How good are Liverpool?

I’m trying to work out just how good this Liverpool team is. Good? Yes. Very good? Yes - I think so. Better than very good? A team eight points clear of its nearest rival - with a game in hand - and nine of the team in third you’d usually say ‘yes’, but I’m not sure. 

They looked terrific at West Ham, but the home team were abject, so I’m not sure we can draw too many conclusions. 

I should add that the CL table says they’re the best team in Europe right now as well. 

Arne Slot has already proven himself to be smart and flexible and he’s allayed my one big pre-season fear - that he’d turn Liverpool into another dull pass-fest outfit. 

We should never forget that Jurgen Klopp left this team behind when he walked away, having done all the re-building that Guardiola is now faced with at City, so he takes a great deal of credit for what’s happening now. 

But is the current side as good as Klopp’s original? No. Not for me. Let’s not forget those players won a title and in the two seasons they came up short it was only by a point behind a record haul by a very very good City. They also won the CL. 

Of course this current crop need to mature and that can only happen with time, but I don’t think they’re being pushed. I don’t think it’s a very good league this season. 

Arsenal have gone back. City are miles off. So are Spurs. I can’t see Forest continuing as they are, but fair play to Nuno - he’s done a fantastic job at the City Ground. 

The only other team that have made progress are Chelsea and I don’t see them as genuine title challengers. On their day they can be impressive, but as Fulham proved, they’re still flimsy. 

So it’s Liverpool’s title barring a dramatic fall off and I guess time will ultimately decide how good they are. 

On the subject of West Ham - how clever Karen and co must be wishing they hadn’t treated David Moyes with so much contempt. 

I guess it was only right Fulham and Bournemouth shared the points at the Cottage - they’ve both been a pleasure to watch so far. 

As for United and Reuben Interim. What on earth was he thinking when he started talking about relegation in his most recent press conference? Is he serious? If he is he should keep his thoughts do himself. Or is he actually trying to get the sack? 

Interim is clearly one of a new breed of arrogant coaches that believe they’re always right and the rest of us are wrong - so there’s no flexibility - it’s his way - 3-box-3 - or no way. 

I mentioned this last week. Don’t be a fool Reuben. Find a system that suits the players you’ve got and start winning some games. So far all he’s done is make United worse. 

And what a shambles of a year it’s been under Sunny Jim and the brains trust. They’ve stumbled from one bad decision to the next - the most recent being the cancellation of funds to X- players facing hardship - their own charity. 

Is Sunny Jim really as inept as I’ve been suggesting? I was actually hoping I was wrong - but I’m not. The only reason he’s getting away with all his penny-pinching nonsense right now can only be because the United faithful are so weary. 

I had to laugh at this headline ‘fans are left shocked as Haaland swears in post-match interview’. Oh fuck off. Grow up. Here’s my headline ‘grown man says shit during sports channel interview’. So what? 

Why is there always a melt-down on this channel, and in the press, if a mic picks up a player or a fan swearing? It’s a sports channel ffs. It’s going to happen. 

I can turn any ‘entertainment’ channel on any time of the day and night to find the likes of Jonathan Ross trying to make people laugh by simply swearing. Why is that ok and yet the odd expletive on a sports channel isn’t? It’s ridiculous. 

Did you see Jaoa Pedro get away with that flailing elbow? That was as clear a red as you’ll ever see. It was violent conduct - and to be clear law 12.3 states there doesn’t have to be contact for it to be so. 

Except ref Andy Madley and Chris Kavanagh in VAR saw differently. And the PGMOL released a statement that read ‘the referees call of no red card to Jaoa Pedro for violent conduct was checked and confirmed by VAR, who deemed the referee’s call was not clear and obviously wrong’. Why was it checked then? And clearly it was. 

As for the 3’40” it took to incorrectly disallow Gakpo’s goal v Brighton - can I ask why is it we’re still using wax crayons and rulers to make these decisions? They’re not accurate. Where is the semi-automated technology we were promised? 

What a miserable weekend for Manc football fans.

Once is a mistake. Twice is a decision. Any more than that has no chance of being forgiven. So said the Brazilian lyricist and novelist Paulo Coelho.

I wonder what he would make of this? How many mistakes can you spot here? Brahim Diaz Madrid. Morgan Rogers Villa. Cole Palmer Chelsea. Sancho Chelsea. Romeo Lavia Chelsea. Tosin Chelsea. Ko Itakura Gladbach. Pedro Porro Spurs. Douglas Luiz Juve. Rory Delap Ipswich. Felix Nmecha Dortmund. Quite a list isn’t it?

I’m sure you’re ahead of me and have worked out what they have in common? Let me tell you if not - in his eight years at City Guardiola has sold them all.

Staggering isn’t it? Look. I get it. Every coach has dropped a bollock and let someone leave whose gone on to have a career. Every coach except Fergie that is - but come on. That’s a barrel full of bollocks dropped.

No wonder people are beginning to wake up to what’s happened at City. It was fine when things were going well. There was only me questioning Guardiola and his methods. Now - with City falling apart - there’s a few more starting to.

James Gheerbrant wrote a terrific piece in The Times last Friday making much the same point as I am - adding that City’s usual starting X1 right now has an average age of 28 1/2 making them, most weekends, the fourth oldest team in the league.

