“Stan Collymore at a girlfriend kicking competition”

Yer too kind!

Ace blog as usual.

Chuffed to be first to smear yer comments page . . .

Great blog again, Gerry!

If we look at the Aquaman scenario, all the stupid pundits are demanding Rafa to start him, with reasons like “you don’t put $20m on the bench.

What I suspect is they want to use it to whack Rafa, as usual. (1) If Aquaman gets injured again after a few games, then it’s “Why pay $20m for a glass made fellow?” (2) If he doesn’t play well for the first few games, it’s then “What kind of Alonso replacement is this guy? He’s lousy for $20m!”.

Unless Aquaman adapts to EPL like how Torres did in his first season, they’re going to spit out (1) or (2) or both and use it as extra ammunition to attack Rafa.

Minimising injury risks to Aquaman is most important, given his injury laden past, and I’m therefore not surprised he’s not played much yet.

And if anyone has noticed, Rafa hardly throws his new signings right into the team to play every single game when available, and yes, this includes Torres. Remember people shouting at Rafa for starting him in League Cup against Reading but not in the EPL game before, and choose not to mention his hat trick?

The only exceptions I can think of are Reina and Johnson. Johnson mainly because of our lack of cover and injury crisis, and Reina (I think) because the first choice goalkeeper needs all the time and matches to gel with the team.

In summary, I believe we should start to judge Aquaman’s performance next season, not this, but I certainly hope he can contribute by adding some creative touch and goals in tight situations this season.

I agree with those who have commented about him playing against Fiorentina, hoping that will give him much needed match practice and fitness.

We need to see what Aquillini can do. I, for one, can’t wait.

Thoughtful and insightful as always Ged.
The only place I think I would disagree though, is the following statement…
“but the fact that the guy has been on the bench must surely indicate that he is fit to at least play some part in a game”

I don’t think we can assume that at all.

Against Man City, we had 4 players fielded in the 11 on pain killing injections, and 2/3 of the bench were semi-crocked.
Against Debrecen, there were two players on pain killing injections included in the first 11 and half the bench was semi-crocked and the only fit player left on Merseyside was Voronin. (And they were the ONLY 19 players available for Rafa to chose for the CL)
Likewise, yesterday, while that team sheet and bench looked strong, we were far from a fit first 11 and I doubt all the bench were ready to play any “significant part” had we suffered early injuries.

A few people stated that we “controlled the game when Benny and Riera came on” conveniently forgetting that their introduction also coincided with us bagging the 2nd goal off a defensive error… as though a two goal lead doesn’t put you in a bit more control.

I’d give kudos to the Ref as well, and I can’t believe I’m saying that since he’s been a right pratt with us in the past. The Derby is tough game to finish with 22 men on the field… But he kept his cards in his pocket, exercised some good judgement, and the game was better for it.

Great blog as usual Gerry.

Not related, from the previous:

FS, I am in Malaysia and I have stopped listening to the Sly pundits a long time ago. They and also the Paul Mersons and Shebby Singhs who are equally laughable. Halftime for me is a toilet break and a ciggie.

Unfortunately too, our sports news in the papers takes news directly from those anti-LFC papers in England. Stopped reading those too. The last time I accidentally took a glance at the backpage of the newspaper here, it read ‘CHEAT’ in big and red bold letters on N’Gog so-called dive. That’s how bad it is over here.

Then we had someone from the Official Malaysian LFC Fan club site writing equal garbage in its newsletter.

I look forward to one day seeing these knobheads eat humble pie, I really do.

Well if he’s NOT fit to play some part in the game whats he doing on the bench? What happens if 2 of our midfielders get injured and we cant put on Spearing or someone because that position on the bench is filled by a player who is not fit to play at least some part of the game? Now, I know we’ve all seen Rafa make some bat-shit decisions Aitch but to suggest he would sacrifice a place on his bench to accomodate a player unfit to play some part in a game is absurd. I reckon Gerrys assumption is a safe one.

Nothing to add to what’s been said about the blog, Gerry. A big fan here.

Knee-jerk reactions. I’ve despaired explaining to people on this particular point. Gerrard was even said to be off against Everton, even when he ended up creating a scoring opportunity for goal two! We were said to be lucky and that Reina kept us in that game. Eeeeeeeeeeeee! Isn’t that what Pepe’s supposed to do? So, Everton weren’t lucky that Howard also kept them in the same game?

We sat back and absorbed punches from the home team. Interesting. Mo Ali roped-a-dope en route to a tactically brilliant win against George Foreman in Kinshasa ‘74……..but we all know Ali wasn’t Liverpool, otherwise he’d have been criticized!

Give me three points anyday, even smash-and-grab, and throw in two clean sheets in a row. I can surely live with that.

My own Samlysis, we’re (yes) only behind the league leaders, having conceded 12 more goals but having scored only five less. In truth, we’re actually only five wins back and it might not look like much now, but this is round 14, with a whole 24 matches to play. I know, I am possessed of Tomkins-like optimism, but in truth, PT’s a realist, and a very sober (and informed) one at that. Despite the roadblocks strewn on our path, we’re going gung ho about winning, with the fewest draws in ages (I stand to be corrected on this one).

I hear moaning about negative play from us………yet we keep scoring. In fact, we’re five behind Chelsea, one ahead of Man U, two behind Spurs, and five behind Arsenal. Yet no one’s talking about our scoring prowess. Defensively we’ve conceded 12 more than Chelsea, seven more than Man U, two less than Spurs, and five less than Arsenal. Yet none of this gets mentioned in our objective media that sections of our fans so readily buy into!

We’re being caught out at the back. Anyone ask why? Not coz of zonal defence, silly! I refer all who doubt the merits of zonal play to look at the recent U17 world cup final clash between the Switzerland and Nigeria. Both teams, especially the Swiss, displayed excellence in executing this system -
the kind of excellence we’ve had in recent seasons.

You’re partly right on this score, Gerry, with our team - out of sheer necessity and pragmatism - having played different (and largely untested) combos of defenders. We’re also frequently caught out, as are most teams anyway, coz we’ve been playing a high backline (very like Barcelona), where our defenders are very much part of the attack. When the play breaks down we’re often caught out by a speedy counter-attacking move thereby conceding goals.

All in all, we’re still in Europe, still in the FA Cup, very much in the title hunt (get as sarcastic as you feel), still have the best tactician around (give me facts to prove otherwise), have the most passionate fans I’ve yet seen, have the best ground I know, and are still alive and well. Game on!

A perpetual smile on my face, three more points in the league, fifth only for now. Siempre es posible!

YN(Ever)WA(Ever)!

Super stuff Gerry,

I think Rafa had planned to give Aquallini a run against City but the forced subs changed everything.I hoped he`d give him some time against Debrecen and thought aterwards that he should have but Aitch posted a logical reason why he didn`t play him with the heavy pitch and all that.

I don`t think anyone expected Rafa to play him against the butchers of Everton but i really do hope he gives him some decent time on saturday against Blackburn.He needs game time,more the better for him.No point holding him back any longer Rafa unleash him!

Before i go any further i`d just like to say i`ve just made a tit out of myself on national radio.I text in to play the “numbers game” where every question is answered by a number.Ya man asked me how many barrels in a double barrelled shot-gun and i said 1 !

I said “Tom,don`t you know they`re welded together”

Feel a bit stupid now.I blame the fourteen pints i necked last night.

Gerry i see that i won the prize and in case your trying to mail me bu i`ve been using a new address the last one got hacked in to so i don`

Sorry about that..

As i was saying i don`t use it any more so i you`ve E-mailed me and i didn`t reply,thats the reason.

On that subject anyway Gerry as much as i`d be thrilled to bits to have that canvas on my front roon wall,if its ok with you i`d like to donate my prize to Lurgan.If you recall last November Lurgan won the tickets to the CL game against Marseille.At the time i`d been fishing for tickets to that very game and Lurgan generously donated his prize to me.So if its ok ith you Gerry i`d like to return the favour and give Lurgan the prize.

One good turn deserves another and all that.

Timmy, you should have told him you were talking about a Kerry man’s version of a sawn-off shot gun.
I’ll get in touch with Lurgan later.

No bother Gerry i`m getting roasted down here for letting Cork down and all that i got a raw deal bud the first question was “whats the area code for Kildare?”How the feck am i meant to know that like who the bloody hell rings Kildare

If he’s injured why’s he on the bench… Well, I suppose when you are playing with 2 or 3 injured players actually on the pitch that’s sort of self evident.

But rather than bollock people and look a bully, here’s the news from the Horse’s mouth…
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news//tm_headline=liverpool-fc-boss-rafa-benitez-assures-alberto-aquilani-over-lack-of-action%26method=full%26objectid=25292400%26siteid=100252-name_page.html

One thing I can’t agree with Gerry… watch the game again. Everton kicked lumps off us, especially Lucas. Who, fair play to the lad, never moaned except for the one time he was properly decked.

So, I suppose, depending on your point of view, Wiley done a good job kept his cards in his pocket and let the game flow, or…. bottled it.

I think he bottled it.

Watch that Felatio fella again, the dirty curly headed bastard should have gone on several occasions, and he elbowed the fuck out of Lucas everytime they clashed. Which Wiley did nothing about, even when Lucas was laid out just outside the Everton box, with blood pouring from an elbow cut to his cheek.

Which sort of brings me round to Aquilani. I’m just as frustrated as anyone to see him on the pitch. From the little I’ve seen, I think we are going to be in for a treat. But there’s no way, I would start him this weekend.

There’s nothing more that Fat Sam would enjoy than putting this lad out for the rest of the season. He’s Blackburn have became his new Bolton… a shower of dirty bastard cloggers. And he’d also have the added incentive of pleasing his Dark Lord Tramp.

So, I’d even be a bit wary of bringing Aquilani on even if we was 2 up with 10 minutes to go. I’m convinced that horrible corrupt bastard would instruct one of his storm troopers to take lad out - ankles first.

Fiorentina in my book would be the prerfect game to throw the lad in, and hope he’d be ready to play some part against Arsenal - where by then, a win could put us into third place.

Europa Cup, I’ll be going to as many as possible, hopefully all the way to the final in Germany. I haven’t been to Hamburg in ages and it’s always a giggle. FA Cup final just before it would be nice an all, and a nice late title run/challenge… Could be some very red faces and shamed people round here come May, but then they say where there’s no sense there’s no feeling.

Oh and SOAK… you’re doing the right thing. Keep having the ciggie breaks. Sky is highly addictive, very damaging to your health and can cause actual brain death.

“who the bloody hell rings Kildare”

People looking for a doctor. If that’s confusing, don’t worry Timmy. You’d have to be old as Methusala to get that one.

Just watching the Derby there now FS.Lucas in fairness to him loves the scrap.He`ll no longer be bullied out of a game.Have to admire the lads courage and attitude.

I probably like everyone else am bursting to see Aquallini up and running.Blackburn are a physical side like Everton and will be out to do damage.I suppose the Fiorentina game is probably the best game to break him in.It`s a game of little importance in the scheme of things but i do want Rafa to start him in that game and pull him after the hour mark.Gerrard will be sharper by then and hopefully we will see Torres make an appearence to next wednesday.

Fatty i`m up for a trip to a Euro away.Chompin at the bit for this now.Don`t care if it is UEFA cup or European cup,it`s still the redmen.I promised myself a euro away after xmas regardless of what happened.So hopefully now,with xmas out of the way i can sort out a few bob to get there.

Incidentally Fatty,Hamburgs a cracking little spot i think you said you`ve been there.The lads were there in 07 on a stag.I couldn`t go,was in chicago at the time on hols but they swear by the place.Said it was one of the best spots they`ve been to for a session.

P.S.

To the lovely people of Kildare,no offence meant

Ha the look on the Blue steward`s faces as Dirk slides towards the travelling says it all !

Going-down going-down going-down !

A very naughty place that you’d no doubt love Timmy. Great craic for a gang of young fellas. Keep your wits about you there though. Bloody hell, nevermind me Da. I’m starting to sound like me Mam. I’ll be telling you to wear clean under ware next.

Which I’m sure mine wouldn’t be if Aquilani gets on against Blackburn… pound to a penny Diouf would take him out within seconds.

If i wore any FS,ha.

Ya i`ve been to the Fatherland before.I was in Munich for the OctoberFest last September!

Don`t worry i`ll pack me Sudo cream!

Well, I’m off out. But here you go, this is what we are looking forward to, and in my book missing…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABOHXAGWR0A

And I don’t care what they say about Youtube clips. They can’t make your granny look like she can hit a ball from outside the box like that.

Hi lads, decided to stay away again for a while until Gerry’s next piece came up.

I thinks it is pretty clear why aquiliani hasn’t been thrown in yet. Much too risky with his injuries.

The most laughable suggestion I have read somewhere is that rafa is stubborn again because if he was able to throw on the likes of benny and torres even though they were not fit, the decision not to use aquilani is pathetic.

Midfield, ankle injury, tight, must-win matches is not the ideal situation to bring on a new comer, especially from Italy.

As FS says, he is on the bench because there are so many others injured, and in case of emergency. If lucas, masch or gerrard had to withdraw really early on, Rafa may have had to turn to alberto, but I was very glad he wasn’t forced into that scenario. I’d hate to see our gem battered before he even got his chance to settle in.

The ideal debut situation would be when we are about 3 or 4 up, and the opposition has given up.

I dunno why people don’t see this, it’s not even an excuse for rafa (digger is being malicious again LoL!!)

The other laughable comment I recently saw on the internet was that Aquilani is a similar player to Lampard.

Not because I think Lampard is not a good player (because I think he is an excellent player) but because there is hardly any resemblence.

It goes to show what matches people are watching or bothering to watch. If they haven’t watched Serie A, they shouldn’t even be discussing how good aquilani is or not.
If they watched Serie A, they would understand how much care is needed to bring in an Italian midfielder into the thick of the action in England even when fit. Alberto has been out of action even in Italy.

You only have to look at Dossena, an Italian international to see how different the 2 leagues are. You might not believe it, but Milan and Juve wanted to sign him on around the time we were going after him.

That’s how different the 2 leagues are.

I am really getting sick and tired of this constant nagging or over-complication of Rafa’s “decisions.” For me, his decisions are some of the most clear and logical ones I have seen in a long while.

May be it was because I was younger and hadn’t watched enough games back then, but some of Kenny’s decisions were much more baffling for me at times.

Nice link you got there FS. My big hope is that at the end of the season we all feel that he was worth waiting for - I’m feeling confident that will be the case. 25 minutes against Fiorentina would be my guess as to when we’ll see him next, and then perhaps the same against Arsenal

Thanks for the link FS, I had seen a couple of Aqualani clips before but it’s good to be reminded of what we have in store!
For all his grafting and hard work, Lucas doesn’t possess that little bit extra - mojo, flare - call it what you like. Alberto however looks like he’ll bring it.

Like somebody stated before, we need more going forward from the midfield. Mascherano is excused, he marshalls the back and occasionally will come up with something like his goal last weekend. But we need somebody different alongside him and that man is not Lucas…

#12 ‘….rather than bollock people and look a bully…’ Your getting good at this irony thing Fatty!

Well, you see this is how it goes Digger my friend… you get people talking all sort of shite, and even talking shite directly at you, and then you answer and hey presto… you’re a bully.

Oh yes. The irony of it all, eh. Not to worry, I know how poor Rafa feels.

Good Blog Gerry.
” More corners than the Pentagon”
Thanks for the link FS. he certainly does strike a ball well.

I think he will be well worth waiting for..

FS, I think you’re going soft in your old age. Sure there was a bit of nitty gritty in the Derby at the weekend but you’ve got to expect at least a bit of that and it was all pretty tame compared to some of the stuff we’ve seen in the past.
By the way, I meant to come back to you on that Jimmy Case point I brought up in a previous blog. The reason Bob Paisley sold him was because he put in a disgraceful tackle on a Brighton player that was so bad it ended the young lads career.
Apparently Paisley was disgusted with him after that. He wouldn’t even speak to him and even though Case was still a great player, he got rid of him as soon as he could. And I heard that version of events from Case himself.
Unlike many of the managers these days, Paisley was an honourable man and he just wouldn’t tolerate such behaviour, but I guess people like him just don’t get knighthoods!

Great Blog Gerry and a great quip in the last comment you made. Don’t get much time lately but I still get to read the blog and comments. I must admit I am chomping at the bit to see Aquaman as well and have no doubt what so ever that the wait will be well worth it.

PS Gerry how do I vote all of the above in the Poll?

Is correct Gerry. Bob was a wonderful man and a true gent. I don’t know about Case and the tackle though. But I do know what I told you about him and Ray Kennedy, always being on the piss and eventually blowing it big time in Wales is true.

Jimmy Case was leathered for it in Liverpool, skitted woeful, but only for the part about him hiding behind the bins in some flats in Huyton and saying it wasn’t him - as if he could ever get away with that. Nevermind being one of the most recognisable lads in the country, he had Jimmy Case of LFC in bloody big bright red letters down the side of his car!

Are you sure it was a Brighton player? We transfered him to them. In fact, he came back with them and scored a goal that knocked us out the FA Cup. Sure you’re right though as he was a bit on the bonkers side Casie.

And yeah, I’ve seen far worse in the Derby and there was certainly none of the horror tackles we’ve seen over the years.

But honest mate, Cahill put it about a bit, but watch that curly headed Felatio fella. He absolutely battered Lucas right through out that game. Lucas got no protection and didn’t whinge, so it might have went unoticed. But I kept an eye on it after he hit him the first time.

But I tell you what I really did notice by watching that though, as bad as we are in the air, did any one clock how many headers Lucas won?

That Felani is a big lad, and he’s good in the air. But I swear Lucas beat him to 9 out of 10 headers. In fact, that’s when he started elbowing Lucas. He done it practically every time they leapt for the ball. But point is, I’d never really noticed Lucas in the air before.

Maybe he just had springs in his boots on Sunday.

Just a quickie… to those who can get it, there’s a load of Shankly shows on LFCtv tonight free.

Great stuff.

I heard that story too FS about Case in Wales.Terry mac did an interview at length with LFC tv last year and that story came up when he as remenissing about not only being the best football team in England but the best drinkers and all.

Lucas just read the ball better than fellini.I remember watchin fowler in his pomp.He was no giant but god he had some leap on him.

LFC TV now lads some cacking storys about bill shankly.

Sorry FS you posted when i was writing.

