wenger’s transfer kitty enhanced to at least £100 million.

Such riches have helped Chelsea win seven of their last eight matches at a combined score of 25-2.

Drogba has scored more goals against Arsenal than any other opposition. All eight strikes against the Gooners have been valuable ones too: the match-winners in the Carling Cup final, FA Cup semi-final, the Community Shield, and two home league matches.

Their last visit to the Emirates also helped to inflict Arsenal's biggest home defeat in 32 years: 4-1.

But this is a different Arsenal. They are without question the best team to watch in the EPL, and arguably the most talented as well, more so for players of a very young age.

Tonight will be the first time that the Gunners face a genuine title contender since they handed three points to Manchester United back in August. If they are to mark themselves as title-hopefuls then at least a point is required, and it wouldn't be a massive over-reaction to call it a must-win.

The only problem for Arsenal is the November curse of injuries. Wenger practically manifested it in his comments prior to the international break two weekends ago. Now, second-choice leftback Kieran Gibbs and main striker Robin van Persie have become long-term casualties.

Meanwhile, first-choice leftback Gael Clichy, central defenders Johan Djourou and William Gallas, midfielder Abou Diaby and striker Nicklas Bendtner are all out but should be back in a few weeks.

There is hope though, and it all lies in the middle of the park. Cesc Fabregas and his merry men — Andrei Arshavin, Tomas Rosicky, Samir Nasri, and the in-form Alexander Song — hold the key.

If Eduardo and Carlos Vela put on their scoring boots, I see no reason why Arsenal should not take the lead, then increase it against an older Chelsea squad.

The Arsenal should make it a 13th successive victory at the Emirates since that aforementioned loss to Chelsea. The scoreline could even be high, but Arsenal will have the edge.