What I find even more incredible is the line I heard at a recent Guardiola press conference. It went something like this ‘after eight years of constant success I knew there would be a drop off’. Really? Well why didn’t you do something about it sooner?

The re-build should’ve started 18 months ago. And don’t tell me I’m being smart after the event. How many times did we watch Fergie realise big players were on the cusp of losing their power - so he got rid of them? Remember - 13 titles in 27 seasons. Never - ever were United scrambling around in seventh with a record of four points from 24 available. If they didn’t finish top they generally finished second.

Can you recall Fergie letting a player leave who went on to have a career elsewhere? A proper career that is. Only Beckham. None of the rest did.

His judgement was spot on. He knew. Never did I hear him saying like ‘everyone knows how good Morgan is’. Yea? Well why isn’t he playing for City now? Why isn’t Cole Palmer?

Add it all up. It’s millions of pounds worth of talent that’s been allowed to walk away from the Etihad. What’s Julian Alvarez doing in Madrid? I can only think Guardiola’s daughter wanted to go back to Spain last summer.

If the City managers’ name was - let’s say Mancini - with a record of four points from 24 and list of mishaps like the one above, he’d already have been shown the door. If Guardiola wins the title from the position City are in now I’ll accept he’s a genius. If not - can we all start asking a few more questions?

A point at title chasing Arsenal. And a point from the next game against title chasing Chelsea - I’d say that was pretty good going. The trouble is Everton did it without taking a shot at goal at Arsenal and mis-firing badly v Chelsea.

Sean Dyche should get top marks for taking something from both games - but Everton are seriously boring.

I said it last week. I’ll say it again. Can we please give Postacoglou a break? Did anyone notice three of his regular back four were missing v Liverpool. Oh - and his first choice keeper. Not once did I hear him make an excuse for the defeat nor list his injured players. City haven’t stopped whining about missing just one - Rodri, despite the fact they won six and drew one of their first seven games after his injury.

Liverpool were good though weren’t they? I’m more impressed every week.

If Amorim didn’t know what he’d taken on he does now. I couldn’t help think about Mike Keegan’s piece in The Mail a week last Thursday as I watched Bournemouth stroll to another win at OT. Keegan revealed the Qatari plan for taking over at United was called ‘Project Ruby’.

He wrote that Project Ruby would be revealed like this - Day One: announce takeover. Day Two: announce that all debt has been removed, that the club has been taken off the New York Stock Exchange and that it is no longer answerable to faraway stakeholders. Day Three: announce fully funded plans for a new stadium.

What’s happened in the year Sunny Jim has been involved?

Congrats Kelly

It was Benjamin Franklin who said ‘nothing is certain except death and taxes’. I’ve re-worked that famous phrase many times and I’m going to again.

Nothing - except that Russell Martin was going to get the sack. The only surprise for me is that Southampton waited so long.

They’re already down. And that’s not because they weren’t ever good enough for the PL. It’s not because Martin was stubbornly principled, but because he was stupid.

He cut a comical character every time he did post match interviews following another Saints mauling.

He’d bang on about ‘the group learning’. About wanting to stay true to his principles. About playing ‘the right way’. Oh fuck off. What a load of nonsense. Ask Saints fans if they believe their team have been playing ‘the right way’.

Of course they haven’t. They’re rooted to the bottom of the league. They’re going down after a miserable attempt to re-join the big boys. The only thing we don’t know yet is if they’ll make history as the worst ever PL team. Right now they’re on course, but the new guy might give them a fighting chance.

More than anything that’s what they need - a bit of fight. To play ugly and win a few games. Get the ball into areas where they can cause the opposition damage - not themselves. Pass. Pass. Pass - goal to the opposition. What’s clever or ‘right’ about that? It’s certainly not good coaching.

No. A good coach would find a way. He/she would adapt to the circumstances their team found themselves in. There’s a reason players play for teams like Southampton - because they’re not good enough for top teams. So don’t ask them to play like top players. Even City are being found out because they don’t have a plan B.

I noticed Graeme Souness - in his column in Saturday’s Mail - warning that we’re boring our game to death right now (we speak all the time!) and I agree with him. I sense fans have had enough of it.

They want excitement. They want to see chances created and goals scored. How long have I been saying this for? Good luck to the new guy at Southampton. I hope he reads this - or Graeme’s piece. They’re much the same. 😂

I’m sorry to see Gary O’Neil go. And no - I don’t owe Bournemouth fans an apology. The way he was treated by your club was a disgrace.

It’s not many months since O’Neil was being touted as a future England manager. I still believe he’s good at what he does, but he was fighting a losing battle at Wolves. Any coach that’s seen £250m worth of talent sold would struggle.

I hope both O’Neil and Martin find their way back into the game. With Steve Cooper sacked earlier in the season were three British coaches down now. We’ve only got Eddie Howe, Sean Dyche and Kieran McKenna left. I don’t expect Dyche to start next season at Everton. The chances are Howe won’t be at Newcastle either and you’d be brave to suggest Ipswich will stay up.

To have a PL without a British coach working would be disaster. I don’t like using that word in connection with football, but it really would be.

Congrats to Kelly Cates on her new job. I’m proud of her but not surprised. Success has many fathers and I’m sure there’ll be a few people lining up to take credit for her career, but Kelly, Kenny and me know the truth.

