FOOTBALL: KEEGAN, MADRID, EPL AND PATO

As Newcastle United started life with Kevin Keegan, they have yet to get out of their bad form and still suffering from bad results. The Magpies need some fresh ideas and new players if they are seriously thinking of being am0ng the top of the English premier league ever again. They were among the top teams but have been disappointing since Keegan left them during the Shearer's era which has David Ginola, Les Ferdinand and Faustino Asprilla. Well, will that era ever return?

Real Madrid open a 9 point lead in the Spanish La Liga. It is probably the first time that they are using Gago, Guti and Baptista together in the midfield. It is an interesting idea since I prefer a more attack minded formation. With Diarra's departure to play in the African Nations Cup, there were initial worries of the defensive weakness at the front of the defenders. They had more problems since many defenders were injured. Fortunately for Madrid, Casillas was on fire at that period of time, going 6 matches with clean sheets. Robinho was again the man to steal the show with 2 goals while Guti was the mastermind plotting from the centre. While Guti can be a great midfielder when he is on form, he has no consistency and playing him is as good as predicting his form accurately. One day he can be the best midfielder on the field, the next day he can be the worst player on the field as well.

As for the English Premier League, all talks this week have been focused on Liverpool and their form. From the top management to possible take over from Dubai to Rafa to the players, there are speculations everywhere. I hope they can settle down soon because all these disturbance is not good for football. Anelka is doing fine in Chelsea during Drogba's absence, scoring once and assisted another. As for Manchester United, Cristino Ronaldo continues to shine, scoring two in the latest match. He will be the Player of the Year for the English Premier League if he continues like this.

Pato had already shown his worth during his debut. He scored two more goals in the latest match against Genoa, giving Milan some breath of fresh air into the Serie A campaign. All eyes will be on him for the remainining of the season to see just how good and consistent he can get. Ronaldo is again injured and joins Jankulovski, Inzaghi and Dida for further medical treatments. The future of Ronaldo is worrying as his injuries will not leave him alone. Sometimes I do pity him. With his vast talent, he could achieve far more records if not because of his injury woes.