wo haaa first first thing to cheer in a while

There’s always one 12 year old who writes “first, first”. Very annoying mate.

Great blog Gerry as per usual and i agree whole heartedly about a change of personnel. I think we should start Pacheco and see how the lad gets on. Everytime i see him he looks like a bit of a bright spark and looks to make things happen. Which is exactly what we need now. Some unpredictability instead of this plod plod plod crap and playing the ball across the pitch like a bunch of drunken crabs.

As for what the hell is going on I cant for the life of me put my finger on it. Its practically the same team as last year (minus Alonso of course) and we look a completely different team. I am extremely worried (and i really hate to say this because i dont like to be too negative) that Rafa may have lost some of the dressing room. During this bad patch I cant remember really much, if any of the players, senior or otherwise, come out and back Rafa. Stevie’s lack of vocal support speaks volumes. And we have hardly heard Carra say much in support of the manager as well. He’s talked the usual: we were crap and Liverpool fans and the club deserve better but not much about Rafa. These 2 players are the heart & soul of the club and for one of them not to come out & say Rafa is the right man for the job & give him full backing on behalf of the squad, then it makes me worry very much about what is going on in the players minds and whats going on behind the scenes.

If its the same team as last year then its obvious the players haven’t turned into shite over night. Then what else is it other than a lack of motivation? Who’s job is it to motivate the players? The players themselves and the coaching staff with the manager? It goes without saying that when you play for LFC a player should obviously be self-motivated. But it seems like a few bad results later, the players heads drop, and we walk around like zombies. This malaise comes down to the manager & the players. With ultimately the manager having the utmost responsibility. If the manager cant motivate the players then im sorry to say were fooked. A couple of bad games is to be expected in a long season, players are only human and do have off days. But we are now practically lurching from one disaster to the next. With really no end in sight. So i’d be interested to know to some of the other forum members opinions on whether Rafa may have lost some of the dressing room? Remember as a fan, im just looking for answers as much as the next person. In no way am i saying that Rafa has definitely lost the dressing room. Just putting it out there for discussion.

As for a change of tactic you mention Ger. i.e. going a bit more attack minded. I completely agree. Its exactly what i’ve been thinking the last few games. Because we might as well try something new as its just not working for us at the moment. But seriously. We’ve had Rafa for the last 5 years. When has he ever followed up bad results with attack minded tactics. My fear is we’ll retreat into our shell against Stoke. Play a completely negative team thats set up not to lose out of fear of losing. We’ll probably have full backs in the right and left midfield position & 2 defensive midfielders of Lucas & Masch with somebody in the hole playing off one striker.

To be honest im shitting it about this game. I fear if we lose, it might be the straw that broke the camels back. But maybe its time to be a bit more positive. The team do need us at the moment more than ever, & so does the manager. I’d fookin love it if we battered Stoke and went on an unbeaten run and shoved it up those twats in the media. So come on the pool, come on the fookin pool. Get stuck into these fuckers and show us what your made off.

Cheers Gerry that was a fantastic read, I’ve been very busy of late and haven’t had a chance to catch up on most of the last blog. Things have been so bad at the moment it’s unbearable. I fully agree that we are in dire need of a shake up and some youngsters introduced to give the team some sort of kick start.
I don’t know where our season is going but I really fear the worst for rafa if we lose our next couple of games and the way we are playing we couldn’t beat Liverpool ladies ffs. That game against Reading was a fucking disgrace, how can we go so long in matches with out hitting a shot. I mean even take a pop from the edge of the D every now and again.
Also where are we on the second balls it’s just so bad to watch.
This is by no means an excuse but that fat fuck phil dowd should never referee a Liverpool match again. There is no way that pen would have been given at old Trafford or Stamford bridge. Then the deggan dive the fucking asshole started waving his hands like lunatic and said “not on my watch” who talks like that he think he’s in some American film.wanker.
Then the small details like Reading heading the ball out and yet still getting the throw! I suppose these are all the bits of bad luck that your talking about but mix it with shite football and it all leads to a long road ahead!!

Come on liverpool watch rocky and 300 before each game(like phil dowd does) and let’s find a bit of fight.

Ipswich finished fifth in 2001 and were relegated the following season.So I suppose there is a precedent for a team collapsing so quickly, without a major change in playing personnel.I think midfield has been the weak spot this season, no protection for the defence and not enough thrust or creativity to help the strikers.Play Aquilani and Masher in the middle with Degen and Rodders on the flanks.Ngog and Pacheo up front will give us the 3 points.

I disagree. Rafa needs to go.

He may be working hard, but that doesn’t help if you’re working hard on the wrong things or if no one believes in what you’re selling.

I’ve heard over and over from the Rafa apologists that “It’s the players not Rafa.” Well, then maybe we came in second last year because of the players, despite Rafa.

You make suggestions for the team the upcoming game, but that is why Rafa must go. He will put out the same negative bunch of players and tactics and hope for a different result. I’m pretty sure one definition of insane is doing the same thing over and over then expecting different results.

Good article on http://www.guillembalague.com.

Great blog Gerry.
Had a good laugh aswell.

Looks like dumb and dumber on kopblog: jammy and burger

Akka, still talking crap.

artful dodger ..great post.

generally i agree with most of what gerry writes but im sorry gerry on this one i dont.

i think clearly some of the players and perhaps key players have lost confidence in the gaffa.

i also DO believe alonso is a huge loss and it was an error to let him go.

why can we all openly say were not the same team without gerrard or were not the same team without torres but its apparantly unthikable we are not the same without alonso ?

i believe our negative tactics are absolutely killing us, a holding midfielder yes …but a holding midfielder to support the holding midfielder ? at home ? F.F.S. !

as for “its the same team as last year”
i wonder what would have been the opinion if we had of adopted that philosophy and kept our champions league winning team ? ” good enough last year why not this ?

now i find myself getting a little worked up again cos whilst im not saying black and white , its time for rafa to go i feel we really must ask the question?

how many of our players would inwardly be screaming ” LET US HAVE A GO FOR FUCK SAKE”

were boring and very very predictable and negative !

isn’t it quite feesible our heart and soul stevie g and carra are doubting they will ever win the premier league ? hence theyre apparant lack of real spark ?

we can if we wish go over the old ” we dont have the money bit” and whilst that is our reason for not competing with the mancs, chelski and co, it sure as fuck dont explain the rest of this seasons carry on.

when rafa comes in and turns ( lets face it) a shite squad into european champs over night hes the man,master tactician the dogs bollucks,but when the transition is a negative one he has nothing to do with it.

weve had injuries you would not believe this season and yes, most definately the players have to shoulder some responsibility, but i would say our biggest flaw is our gaffa’s defensive atitude, i just think the players see its not going to take them where they and us want to go..

i honestly felt after last year that rafa finally twigged how to win games in the p/l but he just sunk back to what he knows and we’re as flat as a pancake for it !

for the rest of the season i whole heartedly agree with the dodger, play 1 or 2 of the very promising young fellas we keep reading about,and put out a formation that has a real go from the very start to win the game.
get the winning feeling back get belief and confidence back and for christ sake move forward on it next year,failure to do so must surely have even the most faithful rafa fans ASKING THE QUESTION !

p.s

and put some fucker on the posts for corners !
.

Cup shocks happen but more often than not they occur when the underdog defends for their lives & score themselves hugely against the run of play. In this instance the embarrassment is that Reading were by far the better team who created the majority of clear cut chances. The penalty was poetic justice in regard to what Reading deserved but in any case hard though it may be to take especially as it’s so rare for an away side to get a decisive judgement call from a referee at Anfield, the penalty decision was fair & just.
Rafa’s post match interview was pathetic with him totally evasive & intimating issues with the referee who in truth had a pretty decent game whilst not intimidated by the venue as the majority of referees usually are.

I thought Mr Wenger was stubborn with his refusal to spend big in the transfer market & add physical strength to the skilful passing game we have at Arsenal but at least he has a plan & superb style of football.
Rafa takes stubbornness to a new level by refusing to walk the plank. He has had no clear plan or playing style. It has been ‘lottery football’ based mostly on smashing balls into the box & hoping a ricochet will provide a chance or hoping Torres & for the most part Gerrard will save the day. You cannot expect Gerrard to forever bail Liverpool out & the oodles of luck Benitez has previously enjoyed during his reign had to come to an end at some point.
Still as is the form with Liverpool fans, you will no doubt blame the ‘Yanks’ !!
Those of you who do want Rafa to go appear to want the sentimental return of ‘King Kenny’ !!
Are you sure ??? ………. Liverpool need to rebuild their team & so to it is bizarre to call for the man who walked away from the job when previously the ageing team needed rebuilding in the early 90′s & left Graeme Souness to take the stick when that process was not an immediate success !!

There are definately plenty of Muppets about.

Its funny that no matter how much the lads such as FS, Keith, Aitch, LB and others give logical and reasonable answers aswell as post that they are ignored. Then you have those who just come in to drop a bomb with random facts and figures and believe that they are correct cause “Ipswih finished 5th one season and then relegated”.

Who gives a fuck where Ipswich finished BM? another pointless stat.

I could also probably come up with a random fact that supports any argument. Ie “why doesnt rafa buy Francis jeffers, he has a 100% game to goals ratio for england” (too bad he only played 1 game, but that doesnt matter, cause facts dont lie)

Bunch of muppets!

Ohh and James!
PISS OFF TO THE ARSENAL FORUMS!

I qoute you saying:

“I thought Mr Wenger was stubborn with his refusal to spend big in the transfer market & add physical strength to the skilful passing game WE have at Arsenal”

Congratulations James LeBlanc, you have just secured the top prize for the least intelligent and reasonable comment ever to be posted on this blog (sorry KK). Twisting every single fact to suit your own agenda probably isn’t the way to go if you’re looking for a serious debate with Liverpool supporters or with anyone else for that matter.

Did you hear the daft bitch on Sly Sports News after the Rafa Interview. ‘Well Rafa was very cagey with his answers there’. Then turns to the audience. ‘If you know what’s going on the E-mail us at blah blah blah’. How would we know are we Melwood every minute of every day. You couldn’t make it up,

Gazza

Is it true that Babel was left out of the squad for the Stoke game? Just check on another forum there and apparently Babel posted on twitter (the twat!) that he was left out with no explanation. If so, its a very strange decision (if were not selling him in the next few days that is) considering our apparent injury crisis.

@reds-a-run-tings exactly what i’m thinking regarding the lack of support coming out of the club from the senior players. Have they reached a plateau with Rafa & now believe that he cannot take us any further? Is this causing our chronic lack of motivation? Especially when we go a goal down. Last year we’d fight tooth and nail to get back into the game. This year we just capitulate. I know a lot of it is down to lack of confidence but still, the silence is deafening.

Also i agree…. put someone on the fucking posts for corners!

Gerry, I think that you’re the boy and just as some of the others have mentioned, mate I think this time you have got it wrong! Just a little. I see what you’re trying to do by keeping the faith but in all honesty, there are simply too many cracks leading to the gafa, that for once I’m also losing faith, which is unusual. I understand by him leaving will only make things worse because of those two clowns that are running our club. Because in all honesty, who would want to come to our club in this state, no money, no direction? Rafa has done well getting us this far and i’m afraid we have no choice in the matter at present by keeping our faith in him because there is only one way we are heading without him.

Yes I agree with the others, Rafa lacks people skills and is all about tactics and strategies, this is how he is always managed and will never change.

I understand that the whole world is against Rafa and slowly some fans are going that way as well, not because they want to but because of being frustrated by a team going down the crap hole so quickly without being able to resolve the problem around. Money cannot be an excuse no more, we have made some poor signings, invested so much on young talent but never used them.

The heart of Liverpool has been ripped out recently as many players dont seem to have the passion or desire to win or give it their all anymore, including our captain, but who can blame them? Only one man should be trying to change this and that should be the manager.

Other seasons, when we had bad spells, you could always count on us on bouncing back really quickly. All this Alonso talk is also a lot of bollocks i’m sorry! Yes he done well for us last year, had his best season by far. But how about the year before? He was average and the year before? he was not all that, not bad but not sensational either. The fact is he was a talent that had potential and in his peak did deliver. Torres and Gerrard were injured last year for long periods, arguably costing us the league but we still managed to play very well and improve in-comparison to the other seasons, and this was not just because of Alonso, It was because our good/decent players were hitting peak at the right time and were delivering. In other words, were playing as a team, a unit with the hunger and desire to play for each other, for the fans, the management and most importantly for themselves. Until this year, we were causing havoc in Europe, being one of the most feared teams in Europe, where no one wanted to come fifty feet near us. This was all due to having the confidence, our good players shining, and the others responding to that vibrant energy.

When did this all change? I’m sorry but my finger points to one person and I know it is wrong for me to do this but he has been a fucking thorn in our side since he was introduced, LUCAS the fucking MUCAS!! This guy as everyone knows is not only completley shit but one lucky fucker that he is playing for a top club! What RAFA sees in this guy, I will never know! Kuyt, ok fine I understand, a working horse, can score goals, was best for his former club, really well respected but what can you say about Lucas!

To me, the gaps were growing last year, when the likes of Lucas were chosen in the first 11 last year. Have a look at the stats, when he was playing last year, we drew those games we should be winning and never had that edge when it was needed. Was it then a coincidence that as soon he was regularly picked this season, that we have been losing? playing crap football. What does he do? He cant defend, he can’t run at defenders or spread the ball, cannot cross the ball, take free kicks or anything else. All he is good for is his pussy little passes, losing possession and giving away stupid free kicks. He should have gone in this transfer window to some stupid club who would pay for him, which to be honest, cant imagine too many.

You see? only one person could have done this and this is Rafa, but for some reason he keeps his faith with this arsehole and now it’s all too clear what has happened. It wont change until players like this are out of the first 11. Yes I know, Im not original in my thoughts but Im very surprised that no one has mentioned Lucas this time! Gerry, how you gave that tosser 6/10 for his performance, I have no idea! That guy was a clown as usual, every time he touched the ball, he lost it, gave a foul away or simply fucked a great pass to potential string of passes.

This is why Rafa is failing, he has put his faith in some crap players and unlike in the past, where he would drop them if he thought they were playing rubbish, that has now gone. My respect for the RAF MAN was always the fact that if he ever fucked up, bought the wrong player, he would give him a few chances and if he didn’t perform, would drop him. Why he hasn’t done it with Lucas i have no idea. KUYT, not as bad as Lucas but still this guy, yes he works hard but he is a confidence person, and right now, that has left him and he is running like a headless chicken and someone who makes the worst decisions in the box. He should be dropped for a few games for some of the younger talents to be introduced, but just as many others have mentioned, that just isn’t Rafa, he will never do that!

I just hope that some of our senior players really try to play with more pride and passion and force the issue. Stick up for the manager even if they dont believe it because you want that to be a good contagious thing that others have, knowing that they are giving it their all. Yes, then i believe the luck will come, as they say you sometimes really need to make your own luck.

I really wish that Rafa swallows his pride, makes some bold decisions and really punish those who are not pulling their weight, If we don’t, we’re going down under!! especially with all these other teams around us and the PL is not getting any easier. But never the less, will always support the manager and the club through the good times and THIS TIME! Come on Rafa PLEASE I BEG YOU – make us proud get us out of here!!

YNWA

I gave up on Sky Sports a long time ago. With ‘experts’ like Paul Merson and Jamie Redknapp, need I say more? Like most people, I’m struggling to figure out how a team that virtually swept all aside last with a swagger last season could find it hard to string 3 decent passes in succession.

The poor form aside, I’ve been terribly disappointed by the lack of testicular fortitude shown by the lads. The game on Wednesday was another example. Call me an optimist if you will but I like what I’ve seen from Aquillani and I believe he will be a very good player for Liverpool. I will, however, add that we probably won’t see him at his best until next season.

I read somewhere on the net that Pepe Reina had a back problem. Can anyone shed some light on this? I certainly agree that Rafa should try Pacheco. We need someone with some hunger and desire on the pitch tomorrow. Stoke have been a handful at home and they will fancy their chances against us. I hope the players will fight for the cause tomorrow.

On the question of whether Rafa has lost the dressing room, only a mole in the dressing room can answer that. Anything else will be pure speculation, which is unhelpful to the players, manager or fans.

Red-a-run-tings good post as usual and thanks for at least taking the time to explain your position, but I’m sure you won’t be surprised to hear that I don’t agree with just about all of it. So let’s have a little recap.

artful dodger ..great post.
Agreed.

generally i agree with most of what gerry writes but im sorry gerry on this one i dont.
No probs, this would be a very dull place if we always agreed with each other.

i think clearly some of the players and perhaps key players have lost confidence in the gaffa.
Even if this was true, do you think it’s ok for them to under-perform then? Isn’t it just barely possible that when a player plays badly it’s down to themselves. Why do people always seem to make excuses for players? whether it be their confidence level, the manager, the fans getting on their back, their fitness levels etc, when is it ever just down to themselves?

i also DO believe alonso is a huge loss and it was an error to let him go.
I wasn’t aware that they had changed the laws in relation to kidnapping.

why can we all openly say were not the same team without gerrard or were not the same team without torres but its apparantly unthikable we are not the same without alonso ?
I don’t think anyone is suggesting that Alonso isn’t a big loss but the “we miss Alonso” argument has become a bit tired and a rather convenient excuse for others. The fact is, as good as he was for us last season he was just one player in the team and all of the others are still here but for one reason or another just aren’t performing at the same level.

i believe our negative tactics are absolutely killing us, a holding midfielder yes …but a holding midfielder to support the holding midfielder ? at home ? F.F.S. !
With only Masch and Lucas available for most of the season, who do you suggest we play there, Sammy Lee? And need I remind you that when results went against us in previous seasons, people said pretty much the same thing about us playing Alonso and Masch together.

as for “its the same team as last year”
i wonder what would have been the opinion if we had of adopted that philosophy and kept our champions league winning team ? ” good enough last year why not this ?
It’s hardly the same thing. Our CL winning team got it right on one night, our team last season played terrific football for most of last season and came within a whisker of winning the league with a record points haul. So we know that they are capable of playing a hell of a lot better then they are now.

now i find myself getting a little worked up again cos whilst im not saying black and white , its time for rafa to go i feel we really must ask the question?
Calm down.

how many of our players would inwardly be screaming ” LET US HAVE A GO FOR FUCK SAKE”
How many times must our manager have been inwardly screaming “HAVE A GO FOR FUCKS SAKE”

were boring and very very predictable and negative !
Blaming the manager for everything is boring and very very predictable and negative!

isn’t it quite feesible our heart and soul stevie g and carra are doubting they will ever win the premier league ? hence theyre apparant lack of real spark ?
More excuses for players not doing their stuff. Don’t StevieG and Carra as captain and vice-captain of the team have a responsibility to the rest of the players and the supporters to always perform at their best level regardless of any doubts they might have?

we can if we wish go over the old ” we dont have the money bit” and whilst that is our reason for not competing with the mancs, chelski and co, it sure as fuck dont explain the rest of this seasons carry on.
No, but having half of the first team out injured just might have something to do with it.

when rafa comes in and turns ( lets face it) a shite squad into european champs over night hes the man,master tactician the dogs bollucks,but when the transition is a negative one he has nothing to do with it.
I refer you to paragraph 5 of the blog.

weve had injuries you would not believe this season and yes, most definately the players have to shoulder some responsibility, but i would say our biggest flaw is our gaffa’s defensive atitude, i just think the players see its not going to take them where they and us want to go.
So you think that if a group of extremely well paid footballers decide that they don’t like the managers tactics and so couldn’t be arsed performing at their level, it’s the manager who is at fault? Maybe we should let the players pick the team.

i honestly felt after last year that rafa finally twigged how to win games in the p/l but he just sunk back to what he knows and we’re as flat as a pancake for it !
Last season with a fully fit squad we almost won the league. This season with the bulk of that same squad out injured for most of the campaign, we’ve struggled. But of course that has nothing to do with it, it’s all down to the manager’s tactics.

for the rest of the season i whole heartedly agree with the dodger, play 1 or 2 of the very promising young fellas we keep reading about,and put out a formation that has a real go from the very start to win the game.
Cheeky bastard, that was my idea!

get the winning feeling back get belief and confidence back and for christ sake move forward on it next year,failure to do so must surely have even the most faithful rafa fans ASKING THE QUESTION !
I assume THE QUESTION your refering to is where the fuck is all the money you promised us Mr Hicks?

p.s

and put some fucker on the posts for corners !
Agreed!

Fine. Sack Rafa. Then what? Someone please tell me…………..

Headline News

Big Sam Alladyce takes charge at Anfield as the new Liverpool manager.

Richard Keys: Congratulations Sam, what does managing a big club like Liverpool mean?

Sam: This is an opportunity of a lifetime. I deserve a big job after missing out on the England position.

Richard Keys: Have you discussed possible tranfers?

Sam: We’re in the final stages of bringing El Hadj Diouf back to Liverpool. He’s a talented and experienced player, who has what it takes to play for a big club like Liverpool.

i dont want anyone who has done good work to be slung out on their arse but i dont understand why people get attacked for asking questions that need to be asked of someone in such an important job.

deev78, whether we happen to agree with each other on all points or not, that’s a great post you made. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us and I hope we’ll be hearing more from you in the future.

Gerry,
thats a very positive blog and well read.
Reds-a-run-tings When are you and the like’s of you going to grasp it, LFC did’nt let Alonso go’ he wanted to go, do you savvy, read my lips “HE WANTED TO GO”.
Burgerbrain been rubbing shoulder’s with RODDERS have you, you got the IQ of a fuckin prune.

Hi.

Someone here mentioned, if we sack Rafa..whats next? The answer is no one knows. It might be a positive change or it might lead to a bad one. I read that Guus Hiddink is willing to return to premier league. I dont mind him taking over Rafa but thats my personal opinion.

As for the current situation, what is more important to note is the duration of our bad form. Clubs like Liverpool Fc are expected to react to losses,dropping points. We have simply not been able to do that. I dont know who to blame but if the players are trying their best then why did we loose to Portsmouth,Reading etc?
To me, Rafa is a great manager and thts why we won trophies in the last 4-5 years. It is the players who are accountable.

Regarding Alonso leaving the club, why cant people understand that Alonso left because this process of selling him was initiated by Rafa. Thats the reason he wanted to go. Get this clear. We were a much more balanced side with him. Accept it.

That so called “process of selling and initiated by Rafa” is a load of shit, he wanted Barry as a utility player for mainly on the left of midfield or left back as well as filling in the middle when there are injuries, Rafa wanted to keep Alonso but the player felt slighted at the pursual of Barry, so we did’nt get the player and Alonso fucked off anyway that might have been the stepping stone of the ATROCIOUS luck Rafa and LFC have shouldered since pre-season friendlies.
YNWA.