What a treat.

Ahh fuck!! I just missed the Shanks programme. Every time I put it on LFCTV there is fuckall on and then I miss the good stuff. Bollacks

LB, it’s Shanks week. There’s some great stuff on all week. Gerry, you’re right. Big soft pudding that I am, but I don’t mind admitting it… I get teary eyed just listening to story’s about and watching the great man.

Some great storys there FS.Love the one about him falling in for the game of footie with the young fellas every sunday.The lads used to call for him and all Nessie would answer either say Bill isn`t coming out or else shanks would come out and say “be over in ten”.

Something else that.What a man.

Shankly, Shankly. Every time I come to think of the man I just smile to myself feeling slightly happier despite what’s going on. And all I know about the man I’ve read, heard and also seen a (way too) little interview material. He’s constantly mentioned and sometimes it almost makes you think his significance has been a bit overestimated, but actually I would rather think it’s of the utmost importance to remind some of these young fans (who I for one wouldn’t call supporters of LFC) what Liverpool is all about.

Thought this was rather amusing from Rafa regarding Shanks:

“I actually listened to an interview he did with a journalist at his house and you could hear them having a cup of tea. I was listening to it in my car and it was very difficult to understand with his Scottish accent.”

I seriously doubt that Paisley, Fagan, Shanks, any of them would last two seconds in the modern game… where players are encouraged to dive, foul, badger/berate the refs, earn more money than the fuckin Queen and therefore are answerable to nobody, especially the manager… and even Manager’s suddenly get miopic when asked about horror tackles or obvious handballs.

The threat of being sold to Brighton was a real one back then… now such a player would just wind their contract down, then fuck off on a big money deal to some mid-table Spanish team and laugh their arses off in the sun (not that I’m particularly thinking of Pennant there?)

On a different note…
If Christian Purslow and that Ayre fellar are such fuckin geniuses of the financial world… why is it LFCtv is NOT available on Setanta in the U.S., when ScumTV and ChavTV are on all the fuckin nauseating time…. and we are owned by Yanks for fucks sake???
Always the bridesmaid, eh?

And did anyone see the reenactment of “The Hand Of God” goal, by that lad in the FA cup this weekend?
Not a fuckin mention of it in the press.
And last week the (Scharner I think) goal in the 6-1 Everton match. A handball so clear and obvious, missed by the refs, but no mention of it in the press, coz it didn’t affect the result.

But it was still bloody cheating wasn’t it?
Or is that only if Thierry Henry does it?
Fuckin hypocrites.

Oh… forgot about Lucas.
You are right FS, the lad put in a manly performance on Sunday. Got the shit kicked out of him, got elbowed in the face, and even got fuckin rugby tackled in the box (no one outraged about that, its barey even got mentioned… especially in the press) but he just got on with it.

Its why I have a real problem with people who say he “isn’t good enough to lead our midfield”.
That may have been true last season, but not so this, when he actually IS and has been one of the few regular/consistent players we can counton this season.
(the same could be said about EggNog really)

Calls for him to be dropped against Blackburn… who will Dogs of War it next Saturday, far worse than Everton did last Saturday… sound slightly shortsighted to me.

(note to Rafa: keep hand/body gestures to a minimum!)

ooops typo ion 38… obviously meant the 6-1 Arsenal match (like Everton have EVER scored 6 goals! )

Aitch, Scharner’s handball was in the Spurs 9 Wigan 1 match.

Think Wigan offered to replay the match in light of the handball

This prick is starting to go too far now :
http://www.liverpool-kop.com/2009/12/revealed-spirit-of-shankly-thugs.html

To me he has defamed SoS.

He clearly does not have a clue about peacefull non violent protest (obviously never heard of Ghandi)…

Great blog again Gerry

Nice Collymore line to boot (it might overtake the nun’s in the cucumber field as my new comparison to happyness)

That Jamie Wankar is a real fucker

I see RontheRed (dunno if from this site) tried to debate with him and he was abused (kinda like Burgerman and co. in here)

Maybe his blog is the Kopblog of some retarded paralell cyber-universe.

Either way he’s a prick and should be challenged to a blog-off by our overlord, Gerry.

(or maybe just a good old arse-kicking contest!)

Over and out

Don’t I look the CBC knob’ead

That’s the first one of his blogs I’ve read Kiwi, and it’ll be the last.
What complete and utter drivel… and the way he just fuckin ignores any point someone makes, discounts their reasoning for it as ignorant of the facts, then repeats his bollocks wihtout a shred of fact to back it up… What are the chances this Kanwar Dickhead is one of the chuckle brothers?

A definite G&H mouthpiece.

Thanks Donal but I really couldn’t be arsed reading whatever it is this kid is on about at the moment. I think we all know what he is, what he’s at and where he’s going, so I couldn’t be bothered with him. Best ignored in my opinion.

i i captain

roger that

It only has as much power as you give it I suppose

and it seems that most people on there disagree with him anyways

Ignored it be then

Over and out

Rafael Benítez has marked the 50th anniversary of Bill Shankly’s appointment as Liverpool manager by insisting the club must always aspire to the levels of pride and passion the Scot achieved at Anfield.

Benítez admits he knew little of Shankly when he became manager of Liverpool in June 2004 but soon learned of the man whose arrival at Anfield in December 1959 revolutionised the club.

And the Spaniard admits the appointment of the former Liverpool player Sammy Lee as assistant manager last season was partly designed to rediscover the spirit of the club’s modern founding father.

“Everything has changed in football and everything is different in society nowadays. Everyone has iPods or Wiis and in a hurry to do things. But still we try to have the same ideas as Shankly,” said Benítez. “When people talk about the ‘Liverpool Way’, it was always to win. We try to do this and that is our priority if possible. We try to do things properly, like Shankly did.

“When we decided to bring in Sammy [Lee] we had someone who knew the philosophy and the ideas of the club. One of the things we did after Sammy came was to change a little bit of decoration at Melwood. We now have a lot of photographs of former players, the legends and the managers and quotes from different people.

“We have been trying to bring this spirit. It is much better now. When people come to training now, they can look around and it is an inspiration to them.

“It would have been an honour to have met him [Shankly]. I didn’t really know much about him before I came but I started reading books about him and made sure that I spoke with a lot of people. I kept reading all those little phrases and sentences.

“But I also listened to an old radio interview he did, over and over again when I was at home or when I was in my car. I struggled at first with the accent but once it all became clear, I was really impressed with his ideas.

“He was so ahead of his time. He was talking about training sessions and if it had been raining and the players were wet, he would tell them to careful and he would look after them, make sure they recovered properly and ate the right food.”

Liverpool are still formulating their plans to mark the half-century since Shankly took over. It is likely they will honour his legacy during the home game with Wigan on 16 December, the nearest match to the 50th anniversary of Shankly’s first game in charge – a 4-0 home defeat by Cardiff on 19 December, 1959.

It is expected that members of Shankly’s family and former players will be invited to the Wigan match, with a ceremony on the pitch before the game.

One of those former players was Ronnie Moran, who figured in that Cardiff defeat before eventually joining Shankly’s backroom staff.

“When I came to the end of my playing days I was in the reserves and he called me into his office one day at the end of the season. I thought he was going to tell me my days at Liverpool were over,” said Moran. “But he said ‘Sit down son! How would you like a job on my staff working with the youngsters?’

“I was working with the kids for three years and Joe Fagan was in charge of the reserves. He asked me to help him with that. Joe moved on to the first team staff in 1971 and I took the reserve. In 1974 I joined the first team set-up when Bill retired to work with Bob [Paisley] and Joe.

“One of the reasons he was so popular with our supporters was because he told the truth all of the time.”

Fuck that Wankar fella. He’s some sort of G&H/Manc plant. He writes regularilly on the Repulic of Manchester site - even the name is robbed from Scousers, who call home The People’s Republic Of Liverpool…. a prize tosspot of the highest order.

Funny enough though he does show the nature of the times we are living in…
15 minute celebrity with absolutely no talent. Crying moaning spoilt brats calling for instant gratification, and destroying things if they don’t get it. Wanting everything without putting in a moment’s work to deserve it. Knocking down instead of building up.

And no. I’m not being some, “In my Day” old codger. There’s plenty of young people that can see the shallowness of society today.

For instance… did you know there’s only one official Shankly biography? Yep. Just the one, written by the great man when he retired and then only because he was begged to. How many do shites like Rooney, and even good lads like Torres have?
I know it’s just the way of the world. Doesn’t make it right.

Anyway, I’ve often talked of Shankly in here. Fellas my age saw him as a sort of a second father. Sounds corny but it’s true. We loved him like one and we’d have done anything for him. I swear, if he’d have said Manchester, we’d have been marching on it en-masse in moments.

And Aitch believe me mate, them lads would have succeeded in any age because of one thing… Nice men that they were, they were also hard bastards. They’d been through wars, poverty, famine and came out the other side better men for it. No fucking crying over a defeat or a draw for them lads.

But like Shankly would have, I want to look to the future…
I’ve said many times there is some direct parellells between Shanks and Rafa and the club as they found it…. a sleeping giant with un-caring owners, satisfied to trade and profit on brand loyalty and past glories.

I suppose a few young lads would laugh at that, but ask any fella my age and most of them will say the same thing. The times were different. The circumstances weren’t exactly the same. But both men found a club wobbling along, and had to drag it into the modern age - kicking and screaming - by their sheer force of will, and made it conform and adapt.

Both had blueprints. HArd to believe but Shankly’s was Motherwell. He thought it was the most scientific and modern of all football clubs. He arrived with that in mind and with his own philosophy/methods. He set about implementing them thoughts and was mocked at first, but met with great initial success. This success then drained away - through a lack of investment, belief and interest from the boardroom, and it took a few seasons (7) to reap the rewards of all the hard work that had to be done to overcome the obstacles and apathy.

And despite all the outside pressure, and there was plenty, Shankly wouldn’t be swayed because in his mind he knew - with the backing of the fans - he would build the club up into a bastion of invincibility that all would have to yeild to.

I could go on, there are more similarities, but you get my drift. I’m sure you see - unless you refuse to because you know better - all the parrallels. But there is one glaring difference.

About that, I’ll just say… I hope to fuck the idiots amongst us don’t get their way and derail this regime. If they’d have been around 50 years ago, there’d have been no LFC as we know it.

Thanks for filling the gap describe the Shankly years (before I was born). I only had a brief glimpse of Bob’s time as a little boy, and only started to really support LFC during the Dalglish double year.

Only read about the Heysel disaster, but saw the Hillsborough game live on TV, and of course, Michael Thomas nearly made me cry that year too.

Saw how Liverpool went down during Souness regime, and like you, I see something very special in Rafa.

Mate, I’ve read 2 footy books in all me life. One I couldn’t put down. One I had to force meself to pick up.

Every LFC fan should read the first… Shanks.

It’s not the official biography of the man. It’s a collection of story’s people told about him and what he meant too them.

Thankfully, he went into football and ended up at LFC, but he could have done anything he wanted. He was a force of nature, as they say nowadays. And he would have succeeded in anything he wanted to do - Prime Minister, Street Sweeper. It was just the nature of the man. Anything he done, he wanted to be the best at it, and he made sure he was.

That wasn’t the case at the club. They actually made a mistake in hiring him - meaning they were just content to wobble along. They were content with the ale and gate money - the Kop held 30,000 alone in them days. But once they realised what they had on their hands (and that took some time) they had 2 choices… sack him or give in, let him do the job and back him best they could.

Thankfully they decided that to let him go would only mean him joining someone else. Honestly, that’s what swung it. And thank god it did. Because any team that would have ended up with Bill Shankly as manager would have had no choice but to succeed. And LFC would have been left behind to settle to what should be our natural level… a Leeds or Sheffield type club.

And no doubt there’ll be those who know nothing that would argue that, but, as Rafa would say, that is fact.

I think you missed my piont FS.
I wasn’t suggesting that they wouldn’t make it today because of any deficiencies int he men. If only there were more like them around today, rather than the sort we have.

My point was more along the lines of your last sentence in #49…
Would their methods be accepted by today’s millionaire players (serious shift in power since their day)
(look what happened to Grant at Chelsea, and even more so Scolari, and even to an extent Hiddink… but now they are all behind Ancelloti?)

… and would any of our illustrious former managers be given enough time in the day and age of “He’s had 5 seasons and spent X, he’s useless and knows nothing about football” (all evidence on a C.V. to the contrary)

Never missed it Aitch, I should have just said… he’d have done exactly the same - if you play for LFC you behave yourself, or you do one. And he’d have stuck to it.

Anyway came into say, in case anyone wants to watch, another program just on now.

Advert break got to be quick… Funny enough Aitch, they have just had Sammy Lee on. I wish you could have seen him and heard what he said. You probably will at some time on the official site or youtube or something.

Got to go, tell you later, but you’d have loved what Lee said.

Aitch, I’m busy here so I haven’t got time to tell you about the program. But I read something yesterday. Read it when you get time mate…
http://tomkinstimes.com/2009/10/the-benitez-myths-series/

In fact everyone should read it, but I know you will love it as I’m sure a load of the other lads will. Sadly though, I reckon the ones who would get the most out of it, won’t even bother or come up with some great theory of their own.

I just read a nice article from Fernando Torres. In it, he states that Man.City should forget about making their £50m offer for him in January (or any other time) because Anfield is now his home.

He goes on to say that the club have been brilliant to him since he first arrived and he feels like a Scouser now - He even knows a few Scouse phrases!

He said he even gets treated with respect by Evertonians adding that would never of happened in Madrid. He feels very respected by Liverpool and wants to stay at the club for many years to come. He says that he hopes to lift his first trophy with the club very soon.

The fans signing his name and dedicating a song to him have made him feel really happy at LFC.

This lad appreciates all the good things in life, doesen’t he?

So pleased he’s our no.9

Fernando Torres, pure class.

FS, nice one for the PT blog, very interesting indeed, stat-tastic as always but makes his points well. Couldn’t believe what Ronnie Whelan said about the team value against Debrecen, “Ronnie Whelan said on Irish TV last month that the Liverpool eleven sent out to face Debrecen cost £250m. How many people will believe that? Quite a few, unfortunately.”
That’s pure ignorance that is, I mean you could kinda (very loosely) credit that statment if Torres was on the pitch (if his current value was around the 80 mill mark) but to come out with idiotic statments like that is just daft on his behalf, makes him look like a prat and is losing all respect from us fans. Unfortunately though there are a large majority of fans lapping it up!
I’m a fan of TIA and the offical site on Facebook and the amount of ignorent little shits commenting on posts that pop up is unbelievable! It’s scary the amount of “fans” who want Rafa out. Is this a result of the Media/ex-players spewing crap every week? Honestly it makes some of the guys that have gotten a hard time on this forum sound like Rafa worshippers!
Comes on people…Don’t believe the hype!!!!

Have been working me bollix off and had to catch up.

First of all, Ged, great blog and don’t worry if FS is all getting misty-eyed. Probably due to the new arrival. Anyway, I see that he is now back to form.

TT, your kind offer is much appreciated and I will ensure that it has pride of place in the Lurgankop household. You are a decent and kind man.

I think that it highlights the real difference between LFC ’supporters’, not fans.

Blackburn havejust gone to extra time with the chavs.

A tough extra 30 minutes for them before saturday.And a full week rest for the redmen to boot.

Lurgan thats no problem pal what goes around comes around and all that.I still owe you that pint i promised you hopefully i`ll be going to a Euro away after Xmas,thats the plan anyway and its somewhere in your vicinity on the mainland.

Have yet to read that tomkins lnk i`ll have a butchers at that there now.

Thanks for the link FS.Iactually recall reading that when it came out.

Some might think Tomkins is Rafa`s love child but he backs all he says up with stats and good logic.Some are just too ignorant to even take notice.

Hiya Val, glad you enjoyed that. Makes for some interesting reading, eh?

I read some stats somewhere that makes an absolute mockery of the media’s new Rafa whacking stick… his substitutions.

It’s touched on it in that piece but I read some stats that show exactly how effective Rafa’s substitutions are. We all know how many times we come back and turn games round late on but these figures showed exactly how Rafa’s substitutions have turned round a game. But how many times do we hear the same old cack… “He never changes nothing until after an hour” And my favourite one… “What’s he doing? Why’s he done that? I just can’t understand it!”

I end up screaming at the telly, “Of course, you F*****g can’t, cos you don’t understand the game like him. You Div.” and so on. But sadly it goes right over the heads of our support too and they’d rather believe the likes of Whelan…. £250 million my arse! The team that played Debrecen actually cost £74 million… practically chump change in today’s game.

I also like the 2 man team bit. How many of our fans believe that crap? Nevermind how insulting that is to the likes of Pepe, Mascher, Yossi, Johnson, Kuyt, Agger, Carra, etc. It seems our own bloody fans don’t even know or understand what we achieved last season and were basically with out the two man team for two thirds of it.

Mindboggling indeed.

But here’s my favourite…. “Oh come on Rafa smile.”

How many bloody times does Andy Gray say that on Sly as we score and Rafa checks his watch? It used to drive me mad. Now I just laugh. Are these experts so bloody thick that they really do think it’s wrong not to dance around like Martin O’Neil the mad monkey on a stick, or do the old folks Birdie Song Flap like The Tramp from down the road?

Maybe they should watch these programs on Shanks. Bill loved his clenched fist poses, but I promise you they only came after the game. And as for Bob Paisley, bloody hell… you’d think he was about to nod off sat there in his cardigan and slippers.

Oh well, it’ll just make it all the sweeter when it comes.

PS… Lurgan you’re spot on. The little man has reduced me to official soft get status.

A bit bored now i was just having a look at the Europa league standings.Here`s a look.

http://www.uefa.com/competitions/uefacup/standings/index.html

Nothing in there frightens the life out of me.The trophy`s there for the taking for us.I`m sure Rafa and the lads will give it a good shot.I suppose you must add to that the other CL qualifiers so some extra quAlity will be added.
The two pricks will try to press Rafa for a run in this for the only reason they care about,financial.

Valencia and Hamburg would probably be the strongest on paper and Everton have qualified tonight.Knocking them out would carry some nice bragging rights for a while!

Off now, but… Yeah Timmy, Tomkins is the minister for propoganda. But most of what he prints is usually proveable fact, and so what if some of it is glowing bias… we’ve got to have at least one on our side.

Very true FS.

Being watching the Shankly anniversary shows and it is amazing the sheer charisma/power this man had.

