I’ll go mad and say 5-0.
first goal in the 23 min

Woohoo! i havent been the first commenter for a long time. great idea gerry, what with the competition. i’m gonna say 2-1 to the reds. first goal 35th minute.

YNWA

Get in there alec lad

Gerry you have us all wheedling in anticipation so good on you Man
Way to make this game a shitload more exciting

Seen as I live in Asia I will donate me tickets to Timmy as he was 1st to ask for them and with his friend’s family bereavement I’d like to throw out some good Karma there (Hope this doesn’t upset anyone else!) (I was going to donate them to goshits!)

Anyway I’m going for 4-0 to liverpool with the 1st goal going in on the 24th minute.

good luck to everyone

Over and out

I think it’s 5-0 to Liverpool. 1st goal on 17 minutes

Me thinks alot of readers and 1st time commentors will be coming out of the woodwork today Gerry!

i’m going to be honest, i’m one of those 1st time commentors! been a big fan of the blog for a while, but being based in Hong Kong never thought seriously about commenting…

however… having never been to anfield and would dearly love to go… i couldn’t give this chance up… thanks heaps gerry!

as for my prediction, i’m going for 3-0 with the first goal coming in the 14th minute..

good luck to all and go the reds!

I think 2-1 23 mins

Lots hope so Donal, it’s always good to hear a few new voices.

It is Gerry and it’s a great way to promote the (excellent) blog and get more Liverpool fans from around the globe to share their views.
I read the blog for a year or 2 until I started leaving comments
Welcome jpychang !!

Over and out

Guys, havnt been in for a while but I do try to read all comments, I thought I might as well enter the comp and being in OZ I will will also give the tickets to Timmy – 3-0 and 4th minute.

Also guys my brother is headed over next year and will be going to the Villa game (the bastard will beat me to see a game as we have been here for 30+years) I was hoping over the next few weeks people might post some songs that are sung so he can learn them before he goes.

Gerry 3-1 to Liverpool, first goal 8mins.
Torres to score it.
And the Tea will be cold in the annie road end.(haha)

Also Rafa will be wearing a red tie.

Which he doesn’t always do.

Hey OZ check out this link for chants and songs
http://www.fanchants.com/football-team/liverpool/

Well not surprisingly, the asia and australia located lads are the first to set in. I am going to have a bit of a think about this one before putting my share in. But what an excellent idea, Gerry!!

Whilst we think here’s something really funny. I am sure all the guys in UK are aware of this guy, but I have only recently come across him! This is hillarious and I am just flabbergasted at how alike he sounds:
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=C2QEm028lKA&feature=related

Hey Hyde that guy is class

here’s his latest….Xabi Alonso

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/videos-pictures/videos/liverpool-fc-videos/2008/11/18/xabi-alonso-aka-darren-farley-64375-22286378/

Another rumour doing the circuits is
Heinze to Liverpool
What you lads think of that one
It certainly would piss Fungusface off
Is that alone worth it though?

3-0 and the first in the 25th minute and Timmy can have my tickets as well.

Alright lads a big thank you to Donal,OZ and Kieth for pledging the tickets to me if they win.

You`ve a good bunch of lads in here Gerry.

The comp is a super idea so here`s my go.

I`ll say 3-1 to the reds with the first on 37th.

Since you`re not looking for money Gerry,if i win ill make a donation to the hillsborough fund when i go over gerry.

Cheers again lads.

Good vibes in here today
Timmy your odds on I’d say at the moment
Like ‘Timmy O”Toole’ stuck down the well in The Simpsons everyone is pulling together to pull you out
Gerry it’s looking like a Kopblog new years party down the the Cobra Club in Malaysia with meself and Knight

It’s good to see the Christmas spirit of brotherhood is alive here at Kopblog

Over and out

Gerry,

Liverpool to win 3-0
1st goal 23rd min

Timmy gets my tix as well..

Walking ON all the way from Malaysia!

, first comment for sure

4 – 0 , first goal at 12th minute

Isn’t it a great show of the power of the blog and LFC supporters.
that people from Asia to Africa are supporting some hoor from Cork.
Meant as a laugh
Anyway good to see the Liverpool council supporting the Liverbird so those 2 feckers from America cant trademark their wonderful symbol

heres the origins behind the symbol for those that are interested (I found it interesting)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver_Bird

Heres a little extract from the last link if ye arent bothered reading it some of the local lads in here can inform us how accurate it is

According to popular legend, they are a male and female pair, the female looking out to sea, (watching for the seamen to return safely home) whilst the male looks towards the city (making sure the pubs are open). Local legend also holds that the birds face away from each other as, if were they to mate and fly away, the city would cease to exist. In fact, they were indeed designed to watch the City (Our People) and the Sea (Our Prosperity).

I say 3-0. First goal in the 13th minute. Although I don’t live even remotely close enough to accept the tickets and watch the match. Just thought I’d throw my two cents in.
Just reading about Benayoun saying he might leave. That would be a shame but I can understand him wanting to play more first team football. Hell, with our midfield it’s almost impossible for anybody to get a start. Good problem to have though..:)

4-0 1st goal 13th minute

I assume that the langer dan Capello did not apologise when Gerrard’s injury was confirmed in London.

Cheers Darian bud,

Donal,your on fire today bud with the Timmy o toole and poor hoor comments:)

Lads thanks for the support but i`d be just as happy to pick up a pair of tics in the main stand just to let ye know that if anyone can genuily make the game and win the comp,go,and don`t give me the tickets just because ive my flight and hotel booked.
I`ll be travelling either way and i scour every pub around anfield.

1-0
64th minute!

Cheers Timmy the craic is 90 in here as they say

Saw a report about one of Skirtel’s ‘friends’ saying he’s depressed earlier on only to see the man himself come out and say he’s looking forward to fighting for his place

This media merry-go-round is truly a load of shite
They have no more of a clue what’s goin on than the Americans had about WMD’s

Over and out

Timmy as long as you don’t ‘get’ the scour in the pubs you’ll be grand

apologies for hogging

Hog on Donal hog on with hope in your heart!

Stay away from the oul` stella so will i?

As for skrtel,i can`t wait to see him back.This is the first season under Rafa that we have real competition for places.

Everbody will be tearing into it to keep their place for the following game.

Rafa`s well oiled machine is motoring along nicely now lets keep it going lads.

Well I can’t possibly go to the game but I love a tipple, Timmy their all yours if I get close, 2-0 63 minute. Torres to score. I’m going for the trifecta. Nice to here the Hong Kong fellow is going if he wins the tickets.
.
Gerry did you ever get the Kopblog stickers organised. I remember they were on the card a while back. What about Kopblog shirts, or is the embargo entering into that one.
.
FS maybe you and LB could go together.

Here’s my two cent

Liverpool win 2-0 with the first goal at the 19th min

YNWA

Cheeers hyde!

Sorry….cheers Gaz

Gerry, first of all can I say what a wonderful idea you have come up with, and what an outstanding prize!

One of us will get the chance to see the Reds at home in the CL, and trying to predict the score and the time of the first goal will be alot of fun as well.

A big thank you to you personally and anyone else at Kopblog HQ who have contributed to this idea.

Now, on to the Fulham game and my prediction.

I said some time ago that I thought this would be the game where all the chances will be converted by the Redmen. There is a big chance that we will be without Stevie G and Robbie Keane, and Fulham have been playing quite well of late, I think they have won their last two matches.

But Dirk Kuyt got a lovely headed goal for the Dutch last night, and I think Torres notched for the Spanish. These two could work very well togerher.

So, I am going to be very bold and predict 4-0 to the Reds, which if it happens will be our biggest win of the season so far.

I Predict the first goal will be scored in the 29th minute.

That’s interesting, 3 of us have gone for 4-0 so far, but with different minutes for the first goal.

Obviously, with 90 minutes to choose from but much less scoreline permitations (realistically) to choose from, that will happen alot between now and 2.30pm on Saturday.

This should be alot of fun.

3-0 to the reds id say

first goal in the 17th minute

first goal 14mins
final score:
liverpool 4 fulham 1

timmy T, im goin to the west ham game monday week. no way i’ll get more time off work……. there all urs should the gods favour me on this occasion:D

Apparently Fulham currently holds one of the best defensive records in the Premier League so with that in mind it may be a tight game so I am going for a 4-0 win for the reds and the first goal to be scored in the 12 minuet.

I sincerely hope that one of the more regular posters win it especially timmytorres, saying that I wish everyone the very best of luck and a win against Fulhum.

Fantastic blog Gerry and great competition.

Question Gerry, What if its 0-0 and more than one person predicts that particular score?

3-0 Reds…1st goal 278 minute

hahaha sorry 3-0 Reds 27 minute

Congrats on your competition Gerry, great idea. Im going with 4-0 and 15th min 4 first goal. No fucken missed sitters this wk robbie!

Great idea with the competetion.
Long time reader – but first time poster.

I’m gonna go with 3-1 Reds 19 minutes

Good luck all

Again if it finishes 0-0 and nobody predicted that we’d have a problem I think. Once that’s cleared up Gerry I’ll be making my prediction

I hope that we stuff them, but they are playing ok at the moment, and i can see Murphy having a good game.
Result- 3-0
Goal Time: 35mins 25 seconds.

Come on you redmen! YNWA

LFC 3 FULHAM 0
First Goal at 37 mins

Liverpool 3 – 0 Fulham
First goal – 17 mins.

Good thinking, LB; but I guess people are more optimistic about our chances !! I actually want to wait to see if anyone gets injured until the match what with the daft internationals having taken place. Oh and timmy, I forgot to add that, as much as I would jump on the opportunity to go to anfield, worklife in Tokyo will not allow me to leave on a weekday, so it is all yours if my predicition comes out true– which I am still contemplating.

From the United States, let’s go with 3-0 with the first goal in the 50th minute.

Should I spend my money on airfare to get to the game or Christmas for the family?

As much as I love the Reds, family wins out on this one, so I’ll join the brigade and give the tickets to Timmy Torres as well.

I’m Irish by surname, so I may as well help a fellow Mc out.

Score 2-0.
First goal 48 minutes.
I presume that if no-one gets the minute right then it will be the nearest one to it OR will Gerry get the tickets?

LB, that thought did cross my mind and let’s just hope to God that the game doesn’t finish 0-0. However in the event that it does there will obviously be no winner which means I will still have the tickets. I haven’t given it a lot of thought as to what I will do with them yet but my initial thoughts is that we might carry the competition over into one of the Sunday games and have another go at guessing the time of the first goal.

Great stuff Gerry. I can also hear that engine revving, but fear in my case it could be tinatus. Nice to have the old confidence returning though.

As for the competition, I know Fulham have just beat the team of the decade but they haven’t won away from home yet this season. I can’t see any reason for that to change against us. So, for me… 3 – 0. Home win. First goal on 19 minutes.

(If I win Timmy you can have the tickets. But don’t hold your breath. My bookie loves to see me doing the old result, plus first scorer bet.)

3-1 for Liverpool

First goal in the 25th minute

well played with the competition Gerry! thanks for doing it!

3-0 to the good – first goal @ 17, second @ 31, third at 71.

timmytorres, since I probably won’t be able to make it for the game, I’m appointing my agent – enjoy the game my friend

On to boot room matters…I for one wouldn’t be to distraught if Yossi was to leave in the next transfer window. He is a useful player but will never been a first team selection. He often drift to the middle leaving our wing exposed and congesting the middle for Stevie, Xabi et al. Also I feel he is not strong or tricky enough on the ball. I would take a player like Albert Reira over him any day.

since our owners are not going to spend any new money, I feel that Rafa could do a good bit of business finding Yossi a new home & off loading Pennant. The main beneficiaries would be Babel & El Zhar, who would finally get a consistent run of games. I just wonder who Rafa might bring in? (I don’t think fullbacks)

I feel for Ninja, an ACL injury cut short my athletic “career”. The actual injury I don’t think is bothering him as much as not being able to compete with the team. for my experience playing team sports, once you are sidelined with injured you feel outside the team, and that is a hard feeling. Once Martin is back in the fold playing and practicing he should be up and running.

3-0, 22nd minute

3-0

first goal in the 11th minute.

3-0. first torres goal minute 8.

and now for the news that has put the biggest smile on me face since 25/05/2005. I managed to get tics for the Hull game on the 13th of december. My first time to Liverpool and Anfield and i cant wait! Its taken me a long long time and I have traveled a million miles around the world and boy does this feel good.

any of the lads here thinking of getting to this game?

ps: and timmy, when i win the competition, mi ticket es su ticket.

YNWA

get round to a comment later but didn’t want to miss this chance
4-0, first goal 5 minutes,

Tell u what lads theres a lot of expectant reds out there! Including myself everyone seems to be pretty much counting on a 3 or 4 nil dismantling of fulham. Hope to fuck we’re right!

I just got round to reading the comments. Want to say, nice one lads for looking after Timmy.
And Timmy don’t go scouring round the pubs of Anfield. The touts will turn you over.

One of the really good things that gives me pride in being Scouse and Red, is the fact that fellas with spare tickets at the match always let them go to fellow Reds at face value.

I even kopped four for me and the lads I was with in Istanbull, at face value outside the Attarturk stadium with about an hour to go before kick off.

2 of the lads were starting to panic as it was so near to kick off and were discussing how much they would pay to Touts. But me and the other lad calmed them down, and, as soon as we got there, shouted “Spares.”

Touts swooped in and swiftly got told to fuck off. (Nowadays, I’m too old to just chin them, take the tickets and run.) But a few proper lads soon popped up and we all got in, albeit in different parts of the ground, at face value.

It’s a sort of unwritten rule – fellow red stuck, you have a spare, don’t rip him. It’s one of them nice little things that make together make up the Liverpool Way.

But like any other club, we also have touts who will gouge you to fuck. So, if you don’t win Timmy – although, with just about the Pope and his dog backing you, I think you have a good chance – give me a bell and I will make a few phone calls for you.

I’d love to meet the winner there, but work won’t let me go to this one. But come the new year, I’ll be getting to a few more games and would always help any of our lads in here with tickets and give them the tour of the pubs. But I also get to as many of the aways as I can here in the South, well only Pompey and the London teams now. And I can’t promise anything, but I will always try.

Good on you, Gerry. Good man. Complimentary tickets from Vodaphone may just get the winner into the VIP bar at half time. So a chance to rub elbows with the legends, rub up with the WAGS and, best of all… give grief to Parry and chin anyone who might be there representing H&G.

Think that could even beat a pint with Donal and Knight in the Cobra club for a win against Man U. But would really love to go there and watch a match some day.

I say 2-0.

1st goal 8th min Alonso.
2nd goal 49th Torres.

I think I should get 4 tickets if I’m right for both……or a “well done” would do as I probably couldn’t get the time off work to fly over ( no holidays left you see, my youthful naivety)

Anywho, gettin sidetracked a bit…2-0

Just came back in i had to stick down a laminate wooden floor in the hall today and it broke my heart.

Lets just say i`ll never win DIY man of the year but i`m pleased with the finish.More importantly,she`s pleased.(wonders will never cease).

Anyway when i came back in i read the remaining comments and lads,i just don`t know what to say.

The response has been incredible and my many thanks go out to,ROARIN RED,SCOUSE BY BLOOD,HYDE,IVCJMAC(MACER!)CHICAGO,BHAVSTER AND TO YOU FAT SCOUSER.

I would love to meet up for a game with you fatty,here a few storys,have a few BEVVIES and chant a few songs.Much apprieciated if you can help,thats if Benadict ain`t praying for me!

Same goes for any of the lads in here you`ve all been so kind with the gestures i do hope we all get together for a game in the future.

If ive missed a thank you for anybody im sorry i thank you all again.

(Christ i never said thank you so many times in one day)

Timmy add me to that list, lad.
I was hoping to come over to Liverpool if I won the tickets, but I just found out my Bro-in-law passed away and his funeral will be here in USA next week.So “her who must be obeyed” has informed we that I won’t be allowed out of the Country.
F.S talking about who good Red scousers are.
Last season my mate brought 3 of his kids back to Anfield, they were there for Hs Mum’s 80th Birthday.
Which just happened to coincide with the Inter game at Anfield
So off they went, not a ticket between them, and all got in. His daughter even got a ticket of a guy,and her Dad had run out of cash, the Scouser
says” I will meet you here in this spot after the game, and you can pay for it then.
She goes back with her Dad (money in hand),
waited for the fella and he never turned up.
Now that’s a Scouser for you.

Oh by the way his Mum still lives in Clapham Rd, off Annie Rd.
I always parked outside her house when I went to the Match.

Hmmm… i’ll go negative and say 1-0, 90th minute.

