Hi Gerry, great blog and spot on! First goal fifth min. and final score three nil to Brazil!

Hey Gerry, I am a first time reader from Australia and thought id say i couldn’t agree more with your blog. Would love to get my hands on the shirt so thought id say first goal in the 17th minute and two nil to Brazil.

By the way, I have inserted a new poll question but be careful before voting on it because I have cleverly included a red herring option and if you happen to select it your left foot might fall off, you have been warned!

Welcome aboard Joe and good luck in the comp.

First of all…
I WANT THE SHIRT, I WANT THE SHIRT, I WANT THE FREAKIN SHIRT!!!!

Second…
Have we signed the Archbishop of Canterbury as
our 2nd Right-Back?
Good bit of business havin God on our side, I’d say.

Third…
Pretty much agree with everything said Ged.
Though it is perhaps worth noting that as much as we now, looking back, wish they’d done things a different way and whored us round the world (like our competitors have done) most of us still clamor for “the Liverpool Way” and I think our foot dragging was partly being mired a little too much in that nostalgia of how we used to conduct ourselves. (as the Prem world marched on without us.)
Most now concede that while we wish it were still possible, it pretty much isn’t (not in that guise anyway… not saying we can’t function with dignity) but its a brave new world to coin a phrase, and we need to do, what we need to do, to keep up and overtake these soulless harbingers of evil (that’d be Scum and the Chavs in case there was any doubt!)

Fourth…
I WANT THE SHIRT, I WANT THE SHIRT, I WANT THE FREAKIN SHIRT!!!!

(and it’b be awesome if at some point, a future design could have some sort of KopBlog: The Blog’s Dollocks” logo on it somewhere. Even if it were on the back of the neck, like some of the official team merch have the team name sometimes.)

I’d buy that for a dollar!

Sound blogg there Gerry, I’m of the same opinion about the Yanks, but credit where credit is due, regardless of whoo they are in my humble opinion…

2-1 to U.S.A first goal in the 41st minute…

By the way, my Avatar is of my Truck’s Licence plate, here in NZ. It reads: LFC11, love it to death, but my missus gets flack from so many people when she’s driving it…

great blog as always, i think it’ll be a failry dire 1-0 win to brazil with the winning goal coming in the 85th minute

Great blog Gerry. Totally agree with what you said about Coco and Moores.

First goal 8th minute, final score 3-1 to Brazil.

Nice one Gerry!

Brazil to score 13th minute..
Final score 2-0 to Brazil

Didn’t Blackadder himself say that pointless bit to the queen? Baldrick is too stupid to say something so…. profound.

Great blog Gerry. Superb shirt. Here goes my prediction.

1st goal in the 12th minute and final scoreline will be 2-1.

Great blog mate,

Haven’t been around for a few weeks (work had me by the balls)
But caught up on all the comments.
I think I’m gonna let the transfer rumours play themselves out.

My prediction is 5-0 to brazil with the first in the 8th min

Gerry as much as I wish the Americans would Fuck off back to the planetary pod, I have to admit they have shaken the sleeping giant awake.
.
Both of them remind me of those shithead time and motion consultants. They come into your workplace streamline everything, lay some people off and then fuck off. What a sad indictment of our club when we can finally make a profit while these fuck sticks are in control.
.
How bad must Moores and Parry of been if we can actually make a profit during a time of an official boycott. How much could we have made over the last 20 years.
.
I know the money has changed the sport but LFC always made record buys. It’s good to finally see LFC buying world class players at world recognised prices, even if it’s only 1 or 2 a year.
.
If the Americans can wake this giant up then fuck off, I’ll be a happy little camper.
.
Ps Gerry is there any way of buying the shirt in question, or is there only a couple made.
.
Brazil 2-0, 26th minute goal.

Brazil 3 US 2
15th minute for the first goal

Brazil 3 USA 0

1st goal: 21st minute

great blogs. not one to usually comment, but would love this shirt, i’m another scouser in oz. think first goal will be 33 mins and brazil 2-1, not that i’ll be watching now the boys are out for spain

Great blog, Gerry. Don’t normally post but this topic is close to my heart, and I think that you have hit the proverbial nail on the noggin with this one.

Dick dastardly and muttley should be getting as much stick as the yanks, but it seems that they have quietly slipped out the back door of the burning warehouse unnoticed with a lot of goods. TOTALLY CRIMINAL !

The words – piss up, brewery and organise – spring to mind when commenting on those two and to hear that Parry has just landed another lucrative role makes the blood boil.

Anyway better wrap up before I write a book. By the way, Brasil to win 2 – 1 with first goal in 17th minute.

2-o to Brazil, first goal after 34 minutes.Great blog as ever.If Voronin got his hair cut , some of the fans might take to him.

Is Ryan Babel better than Djibril Cisse?.

I gave you 5 stars for your blog Gerry (almost usually),but I have to diagree with you over the Confederation (Confetti) Cup. There have been two great semi-final games and I’m looking forward to the final. My guess is that Brazil will win 2-1 but the USA to score first in the 40th minute.If it doesn’t end that way,,,,then you can pee into the Liffey for me after you’ve had a load of Guinness Gerry.

Great Blog Gerry,

It’s like you were reading my mind on Parry and Moores. I would like to add that after we won the ECL for the 5th time and were the toast of the footballing world, these 2 clowns did nothing to promote the business thru-out the world, and gave Rafa very little of the Money we earned to spend on new players.

As an Australian Liverpool supporter and long time reader of your excellent blog, I would love to win the shirt, however if I do not win, is there another way for me to buy one?

Con final : First goal 14mins final score 4-0

Sorry that should read : Con Final First Goal 14 Min result 4-0 Brazil

First goal 19th minute, 3-0 Brasil

Super blog Gerry. I m hoping Rafa’s out in the transfer market looking for his third signing of the summer[Forward/Centreback/Left Midfield].

As usual, I m again saying that we shouldn’t let Arbie go. We should hav some depth in our defense.

As for the Confed.Cup, I wanted to ask u wether it’s possible for an overseas supporter to win this shirt[Asia]. Just for the heck of it, I wld predict the first goal in the 40th minute and Brazil winning on penalties[1-1 Full-Time].
I want the shirt!!!!

Sorry guys, of course you can buy the t-shirt, I just forgot to put up the link.
http://www.soccerprint.co.uk/shop/liverpool/liverpool-worldwide-kop-t-shirt.html

They deliver worldwide and I’ll be giving away another t-shirt voucher in a blog next week. And I am actually hoping to introduce a Kopblog range of proper t-shirts that will only be available from this site.

KopKing, the competition is open to all fans worldwide. The winner will receive a voucher by e-mail which they can use to purchase this or any other t-shirt they like from the soccerprint site and it will be delivered to them anywhere in the world.

Thanks Gerry for the information.

Bloody nice shirt Gerry…
I’m tipping Brazil to score on the 23rd minute, and to win 2-0.
Cheers

This blog is like a tome of War and Peace! It was so long it took me two separate times to finish the blog. Great blog as always.
I will place an order for the short. Just bought my new golden away kit in Malaysia tonight at the Cobra Club. May be wearing it in the friendly against the Thai selection in Bangkok coming 22 July. Hope you guys get to watch it on Setanda TV, oops, sorry it’s now ESPN.

Quick comment on the Andre Voronin issue.

Andy scored 11 in 19/20 appearances fro Hertha Berlin and I’m forgetting the actual number but scored something like 5 or 6 in 13 or so appearances for us, in an injury plagued season, prior to his loan move.

Is that not considerably better than Robbie Keane did for us?
It strikes me that’s on a par with Babel, who despite some terribly shoddy performances, most of us would be willing to see given another season… no?

So maybe… we’ve already got our 2nd striker for free. (and no, I’m not suggesting he’s the answer to our prayers, but if he is willing to knuckle down and play 2nd fiddle to Torres, then why not give the lad a 2nd chance?)

Oh and lay off the ponytail for fucks sake. Its a cultural thing in the Ukraine.

I agree with you Aitch. I think Voronin deserves another chance after a decent season with Hertha Berlin. If he feels that he can still handle the PL, then,Rafa shld try playing him. We don’t need to spend big bucks on another striker.

According to me,Babel can also prove to be a good striker,if given a chance. Since the past two seasons he hasn’t shown any great performances while playing on the left. I believe that Rafa should give him some opportunities to prove himself. He used to be great for Ajax because he played as a striker. He has all the qualities which are needed in a forward. Pace,Shooting,Passing. All that he needs is a little bit of confidence and a great partnership with Nando, which he can regain,if given some time.

Aitch theres only one way your getting that T-shirt and its over my dead body. I HAVE to have IT!!!
Infact anyone fancies a fair dig for it i will gladly see that it happens!!! lol

gonna go against the grain here and say first goal 33mins final score brazil 1 USA 2.

p.s great blog gerry.

I finally got around to finding time to do the Gravatar thing and now it won’t show it.
Stupid thing.

Anyway, KK like I said, if Andy is willing to play understudy, then I wouldn’t be distraught at the idea we haven’t bought a 2nd striker…. but if given the choice, I’d sooner see Andre flogged for a few bob, and a firecracker with a long but fast fuse, firmly implanted up Babel’s jacksie, in the hopes it will spur him to fullfill even half of his potential.

Babel could be sooooo good, if he’d just get his head out of his backside and put in a bit of graft!
Those of us who’ve been around a while, have had more than our fill of players with the promise of “potential” but seriously… Babel has more unfullfilled potential than anyone we’ve ever bought and the thought of him fullfilling it alongside Torres, SG, BennyOnion and Kuyt, is a bit fuckin scary!
But can he do it???

Super stuff Gerry.

Indeed the (other) two pricks have left us fall way behind in business terms in the last 10 plus years while the scum and the arse even with a much smaller fan base may i add,have excelled.

They never exploited the world wide market potential.They should have had plans for a new stadium by the turn of the century.Even though hindsight is a wonderful thing they`ve simply have had their finger stuck up their arseholes for far too long now and i`m glad they are gone.

As for Vorinin (or davy crockett,good one BTW) i couldn`t agree with you more.The only reason he`s coming out with this “take on the premier league” shite is because Hertha Berlin couldn`t afford to buy him or didn`t want him so he`s no other choice but to come back.If Hertha had the dosh for him i imagine they would have signed him.He did quite well there.

Weather he can cut it in the PL is another thing.IMO no,but we might have no other choice but to keep him and if we do i`ll support him if he has the red shirt on but i hope Rafa gets shot of him for a better forward.

As for the comp i`ll go for 1-1 Gerry with the first goal in the 56th minute.

First score in the 15 minute; Final Score Brazil 2-1 USA

Aitch while I agree with you that he’s probably not going to be much less than Keane, he still didn’t like sitting on the bench. I think that was the crux of his decision to move on. However I still think he has something to offer, because there is a fair chance Torres won’t play every single match.
.
Shit he’s got to be better value than Degen. I to think he scored at a reasonable rate for a second/third string striker. Look how many goals Kuyt got that year and no one said a word about him, afterall he came as an out and out striker.

I would look very stylish going to the grocery store here in the States in that shirt.I would get loads of comments about what’s the KOP????
so 3-1 Brasil..first goal 23 min.
If I happen to get the score wrong..I will just have to break down and get the missus to buy me one.

On another note..the Bluenoses are coming here to Utah to play the MSL Allstars( whatever they are)in July , why can’t we get the Reds over here.
We have two American owners, you would think they would want to show off their Prize Possession?

