Dalglish had flown out to Boston to review Liverpool FC’s season. He had a tough job on his hands as Liverpool had been disappointing at home in the English Premier League, and although Liverpool won the Carling Cup and were finalists in the FA Cup an eighthplace finish was too inadequate for the Fenway Sports Group.

This move may not go down well with the Anfield faithful, who hold Dalglish in the highest regard, but results were too poor for FSG and, clearly, the owners were not willing to accept another term.

The bookies have wasted no time in installing Wigan Athletic’s Spanish manager Roberto Martinez as favorite to take up the post, alongside former Liverpool manager and fellow Spaniard Rafa Benitez, who lives in the area still. The owners, however, went down the route of making a sentimental appointment in Dalglish when they first came in, perhaps to win over the fans. It remains to be seen whether they would take such tact again.

So who could do a job for Liverpool and, most importantly, would be available?

It depends whether they want an organic continuation of what Dalglish started. He tried to promote British players, with a power from midfield and the use of width. He wanted knockdowns and rebound falling to Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard following crosses from that width. It just was not successful enough.

To keep going with the players there they would probably would have liked to keep assistant manager Steve Clarke on, but he has walked in support of Dalglish. Now there needs to be someone who can instill defensive dicipline and attacking fundamentals. Quickly. Brendan Rogers may get a call at some point, and didn’t Fabio Capello say he wanted to manage in the EPL?

Swings and roundabouts all day in English soccer. Fire up that merry-go-round!

The man who got himself into some athletic shape to play Muhammad Ali in the simply titled biopic Ali went for a hit out with superheavyweight British hopeful Anthony Joshua.

This was a collision between to marketing campaigns as Smith was promoting his new release Men in Black III whilst Team GB were looking for yet another way to push their global event. Perhaps it was a welcome relief for the athletes to meet such a name, and no doubt they are all in need of just that little bit of time away from focusing on the event they have put in four years of hard work for.

We know Smith likes his sport as he has jumped into the deep end with the Philadelphia 76ers, but maybe now he will be another big name endorsing the ancient games. Lord knows that would make those in Britain happy. Having proven he is no hurdler maybe he will be tuning in to see how that event goes.

On the same day it was announced that David Beckham would be carrying the Olympic Flame back to Britain from Greece it became clear that there is going to be a sharp rise in rhetoric about the showcase. That will spread, too. Soon you won’t be able to hide from the Olympics and, I must admit, it’s starting to become a little bit exciting.

Fans identify with colors, which is why kit becomes so important. Certain players get paid millions of dollars to wear the right boots or the brand new kicks. It is the same reason that advertisements for soft drinks are one of the staples of the high-end star’s revenue stream. Image is so important that newspapers can fly off a news stand should it have pictures of David Beckham’s new hairstyle.

This last example specifically from the world of soccer is relevant, at least when you compare it to this goal from Hiroshima’s Toshihiro Aoyama, in the Japanese J-League.

It shows a spectacular and memorable goal, certainly, but by aligning this with a zany team celebration it means that people will identify this as one of the virals of 2012. This could just be another great goal, but twinned with the celebration it will be THAT goal from Japan.

This is the majesty of the internet. However, there is always something to compare it with and already professional soccer stars are getting together in changing rooms plotting a camera-grabber of a celebration. Maybe we will see some in the EURO2012 competition? The stage is there…

Of course, before this is even a consideration it must be said that despite Aoyama’s screamer and a half-strike and any other group move there will always be a nod to the past masters: Stjarnan FC.

According to some Dalglish flew to Boston this morning, but returned later in the day. Others are unsure if he is still there. All agree that he went, though, and as whether or not he talked to the Boston Red Sox owner today is irrelevant: talks have been penciled in.

It may not quite be the showdown the British media are building it up to be, but Henry and Dalglish have a lot to talk about. The Reds have underperformed in the league and have spent a lot of money on players yet to spark. They have won the Carling Cup but were embarrassed in the FA Cup final at Wembley.

Maybe they will talk about transfer policy, how to persuade Luis Suarez to stay on Merseyside and who how to build on this year’s minor successes. Yet, even if Dalglish is clear about his own vision and his policy of signing British players, whatever the cost, he must make an impassioned plea to his superiors.