I think a thrashing is finally on the cards:6 – 1 to the Reds and the first goal to Kuyt on 12 mins

2-0 20 minutes first goal
1st goal keane
2nd goal torres

newbie here as well. Longtime reader and… you know the rest.

Anyhow, since no-one else is going for it, I will be going for the 0-0 scoreline.

Don’t think that it will happen but if it does, since I will not be able to make it (living way over in France , I was originally going to say that I would gladly give it to Fat Scouser – due to his quality points here, IMHO.

Since it seems he is willing to give it to timmytorres, this is good enough for me as well.

Saying all that, roll on the win for the reds

UP LIVERPOOL! reds to win 2-1, first goal in the 37th minute. Deadly Dirk to find the net again. The blog is awesome Gerry, keep up the good work. Also, apologies that my American compatriots are trying to ruin all of our collective lives; if this credit crunch is good for anything, its for breaking those idiots banks.
Cheers

3-0 (hopefully)

First goal 16th minute.

Must say for the first time in years i dont get jittery before a match regardless of who we play!

Good one Gerry, I say 2-1 to us, first goal 13th min! Timmy if I get it, its yours!

Timmy, If I was in your position and a good number of the lads in here had pledged the tickets to me if they won them,

I started so I’ll finish. I would be as overwhelmed as you are. And I would also like to pledge the tickets to you, should I win.

Your chances are growing all the time and I hope you enjoy the game. By the way, what do you think the score will be?

Ye dont have to worry about the bird anymore lads its sorted

http://www.rivals.net/news/pgarticle.aspx?artid=13482_4526461&id=46

2-0 to liverpool 42mins

Thanks again redscouse,your right man,the reds are tops cheers.

Also thanks to Iskoppa,cheers man and steve,thank you too my friend if i do win i will enjoy and i went for 3-1 myself earlier on,to the red men of course,and i picked the 37th minute for the first.

Thanks again guys.

Thanks for the link Donal

hahahahaha…lazio think they are going to try and bid for mascherano?!!?!

http://www.premiershiplatest.com/news/lazio-set-make-swoop-liverpool-s-javier–5515678.html

like monster would ever leave us for lazio. come on! please…such rubbish its unbelievable.

Ha from Aussie I’ll take a pot Gerry and say 3-0 with the first goal in the 12th minute.

If the score is 0-0 and no one wins why don’t you give the tickets to a couple of kids from the Local Hostipal, or donate them to a more needier couple of people?

Kiwi

3-1 to liverpool. First goal on 14 minutes.

I commented and then read the comments afterwards. didnt realise the situation with Timmy. I sure as fuck wont use the tickets (unfortunately), I’d have only given them to one of my mates in Liverpool, so instead of that, you can have em mate.

First post and promise it won’t be the last, however i will admit i did join to have the opportunity at the tickets (as i’m in OZ i wouldn’t be able to make it but would love to pass them on to one of my relatives in Liverpool).

First of all Gerry i’d like to say that i really look forward to your articles and along with Paul Tomkins on the officail site i relly enjoy your articles and totally agree with your thoughts on Lucas not being good enough for us.

On to my prediction and i predict 3-0 with Gerrard scoring in the 8th minute (why not with Stevie G week and 10 years service)

I see Arsenals captain fantasitc is at it again
spilling the beans on whats going on in the dressing room.
I know Arsenal are rivals but I’d much rather see the other 2 fuckers (United and Chelshit) fall from grace than them.
I get no pleasure seeing clubs crumble from within I prefer it when we knock them off their high horse!

Thanks a lot aussie.

Donal,Gallas is and always has been a spoiled brat.He`s one of the most overated centre halfs in the PL.
After that childish outburst at Birmingham last season,Wenger should have at the very least stripped him of the captaincy.Then he did a open “team talk” before the arse-chav game last season for the sly sports cameras.Again,no real captain would let camera`s in around them like that.
He`s a pre-madonna and now he`s complaining about players moaning to him,he`s the bloody captain for christ sake!

Enough about this pity,i`m delighted Nando got off the mark on wednesday,apparently he only played under 30mins so the run out would do him good.
Dirk is also on fire at the moment so if robbie isn`t fit,stick the pair up front rafa and babel right side and we really go at Fulham.

Is Robbie out of the game this weekend?

I must say I’m very surprised at things in here this morning….
Timmy, doing a bit of DIY and still having enough fingers left to type with!

Anyway, on to the usual pre match ritual…

Reina

Arbeloa
Carra
Agger
Dosenna (Give Aurelio a break)

Alonso

Babel
Gerrard
Riera

Kuyt Torres

Don’t get silly. Don’t leave any gaps at the back, but tell the full backs to get forward, play with width and go straight for the juglar.

Fuck the compact malarkey for this one. Give Masch a break. Keep Riera and Babel wide. Let Gerrard help Alonso at the back, but free to bomb forward. Play Torres just behind Kuyt, get him a bit more space to work in. And let Dirk run the back four into the ground.

I think that would rip Fulham apart. But I also reckon it will be completely wrong.
So, nothing new there then.

i might try my luck again.
fulham def is tough and i dont predicted a big win.
i will said 1 nil to liverpool and it will be score at 61min.
i humblely predict that torres will score the winning goal.
by the way, great blog by gerry again and i totally agree with you. with our team performing, it no wrong to ask for more. but we wont take for granted, we will do it one match and at a time. and if we cant win the minnow team, it no point if we get the point from the so call big four teams. so go along pool and win it for the fans:)

i’m gonna go for 4-0 to the reds and time of first goal will be on 27 minutes.

3-0 reds! Torres hatrick. First goal in the 6th minute. Timmy you can have my ticket as well should I win coz I seriously doubt I can go to a midweek night match.

Is Robie Keane ruled out for tomorrow? I’m asuming Gerrard is. If that is the case I’d go with:

Reina

Aurellio
Agger
Carra
Arbeloa

Riera
Alonso
Masch
Babel

Kuyt
Torres

Gerrard shall rise from the dead. He will score at some point in the game and also miraculously heal the splinters Robbie will get in his arse on the bench.

We will need to win this one, especially as…

Aston Villa v Man Utd

Man City v Arsenal

Chelsea v Newcastle

Liverpool v Fulham

Chelsea definetely will. But there could be a slip up by one of the others. I can’t really see it, but it would be nice to stretch the lead a bit over the Mancs and the Arse.

Thanks Gerry, I’m going for a 3-0 Liverpool win, first goal in the 27th minute…

Come on the reds!

I might have to change my prediction as I had Robbie down for 2 of those goals!!
What has you surprised this morning Fatty?
The old cold water wake up call??
Any news on Keane?

on-loan Andriy Voronin has signalled he would like to stay at Hertha Berlin – provided his wage demands can be met.

But the 29-year-old has not exactly endeared himself to his Bundesliga colleagues by stating the league is full of “cry babies”.

Striker Voronin was shipped out to Germany until the end of the season after failing to impress at Anfield since arriving on a free transfer from Bayer Leverkusen 18 months ago.

And of a possible permanent switch to Berlin, he said: “Of course money is very important. I am not a 20-year-old kid anymore, anyway I have a long career ahead of me.

“If Hertha want to keep me, an agreement is possible. The aim remains qualifying for the UEFA Cup, which would be a massive success. But of course everyone wants to play Champions League football.”

Of the Bundesliga, Voronin added: “It is much slower and full of cry-babies compared to The Premier League. In Germany you can hear the whistle, but in England you are already bleeding.”

No Don you daft bugger… Timmy still having all digits after laying the floor. And what a daft bastard that Vronin turned out to be, eh.
First rounding on the city of Liverpool. Then moaning cos he wasn’t playing enough. Then saying he’s as good as our other top players. Then wanting a move, getting it slagging his new team and team mates and now wanting to stay there cos he knows he’s got no fuckin chance of coming back.
Fuck me, he’s near as bad as Gallas.

And he wears a fucking snake skin print track suit. Honest. You want to see the scruffy daft cunt. I’ll try and dig up a link.

I hope to fuck moanin o neill can hold utd to a draw and we can pull a bit further away from them. We need to give fulham a shellacking tomorrow and try and close the goal difference as it seems chelski are pretty invulnerable at the moment or at least til we get em to our place. Like your team Lb if stevies injured. Dossena Fs? Your a masochist man!

I’ve got 3 Chelsea players in my Barclays Premier League dream team this week because I think they will give Newcastle a mauling.

Villa always get slaughtered by the mancs.

Torres looks to be in good form so I think he and Alonso will make the difference against what might be a stubborn Fulham tomorrow.

Voronin is an idiot and as for Gallas…. I thought it was a wind up when I first read what he had said. His comments are shocking. Worse club skipper of all time probably.

Is the Man City vs Arsenal game live on Sky? If that is 0-0 I’ll eat my hat!

There’s so much predictions on this site lads, so I’m giving mine as well!!

Liverpool 4 Fulham 1

First goal scored in 20th minute.

Actually guys, the word over here is that Keane just had a slight shoulder injury and was only rested from Ireland’s game on Wednesday as a precaution. Unlike the England boss Crapello, the Irish boss didn’t feel it was worth taking any risk with the player for a friendly game.
So I think Robbie will play tomorrow but I don’t think Gerrard will be back until the Marseille game at the earliest.
So I think it’s going to be;

Reina
Arby, Carra, Agger, Aurelio
Kuyt, Masch, Alonso, Riera
Keane and Torres.

Just to be a bit different, I’ll go for a score of Liverpool 4 Fulham 2 with the first goal coming in the 30th minute. If I win the tickets I will send one to Emile Heskey and the other to Michael Owen, as that’s about the only way they will ever return to Anfield.

Not just you Digger, I think a lot of Reds are being too early and harsh in their judgement of Dosenna. I know he hasn’t been the player we hoped for yet. But I think he’s better than what we’ve seen and I have seen a few glimpses that make me think he can come good. To the lads credit, he said he’s not happy with his form but that he is going to work as hard as he can to put that right.
I also think this is they type of game he could get his form and confidence, as I can’t see Fulham offering much coming forward. Which means Dosenna wouldn’t have so much pressure to deal with and – lack of form or not – he is good going forward. On top of that, Aurelio could stay in bed wrapped in cotton wool for when he’s more needed.
As for Masch, I love the lad. But do we really need to play him in these type of games? Trench warfare, without a doubt. All out Blitzkrieg? No. And that’s what we should be going for in games like this.

But I think he will play anyway. And, it’s only Talk Shite, but they’ve just reported Gerrard is out. So…
And yes LB. Villa do always get panelled by the Mancs, and I think they wil get beat again. But it’s at Villa Park. Villa are playing well. Man U’s defence isn’t. I can see Carew, if he’s playing, giving them a hard time. And you just know My Favourite Martin, Woody Allen will have them all fired up for this one.

Gerry you are cruel Sir. Raising Ivanhoe’s hopes like that.

Thank you LB.

Hope your right bout Dossenas potential fs and i think you certainly are right about the fulham game being an opportunity for him to shine. By the same token if he were to have another traore-esque display (sorry djimi!) against fulham then alarm bells would be ringing. Masch and xabi should be more than enough to win the middle and so probably the game. Danny the manc crusher aint quite as dynamic as he once was (if he could ever have been described as such) so all in all im expecting a calm sat. afternoon

So here’s my share:

3-0
1st goal: Torres 18 mins
2nd goal: Torres 51 mins
3rd goal: Babel 82 mins

Hopefully, Dempsey will not come back to haunt us.

as far as the team selections, I am going with the following. If Keane is a no-go Babel on the right and Kuyt up front.

Reina
Arby, Carra, Agger, Dossena
Kuyt, Masch, Alonso, Riera
Keane Torres

If Babel is on from the outset Yossi will probably see action in the second half either for Riera or Masch, Lucas will probably come on for Alanso & Ngog might get a run up front.

Final score 3-0
time of first goal 52′
I dreamed it last night,it will be a header

How could be talking about a 27 year old who is still to fulfil his “potential”.

Dossena hasn`t set the world alight but i think to sell him in january would be too much of a kneejerk reaction.

Any player deserves a season at least.

Keane hopefully will be fit,don`t think stevie will be so i`ll go for:

Reina

arbie,carra,dagger,aurelio

kuyt,mash,xabi,riera

keane,torres

If Keane don`t make it ill go for babel out right,push the deadly one inside.

Either way we should have too much for the in-form fulham.

I hope we put there defenders under pressure when they have the ball. When we do that we always win. Fulham like to play football with Murphy and Bullard in the middle. If the likes of Torres, Keane, Kuyt, Riera, Masch really press their defenders and midfield players when they have the ball I can see us winning at a canter.

When we do the above, the crowd get involved, the opposition make mistakes and we’re on the front foot from the off.

A high percentage of goals scored come from winning possession in the other team’s half.

Nice one Gerry, blog is top draw. Comp is a brilliant idea. I’ve been a reader for quite some time and have been telling those who do not know.
2-0 to the reds
1st goal: 51mins
scorer: kuyt

In Rafa We Trust

Hi all! Just read the blog and my my, so many comments and punts already. Just like to add to those who say there could be more than one person who predicted the right score and time of first goal.
Well it happened that at Cobra Club, we have guest the winner and who scored the first goal. Usually it is quite simple and there is only one winner. However, last week, there were three winners, among about 80 who attended. These three equally predicted 2-0 score at The Reebok and all of them put it down as 29mins (actual was at 28 minutes). I thought I was going to win when I had it as 2-0 on 22 min. So it needs one more prediction to get a clear winner. Maybe ask for who scored or time for second goal ( in case of those forecasting more than 2 goals)

Hey Donal, you are hogging the limelight this time, taking over from FS, eh? Ya, would love to see you in Kuala Lumpur around X’mas and take you to meet all the crazee fans at Cobra Club. By the way the Liverepol Supporters’ Club Malaysia is hosting Roy Evans on Sat 29th Nov. I was invited to attend this special event. Unfortunately I will be in India for business.

My score is 4-1, on 15th minute. Gerry, you decidee for me who should get the ticket coz I can’t get there next week. Will be watching the match from Mumbai.Cheers.

I reckon 2-0 to us and first goal on the 16th minute………

Hopefully i’m wrong though and we win by 10!!!

FS,

Yesterday you warned me about the touts around Anfield.I know well what they are like and i would never let them hold me to ransom.

At the 2006 FA cup final me and my two buddys went over for the game without tickets in a hope we might get lucky.

At 2.40 they were outside the Millenium stadium pricing the tickets at £350 sterling.

Crazy money there was no way i`d pay and i hadn`t that much to spend so we went to a nearby boozer to see the game and continue the savage session we were on since friday morning.

At half time one of the lads bailed out he`d been on the sauce all week and he only came over for the drink,anyway he wasn`t much into the game.

Myself and my other buddy went out to get a burger across the road to soak up the drink,then on the way over we bumped into a tout who had tickets left.

When i asked why wasn`t he in the game he said he couldn`t give a monkeys about football and offered us 2 tickets for £250 sterling.

After a bit of hagling we got him down to £180 and we took them and got in.

Normally i wouldn`t even entertain these bastards but i knew someting special was going to happen and it did.I got to see two Gerrard goals and the shootout.

Not bad for 90 quid i suppose.

All i`m saying is i`d never use a tout especially for a game like the CL group stage or a league game.

As you said fatty,there`s always decent reds around to sort you out.

And FS, sorry missed your comement earlier as I was skimming through all postings quickly. As I said earlier you are welcome to visit anytime. Cheers, mate.

4-0

24th Torres
43rd Alonso
54th Keane
88th Babel or Torres

3-0
14th minute

Timmy, I got to Cardiff nice and early that morning… bad mistake. Instead of sorting a ticket, I went on the piss. Then I couldn’t pull meself away from the craic. Had a great laugh with West Ham fans. They were really sound that day and it wasn’t until about 2:30, I realised the time.

I couldn’t get hold of any of the lads. So, set about bunking in. About 5 times I got through the first check point but everytime I got collared on the 2nd turnstyle. On the last time I was getting thrown out again, I said to the bizzie… “Ahh, com’ead Mate. Let us in. I’m not a Scally. I’m 50 years of age.”

He said… “Well act it and fuck off.”

Fair play, I went across the road, watched it in a pub, jammed with both Reds and Hammers, and ended up that blotto I woke up on the train in Plymouth when I was headed back to Bournemouth that isn’t even on the same train line.

What a daft bastard.

As for tomorrow… Chelsea should pick up 3 points without breaking a sweat.
Arsenal seem to be in a bit of turmoil. So, I expect them to win.
But Man U? Well, they should win, but… Wes Brown is out. So, if Abonglahor sets about Neville?
And Carew has been declared fit while Ferdinand is a doubt. So, I won’t be too surprised if they drop points again.

As for us, LB is right… get them on the back footfrom the start, press them high up the pitch. In our hey day, when we used to steam roller teams like Fulham, people who knew football knew Ian Rush was Liverpool’s best defender.