Kenny and I once fell out about her getting a job at Sky. ‘It meant she didn’t finish Uni’ he said to me. ‘No’ I replied. ‘But you asked me to get her a job’. Her dad is a man of many contradictions - but that one was a belter. I’m not holding my breath expecting he’ll call now to apologise.

Kelly is good. Very good. But I’m still surprised she’s making the move. There’s nothing like presenting live football. I would never have made that decision. Highlights shows are deadly dull.

MotD desperately needs fresh blood, but I’m not sure it will survive for very much longer. Eventually Grandstand died for similar reasons - the march of time. 

Gabby Logan is someone else I opened the door for. I did that because her dad had played for Coventry and I was a big fan! She’s good - but a handful.

Sadly she pissed everybody off at Sky with her demanding attitude and my gaffer then - Vic Wakeling - let her go after two years.

I’m told by people that work with her now nothing has changed. Oh well - one day maybe.

And finally. I got hammered when I suggested signing a new deal might not mean Guardiola stayed at City. Anyone want to waste good money on taking a bet he will now?

Let’s have a look at what you could’ve won United

United fans must feel like they’re watching an old episode of Bullseye right - hosted, of course, by Jim Bowen.

Do you remember his trademark end to a show when another hapless pair of contestants had fucked up? ‘Let’s have a look at what you could’ve won’ he would say and the star prize would be wheeled onto the stage so everybody could gloat at their misfortune.

Let’s have a look at what United could’ve won if the greedy Glazers had sold the club to my Arab friends here in Qatar. No. On second thoughts, let’s not. It’ll hurt too much and I don’t want to add to the misery of the OT faithful, but surely it’s what every United fan is wondering?

I’ve said this for a year - ever since Sunny Jim rolled into town and was, for reasons unknown to me, greeted like a hero - the deal was a mess, Sunny Jim was the wrong man and what’s happening at OT now is a shambles. How many weeks ago did I post a video exposing what he’s done at two other clubs in the INEOS stable - Lausanne and Nice? If you missed it - here it is again….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxNvQco6dMg

Did no-one do any homework on Sunny Jim? As Ratcliffe and the brains trust continue to destroy Mediocre United (Ratcliffe’s words in that interview last week, not mine) I wonder what the club would look like today if the Glazers had done the right thing and sold to Sheikh bin Hamad Al Thani?

Let me ask the question again? Why didn’t they? Only people close to the deal know the real answer, but some things always slip out and I’ve heard that every time the Sheikh agreed to the Glazers’ terms they moved the goalposts. Every time - to the point where trying to do a deal became a farce. Why were my Arab friends given the run-around? Give it some thought. The clue might be in that penultimate sentence.

I’m genuinely worried for big Ange now. I didn’t like the tv pictures of a stoney-faced Daniel Levy after Tottenham’s defeat to Chelsea. I smell trouble.

No Spurs fan wants to see their team beaten they way they were yesterday (Sunday) but it was great entertainment - a 7-goal thriller. Isn’t it entertainment that Spurs fans crave?

I enjoy watching Spurs. They’re direct - but soft. That’s what makes them refreshing for the neutral. But if you’re a fan is it what you want? Or are you missing Conte and Mourinho? Your move Daniel.

With every week that passes I’m more impressed with Thomas Frank and his Brentford team. They were fantastic v Newcastle. If they can sort their away form out who knows what they can achieve this season? Perhaps Dan Ashworth was right? Perhaps Thomas Frank was a better option than Amorim?

Have you looked at the top of the Championship recently? Two of the top three were relegated last season - Sheff Utd and Burnley - and squeezed in between them are Leeds, who went down the previous season. Are we surprised? Rick Parry is right when he argues that parachute payments distort competition in that league.

What do we make of the suggestion goalkeepers should only in possession of the ball for eight seconds?

I don’t know if you saw the piece in The Times by Martin Ziegler (Friday) but he claims that under a new system being considered by IFAB, if a keeper holds on to the ball for longer than eight seconds a ref will penalise him/her by awarding a corner.

It doesn’t happen often - if ever - but at the moment a ref can award an indirect free-kick if a keeper doesn’t release the ball in six seconds. Ziegler says that refs won’t do that because it tends to lead to a clear goal scoring chance so the punishment is too great.

I don’t mind the idea of awarding a corner. I’m sure Arsenal wouldn’t either! Something has got to be done. Trials are apparently underway. Let’s hope they’re deemed to be successful.

Give Ange a break.

Spurs fans have got to cut big Ange a bit of slack. I love watching his team play. Right now Spurs and Brentford are the teams to follow if you want the sort of excitement that Postecoglou talked about in his press conferences last week.

He’s right. Absolutely spot on. There are plenty of teams to watch that play sideways and backwards. Guardiola loves coming up against disciples that sit off City and let them play. Teams like Southampton. He’ll talk glowingly about coaches like Russell Martin because they slavishly follow his lead, despite the fact their own teams aren’t good enough to play like City.

Postecoglou doesn’t. Nor does Frank. Spurs’ fans weren’t happy watching their side drop points against Fulham and actually booed them off - but what do they want ffs?

Spurs were brilliant at City. I said - tongue in cheek - in my last blog, they’d started a trend that would never catch on - they passed the ball forward and ran forward. It’s so refreshing to see.