Far and away beyond his time and how fucking lucky are we that he landed on our LFC doorstep.

On the show I watched today, they voted that these were his best 10 buys:
1. Kevin Keegan
2. Ian St John
3. Ron Yeats
4. Emlyn Hughes
5. Ray Clemence
6. Peter Thompson
7. Steve Heighway
8. John Toshcak
9. Willie Stevenson
10. Gordon Milne

Now I admit that I do not know much about all of these players but I believe that we can already see where rafa’s signings are resembling those of the great man. A bit of skill, grit, determination, and most of all togetherness.

Have faith lads.

Tomkins is right… tis that fuckin goatie that’s the problem!

Watched the Citeh/Arse match today. What a crackin game. If City could muster performances like that each week, we’d be in a spot of bother. Fortunately, I don’t think they’ll manage it until next seaosn… but they could really be a problem then, once MH has them all playing together (if he’s still around that is?)

I wonder if Arsene will get crucified in the way Rafa would have after that performance. For all their “attacking flair” they really do look soft.

Anyway, Blackburn should be knackered so maybe, just maybe we are starting to see the tide turn.

“I hope to fuck the idiots amongst us don’t get their way and derail this regime”

This is why I mentioned that arsewipes article…I am worried that the likes of this traitor (his lies are usually at the top of the News Now lists) are getting too much attention without any reply…which can only lead to what FS fears…ignoring him wont make him go away…a vigorous defence is required else the morons will hold sway…

On Lucas - I have to say I thought he wasnt good enough…I thought he couldnt pass, couldnt tackle and was too soft…shows how much us Kiwi’s know about the round ball game…just as well I followed FS’s advice and didnt jump to knee jerk conclusion…I think he has been absolutely superb this season…I dont think hes put a foot wrong…he (along with Monster) has bossed some pretty tough opposition defences…I am really pleased for the lad…I like to see people suceed - well as long as they play for LFC…

does anyone else hate the new design for the main site? the liverpoolfc.tv site, i mean…

The thing is Kiwi, it wasn’t an entirely unreasonable opinion of Lucas.

Where the debate starts is when you take that observation and conclude “the lad is shite and not good enough”
(sort of like some are doing now with Ngog)

… or whether you are looking beyond that to see if the lad has potential.
Are there touches there, rare though they might be?
Does he dodge a tackle, whether sloppy or timed to perfection?
…etc…

Its a question of asking… objectively… is this the best a player has to offer?
… or could there be more to come?

… and granted some players will never get there (Babel?) but some do… a lot of people… and I mean a LOT of people used to hold the opinion that Jamie Carragher wasn’t good enough and wanted shut of him…
… thank fuck they didn’t get their way!

We can’t afford the Lionel Messi’s of the footy world, so this is the task we are faced with… giving players a chance to improve, learn from the pros around them, and apply it.
Some lads are the genuine article at 18, like Fowler, McMannaman, Owen, Torres, SG.
Others take more time to develop before their top game emerges.

I fear for Aquilani, I really do. The expectations are growing with every game he doesn’t play. A couple of dodgy games and the knives will be out for both him the boss.

hardly ever go there anymore alec…
…since I let my e-season ticket expire in protest against the owners…
… but I agree, I mean would you recommend Halle Berry get a face lift?
If it ain’t broke… don’t fuckin fix it.

Anyone heard the rumours regarding nemeth wanting to stay at AEK? It would be such a loss for us.

Very good points Aitch…

Agree entirely…its easy to jump to that knee jerk reaction that a player is shite (and I may have been a bit guilty of that myself)…the harder thing to do is to look objectively and to try and see the potential (if any exists)…and you are so right about JC - I remember many a fan complaining about the lad when he first made it into the side…I wonder what they have to say now…I guess the point is - a lot better judges of talent work for LFC and just perhaps some should have a little more faith in them…

#65 LurganKop. I had the pleasure of seeing each of those lads play, Shankly was good at spotting talent.
I remember going to watch Phil Thompson play for
the Youth Team at Anfield in a cuptie.
I went there because Shanks had said he would be the Captain of Liverpool one day, after seeing this long “Drink of Water” I thought Shankly had finally lost his mind..but how right he was.

Hi Guys don’t you hate it when work gets in the way of keeping up to date on this blog. Great read FS and I actually find Tomkins’s propaganda efforts very refreshing for a change as, yes you can make stats support any argument, but at least it debunks most of the vitriolic crap aimed at Rafa.

Watch Lucas in a match, I just did a second time against the Bitters, because I thought it was one of the fw times this season where we have not dominated the midfield, the upside down mop played a stormer for them. He quietly gets on with it, his passes and distribution (creativity for the uniformed) is way better than he is given credit for. Yes he does not do the spectacular 40 yard passes, but he very rarely gives the ball away and for the morons that are going to say he passes backwards and sideways watch him, because that is far from the truth and he usually starts attacks. Another thing that he gets little recognition for is his runs forward and his runs into space. Yes he does not have the presence of a Gerrard to finish just yet, but he gets into great positions and creates space for others. I think this lad in very much under appreciated as well as still very young. To label him as another defensive holding midfielder in the Mach mold is to do him an injustice. I would like to see him play with Aquaman, with a fully fit and firing Gerrard and Torres. He gives us more in the attacking sense than Masch and his defensive capabilities have come on in leaps and bounds and he is getting around the field just as much as Masch. He is not quite at Masch’s level, defensively, but he is not too far behind.

Preach It, Brother Keith, Preach It!

Morning lads. I’m in danger of turning into Victor Meldrew (Some grumpy old bastard on English telly). But remember when MTV started up, record sales, especially album sales went down the pan, and they started to call it an MTV mentality - The MTV Generation, concentration level of a gnat they used to say. Well, that’s happened in footy too - The Sky Generation.

A full football match can be a god awful thing to watch at times. And some really great footballers can have stinkers. But there seems to be a lot of kids that don’t realise that.

They see all them Addidas adverts with Zidane, Beckham and co, smashing down walls with volleys from the top of a building, and constant youtube like clips, of fantastic goals and skills, on all the footy shows and they think that’s football, especially when the only actual footy they’ve played is on a play station. So, they don’t learn the worth of unspectacular players, Kuyt/Lucas, etc.

And I honestly think that is happening to if not a whole generation, but an awful lot of them. One of them players named in Shankly’s top ten, Gordon Milne, was from all I can gather, very much like Lucas… short sharp passing, constant pass and move.

I did see him play, but I was far too young to understand the game as a whole, and my own first ever LFC hero was Peter Thompson. I loved them all, but Pedro was a flyer.

Eventually I understood why he used to drive the others and Shankly mad at times - beating the same defender 3 times over before delivering. But then I suppose, I was only young… so that’s put an end to my grumpy old bastard moan for the day!

But you’re right Aitch… lots of people are waiting for the unveiling of Aquilani and expecting the Addidas advert/youtube clip. I’m just hoping he doesn’t start against Fat Sam’s storm troops. Fiorentina will do for me.

I’d love nothing more than to go out and batter Blackburn and the players to give the beyond the pale, game over, hand signal at every goal. It would be enough to give Fat Sam a conorary and the Tramp a mental break down. But I expect another hard fought, very narrow, close victory.

Blackburn’s penalty shootout win over Chelsea (Do Ancelotti’s teams ever win penalty shootouts?) could work in one of two ways.

It could give them enormous confidence going into our match on Saturday or it could mean that they will be bollaxed during the last 20 minutes. Actually I suspect both to happen.

I don’t expect an easy game for us at Ewood (it never is) but I do expect a late winner for the men in red, after a very hard battle.

Hi chaps , will any website be showing the Blackburn game?.My local used to show games from Arabic TV but no longer do so.Cheers.

I hope Rafa stands on the sidelines waving his arms all game…

I cant tell you how much I dislike Allardyce…he is the worst kind of hypocrite…

Haven’t been able to get on much lately - but a quick one - what are the chances of Liverpool seeing any of the reported 300million profit that Gillet made - Fuck all I’d say

cmon Georgie spread the wealth - theres a good boy

Kiwi,

I don’t like Sam either. But for hypocrisy, I think bitter Neil Warnock is still Number One!!!

FS, I thought thr tramp had already had a mental breakdown!

Come on now An Linn, you surely know that good old uncle George is bound to clear LFC’s debt now that he has money to burn, don’t you?

I think there’s more chance of us actually winning the Prem this season to be honest.

I see the media are going after Wenger now. I read a few scathing articles in a few newspapers. Arsenal havent won a trophy in x amount of time, why is he playing the kids in the carling cup, why didn’t he shake Mark Hughes hand after the game? The old boys club (League managers association) are after him now as well. Fat Sam with his usual bollacks. I fucking hate that fat cunt. Hope we give them a tonking!

For 300 mill, GG could buy out Hicks and become sole owner… which is what he wanted int he first place.
But it won’t happen… we won’t see a fuckin dime of his money… especially since we haven’t seen a dime of it since the day he started bidding to buy us. What we have seen is Bank of Scotland’s money.
These two haven’t sunk a dime nto the club… but they’ve taken a few out of it!

……

Hey FS… do you know what the first video was played on MTV?

The Bugles “Video Killed The Radio Star”

I’m sure they thought that was ironic comedy when they made that decision, but it was bloody prophetic!

Bands riding high at the time on the US charts like Boston, ELO, Thin Lizzy, evem mid-level bands like REO Speedwagon, 36 Special, etc., got swepped by the wayside, because they didn’t look good on video.
These were ugly fellas, not pretty boys who looked good in spandex.
Within 5 years the entire “face” of the music business had changed, courtesy of MTV.

For MTV, substitute The Premiership.
Since 92, established “big” sides have gone the way of Boston/ELO … most notably of course are Leeds, but also teams like Nottingham Forest, a “top 4 team” of the time.

There are definite comparisons to be made. Bands that made the shift, altering their image to take advantage of the visual medium, survived, while those that didn’t rode their reputation for a while, but eventually disappeared.
(died and ugly death? badump-tish!)

Teams that were able to take advantage of the TV coverage (”money”) of the Prem (and this coincides and combines with intro of the new CL format) survived, those that didn’t perished.

Then along comes SKY to convince us that footy-life did not exist prior to 92 and footy is what they say it is.

God-damn, I need to proof read before I post.
That lookslike it was written by a 12 year old (in other words, one of the CBCs)

Obviously I meant 30-”8″ Special (WHO, I hear many of you ask) and not 36.

and meant, died “an” ugly death, which might have made it funny, but as-is just makes me look the Prick.

And I think it was Buggles and not Bugles. (two completely different pronunciations there, eh?)

… slinks away down the tunnel, like Arsene Wenger after a defeat!

Oh Trevor Horn… so much to answer for.

Wenger is sort of leading with his chin at the moment, but agreed… once you are on the media’s radar, you are bollacksed.

Shame the radar only starts outside of British waters though eh… Fat fucking Sam, Appy Spiv Arry, Fat Head Bruce, Martin ONeil and then of course, the dark lord Tramp - all untouchable.

Mind you, Ancelotti… weakened team, stupid 3 man substitution, names the penalty takers, and in what order they take them… British media, not a peep.

Oh well, business as usual it is then.

Give it time FS, Ancelotti will get his share…

Agreed.
Its the Carling, so nobody gives a fuck… if it’d been the FA Cup, Ancelloti would have been “devaluing” it and “not respecting” it, etc.
(but if rafa had done it, we’d have had 3 days of nonsense headlines/articles)

Ancelotti is riding high at the moment, with a team of Happy Stars… so it sort of makes him a little bit untouchable… When/If they stumble he’ll get it with both barrels.

Watched the highlights of Chavs and BBRovers last night. It’s Bolton Mark 2 for sure. It’s gonna be another mighty scrap for us. Route one Rovers, big players, high balls … beginning to sound familiar. I’ll take another scrappy/jammy/uninspiring … call it what they will, I don’t care as long as we win. We’ll have to score first and probably second too ! It’s gonna be raining headers so maybe the lads could play on stilts. I reckon Rafa will start as last week but I wonder if Riera might sneak in as he’s a few inches taller and will give us some sort of bigger presence in our box.
Sorry for being a little negative here but I reckon it’s gonna be a hell of a battle a la Bolton earlier this season. Can’t see Nemo starting here but then again if needs be and we go behind then we may see himself and Benny off the bench early on second half.

Mind you I am trying to second guess Rafa … bit of a laugh that.

Aaah, day 4 of the Rafa-Bashers Take A Holiday Week!

I agree dougle.
I reckon we’ll start with more or less the same “uninspired, defensive” starting 11, soak up the “dogs of war” approach and try to hit them on the break… not because that would perhaps be the more prudent tactical approach… but because rafa is stubborn and doesn’t know football and probably doesn’t want to win anything this season, now that he’s got his contract extention.

Hey maybe it isn’t Rafa-Bashers Take A Holiday Week… maybe it is in fact just week 15 of the Rafa Takes A Holiday Season.

Petulent? …maybe…
(maybe Fabio for Insua at the back … not coz Insua isn’t up to it, but he’s margianlly taller and faster) and that would allow for Riera at Leftwing.

Can someone tell me who qualifies if
1) Debrecen beats Lyon 1-0 ( always a possibility ); and
2) Liverpool beat Fiorentina 5-0 ( which may be possible since Fiorentina will be thinking this is a dead rubber ?)

ooh ok… NOW i get it…

yhhhgfdrvfdddsssaadmkloppvccvvbb bbnn,jhfffcccc cvvvvvxcvxxc dgnnmmmnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnndddddddfsasaq

Lurkers.

LB, is the Hines fella going to start against Manchester United with Cole being out?

I hope he does, and wouldn’t it be just delicious if he scored a winner against them. Vidic fowling him in the penalty box may likely happen.

Am hoping for the best for the youngster, LB. If you have the chance to speak to him before the match, tell him exactly what rafa told Nando– “Get right to him and dribble towards his left foot”!

Im with you LB

I fuckin hate Fat bastard

Im looking forward to giving them a good hammering

For the 1st time in a while I can feel a good scoreline for us

Lets hope its a reality and im not just feeling the iffy pint I had last night

Over and out

Sorry for that ‘post’ above, people. Either my 3 year old daughter or the maid wiping the keyboard.

Fat Sam was exactly the same as a player… fucking big semi-useless yard-dog with delusions of granduer. He played in a Bolton side, that considered it a success - which it was really - by reaching the old first division, staying there for awhile, beating the odd decent team and having a few decent cup runs. But he used to be forever in the press, saying how good he was, and that he should be at a big club and playing for England… sounds familiar?

Except for the British media and Man U fans, who both think he’s a thoroughly decent bloke, one of the lads, and a good manager, I don’t know a soul with a good word for the fat bastard. That includes Newcastle fans and an awful lot of Bolton/Blackburn fans.

I can’t stand him or his dirty shithouse teams… how many of our players legs have they broken in recent times?

In my book, definetely not the game to start Aquilani in. But as you say, who knows with Rafa.

LB I agree… the British press, nothing if not consistent. And lets hope they will be turning on Ancelotti like jackals on speed very soon. Sadly can’t see it for awhile though. Oh well we live in hope.

And Donal, let’s hope you’re right… someone is going to kop a good hiding from us very soon. Let’s hope it’s this shower. Wouldn’t it be sweet to give him another murmur - not a full blown one, just a few twinges and a panic attack would be lovely though.

Oh, and SOAK mate… That post #95 is one of the most sensible any of us has written this season!

I read the comments and always forget what I had to say… Did any see the mancs or watch them the other night?

The commentator went on and on about The Great Sir Alex Ferguson’s kids. The papers, Sly news and Talk Shite were exactly the same the next morning.

Now, I know having a record like The Tramp’s will buy you good press. And that’s only right. But kids! Bloody hell…
That team included Old Woman Neville, Kuzcack, Vidic, Brown, Park, Anderson and the lad who was raved and raved about, as the 2nd coming, Gibson, is Twenty bloody Two!

Older than Lucas, Insua and NGog.

Don’t take that wrong lads. I’m not upset, surprised or even slightly miffed about it. After posting that Myths of Rafa link, I just thought it was worth a mention and I wish someone else would do a similair thing on The Tramp only from our perspective.

I’m sure the facts would make some interesting reading.

Hehe FS, now you have gone and put a smile my face. Which is a good thing actually given the circumstances.

I am sure most of us in here would have read this one at WAWK, and the following comment below the article sums up one side of our history in a few paragraphs. Great reading:

http://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?topic=250391.0

That’s RAWK*…sheesh

Hyde, I have texted Hines telling him to give Vidic a fucking roasting – burn him up for pace, don’t let him settle on the ball and attack his left side. I told him to show no respect the the manc back four. Give Vidic a kick and talk trash if he has to as well.

So if he gets a red card you know whose fault it is.

I hope Zola bloody well plays him. At times they have gone with one up front but with Cole injured surely he has to play.

Sam fucking Allardyce. Please can we win 4-0 and every goal get the all-over hand gesture.

As for the team against Blackburn. I am hoping for Benny and Riera to get a game. Maybe put Torres on for an hour. Or start him on the bench and give him 25 mins at the end.

2-1 to the Reds 2moro (Gerrard 19, 64).80 points and 3rd spot are still doable.FS, any betting advice for 2moro?.

Nicely said FS. Everyone here knows how I feel about allardyke and whiskerface. Neither deserve any kind of respect.

LB, well done. I would just luv it, just luv it if Hines does it!

liverpool to win the premier league in may 2010

the team tat will lift the premiership

defensive line up
————–reina————–
—–Carra—-Skrtel—-Agger—–
Johnson——Masch———-Insua
—–Benny–Stevie G—Aquaman—-
————Torres—————-

and attacking line up

————–Reina—————
——-Carra———Agger——–
Degen————————Insua
————-Masch—————-
Johnson————-Aquaman—Benny
———-Stevie G—————–
————–Torres—————

Bench has to have Ngog!

LB, Rafa not risking Torres tomorrow unfortunately, info on the main site.

TimmyTorres, have you any idea of any pub in Cork playing the game tomorrow or is it just the West Spam v Scum game? Would love to watch it, I’ve a feeling it’ll be a cracker!

Satyr @108.
You seem to have missed Kuyt by accident!

No Torres tomorrow? Bloody hell. Ngog will have to do then. What happened to our friend Voronin?

Hyde, maybe no Hines tomorrow either. He has had a knee injury and hadn’t all week until today. I think he is going to pretend that his knee is fine so we’ll see.