Well I think we were a balanced team last year because of Riera, he allowed width that players of Alonso’ nature require. It’s of no use to anyone having a ball switching, long range passer, with no one to pass too.
.
Over the years I have been critical of some of Mr B decisions, however I always thought he carried himself with dignity and humility. Which is ironic considering the British press assisinate his character to the point of being somewhere between Hitler and Saddam.
.
Now regardless of whether I think he right, wrong or indifferent and the present moment. He needs my support as does the team. At the moment he’s the only Manager we have and is the only thing that stands between solidity and instability.
.
It’s the lads who need to stand up and be counted and give Rafa the chance to stand proud. Deev, this club stands by people at dreadful times, this club stands by other clubs when the chips are down. Stand by the only Manager we have, because another is not in the wings, if one would come at all.
.
I’m not wearing Rafa gaggle glasses, just trying to do what he deserves at the very least. If he’s give 5 good years, why can’t we give him 5 bad months.
.
Onwards and upwards lads, Red and Proud.

That was a good read and I’m very frustrated and sad with our performance at the moment. and we thought things couldn’t get any worst! let us really keep our fingers crossed for Stoke, Spurrs and all the games that are coming (including the crucial ones against Arsenal and Mancity)

We need to keep our heads up and actually START DOING SOMETHING! bring confidence and passion back.

Also, Babel is not going to be in the Stoke squad. the situation between rafa and babel is another situation I really do want to understand. I don’t get why Rafa has never given the lad chances to actually play games. this is all very frustrating, plus torres, gerrard and benayoun’s injuries. Torres being sidelined for SIX WEEKS just pains me…

OH, by the way, your comment about ngog makes me laugh! i completely agree

Good point about Riera and Xabi, Gaz. Another thing about Alonso leaving that people need to consider before using it as yet another stick to beat up the manager with.
I was born and brought up on the Southside of Dublin and all of my family lives around there, but my wife is from the Northside of the city so when we got married I moved over there because I felt it was more important for her to be near her mother and the rest of her family etc.
So let’s not forget that Alonso married his Spanish girlfriend not long before he left Liverpool and I’m sure that was also a big factor in his decision to move to Madrid. But hey, let’s just blame it all on Rafa anyway!

Gerry, I also blame Rafa for my wife wanting to go back to France to raise our children in her home country and to be closer to her family. Unfortunately I couldn’t get a contract with PSG.

People forget that these guys do take into account their family when making decisions and a 5 year stint is not bad for a ‘foreign’ player.

Great blog Gerry. Just read this on BBC website

Meanwhile, Liverpool winger Ryan Babel has revealed on his Twitter feed that he has been dropped from the squad for the visit to the Britannia Stadium.

“When you have problems everyone has a different reaction,” said Benitez. “It is more than just football; agents, money, TV, radios and internet everyone needs to talk – everyone has a Twitter or something like that.

“It is impossible to stop people talking, it is not like in the past.”

Has Rafa been in here?

Excellent blog as always gerry.

I can’t be arsed (sounding a bit like FS there) going into the whole loss of form debate, again. Its been explained in here by people who have played competitively… some just don’t want to listen.

We are in the quicksand and struggling to get out and it will in all likelihood take all the way up to the end of the season to do so.

And it would be best if we’d all just accept that NOW and stop expecting us to twat (the likes of) Stoke 6-1 and go on a glorious unbeaten run of “Arsenal like performances.”

If we finish in the top 4 this season and if we make it to the UEFA final, it will be as a result of dog-fight performances (maybe the occasional flair show, but mostly dogfights) and we should all accept that… now.

You see, I’ve played for very good coaches and I’ve played for coaches that couldn’t coach their way out of a peper bag.
I’ve played with some really gifted players, who could change games single-handedly, and I’ve played with gifted players who wasted their talents and screwed their teammates with every performance.
I’ve played with talentless grafters whose work-rate did themselves and their teammates proud and I’ve played with lads that shouldn’t be anywhere near a football field.

So I’m gonna tell you what I know… and you can take it or leave it.

I’d love to play in a team alongside a SG or Fernando Torres… (can you fuckin imagine?)… and while I’ll freely admit to not being good enough to lace their boots, I’d fuckin give my all alongside them
…but I can tell you I’d be under no illusions as to just who exactly they are fuckin talking about when they mouth off to the press about needing better players or more “world class players” in the squad.

Now we should keep in mind that while both SG and FT have “dragged us over the line” many times… they also left us twisting in the wind a lot this season (and to a lesser extent some times last season) … and yes its due to injury, but its no less true.

So the next time you want to ask yourself the big mystery about why this team isn’t playing as a team… remember the press comments of our “leaders” … and put yourself in their teammates boots.
…the first thing that would pop into my mind, if I was the one grafting out there, would be “fuck you.”

Yes they should all be putting the effort in.
I always put just as much graft into playing for coaches that didn’t rate me, or benched me, as I did for fellas I respected, coz I was determined to prove the bastards wrong.
So yes I agree in expecting no less from our lads and as Gerry and others have said, we’re just seeing it.

But that doesn’t cloud my ability to see the bigger picture (as much as we can see and glean without being privvy to Melwood goings on) and try to understand the circumstances and events that are contributing (or might be) to our current plight.
(but that takes far more effort than simply blaming the manager)

These are serious times and they call for serious people (so burgerman you can take the next 4 months off, I hear Malaysia is lovely this time of year.)

There are only two things I think are categorical at this point in the season.
Ryan Babel should never wear the Liverpool shirt again.
People still insist he hasn’t been given opportunities. That was a bottom of the Championship defense he didn’t beat once in 75 minutes. He hasn’t put in a decent performance (one wonder strike v.Lyon aside) in two years.
…and…
Deggen should never wear the Liverpool shirt again.
A more useless player we’ve never seen at Anfield… makes me yearn for the return of Bjorn Tore Kvarme, Josemi, Babb, Ruddock, Hysen… shit we should have kept Otsemoboor over this turd.

So Aitch, I see your reserving your decision on Babel and Degen to a later date.
.
Ps love the christmas list at the end, every football fans ultimate present a 1001 useless fullbacks.

Hi Lads, haven’t commented here in a long time but read every one of your blogs Gerry, they are a helpful tonic. Don’t know why Im choosing to comment now, just got the urge really considering how dramatic things are. Whatever you can level against Rafa, and Iv got a few things I can, he deserves some time. He’s us 5 good seasons, he should not be judged after 1, no matter how bad. If things don’t pick up next season provided he gets some money to spend then he deserves scrutiny, but I’m going to come onto that later, for now anyone with perspective should back him.

In terms of whats happened this season, Im sorry to disagree with ya Gerry, but the departure of Alonso, for me, has been massive and, aside from injuries to Gerrard and Torres, the major catalyst in our decline. The fact is alot of people seem to be talking as if by losing Alonso all we’ve lost is “a good player” or “a good midfielder”; “we’ve more or less got the same team as last year”. I just can’t agree.

Our team was undeniably great 9 months ago, like most great teams this was not just because of individual quality but also the wonderful blend createded by Rafa which allowed almost all our players to perform at their best, in an organised and creative team, undoubtedly a sign of the managers genius. However while not as talented as Gerrard or Torres Alonso was far more instumental than he seems to be getting credit for, he formed a huge part of the fine balance which was obtained by our manager last season and this is being totally underestimated. Its a hollistic effect.

Yes Gerrard, Benayoun and Kuyt were playing expansive, fast paced, flowing football but that was then, where they were in a settled system, where they were allowed to play to there strengths within a framework because there was another fella there who could see things earlier than anyone else, who could make passes they couldn’t dream of and who could think 2 or 3 moves ahead, gifting them precious time and space. Now alot of people have the expectation that it’s only a matter of time before they produce it again and are lamenting them because its not hapening, but the fact is it won’t happen again with the squad we have. On what logic should they produce this kind of football again when its not within their capabilities?

The fact is the last seasons system just isn’t working. All were doing at the moment is forcing the full backs up because we lack ideas, which throughout the season has caused our centre backs to come under far more pressure. Coupled with this our centre backs have been in poor form, resulting in Rafa having to have a more defensive midfield set up, limiting creativity and on and on and on. With our current set up theres just no base to build on, its just one big visous cycle which truth be told hasn’t looked like being overcome ALL SEASON. I just think people should either just let go of last years performance or at least acknowledge the part Alonso had to play in it. I know there are loads of other mitigating factors but even with those incorporated we are still looking bad.

This however does not mean I have no hope in our squad and manager. We have a wondefully talented squad and a wonderfully talented manager and there is alot of hope for the future. But theres going to need to be a big change, a transition, a change of system because in this one the personel doesn’t fit. I know somewhere out there theres a way of making this team tick, but it will take a long tim to find so the team will be incapable of coming anywhere near the heights of last season until it is found, qnd that will take time.
As much as it pains me to say it Ferguson managed it, and now Benitez is going to have to to save our club, and his job

This is top class, the first few minutes are dripping with sarcasm.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/8461711.stm

Well in Rafa.

But you know what the media will make of it. Rafa loses the plot blah, blah, blah…

Yeah gaz… I can’t shake my ambivelance about those two and come down one way or the other.
Polarizing I think they call it?

Interesting how Fungus gets away with pilloring his players after their FA Cup exit, but Rafa protects his players and is villified for it.

If I was Rafa I’ve have given them both barrels in a tirade that would have made Fungus look like Mother Teresa… but the fact that he didn’t do that… AND positioned himself to take all the flak, just makes me respect him more.

That is the stuff that makes me say… hell NO… he has not lost the plot… now is NOT the time to cut him loose… and he’s still the man for the job.
(unless Allardyce is fired in two weeks, in which case all bets are off. )

Time for the tweeter Babel to go. If he is not interested then he can feck off.

I don’t give a fuck how much speed he has, what we need now is balls/heart/effort.

8 million or greater, rip their fuckin’ arm off.

Well lads I know it’s been a tough week, I know I’ve had a long 12 hour night shift, but I just pissed myself reading something on another LFC site. A lad in response to Rafa’s media stint, wrote the following.
.
“Just said Maxi can play in 3 positions right side off the striker and left side. Thats him on the left then, and all you Dirk Kuyt bashers can keep tearing your hair out.”
.
Now that’s Scouse humour.

Aye Lurg.
Talk about living on reputations.

Funny how Lucas is the one player keeping us ticking over at the moment, yet in some minds is somehow still the reason for our current plight.

But a player who for two years now has only only been capable of out-pacing defenders 1 in 5 times and dribble past them 1 in 8 times, is somehow the answer to our “lack of goalscoring”.

8 million…. yer havin a larf!
SOLD… to the stupidest bidder in the January Transfer Window.
(and they’d be competing with Dynamo’s purchase of Voronin for that title!)

If he can play left side gaz, does that mean Insua can finally have a game off?
…badump-tish!

Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here all week!

Aitch always look forward to your posts my good man,usually filled with humour and reasoning. Though cant believe you thought so little of deggan. Now this is a guy who has been very unlucky with injury and who was one of the only players running at the reading players. now maybe he stood out more to me because of how bad the entire team played but i think he’s defo worth a few more cracks of the whip.

As for tomorrow,its gonna be tough,although having mash back and maxi starting I’m thinking we could give stoke a bit of a surprise. Aquilani is getting better with every game so if he has a strong game it could be enough to tip it in our favour.

COME ON THE POOL!!

Thaks roarin,
my assessment of Deggen is not based on his outing against Reading, but on his albeit limited and sporadic cumulative outings.

Personally, against Reading, I felt his forward contribution was more a result of his blundered his way through their defense, rather than playing his way through it. I don’t see any guile iin his forward play… but he’s not a forward… he’s an attacking defender, so okay, let’s look at his defensive qualities…
…and this is where I come down on the “useless tit” judgement.
He is mostly out of position, he rarely puts in decent tackles, frequently gets beaten by his man, is lucky he doesn’t get called for foul throws (though that could be equally levelled at both Johnson and Insua) pretty much every throw-in he takes, has limited aerial defensive ability and would be 3rd choice behind Johnson and Kelly had they not both gotten injured, and in my book 4th choice behind Darby.
(actually I’d say 5th since Carra is better there… and he keeps plummeting coz I’d sooner have Spearing played out of position there than this guy.)

Now I’m willing to accept that he’s been injured and we haven’t seen the best of him, but we carried him when we were doing well last seaosn and we’re carrying him now… the diffeerence… we can’t afford it.
So if a German Club want him, I say cut his price and do the deal!

And I agree, I hope Masch will make a difference, the lad is a leader on the field (when he can stow his Latin blood) and the prospect of Riera on the left, Maxi on the right and Aqua in the hole, with either Ngog, or Pacheco up front, sounds pretty interesting dunnit?

Having said that, I think Aqua might just be knackered and not up to the 90.
So I can see Kuyt keeping his right side slot against a hard-working Stoke and Maxi int he hole, but that still sounds good.

Nice one Gerry, i agree that p[layers need to start being dropped…rafa has takin all the fucken stick so far and im sick to death of it, the players are piss poor and apart from a few…new blood is needed. kuyt needs a spell he needs 50 chances to score one and i cant watch him anymore right now..his touch has gone, i mean i love the dude but enoughs enough. babel also, bring pacheco thru up front with eggnog ..maxi on the right…insua needs a spell your right about that, hopefully arellio is back. i am glad you like the look o aqalani as he is class and we need real players in this team with a spot o vision and a fuck load of heart.

in rafa we trust….

red man im no rocket scientist thats for sure but i think i’ll only start worrying about my I.Q. when i find myself throwing cheap insults around.

and regarding alonso my friend, we all know he wanted to go… question is why ?

gerry its clear we disagree, but i fear not as much as you may think.

i stated quite clearly that players should take a share of the responsibility and that i understand we have had a terrible run of injuries.but i definately hold firm to my view that something else is wrong.

stating things like highly paid professionals have a duty to go out and give there best is a bit like saying liverpool wear red shirts …we all know this, but isnt it easier to fight tooth and nail for something you truly believe in ?

this (of course)is only my opinion !
fact is NONE of us are at melwood or in changing rooms so all we have is our opinion.

withn regard to players out injured,we have an injury list not even the squads of chelski and utd could easily cope with but why then not give a young bloke a go (sorry mate stole your shit again) we bought aqua man for his creativity, but is there not a young bloke performing a similar role in the lower grades ? or has rafa only signed europes top young holding midfielders ?
this is what i mean when i refer to negativity !

the mancs with their huge squad will still throw on a ‘macheda’ every now and then that will produce something and our gaffa seems reluctant to be in the slightest bit adventerous

money as we all know is a huge factor but again i would much rather have seen rafa spend the countless millions he has spent on trying to find a left back for instance on buying a creative player.

young warnock is no world beater but sticking with him and spending the money for attacking purposes would have been a better option i think.

obviously gerry i dont think its as simple as ” we dont like the gaffa’s tactics so fuck it” but do you not think they have a part to play.
its not like the guys are drilled all week but when they cross that “white line” they can do as they want.

they, like every other team play to instruction. wasn’t last years alladyce bust up proof of this ? rafa was showing his disapproval at something on the pitch even though we scored !

our injuries should stop us competing with the top sides granted …but weve had more than enough for some of the rest
confidence is a word that every man and his dog kicks fuck out of but no-ne will go near the word belief !
confidence is big but a belief in what you are doing is massive !

finally gerry i think that where ever you sit regarding views on rafa will determine how a blog is interpretted.. i am like i quite clearly stated not calling for his head but i would be lying if i said i didnt have question marks about him.

he needs to be far more positive, starting this week a positive vibe is everything..

attitude reflects leadership !

Hi gang,

Lurgan, Actually I thought that Rafa press conference was quite something in the circumstances. He’s there to manage the team and not to mollycoddle journalists, 606 morons, ex-players who are also moronic analysts as well as failed managers (Ronnie, you muppet, embarrassing yourself as well as the rest of us). He was clear, the responsibility is that of the staff and players to work it out on the training pitch, there is talent and ability and the next opportunity to put things right is tomorrow. He did not blame injurues or the owners or name players specifically. That’s all you can do. Good players don’t become bad overnight, as Aitch has repeatedly stated we’re in a hole and it ain’t gonna be pretty football and swashbuckling performances that get us out of it. They’ll come when we’ve won 7 or 8 on the trot.

That’s the secret and the solution, support the players and the manager, there is no other way. Rafa ain’t going anywhere and personally I really hope he doesn’t for a long time to come.
This, by the way from someone who prayed for Houllier to split the scene. There is no comparison in terms of the players Rafa has bought and is bringing through the system.

As I’m on my rant if there was one system decision Rafa made which I (with 20-20 hindsight) disagree with it was (and is ) to have Stevie as captain. For me he is not captain material, never has been. I’m delighted he is a Liverpool player but thats as far as it goes for me. My opinion ok.

Also Deev, Lucas can pass, can pass into space, runs into space, what game were you watching mate ? The best 2 chanes we had in the game were a pass from Lucas to Benny O and a run he made which he laid off to Ngog. he didn’t give away stupid free-kicks and made some very crisp clear tackles as well as covering for just about everyone.

I grant you he can’t shoot for sh*t and as for trying to score with a header … well … and he didn’t set the world alight when he started. Then again there were certain figures on the team who were far from enouraging him I recall. To sum up my man it ain’t lucas’s fault were in the sh*t. In my opinion.

Yeah fair enough we really cant afford passengers but i’ve just got a feeling about him that if he got a run of games and a bit of confidence we’d have a decent player. Though when kelly is up and running he’ll walk into that slot.
I think i’m willing so many of these players to come good because for every one that doesnt then it gets added to the rafa buys shite stick.
Anyway much needed win tomorrow and seeing as its an early kick off we need the right result other wise i’ll be walking around looking to kill dead things all day saturday.
Off to bed now my daughter has a plan to wake me up at 5am so i’ll be worrying about the match from 5:02am onwards.

Peace out fellow reds.

Red, just before I split, Aquaman is not a defensive holding midfielder, far from it. That was not a negative move by Rafa. Maxi is not a defensive holding player, as we will see. Another non-negative buy by Rafa. Pacheco is just the type of Beardsley-ish player you I and all of us here are dying to see integrated into the squad and that is happening. Ecclestone is an out and out striker who has also made his debut this year and Ngog (woeful as he was on Wednesday) is another youngster from the ressies who has chipped in with some very useful goals already. Don’t hold your breath my man but it’s beginning to happen.

That last post was for red-a-run by the way. But hey, Roarin-red has come up with another youngster, Martin Kelly, who shows great promise, guess what ? He’s also from the ressies. Good solid defender who likes to get forward and has a good cross on him.

I’m done, time for someone else to step into the breach !

Another shit artical from that dude from ESPN…. Mourninho wont join Liverpool if there are no stable funds for transfe…. Oooooo wat a big surprise

Liverpool sale may lead to Mourinho move
By Harry Harris, Football Correspondent

Jose Mourinho will only consider succeeding Rafael Benitez at Liverpool if the club are sold to an investor who can compete with Manchester City and Chelsea in the transfer market.

A decision on Benitez’s future will be deferred by the Anfield hierarchy until the end of the season, by which time the current process of trying to find a new investor will have progressed. But a City expert has informed Soccernet that it will need a complete takeover of Liverpool to attract Mourinho.

The City source has intimate inside knowledge of previous failed attempts to buy out George Gillett and Tom Hicks and he told Soccernet: “From the people I know close to Jose, he will not join a financially unstable club.

“If Liverpool got themselves into a solid, stable financial condition with the funds to invest in new players then Jose wouldn’t think twice of joining Liverpool if the opportunity arises. But not in the current conditions.

“The Liverpool owners have been trying to sell the club for two years, now they are seeking investment of £100 million. They’ll be lucky. Who in their right mind is going to invest that amount for a minority stake with no control and no say?

“Anyone coming will want control, at least 51% at the very minimum. No one is going to hand over big sums with Hicks and Gillett calling the shots. It’s dysfunctional as it is, and it would only be shuffling the deck chairs around the Titanic, and make no real difference.

“The club have been out there now for several months seeking investors without any joy, and I cannot imagine much will change in the next few months.”

Finding a potential investor would have been an easier task had the club been performing better this season, and the source admitted that, should Liverpool fail to make the top four come May, financial problems could worsen and the desire to find a new manager strengthen.

“Of course, if the club fail to make it into the top four then the hope of paying the interest on their loans will diminish and that will exercise their minds about selling the club at a reasonable price. It will also increase the need to find a new manager, and there is little point in doing that, unless he is better than Benitez. That leaves a shortlist of one – Mourinho. The rest are just as good

“Everyone accuses Rafa of spending a lot of money but that was mainly before 2007, before Gillett and Hicks. Over the last three years, much less has been spent net on players, so he has been operating with one hand tied behind his back.

“There’s no way Jose will be doing that. He will need a big budget to get the team going again. It is simple economics: you have got to be spending big money to be in the top four – there is no way around that. Liverpool haven’t got it to spend and won’t have it under the current set up. It has got to change, certainly to attract the likes of Mourinho.”

Mourinho has stated his desire to return to the Premier League where he was so successful with Chelsea, but equally his future will not be decided until the end of the season, and may still hinge on the outcome of Inter’s Champions League contest with Chelsea.

Inter Milan dispensed with Roberto Mancini after three successive titles in their quest for Champions League glory, hiring Mourinho specifically for his European pedigree. Even though Inter’s president Massimo Moratti has publicly declared Mourinho’s future will not be decided by Champions League success, he said the same about Mancini before replacing the Italian.

Manchester City are thought to have assessed Mourinho, among others, before finally concluding Mancini was the right man to succeed Mark Hughes. City chiefs believed Mourinho was waiting for Manchester United or Liverpool.

Soccernet’s source added: “Assuming he cannot or wouldn’t want to go back to Chelsea then Jose has only a handful of clubs he would choose back in England that are stable, clubs like Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham, Aston Villa, and despite all the debt at Manchester United, that would be his number one choice.”

That, of course, depends on the date on which Sir Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger decide to end their long running associations with their clubs, and there is no sign of that yet. Logically, that leaves Liverpool as the big prize for Mourinho – but it would only be on his terms.

yeah, and guess what happened when we threw kelly in at the deep end… he got injured.

I love the fact that you are suggesting we shouldn’t have sold Warnock, reds-a-run, but I’m curious if you were as supportively vocal at the time we offloaded him…

… and I ask that because I was… and I was a lone voice in the wilderness my friend.

But it was a calculated risk. I liked Warnock. Though he was clearly far from the finished article, I just thought he could get better. That’s the chance you take with young players. Some come good, some don’t. We’ve moved quite a few on that haven’t.