I’ll go against the tide.

1-0 to USA.

first goal in 25 minutes

2:0 Brazil, first goal 61 min

Loving the shirt, thanks for the idea gerry!

– 2-0 to Brazil
– First goal 33 mins.

We will have to sit back with the transfers now cos Rafa has said that the next one, if any, is going to take time.

Reason being Hyde, that Rafa needs to protect/retain our players over the next few weeks…

I’m hopefull that Arbie and Alonso stay, but if Real make a great offer then it’s all up to Rafa…

In all honesty I’m sure Rafa could replace Alonso, especially if he had 30-35mill to do so…

Players of Alonso’s calibre are difficult to replace that’s why Madrid are so keen on signing him.

I do believe though that if we received enough money from them then Rafa would find a younger version somewhere. Having said that, Xabi is a model pro and you never quite know what to expect from players these days. I think the best outcome would be for LFC to keep Xabi, but let’s see what happens. August 31st seems an age away!

2-1 for Brazil
1st goal in the 30th minute – Kaka

The first goal will be scored in the 79th minute and the US will win 1-0

Bang on with your comment about our blind speculating about tabloid filth Gerry… At least it’s only a month or so away from pre=season. I’m sure Stevie and the lads are going to be fired up…

Interesting that we aren’t talking the usual: we need to upgrade 4-5 positions, need this, unload that, talk this year…

Great blog Gerry.

Liverpool’s venture into the Indian market is a great news. As far as i know, they have decided to open an academy here. We are a country of 1 billion and you wont believe how much the following is for Liverpool here. It needs to be channelized. Thats all.

About transfers, Glenn Johnson is here. Torres wants the Valencia trio to be bought. He is right. We need small players with quality. Silva/Mata/villa. Anyone of these would do.

Meanwhile, it seems Citeh have launched a World Record bid for Samuel Eto.

Great monster blog Gerry and I agree with the vast majority of it. Nitpicking a bit but I thought that Houllier was given only 1 year. I remember when we qualified for the CL in his last year and I thought that would give him another year. Thank Fowler that it didn’t turn out that way.

As for Mr Crocket, I think that he brings nothing to the party and his attitude in his last few games for the reds stank the place up. In short we should get shot of him. Anyway I would prefer Ngog as a 2nd striker to him.

It’s a longshot but I’ll go 1-0 to the US with the 1st goal in the 57th min.

YNWA

I think the only bad thing Moores ever did was employ Parry and took a back
seat while Parry practically sat on his arse and allowed the club to stagnate .
As for G&H i wouldn’t want to shake hands with either (for fear of losing my watch) and Parry is of the same ilk.
Basically between the 3 of them i think they conned Moores .
As for Davy Crocket i dont think he’s as bad as some people think and if he
knuckles down and gives 100% he’ll do for me.

Brazil 2-0 first goal 20 mins.
YNWA

Interesting post Gerry. I guess neither of them can claim to be blameless. SO like you so 2 gone and 2 to go.

3-0 Brazil first goal 17min.

Hey Gerry,

First time poster long time reader from Australia. I’ll go with 2-0 USA to be different with the first goal coming in the 30th minute. Thanks for posting and am loving them coming thick and fast.

Cheers

Brazil 3-1 USA

1st goal: USA on 30 mins

And as always: Great blog, Gerry

BTW, in #46, I meant to say that Houllier was given one year too much!

I’ve just heard that Nando has recommended Rafa to sign one of Valencia’s top three players, namely – Villa, Mata and Silva. Just going to to point out their ‘pros and cons’.

I don’t think we hav enough funds to sign Villa. He’s quite expensive. But if we do sign him somehow, he wld prove to be a big hit. He has a great partnership with FT for Spain. He’s Spanish and can get along very well with the other players as well as the manager. He’s a goal-poacher. He can get us many goals and help us gain strength in attack.

Mata is a good player, but because of his short stature and lack in strength, I don’t think he can adjust well in the Premiership. He’s quick, agile, passes well, but can’t score many goals. He’ll play well in the left but will be unable to fill the space of a striker. I’ve seen many games of Valencia and he has been a bit incosistent. True! We do need a player on the left, but I think Silva is a better choice rather than Mata. He has a 50-50 chance of showing his real abilities. He needs more time to establish himself as a great player.

Silva is similar to Mata in aspects of physical stature, but offers many more things than the other. He’s a great crosser, a good free-kick taker, can score goals and is very lethal. His shooting is great. He’s a good passer and has also gained some exp. as a striker. He can also play as a forward in the absence of FT.

I hope we sign either Silva or Villa.

Anyways, I also wanted to ask the new UEFA rules. Do all the teams need atleast 5 home grown players to play in the CL?

For clarification, I don’t want to position myself as the Andre Voronin defender in the same way I did with Kuyt 2 seasons back.
I went to guns with Digger and LB specifically over Kuyt’s worth/value to the team.
I hardly feel the same way about Andy.

I only compared him to Keene because a lot of people were sad to see Keene leave despite a rather poor strike-per-appearance rate.

You simply cannot compare Andy to Kuyt. What Kuyt does for this team over 90 minutes goes largely unseen by many and is therefore under-rated.

As kids go I like the look of Ngog. He shows promise, but only time will tell if he actually delivers. To some extent I’d rather see him get the chance to improve and show it, than give Andy a 2nd chance, but if we can’t sell Voronin, then let’s see if he can deliver a few goals for us.

That’s all I was saying really.
AV has got a bit of Braun about him. Looked sprightly when he first arrived and could conjour a decent shot out of next-to-nothing.
But after his injury he just never got back into the groove.
Dunno if he has a bad attitude… that’s for those ont he inside to rate… If he does, I have no doubt Rafa will sort him right quick… if not, then I’d be willing to see if a season in Germany has done anything to/for him… and if not there is the January window.

…but like I said, if we sold him tomorrow it wouldn’t bother me either.

And Steve, I don’t mean to pick on you, but your 2nd sentence in #41 astounds me.

“I do believe though that if we received enough money from them then Rafa would find a younger version somewhere.”

…”somewhere” there is a kid waiting to step in and run our midfield as calmly and competently as Alonso did last season?
I think NOT!

As I said, I don’t mean to pick on you, but its not the first time I’ve read such a statement in here recently.

In my opinion. Xabi was player of the season for us by a country mile last season. How SG won that accolade is both a mystery, a tragedy, and a travesty of justice.

I’ll stick my neck out here and say this…
(now that Scum have sold the 2 players who won them 70%+ of their games last year)…

If we keep Xabi (and Masch) we WIL WIN THE PREM this season.

If we lose Xabi, we’re back to having a 50/50 shot.

He is hands down THE player we cannot lose this summer.
… in my opinion!!

Hhmmmm, US 2 – brazil 0

that’s my prediction fecked then!

I think Brazil will come back though to win 3-2

Alonso is in a class of his own,,it will be the biggest mistake and will damage any chance we have to win the Prem this year if we sell him.
I don’t care who we buy to replace him,

I want to put that on the record right now….

So who won the shirt?

My prediction was the nearest. First goal, 12th Min.

Does that mean i’ve won?

please gents, refer to post 13

NigeriaKopite, do you have the UK lotto numbers for this weekend?

congrats NigeriaKopite!

in other news – I would jizz in my pants if we got David Villa – but methinks our more likely option is Silva – who I’m not so sure about..

that is all

In truth, our beloved club’s predicament is directly related to the slow speed of our top. We’ve been slow in signing world class players, analyzing trends of major soccer clubs around us, improving our marketing techniques, firing and hiring new managers, building a new stadium, etc. How much that is down to Parry and Moores has been covered extensively before. I won’t even mention Messrs G & H!

However, since Rafa took over – and I agree he’s one of the few bright points of this group’s tenure – things have been moving, even though laboriously.

We’ve seen our Academy revamped, training methods change, lots of personnel changes, tactics change, our priorities altered and so on. And these changes keep rolling, with our future bright (barring any money-related issues, an area we still find ourselves precariously in).

I’m still saddened by endless speculation over our players. We no doubt have a tremendous squad, a fact explained by how many teams are salivating over our people. But this is also down to slowness on the part of our financiers. We can’t even tie down players and work on their contracts for crying out loud!

Why do we need to lose players like Alonso, Masch, and Arbeloa, when our squad needs MUFC-like depth to challenge for honours regularly? Why shouldn’t Rafa have a deep bench to choose from, to aid our thrust especially in stubborn match situations? I will continue, like many other fans, to blame our top leadership for this undesirable state of affairs.

A signing like GJ is one of our silver linings, but it’s impact might be lessened by unnecessary departures among our playing staff. All in all, I too can’t wait for next season – hey, even pre-season as it will give us a fair idea of what is to come this season. I’m totally bored by this inactivity after a dramatic PL campaign. I would however even wish to see our senior players given assurances about their future, and made to feel part of Anfield folklore. The result of failure to do this is a Tevez-like situation where an offer comes but too late and he ends up playing for bitter rivals.

Let’s keep the faith and keep believing. I feel no. 19 is closer than even we think.

Go Rafa, Go Boys, Go LFC. Let’s Never Walk Alone!

Lurgan, just have NigeriaKopite give us the lottery combo for ANY country’s lotto, for that matter. It’ll probably work in one of our countries’ draws, considering we make quite a cosmopolitan bunch, might as well increase our chances.

Great match last night. Great entertainment. Brazil were deservedly the better team. They created a lot of chances in the second half.

Kaka as always was brilliant. He had used the left flank by delivering killer crosses and cutting inside the box. I believe he was the one who gave Brazil an edge over USA. His play was sheer class. Madrid are lucky to get him.

Another player who made a difference was Dani Alves. Boy, we should have grabbed him when we were close to him two seasons ago. The guy is just unstoppable. He and Kaka had created a lot of pressure on USA through their flanks exchanging and switching in the match.

USA played very well but couldn’t match Brazil’s class. They scored the opening goal and it seemed like the unbelievable is going to happen, but not to be. After their second goal it felt like a repetition of their match against Spain. But this was just not going to happen. Brazil scored one, two and three…..!! Finished!!

For me, Fabiano is nothing special. Out of a hundred chances, he’s able to convert once or twice. With a midfield like that of Brazil FT can score a hundred.

Oh and just forgot. I had gone nuts to predict USA 1-1 Brazil. Should’ve known USA cannot stand a chance against Brazil. Just thought if Spain were beaten so could be Brazil.

So, who gets the shirt?

Well done NigeriaKopite, you didn’t fix it did you just to win the shirt? Great blog Gerry and I like the idea of a KopBlog shirt exclusive. I think definitely “I am a proud Member of the Blogs Dollocks” has to be one. Good timing for Xmas, get them out there so we can buy more than one.

I think the shirt will be going to Nigeria. See post 13.

Daniel Alvez is absolute class. That f**king arse Rick Parry. We could have got Alvez for £12m three years ago. But no Parry thought £12m was far too much to spend on a right back. He’s class whether it be left or right wing or back. His free kicks are wicked as well.

If Parry were still at the club I’m sure we’d have never signed Glen Johnson.

