On Liverpool vs Arsenal: Thoughts on a classic Premier League match.

Red cards, own goals, drama, injuries, physical confrontations, this match had it all. It's a little absurd that a match could get this good this early in the season, but I suppose that's just what happens when the Gunners roll into Anfield.

What I thought I'd do since this match ended level at 1-1 was unfold the positives and the negatives for both sides. So without further ado, let's begin:

Liverpool.

Positives: David Ngog looks to be a decent option up top while Torres gets his form back. While Ngog is prone to making ridiculous mental errors, and occassionally seems to completely zone out on the pitch, it's obvious that he's a very gifted player. His finish to add Liverpools only goal on the scorline was absolutely montrous. The angle was so tight, and the ball was driven in with such power that Almunia was no match. Ngog also showed his abilities in the air, which I always liked about him. He times headers suprisingly well, and has a knack for flicking on headers into the nylon.

Jovanovic is well liked, and playing hard. Milan Jovanovic made his Premier League debut for the Reds today, and quickly gained a following in the sixth minute. You see, Milan was driving down the center of the pitch and youngster Jack Wilshere was bugging him, so Milan put one of his brawny Eastern European arms out and threw the Englishmen to the ground. The crowd roared in approval. Jova seemed to take a cue from Anfield hero Gerrard, hurrying to every ball and giving his best effort throughout the match. His exit in the 78th minute to make way for Maxi Rodriguez was met with a standing ovation. There may be a new Serbian in the Premier League, other than United's Nemanja Vidic.

Gerrard: still the best player on the pitch. The Red faithful were a little disenfranchised with their golden boy last season, but "Stevie G" (pictured above) will always lace up and give it his all, you can bet the house on that. Gerrard, the captain of the Reds, simply has to be one of your favorite players. Completely selfless, chases down every ball with a never-say-die attitude, a rare combo of grace and power that only comes around once every couple of generations. Gerrard proved today that he will always wear the Reds kit with pride and that he isn't going away until they drag him off the pitch.

Glen Johnson proves his worth. Glen Johnson, coming off a dismal performance for England at the World Cup, proved just how valuable he is to his club side today with great service and great skill on the ball. His sallying forth from the right back position has proved to be invaluable to Liverpool's game, and is what earned them their goal. Any doubts about his value to the club were put to the sword today.

Kuyt is still a workhorse. Dirk Kuyt is another reason to respect Liverpool. The man's work rate is absolutely incredible, and his service is always spot on. The Dutch sage showed that he is no pushover, and won't be replaced by Maxi Rodriguez anytime soon out on the wing for the Reds.

Carragher and Skrtel. Both of these men, long time Red Jamie Carragher and Slovakian maniac Martin Skrtel, defended like mad men today. They were a nightmare for Chamakh on his debut, and rendered Van Persie's substitution into the game absolutely worthless. Liverpool will get a big boost from having a solid center two in these two men.

Mascherano got a good exit. So all of the signs point to a move to Real Madrid for defensive midfielder Mascherano. He went out in style today with a great, physical performance that is his trademark. His substitution late on was also met with a standing o, which he appreciated.

Negatives: Torres still seems out of form. It was all Fernando Torres could do to make it down the pitch with the ball, it seemed. His explosive pace, his lightning quick feet, still just don't seem to be there. It was good to see the Spaniard out on the pitch, and a clever cross toward the death of the match proved that he is still one of the most creative players around, I just still have doubts about his fitness.

Cole's red card. Joe Cole made his Premier League debut today for the Reds. He seemed to be absolutely worthless, despite one incredibly impressive back heel flick. His job was to link the midfield play and the attackers, but he was absolutely dismal in that respect. He really just crowded Gerrard and went down the pitch too early most of the time. And then, the kicker. In the 44th minute, Cole made a dangerous challenge on Laurent Koscielny, taking out one of his legs with both of his own, got a red card, and was sent off. Not exactly the best way to make your debut, especially when people have been talking about how you could be better than Messi all week.

Reina's own goal. I feel genuinely bad for this one. Jose Reina played an absolutely flawless game, he dealt with every corner, stopped a venomous strike from Rosicky, and just looked to be in top form. Until the last minutes of play. A cross came in, and Reina came out to deal with it. Chamakh got it away, and the ball bounced, quite unfortunately, into Reina's own goal off his hands. A tragic end to a hard fought game.