Brentford play like it as well - taking risks and occasionally paying a price for it - but the excitement that style of play generates is what we pay to see isn’t it?

Yes, Spurs can be frustrating at the same time as being entertaining, but they’re good value. Tottenham have tried everything during the PL years and nothing has worked so why not give Postecoglou backing until he runs out of steam?

Would Spurs fans prefer Mourinho? I’m an admirer, but they weren’t. Would they prefer to have Conte back? Nunes? No. Of course not.

My advice is give Postecoglou time and support. He’s the best chance I’ve seen of someone producing ‘push and run’ football at Spurs again - and maybe, just maybe he’ll win a trophy to go with it.

Liverpool were terrific again Sunday. They’re breaking the mould now as well.

I read a piece by Oliver Brown in the Telegraph Saturday suggesting Slot is Bob Paisley to Klopp’s Shankly. Strange Oli - I said exactly that to Andy on beINSPORTS a few weeks back. Were you holidaying in our region or do great minds think alike?

I had my doubts about Slot as regulars know, but I’m more and more impressed by what he’s doing.

Paisley inherited a good side from Shankly - and made it better. He ‘softened’ Liverpool. Shanks liked rock and roll football - crosses and long balls for Toshack and Keegan - whereas Paisley’s mantra was ‘get it - give it - go’. As long as the passing was crisp and smart he was happy. And boy did it bring success.

Slot’s Liverpool are taking on that mantle. The three in midfield played as well as I’ve seen them v City. In fact, they were all good - front to back.

Van Dijk was imperious. Salah a box of tricks. Liverpool can’t afford to lose either of them.

When Salah stroked that pen in - and it took some bollocks to step up - it didn’t win the title for Liverpool but I believe it ended City’s ambitions.

Guardiola has got trouble. Big trouble. His three in midfield were poor. Now we know why Gundogan wasn’t starting for Barca. He’s gone. Silva is toiling. And Lewis isn’t ever going to win you a game.

He can’t tackle. He doesn’t open teams up. He can’t head a ball nor does he get goals. He’s neat and tidy in a tippy tappy team, but he needs incisive players around him.

I said last week we’d know when Guardiola named his team at Anfield whether De Bruyne had a future at the club. It would appear he hasn’t.

If he did - surely he’d be starting games by now? That’s seven consecutive times he’s been on the bench. That - allied to the fact that Guardiola was talking publicly about De Bruyne knowing when the time would be right to leave, suggests he’s done as well. I read Guardiola's comments as an invitation to De Bruyne to leave now.

Thank goodness Arsenal have found a bit of form or Liverpool would be nailed on to win it. We’ve got to hope the Gunners keep winning if that’s what Liverpool are going to do. We need a race not a procession.

Chelsea won’t win it but they might just be good enough to have a say in who does. They swept Villa away almost without breaking sweat.

Emery says teams have worked Villa out. I agree. They’re too slow. They’re another team determined to try and pass the opposition to death. It’s hard to work out why when you think back to the way they swept Arsenal and City away in consecutive home games last season.

If Emery wants a side that play possession football he’s got to impress on his players that it’s got to be with a purpose. Pissing about with the ball in their own half isn’t going to win games. If I had Postecoglou’s number I’d ‘pass’ it on.

Fair play to Amorim. Although United didn’t have to work too hard to beat Everton, I sensed a totally different feeling around OT. Punters were smiling again.

Let’s hope the brains trust have got this one right. I still believe big money is going to be needed in the long run, but beating poor teams well is a good start.

And Everton are poor. It’s a worry. They’ve gone four games without scoring now. They’re a hard watch. There’s no sign of the proposed take-over and I fear a long, hard winter lies ahead at Goodison.

They’re only two points outside the drop zone again and if Wolves beat them this week there might just be another full blown crisis at the club. In recent seasons they’ve never been far away from the next one.

All smiles and hope - but then normal service was resumed United.

It’s not often that Manchester United fans have a better matchweek their City rivals - but they did yesterday.

What a start the new coach got off to - a goal up after only 80 seconds or so, but don’t mention the shanked cross that turned into a really good ball!

And just for a moment it looked as though Marcus Rashford had re-discovered his appetite for the game. He was even smiling.

I loved the way Amorim reacted to the goal. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. He was motionless. Class.

But - the freshness, the optimism, the joy all faded too quickly and it was clear that despite the system - and there’s nothing wrong with it - this United team is in terminal decline and Amorim has got a hell of a job on his hands.

But we knew that didn’t we? There’s no short term fix. He simply doesn’t have enough players who are good enough to wear the jersey.

Look at the starting line-up. How many of them would you keep? Three? Certainly no more. And where do you get rid of the rest? Who’s going to take Rashford and pay him £350,000 a week? Casemiro? Eriksen? Evans? De Light? Ugarte? Fernandes? Mount? Zirkzee? It’s scary.

Only surgery is going to sort the mess out and that will require Ratcliffe to find someone money - big money. Factor in wages, I reckon it’s going to need a billion - £500m on players at least - the rest in wages and agents fees.

Is Ratcliffe going to spend that kind of money? Is he hell. Don’t bet on United re-joining everybody else at the top table any time soon. I genuinely wish Amorim all the luck in the world. He seems like a really nice guy, but that won’t be enough.