Oh yes – I’ll definitely be buying one of those t-shirts.

let me guess 5 8 59 65 77 92 *9

5 – ol’ big ears in 2005
8 – the captain
59 – ‘olle gaffa
65 – took us bloody long enough
77 – first ol’ big ears 1977
92 – john houlding raises rent

*Special power ball – 9

no keith – i didn’t fix the match. just figured for a high scoring game because neither team can defend

with parry no longer at the club, no need to cry over split milk. rafa has been able to put together a fantastic squad. lets hope he keeps it intact for the up coming season w/ a couple of additions.

having said that danny alves is a fantastic player!

i also still think that clint demspey would make a fantastic buy for rafa this summer!

Just testing here (just recently registered) – not sure about Clint Dempsey but i believe our biggest “signings” this year could be holding on to Mascherano and Xabi

Graham Hunter was on TS this morning and he reckons Alonso will go for £30 mill.Any word on Distin, Tuncay etc?.

Damn, I forgot to mention, lotto balls here where I live only go up to #49. So your numbers wouldn’t be of much use for me here, NigeriaKopite. lol

sorry kinny – never played to lotto, so i was just making a guess. assumed the numbers where from 0-99

Aitch, let me make it quite clear……… I don’t want to lose Xabi either, he is a tremendous player but the fact is that Rafa was willing to sell him to Juventus last season in order to tie up the Barry deal – or had you forgotten about that?

It’s fair to say then if Rafa gets an offer of around £35m he will take his chances on finding a replacement and signing one of those tricky little Spanish forwards rhat Fernando Torres has suggested he should buy.

We could all bury our heads in the sand and pretend that Alonso is going nowhere but let’s remember that there is usually no smoke without fire! If Xabi stays I will be as delighted as anyone. If he goes, Rafa WILL have to find a replacement, no??

The shirt should go to akka (see #11) – his prediction of 8min for the 1st goal is the closest.

Liquic wrong!

Man city certainly mean business, they are buying or trying to buy every tom, dick and harry.

liquic, the score needs to be correctly predicted as well.

Jun 29 2009 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo

RAFA BENITEZ will stage clear the air talks with Xabi Alonso this week, after he scored the winning goal for Spain against South Africa.

Alonso did not assurances about his future after the Confederations Cup third/fourth place play-off.

Asked whether his immediate future lay with Liverpool or Madrid, he said: “That I cannot answer.”

Benitez does not want to lose either Alonso or Javier Mascherano, but if Alonso is keen for a Bernabeu switch – as the Spanish press are reporting – he wants the player to publicly come out and state his intentions.

Benitez has been actively discouraging any interest in his coveted central midfield duo and recently told Barcelona Mascherano was not for sale at any price.

But while he has reluctantly accepted there is little he can do to keep hold of a player who is adamant he wants a move, he will not let both leave Anfield.

We need to do what Valencia did with David Villa. Just play hard ball all the way. Xabi is not for sale unless he puts in a transfer request. Should he put in a request then accept nothing less than €40m and do not budge an inch from that price. I’d also give them a 2 week deadline as well so we have enough time to spend that €40m on quality.

Rafa is a wily old fox. He realises that if he sells Alonso now without the player expressing his desire to go and we don’t win the league there will be an outcry from the fans. I fancy we’ll see both at Anfield next season and a premier league trophy will be paraded around anfield for us to go 1 ahead of the dirty mancs again.

I haven’t read the blog or comments. I’ve been offline since Thursday. We had huge thunderstorm here Thursday night and it blew the arse out of me computer.

I’ve been trying to fix it since. It drove me mental so I bit the bullet, and put a nice new shiny one on the drip today. So, I’m back online and will catch up with everything in a moment.

But I told you Brazil are cack.

Steve I’m hardly burying my head in the sand.

If Alonso wants off, there’s only so much Rafa can do about that. But I hope whatever he can do, he does.

Simply put, you cannot compare last summer to this. We can all speculate on the likelihood of Alonso duplicating, either his 08/09 form, or reverting to his 07/08 from, next season, but logic would suggest it more likely that he will continue his 08/09 form.

If he wants to go (or is being pressured by the wife, then he’ll likely go, but finding a replacement won’t be easy by any stretch of the imagination.)
I’d go so far as to suggest that there’s no way we’d have done as well last year with Barry instead of Alonso, but we’ll never know about that. In my opinion the two simply do not compare.

And I’ll predict that if we keep Alonso, (and Masch) we WILL win the Prem next season.

If we lose him, then our BEST CHANCE of winning it is to insure Masch stays and convince Stevie G to give up the spotlight and easy shift of the hole position to drop into Alonso’s slot. (and frankly I’m not sure he’d about as happy about that as he was on the graveyard shift out on the wing!)
(caps used for point emphasis not shouting)

Rafa will still then need to buy an exceptional hole player… coz that’s gonna be a damn sight easier to find, than someone to fill Alonso’s shoes… for us to comfortably challenge.
(and even then, that player, has to form an instant partnership with Torres… to replace SG.)

Of course Liverpool FC will Walk On without XA if he (or anyone else) decides to leave (There’ll always be an England, stiff upper lip and all that,) but….
The suggestion that a string pulling, midfield puppetmaster, let alone one of Alonso’s sheer class and caliber, is somehow easy to find, is one I simply cannot agree with.

I shouldn’t even say this, coz it won’t go down well with a lot of people and will soften my above argument as a result, but I personally think it would be easier to replace Stevie G… (oh, no, you dii-ent??? did he just say that??? somebody get a rope!!) but that’s another whole storm in a teacup argument!

Aitch – what have you been smoking!?

If we got £35m for Xabi I’d back Rafa to find a top quality replacement and have change left over to get a David Silva type.

I wouldn’t mess around with the Gerrard/Torres partnership at all.

I’d like Xabi to stay but if he insists he wants to leave although I’d be gutted I don’t think it would be the end of our title winning aspirations.

Aitch,

What have you got against Steven Gerrard.You constantly put the boot in at every opportunity.

He`s the best player in world football in that position you call the easy shift.

Whats your beef man?

Aitch, fair play for putting your balls on the line but how can you think that it is easier to replace Gerrard than Alonso?

More details please!

Another thing too Aitch.Stevie did deserve his player of the year gong.He was simply our best player whenever he played.

Alonso had a fantastic season no doubt.He was our most improved player of the season,not player of the season IMHO.

Lads Alonso never said he was going all he is alleged to have said (using the word alleged loosely), is that he never closes a door, just in case. In his position why would you close any door or not explore an option, lets face it we tried to sell him to anyone and everyone last year. We didn’t care about him just coming back from two broken foot/leg injuries, he was gone.
.
Well he stumped up and showed what a world class player he is and just got on with the job.
.
The part of the interview I think is telling is when he describes his relationship with Rafa as professional, that where it ends. Xabi’s here for the fans and club, that’s it.
.
Rafa’s the one who can see big dollars coming from a player who had a fantastic year, there like cars go well when their going, shit when the breakdown.
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I hope he stays but like he said, he never closes a door. As far as Stevie is concerned, he’s our life and soul, without him and Carra we’re no better than Chelski buying everything other that local talent.

1. Player of the year thing.
I guess it comes down to your criteria. We were all up in arms when Giggs took the PFA. Giggs delivers 6 great performances … but WHEN he played he was the PFA! (er, yeah alright, if that’s your criteria, but I think that is bollocks.)
Likewise when Stevie played, he scored some crucial goals… goals that won us games… but some of those goals also came during a 10 minute spell of good footie compared to 80 minutes of not doing much. (80 minutes during which Alonso controlled the midfield,) but I guess the goals get the glory, eh?
SG missed a lot of games…. Alonso on the other hand had 1, maybe 2 poor performances, and the rest of the season, he was calm, cool and collected, ran the midfield in most games, bossed it in others, kept his head while many around him were losing theirs (Carra/Arbie bust up) and so therefore (and I don’t mind you not agreeing with this, but you asked for my justification) was the better player “throughout the season” which is after all “supposed to be” the criteria for a fuckin player of the season award.
(you know… as oopposed to a “player of half the season” award.)

2. What do I have against Stevie G.?
I don’t think I have anything against Stevie G., but there’s a reason some LFC fans call him Stevie Me.
He missed a lot of games last season. Despite scoring in a lot of the games he did play in, his overall performances (in my opinion) were not that great… good in many games… lackluster in others… and certainly not of a “Stevie G. standard.”
Is that harsh? Maybe it is. But sometimes all SG needs to do to win the Kop’s M-o-M award, is walk over the line wearing a number 8 on his back. (easy lads, I said “sometimes”.)

I know how good SG is or can be. I know how valuable he is to the team. But as a game controlling midfielder (remember he was a box-to-box midfielder prior to his move into the hole) I think Xabi is better.
Is he the best box to box player? I’d argue yes… and there wouldn’t be too many players lining up to give him a run for the title.

Is he the “best player in world football in that position you call the easy shift”?
I know some of you think so. But I reckon he’s got at least 3 or 4 players that could give him a run for the money for that title.

3. Putting the boot in.
I don’t see it as putting the boot in. I see it as expressing a counter-opinion to the “He can do no wrong” – “I want to bear Stevie G’s love child” mentality.

4. Cash and the modern game.
Would 35 million buy a quality replacement? (with cash left over?)
Well I reckon we’ll have as many different opinions on that one, as there probably are on what I may, or may not, have been smoking (… er… allegedly!)

Quality creative midfielders don’t come cheap. Quality midfielders with class, cost a bit more. And Classy Quality midfielders, with 4/5 years prem experience, who know the LFC set-up and are used to their teammates…. er… you get my drift. (Exactly how much would be left over to buy Silva?)
Could someone just walk into the side and do the job that Xabi did last season? Yes.
Is it highly likely? I think not.
When Xabi was out of the side, the midfield struggled. When SG was out of the side (here it comes….) hmm… others stepped up and filled the role. (fuckin weird that… eh?)

How many players nowadays hit the ground running…. better yet… what is the “percentage” of players who hit the ground running…. in their first prem season?

5. The team and new players.
I’d like to see the team stay as it is.
I think we’re odds on faves to win the Prem next season with the current personnel.
But if we lose Xabi, as much as I’d hate to break up the Torres/SG partnership (something we would agree on LB) I think we’d be better served with SG moving back into that slot and having Torres from a partnership with Silva (something they already do for Spain) than bringing in this somewhat mythical “Quality Midfielder” from “somewhere” (who is he, where is he?) for 17/18 million (half of 35 million Xabi fee… since you want enough left over to buy Silva, no?)

And again… do not take my point out of context. This isn’t and should not be an arbitrary debate.

United have weakened themselves in a way that even 78 million will be difficult to repair.
Winker and Ork represent 70%+ of their game winning/game changing goals.

Chavs have a new manager. Will he be another Scolari or another Hiddink? My guess is the former more than the latter.

The Arse are adrift as far as I am concerned unless they get some steel in their midfield and in their defense.

We have never been better poised to regain our crown… and we don’t need much to insure that.

I thought Alonso was man of the season, maybe even Pepe, but SG missed too many games for me. However when you do what he does on a regular basis why shouldn’t he be player of the season.
.
Kuyt special mention, Mash as well, Arbie the list goes on, maybe that’s why we did so well. To think I haven’t even mentioned Torres WOW now there’s a team.

I’ll tell you why gaz…

coz maybe…. just maybe… if Alonso had won that accolade, he’d be thinking to himself…
“fuck me, adored by millions the world over, what the fuck have Real Madrid got to offer me?”

… and you know….telling his wife to go live with her parents for a year… and deal with it!