The Liverpool fans will always love ‘King’ Kenny. He was one of their finest ever players. He was outspoken in his grief when he was made to play through disasters. He has managed them before to three league titles. He is a Red. However, when owners come in from outside of the UK they come in without sentimentality.

This may be what Liverpool need, so it all comes down to the overall vision. Dalglish is reportedly angry with rumors of him walking so we know he may have to be asked to leave. Will that be what the owners do, and more importantly, is that the right thing for Liverpool?

Now, the reason I am telling you all of this is that the most lethal try scorer in the Rabo league is also one of the most dangerous attackers in the Heineken Cup and he plays for Edinburgh Rugby.

His name is Tim Visser. He is a Dutch rugby icon, but due to residency laws he will be playing his rugby for Scotland this summer. He is tall, fast and dynamic. He is also a try-scoring machine.

He was recently named the RaboDirect ‘Players’ Player of the Year’, receiving the award for being the most impressive performer according to his peers. He was also included in the league’s Dream Team, for the third year in succession.

So it makes sense that the guy enjoyed some time off.

The reason he is the focus of this article in a step away from posting videos of brawls, acrobatics and incredibly odd behaviour in front of the press? Well, it is because the man himself recently had his Stag party in Amsterdam, and on his way back he posted this video on YouTube.

I will always make time for stuff like this. If he hadn’t been an incredible athlete I would have found a way of shoehorning this in. I suppose I’m lucky he is a world class rugby player, though. This sure as hell beats his usual ‘Toot and Salute’ try celebration.

(Note: the rest of this ‘bike’ also consists of rugby players).

Manchester City fans know all about that today.

They went on a little rollercoaster ride yesterday, feeling the stinging lows of going behind to QPR and tasted the gorgeous highs of winning their first English Premier League title, since its inception 20 years ago. They had not won a league title since 1968.

In the end they pipped Manchester United to the post by scoring more goals than their famous rivals, but it must be said that City deserved their title.

They played adventurous soccer all term and despite tumbling out of European competitions they were the undeniable force in English football. They played at a speed, with a deftness and with a ruthlessness that saw them beat Manchester United twice and saw them pepper goalkeepers everywhere.

They almost choked, and if they had relentless nonsense about the Curse of City and the spinelessness of their boss would have been propagated. Robert Mancini would have been lambasted and players like Jolean Lescott and Yaya Toure –players who had been effective all season –would have been unfairly singled out for throwing it away at the last.

They did not, though, and the way they hunted down that last win is almost symbolic of a season where they recouped an 8 point margin and took the public jibes from Sir Alex Ferguson and never broke stride.

Yesterday there was a scene where the last title winning side were represented at the trophy presentation. It was at risk of looking mawkish, but it was not because of what it represented. In the same way that the fans laid siege to the pitch at the final whistle, only to clear away quietly so as to observe the trophy presentation, there was a definitive showing of relief at the present, and a respectful nod to the past.

The future? Well that is up to City’s Sheik owner and Roberto Mancini. If they build as of this instant then they could be even stronger. They can fight on two fronts if they want.

Words like ‘dynasty’ are pointless at this point and insulting to the other Premier League sides when City only won on goal difference, but this side could become synonymous with winning. They have that much potential. As of yesterday they also have that much evidence.

Now this has happened in France.

This particular scuffle, for the uninitiated, is taking place in the French Top 14. It is a division where there are no salary caps and French millionaires and playboys try to load every team with superstars and monsters.

It is also a division of brutal physicality and sometimes the monsters are allowed to get at each other. In this instance a rather large Frenchman named Yoann Maestri has a disagreement with a Georgian chap called Mamuka Gorgodze. He is otherwise known as Gorgodzilla.

Gorgodze of Montpellier is no stranger to a ban and he knows his way around a punch. His opposite man is only 24, but he is one of Toulouse’s enforcers and has been on the international scene since he was 22. Both men are part of the French rugby environment where to back down is to be shown up in public. Ugly scenes are part of the overall scene.

This is another case of hardy men refusing to wilt. Perhaps, in this case red cards were harsh as many more were involved, but flare-ups like this don’t appear to be dying down. Will other professionals be discouraged from swinging a fist purely because a few high profile instances have been colored in red by officials, recently? We will have to wait and see.