And that’s Bob Paisley words not mine.

This is my first post on this great site so be gentle with me.
I predict a 1-0 win to us with the goal coming on 74 minutes.

The 3 points are the key thing and I reckon Uncle “Woy” will be setting up very defensive trying to get a point, with a feint hope to nick an away win from a set piece. I hoppe he fails and we win by a mile.

I’m lovin’ Reira and I feel he’s a major factor enabling us to stretch teams this season.

Ya the hammers fans were good craic alright,i remember havin` a giant game of footie in the street reds v hammers half pissed out of me head at 11 o clock in the morning ha ha some weekend that was.

As for neville FS,i`m not so sure fungus trusts him any more,i`d say the young fella rafael will soon pass him out in the pecking order.Neville looks finished and the more he plays the better because i`m enjoying his demise.

There`s not many players i`d say that about but i`ve absolutley no respect for that prick.

Timmy little did we know it, but we must have been playing footy together that day.

Here’s a peek at some new ad’s adidas are putting together. Check out Gerrard and Xabi clay pigeon shooting with a football, Stevie seems to hit it with his second attempt, and make sure you check out the Micheal Ballack one at the bottom.

http://uk.youtube.com/adidasfootballtv

Ya probably FS,we`ll have to do it again some day!

Maybe in Rome

Gerry,that Ballack vid is funny alright,didn`t see it coming.

What about stevie,is there anything he can`t do?

Hey those adidas adverts are good. Have any of you guys seen the NFL fantasy adverts? They are amazing, so good infact I doubt they are real. I’ll post a few…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEKlzwi_G5Y&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sI7vFv9REI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nrk9I1jhJ9U&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZghatdM8mo&feature=channel

Well may as well put my 2p worth in,
i predict a 2-0 win for the reds (i think its going to be harder than a lot of you boys think) the first goal coming just before half-time 43mins,
if i come up trumps Timmy you can have the tickets with my blessing for a nominal fee of £35 each, just yankin your crank buddy, course you can have them.
YNWA

Thank you Redman much appreciated.

I’m tempted to say the vids are all computerised cack. But I once knew a bird that could lift a chair with here tits, and I dare say she could have managed a couch on a good day. So, who knows?

Oh ye Redman of little faith, we will trounce them. 3 -0 win is 7 to 1 with the bookies. I will be putting a wee tenner on that and may just up the odds with a first goal scorer… Suggestions?
I quite fancy Xabi for a goal soon.

And welcome Rafa’s Beard. I missed your post last time I was in here, don’t know how… great name.

And how’s this for a trivia question… what was the last time the League was won by a manager with face furniture?

Wonder what odds the bookies would give on the next one, eh?

3-0 Reds, 15th minute

I fancy swimming upstream.

Dirk to hit wood twice before, Danny Murphy, against the run of play, scores the first from either a free kick or penalty on 27 minutes.

After that we roll them. Dirk, Torres and Babel coming on as a sub to get the 3rd.

Great blog Gerry, my first comment, altough I´ve been a guest here for að long time :p

For the tickets I say….
Liverpool – Fulham 4 – 2

Alonso 16.min 1-0
Torres 33.min 2-0
Hagelund 44.minn 2-1
Super Dan 51.min 2-2
Duracell (Kuyt) 82.min 3-2
Agger 86.min 4-2

hey Knight I thought I’d give the fat lad a break
I’m very much looking forward to the Kopblog Malaysian Christmas party in the Cobra Club!
Fatty Alex ferguson had face furniture when he wone it if fungus counts!
Wondering if Robbie Keane will be available to play or will I have to drop him for my fantasy team
anyone in the know?

Hi guys, greetings from Tenerife, great blog Gerry.
The competition is a brilliant idea, got me to register after visiting here regularly for the last 6 months.
Liverpool to win 4-0, First goal on 17 minutes (Torres).
YNWA.

P.S Gerry, if I am lucky enough to win the Marseille tickets I would like to donate them to Timmy.

3-0 nil

Torres first goal 22 min

Donal,robbies fit.Weather he plays is another thing.I`ll say he will though.

Stevies ruled out defo.

Oh well, nitty gritty time coming up. This is where I start to flap… Oh shit, they haven’t got a point away from home all season. They are bound to pick up one sooner or later. Fulham have never beat LFC at Anfield. They’ve got to do it sometime. They’re playing quite well, picked up 2 wins in last 2 games. Danny Murphy would love to do us. Chelsea will put daylight between us. We will be sucked back into the pack. We will get overtaken. We won’t even get 4th place. Our season will fall apart. ARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!

You know, all that sort of worry

FS,
this should make you homesick
http://uk.youtube.com/results?search_query=huyton+parrot&search_type=&aq=f

Click on Huyton parrot.

Maybe just sick Red.
I’m meeting a load of lads from Huyton in Amsterdam. Good lads. Great craic. Can’t wait.
You going the game today?

Check out the Manc Parrot… What a cunt.

How about,oh yes they haven`t an away point all season should be a gimme.Don`t see them pickin` their first one at anfield,should be a gimme.Fulham never beat LFC at Anfield,should be a gimme.There playing quite well,they picked up 2 wins in last 2 games…but were top of the league,should be a gimme.Danny Murphy would love to do us….Sorry Danny not today my friend.Chelsea will put daylight between us,na not today.Sucked back,overtaken,no 4th place,fall apart……

No chance No chance No chance and No chance.

You know FS,all that sort of optimism

Don’t know about optimism Timmy. I think it’s optics I need. Since about 1989, I’ve always been the same mate. Feels like sending me kids off for their first day at school. Think nothing of it all week, then come the hour, flap, flap, flap.
But they always came home safe.

Been wondering what team they’ll put out all day. I’d like to see Benny and Babel given a go, to try and open them up. But then Fulham will work their bollacks off in mid-field today (Bit like Stoke). So, do we play Albie and Dirk on the wings, to counter it with a bit of width and graft? Do we go for the throat, 2 up front Torres and Keane or do we play 1 up and have the extra man in midfield. Should Masch play, do we need 2 players defending the back four? Or do we go with Xabi and Lucas, try and open them up through the middle?
As the cliche goes… wouldn’t mind Rafa’s pay, but I wouldn’t fancy his job.

thanks for that Timmy
I’ll make him my captain so.
Fatty I hope we tear into them from the off
We should play Masher seen as we wont have Gerrard
i think the team will be
Pepe
Arbie Carra Dagger Dossena
Masher
Alonso
Kuyt Bertie
Keane Torres
With Babel getting a run out

over and out

I think it has to be Masch and Xabi as the central midfielder’s. Lucas would go missing too much.

Xabi will be given instuctions to push forward more than he usually does, and alot of our attacking play will pass through his feet. If his passing is as good as it can be, we could well be in for a good afternoon.

Masch will play as he does with Stevie in front of him.

I think Fulham will pack the midfield, but starting just one (probably Torres) up front on his own is surely not the way to go.

Now that we know Robbie is o.k, I would say that it has to be the pair of them up front together.

Come on you Redmen!

I think you are spot on with your team for today Gerry. Great to see all the first time posters on the blog, welcome to the best site on the net and hopefully you will join in more often.

Worried about us dropping down to 4th FS I think Arsenal had better start getting their act together as they could be in danger of dropping out of then CL places, especially the way Villa are playing. Fabragas is out and the whole Gallas fiasco wont have helped the situation.

We just need to concentrate on getting 3 points any old how and hope the crying MON takes some points off Man U. I cannot see Chelsea dropping points today, but Villa away could be tricky with the way they are playing and with the confidence they have going into this game.

Interesting to note that one of the borrowers has pulled the plug on a soccer franchise in Montreal due to financial uncertainty. If I remember correctly this was a consortium of people with a capital requirement of about $30 to $50 million. If he is having trouble with that then what are the chances of coming up with the funds to refinance the loan?

If only we could settle this ownership issue and get rid of them I would be in 7th heaven with the way the squad is shaping up. No matter how the good the future looks on the pitch, while we have these two clowns in charge it could all come crashing down very quickly. To sustain this momentum we need the new stadium and more investment in the team.

First time poster,greetings from Tenerife,,,,,,Liverpool to win 4-0 Torres with the first goal, 17 mins, if I win, give the tickets to Timmy Torres

1 – 0 to the Redmen. Could be a close game and Murphy and Bullard have been playing well lately. Fulham have become difficult to score against. Perseverance will pay in the last 20 minutes. Only goal after 75 mins.

Blaszczykowski in for Benny and or Pennant in the January window and we stand a great chance to take the title.

3-1, first goal 9 min

A lot has changed in a week on kopblog since ive been away. After catching up with the blog and comments id like to predict:

3-0 Win
first goal 30th minute.

Now time to get ready for the game

Alonso on the bench and Lucas starts??

Can’t say that team selection impresses me. Masch and Lucas in midfield.

Today’s team;

Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Agger, Aurelio, Kuyt, Riera, Lucas, Mascherano, Torres, Keane.
Subs: Cavalieri, Hyypia, Babel, Dossena, Alonso, El Zhar, Benayoun.

I’m surpised to see Lucas given yet another start, I thought Alonso had to be a certain starter especially given the absence of Gerrard, but let’s just hope that this is the game where he shows us what he can do.

Any way, the COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED so good luck everybody.

Gerry, I thought the exact same thing regarding Alonso.

I’m going 4-2 first goal coming forom Riera 9th minute

surprised with Alonso out
Knight I hope you’re warming up the Cobra club for me
As for meself I’m at home watching on the computer with streaming coverage downing some of Aussies best in VB
Comón Liverpool

Not going today FS,
i’m fucked up with flu or something i feel totally fuckin lousy.

We’re a different team without Alonso pulling the strings. Lucas isn’t in the same league, hell I don’t think he’s even playing the same sport. Alonso tends to be 1 step ahead of the play, Lucas is 1 step behind… big difference.

Rafa doesn’t usually do half-time substitutions… but please, please get Lucas off and bring Alonso on!

Shite
didn’t win ya the tickets Timmy
Hoping to see Alonso in the 2nd half and more fecking urgency
Comon Liverpool!!!!!

Sorry lads, but RAFA has gotten it wrong today.
No Gerrard so he plays Lucas instead of Alonso?
That has to be one of the craziest picks every.
Lucas hasn’t got a clue out there, he is slow to every ball , is out of posistion most of the time and couldn’t pass able to save his life.
Let’s hope Rafa realises his mistake and brings on ALONSO for the second half or we are in trouble.

Lucas playing and Alonso on the bench was just a waste of 45 mins. Didn’t think we’d create anything with Masch and Lucas in midfield.

Can’t fathom how with Gerrard out injured Rafa decides to put Alonso on the bench. Maybe someone can help me work that one out.

Good news is Chelsea are also being held 0-0.

That should say”couldn’t pass a ball to save his life”

can’t help ya LB but hopefully Rafa has something up his sleeve

FOR FUCK’S SAKE, GET ALONSO ON FOR LUCAS!!!!

Looks like Xabi is being saved for Marseille. Disgraceful.

Talking of Marseille – looks like Gerry will be keeping those match tickets.

we dont look like scoring today..

(ps: Come on you reds…. prove me wrong)

and too many long balls today….

/(o_0)\

Its looking like a good day for the mancs isn’t it? Assuming they beat Villa of course.

nil-nil bro
shite game but better days ahead

2 points completely wasted. I’d rather Rafa rest Alonso agst Marseilles, as we’re likely to get Gerrard back by then. To be fair to Lucas, he improved in 2nd half, but still not good enough.

I cannot understand the Reds passing back so much.
Yes, I can understand them not wanting to snatch at things but it wastes time to pass back so much.Keane is not the same man as at Spurs.
Thank goodness Chelski only drew-but what a chance!

im writinng this wiv fuckin blood in my ears. lucas woz shite 2day but the real problem was robbie keane……… he drove me fuckin nuts 2day. ive been really holdin out wiv my opinion on him, i no wot he can do,im still hopin he will do but 2day he has slid in2 that heskey frustration bracket. he made some fuckin piss decsions and they cost us the match……… im away 2 get fuckin hammered. p.s for once martin o neill can ya not make ur team look like a bunch of cunts against them wankers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ho won Mr Gerry?

Good god, just when Gerry was feeling nice to give away tickets, the team makes sure he keeps them.

I didn’t have much thought about Lucas at first. Like most people, I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt for last season, but this season he’s not made any impression on me at all. I don’t know why he had to start. And then Rafa subs Alonso for Masch instead of Lucas, which leads me to wonder whether Rafa is resting Alonso and Masch for Marseille.

The absence of Gerrard + crucial Champions League game coming up where key players need “some rest” = Below-par game. It seems.

Torres cannot be blamed today, he had to basically do two people’s workload in Gerrard’s absence, and he was noticeably tired near the end of the game.

So, so, so fucking frustrating.

All I can say is Rafa, decided this was a game where he could afford to rest Alonso, for the harder battles to come, and had the faith in Lucas to be the creative player in midfield while Masch done the destroying job.

Maybe he will still become the player Rafa obviously thinks he can be. But, the fact is, today he couldn’t create very much against Bullard and Murphy who are both more than decent players but hardly the best central mid we will have to face.

Massive chance dropped. Hats off to Newcastle. But sadly they ended up only helping us out when it could have been a massive favour.

But like I keep saying, this is a very strange season and, due to the others dropping strange points, today’s fuck up hasn’t really done any damage.

Shame Robbie didn’t dink that ball over Swarchzer instead of twatting it at him. That’s obviously down to a lack of cinfidence and anxiety. Rafa needs to get a grip of him and give his ego a little polish….
Ian Rush took 10 games to score his first goal for us. Crouch took 18. Please calm down Robbie. Just play your game and it will come.

Forgot to add, the boys ought to be thanking the maker that those damn Chavs had suffered the same goal-shy disease as we had today. They won’t have any such “get-out-of-jail” cards handed out so freely next time.

So… What will happen to your tickets, Gerry?
=)

Pssed off big time with todats performance.

Normally i`d back Rafa to the hilt but i think he slipped up today.

What was he doing starting lucas ahead of xabi.

The first half when fulham had a go the game was made for Alonso.

Second half they sat back and his refusal to pull lucas frustrated the shite out of me.The lad just ain`t good enough at the moment and he`s short on confidence also and the crowd didn`t give him a chance.

babel and el zhar were brought on too late to make a real impact.

I`m not picking on one individual but outside carra,agger and reina the rest were noy at the races.

How many sitters is keane going to miss?

Only consolation is the chavs drew 0-0 also.

Congrats i belive to Lurgan kop.

Donal,

It was LurganKop he predicted 0-0 in comment “69″

I can’t understand how Robbie Keane can be lacking in confidence after the West Brom game. He was shite against Bolton and missed a sitter and I believe he missed a good chance today?

For fuck sake he was signed to be our difference maker. £20.5m to take us to that next level or to ensure we wouldn’t miss Gerrard and Torres as much. I believe Keane was also signed because of his experience and the fact he has played in the PL for years and has a good record. Seems a good idea in theory but he’s just not producing. Even in games we win he doesn’t look great – West Brom aside.

Rushy was a kid when we signed him and Crouch was never really prolific to begin with. Neither cost the earth either.

I won’t even continue about Alonso not playing – that did my head in as soon as I saw the team sheet.

LB I do me best not to get into arguments with you, but I find that last comment quite awful and sickening.

I remeber when I was about 16 or so, I was standing on The Kop and I shouted at some player, can’t even remember who now, You’re Shite!

Heads around me everywhere swivilled a huge fella in a Donkey jacket covered in shite roared at me, you’re supposed to fucking support them.

I shit meself. At half time, he went on to lecture me about the Liverpool Way.

Go in The Kop today and try to find the Liverpool Way. You’ll have to search very hard, but you can still find a little bit of it in block 309 doing it’s very best to stay alive. But it is drowining under the silence and moans and groans that you heard at the game today.

And I know how that affects the players. Thank god they don’t come into these gaffs and take heed of the nternet warriors.

I must agree Lucas didn`t have a chance from the off today,the crowd were only waiting for him to make a mistake.
You could almost feel the tension every time he got the ball and i was watchin` on the telly.

His confidence is shattered and i thought he`d won it for us late on,if he had i wouldn`t blame him if he`d gestured to the crowd as if to say “take that you miserable lot.”

Someone in here a couple of weeks ago said that the fans must play their part also in this title challenge,make every home game a “european night” atmosphere.

Looking on the telly today even at the start when they were signing you never walk alone,you could see people in the crowd with their arms folded and scarfs around their neck.

The fans have to play there part too right lads?

Half time..

Villa 0-0 Mancs

Maybe it is just the After-international game syndroms after all

The crowd certainly did not help when they start to groan after every misplace pass..