…as opposed to…

“…boss tried to sell me, and even though I just turned in my best season, Stevie still won the fucker for just showing up part time. What the fuck do you have to do for Reds fans to win a player of the year award? What’s that number in Madrid again?”

(I’m just sayin….)

Aitch, I agree and disagree, it’s not the fans, they love Alonso, I think it has something to do with the fact he always seems to be the despensible one.
.
Alas though the bastard does soldier on. I don’t think he will be anymore loved in Spain. Afterall Managers get the boot for winning the league.

I also agree and disagree.
At the end of the day. Anybody and everybody is dispensable and life goes on. Players fall out, retire, get injured, lose passion, want a change, move for family reasons…e.t.c In the short term however if we really want to win this season we have to maintain the same team we had last year.

Alonso is a very rare breed indeed and had his best season last year in a Liverpool shirt and he was treated like spare parts only last summer but we have to remember that after a good 1st season, his following two were poor due to injuries which resulted in a loss of form.

I will never quite understand why we were chasing Barry and were willing to sell Alonso to Juventus but you can argue that maybe it was the kick up the backside that led to him having his best season in a Liverpool shirt. From a forlorn player who would sometimes ball watch, lose possession in MF under a bit of pressure, resembling more of a Lucas…. in a very short period he has returned to the calm, accurate passer and game controller. In addition to this however I think he has added hard tackling to his repertoire and there is definitely more determination and steel about him (could be the facial hair or the influence of Masch).

I believe there is no coincidence that Alonso has gotten out of his comfort zone because of what happend and improved leaps and bounds as a player. He is a more complete MF now than he was when he first joined and I believe if he stays on another year he will add more goals as well to his game as well.

I think with his form from last season Alonso figuring more prominently for Spain than he was. Vincente Del Bosque has praised the Premier League (predominantly Liverpool) based players that they have improved the Spanish National Team with qualities that were not previously there.

Anyway, to get to the point, while I do agree Alonso had a good shout of winning Liverpool’s player of the season, the reason why we had such a good season was due to other players stepping up as well. Dirk Kuyt and Benayoun pitched in with valuable goals and more of them than previous seasons, Pepe Reina didn’t get the Golden Glove but still had a great season, Torres while suffering with injuries still banged in quite a few as well and Gerrard (talisman and captain) reached his highest ever goals tally despite missing a few games, which may have had a large say in his accolades this season. Even Zizou claimed he is the “Best player in the World”, which cannot go dismissed.

I was actually slightly baffled by this comment:
#88.
Is he the “best player in world football in that position you call the easy shift”?
I know some of you think so. But I reckon he’s got at least 3 or 4 players that could give him a run for the money for that title.

I personally don’t think anybody can do Steve’s role better than Stevie. Maybe there can be 3 or 4 players that would link up with Torres as well or bang as many goals in but Gerrard brings so much more qualities to the team. While Alonso can settle the team, Gerrard has the ability to galvanize the team with his leadership and surging runs. I personally wouldn’t want to exchange him for Shrek, Iniesta, Messi or Lampard (the only 3 or 4) I can think of from the top of my head that won’t necessarily do the same job and are unattainable anyway. On the other hand Alonso can be replaced by Xavi, Iniesta (slightly different position…?), Fabregas, Arteta, Pirlo (of which) perhaps only Arteta and Pirlo have an outside chance of being lured to Liverpool (or not…)

There probably is no point in arguing whether the 35 million can find a replacement or if Gerrard is more replaceable because I can’t see either happening and neither will be easy to replace.

What makes anyone think if we sell Alonso for 35 Million, Hicks and Gillett will let Rafa spend it ?

Aitch, I would certainly agree that should XA go, it will not be easy to replace him. However, I also feel that it will not be impossible!

There are many very talented central midfielders around the world, and Xabi is not the only one who can do what he does so well. I repeat that it would be better for us to keep hold of him, but only if he is happy to stay.

He hasn’t put in a transfer request thus far, let’s hope he doesen’t but let’s also expect that he might.

Last season when Rafa was chasing Barry and looking to unload Xabi is history now, but…….. does Xabi see it that way?

I was also much happier that Xabi stayed and Barry didn’t join us.

Good point Redscouse. You can never believe anything the American owners say but they gave Rafa assurances (for what that’s worth) that he could use all funds raised through player sales to bring in new players.

Rafa is not stupid, so we can assume that he would have sought firm assurances regarding this before he signed his new contract back in March.

Let’s just hope that Xabi realises that LFC is on the verge of something very special and wants to be a part of it. Keeping a happy Xabi at Anfield will do alot for continuity among the players and will avoid the difficult search for a replacement. But all LFC players have to happy and committed to the club because if they are not then that will hamper our title challenge.

In the case of Xabi Alonso, let’s hope he and Rafa can get round a table and reach an agreement that means Xabi will be a part of LFC for the forseeable future.

Look I’m not saying Xabi is irreplaceable.
Nowhere did I say that.

I’m also not talking about the long term.
I’m talking next season.

This isn’t an arbitrary debate. If the lad isn’t happy and wants away, then we won’t get the same out of him next season as the one just past.

But if he’s happy to stay, then he’s likely to kick on next season.

Whoever you want to name as capable of replacing him, (I’ll not debate the names, but seriously Pirlo and Arteta are as good as Xabi??? And you ask what I’ve been smoking?)

…Its a simple question.
Will “new player’s name here” immediately settle in Liverpool, hit the ground running, get on a “wavelength” with his teammates, etc, etc…?

Xabi has already done that. Any new guy is an unknown quantity.

aitch: Sorry mate but absolute drivel comes out when you start to talk about Stevie G. For me Stevie G will become if not already is Liverpool’s best ever player. King Kenny won’t lose his crown because of what he achieved as player and manager. Are we better with Stevie or without? That’s obvious. What’s with this Stevie me crap. He didn’t miss games on purpose last season. He has also played on the right, wasn’t happy about it but did it and scored a bagful of goals. He has done it season in season out and scored and turned games around in LFC’s favour. Champion’s league, FA cup final? His favourite position was as a central midfielder. As for being easier to replace are you sure? Who pushes him close to the claim the best in the world in his position? Kaka? do me a favour, he’s a great player but is as good all round as Gerrard? Not for me. It’s obvious when you talk about that your view is tainted with prejudice for one reason or another. whether because he nearly went to the chav’s etc.

It’s not a case of who is the best Xabi or Stevie. We all want Xabi to stay as well, nobody is devaluing what he brings to the team. He go and we would have to find a replacement and it wouldn’t be easy. Stevie G will be finished in 4 years probably what will we do then? We’ll have to find a replacement.

Am I wrong in saying Xabi won LFC’s player of the year award? That shows how highly he was thought of by the fans. What will be best for LFC is to keep the team together. Xabi was nearly sold because of his previous two season’s form. That’s why he wanted Barry and also for Barry’s versatility. Remember when Gerrard was nearly off Rafa thought so highly of Xabi that he was going to build the team around him.

Finally it’s a team game and each player plays his part in allowing other players to do their bit for the team. I can’t imagine the players squabbling saying I’m better than you, oh no your not you’d be easier to replace than me.

I’ve been grafting too hard (Want to get to that Bangkok friendly) to really catch up on it all. So, I should keep me grid shut, but…

We have every chance of winning the title next season. We have the best mid-field in the league. After so long without a title, we can’t afford to let this chance slip. To give ourself every chance of winning the title, we need all our main players to stay.

Can we win it without some of our main players?
Yes. Why not?
Will it be harder for us if we lose some of our main players?
Yes. Of course it will.

So, it’s a no brainer really. Rafa must do everything possible to hang on to all our players, even if they want to leave.

He must convince all the lads to stay and give it one more push. Fuck the money – no matter how much.

Winning a league will bring in more dough than selling any of our players will. And if some of them are now worth 30 odd million, how much will they be worth when they are title winners?

Then, especially if we do win the title, our main players will be much easier to replace.

Therefore, it’s simple to me… Rafa should do what he done with Arbie. Ask all the players who could possibly leave (Masch and Xabi) to stay and promise to look after them and get them a great deal next summer.

And I would bet my bottom lip that is exactly what will happen this week. To let them just walk now at this time/stage in our development would be a really bad move in my opinion.

Anyway, back to work… Bangkok calling.

Replacing Sevie G? Now that’s what I call an even taller order. But your’e right Kenny, in around four years time we will have to do exactly that.

For his inspiration to the team alone, it’s gonna be one sad day when our current number 8 hangs up his boots, but like everything else that day will come. It would be a travesty if he had not lifted the Prem title at least once before that day arrives, hopefully more than once.

Dalglish is my all time favourite Red and he played in a very successful era for Liverpool Football Club, but I would say that Stevie is up there with him in terms of inspiration, effectiveness and being able to make the difference between winning, drawing or losing a game.

You are all,l getting carried away, both Alonso and Masch will be here for next season. If he wants to go to Real and puts in a transfer I would take Sneijder and van de Vaart as a replacement.

FS – have you got an e-mail address there for a pm.
cheers

FS, don’t travel on an Airbus, another one just went down with 154 people on board. Can you get to Bankok by train, camel and bike.
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Re Kenny and SG, Kenny played in an era of superstars, SG has battled through some lean years with amazing results. However his next 4 years may well be with some amazing superstars.
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Ps about trusting the Yanks, they promises me a stadium and I’m still waiting.

Lads we wont be replacing Stevie in 4yrs time. Why? Because you cant replace once in a lifetime, once in a generation players. Did we replace Dalglish? Barnes? No. Yes we literally got new players in and the squad adapted, adjusted, moved on but to suggest we can simply replace some of the best footballers the world has ever seen just like we were changing a tire is a fallacy and it aint gonna happen. When Stevie retires in 5 yr time it’ll probably be as our greatest ever player. Translation: irreplaceable.

Why should we need to replace Alonso should he move to Madrid? I agree, we should play hard ball and accept no less than 35mill for him.

Surely we’d be able to buy David Silva with that sort of cash and play StevieG in the midfeild again (where he belongs…).

Masherano and StevieG in the heart of the midfeild sounds very good to me…

Silva and Torres upfront with Reira, Insua, Kuyt and Glenda flanking sounds like a classical 4-4-2 formation to me. Makes sense given our gradual transformation into a fluent attacking force…

Yes, Alonso is a key player, but no one player is bigger than LFC and if the gaffer wants to cash in, then I’m happy enough…

Digger: No arguments from me about Stevie G. Aitch must be in a special club with a membership of 1 – Stevie G is he all that?

Real Madrid offer £60M for Liverpool trio
01.07.09 | tribalfootball.com
Real Madrid are launching a triple raid on Liverpool.

Sport says Real are ready to offer £60 million for midfield pair Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso, along with fullback Alvaro Arbeloa.

However, the offer still falls short of Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez’s valuation, who rates Mascherano and Xabi at £35 million each and Arbeloa at £8 million.

Benitez has already rejected a separate £3 million offer from Real for Arbeloa this week.

I agree with your comments in #99 F.S
This is the season to push on and win the Prem.
Everything is just about in place, maybe one more striker if money allows.
Rumours over here in the States that Henry might be considering coming here(why?),I would love to see him in a Liverpool shirt before he does something like that, any comments lads?

See I guess its about having the right criteria for any discussion. I was working under the premise that Stevie G was a human being.

Now that I realize he the fuckin son of Christ and as such beyond any sort of reproach, well I guess I just need to apologize.