Thats a balls about Torres. Still, better to wait than aggravate. Wish we’d do the same with Stevie too to be honest. Pain, as we know, is the bodies way of telling us somethings wrong. Masking that pain with an injection is bad news longterm I fear. If they need op’s I just wish they’d have em. Fatty Lucas is 22, he’ll be 23 in January. My team tomorrow would be: Pepe, Johnson, Carra, Dagger, Aurelio, Benny, Masch, Lucas, Riera, Stevie, and Dirk upfront. 2-1, Benny and Stevie.

Ohhh my bad

I think this game has 0-0 written all over it.

No mate. There’ll be goals and Liverpool will win it in the last 15 minutes.

Agree with FS, I think it’ll be 3-2 with us scoring the winner late on.
Pissed off I can’t watch it though!

http://www.myp2p.eu is how I intend to watch it !

I’ll be checking teletext every 5 mins. Old skool! Joke. I actually miss that though. Refreshing the page and seeing ‘ALDRIDGE 68, 76’.

Don’t want to piss in anyone’s chips but I find the current situation with FT very worrying.

I am sure we all agree that he is world class and the number one man to lead the line but if he is injured every second week, this puts a huge spanner in the works.

I know that he has played a shitload of footie in the last few years and that’s where it ’seems’ that the problem has come from.

My worry is that his body cannot withstand this workload and this would be, obviously, very bad news for LFC.

Just stating what I feel and would like to know what the Kopblog ‘massive’ thinks about this.

Computer not up to sratch Arthur, constantly stop starting, I will try it but not very hopefull! It’ll be on the radio here in Ireland alright so might resort to that if all else fails!

Lurgan, I always had a nagging feeling that this was on the cards concerning Torres. Since the age of 17 he’s been playing with very little rest. He was captain of Atletico aged 19 and their best player. This meant he’d often play through injuries. Been in the Spanish squad from that early age as well. Since he has come to LFC the workload has increased and he has hardly had a summer off. It is taking its toll on his body. For this reason I would only play him in league matches for the rest of the season.

A 3 month break at the end of a season would to wonders but he will never bloody well get it. International tournaments every summer.

I think the football season is too long anyway but that’s another story.

Sadly LB, I go back as far as this one…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FUdpqLLxPM

Shame we never had a telly.

As for tommorrow’s game, they’ll be on a high after beating Chelsea. I imagine they’ll come at us early, much like Everton, high balls and set pieces being their main weapon.

In fact, I expect it to be much like last week, with the same result. But then I’m usually wrong about these things.

Ha ha, now THAT is old skool. Guys writing the score down with chalk on a blackboard in the background.

Talking about old skool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS37SNYjg8w&feature=rec-LGOUT-exp_stronger_r2-2r-1-HM

Just look the good old days FS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4CXY6TVBMc&NR=1

Just like the good old days…

Val #109

The game is on in Brannigans bud.I`m sure you know where that is.I just texted the gaffer there he`s a buddy of mine and he says its on there.

Well men just got caught up on the blog an comments. What a surprise after two wins certain assholes haven’t been on shouting their mouths off eh!!!
I’m in the middle of moving house so have been all over the show this week,but I’m kinda glad because i cant wait to play these bastards tomorrow and i swear i hope we annihilate the fuckers.
Shame nando isn’t playing however with benny and riera back in business i think we’ll have to much for them. here’s hoping anyway,

p.s lurgan thats a blast from the past. some great shows from harry. I love that charles charlie charl charles one of the charles brothers. magic.

As for tomorrow we will be in for a battle similar to last weekend.They will try every shithouse tactic they can get away with.They will be up for it from the start but hopefully the extra time they had to endure on wednesday night will take its toll on them and we run out with a victory in the end.

My team.

Reina

Johnson,Carra,Agger,Aurelio

Masch,Lushus,

Kuyt,Gerrard,Riera

N`gog

C`mon you redmen!

I do indeed Timmy, nice one, wasn’t sure if they’d have it or not. Saturday afternoon pints it is then! Come on the Pool!

I cannot believe it is so quite in here what happening top everyone. I am starting to get pissed off with all the negative comments when Lucas is named in the team.

I named Lucas in my top 10 list mpst improved last year.

This choice is justified fully this season

Ngog is left on the bench while Deadly Dirk is spear heading the attacking line, with Gerrard behind him…

Go Reds….!!

(ps: I hope Aquilani will get some actions on the field today)

Toothless attack today…

yep…

Thats how much we missed Eggnog in the absence of Torres????

We will win this game late on.

we need Eggnog

hmm…. this looks like a draw game to me.
Hope we will score and win it

LB

Looks like Hines and co. lost big times….
0-4 now..

Draw….

Positively,
1 point game rather than 2 points loss
El zhar back from injury
Blackburn poor finishing
especially the last chance from Blackburn

-ve
Villa won, Arse won, Mancs won
Still no Aquilani
Eggnog missed a golden chance from inside the 6 yard box

oh great!! we’re truly the laughing stock of english football aren’t we???

let’s see what the benefit brigade has to say this time!!

maybe you’ll say ngog’s still a kid…or worse , you still believe he’s “deadly”..haha

where are the days when we never even bothered about teams like birmingham n blackburn?????

rafa out please!!

Yeah, Ngog’s miss cost us two points.

Should we hope for a City win now? It would mean we have reduced the gap to Chelsea from 13 points to 12. On the other hand it would see us back down in 7th place again.

What will be will be.

How can someone take +ve out of this game is beyond me.

Lets get some facts clear.

1. For all our efforts we really lack the cutting edge. We miss Torres more than the other teams miss their big players.

2. We keep talking about the big clubs having more money.How about the young players which our rivals are coming up with? To me they are at a different class compared to our young players.I dont think we are loosing out financially when it comes to attracting young talent..are we?

3. I feel sorry for Steven Gerrard. Time and again it is evident that the other players barring Torres simply dont understand his level of passing and movement.

4. For all the Rafa Benitez backers…here is simple question? Why does he approaches matches like this one with a mentality of not loosing rather than going for a all out win? Why does he always wants to play with two defensive midfielders?

@Smith

The Rafa Brigade will come here soon and blast you and me !! Hehe.

These people can see how ordinary the team looks but still they would never accept it.

Yes we have financial problems but what about the kids.. I saw Gibson scoring today and wednesday. I saw Kakuta. I saw El Zhar too. Cmmon..its so obvious.

With Rafa’s discipline,work ethic we have reached this stage but i seriously believe that this team comprises of hard working,mediocre players who dont know how to score goals. Torres and Gerrard excluded.

The problem Rafa has is that he is too cautious about not loosing. He does not want to force a win from a situation like today’s. He is more concerned not to loose.

It feels like shite watching week in and week out..our fading title challenge. Dont forget..this time Citeh and Villa are genuine candidates for 4th place.

steve , we ought to have forgotten about chelsea a long time back…personally , i can’t see us finishing top 5 this season…we’re piss poor and that’s a fact!!

@ somnath

well i dont give a flying f*** about the benefit brigade..never have!! they’re all highly delusional

according to them , being a “true” supporter means being ok with complacency and mediocrity which this piss poor team is exuding in almost every match

till time this blog is open to fans who’re pragmatic about what’s happening and thus have every right to criticize the tean, i’ll be here to give my opinion

@smith,somnath07in

trust me these guys will try so hard to get some positives out of this game,how we kept a clean sheet,how Ngog is so promising and they will go on to whine too how Torres has missed most part of this season,how the beach ball scored the goal at sunderland…the list is endless…!!

And oh ya! the will go on and say how u guys are the real cancer eating the club simply because u dont agree with most of their opinions or simply because u have stood up to say that this team isnt good enough!

You guys actually sound happy that Liverpool drew. Didn’t really see much of you guys when we beat Everton last week. If you make posts during both the good and bad times, people might not get rubbed the wrong way.
Just my two cents there.
Now, regarding the game… not too much to say really. We’ve been through all this before to really have something new to talk about.

@Idhawan
we are not happy that the team drew,its people like us who expect the team to win week in,week out..by the fact that the team is not doing so,we accept that its not good enough.

Dude, we all expect the team to win week in and week out. You put Real Madrid or Blackburn in front of us and I would expect nothing less than a win. Just because it’s not happening right now doesn’t mean we should write the team off or the manager. Of course he is responsible for the team but he was also responsible when we were destroying the Real Madrid’s last season. We were playing brilliant attacking football and scoring goals for fun. Shit has happened this season with injuries etc so things of course have changed a bit. All the moaning etc is not really accomplishing much.
What do you guys want exactly? Just come out and say it plain and simple.

i’m with idhawan.

The game was poor, Liverpool had many chances.

Difference from last year is mainly execution. We are getting the same quality shots off but not finishing the play - that is, not enough goals. Defensively we are getting better. That’s about the only positive.

I actually thought Lucas did well today. He had a nice scramble at behind goal that gave an open look on goal, but too many spoiled chances to score. Hopefully next match we get better.

Aquilani situation is really quite simple. He’s either not fit, Or Rafa wants the club to get on a run before he puts the inexperienced Italian in. Who cares if he cost $20M? Keane was the same amount and he was quite bad.

Fuckin fools!! Have nothing to contribute after a highly important derby win, yet the second there’s points dropped straight in with there expert opinions. we’ll there is a an old saying. “don’t argue with a fool, some people may not know the difference ” fits nicely here I believe.

Bitterly disappointed today, a few lads made the call saying we’d draw. Personally i thought we would have stuffed them,but as it is just gonna have to settle for a point away from home. Glad we kept a clean sheet but from what I’ve heard we’d didn’t deserve to much so im looking forward to catching the highlights.

Off out on a bender gonna drink this result right outta my system!!

I’m not going to read anything in here. I see the names that’s enough…
Shame shite like that is ruining what was once a little oasis of calm amongst the madness.

Look on the bright side lads. Man.City beat Chelsea 2-1 so we have made a point up on the leaders.

Hopefully Torres and Aquilani will both feature against Arsenal next Sunday.

Well my thoughts on the game were, in the first half we played like we didn’t want to lose, while in the second half Blackburn played like they didn’t want to lose. All and all a draw was a fair result. Piss poor game to for the watching public, but never the less a draw.
.
Positives are a clean sheet and some players coming back into fitness. Glen Johnson’s entire game. We look like we’re a team who’s stemmed the tide of loses and we are now working our way forward.
.
As I said a boring game to watch at 2.00am but alas it’s another point with no goals conceded.
.
Onwards and upwards.

Came in to mention a few positives in an otherwise disappointing performance but i think i wud keep them to myself as i can smell the return of a whole lotta negativity here …

However, i do think that its time we get Aqualani in our midfield to get things moving forward rather than sideways …

Fiorentina game is the ideal one wid no pressure and obviuosly they arent known for kicking the living hell outta you ….

Worring news here, maybe thats why he rested Ngog

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2009/1205/1224260144367.html

Disappointed with the result by on a positive note we kept another clean sheet

Looks like Aquilani will srart against Florentina

anbody else getting the weird search pop up

I wasnt suprised to login and see the comments in here actually, CBC in full flight. As someone mentioned earlier, you are clearly not true supporters. You’d rather come in here and gloat about the teams failures than celebrate the teams success (aka noone of you came on after the everton win).

I support MY club through thick and thin.

Ofcourse we are missing FT, any club would. But we all should know about the clubs financial circumstances, and cant you get it through your brains that we have these financial issues on top of the others.
Im not even going to debate anything with you clowns because you wont even listen even though its plain to see.

One last comment. Ngog’s chance was actually a difficult one. The last second the ball took a touch/bounced up to about thigh height so the lad did alright to adjust.

So instead of it being a straight tap if from a ball coming at himon the ground (which he was ready for), it became more difficult.

But im sure the CBC bregade will still call him shite.

One more comment, i can resist.

Why dont you clowns just piss off. Its clear noone wants you here and you are the joke of this blog.

Show Gerry some respect and leave.

to smith@141 “where are the days when we never even bothered about teams like birmingham n blackburn?????”

Those days were in the 70s and 80s. I remember we couldn’t even win Leicester & Wimbledon back in the EPL before Rafa came in.

You just seem happy that Liverpool lost points, much like somnath07in, and sula. Have you been around to watch them play during that time, or did you “support” Liverpool after Istanbul?

None of us like the team to lose points, and please be more constructive and post facts in future.

Off to bed nearly happy. Shame it wasn’t a defeat. Few more of them and shite like that above will fuck off away from our club.

Night night.

@sula,somnath,smith,
Clearly from your comments, you all are happy when we dropped points. Didn’t see you after our win last week! Everyone is disappointed and acknowledged that wasn’t our standard and we had an off-game. Yes, please be more constructive and what we need now is to stand strong behind the team.
What I take away is that we’re now 12 points behind instead of 13!

smith, sula, somnath

one thing should be obvious to you guys by now. we are a bunch of idiots who stick by rafa when the chips are down, mainly because we dont know better. we are the rafa brigade, deluded and all that.

you guys on the other hand are smarter than us fools, you guys are number one fans who expect wins every week.

so let’s make it easy for everyone. since the majority in this site are the clueless rafa brigade, why dont you and those of your ilk take your shit elsewhere and leave us alone, cos clearly we will never see the wisdom of your words.

that’s not too much to ask for isnt it? go hang out somewhere else with like-minded people, cos you’re not gonna find them here.

just go. please.

@Idhawan

What made you think that we sound happy? I tell you what we feel. We feel frustrated.

You didnt see much of me after the Derby because i was away on a vacation. I have always made a point to post here through the course of the season. Remove that pre-concieved notion that we are not supporters and only know to criticize.

As a matter of fact, after we lost to Aston Villa, i stated here that i would be happy if we finish 4th this season. You might call it being pesimistic but i am atleast not living in a fantasy world. Our rivals this season are Tottenham,Villa and ManCiteh.

Why do i feel frustrated? Here is the reason.

Can anybody deny that Manchester United are much weaker than last season? Still they somehow are keeping pace at the top of the table. We talk about injury crisis. They played with a make shift defense yesterday and yet scored 4 goals.

More importantly they know how important it is to keep pace with Chelsea if they want to win the title. You can give me all the stick you can but our bitter rivals have shown the stuff of champions this season. Have the guts to accept it. Football is not all about hating your biggest rivals, its also about recognizing the strength of teams.

The kind of form we have shown is simply not acceptable if we are talking about winning titles and matching our rivals. We failed to arrest the dip in form and it just keeps on continuing.

@Roaring Red,Akka

You are a fucking joke. Enjoy the clean sheet. Fool.

@FS

The Oracle of Kop Blog. hehe. Thank god you didnt react. Sula,Smith… i am sure we will see lot of stuff from this learned LFC fan throught this week.
I wont take the shit of financial limitations because the players we have bought at the academy level are also not the same class compared to the ones in display from our rivals.

Idhawan, whats your definition of writing the team off? For Liverpool FC, who missed a golden chance last season to win the title… isnt the current position not enough to write off the team. It comes down to what our expectations are. You just cant quote last season’ example and say that look we played like champions last season. For all our efforts we didnt win the title because we made a mess of our 6 points lead coming to the new year. You want it plain and simple right? All i am saying is that we have players with great work ethic..but we dont have enough quality going forward. Our squad is the weakest in terms of depth going forward. We miss Torres.I feel sorry for Steven Gerrard. Do you even watch his reaction when the Lucas’s,Kuyt’s dont even match his understanding of where the ball should be passed?

@YKLeong

No we are not happy. We are frustrated.

@Redneck

Cmmon mate..you are trying too hard to request us not to come in here. You think thats gonna happen? No mate. I dont think you can suppress the voice of dissatisfaction anymore. I dont care who needs to go..Owners,Rafa,some of the players…things have to fall in place sooner rather later or else we are gonna loose the 4th place. No financial muscle,an ordinary team…think how we are going to keep Torres. Big players wants to play in big teams. We are a big team now but the way things are going..we might loose that tag.

smith, sula, somnath

the only reason you post your idiotic, unconstructive opinions on this blog is to get confirmation of your own existances. in the same way that homeless people shout abuse at strangers just because they’re treated like they’re invisible otherwise, you lot choose a blog that clearly has a shared outlook of support for rafa in order to slag him off. why not just join one of the other blogs for clueless ‘anti-fans’. oh yeah, because your uneducated opinions get ignored and lost amongst the other dross. nice one lads. you exist. happy now? maybe a good idea to stick your balls in a wasps nest just to sure.

on the game, it’s clear we’ve reverted back to the solid defensive style that won pepe all his golden mitts. disappointed with dropping the points but that is probably the best way to go. back to basics and then look to build on that in an attacking sense as the season pans out. i’d much rather we did that than carried on leaking 2 goals a game. i don’t think its a case of ‘back to the drawing board’, but more a case of digging out some of the old drawings and building from there.

in terms of the individual players, agger and johnson are fantastic attacking defenders and they’re going to bring a lot of goals from the back. carra and pepe are back to their solid best and insua is working a lot harder these days. so all in all, i’m really happy with the back end of the team (all except carra are rafa signings and relatively young, smith you nob’ed).

on the negative side, we’re not breaking quickly enough. too often there’s only 1 in the box waiting for a cross. we’re then forced into low percentage hopeful balls towards a single player surrounded by 3 defenders. we need to have full-backs attacking the far post, midfielders attacking the D, strikers in the box…. some options for benny, johnson or whoever when they’re looking up with the ball at their feet. i don’t mind if rafa wants to play a solid formation and counter-attack, but the attacks just aren’t happening at the pace that causes indecision and panic. only yossi seems to have a real sense of urgency about him. even dirk, for all his running, doesn’t often pop up unexpectedly. yossi does and that’s how he gets most of his goals. hopefully aquaman will bring that and goals from outside the box as well. can’t wait to see him play… getting a bit impatient actually…

Sommy, no financial clout, ordinary team, no big players coming, Torres leaving. Well as long as the lads still wear Red, still have a liver bird on their chest, and we still get to sing YNWA, who gives a fuck who’s playing, its about supporting our team, not our individuals.
.
Our seasons not working out as we would all like but that’s football, take it or leave it, no ones blessed with a fore gone conclusion.
.
Still love my team.