Where are the world best supporters?

we certainly are not… tonight

I couldn’t believe that Xabi wasn’t on from the start either……. just don’t understand the logic in it.

Just one goal, and we would be sitting on top of the prem with a 2 point cushion tonight. I haven’t seen Keane’s miss yet, so I won’t comment on it until after MOTD tonight.

FS, were you at the game? I know you said you were hoping to go, if you did you must have been well pissed off at this result.

So much for my prediction of a goal glut in this match, how wrong can a person be.

LB, did you have to ask Gerry what happens to the Marseille tickets in the event of 0-0 in the Fulham match? You put the mockers on the lads!

like others have said, at least chelsea slipped today as well. its not the end of the world, but its a frustration for sure. its a long road still to go. lets keep our heads straight. i just wish robbie had finished that one…boy, he definitely wouldve put that away for tottenham…

what can you do?

YNWA

Last time I was at Anfield, I was surrounded by a gang of muslim women. I was singing and shouting, and I did swear a few times. I was approached by a steward and told to keep quiet as I was offending some people around me. I told him to fuck off and behave himself. He looked at me very sheepishly and said, I know lad. I know. But what can I do.
I then mentioned this on an internet forum and said the kop is no place for Muslim women. I was told I would be barred for racism if I said anything like that again. I told them to fuck and never went back.

Nevermind the pressure heaped on Lucas by the moanes and groans Timmy. If you listened at the end of the game, you could actually hear Boos.
Anybody doing that in my day would have been tossed head first down the steps.

When the team was down, we dragged them up. When a player wasn’t playing well, we supported him even more than the others. In my day all you would have heard from the Kop was chants for Lucas and Keane. Instead you got chants of Xabi Alonso.

And in the last 20 minutes of that game today, al you would have heard would have been ATTACK! ATTACK! ATTACK! ATTACK! And The Kop would have probably roared us into a victory, instead of moaning and booing us into a draw.

Yes. Have a moan. Say your piece. But at the end of the day you either support the team or you don’t.

Well even JackHill said Keane is not the same man as at Spurs so that must tell you something.

I’m not writing the lad off because he’s a proven class player. But I am pointing out that for the most part he is not producing the goods in the red shirt thus far. No matter how nice or nasty you say it, I don’t think anyone can argue against that. Will he improve and put in more performances like the one against West Brom? I hope so.

Big picture though – we are having a very good season and I’m desperate for it to continue.

Come on Villa!!!!

As for the crowd I think these days its for the team to get them involved early in the game. Like I was saying yesterday. Close down their defenders and allow them no time on the ball. The crowd sense the team is well up for it and join in. But against some of these smaller clubs Liverpool look lack lustre in the early minutes and allow a team like Fulham time on the ball. The crowd then sit and wait for something to happen.

European nights are different. The team usually start by tearing into the opposition at a high tempo. This gets the crowd into the game. Against Marseille at Anfield last season however atmosphere was rubbish – because the team were awful and lack lustre early on and throughout.

If you go back to these comments when it was rumoured we was going to sign Keane, you’ll see I said I hoped we didn’t. I also said I’d always had that opinion when it had been rumoured before. But he’s here now. He’s one of us. He’s not Harry Kewell. He isn’t hiding or resting. If anything he’s trying too bloody hard.

I only brought that miss up today as I think it shows exactly how anxious he is to score.

That was the perfect type Robbie Keane opportunity. And yes at Tottenham, he would have certainly drew Schwarzer closer and dinked him. Instead he flapped and twatted it. And yes seasoned veterans of 28 can lose confidence and get anxious.

All I know is, in my day we would have wrapped an arm round him not bollacked him. And you know what it used to work.

Lads, it could be worse. We could all support Arsenal, that team that everyone says play the best football, sexy football, swashbuckling stuff, Arsene’s red hot gunners………. Well, as good old Jim Royle would say: “My arse”

“Arsene’s gunners” have just lost for the 5th time in 14 prem games, their Captain has been sent to Coventry, and the club is in disarray. Now watch them go and get a point at Stamford Bridge next Sunday!

I think Stevie should not be risked against Marseille, if the Prem is our priority, let him rest and bring him back against West Ham, which is on the Monday night, so he will have another 8 days to fully recover.

Villa 0-0 Mancs…

No advantage gained

The brighter “point” of otherwise a disappointing evening.

0 – 0 at Villa Park.
So, end of the day, it’s no harm done.

Am I gutted we’re not 2 points clear, of course I fucking am. Do I think them 2 points dropped today could come back to haunt us at the end of the season? I suppose it could, and it may well do.
But it’s still the best start to a Premiere league season we have ever had, and we are still hanging in there at the top. So, as frustrated as I am, I will accept that.

That’s my view on things. But I’m honestly not trying to tell anyone how to react, how to comment, how to support the team or any individaual player. Who the fuck am I to do that.

But from all I was taught… you don’t call the manager a fool for team selection over one dropped point. And you certainly don’t write off seasoned internationals who have proved themselves time and again at every level of football.

Am I disapointed with Keane and Dosenna of course I fucking am. But you have to have a little faith.

And I’ll stick by what I’ve been saying since the beginning of the season, this is going to be a long and strange one.

Who would have expected Newcastle to hold Chelsea out today? None of that’s for sure.

Sorry lads but Rafa got it wrong ,Today.
We know that Murphy and Bullard will run the middle for Fulham and we play Lucas in the centre of midfield, he just isn’t good enough for the Premier league, watch the game again and see how many times he is out of position.Ok. I agree the crowd did get on his back, but bloody hell he is a professional footballer.Playing in the Central midfield position in a game we should win , I think only sets him up for failure.
We needed to start with ALonso and Masher, get a couple of goals then Make your changes in the second half.Two points deffo lost, Today.

Sorry. That last bit should say… None of us that’s for sure.

Everyone in the title race drew a blank today…and Arsenal failed to score too

What were the odds of that happening?

Not too bad so i suppose.

I know some will say it was a great chance to gain 2 points,and in fact it was,but the scum and the chavs will be thinking the same so its as you were.

I`m beginning to think your right FS,this could be one long twisted season.

Redscouse, I’ve knocked the lad before meself, but I don’t see Lucas as the problem today. There were worse performances than his. If Rafa made any mistake it was, if he was going to play Lucas, he should have played him with Xabi not Masch. You could see how Lucas improved once Xabi was nest to him in the second half.

I didn’t think Masch should have played anyway. Although we all love him and rightly so, he brings very little to the team going forward. And if anything, his performance was worse than Lucas’.
Disgraceful the way the crowd booed his substitution – clearly meaning they wanted Lucas off. and yes the crowd was on his back, and yes he is a professional footballer. He is also a 21 year old kid, playing in a foriegn country, in front of 44,000 people. If I’d have been there today, anybody booing near me would have got the fucking lot and full force. It’s a disgrace.

We really did miss stevie today.We lacked that cutting edge without him and as good as torres is he really excels with stevie playing.How many assists did stevie give torres last season?A good pecentage id say.

Before some come in and say we beat the scum without him and torres,i know that but its different when a team who isn`t as good as you come to your ground and park the bus in front of the goal and work their bolix off to close space in the final third.The scum went 1-0 up early on and smelled blood and it suited us.

Against these sides unless we score relitivley early,we need to rely on the captain to either create a opening or score himself.

We seemed to run out of ideas today.

Wonderful to see the injuries to Joe Cole, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Wane Rooney and Rio Ferdinand were not serious. I suppose their honest clubs and respectable Managers always tell the truth! Well done Capello you have my respect!

I see the Portuguese ladyboy was up to his old tried and tested diving tricks again. Man U are a disgrace but they go hand in hand with the officials.

Well done to Lurgankop and to Timmytorres! Enjoy the game!

I don’t know whether you can say that we had an off day or a bad day but we certainly didn’t play as well as we could have done on an average day. We played with lethargy and no urgency. I had a feeling that the players were protecting themselves? As if they did not want to get injured? I know that a fair few of the decisions never went our way and this probably didn’t help the atmosphere, (which seemed non-existent). You could see Fulham’s tactics which was to keep running down the left side and taking a tumble just outside of the area to give Boullard a go at a set piece!

But if one of ours was pulled down outside the area it was immediately waved away?

Anyway any damage was limited but it was another a missed opportunity.

One other thing was that before hand we were told that Fulham had the best away defensive record and yet when we fail to beat them they suddenly have the worst away record.

The good thing is: Scum & Chelski dropped points too!!! We’re bailed out this time for such a bad performance.

There are still a few positives left: (1) Alonso is rested and should give us the points in the next few, (2) Gerrard is coming back, (3) Torress is getting back his sharpness, and most importantly (4) There’s no more internationals until March so that the squad can now gel together (which hopefully means Keane will improve).

Guys, expect Rafa to rotate a little more coming into the busy Christmas season, and we might drop some points in December. As long as we stay close to the top after that (I’m happy to be second on goal difference on 1 Jan 2009), we’ll have a very good chance to win the League given our consistently strong finish under Rafa during his reign.

So please don’t get too frustrated till the end of 2008. There’re enough frustrations and bad feelings given the financial crisis, coupled with the fact we’ve suffered close to 19 years.

I’m hoping that we’ll all have a wide smile come May 2009, comforted by the light that eventually shines after all these dark years….

I’m a bit pisssed at the moment so I won’t say much about the game until I post up a new blog tomorrow.
Anyway, well done to LurganRed for winnign the first Kopblog competition, no offence mate but I wish you had been wrong with your scoreline as I’m sure you do yourself. But the blessings of God on you for allowing us to give the tickets to good ole timmytorres, who I’m sure will make good use of them.
Timmy, I’ll drop you an e-mail to get your details.

YNWA well Lucas walked alone today, the “fans” who booed him should listen to that song (they sing it often enough ).
Any way as it turns out nothing lost none of the top 4 scored ,first time in prem,and
Its the closest Prem League ever.
A strange season indeed, i’m starting to think this may be our year and we will

see our golden sky. (was what i mean’t to say at the end )
YNWA

What a player lucas is! Cant say i blame the lad. As i’ve said in here before its not his fault he’s not a premier league player. Its not his fault his manager picks him. Its not his fault the crowd boo’s him. Thats what happens when your a professional footballer and you cant perform the simple task of completing a pass. And they’re entitled to boo a ridiculous selection. They pay his wages. And the managers. We all make mistakes but really rafa, lucas? Above alonso? Really? Disappointed is an understateme

I wouid have played Alonso but Lucas was picked and its up to the fans to support him young players need confidence to become great players,
it’s all right to have a moan in here,and with our freinds at home, but i feel it can only do harm to his development/confidence.

i cant say i am as disappointed in the selection as i am in the performance. yes the boy is young, but he played very well for us several times last season. he has a good mentality and quality, and some decent experience. but it certainly seems like there is something going on this year that has changed him…

i think choosing to play masch and lucas was an ok selection, i have no problem with that. i am just very disappointed in the performance of lucas today. he needs to improve, and im sure that he and rafa both know that. if he wants a chance to break into our midfield at all, he needs to take the chances he receives and perform to his best.

YNWA

If i have one complaint with Rafa its his lack of decisive changes…

Alonso should have been on at half time (for Lucas – although I agree with Fat.S. that it should have been Xabi and Lucas – not Masch. and Lucas)…

Keane should have been pulled early for Babel (Kuyt and Riera should have completed the game)…

What an opportunity wasted to go 3 points clear…

While I’m disappointed in the game, considering we have to get up at 2.00am to watch it. At the end of the day it’s still even stevens.
.
whether Lucas played well or not is not really worth mentioning. What is worth mentioning is Keane’s confidence. Now FS I know you said when players are down the crowd would call out the name all day long. Well is that just another way of saying your shite. Keane is a highly paid professional footballer, who lives a life of oppulance and indulgence, through people like us paying his bills.
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So it’s not up to me to lift his confidence, it’s solely up to him. How many boxers hear the crowd saying get up when they have been flattened to the canvas. It is them and them solely that bats on from that point.
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I think sadly Keane cost far to much money and it’s weighing heavily. I watched Nando today, he’s struggling for form due to injury, fitness etc, but there was a huge gulf between both players ability. So either Nando was the bargain of the 2000 era or Keane was overpriced.
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He adds a lot through his commitment, zest and support but his goal scoring needs urgent attention. He need to get off the canvas and fight back.
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Everyone else basically played well but looked like they’d made the long trip to Anfield to secure a draw. And we did.
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Ps, although Babel didn’t get much of a run he is looking worse every game. Thats my opinion only and I hope he scores 20 goals this season.

LurganKop,

Thank you very very much my friend i appreciate what you have done for me.

Thanks to all the rest of the lads who pledged the tickets to me also.

Wish i could have won them in different circumstances but as the ol` cliche goes “thats football”.

GERRY,

I can`t remember what e-mail address i used to register to TIA but the one i regularly use now is:

[email protected]

Thanks again Lurgan and also to Gerry for the comp,to pope benedict,bill shankly and all my family and friends whom without i`d never have made it!! :)

Hi Guys, gutted on all fronts yesterday:
1. The 0-0 scoreline
2. The poor team performance
3. The ridiculous behaviour of our ‘supporters’ (IMHO)
4. The realisation that I had won the kopblog competition and that I could not go

BTW, did anyone else think that Dagger and Masch did not have the best of games yesterday. Dagger’s distribution from the back was poor, especially in the first half, and he got a few rollickings from Carra (maybe the norm there . The best I can say for Masch was that maybe yesterday’s game did not best suit his attributes.

Anyway, all said and done, none of the other teams at the top-end did anything either. So the status-quo was preserved.

Special word for timmytorres. Enjoy the game mate on Wednesday night and let us all know how it went

Gerry, I am now eagerly awaiting the 2nd kopblog competition. Will there be one for the champions league final . I am sure I could make that one!

Gaz that’s exactly what’s wrong at Anfield. And what’s worse, you don’t even understand that. Or you wouldn’t have said is supporting a player just another way of saying you’re shite?

What have you been drinking and smoking this weekend?

2 points will come and go. Our history and tradition won’t. How long before we are putting out little plastic flags and free scarves, and embarrasingly telling people how to wave them in a desperate attempt to create an atmosphere.

I have been upset at the declining atmosphere at Anfield for years. I’ve found it more and more depressing every season since standing was done away with. And, believe it or not, Istanbul done us no favours – attracting more and more tourists and day trippers. But as saddened as I’ve been, I have never felt sickened the way I was yesterday.

Rome 77 said it well. But you know what I think it was even worse, and I bet that poor kid Lucas only wished he could have been alone yesterday. The moans and groans every time he touched the ball were a disgrace, but the booing at Masher’s substitution (and full time) nearly made me ill.

Sad thing is, the kid wasn’t even the worse on show, nor was Keane. In fact, if anything Lucas was one of our better players. and you can see the anxiety in Keane’s game. But how the fuck are they supposed to get better, or back to their old ways, with 30 odd thousand people on their backs?

FFS We have made our best ever start to a Premiere season. We are still top of the league. We are doing better than anyone dared wish for at the beginning of the season. But this need to create scapegoats in this day and age is beyond me. And I’ll tell you now, had I been there yesterday and anyone near me was carrying on like that, I would have probably ended up in a fight and getting banned for life.

It doesn’t fucking matter what Keane or any one else is earning. They are part of what was once a very closed knit family, and families support the one that’s having the hardest time.

There a many many reasons why this is happening. I would like to go on about them but I really can’t be arsed. I am starting to give up hope.

PS… Timmy have a good time mate.

After yesterday’s game and after a night reflecting on the performance on the pitch and ON THE TERRACES, I have to come to the conclusion that sadly, The Kop is not what it used to be! I could never forgive those who boooed our own players, irrespective of the performance on the pitch. A lot of our supporters nowadays are no different to Chelsea’s, yes I’m sinking that low right now! How can Lucas improve if we dont support him?!? I have my own thoughts about the lad, but as long as Rafa chooses him to represent us, I have to support him because that’s what I’m supposed to do, SUPPORT THE TEAM.
In football terms a team consists of 11 players, so I must support the 11 wearing red, full stop, end of story!!
Either we have faith in Rafa or we don’t. If Xabi was not fully fit, what’s the use playing him yesterday and then maybe he’ll be out for a month?
Rafa has brought me a lot of joy in the past four years, just ask my dog!
So in RAFA I TRUST.
It’s no use saying or typing the phrase, you have to act the phrase, even when the results dont go our way.
For those who booeed, you should hang your head in shame today for what you did yesterday. Now, the 11 who have the privilege to be chosen to represent Liverpool FC, go and stuff their booeeing down their throat next Wednesday.

Well said FS!

The funny thing is that we started off quite well yesterday and then the crowd started to get on their backs after 15 minutes. It was the same story in the pub where I was watching the match. Unbelievable!