What on earth is going on at City? I was right that Guardiola was planning to leave. He’s admitted it now. If I knew that, I’m quite certain his players did and I initially thought the speculation inside the club was having an unsettling effect on them, but after watching them torn apart by Spurs I’m not sure it’s as simple as that.

They were flat footed. Out of energy and ideas. In short - way off.

One or two of them might be in decline, but I don’t believe they won’t be at it again soon. Unlike United, there are too many good players on the books for the slump to last.

One question though. Has Guardiola tired of De Bruyne? He’s had him on the bench for the last five games now. Why isn’t he starting?

Could it be that Guardiola is trying to find a different way and that De Bruyne’s race is run?

As Roberto Martinez found out when De Bruyne blew the Belgian squad up before a ball was kicked at the last World Cup, he can be a difficult boy to manage. But you could never question his ability.

Spurs were fantastic. I say again - what are we to make of them? Hopeless one week - brilliant the next. But keep going Ange. Passing the ball forward and running forward - that will never catch on mind you!

Any truth in the rumour that Southampton’s players get the win bonus after the defeat to Liverpool? They certainly did more than the leaders to earn them the points. I watched with incredulity as the first goal went in. We all did. I tweeted ‘there are no words….’

It’s one thing having principles - it’s quite another being both naive and stupid. No wonder so many different managers are complimentary about Russell Martin. He’s Vincent Kompany in disguise. Perhaps he thinks he’ll get the Real Madrid job at the end of the season?

I’m sorry for Steve Cooper that it didn’t work out at Leicester. I think he’s one of the good guys, but he was always going to be up against it. Who made the decision to appoint him though? How come he gets away with what quickly turned into a hugely expensive error? If it was director of football Jon Rudkin shouldn’t he be shown the door as well?

Andy Madley certainly didn’t help Cooper - just as Chris Kavanagh and Michael Oliver eventually did for ten Hag with that ridiculous penalty award at West Ham.

Madley was hopeless at the King Power. Ndidi has got to go. That was an awful challenge. And why no pen before the one Leicester did get? If you didn’t think Fofana’s challenge on Mavididi was a pen why did Madley give a free-kick for an identical challenge less than 30 seconds later in the middle of the field?

When Madley did finally get one right - after a VAR intervention, why wasn’t Lavia sent off for a denial? It doesn’t matter that it wasn’t an intentional challenge.

Cooper was rightly furious about it all, but once again the real culprits walk away.

In general there was far too much inaccurate VAR intervention this weekend. They got involved when they didn’t need to and missed a whole lot more that should’ve got their attention. Lallana should’ve been sent off. And Norgaard’s dismissal at Everton was a joke. Thomas Frank was spot on with his post match comments.

The Celebration Police loved Gary O’Neil’s fist pumps and roar of delight at the end of Wolves’ game at Fulham. I know ‘it was only Fulham’ but O’Neil has been suffering recently and deserved his moment. Incidentally - Cunha won’t be at Molineux next season. He’s quality.

And finally. I want you to use your imagination. What do we think would’ve happened if the Ipswich Town fan who called out Roy Keane on Sunday (Neil Finbow) had walked from the terraces - calmly and with plenty of time to gather his thoughts - to Keane at his broadcast point and called him out - ranting about wanting a fight in the car park?

Yea. I think so too. He would’ve been arrested. I wonder what Scott Law (look him up) was thinking when he saw the incident?

Aren’t we trying to get people that watch football to behave a little better than they do?

If I’m wrong tell me. Or perhaps Sky are planning a new series we haven’t yet heard about - Footballers’ Fights? They’re half way there. It’ll make great family entertainment. Smashed it Roy.

Don’t sack Coote

Don’t sack David Coote. I’ll guarantee you didn’t expect that from me, but I’ll justify those four words in what follows.

Coote has been a fool. Tick. I’ve been there. But there isn’t anybody reading this who hasn’t, least of all of all a raft of newspaper reporters, who always have plenty to say when something like this happens, but haven’t got a leg to stand on when it comes to outlandish behaviour and opinions they’ve shared in a pub with their mates.

‘Ah, but we’re not refs’ they’ll argue. No. You’re not. You have more power. The power to bury people by shaping opinion, exactly as is happening now. Tick. I’ve been there.

There isn’t a reporter working that hasn’t left a press conference and said exactly what Coote did about Klopp - probably worse. And likely every other manager working.

Coote has been silly - that’s all. He should never ever have made the video that some sneaky weasel has leaked in order to cause him harm. Tick. I’ve been there too.

What he said wasn’t smart, but if the recording was made on the evening of his clash with Klopp (as I’ve read) no wonder he was all fired up. How often have we been told refs are only human?

We all have feelings. We all have likes and dislikes. Refs are no different.

We’ve known for years that big clubs get decisions. There’s bias for you right there.

We know that Graham Poll once said he never wanted to fall out with Fergie because if he did he wouldn’t get a game at Old Trafford for six months. I can only presume that he went soft on United as a result?

We know that Mike Dean has admitted to not sending his mate Antony Taylor to a VAR monitor because ‘I didn’t want to cause him more grief than he already had’. That after Taylor had missed Spurs’ Romero pull Cucurella’s hair. There’s a clear case of bias - intended or otherwise.

Jose Mourinho would court favours from refs by looking after his favourites. It happens for goodness sake. And in return I’m certain he’d get decisions that he might not have done. There’s always something a ref can turn away from - not see - half see - ignore.