Rafa in his post game conference: ‘With Lucas, Gerrard and Mascherano we now have balance in midfield’. Oh dear. How does that old song go again?…..oh yeah…..(clears throat)….There may be trouble ahead, but while theres moonlight and Lucas and another square pass, lets face the music and dance! Ah sure if ya dident laugh you’d cry….. Oh well, at least the mystery of Aquilanis prolonged benchwarming is cleared up.

This says it all…
“the only reason you post your idiotic, unconstructive opinions on this blog is to get confirmation of your own existances. in the same way that homeless people shout abuse at strangers just because they’re treated like they’re invisible otherwise.”

Nice one Sambo. In fact, that was a great post. Shame it had to be aimed at idiots.

I couldn’t stop meself and went and read their posts. From what I can see…
1: Smith, I smell Manc.
2: The other two tits. Well, that’s exactly what they are… Tits who know absolutely nothing about football and - even worse - even less about LFC. But sadly that’s the caliber of person we have attracted since Istanbull.

Mind you, one of them did say he was a long standing supporter from 2004.

Digger you have no excuse… why are you still regurgitating this media nonsense? Lucas and another square pass… Well you wanted to face the music. So here it is… Why oh why are you saying that, when to anyone who actually watches the lad, and understands football, it’s patiently untrue?

I’ve always had you marked down as a cynical so and so. And let’s face it, we get on each others nerves. But you are entitled to your cynicism, and I’ve spent time discussing it with you, but to just come out with this sort of Sly/TalkShite propoganda… well, I give up hope.

In fact, you are the sort of fan that will do even more damage than them other stupid bastards… someone who is actually a fan, and is falling for this sort of tripe. But at least you are too far out the way to cause any actual damage to the club by aiding the media in it’s quest to get Rafa removed.

I’ll make a post on the football now. Like the one tit, can’t remember if it was the left or right said, the sage is bound to… even though he was on vacation and didn’t read the blog last week!

FFS that alone shows how see through they are…
I wonder why the other 2 didn’t come in all week?
Maybe the dog ate their computers.

As for Smith…. MANC NO DOUBT!

Right now I’ve got that out the way, on to some footy…
I was worried about this fixture all week. LB said himself, it had Nil - Nil written all over it. I agreed, but tried to cheer things up round here by saying there would goals and we would win it in the last 15 minutes.

Well, if we was going to win it, I could only see that coming late on - it was never a game we was going to run away with. And in truth, I said there’d be goals because I feared our defence would succumb to Blackburn’s set pieces.

But why there has to be an excuse for getting a draw at Ewood Park is beyond me. It’s always a difficult place to go, ask Chelsea. But there was also added factors…
1: Blackburn would be on a high after beating Chelsea - yes beating Chelsea - and getting to a semi-final.
2: Extra time in midweek wouldn’t affect their stamina… Maybe if they’d lost, but they’d won against the media’s Untouchables, and had got to a semi-final.
3: There was a beyond the pale vendeta from last season, and they was playing for their boss against his hated enemy… And playing for their boss who’d just had a fucking heart by-pass.

Anyone who thought they wouldn’t be up for this and that it should have been a stroll in the park is absoulutely deluded!

We are playing our way out of an incredibly difficult period. Many of our players are not fully fit… Gerrard, Yossi, Riera were all visibly off the pace and are obviously still suffering from recent injuries. Kuyt is absolutely knackered.

3 kids are carrying too much responsibility… Insua, Lucas and NGog. Of course the tits just say they are crap and Man U’s are great. But the fact is, we haven’t been able to ease these kids in. Due to circumstances, they’ve all just been thrown in the deep end from the start and have had to play most of the season. At a combined price of about 7.6 million, we should be praising these lads, not slagging them.

But then I don’t want to drift off onto the caliber of support LFC is attracting nowadays… they are of no consequence.

So anyway, yesterday was never going to be easy, and we got the sort of nervous anxious performance that you get from most top teams when playing themselves out of injury and back to form, especially at a very difficult ground.

But for all the tits… Since Rafa has been in charge, we have only ever dropped 2 points against any of Allardyce’s teams.

Sort of thing the media doesn’t like to mention that though.

Did anybody even know that Stuart Downing made his home debut for Villa yesterday?

Of course not, that would mean the press reporting that Martin ONeil had bought an injured player in the summer and he’d had to wait until now to blood him.

Oh well, there probably wasn’t paper space amongst all the Aquilani crock stories.

Anyway, this is getting long so, fact is…
That’s 6 games without defeat. 3 clean sheets on the bounce and the squad/team one more game nearer to full fitness.

Except for Arsenal, we have a run of games coming up that should be a good chance to get all the lads fit and firing on all cylinders.

Like I’ve been saying all along… you don’t come out of this sort of slump magically. You come out of them by grafting hard and stringing together a few results, that builds into a run. But then people who understand football know that anyway.

But there’s no denying the season has turned into a damp squib especially with all the expectations we had. But the fact is… It’s Rafa who has made these expectations. Under Souness, Evans or Houllier it would be a quite normal season.

Shame that our super fans scream for Rafa’s head because we haven’t qualified for the second phase of the CL. But the fact is, from 1986 until Rafa arrived - we qualified for the Champion’s League second stage once. YES - ONCE.

Rafa’s going nowhere so it’s immaterial, but the fact is… if this man was to leave this club today, we would be well and truly done for.

And I mean done for good and proper… sliding into Everton type mediocrity and relegation battles. You only have to look at our once Giant neighbours (And yes tits. Everton were once giants of the game) to see what could happen to us, and they have practically no debt, and a local born owner/chairmen who absolutely loves them and pours every possible penny he can into the team.

Sadly though, all of that will just get mocked by the dickheads who most need to understand it but can’t realise what they are doing, because they know absolutely nothing about football or this club they profess to love.

Lol! Its true, we do get on each others tits! But I like to think at the back of it all theres a mutual grudging respect. We are poles apart on Rafa Fatty but united by blood on Liverpool. Cant choose your family eh?! Anyway, I know not EVERY pass from the lad is square but a creative midfielder he certainly aint. And thats what this team is screaming out for; some creativity and guile. Rafas comments are worrying Fatty. I feel he seems incapable of not shooting himself in the foot with his decisions.

Sorry mistake in that… we haven’t dropped 2 points against Allardyce since Rafa arrived. We have dropped points in 2 games against his teams.

Wouldn’t want to be accused of propoganda… so save yourself the google time Digger.

Or maybe you want to have a go at me because Gibson is the same age as Lucas and of course one is the new Zidane and the other is shite.

Have to agree FS Smith is a Manc as for the CBC it is much better just to laugh at how life time supports since 2004 are so clueless. Back to the real discussion, oh yes Digger I would have expected better from you and no doubt you will come back with a smart comment to hide the truth behind a snide and cheap shot, I think you can do better.

Yes very frustrating and the only positive is we are a point closer to the top. We could have snatched it and Ngog got a bad bounce but should have taken it, not that I am blaming the lad because he did make a difference when he came on. We are looking better at the back know that we have a settled combination, but we sat too deep and we where a bit to cautious coming out and breaking forward, I cannot think of one break by Johnson and Insua in the first half. It is understandable after all the goals we have leaked, going back to basics. The second half was much better and I think the route cause of a lot of the problems was Reira was so static and uninvolved(he has not been convincing this year and did not look 100% fit) we had no out let down the left. Kuyt is not fast enough to create space by himself in the middle and Benny was not as effective as he normaly is, so when Ngog came on, along with El Zhar, we finally had some speed to attack with. It was also good to see Rafa change within 8 minutes of the restart when it was plain for all to se that Reira was not up for it. It was alo good to see Gerrard looking better, still rusty with lots of misplaced passes and flicks but the old energy and bursting forward was more evident and a very welcomed sight.

It amuses me (to a extent, and fucks me off most of the time) that people say Lucas can only pass sideways because most our attacks started and came through him and his incisive passes. Most of the time he create space to make the forward probing pass to get us moving, unfortunately when you have a static frontline and wide out let as we did in the first half, it is more difficult. With runners in the second half we had a better cutting edge.

All in all as frustrated and disappointed as I am the positives are we are getting our first team squad members fitter and sharper, we have stopped leaking goals and we are getting that solid platform that w had last year to play more expansively and to attack from. So all is not lost and this year teams are going to drop points from unexpected sources as other teams are much stronger than in previous season so we need to keep our nerve and build from here and remember what this tam is capable of doing and producing.

Digger no mate… the media seem incapable of not twisting anything Rafa says or does.

Look at above comment on Downing and stop falling for the crap they force feed you.

Nothing wrong with a healthy dose of cynicism but don’t let them fuckers form it.

Oh yes Johnson had a stormer in the second half, cheap at 17 odd million don’t you think?

Fatty I dont fall for anything mate (being a cynic prevents it!) but I do have eyes. Believe me, I appreciate Lucas’ sterling work on the pitch but him and Masch are simply too similar leaving our attack impotent and pedestrian which is what makes Rafas ‘balance’ comment seriously disturbing. Im now becoming concerned with how much longer he’ll continue to persist in flogging this dead horse. Why no Aquilani for 20mins yesterday? I fear Lucas will be Rafas vainglorious little big horn.

Did anyone watch the dive by hreidarsson? More blatant than what ngog did but don’t see the press has anything to say. This doesn’t mean I condone diving just the double standards shown nowadays.

well FS , that’s exactly why i think you’re the benefit brigade leader..that someone WORKS , earns a living and is therefore unable to warm his arse writing away to glory on football blogs is a thought which obviously is quite alien to your subsidized, lazy, good for nothing life..i intend to live mine a little less passively and therefore cannot post after every match , be it a victory or a defeat , as , unlike you,football blogs are second on my priority list

and if fans who’re not delusional and base their arguements on what’s happening rather than what would have happened are called mancs, then i certainly am one and i’m sure more than 90% others are too

for instance , i said ngog was never good enough while the benefit co. was backing him just so they can sound “positive”..now what more justification do you need??

having no other arguement left , they’ve plummeted to new depths by consoling themselves with the “atleast we kept a clean sheet” argument..that almost cracked me up.give your brains a chance and realise that clean sheets are good if WE SCORE!!

anyway next up arse and we are lucky that they their key players are out injured otherwise we wouldn’t have had a chance…here’s hoping we can get back to winning ways on sunday!!

Keith mate I was only young, so I didn’t understand the game/business the way I do now, but I remember this feeling in the Shankly era…

Win, win, draw, lose, lose, win, draw, lose, etc.

And being young, it used to actually physically hurt not just frustrate. Every week, I’d meet up with me mates, and head off to Anfield or up to the East Lancs to hitch hike to the away game.

We had nothing then, usually not even the entrance money… never mind Sly, TalkShite, computers, football manager games on PC and all that. (Isn’t it funny - a few games on the plau station and everyone’s a bloody manager).

We had the footy. That was it. So it meant everything. I remember getting me first pair of Doc Martens off a lad who somehow managed to get a new pair before his old ones had completely disintergrated. They was absolutely battered, and about 3 sizes too bloody big for me.

I thought I looked the bees knees going the match. I looked more like Coco the Clown.

Every week we would leave the ground either convinced we was absolutely bollacksed or about to win the league. But not once did we call for Shankly’s head. Why?

Well many reasons but mainly because older fellas who’d seen it all knew quite well we was finally building towards greatness.

The tits in here will think I’m telling them to listen to us old buggers. It’s no such thing. I want nothing to do with them. Although I do take time to talk to younger decent reds who are understandbly frustrated.

But what I’m getting at is… the parralells are there for all to see, and frustration is no excuse.

Younger fellas have lived through all the really bad years. Bad years for LFC that is. If any other club of our size - Sheffield Wednesday/United, Leeds, Man City, Everton, etc - had our recent record, it would be looked at as an absolute miracle.

So young or not, if they do know the history of our club, and it’s actual size and the predicament it’s now in (Ownership, finances), they have no real excuse for dummy spitting like this.

Frustrated, of course we all are. But the rest of it is below contempt.

Last word… funny how they are so busy working that they can’t comment after a win. Must have got sacked from cleaning the shithouses last night.

Don’t even talk to me MANC!

Digger missed that last comment, but there’s a fly in the ointment…
Who should Rafa have played in that position all season then, Spearing, Plessis?

Because that was the alternatives.

And what do you expect Rafa to say… Lucas and Masch are shit together, there is no balance to midfield.

But then he wouldn’t have to bother, because as untrue as that is… the press are saying it for him at every single opportunity and sadly some of us are falling for it.

As for Aquilani… again, I say look at the Downing comment and think why you haven’t heard anything about that?

Probably because o’niells playing him is my guess, as opposed to….As for your fly in the ointment, I’m talking about now, now that we have a superior option, not when we dident. How anyone can defend not bringing on a 20million pound attacking midfielder for 20mins with the score at nil nil and we obviously need a goal is beyond me. Jan Molby said on Lfc.tv yesterday: ‘I can no longer defend Rafas decisions. The fans are frustrated but I have no answers for their questions’ (paraphrasing). Me too Jan.

Smith I do not understand your benefits brigade sterotype, I know as fans we call each other fuckwits from time to time, but as an LFC fan, you don’t push the stealing, dole bludging scouser on anyone.
.
Maybe if you corporate type put your hand in your pockets occasionally we wouldn’t be having the debate.
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Man U fans have been famous for the personal slights you’ve been using, so maybe a change of tacked. Afterall if are you insinuating all positive supporters are unemployed etc. I understand frustration but I don’t understand pidgeon holeing a cross sections of the LFC community.
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Smith I now give you the opportunity to tell us all how you would fix the situation this club is in. I won’t even retort, go ahead, lets here your version.
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Ps, this clubs not about winning or losing, its steeped in tradition or rising out the the ashes and walking through storms. It’s about backing your mate no matter what the challenge. It’s about holding your head high when all seems lost, winning and losing is just a by product of football. This team has a history. Off you go Mr Smith fix our current situation.

I’m just as frurated as you Digger at not seeing Aquilani not come on yesterday, or back in May. The thing is… I choose to think Rafa will play him when he think’s it’s right.

I mean, it’s okay to say it’s doing your head in. But without all of the facts, how can you say it’s wrong?

To my mind, Rafa will play the lad when the time is right for the team, but mainly, the player. And I think that will be this week. As for O’Neil and Downing, I don’t get what you mean… he’s playing him.

The fact is, Downing was bought in the summer, with a broken leg, and has only just been able to make his debut.

I know most of you didn’t even realise that. Not a go at anyone that… it only just dawned on me too.

And why is that…. obviously because no in the media has bothered to mention it.

If you seriously think there’s no agenda against Rafa in the British media, all I can say is, you are sadly wrong.

LFC often bought players who never went into the first team until they learnt the Liverpool Way. I’ve banged on about Ray Kennedy before, but who realises it took Ray Clemence 2 and a half years to make his LFC debut?

And no, he wasn’t bought as some kid for the youth team. He was bought as a direct replacement for Tommy Lawrence but it took him that long to displace him… and he was probably our greatest ever goalie.

And yes. I know that has nothing to do with todays situation. But people can’t have it both ways… Raving about Gibson, and saying our youth players aren’t breaking through, when the fact is Gibson is 22 and is only just making his mark while we have 3 kids in at the deep end who seriously need a rest and shouldn’t all be on the same pitch at the same time.

So what should we have done… added Plessis or Spearing to that, or look at the circumstances that caused this?

The fact is, this club is being held back by one thing… the owners. A little investment last summer and we may have kicked on. A normal season with out all the injuries, we would have still been in the mix. But add the two together and… SACK RAFA!

Fucking ridiculous…. But Gaz not on the part of Smith. He’s a sad Manc on a wind up. I can tell from his lack of knowledge. Although he has been smart enough not to come out with the usual sterep-typing but managed to stay on the edge of it.

A very sorry and sad young man indeed. Oh well, at least if he’s on the computer in here, the community he lives in is a little safer. He probably hurts poor defenceless animals in the neighbourhood when he’s not in here getting his kicks.

Oh well, I’ve got to go up the pub, drink loads of drink and buy loads of drugs with me benefits… the rest I’ll just waste.

Tatty bye

‘I choose to think Rafa will play him when he thinks its right’. Thats it right there Fatty in a nutshell, the difference in me and you. You’re prepared to go along with Rafas decisions no matter how absurd or ludicrous they are no matter what. And in a way I respect that despite how dangerous it may be. But, at the risk of sounding arrogant, my intelligence wont let me do that. Its nil nil, we need a goal, our impotent midfield is stymied yet again, Aquilani remains unused. Sorry, cant defend this one.

Didn’t get to see the game yesterday as I was just back from holidays and then had to go and get me dole.

No big surprise to see the CBC back again. If only they would open a book on them I would make a killing, they are so predictable.

Digger, I don’t know where you got the quote from but it was part of the post match press conference. As well as this Rafa explained why he did not put aquaman on. Here it is from the horses mouth, so to speak.

“Maybe we will start with Aquilani in our next match because today was a very difficult and tough game,” Benitez told his post-match press conference. “But against Fiorentina maybe he will start.

“We were thinking of putting him on today but the game was too open. When a player isn’t match fit, it is a risk to put him on the pitch. Maybe it would have been worse for him. At Anfield, with our fans behind him, I think it will be easier.

“It’s also a question of the other players being injured. Gerrard was injured before and is fit now. With Gerrard, Lucas and Mascherano we now have balance in the midfield.”

Since joining the club in the summer Aquilani has made just three substitute appearances, but Benitez is adamant he will not rush the former Roma man.

“He is a player who needs to settle down,” he said. “We are watching him in every training session and he is improving and doing well.

“He can only get match fitness by playing. We were hoping to play him in the reserves the other day but the game was postponed, so we have to carry on and then he will have a chance against Fiorentina.”

As I said, I didn’t get to see the match so I can’t comment on the above.

Eh….I got it from the post match conference like I said Lurgan! And Rafas explanation is bollocks. The game was ‘too open’? What the fuck?! Might aswell bench him for the Arsenal game too then. ‘Today was a difficult and tough game’ Ffs Rafa, so is every other premiership game. ‘He can only get match fitness by playing’ SO FUCKEN PLAY HIM THEN!! And spare me the empty hollow bullshit excuses that hold no water. The real reason? Rafa dident want to upset his ‘balance’ in midfield. Indefensible.

so you did Digger. Sorry bout that

No problem Lurgan. Dident mean to go off on one there but the more I read Rafas comments the angrier I get. Anyone see the look Jamie gave Rafa at fulltime yesterday? He looked how I felt. I could hazard an educated guess at what he was thinking…..