I was laughed at when I said that Rafa would probably replace either Keane or Masch with Alonso. I would not like to repeat some of the names that were used for Lucas.

Personally I don’t think that Lucas will make it at the top level (but I said the same for Viera when I first saw him playing for Arsenal!) but if he is in the team then he will have my 100% backing.

FS, don’t give up hope yet, there is still plenty to fight for.

Fat Scouser where in my post did I write supporting a player is calling him shite. I didn’t, I said, or should have said, when a player is going through a bad patch he wouldn’t appreciate his name called out all game, because I know that would make me know I was having a bad game.
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Support is clapping and cheering the guy when he’s good and saying well done when he’s bad.
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And your right I wouldn’t know what it’s like, I’ve never been that lucky. I’ve never booed one of our players.

Gaz go back and read your comment.
But anyway, I’m not kicking off on you mate, I’m just pointing out what’s happening and why the atmosphere is going down and will be extinct if the club don’t do something about it.

I’ve got to get out and about now. But I’ll have my say on this later.

Looking (or listening) at the crowd yesterday was terrible.Just because were doing so well they insist we roll over everyone who comes to anfield.

It`s ok to have a go on internet sites,at home,work or even in the pub.

I`ve 2 rules when regardind critisism of LFC players.

1.Any time i go to the match i back and encourage 100%.
2.When i do slag off LFC players is ONLY to fellow reds.I hate reds who have a right go at our players at work or in a pub surrounded by scum and arse fans.

I have read my comments and I still stand by the comment, that Keane needs to get of the canvas and fight. I also think the value around a players head is very important.
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Did anyone notice Torres getting frustrated, thats because regardless of how he plays he wants to win. Keane is the same but at the moment he’s doing his own head in.
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I also said he shows a lot of good attributes towards the team, and I didn’t like the booing.
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I’ll refrain from commenting on players from this point.

Don`t do that Gaz bud,your entitled to your opinion no matter what it is.Thats what this is all about.If we all aggreed all the time it would be boring.

Sure,we all want the same thing but we all have various views on how it can be achieved.

This is what I have been dreading ever since the Stoke game.
Did everybody think we were going to go all season without a poor result in the league?
My thoughts – Rafa saw a good opportunity to play Lucas in his preferred position against a team that he felt we should beat.
He didn’t play well(but nowhere near as bad as the crowd reaction deserved)
Keane was poor yesterday, but lets not talk about the goal Chance as if it was a sitter, it wasn’t, the angle had been closed down and there was very little time for “dinks” over the goalkeeper.
Quite a few players were off the boil yesterday and we didn’t perform well at all.
I am saddened at the change in the type of supporter we have at Anfield and in the world in general, but you and I are going to have to get used to that if we do, somewhere in the future win the league again, Its the nature of the sport now.

so in summary Rafa made a decision that didn’t go as well as we would have hoped, but he made the decision in good faith and THE TEAM let him down.
Lucas didn’t set the world alight but then again neither did anyone else and we ended up with a poor result.

Chavski didn’t gain anything on us, neither did the scum and as for Arsenal, I’m just not even worrying about them until we have to play them.

We could look back on this day as the day we lost the league, but we could also see it as the day we looked destined to win it.
Rafa will reorganise,learn anything he can from the game(and he wont just be focusing on Keane and Lucas) and move on to the next one.

One other thing, Rotation will be neccesary and their will be lots of games where you will sit there going “why is he playing him there” and the answer is because he is the man in charge who works with the players every day and is paid large sums of money to make those decisions.

I Think he made the wrong decision yesterday but what do I know, he isn’t perfect by any means but he has got us this far and I have faith.

Onwards and upwards and forward to wetspam

YNWA (and yes FS I remember what it means)

hmmm, I’m going to refrain from commenting too much untill Gerry posts the next blogg, however I do think the Lucas-bashing is well over the top… Not good for red’s to be turning on their own, I’ve almost done it with Kewell but then he always had the potential and was a red so it wasn’t possible… dire times, when we’re doing so well as far as results are concerned… I think that this is our trough, but we’re still hanging in, unlike Arsenal!
YNWA

timmy, get some photos for us on Wednesday night please.

I`ll try i my own digital camera is on the blink byt i`ll try to borrow one and i could email them to gerry to maybe stick um up somewhere.Then i`ll have me 15 minutes of fame

Don’t be spitting the dummy Gaz. You’re made of better stuff. We’ve been through this a million times in here. We should all be bigger than that.

I will always pull people up if I think what they have said is wrong. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. I’ve had my share of bollackings. That’s fair enough. And when you think I’m wrong, feel free to pull me up by all means. I won’t take it personally.

I know I live in the past too much and am sometimes far more loyal to some individuals than is good for the club. I can’t help that. I have been watching, and have been in love with, this team/club since 1965. But I learnt my ways from the old school. I won’t change them.

But everything else about football has changed, and it’s not all for the better. In fact, except for standing in pools of piss and running the gauntlet of mad hooligans everywhere you go, I think it’s all changed for the worse. But I accept that you can’t stay stuck in the old days if the old days aren’t there anymore.

Indeed, one of the main reasons the club has found itself in financial difficulties and hasn’t won the league in a mega-million years is because of it’s refusal to change with the times. And daft as it sounds, I still think there was something noble about that.

As for what’s happening to the atmosphere…
Atmosphere at football in general has being going down the pan for years. There’s a multi-tude of factors, but my only concern is Anfield.

What you see now is actually the result of actions taken after the Heysel disaster. The government, the FA, the club’s themselves and society in general had had enough and demanded change. And let’s face it, it needed to.

Slowly but surely, changes were implicated to get shut of the hooligans and turn football into family entertainment. Problem is, the people who set about making the changes think any man under the age of 55 who goes to football, without a wife and 2.5 children is a hooligan – especially if they like to have a few pints before the game, stand through it and sing. So, they set about winkling them out of the stadiums.

Hillsborough and all seater stadiums made this a surprisingly easy feat to accomplish. It was the perfect way to segregate our own fans from one another. Yet after splitting up and diluting the die-hard fan base they now complain about the atmosphere at the grounds. But they can’t have it both ways.

Giving one block of the Kop, to die hard local season ticket holders is not an answer. Block 306 was given to members of Reclaim The Kop to try and bring back some atmosphere. Problem is, it is right up the back of the stadium and, therefore, hard to hear from the pitch and very easy to drown out by visiting fans. The club can not be blamed for this as RTK wanted to stand during the match and so had to be put at the back.

But I know for a fact you wouldn’t have heard one boo from 306 yesterday, nor would you hear Xabi Alonso being chanted everytime Lucas touched the ball nor the moans and groans. They are trying but it is a losing battle.

Compacting the problem of all seated stadiums you had the hype and media explosion surrounding football. So, instead of Fans who have been going for years and learned the traditions and songs, there was a sudden influx of “Whoareyer, Whoareyer, Easy, easy, easy” Ingurland type chanting fans. Also there was the sudden appearance of football tourisim. Go in the Kop on any match day and you will see hoardes of people looking at the part of the ground what is singing, taking pictures and generally gawping as if at some alien species. You will also hear them complaining about the atmosphere, wondering were it is. They never seem to realise they could be contributing to it. Funny thing is, a lot of these people were attracted to LFC over Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea or any other club because of the unique nature of the Kop.

But once they appeared in sudden huge numbers, the natural flow of things was broken up. I fear they will never be able to replace it. There used to be a natural progression of support. You started in The Boys Pen, you learnt the ways, you graduated to The Kop, You stayed there for years, when you became old, and didn’t want to sing, sway, wave and bounce, you moved to The Stands to make way for the next generation from The Boys Pen who did.

Now old local old fellas who should fuck off into the stands refuse to give up their Kop season tickets and sit in there moaning about the good old days. Yes. It isn’t all down to our out of town support. Scousers can moan and groan and boo too. But they should fuck off out of the Kop and sit in the stands with the rest of their kind. I know old local fellas who actually want Liverpool to get relegated so it can go back to the good old days.

Them few reasons are only the tip of the ice-berg. I could go on and on. I find it too depressing and it’s not going to change. Well, I fear it will. It will get worse. And we will end up just like any other football club.

City who have a good loud loyal support, will encounter the same problem if their sudden wealth starts to bring them success. And suddenly find themselves being outsung by small folowings of passionate supporters. Look at Pompey, Sunderland, Stoke they have small but very loyal and passionate followings. They can easily drown out the home fans at Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge and Arsenal. They aren’t very good. They have no anthems. They have very little tradition. They are your typical Soccer Am/Ingurland type fan. And except for a few old time chants that survive – Play Up Pompey, Pompey Play Up – they have the silly horrible chants of Whoareyer! Whoareyer, Easy Easy!

LFC was unique. The Kop was unique. It is sadly becoming like the rest of them. Man U had this happen years ago. Their own players and manager have even commented on how shit their support is. It comes with success. Believe me it the decline has speeded up and has got far far worse since Istanbul.

And it seems there’s nothing anyone can do about it. But don’t expect fellas like me to not moan about it.

And if anyone feels like seeing what it was like to grow up in my day and end up a moaning auld cunt like me, get hold of a DVD called The Golden vision.

It’s a play by the great director Ken Loach. It is actually about Evertonians in the 60′s. It’s all ad-libbed, so very true to how it was. And it’s a great window on the past and how things have changed.

Right rant over, but it had to be said and if I didn’t give a fuck about chatting with you lads do you think I would still be in here and taking the time to write all that shite?

Trying to tell the “fans” who booed, that it ain’t kosher on the Kop, from this site is futile. They’re probably just about able to tie their shoe-laces, let alone use a computer. They should take another look at the lyric sheet for YNWA, and then take a look at themselves. Shame on you.

It took the whole first half for Lucas to get his game on, but he was much improved in the second. Masch had a shocker by his standards, (but it’s not en-vogue to boo him). He gave the ball away a lot more than he usually does -and he does that a lot anyway (controversial, I know). We did miss Xabi but, if he was carrying a knock, this was the game to (half) rest him.

Fulham did give us a game and brought the game to us. I think Rafa got the tactics not quite right for this one. It was too tactical! I’m not going to berate Lucas, in fact he needs congrats because, he didn’t play all that bad in the first half, but (as I’ve said) was much better getting forward when Alonso came on. Masch doesn’t suit a two-man midfield. His game doesn’t allow the offense playmaker to get forward enough – al la, Gerrard & Alonso.

Has anyone noticed how much more Alonso is looking for the ball these days. Last season, when in a position to take it from JAR, we would so many times point (index-finger) up-field instead of pointing (both hands palms up) to two yards in front of him.

Kuyt, Aurelio, Masch and Keane had poor games, and maybe even Riera too. Must do better, but I guess it was one of those games were we got lucky with the other results going our way.

A special mention for Babel – he was always considered an impact player, but he seems to have lost that now. He might be gone in the summer.

Great post fs. It is a generational thing though so it goes from doctor fun to the tosser who burned Gerrards jersey outside Anfield in the blink of an eye. So sometimes they need pulling up by you and other experienced kopites. However i sympathize with the fans yesterday. I dont think the boos were directed at lucas per say, i think they were voicing there disapproval at piss poor decision. They realize the lads not good enough and since they cant go down and talk to rafa they let him know the only way

That should read ‘the only way they can’. I also feel the frustration vented yesterday is in part because the fans know how close we are to winning this thing and to potentially fuck it up with a silly decision would be, well, a monumental fuckup. We’re this close and the fans got frustrated with the loss of 2pts. Bridging this 18 yr gap is the most important thing to the fans (save for family and friends obviously) and we’re so close this time we can almost smell it. Anyway thats my take on it.

I hear ya FatScouser! I hate Soccer AM, Ingurland fans, whoareyer chants, Richard Keys, all-seater Kop(half-seater would be fine), yoooouuuure shittt chants, middle-men cocksoccer agents, diving diva’s(including our own), lose-one-match you’re-in-crisis hysteria, 6year Euro ban and LFC “supporters” booing the red shirt.

I’m so gone on Alex Ferguson, but I don’t hate him.

Digger mate, the chants were meant to say one thing… the same thing as the groans and the boos – get Lucas off.

And nevermind it not being the Liverpool way, it’s just shite and it just makes things worse. How the fuck is any player, nevermind a 21 year old lad, supposed to play a decent game with thousands of people on his back?

How the fuck is a team that is not playing well, supposed to up their game by being booed?

There’s no excuse for it mate. It’s shite. It doesn’t work. It’s not the Liverpool way.

I can’t count how many times I have seen the Kop lift the team over the line when they looked beat. And I have seen them carry many a player along until he gets back on his feet.

You’ve seen it to… They done it for Peter Crouch not too long ago. They helped the team perform a miracle in Istanbul.

It’s still there. It can still be brought out when needed. It still works. There are some people doing their best to keep it alive.

How proud did you feel hearing YNWA at half time in Istanbul? How proud did you feel to hear He’s Big, He’s Red drowning out the chants of Freak, Freak, Freak aimed at Crouch?

Well, I felt just as sick when I heard the boos, moans and groans and sarcastic chants of another players named at a 21 year old kid yesterday.

Exactly fs, the chants were the crowd voicing their disapproval of lucas starting and continuing to be left on the pitch when there is a superior footballer on the bench. A vastly superior footballer. I agree with you in principle fs and i admit it was strange to hear boos at Anfield but as paying supporters they have the right to voice their opinion when they feel a mistake has been made. Its not often they boo which makes me think they really felt strongly about it and recognize the importance these games

They don’t Digger. They really don’t. They don’t know why Lucas and Masch were the central mid pairing. And if it was just a mistake – instead of the best possiblity we had which I think is the case – they won’t help change it by them actions.

If I was Rafa I certainly wouldn’t have pulled Lucas off to face all the sarcastic cheering that there was bound to be.

And the fact is, Masch had a far worse game than Lucas. In fact, Lucas didn’t play to bad.

We used to pride ourselves on the tag we earned as the most knowledgable fans in football. In fact, when other fans used to try to have a go at us, we used to put them down by chanting… You got your education from The Kop.

What’s knowledgeable about picking on a scapegoat? Especially when the scapegoat isn’t the worst player on the pitch.

Do you know what… I’ve had me little go at Lucas meself, but I so badly want the lad to go on to become a great player now.

Digger, why should the crowd ‘voice their disapproval’ of Lucas starting? Let the lad have a chance. This is what I do not understand. Was Xabi fully fit? Who knows, apart from Rafa. Rafa set his team out like he did because he thought it could win this game with this selection (even though I did not agree with it).

The thing is that (mostly) everyone expected Fulham to come to Anfield and lay-down and be demolished. However, Fulham have the joint 3rd best goals against record (equal with Manure and just behind us) in the league. So I never thought that this was going to be a walkover.

This is a strange season. Chel$ki have a perfect away record but a 3-3-1 home record. Does that mean that they cannot breakdown a packed defence?

BTW, if anyone is interested, the reason why I posted my prediction as 0-0 was because because LB asked Gerry what would happen if the game ended in a 0-0!. Thanks LB, even though I did not think that it would happen.

Also, why is it that Liverpool failed to go clear at the top of the leagues whereas, having the same opportunity, Chel$ki ‘drew’?

Lurgan mate that has been the way of the english media for the last 30 years. That is one of the reasons we always closed ranks and defended our own.
Robbie Keane is already starting to get it, and you can see the effect it is having. I noticed a few things yesterday that I know he wouldn’t normaly do….

Dirk Kuyt’s early shot that went wide. Robbie may not have reached it if he had tried. But bet your bottom lip normally he would have launched himself at that ball and tried to get a toe on it, even if it was going over the line with no chance of anyone stopping it. What did he do… pulled back and watched it go wide.

The shot he twatted against Schwarzer. I don’t think it was easy. I don’t think he missed a sitter. But what I do think is, an on form Robbie Keane would have either dinked it or went round Schwazer. What he wouldn’t have done was just slash at it.

There was also quite a few occasions when Robbie tried to force practically impossible balls through to Torres, when a simple ball out to Dirk or Albie or a touch back was not only the cards but the far better choice to get something out of the attack.

Robbie is a seasoned international. He has succeded at every other club he has played for and his country. I have always thought of him as an instinctive/natural type player. To me his game is about flowing and doing thing by instinct, you can see he is not doing that. And that’s a shame. But he is a tough little fucker and he will snap out of it, and we will see the best of him.

But put yourself in Lucas’ shoes. What must have been going through that poor lad’s head? To his great credit, he didn’t hide. He didn’t let his head drop. He kept showing for the ball and he kept trying. Fuck me the lad even got in a header as the whistle was about to blow.