And I’ll tell you this. I guarantee no ref would work again if you turned up with a mic at their regular get togethers.

It was inevitable that the conspiracy memes would surface. Some of the incidents Coote missed in Liverpool games are outrageous. But we knew this. We said so at the time.

That wasn’t as a result of bias - it’s because he isn’t a very good ref. And that’s not a revelation - his bosses clearly think that or he’d have been given bigger games during his six years in the PL.

The bigger reason for the anger about the compilations we’ve seen is because when those things happened the PGMOL hid behind a raft of excuses - as they always do - instead of admitting they were wrong. This happens week after week.

They send people like Dermot Gallacher to tv channels to try and justify poor decisions.

It’s embarrassing watching them - arguing one week that a ball hit ‘above the arm pit’ but the next it was ‘handball’. That a push ‘wasn’t strong enough’ but the next it was. That holding a shirt wasn’t an offence because a defender ‘let it go quickly’ (and nowhere in law does it state that) but the next week it’s a pen.

All this of course because Howard Webb wants to try to convince us that mistakes are less frequent. No they’re not - just admit it. Just say ‘yep, we got that wrong’. We could all move on then.

Instead the excuses - and often lies - come back to bite them as they have done with Coote. We’re not daft. Don’t treat us like fools. It’s not possible to achieve perfection in any area of football.

Returning to Coote’s indiscretion. It was in private. It was to ‘friends’. I’ve had people say to me ‘he didn’t spit on a 14-year-old girl in public’. That’s not relevant. That’s ‘whataboutery’. But I understand why that incident always comes up at times like these.

There should be a full and transparent investigation into what happened with Coote. And it must NOT be brushed under the carpet as happened with David Elleray. Somehow he still sits on the IFAB board.

Clearly Coote can’t ref again in the PL, but to destroy his life over this would be wrong. Right now he’s in a very dark place. Tick. I’ve been there.

I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t continue with his job in the EFL. I know I’ve argued that PL refs shouldn’t be demoted to the EFL when they’re in poor form, and I stand by that, but this is different.

Bobby Madley - who found himself at the centre of a storm a while back - put his life back together working in the EFL (after a spell abroad) and I don’t see any reason why Coote can’t.

If we genuinely believe in ‘well being and mental health’ we have no choice but to sanction Coote and then let him get on with his life. Anything else might lead to a devastating outcome. Tick. I’ve nearly been there.

All of the above of course depends on Coote’s problems not getting any worse. I’ve seen the video that some allege shows Coote sniffing substances. I think you’d struggle to get a conviction in a court of law. And be wary of edited videos. They never tell the whole story. Tick. Been there as well. Let’s wait for the outcome of the enquiry.

But his condition in the original clip has bothered me since I first saw it. Not for a minute am I suggesting he’s under the influence of illegal substances, but what this incident does prove is that refs now need to be randomly drugs tested. Right now they’re not. They must be going forward.

Doug wants to be King.

The first thing I’ve got to do this week is to apologise to all those viewers who watched me scratch my way through our Soccer Sunday show on BeINSPORTS.

I know I could probably do that on any given weekend, but I’m not referring to what I said - simply the fact that I struggled to say it!

I’ve no idea what happened, but it felt as though I’d been hit by a truck Saturday night and the problem got worse during the show. It’s not Covid - I do know that. I tested before I went to work. Anyway - my voice has completely gone now (Monday) much to the amusement of everybody around me. Silenced at last. 😂.

Except…..I can still type. So here we go.

The first thing to address is Mark Robins sacking. Before I say anything else - of course I respect the right of any owner or chair to make decisions about his/her football club.

I was very clear about that during Mike Ashley’s time at Newcastle. Geordies didn’t like many of the decisions Ashley made nor me for appearing to back him. I didn’t defend the decisions he was taking - only his right to make them.

And the same applies to Doug King. He can do as he likes at Coventry. But this time I am happy to pass judgement on his decision to sack Robins. He’s fucked up. What on earth possessed him to make that call?

I don’t want to bore you all by talking about Coventry for too long, but for the few that care let me try and explain the decision.

I believe King has wanted Robins out for a while. Ah bollocks - I’ll go further. I have it on good authority that he has.
He’s been waiting for a chance to pull the trigger for weeks.

Why? Well one reason is that I don’t think he liked the attention Mark got. When a chair has a massive ego decisions are often made to satisfy it. I found myself exchanging messages with a former owner last week- who now earns his money in the media - and I asked him if he recognised that kind of behaviour? He didn’t reply. 😂.

King was at the heart of a terrible summer of transfer business at Coventry. He believes he knows best and wants a say on everything. Again - that’s his prerogative, but when you don’t know what you’re talking about that brings real pressure. And mistakes are made.

He landed Robins with an unbalanced squad - desperate for a 6 and a left full-back - let our best player walk out of the club - lost another on deadline day - signed a bang average goalkeeper who isn’t good enough - paid a small fortune for a League One player - refused to take good loan players - and over time stripped the dressing room bare of men. Warriors.

Is it any wonder we made a bad start? But I didn’t care. Mark Robins saved our club. He took us to Wembley four times. He delivered two promotions - whilst playing home games at Northampton and Birmingham. He is quite simply the best manager we’ve ever had.

