Football FanCast columnist Richard Buxton reminisces back to the last time his beloved Liverpool and Real Madrid last crossed swords.   Rafael Benitez will take his Liverpool team back to the Spanish capital next Wednesday for the second time this season, to his boyhood club no less, but the tie at the Bernabeu stadium is significant as it will be the first competitive game between the…

Football FanCast columnist Richard Buxton feels that for the good of Liverpool FC, the warring factions must reach a truce.   Between April and August 1898, the United States and Spain were locked in military conflict over the liberation of Cuba. The battle extended across the Caribbean and Asia. A similar situation has been ongoing at Anfield since late 2007 between American owners and a Spanish manager…

Football FanCast columnis Richard Buxton reflects on Liverpool's failed title challenges of the past and wonders whether this could finally be the season that the Premier League title returns to Anfield.   Since the inception of the Premier League in 1992, Liverpool have launched several failed title bids with only two lasting longer than the rest in 1996/97 and 2001/02; the…

Football FanCast columnist Richard Buxton reacts to the latest coming and goings at Stamford Bridge.   The eyes of the footballing world are once again on Stamford Bridge after Chelsea dismissed manager Luiz Felipe Scolari with immediate effect after which they pointed to the recent string of results and performances being 'deteriorating at a key time in the season'.   In addition…