You mention Macheda. The lad scored 1 goal, when on as a sub, in what was a strong Scum side, against a very tired defense. What the fuck has he done since?

Insua has been thrown in at the deep end, and outfitted himself very well, when played in a settled back four.
Many were in here trumpeting Rafa for having found a gem… but now that the whole team has gone off the boil, his inexperience is starting to show and all-of-a-sudden he’s shite-on-a-stick?

Its all well and good suggesting we give Pacheco and Eccleston a run… but what happens when they can’t carry the team on their young shoulders…
… because make no mistake…
…THAT is what you are asking of these kids…
…to come in and do what “established” players haven’t been able to do…
…And how much of a chance do they get before they are labelled failures…
…like Ngog, who has actually scored more goals than the much revered, full International, far more experienced Michael Owen… in less time on the pitch! (and for less pounds per week… not that that is important?)

We are already reading “Aquilani is a failure and another waste of money”…
…I’m wondering how long Maxi gets before he’s judged another poor buy? (my guess is he better score a fuckin hat-trick tomorrow or the knives will be out.)

Sorry if anyone is offended by this:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/8462403.stm

I never was a fan of Arry, but for once you’ve got to give the man credit for acting in an honest manner and giving his honest opinion that Rafa is a top manager and that it’s important to remain patient in the situation Liverpool find themselves in (despite several attempts by the bloody journalists to make him say something anti-Rafa they can twist around in their articles and get rid of the praise). Or maybe good ol Appy Arry has some secret deceptive motive with this? Only fuck knows, I guess.

Just read 3 seperate rumors regarding a Babel plus 3 million for Turan, in this window.

Now, that leaves me withone questio…are you supposed to wash your Y-front’s in cold?

The rags are having a fuckin field day with poor, mistreated, wundekind, and next Ronaldo, Ryan Babel, who has been left out of the squad “with no explanation from Benitez”.

Hmmm? Perhaps, since he’s got a bit of time on his hands this weekend, he should watch a DVD of the 2nd half and extra time against Reading and count how many times he lost the ball and failed to beat a lower league defender. Maybe then he’ll have his explanation.

If I was a Galatasaray fan I’d be soooo pissed.

Aitch you just cant win sometimes mate, some people will always believe the media crap that is repeated.

Example:

Scenario 1: Maxi doesnt score a hattrick = He is shite, rafa wasted more money on a shite spaniard (even though he is a argie), he should be sacked, why didnt he buy Villa/Silva/Messi.

Scenario 2: Maxi scores a hattrick = Rafa wastes money Aqualani. He should be sacked for wasting 18m on Aqua when he could have used those funds to buy Ronaldo/Messi/Kaka

Babel has become a joke in my opinion.

Especially this new twitter bullshit, another way for him to throw his toys out of the pram.

My attitude to football. Coaches have favourites, if you arent first choice, you work your socks off to show him you are worth a shot. Working hard is not just doing it out of favour for the coach, its self respect. Obviousaly he is used to being hand fed and being told he is the next Zidane every hour of every day.

John Aldridge hosts a fans phone-in for Radio City and I heard him say last night on Radio 5 live that at the beginning of the season Rafa had 90 per cent of the fans backing but now it is about 50/50.

That sounds an obvious thing to say, given the teams form these last few months but it is quite clear most supporters are extremely worried and don’t think we are going to “play our way” out of our on field problems.

Like LB said “Sack Rafa and then what”?

Who would takeover?

Would Hiddink really be interested? Who else could we go for?

It’s a very difficult/worrying time for the club with no clear solutions to anything.

What about:

New owners
New Manager
New Players……… Easy, eh?

Reds-a-run-tings: I agree, Alonso was a huge loss and as you say, why did he want to go?

Could it have anything to do with Rafa trying to use him as a pawn to get Barry the season before last?

Akka, not only is Maxi an Argentine, he was also a free signing, so Rafa shouldn’t be criticised for wasting money on him. Unless of course he’s on 100k a week!

Aitch,
you are right mate i wasn’t vocal when we were selling warnock and yes insua is a fine young player that has equipped himself extremely well.

My warnock comment was not just a smart arse hindsight thing i was merely trying to point out that several fulbacks later were probably only slightly better of in the left back area but have spent many millions we could have used on a creative player or at least in part towards one.
maybe the type of player we THINK we need is not what rafa is looking for.or not priority anyway.

The mention of macheda was not in admiration of what he has achieved in ( like you say) 1 or 2 appearances but more for fungus’s willingness to throw the kid in when he desperately required a result.
Again i say aitch, that where ever you ( not meaning you)sit regarding opinion on rafa is gonna affect how a post is interpretted.

I WOULD like to see young blokes giving a go especially when so many of the seniors are either injured or simply underachieving, but my comment was largely circling around the reason we play 2 holding midfielders. it was suggested that we had no other options ( other than sammy lee of course..sorry ger)
But we must have have a young creative player that might be worth taking a shot with until our regulars are back fit or in form.
I would much sooner we did this as opposed to play the bigger name players that happen top be more defensive minded.

Bringing the kids in is always gonna be a huge “what if” …

There a very good arguments both ways !!
yours is a very good point… but surely so is the argument that if they cant get a sniff of a chance now with all these injuries and poor form then when ?

“Carry the team” is a bit big i think, maybe just spark the team, wake up some of these players who could just be taking their place for granted.

My suggestion is not extreme i dont want rafa to start throwing in every kid who has had 1 good game in the ressies i just want him to be more adventurous, cos at the minute lets face it , it cant get much worse !

oh and gerry….
theres fuck all wrong with the northside of dublin..finglus coollock ballymun ..top shelf !

Took a day off from the internet, and the media. Just couldn’t be arsed listening to vultures cackle.

Hats off to Tony Pullis for his pre-game comments. Nice to see a man talking some sense and refusing to join the vultures in the hyperbole by defending one of his fellow managers when he is in trouble.

It’s nice to see some old time values exist in some people.

But that’s all we will get out of him. He knows it’s the perfect time to play Liverpool…
Awful season, confidence completely shattered, knackered players, most threatening players out, and best of all coming off a leg and morale sapping defeat, but having to play the early kick off.

It’s always a difficult place to go, but this couldn’t be worse if they let The Tramp write the script.

On top of that, the media’s new one…
If Liverpool don’t win at Stoke, that’s it… Rafa has to go.

Agree with most of the blog, Gerry. But I don’t think it would be wise to gamble on too many kids today. I know they could do no worse than what we was treated to the other night, but this is time for the senior players to show what sort of men they are.

Stoke aren’t the physical, long ball playing side they was, since establishing them in the league, Pullis has got them playing some decent football.
They will play us, but of course they still have the physical side of their game to fall back on and they will bully us if given the opportunity.

So our lads need to roll their sleeves up and fight fire with fire, show them we aren’t there to be pushed aside like a load of fannys.

Reds-a-runt-tings,
you say you know he wanted to go, the “question is why”, well i think it might be that Rafa tried to sign Barry, your right rocket science is not your forte.

Here you go Gerry…
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/rafa-trio-could-get-chance

oh red man red man red man how empty your life must be …..its quite amusing, you appear to have taken to me !!
its the very point im making, its obvious to one and all why he wanted to go, he was only kept cos rafa didnt get barry hardly confidence building for the lad is it ? the entire gist of my post is players no longer have belief in rafa …..

it appears you wont be heading to NASA anytime soon yaself eh ?

Well lets face it, and it has been stated many times in here, Alonso was not pulling up any trees in his 3rd and 4th season with us. It probably was the kick up the ass that he needed to get him out of his comfort zone. Bought for 10 odd million and, after 5 years of service, sold for 33 odd million. Yep Rafa has not got a clue.

Anyway, the only silver lining in this train wreck of a season that I can see is that we could see some of the kids getting a run out, especially the wee pacman lad. Since all of our creative players are injured, he must be close to getting a start.

Reds-a-run-tings,
start worrying about your IQ buddy, your’e throwing cheap insults, my life is not empty not with 2 lovely grand-children.
FS, dont know much about David Amoo but i think he should give young Pacheco a start as he has albeit a tiny amount of first team run-outs.
1-0 for the boys today (an ugly win).
YNWA.

I cannot condone the attitude of Ryan Babel but at the same time I’m really struggling to give up on the guy completely. He held such promise upon arrival and after a great first season, you thought the only way was up…

But he’s not only wasted his chances on the pitch, he’s out of favor with Rafa – and that happened way before the whole twitter thing, though some might use Rafa’s reluctance to offload him when Birmingham came calling as a counter argument.

I’m not gonna start some ‘oh if only we still had Crouch’ whinge – far from it. But he found himself in a similar position, very limited chances despite a serious lack of options up front.
I for one would be all for giving Babel one last chance of redemption and actually give him a decent run of games – something he never really has gotten. Personally I thought we’d end up offloading Lucas to the glue factory but I’m very happy to have been proven wrong. He didn’t find his groove overnight however, he was given game after game despite atrocious performances.

The starting lineup doesn’t exactly scream goals but here’s to 3 points – don’t care how the hell we land them!

Looks like a 3-5-2 today.

Reina, Carragher, Kyrgiakos, Skrtel, Insua, Degen, Lucas, Mascherano, Aurelio, Kuyt, Ngog.

Subs: Cavalieri, Aquilani, Riera, Maxi, Spearing, Darby, Pacheco.

Like Kristur, I am not sure where the goals will come from – probably from the bench.

Is Dagger injured?

Who is this tosser on sky that is making andy gray sound like a life long red???

The news tomorrow from the Anti Rafa bandwagon

Rafa is putting out a defensive side against Stoke
Rafa is putting all attacking players on the bench
Rafa is putting Aquaman on the bench
Lucas’s learning his divings from Gerrard

Sigh…

Why all the attack plays came from the left?
We better win, if we don’t I am avoiding the media for the whole week..

We’ve coped with everything Stoke have thrown at us. It’s now time for us to give them something to worry about in their box. How on earth did we not get a penalty for the foul on Lucas?

Agreed Bayo, we’re coping well but we desperately need an injection of creativity in the final third. Let’s hope the substitutions are made early enough to have an impact…

So ugly and yet so beautiful!

this is hard to watch!! Why the hell are the commentators being so complimentary to liverpool, its freaking me out

Lovely… another weekend shot to hell.

Just can’t get a break can we?
I thought dirk had that at the end, lucas should have had a penalty in that last passage (but they are rarely given).

Anyone watch the game here in Aus? I can’t stant the amateur performance week in-week out by robbie and bosnich.
Both are a disgrace. In fact, robbie slater more so as a ex red, who just re-hashes media garbage.

To say i’m sick (obviously we all are) is an understatement,
for fuck sake Kuyt how wide do you want the goal to be, yes we can say it’s no use blaming him as the defence were as bad at the other end for the equaliser, but for fuck sake what a way he could redeem yourself as he has’nt had a very good season so far.
Well done to Kyragios, good game fella.
YNWA.

And yet again we see how a bollocks the ref is. Not only for the penalty not given, but also for allowing stoke players to climb all over ours. Is it a wonder then our players gets so frustrated that might affect their performance? I am sure they are as frustrated as the fans, after all they have feelings too.

Maybe that is one big problem that is compounding unto the injuries and the lack of funds this season. Imagine giving your all last season but only to see somehow fergie continues to be given ‘special treatments’ that win them the league eventually. Then to have decisions going against you so many times that you believe there is a conspiracy against Liverpool. That must be damning indeed!

And how many times has that happened so far this season? Then you have the media making a mockery out of the manager, everything we do is fucked all and then there’s the beachball et al.

Maybe I am delusional, but for the past 20 years I have seen the standard of refereeing in the league getting worse and worse each season. Some of the kids I coached quit football because of a biased referee in a final game in one tournament a few years ago. They actually shed tears all the way back home in the bus. They were kids, under 20 years old amatuers, but maybe professional players get numbed too by these things?

Just our luck this season. Battling performance, just when you think lady luck might be smiling at us she gives us her best two finger salute.

Let’s see if the other games this weekend help us out in anyway and then we need another strong performance against the spurs and for kop to do its thing.

Still believing. YNWA

I feel so unbelievably gutted right now. I am defo going to steer clear of the media this week. Everything I have seen for days has been anti-Rafa and taking the piss out of him, I just can’t take it much longer! How Lucas wasn’t awarded a penalty is unfathomable. Can someone explain to me how the fuck Stoke got so many corners today and we got none? Gutted, gutted, gutted.

Lucas was brilliant in the first half, should have got a penalty.
It would have been a major confidence boost had Kuyt found the back of the net at the end.

Rafa YNWA

In the league

With Lucas OR Masch in first 11 we have 5 wins 1 loss and no draws. The 1 loss was the beach ball incident.

With Lucas AND Masch in first 11 we are 5 wins 6 losses and 4 draws.

So Jammyaus…

The solution… is to sell Masch? (eyes rolling)

Spurs drew with mighty Hull…..
Sack Harry Redknapp now…..

Hi all!

Probably today was one of the few occassions this season where we played like Liverpool FC. The grit and determination shown by the players at the face of adversity was amazing to see.

I dont want to comment on the formation and the players used by Rafa. What was more important to me is the message of intent and that was delivered. The visiting fans were amazing. The players must be congratulated for that amazing display.

Regarding the result, lads this is not our season. It is just bad luck.

Honestly , I cried when we hit the crossbar late at 95 minutes … going to deep defense after scoring was the worst tactic possible because our defense is not one of the strongest this season and despite that we still did it … I’m really disappointed at what happened today … change is needed , and we need players who really love this club are willing to give their all for the club … just like when we are at 2005 , I loved every single player out there , now most of them will go away if we don’t hit the top 4 … Everyone needs to learn that Liverpool is so much more than a mere football team … much much more …

Am I right in saying that the ‘travelling’ Reds are normally/usually the die-hards? I mean, they would be knowledgeable, true Reds fans (not that we aren’t)? Good to hear them in voice right through the game, and distinctively heard them singing ‘Rafa, Rafal…’. So what does that tell you, the anti-Rafa mugs?
Thought Hercules was great, Very solid, gave 110%. I never felt comfortable, the way they were getting corner after corner, free kick after free kick in the final 20 mins. Always seems to happen against us. And like Oak Tree says, the commentators (& pundits) aren’t just critisizing Rafa, they are being nasty & sarcastic as well. Disgusting behaviousr1

Well, there’ll be much frustration again this weekend. And make no mistake, even those like myself who call for calm heads and continue to insist that we stick by Rafa, are just as frustrated… we just perhaps vent it differently.

Understand, that “we are Liverpool” will get you nothing but a cup of coffee and the time of day, right now.

What we are, what LFC is, is a wounded Lion… and every fuckin team in the PL (and UEFA cup) will view us as such and set about us like a pack of hyenas, knowing that while we can still do them damage, there is no better time to take us.

Defensive team… bollocks… how much defending did Deggen and Aurelio do? (though frankly Deggen didn’t do much attacking either he was the only disappointment for me.)
I’m so sick of people trotting out bollocks without looking at what actually happened in the games.

Lucas was immense today… played more in an SG roll, the lad found himself in the box today more often than Peter North (look it up)… so we certainly didn’t have “two holding midfielders” out there either… he was box to box today getting involved in everything, and if people can’t admit that, then they are just showing their bias towards holding onto an old opinion of him, in spite of recent performance.
If our season is in tatters, this lad has been the one bright shining light… though I’d suggest there are others… and he deserves the credit for it.

Kudos also to Kyrgiakos. I’ve been less than impressed with him thus far, but that was a “Sami Hyppia at his best” performance today from our Greek lad. The only header he got beaten to was the one they scored off… and for all those screaming about “why we don’t put a man on the post” well you got your answer today… coz it plays people onside.

Some will see this as 2 points lost and of course it is, but it was important to come away with a point. And both sides will think they did enough to deserve it.
If I’m gonna be objective, I’d have to agree and say we deserved a point for our defensive display and they for simply getting at us and not giving an inch.

But the performance of the referee has to be called into question today.
That was the most obvious and least hidden case of bias I’ve ever seen from a ref.
Steve Bennet at least tries to mask his bias, and gives blatant infractions.
The number of times I saw Stoke players crawling all over the backs of Liverpool players, and it not called, was staggering. (you could see everyone, even Stoke players, pause, and our lads looking at him like “you’re shitting me, no whistle?”)

There’ll be much criticism of Ngog today and the lad didn’t put in a great performance, but lets not ignore that he was molested more than an alter boy at a Priest Convention today. You could see him wincing in anticipation of the “tackle” every time the ball came to him.

The number of cases of GBH that occured in this match, if reported, would have sent Stoke to the top of the “crime-rate” league today.

Did anyone else notice, that eveery time, and I do mean every time, we got a throw in, the Ref was in our face about the exact place it had to be taken form?

He did this once for Stoke… when he didn’t like the placement of the ball for a corner.
(yet almost every corner that same player took, the ball was placed in the same spot, just on the outside edge of the arc, with no further recrimination.)

Stoke were given a blank check by the Ref today, in what was always gonna be a physical encounter… the Ref just let them do what they wanted.

He produced 3 yellow cards today (and as a player I never advocated this, but more were warranted)…
…one for Lucas “diving” when he was clearly fouled for what should have been a pen (there was a 2nd pen-shout at the end which he also let go)
…one for Reina for cicking the ball away/timewasting?
…And ONE for Stoke… which given the challenges that were flying in, and in such a physical game, is ludicrous!

Still, Everton and Hull both did us favors today, so all is not lost and maybe a good hard fought point is what we needed going into the midweek game against Spurs… which at least will be more of a game of football and less dogs of war.

oh and the one Stoke card…

Salif Diao when he won the ball off Lucas, and just gave him a little tug that landed him on his arse… sure a foul, but a card?
A more inocuous challenge didn’t exist in the entire game!

my apologies for a link to another blog (its not one I frequent, just an article I happened upon) but it is a good read and thought out.

http://www.anfieldroad.com/news/201001163453/is-the-liverpool-way-dead.html/

Super stuff Gerry,a frank and well thought out blog as always written there.

Haven`t been in all week but excellent post from the lads also.

Regarding the kids Gerry,i think with our injury luck we will see one or two of them in the coming weeks but maybe one at a time in the team.

As for today the attitude of the players was greatly improved from wednesday.This “Rafa`s lost the dressing room” is complete bollix,you could see how hurt the boys were today.

Rafa made a excellent move today putting Kiriakos in(although forced) he`d have headed airplanes out there today.I think he`d have went with him had Agger been available because he realises how stoke intend to hurt you.That game was made for him and he was brilliant.

Looking at the starting eleven i could understand Aquallini on the bench.Coming back from a long term injury,120 minutes on wednesday did take a lot out of him.
I didn`t really see where the goals were coming from.N`gog was more or less an island up front on his own but his control was poor today.

Outside a couple of dodgy moments under the high ball early in the first half we were reletively comfortable.We went ahead and as the game loomed closer the nervousness creeped in again.We went back 10/15 yards as a team and let them bombard our box.We dealt with it well up to the goal,another laps in concentration punished.

I`m not too sure if that corner was even a corner and lucas` first half penalty claim was a stone waller.
Things just don`t go for you in times like we`re having.

On the plus side City lost,spurs could only manage a point at home to hull so no damage was done.On other side of coin we could have made ground but its not all bad.

Our players reaction after the game and Dirks interview showed me that they are as pissed off with this situation as you and i and are really now going to fight with Rafa,the backroom staff and the supporters to get us out of this rut.

I think Rafa showed them the video of the reading game and it brought home to them just how bad it got and there willing to pull the finger out.

I`m looking to spurs on wednesday for the faithful and the team to show we`re not dead dogs yet.

Just caught up with the comments. Boggling indeed…
An Arsenal fan pops in to give us the priveledge of his wisdom…
Liverpool’s season is shite because Benitez is too stuborn.

And not that I’m surprised, but some just couldn’t wait to agree with him.

Well, thanks for that Le Blanc. Know Mr Benitez well do you?

Or is there just a slight chance you might have got that insightful piece of earth shattering knowledge and fact from, ooh let’s see… maybe Talk Shite, Sly or The Daily Manc?

Not that I’m too bothered by a fan of an opposing team giving us the benefit of his knowledge….
I done the same thing last season when in their collective wisdom Arsenal fans were calling for Mr. Wenger’s head.

But it sickens me to me stomache to see Liverpool “Fans” queing up to come out with the same uninformed media driven drivel.

At least Le Blanc has an excuse… he doesn’t follow Liverpool closely and he isn’t stabbing his leader in the back.

I’m going to take a break from the blog for awhile. I’m also going to stay away from other sites and the media. I just can’t stand anymore. It honestly does make me ill to see morons who attached themselves to LFC coming out with that sort of shite. Why they don’t just go and support Man U, The Chavs or The Arse is beyond me. They’d be much more suited to them clubs, and they’d enjoy it more.

Oh well, what can you do. It’s just the way of the world nowadays I suppose.

Anyway, well done to the lads at the game today, the players, Rafa and the proper supporters. But for now, I’ve got to take a wee break.

PS.

Good to see some fellow managers not singing along to the media hymsheet.
In fairness to Harry,dislike him or hate him,the interviewer kept chipping away and he didn`t go along with him.

FS,I see exactly where your coming from.

I can handle critisism from opposition supporters but i dread bumping into the majority of LFC “fans” nowadays because it drives me mad how they`re all skywashed and Rafa should go bolix even though they either have no alternative or a ridiculous one.

I`m not going to tell you what to do as i`ve too much respect for what you`ve experienced as a red but this place is a haven on the internet compared to everywhere else.I don`t even bother to browse anywhere else any more.I truly hope you reconsider because you along with most of the regulars and Gerry make this place what it is.We`ll always have the idiots crawling out of the rocks when we drop points.

Christ i`m getting all soppy i`ll speak in language you`ll be sure to understand.

“YOUR GOING NOWHERE YOU FAT BASTARD WE NEED YOU FOR THE FIGHT!”

I thought the game had passion, committment, and was brutal, pulsating to watch, however it looked like a relagation godfight.
.
I thought the guys give it all, and that’s what I want to see.
.
However I’ll call it as a I see it. Mr B what was the inclusion of Degan after his game against Reading. I can only think you played him so someone will watch him and buy him. He is Championship at best.
.
Kuyt, what did he do to deserve being on the pitch after half time. He was very ordinary.
.
Maxi, rabbit in a headlight, how slow is he, Maxi you looked like you been bludging for big money in Spain. This league is going to tear your heart out son. This team was Stoke and made his short time look worrying.
.
Lucas and Mash, fair dickum these two were up for the fight, well done both lads, they gave everything. Yellow card for the tackle in the box, fuck off, what could Lucas of done to not fall over.
.
I don’t know whether Rafa was saving players for the Spurs game, but you need to win the game your playing, worry later about the next.
.
Players well done for sticking to the game, giving us a heart stopping dogfight to watch. Well done and bad luck. However the telling stat, 1 shot.
.
Ps Pepe was brilliant last night.