And I say that as someone old enough to remember watching Coventry play under Jimmy Hill. Robins’ achievements eclipsed what Jim did.

Robins could’ve taken us down for all I cared. He had so much credit in the bank. He was the best manager in the Championship. A class act. And he’ll turn up somewhere else with a proper job. I wish him nothing but success.

As for King - having ripped Robins from those magnificent fans that took Wembley over as recently as last May - he’d better deliver something special now. Only promotion to the PL will do to make up for this.

As I write King hasn’t delivered a replacement for Robins. I’d go for Rob Edwards and Matt Bloomfield is clearly doing something right at Wycombe - but why replace the best Championship manager with one of the best in League One? A novice.

Only because King could control perogatvie. He couldn’t entirely control Robins and he didn’t like the resistance that Robins often put up.

I’ve seen Frank Lampard’s name mentioned. I can definitely see why King would do that. He’d love to surround himself with some of Frank’s celebrity mates.

King enjoyed his day out at Wembley last May and all the media fuss that went with it. I had a good day too (and we won) but the energy that went into it probably cost us three - maybe six points - and therefore a play-off place. That’s what we should’ve concentrated on - but King told Robins he wanted a cup run.

Whoever gets the job I wish them well, but they’ll have remember one thing - to let Doug be King.

I didn’t enjoy the game at The Bridge. It appeared to me I was watching two teams more concerned about not losing - rather than trying to win. That appears to be Arsenal’s default position. They won’t win the title like that.

Chelsea have clearly made progress and could be good enough for a top four finish.

So might Brighton. It’s brilliant to see them going so well. I didn’t expect it. In fact, I was quite fearful about them at the start of the season, but they’ve been a revelation. Good for them.

I keep reading City’s injury crisis is tearing them apart. Nonsense. Absolute nonsense. How can a team that’s had the best part of £2b spent on it be short of players? They’re not.

But what’s wrong is a puzzle. Might it be the speculation about Guardiola’s future is affecting them?

If he’s staying why can’t he sign a contract now? What’s he holding out for? More money? I doubt it. More control? I doubt that as well. So what’s the issue?

He’s leaving isn’t he? That’s the only conclusion to be drawn. If he’s not why can’t he sign an extension now? Or at least confirm that he’ll be doing so?

Arsenal look out of ammo.

Well that’s a bit of a turn up. No-one saw this one coming. Edu is leaving.

That’s all we know right now but you can be sure more of the details will emerge over the next 24 hours or so.

It’s funny - I’m not suggesting for a minute that I had any idea, but I was going to ask the question ‘what’s really wrong with Arsenal’ today.

I intended to make the argument their slump couldn’t simply be because Odegaard is missing. A club the size of Arsenal should be able to absorb the loss of one player - no matter how good he is. That’s why I don’t buy into the argument that Rodri is irreplaceable at City.

Arteta has looked out of sorts recently. Having said that - I’m not convinced that knowing Edu’s plans (Arteta will definitely have had knowledge) should’ve affected things in any way at all on the pitch. It’s just all a bit odd. But there’s definitely something not right.

They were way off the pace you expect from a team with title ambitions at Newcastle. The Toon didn’t really have to work that hard to beat them. Arsenal had just one shot on target over the 90 mins - nothing in the second half when they were trailing. That’s poor. Really poor. They were completely out of ammo.

As Arsenal appear to be running in mud, Liverpool impress more and more. Brighton were terrific most of the afternoon and might have got out of Anfield with a win but for two minutes and two seconds of madness.

That’s how long it took Liverpool to overturn Brighton’s lead and they weren’t really ever in trouble after that.

I keep saying there will be sterner tests to come for Liverpool - and they keep pushing back on that brushing aside every challenge they’ve faced.

Mo Salah’s latest cryptic tweet has caused a bit of a stir, which is exactly what he wanted of course.

Two seasons back he was definitely leaving the club - that was until Liverpool had a dramatic of mind  - sold Mane and decided to make Salah the highest paid player at the club.

The article in Saturday’s Mail, based on Simon Hughes’ new book Chasing Salah, must have made interesting reading for some. It confirmed what I’d been saying during the period the two of them played together. Do you remember? Liverpool fans used to hammer me for it. They didn’t like each other.

My information now is that Salah wants to stay, but it’ll take a 3-year deal to settle him down.

Broken City? Seriously? Broken? I’ve read one headline after another like that all weekend. Broken? They started 11 internationals at Bournemouth.

Amongst their subs were de Bruyne, Lewis, Doku and Savinho. Guardiola chose to make only two changes during the game. Broken? No. Nowhere near broken and to suggest that undermines what a fantastic performance Bournemouth put in.

And more credit where it’s due - well played Forest. Well played Chris Wood - again. What a season he’s having. Forest won’t finish anywhere near the position they hold now, but for the time being they should enjoy what they’re doing.

Leicester keep plugging away. I’ve always thought they might just have enough, but there’s clearly trouble at Wolves and West Ham.

West Ham’s problems are all of their own making and I don’t have an ounce of sympathy for them. It’ll get worse there before it gets better. They’re certainly going in another direction since forcing David Moyes out. It’s just not the one they wanted to go in. Frank Lampard?

Wolves is a difficult one for me. I like Gary O’Neill and I thought they might have turned a corner by now - but it’s not happening. 

