After Hodgson: The Clearout NESV have to do

Roy Hodgson’s tenure at Liverpool is shaken and stirred and one that looks certain to be grounded anytime soon.

His tenure at Liverpool started badly and continued to get worse, some of the problems can be related to the squad he was left, but the squad isn't as bad as the performances under Hodgson and the ability so far to avoid any criticism from places like Sky is whitewashing even Karl Rove would be proud of.

I've listed 13 players who I would sell some will probably stay around such as Cole and some like Torres may have a future if they and the new manager gel. But for at least 10 or so at Liverpool FC should be see it as a short term payroll opportunity and not a long term stay.

The question I ask is: can the player do something for the teams that we wish to compete with so this is how I've reviewed it. Torres can but seriously I believe the lad looks past his best (I don't doubt under a good manager and with good players around him he may get back to his best but he won't at Liverpool under Hodgson).

* 1. Jones - Sell. - Useless and the most puzzling buy bar Poulsen that Hodgson has made, at least we needed Konchesky.

* 2. Johnson - Keep - I'd keep him but look at his strengths and use him on the wing like Bale does, it may hurt his England career but the guy needs to do what’s best for us.

* 3. Konchesky - Sell - Not good enough, he did look good in the Fa Cup final 6 years ago but is not the quality we need and isn't young enough to improve.

* 4. Meireles - Keep - The only good buy of Roy's, a player that Rafa Beneitz would have benefitted from if he had made that signing.

* 5. Agger - Keep - I'd keep, he's our best defender even though injuries are a liability, I think like Johnson he is a player we can keep plus his age works for him at 26 his career could still shine, you look at whose interested (rumour or none) and you realise how good he could be.

* 6. Aurelio - Sell - Stopgap for a season but we now have new owners and a future to build, Aurelio has been a good servant but sadly he is too old and too injured.

* 8. Gerrard - Keep - BUT look to build a team with him in not around him, something Rafa should have done when he came in. Gerrard has improved over the last 5 years and is still quality and the team needs some experience, Gary McAllister proved that.

* 9. Torres - Sell - The player can do it but mentioned in my description I just don't believe he will do it at Liverpool, only sell him with a plan in place mind.

* 10. J Cole - Sell - Waste of money and the biggest regret of this season, I was over the moon when he signed but it's all gone sour, Joe Cole is earning too much and playing too poorly, but could we get rid, probably not so he is one who the new manager may have to deal with.

* 12. Pacheco - Keep - One of my favourite youngsters, I was gutted when people were talking about him being sold.

* 14. Jovanovic - Sell - What was the point in bringing in Kuyt Mk 2?

* 16. Kyrgiakos - Sell - Good Servant for the last year but he was a stop gap fill in who has suddenly become a blockade to players like Kelly and Wilson who seriously couldn't do much worse.

* 17. Maxi - Sell - Too old, someone is sure to sign him but he is one player who I would leave till the end to sell because I believe he's had a good season.

* 18. Kuyt - Sell - Kuyt's not the player he was, a brilliant servant to the club but like many he's now just a journeyman, his performances for the Dutch national team should appeal to a decent Italian club.

* 19. Babel - Sell - The one player who could seriously be amazing but has showed only glimpses if Birmingham come in for him again 5-10 million then that should be signed and sealed.

* 21. Lucas - Keep - He's improving and he's still young he's come from a really crap position to actually influence. He's not amazing and maybe if his improvement does not continue then someone to clear in the future but not at this moment.

* 22. D Wilson - Keep - My main annoyance with Roy (Bar the abject performance and lack of the ability to change tactics) is this guy, Wilson should be on the bench, scrap that looking at Skertel and Soto, Wilson should be in the team. I think trying to find a picture of Wilson in a Liverpool kit says it all.

* 23. Carragher - Keep - Let him stay as a squad player but bring on his coaching skills, make him coach/player and let him influence Kelly and Wilson.

* 24. Ngog - Keep - Still unsure but hasn't improved to his potential. give him a run with the new manager if he's still not up to much sell.

* 25. Reina - Keep - We should sign this guy up to a 10 year contract, he is stability in a side full of change and a player you can't criticise this season even though he's looked less assured.

* 26. Spearing - Sell - Not Good enough

* 28. Poulsen - Sell - Seriously rubbish, not up to the Italian league so why Hogdson thought he could do it in a more demanding league especially in midfield.

