Birmingham fan and Sky Sports News Radio host Mikey Burrows writes his debut blog for TEAMtalk, with the issue of handshakes on his agenda.

Mikey is the host of the Sports Centre on Sky Sports News Radio every weekday from 4-7pm. Listen at skysports.com/radio or via the Sky Sports News Apps.

Firstly let me apologise; When the boys at TEAMtalk Towers asked me to write a blog about my exploits on the radio I thought it would be easy.

However I've realised the majority of what is about to follow will no doubt include outrageous name dropping and horrendously ill-informed opinionated gubbins...actually not that different to usual blogs on here.

Now that I've endeared myself to my new employers I should probably talk about some of the big talking points of the week and there is only one that everyone seems to have an opinion on - handshakes.

Never before in the history of the game has something so trivial been such a big issue.

TEAMtalk columnist Danny Mills has some fairly strong views on it and he should know. He may have re-invented himself these days as an astute pundit with a flair for gastronomy but we all know during his playing days he was as tough as they come.

In other words he was "dirty", his battles with wingers and so-called "hardmen" midfielders were legendary. When he shook someone's hand before a game I like to think there was an extra hard grip for one or two players with an added menacing glare. He didn't need to say it but his opponent would have known it's meaning: "You're going to get it sunshine".

Those that support the handshake like Roberto Martinez say it's about respect. But surely that respect is lost when you then spend the next 90 minutes kicking the bloke you've just shaken hands with.

Former Middlesbrough defender Dean Gordon told Sky Sports News Radio this week he's in favour of the pre-match ritual, but you should have the choice to ignore people you don't like.

Personally I think that's the worst option. We in the media love to make a big deal of it when people blank each other and where would you draw the line? What is an acceptable reason for not shaking someone's hand?

The opposite of that is making everyone do it, but then what's the point if it doesn't mean anything?

Maybe I'm just old school and want to see a return to the days when teams ran out of the tunnel, music blaring and the crowd going wild.

For me respect is about acknowledging the efforts of your opponent after the final whistle, to shake hands win, lose or draw and even in the rugby sense applaud each other off the field.

Former pros Micky Gray and Nicky Summerbee both played in the pre-handshake era and both have told me on the radio this week that they'd get rid of it.

This weekend Liverpool and Manchester United face off on a day already filled with emotion as the first match at Anfield since the Hillsborough Report. So let's hope come Monday morning we're not talking about another Suarez-Evra incident in the pre-game line-up.

You can follow me on Twitter @skysportsmikey