Did anyone notice the look on Gerrard’s face when the camera panned his way. It was early in the game and he looked about as pissed off as one player could ever look. Also has anyone seen the image of him coming of at Reading, there is a photograph somewhere with him and Rafa in the photo. The body language on that one is terrible.
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I hope he’s not about to go. (fuck)

aw, come on gaz, deer in the headlights” is a bit strong. Granted he didn’t impress, but already weighing him down with a “short time looked worrying” judgement, on the base of 10 minutes at the end of THAT game???
I bet you Maxi has never been thrown into a dogfight like that in all his playing career.

Whether Maxi is the next Torres, or the next Nunez, remains to be seen, but lets see summit before laying judgement, gaz.

And in principal, you’re dead right, you do need to win the game you’re playing, but you also need to manage for 38 games… and make managerial decisions accordingly… something the Whelan’s of this world conveniently ignore!

You could certainly make a very strong argument for including Maxi and Aquaman from the start against Spurs, and it is my hope we’ll see just that, but this game was never the game for either of them, especially in Aqua’s case, after the 120 minute slog midweek. (which I suspect he wouldn’t have finished, had SG and Torres not been subbed early on.)

…also… 1 shot might be a very telling statistic, but just as telling would be the number of times Ngog, poor touch or not, was fouled without so much as a single free kick being awarded.

I do agree with you regarding Deggen though. Again, I sort of understand why Rafa selected him.
As an “attacking defender” (and in his case, I use both of those words in the absolute loosest sense of their meaning) he provided cover for JC, while a speedy exit for the break.
The problem again is… he just doesn’t seem capable of contributing either!
You say “Championship at best”, I say “you’re havin a larf”!
I hate to be so down on a Red, (at least with Ngog, you can see the potential) but I see nothing in the lad. I’ll be disappointed if he’s still with us in February.

I think one of the main things that hurt us today was the ref. Ill tell yo why and im happy to if I may be wrong/correct.

Alot of time when we played forward ball out of defence to Ngog he got kicked to shit, he ref didt blow a foul and stoke regained possession.

Had the ref given the fouls, we get a set piece in the attacking third, stoke players would realise of this (cat give too many fouls away) an if theycontinued thn w would continue to get set pieces, and if hey bed off we would be able o hold onto the ball longer when cling from defence.

oh and re: Pepe

I had a discussion with FS last season regarding whether Pepe or Cech was the best goalie in the Prem. FS making the case for Pepe, my feeling being that Cech just edged him.
But that is certainly no longer the case. Pepe is the best Keeper by a country mile this season.
If the team wwere doing better, I reckon Iker Casillas Spain spot would be under pressure!

Thinking ahead, i would go with this team against Tottenham (considring we till have injuries):

Reina
JC Agger Skrtel Insua

Lucas Masc
Kuyt Fabio
Aqua
Ngog

Akka,
you’re dead right mate.
How much pressure would it have relieved to get some of those calls? Given our defense a bit of a breather and possibly opened things up a bit since they would have known they couldn’t get a away with it.

I remember one 5 minute spell just before our goal, where 4 times in a row, we popped a high ball to Ngog, and he got climbed all over… to the point where the defenders came down on top of him… 4 times and not once did we get a free kick.

And the funny thing about that is, each time, the defenders were retreating into their “set piece” positions, until they realized the whistle hadn’t gone. After that they just played on, as though they knew the call wouldn’t come.

And gaz, yeah I noticed SG. Right proper sulk he had on.
The Star is running an article quoting “a close firend” stating he’s looking to Real Madrid for a summer move.
…mind you, same paper is being sued by Aldridge for a blatant lie last week, so pinch of salt time…
… but still… Inter and Real will defo make bids for him in the summer, so it is a concern.

man the lads showed their kahunas today and right now thats whats gonna get us out of the shite and into the light.
balls to the wind get stuck in and never say die. when you start with that you have a chance in any game. keep it up reds.
but jesus i was watching the highlights earlier they kept the camera on those wankers with the p45s in the home end way too long and then when the equaliser went in pan straight to rafa with some goon stoke fan in the background fingers up telling him to fuck off ya cunt fuck off ya cunt mad me sick man. i have my opionions on whats gone wrong but seeing the shit this decent football man is being put through is wrong wrong wrong. this is the type of carry on england managers have to put up with when things go sour.
i dont think any true red wants to see one of our own treated like this weather you think he should go or not, dont let the rabid dogs who dont give a fuck about this club or its fans decide what and how it should be done. making a good man who masterminded so many unbelievable results look like a hapless idiot. not this way man.

Actually, id select the following (thank fuck im not a manager):

Reina
Kuyt JC Agger Insua
Maxi Lucas Masch Fabio
Aqua
Ngog

Reason being, I think Kuyt is disciplined and can be defence minded enough to play there, plus I think JC may struggle against fast spurs wingers (i know kuyt isnt quick per say, but at least has staminar to chase all day).

Skrtel made 1 in 50 headers against stoke in the first half, he seemed to jump and miss them completely.

Aitch, I wasn’t commenting Maxi’s future, just last night, I hope he’s better but his one attempt to skin a player in the box, looked ordinary to say the least. He’s very slow, haven’t really liked him as a player prior to the Red shirt, will still support him though.
.
Ps every game we play at the moment is going to be like that game.
.
Aqualani should have played the Gerrard role the whole second half.

Lucas’ bulshit yellow makes him unavailable

but Pepe
JA Agger Skrtel Insua
Kuyt, Aqua, Masch, Fabs/Riera
Maxi
Ngog/Pacheco

has a nice ring to it.

Exactly Aitch.

But I tell you what, unless we buy another striker before the spurs game, id stick with Ngog.

The lad had a poor game, but he got stuck in, took all the challenges, and not once had a sook or a massive whinge.

Got kicked to shits and just kept his head down and kept making the same runs.

Babel might want to learn from this, what hard work and determination is all about.

Gaz, I wonder if that would have been Rafas plan last week, prior to Aqua having to slog for 120.
He was shagged before extra time even started, so I can see why he didn’t play too big a part in that cage-match.

Agreed Akka
I would expect theplan would be Ngog for 65/70 with Pacheco coming on.
Of course the game unfolds and might scrap that plan.
but as much as I’d like to see Pacheco get a go, I think you need experience against Spurs.

…Pacheco is an unknown factor though…
…he said waffling his position….
…that’s why Rafa get the big bucks for the tough decisions…
…And they are TOUGH decisions…
…despite people’s (myself included) hindsight, armchair assessments!

Thats bollocks about Lucas.

I dont mind that formation.

Except maybe Fabs at left back and riera left mid (fitness permitting, this gives us nice shape+set piece player)

I like the idea of Maxi behind Ngog purely because from that position he has little structured defensive work, more just closing down and being a nuisance (which when coming to the PL its easier to just focus on attack or defence)

I think we’re past the point in the season where 5 yellows get you a suspension – now it is 10 so Lucas will be available. Hope dagger is back for spurs.

Well I thought Lucas and Mash were our best players, so is it the case that Lucas is suspended, if so this club can’t even buy bad luck this season.
.
Also Aitch, I can’t see the point of putting someone on the bench, if there not fit enough to play the game. For example if we had of lost a centre midfield in the first five minutes, what would he do, he would have to use Aqualani.
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Fuck poor Lucas, that wasn’t a yellow, it was a fucking agricultural tackle, worth a penalty.
.
Ps it looks like nobody else wants 4th place this year. Still think the lads played a brutal hostile game, it would have difficult for Ngog.

Degen must have a wonderful agent that can talk a lot shit coz i have no idea how this guy ended up at Liverpool. He is just awful, I would’ve prefered to have Cavalieri playing in the outfield than that clown.

Credit where credit is due, the big Greek Hercules had a great game and looked proud to be wearing the red shirt of Liverpool.

Gaz, that is exactly what happened against Reading. (and has been happening all season.)

The plan was not for Ngog to replace Torres after 10 minutes.
Nor was the game plan to introduce Babel at half time, or have Aqualani play the entire 120 minutes
That’s just the way it panned out.
You don’t actually think that was the game plan beforehand.

Likewise today, Aqua and Maxi were on the bench to get 10-15 minutes, hopefully when we were a goal or two up… Pacheco too probably.
If an injury happens in the first 10 or 30 minutes, then plan B, is put them on and they have to deal with it, but its not the plan.

No sub is ever selected with the primary idea being, we’ll need them 10 minutes into the game if someone gets injured. that is always the fall-back position, but its never the primary one.

People love to have a moan about Rafa’s substitution decisions, but the majority of them this season have been forced upon him…
…not plan A… what was intended
… but often, plan C or D… what was planned for in certain eventualities, when events on the field have unfolded, and things have gone completely tits up. (these are “in the unlikely event X happens, we have this option”…. but the unlikely has been regular occurance this season.)

As for the Lucas card… I can’t remember where I read it, but it was in an article about the game this morning, that said he’d accumulated enough to have to miss the Spurs game.
(I should know better than to trust anything I read at this point though, eh? Would be nice if it turned out not to be the case, I thought the lad looked terrific today.)

Lucas was superb guys.

He may not be Messi, but he definately has the heart of a Liverpool player.

On top of his intelligent runs and cutting up plays, the lad works his arse off. I think he would have covered more ground than Kuyt.

I specifically remember a back pass to Sorensen that I was suprised to see Lucas chasing down, which ended up Sorensen fucking a clearance and went to one of our lads.

Like I said, some of our lads could take a look at how much effort and determination the lad has and try and replicate it.
Lucas has been slated by everyone and still puts in a proper shift.

As I said earlier, players like Babel are naturally gifted (descent shot, speed, skill) yet dont begin to work as hard.
I remember a game where Babel started (where Riera also started and subsequently Albert pinged his hammy).

That was a must win game, and Babel got tackled and then refused to play (I even remember stevie coming up to him and urgin him to get up and run it off, to which babel sulked). So rafa was forced into making changes early. Thats why My respect for ngog has gone up, he got kicked off the park, and still kept going.

Arman23 mate, whilst I agree Degen was poor today and not pup league standard, id suspect that rafa’s choice to get him was because he was FREE and we are SKINT.

Its worth a gamble to get a injured international who has a tiny bit of potential then throw in a 18yo. Of course its easy to think in hindsight but at the end of the day, he was probably our only real option to bring to the club.

my heart broke when the camera panned to rafa after the stoke equaliser. he was absolutely gutted.

I love the myth of the player on a free, there never free. I don’t know who much we pay him but as a minimum I think it would be around 25,000 a week, time that by the entire year and that comes out at 1.3 million, times 2 years that’s 2.6 million for a player who’s played about 5 games. FFS, he couldn’t even last through the Reading game, thereby forcing a substitution on Rafa.
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They may arrive free but they certainly are anything but. I haven’t even figured into the above medical, clothing and other expenses.
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Still gutted for the lads, they deserved to win that game, last 10 minute jitters cost us. I also still think the tackle on Lucas was a penalty.

After reading through all the comments, I feel compelled to respond to James LeBlanc (post #10)

As an Arsenal fan can I ask you exactly what you know about the circumstances surrounding Kenny Dalglish’s decision to stand down as Liverpool manager in February, 1991?

I suggest you know fuck all about it and should therefore keep your mouth shut about situations you know nothing about.

On the other hand, if you are in possession of the facts, put in another post and prove it. I suspect we won’t be hearing from you again.

I’ve got to agree with Aitch Gaz, please give Maxi a chance! How long was he on the pitch for? 15 minutes?

Half a dozen games would be a fairer amount of time to form an opinion of how he is settling in, don’t you think?

Perhaps he will be given a start against Tottenham on Wednesday night.

Well lads its been busy during the night shift good disscussion all round.

Regarding Maxi there`s no way he can be judged this early.This was a very high tempo game he was coming into.Much more than anything he`s experienced before.Plus i`m not sure how much he`s played lately.He could be a hit for us,lets give him a chance eh.

Babel was left out of the squad yesterday.Good decision imo.The lad seems to be more interested in his tweeting than his football.Any more bids should be snapped up immediately.Weather the money goes to Rafa or not,get shot of him and if Birmingham do sign him don`t forget to throw in the bag of cones so he can practice how to control the ball whilst running with it.Its called dribbling Ryan,its usually the first thing young 5 and 6 year olds are thought to do when they first start playing football.I guess you have had some amnesia on that one.

Anyway on to spurs,this foruth place is there for the taking lads.If we can overcome them wednesday we`re right in it.Man city were found out yesterday,mancini`s honeymoon period seems to be done and spurs only drew with hull.Of course Villa are still in the mix but i cannot see them sustaining a challenge to the end.

The attitude yesterday did improve ten fold and if we keep it going we can take all the points on wednesay night.

Worth a read.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/liverpool/7004917/Rafa-Benitez-deserves-the-chance-to-overachieve-with-Liverpool-again.html

Lads of course I’m going to give him Maxi a chance but I can’t see how he is going to be up to speed before the season ends. I was just making an observation of his short period on the park, that’s all.
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Well, where the fuck is Hairy Harry the hampster gone with his Mancini Love In. Ha 2 shite to Everton, FUCKWIT.
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Now since most of us are either in mourning or so over last night, lets get a debate going on the thing they call “The Liverpool Way.” It’s been mentioned here, in other forums, papers, just about everywhere.
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Has the Liverpool way of dealing with internal issues been holding our club back. When Morgan came out with his suspicions of cooking the books, he was sent to purgatory, once he was removed from there he went to Hell, now known as Wolves.
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The Liverpool way of keeping everything Pat, and under your hat, is a tradition that the Yanks think is fucking stupid, sorry lets get our PR guys on that comment. They have hung dirty laundry after dirty laundry all over the country, in fact world.
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However has our attraction to doing things right left us in a historical premier league pod, never to be seen again. A romantic notion of the past which is unable to compete in the corporate lets sell the fucking thing world.
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We have always maintained loyalties to our Managers, Ged and now Mr B have always been quietly spoken humble men, who just seem to get on with the job. Is that the right type of person for the modern Premier League competion.
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Do we as a giant of a club just need an all round cunt of a Manager, like the Moaning One, the type of Manager who 2 years after being at Chelsea asked who the fuck are those things waving blue flags. Do we really need them in the stadium.
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No doubt someone told him they were fans, he promptly complained about the heating.
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Is it our traditions that have held us back in the corporatised world of modern football. I heard Jason Macateer say, I would have played for Liverpool for free, just to be around this great club. How many of our team now would say that, maybe JC, Spearing and not many others.
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What do you lads think, worth a debate, maybe FS has a comment on this one.

Well, it’s food for thought Gaz. The old saying goes that nice guys don’t win.

Just not sure if any of us could stomach someone like the special needs one in the Anfield hot seat though.

It gets more and more complicated for us when you think that no top manager would probably touch us now, given that he knows the squad is inferior to the top squads in the Prem and there is no money on the table for him to strengthen the team.

Would I want a right shithouse of a manager (like Maureenio) in place of Rafa if it meant us winning the Prem? Yes, but only because the alternative would be watching the Mancs getting to 25 titles while we were still on 18!

How many of us could stomach that?

Steve, I wasn’t actually calling for Maureenio, just a cunt, he happened to dot the I’s and cross the T’s. He comes across as a Callous Uncaring Nasty Type.

I cant believe some people on here are actually mentioning Mourinho in the same sentence as Liverpool.

The guy couldnt manage a McDonalds.

At Chelsea he was given a open cheque book.
Mate give me, or even Burgerbaby the resoures Chelsea had and im sure we could do similar.

Actually scrap the idea of giving it to burgerman, he may bid $20mil for the retired Larson.

Gaz, Akka. I was also only using the special needs one as an example of the typical nasty, over inflated type of manager that, given a hyperthetical choice to your hyperthetical poser, Gaz, as the type of manager we could get in complete contrast to the nice, softly spoken Rafa!

God forbid if the special needs one ever ended up at Anfield. I think that I, after 32 years of being a red would seriously have to consider changing my club if that were to ever happen, FFS!

Now, just supposing Hiddink was interested………. What then?????

I didnt mean anything against you Steve, I realise you were doing that. I just hate hearing Maureen and Liverpool in the same sentence, and it was mentioned by other bloggers recently.

I hope we tear Appy Arry a new one.

I rate Hiddink, I was impressed with what he had done for the Russian national team.

Not sure how he is at club level. I wouldnt judge him on what he did at Chelsea, because as mentiuoned, when a new manager comes in, every player plays for his position (and i think hiddink is a goot motivator). Then again, chelsea only won the FA Cup.

Plus, I think Rafa is better tactically.
Also, I think Rafa has the set up that will take us into the future (youth setup etc) whereas Hiddink might have a good back room setup (medicos, fitness coaches etc) but not the best overall package (scouts, youth coaches).

Also, why the fuck would he want to manage a team that has less money than 10other teams in the PL with shitkicker managers (plus even less money if Benitez is paid out to leave).

Gutted that we did not win, the lads showed passion and commitment but it seems that we cannot get the rub of the green at any cost. Not bothered to get into the arguments anymore, if people want to delude themselves that getting shot of Rafa will somehow turn us into a financial powerhouse that can afford to buy players and attract another quality manager, then the lack of intelligence justifies me not commenting. That Lucas is responsible for the rise of Hitler also baffles me as the lad has great technical skill, touch, heart and guts that shame most Liverpool players at the moment and even more so the so called life long fans. The away support was magnificent by the way.

Still we are no worse off for the fourth spot and with the strength of this showing, character wise I do have the faith that we can claim that fourth spot.

Great Blog Gerry, it’s a pity some people don’t read it and absorb it for what it is, an intelligent appraisal of our situation. It seems it is going to be one of those years when we have nothing going for us and all we have to do is knuckle down, dig our way out of it and be that much stronger, for the adversity and experience, next year. What this year will provide, due to all the injuries, is the fringe and young players will gain that much more experience and be better for it next year.

I see the latest stick to hit us with is the Gerrard leaving in the Summer report.

We will make the top four, keep the faith YNWA.

Hi Ger,

Been gone a while, good to be back. Hope you’re keeping well mate.

Short one but will make a few points:
* Too many lightweights playing for us now. I really think this is down to Rafa needing to take a massive amount of punts on improving the quality of players. We can’t just spend a shedload on players like Whiskey nose and hope they do the bizz, if they don’t he has more to spend. Same for Chelshit and now City. We’ve always had to make baby steps, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. In fairness to Rafa he knows this too. The man doesn’t mess about, he’ll sell someone who underperforms as soon as it is possible to do so, and at a loss if necessary.
* There is a terrible amount of shite about how much Rafa has spent. Overall he hasn’t spent a fraction of what the other top four have. In the last few seasons Spurs, Villa and Man City have spent more on players net. That means that only Arsenals spend is comparible.
* Moores ripped the heart out of the club for money.
* Parry was a useful as a chocolate teapot
The current shitehawks are making a total horlicks out of things, the lying tossers.

I really believe that we are further back than where we were when Rafa came to us. But it is not all down to him, in fact I think he has over achieved for the past few seasons. We don’t spend money like the richer clubs (obviously), he is dealing with uncertainty in the boardroom since he started (moores trying to sell, shitheads coming on board and lying through their teeth), the goalposts are changing financially within the club i.e. 20 m budget to spend, then this becomes part of the budget for wage increases?

I’m amazed he’s able to find time for the team at all.

Bottom line, until we get stable owners the club is fucked. Rafa, Maureen, Gus, Capello etc won’t have a chance to win the league. The bastard yanks are destroying my club.

I genuinely believe that if he had 75% of the money of a United, Chelshit or City we would win the league at least 5 times in the next 10 years.

In Rafa I STILL trust – YNWA

One last point.

Alot of LFC supporters have been asking the owners to sack Rafa.

Now to sack Rafa + his staff will cost $25mil+, also add the price to pay out a world class coach from their other contract ($10-15mil).

If this happeend, the club would be down $30-40mil. Now some fans would be happy, yet this will achieve fuck all.

If people thought logically about their desire to see Rafa get the sack, they shouyld take the above into consideration.
Some just want to believe that if we get Hiddink, we will all of a sudden go out and buy Silva/Villa.

Now IF rafa gets the sack, id be pissed off, and for one major reason alone. Why the Fuck wouldnt they give rafa $35mil instead of sacking him to bring in 2-3 world class players.

Anyway, thats my rant.

Totally agree with Akka’s last point too from the finance side.

Sorry, final point – I should have added that if we had a fit first team playing for a few weeks I also would fancy us to beat anyone, domestic or European. We have been crippled with injuries this season.

And Babble is the biggest disappointment for me of all the players we signed in the last 10 years. I really thought this lad would do ethe business for us.

I’ll feck off now!

You make some very good points Akka. It really is a catch 22 situation for us supporters now.

Hiddink would do well I think. But your question is a very good one. Why the fuck would he want to come to LFC??

Just one thing. If Rafa keeps his job just because the club can’t afford to sack him, then surely he is there for the wrong reason.

Has he lost the plot? Should he be replaced?

I think we are at about 50/50 now. I don’t mean on this site, I mean on LFC phone-ins, that sort of thing.

Personally, I think he should be given until the end of the season, the chance to secure a top four finish and I would still say that even if the money wasn’t such a massive issue.

We have a great coach in Rafa, guys. His record speaks for itself. He’s not in the same mould as the self-absorbed, arrogant brats like Feguscum and Maureen.

I’d be very sad if one day Maureen takes over Liverpool. Yes, he’s a good coach, but I don’t want to associate myself supporting him and his antics like “the ball didn’t cross the line”, calling people voyeurs and calling himself “the Special One” when the only thing that made him special then was the money available to him to splurge.

I’d stop supporting LFC if some character like him takes over. Well, I guess I’m part of the minority anyway…

On the bright side, like what Keith mentioned earlier, the youngsters are now given valuable exposure in a critical time of the club’s season, and I think it’ll do them good for next season.

I like what Rafa has said with regards to Amoo, Eccleston and Pachecho, the spine of the current reserve team which incidentally is topping the league, even without Nemeth.

So to those guys who doubt Rafa: I say, give him a little more time. His youth policy is beginning to bear fruit.

Will Lucas be suspended on Wednesday because of that shocking yellow one he received yesterday? It doesn’t seem like it judging from this list:

http://www.thefa.com/TheFA/Disciplinary/SuspensionLists.aspx

I don’t know how accurate that is though. Also heard something about Wilson Palacios reaching the card limit yesterday. Would have been great to be rid of that guy, but it doesn’t seem to be the case.

