It's a Mindset

At the height of the Allardyce era Bolton finished level on points with Liverpool.  Goal difference gave the Reds the fifth spot in the table, while Bolton had to settle for sixth and a UEFA Cup spot.  At that point Wanderers were routinely taking points of "top 4" clubs and many supporters probably considered us on level ground with the likes of Liverpool (The feeling was not mutual, as Liverpool fans don't consider anyone to be on level ground with them).

Then the dark times began, and the manager did not even attempt to compete with clubs like Liverpool.

Now, Bolton are back.  There is not the talent level, nor the results of the Allardyce era, at least not yet, but the thinking has returned.  This is very important.  Under the Ginger Mourinho, lip service was paid, working hard for the cause and all that, but fans and players both knew we didn't stand a chance.

What Owen Coyle has brought to the club, more important than his eye for talent or tactical acumen, is the belief, the mindset, that we can win every week.  Not steal a point, not avoid embarrassing ourselves, actually beat clubs, no matter their position in the table.

This should be very interesting at Anfield today.  My prediction; 2-2.

Question: What the Hell is a Frimpong?

Answer: A holding midfielder for Arsenal football club who is quite exciting going forward but tackles late and recklessly.  Not to be confused with a Song, a Diaby, a Flameini, or a Viera.

In all seriousness, Arsenal looked very young and inexperienced in their loss to Liverpool at the Emirates today.  The refrain in the media regarding this result for the home team is going to something along the lines of "same old Arsenal," and that is not wrong.

But the second, louder cry amongst a certain segment of the English football viewing population is going to "Liverpool is back," or "The Reds are a title contender," etc.

Don't believe this.  It's just not true.  Liverpool are not title contenders.  They are not even close.  I even made a small wager yesterday that they would finish below both Manchester clubs in the final table.  I can't wait to try on my shiny new Bolton shirt next May.

Liverpool have several weaknesses, and they start at the back.  If I thought that Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel would be the regular partnership for central defense at Anfield, I might give them a tiny chance, instead of no chance.  But it will be a cold day in hell before "Anfield Legend" Kenny Dalglish drops "Legendary Scouser" Jamie Carragher from the starting XI.   And Carragher is terrible.  he was always wildly overrated, but now he is a shell of his former  half-decent-defensively self.

Luis Suarez

It's the 40th minute of Liverpool v Manchester United, and the home side has just gone up 2-0.  Both goals have been scored by Dirk Kuyt, but both have been set up by Suarez.

The Suarez signing was widely mocked in England, with most pundits making a joke about him being a good goalkeeper (because of the handball on the goal line at the World Cup), then a reference to Afonso Alves (a South American striker who scored a lot of goals in Holland, the flopped in England), but really not knowing anything about Suarez himself.  If they had watched any of Uruguay's matches prior to the Quarterfinal against Ghana, they would know that Suarez was outstanding in every facet of the game.  He and Diego Forlan were the best strike-partnership at the World Cup.

I think Suarez will have one and a half or two fantastic seasons for Liverpool, and then, much like Fernando Torres, move on to a bigger club.

Bolton Wanderers v Liverpool

We don't like to admit that randomness plays a big part in our lives.  Sure, we make comments about luck, or "the rub of the green," maybe even "the way the ball bounces," when we don't get what we want, but we hate to acknowledge, especially when things go well for us, that a part of it comes down to chance.

We could (unfortunately) see this a lot.

As far as football goes, a lot of that chance is dictated by schedule.  Bolton managed to get Manchester United and West Ham when they were struggling, and we got good results from those matches.  We also got Arsenal when they were going well, and we didn't get a result.

Sunday's match against Liverpool is shaping up that way.  The Reds look to finally be shaking out of their early season funk.  Fernando Torres is rounding into form.  A new ownership group has (temporarily I suspect) calmed their fanatical supporters.  Watching Liverpool's last few matches, I have just got the feeling that at some point, someone is going to get a hiding.

Manchester United v Liverpool, Who Cares?

At the risk of enraging a large portion of northwestern England, this match is just not that big a deal anymore.  Liverpool is just not a threat in the league.  It is no different from when Manchester United play Everton, or Aston Villa, or even Sunderland.  It is a club with  large fan base, a few really good players, and a good deal of money to spend on transfers, but realistically, a club that will finish between fifth and tenth.  Maybe they can beat one of the big clubs on their best day, but over the length of the season they just don't have the talent or depth to compete at the highest level in England.

Title Contenders (Arsenal)

Last season Liverpool Keeper Pepe Reina would have made a simple catch of a Theo Wolcott cross deep in injury time, and Anfield would have exploded in celebration of a 1-0 win over Arsenal. This season new signing Marouane Chamakh went in for a challenge on Reina, caused him to spill the ball, and Arsenal salvaged a 1-1 draw.

We all know Arsenal's biggest problems, the things that have kept them from winning the league the last few seasons, when they clearly had enough talent to do so. I think they have addressed, or are trying to address, all of these issues, and if they do, they will be right in the thick of the title fight come May.

The first and most obvious problem is Manuel Almunia. That's a little harsh on him actually. He is not a horrible keeper, and would probably be adequate at a club like West Brom or Wigan, but he is nowhere near good enough for Arsenal. Arsenal have been linked with Mark Schwarzer, who is slightly better but a lot older, and Shay Given, who is a lot better and a similar age to Almunia. If Arsene Wenger weren't so stubborn he would give Man City whatever they want for Given, but the man is ideologically opposed to paying large transfer fees for older players, and that seems to be particularly true for goalkeepers.

