The dust has settled, the mainstream tributes have poured in - both knowledgeable and hamfisted - and he's away. Sralex Ferguson - to childishly both respect and denigrate the man's premature honouring - announced his retirement from the managership of Manchester United several weeks ago.

I was shocked. The signs were there earlier in the season - the Wembley Champions League final a tantalising potential farewell, the desperate ambition to wrestle the Premier League title from Manchester City, the distressed reaction to missing out on one and composed satisfaction in securing the other - but they only appeared in hindsight. Ferguson was surely to perish in the line of duty, Lord willing not pitchside like his mentor and friend Jock Stein, but in gainful managerial employment all the same. He was "too old to retire".

Je ne le crois pas! Joey Barton vient d'arriver à Marseille pour compléter son prêt à l'OM.

C'est un désastre. Ignorez tout ce que vous avez entendu sur sa réputation de milieu de terrain combatif et enthousiaste. C'est la vérité mais c'est sans importance. Joey Barton est un fléau.

Barton ne sera pas un deuxième Chris Waddle, plus vraisemblablement un deuxième James Shayler. Pour tous les bons moments qu'il provoque sur le terrain il cause beaucoup plus de problèmes par son comportement sur et en dehors du stade.

Attaques violentes sur ses coéquipiers, attaques violentes sur des membres du public, attaques violentes sur ses adversaires - résultant en cartons rouges - querelles fatales avec ses entraineurs, il a tout fait. Si on pensait que Hatem Ben Arfa representait un problème on n'a encore rien vu.

And so he's off. Luis Suarez, the pantomime villain of the English Premier League has stated that he wishes to depart for pastures new and, as it will come to pass, he will not pull on the red of Liverpool next season.

It's ok. I've celebrated his goals with gusto, I've felt his torture when his majestic runs at defences have culminated in an almost predictable rapping of the woodwork and I've argued against his punishments from the FA even when his actions do not lend themselves to sympathy, but I wish him luck for the future and don't regret him leaving our club behind.

The OCD wet dream of his transitions to and from Anfield both being to the backdrop of a ban, incredibly both for biting an opponent, says enough about the man. As an isolated incident, the Cannibal of Ajax episode could be spun as a momentary lapse, but, as they say, to bite one opponent may be regarded as a misfortune, to bite two looks like carelessness.

Liverpool play Norwich today. I hope Liverpool win. Much, much more, whatever the result, I hope we don't boo our players, our manager or, for those who believe it to be that vague, our club.

Liverpool will be going to Wembley thrice in 2012. Kenny Dalglish, the supposed failure in the mainstream press for admittedly poor league form, is one game away from a two trophy season, but still it seems Anfield attendees are buying into the opinions and agendas of the newspapers - a collective we have always been at odds with. It's a worrying development.

Speaking of "failures", for two games running Andy Carroll delivered victory with a late header, the most recent over Merseyside rivals Everton in the FA Cup semi-final played at Wembley. That particular win was inordinately welcome, firstly because it is always enjoyable to reach a cup final - The Cup Final - and secondly because we got one over the bitter Toffees, again, though both of these reasons pale into insignificance compared with the third reason: we have the opportunity to beat Chelsea - now quite possibly to instigate a role reversing parallel of our fortunes in 2005 when a loss in a domestic final preceded our Champions League triumph.

I post this article under "Liverpool", and whilst that is practical the fact remains that this story has implications as far reaching as any, with connotations for society in its entirety.

What has been revealed in the documents being made public has shocked many. For there to be so much confirmed and further ambiguity emerging in the news that 41 of the victims may have been saved is viewed by some as a greater disclosure than could have been imagined.

Sadly, the information, the facts, the now received wisdom, is not as shocking. People who have followed the story of Hillsborough and the families' search for justice are not surprised the police have been involved in a cover up, not surprised that statements were amended, not surprised that lies have been told for 23 years. Sadly - most sadly of all - not wholly surprised that almost half of those who passed could have been saved had the disaster been handled better, even after the crush occurred.

L'Olympique de Marseille contre Paris St Germain. Le Classique. Un match sans consequences ce soir.

Pour l'OM. Mais pour le PSG la victoire etait primordiale et a cause de cela il etait imperatif que les jouers de l'OM mouillent leurs maillots et faisent de leur mieux pour gagne ou au moins faire un match nul avec les memes consequences.

It est vrai que les parisiens sont fiers de ses couleurs - sans se soucier de ce qu'elles representent et en oublient que le club a autorisé Nike a retrograder les memes couleurs sur le maillot exterieur en 2010, et c'est vrai que la bas c'est Paris. Qu'ils y restent. Mais nous aussi sommes fiers de nos couleurs, le blanc et blue phoceen et mediterraneen portés ce soir, et aussi l'orange utilisé par les South Winners antifasciste pour entagoniser les skinheads du Kop Boulogne. Il ne faut pas oublier ça.