I hope and believe rafa will stay with us… however to all the numbers flying out here…

There are clubs that can buy out a managers contract, ie pay the yanks the 20 odd million. Keep a close eye on what happens to real madrid this season and consequently to pelligrini. Rafa will be given a heros welcome back there, trust me. So as wise ppl in this blog have said, be careful what you wish for. And if you think a top manager will fall in love with liverpool like rafa and work in current shitty situation, you’ve got another thing coming.

Next game is huuuge!!

YNWA

That should read pay rafa 20 odd million…

Calmed down a bit now,
if my last post read or sounded like knee-jerk, it was’nt guys honestly i was just so fuckin gutted.
And FS is right a point is good enough, but we went so close to 3 and once again lady luck bend’s over points to her arse and say’s “kiss that”.
I have read a quote last night, dont know if it was tabloid or tv, Rafa has said that the Liverpool supporters were magnificient today, and if i stay it will be because of them.
Now that is the first time i have personally heard him say (if it’s true) anything about the possibility of leaving Anfield ?, i am a bit worried over that (once again if true) statement.
YNWA.
PS, FS dont stay away too long big guy, i did and it was fuckin awful, all i did was surf the porn and ended up with a hairy palm and a bad back.

theredman

Rafa said “It was special for me to hear the fans singing my name in such circumstances. I decide to stay here (last season) because of the fans, they know I will be fighting until the end.

You can check it out here:

http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,1776_5866938,00.html

Thank’s Sonofak,
that was not the link i saw, but you can bet the one i saw used “if” in the paragraph “i decide to stay here” to meet their what FS call’s their agenda, still worried though buddy.
YNWA.

The comment about if Liverpool are in a better or worse position since Rafa has been here is interesting. From an ownership and management perspective there is no debate. Management from a commercial perspective if light years ahead of Moors and Parry, but it does not help us when our two twats suck the life out of us and grab every penny to pay of their debts and expenses.

From a playing perspective, squad perspective, reserve and youth perspective we rae light years ahead of the Ged Eye years. Everyone throws Wenger up as a shinning example and rightly so, but do not forget he inherited a really good, deep and strong squad, which allowed him to concentrate on his youth set-up, giving him years before he had to call upon them and integrate them into his first team squad. That took him all of 6 years before he started seeing the benefits.

By contrast we are starting to see the possible benefits of all Rafa’s hard work, scouting regime and overhauling of the old set-up. All and sundry says he does not give youth a chance, another lie, Ngog 20, Insua 20, Lucas 22, Kelly 19, Pacheo 18, Ayala 18, Ecelston 19, Darby 19 and I could go on. In the wings waiting to break through is even more talent with the likes of Bruno, Ammo, Nemeth (he would have played if we did not have to loan him out to get the Hercules) Ince and plenty of others. To throw this all away because we have gone through a really bad patch which if we really analyze and we are really honest with ourselves, could hardly be described as a Rafa fuck up is just plain madness.

This is the same team that played champagne football last year that have been rocked by all manner of events and circumstances beyond any managers control. Given time (4 points of 4th) and he deserves our full support till the end of the season, unequivocal support, then we can judge him and only then by taking the circumstances into consideration in which Rafa has to operate. Things would be a lot easier if we could have brought striking cover and defensive cover in over the summer, then the horrendous injuries that we have face all season long could have bee managed better.

I am all for bringing in another manager if he would be an improvement but there has not been one sensible argument (Hiddink excluded and why he would consider us under the present regime boggles the mind because he will know he is on a hiding to nothing and would be set up to fail as the present twats have set Rafa up) There is nobody out there that, yes in my opinion, could do a better job under the present circumstances and situation. Rafa has out thought tactically every club manager he has come up against. That he has inferior tools to work with is not his fault. That he has had under 100 mill net spend in 6 years is not his fault, that his squad has been decimated by injuries is not his fault. That he has had zero to spend in the last 3 transfer windows to try and kick on from last years fantastic results is not his fault.

Under Rafa we have punched considerably above our financial status, yes we are having a bad run and a bad season, shit happens and it does not make us a bad team or Rafa a bad manager. Given time it will be turned around. We as fans need to look long and hard at what we expect from both Rafa and the Team under the current circumstances. We also need to get behind them and support them in these extremely trying circumstances.

As LB continually asks all the CBC’s on this blog, not one of you have come remotely close to explaining how sacking Rafa would benefit us or how we would bring in new players or get the injured ones fit or how we would attract even a half decent manager. Very easy to criticize, moan, and pull apart, try be a little more constructive first.

Rafa would walk into a top position at a club with money and stability. We can thank our lucky stars that he is still here to help us through the shit because I cannot think of one other manager who would not have walked already.

I haven’t been in here for a while but i have been reading everyone’s comments.
Although the team have had a lousy run of luck and the backstabbers have been sharpening their knives i feel there are enough intelligent people in here to counter their arguments. The way i see Kopblog its like a haven of sanity reached through a backdoor of the TIA site and thats down to Gerry and the knowledgeable commenters. I dont want to name anyone in particular as i may forget someone, but we know who they are.
The problem is a lot of people only get as far as the front door ie the comments section on articles on the TIA homepage and i know its like arguing with spoilt children but these are the comments which get read and repeated by the casual visitor.
Their basically giving liverpool fans a bad name, so if you have the time or patience do comment on the articles and add some intelligence to the debates
Ps Good to see the team fighting for the result at Stoke, shame the Ref cost us again.
YNWA

Anyone else seen the Benitez to Juventus gossip?

Welcome back rome… and FS, grab yer bloody toys and climb back into the Pram mate. Yer needed!

Couple of points:
1. If Jose is ever named LFC manager I’m done with it. 40 odd years of following LFC down the drain. I’d switch my allegiance to Everton, before ever following that turd. But frankly it would signal the death of everything I hold dear about football, so honestly, I’d probably just give it up altogether.
And I’m sorry, but if you give “JoMo at LFC”, ANY credence whatsoever, you are selling your soul to the devil. That’s not opinion, that is a Universal Truth.

2. This season is an anomoly and more or less a write-off. The idea of giving Rafa “until the end of the season” is assinine. We’ve seen steady progression under him (I listed it in an above post, but briefly 5,3,3,4,2) and this season is the blip. Give the man some money in the summer, let him get things sorted and let’s see what happens next season. If we finish 4th this year, and then again 4th next year, then okay, he’s taken us as far as he can. Then and only then, its so long and thanks for all the fish, and welcome Guus.

3. While it is certainly a different landscape now… It is well worth remembering… or perhaps I should use the word understanding… the circumstances that saw Scum climb to the top of the perch.

Seven years in the wilderness didn’t just end fo them by magic. At the end fo those 7 years, Fungus had half-a-team of experienced lads, and half-a-team of emerging youngsters that had been brought through the system. Nobody foresaw how good those youngsters would become. (not even Fungus himself.)
Alan Hansen famously judged that “no one wins anything with a bunch of kids” in judgement of Beckham, Giggs, Scholes, the Nevilles, Cole and a few others.

Okay sure, they had the fortune (and I mean that in both senses of the word) to have these kids both emerge and flourish at a time when they were able to claim the lion’s share of the huge influx of cash that came into the English game, with the formation of the Premier League.

You can make your own luck, but certainly have to take it and ride it when it just happens along.
So its worth keeping that in mind, when stepping back from the current frustrations and seeing what is going on in the bigger picture.

We’ve got some good players now (recent performances to the contrary) and we’ve got some good young talent coming through.

We just need to weather the current financial storm.

Maybe this season, to use a military analogy, we are forced to fall back and regroup for the next battle.

Villa slipped up also today so we`ve got a bit of a break.

It is up to us to take our chance on wednesday.Despite our injuries i feel we can win this one.We have to show that we want it more than Spurs.It should be a charged up atmosphere which always helps.

4th spot is by no means out of reach like the press would have some believe.Rafa`s going nowhere and i wish some Reds would show the fight and be as determined as Rafa is and give him a break.Get behind him and the team to the end of the season.
If the players see we`re totally behind them and Rafa 100% there will be a positive response.

Well that’s the thing about a wounded Lion timmy.
Sure the hyenas can pack-attack you… but its still capable of getting really pissed off and fucking your shit up!
Let’s hope the ref and subsequent result at Stoke has done just that… pissed us off… and Spurs suffer the consequences.

… I just wrote a long detailed response to Gazzers question about The Liverpool Way… only for my PC to crash as I was about to post… dammit. I might try again later, but I’m too fuckin pissed off right now.
(Might make for a good seperate blog Gerry, after Spurs we have a week between games?)

Some good natter and debate going on now, well obviously 4th place is cursed, no one seem to what that spot. Noticed the article on Rafa, mentioned he decided to stay last year, why he stayed I can’t think. I honestly can’t find one reason the guy would stay.
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Obviously the lying bastards promised him the sun, moon and snoogy doogy, but he had to have some suspicions they were lying.
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I’m not asking for Rafa to leave, I don’t want him to leave, however I can’t understand why he’s still here. My only grasping hope is he knows something we don’t about the Yanks not being here anymore, otherwise if they were in for the long haul as they say, he’s got 5 more years of Sweat FA from the Yanks.

Keith the stick to flog us with now comment, that being Gerrard leaving. Not sure about this one, he’s a very unhappy camper at the moment.
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He looked about as miserable as a long wet week sitting in the stands at Stoke. Apparently didn’t travel on the team bus.
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Not sure what to think of all the rumours, afterall anything to bash Mr B and it’s open rag slather. Although all the rumours are it’s between him and Pelligrino, no mention of Rafa, that’s why I think it may have some credence.
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Come on Stevie, never make a decision in times of frustration or anger. Wait lad, your the heart and soul of this team.

If I ever saw andy gray on the streets of london I would love to slap him across the face. Love to.

YNWA

Stevie G leaving in the summer? Surely he won’t make the same mistake and seriously consider that again? Perhaps when things look really dark, as they have recently, those dark thoughts might well creep into him again. I don’t know if it was in his autobiography or elsewhere, but at some point he said “I’m not a very happy person.” Speculations about Stevie leaving doesn’t do us any good though. Can’t see him leaving as long as we have a good chance of winning the league before the end of his career.

It’s all up to the owners and others running the club to make sure that chance won’t disappear entirely. A first step would be to give Rafa some decent budget to work with. Let’s hope Purslow can actually find some reliable investors before the end of the season and not only talk about doing it.

Gaz,

I think Rafa loves football and appreciates the fans a lot. He cited the fans cheering him on despite the poor result at Stoke, and I think probably decides to stay due to this support. He’s certainly no money grabber unlike Harry Redknapp whom the press praises up to the heavens, just someone with real passion for the game and the fans.

In short, I think he’s one of the dying breeds who does his job for the love of the game, and it’d be real sad if he’s being sacked.

Like Aitch, I’d stop supporting LFC if the Special Needs One becomes the manager. Glad to know I’m not walking alone…

Ax, I apprieciate the fact he appears to love the fans, but his actual working prediciment appears to be precarious situation.
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This is why I can’t understand him staying. One of the reasons I wonder about our owners is, does Gillet want Rafa out because he’s a bad manager or is it to piss Hicks of. Does Hicks support Rafa because he’s a good manager or because it pisses Gillet of.
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This is one of the reasons I feel like our club is bobbing around in the tide. IF Rafa leaves or goes on gardening leave, what real chance do we have that the owners would actually come to an agreement over the next manager.
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Would we not be in the same boat, as one might one X while the other wants Y. It’s the same with trying to sell the club, one wants this while the other wants that. Finally the board has an uneven number so I geuss that may open the channel, but who knows who has more clout. Hicks or Gillet.
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I would like to see both owners come out and state their full support for Rafa, but that’s about the only subject they don’t bother discussing anymore.
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I would also like our Captain to come out and openly support Rafa, but that’s quiet too.

The scene is set. It’s half time V Reading Gerrard has just scored, but he doesn’t celebrate because he can feel his hamstring is playing up in the sub zero temperatures so he asks Pelligrino to have a look
Pelligrino : “Stevie you’ve tweaked your hamstring i dont think you should go back out ”
Stevie: ” F*ck off i’m getting sick of this sh*t, i’m f*cking off to Inter at least the sunshine will help me get over my depression ”
He then kicks over a chair narrowly missing Babel (who was busy Twittering on Twitter ) which subsequently put him off his game.He then menacing goes in search of Lucas who is hiding in the shower but is soon found and Stevie grips him by the throat while Carra keeps a look out.
Stevie: “Its all your fault, Burgerman and Kopking was right you’re cr*p, we’ll never win anything with you in the team”
Carra: “Calm down Stevie Rafa’s coming”
Rafa : ” Whats going on here ”
Lucas : “Nothing boss i just slipped in the shower ”

( Note Dramatisation may not of actually happened )

Gaz,

I agree with your concern regarding Gerrard’s absence, which is why I somehow think it may be good for the team now that he’s out injured now. You just need to look at Masch coming out to support the boss now.

As for the 2 clowns up there, I believe that Gillet used to side Perry and therefore wants Rafa out. Hicks, on the other hand, would probably want to use Rafa to hit Gillet, but at the same time (I think) can see that Rafa is really doing a great job thus far, which translates to being able to sell the club at a higher price to potential bidders.

Rafa’s only reason to stay therefore is probably due to footballing reasons as I stated earlier, plus the fact that he’d want to hold out for a better compensation in case he’s being forced out by the 2 clowns

massive favours done us over the weekend — man city’s loss, and the villa and spurs draws. damn, if only we could have secured all three points when our competition for 4th spot dropped points. turned out it wasnt as bad as i feared before these other games were played. but like i’d said, could have been better. we’ve not dropped in the chase for 4th spot (with four points to overcome). need to step it up against spurs, and we’ll still be on track for champions league berth. get back into winning mode and that should set us up for the europa league run too.

.

Oh my God…Mark hughes… from goal.com

Liverpool Want Mark Hughes As Rafa Benitez’s

Liverpool have sounded out former Manchester City manager Mark Hughes about taking over from Rafa Benitez at Anfield, according to a report from The People.

Jan 17, 2010 12:06:00 PM

Reds’ owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett have apparently compiled a shortlist of names as potential successors to the under-pressure Spainiard, whose side drew 1-1 at Stoke City on Saturday.

Hughes is believed to be on that shortlist, alongside Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill, with agents acting on behalf of the Reds meeting a positive response to their initial approaches.

O’Neill does not see moving to Anfield from Villa Park as anything like a step-up at the moment though and Guus Hiddink and Jose Mourinho are also believed to be other potential targets.

Hughes is also said to be watching events at his former club Blackburn Rovers with interest, with Sam Allardyce coming under growing pressure.

One edge the Welshman might have is the fact he is currently out of work and immediately available should Hicks and Gillett decide to move for him.

Goal.com UK

Is it true that Kenwyne Jones will join on loan and is expected to complete his medical today? I haven’t seen a lot of him but in these times any proven premier league addition would be a great plus and would lift the morale.

I thought Danny murphy is a twat when I read this article….. until i read that he gave this interview to the news of the world……
***********
Danny Murphy feels Liverpool have gone backwards under Rafa Benitez since the midfielder left the club in 2004.

The Fulham star believes the time has come for sweeping changes to be made at Anfield if they are to set out on the road to recovery.

The 32-year-old playmaker is of the opinion that in order for progress to be made, Benitez needs to be shown the door and a new manager brought in to help steady the ship.

With pressure mounting on the Spaniard with each passing game, it may only be a matter of time before Murphy’s beliefs are shared by the Liverpool board.

A disastrous 2009/10 has underlined just how far away the club are from being regular contenders for major trophies, and much of the blame for their ongoing failings has been laid at Benitez’s door.

“If you ask me has the time for Liverpool come to look for a new manager then I have to say ‘yes’,” Murphy told the News of the World.

“That is not me slating the guy because he forced me out when I didn’t want to leave the club in the first place. Neither am I saying he is a bad manager. But over the last year or so the club have not moved forwards, in fact they are going backwards.

“I will always be a fan. I keep in touch with a lot of people close to the club and many think the time has come for a new manager. I agree providing that process doesn’t cripple the club financially in terms of pay-offs.”

He added: “Liverpool’s problems at the moment are not just about some of the bad buys they have made for a lot of money over the last few years, but also the mistakes they’ve made in letting players go.

“I am not thinking of an obvious one like (Xabi) Alonso, but why on earth did Benitez sell players like Peter Crouch and Craig Bellamy when they are so reliant on Fernando Torres?

“It goes without saying the team have ended up relying too much on Torres, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher.

“Over the past two years Benitez has made too many bad decisions. History says he has won the Champions League and the FA Cup for Liverpool, although even then people can argue about the merit of those wins.

“What I do know is that after being there for this length of time the debate should no longer be about Liverpool qualifying for the Champions League or where they finish in the league but actually winning the title. And that’s not going to happen again this season. So something has to change.

“People go on about how well Liverpool did last season by finishing runners up? So what? We finished second under Gerard Houllier with 80 odd points. Our team also won three big trophies in one season. So things haven’t really got much better. If anything they have got worse.”

Danny Murphy is aone bitter old cunt.

Had he had half a brain he wouldnt have made those arguments above.

FUck it shits me to pieces hearing some of these ex players

Honestly, I don’t mind if Rafa sell Gerrard for 40m. He is a negative influence on the team, on his current self.

Some good debate going on there lads.

I was happy enough with the effort/performance the lads put in against Stoke. The ref didn’t do us any favours (again) with Ngog getting kicked up and down the pitch, allowing them to compress us into our own half. I won’t even go into the penalty decisions, or the lack thereof, but how in the name of blue-fuck did Kuyt miss that header? Still doing my head-in that miss nearly two days on. As a result, a new door for the house is needed. Anyone, got his address so I can send him the bill?

I can see why Pacheco was left on the bench against them gorillas, er defenders, as he probably would have got booted to the physio room within 5 minutes of play. I think that we may see him against the spuds, where it should be more like a game of football.

3 points is a must and if we show the same work ethic and attitude against the spuds as we did against Stoke, we have a good chance of getting them.

Like a few of you, if JoMo arrives at Anfield, then I will just stop this whole supporting lark and find something else to do.

As for this new manager thing, whether we’ll get Hiddink, JoMo, or whoever. Do you think that dumb and dumber will actually want to get another manager that constantly questions them and highlights their dirty dealings to the public? Will they fuck! It will be a yes man who will have no say whatsoever and we shall fall into mid-table obscurity. We have to stick with Rafa until these fuckwits are out of the picture. Simple as. He is the only one on our side here lads. It’s clear as night and day.

Go easy on Danny boy as well. Do any of you think that he would talk to the Sunday S*n? I have my doubts and it would not the first time that a paper has put words into the mouth of an ex-player – Aldo last week. Why not add a little ‘if’ in there just to change the entire meaning of what has been said. Wankers, the lot of them.

Also, let’s give Maxi more that 15 minutes before deciding that he’s a donkey. We knew that he didn’t have a lot of pace but he can do shit like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVVSOGLyAcU

Kenwyne Jones looks like he’s joining LFC on loan until the end of the season.

Could make his debut against Spurs, if it happens let’s hope he’s an instant success!

Hmm…..
Now the mancs are asking Fungus-face to resign…
Interesting…
****

Fans call on Fergie to quit in Glazer protest
By Soccernet staff

January 18, 2010

A Manchester United fans’ group is considering asking Sir Alex Ferguson to quit as manager of the club, in protest of the Glazer family’s ownership of the reigning Premier League champions.

GettyImages

The Glazer brothers: Apparently unconcerned by the club’s huge debts.

The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust (previously Shareholders United) – widely accepted as the fans’ “official opposition” to the Glazers after they attempted unsuccesfully to prevent the Americans’ 2005 takeover – met to discuss the club’s current situation before United’s 3-0 victory over Burnley on Saturday. Many agreed it is time for Ferguson, in charge at Old Trafford for more than 23 years, to stand down in order to make a drastic statement about the club’s financial situation.

Ferguson has often defended the Glazers but was openly opposed to their takeover before it went through, with Johnny Flacks, a founding member and former chairman of the Independent Manchester United Supporters’ Association, suggesting that a letter campaign directed at the United boss could convince him to resign.

“This is not intended as an Alex Ferguson rant,” Flacks told the Guardian. “But he claims to be a socialist, a former shop steward and a man of the people, so he must be horrified by what is going on.

“It would work only if thousands of people sent a copy of this letter to Ferguson letting him know that our fear, if the Glazers stay in control, is that his legacy is going to be destroyed. We wouldn’t want that and I don’t think he would either.”

Fans also discussed the possibility of asking United fans’ favourite and Old Trafford legend Eric Cantona to act as their figurehead, and plans are being put in place for a protest march before the Champions League tie against Milan on March 10.

United supporters’ groups have been in fervent opposition to the Glazer family, both before the takeover in June 2005, and ever since – with anti-Glazer chanting rife during the win against Burnley. Stewards were also quick to confiscate a large banner reading: “Love United, hate Glazer”, after it was briefly unfurled at the Stretford End.

The Glazers recently revealed a refinancing plan but it has been met by scepticism by most supporters, with many now believing that Ferguson, who has led United throught he most successful era in the club’s history, should make the ultimate sacrifice and quit the Old Trafford hotseat.

“We are talking about a manager who has achieved so much for the club and has created the monster that is Manchester United,” Flack said. But we have to look at the greater good and at the moment we have the ludicrous situation where a club that gets over 70,000 supporters is losing money.

“This would be Ferguson’s chance of saying that something had to be done. He would be looking after the club in the longer term if it meant the Glazers would sell more quickly. And if he said he was going to resign, maybe that would also encourage potential buyers to hurry up.”

“Moving to Carrington was his baby and he must be horrified that the Glazers could now be thinking of selling Carrington and then arranging for it to be leased back,” Flacks said. “That would make Manchester United no better than a non-league club not even owning a training ground.”

Someone from Sunderland has rubbished reports of Kenwin Jones coming to Liverpool so the jury`s still out on that one.

Gerrards body language is a concern but i think its down to a couple of factors.

1.The form of the team in general.

2.His own form.Maybe due to his body not being 100%.He`s desperate to drag us out of it but he`s not peak condition and he`s frustrated.

As for Danny Murphy`s comments weather they are twisted or not he does have a cross to bare with Rafa for letting him go.I spoke to him in manchester Airport on the way back from a game earlier this season and he did say to me Rafa told him he wanted his own players and he was free to move if he wanted as first team opprtunitys would be limited.
He also revealed he tried to engineer a move back to the reds only last summer through Stevie and Carra but i wasn`t to be.
He reckoned the team wasn`t much better than the team he played in but it looked to me like just sour grapes,nothing else.