Arsenal.

Postives: Jack Wilshere looked good. English youngster Wilshere made his debut for the Gunners today, and seemed to do a great job. He took every opportunity he could and was really impressive in defense.

Subsitutions were vital. Theo Walcott and Rosicky provided the only real chance the Gunners had at coming back. Rosicky had perhaps the best chance in the game, a lethal strike that was tipped over by Reina in the 86th minute. Walcott looked daft occasionally, but for the most part got good service and looked more sound on the ball than last season.

Diaby and Nasri. These two men, who may not have started were it not for an Arsenal injury crisis, looked well in form and were important parts of the match for Arsenal. Diaby was untouchable on the ball and did well to hold play back while other players got in postion around the goal. Nasri did basically everything, shooting, passing, defending, set pieces, and performed pretty well, I thought.

Negatives: Laurent Koscielny. The most recent transfer in for the Gunners, Laurent's contribution to this game was two yellow cards (equals red) and going to sleep to allow Ngog's goal. Furthermore, his suspension puts more pressure on Arsenal's wounded defense. Wenger's looking pretty thin back there.

Ashravin out of form. I love Andrei Ashravin, but he looked pitifully out of shape and out of sorts in this game. His passes never seemed to be weighted correctly and he wasn't getting any pace at all out of his legs. Hopefully the Russian will be able to snap out of it for the Gunners' next match.

Chamakh was less than impressive. Marouane Chamakh, perhaps Arsene Wenger's most promising addition to the Arsenal side, was pretty absent in his debut today. He lost the ball in the box on a number of occassions and didn't seem to be in sync with the other players. Perhaps more time is needed for Chamakh to get used to Premier League game speed, so I suppose we'll have to see.

Van Persie did nothing. He was only on for a half an hour, but Robin Van Persie did effectively nothing for the Gunners with his brief time on the pitch, touching the ball maybe twice.

These are my thoughts on today's match. Have some of your own?

ALSO: Manchester United premieres tomorrow in their match against Newcastle United on ESPN 2 at 2:55 PM.

On Liverpool: What their takeover by Kenny Huang means for the Reds and for world football.

Today, it was announced that a Chinese billionaire named Kenny Huang (pictured above standing next to a beverage rich people love: water) wants to buy Liverpool. He's buying it for 240 million pounds, and he's buying the club outright, so all of that money will go into the team itself and none of it will go to lining the pockets of the owners. Here's what this monumental takeover means if it happens:

1. Torres is staying. Also coming out today was the news that Fernando Torres is staying at Anfield. Coincidence? Impossible. Can you blame him though? He's got the financial security here, the fanbase, and the promise of a possible dynasty on his hands. How could he leave?

As a sidenote, I just realized today that Torres has scored 40 goals in 41 games for the Reds. Which is incredible, and really puts into perspective how invaluable he actually is. Hopefully he will have a speedy recovery from his retweeking of his injury recently in the World Cup Final.
And Torres isn't the only player whose security is definite with this move, guys like Gerrard, Lucas, and possibly even Mascherano will also be more encouraged to stay.

2. Anfield: out with the old, in with the new. Anfield is getting on. The stadium hasn't been renovated for almost a century and it's getting a little rickety. These days, it's really unheard of for a Premier League club to not play in a modern stadium.

Liverpool has been pointing to the tradition of the stadium for years to legitimize it's existence, but now it's looking like they're going to have to update things. It's too small, too old, and too clunky. This new money is a major step in the right direction toward a new home for the Reds.

3. Roy Hodgson: the best squad man in the world with the most money in the world. New Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson is renowned for his squad management capabilities. He's already worked wonders with what limited funds Liverpool had, adding attacking potency with Joe Cole, and some much needed support and defense players in Danny Wilson and Milan Jovanovic, as well as resigning an impressive Fabio Aurielo. He only needed 2 million to do that. Imagine him with 240 million at his disposal.

Here are some players he may go for:

Mesut Ozil. Werder Bremen's young starlet in central midfield Ozil admitted yesterday that he has been tempted by some offers from English clubs. Why the hell not if you're Hodgson looking at aging prospects Lucas and Mascherano, both of him have been speculated to be moving this summer anyway?