@Gaz

I respect your post and i would like to tell you that i have the same feeling for the club. Yes i started following Liverpool much later than you guys but the idea of supporting this club remains the same.I am not against LFC. I am against the people running it and the attitude the manager shows at games like Balckburn.

@Sambo

You make me laugh. I can observe that your post #166 has been supported by your ring leader named Fatty Acid Fake Scouser.

But what made your post even more laughable was your “Back to Basic” comment. Hehe..what on earth you are saying Sambo? Next week we face Arsenal right?If we concede(Probability is high),you will say we wanted to attack and so we conceded. You are a fool. Let me leave it at that. I need to take care of your ring leader.

@FS

May i address you as OLD TIT? Hope that satisfies you after your comment against me.

You term Smith a MANCS. So the moment someone speaks against your views..you will term him a MANCS?

Your post 170 is a typical “trying to convince stuff”.

“Extra time in midweek wouldn’t affect their stamina… Maybe if they’d lost, but they’d won against the media’s Untouchables, and had got to a semi-final”

Makes me laugh. Irrespective of winning or loosing playing extra time does take some effort FS. Ridiculous.

“But for all the tits… Since Rafa has been in charge, we have only ever dropped 2 points against any of Allardyce’s teams”

I am not bothered. Dont talk statistics here. What mattered yesterday was a win. It was for the taking and we could not coz of the pathtetic quality we have going forward when Torres is absent.Thats the bottomline.

“kids are carrying too much responsibility… Insua, Lucas and NGog. Of course the tits just say they are crap and Man U’s are great.”

Yes the youngsters from Chelsea,ManU,Arsenal are much better. You can disagree but the world knows it.

“Like I’ve been saying all along… you don’t come out of this sort of slump magically.”

LFC being a title challenger..simply cant afford to go into such slumps sir. If you want us to finish mid table..i dont have a problem. Who was screaming “Title Number 19″ after we beat Stoke in our 2nd game? May i remind you? You are crap man.Nothing else.

Your concern of us slipping into Everton type standards are very true. So start putting big posts as to how you will save Torres from the clutches of the big teams next season. Lol !!

@Kieth SA

Sula and Smith. Here is introducing you the vice ring leader of Rafa Brigade- Kieth SA !! Lol.

@All who are reading it.

There are some people in every community you go,every forum you visit..they always want to dominate. They always want to boss on,suppress others views. The day i realized that i made up my mind to air my views no matter what these people comment.

If you are reading my post for the 1st time,here is what i sincerely think:

1. Rafa-Great Manager. He has made medicore players to play at the highest level. Too defensive according to me. He is more concerned about not loosing games like Blackburn. Ultra defensive attitude. Change required because Rafa wont change his mentality.If he can,well..i am the last person to ask for his resignation.

2. Team-Average minus Torres and Gerrard. Does not have enough match winners when it comes to scoring goals. Cannot afford to play with two similar type of midfielders. We lost the plot last transfer window.

3. Our Chances-Will be tough to qualify for 4th spot this season. If at all we can, it will come at the expense of Arsenal which means we need to beat them and also win games against the lesser teams.

Let’s be clear. Spam Allardyce likes to kick the shit out of his opponents and stop them playing football. Arsenal like to play football rather than kick the shit out of their opponents. If I had a player just coming back from an ankle injury I would also think twice about playing him against a team that could end his season before it started. Besides, our team nearly did win without him. If Ngog hit the goal instead of the post, would we be talking about this?
If we can be patient for a few months, I don’t see a week or two more.
Now I’m not blindly supporting Rafa’s decisions but at the end of the day, how much do we really know sitting behind the tv and how much does the manager and staff of Liverpool know, sitting where the action is.
Patience is a virtue….:)

Digger I am surprised you are not coaching in the Prem the way you can read a game, as well as whether an injured player is ready or not. How many titles and games have you won as a Manager? Very easy, both in hindsight and from the armchair to make these decisions, however if Ngog goal went in there would not be any debate. I don’t think there is anyone of the Rafa supporters who are not dieing to see Aquaman on the pitch, I myself was shouting for Rafa to put him on. It then boils down as to who is the better judge of the situation, who knows the players better, who has been in similar situations before and who is better qualified to make the call. Its one thing to question the decision because yes not every decision a Manager makes will be the right one yesterday proves the point in question. However saying that, putting Aquaman on would not have guaranteed us all three points either. Either we trust and support the Manager and understand that from time to time he will make a bad call or wrong decision, not saying yesterdays was one, after all he has dragged us up kicking and screaming against all the odds to where we can actually dream of winning things and get disappointed when we don’t, or we come out and say get rid of him he has taken us as far as he can. After last year when we aw what this team was capable of I think he deserves our full support considering everything that has happened to us this year that has been out of his control.

1. Rafa-Great Manager. He has made medicore players to play at the highest level. Too defensive according to me. He is more concerned about not loosing games like Blackburn. Ultra defensive attitude. Change required because Rafa wont change his mentality.If he can,well..i am the last person to ask for his resignation.
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Rafa will be here for a long long time. So, my suggestion to you is…… you can choose to support another team in the current top 3 and save us from reading all your negative craps everytime we drop points

2. Team-Average minus Torres and Gerrard. Does not have enough match winners when it comes to scoring goals. Cannot afford to play with two similar type of midfielders. We lost the plot last transfer window.
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This average team which you have mentioned, has beaten Man Utd…..Alonso leaving is not Rafa’s fault.

3. Our Chances-Will be tough to qualify for 4th spot this season. If at all we can, it will come at the expense of Arsenal which means we need to beat them and also win games against the lesser teams.
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4th or not, I still support my team. I still support my team even if they are 4th from the bottom (Hopefully this would not happen at all..haha… touch wood..)

Haven’t read all the comments, but want to answer #186… No Digger, not even close. If I thought Rafa was making ridiculous decisions, I would be in calling for his head… and not just in here. I would be doing the same at every game I attend and everytime I talked to other reds.

I don’t go through all them yesterdays just to reminisce in here… I actually try to explain that I come from a time when all we really had was LFC and football. And even now at this age, I don’t really have any other interests. As I’ve said many times, I don’t go the pictures, or even the pub very much. I have my family, friends and LFC that is it.

And if I thought Rafa wasn’t the man to manage the club, I would want him out asap. And that time might come, but it isn’t now. And when/if it does come, I think it will be because the fans and players lose faith in him and so, the job has become untenable. And that could well happen with the constant media attempts to make him an object of ridicule, but I don’t think that will happen because of Rafa’s failings.

But I also admit, I am baffled as you to why Aquilani didn’t come on, but then that’s down to 2 things…
1: My own intelligence is just enough, to tell me I’m not as smart as Rafa.
2: And even if I was smart enough to make the decision, I didn’t have all the information at my disposal… so therefore, I have no choice but to trust Rafa.

Or are you telling me that I really should believe that Rafa is thick and made a complete bollacks of it?

My own theory as to why… Riera and Benayoun both playing through injury. Kuyt and Gerrard absolutely knackered… forcing Rafa into making the substitutions he did.

Did they work, well very nearly. But then there’s no point in discussing that when you believe the myth that Rafa never substitutes before an hour, and that is his substitutions are bizzare and inefectual…. when all fact and statistics prove that absurdly wrong and show that Rafa has a great track record in changing a game through tactical substitutions and LFC are one of the leading teams in winning a lost game in the last 10 minutes of a game.

I’ll read the rest now, but had to answer that.

Well, I’ll read what proper people have posted.

Well, I read the other posts except one and it’s obvious that Skeat is answering that… Why?

Sambo hit the nail right on the head….
“the only reason you post your idiotic, unconstructive opinions on this blog is to get confirmation of your own existances. in the same way that homeless people shout abuse at strangers just because they’re treated like they’re invisible otherwise.”

Digger how long have you been in NewYork?
I only ask because I think this was before your time there…
The mayor at the time was Ed Koch. He was a right case Ed, quite the character. But he was also a decent, clever man and a no nosense sort of bloke.

One year in the depths of winter he was sick and tired of seeing homeless people dying on the streets. So, he forced them into the shelters.

The civil liberties and politically correct people went ballistic as they say over there. They said the only people that could be forced into shelters were the mentally impaired who were a danger to themselves and the community.

Ed said anyone who wanted to sleep on the streets of NY instead of a warm bed in January was mentaly impaired and he went ahead with forcing the homeless into night shelters.

The civil liberties people actually kidnapped a woman called something Brown, Louise I think, from a night shelter.

Anyway, she was a well known nutter who used to sit outside Grand Central Station, throwing actual shit at passers by and screaming obscenitites. But they sprung her from a shelter, and took months giving her a make over costing thousands, placed her in a decent flat and job, and then paraded her all over the media as a shining example of what could be done for these people. They then left her to get on with it.

Mrs Brown actually held it together for a short period of time, a few days, but then was back outside Grand Central slinging turds and abuse.

Much like I said in here last week when people were wondering where The Chuckle Brothers was after a victory… don’t worry. They’ll be along as soon as the next set back appears.

Oh and by the way…. when was going to Ewood Park and getting a draw ever a really bad result?

When you started that game 13 points off the pace, perhaps?

Steve mate, I’d have said, it’s the exact opposite. It’s difficult enough going there when things are going good - as Chelsea found out in midweek. But it certainly doesn’t make it any easier, when you are 13 points off the pace and trying to play out of a slump in form and an injury crisis… with at least 4 players on the pitch still carrying injuries.

But that wasn’t really me point… it was the fact that people are whingeing over going to Ewood Park and only getting one point when that’s pretty much a decent result at the best of times.

Mind you… we are dealing with people who’s brain cells probably wouldn’t cause a spark if you rubbed the two of them together as vigorously as you could for a month.

Once again we’ll have to agree to disagree Fatty. Keith too. I’m not suggesting I’m smarter than Rafa lads but sometimes you have to look at a decision for what it is and to not bring on Aquilani yesterday was a fundamentally bad decision no matter what way he or ye spin it. Theres no logical reason for not bringing him on. None. Rafa keeps saying he’s fit but is waiting for the right opportunity. Well if nil nil with 20mins to go against a tired blackburn team aint the right time I give up.

No sweat FS, I know what you meant, I suppose my last comment was bourne of frustration of us being so far off the pace.

In truth we shouldn’t really be looking at the summit, we should really focus on trying to get into the top four for now and yes, it’s true that Ewood park is never an easy place to go to.

On the Aquilani issue, it’s obvious that our midfield is crying out for more creativity, and and as highly as Rafa rates Lucas, I am hoping that Aquilani will be a regular feature once he’s proved his fitness. I guess most would assume that this will happen at the expense of Lucas…….. hmmmmm… I wonder!

Wednesday night’s match with Fiorentina is in no way a meaningless match now, because if as has been widely predicted Aquilani starts this match and has a really good game it could turn our season…….. let’s not underestimate the effect that a pin point passer of the ball and one with an eye for goal would have on our midfield/attack.

I know Gerrard has those qualities as well, but imagine the benefit to him if there is someone else in there with his vision. It would probably be a massive lift for all the players. Here’s hoping!

Digger I would have liked to see Aquaman come on for the last 20 minutes as well, but Rafa thought better of it, was he right or wrong. Well the score line suggests he got it wrong but again that is twenty, twenty hindsight. We could just as easily shipped a goal and got nothing out of the game because Aquaman was not up to the pace. It was a choice one way or the other, a choice Rafa is paid to make and who is in a better position to make those choices. We where dominating the midfield and creating chances, unfortunately we where not good enough on the day to take them, if Ngog goal went in we would be hailing Rafa for the substitutions (more likely slating him for not starting with Ngog yet people where calling for Kuyt to start up front, he just cannot win). Sometimes it goes your way and at other times it odes not, that’s life. It getting better but we are still a long way of full fitness for quite a few players, Gerrard included.

The Lucas re Aquaman debate is a non starter it will be a Lucas or Masch debate and for me Lucas is edging it on all round performances especially against the so called weaker teams.

I try not to post in here too often these days, as the arguments are becoming tired and personal at times.
I watched the Blackburn game on my stream and I have to say that we did lack some things, the attack looked slow and NGog looks like a player who doesn’t entirley believe in himself, the pressure on him as an individual must be astonishing, however he shows a natural instinct for being in the right place and his finishing on most occasions has been calm and collected.

Our defence against one of the biggest long ball and set piece teams in the division looked assured and you never felt that Blackburn had a goal of any description in them.

The problem is that we didn’t create enough ourselves, Benny looks tired and Riera looked completely unfit, and Gerrard hasn’t looked like the player we know he can be all season, On saturday we saw for the first time this season some glimpses of his agressive running but he still looks a fortnight away from being Stevie G.

This team is collectively coming back from injury and it will be the team it was in a short time, and throwing Aquaman into the game and hoping for a moment of individual brilliance is niave in the extreme.
There was a point when Aquaman was considered but it preceded probably our best spell in the match and in my opinion Rafa felt better to leave well enough alone.

For those of you calling for him to be introduced at the earliest opportunity, let the lad play when Rafa feels its right and preferably when the rest of the team is fit enough to play with him.

One last point, to those of you calling Lucas again, WHAT GAME WERE YOU WATCHING, he was probably the best player on the pitch on saturday and quite frankly if you cant see the potential in this lad then dont bother coming in here and commenting

That’s interesting Keith, as leaving Masch out in the cold could pave the way for his exit, but I can’t see that happening. It seems to me that Rafa rates Masch and Lucas equally highly and in his opinion they give the midfield “the balance that is needed”.

Could this be because Rafa views Lucas as a creative midfielder? And could this be the real reason for Aquilani’s lack of time on the pitch? Of course, Rafa will have to give Aquilani his wings sooner or later and if the lad shines Rafa will find it very difficult to drop him. I can’t see Rafa dropping his number one holding midfielder (Masch) so that he can be replaced by a creative midfielder (Aquilani) so where would this leave Lucas?

Keith in all truth I was genuinly impressed with that post until I read the last paragraph. I’m sorry mate but I cant take your posts seriously after reading that. I cant help you bud. Your like the captain of the Titanic who wont leave his sinking vessel. Keith I promise you, if Rafa does what you suggest and drops Masch instead of Lucas for Aquilani or simply persists with Lucas outright, then Rafa is in the final year of his tenure. This sort of delusional intransigence will be his downfall.

Digger… Taken over all, Lucas has been better than Masch this season. There is no doubt to that. The lad is also very unfairly scapegoated and the myths surrounding his game are becoming quite ridiculous.

I can’t be arsed going on about it right now. I’ll just say, it’s a shame, and is everything LFC fans are not supposed to be.

But I’m off now and I just came into say…
Some people really need to get stop and have a think… Frustrated? Feeling let down? Underwhelmed with a season that is not living up to what you wished for?

NEWS FLASH…
If it wasn’t for Rafa Benitez, you would be just having another normal run of the mill season for LFC.

Oh how easy we forget!

‘If it wasnt for Rafa Benitez you would be just having another normal run of the mill season’. So what, your saying we’d be in the top 4 and knockout stages of the c.l if it wasnt for Benitez?! Dont think that came out the way you meant it Fatty! And sorry but I dont agree with your opinion that Lucas has been better than Masch. And to be fair you know I dont like Lucas with Masch as a pairing and said so from the outset but I have deliberately not brought it up until Aquilani was ready.

Coming in here is getting to be like watching old Benny Hill episodes!

How many times yesterday did Lucas provide a forward pass to Stevie G, only for him to lose it, or pass it to a Blackburn player?
Yet Lucas is the one who gets slated!!!

Digger, in your extensive coaching experience (yes of course that was a totally unnecessary sarcy swipe) which of the following two scenarios, p[rovides the best time to introduce Aquailani?

1. Tied at 0-0 on a shite Ewood Park pitch with Blackburn diving in for every tackle and Aqua needing to do the same to win the ball for us.

…or…

2. At 2-0 up (wherever) when Aqua doesn’t have to push himself teven 90% and can sit in the center circle spraying passes like Jan Molby at his most sotund.

Option 2 is what Rafa has been waiting for and the only reason Aquailani has been on the bench for the last 4 or so games (actually that’s not true, he was on the bench for one game, simply coz he was the 18th fit player, and not selecting him would have meant only having 17 players which the authorities don’t allow)
… unfortunatey, we haven’t been able to manage a 2 goal cushion in any of those games and they’ve all been hard fought contests.

Now if you want to say you’d still risk it, that’s fine… we could debate that… but don’t say Rafa’s decisions make no sense.

The man’s probably forgotten more about football than most of us in here know (and I’m talking the lads that do know stuff.)
Again, that’s not to say he’s infallible… not to say he isn’t frustrating at times… but some people need to think about “putting tape on their windows” before lobbing stones.

FS, I think you’ll find that the source of frustration comes from the fact that we came close to winning the title last year, and the signs are that we are going to come nowhere near it this season.

Now, before you go into one, Yes I know the reasons for it and even if I didn’t you have made them abundantly clear. And you are right, Even a blind man on a fast horse (sorry to borrow that expression from you, I just think it’s very apt in this case) could work out all the problems going on behind the scenes.

Rafa has his hands tied in many ways, we know that, but frustration will rear it’s head from time to time (please allow us to be human) because we are nowhere near where we were last season, even though we know the reasons for it.

Injuries to Torres and Gerrard are very frustrating are they not? Buying a creative midfielder in August and still waiting to see him complete even 45 minutes in December is frustrtating, is it not? Being 12 points off the title pace in December is frustrating is it not?

I’m sure you understand what I mean. We know the reasons for what is happening this season, we are not calling for anybody’s head, we are just pissed off with all the problems the club have.

LFC supporters SHOULD be frustrated at the moment, don’t you think?

Eh….dident we have option 2 last week?! (cue the excuse/spin reel)

At what point did we score the 2nd goal? (I’m thinking it was after we’d made all 3 subs, no? But even if we did have one left… and I apologize, I don’t honestly remember, and can’t be arsed looking it up right now…)

At what point did Everton take their foot off the gas?
In the last 10 minutes of the game, I do remember Masch, Lucas, SG, Johnson and Insua, all having their legs hatcheted from under them in “50/50″ challenges.

but just call that spin or excuses … its easier than thinking and discussing… and just gets your frustrations out.

Lmao! Your too much Aitch! Love ya man!

Digger you and I have had some very good debates in the past… but your constant “lmao” responses of late are totally fuckin disrespectful.