Rome,be careful what you write pal you know the journo`s search these sites for info.Tomo there probably will be a big headline tomorrow claiming “Stevie G chokes Lucas”

Alex Ferguson,the socialist,the working class man,the shop steward.

Ya right,thats why he makes young lads and lassies who wait on him at function address him as SIR.

Sometimes shit happens. The problem is if it pours from the mouth than that is really sick. All these former players with their so called astute comment like Rafa must go, Liverpool has gone backwards well fcuk them. If a team going backwards can win the Champions League and come close to winning the premier league than all the other teams must be fcuk all. When last season Rafa rotated the players, every ass…… was calling Rafa is stubborn, should play the best team, play the shit, play the fcuk, every fcuking comments from the so called idiotic pundits. What happened, Rafa managed to keep the players fresh for the final assault and they managed to play some really beautiful football and chased the premier league crown till the end. First if you don’t have a big pool of squad players then you try to manage your best players. When he did it, he becomes Rafa the rotator. So these season he played all the best available players from the start. So we did well until the first eight or so games. After that, don’t know which MF cursed our team, players were falling like tenpin. Of course we did not have the money to buy players, don’t ask why the fcuk we did not have the money, ASK the two jokers who sold the club to TWO asses. So shit happens. Imagine Rafa did not use Gerrard and Torres against Reading. The electronic press would have started shitting from their mouth and the printing press will start printing their papers with shit.He played them and they got injured. This is really sick. And talk about sick MF refs, god i don’t know what is wrong with them. The way they allow the opposing team kick our team, it is a miracle we don’t have bodies in the morgue. Sometimes it really makes you wonder about all these conspiracy theories. Or is it the bookies – rather than buying the players, don’t tell me they are buying the refs. This is some FCUK time, so let us stay together and face the fcuk than to split and get fcuked.

Akka thinks Mourinho is a rubbish manager, compared to Taggart perhaps.Kuyt has run out of chances .Where was the slick 1 touch passing on Saturday?.The team is no better than under Evans or Houllier final seasons.The £36 mill spent on Jono and Aqui has been disastrous, 3 goals between them all season.Fabregas cost a massive 500k! and if Wenger wins the title, all the lack of money excuses will be exposed as a sham.

BM,

In your opinion,what is the ultimate solution from here?

I`d like to hear it.

The stage is yours…

Give King Kenny the job for the rest of the season.Finish fourth and give him a 3 year contract.Getting rid of G and H looks impossible.Building a 70,000 capacity stadium is the key to solving the clubs finances.The only way to do it is to ground share with Everton and sell the naming rights as well as attracting every £ of sponsorship available.Anybody who objects can head over to Ewood, where there are lots of seats available.Expecting to sell 25% of the club for £100 mill is nonsense, Purslow should do the decent thing and groundshare, if the club doesn,t it will sink as fast and far as Leeds did.Does that meet with you approvel young Timmy?.

I didn’t know “jono and aqui” were strikers, I’m pretty sure one is a full back and the other is a midfielder who has played 4 games.

How didn`t i see that.

Ya we can bring Kenny back.Sign Barnes,Beardsley and Aldridge in a triple summer swoop and the double will be secured.

Tom and George out Burgerman in.Simple.

Why let facts and reality get in the way Arman eh?

Burgerbrain,
why dont you go and watch some tv, put cbeebies on i think their showing the tele-tubbies,
come to think about it dont, i think that will puzzle you as well.
Einstein said “the human brain is a strange and wonderful thing”, i wish he would have come across your’s, you’ve got the IQ of a dead owl.

I’ve finally figured it out! Burgerman is actually an alias for that Karl Pilkington fella with all those wonderful theories and infantile way of reasoning. At least his comments always makes me laugh as much.

BM,

thats F****n Priceless

you couldnt make it up!!!

Burgerman – do you even know if Dalglish would take the job?

and why would his arrival somehow ensure 4th place???

Timmy that story @155 came from a source at Anfield
ie A drunken Everton fan who was staggering about on Anfield Rd.
BM “The £36 mill spent on Jono and Aqui has been disastrous, 3 goals between them all season.” Classic Burgerbrain Troll logic.

rome77,
there is no call for that, why are you insulting a troll.

Well at least BM’s comments correspond to the title of the blog

Hmmm….

Burgerman….
Mad Cow Disease…?????

Might explain a lot. I’m just sayin’!

I remember watching the making of only fools and horses and the writer John Sullivan described “Trigger” as a charachter.He summed him up by describing two trains going on opposite directions.Trig was on a train going one way and the rest of the people in the real world were on the other.He really did believe the things he said made sense.

Remind you of anyone.

I see Burgerman walking around like Denny Crane from Boston Legal.
He drops his bombs and says to himself “Burgerman” then hits the Say It button, as the online equivalent of an exit stage left, all proud of himself.

OK less of the BM blog. Let’s get to the real business of Wednesday night against the spuds. What personnel do we have available? Is Lucas available? Is Dagger injured? Is Kelly back to fitness?

I think if the answer to all the above is yes and we keep the same work-rate/desire that we had against Stoke, then we have a very good chance of getting the 3 points.

What do y’all think?

Also, I read in the echo today that Babel was fined two weeks wages for twitter-gate and had a bust-up with Rafa. He then ‘stormed’ out of Melwood, only to return a short while later, after being contacted from ‘an official’ from Anfield.

Can’t find the link (in fact I think that the article by Dominic King has been changed) but I think that it’s high-time that Babel fucked-off somewhere else, whether Rafa gets the dosh or not. He is becoming a liability and a bad influence around the 1st team squad.

Good riddance to bad rubbish I say.

Talking of personnel Lurgankop,
i have just came across this at newsnowliverpool.

http://www.footballfancast.com/football-blogs/star-making-liverpools-andre-wisdom?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ffc_liverpool_blogs+%28FFC_Liverpool_Blogs%29

so a ray of sunshine for us to look forward to.
YNWA.

There are quite a few rays of sunshine to look forward to theredman.
We’ve got lots of good young talent coming through…
Insua and Ngog already have…
…we’d have seen more of Kelly had he not gotten injured…
… and probably Ayala, Darby, Spearing and Pacheco, would have been introduced into a settled side for some game time, if the first team hadn’t gone tits up and we were hangin’ on in most games…
… but in reality, being able to rely on any of those lads for a whole season is perhaps 1 or 2 seasons away… they need to play bit part, supporting roles in a settled side (as Ngog and Insua have done previously) and most of the rest of them are quite clearly too young just yet and 2-5 seasons away from making the step up to the big stage.

That’s the fundamental thing lots of people don’t seem to understand… or are they just choosing to ignore it, coz it doesn’t fit the “Rafa doesn’t trust his youngsters” Wenger-stick-tagline?

This is just another area where I have a problem with the Rafa-out brigade… not seeing the big picture.

That’s right Aitch.

In fact, Rafa has stated Amoo, Eccelston and Pachecho may be given chances due to the injury crisis (again). That’s the one thing I’m looking forward to in this wretched season. Hopefully, they’ll get enough games and provide us badly needed cover for next season (World Cup hangover for our main players)

Dunno if the Kenwynne Jones rumors are true (“reports” are suggesting even after Sunderland denied it, Reds reps were in late night discussions? so go figure…) but I reckon that could be an interesting move.
I’m not entirely sure how he fits in long-term, to what Rafa has been trying to build, but I would be interested to see what he could do for us short-term.

I don’t know how long Babel has left on his contract, but if Rafa isn’t going to get the money, and Babel is refusing locations being offered. Well why can’t we ship him into the reserves and force him to play out his contract there. He is really only thinking about making the WC team at the moment, not Liverpool, so why should we go half way when he is bothered.
.
Personally, I think B’Ham and Sunderland may well be above his actual talent. I think the entire Prem is above his actual talent.

In hindsight, Rafa should have taken the offer from B’ham for 9 million, even though the money would have in all likelihood gone straight to H&G – he is just a bad influence & a distraction at the moment, and Rafa might have been given a few bob to spend on another player.
Back to Lurgan’s post #185. Does anyone know who is available for the Spuds game? Does Rafa pick an attacking side: Pacheco, Aqua, Maxi starting? Does Hercules warrant another start after his 110% effort against Stoke (is Agger fit)? And should Carra play right back, especially if the Road Runner is available for them? Who would want to be a manager hey?

Like Collymore gaz, Babel has loads of talent, but his head is seriously fucked up.

He needs a move to a new club… whether he then cleans himself up and gets back to playing… is entirely up to him.

Aitch, I think the point I was making was Babel won’t go to B’Ham or Sunderland, he wants a big time team, without the big time effort. Gala would have been great, new start, new fans, Dutch Manager, but Babel knows he would be under the microscope from the very person who may wan’t him in the WC. He’s fucking lazy and has been since he got here. Really what Dutch player really are outstanding in England, they can handle the physical nature of the game, but there are few who really stand out.

tis a good read so check it out people.

Top Ten Reasons For Pool Fans To Be Cheerful
Posted 18/01/10 14:07

Nick Miller / football365

10 – They’re an attractive candidate for investment…
In theory, Liverpool with their militantly loyal fanbase, 45,000-seat stadium, star names and grand history should be next in line for whichever oil billionaire decides he wants a Premier League club as a plaything. The catch of course is that Tom Hicks and George Gillett can’t stand the sight of each other, and obviously can’t agree on anything.

This becomes a problem when each partner has a veto over whether the other can sell their half of the club, but if the two can at least settle their differences for long enough to get the hell out of there, they will most likely make a profit on their investment, Liverpool fans will get a new figure of hate and maybe Rafa Benitez (assuming he’s still in charge by then) will be given some money to spend. Everybody’s happy.

9 – The stiffs…
Liverpool’s reserve side currently sit atop the Barclays Reserve North table, with a record of seven wins and one defeat from eight matches, three points ahead of Manchester United. It might sound flippant, but it does at least suggest there is something beyond the first team, and some good young players coming through.

8 – Pacheco, Kelly and Mavinga…
While we’re discussing youngsters at Liverpool, this trio are highly thought of by the Anfield staff. Martin Kelly made an impressive first-team debut at right-back against Lyon in the Champions League before injury forced him off, Chris Mavinga is a defender who can play on the left or the middle, who Liverpool signed ahead of Arsenal and a number of European clubs last summer, and Dani Pacheco is an attacker that many believe should have already been given his chance in the first 11. The present might not be that rosy, but the future could be bright.

7 – Fernando Torres’s knee injury…
It might sound like a slightly curious thing to count as a positive, but the news that the Spaniard faces knee surgery could afford Liverpool the chance to solve another long-standing problem. Torres is suffering from a hernia that has limited his appearances this season, an injury that has been ‘managed’ in the words of Rafa Benitez, but one that has meant he has been playing in pain for the majority of the season. With the knee problem likely to keep Torres out for up to six weeks, this could be the perfect chance to operate on the hernia and clear it up for the remainder of the season and beyond.

6 – The finances aren’t that bad…
While it’s not ideal to be £200million in the hole, at least the finances aren’t as bad as that lot up the road. No annual interest payments of £47million for Liverpool, eh?

5 – Torres is staying…
The more flippant commentators will say and have said that Liverpool are a two-man team, and while that might not be entirely true, they would be in some trouble without Steven Gerrard and Torres. Both are arguably too good to have never won a domestic league title, and the way things are going it doesn’t look like either will do it at Anfield in the near future.

Fortunately for Liverpool, it doesn’t look like Torres will leave the club in the near future. There are inevitably stories written by 2+2=5 rumour-mongers that Chelsea or Manchester City or a European superpower want the Spaniard, but as yet there is no indication that he actually wants to leave. In any case, Liverpool will not be keen to sell to another club in the Premier League, and the number of European clubs who could afford him is limited, even more so when you consider that Torres will never play for Real Madrid.

4 – The derbies…
October 25: Liverpool 2 Manchester United 0. November 29: Everton 0 Liverpool 2. Always nice, isn’t it?

3 – The Europa League…
It may have been characterised as a consolation prize, but the rebranded UEFA Cup is not for chumps. Consider the teams Liverpool will have to get past in order to win it – Marseille, Juventus, Roma, PSV, Galatasaray, Benfica, Villarreal, Valencia, Ajax, Atletico Madrid and Everton. It’s not the Champions League and Liverpool fans will no doubt be mocked should they celebrate victory too enthusiastically, but a trophy with such a high standard of competition is not to be sniffed at.

2 – Nobody seems to want fourth place…
While a point against Stoke this weekend wasn’t the best result in the world, at least Liverpool didn’t lose ground on their rivals for the final Champions League spot. Spurs and Villa both drew despite dominating inferior opponents, while Manchester City were beaten by a team who, as The Observer put it, ‘know how hard breaking into the Champions League elite can be’. The inconsistency of the teams around them could yet be Liverpool’s greatest hope of making the top four. And remember that Liverpool have a history of holding their nerve enough to make it to the land of plenty, while their rivals do not. Despite the stalemate at the Britannia, Liverpool still finished the weekend closer to fourth place than at they were on Saturday morning.

1 – Hell, it could be worse…
In the wider scheme of things, seventh in the league and just four points away from fourth place is not a calamitous return. Sure, Liverpool will have started the season looking for a hell of a lot more, and their title challenge last season may have inflated expectation above what can realistically be achieved, but in comparison to the fate of some, things really aren’t that bad.

Put Liverpool’s ‘plight’ next to, say, Portsmouth, a team who 20 months ago won the FA Cup, and are now stone bottom of the league and barely able to pay their players. Or Reading, who were in the Premier League in 2008 and now sit fourth bottom of the Championship. Consider QPR, a basket case of a club who have just parted with their 14th manager since the last time they won an FA Cup tie. How about Stockport, at the foot of League One and paying administrators £300 an hour to decide how the club is going to be wound-up and whose manager confirmed last week that the whole squad is effectively up for sale. Or Notts County, whose fans were promised success on streets lined with gold, but are now just another League Two club struggling to scrape the pennies together.

In short, Liverpool have a 45,000-seat stadium, players that are the envy of the world and – most importantly – football to watch every week. Some perspective would be very welcome.

Personally i dont think Kenwyne Jones is the answer at LFC, if he is not good enough for Steve Bruce and Sunderland (6 goals this season 4 of which came in 2 matches), what makes him good enough for Anfield.
Robbie Keane came here with a better track record and we all know what happened to him.
Bruce is said to be fed up with Jones’s inconsistant form ?, does’nt read very well does it, i think we should write this season off and try and make 4th spot with the squad we’ve got and save the dosh (thats a laugh) for the summer.
YNWA.

Lots of smart arse answers from Redman and his ilk.Timmy should stick with baggage handling and gaelic football, an amateur sport for a limited mind.LK talks a lot , yet never provides any solutions.I don’t think Trigger played as a lower league professional for 9 seasons and obtained a first class engineering degree from a redbrick uni!.Stick with Rafa and we will end up as the same points tally as with Souness in 1993.Who is the last manager who didn’t win the title after 6 full seasons?. Can Aitch count beyond 0?.Doubt it.

oh dear, someone’s getting angry…

You got to admire him though Arthur,
anyone who can type on a keyboard who is dead from the neck up has mine.

As a loan deal, I think Sunderland would have been a good bit of business (possibly) but I’m with Redman on this one – he’s not exactly set the world on fire this season so unless he went cheap – I say we should press on. Would love to see Pacheco get a run out soon…any word on Kelly?

“amateur sport for a limited mind” – insulting and yet strangely amusing

#200 – by Sunderland I obviously meant Jones – I have a limited mind…forgive me

burgerman

Who is the last manager who didn’t win the title after 6 full seasons?.

err….Shankly?

Mr Shankly won his first title in 1964, having taken charge of a club near the bottom of the old division 2 in December 1959.That is four full seasons Skeat!.

Cheeseburger, who is the last Premiership/Old First Division manager to win the title after 6 seasons? Not counting a ‘bought’ premiership i.e. spending 1/2 a million on players in 2 seasons.

rafalution…

u meant 1/2 billion?

Nostrilburger,

I’ll mark down your prediction.

“Stick with Rafa and we will end up as the same points tally as with Souness in 1993″.

Let’s see who is correct…

Wenger won 2 titles in his first 5 seasons and made a large profit in the transfer market.Point proved.The Reds finished 6th in 1993, will they do better this season?.

I’m glad you are not the manager. Only 4 points behind 4th and you’ve given up on 6th place.

burger, were they red lego bricks?

off to liverpool in the morning, can’t bloody wait!!
the team line-up should be interesting. I doubt maxi will get a start but ya never know. 4 trips to anfield in the past couple of seasons and yet to see torres play in the flesh, starting to think i should stop planning trips as they always seem to coincide with his injuries!
I’m happy that kelly has been injured during this spell of bad results, wouldnt have done his confidence any good, look at the grief insua is getting. Still, from the performance in the lyon game he looks the business, he probably put 3 of our best crosses in from the right all season in that one game!
And burger, if our players showed the dedication and determination shown by the ‘amateurs’ of gaelic football players we wouldnt be in this situation now, 2-3 hours training 6 nights a week while working full time jobs for nothing but the pride of wearing a county jersey. Hurling is one of the most highly skilled and fastest sports in the world, limited it aint.

With all these rumours doing the rounds it would be nice to see Gerrard come out and insist that thats all they are, rumours. He could also give his backing to Rafa. If this does not happen I would really consider selling him in the summer as he will start do go downhill in terms of the money we can get for him.

would be a shame to see Gerrard leave – and lets be honest – this could just be all tabloid bullshit. But I would certainly think less of him if after one poor season, he throws a hissy fit and decides to pack his bags

Well Galway there`s no point trying to explain Gaelic Football to Burgerman and as for hurling well i`ve played quite a bit i`d love to see him try it.If he could only see your very own Joe Canning in action he wouldn`t be so quick to knock it.
I`m sure you being a Galway man have picked up the oul stick in your time.Are you by any chance a Portomna man??
Enjoy the game anyway.

Lower league professional for 9 seasons.

Hmmm who would that be with then BM.Too bad you didn`t stay one more year then you`d have got a testimonial.

tut tut

I’ll pack Gerrard’s bags for him if he’d like. Wish him all the best and thanks for the memories. He has been one of our best ever players but I personally think we have seen the best of him. He is out injured for long spells on a regular basis. He’ll be 30 in a few months. Might be time to cash in. £40m offer and I’d sell but only if the money could be reinvested back into the transfer kitty.

Can`t agree with that assesment LB.It was only a matter of months ago he was the best player in England by a mile.Now he`s got a run of bad form and injurys you`d be glad to be shot of him?

I would be so quick to right him off yet.

£40 million would be a tempting offer but its the same old story raring its ugly head again.When were having a bad time of it Gerrards for sale.Yes his body lanuage is negative but thats down to his frustration of his bad form and the form of the team in general.

I think it’s too soon to suggest we have seen the best of Gerrard – 30 is still quite young and I’d envisage him giving any club (hopefully with us) about 5/6 more years of service. Sure, I think his game will change – perhaps we’ll see less of his storming runs into the box once he hits 32/33 but I can see him playing a deeper midfield role as he ages.

But here’s hoping that once this latest injury clears up he’ll be back to his usual high standard

also – would be AMAZED if we would get 40M for him – can’t think of any player that age going for that price to any club

On that basis we might as well sell Torres too LB. Injured just as much as Stevie if not more. The lad is perpetually ‘managing’ an injury or just flat out on the treatment table. When was the last time Torres completed a season without missing significant periods due to knocks, strains, fatigue etc? If your selling our skipper and arguably greatest ever player cos he ‘is out injured for long spells on a regular basis’ then you might as well help Nando pack as well. If thats your logic of course!

Logic for some being, Gerrrard is 30, Torres is 25. Gerrard is sulking all over the pitch like a child who’s lost all his toys, while Torres is playing like a trooper despite carrying a knock

Yeah Torres never has a cobb on. Ever. Certainly not for the first coupla mths of the season. And certainly never barks at refs when things dont go his way. Or shakes his head in disbelief when being subbed at Fulham. Yep, he aint like bad boy Stevie. Sheesh…. The willingness of some to bash a man who’s carried us on his shoulders for 7 or 8 seasons is truly comical. He’s injured, sell him!

Digger you decided to leave out the important factor in my assessment. The fact he is soon 30. Torres has just hit 25. Time is on his side.

It’s nothing to do with bashing anyone. After the age of 30 it takes longer and longer to heal from inuries. Gerrard gets injured a lot. They will take their toll. When I said we have probably seen the best from him I was being honest in my opinion. I do not think his best is yet to come. I think we have already seen his best. Peak years between 2004-2009. Many players down the years were great, then had a period of lots of injuries when they hit 30 and then their form dipped.

Another thing. How many attacking players who played regularly in their teenage years were still at their peak after the age of 30? Look it up there isn’t many. Gerrard’s game is all about energy and drive, a burst of speed, great shot, exquisite passing both short and long range. The first 3 things will disappear quick after a few injuries and going into the 30s.

I wouldn’t be pushing him out the door. However if he is sulking and is thinking about leaving the club then yes I’d pack his bags. This isn’t the time for indifferent attitudes. Either you’re in or out. If he wants out – get rid. Torres on the other hand has categorically said he is not going anywhere and before he was injured said he was doing extra training sessions to improve his form. He moans with refs and the oppo. Not his own team mates and coaching staff.

In early 2005 didn’t Gerrard say we couldn’t win the Champions League? Rafa had to come out and say that we are indeed capable of winning it. Stevie strikes me as a person that will look at the squad and say to himself “nope, these are not good enough” and have a bit of a sulk. Rather than making his team mates feel 10 feet tall on the pitch and leading them.

Okay now… let me see…

Zero …err… err…. aw fuck, I’ve been found out!

Fair points made LB.

Sure we might have seen how good Stevie will be but because he`s dipped in form dosen`t mean he`s in decline.I also was concerned about his long career catching up with him.Fowler,owen even Raul at real were all teenage sensations and had there peak years in there early-mid twentys.
Stevie has maintained a good level of performance throughout his career but despite his poor form and injurys of late he still has s much to offer this team.

I think he was always a bit of a moaner on the field its just now its been highlighted due to our bad run.It happens like clockwork when we go on a bad run.

“Stevies body language says it all,he wants out”

“SG FED UP”

“Stevie to link with jose at inter”

It happens every time.The media start it up and people go online talking about it and only add fuel to the fire.

I`ll show you a post that was put up on the Teamtalk website.

I wasn`t on it by hte way i seen it posted on another site.

