Mark Lawrenson Trinity Mirror Trinity Mirror 2012-02-10T19:56:22Z 2012-02-11T08:01:52Z The pre-match handshake is a meaningless farce and should be scrapped. You shake the hand of an opponent one minute and are trying to get him sent off by waving an imaginary card at the ref the next. Managers should shake hands at the end of matches, as an example to everyone. And it should not be with a grip like a limp lettuce or without looking at the man you are shaking hands with. Do it like you mean it. The procession of players shaking hands has come into our game via the Champions Lea...

The pre-match handshake is a meaningless farce and should be scrapped. You shake the hand of an opponent one minute and are trying to get him sent off by waving an imaginary card at the ref the next. Managers should shake hands at the end of matches, as an example to everyone. And it should not be with a grip like a limp lettuce or without looking at the man you are shaking hands with. Do it like you mean it. The procession of players shaking hands has come into our game via the Champions Lea...

2012-02-11T08:01:52Z 2012-02-10T20:06:13Z 2012-02-11T08:00:57Z Jose Mourinho would be the perfect choice for Tottenham. And surely Spurs would be a great fit for him. Harry Redknapp will leave the club in a good state, if he takes the England job - a fine squad ready to push for the title and the Champions League. David Moyes would be a very close second choice behind Mourinho, even if the fans may not see him as quite the superstar manager. Mourinho is not always very sporting. He has fallen out with Real Madrid, as he does at every club, and yet he bri...

Jose Mourinho would be the perfect choice for Tottenham. And surely Spurs would be a great fit for him. Harry Redknapp will leave the club in a good state, if he takes the England job - a fine squad ready to push for the title and the Champions League. David Moyes would be a very close second choice behind Mourinho, even if the fans may not see him as quite the superstar manager. Mourinho is not always very sporting. He has fallen out with Real Madrid, as he does at every club, and yet he bri...

2012-02-11T08:00:57Z 2012-02-09T02:37:30Z 2012-02-08T21:19:22Z Harry Redknapp can do the England job part time - and still do better at the Euros than Fabio Capello would have done. Redknapp is the best man for the job, can be involved in the England set-up until the end of Tottenham’s season and then excel at Euro 2012. He brings a hunger, style and will to win which was missing from the end of Capello’s reign as it descended into chaos following the last World Cup. I remember sitting with Redknapp at a game in South Africa and we could both see that th...

Harry Redknapp can do the England job part time - and still do better at the Euros than Fabio Capello would have done. Redknapp is the best man for the job, can be involved in the England set-up until the end of Tottenham’s season and then excel at Euro 2012. He brings a hunger, style and will to win which was missing from the end of Capello’s reign as it descended into chaos following the last World Cup. I remember sitting with Redknapp at a game in South Africa and we could both see that th...

2012-02-08T21:19:22Z 2012-02-03T16:48:39Z 2012-02-04T08:02:40Z Alan Pardew will not finish in the top six, let alone in the Champions League places. Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool have all been tripping over ­themselves, while Newcastle have been riding the crest of a wave. Pardew deserves great credit for getting Newcastle into the position they are now and it has been a terrific season for them – especially having started the campaign with so many doubts. The Magpies have a great spirit, Pardew has built on that and got them playing the right way; they...

Alan Pardew will not finish in the top six, let alone in the Champions League places. Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool have all been tripping over ­themselves, while Newcastle have been riding the crest of a wave. Pardew deserves great credit for getting Newcastle into the position they are now and it has been a terrific season for them – especially having started the campaign with so many doubts. The Magpies have a great spirit, Pardew has built on that and got them playing the right way; they...

2012-02-04T08:02:40Z 2012-02-03T22:59:49Z 2012-02-04T08:00:41Z Arsene Wenger is his own worst enemy at Arsenal. For 16 years, Wenger set an incredibly high standard, winning trophies, always reaching the top four and now they are looking vulnerable the fans have been quick to get restless. If only they had been beaten Birmingham in the Carling Cup Final. That would have taken away the burden of not having won a trophy for six years. Arsenal have not reached the same standard as the ­Invincibles, but that was some standard to reach. Wenger is right to ha...

Arsene Wenger is his own worst enemy at Arsenal. For 16 years, Wenger set an incredibly high standard, winning trophies, always reaching the top four and now they are looking vulnerable the fans have been quick to get restless. If only they had been beaten Birmingham in the Carling Cup Final. That would have taken away the burden of not having won a trophy for six years. Arsenal have not reached the same standard as the ­Invincibles, but that was some standard to reach. Wenger is right to ha...

