Liverpool a big game, England want our manager and Miguel

In case you didn't know, the Liverpool match is going to be huge and Gareth Barry knows this. I don't know what gave it away, but I suppose he has a certain responsibility to release statements on fixtures coming up and the transfer saga from last summer.

"Losing to Spurs at the weekend was another blow. It is now advantage to Arsenal in the Champions League race." he said to a few websites at the exact same time.

"We have two tough fixtures coming up, Liverpool and Manchester United. But if we deliver a performance of the season against one, it could catapult us to a good finish."

Everything is possible, we may have a performance of the season but Liverpool have just done Real Madrid 4-0 at Anfield and Manchester United 4-1 at Old Trafford. It's going to take more than a 'performance of the season' it's going to need a bloody miracle.

Although, there is every chance we could steal something if Martin O'Neill goes back to what made us difficult to beat and what helped us steal a few points this season, but you've got to fancy he won't.

But, we'll have a preview of the trip to Anfield later in the week. There is a bit of news today though, in a few of the papers. It's mostly I guess speculation but if it's true Martin O'Neill is getting lined up by the FA to be the next England boss.

Randy has said in the past that he won't stand in the managers way if England came calling and this wouldn't surprise me a bit, but it can't be allowed to happen and I don't believe it will. I suppose it might be possible that he does both jobs - I mean, does it really need to be a full time job managing England?

I really want to get into the England story because I suspect some will say 'let him go' and some might even suggest we go get Gordon Strachan as the next manager, seeing as he's been so successful in Scotland - but I don't think we can allow England the chance to take him and we have to make that clear, privately. You wouldn't see the FA approaching the current manager of Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United or Chelsea and we can't have it happening to us.

But, finishing today on a rumour, just because rumours are nice. This one is about a right back called Miguel, currently playing for Valencia and apparently Valencia have approached us and Everton.

He's right back, a position that we have a player for and adequate cover in James Milner, I can't see this happening, not unless he can play in central midfield, up front and as a backup keeper.

But there should, or there definitely needs to be, more players coming in the summer and I wouldn't be surprised to see two or three going, so there is going to be a significant increase in the number players that we sign, if that does happen.