Carlos Salcido. Liverpool said they wanted this Mexican star at right back, why not go get him? Sure Aurielo's back, but who's to say he won't drop the ball again this year?

John Paintsil. More defenders, but Liverpool's central defense was a revolving door last year. Maybe you want a big tough African in there. Paintsil has been outspoken about his love for Roy Hodgson, maybe these two can reunite.

Clint Dempsey. This is just something I want to happen. It's kind of bullshit. It'd be awesome though.

4. Manchester City will get their asses kicked. I would just love to see the look on City's faces as they lose almost a billion dollars going after players with terrible attitudes and ludicrous wages to just get completely outboxed by one of the classiest clubs in England. That would just make my day.

On Roy Hodgson: Why he could win the title for Liverpool.

Roy Hodgson took over for Liverpool after the unpopular Rafa Benitez was sacked. Since he has taken over, Hodgson has brought Joe Cole in his prime years, smoothed things over with Torres (to some extent), and has been pumping up his team to make a run for the title. I'd like to use this opportunity to look over what it is that is going to make Hodgson (possibly) succesful this year in the Premier League.

1. Put up or shut up time. There are a number of players on Liverpool's squad who have been in quite a slide as of late. Particularly Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, and Glen Johnson. These players have been basically absent for the Reds, for injuries or otherwise.

For a lot of these guys, it's time to put their money where their mouth is. They're coming off one of the worst seasons in Liverpool's history, and failure this season could mean a long, slow decline for the Reds in the future.

Especially Gerrard and Torres, both of him it is becoming more and more likely are going to stay at Anfield. These two guys have had ample opportunity to explore other options at other clubs, so their decision to stay certainly adds pressure.

Hodgson himself is coming off the biggest moment of his career turning unfancied Fulham into Europa finalists. And his only really big job before this was Inter, where he didn't last long at all. He's got a make a stake to be this club's manager for a long time, and I think he may be motivated enough to do just that.

Anyway, moving on.

2. Man-management, smart financial decisions, and doing what's best for the team. Hodgson is known for being extremely gifted at man-management, and to that end he could be the best of the Big Four clubs at handling the institution of the new Premier League rule that puts a 25 player maximum on each club and that a minimum of 8 of them have to be English.

Hodgson so far added Danny Wilson, who is a very talented young central defender who is more than likely a long term replacement for Jamie Carragher. This probably means that Reds veteran Daniel Agger will be pushed out to the left, where Liverpool are notoriously short. But this was a very cheap, very money concious transfer, and it's exactly what Liverpool needed.

But, I just learned that the Reds are looking at Mexican defender Carlos Salcido from PSV to go to Liverpool to play left back. Great. I love Salcido, he's really good. A problem though: Salcido is also adventerous as hell, and with him and Glen Johnson constantly being out of the barn, who's going to guard the prize horse? And Mascherano won't be around next season to clean up the mess, either. Though I think Hodgson is fully capable of instating some discipline, so maybe we won't see a problem there.

Another one I've heard muttering about is German left back Marcell Jansen, but apparently Hamburg are just having none of that.

Then he added Joe Cole. Cole is going to have to be Hodgson's boy. Wenger had Fabregas (and Thierry Henry), Benitez had Carragher, Sir Alex Ferguson had Giggs, now Hodgson's going to have to have Cole. Cole's raw potential is, apparently, practically bottomless. It's said that his ball skills rival Messi, which I'll still have to see to believe. The attack of Torres, Gerrard, and Cole is potentially so star-studded and powerful, that no one would stand a chance, but it's all theoretical at this point. It's all riding on Cole. He knows it, and I think it will drive him. He's been riding the bench at Stamford Bridge behind Saloman Kalou for three years, I think he's ready for his shot.

Now, speculation is afoot that Hodgson will add Park Chun-Young, the South Korean goal maniac. Chun-Young could be the magic touch for the Reds this season. Let me explain: Hodgson uses a 4-4-2. That "2" in the front means "Torres can't be alone anymore." And I think that's good. I really think that Torres works better when he's splitting time with someone else, he's just that kind of striker. And Chun-Young could be just that "2." This is another example of Hodgson being a money concious manager that still has the best interest of the club in mind.