* 33. Shelvey - Keep - Another promising youngster and someone who already looks like he could play in our team.

* 34. Kelly - Keep - Fantastic young kid and the only bright spark of the season

* 37. Skrtel - Sell - Get rid his only talent is the ability to avoid giving away penalties even when it looks cast iron.

I've left out the reserves but most of them such as Amoo should be kept and given a chance. The future is bright but it isn't with Hodgson and it isn't with these players.

So what Change did the election bring?

I read as many do Facebook comments, and I came across the suggestion of "change" what did David Cameron mean by Change and what type of change will he bring? My own musings came to post this reply....

"The thing about the concept of change is that 9 times out of 10 the change you and the general public want is not the change that's delivered.

And you can't vote someone out on the idea that they didn't change it enough, even the most regressive governments changed the country.

Changes socially such as the welfare reform in the earlier part of ... See morethe century, fiscal reform in the 1930's (Chamberlain delivering year on year growth just after the depression) and post war reform in Attlee's government all benefited the country. Reform to the infrastructure seen during the 70's and 80's damaged the social fabric of the country*. I believe that is the damaging affects of change and change that even Cameron has suggested needs reversing.

As a manifesto idea its crap, with Obama it was I feel a proper change, a black man in a country that had only rid itself of segregation 40 years before and still had mainstream groups indulging in open racism.

With Cameron as someone (Tory I may add) pointed out, how is a man associated and part of Norman Lamont's finance team in 1992 and with relations to aristocracy anything like a break from the past. It isn't.

The only change this election brought was that the age of print journalism to bring about it's own desires is over. Dead and gone are the days of "we won it" only one paper backed the party that came second, the overall majority of papers backed a party that by all suggestions lost it and the Liberal papers got truely shafted."

Discuss

* I could include the 90's and rail privatisation as it now costs the government far more to run the railways than it did under national ownership, and that's in percentage terms.

Album of the Decade 2000 - 2009

So Is This It?
The idea as always was to put together a list of albums in my Favourites, but I can't choose, the list was also supposed to be 20, but that would leave 2000 without an album as that year would suffer the cut.

Finally a track of the decade was to follow but I would have had to start earlier this year to complete such a task (If your wondering what would have been my favourite track of the decade then it's a toss up between I'm with Stupid by Pet Shop boys, Shining Light by Ash and All You Need Is Hate by Delgados, all but one of those albums doesn't make the album of the decade).

Some notable records are missing such as Coral, The Strokes, The Manics and even Radiohead still they are my choices and those bands still remain among my favourites so in chronological order here is my albums of the decade of the decade, I will announce my top 5 at the end.

2000

Super Furry Animals - Mwng
"Welsh language was never delivered in such a compelling and yet mesmeric way, only Super Furry Animals could deliver such a masterpiece and make it last"
Top Track - Pan Ddaw'r Wawr


2001

Ash - Free All Angels
"Pure Pop, from the Irish 3 piece (Including Charlotte), a revisionist piece that if done on an enemy may make him a saint, truly remarkable and made me fall in love with music & summer again"
Top Track - Shining Light

Seafood - When Do We Start Fighting?
"A grower and something that can sound so shockingly live in a spring can resonate so beautifully in the winter, an album that breathes new life every time you listen"
Top Track - Similar Assassins

2002

Brendan Benson - Lapalco
"Developing a sound reminiscent of the greats, pure pop that shone vastly over anything his mate Jack Did"
Top Track - You're Quiet

Bruce Springsteen - The Rising
"The ghosts of 9/11 hang heavy as Springsteen ivokes the pain and captures the aftermath of America's darkest moment since Pearl Harbour."
Top Track - Lonesome Day

Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
"Wonderfully bleak, stark and glorious, Coyne's vocals painfully illuminate joy and sets a world to rights"
Top Track - Do You Realise?

