Anfield anxiety, Pep is a hero, more Tests less slogging, my weekend dreams

Manchester United and manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer are lying in wait for Liverpool.

Manchester City will probably snatch the Premier League title away from them and now Champions League progress looks less likely following a 0-0 draw at home to Bayern Munich. Worryingly Liverpool have lost every away game in Europe so far this season. They’re lucky to still be in the competition.

Liverpool could do with a nice easy Premier Division game this weekend while City are busy bashing useless Chelsea in the Carabao Cup Final, but instead they travel to a Manchester United side rejuvenated by the impressive Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Liverpool’s fowards should have too much for United’s rickety defence, and I hope this proves to be the case, but they look a nervous, under-pressure team to me.

WHY PEP IS A HERO

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola embraces Newport boss Michael Flynn.

The future of the FA Cup is worth fighting for and while the likes of Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and Spurs boss Mauricio Pochetinno increase their chances of yet another trophyless season by fielding weakened sides, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola sends star names to play Newport on a mudheap because he respects the greatest knockout competition of them all. I hope City win it.

MORE TESTS LESS SLOGGING

We should be looking forward to two more dramatic Test matches between the West Indies and England.

Instead three Tests are apparently enough and now we have to sit through the tedium of five one-day internationals and three T20 games as the likes of Ben Stokes smack the ball over 60-yard boundaries. I know it’s a 50-over World Cup year, but surely at leat one more Test could have been played? The T20 games are irrelevant.

Ben Stokes (left) can concentrate on his slogging for a few weeks.

MY WEEKEND DREAMS

Nothing beats England thrashing Australia at cricket, but England beating Wales at rugby union in Cardiff comes close. Here’s hoping for a very happy Saturday win double of England and Peterborough United.