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The thing I’ve enjoyed most about Jamie Carragher’s podcast is the incredible forthrightness of the interviews. The shared context, friendship and experiences with his guests provides an incredible platform for honest conversations – far exceeding the cookie cutter Q&As we hear in the vast majority of interviews conducted by actual journalists. Carra’s standing, and aversion to sugar-coating anything, enables him to frame questions in a way that would be downright insulting coming from a reporter. It’s what made the recent episode with Michael Owen such a startlingly brutal and uncomfortable listen. If you came out of that interview still unwilling to bury the hatchet with Michael Owen and finally welcome him home, then I’d advise you to contact someone with a stethoscope. Michael’s story, as told on The Greatest Game, sounded like the clichéd sports movie, charting the incredible highs, then the depths of despair. It was set-up for the final act – the inevitable, uplifting redemption, but in Owen’s case, there is no feel-good ending. If the Robbie Fowler story could draw comparisons to Rocky, Owen’s could be likened to the end of Raging Bull. Put it this way: Michael Owen, who scored 158 goals for his club and thrice tried to get back home after his initial departure, now feels intimidated when he walks into Anfield. “Any Liverpool fan has the power to break my heart,” he said. Jesus, I don’t know about any of you, but hearing that just about broke mine. It’s not right. Owen brought as much joy to the old stadium as any individual in the last quarter century; that much is indisputable. Yet, as Carragher brutally pointed out, Owen gets no love, his career and contributions are glossed over. Or, to use Carragher’s word “dismissed”. I’ll be honest with you. Michael was my guy. At the time I’d have argued “Michael over Robbie” with anyone. My best mate and I still joke about it to this day (how lucky were we to have those two to playfully argue over by the way?). I’d never really resented him for leaving, but it did break my heart. I never hated him for signing for Newcastle because I was privy to information he desperately wanted to come home and was distraught to be going there. I wasn’t among those screaming “where were you in Istanbul?” in his face, because what was the point? It wasn’t even as if I felt signing for United was unforgivable given his predicament. For me, a fissure tore into a gaping crevasse the day he scored the winner in that Manchester derby (as unreal a finish as it was). I hadn’t seen him celebrate quite so exuberantly in a decade. I hadn’t seen that joy since he was a teenager and, as he raced behind the Stretford End goal, hadn’t seen him run that fast either. How could he be that happy doing that, there, for them? At the time when we were in the utter depths of the Gillet and Hicks era, with Rafa’s tenure coming to an end, it was an absolute sickener. For many, it confirmed what they had felt all along. It was the first time I believed it too – that Michael Owen cared only about Michael Owen. It didn’t matter which shirt he was wearing. On that day he was happy for himself, not for Man United. And now, in the context of his interview with Carragher, it’s a little bit easier to see why. Many will still feel like Owen got what was coming, that he made his own bed and thus doesn’t deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as other Liverpool greats. That’s fine. But there’s also a staggering hypocrisy here that’s bothered me for decades. It seems you can be terrible, as a man and a footballer, but as long as you’re pushed out of the door, rather than leave on your own terms, you’re welcomed back to Liverpool with open arms. The ovations afforded to a returning David James down the years, for example. Here’s someone that made an absolute mockery of us, his manager and the entire club, quantifiably costing us a title during his time on his PlayStation, or modelling, or whatever else he was doing while flailing around between the sticks. James and Owen both broke my heart. Michael for leaving us when he did, James for being abjectly terrible at his job and causing us to lose football matches. One of the two feels intimidated walking into Anfield for fear of abuse, the other would probably get a standing ovation if he turned out for one of those Liverpool Legends games. More recently, the reverse is somehow true. It seems a player can force his way out in the most egregious manner and still be remembered fondly. His recent roasting at Anfield aside, the esteem in which Luis Suarez is held absolutely staggers me. Carra mentioned this too. Some of my best mates have him in all-time Liverpool five-a-side teams. I can’t scream this loud enough, but to Hell with Luis Suarez. This bloke went on strike to force a move to Arsenal (to Arsenal), bit opponents and racially abused others. Our reputation is yet to fully recover from our association with that ‘loveable little scamp,’ as evidenced by the recent, long overdue apology to Evra and the coverage it received. I feel ashamed for supporting him at the time. Between Owen and Suarez, which is the club annually falling over itself to wish a happy