I will state again.

I have nothing against Stevie G.
I like the fuckin lad as a player.
We are better with him in the side. (there I said it, are you happy?)
And I’m well aware he carried us on his shoulders for many years. I don’t think he did so last season, but again, that’s just my opinion.
(I didn’t state it and do a runner, I’ve supported why I have that opinion.)

I just don’t happen to think he walks on water and is beyond criticism for phoning in some performances.
But I don’t think any player is.

Some of you want to hold the opinion he is the best and no one comes close. That’s fine.
I personally think he is among a select handful of the very best.

If that’s enough to get me fuckin burned at the stake, then so be it.

But my simple point, before people ran it in a different direction was… I’m not talking about whether or not Liverpool will fall off the face of the Earth, or soldier on through the wind and the rain.

I’m talking simply about NEXT SEASON… if Xabi and Masch stay… we will win the Prem.
If Xabi goes, we may still do it, I just won’t be as stone confident of it before a ball is kicked.

IMO Henry is past his best, a spent force. He would have been great for us 3 or 4 years ago but he wouldn’t improve our team now.

Aitch

Your comparision of who is most replaceable seems flawed to me.
Xabi has, I think everyone will agree, had an absolutely excellent season, and I will agree with you to an extent that Xabi has been the more consistent player last season, but his goal tally has been poor and Stevie’s was very important to us.

could we have done better without Stevies goals or Xabi’s passing?, its a difficult question, but I have to remind you that the reason Rafa was considering selling Xabi was because of two average seasons, something I dont think Stevie has ever been accused of.
Thats 2 excellent seasons out of 4, we dont even know how he will peform next year, there is no question in my mind how Stevie will peform.

All of the above does not however make me think that Xabi is replaceable, he isn’t but we could certainly replace him easier than a player who has given his all for us for a long time and kept us amongst the elite

Incidentally I’m no fan of Stevie G the man, but his football and his determination for the cause is absolutely irreplaceable.

Lads, it’s a no brainer… LFC as a club, will survive whoever comes and goes.

LFC as a team, like Valencia before it, is built in Rafa’s ideal of a football team – a collective, a unit, the whole being more than a sum of it’s parts. And so, if any of it’s parts are taken away, it is weakened as a whole but it can also compensate for any losses.

Do we want to lose any of our players – no.
Can we still win the league if we lose some of our players – yes.
Will it be easier to win it if they all stay – of course it will.

So, ideally, they will all stay.
If they don’t, we’ll have to get on with it.
Simple as that.

As for Steven Gerrard, I think he is maturing into the total footballer. He has well grown out of the Stevie Me MBE stage. He is becoming one of the best ever footballers I have had the priveledge to watch. He could well go on to become the greatest player to ever play for LFC. A wonderful player and we should thank the good Lord he is ours.

Dougle… [email protected]

Surprised to see us sell Paul anderson…I was ghoping he was going to be one to make the jump. At least as a squad player. Oh well, best of luck to him

YNWA

Aitch,

Just to reply to you.I asked you why you have something against Stevie not just because of your recent comments but your opinion overall on him.I`m coming in here about 2 years and since then you have always had a pop off him.I`m thinking your still sour over the chavs episode.Maybe i`m wrong but when you say you have nothing against him i don`t see how when you constantly throw negative comments about him.

You also state how could he win the gong when he does nothing for 80 mins but has a ten minute spell and scores goals.Do you actually watch the games he`s played?I won`t bother going into what he brings to the team because you and everybody else knows.

Statements like that baffle me and to be honest i only expect them from rival fans who are jealous of him.

You have stated your opinion and i respect that but in my opinion the only player that could be as good as him in the “easy shift” is Kaka.

Regarding the Alonso/masch thing.It is essential we keep our best players to push on for the title.I`m sure Rafa will sort it out one way or the other very quickly and won`t let it run on and on.

Real offer 60 million for Alonso, Mascherano and Arbeloa cheeky c*nts
They pay 80 for that cheating diving w*nker Ladyboy and then offer that
WTF are they smoking.
As for “Stevie Me” who took £50,000 per week pay cut to stay at Liverpool
well that speaks volumes about the person, and as for what he’s done as
a player well that speaks for its self.
Who could we replace him with ? Kaka is a option from a attacking point of view
but on the defensive side he doesn’t match up.
So it begs the question who would we replace the best all round footballer in
the World with.
YNWA

You don’t replace the greats. You move on and pray another one will come along before too long

FS On the subject of praying maybe this Jesus will be the one to replace him
although i thought he was a goalie when someone said Jesus saves.
YNWA

Good point FS.As Kenny said earlier Dalglish and barnes were never really replaced because they were so good.

Beardsley was i guess Kenny`s successor and was some player but wasn`t near Kenny.

I supppose walters was meant to be barnes successor but to be honest he wasn`t even close.I know barnes played on well into the 90`s but after he had that achilles injury he was never the same player and subsequently became a central playmaker in which he did a job.

Timmy, I always thought that Walters was a one-trick pony (step-over and go up the line) and should never be mentioned again – apart from his performance in the auxerre game when we came back from 2-0 at home.

As for the Jesus thing, is there not a famous graffiti/banner (I think) that responds to this question.

What shall we do if Jesus comes again. Response, move Ian St John to outside left – or something to that effect

Will await the correction!

This is getting tedious now, but whatever.

timmy, I don’t “constantly have a pop at Stevie” but to suggest is overall performances this past season compare to previous seasons, or that they were unquestionable simply because he scored goals, perhaps underlines the difference in the way you watch games and I study them.

Yes … to put it bluntly I do value 90 minutes of solid passing ability over the ability to put a ball in the back of the net.
I’m not naive, I know what’s on the scoreboard counts, but perhaps that is where you and I differ.

The only time I have ever said anything negative about Stevie G is when others are waxing overly-lyric about the size of his cock.
Read my original post. I neveer compared Stevie’s last 5 seasons to Alonso’s last 5 seasons. That’s a completely different argument that others seem bent on twisting my point into.

SG has had many great seaosns for us, but I don’t think last season was one of them (and even that is mostly because of injury… hardly the lad’s fault.)

If you think the goals SG scored last season, warrant a player of the year award, over a full season of class 90 minute displays from Alonso then we clearly have a different value system.

But whatever, its all getting a bit tedious now.

Though for the record, I don’t give a fuck about SG not signing for Chelsea.
It pissed me off at the time.
I don’t think its something Carragher would have even considered.
But whatever, He’s committed his long term future to the club and that incident is nothing but a historical footnote now.

To suggest I let it cloud my judgement of his game-by-game performances is about as ludicrous as to suggest that he doesn’t have, at the very least, the occasional shite game!

———
rome
“As for “Stevie Me” who took £50,000 per week pay cut to stay at Liverpool”

So we only have to pay him £50,000 per week from now on???
Weird how that never even made the headlines… or was I sleeping that day?

Mark Walters was the first Liverpool player to score a hat-trick in the premier league Lurgan! I’ll never forget his goal against Auxerre in 91. My poor mother thought it was time to call the men in the white coats, I fricken lost it! Never really rated him but he’ll always get a shout out from me for that strike.

Aitch He was offered 140k pw at Chavsky and took 90k to stay at Liverpool
he would have been the highest paid player at Chavsky ( so i’m led to believe )
Carra went and played for his teams arch rivals. ( thankfully ) which some
Everton fans think is much worse
YNWA .

So he did in actual fact NOT take a pay cut, as you stated.

More accurately… he declined a move that would have secured him a larger pay rise, than the actual pay rise he got for staying.

And again you’ve moved the goalposts.
Carra was a teenager when he made his decision… and an offer wasn’t on the table from “his team” at the time he made the decision…
Whereas SG…as an adult (albeit a young one) still considered leaving a team he says he loves, even though he was wanted/loved here.

I don’t think the two compare, but again, maybe I have different criteria.

Aitch he dident feel too loved/wanted by the club in the summer of 05. Parry the stupid fuck nearly forced the lad out of the club. Rafa wasnt overly affectionate himself. Read chapter 18 of his bio Aitch. Its all there in his own words mate. A chronological timeline from the final whistle in Istanbul to Parry fucking off leaving him twisting in the wind to Rafas icy alienating of him right through to Moores 11th hour intervention. None of the above parties have ever disagreed with Stevies account to my kno

ooops, that should read ‘…to my knowledge.’

Stevie G is the best box to box player in the Prem and possibly Europe.We should be glad we have Him.
I wasn’t happy when he was talking to Chelski, but he decided to stay , so what’s the Problem.
I have gone on Interviews with other companies, even though I am happy where I am. It’s always interesting to see what’s out there.

A discussion of his self aggrandizing auto biography is an entirely different discussion Digger.

But in that same chapter to which you refer, He plainly admits that his “head was turned by Chelsea”.

But again… the whole Chelsea business has absolutely nothing to do with my original point. Someone else accused me of having a chip on my shoulder about SG because he flirted with the Chavs…. that’s the only reason I mentioned it.

But seriously… he was born and raised in Huyton and was Captain of Liverpool FC… what else out there could possibly be as interesting???

See, I too grew up in Huytoon, so I can’t imagine anything more interesting than pulling on the Red and playing in front of the Kop.

And for some perspective, I’ve spent 2 decades working contract/freelance in my industry and HAVE turned down “better offers” to continue doing what I think is more meaningful work. So my opinion on that isn’t just pulled out of my arse.

But again, for further clarification. I am not attacking SG.

I simply think Xabi’s overall contribution last seaosn was greater than SG’s.

And yes, the players that could hold a candle to him as a box-to-box midfielder can be counted on one hand… er… but when exactly was the last time we played him as a box-to-box midfielder? It certainly wasn’t last season… and I suspect he won’t be deployed in that role next season either… unless Xabi is sold… which… er … was sort of my point… before the Stevie G Image Protection Society started in on me.

To Messrs Fat Scouser, Knight & all other Kopites heading to Bangkok . . . don’t catch the clap!

Am I right in saying that the transfer window opens today? Be glad for it to close already!!!

I do think that the consensus for all LFC supporters is that Alonso should stay… I would be surprised if Alonso stays with us for much more than 1 more season though…

I do agree entirely with FS that perhaps Rafa should try for one more season from Alonso and sell him come the end of the year, hopefully for a great price…

Aitch,

Since you “study” games surely you can see that SG contributes a lot more than just scoring goals.He`s the link to most of our attacks and when needed gets back to do some ugly stuff.

“you watch games,i study them thats the difference between us”

C`mon now aitch man,i`ve always enjoyed your posts and respected your opinion even when i had a different one but lets face it man you need to get off that high horse your on.

You may know more about the game than me but we`re all in here to have an opinion and i think most are reasonable with basis but there`s no need for comments like that.

Aitch you really are up your own backside. “you watch games I study them” please, you made yourself sound like a dick.

Nobody is saying Xabi didn’t have a great season, quite the opposite. Nobody is saying Stevie G is the answer to famine, can put an end to war and sort global warming. But you did say he’s not above criticism when he phoney’s a few performances. Are you saying he deliberately plays poorly? 80 mins doesn’t do a lot and gets the plaudits for 10 mins of good play and a goal. Well no footballer plays well for 90 mins every single game but what the great footballers can do is even when playing below par pull something out of the bag, a flash of genius, a moment of inspiration and Stevie G is one of the few players in the world who can do that and has done it on many occasions.