I know the tone of things in here gets wicked sometimes, but you and I have “discussed” enough things in here, as opposed to the “pissy arguments” that take place, for you to know I respect your “background in the game” even if I disagree with your opinion.

Just because Kopblog has attracted new Dickheads who sink to that level doesn’t mean the established thinkers in here have to.

You’re not enough lately… you’re better than that… and I’m losin the love, man!

Christ, is anyone in here happy at the moment?

No disrespect meant whatsover bud. I literally burst out laughing when I read your response is all. I mean I said ‘cue the excuses’ and without skipping a beat ‘at what point did we score the 2nd goal?’, ‘at what point did Everton take their foot off the gass?’ and lads getting ‘hatcheted’. I mean you offered the 2-0 jan molby centre circle scenario, I took it but…..’em maybe not THAT 2-0 scenario Digger, got a few prerequisites (excuses!) to tick off first.’ Well I thought it was funny!

Nice post 5-year I wish you would post more often. I really cannot understand the flak Lucas gets. I watch the lad closely in all games just to see if I am fooling myself. He works his bolloks off not just from a defensive point of view, but watch how often he makes a forward run to create space. His passing is so underrated it’s beyond me that people cannot see how good some of it is. Granted it is not the 40 yard defensive splitting one of the Alonso ilk but never the less he starts a lot of the attacking moves and it is beyond me that people do not see this. My best midfield pairing is Xabi and Inieste, they work hard, run and pass the entire game always probing and looking for the space. The main reason Alonso and Fabragas are not starters in the Spanish side. Masch is a great holding, defensive midfielder but going forward he is limited, yet Lucas gets slated as the weak link. Too similar is the call, Lucas outstrips Masch by a long shot in the attacking creativity role. I really believe that the Aquaman, Lucas partnership will develop into something special and that Lucas could outstrip Masch at some point as an all round midfielder especially against the weaker teams. We need all three and Aquaman could also play in the Gerrard role when he needs a break. The myth about Lucas is almost as bad as the myths about Rafa.

I se the Manc Supporters are back in here pretending to be LFC fans…

Fuck me - dumber than the dumbest people on the planet…in fact dumber than the dumbest beings in the universe…

Sula, Somnath, Smith - you have had it explained to you about a billion times…and you still dont get it…and you still keep posting your utter unfounded unsubstantiated made up bollocks…you lot dont have the fucking brain power of an amoeba…we have proven this many times over…it amazes me just how mother fucking thick you lot are…uneducated morons…you lot must truly be amongst the biggest losers ever…I have never heard so much whinging and moaning…what a pack of fucking fags…you lot dont have any balls at all do you?

You are an embarrassment to mankind…

Digger I too laugh out loud when i read some posts. They happen to be yours.

thank you for the comments Keith, the thing |I find so hard to understand is that what we have here is a player who has taken critisism from his own fans, the media and anybody who feels like having a pop and yet he has not complained, he has worked hard and his game has improved in all areas, he’s stronger, his passing is accurate going forward, sideways or whatever direction you choose, he has become an excellent tackler ands breaker of play, in fact he is becoming an all round midfielder and his attitude puts some other premiership players to shame, as far as I can recall he has not complained once about the treatment he has recieved from supposed fans of the club, instead he has reiterated his desire to play for the club and buckled down and improved his game.

When we talk about Torres, often his dedication to the cause is talked of, and the fact that he is a model proffesional and loyal player.
All these things are true, but they are equally as true of Lucas and yet we continue to use him as a scapegoat for our woes, despite him out performing a great deal of our players this season and never shirking the task (witness his battle withe Everton midfield who kicked lumps out of him for 90 minutes).

I think the problem here is one of perception, the perception that because the job he is doing is mostly functional and tidy then it is not important, Ihave to agree with Keith here and say that Aquaman may find himself playing in front of Lucas and not Monster, Mascherano is the best at what he does but his game in comparision is limited and although Lucas is not a flair player like say Benny Onion his contribution is much larger than people realise.

The comeback I expect is that Lucas is not that good a player, If its allright with everybody here I will answer that question before it arises.
You honestly dont know what you are talking about, not only is he a good player but he has the potential to be a great player and his determination and positive attitude will make that happen, and under the teaching of Rafa, I have no doubt that many will be made to eat their words

Ouch! Thats just mean Akka!

Digger Lad, I never said it wrong and you know quite well what I meant…
Until Rafa Benitez highered all our expectations, the sort of season we are having now was the norm for LFC.

And that’s why I said, how fast we forget…

It was only last week that I pointed out - despite Souness being all over the telly, radio and papers saying what a disgrace it was that LFC hadn’t reached the Champuon’s League 2nd stage - the fact is, from when we got banned after Heysel until Rafa arrived, we had qualified for the 2nd stage on the grand amount of once… yes ONCE! In 21 years.

And Steve the root cause of the frustration might be the fact that we went so close last season… but if I remember rightly it was Rafa Benitez that led us to that an all.

As for what LFC supporters should do at a time like this… the blueprint is already there. It’s called the Liverpool Way.

We support the team always and as best we can. And this will sound corny but so fucking what, it’s what made us great… when we are walking through the wind and the rain we support the team and players even more.

It was one of the things that seperated us from the others and made a club of our club’s size one of the giant’s of European football.

And I think this is something some people don’t realise… Idiots might like to underline their moaning by saying WE ARE LIVERPOOL, as if that means we have some god given right to trophies. But the fact is Liverpool FC is a miracle.

It should never have achieved what it is has. Comparitevely speaking we should be a Sheffield, Southampton type club, and today we are behind the likes of even bloody Sunderland in spending power….
But like the Bumble Bee, that by all laws of science shouldn’t fly, somebody forgot to tell Bill Shankly that.

Or in terms the idiots amongst us can understand… LFC has always and is still now punching way above it’s weight. And at this moment in time, we are only where we are because of one man’s efforts - even though the job is being made more and more impossible for him to do each day by the owners, the media and now sadly some of our own “supporters.”

But no doubt, people who have never been to Liverpool the city, let alone Anfield, will tell me that’s bullshit…. read some fucking history and geography!

As for Lucas… the fact is young football fans are now reared on youtube/Sly sports clips. They very rarely watch a full game properly. Yes, they might watch a game for 90 minutes, or 150 if they are Manc fans, but they don’t watch it properly.

So, they think all footballers should be Ronaldo, and don’t understand what a footballer like Lucas brings to the team or why footballers like Lucas are needed… As the great Emanuelle Petitte called them and himself the Water Carriers.

So Lucas even suffers in comparison to a defensive player like Masch because Masch looks spectacular as he slides into tackles and chases down lost causes, while Lucas goes about his work in a quiet tidy fashion.

They moan about Rafa the ultra conservative coach, playing 2 defensive midfielders against teams like Blackburn when…
1: Lucas isn’t an out and out defensive mid.
2: Yesterday, we had Kuyt, Gerrard, Riera, Benayoun on the pitch as an attacking quartet… shame they are all carrying injuries except for Kuyt who is visibly knackered.

Anyway, I’m off to bed, but…

Kiwi mate, don’t mistake Smith for the Chuckle Brothers. They are indeed so thick that they are falling for his tosh, but he is a different creature all together…

Somnath is just a really ignorant and stupid kid. I tried and tried to help him. I chatted with him for a long time, answered all his questions and recommended things for him to read.

You can see the disrespect that was met with once he had some people to back him up. He’s just some dickhead who will either learn and grow up or face a hard and ultimately bitter life.

Somnath… well, I stopped reading his posts a long time ago. He’s just an idiot unworthy of your’s, mine or anyone elses time.

Like I said if you took both their brains and rubbed them together vigorously, you wouldn’t get as much as a spark nevermind light a fire.

Smith, well as I said… At least the community he lives in is safer if he is in here spreading his bile and poison. But it’s only a matter of time before he shows his true colours and starts calling all Scousers dole scrounging thieves while singing this…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqGwoTVqzO0

smith = MANC ON A MISSION!

Oh and this…
Will Spurs fans be screaming because they missed out on going 3rd by drawing at Everton, even though their squad cost much more than ours, and they were winning by 2 clear goals with 12 minutes to go and missed a penalty?

Of course they fucking won’t. They are loving this as a great season. But then despite being as big as LFC, they have never had the sort of success we have had, and so… have never attracted the sort of shit fans that we have.

Oh and this for all the mensa dodgers who are saying Torres (Despite the lad saying how happy he is at LFC) and all our best players will leave…
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/sport-news/liverpool-fc/2009/12/06/liverpool-fc-s-javier-mascherano-in-talks-over-new-contract-55578-25334130/

Isn’t he supposed to be on his way to Barca?

Fuck it. What’s the point. I’m sick of going through this… posting fact from the horse’s mouths and it being ignored because their opinion is different.

I’m off to bed. I have to be up early, about 12 noon to go and sign for my benefits.

Who remembers the line “Don’t call me stupid” (Fish called Wanda) Stupid !!! that would be an insult to stupid people. That’s my feeling about the CBC. Everybody just need to ignore them, do not comment on anything they write and eventually they will go away. As somebody said above the reaction to their comments validates them, don’t give them the satisfaction, much better to debate with real fans, talking about real issues.

I have something eating me up so terribly! I have sold out my best midfield player who has had a tremendous season at around 30mill,i want to replace him with some one better,remember having finished 2nd,i want to push further next season,i go into the market looking at every player,but this time i want to be so sure abt the kind of player am buying…then lady luck hits me,i find Aquilani,the owner tells me,this lad is so sick and he hasnt kicked a ball in a long time,i tell him,its fine i will take him nway…the medical stuff at my club work around the clock to make sure he gets the best treatment,and after a few months he is kickin the ball,fit and doing so well in training and the only reason i come up with for not playing him is because i dont want to rush him and in Stevie G,Lucas and Javier i have the most well balanced midfield in the EPL, Ridiculous!

I fell so sorry for that lad Stevie G,with all what he has accomplished,with all what he is capable of doing,He can fit in any top team in europe and he still takes the horror of playing along side Lucas!

I would like to agree with fellow supporters here that Lucas has improved tremendously so far this season. If last season there were talks about his lack of confidence and his giving-aways of freekicks in dangerous areas and his inability to attack, now we see a totally different Lucas. Not too long ago he would never have been so close to the opposition goalposts but now we have seen it so many times, starting the movements forward and creating space for others. And of course we see him making those penetrating passes.

For a player to be given such a heavy responsibilities to fill in the shoes of a 30M player, I would say now that Rafa was correct in sticking up for this lad. Rafa saw what most of us did not see in Lucas last season. Rafa believed while many fans were going after Lucas’ ass. But I am sure if Rafa had a choice to field a better player, he would have given Lucas less responsibilty on his shoulders but alas, we know why he had to do what he did.

With Aquilani match fit soon, I feel Mascha and Lucas would each get the much needed rest a player needs for a long-term challenge. And with more options then, I trust rafa would decide the best for the team.

Sula#226

Again, Alonso was sold because he wanted to leave. how hard is it to understand this simple sentence…Duh…

@skeat
Yup Alonso was sold because he wanted to leave,and what do u replace him with? Lucas?

5Year Plan @ 220 - Here here

My own preference would be to play Lucas, Masch and Aquilani together

On the whole play him don’t play him debate -

Good posts from all concerned but I noticed that nobody picked up on this from Rafa

“He is a player who needs to settle down”

which I take to mean that he hasn’t got used to the pace of the game here yet - which if true would mean it would be better to play him against Florentina rather than throw him in at the deep end against Blackburn

If I was Rafa, I wouldn’t play Aquilani against Fiorentina.

And if I was you Skeat, I wouldn’t answer idiots.

Why not against Florentina

FS, I’m certainly not saying that Rafa should not be credited for taking us closer to the title than we have been in the last 19 years - of course he should, we played some outstanding football and we won’t forget it either.

If you are saying that we over acheived last season by coming so close, I would agree with you.

An Lin, I done that for a laugh. I wanted to see a few people go mental. So I should have done it yesterday, the place would have went into melt down. Sadly though, it looks as if there’s only us couple of benefit bums around today though.

No Steve. I don’t think we overachieved. I think we played to our potential… This season there has been to many other factors involved and they’ve prevented us from playing the sort of football we are capable of.

And I believe we could have went on to win it this season except for the owners… I can hear the idiots screaming now. But the fact is, if we were still in the hands of Moores, we would have no debt. Rafa would have recieved the usual 20 million Moores always produced and he would have got the money from transfer fees.

And with that sort of money spent on this squad, we would have had enough to compete - injuries or not.

The idiots will scream Man U have injuries… and yes they have. But they also have two decades of success behind them and sadly teams like West Ham roll over when, if they’d have gone for it, they could have won. And they were battering them until Scholes scored, but visibly wilted in the second half.

Chelsea have 3 away defeats on the bounce… not quite the super-human invincibles the media would have us believe. Add 2/3 more players to our squad - as Rafa would have if he got the money he was promised - and we’d be right up with them.

Tottenham… they are 3 points ahead of us in 4th. And the media has our own fuck-wits screaming we won’t finish 4th.

Martin ONeil, the presses favourite monkey on a stick, buys Stuart Downing with a broken leg. Downing makes his debut this weekend…. HURRAY! For Martin and Stuart all over the media… Talkshite this morning…. Rafa wastes 20 million on crock who can’t even play when he is fit… SACK RAFA!

And surprise, surprise…. Aquilani is now the new stick to beat Rafa with, and like zonal marking, rotation, bad man management, bad substitutions, stubborness, and so on before Aquilani, is now the thing that will get Rafa the sack.

I could go on Steve, but what’s the point. The media will always have this agenda against Rafa. It has always had an agenda against LFC in general. I’ve watched it since the 70’s. The sad thing is the idiots that have now attached themselves to us since Istanbull - sorry 2004 - believe this shit and even help to spread it.

And as I’ve said many times… these are the idiots who could cause Rafa to walk and leave this club at the mercies of H&G.

Oh and on that note… An Lin I am struggling to get you a ticket. I am still waiting on a couple of lads, who might come through. But there are now so many tickets going to Thomsons travel agency for tourist trips and corporate/hospitality that locals are struggling to get their own tickets nevermind spares.

Roy Evans never finished more than 15 points behind the team that won the premiership.Wec are already @ this level with less than half the season gone.Facts speak louder than opinions!.Houllier was savaged because he finished 30 points behind Wenger in his final season.Why continue to play 2 holding midfielders?.Is Aquilani only able to play V Italian teams?.Lee Bowyer would of been a more productive buy.At least he manages to play even though he is 33!.

Wondering where you was… so what do you want then, bring back Uncle Roy and Ged and give them the dosh from the Aquilani transfer to buy Lee Bowyer?

Consistent if nothing else… just a shame it’s consistent bollocks!

Bowyer didn’t cost £18 million and has scored 7 goals this season.Aquilini makes Diouf look good!.Where are the Liverpool scouting team working in Ireland?.The Mancs have more gems in Gibson as well as Evans.Even though Giggs and Fletch were playing full back, they still managed to skin the Hams!.
You my friend are the one who talks complete bollix.How you can you defend the performance from a near full strength team on Saturday?.We are on course to score a risible 60 points!.Same as 2003!!!.

@ An Linn

He thinks he isnt good enough,just like Rafa,there is no need to rush him,there is already a perfect balance in midfield.

HA HA… Give up the day job. You definetely have a future in stand up comedy!

@ sula - who thinks he isn’t good enough

@ FS - No bother thanks for trying - do you want me to wait until your other contacts come back or will I go ahead and try and get them through a website (dont want to leave you stuck)

I still might come up with something. But in the meantime, I’d say try the fans ticket exchanges first mate. You aren’t going to get ripped off that way.

I’d also see what Thompson’s travel agents are offering through the club. They do the package deals… travel, hotel and ticket. I’ve never used them, but once again… at least it’s official and you won’t get ripped off. Well, you’ll get way over charged but you won’t get proper ripped off either.

@An Linn#242
Its a shame that ur blindly following fat scouser so that he can get u tickets! my reply to ur post is loud and clear

I see the Lucas debate is raging across the internet. Some of the comments that I read makes me wonder whether or not I am watching the same team. Pity when are own fans cannot see what is plainly in front of there eyes and are so brainwashed to go along with the party line. The quality of the teams support has defiantly fallen of the perch, with all these life time supporters since 2004.

Ah Linn I have that fucking pop up thing as well, it is driving me crazy.

Sula - Funny didn’t think you could hear writing - maybe thats why I didn’t understand your post

FS, do the media hate LFC because of it’s past success? If so, then why do they love Manchester United? They have been almost as successful as LFC!

I think we over acheived last season in terms of expectancy for this season - but you could be right, if we had been given money to strenghten the team in the Summer we could well be challenging at the top right now, we can’t say that signings would have worked out but at least we would have had more options than we do right now.

Jaysus!! all the constant bickering in here is getting tiresome.

Rafa ain’t going anywhere before the end of this season and rightly so - so all you Anti Rafa heads - I’d give your fingers a rest and quit the “Rafa out” posts. Not gonna happen, so you’re wasting your time.

winning the league is beyond us - but there is still the F.A. Cup and ensure 4th place (UEFA cup should be 3rd on priority list). Once I see an improvement in our play (which is inevitable once all our players are fully fit) I may even be able to enjoy the rest of this season and look forward to more stable and progressive pre-season in summer 2010.

Obviously gettin in top 4 is ahead of winning F.A. Cup!

@Kiwi_Mark_LFC

Fuck Off.

@Burgerman

Your points might be negative but they make sense. I always feel that the Rafa Brigade led by ring leader Fake Scouser always wants to prove that your points are useless.

@FS

You mentioned rubbing our heads and some nonsense… let me tell you..you better rub your own head.

@Rafa Brigade

Alonso was sold at his will because the season before Rafa wanted to sell him and buy Barry. Its Rafa’s good luck that he was dealing with such a great professional. Hope that clears the misconception.

We are weaker without Alonso. WE might have beaten ManC without him but that has happened this season too. Problem is what you all percieve as success. I see winning trophies as success not just beating Manc.

They lost twice to us…still won the title.

“Alonso was sold at his will because the season before Rafa wanted to sell him and buy Barry. Its Rafa’s good luck that he was dealing with such a great professional. Hope that clears the misconception. ”

OK. Thanks.

Sula…. Somnath..Smith… Steve …
Hmmmm… Wats the common thing … ??
All names start wid an “S” ….