2012-02-04T08:00:41Z 2012-01-27T16:00:27Z 2012-01-28T07:59:03Z Fairclough was a super sub... Arshavin's a stupor sub FA would be on shaky ground if they made Anton greet JT  Kenny Dalglish has given himself a wonderful ­platform by reaching the Carling Cup final. Liverpool will start as red-hot favourites to beat Cardiff in the final and that would constitute a very good season. If you had said to Liverpool’s owners at the start of the season they could have fourth place or the Carling Cup and getting into the Europa League then I think they would have...

Fairclough was a super sub... Arshavin's a stupor sub FA would be on shaky ground if they made Anton greet JT  Kenny Dalglish has given himself a wonderful ­platform by reaching the Carling Cup final. Liverpool will start as red-hot favourites to beat Cardiff in the final and that would constitute a very good season. If you had said to Liverpool’s owners at the start of the season they could have fourth place or the Carling Cup and getting into the Europa League then I think they would have...

2012-01-28T07:59:03Z 2012-01-27T16:00:43Z 2012-01-28T07:58:36Z Why Liverpool v United will be like an afternoon at the Colosseum  FA would be on shaky ground if they made Anton greet JT  The art of substitutions has been put back into the spotlight this week. It’s hard to think of a better supersub than David Fairclough who was coming to an end as I arrived at Liverpool. But he was a fabulous player, sharp as a razor from the bench and always able to come up with a crucial goal. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did similar for Manchester United. The booing of Arse...

Why Liverpool v United will be like an afternoon at the Colosseum  FA would be on shaky ground if they made Anton greet JT  The art of substitutions has been put back into the spotlight this week. It’s hard to think of a better supersub than David Fairclough who was coming to an end as I arrived at Liverpool. But he was a fabulous player, sharp as a razor from the bench and always able to come up with a crucial goal. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did similar for Manchester United. The booing of Arse...

2012-01-28T07:58:36Z 2012-01-27T16:00:54Z 2012-01-28T07:57:15Z Why Liverpool v United will be like an afternoon at the Colosseum Fairclough was a super sub... Arshavin's a stupor sub  The spotlight will be on pre-match handshakes before QPR and Chelsea. It’s fair Anton Ferdinand decides whether to shake hands with John Terry or not. Others have refused. Wayne Bridge and Samir Nasri have walked on by. It’s a farce players shake hands and then kick lumps out of each other. We used to have a beer together. Now they shake hands and tweet. ** Brighton welco...

Why Liverpool v United will be like an afternoon at the Colosseum Fairclough was a super sub... Arshavin's a stupor sub  The spotlight will be on pre-match handshakes before QPR and Chelsea. It’s fair Anton Ferdinand decides whether to shake hands with John Terry or not. Others have refused. Wayne Bridge and Samir Nasri have walked on by. It’s a farce players shake hands and then kick lumps out of each other. We used to have a beer together. Now they shake hands and tweet. ** Brighton welco...

2012-01-28T07:57:15Z 2012-01-23T17:20:51Z 2012-01-21T08:01:19Z The changing of the guard in the Premier League has arrived. Tomorrow is about Manchester City and Tottenham rather than Arsenal and Manchester United, which has always been one of the showpiece games of the season. But Spurs go to City ready for a title shoot-out, a game that Harry Redknapp needs to win because it would send out such a strong message. And for all of City’s immense quality, Tottenham’s biggest strength comes from their midfield because they possess two players who have formed...

The changing of the guard in the Premier League has arrived. Tomorrow is about Manchester City and Tottenham rather than Arsenal and Manchester United, which has always been one of the showpiece games of the season. But Spurs go to City ready for a title shoot-out, a game that Harry Redknapp needs to win because it would send out such a strong message. And for all of City’s immense quality, Tottenham’s biggest strength comes from their midfield because they possess two players who have formed...

2012-01-21T08:01:19Z 2012-01-20T17:09:12Z 2012-01-21T08:00:18Z Arsene Wenger has had some rotten luck with injuries – and don’t we just know it. They’ve been missing four full-backs for a long time but now appear to be getting a few back and that’s why they haven’t gone into the market. But it’s Wenger’s decision not to sign a left-back on loan. So don’t then moan about it when you lose at Swansea. Manchester United lost the League’s best centre-half in Nemanja Vidic. They’ve also been missing Ashley Young, countless midfielders and they’ve even had to b...

Arsene Wenger has had some rotten luck with injuries – and don’t we just know it. They’ve been missing four full-backs for a long time but now appear to be getting a few back and that’s why they haven’t gone into the market. But it’s Wenger’s decision not to sign a left-back on loan. So don’t then moan about it when you lose at Swansea. Manchester United lost the League’s best centre-half in Nemanja Vidic. They’ve also been missing Ashley Young, countless midfielders and they’ve even had to b...

2012-01-21T08:00:18Z