What is this “easy shift”? Do all forwards play the easy shift?

It’s a non argument lads. The bottom line is, Gerrard is a fantastic footballer. But nowadays, he’s also a fully grown matured man.

I’m not telling anyone what to talk about, but there’s no real point in discussing the past or really anything about Gerrard but his on field performances. And there he just can’t be faulted.

In fact, he’s probably our best ever player. He’s most definetely the most complete we’ve ever had. And he may have had his head turned in the past and said/done a few daft things, but overall he’s always been a decent loyal lad.

He might have had his stupid moment’s in the past. What young man hasn’t? But all that really matters is Now.

And right now, and hopefully for at least the next 5/6 seasons we are going to be lucky enough to watch him at his absolute prime. We’re also lucky enough to know he’s never going to want to walk away and will finish his career with us. Stop and think how loyal that is in this day and age.

One club men are a rarity nowadays. But name me one modern day brilliant player of Gerrard’s calibre, who has committed their career to one club? I can’t think of one… Scholes, Giggs, good but not Gerrard good. Which just reinforces my opinion that we are more than lucky to have this young man to rely on in the future and not just thank for his great past.

Watch the difference in his performances from just a couple of seasons ago. Stevie Me, if he ever really existed, is definetely a thing of the past.

He’s not just the complete player anymore, he’s the complete team player nowadays. He can still grab a game by the scruff of the neck and win it with his own force of will and effort. (West Ham away). But them days of charging round like a nine year old, trying to head his own crosses into the goal, is a thing of the past.

To me, he doesn’t have bad performances. He has ones that just aren’t as good as the standard he sets. But, whether he’s having one of his best or a mediocre performance, he leads the lads properly now.

Watch how he keeps the team focussed and trying. Watch how he encourages the young players like Lucas now. Long gone is the eye rolling and bollacking for nothing. He now puts an arm around a player when it’s the thing he needs, but can still bollack them/gee them up when that is needed instead.

I could be completely wrong, but I think that little kick off in the alehouse might have done him the world of good. The cells are a pretty good place to have a good long think and take stock of what you’re doing.

But you can’t take away what effect Rafa has had on the lad. In fact, I bet Stevie feels a wee bit embarassed when he thinks back to the petulant spoilt knobhead who used to want an arm around him and to be told how fantastic and loved he is.

I suppose it’s called growing up.

Make the most of these next few years/seasons boys. Gerrard’ll be gone before you realise it. And I doubt we’ll ever see the likes again.

FS,

That was an super excellent of SG.

Bangkok and Espanyol?Your certainly travelling well this pre season man.

I`m going to try and catch a european away game this season for a change.Seems the away trips in Europe are the best.

The reds reserves are coming to cork in August to play a small club who took a chance and rang up anfield for a fixture and were pleasantly surprised when the club agreed.

Thing is,they can only fit 3000 tops into there ground and there have been 26,000 inquires for tickets so far!

Christ imagine it was the first team coming over!

sorry that was meant to read super assessment of SG!

Aitch, SG said in his book that following Istanbul the club were dragging their heels about offering him a new deal (probably the Parry factor) and he felt the club didn’t want him and that is why he considered leaving. Chelsea tried to make the most of his confused state by offering him a King’s ransom to sign for them.

This is SG’s version of what happened and nobody from LFC has come out and said that it didn’t happen like that, not even Parry who would not have anything to lose by saying something now.

What can we deduce from this? That SG was telling the truth? That the club were so slow to offer him a new deal that we nearly lost him? I think so. Nobody has said that is not what happened.

Stevie is a top class footballer, but I get the feeling that he is the type of character who really needs to feel wanted and he felt the club didn’t really want him because they didn’t sort his future out when they should have done.

No Tim mate, I won’t be getting both in. But I was weighing up both trips. Thailand didn’t seem an option at first, but it’s doable. But I’ll probably end up at Espanyol. We’ll see.

The Cork game should be a good craic and I’m sure a few of the bigger names will come along with the kids and ressies. If I was rich I’d go to that an all. In fact, it’s only the need to make money that stops me from being at every game…. Work, the ruination of the drinking classes.

I moan about the support nowadays Timmy. It does me head in at times. But then I’m a miserable aul bastard and I’m always going on about the “Good Old Days.”

But in all truth, there was nothing good about hitching to places like Barnsley and bloody Walsall on a pitch black Wednesday night, without a penny in your pocket, in the freezing cold and pissing down rain.

No. Second thoughts. Even them trips were a laugh. But if you get the right Euro away, it’s still great. I’ve had a few good uns over the last few seasons. Porto away was as good as anything in the 70′s and 80′s, probably better than most.

But the pre-season tours are a great laugh. It’s sort of like the old days. The players are more accesible. You can see them train and have a chat with them, and you don’t get the glory hunting arseholes that have tagged along since Istanbull. And with there being nothing at stake, the atmosphere is great. Big party from start to finish. So, yeah. If I can make it to Thailand, it’s a definite. If not, I’ll go to Espanyol. Just depends on the aul arse pocket, which, like everyone elses, has lost a bit of weight over the last 12 months or so.

As for Gerrard, wait until he hangs his boots up. We’ll all be in here whingeing like schoolgirls who’s favourite boy band has just got caught smoking crack, having homo sex in a karsey, killed a kitten and split up.

Super stuff in 137 FS, post of the day. Yep Steve, my thoughts exactly on the Istanbul aftermath too, I said pretty much the same as you in 128. ‘Self aggrandizeing bio’ Aitch?! C’mon bro, you just cant help yourself! What do you want him to write? A self-trashing bio?! Aitch, I certainly understand your points but surely you can see yourself that when you speak of or mention Stevie its not with the reverance you reserve for lets say, oh I dunno, Dirk Kyut! Lol!

Ya i cried when i heard about George Michael FS ha.

Serious though i`ll wait and see what the draw deals us.Then again i was thinking of holding off for the new year and the knock out stage.I`m off to spain in sept for a bit of a session so i don`t think i cold afford another trip until the new year anyway with Xmas and the kids and what expense that entails.

Unless god shines on me a draws us to a spanish team away when i`m over there.Highly unlikely though.

Aitch: Did Stevie G pick on your little bro when he was a kid as you are both from Huyton? lol

Compared with Finnan, how good is Glen Johnson?.Any sign of a new striker?.

I agree with Aitch in part.

In my opinion, Alonso was our best player LAST SEASON. I am comparing just last season’s performance. But thats not the reason why we had such a good season. It was because Kuyt, Benny, Reina, Aurelio, Arbeloa, Mascher, Carra and Gerrard all played well and in-sync with all others.

Nobody’s irreplaceable. That too for a club like Liverpool! But In the present global scenario and the deep-shit we’re in financially, we simply cannot replace anyone. So Mascher and Alonso both are irreplaceable. Gerrard is, was and will be irreplaceable. Enjoy while it lasts. We’ll have to face a lull before we unearth such a good player.

Finnan,IMO was a superb full back.Very dependable.Johnson is a typical modern full back where they are expected to contribute more in attack.Defensively he can improve no doubt.The good news is there is no better coach/manager around than Rafa to improve him.

Real Madrid have agreed a deal for £30 million with Lyon for Karim Benzema.

Another one slips through the tramps hands.

Replacing the two lost players won`t be easy.

Madrid are spending serious money.Madness.

Haha! And the old Tramp can’t even try to get Van Nistelroy back with out looking stupid… Be interesting if the Manure will get anyone to play for them…

If I was a rich man Timmy, I would go to all the great derby games and stadiums around the world. I watched Colo-Colo and Universidad of Chile on telly once. It was that game that made me want to see all the big derbies, and I swear I’ll get to it one day.

In fact, I’d quite happily spen me life being a bum, travelling the world, going from game to game, getting drunk and even letting me figure go. I best keep schtum though or Missus Fat Scouse will be looking for a few more jobs so she can send me.

As for Real Madrid… they was always the Royal/Facist club of Spain. And they sometimes think they can still role over anyone they please at any time they choose. Proper Shitehawk of a club.
I just hope Rafa tells them to put the really big big euros on the table or go and fuck right off.

Glen Johnson will be great signing for us. Darby is on his way to become a carbon copy of Steve Finnan… a very very reliable defender who is okay at going forward. I think Finnan’s attacking play was seriously underated. He was decent if not spectacular, and Darby is made in the same mould. So, the kid should be okay even if we need to call on him right now, but it’s probably still a season too early for him to be our main cover for such an important position.

For our PC whizzes… how do you get into the graphic equalizer on windows media player?

I bought a new PC and the sound is shite. I put some old Ska on (Skatalites) and they sound like Pinky and fucking Perky.

FS,

I`

Sorry bout that.

Was going to say i`m no whizz but did you try your windows control panel?You can adjust the sounds in there.

These RMad jerks are after everyone in this business. And I thought ManC were the ones spoiling this game.

On one hand it is nice to see that Fergiescum can’t get his hands on any player. On the other, it looks like madness. You are never sure when these a**holes prepare an offer for your players. Now, they are also reportedly after Masch, Alonso and Arbie.

Give me a break!!! These B**t**s take us for fools? 60m is nothing for these three players. Rafa wldn’t even sell them at this moment.

I still think Manure can grab two replacements for Dracula and Ladyboy. At the moment we shld try to keep the team strong and stable. Selling players and bringing in replacements wldn’t help.

I just hope this RMadness stop.

anyone in here rate Valencia? Just read the BBC article on his transfer and I’m still not convinced about him… Reminds me of Cisse to be honest… Blistering speed, plenty of potential, but not quite good enough for me…

Hopefully the old tramp has burnt 16mill of Winker Wanker $$$ on a overated Valencia…

For me Nani is probably the likely successor for that Left wing position of theres…

They’ve got 60mill left to fix their weak mid-feild… I just can’t see them being strong enough to challenge us or even the Chavs this comming season… Funny thing is, I think that they should’ve gone all out for Benzema and Ribbery and perhaps someone to replace the busted Owen Hargreaves…

Sorry about the Manure talk boys, but they’ve surely got serious problems and I for one am very happy about it…

Unlike us they need to buy in 6-7 players, a position that we’re far too used to, except this year…

Bring on the close of the transfer window!

Testing Testing 1,2,3 – can’t seem to be able to post on here

ah there I am!

Anyway I think Valencia is a good signing – not a direct replacement for RonSeal tho. More of a traditional winger. I’m still biting my nails regarding Xabi and Masher – hangin on to them wil be like new signings….The Times reckons Xabi has already said his goodbyes….

I tried that Tim. It won’t let me into the equalizer. So – usual solution with music for me – I just stuck it up as high as it would go.

Hope the neighbours enjoy Alvin and The Chipmunks go Ska.

Don’t understand why anyone is arsed about Real or the Mancs. I couldn’t give a toss what either of them do. There’s no way Rafa is going to let them rape us. If they take anyone off us, it will only be for top dollar. I’d prefer them to keep the money, but if a player wants to go nowadays there’s not much you can do about it.

thats a fair point that people make about if a player wishes to leave there’s not much you can do – or people would rather not have players in squad that want to leave. But I’ll put it this way – we lose Masherano and Alonso and right now Im struggling to think of adequate replacements – then we wont win League # 19 next season

I don’t give a dam about Real or the mancs. It’s difficult to know who is the most arrogant out of the two thinking they can do what they want. Tramp fergie was worried about us last year he’ll be cacking his pants for the coming season.

damn not dam. a subtle difference.