birthday? Here’s a clue: It’s not the one who ran himself into utter physical degradation before his mid-20s, while wearing the red shirt. Nor is it the one who won a Ballon D’Or in the same year he helped us to a cup treble. Owen’s contribution to the modern history of Liverpool far eclipses Suarez’s season or so of giving a damn. Even Stan Collymore enjoys a higher standing than Michael Owen among some Liverpool fans on social media. Seriously. Even the aversion to Fernando Torres has faded these days. Everyone seems alright with him again with the club often commemorating his contribution more and more often. I promised myself I’d never love another footballer again after he went to Chelsea; then Klopp’s lads came along and now I’m besotted with the lot of them, but that’s beside the point. Speaking of Chelsea, remember when Steven Gerrard tried to force a move there? If Gerrard’s explanation for how that situation came to pass (Papa Rafa didn’t show him enough love, etc.) is understood then why can’t Michael’s reasons for heading to Real Madrid, when all along his plan was to just “do a Rushie” and come back after a year? The answer’s rhetorical, if we’re honest with ourselves. After developing an Alan Shearer-like reputation for bland, guarded interviews during his playing career, Michael has been an open book since his retirement. Especially regarding his injuries and his self-professed rapid decline. We’ve had a window into Owen the person. Maybe that’s what has me warming to him again? The fact that, away from his horses, his millions and his media career, he’s a guy with insecurities, with regrets, with fears and apprehension. It’s a great leveller. I don’t know how the current impasse changes. Maybe it starts with the club affording him the same respect it does to other, less deserving folks, through its constant content output? If they can get off Suarez’s lap for five minutes that is. For all their talk about the “LFC family” they aren’t half choosy about who is treated as such. People shouldn’t need reminding just how good Michael Owen was, but if that’s what needs to happen, it should. There’s no reason for this continued antipathy or, perhaps even worse, utter apathy. That might be the hardest thing about this for Owen. Right now, he doesn’t matter. He’s not loved, nor particularly hated. Just irrelevant. Some will say that’s his punishment. After listening to his side of the story, I’d counter by saying, “for what exactly?” Carragher brutally pointed out that, while he finished his career with a guard of honour and a Kop mosaic, Michael went out coming off the bench for Tony Pulis’ Stoke. Wasn’t that punishment enough? Enough is enough. It’s time to recognise Michael Owen’s contribution for what it was. On the stat sheets, to the numbers on that increasingly-active “Wall of Champions” and in our mind’s eye. “One-nil down, two-one up, Michael Owen won the cup.” Remember that? Like many others, the story isn’t straight forward. There are complications. But Michael Owen is unquestionably a Liverpool great and deserves to be spoken of as such. It’s time to end the story in the right way. Chris Smith @ByChrisSmith

Watford’s revival has ground to a shuddering halt after successive stoppage time defeats. They lost the Z-Cars derby 3-2 despite leading 2-0 and despite Everton having to play a large part of the second half with only ten men. Watford’s opening goal was a work of art. Absolutely sensational football from front to back, it had back heels, glorious crossfield passes, stunning control and eventually a fine finish from Messina. It was a Liverpool goal, and I can pay them no higher compliment than that. Their second was decent too, capped by a lovely finish by Pereyra. The first half was all Watford and they were well in control. Then they gave up two goals to Yerry Mina in stoppage time and went in at 2-2. Crazy stuff. Delph then saw red after two quick bookings. The second one was fairly soft but when you’ve been booked already you just don’t dive in like that unless you’re a fucking moron, which of course he is. The problem with Delph is that everything about his entire demeanour screams out ‘book me, ref’. He’s permanently snarling and aggressive, he’s always fouling and he’s a mouthy prick. He’s just not getting the benefit of the doubt. I'd book him in the tunnel before the game just to save time. Watford couldn’t take advantage of the extra man and got caught in stoppage time when Richarlison got away down the left and picked out Moise Kean who as usual completely fluffed his lines. Unfortunately the ball rolled perfectly into the path of Walcott to present him with a chance that not even he could squander. Several Watford players have spoken recently about how Pearson’s disciplinarian approach was just what they needed. I don’t expect to hear any of them talking like that now though, as it’s hard to talk when you’re wearing your own tongue as a tie. Big Nige isn’t going to stand for that kind of ineptitude. Any more of that and I can see him marching into the dressing room dressed like Stallone in First Blood, complete with the big fuck off knife. Speaking of ineptitude though, the Moyes effect is in full swing now at West Ham, who are in