I honestly really hope the lad goes on to ram the boos back down the throats of the lemmings that just follow the pack and don’t know how wrong, and self defeating, their actions are. I bet if you’d have searched them on the way out you would have found quite a few copies of The S*n.

and I know I’ve hogged the blog, but this has really pissed me off.

Lurgan why shouldent they?! They know theres a better footballer on the bench. The lad is unsurprisingly having his usual mare. We’re fighting for the title in the tightest race in years, what do you want them to do? Run down and clap rafa on the back and say ‘good call mate’? If we hadent seen this movie before i.e lucas having a mare (shocker that, who saw that coming?) then i doubt they’d have been on his case. As i said before i think the boo’s were directed at rafa’s decision not lucas.

FS and others have commented on the crowd moaning at Lucas and Robbie yesterday and it must affect the players and the team. Any suggestions on how to improve the situation ? I’m sure if Rafa, Carragher or Stevie spoke about the importance of supporting all the players that it might help.

Rafa may have learnt alot from yesterday’s game especially around Alonso/Lucas/Gerrard.

Alot of team struggle to breakdown teams who park the bus. That’s why set pieces are so important but we seem to struggle at these. An improvement in these areas and getting a bit creative could sneak us a goal nad 3 points on days like yesterday.

No ground lost which is important.

Congratulations Timmy, I really hope you enjoy the game on Wednesday night, I just hope that it doesen’t finish 0-0!

Well done Lurgankop, that was a brave move actually going for 0-0, like you and everyone else, I wish you had been wrong.

Apparently, yesterday was the first time that the top four teams (at the start of play) had all failed to score a solitary goal between them, having all played on the same day.

Villa were 5th at the start of play and they failed to score too, so make that the top five!

Bet that will never happen again.

I feel a mixture of disappointment that we couldn’t put Fulham away at Anfield, and relief that we didn’t fall any points behind Chelsea, and no one else made any points up on us. In fact, the positives win the day as we moved one more point further away from Arsenal. Strange day indeed.

I understand your frustration fs. We’re all frustrated. But like all things it will pass (listen to mr. philosophy here!) In fairness to the fans the last time i can remember them booing was at the end houlliers tenure so it dosent happen often. Just a lot of angst over this title bid out there and it just spilled over in the stands at the sight of another misplaced lucas pass while xabi cooled his heels. Anyway someones gonna pay for this, lookout marseille and wet spam!

This is half of my problem with this. I am shocked and sickened by the treatment of the team and certain individuals. But I have seen this coming. It’s sadly a part of todays game.

But what I can’t understand is where is this “He had his usual mare” coming from.

I’m not saying the lad had a great game, but he was one of the better players out there. He constantly showed for the ball. He tackled and tracked back. He done the defensive side of his job. But he also drifted into the box on many occasions. This may be part of the problem. Fans don’t/can’t see this. I think they may be blinded by Gerrard’s bursts into the box and don’t realise a player can be effective by ghosting into the box and creating space for himself and others. His short passing was fine. He showed for the ball collected it and moved it on. If anything our other statues didn’t move and give him an option – it was invented by us. It was called pass and move. But he even hit a few long range, diagonal, cross field balls, that when hit by Xabi orGerrard have the crowd raving. What happened when Lucas hit them – nothing.

I have had my goes at Lucas. I can’t see him making it. But I do understand that he is our 4th choice mid-fielder. He is only a kid – but a kid who has won Brazillian player of the year. I don’t think donkey’s win that. But to top it off – he was, in my opinion, one of the better players on the pitch in a red shirt – end of.

But why bother with any of that – especially when Vronin and Risse have left and Kuyt and Arbeloa are making their witch hunters look stupid – and we still need a scapegoat.

Fuck it round up the villagers. Set the torches alight and grab the rope… We Redneck’s is gonna have us a lynchin! YEEHAW

Digger I was frustrated at half time yesterday. I was gutted by the final whistle. I was releived when all the other results came in. I can live with them results.

But I am fucking livid at what is happening at LFC.

FS no offence taken but I still standby the Robbie neads to get up and fight for his position. I noticed one time late in the game when an opportunity came to Robbie, he didn’t even seem interested, by that time he had done his own head in.
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Well seeing you have mentioned the liverpool way thing, I’d like to wiegh into this debate.
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I’ll pose a question, is the Liverpool Way now holding us back. We prided ourself on keeping things indoors (so to speak).
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Then suddenly Mr B is speaking out to the media, players are speaking to the media about their positions, the owner can’t keep their fucking mouths shut, players releasing bi-ographies with critisims of current and former regimes.
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Add to that Moores selling us out, and Parry still there, the place has been a shambles. Is the shambles (Liverpool Way) the reason we haven’t won a league title in 18 years.
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Before the takeover, Morgan brought up issues with club accounts, he also wanted a takeover. Our takeover effort was embarassing to say the least. Dupe Dubia for dumb and dumber, not to mention the years in the wilderness searching for funds.
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Fs you have been quite vocal with Lucas, Kewell etc but thats your opinion and thats why we come on here. I’m not saying I’m right or your right, it’s just how you feel when you write the post. two days later you might feel completely different.
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I don’t agree with the booing but I understand some of it my be genuine longing and frustration for the league title. The new era we are in came when Mr B took over. He showed himself to be ruthless with players, had the ability to ship them out as quick as look at them. Spoke freely about club issues to media outlets. Demanded funding from the owners. So he identified the old Liverpool Way wasn’t working in the modern game.
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Hell he even pulled of SG against Everton because he was playing with his heart instead of his head.
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The situation hasn’t crept up on us, it’s 18 years of frustration. Fans seen an opportunity to go top and we missed it. Even Rafa’s come out and claimed it was 2 point lost, if he feels it so can I.
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Lastly I still stand by my Robbie Keane issue, I think the price is wieghing on him heavily. If he cost 1.5 million like Ngog, we’d justify things by saying he only cost a million what do you expect. 20 million on the other hand, his justification level rises dramatically. I personally thing he’s a wonderful player, he’s just in a bad patch and needs to get up and fight.

Nobodys looking for a scapegoat fs. Well, i cant speak for others but i certainly am not. As i’ve said before i dont blame the kid, its not his fault. I think its clear he’s not gonna make the grade at Anfield. Do i wish rafa had played xabi instead of him yesterday? Of course. And id bet my bottom dollar rafa wishes it too. It wasnt the sole reason we couldent beat fulham at home but im damn sure we’d have given it a better shot with our best 11 on the pitch. Anyway, its in the past, its over lets move on.

PPS love the banter, it shows we still have passion, after all these years.

Here, here FS!

Most knowledgeable fans in the world, my arse!

As disapponted and frustrated as I was, I actually permitted myself a little laugh after the game, that when I came in here, it would be all anti-Lucas posts.

You all need to take a good hard look at yourselves in the mirror “friends” coz Lucas was by far and away NOT the worst player on the field yesterday.

His ball control and passing was far better than half the seasoned internationals out there… your beloved do no wrong Fernando Torres amongst… but of course he’s excused coz he’s struggling to regainf fitness.

We’ve all been complaining that we haven’t even gooten out of 2nd gear yet… well yesterday we did… unfortunately, it was a downshift into 1st.

Christ you’d think we lost.
And all your slating-bollocks written in here is really no different than booing during a game. Just coz the player can’t hear you doesn’t make it okay.
And it pisses me off coz most of you know better.

Gaz, copied and pasted from your post Number 216…
Now FS I know you said when players are down the crowd would call out the name all day long. Well is that just another way of saying your shite.

That is what started the conversation. I’m not putting it here to have a go at you. But that is what I remarked on and you said you never posted.

And just so you know I’m not picking on you…
Nobodys looking for a scapegoat fs.

Comment by Digger.

Come on Digger mate, are you seriously telling me players don’t get scapegoated? I know you know better.

And I think there’s a few players more than Lucas that would argue that point with you.

Right now in the side/sqaud we have Arbeloa, Aurelio, Kuyt, Keane, Dosenna, Bennayoun and Lucas, who have all, or still are, getting the whipping boy treatment from the fans.

But even worse than that, is the demand for immeadiate success and the knee jerk reactions.

For example, how long did it take for Henry, Viera, Ronaldo, Evra and Drogba to settle and come good?

I’m not having a go at anyone in here personally. I obviously love coming in here and chatting footy with you lads or I wouldn’t bother.

But the fact is, in this day and age people have no patientce. Look at that list above and imagine them not being given the time to settle.

I’m certainly not saying Lucas is going to go on to fit on that list. And Yes Gaz, I’ve said me doubts about the lad and I’ve also pointed that out in me last few posts. But comparing that to my hatred of Kewell, isn’t right. That man was a fucking bum and admitted so himself… “I have played football for a long time. I decided to have a rest at Liverpool.”

He’s the only Liverpool player I have actually hated. And hating someone and having doubts about someone isn’t comparable, mate.

I think all the LFC players I listed are worth having in the squad and Dosenna and Lucas may still go on to be as good first team members as Arbeloa, Aurelio and Kuyt.

Today I had Talk Shite on. I sat and listened to Gooners, “Fans and Supporters,” they called themselves, calling for Arsen Wenger’s head. It saddens me to think Liverpool fans are on their way to becoming that stupid and reactionary.

CALLING TIMMYTORRES, if your reading this mate can you check your e-mail. I’ve sent you a couple of messages, I need you to send me your details urgently so that I can get these tickets off to you.

Well, I’m off to bed. Sorry if I offended anyone or pissed anyone off. That wasn’t my aim. I honestly am truly saddened to see what’s happening at Anfield. But it’s nothing new. It’s been going down hill for years and it’s probably only going to get worse.

I just wish people would realise constantly knocking an individual player only makes his performance worse. And booing the team does onot only make their performances worse, the opposition actually draw strength from it.

We all know the saying… the first thing we wanted to do was quiten the fans and then we knew we would have a chance.

Oh well,
night night.

No offence taken fs and i hope in kind that i havent offended anyone throughout our spirited debate today! I love this site like a fat kid loves cake! And if we all agreed on everything well what would be the point in that? As i’ve said all day i dont blame lucas or believe for a minute the display was his fault and that the fans have a right to voice there anger if its justified. That seems to be the crux of fs arguement -they werent justified, and the crux of mine – it was a poor decision. Oh well…

Aitch just read your post again (253) with mild amusement and simply must comment one more time before bed. Who said lucas was the worst player on the pitch? If you read the posts again i think you’ll find that the majority of the ire is aimed at his selection above xabi. And what this ‘slating bollocks’ about? So what, we cant constructively critcise our managers decisions anymore? Or point out an error? Come on man…..

FS I read the comment but I still don’t see where it says I’m saying the player is shite. I don’t think I called anyone shite in all these posts. In fact I thought I said, Robbie’s going through a bad patch and he’s the only one who can get himself out of it. We’ll just have to beg to differ, I not here to offend. I like you am a 60′s fan.
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I’ve gone back half way through this post, maybe the word missing is when the players going through a bad patch. They know there not playing well so they don’t need the crowd acknowledging it aswell. Ah well it’s not going anywhere but gave a few extra posts on the blog. Also never used the word “support”
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FS sorry if this isn’t in any distinct order but I’m going backwards and forwards through the post as I write. I din’t say I didn’t write the above, what a I didn’t say was supporting a player was calling him shite.
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Leave it at that.

Aitch, Pleease give me a break.
We can’t criticise a decision by Rafa?
He’s Football Manager, not a bloody heart surgeon.
Football is a wonderful release for most of us, but it really isn’t Life and death.
There are far to many more important things going on in this World.
I thought the decision to play Lucas over Alonso was wrong, I still do .
Alonso would have opened up Fulham, something Lucas doesn’t have the ability, at this point in his career to do.
I agree other plays had sub par games, and Torres was one of them.
I think this blog is here so that we can voice our opinions, we do not agree with each other all of the time, and that’s what is so great about this blog.
We can share our views, and I would hope we don’t have to Slag each other off, because we disagree.

Just to put my 2c worth. I disagree with those who claim Torres had a bad game. For one he didnt get any service, and i mean no proper service at all. Secondly he appeared to the the only player trying. He made the wide runs, he dropped back to get the ball, he attacked. In fact, he was the only penetrating player. Sure he might not have scored or best on ground, but at least he was giving it his all.

One last thing, from experience, when a crowd gets on your back you dont want to receive the ball. In fact you kind of hide from receiving the ball. Never under-estimate the crowds influence, especially your own supporters booing you, it has 100x the effect that it does when the opposing supporters boo you.

Aitch, were you watching a different game, saying Torres had a bad game?

Because Torres happens to be the one who worked the hardest in trying to push the team forward. He had to do two, or even three, people’s work, with Gerrard absent and Keane low on confidence.

Not to mention the midfield was sub-par that day and not supplying him with much, meaning he has to start most of the thrusting attacks himself. He was noticeably tired out near the end of the game.

Hi guys I havnt read all the comments fully but on Lucas, I thought he was ok and certainly dont think one of our own should be getting booed at Anfield. I personally cant see him being a great player in the Prem as I think the game is just a little to quick for him but most of us have said that about someone and its come back to bite us on the arse (Kuyt anyone?). I can see it now though, we offload to him Italy and we come up against him in CL final played at a slower pace and he gives us a bath. Lets give the lad a little more time to understand the pace of the game in England.

Lads no doubt everyone has been reading stuff about Lucas. I personally thought the guy ran himself ragged, alas though to no avail. However I just read a comment on another site which regardless of how it comes out shows the type of tongue in cheek posts we all love to read. Hopefully this works.
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“I may have missed it I suppose but I was in the Kop and never heard him booed. Obviously I heard a lot of “sub that useless c***”, no booing though.” I got at chuckle out of this one.
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I guess laughter cures all. Happy and looking forward to the CL game.

FS, have enjoyed reading all your comments above.

To all – the Lucas things is probably done to death by now, but I want to put my 2c in. No, he was not the worst player on the pitch. I’d say both he and Masch contributed about the same, which unfortunately wasn’t much, particularly in a creative sense. The problem is, that meant we had nobody imposing themselves in the midfield. Alonso has been in top form this year, as our “General” or “Quarterback”, running the play. We didn’t have anyone doing that on Saturday, and it showed enormously, especially in the first half, and then the massive difference was shown when Alonso came on.

I think it needs to be recognised that wanting Alonso to come on and take over that role – which we were crying out for – need not be seen as a massive slagging off of Lucas. The lad definitely tried hard, running around doing a decent defensive job, but to me he gave nothing creatively, hence we rarely looked like scoring (that’s not all his fault though of course – but a factor nonetheless). That’s why I also agree that it may have been smarter to start Alonso, and rest him next week when Gerrard is back. Or at least, bring Alonso on at half-time, for Masch or Lucas. But yes I’m sure there were some booing Lucas, and they should be condemned for it.

I must add though – the game didn’t pass Lucas by just because he wasn’t getting much support from the home crowd. I’m sure it didn’t help, but the game passed him by because he doesn’t look ready to deliver the goods. If it was all down to needing fans helping him out, then by that logic we couldn’t play him in any away games.

FS regarding your comments on who attends games these days… I definitely hear you, but if you don’t like day-trippers and you don’t like old buggers who moan too much about the old days and won’t get off the Kop… who does that leave that SHOULD be there? It’s a genuine question, not a criticism. We can’t resurrect the crowd of 30 years ago, it’s natural evolution that fans get old and new fans come in.

It sounds to me like the club needs a stronger membership program, getting the youth involved early and teaching them the Liverpool Way etc. I’m not sure to what degree membership programs happen locally now, but it could probably always be more active. Get all the old boys like FS mixed in with the younger fans, get them having beers with the 20-somethings before games. FS how much of that kind of thing happens at the moment?

What’s the thoughts about swapping Benny onion and Darby for Elano from ManC? I’m a fan of the swap as I’m not convinced of Benny fitting into our set up…
Or even the rumour that Real want Babel for 15mill??? Is he worth more???

Unfortunately there isn’t any rumours about LB’s and RB’s… What a shame…

I’ve never agreed with booing your own players. It’s unproductive. It ruins the player’s confidence, usually has a detremental effect on the whole team and lifts the opposition. I think the booing stemmed from Rafa’s team selection. When some of the fans saw the team sheet and saw Alonso on the bench and Lucas in the team they probably had the same reaction I had. “Alonso on the bench!? Lucas in the side!? F**king hell!” Seems they were just waiting for a bad pass from Lucas to confirm their disaproval of his selection.

I thought Rafa got it wrong by putting Lucas in the firing line alongside Masch. Our 2 best creative midfield players not in the team was more than likely going to lead to frustration. I just didn’t see how Masch and Lucas would control the game and thought Alonso was key to the 3 points. I’d rather he played against Fulham and then rested against Marseille. If anything play Lucas against Marseille – you’d have thoguht it would suit him more. That’s my armchair point of view anyway.