Once we at least keep what we have plus the pressie Rafa has for us we`ll take some stopping regardless of what the mancs or chavs or even real for that matter do.

We look after ourselves we`ll be ok.I just wish something was done to quash the speculation on the midfielders like new contracts or something.

If you think back to the beginning of the season, nobody gave a shite about our players. The press were to busy wanking on The Tramp’s best ever squad/team. Him and his above average side were too busy revelling in it to realise it was a bollax. And his lap dogs in the Professional Manager’s Association done their best to prove it, by turning up at Old Trafford already beaten and, at home, they just as often threw in the towel before a ball was kicked.

Sadly, we never had the confidence in our selves to see this and kick on. We played nervously and cautiously when we should have been the team terrifying others before a ball was kicked.

This confidence, even arrogance, comes from winning titles. It’s why United had it and we didn’t. But the season did show/prove to the media and our opposition, and most importantly ourselves, just how good a side we are.

So, like I’ve said a million times, the media, our opposition and the tramp’s lap dogs in other clubs, will do everything they can in their power to unhinge us. It’s too late. The cat is out of the bag…. LFC are a very good/excellent side that are well capable of winning trophies for many years to come.

Of course losing any of our players at this stage in our development can’t do us any good. That’s why I hope they stay for at least one more season. But if they go, we will have to get on with it.

Of the top four clubs, I think we have the most solid spine. Of course I’m biased but would you swap any of our key players for any of theirs?

I wouldn’t mind having a few of thiers, but not many and I certainly wouldn’t swap any of ours for theirs. So, even if we do lose one, even two, of our main men, it mightn’t be the disaster some are expecting.

Flapping about who our opposition might buy, and/or flapping about Mascherano and/or Xabi leaving is every bit as bad as getting all Hari Kari over getting a draw when we should have won.

In fact, it’s worse because, as of now, nobody has left us and nobody of any real note has joined our opposition. So what’s the point in worrying about it.

FFS Enjoy the summer.

Here you go lads, just a suggestion. Read something positive about one of the lads joining us instead of the crap some drunken hack has made up about one of ours leaving….

ttp://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0500liverpoolfc/0100news//tm_headline=mark-lawrenson-glen-johnson-must-go-on-attack-to-prove-his-worth-at-liverpool%26method=full%26objectid=24022618%26siteid=50061-name_page.html

Aitch i only mentioned Carra because like you say he didnt have a offer on the
table at his club, and neither did Gerrard who was getting f*cked around like a
lot of other Parry dealings. I wasnt moving any goalposts, and 50k a week is
still 50k a week.
FS I’ve always imagined you as a bit of a Fittyfattybusterbloodvessel lookalike.
YNWA

Nah mate. That’s me Ma your thinking of

Puchong Red, In Bangkok, the problems are not clap but wearing red and Influenza A type H1N1. Wearing Red will brand you as a Thaksin supporter (OK our LFC jeyseys are of a differnt hue but who cares?). We will be drinking ourselves silly there we wont be able to raise the flag, I am afraid. Why not come join us? there;s about 40+ LSCM members going now. Quite a force, I’d say from Malaysia.

“you watch games,i study them thats the difference between us”

Okay admittedly that sentence makes me sound like a complete dickhead with a puffed out chest and a very small penis.
And it was probably a poor choice of words… but that was the END of the sentence… and as such, taken slightly out of context. (the word immediately preceeding that was “perhaps”)

You accused me of not watching games. And yes, I’ve never watched a game in my life. My Dad sat me down at 5 years of age and School began. Watching games was an analytical study session in our house.

I simply can’t believe that there aren’t at least a few people in here who think SG had a less than stellar season last term… (be it by his own high standards or a more “even” yardstick.) …but if that’s the case, then I’ll accept I’m in a club of 1.

I’m not trying to prove I know more about the game than anyone else in here.
I’m not a dick, seldom puff out my chest… but unfortunately do have a small penis, so what would be the point in my trying to compare it to other penises in here… (on crack, in a public khazie, or anywhere else for that matter.)

So my apologies to those who thought I’d climbed up on a large horse.

If any analysis of Stevie G., over any given 90 minutes, over a season, or over his career, is verboten and off-limits in Kopblog, then I apologize… I must have missed that in the Kopblog bylaws.
I’ll stick to slaggin off Lucas as a way to ragain any popularity I may have had prior to this sorry mess.

And Digger, don’t be silly… Kuyt vs SG?
No contest mate… The Dutchman all the way!
(Lads… calm down… that was an inside joke for Digger!)

And I don’t want to ruin the blog, but I have to say one more thing.

Rome you say 50k is 50k and I understand that, but let me try to explain where I’m coming from.

This isn’t meant to be an “I’m better than you” thing… it just is what it is and explains why I hold the opinion I hold.

2 years ago I was offered 60k more than I’m now making. It was for a 5 year contract, as opposed to my current 2 year contract.
I stayed where I was on less money, coz I believe in what I’m doing and the pooduct we create.
My contract ends in August and they may not have another one for me now with the recession.

Would it be nice to have had more money and 3 more years job security? Yes, but I don’t regret my decision for a second, coz what I did for those 2 years was more meaningful and rewarding than the other position.

So…
Captain of LFC on 50k per week, or player at Chelsea for 120k per week?
Sorry, for me that’s a no brainer… no contest!

And i don’t think you are a lesser person if you don’t agree… that is just where I’m coming from.

(Now if it was Citeh [or whoever] player for 50k versus Chav for 120k… I’d take the money for a year, with some sort of get out clause, and then take a pay cut to play somewhere decent.)

Now can we discuss other, more relevant stuff?

Woohoo! Someone to rag on Lucas with me next yr! Welcome aboard Aitch! (calm down Keith, we’ll only rag on him when he plays badly…..which admittedly probably means all season lol! Just kidding mate!)

“pooduct” was a rather unfortunate typo, wasn’t it?
Oh dear.
…sort of ruined my “holier than thou” point that didn’t it?
(of course, meant pRoduct)
steps down off horse

Aitch who accused you of not watching games?I certainly didn`t.

You said he plays well for ten minutes in a game and guys are OTT in their praise of him.

I asked you did you watch any games he`s played in because he plays well for more than ten minutes believe me.

Karim Benzema is going to Real Madrid. Thats what i am reading. Good for us

What about the Xabi situation guys? He keeps talking about the two clubs sorting it out. Why the hell he cant come out and say what he wants?

With Benzema gone, i dont think ManUtd can bring anybody else who will give them Ronaldo’s goals. I think holding Xabi and Masch is the key.

Ahh Kop Blog, where would we be without our regular bit of drama. Oh well, they say consistency is a virtue.

Rafa’s reportedly after Falcao (Columbian international). He plays for River Plate as a striker and is only 19 years of age. We hav made a bid of approx 3.5 euros. Benfica and Arsenal are also after this lad.

Hope he’s good enough to wear the red shirt!!!

FS, Stick on the h
ttp://maximumpcguides.com/windows-vista/enable-and-adjust-windows-media-player-11-graphic-equalizer/

Kopking,

Where did you hear that bud?

The drama is gripping alright
I think I’m gonna cry

Heres another example of Torres’ great attitude and respect for Benetiez

“Rafa concentrates on the professional side of things,” Torres said. “He tries to improve every minor detail and movement you carry out during the course of a game, and he also explains the reasons behind his decisions.

“He’s obsessed that you understand what you are doing and why. He’s not happy that you do things just because he tells you that something has to be done. He says: ‘Do it like this. Do you understand why you are being told to do so? No? We’ll go through it again then.’

“I remember when I signed for the club, people were questioning me as a goalscorer. I received criticism because I wasn’t getting goals. The first thing he told me was that I was signed to score goals. Benitez is adamant that I live in the [penalty] area because that’s where you get goals. That was the first thing he told me – the wing is for the wingers, and that the striker should be focused on the two rival centre-backs.

“The Spain team play very differently, we have to be constantly on the move. In England I have to draw the centre-back out of place so that Steve Gerrard can burst through.”

Nice info on Rafa too not quiet the anti-social fucker he made out to be just a pro thats good at his job and cares about the improvement of our players

over and out

Thanks MTMMC. Tried it but it didn’t give me the equalizer. I might just take this box back before I arse about with it though. I’ve only just got it up and running and it’s already frozen a couple of times. And the only thing I could do was turn it off at the mains.

I’m shite on these gizmos, but that can’t be right. I’m gonna arse about with it for a couple of days, and any more messing and it’s getting lashed back at them.

Donal, Rafa is a dead sound fella. The press decided to set about him from day one. They are still at it. Being a miserable bastard is just one of the things they bandy about. I think they just don’t like the uppity foriegn johnny who dares not to play their game.

Look at how they love Fergie’s little grandad dance when they score, and as for Maureen’s knee slide, it had them orgasming for weeks.

Meself, I wouldn’t swap Rafa’s calm little check of his watch for any of them. But at the end of the day, who gives a fuck what they say about him. Well, in truth, I do. It drives me mad to see him getting constantly derided and belittled. But thankfully the man himself is made of sterner stuff than us fans and just takes no notice of them.

But despite the media’s witch hunt, the players all realise they are playing for a truly special one. And even the stupidest of our fans now seem to realise what a great boss we have. And that’s all that really counts.

PS… I came into say there’s a Champion’s League winning fullback available on a Bosman right now. He can also play center back, but I can’t see Rafa going in for him.

Go djimi go !!

Fatty you shoulda kept with the carrier pidgeons

Apart from the johnny foreigner thing, I think that the press’s problem with Rafa is that he answers a question without really answering it – no sound-bites, no scandal and no inside view, unless he wants to of course.

This does their head-in and coupled with the tramp’s control over certain (diminishing) sections of the media, is a direct result of the crap we have to listen to and/or read on a daily basis.

Anyway, onto more important business. FS, I hope that you don’t have vista installed on that new wagon of yours, since it is the root of all evil. If so, bring it back straight away and ask for XP to be installed. Should work fine after this!

Meant to say Gerry I have also spent me summer catching up on a few seasons of the wire

some great characters in that one

The Shield is worth a blast too

Imagine Fatty as an LA cop and you get the drift

Fergies little Grandad dance looks more like a 5 year old when he hears the ice cream truck go by

over and out

Donal, I just got my hands on the 1st season of ‘the wire’. I hope it lives up to the billing. What’s ‘the Shield’ about.

BTW, I hate that poncey dance by SAF when they score an important goal.

Lurgan the Shield is the dogs bollicks
probably the best show i’ve seen
Michael Chiklis (‘the thing’ from ‘The fantastic 4′) is the ultimate anti-hero (basically the stevie G of cops, to add a pool flavor to it)
Its about a bunch of detectives in LA and plays out savagely, I’ll say no more only that its worth your time

The wire is class but the 1st season is probably the best whereas the shield just keeps building up for all the seasons (5 I think)
Reckon its way better than the wire
over and out

Yeah Fungus face looks like he’s running towards the christmas tree like a spoilt bastard knowing he go a new bike when he celebrates

over and out

timmy:
you didn’t acuse me of not watching games, but you did ask me if I did watch the games.

Look, my statement regarding ragarding him only performing for 10 minutes was not a general assessment. Tat got taken completely out of context.

The whole sentence was….
“Likewise when Stevie played, he scored some crucial goals… goals that won us games… but some of those goals also came during a 10 minute spell of good footie compared to 80 minutes of not doing much. (80 minutes during which Alonso controlled the midfield,) but I guess the goals get the glory, eh?”