deep shit after being held at home by Brighton despite twice holding a two goal advantage. Diop put them in front and my boy Snodgrass added a second with a deflected volley. Ogbonna’s unfortunate own goal (Fabianski punched it against him) allowed Brighton to pull one back before Snodgrass bagged another deflected goal to restore the Hammers’ two goal lead. Moyes then tried to shut up shop with a defensive substitution but it backfired spectacularly as Gross took advantage of hesitation between the centre backs to give Brighton hope, before Glenn Murray bagged the equaliser despite initially looking like he handled it. Michael Oliver wasn’t going to give the goal but after a lengthy VAR check it was (correctly) decided that he didn’t handle it, but the big screen showed the one angle that made it look like he defo handled it which made the crowd go mad. I’m not a fan of replays being shown in the stadium as no good is ever going to come of it, especially if they’re not going to show the right ones. This was a huge result for Brighton as although they might still get caught up in the relegation mire, this keeps them above water for the time being. West Ham on the other hand are sinking fast. They’re in the bottom three and they’ve got a brutal run of games coming up in which they are unlikely to even pick up a point. Their run in is quite soft but by then they might be dead and buried. Let’s hope so anyway. Them and Villa going down would do me nicely. Villa also had a massive setback this weekend as they were beaten by ten man Bournemouth. Billing (who I’m fairly sure that this time last year had ‘my boy’ status) fired Bournemouth into the lead and Ake’s close range effort made it 2-0 six minutes later. Then Jefferson Lerma got sent off for a second booking and it was all hands to the pump for the rest of the game. Lerma gets booked every time he plays but the second one he got here was a joke. Grealish popped the ball off for a one two and ran into Lerma, who couldn’t get out of the way. It’s a foul, but the booking was really harsh. When you watch it closely you can see Anthony Taylor give a free-kick but he only goes for his pocket after Grealish appeals to him that it should be a booking. Poor refereeing, but it’s Anthony Taylor so it’s par for the course. Lerma gets so many bookings though that, like Delph, he’s never going to get the benefit of the doubt. New signing Samatta headed Villa back into it with 20 minutes to go and Grealish went close to an equaliser, but Bournemouth just about held on for a massive three points. Villa look like they might go, and if that’s the case Grealish is definitely going to have a new club next season. He won’t be short of offers as he’s been fucking brilliant this season. He’s won me over. He looks like a twat and for that reason I really want to dislike him, and for years I have done. Now though? The more I watch him the more difficult I find it to hold the haircut and stupid rolled down socks against him. He’s quality and he works his balls off. He loves Villa and he’s giving everything he has for them because it’s his team. I respect him for that, and until he inevitably ends up signing for United or Spurs, I’m going to err on the side of “I don’t mind him, he’s a good player”. The Mancs drew 0-0 at home with Wolves. They’re just so utterly irrelevant these days that I can’t even be arsed saying any more about them. I’m not even going to take the piss out of them signing Ighalo, because they aren’t worth it, the irrelevant shit cunts. One thing I suppose I can’t let pass is the hilarious, Hodgson-esque type comments Solskjaer keeps churning out. The latest being “nobody breaks Wolves down” even though they hadn’t kept a clean sheet in fucking ages. The other one was when he responded to a question about Wolves being difficult to play against by saying “they’ll say we’re difficult to play against. We’ve played them three times lately and they haven’t scored”. Great, when’s the “We didn’t let Wolves score against us” parade? Fucking losers. The only thing worth mentioning about this game is that my boy Traore dislocated his shoulder and just had the physio pop it back in so he could carry on. What a badass, like Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon. That game would surely have been last on MOTD if not for Newcastle and Norwich serving up an equally dire goalless draw at St James’. A frustrating afternoon for Newcastle as there was nothing to cheer or get your cock out to in this one (was that the most Newcastle fan thing ever by the way? I think it might just be). Moving swiftly on, third faced fourth as Leicester played host to Chelsea in the early game on Saturday. I watched the first fifteen minutes or so of this before I headed off to Anfield and it looked like Chelsea were going to run away with it. Every time I looked up they were running in behind only for Kevin Abraham to take a fresh air shot or fall over his own feet. I quite like him, he’s a good player, but he looked like he wearing someone else’s feet on Saturday. Rudiger headed Chelsea in front but Barnes equalised with the aid of a huge deflection. Chilwell put Leicester ahead but another Rudiger header tied things up. Wonderful header that