Winterlude

Manchester United are top of the league going into this weekends annual tete a tete with their scouse nemesis, Liverpool. This years Liverpool side under Rafael Benitez has, like a new dawn, promised so much, with exceptional talent recruited throughout the team.

Sissoko looks solid in the middle. Alonso is probably the best distributer of a ball in the preiership. Kuyt is a world class striker and in Jermaine Pennant and Mark Gonzalez they have for the first time a genuine wide threat. But in saying all this, they are doing really really badly, and as they approach their November Winterlude, things don't look like they are getting better.

Traditionally, Liverpool's season ends with a crash in November. Traditionally Man Utd start slowly and don't hit 5th gear till January. This year, however Liverpools November seems to have come very early. So too has United's January. Is global warming affecting the premiership patterns as well as the tides? Has Winterlude come in September? Does this mean the season will end in March rather than May? If this trend continues the 2010 world cup will be held in january 2009! I hope someone has alerted the South Africans....