Clearly a reference to last season and last season only, not the last 5 years of his performances. AND within that season, only some games not all.. hence the part “… but some of those goals…” see not ALL, some.

My feeling is that if you compare last season, to say, 04/05, … last season was Stevie G lite.
Well okay, not “lite” … but Stevie at about 80% of what he is capable of.
And I also conceeded that was partly due to injury, and partly due to the fact that playing in the hole he finds it simply harder to keep himself involved.

And again, that was within the context of Xabi playing very well, in a system that is designed to get him the ball, and have him control things, which he did extremely well last season.

(again LAST SEASON… not in previous seasons… just last season)

For the record, I think we’ll get Steiie 100% next season.. and as FS said… if we can hold on to everyone else we WILL win the Prem… and if we add Silva… everyone else should just concede the title now and save themselves the trouble coz we’ll add a cup double as well.

(Pretty balsy for a guy with a 2 inch dick, huh?)

Aitch quick tip… when you’re in a hole, stop digging.

AitchI agree with you about SG-he just wasn’t as good,last season as previous seasons. He looked a bit knackered at times,I guess that the injuries were not helping. Just my odd cents worth.

Aye, but Jack a 50% Gerrard is as good as most ordinary players. And if we can keep him fully fit next season, especially for the big games, he could be the difference between us and our challengers.

Anyway off to bed now. But wanted to say, it looks like Kop King is right. It’s not from the greatest of sources, but it appears we’ve put a bid in for the lad Falcao.

It seems he was tipped to be a huge star when he first broke through, and loads of top clubs in England and Europe wanted him but injury set him back.

Well, he’s apparently back to full fitness and banging them in again. In fact, he’s got great goal scoring stats.

I don’t really put any trust in stats – especially ones that could mean he’s scored loads of goals against The Dog and Duck in Buenos Aries. But at just 3.5 million quid, he could be worth the gamble.

Oh well, night night.

Just read that post, and considering the cock ups we get in over language in here, thought I’d better say this..

When I say, “it’s not from the greatest of sources,” I didn’t mean Kop King. I meant the story is attributed to “Press sources,” in Argentina and Columbia.

Knight – thanx fer the offer, but sorry, unable to make the trip.

As fer flag raising, where’s there’s a will . . .

ps: Hope ye will be able to regale us with some “juicy” stories of the venerable Fat Scouser in Bangkok.

pps: Pls choose yer strip clubs wisely . . .

Aitch: When you said… lol.

I hope those Falcao rumors are true. The lad seems good and at 3.5m its worth a gamble. Thanks Kopking for the exclusive
Had a glimpse of him on tube, the player providing him the crosses isn’t bad either.

YNWA

fatty

try looking for the icon on your windows media player that says Select Now Playing options (it’s a small rectangular thingie). click on the bugger and you’d find a menu that has among other things, Enhancement. click enhancement and you’d find graphic equaliser there.

Aitch, the fact that you have revealed to us all that your manhood is somewhat smaller than you would have liked only means that we all think of you as a little prick and not a big prick now!

Some great posting and debate going on in here as usual. Antonio Valencia? Are they sure?

Thanks Red and all you lads for trying to help. I arsed about with it, and fuck knows how but it’s working well now. Probably blow up just as the guarentee runs out. Least of me problems at the moment.

I’m somehow supposed to go to Liverpool this weekend, and I still want to go to Espanyol and Thailand. So that’s that then… There’s not a chance.

In fact, with this bloody recession I’m lucky to go the shops for milk and a newspaper. Mind you, that’s one wee expense I should do away with but the missus does like her telly page.

Anyway, on Sunday my friend Harry finishes the ride for Dylan. There’s a party being thrown to coincide with H’s gallant return. It’s a fund raising fun day in a Liverpool park. It should be a laugh. The Fire Service and Police are sending down a fire engine and some quad bikes for the kids. There’s live music by a few good local bands. There’s all sorts of stalls and entertainment for the mums and kids. And of course there’s a beer tent for the lads.

Of course Missus FS wants to go to that. And I’m spitting the dummy because I want to go to Bangok, and if I can’t get there, Espanyol. So, Liverpool it is then.

Oh well, it’s for a good cause and if I play me cards right, for being such a good lad, I might just escape to one of the games aswell.

But here’s what I came in to say… I’ve been reading some River Plates fans views about Falcoa.
The bad news….
He’s another one made of glass, gets injured drawing breath.
The good news…
He’s more than decent, and people who know him and his game, think he would be an excellent buy for us and would be exactly right for the job we need doing… Second striker or out wide on the left.

But who knows, and as always all we can do is wait and see. I’m just hoping for a quick conclusion to all our in’s and outs. And knowing Rafa he will get it all done asap. But we’re only a couple of days into the official transfer season and I’m already fed up with it.

Alright lads:

Here are a few links doing the rounds in the rumour mills of which Falcao has already been mentioned by FS:

Silva: 23 million
ttp://www.footylatest.com/Liverpool-have-made-a-firm-bid-for-spanish-star/6735

Affelay: 9m (PSV Eindhoven)
ttp://community.footballpools.com/blog/2009/06/30/ibrahim-afellay-9m-dazzling-dutchman-on-rafas-liverpool-hitlist/

Falcao: 3m (River Plate)
ttp://community.footballpools.com/blog/2009/07/01/radamel-falcao-liverpool-move-for-3m-bargain/

Di Frederico: ?? (Hurucans)
ttp://community.footballpools.com/blog/2009/06/30/matias-de-federico-the-dazzling-new-messi-heading-to-liverpool/

In addition to these players we have been linked with perhaps 1 or 2 of the frustrated Dutch contingent in Real.

R.Madrid have so far signed: Ronaldo, Kaka, Benzema (although not confirmed) and Valencia’s defender Raul Albiol. With Ribery supposedly also a target I doubt Real will be able to afford Alonso and will probably just sign Arebloa should he decide to warm their bench rather than ours.

Robben and Roysont Drenthe have already been told they can find another club and I’m sure Van der Vaart, Scneijder and Ruud will not be sitting too well either. Out of the Dutch contingent I will take Schneijder, Robben and van der Vaart any day. Perhaps these players will be used to fund a move for Alonso.

Barca have been linked with Villa recently and this move might depend on whether they can offload Eto’o to City or not but they are dead keen on Mascherano despite already having Yaya Toure, Busquets and Keita probably because the two Africans will be off to play African Nations Cup next season for a few weeks.

Anyway, I hope we can hold on to Masch, Alonso and buy some of these promisng youngsters on the cheap no matter how much of a gamble it may be. The good thing is we can afford to gamble because our squad is already pretty strong. Hyppia can be replaced by San Jose, Arebloa can be replaced by Johnson and Darby and we already have Insua, Aurelo and Dossena at left back. On the wings we already have Kuyt, Riera (first choice wingers), followed by Benayoun and Babel.

Up front we seem to be stuck with Voronin and also have the promising Ngog with Babel and Kuyt also available to play upfront and Nemeth and Pacheco waiting in the reserves. With Torres and Gerrard firmly planted we don’t really need a 20 million+ striker to come. It would be useful to have a very good, established striker to be waiting in the sidelines as a replacement but who would agree to sit it out in a World Cup year? So, it makes sense that we get promising youngsters on the cheap or an old, cheap, reliable player like Tuncay waiting in the wings but it is a luxury we can afford to do without and we have plenty of options already.

I hope for this very reason Benitez signs a couple of future prospects such as Jesus Fernandez we signed recently so that they will become stars of the future much like what Barca and Arsenal have been doing. Enough of this 20-30 million signing rubbish. I think we should be looking for possible, ball players (Javi Martinez) to replace Alonso because if he is not going this season, I think he will be next season. I’m not so sure Mascherano will be around for a few more seasons so getting a young Terrier should be a priority too.

I also pray that Lucas comes good. There was a lot of pressure on the young lad but with his gym work this summer he will be raring to go hopefully and carry on improving. Put it this way. I rate him more than United’s Anderson and he cost us only 5 million not the 15 or so which United forked out on Anderson and Nani each??!!

YLF, all this speculation and nonsense won’t stop until the window is shut. And that’s exactly why I do me best to take no notice until we are at least firmly linked with a player by some sort of reliable source.

I got an email from a mate a few weeks back. He’s got good links with the club and is a good source of inside info from time to time.

So when I seen his email, entitled – Liverpool Sign Bent – I was really pissed off thinking we’d signed Darren Bent. I opened the email and there was a picture of a bent and battered motorway sign
pointing to Liverpool.

Corny, but the only laugh I’ve had out of all this transfer nonsense.

Just read the interview. Here’s the link

http://www.anfieldred.co.uk/epic-fernando-torres-interview-el-pais-must-read/2913

What a player! A good person on top of that! We’re lucky, he’s with us. YNWA

Guillembalague.com thinks that Rafa could be interested in Christien n Poulson who is @ Juventus.Finding a German buyer for Voronin shouldn’t be overly difficult.

Just popped in to let you know we have brought in 2 new people… an injury expert and a fitness coach, both from Celta Vigo.

Shouldn’t take the piss, but…
I hope their very good at their jobs. They’ll have to be, what with Aurelio, Degan and now looking like this Falcao lad.

FS I saw the Signed Bent article as well lol.
I too have been tired with the depressing news regarding our players moving so I thought I will cheer up the mood with a few hopeful and affordable possible signings. We seem to be adding a lot of talented staff so this bodes well for our long term future.

Aye and Torres and Stevie too FS. Degen is a lost cause and Aurelio whilst valuable is replaceable. Keeping the 2 dodgiest hamstrings this side of Michael Owen fit and on the pitch is critical to our success this season and not forgetting the man who supplies those hamstrings, Stevie picks up his fair share of knocks too. Keeping these 2 on the park will be their no.1 task methinks. I pray they’re good at their job too…

I was conned by that ‘bent’ sign too.
Apropos of Falcao-if he is made of glass,I hope it is Pyrex and can play in the heat of Premiership battle,(if we sign him,that is).

Very Funny Jack, but I’m betting a lot of lads in here are thinking, “What the fuck is Pyrex? Is that like Kevlar?”

Another good article!

http://ohyoubeauty.blogspot.com/

Owen is strongly linked with a move to man scum,this is the news breaking on sky. Now there’s a dicey one.

He would bite their hands off to get that move now he’s a free agent and no one else seems to want him.

My head says let him go he’s injury prone and past it and its like us getting ince at the end of his career another sign the tide could be turning in our favour.

My heart says he’d be a cert to score against us and the thought of him winning things with them is unbearable.

intresting

Another good blog gerry, nice one.
Hi all, first time poster here from Liverpool, been reading the blogs for months but didn’t get round to registering.
Anyway has anyone noticed how our so called free press have so far spent the summer writing stories about our star players wanting to sign for real or barca? There’s been no articles written about the manure players or chav players, (apart from ladyboy of course but that was a done deal last year)why do the press enjoy putting the boot in on Liverpool?

I dont think Owen will sign for Scum not at 7-4 odds if it was 100-1 he’d
lay a big bet himself and sign up .
I heard someone told Whiskeybreath they need to start playing like Valencia
did with Benitez. So he went out and bought him.
YNWA

Oh Micheal, Micheal, Micheal. What have you done now. You silly silly boy