one. Barnes should have won it late after being brilliantly found by Vardy, but his shot rolled agonisingly wide and it ended honours even. Interesting that Chelsea have dropped the world’s most expensive keeper. Understandable, because he’s fucking rubbish, but still interesting because usually when you pay that much for a player you have to stick by them. It won’t be long before he’s back in because Willy Caballero isn’t the answer. Not unless the question is “Name a shit, bald goalie who has been a back up for his whole career and is only actually any good in penalty shoot outs”. Yeah that’s right, I’m still bitter about the cunt denying us in the League Cup final in Klopp’s first season. Fuck WIlly Caballero. While we’re on Chelsea, I have to mention how surprised I was to see they sold Tariq Lamprey to Brighton. I’ve seen him a few times against our Academy sides and he looked absolutely fucking dynamite. Apparently he didn’t want to extend his contract and would have left in the summer so they sold him now. Brighton might have themselves an absolute steal there, and if not then they’ll be able to sell him to Bournemouth for £20m in a year. Selhurst Park now where Palace were beaten 1-0 at home by Sheffield United at the weekend in a game that could have gone either way. Baldock was lucky to stay on after flattening Zaha when already on a yellow. Terrible decision that really as it’s as obvious a yellow card as you’ll see. Joel Ward was then sent off only for the VAR to ask Andy Madley to take a look at it on the pitched monitor. He did, and he decided it was only a yellow. That’s how it should be done. It was a subjective call and he was within his right to give a red, but it would have been harsh. By telling him to look at it himself it removes the scenario where you have one referee over ruling another. Unless its a black and white issue just let the fellas on the pitch have a look at the replays and decide if they want to change their mind or not. The winning goal was something of a farce as the Palace keeper caught a corner and then came down behind his own line. I’ve been begging him up for weeks and he goes and does that to make me look stupid. Nice one, soft lad. This result made me happy because as well as having a soft spot for the Blades, all season I’ve been saying how bad Palace are and how annoying it is that somehow they were so high in the table despite seeming to be outplayed virtually every week. I’ve said they’re a definite bottom six team and now all of a sudden the natural order seems to be being restored. They’re currently seventh from bottom, and if and when Bournemouth or Brighton overtake them then that will be about right. Defo a bottom six calibre squad. Sheffield United are strange. They barely seem to score any goals and yet there they are in 6th place pushing for a top four spot. It feels like every week they either score one or none, but they’re such a well coached, hard working team they are able to overcome that. Ok so I’ve just checked and they’ve scored 26 goals in 25 games. It’s actually remarkable they are where they are when their forwards are Billy Sharp, Eddie McGoldrick and Ollie McBurnie. I think they have five goals between them. Then you look at the teams around them, such as Chelsea (Abraham) Wolves (Jimenez), United (Rashford), Spurs (Kane), Arsenal (Aubamayeng) and Everton (Calvert-Lewin). If the Blades had any striker scoring with the regularity of those mentioned they’d surely be fourth. Chris Wilder is a miracle worker. Palace don’t have a goalscorer either because Zaha has reverted back to the player he was a couple of years ago when he’d score four or five a season. Still, that’s three years work for Benteke. Onto Sunday now and Arsenal recorded yet another draw. Their game at Burnley was fucking dire. Burnley fans are used to dull as shit games but this was so bad it would put a glass eye to sleep. Arsenal started with Aubameyang, Lacazette, Martinelli and Ozil and they still didn’t look like scoring. It’s hard to actually process just how fucking shite the likes of Arsenal, United and Spurs are right now. We’re probably going to finish 50 points ahead of all of them. Imagine if a couple of years ago someone had told you that. Hell, imagine if six months ago someone told you we’d be 22 points ahead of City at the end of January. It’s fucking mental. It’s beyond anything I could have even dreamed of really. Being top? Yeah I could see that. Being top by a comfortable margin? Yeah, probably. Being so far ahead of the other members of the ‘big six’ that some of them need a NASA telescope to even see us? Nope, I’d never have dared to think that. Yet here we are, as Man City lost yet again. Some of the games they’ve lost have been well deserved. The four points they’ve dropped against Spurs though have been daylight robbery. The draw at the Etihad earlier in the season was one of the most one sided games you’ll ever see between two top teams. City fucking murdered Tottenham that day. Absolutely destroyed them, but somehow contrived to miss about a hundred chances and concede from the only effort on goal Spurs managed. This one wasn’t that different, only they actually managed to lose this. Spurs were shite but they