3. Finally, Hodgson knows how to motivate a team. Liverpool may need a kick in the rear end. I think a lot of their guys are tired, unmotivated, and discouraged. And we're looking at a season that could see a lot of younger guys stepping up for this team, like Aquillani and Wilson. I think Hodgson has the ability to get these young guys to use their heads and really learn how to win.

I think he can also pull Gerrard and Torres up by their boot straps and give recent transfers like Cole a real fighting chance in the starting eleven.

These are my basic indicators as to why Hodgson could be able to drive Liverpool on to win the Premiership.

On Joe Cole: What his move to Liverpool means for the Reds, for himself, and for English football

Before I start breaking down what I think of Joe Cole's move from Chelsea to Liverpool, I think it will help if I give a bit of a background on Cole.

Joe Cole is now 28 years old. He has spent his career in the English Premier League playing mainly for Chelsea, unfortunately, that career was rife with injuries. Cole came into the EPL as one of the most hyped players since Lampard. And by all accounts, he is capable of delivering. Cole's potential is pretty massive, he's got all kinds of skill and the pace to go with it, along with a traditional fighting spirit you would expect of an English national.

At the World Cup, Cole seemed to be one of the brighter points of a dismal English side when he got his chance to play. The problem for Cole has always been staying fit, a scourge of many other potential greats, most recently Fernando Torres.

Now, I'm going to break down what I think of this move.

I have no idea why Liverpool did this. They just spent so many resources keeping attacking midfielder Steven Gerrard at Liverpool and acquiring natural wide midfielder Maxi Rodriguez from Atletico Madrid. And they've still got Dirk Kuyt in the starting line-up. Really the only reason I can think of that they would do this is to replace Yossi Benayoun, whom is on is way to Chelsea, so I guess it was what we in America would refer to as a "trade."

But there are other reasons why I don't like this for the Reds. Chief among these reasons is the fact that they've added a player who is infamous for being injury prone to a club side already absolutely devastated by injuries with Torres' fitness again in question after he hurt himself again in the World Cup Final.

It is being said that Joe Cole made this transition because he was promised playing time by new Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson. But with the condition that Liverpool is in right now, who's to say how long Hodgson may last as the manager? And even if he was, would you have any difficulty working him in with new signing Rodriguez in the mix? Or even Liverpool stalwart Lucas in the middle? I think not.

This is a major major gamble for me from manager Hodgson, but I do like it for one big reason: Cole is English. Liverpool for me was a club in the EPL that you could particularly pick on for not fielding English national players, so for that, I think this is a good move.

I wish Cole the best of luck, because he without doubt deserves it, but I don't have the highest hopes for this one.

On Transfers: Top Five biggest transfers and what they mean for the clubs involved

1. David Villa- Valencia to Barcelona



















This is kind of a no-brainer. One of four top scorers at the World Cup this year, Villa has established himself as among some of the premier strikers in the world. His abilities are all based around one thing: goal scoring. Everything about Villa is crafted to score goals. He's got power, effective control of both feet, incredible ingeniuty and strength in the final third, and the guts to take the shot. Villa has averaged around 25 goals a season since he became Valencia's golden boy. But when the club went under financially and failed to achieve any kind of success again in the Spanish Primera Division, Barca cashed in and added what could be the hottest player in the world to their roster.

Let's take a look at this move in detail and what it means for Barca.

There are a lot of things about Villa's move that scream success. He'll replace an underwhelming Ibrahimovic, he's yet another Spanish national superstar to add to Barca's already impressive cast, he's got scoring ability, and he's coming from a club that tries very hard to mimick Barca. He's also just been training with a Spanish side that bases most of it's passing game on the Barca strategy.

However, there are some things that worry me about this move. What this move means is that Villa is going to probably start as a central striker with Iniesta out to his left. Villa loves to drift left, so this could cause some uncomfortable rubbing of shoulders of these two superstars. When this formula was in place in the World Cup in the final two games of the tournament for Spain, the offense looked almost idiotic in the final third, and got one goal from a broken play and expert finishing from Iniesta. But luck like that just isn't going to be there in La Liga week in and week out, and they certainly can't rely on goal production like 8 goals in 8 games.

Also, Villa is too goddamn short to play in the middle of the field. I don't care if he has overcome so many odds to be a great striker with his height, he's short. And he really has no aerial game, which is a key for playing in the center. Rooney is about as tall as Villa, but Wayne's got ups and he knows how to time a header, so he's an example of what Villa just doesn't have.