2003

Evan Dando - Baby I'm Bored
"An Unclimatic Hot dry summer, sitting in fields chewing hay, it was soundtrack to the Summer of 2003, beautifully folkful.
Top Track - All My Life

Gravenhurst - Flashlight Seasons
"Beautifully stark, empty dark nights wandering alone, humming the beauty out of these melodies"
Top Track - Bluebeard

Postal Service - Give Up
"Beeps to sink your heart too, songs to lose yourself in, dreams of things that you cannot be, stories and melodies to listen over and over to."
Top Track - Sleeping In

Explosions In The Sky - The Earth is Not A Cold Dead Place
"A collection that summed up why 2003 was a highlight in musical terms, a decade peaked to soon, loveless and highly dark but stunning and full of life"
Top Track - Six Days at the Bottom of the Ocean

2004

Hope Of The States - Lost Riots
"Creative, Constructed and above all dominate in it's surroundings a back drop of darkness on soundscape that conquers the heart"
Top Track - George Washington

Ryan Adams - Love is Hell (Part 1)
"A suggestion for artists to have more control, a masterpiece from the master"
Top Track - Political Scientist

Adem - Homesongs
"Articulately crafted, beautifully delivered and sung in such a sombre voice, delightful and moving"
Top Track - These Are Your Friends

2005

Final Fantasy - He Poos Clouds
"A masterpiece by Owen Pallett, a fast and furious pace scared but not afraid of the daring deliverance he is on"
Top Track - This Lamb Sells Condos

Patrick Wolf - Wind in The Wires
"A haunting masterpiece that is the soundtracks to short walked lanes, windswept top cliffs, a solace and illuminating piece that resonates of the southwest"
Top Track - Teignmouth

M83 - Before The Dawn Heals Us
"Intersped with terror, catches the essence of solitude and illuminates the evening of shallow darkness"
Top Track - Teen Angst

2006

Crippled Black Phoenix - A Love of Shared Disasters
"A uniqueness of the songs, a delivery that cannot be matched, an album to fall in love to"
Top Track - Northern Cobbler

Nicky Wire - I Killed The Zietgiest
"The last expierement in self distruction, a beautiful failure, the closest album made to the intinalidealogy, Wire wins (and loses) the battle of the Manics"
Top Track - Shining Path

Lupen Crook - Accidents Occur Whilst Sleeping
"The dangerous memories, the unsettling mind, the welcoming presence of a true genius, Crook is a magical at producing the disturbed but delightful.
Top Track - Love 80

Two Man Gentleman Band -Great Calamities
"A collection of banjo bashing tunes that revoke memories of historical tales alongside blushing but amusing love songs, delicious."
Top Track - War of Northern Aggression

2007

Windmill - Puddle City Racing Lights
"Captivating in its entirely, Windmills debut is special for his haunting vocals and brilliant musical shapes, just its beauty at the criticism of the human condition, special, special indeed."
Top Track - Toyko Moon

Alphabeat - This is Alphabeat
“Full of tunes, no pretence, no shame just straight forward brilliant pop”
Top Track - 10'000 Nights

2008

Johnny Foreigner - Waited Up 'Til It Was Light
“Full of brash abrasive tunes, with a girl boy vocal that arrests and charms in equal measure.”
Top Track - Salt, Peppa & Spindrell

Pelle Carlberg - The Lilac Time
“Beautiful charming delightful and full of wit Carlberg makes folk, sweet.”
Top Track - 1983

Elle Milano - Acres of Dead Space Cadets
“Now Defunct outfit, a lost gem, a lost sparkle and a brash voice lost”
Top Track - Carousels

2009

Karima Francis - The Author
"Written in struggle, delivered in tears, no track left unfinished from beginning to end"
Top Track - Morse Code

So the Top 5 of them well my favourite albums from each year are:
2000: - Mwng - SFA
2001: - Ash - Free All Angels
2002: - Bruce Springsteen - The Rising
2003: - Postal Service - Give Up
2004: - Adem - Homesongs
2005: - Final Fantasy - He Poo's Clouds
2006: - Lupen Crook - Accidents Occur Whilst Sleeping
2007: - Windmill - Puddle City Racing Lights
2008: - Johnny Foreinger - Waited Up'til It Was Light
2009: - Karima Francis - The Author.

