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AHEAD of the new season, ANTHONY KELLY takes an in-depth look back at 2008/09 - catch his updates throughout the new campaign here on Liverpool Banter

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Allow me to start (I will say more about it later on) by saying thank you to the media and press for not being anti-Liverpool (or pro-Manchester United) in any shape or form whatsoever. (That sentence should give you a marker on how sarcastic I may be in the following paragraphs, and trust me, that was sarcasm!)

The level of journalism this end of season has hit a new low with regard to Liverpool, probably because they are pooing themselves at the thought of there darlings not having it there own way. By the way, when I say media darlings there is only one club I am talking about, and that is Manchester United.

Having said that, and I will attempt to do an analysis later on in the entry, I think that Manchester United are not just the darlings of the media, but also the FA and Premier League (not to mention Sky!). More on that later. I know it sounds bitter, but hey, maybe I am. I will say things how I see it though.

Read Part One here, Part Two here and Part Three here

It was great to get back to Anfield and enjoy the buzz of a home game again. The visit of Atletico Madrid coupled with a warm day in L4 was the perfect way to ease our way towards the new season. I must admit to being slightly jealous of Arsenal's supporters, not only do they have their new stadium built, they can now enjoy the annual event of their pre-season tournament at the Emirates. It might be nice for Liverpool's global support to get a glimpse of the players they only usually see on TV but it's the home support that will be there for the team all season and pre-season games are a great opportunity to take youngsters along for their first experience of Anfield.

There was news this week of a potential new shirt sponsor once Carlsberg end their association with us at the end of the season, so it seems revenue-generation wheels are turning at LFC, let's hope they turn enough to supply Rafa with enough cash to compete further at the top end of the market and get some building work started on Stanley park.

We've already welcomed Glen Johnson to Anfield and we now also greet the arrival of Alberto Aquilani from Roma to replace that Spanish guy that went to Madrid. What was his name again? Alonso, that's it. Judging by some of the reactions to my last piece on here about Alonso's departure you'd have thought I'd beaten Bambi to death with Tiny Tim's crutch.

YOU WOULD think I'd be excited by the advent of the pre-season friendlies. After all, they presage the coming of yet another hopeful tilt at the Premier League title, the sense of anticipation perhaps greater this season than at any time in the last 15 years.

Yet somehow I'm just not ready for the weft and weave of the football season: the spurious transfer speculation, the pointless takeover rumour, Fergie's latest ludicrous pronouncement.

The thought of taking to the motorways again to track our next attempt to land title number 19 doesn't get the adrenalin pumping just yet; the delights of Sunderland and Portsmouth are yet to stir the blood.

It seems very clear now that Xabi Alonso wants to leave LFC and go and join the New Galacticos at Real Madrid. Real's representatives keep on talking about this price and that price yet Alonso is still a contracted Liverpool player?

It seems contracts these days are just ways to ensure that the players get the opportunity to renegotiate their wages up another few thousand quid at regular intervals.

In the case of Alonso, with one eye on the currency fluctuations between the Euro and the Pound and the other on UK tax rates, it seems home is where the more lucrative heart is.

And so we reach the end-game to yet another of the summer's tedious transfer tales.

Xabi Alonso has intimated to Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez that he wishes to play for Real Madrid and the Basque's exit from Anfield seems to be only a matter of time.

Yet Liverpool's handling of this tricky situation could well turn out to be one of the defining factors in their ability to make that final step in the long, tortuous road to their 19th league championship.