Naaaah … Not exactly…

Their IQ level! (As Gerry mentioned. Lower than their shoe-size) …

My bad … Not Steve was a typo …

Until we ignore them they will continue sprouting drivel

And as soon i spoke, Somnath’s here wid the proof ….

“Alonso was sold at his will because the season before Rafa wanted to sell him and buy Barry.”

Clearly fails to take into account as to WHY Rafa wanted that…
Hmmmm… Rocket Science ??

WW3 in here over a 0-0 at Ewood Park? Bloody hell.

We’ve got 3 clean sheets in a row and we are 6 games unbeaten. Things are improving but very slowly. This was always likely to be the case given how shite we were performing, letting in goals left, right and centre and getting a lot of players back from injury. No way were we gonna turn up at Ewood Park and play Blackburn off the park and win 3-0. Before the game I said it had 0-0 written all over it and I meant it. Right now it don’t like we can open a tin of sardines never mind a Premier League defence, and Blackburn don’t need a ball when they play.

You can see our defending has improved with the current back four playing together in a few games in a row. I know the quality of the football is shite at times. Watching paint dry can be more entertaining than our midfield, yes. But over the next few weeks when the likes of Benny, Gerrard, Aquilani, Riera, Torres get fit and match fit our overall play should improve. My prediction is that we’ll start to come good in mid January. Until then we’ll continue to struggle performance wise but I hope we’ll be able to scrape some wins so that we can still win a cup and challenge for a top 3 place.

A bit of realism gentlemen that’s what we need.

Thanks for the recognition Dizzy, I would hate to be tarred with the same brush as that other group of twats!

I Appologize again Steve … Got carried away wid my feelings towards those bunch …

Steve mate, firstly you have to remember the press is, and always has been, based in London and Manchester. So they was always slanted towards them two cities.

Then there was the Munich air disaster. That led to a huge out pouring of sympathy towards Man Utd, and rightly so.

But then over the next few years, you had Scousers becoming practically second class citizens in their own country. And I can’t be arsed going through all that.

And people in here who don’t know how Scousers were and still are viewed by the great British public only have to look at Smith’s comments to realise what the general idea of Liverpudlians is.

Thing is, while we were getting treated like shit in our own country and being called Benefit Scroungers and thieves… our football teams were winning everything - including Everton - while the Mancs and Arse were winning nothing.

That only fuelled the hatred and predjudice, and on top of that… as fans we were something special. While other local derbies resulted in open war-fare, we stuck together and united against the outside world with shouts of Merseyside and solidarity.

Which sort of brings me round to Arthur…. Mate it’s not the bickering that’s the problem. I’ve had loads of good footy arguments in here. Me and LB used to go right at it and it used to get quite heated. But there was no shit slinging or name calling though. It was argument. It was debate. It was what football fans do

Sadly, as I’ve tried to say time and again… these are the sort of people that ironically were attracted to the club because of the very succes Rafa brought us.

But I’ll stick to what they are doing to the blog…
I’ve said this before, but firstly, Gerry puts time and effort into these blogs. And they have been a great little oasis of sanity amongst the usual dross on the inter-net. But if you look at the last 3 or 4 of them, a large section of them has been taken up by admonishing our knee jerk fans for their ridiculous baby like screaming at every dropped point.

The funny thing is, the knee jerkers then come in and say Great Blog Gerry! And then proceed to do exactly what they’ve just been reading about. And not only do they do that, they then reduce the place to absolute banality.

I’ve very nearly stopped coming in on several occasions. However, I’ve made some good e-mates in here. I still quite enjoy most of the comments content. And out of loyalty, I really don’t want to leave the place to them.

It’s a shame. But it’s what is happening. And I have given up on them. I did try with Somnath as I realised he was only a young lad and I thought a bit of education from a life long Kopite might help the lad to become a decent Liverpudlian. But you can see where that got me.

And sadly this is what is happening. And even if Liverpool went on to dominate European football for the next 20 years, all I can say is… our best days are well behind us.

It’s an absolute shame, that all this is happening while we are supposed to be celebrating the 50 year anniversary of Shankly taking over our club. The great man would turn in his grave to see what has become of his people.

LB… nice to see you in here. A bit of sense and knowledge is sadly needed, but I’m afraid you’re wasting your breath.

Just got an email telling me this is now available in a one piece download…

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QS9EFJKY

It’s the documentary that I posted links to a couple of blogs ago. It’s made by one of our own. Yep. Despite the klinkers that have attached themselves to our club, there’s still good ones left.

FS ..You Talk a lot of sense in #259.
We were treated as second class citizens.I remember going to live in london in the mid seventies, once people knew I was a scouser you could see the look in their eyes of Oh oh better watch my wallet..
Like you said back then we were winning all kinds of things and were hated by the media and other teams.
But in Liverpool we would walk to the Match with our Everton friends and Family , then split up at the Ground, then meet up again afterwards have a few bevvies and talk about the Game.
I don’t get into the discussions much in here, but I do read them> Some people do take it very personal and want to attack when their opinions are questioned.
Gerry has given us all a Forum to voice are opinions, we will nevr all agree about what is the best team formation or substitutions and such
But the one thing we should all agree upon is the LFC is the best Club in the world, and we should not attack each other on a personal level.
I don’t always agree with what FS writes in here, but I would fight for his right to say it.

I’d rather you fought me on it with some facts and knowledge mate. I love a bit of footy debate. But that’s not what’s happening in here.

Thanks FS, reading your post #259 is interesting indeed.

I have read the Hillsborough book and there seems to be plenty of survivor/family accounts of the police treating the Liverpool fans woth utter contempt. It is a book that makes your blood boil, and that’s without inclding the Kelvin Mckenzie factor.

I know what you mean about the press profiling scousers as second class citizens, tarring them all with the same brush………. and it stuck. You are right, most people outside the City Perceive Liverpudlians to be lowlife thieves and scroungers.

We will never get back to the heights of the 70’s and 80’s when LFC were the cats whiskers, the dogs bollocks. I thank my lucky stars that I am old enough to remember what that felt like.

No problem Dizzy.

Steve, I have mates who really wish LFC would go down a division so all the glory hunting shites that have attached themselves to us would FO and the atmosphere would return to the ground. Some of them have even given up season tickets that have been in the family for generations.

I find it hard to argue with them when I read and hear drivel, like we’ve seen in here over the past few days.

I can fully understand that, FS.

I have just realised that Blackburn have lost just once at home this season, on the opening day against the Citeh.

Since then they’ve had 4 wins and 3 draws in the league (dispatching the villa along the way) and also recently defeated the Chel$ki in the cup.

So maybe, just maybe, they are a decent side at home.

Mind you they are absolute kak away.

i totally agree with FS’s comments in this blog. Some of you will probably remember me from years past on here but over the last 6-9 months I have had too many things come up and I havent been able to comment in the site nearly as much as I used to. It used to be a nice haven for banter and football debate. Now the comments section has descended into mudslinging and unwarranted attacks against our club that have little or no worthwhile thought behind them. Because of this, I almost never come in the comments section anymore, but to skim over the comments of the few people I respect on here from the old days. And if I do, it’s to just say a little tidbit and be on my way.

It’s sad to see, because Gerry’s blogs are still top-notch, and he’s won several awards for his site, but the comments section has started to become completely uninteresting to me anymore.

The negativity surrounding our club is everywhere, and now it’s come within. I live in the States (Pittsburgh to be exact) and I used to be able to go down to my local and see a match every so often when I couldn’t get it at home, but now I can’t stand going down there because all the so-called “supporters” with their kits and scarves and hats and autographs bought on ebay start spouting out ridiculous things at the television that just make me sick. The last time I was there I had a real argument with a fella about his level of criticism and it turned out he had no real backing for his thoughts, and was a completely mindless, knee-jerk idiot. Didn’t get the chance to ask how long he’d been “supporting” LFC though… it could very well have been as early as 2001!

It’s very sad to see the comments section come to this, but it seems like there’s nothing to be done about it. If we continue to struggle, it will stay the same or get worse. If we start winning again like we are well and truly capable of, the blog will just fill up with even more instant-fans that demand 8-0 every match. oh well…

It’s funny how supporting Liverpool is becoming a more and more isolating or individual thing. And it’s not cause more and more people are starting to support other teams. Torres is outselling every replica shirt on the planet. It’s because I can’t stand being around so many of the “supporters” I run into these days.

YNWA

Lurgan mate, I said that days ago. I’ve constantly asked why people thought this was such a bad result… fact is, they was just waiting for the next point to be dropped so they could gloat.

LB also said before the game… no score draw written all over it. I disagreed but only to keep the morale up as I knew how hard it would be and I also expected the same thing.

On top of that, I also tried to point out that they’d just beaten Chelsea, gained a semi final place, so would be on a high. And that they was playing for their manager who’d just had an op, and would want to win for him as a tonic against the manager he hates.

I also pointed out that for all our bad form, that’s six games without defeat and a third clean sheet on the bounce… It’s our goals against that is letting us down, not our attacking.

In fact, I tried pointing out loads of things that showed the tide is turning. But it all gets lost when knobheads kick off, as those who know better just get dragged down to their level.

As I said, Gery even writes a blog bollacking knee jerkers. They come in say great blog Gerry and immeadiately kick it all off again.

It really is ruining this gaff

Hiya Alec. Missed your comment while posting. Funny thing is, through out all this shite I have been meaning to say this sort of drivel has already driven some people off and I was thinking of you and Aussie Kopite - who emails me now and again and has more or less said the same thing as you just have.

It’s a shame but I don’t even like saying this as I will be accused of manipulating the blog to my own means. Hope you don’t bail for good though.

Alec (good to hear from you again), FS, totally agree with the both of you about the deterioration of the comments section. It seems that success, whether it be LFC or kopblog, brings a hefty price to pay.

However, if all the decent posters piss-off then we are leaving the lunatics to run the asylum. I think that Gerry deserves better than this.

As Keith et al have said, we should just ignore their comments and concentrate on proper footy talk and not kneejerk bull based on nothing.

I remember reading a funny lil story somewhere…

A landlord had a cook that he absolutely hated and was always looking for an excuse to fire him.. Wen that cook made an omelete for him, he told him that he needed a boiled egg.. Wen he boiled an egg he was told that he shud have made an omelete.. One day, sick n tired of the landlord, the cook took two eggs, boiled one and made an omelete outta the other.. Wen the landlord came to the breakfast table and saw the menu, he got a bit confused as to wat to slate the cook for.. Then, keeping up wid his tradition, he told teh cook, ” LOOK, you have spoiled everything once again.. You boiled the wrong egg! ”

In our case, the cook is our manager.. The egg is our Team and teh landlord are the knee-jerkers and the media pundits..

If Rafa plays aggressive, he is slated for leaking all those goals..
If he reverts to defensive game (to get things in order) he is slated for being defensive…

If he rushes a player into a game after an injury, he is slated for ignoring the physical condition of teh player..
If he waits for the player to be fully fit, he is slated for wasting him on teh bench…

If he doesnt go all praisy praisy for the players, he is slated as a cold-hearted person wid shit man-management skills..
If he praises the youngsters for the effort they are putting at a stage they shudnt be, he is slated for encouraging the wrong players..

I mean, i can go on and on and on…. There’s nothing that he can do to please everyone, especially these Low-IQ “Supporters” and the equally lower IQ-ed Sly SPorts pundits..

I still feel the Mancs will get caught out as a team and slip a few points here and there. I agree,(shock horror, doing that more regularly these days) with LB, but hope we can get there quicker than mid Jan. I cannot really see us struggling to get into the top four once we start playing the way we know this team can. I am really keen to see Aquaman in action, I think he will add another dimension to our attacking options, that when everyone is fit is as good if not better than any other team in the prem, hence the goals scoring record of last year. The million dollar question is whether Chelsea will go through a sticky patch, I still feel we can catch the Mancs but I am not as confident of catching Chelsea, it could be a bit late for thaqt unless the wheels come off. Anyway let’s just get back to playing the football we played towards the end of last year and the rest will be what it will be. I will say one thing, in he second half of the season there are going to be some teams that will get a total hiding from us once we click.

Keith, Chelsea have already lost 3, and don’t forget how many they tweaked through on last minute goals. They are also all in their prime but hitting the top of the hill. And it’s all down from there unless the Russian throws more billions at it.

The Mancs are like us at the end of our greatness… trading on reputation. You only have to look at how West Ham folded once they scored. And I’ve been saying this since the middle of last season - they won’t fall apart over night. It doesn’t happen like that. They will just go on a slow downward spiral.

Sadly though, because of all our boardroom troubles and their wealth, it’s probably City who will cash in over the next couple of seasons.

Like I said earlier, even if we still had Moores, not even new investment, we would now be ready to kick on. Sadly, with H&G that will prove a real struggle.

But throw out Rafa and forget it all together… back to the drawing board, team break up, squad rebuilding, and another 5 year plan with no money to pay for it, and probably a shite manager who will just keep schtum and pick up his cheque.

As for LB, I shouldn’t be speaking for him, but even in the days of the real ding dongs on here he was a pragmatist. When he criticised there was a point to it. And I know the lad’s not happy with what’s going on. Who is. But he knows the root causes.

Still, despite our bad form, terrible luck and woeful injuries, we are only 3 points off Tottingham.

And I know I don’t need to say this to you, but… just keep the faith mate and ignore the idiots.

Dizzy, I enjoyed that little story. I’ll no doubt nick and use it in the future.

FS as you know i dont come in to often but do reead the posts.I would not like us to drop inot the next tier down but hay thats were i started with LFC so i would still be there with them.
just like to ask do you think any of these a-holes e very watch the reserve out fit or the acdamy play.
Well i doubt it if the did they would see some of the talent that will in the future be available to us. Young Ince, kelly.ayala,jose.nemeth(at AEK)
AND MANY MORE WHO THE FUCK DO THEY THINK GOT THEM OR WHY THEY CHOSE TO COME TO LFC.two reasons one rafa two the reputation and tradition that this club has.
like my old da used to say if you anit got owt to say that makes sense shut the fuck up.

keep this blog site going and fill it will facts figures and common sen se and they will fuck off.

I suppose it’s just the way of the world nowadays Jim.

Vote for Torres
http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/awards/puskasaward/index.html

Good one from Babbel

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/babel-rubbishes-newspaper-claim

I just read that aswell Axchoice, good to see this response.

Yup. Especially the “If it’s from Sun, we know what they’re up to” stuff, and the “I never give interviews to Sun”.

Am liking his response so far. Hopefully, his performance will go up as well

Lurgan, FS, Alex, et al,

Haven’t posted on here in bloody ages, but I always read Gerry’s blog and keep an eye on the comments section.

Alec is right, this comment section has declined in quality significantly recently. And the worst thing is that lads like FS are constantly having to repeat what should already be common sense for any self-respecting Liverpool supporter.

It actually got me thinking that some sort of FAQ, supported by simple, clear evidence, could be thrown together to fob off the repetitve ignorant comments that seem to crop up from time to time (e.g. Alonso left because Rafa tried to sell Barry *yawn*, or zonal marking sucks *blimey*, etc, etc).

Anyways, just wanted to say keep up the good work Gerry, and FS and the other common sense commentators on here.

#252 Dizzy…

hey.. Thats not fair to me

#232 FS

Hmm, I think you are right

12 points in December is a massive lead over us, and Chelsea do have a run of fixtures now that you would back then to win from their next eight games. If you were a betting man you would back them to take 24 points from them.

Football never works quite as predictably as that though, and Chelsea could well drop points.

I prefer to focus on LFC getting back into the top 4 first of all and I think this could be achieved as early as Boxing day, when we are at home to Wolves. Once we are in the top four I think we can then start negotiating the gap to the top. One step at a time.

I would agree that anything is still achievable and we know the level of football we are capable of with a fully fit squad.

Plenty to look forward to - mainly getting our confidence back and gettin our players all fully fit..once that happens next year could be a lot rosier

Yes there has been some drivel, banter and abuse but just like our team we need to support our blog. Good to here you back Alex if the drab and dribble (dumb and dumbers) of this world dicatate the direction of our club, and we just give up and let it happen. Then we didn’t deserve it in the first place.
.
Onward and upward in the blog. Alex never let them make you feel isolated because your not and never will be.

Steve mate, it should always be one game at a time. And all me and Keith were saying is, the signs of recovery are there.

But looking ahead… I was always of the mind that it would take a long hard slog to come out of this slump. Who knows we might have already completed that, and we could kick on from here. But I doubt it, just yet.

I think once all the players are match fit - which they never all will be at the same time - we’ll start to see good performances. And there almost there now. Maybe Nando and Gerrard will have to be nursed through the season. But we know the what the others are capable of without them.
So, hopefully we’ve passed the worst now.

FS- the dozy cunt who works with me has just imformed us that she is going on holidays on the 16th - so that means I wont be able to get to Liverpool - Now I know you were having trouble getting the tickets so this mightn’t be such a bad thing - but if you end up getting a spare one - I’ll pay for it if you end up stuck with it.

God save us from Ditzy Cunts

No problem An Linn. If they’ve got one sorted it’ll be grabbed by someone else anyway, so don’t worry about it.

Just popped into say, here it is from the horses mouth….
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/rafa-confirms-aquilani-start

Mind you, I’m sure there’s a few opinions on it that are far more important.

Yeah seriously pissed - another guy offered today a ticket for £50 delivered to Dublin, which is a pretty good deal,

She’s been getting the auld stink eye all afternoon

I have never heard anyone call a woman a “cunt” before. I guess there’s a first time for absolutely anything, eh?

FS, what’s the download “Liverpool Texas” about, sorry missed your previous link.

Don’t know what you lads think but for a few shillings Beattie may not be a bad buy in the January window, if we can get another loan.

He can play a bit and keep the ball. Doesn’t mind getting stuck in either and could play up-front by himself (when Nando is injured/rested) and could bring others into the game. Would take the heat of Ngog as well.

Maybe clutching at at straws but would not be a bad signing in my opinion and not cost a pile. If we have this lesser pile is another question.

Hey Gerry

Season’s greetings and all that. What’s all this bloody annoying ad that appears at the top with some bird and her doodley da’s hingen oot. How do I get rid of it?

And all this talk of taking one game at a time, complete rubbish, why not get both Arsenal and Wigan to turn up on Sunday and we’ll play both of the daft effers and then have a week off. We’re hard we are?

hugs
jonesy

Souness = penis.