It was tight, but even though QPR lost and Bolton drew away to Stoke, 2-2, the Trotters were the ones to be officially declared as a Championship side for the 2012/13 season.

In a day that would bruise the common sense of any onlooker the permutations changed over and again as the minutes ticked by. Bolton were winning and would have stayed up, but then QPR took a lead. Stoke equalized and all was certain for Rangers, but then City came back.

In the end a draw saw Bolton fall down a division.

The phrase ‘trap door’ is being used over and over again, but by the same measure that City deserved to win the title, Bolton deserved to be relegated. They had been too substandard for too much of the season.

They join Blackburn Rovers and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the fall from the top. Bolton could possibly come back up if they sign ugly in the summer, but with the financial problems at Wolves and Blackburn it could be a tough old term for the two.

It is also yet to be decided who will join Reading and Southampton in the step up to the EPL next season. On the 19th of May Blackpool play West Ham at Wembley. The winner will net a lot of money and a crack at the big time.

There will be a lot of tears today. Soccer giveth with one hand and tips your tea out of your grasp with the other.

Their last game against QPR had everything, ranging from a kitchen sink approach to attacking, sweeping counter drives, a ridiculous red card and the maddest five minutes I have ever witnessed as a spectator.

The game started as it ended, with Man City bombarding their opponents. It took over 25 minutes but Pablo Zabaleta plonked a goal through goalkeeper Paddy Kenny’s expectant hands, with the ball looping into the net as the right back tore away in shock.

However, although leading, City relaxed in the second half. The usually steady Joleon Lescott misjudged a header allowing Djibril Cisse to streak onto the ball and swipe a shot past Joe Hart.

Then pandemonium erupted as Carlos Tevez and the hot-headed Joey Barton collided on the edge of the box. Tevez nibbled at Barton who swung an elbow under his chin. Regardless of the amount of contact the striker instinctively fell to the floor as the touch judge waved his flag.

The referee, under advisement, red carded Barton, but the midfielder still took time to shout at the ref, thump a knee into Sergio Aguero’s leg and attempt to headbutt Vincent Kompany.

Shaken, the game continued.

Yet, despite being down to 10 men, QPR burst towards the opposition goal and from a swinging cross striker Jamie Mackie bounced a header into City’s net to make it 1-2. The title seemed to be slipping away.

This City team did not quit though, and in stoppage time they converted a corner into an Edin Dzeko goal and then, in the 95th minute, Aguero popped up to power a shot past Kenny and make it 3-2 before peeling off his top and sprinting up the touchline.

City were the champions whilst Manchester United, who had also won away to Sunderland, heard about the result from their fans.

It was bizarre. It was unpredictable. It was mesmerizing.

Once fans had been cleared from the pitch the City players lifted the trophy as fireworks exploded and grown men cried.

Roberto Mancini, wrapped in an Italian flag, looked at peace. His players looked ecstatic. One way or another there may be riots in Manchester tonight.

For fans of soccer this could be impossible to forget.

Hernandez had been put forward as one of the Mexican soccer team’s three overage players –the player who turns 24 next month just misses out on the 23-year-old limit –and it had been suggested that the cult figure could have been the nation’s flag bearer in the opening ceremonies.

Ferguson has informed the Mexican FA that Chicharito will be doing no such thing.

In a deal struck between the two faction it has been decided that if Chicharito cannot play in the Olympics then he will not be touring with Manchester United either, with the attacker being given the whole summer off to recuperate and prepare for a tilt at the English Premier League in the 2012/13 season.

The player has been informed that he may play in the two Olympic qualifier matches that the Mexicans are scheduled to play, but as soon as the Games begin Hernandez will be on ice.

In a somewhat blunt statement United’s manager said, “Next year he will be fine as we have agreed with the Mexican Football Association that he is going to get the requisite rest he needs to perform in the Premier League.”

In the meantime there is much speculation about who will be picked for the controversial Great Britain soccer side for the Olympics, with Tottenham Hotspur’s Gareth Bale widely expected to be picked. David Beckham is also generating much speculation, although his recent poor form for LA Galaxy could prove too much of a stumbling block for the selectors.