And My Favorite Three well: Postal Service, Bruce Springsteen and Adem

Tracks of 2009

20 - Bell x1 - The Ribs of A Broken Umbrella
"A Heart warming song with a metaphor at it's heart... Ah"

19 - Friendly Fires - Kiss of Life
"Dance Punk Classic, betters the debut"

18 - Answering Machine - Cliffer
"Dance Dance Dance, the new sound of Manchester"

17 - My Tiger Timing - This is Not The Fire
"Dance Fantastic, Catchy and scratchy Like an itch you can't get rid"

16 - Ash - Various
"Impossible to pick, so much and so many great singles, Arcadia stands out"

15 - Pet Shop Boys - Love Etc
"Simply Brilliant..........etc"

14 - Broken Records - If The News Makes You Sad, Don't Watch It
"The New Hope, the death of a England, Do You not like trains, in their own accord wondrous"

13 - Johnny Foreigner - Feels Like Summer
"A song for all seasons, even in the snow"

12 - Jamie T - Chaka Demus Ep
"Creativity overload, risk taking which sadly lacked in the finished LP"

11 - Duckworth Lewis Method - Meeting Mr Miandad
"Interesting fact Javed Miandad holds the record for the Number of Half centuries in One Day Cricket........The song is a Century off 50 balls (Ps: That's Good scoring)

10 - Metric - Gimme Sympathy
"Spit on rock Hierarchy, we don't need no Beatles or Rolling Stones..........."

09 - Fryars - Visitors
"Dark, Mono and moody, even Dave Gahan is drawn in"

08 - Two Door Cinema - Standing On Ghosts
"The great music hope of 2010, delivered delightfully in 2009"

07 - Northwestern - Ghostrock EP
"Darker, Rougher and more sarcastically biting than anything that went before, through the troubles and back to brilliance"

06 - Marmaduke Duke - Rubber Love
"Friction Fantastic"

05 - Eugene McGuiness - Fonz
"Happy Days............ Terrible Puns, as spiky and startlingly as The Fonz's hair"

04 - Pet Lions - Roman History
"Catchy American College Rock, Fuck You Weezer, Fuck You Rooney.... Fuck Yeah Pet Lions"

03 - Los Campesinos - The Sea is A Good Place To Think About The Future
"A tale so chilling, a delivery so sad, a hope springs from the vocals, crushed by the words"

02 - Thomas J Speight - This House EP
"Speight is a star, This House is his first step, the British Ryan Adams? Well that would mean he's copy, when he's actually unique"

01 - Alphabeat - The Spell
"They've upped the anti, swinging into the 80's full on catchyness without the shoulder pads and big hair, Gene Hunt would be proud"

Having heard the Alphabeat late in the year inspired this chart of 20 singles, My love has not diminished and the year of Alphabeat could be 2010.

Look out for the Decade's Top 10 in the next week, and also Books of 2009

Album Of 2009

20 - Anthony Da Costa -Not Afraid Of Nothing
"Acoustic acidity, joy of the most sublime which replays the laziness of summer"

19 - Brakes - Touchdown
"A album full of lyrical abundance and fun fun fun"

18 - Slow Club - Let's Fall Back In Love
"Mismatch of several formulas equalling a concoction of excellence"

17 - Me Succeeds - Riemerling
"Beats under an electro heartbreak of a sunless sky"

16 - Das Pop - Self titled
"A Debut of Spiky Pop, delivered in perfection"

15 - Metric - Fantasies
" Haines Vocals leave a questioning lust, a love forgotten and forever lost"

14 - Lights Action - Welcome To The New Cold World
"Fear, Retribution, Fragile, Cold, Dark, Mellow and forever remembered"

13 - Neils Children - X.Enc
"A Harrowing cacophony of disturbed paranoia born out of this modern life"

12 - Burning Hearts - Aboa Sleeping
"A beauty through song that builds a pattern which is matched in delightful delivery"

11 - Flaming Lips - Embryonic
"A Vintage visit to a past, while sounding fresh, exciting and new"

10 - Frankmusik - Complete Me
"A Bedroom dwelling made album, with all the hallmarks of a come to listen eyes"

09 - Grizzly Bear - Vecatimest
"Soothing sounds imagine the mind, awaken the soul and breathe fresh ideas into a stale music world"

08 - My Robot Friend - Soft-Core
"From Producer to Performer a delivery in it's polished parity"

07 - Windmill
"The Modern idea without a trace of the past"

06 - Manic Street Preachers - Journal of Plague Lovers
"Almost Everything, nearly Holy and exceptionally their truth, The Poet and the Preachers finest of the decade"

05 - I Hate This Place - Snowlights
"A More brash, more inventive, and more illuminating record cannot be found for all it's flaws, it's highs outlast"

04 - Duckworth Lewis Method - Self titled
"Hit for Six, Bowled Middle Stump, a yorker, a dolly, a Leap of faith, a snorter, a yorker, a 3 figure finish.......certainly no cliche."