The second problem is the lack of depth in the center of defense. Thomas Vermaelen is an outstanding defender, and new signing Laurent Koscielny looks quite good as well, but there is really nothing beyond that. And I mean nothing. Johann Djourou is the only other senior player with any experience at central defender. After him, Wenger will have to drop a midfielder such as Alex Song into the back line. As luck would have it, Koscielny has already picked up a red card and will be suspended this weekend. Now, I don't think that will impact Arsenal's ability to unceremoniously bring Blackpool back to earth, but eventually they are going to need to cope with injuries and/or suspensions for a more difficult match. As soon as he sorts out the goalkeeping situation, Wenger needs to buy another centre-half, probably two.

Many are a bit more perplexed by the third problem. That is that during a given match, the Arsenal players do not seem particularly interested in scoring goals. This sounds absurd, but you can't watch them play and not come away with this feeling. This team absolutely dominates possession. The technical ability, the pace the movement, the accuracy, it is all a sight to behold. And they create chances, loads of chances, but they so often pass them up, and it is infuriating to watch.

The unwillingness to shoot is so ridiculous at times that it is frustrating for people who don't even support Arsenal. They ping the ball around, 15 or 20 yards from goal, creating opening after opening, yet never taking a shot. The second half against ten-man Liverpool was a prime example. Arsenal were down 1-0 to a Champion's League rival, and they barely took any shots. If Manchester United or Chelsea were down 1-0 and a man up in the second half, they would be taking a shot every 15 seconds. You watch these clubs and you see 25 or 30 efforts on goal, every match. With Arsenal it is shocking if they reach double digits in shots on goal.

There are some players in the squad that will shoot, particularly from distance. Most important are Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie. Let's face it, we all know how different Arsenal play when those two are fit and on form. And I think this is why Chamakh has been brought in. He is a goal scorer, in talent and in mindset. All the Gunners have to do is take a few shots early in a match from 25 or 30 yards out. Just the threat of it forces defenders to come out and attempt to close them down, which leaves more room for them to get behind and create the tap-ins they seem to prefer.

All things considered, this club is a threat to win every trophy it is competing for this season, but I just can't see the succeeding with an upgrade at goalkeeper and two new central defenders. I doubt Arsene Wenger values my opinion very much, but he has two weeks to convince me Arsenal will win the title this season, and end their well-publicized drought.

Champions League Hopefuls (Liverpool)

Roy Hodgson and Liverpool seem to have succeeded in their most important summer assignment. That is, Fernando Torres is staying at Anfield.

Let's take a look at Liverpool's likely starting XI.

Pepe Reina in goal is outstanding, they are in trouble if he gets injured though.

Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger are very good in the middle, although Agger is average or below at left-back. Jaime Carragher is awful, I don't know how long Hodgson can keep playing him based on name recognition. Glen Johnson is one dimensional, a threat going forward but terrible defensively. I am not quite sure who will start at left back long term, but they have nothing notable available. They still have Fabio Aurelio and Emiliano Insua on the books, but they have tried to jettison both of them.

Javier Mascherano started in the holding role next to Steven Gerrard against Arsenal, but

Mascherano wants to leave England. I guess Gerrard will keep playing deep, with Lucas or Christian Poulsen next to him. None of these players is a true defensive midfielder

or playmaker. So they will have gotten rid of a class central pairing of Xabi Alonso and Mascherano, with very little to show for it.

The attacking midfielders look pretty good though. Dirk Kuyt does all of the dirty-work. Joe Cole and Ryan Babel will have their moments, and if he can get fit Alberto Aquilani will make a big impression on the Premier League this season. Milan Jovanovic and Maxi Rodriguez will not make a lot of starts, but they are solid.

Young David Ngog scored against Arsenal, and he will have some role to play this season, but he is really a massive drop-off after Torres.

Any depth beyond the players I have mentioned is pretty unremarkable. It just doesn't look like a Champion's League club to me. There are a lot of mediocre players who will be counted on. I think Liverpool will be fighting to hold off neighbors Everton for sixth place.

Liverpool 2, Bolton Wanderers 0

A tough loss, but not a poor performance. Liverpool dominated possession, but did not create a whole lot of chances until late in the second half. Lee Chung-Yong got past the keeper and had an excellent chance to score in the first half, but his shot was cleared off the line. It would have certainly changed the tenor of the match if he had managed to get that goal.

Liverpool looked better than they have in a while, but they still looked vulnerable at the back. Every time Bolton managed to put a cross in, or a long throw for that matter, the back line looked a little shaky.

Owen Coyle played an attacking 4-3-3, similar to what was used at the Emirates last week, and Bolton's first few minutes showed that they were not just at Anfield to make up the numbers.

Unfortunately, Kevin Davies continued his poor run of form. He gave the ball away, didn't create any chances for himself, and even his flick-ons did not have their usual accuracy. New signing Vladimir Weiss got a decent run out in the second half, although Jack Wilshere didn't get to make his Bolton debut.

I am not worried, it was unlikely we would get anything from this match, and as long as the performances continue to improve, the points will come.