rode their luck and then City imploded. That being said, it could have been a lot different if Sterling had been sent off when he caught Deli Alli’s ankle. He got the ball and caught him with the follow through. Personally I thought a yellow was just about the right decision but it could easily have been red as we’ve seen other players dismissed for similar. City were unfortunate in that they caught Lloris on one of his world class days. He made a brilliant save to deflect an Aguero shot onto the post and then he saved a penalty. What a farce that whole thing was though. Mike Dean initially didn’t give it, which was kind of fair enough because from where he was he couldn’t have had a clear view of it. So the game went on. And on. And on. And eventually VAR told him he’d made a mistake and it was a pen. The crowd went mad, Guardiola was annoyed at how long it had taken for them to give what was actually a pretty clear penalty, while Mourinho slouched back in his seat and was sarcastically laughing like a goon. So anyway, the spot kick was eventually awarded and Lloris saved from Gundogan. Then Sterling got to the rebound first and went down under the keeper’s challenge. Actually he went down BEFORE the keeper’s challenge and the keeper didn’t touch him. Dean this time pointed to the spot, and once again VAR over-ruled him. Hilarious scenes. A melee ensued in which Alderweireld and Zinchenko were booked, but it could have been any two of about a dozen players. Those two were no worse than anyone else really but Mike Dean is always going to make an example of someone in that situation. Mourinho was laughing again, until his assistant pointed out that if it was not a penalty then Sterling should have been given a second yellow. I’m sure you’ve all seen the clip, it’s an all timer. One of the funniest things I’ve seen all season. Mourinho is a showman. Most of what he does is an act and never was it more evident than with this. So funny. There’s no way he was as mad as he looked. It was pure WWE stuff and I loved it. I spent most of that evening watching it over and over, it’s just fucking hilarious. It’s amazing how little Mourinho bothers me now that he is barely even a spot of dirt in our wing mirror. He’s no threat to us so it’s easier to look at his various shenanigans and find them funny. There was a time when seeing him carry on like would have sent my blood pressure into orbit. It wasn’t healthy how much I hated him. Now I see him in the same way I see Pardew and Sherwood. He’s a clown. He amuses me. City continued to pile on the pressure and Aguero missed a sitter just before half time. Just after half time Alderweireld cleared off the line to deny Aguero and Gundogan ballooned the rebound over the empty net. Spurs were just not in the game at all and their goal was leading a charmed life until Zinchenko was sent off when he picked up a second yellow for a tactical foul and everything changed. He actually had the nerve to argue about it, the gormless looking shitbag. Fair to say I don’t care for him much. He’s got a hugely punchable face. Almost immediately Spurs took the lead with a terrific finish from new boy Steven Bergwijn. Son then made it 2-0 with a deflected finish from the edge of the box. Two attempts, two goals. Hilarious. Along with Wolves and Palace, Spurs are defo Man City’s bogey team. And us as well, obviously. Actually, if you have four bogey teams then you’re kind of in trouble, right? No wonder they’re so far behind us. This result got me thinking. Remember that famous interview in which a smuggest of smug Noel Gallagher was running his mouth about us? One of the things he said has actually proved to be spot on, but not in the way he meant it. He said that the Reds were “rivals” with City “for about five minutes”. You know who City’s main rivals are? Spurs, that’s who. They’ve failed to beat them twice this season and they were knocked out of the Champions League by them. My advice to City would be to stop obsessing about Liverpool and concentrate on trying to beat Tottenham. Once you’ve done that and actually look like worthy adversaries again, then we can talk. Until then, pipe down. Spurs followed up that win by accosting Southampton and stealing an FA Cup win from them in midweek. I watched most of it and the Saints fucking battered them only to be undone by two late goals, one of which came from the penalty spot after a blatant dive by everyone’s best mate, Son. It winds me right up how everyone seems to love that fucker. He’s top three in terms of biggest divers in the league, he’s a fucking cry baby and he’s a snide cunt. And what the fuck is all this “Sonny” shit from the TV interviewers lately? Geoff Shreeves was doing it on Sunday, and the bird on BT was at it after the cup replay as well. It’s ‘Son’, not ‘Sonny’. He’s not your mate, you absolute fucking cringey bastards. I’m sick of everyone tonguing his balls. He’s an absolute cunt but because he’s got a friendly, smiley face (when he’s not crying that is) no-one calls him on it. As I wrote earlier in the season, my mum was onto him before anyone else and she absolutely nailed it. He’s a sly, snidey, cheating little fucking shithouse. Fuck him, and fuck anyone who calls him “Sonny”.