Paul Mcgoochan

We have gone from having a team of leaders, good 6 or so, to struggling to find one decent replacement when JT is injured. We had men of strength and character, Drogba, Ballack,Lampard,Cole, etc, who would not shirk from a battle to this powder puff lot.

And not just with Cech either.

Every season there will be the odd game where any team will have a brain fart, with the fans left scratching their heads. Think this is one of them.

I can remember one or two games in Europe that were pretty embarrassing.

Another new season starts for me tomorrow. Getting harder now, as we got promoted last season. When I took the game up about 4 years ago, training for social rugby was punishable by death ( ok, you had to buy beers on match day ). Now, we are encouraged to train twice a week. The players seem to be getting fitter and younger.

Can't argue with the 1st half. Subs will change things for us as I don't think Liverpool will be able to keep up this pace ( I hope ). 2-2 draw will be a good result after this start.

We got 3 points, but the gaps in our squad are obvious. A new RB, can't wait for Zouma to get back from his injury to partner JT. A Mid-Field General is desperately needed ( Lampard/Ballack type ) and another striker.

Hazard still not getting the protection from the officials. Getting kicked all over the pitch. Think this will be his last season here in the EPL.

I think that Utd's treatment of Van Gaal was shocking. For months, the vultures were circling with regards to Jose joining and yet the Utd board said nothing. If it had been us, Jeez!!! The press got what they wanted, Jose at a BIG club, the only club in England worth managing. HA! Watch the wheels fall off in 2 years time.

You should have listened to NBC on-line, it was even worse. Shocking, Chelsea still the villains of football.

The Manics are the one band that blew me away. I saw them in Cambridge a few years back and boy, the energy! Awesome live act. I've tried to educate my kids on Elvis and the 90's Brit Pop, but to no avail. Though I have got 2 of them into Heavy Metal, albeit, slowly. Still can't get them to like Lamb of God, but give it time. One band that I have discovered lately are these guys; Love the sound and feel of this album. You Tube can be a wonderful thing sometimes.

Well, all I can say is "Conte, good luck." Our chickens have finally come home to roost. We've got away with it for about 5 years, papering over the cracks, touching up here and there, a dab of paint. But now, we have a major rebuild on our hands. We have been guilty of keeping players, key players/leaders, past their sell by date instead of selling them on sooner with another player coming in. So we are left with 4/5 leaders who's legs go, we sell them or allow them to leave which leaves us with no true leaders on the pitch. We have 10 out-field players looking around scratching their heads. I don't want 11 super stars on the pitch, just 11 players who are willing to go the extra mile, fight for each other and have 2 stand out players/leaders who can calm the nerves. A re-build is a must and if it means missing out on CL for another season, so be it.

I didn't start until 4 years ago, so my knees,shoulders,back or neck aren't shot like most players around my age. But when I took it up, the first two months of playing I walked like someone who had just had a car crash. As for your hands and ribs, the recovery rate seems to take longer as we get older. Not fair!

Do or die for England today against the Windies in the T20 Final. Will lightening strike twice? As for me, my rugby season finished yesterday. My team team finished 2nd in the Eastern Counties Greene King Div 4 South, so that is promotion for us. Be careful what you wish for! Time to give my aching 50 year old bones and body a rest....................

What a win and talk about making the last over even more exciting!! Oh Lordy! And when Pakistan beat India tomorrow, riots in the streets, me thinks.