So while everyone is salivating about Villa's move, I'm waiting for some actual evidence that this is actually going to work.

2. David Silva- Valencia to Manchester City
















Valencia's implosion also benefitted Manchester City who will start the new season with the incisive passing, blazing speed, and creative ball skills to David Silva.

The only real concern I have for this move is related to how hesitant Bosque was to play Silva. It seemed as if Silva was out of form, so much so that Bosque made little to no effort to start him.

Other than that, I really don't see how this is just the ultimate win for City. More on them in a moment.

3. Javier Hernandez- Guadalajara to Manchester United



















The first Mexican to ever sign with the Red Devils, Guadalajara's own Javier Hernandez will find himself competing for a starting spot with Park Jin-Sook, Dimitar Berbatov, and Michael Owen. In that little introduction I've outlined my major concern with this move. Can Hernandez establish himself as the replacement for a dwindling Berbatov, and will he be able to win the spot over fan favorite and club stalwart Park?

I think so. When I saw this kid come into the line-up for Mexico, he looked like everyone kept hyping him up to be. He's got a never-ending appetite for the goal, a nose for it, and a natural instinct around the penalty box. This guy could be one of the rising artists of finishing, him and Karim Benzema (if Benzema takes his thumb out of his ass).

I don't think Ferguson will be hesitant to try out his new man, the question is if he can do what he needs to do.

4. Yossi Benayoun- Liverpool to Chelsea


















This has been the Blues' only real move in the offseason this year, but it's a huge one.

This is a crushing blow for Liverpool in my book, because Benayoun was a rare high point in their depressing season.

Benayoun is a little difficult for me to describe because I've only seen him play once, but what I understand about him is that he's got unforgiving pace and a real creative flare on the ball. I think that Chelsea were desperately missing both of those things out wide on the wings this year, so I think that this will be a great opportunity for Benayoun and the Blues.

5. Yaya Toure- Barcelona to Manchester City



























Man City has come out and said many times at the end of the season that they are ready to win the Premiership for the first time this year. So I guess their plan was to buy some people, which should work, you'd think.

But this is the epitomy of the problem with the English Premier League. There is so much pressure to produce produce produce that no one wants to sign some nobody anymore, or raise some great player. There may never be another Ryan Giggs. (Giggs by the way is the classic example of a homegrown English player).

This transfer I think is evidence of that. Toure was a cocky, belligerent ass at Barca and I don't think he'll be any different at Man City. He's going to have a tough time getting a starting spot with Garreth Barry in his spot, and I really don't think his 50 yard speculative shots that never go in are really welcome anywhere.

I kind of just made this number five to crap on Toure a bit.

So these are my picks for the five biggest transfers. Think I missed something? Think Yaya isn't worthless? Let's talk.

On Manchester City: How Peter Crouch's forehead ruined the hopes and dreams of a franchise

Late in the second half of the Manchester City vs. Tottenham game, Peter Crouch bumbled into a cross and headed it into the net of City, 1-0. City was unable to respond, and secured their fifth place spot in the Premier League. Tottenham's three points from the victory secured fourth place for them and a berth into the Champions League next season. But there are two big implications for City losing this game other than not making the Champions League. Let's take a look:

1. Keeping foreign players here. Coming into this season, City were criticized as a team of stars with no real team element. Their front three clearly shows this. Carlos Tevez (pictured above), Robinho, and Emmanuel Adebayour. These guys all came to City with promises of a couple of things: a Premiership within two years, a Champions League berth this season, and a lot of playing time. It seems that those first two are going to be a little out of reach. That has made these guys pretty antsy. Particularly Robinho. The Brazilian on loan came out yesterday pleading to return to Brazil to play for a club like Sao Paulo, so he's probably gone. Manchester United and even Real Madrid have also shown a vested interest in Tevez, and he knows if he goes there he'll get what he wants. But Tevez is a great guy, he scored 23 goals in League play this year and by all accounts is extremely happy at City. But will he be able to resist the temptation? Only time will tell. But as the World Cup gets closer and closer, it seems that a lot of clubs are waiting to see how the Argentinian will perform. Adebayour is talent that will be particularly hard to hold on to. His ball skills are already turning heads, despite an underwhelming goal tally. The loss of these players, particularly Tevez, is a major threat to City's chances next season.