03 - Luke Leighfield - Have You Got Heart?
"Dripping with solace, awoken in beauty, the songs have a meaning, the lyrics a soul, the boy a Heart"

02 - Karima Francis - The Author
"Written in struggle, delivered in tears, no track left unfinished from beginning to end"

01 - Johnny Foreigner - Grace & The Bigger Picture
"Song structure of the finest, tales from the city, feelings from the coast, a song for every thought, feeling and emotion."






So there you have it, another year of great music (Not as great in my view as before mind) but Johnny Foreigner have topped my list once again, making a second album that is as good as the first is some achievement, and so they deserve it. Credit to all that made my list, and especially the top 4, in the end it was a tough choice between all 4. I even now think that anyone could have made number 1, but I've never given a band two number 1's in a row, and Johnny Foreigner deserved it.

Bring on 2010........

Sport Spotting: Well Tiger your Actually Human, The World Cup Debacle and 'lights of the week

Tiger Woods and (insert funny pun about getting clubs out)

Tiger Woods, the man, the legend and probably one day soon he will be cemented as the greatest Major Player the game has ever seen, but as usual with every human being he has seen his private life become public and the quiet man of Golf is not particularly that shy after all.

I could revel in it like others, dish the dirt on who he decided to 'fuck', but I think Woods private life should now remain private. I feel as many will for his faithful wife and hope that the Woods can maybe fix the ultimate betrayal. However lets not forget in all this that Mr Woods as a Golfer has inspired many to the Sport and breathed new breath into a game, that at the time was like many others struggling to appeal to the younger generation. He made Golf exciting and for that he should retain his credit, after all like many other sports stars before him the sins of the flesh have tempted a legend to become a failure overnight.

'Eurovision meets The World Cup'

Wasn't it Criminal? Jonathan Pearce (Poor bloke) seemed lost in what seemed to be surreal, some bloke from FIFA seemingly flirting with the most clueless blonde to host an event since Sam Fox. The draw which could have been exciting was so drawn out that I fell asleep between Pots B and D, and couldn't a computer have decided what the first game would be? South Africa vs Mexico is a little shite to kick off the one of the World's Greatest Events. Also why do the Beeb needed Shearer, Motson (Who was drawn in for facts, which A) Pearce had told us and B) weren't that interesting) and Lawerson for a draw of some names is slightly a bit on the wasteful side.

Anyhow Group G just looks like a thriller and England should see themselves through their group, the first game with the US should be a cracker. Here is to the Summer....

'My Highlight of The Week'

This week's derby win was a delight, but Blackburn's sensational victory on penalties made you realise cup football is still the great high that football can reach, and with the draw it looks like we have two crackers to look forward to (Remember BBC will have the final this year, all domestic cup finals should be on Free to Watch TV).

'My Low light of The Week'

Another desperate and rather disappointing display by Liverpool Football Club, and of course money will not be available in January to bring in one or two players, which will mean Liverpool continue to suffer from both bad injuries and bad management both from above (and at the moment I'm sad to say) and on the field.

I say this because of the continuous non use of Mr Alberto Aquilani, I understand the need for Beneitz to make sure he is ready but now we see Stuart Downing return and you wonder why Downing is fine and Aquilani isn't.

I did suspect that the man would actually finally start under a new manager at Liverpool and not Beneitz, however it is now hinted that Wednesday may see his first start. It will be interesting to say the least if Aquilani does start to chip in with the deadly passing on Wednesday, that Liverpool seriously lack right now, then will he be a sure in for Arsenal? and will the champions league end be a blessing in disguise for Beneitz? We'll find out soon, but for now it's just not working.

Sport of the Week:-

Cricket:- The sunny climbs of Melbourne have brightened up several very dull evenings in Cornwall.
One To Watch:-

The Snooker (all week on BBC & Eurosport)
&
Champions League (Though all the British teams are either in or out, many of the leading lights of Europe will have to fight to stay in, could Ruben Kazan knock out Inter Milan? or will Bayern Munich also fall where Liverpool did?

Welcome to Out of The Boundary, I will be publishing several articles from my previous Blog and writing the first Out on The Boundary in the coming hours.