I’m concerned about Babel’s development – or rather the lack of. Seems like he’s confidence is suffering by warming the bench. I thought his performance in Marseille was very good but he was then rewarded with the bench and since then has not looked good even when given a start. That said against Spurs in the carling cup he played alright (although not great) and worked hard. Looked up for it even when we were a few goals down. Since then he’s hardly played. It’s only so often a player will make an impact coming from the bench. I can see him wanting to leave like Benny if he isn’t getting more action. Especially with the world cup coming and him needing regular games to get picked for Holland.

What concerns me most is Robbie Keane. I just find it hard to understand his anxiety. Maybe its the price tag or playing for the club he supports, I’m not sure. Unlike Lucas the crowd encourage him every game and sing his name, he’s a seasoned pro playing in a league he’s played in most of his career yet he just looks uncomfortable to me. Against West Brom where he played very well and scored 2 brilliant goals. His celebrations were not of joy, they were of pent up frustration and anxiety. And it seems he’s still carrying this anxiety on his shoulders. It wouldn’t surprise me if something was going on in his private life we don’t know about.

Anyway we’re still joint top with West Ham to play next while the mancs go to man city and Chelsea play Arsenal. It’s a chance to be clear at the top!

Digger, from comment 244, I know that there was a better player (i.e. Alonso) on the bench and I was confused as anyone when I seen the teamsheet.

However, the fact is that Alonso was on the bench and Lucas was on the pitch. Lucas should have been supported 100% during the match because it was he who was playing for LFC. All the discussions about the rights and wrongs can take place in the pub after.

Anyway, I think that this has been done to death now. Let’s look forward to the Marseille match on Wednesday.

Reina
Arbie, Carra, Agger, Aurellio
Babel, Alonso, Masch, Riera
Torres, Keane

Win the game and then we dont have to worry about PSV in a couple of weeks coz we’d have already qualified.

Too right LB feck the bickering lets get on to the next game!!
But all are welcome to their opinion
In fairness lads we know we fucked-up this weekend but lets move onwards and upards
Its not the end of the world as they say and just as a few wankers booing people in Anfield means it ain’t the end of ‘The Kop’ or ‘the Liverpool way’
So chin-up lads get on with it
I’m glad Timmy got out of the well and I hope you have a good time for everyone

I just watched Match of the day and it didn’t look any better but I won’t sweat the small stuff
as someone said earlier ‘It’s not life or death’
I agree it’s much more important!!!
Andy good to have you back ol’chap
Tully-Ho

I was going to wait until Gerry posted a new blog, also to give it some time. I expected all the ranting and raving as well as the over the top Lucas criticism.

Firstly, when I saw the line up I thought fuck how can he not play Alonso. Then I thought I wonder if he has picked up a knock. In the first half the whole team, bare Torres looked 3 yards slower and off the pace. I take that back I thought this was on of Aggers best and most accomplished performances this year. Carra was solid at the back, but did his usual and hoofed the ball up field bi-passing the midfield. Arbeloe, Riera, Kuyt and Keane (in a particular) our attacking quartet had a really off day and especially Riera and Kuyt looked tired.

I am not too sure who said Torres was bad, but for me he looked a class above the rest and that was the start of our problems. Everybody wanted to bomb the ball long for him as he was our best option especially during the first half. As the game went on Torres realized that nobody was helping him so decided to go it alone to often making the problem worse.

Masch, (who had a much worse game than Lucas and yes Lucas had a bad first half and no amount of justification can excuse fans from booing a young lad that is giving his all and the people on this site who have tried to justify it should take a long hard look at themselves) when he got the ball surged forward nullifying Lucas’s role and position and contributed to a disjointed midfield display. Masch is not an attacking, creative midfield player and should have at back and fed Lucas. Rafa also picked up n that and changed the formation at the interval, with Masch sitting further back and Lucas taking more control. It was even better when Alonso came on for Masch. Lucas had a decent if not spectacular second half (nobody including Alosno, when he came on, did)

For all those people who think Lucas is not creative enough, compared to Gerrard and Alosno (first and this year) no he is not at that level yet. He did however create the chance for Keane, who should have buried it. I will leave Keane for another post but he needs to start taking some of these chances that come his way. Every miss creates its own pressure, both on him and on the team. By being bi-passed in the first half with long balls forward, plus the booing every time he got the ball, plus the chanting for him to be subbed is anyone surprised he choked a bit? Who wouldn’t in his situation? Give credit where credit is due, h came back strongly in the second half, which showed, guts character and class not to hide and go into his shell. This lad will make it and I hope and it looks like Rafa does believe in him, we give him the chance instead of this infantile and puerile reaction to a youngster.

For fuck sake we are joint top of the log, have had the best start ever, beaten our two main rivals, have not yet played to our potential (Torres and Keane have only started 6 time together, these partnerships take time, pluss all the other injuries that have contributed to a disjointed start) and we get on a kids back when he should be getting all the support he needs and when he was one of the better players on the pitch. This is not the end of the Ged Eye era and even then (I was not a fan of his) booing is unacceptable. It is not and should never be the Liverpool Way. That is always why we have stood out in the past and why we are special and supposed to be the most knowledgeable fans in the world (not on this reaction) and no amount of justification can ever excuse this behavior and anybody who ties to justify it needs to reevaluate what they think is the Liverpool Way.

Well said Keith
Top of the log and yet to realy get motoring!!
As Gerry says…………Keep the faith!

Over and out

Mmmm….blog is dripping with self-righteousness this morning.

Your right there Digger,
i had a good look at myself this morning, no change really apart from a pair of eyes like harry redknapp cos of flu i feel good.
Just not getting into all that, people have views and can freely express them without being vilified by others in here who dont share their view
YNWA.

A lot of the guys on here will be mistakenly taken as extremely vain the amount of hard looks they are required to give themselves.

Eyes like Harry Redknapp? Fucking hell Red, you must be ill! The game couldn’t have improved your health mate.

I remember having the worse flu of my life, felt like I was dying. I dragged myself in front of the tele to watch Liverpool play Arsenal at the Emirates. We lost 3-0. “Nice ones lads”. I thought.

Hope that flu hasent got you twitching like harry redman!

Digger, I wasn’t being self-righteous.
You, LB and a fair few others are lads I would certainly class as “sensible posters” even on issues I disagree with you on.

This place has held me since I found it 2 years or so ago, because for the most part what you get in here is an average 80% plus sensible posts.
By that, I mean people who have thought out what they are saying.

I know my posts probably wouldnt’ be quite as thought out if I posted immediately after a game, which is why I don’t. It’s too easy to let emotion rule what you type.

There have been plenty of times I’ve looked at a team sheet and thought “Christ Rafa what the fuck are you thinking?” … but the minute that whistle blows it should only ever be “Come on you Reds” and your personal proclivities for individual players be damned!!

I notice the “Kuyt isn’t good enough for LFC” posts have disappeared in the last two weeks.
Is that because he’s now delivering the goods…or because we now have a new scapegoat.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but what if that opinion is bollocks????

I say that not in a condescending fashion, but because I know from evidence of previous posts that most of you are fairly sensible fuckers.

To those of you who wanted Alonso on instead of Lucas… I ask this simple question…
In the summer where you on here posting that selling him was a good idea?

I would have preferred to have Alonso but after watching some of the stuff that Lucas produced, I am having second thoughts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gvqpFbRKtQ

Aitch mate to a man, everyone i know wanted xabi on instead of lucas! And whether i or anyone else was for or against xabis potential summer exit is irrelevant! He was an lfc player on saturday and a superior oneto that for which he was dropped. This imo was a mistake. That is the issue here. Not my opinion or position on a players possible exit during the summer. Whats that got to do with anything?! Come on mate…

Aitch – regarding your question:

I notice the “Kuyt isn’t good enough for LFC” posts have disappeared in the last two weeks.
Is that because he’s now delivering the goods…or because we now have a new scapegoat.

Its definitely because he has been delivering the goods. You can’t really argue with good delivering can you? He still does things in certain games where I think “for fuck sake Kuyt” but by and large this season he’s played well. Very well. And he’s scored goals.

I’ve never been one to really slag off Lucas I was just pissed off to see him in the team and Alonso sitting on his arse in the dug out.

Imagine we were playing against the mancs in the CL final with Ngog up front fluffing chances while Torres was kicking his heels on the bench. Anyone who wouldn’t scream “Get that fucker off and bring on Nando for fuck sake!!” would deserve the nobel peace prize.

It was a combination of Alonso being on the bench as well as Lucas having a poor season that lead to the fans reaction. Had Lucas and Alonso been in midfield from the start I doubt he’d have had a reaction that bad. Let me say though that there is no excuse for booing your own players.

As for some of us wanting to sell Alonso in the summer. I was one of them yes, but only if we could have brought in a better player. At the moment though I’m glad we kept him because he is producing the form of his first season with us. Its a toss up between him and Kuyt for LFC player of the year so far. 2 players I wouldn’t have been sad to see the back of last summer. Ironic eh?

Back to the scape goat thing. Its the players that play consistently shite that get stick. At the moment it’s Dossena and Lucas.

Remember a while ago it was Pennant getting slaughtered every time we didn’t win.

Feck it I’ll address the Kyut part of your question too while I’m in here Aitch since I have been a major detractor of his on this blog in the past and I dont want you thinking I cant handle my humble pie!
Look, I’ve given the lad loads in the past and deservedly so in my opinion. Last year there were times when his form can only be described as (and I’m trying to be fair here) non-existant. There were stretches of last season where Rafas continued selection of him was inexplicable. Therefore I called for the guy to be dropped, sold etc etc. This year, WOW, what a turn around. Dirk lad my hats of to ya. What a 180. You and Xabi should be the first names on the team sheet each week and rightly so. But, and heres the kicker Aitch, if his form was to return the level of last year or to that where he is no longer benefitting the team and there was a player of equal or better talent on the bench, i.e Babel, then I will again callfor him to be dropped. And the same goes for em all. Why? Because like everyone else in here I want Liverpool to be top- of- the- table-numero-uno-head-honcho-24/7-365-days-of-the-year. To quote a great man “a bastion of invincibility”. So you see, its not a bad thing to criticise your team or point out mistakes when its done constructively and for a reason. The reason? The further progression and betterment of our club.

A small comment on Robbie, the Weekend “disaster” and form issues.

As long as I have been watching Robbie play I’ve had the opinion that he can’t score a “bad” goal. Nothing ever goes in off his arse or his elbow. He gets really good ones… but …. a few bad ones wouldn’t go amiss.
Secondly, as has been said, he is a striker. They are a breed that play off confidence and his confidence is not flowing right now.
He will come good and we’re gonna love it when it happens!

Right, Fulham. I actually think it may not be the worst disaster. It was and is bound to happen in the season that we are gonna drop stupid points and we have .. but no-one gained on us. So I guess we had a bad bad day (that’s 2 now, Stoke.
We can and will play better, the chances of that happening again (formation, Luck, lack of fitness and form) are less now. Rafa sees. That won’t happen again.
Form, I personally think the from and focus of both Nando and Mascher has been really messed up by the summer gone (euros and olympics). I see that Barca and Argentina have a gentlemans agreement which means Messi does not play in the friendlies now after playing in Olympics. Rafa take note please.

Finally thanks to all the contributors here. It’s a great site. I’m late on this blog cos of work and baby-stuff but every post gets read.

Rock on.

At least Pennant can’t get slaughtered for his performances anymore……….. he never plays!

The argument that some supporters wanted Xabi to leave in the Summer, but now want him to start ahead of Lucas? Well, it really isn’t an argument at all is it? It makes no sense to my mind.

Lucas is a squad player and Xabi, in the absence of Stevie G, IS our most attacking, experienced midfielder. To not start him against Fulham was suprising to say the least, and gave Fulham the confidence to think they actually had a realistic chance of winning the match, such was their superiority in midfield.

I think Rafa thought that Xabi was among the more tired of our players after the midweek internationals, and that’s why he didn’t start him.

I have come to realise that if Rafa thinks a certain player is “tired” then he aint gonna play him! And I think this was the case on Saturday.

Dig & LB
Conceptually you’re not entirely wrong.But we’re not talking conceptually are we.

Its one thing to debate the pros and cons of a player, but the boos for Lucas didn’t start after 30 minutes of bad passing. They started when the team sheet was announced. That’s just fuckin wrong.

The lad hasn’t set the Prem alight, but to be writing him off so early is crazy.

LB – you and I went rounds in pre-season over Kuyt… and while I insisted you were wrong and he would come good, I understood the basis for your opinion… but to suggest you can’t see any potential in Lucas … simply flabbergasts me…how can you not?
And again, I’m not being condescending… I’m making that statement from having read previous posts. (not just by you LB, or Digger, but by others as well.) You guys know you’re football, don’t tell me you see nothing in the lad.

You have no idea why Rafa kept Alonso on the bench.
Alonso might have been struggling in practice, or carrying a knock. Stevie won’t be ready for Marseille, so we’ll be looking to Xabs for that.
Its a long season with lots of games left to play and Lucas, wether you like it or not is gonna play some games. Better against Fulham than Marseille.

LB you use an analogy that has Lucas playing against Scum instead of Alonso. Are you serious… that’s not even legitimate unless Xabi is injured and you know it.

Hindsight is always good for proving your point, so given how many results Kuyt has gotten us this season, hands up all those who wish we’d “got shut” as quite a few suggested in the summer. You cannot say that Lucas won’t emerge and have a similar effect as the seaosn progresses, you can only guess one way or the other.

I hate the very notion of the classification, but will I concede that there have been a few players who you could class – Not Good Enough For LFC – (Dundee, Kvarme, Diao to name a few)…
… to lump Lucas in with them is simply insane!
Only time will tell if he comes good, but its far to early to be writing him off, or booing him before a ball is kicked.

We all need to just take a big deep breath and give this experiment of Rafa’s time to gestate.
And that’s gonna mean supporting Benny, Lucas and anyone else Rafa sees fit to field!

I think the most disturbing thing about the weekend game was not directly the fact that the crowd was booing Lucas, but more about booing the masch substitution. That was the most shocking for me. I on’t believe I have ever heard this happening before. The booing of that substitution meant that the dissatisfaction was directed at Rafa’s tactical decision– to keep lucas on and not masch. Whatever happened to “In Rafa We Trust”?? To think that these were (presumably) the same people that were voicing their support for Rafa this time last year!?

I only hope it was an emotional temporary outbirst (which of course sometimes happened in the mid 80s, which is as far back as I can remember personally, but never at a manager’s tactical change), because as thing stand, we should be really happy. Usually, when we drew a game that we should have won, the mancs and chavs grinded out results. But this year, as FS says, it has been an exceptional year. I’ve been constantly shouting that lady luck is on our side. None of our rivals have managed to take advantage of our shite result over the weekend. I couldn’t have asked for more. I keep telling you, we should be thankful for our current position with the squad that we have. I know I have to keep ranting on every time we get disappointed, but I told you so at the beginning of the season. The only mistake I made at that time was that I thought we would be out of the race by now. But we aren’t. We are still right up there, and it is already coming into December. Lads, I am really enjoying it, not for a long time has this happened. And Rafa, lucas, robbie are all part of this trip we are still taking.

Ive no idea why rafa left xabi on the bench Aitch? Well it certainly wasnt for the possible reasons you cite. Struggling in practice? Come on, he’s our player of the year thus far. Carrying a knock? He came through 90mins wed. night with no problems and if he’s fit enough to be on the bench he was fit enough to start. As was proven when he was sprung from said bench in an attempt to salvage the game from rafas flawed plan A. No biggie. We all make mistakes but apparently not rafa in your eyes!

And heres another thing while its on my mind, whilst it would be great to win the c.l to be quite honest id gladly sacrifice it for the league. In fairness rafa stated the league was our priority at seasons start and we’re practically in the last 16 of c.l so why not play lucas in the marseille game? In other words the least important of the 2 games. Hardly prioritizing the league methinks. Your right Aitch i’ve no idea why xabi was benched, if only i did….

It appears that Stevie is fit to face Marseille. But I don’t think he should, I think Xabi should start this game and Stevie should get further rest and more training sessions under his belt ahead of his return against West Ham.

Xabi can pull the strings against Marseille, Stevie can help to thrash West Ham.

In Rafa’s own words, Xabi had “heavy legs” and 90 minutes will make them a whole lot heavier than a 30 minute runout… as I know you know coz you’ve played the game!

Its all well and good saying that we should prioritize the league, but it completely ignores the likelihood that we won’t.

And you can talk about winning the league all you want… if we get knocked out of the CL and then finish 2nd, most of you won’t be happy. I know I won’t be.

We ALL want the PL, me included, but I’d certainly settle for us finishing 2nd, above Scum, and winning in Rome, as a nice consolation prize.