”
Just heard a rumour from someone who works at Anfield. Apparently, Gerrard is not injured, he came off in the reading game because he punched Pellegrino in an argument over Benitez, who in turn punched Sammy Lee when he got involved. Gerrard has stated he will not play for Liverpool anymore as long as Benitez is in charge. Apparently..Benitez will be sacked within the next 7 days, and Dalglish will take over till the end of the season. Then Gus Hiddink will take the helm. As always, its just a rumour, but the source is normally very accurate as he works with the players a lot. Lets see if its true eh……Could be an interesting few days”

Classic!

I agree with some of what LB says about Stevie. Back in 2005 I was heart broken when his transfer to Chelsea was announced. Can’t think of a time I’ve ever felt a greater relief than when he changed his mind and stayed. It would be wonderful if he remained a red for the rest of his career – of course it would. Club loyalty is almost extinct in modern football, and when the world class players remain loyal to their boyhood clubs it is always a positive thing for me.

For all the great moments Stevie’s given us over the years, however, I think most would agree he never was the ideal captain. A leader beyond all doubt, but I for one think his body language has at times been a bigger problem than people are inclined to admit. On the other hand his remarkable ability to score important goals usually weighs up for that. Anyway, if Steven actually were to leave, I don’t think it would necessarily be the same kind of disaster for the club as it would have been 5 years ago. And that isn’t mainly because Gerrard has his best years behind him but because we now have a much stronger team than back then. We’ve all seen our squad still need of strengthening, however, and how likely is that to happen unless the financial/ownership-situation changes in the near future?

All things considered I remain confident Stevie will get back to his best and claim at least one league title as a Liverpool player before the end of his career. But if the financial situation won’t change any time soon, then I fear we’re in deep trouble no matter what happens with Mr Gerrard.

Timmy,
i’ve also heard that rumour so i treat it as one for now, also went to our chippie and the lying cunt’s said Elvis worked there, nope.
Seriously though i have been informed that there was a punch up involving Gerrard and if there was, well tht’s all we fuckin need on top of everything else that’s going on at our club.
YNWA.

Fair enough LB, point taken. But if this is what Torres is like when he’s 25 whats he gonna be like when he’s Stevies age?! Look, I’m just a little bemused by the flak Stevies taking at the moment. People need to take a step back and remember what this man has done for our club and consider where we’d be without him for the last 10yrs. And Tim maybe he shoulda punched Pellegrino! Aint he our defensive coach? We’ve already conceded as many goals as we did all last yr. What the fuck Mauricio?

Guillem Balague has rubbished that rumour timmy. He claims to have spoken to Pellegrino and it never happened.

I sort of see where you are coming from LB.
SG may be the biggest conundrum LFC faces…. and his beloved status means he can do no wrong in some fans eyes. (and often means for a clouded discussion.)

When he’s on form, there is clearly no one better. But he’s such a fuckin miserable bastard, when things aren’t going his way.

There is absolutely no doubting what he has contributed to the cause over the years… even when he has gotten all the “single-handed credit” for things that were team efforts (like the Galatasaray CL win and Istanbul for instance) but we’ve also carried him as a passenger in many a game… simply because he’s Stevie G and only needs a minute to turn the game.

Against Reading he was a passenger for 44 minutes, but then he gets the goal, right before halftime.
This season and last have been riddled with such performances… poor over his time on the pitch, yet punctuated with that one telling contributuion.

The problem for us, comes in the games where that one telling contribution never happens… coz it means you’ve carried a player for 90 minutes, essentially playing with 10 men… or when we’ve taken a chance on him and he has to leave the fray early (leaving us with one less tactical option in terms of a sub used.)

No player is irreplaceable… our history has shown that. How many were suicidal when Rushie left? …then along comes John Aldridge!

I see the logic in your argument LB, but I don’t think SG is finished by a long shot… and I’m not his biggest fan… But he could perhaps use some time off.
I reckon he could do with a decent spell on the sidelines… maybe 4 weeks… the problem with that is we need him on the field … now…
…so in two weeks, as soon as he can trot with a ball, he’ll be back in the team…
…half-fit and not fully recovered, spluttering around Anfield on 3 cylinders like a clapped-out Capri… instead of the Ferrari he is.

———

In regards Babel… what do you wanna bet, we offload him to Galatasaray… where he does fuck-all… except when we then draw them in the UEFA, where he scores, dumping us out?

Lads that wasn`t my rumur i seen it on another site its just ludacris.
Whatever about the punch up all this kenny and hiddink shite made me laugh.
We all know what Liverpool is like for rumours.

How long has Kenny been out of the game now?
Just more shit-stirring to try to unsettle the club!

Rafs brought Kenny back into the fold to act has his liaison with the Academy… so you realize every time these fuckers print this shite, Kenny has to get on the phone right away and assure Rafa he hasn’t said shit and doesn’t covet his job!

Puts both men in a realy awkward position… which is exactly what Rupert Murdoch and his fucken rag-selling puppets want!

I’m sure they laugh most of this stuff off, knowing its not true, but there still has to be conversations to confirm things.

Do you know what lads, something stinks here. It’s more like a fuckin’ election debate than a football one.

Stevie G with a face like a bag of shite since his subbing at Reading, or most of the season, where he’s done (practically) zero.

Murphy (best man SG’s his wedding) coming out with a well-timed Rafa blast, which was given to the Sunday S*n, by all accounts. GB, coming out in defence of Rafa (I bet BM is devastated).

On top of this, rumours of punch-ups and handbags at ten paces. Something is not right and it will be ‘interesting’ how it turns out.

My money is on Rafa coming out on top.

LB, I know what you mean, SG is nearly 30 years old and picking up injuries, and well, we can speculate. It’s somewhat similar to the Viera situation at the Arse (powers waning), and they didn’t end off in the gutter – only difference is, who will receive the transfer money.

Hey Burgerking, don’t be getting the hump. I think that them chemicals are getting to you.

Time to find a (new) job? Just some friendly advice.

BTW, you spelt approval (approvel) incorrectly earlier – maybe chemical related? I know how you are such a stickler for spelling. Don’t thank me, my 6 year old daughter who pointed it out.

Still waiting Lurgan,for BM to tell us who he played 9 seasons pro in the lower leagues.

I thought you had to be 16 to sign pro forms?

I see Man city are out with the plastic flags.Whats the craic with this carry on.Does a container of plastic flags come free with every sugar daddy or what?

Digger, no way would I ever forget the contribution Stevie has given down the years. He has been responsible for some of my best ever sporting memories. However sometimes one has to use logic rather than sentimentality. Gerrard is 30 and misses at least a couple of months of action every season. As he gets older how much will we get out of him in the future? I wouldn’t shove him out of the door as I said but if he wanted to go and a good offer was made – I’d sell him.

I would not be at all surprised if he came back next month and played great taking us to 4th or 3rd in the table by season’s end.

I do not think however – and its only my opinion – that he can put in consistent match dominating performances like he did say in 2005-06 when he even got man of the match when we lost. I remember we lost a game 4-1 against Chelsea at Anfield and Gerrard played fantastic. And who can forget the 2006 FA cup final. In the last couple of seasons however he has often been anonymous.

Not many players are great for over 10 years – its the life of a sportsman that the powers wain. I just think that maybe we have seen the best from our Stevie.

Giggs just scored a tap in.

Thats the Ballon D`or wrapped up then.

City are absolute shite.I swear they could get a lesson off a bunch of 11 year olds on how to keep the ball.

interesting!

what did Rooney say there?

Dunno can`t lip-read Ogre`s.

Good reply from Tevez lad’s,
twatted in like a fuckin exocet then turn to shrek yak, yak, yak, fuckin love, oh and did you hear Lawrenson on how lucky city were, he’s fuckin broken hearted, a great Liverpool player i’ll reserve saying also a great servant as the fucker has done nothing but big the mancs up every chance he get’s wether they deserve it or not.
YNWA.

Timmy we can’t call anyone shite right now…

On the contray LB we are very well qualified to judge who’s shite !!

Something happened at half time in the Reading game, Babel didnn’t even know he was coming on prior to walking on the ground. Stevie walked of the park alright.
.
In regard to selling SG, 40 million is a big slice of cash for a 30 year old player. Yes I know he’s injury prone at the moment, but that’s because he’s been carrying this team since his late teens. THe same goes with Torres, he’s been carrying Athletico since his early teens.
.
There’s a lot of football in both their legs. Can they sustain that for 4-5 more years, I think Torres will be well and truely crocked by the time he finishes his contract with us.
.
We still owe Stevie some loyalty but if he’s that frustrated at our club then something rotten is happening in our core.

Good point there Dougle.

Hey did anyone here used to watch the A Team? I cant believe they have made a movie version.

Ya i loved the A-Team seen the BA charachter.Wouldn`t be the same i`m thinking.

I think SG’s legs are good enough for 4-5 more years… I think the question is… is his head?

Is he willing to risk (whether under Rafa or some Mystery Guest new manager) being the best Midfielder… never to have won a Premier League Winners Medal.

Will he be willing to finish his career on home soil… battling it out at Portsmouth on a rainy Wednesday night… when he has the option of playing alongside Messi and his ilk, in the Spanish or Italian sunshine? (like Owen, McMannaman and Beckham did)

If his head isn’t in it, then his heart isn’t… and that should and will, I suspect, be the defining factor in whether SG stays or goes.

What should we do with Babel he’s obviously talented because Rafa and Wenger both saw something.and he’s shown us glimpses.But his attitude doesn’t seem to be great as Club and Country have both found out.He’s refused to go when we’ve tried to sell him and to put him in the reserves could be like putting a rotten apple in the barrel.
With the injuries we’ve had this season he should of seized the bull by the horns and give it every thing but he’s been busy twittering.
Now for me id wait till after the WC it may give him enough time to grow up like Bellamy and If he shines in the WC but not for us his price will rocket and we may be able to spend the money,whereas if we sell him now we wont see any of the money.
As for the Gerrard story. Personally i think my version @155 was better than the latest story, i was going to sue for copyright infringement but they’ve changed it just enough apparently .So my solicitor tell me anyway.
LB Did we watch the A team ? Of course we did “you crazy fool”.
YNWA

PS Gerry If i get banned from commenting in the main TIA comments section, will i still be able to comment in here.

PPS BM Can i have your autograph, it not for me its for my little lad.

Guys,

Gerrard has come out and rubbished the rumours.

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/sport-news/liverpool-fc/2010/01/20/steven-gerrard-rubbishes-rumours-he-ll-quit-liverpool-fc-55578-25637707/?

So I think we can put off the Gerrard debate for a while.

I’m liking the statements issued by Mascherano, and let’s hope that the guys fight with the spirit displayed at Stoke. I’m looking at which young player among Pacheco, Amoo and Eccleston Rafa will use…

oh dear rome, what did you say?

For my money, Babel’s time has run its course.

He could have been the next John Barnes…
…instead he’s the next Stan Collymore.

I can’t believe some people are still yelling for him to be given a go in the sriker position… and I’m truly amazed that he’s “back in the squad” as some papers are reporting… you know… given how “stubborn” Rafa is supposed to be.

I don’t know how stubborn Rafa is or isn’t, but I can tell you I once sent my key striker packing for good, for far less than Babel has done… and he delivered on the field on a regular basis.

Sometimes you have to remind the players that you are the boss and no one is more important than the team!
Bombing Babel out in the Jan transfer window might accomplish that, and get everyone grafting for the cause again… maybe?

Some good stuff in ‘ere tonight lads, dougle your on fire! Good to see you back Rome, good posters never get banned bud. I aint getting on no plane fool! Had a few jars so I’ll get back to the Stevie debate tomorrow LB. I love it when a plan comes together!…..

Well it’s good to here but it took him long enough, what was 10 days. Good to see he doesn’t want to leave LFC.

Well it’s not like Stevie G is gonna come out and say “yes all the rumous are true, I punched the assistant manager in the face and I’d love to get the fuck out of liverpool ASAP”

Good stuff lads

well I’ve just returned to the pissing rain here in Korea (at least i have a bottle of Jameson and a bag of sausages) after my wonderful skiing holiday in Ireland.

One thing i noticed being snowed in was that everytime I looked in the direction of a paper I could see Rafa. The poor bastard is being hounded by the media. I didn’t realise how bad it was until I got home.
And all this Torres will leave if we dont qualify for the CL with \out 1 shred of evidence.

So basically i just looked at celebrities tits falling out on the beach and left kopblog my source of liverpool news.

9 seasons in the lower leagues Burgerman?
obviously didn’t drink enough milk then mate!
Who did ya play for?
Not slagging you mate. I played many seasons Junior B hurling meself

I think rafa doesnt want to sell babel because he wont get the money to spend and will just be short a player.

LB selling Gerrard is a big one, personally I hope to see him finish his career in Anfield – Fuck the money.

Slainte and happy new year to ye all

Knight are you on sebatical with Fatty?

Some good A-Team talk lads, only it wasn’t called that in France. It was called , the all risk agency. Eh, I hear you say!

Also, the names were not the same:
Hannibal was Hannibal – so far so good
BA was Barracuda
Faceman was Futé
Murdock was Looping

Add in the cheesy lyrics for the intro

http://www.coucoucircus.org/series/generique.php?id=2

and they have completely cocked it up!

A bit like Liverpool this season.

First line came out wrong. Should have read:

Some good A-Team talk lads, only it wasn’t called that in France. It was called “L’agence tous Risques”, the all risk agency. Eh, I hear you say!

Lurgan, you ok?

Quick question: is whassisname the speedy right-winger available for Spurs tonight?

If not, then I’m a lot happier we can get some sort of result (meaning stopping them from beating a ‘top-four’ side for the first time in three hundred years)!

Need Kyriagous to do a good number on Crouch as well…

Just found this on RTE:

Tottenham Hotspur squad: Gomes, Dawson, Bale, Corluka, Bassong, Kranjcar, Palacios, Jenas, Modric, Keane, Crouch, Defoe, Alnwick, Bentley, Pavlyuchenko, Rose, Naughton, O’Hara, King.

Liverpool squad: Reina, Degen, Skrtel, Carragher, Agger, Insua, Aquilani, Lucas, Rodriguez, Riera, Ngog, Kuyt, Aurelio, Cavalieri, Kyrgiakos, Pacheco, Spearing, Darby, Babel.

So, no Lennon then…

Doing fine McrRed. Just don’t watch the A-Team in France because it’s not the same beast at all.

Hopefully you’re right about Lennon otherwise Insua would be in for a very interesting evening.

As for Babel, keeping him out of the squad would drive his price down, if we were looking to sell him. Personally I would rather play with 10 men than to include him now. Not often I would say that about a LFC player but he has run his course and, as someone said above, Rafa should have made an example of him and kicked him out the door.

This look’s OK regarding the coffers,

http://www.sportspromedia.com/notes_and_insights/_a/liverpool_fc_managing_director_delighted_as_money_rolls_in_for_struggling_t/?utm_source=Syndication+Websites&utm_campaign=Syndication+Websites&utm_medium=syndication_websites

Facebook eh, most popular in the premier, i wonder if the tramp want’s to knock us off that fuckin perch as well, old shitty arse has not made a comment regarding last nights penalty apart from “i’ll let people judge for themselves”
OK i’ll judge it “it was fuckin wonderful”.
YNWA.

Another good read from Tomkins

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/features/tomkins-end-to-the-perfect-storm?

Just about to post that Ax…interesting take on a season by looking at what month the hunt for trophies ends…

A-Team in French.Just dosen`t add up does it.Any French version of `Only fools` Lurgan wouldn`t it be crazy the del boy character could be twisting his english phrases all over the shop.

Well stevie has quashed all the silly rumours like some have been calling for.Gillete has come out in support of Rafa.He`s been well advised.

Hope lennon isn`t playing too he could be a thorn in our side.Huddlestone and King are also doubts.

Cant wait for them to show coronation street in Sindabele.

Hey lads regarding the a team movie

looks great

The guy playing BA is Rampage Jackson

A mean UFC fighter that terrorised the sport for a few years

The guy from District 9 is murdock

cant wait for that gonna wait up for tonihts ame too

over and out

Only thing Donal is that Quinton Jackson can’t act! He was in Midnight Meat Train and in the movie had a fight to the death with Vinnie Jones on a moving train. Yes Vinnie kicked the Rampage’s ass believe it or not.

50 cent auditioned for the role but didn’t get it.

The original actors were just too iconic in their roles nobody else will get near.

Casnt beat the origionals LB…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIfuaUTH9Y4

Anyone have defo news on Lennon its says nothing in the team news about him being outIt mentioned huddlestone and king being doubts but nothing about Lennon.

Hey I just read that the mancs are in £716m debt! Bloody hell. £70m per year in interest payments. They are one bad season away from doom.

Fortunately TT the French haven’t put their hands on ‘Only Fools and Horses’, yet.

I just found out why BA was called BA – his name was Sergent Bosco Albert. Well you live and learn.

Oh, and this is one of the strangest blog threads that I have ever seen in Kopblog. I hear that there’s a match tonight. Any truth in that?

Traaaash bags I want Traaaash bags lol (hoeling mad murdoch)

Shupp FOOL!!

I always wondered what happened to this guy,

http://www.footballfancast.com/football-blogs/happened-vegard-heggem?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ffc_liverpool_blogs+%28FFC_Liverpool_Blogs%29

guy, guy’s easy on the A Team it was shite, now Sergeant Bilko was something else.

Can`t believe he cost the same as Benny onion.

I actually was kind of fond of him Red.A crap defender but i liked the way he burst forward.

He still loves the reds so he`s ok.

What do you think of him LB

TheredMan 260, love it. It was grand sitting down to watch a match where as long as either team lost I was happy.

Anyway enough about theose muppets.

To tonight’s game. I have no real sure reason for this but I think we’re gonna win and I have a feeling that this could be a huge occasion. Both on the terraces and on the field it’s time to really make a statement. Now I’m not talking about playing the beautiful game. I’m talking about winning the game no matter how sweet Spuds are and how messed up we are. I’m talking about forcing a victory, giving the faithful something to roar the club on with and shoving it down the throats of the sheep, pundits, press and ex-players and most sweetly Sly Sports.
The players are not only playing for themselves and Rafa but the faithful, the Liverpool way and the very soul of this club. Benitez is on the verge of being forced from the club by “public opinion” … and FS has already given this speech so I won’t.

Suffice to say I feel the Kop and the team can do it together tonight.

2-1 in a cliffhanger ….

Believe !

Ax, thanks for posting that Paul Tomkins article.
A truly outstanding read, and I hope everyone will take the time to read it.
Its called Perspective!

Thank’s Dougle,
thought i was losing my sense of humour there for a while,
when Tevez was giving the yak yak yak gesture i thought it was to rooney but no, it was to old handsome one neville (my dog still gets a hard on when he sees him on the tele) who is now being investigated by the FA ( i shit you not, a manc player being investigated by the FA), he’ll probably get a hundred lines and a “bloomin good tellin off”.
His mam has got a picture of him on the mantel piece to keep the kids away from the fire.
YNWA.

Dougle: Exactly!!! The players have to do it for the faithfull, and ram it down the throats of the media & the ‘anti-Rafa’ non-believers. Hope the Kop & Anfield is buzzing tonight. It’s gonna be tight, but Aqua is going to score tonight. BTW, who will take our spot kicks (not that the ref will award us any)?
Keep The Faith

Neville is nothing more than a touchline clown a bit like that lion at reading, pretty soon he’ll be given a red devil costume with a trident .
Lets hope we get the result we all want tonight otherwise BM will be back tomorrow with some more Burgerbrain logic.
2-0 will be great but with no Torres, Gerrard, Johnson 1-0 will do.
YNWA

Greetings from Libya,

Interweb over here is shite so haven’t really been able to keep up with the blogs – but managed to read this one

Gerry – wouldn’t have taken you for a D4 head – hope your enjoying living on the good side of town – Do you still have to hand in your passport when you travel back ?

Burgerman – you’re a legend such drivel I’ve never heard but at least your opinions are your own

Back to football – think this one tonight will be tough – expect to see more or less the same team as against stoke maybe Aqualani will start – one or two youngsters to come on later

See ya rafter

Theredman-take that back about the A-Team you crazy fool!!

15 minutes to go and there aint much left in the bottle of Jameson I brought back

Comeón the lads

over and out

1-0 Kuyt,,,, Go go go… lets build from this goal.. and have another just for insurance
(ps: nice assist from Aquilani)

Aquaman is playing class

Albetts corners are working too

comon lads this is it

over and out

in their face

Sorry Donal,
OK i take it back, oh how sweet is that win, Kuyt could have and should have had 4, but i aint complainin.
As for Degen i did’nt know wether to laugh at him or cry at some of the fuck-ups he achieved.
Acquilani was class but i think the big greek god just about out shone him tonight i thought he was immense.
The Anfield crowd were fab as well, and Aunty gray is still on about Defoe’s disallowed goal 10mins after the game is finished, he did’nt go on that long about the beachball incident at Sunderland.
Aitch you are right about Degen, he’s about as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike.
YNWA.

Man of the match for me was Kyrgiakos. Cleared everything that came in his path and almost scored. We earned that victory and it should of been larger. I guess the media will chalk it up as an off night for Harry and his gang. I was pleased with the support Rafa was shown. ANy chance of the shit stirring around Rafa will die down abit after this.

rome77,

#278, I’m sure you’d love the result!

Finally some luck in terms of the injury time goal on our side.

Nice one to a man the attitude was first class.We were never going to play champagne football but we grafted our way to victory and even though we could have got 5 or 6 in the end i`m more than pleased with the two.

Don`t want to be singling out anyone so i`ll leave a comment for each

Reina;Outstanding again.Where would we be without him.

Carra;Immense display.Limited as we know in offence but did a good job out there tonight.

Greek;Super again.Thrived when spurs went long and could have got another.Not played much football and has answered the call in last two games.
Skrtel;Best game for quite a while stuck to defoe like glue.
Insua;Redeemed himself big time.With spurs playing a wide player that comes inside it suited him and it will do well for his performance.
Lucas;Plenty of endevour again as always.Not one of his better performances but made himself a noosence.
Masch;All over the pitch tonight and like a bee wuldn`t let Jenas into the game.
Aquallini;Starting to show some good form.I think he`ll thrive with SG and FT when there all 100%.Looking forward to seeing more of him.
Kuyt;What ca you say.Did a donkey load of work again.Good finish for both goals and i`m made up for him after the sitter on saturday.Could have had a hatrick.We won`t go far wrong if the team mirrors his attitude.Excellent.
Degan;Put in a decent shift.Limited quality it has to be said.I could have killed him when he didn`t shoot after dirk but alls well that ends well.
Riera.Showed how much we miss him.Brought another dimension to the game.Brilliant performance concidering he`s been out for so long.