2. Getting new players. City is among Chelsea as one of the first clubs to make an offer to Fernando Torres. They are offering the same amount (perhaps even more) and another laundry list of players for Liverpool to choose from. But Torres probably won't go there. The Spanish phenom wants to go to the Champions League, and Crouch's forehead ruled that out for City. They also made a big offer to Aston Villa attacking midfielder Milner yesterday, but he hasn't made a statement about that yet. One can't help but wonder if Milner would want to leave a club where he is the established star to go to a team with no chemistry and have to prove himself all over again, without even having a crack at the Champions League. Oh how the dominoes fall.

But things aren't all bad for City. They've got some experience under their belt, and this means that they'll only work harder next season. They also made the Europa League with fifth place, which isn't bad at all. At least they have something to take how to their fans, and they'll certainly be one of the strongest clubs in the tournament next year.

So perhaps my title was a little harsh, there maybe hope yet for City.

On Fernando Torres: Why Liverpool will be better off without him

It's been a rough year at Anfield. The Red faithful have seen their golden boy Steven Gerrard's form dipping dramatically, an extremely disappointing seventh place finish putting them out of the Champions League for next season, and, finally, the debilitation of their star Fernando Torres. Torres scored 18 goals in League play this year. Which isn't bad at all. But it wasn't enough to keep the Reds, who had trouble defending most matches, in their usual top 3 spot. And it's a total with a big asterisk, *injuries. Torres was on and off the pitch this season, whether it was for mere exhaustion or ligament problems. Injuries are never fun, and it's probable that had Torres been able to stay healthy, Liverpool may have had more of a shot in the Premier League and probably would have won the Europa Cup too.

Don't get me wrong, Torres is a marvelous player. You are looking at basically the best player on the ball since Maradona. He's got the perfect balance of finesse, work ethic, ball control, passing ability, and raw talent that is currently making every major club drool.

So what's with the title? What would ever make Liverpool want to lose this guy? The answer lies in exactly who is looking at him. Right now, Manchester City and Chelsea are both offering record breaking (mind boggling) transfer fees for Torres. Chelsea looks to be the more likely to acquire Torres at this point, as the Spanish striker wants a shot at the Champions League, and City just missed the qualifier this year. More on that later.

So let's look at two big reasons why Liverpool benefits from losing Torres to Chelsea.

1. A laundry list of great players. Chelsea has offered the following players to smooth things over for Liverpool's transition without Torres: Jose Bosingwa, Nicolas Anelka, Ricardo Carvalho, Deco, Salomon Kalou and Paulo Ferreira.

Liverpool has their pick of any three of those. They don't really need Bosingwa because they have Glen Johnson, but obviously the skilled French striker Anelka would help fill Torres' shoes. The Portuguese Deco is an established legend and would be a welcomed sight at center field, where he would likely replace Italian teenager Aquillani. Kalou would be a great attacking midfielder to sub in for Gerrard, because god knows that kid gets tired sprinting his ass off to every ball that comes his way. He would also come in across from newly acquisitioned Maxi Rodriguez and fan favorite Dirk Kuyt, creating possibly a perfect storm of crosses raining in on the 18 yard box. But probably the best bet for Liverpool would be either of the center defenders offered, Carvalho and Ferreira. The full-back position at Liverpool this year has been a merry-go-round of players, none of which seemed to be able to keep the pressure off of goalkeeper Pepe Reina, which ended up not being so bad for him, as he was able to prove his worth to the Spanish national team.

2. Transfer fee. What do you do with 80 million pounds? A better question: what don't you do with 80 million pounds? This is an earth-shattering amount, and easily eclipses last year's record 42 million Man U was paid for Ronaldo to move to Real. The possibilities are endless. Maybe make a move for a high profile guy like Robin Van Persie, or, if Bayern loses the Champions League final on Saturday, a guy like Arjen Robben. Maybe go for a better defender, like Squillici, who's riding the bench at Real Madrid. Maybe try to sneak David Silva away from Real Madrid (though they'd have to move fast for that). Maybe you go for a really great midfielder, like Sneijder if Inter loses the Champions League final. The point is, you can do pretty much anything with kind of money.

If Torres goes to the Bridge next year, all hope will definitely not be lost for the Reds.