Au Revior Thierry

Yesterday's news that Thierry Henry was definitely leaving Arsenal signalled the end of an era for the north London club. No matter who you support on Saturday afternoons, his talent is undeniable and his departure is a loss to the Premiership.

For the past 8 years Henry has tormented defences and scored goal after goal of sublime quality. As a Liverpool fan I know better than most the damage this man could do.

I must admit to not liking him however. Part of that is down to wanting him playing for my team, but mostly it was his arrogance, which he wore without apology. The same high nosed Frenchness which made me hate Cantona before him.

His departure could be an ominous start to the season for Arsenal. They are now in a similar position to Liverpool in that they have to buy big. Most likely they will be competing for the same players. If they do go head to head I suspect the team that wins out will be the one hanging on the coat-tails of Chealsea and Man Utd.

For the other, there could be a very long season ahead.

They're watching us all!

Does the CIA think me a threat? Will my phone be bugged? Have my bank accounts been red-flagged? Just a few thoughts which come to mind when your blog tracker includes a viewing from falcon4.langley.af.mil. (See my previous post: "No more war!")

I have to wonder at the extent to which the words Iran and Iraq are being tracked in the blogosphere - and on the web as a whole. Surely the relevant authorities have more sophisticated methods of tracking potential threats than jumping on Technorati to see mentions of Iran, made by every Tom, Dick and Harry.

Oh well! I guess this post will earn me another hit tomorrow.

No more war-mongering!

Will someone please tell the people of Connecticut that their senator - Mr. Lieberman - is an idiot! How any senior US political figure could promote the idea of another military intervention is beyond belief. Iraq is still in chaos and American mothers don't want to see more of their sons dying in foreign lands. You should be putting your energy behind the IAEA and give them the full support they need to do the job.

Bertie: the cat who got the cream.

Bertie Ahern put the icing on his election victory forming a majority government with both the Green Party and the PDs last week.

I still don't quite believe the turn around from the run up to polling. However, it is the formation of the three party government which will have a more lasting effect on the political landscape. The Green Party's first venture into government will tell a lot about the future of the party. Will they over-emphasise the green card or will they try to expand their manifesto. Or will Fianna Fail allow them to venture into all aspects of governance.

Unless the pending coalition with Fianna Fail and the PDs is a complete disaster, the Green Party may not be a potential coalition partner for Fine Gael next time out. If this was the case it's difficult to see Fianna Fail failing to win a fourth term. Maybe it's a bit early for that kind of prediction, it's not beyond the bounds of the imagination. We'll have to wait and see.

Oh please no!

I think I speak for all Liverpool fans by saying how appalled I am at the suggestion we are to splash out £16 million on Diego Forlan.

This tool proved in his time at United that he couldn't hit a barn door from five yards. May I present exhibit A: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJBgN-0SvUI&NR=1. True, he has been a consistent performer in Spain, but over recent years there is plenty of evidence that this is no guarantee of success in the premiership. Newcastle's signings of Luque and Cordone are two particularly vivid examples, but I could spend hours listing the names.

This aside, his signing would be a major step back for a club which announced such ambitious plans at the tail end of last season. If it was a choice between buying Malouda and Forlan or Samuel Eto'o, I can see only one course of action. Eto'o is a match winner. This is the one thing missing from the Liverpool squad and he'll score 30 goals a year for you.

Lets hope Messrs Hicks and Gillett see sense and give Rafa the money he needs. If they fail to live up to their previous promises, I can see Rafa walking and that will cost them a lot more in the long run.