Playing a few fringe players against the likes of Fulham is a good gamble… okay so it didn’t pay off this weekend… but we need our big guns healthy for games against stronger opposition.

A result against Marseille means we have qualified and can then play a weaker side against PSV (a weaker side than Marseille) resting SG and the like, and thereby give the likes of Ngog, Darby and (I almost hate to even suggest it based on his last performance) Plessis (but then I’m going to say) Lucas (so perhaps thats a bit unfair on Plessis) some experience in Europe.

(And in Darby’s case, need I remind you of how tenuous our right back situation is? He won’t get games in the CC now and will only get games in the FA cup if we draw “lower opposition” so a game against PSV would be priceless.)

And as far as my eyes go, Rafa frustrates me with some of his decisions too Dig, I don’t think the man is infallable.
I completely disagree with this whole “tactical genius” bullshit.
Sometimes he gets it right and sometimes he gets it wrong… and sometimes… he gets lucky… as all managers who have ever won anything do!
But he’s the right man for the job.
He’s bought more talent than duds.
Contrary to popular myth, Arsenal are not the only team developing young players…as Rafa’s youth policy will prove in 2-3 years time.
AND… if he wants to play Lucas instead of Stevie G, then that’s his prerogative as Liverpool Manager

And one final note to all the boo boys… Just be fuckin glad you weren’t booing Jurgan Klinsman’s team selection.
There are a certain two fuckers who watch our games you know… and the only reason Rafa is still with us is coz the fans rallied in support of him.
If G&H get a whiff of discontent, we’ll be finishing the season under Juande Ramos (or someone like him.)

Selling Alonso would have been one of the biggest mistakes we could have made.
The Boy is pure class in my book.
He gets through so much work during a game and his passing is Top Draw.
We all should be glad he is still here, and playing so well.
Time for a new Blog Gerry, we have beat this one to death.

Some of the comments seem to suggest the playing staff was not up to scratch. Possibly it was a tactical blunder by Rafa.
.
I still think our problem lies in our midfields scoring ability. looking at the team on Saturday, Riera, I think the lads got 1, Mash not sure if he’s scored any this season, doesn’t usually score. Lucas I can only remember him getting 1 since he joined. Kuyt has been scoring.
.
Therefore if the only people in your team that are scoring regularly are SG, Nando and Robbie, one of them is coming back from injury, one is struggling for confidence and ones injured, your going to struggle.
.
I’ll stand corrected here but I think Plessis has scored as many goals this season as 3 of our centre midfielders. Xabi scores every now and then but is not noted for his shooting.
.
What we need is wingers like Riera and Kuyt to chip in regularly with goals, Bable, Benny, Pennant the same. Riera unfortunately looks further from scoring than most mentioned.
.
So if you take the above scoring rates as correct it shows that us being top of the league is really quite amazing, even though the goal difference would highlight the issue.
.
Gerry talked about lady luck a couple of blogs ago, I think she has well and truly been on our side the year, this weekend was a gift sent from luck land.

Far be it for me to be self righteous, if fans think booing a young 21 year old in his second season is some how going to lift him and get the best out of him go right ahead, but don’t expect me to applaud or agree with it. I fail to see, despite the claims by some to have the right or not, how this will benefit the team. Isn’t that the criteria for supporting your team?

Before somebody mentions that Fabragas is also only 21 please remember that he has been with the Gunners for 5 years and has had the opportunity to settle learn and fit in with the peculiar demands of the Prem, the toughest and fastest league in the world. The same should apply to Babbel, this kid is still wet behind the ears and we should remember a player only reaches his peak at 28.

Thank fuck Rafa is picking the team and judging who has the quality to succeed or not. It is pure and simple knee jerk reaction and unwarranted at that, seeing we are sitting at the top of the pile.

What would have happened had Alonso torn a hammy because of tired legs and was out for two months? There has to be man management of resources, it is no coincidence that for the past 3 years Liverpool have finished the strongest, in terms of points earned, out of the entire Prem.

I wanted Alonso to start with Masch in the middle; in hindsight Alosno and Lucas would have been better, but we have to relay on Rafa judgment as, despite all the armchair experts who think to the contrary, he has a slightly better understanding of the squad and how to utilize them best. Yes sometimes he will get it wrong, according to us, but we will never know the true picture of anyone’s fitness levels. As I said hindsight is an exact science and had Keane stuck the chance away that Lucas created, we would all be praising Rafa for the foresight to rest players and still get the right result.

Liverpool expert and overall genius is at it again
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2008/11/24/liverpool-will-not-win-the-title-if-rafa-benitez-continues-tinkering-with-the-team-115875-20920720/
Sorry for posting the link lads but maybe its something else to vent your anger at

What the F**K is wrong with this guy Stan Collymore?

Does he wish to be our manager? Or has Rafa kicked him in the arse anytime before? This is the first time Rafa’s made a tactical change to the team which was more or less settled and this f**ker has gone for Rafa’s head.

Reading all the comments about Lucas and Alonso issue, my 2 cents worth opinion:

Playing ALonso for 3 games in 8 days could have ended in:
1. bad play by him as he’s obviously tired.
2. He might make a bad tackle and get himself unnecessarily booked.
3. Worst case scenario, he might get injured.

Personally i feel we could have handled Fulham without Alonso anyways. But we did not and that to me was due to poor team performance and not due to absence of one player.

Everybody is entitled to their opinion but they should also take into consideration that we have been the best finishers in the last 3 years. We have always finished strongly. But we could not challenge for the title as we did not have a good start to our season. Now that we have a good start, i feel we should let Rafa do whats good for the team.

Regarding the booing of Lucas in general and mascher substitution, it was just disgraceful.

Never seen such behavior from our own people and certainly not to our own boy. Lucas is just 21 and i really can’t comprehend this situation. I feel sad for the lad. We the fans of LFC, who have been hailed the 12th man on the field for the team has now been blemished by this incident.

Abhiram you claim to never have seen the booing situation before, well what about the disgraceful situation with Voronin last year, then the poor bastard went on to score. He made his point back to the crowd. It’s not isolated, we just tell ourselves otherwise.

I`ve said it before Donal collymore is nothing but a waster and his opinion means f**k all to me.

Why should we even mention him in here he`s not worth paying attention to.

Gerry any chance of a new blog bud?

I`ve said it before Donal collymore is nothing but a waster and his opinion means f**k all to me.

Why should we even mention him in here he`s not worth paying attention to.

Gerry any chance of a new blog bud?

Posted twice accidently,sorry guys.

Considering Collymore’s managerial expertise, their is no big surprise there.

Anyway, it is another good reason not to buy that rag.

‘its all well and good saying we should prioritize the league but it completely ignores the likelihood we wont’. What the?! Why is it likely we wont prioritize the league?! Why would rafa deviate from his seasons mission statement?? Especially given our current position, form and ladyluck. Everything is pushing us toward it and your suggesting ‘in all likelihood’ it wont be our priority?! Strange one that mate, a little help here?

Yeah I know Timmy was just waiting for the new blog and thought I’d take some of the pressure off Lucas

Good to see Carra come out today and talk about the crowd getting off the players backs and relaxing

after all it ain’t the end of days drawing a match

Kiethsa if its far from you to be self-righteous then maybe you should ease up on the ‘take a look at yourselves in the mirror’ and the ‘its time to re-evaluate what you think the liverpool way is’ talk. Not that it bothers me. I love the debate in here with you Aitch or anyone, its just a little less enjoyable when your being talked down to from an assumed higher lfc moral ground. If you disagree with my opinion fair enough, state ur case, but leave out the mirrors and what not eh?!

Timmy ya bollicks did you just call me Donal Collymore?

Just having a bit of craic Timmy mate I must be seriously bored!

Aitch, there is no benefit of hindsight when I said Alonso should play and not Lucas. Look at my post just before kick off and you’ll see.

The Fulham game is more important in my opinion than the Marseille game. Simply because the league should be priority. Rafa himself said the PL was priority. I’d have played Alonso against Fulham and then rested him against Marseille. We play West Ham on Monday so that would have been 9 days rest. I sometimes think Rafa tries to be too clever when he is monitoring fitness levels and predicting when a player needs rest. Last season he left Torres out of key matches and he still got injured. This season Gerrard has had rests here and there and still got injured. That’s my opinion.

I don’t think Lucas is going to cut it simply because he won’t get enough opportunities to develop. I fail to see how he’ll get a run in the side to develop when he has Masch, Alonso and Gerrard in front of him. Unlike Kuyt who played every game regardless of how poor he performed and eventually found some good form.

Comparing Lucas to Fabregas maybe unfair because Fabgregas has been at Arsenal a while. But remember he was fantastic from the day he made his debut, his performances forced Wenger to pick him and he just got better and better. Lucas has not had one game where you can say he was brilliant. He’s done some good things in matches but at no stage in his career at LFC have I come away thinking he had a great game.

Lucas played against Fulham because Rafa thought Alonso needed a rest. Not because he himself earned his place through good performances coming off the bench in previous matches or starts in the cup matches. He’s been relatively poor this season but plays because theoretically he should be good enough to do a good job against Fulham. No tangible evidence to date convinces me that Lucas can have a great game against any Premeire League opposition. If he proves me wrong I will hold my hands up.

None of this excuses booing him though – let me make that clear.

Cheers Aitch, I was going to post a very similar post to yours, but seeing as i couldn’t say it better myself, I won’t!!! I couldn’t agree any more…

Just a flippant comment- I’m waiting for my Personalised Liverpool Car Plates to arrive in the post, it reads: “Liverpool FC” in red small italics on the top “LFC 11″ as the Registration number and “You’ll Never Walk Alone in small red Italics on the bottom. The border is Yellow. Can’t Bloody wait!!!!

I

just to change the subject a bit…we really need to sign agger on an extension. along with kuyt…i think he deserves it. but with all this speculation going on about agger, he needs to be tied down. he and skrtel are our future center backs. we could easily have to pay 10-15 million to find a comparable player that might not be as young as him.

YNWA

Sorry about that i dunno whats up with me today!

Would i be right in saying you`ve been called worse in your day Doonal?

Good to see carra come out to tell the boo boys to chill out and have some patience when the team are playing at home.I hope they listen to him

@LondonBarnes

Agree with you when you say PL is our top priority. Rafa has said so himself. But we don’t know the full story right? We cannot comment on why Alonso did not start the game simply because we dont know what factors were involved.

IMHO we have a very bare squad that can play well when all the main team players are playing well and none are injured. If one gets injured, we’ll find it very tough to replace them. I am damn worried about this.

What will happen if Torres, Gerrard, Alonso, Kuyt and Mascherano get injured(say 3 among this five)? We don’t have a team like Chelski and Mancs who can replace even 5 players. Correct me if i am wrong but we should be able to replace 3 players right? Take any combination among the 5 i mentioned, and you’ll see that we need to give some game time to Bennayoun, Lucas, Ngog and Babel so that they can come and take the place of the first teamers.

I also read somewhere that we should have experimented with the team for marseille and not this game.Fair point. But, if we lose that game or draw, we are still not sure of qualification for the last 16 and we’ll have to play our first team in our last game. But if we win, we are sure to qualify. SO, we can give one game less ( the PSV match) to our first team.

@gazamaninaus – mate i would have mentioned it but then as i found that he’s a big mouthed ‘i am the greatest player in bundesliga’ and ‘i need to be in a better club than this’ c**t and hence i refrained to use his example. He was not 21 too. He was experienced and expected to deliver.

never been called worse than Collymore!!

Fair point abhiram

DiggerNo10 if it doesn’t bother you why comment, just ignore. Your self righteous comment aimed at me for being unable to accept fans booing at our own players is far more condescending in the scheme of things. Yes some of us (I would like to think the majority on this site) will not and cannot accept the booing under any circumstances. As you say that good old clichéd phrase of everybody is entitled to their own opinion, mine is if fans boo a youngster in their own team instead of encouraging, they should take a look in the mirror because what they will see is an utter twat. When players of the caliber and stature of Carra come out and say it is unacceptable, it just goes to show how bad and detrimental the behavior has been. Liverpool Way or not I know what that means to me maybe it means something else to you.

Here is an interesting stat this is the best start ever, equal with the all conquering side of the 77, 78 year, to a Prem or First div (as it was when us dinosaurs ruled) and better than all the other 17 title winning years.

So yes lets get on the teams back boo them, jeer them shout for substitutions I am sure that is the right way to go.

Keith, I’m going to fact check that stat. No way can this be the best start ever. From the top of my head we won the first 11 games in 1990-91. I’ll be back

My memory wasn’t quite spot on in the 90-91 season. We won our first 8 games – I remember barnes and Beardsley being on fire. However it fell a part when Kenny left. Anyway we got 38 points from first 14 games. 5 more than this season.

Last time we won the league: 27 points after 14 games.

1987-88: After 14 games – 34 points. Just 1 more point than we have after 14 games this season.

Podolski has put in his papers for transfer.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/nov/24/bayern-munich-lukas-podolski-tottenham-hotspur-manchester-city

Any chance that he can come to Liverpool? Hope he comes. If he really is coming, we can sell Pennant, and Benny if required and get him.

I don’t think he’ll come if he’s offered a sub job though. He still can play left midfield but he has to face competition in Riera. But then we can play 4-3-3 too then… Just dreaming i guess…

2002-03:

31 points after 14 games. Top of league in November.
64 points after 38 games. Finished 5th.

PS. Dream on abhiram….

Check out Phil Thommo’s perm far right on the back row.

http://www.liverweb.org.uk/season.asp?season=197879

LB. I used to work with Phil’s Dad out in Kirkby in the early 70′s. He even brought in Phil’s Eufa cup Medal,after they won it.

There is no excuse for Booing our own Team, Ever!!!
That’s why this site is great. we can come in here and complain to our hearts content, but like someone said earlier, we never criticise Liverpool F.C. in public, and never to someone who isn’t a Red.

Sorry Digger, I meant “likelihood we won’t win the Prem” not “Likelihood we won’t prioritize it.”

LB- I’m not arguing the concept of playing Alonso over Lucas against Fulham. All things being equal I would have prefered to see Lucas and Alonso (and I’m a big fan of Masch) but given that Rafa stated Alonso had “heavy legs” I think it made sense to play Lucas and rest Xabi.

You have hindsight on your side when you say it was a big mistake, but Rafa didn’t have that when he fielded the team.
Are you telling me you knew we were not going to win? Coz if you are, please predict the next scroe so I can get a bet on… my current investements are going down faster than a 2 quid hooker in Chelsea.

We drew against Fulham NOT because Lucas played poorly, or because Alonso didn’t start, but because the rest of the team, pretty much to a man, was CACK!

I’d rate the performances as follows:
Torres & Carra at 7
Pepe, Dagger, Lucas & Kuyt at 6
Arbeloa, Riera, Masch, Keane, Aurelio at 5

Now you might disagree with some of that, but surely you can’t tell me its by much. We just didn’t play well, and even then, we still should have won. Had Keane put his chance away, I’d say we’d probably have won that 2-0. But we’ll never know that, anymore than we’ll know if we’d have won it had Alonso started. Its all pure conjecture.

You simply cannot predict what will happen if we bow out of the FA Cup and CL, to put all our eggs in the one basket of winning the PL.
SG, Torres, Cara, or whoever could just as easily sustain injuries against Scum and Chelsea as Stoke and Wigan, that would see them sitting out the bulk of the remaining games and then we’d be reading Lucas’ name on a lot of teamsheets… and how fit would he be then?

Not too many years ago, better than 60% of Liverpool fans deamed Jamie Carragher not good enough for Liverpool FC and wanted him sold off sharpish.
So just go easy on Lucas for a bit would you, please?

Thanks for clearing that up Aitch, figured you couldent have meant that! And Kiethsa, how could i ignore you?! I enjoy the debate too much mate. Occasionally a holier than thou tone creeps into your narrative and it can be a bit grating is all. No biggie. Im a big boy. Anyway I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one, and so my final words on it are TRUCE!! A period of detente before and for the next blog! Have a good one lads, im going for a coupla beers….

Aitch, I didn’t predict we wouldn’t win when I saw Lucas in instead of Alonso but I did feel less confident about a positive result. My thinking was we may struggle to control the game and create chances with a midfield of Masch and Lucas. Have a look at posts #153, #154, #155, #156.

I’m just watching CL highlights. Ribery and Benzema look different class!!

But alas, LB we can afford neither or anyone like them.

So for now at least, you may have to make your peace with seeing Lucas’ name on a few teamsheets.

By the way, if you haven’t read the excerpts from Paul Tomkins book on Graeme Souness’s tenure as LFC Manager, its a really good read and certainly might put things into perspective regarding our current squad players.

Ooops…. They can be found on the main TIA page.