Palace stumble on. One minute you think they’ve sorted things out then they slip up again. Gareth Safegate?

And of course we can’t finish without a word on United. Why has it taken so long for every pundit working to wake up and admit how bad they are? We know why don’t we? Because doubtless they were all asked to go easy on ten Toast - just as they were on the subject of Sancho last season. And the PGMOL this.

This is how bad it is at United. It’s going to take £1b to get the team right. They are way off. There’s little or nothing for Amorim to work with, although I must say I’m looking forward to seeing his ‘pressing pentagon’ in action. Perhaps the brains trust should re-sign ten Toast’s ‘pressing monster’ Nout Workhorse to help him with that?

At last….but why did it take so long? The mess is on you Sunny Jim.

When everybody is talking about the same thing my natural instinct is to go in another direction, but on this occasion that’s impossible.

At last. But what on earth took United so long? What a shambles of a club they are right now.

Ten Hag should’ve been sacked in the summer. He wasn’t a United manager when he was appointed. He wasn’t a United manager when he was in post. He was never going to be a United manager.

He was weak. He cut a pathetic figure week after week on that touchline. He was clueless. All he had to offer in both pre and post match conferences was ‘we schtick together. We schtick to the plan’. Nonsense. In recent weeks I don’t think even he was convinced he was the right man for the job.

If he’d had any pride or dignity he’d have walked out in the summer when he found out Ratcliffe and his brains trust were hawking his job all round Europe. In the end he was their fourth choice for his own job.

It was typical of Ratcliffe’s penny pinching that ten Hag was kept on. The bottom line is Ratcliffe wouldn’t pay the going rate for a top coach. So they triggered an extra year in ten Hag’s deal and then tried to persuade us he’d been handed a new contract. That lie quickly back-fired.

Instead of firing ten Hag they sacked his back room team and started appointing people they’d chosen to put round him. Is anyone even a teeny bit surprised van Nistelrooy has been given the job?

It was the Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana who famously warned that those who fail to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it.

That strategy never works. Never, ever works. It didn’t go too well for Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers did it? There are so many examples of failed tinkering down the years - keeping the coach but changing everything around him.

So that makes another famous philosopher, Aldous Huxley correct - the English writer said ‘the most important thing we learn from history is that we never learn from history’.

Ratcliffe’s bungling last summer was of monumental proportions. As if United didn’t have enough bad players at the club he somehow sanctioned the purchase of de Light. Is he really an upgrade on Maguire? What does Zirkzee do? Who else was in for him?

If Ugarte was a player he would never have been allowed to leave Paris. I know those guys well. They’re not stupid. Even ten Hag wouldn’t play him.

Yoro? Who knows. Maybe. But he wasn’t going to change anything in the first X1 at his tender age.

Sekoun Kone? I’ve no idea - but again, he wasn’t one that was going to fix things immediately.

United are a mess and Ratcliffe and his brains trust have done nothing to suggest they know how to fix it. Of course - as soon as Ratcliffe started feeling some heat he was doing to act and that’s why ten Hag has gone now.

Ask yourself this. Which top player would sign for United right now? The answer is no-one. Even if they could persuade one - where would the money come from to buy him?

Go right through ten Hag’s signings - how many of them would they get money back for? Antony? Hojlund? Perhaps they’d get half of what they paid for him. Onana? Maybe, but I’m not convinced. He proved to be what I said from the outset - a liability and nowhere near as good as de Gea.

How did United end up buying so many duds? The list is almost endless. It’s actually really scary. Of course they’re not all down to Ratcliffe and co, but they only a made things worse in the summer.

Somewhere in America the Glazers must be sitting pissing themselves. They no longer get mentioned. There’s no blame on their shoulders anymore. They’re still taking huge chunks of money out of the club in dividends - and that’s after banking £1.25 billion - and they still own three quarters of it.

What actually did Ratcliffe buy? What was he thinking? From the Glazers point of view it wasn’t just the sale of the century - it was the sale of this and any other century you care to mention. Madness.

I wait with bated breath the next act from beneath Ratcliffe’s big top circus tent. Fred Karno would be proud to have put on a farce like the one we‘re witnessing now.

On the field - top marks to Arsenal for standing firm in serious adversity. Arteta played it exactly right hanging onto what could yet be a very valuable point.

Everton battled well for a point as well. Sean Dyche should be applauded for changing things around and getting something from the game v Fulham.

Of course Guardiola was going to applaud Russell Martin and Saints. Any opposition team rolling over and playing as Guardiola wants will get his seal of approval.

There maybe trouble ahead for big Ange. I really can’t work Spurs out.

Ipswich were unlucky at Brentford - who I really like watching. Frank has got them playing some really exciting football. They go from back to front so quickly - with no frills - and it’s refreshing to watch.

It was another really poor weekend for our officials - but how many times do I say this? As bad as it was - I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like the pen West Ham got. Michael Oliver should be stood down for a few weeks. He indulged himself and made a complete fool of a colleague.

David Coote did not make a ‘clear and obvious’ error. Oliver should never have got involved in the process. You could see as Coote turned away from the monitor he knew he was doing the wrong thing. So is that three VAR errors now Howard? 😂.

And after more lengthy delays - some three minutes long - to call ridiculously tight off-side decisions - can I ask again where our automated technology is? It’s long overdue now and there still no sign of it. Why not?