Subs;
N`gog;Such an impact in short space of time.Added an oulet when he came on.
Maxi;Not much involvement but kept posession any time it came to him.
Darby;By far his best premier league game for the reds.Also his worst and most average league performance.Since it was his league debut

Points well deserved.Tottenham will ache about the dissallowed goal.We were lucky with that.Played some decent stuff but they ran out of ideas and went route one.Outside the 50-65 minute when we retreated and invited them on,we were generally comfortable and dealt with most they had to offer.

I won`t get carried away just yet but i`m over the moon with the performance as much as the result.
The Anfield crowd did their bit too.

Lost the dressing room in my Arse!

Onwards and upwards.Well in Rafa and the lads.

What a great, great result! We could put a fcuking platinum gold lining on it but I’ll settle for the silver one provided by the injury time penalty.

Degen was lively in the first half, disappeared completely in the second and should have been the first player substituted. Still, showed heart and fighting spirit, but wish he had the bollix to go for the shot rather then the pass…

Seem to have found a good replacement for our Sami in the greek – great positioning and spirit.

I sincerely believe we are finding form, this was not a lucky scrape, we were unlucky not to put in more!

YNWA

Well done Lads, I’m very proud of them all, even Degen who must be very bruised and sore. He’s still shit but he gave his all. Maybe Ryan Babel should take a look at David Ngog and see what someone can do with limited opportunities instead of pissing and moaning about not getting enough game time.

It felt awkward not having to bite my nails in the last 10 minutes. Finally a composed finish to an important game. Kyrgiacos was superb and Ngog changed the game when he came on. Well done to the team and especially Rafa!

Very good win. Great attitude from the whole lot of them. we did get lucky with their disallowed goal, but fuck me, we finally got a break! Liked Ngog’s contribution and a telling touch from Maxi to get us the peno. Onwards now..need to keep it up – City are still the main threat

Well done lads, great result, what a difference width makes to players like Aqualani, Reira had a good game coming back from injury, in fact of all our injured players, I think we have missed him the most, he adds genuine width and balance.
.
If Babel still can’t get a run what the hell is he still doing in the first team squad. It’s not like it’s going to get any easier when the lads get back.
.
A lot of talk about this Zigic lad, wow 3 starts in 3 years. Apparently he’s available cheap, it would want to be Fucking cheap.

Ps, there was a lot of hugging on the bench after the game, good to see Rafa hugging his staff. Well done all. Even Gillet got in on the supporting over night. About fucking time, how about some CASH.

No Torres, No gerrard, No Benny, No Worries!!

That was a statement indeed. Well done everyone everywhere who willed it and well done Rafa and the Redmen who made it happen on the pitch. God it feels good indeed !

Just gonna bask the night away.

Looking forward to the next game already.

Anyone know what’s going on with Aurelio? Thought he had a good game against Stoke but not even in reserves today…
I know he’s injury prone but haven’t seen any news on him picking one up.

Aquilani is apparently a complete waste of money and a cpomplete failure.

…and Dirk Kuyt offers us nothing going forward and can’t score.

…ooops!

(petty I know, chirlish for sure, but fuck every last one of the naysaying douchebags!)

You Fracken Beauty!!!!
game of the season 4 me…a fuckload of intensity and some nice football, still no where near our best but some nice passes and we missed 4 sitters….kuyt i could kill you sometimes, great 1st goal but christ!~!!!, degan was ok but when gerrard comes back it might be an idea to put him on the right and keep aqua behind kuyt as the lad had a great 60 mins then tired but his touch and pass……well lets just say there is some seriously fucken nice football to come from that boy…..defence was outstanding..carra and hercules were brill……

nice one rafa…

YeeeeeeeeaaaahhhhH! we’re back. need to follow this up at wolves and get the confidence flowing.

cheers to rafa and the lads!

Really pleased with that win. Thought the lads playedout of their skins – some evenplayed realy well…

I’m going to mention the ref. This is the first time this season that the ref has gone for us rather than against us. He let Kyrgiakos (I’ve now learned to spell his name) and Skrtel powerplay Crouch and Defoe – and Defoe is a right handful, very low center of gravity and strong when backing in. Great job from those two.

The ‘offside’ was an unusual decision. We’ve had many better penalty shouts waved away this season.

I’m not saying that we only won this game because of the ref. I’m saying that we would be in a very different position this season with refereeing that wasn’t so blatantly against us.
Not just the beachball but the way Torres and our other players get kicked to shit with nothing done about it; the way we give away key set pieces for nothing ‘fouls’; corners and throws that come off their players.

I don’t want biased refereeing for us. I don’t want biased refereeing full stop. I just want my team to be able to go out and play without fear of intimidation or having a result stolen from them by the man in the middle.

Every year we’re at or near the bottom of the fair play league. That’s because we go out to play clean football not to hurt people. This year we’re in the middle of the table – but it’s not because we’re playing any different.

Bit of a rant but I’ve got it off my chest. Great win. Proud of the boys. Need to keep it up against Wolves now – and hope for a fair reffing display!

McrRed,

You mean top of the fair play league

McRed, you beat me to it – this is the first game (of this season) that I can remember, where the ref seemed fair i.e. we got a few 50/50 calls going our way. It makes a big difference. Although he did nothing too spectacular, I thought Riera had a big part to play – added a bit of class (together with Aquaman) with his touches, width, and also gets into scoring positions in the box. Lets hope he keeps on taking the corners & free kicks when Gerrard is back. Stevie needs to be in the box with his heading ability…totally wasted taking the corners himslef.
Also thought Rafa’s subs were great – the timing as well as the players (although maybe Degen could have been subbed 1st, but maybe Riera was tiring after several weeks out). Went to bed with a smile on my face for the first time in a long time. Let’s just keep the momentum going against Wolves, with (hopefully) more than 1 goal.
YNWA

heh heh, yes, top of fair play league – bottom of dirty bastards league is what I meant to say…

McrRed

You did very well not to mention the ref in that post LOL

I’ve been a defender of Lucas for quite a while in here and on other forums so it was strange for me to be shouting at a screen in a bar last night (full of mancs and Pool fans!) for Rafa to sub Degen and not Riera.

Riera really made a difference and I was watching all game for how he combined with Insua who suddenly didn’t look flaky at all.

Scapegoat (Lucas – Degen is the new Lucas but has yet to be inaugurated in that role) had his worst game for ages but still did no worse than Mash who I thought was ok. The rest of the team played up and made the difference.

The subs made a real impact and could have had a few more goals/assists with a bit more fortune/composure…

Apologies McrRED I miss read you post

Gazza

Gazza, as Basil Fawlty once said, I think I mentioned him once or twice but I got away with it!

The best games are where you don’t notice the you-know-what…

I watched the game in a bar in Manchester last night and they also had the Villa/Blackburn game on so they were showing our game with no sound. At first I wanted to complain and get it sorted out but something in me said keep quiet and just watch the game. I’m glad I did.

It was SO much better without Gray’s whinging voice and the sniping from the rest of sky ‘team’.

And when I saw bleeding Coppell’s mug again I realised that I could think back to the last umpteen games (where they’ve asked his opinion for some godforsaken, unknown reason) and work out exactly the sort of underhand bile that would form his half-time punditry.

The only thing I liked about the sound eventually coming on for the last 10 minutes when the other match was over was hearing the Rafa chant and knowing that things are getting better.

(I was about to say things are getting back to normal but in this season, this Perfect Storm of a season there is no normal).

Next game I’m definitely going for the radio and sound turned down approach.

why didnt we start with maxi? why was reira subbed? why wasnt larrson on the bench? we should be more convincing against spurs because roy evans and houllier were. arsenal as usual are top middle of the season. united had their reserves out against city but still played well. rafa should walk and souness should be our new manager. finish 8th and he should be given a 10 year contract.

Well done to the lads last night. Got the tempo up from the whistle and after a few nervy moments in the 2nd half, ran out deserved winners. Also, the margin of victory was not flattering, by any means. Even the crowd joined in last night.

All in all, a welcome 3 points and a more than decent performance against decent opposition.

As someone said above, the fight displayed last night put to bed any arguments that Rafa has lost the players.

Wouldn’t go as far to say that “we’re back” but another 3 points against Wolves will be welcome.

Finally, where is Dagger? I think that I am right in saying that he hasn’t even on the bench in the last two outings. Is he injured?

I hear the kop was singing “You’re getting taxed in the morning” to ‘appy ‘arry.

Made me laugh anyhow.

Great game yesterday. It was wonderful to see that attitude and work ethic from the entire team throughout the game. Hercules was particularly impressing of course. Did anyone expect him to perform like this? Remember he was far from first choice when Rafa wanted to bring in some cover in the CB position. It was nice to see Skrtel back to his usual solidity. He’s had a tough season so far.

I have to say Aquilani’s performance was the single most positive for me. Not only does he provide nice touches and passes, but he constantly tracks back to help out defensively. That was vital yesterday as Lucas wasn’t up to his usual standard. It seems Rafa has made Aquilani improve in this area of his game, or improved his attitude towards it anyway. I watched many Roma games during Alberto’s time there, and I can’t remember ever seeing him working like that all over the pitch. This is probably only the beginning for him as well. He will improve for each game he gets. Some of his passes and touches yesterday were almost on a Totti-level.

Like Rafa I think the second half of the season will be something to behold for Liverpool. I don’t think we will see us outplay the opposition for some time to come, but as long as the players approach each game with the right mentality we can always get a good result. It does help to have some fair refereeing too, although we were (for once) lucky with a few decisions yesterday.

I’ve been avoiding the internet and the media for the last few days. Bliss…
No Sack Rafa
No Lucas/Kuyt/Aquilani/insert scapegoats name here, are shite.
No 2 man team.
None of any of it.
Bliss indeed.

But just got back, and had to come in to say this because you are not going to hear it from the media. BM, Digger and co, avert your eyes now…

For nearly an hour before the game, at the players entrance in the players car park at the main stand, where the team coach comes in, was absoulutely fuckin ram jam full with supporters singing Rafa’s name. There was flags all supporting him, and slagging the media for their witch hunt against the man. And even the Rafatollah was there and shoved right in the faces of the Sky cameras while, the lads chanted his name.

His name was constantly sang throughout the game, and after it. It was like a return to the old days, and for once I was proud to be a Kopite again…
We don’t let the media dictate to us.
We support our own, especially in times of trouble.

It really was like the old days again, even the off the cuff humour was back…
The Spuds fans tried to get “You’re getting sacked in the morning” going.
The Kop immeadiately drowned them out with, “Your Getting Taxed In The Morning.”

Even Redknapp laughed at that. 1 Cockney sounding, Asian/Indian looking lad in the Kop, decided to shout “Rafa You Wanker.” It was funny. The soft bastard shouted it just as the crowd went quiet and he was heard all over the gaff. The stick he got, well, it’s a wonder he never got knocked out, which he must have known as he didn’t come back to his seat for the second half. And no. I’m not condoning anyone getting punched. But it was great to see the Kop rallying round it’s own, and I was proud to see the old defiant spirit back.

Only mention of the Kop on Sly and Talk Shite…
moans about how they pressurise refs, that Defoe’s goal should have stood, the ref bottled it because of the Kop, and Spuds would have won if it stood.

Great. I hope that’s all true… it’s nice to have the 12th man back. And even one national couldn’t ignore it…
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/liverpool/7038521/Liverpool-fans-stand-by-Rafael-Benitez-and-reap-reward-with-win-over-Tottenham.html

Enjoy that BM. I had to let you lads know some fact, but I’m off back on me wee break. Not spitting dummies, or disappearing for good. Just concentrating on supporting my club, team and Manager for a bit.

Relieved and happy! Great result but an even better performance. Finally played with some pride and composure. For the first time since the united game I’m encouraged that we can maintain our top 4 status. Standouts for me were Carra, Riera, Aquilani and fast-running-out-of-superlatives-for-him; Pepe Reina. What a save from Jenas. Hard to be harsh on anyone but Degan and Lucas were really poor. And have we ever had a more infuriating player than Kyut?! The man is taking years off my life!

And he scored 2 fuckin goals that won the game…
No wonder I need a break
Tatty bye

Lurgan,
Dagger read one of Burgerbrain’s comments and subsequently had to be rushed to hospital to have his side’s stitched back up.
Seriously i seen somewhere he has that back problem back again,it’s supposed to be the same injury reo cokeinhand has got.
McRed, dont know if you know this but Coppell was a boyhood LFC fan and still is to this day, asked last night if Defoes goal should have stood, he laughed and said he did’nt want to commit himself really but the evidence showed it should have and Gary Mc agreed with him, as for him slating the red’s he only ever done it to my knowledge was when he managed Reading in the prem, as any manager does to opposing teams in the prem, Richard (dickhead) Keys is the slyest twat on sky sports where he gives the pundits the ammo to fire and they dutifuly oblige like the knobheads they are.
YNWA.

Enjoy your well deserved break big fella, rather you stayed around to keep us updated on the fans you malign so much though, ooops!…silly me, meant to say tourists and daytrippers. Well at least you were proud to be a red again. Me, I’m always proud to be one.

@ theredman: didn’t know that about Coppell, surprised or wait a minute – was he the one that Shankly famously brought down to Liverpool and signed on only to have him immediately jump to man utd (after he had been ‘accidentally’ seated next to the utd manager at a Reds match)?

Anyway as I said the sound was down…
…and I know you’re all saying I’m paranoid. I can hear the whispering!

Well now McRed,
that was the STORY that went around in them day’s, even then we were getting mildly vilified, ask FS (by the way welcome back FS even if only briefly) we used to be called boring boring Liverpool mainly i think cos we won everything in fuckin sight, but dont know if your being sarcastic there with your response, if not i apologise, even big ron atkinson was a boyhood LFC fan and that fucker ended up hating us as much as old shitty arse.
YNWA.

Still feeling on top of the world.

I really want to belief that the supporters played a massive role in that game, starting at Stoke’s and right before the game yesterday. Read that Pepe Reina, at least, was quite emotional with the support shown for Rafa and the team.

Tells you a lot about what YNWA really means.

Guys,

I was surprised to read this
http://www.goal.com/en/news/1717/editorial/2010/01/21/1754952/liverpool-comment-forgotten-men-come-good-for-rafa-benitez

One of the rare pieces that speak good of Rafa.

Anyone who’s got LFCtv, watch LFC Now the news show on there.

It’s bound to be repeated a couple of times tonight, and you’ll see what I what I was talking about on there.

And if you see it, ask yourself this….
How/why did Sly not show it?
How/why did Talk Shite not comment on it?
How/why did the papers manage to ignore it?

Well, if they can ignore a club’s supporters forcibly stopping the club’s owner’s from entering their own stadium, I suppose there’s nothing they won’t turn a blind eye to if it doesn’t suit thier agenda.

And yes. Some may feel it’s okay to slag the players and the manager then say how proud they always are of being a red. But like I said, I don’t want to be associated with people like that.

From now on, I’m going to ignore that sort of shite, and concentrate on supporting my club, my team and my manager, and stick around the people that I’m proud to be a part of.

Well, in Spion Kop. I can’t explain how good it is to see the old beast raising it’s head again.

Oh PS… the two lads who got arrested on The SOS move to stop the owners entering Anfield, were in court yesterday.

They were actually charged with Racism.

Yep. For shouting Yanks out, they was charged with inciting Racial Hatred.

How fucking funny is that. I think it’s fucking hilarious. And don’t expect to see it anywhere in the media, but thankfully the Judge agreed with me and laughingly threw it out of court.

I dont know anyone who slags off the players and the manager. I know someone who can identify bad performances and bad management and criticize it as such. I know people who cant differentiate between the two but I dont associate with people who live in fantasy land anymore. I’m concentrating on supporting my team, continuing my quest for the holy grail of ‘worlds greatest superfan’ and perpetuating petty pointless internet feuds in pursuit of that goal.

Hi guys, I’m back from my self-imposed winter hibernation, such is the cruelty of this cold winter season to Liverpool. How many months has it been, I wonder?

Anyway, to make a long story short, I was so gutted after the Arsenal game that I stayed away from all news outlets, including Kopblog.

All save one, I actually bothered to pay 3.5quid a month to subscribe to Paul Tomkins’ brilliant personal blog, The Tomkins Times (TTT), during this cold Winter of Discontent, the TTT became my prime source of all Liverpool news, as I could not trust the papers.

Even for the people who don’t agree with Tomkins are civil, such is the quality of the comments there. Though most of the time, Tomkins does provide useful stats to dispel most of the media rubbish, as he always does.

And Tomkins revealed that everytime a post is posted on the official site, he would often get harassed by hate mail from the Anti Rafa Brigade for his “mindless stats”. Tomkins was kind enough to share some of their “insightful opinion” with us, and some were just hilarious, such as blaming Rafa for the selling of Anelka.

Anyway, I know this sounds cheesy, but I think I maintained my sanity thanks to his positiveness. The Anti Rafa pricks say that Tomkins will spin something positive even if we get relegated, though in contrast, these people will always find something negative even if we win the league back to back.

If that’s the case, I’d rather stick with Tomkins’ positivity than their destructive negativity. It’s better for my health that way.

Anyway, the media witch hunt has gone on feverpitch mode after the FA Cup exit, so much so that the players and supporters are finally beginning to rally together, even with injuries to the key players.

I had a feeling the tide may finally be turning from this “Perfect Storm”, I was glad I took part in giving my support, no matter how small, to the team that gave their all last night. Very, very impressed by their work rate and attitude, showing the media cunts that we can do well even without Gerrard and Torres. Especially impressed by Degen and Kyrgiakos, they’re an eye-opener for me.

I won’t say anything else to jinx the team, so won’t be making premature forecasts for the rest of the season, as there’s been too many false dawns this season. So it’s gonna be one game at a time for me, will not be taking anything for granted against Wolves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1ScT3xjzQs

Very moved to see the fans still behind Rafa, I’m beginning to believe the 606 horde and Talk Shite phone-in “fans” are actually a vocal minority. When push comes to shove, the silent majority will come up and put these cunts in their place.

“I dont know anyone who slags off the players and the manager. I know someone who can identify bad performances and bad management and criticize it as such. I know people who cant differentiate between the two but I dont associate with people who live in fantasy land anymore. I’m concentrating on supporting my team, continuing my quest for the holy grail of ‘worlds greatest superfan’ and perpetuating petty pointless internet feuds in pursuit of that goal.”

HA! Don’t know where to start pulling that apart… it would take Freud or Benny Hill to point out all the hilarious ironies and underlying cognative problems.

So I’ll just say… Digger, here’s some locals…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1ScT3xjzQs

If the choice is between being labeled a Superfan by the likes of you or being associated to the likes of you…
No contest. Guilty as charged by the eternally proud Red.

Kinny #325, good on you lad. I know exactly how you feel.

For the good lads who understand the Liverpool Way, bang a few h’s on the front of these….

ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqwQ6yYGxCM

ttp://www.clickliverpool.com/sport/liverpool-fc/127694-liverpool-fc-fans-show-of-strength-inspires-win-over-tottenham-hotspur.html

ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1ScT3xjzQs
http://www.twitvid.com/80E79

ttp://www.twitvid.com/F625A

Funny how some of our own “Supporters” don’t get this, even when the likes of him can…

ttp://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2010/01/21/liverpool-fc-kop-most-amazing-sight-in-football-says-harry-redknapp-100252-25652549/

Might pop back in after the Wolves game, but tatty bye for now.

Id go with Benny if I were you Fatty, afterall Freud did say we’re the only race that cant be psycho-analysed! Look Fatty I thought our latest spat had cooled when we were discussing the movies a while back. Grand. Then your out for a coupla days, your first post back in and your pick pick picking away again! What gives mate?! Clearly you dont like me so just leave it no?? I can do this all day, all season if you like but, I mean really, we’re 2 grown men. At what point do we just say ‘ah fuck it….’?

For all those who wanted Rafa gone…
For all those who bought the media bullshit…
For all those who bought anything Whelan and Souness had to say…

… but are now basking in the glory of last night’s win… I say this…

Being a Liverpool fan is not about basking in the glory…
… it is about supporting the team, the manager, the players…
… when we are down, with our backs to the wall…
… in a pit of despair, on a bad run of form and results…

“…And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.”
St. Cripen’s Day Speech, from Henry V
William Shakespeare, 1599

To all the doubters, naysayers, backstabbers… I say… hold your manhoods cheap!

showing signs of recovery great result could have been better with a bit more composure keep it up redmen.

Great result lastnight..Aquaman is starting to look the part.he deffo has class.
Kuyt took his goal well , then had the composure to take that penalty twice.
I just had a mate of mine send me an e-mail abou the game, and he made the comment that Masher should be sold in the summer because he gets too many yellow cards..this is a guy who was born and raised in Anfield.Truly amazing…

I thought Lucas got a yellow yesterday, does that put him out next game. Midfielders are always going to get cards, that’s there combative natures.
.
Fatty back again, good to here from you.
.
I noticed the papers down here reporting the two lads who yelled Racist remarkd to the LFC owners had their matters dismissed. One of the big no doubt owned by someone bigger Rags reported it.
.
I wonder how much our owners influence the papers, afterall they love the press. Good or bad doesn’t worry them, keeps their names in the spotlight.

Well lads Last night showed what happens when the fans turn up and the team turns up and what a difference.
Anyway as some of you know ive been fighting with “supporters” in the playground, that is the comments section on TIA, all week. Now its been childish at times but i got it round to a Adult debate which would involve no name calling of anybody inc Rafa and to basically think about what they write and back it up. Guess what only 1 “supporter” stuck with the debate every one else bottled it.
So i pinned him down to a few questions and then set about his answers which include the usual,Timing of subs,Wasting money,bad man management, Too defencive, Rafa’s goatie etc etc.So basically ive got him in the corner he’s on the ropes and i’ve prepared my final assault.
Guess what happened next ?.
I will point out this as been on Matt Ladson’s kneejerk article he’s the one running sack Rafa polls in the Forums all week. By the way Matt lost the vote on his little poll so he’s a little peeved.

Matt Ladson strikes me as a bit manic-depressive…
…one minute he’s all “sack Rafa” and the next he’s “we’re gonna win the league” then back to “sack Rafa”
…perhaps he needs ridelin?

Someone one the pre-match thread said Spurs were one of our bogey sides. I couldn’t stop laughing, they’ve only beat us in the league at Anfield once since the Titanic went down

That Harris guys from ESPN is at his “best” again after our win over Spurs

****

Anfield remains the epicentre of surprises
By Harry Harris
(Archive)
January 21, 2010

So it was all a ‘blip’ after all and George Gillett clearly knew what he was talking about when he insisted that Rafa Benitez is one of the top five coaches in the world. Or, is it a blip in reverse, a win over rivals for a top four spot that, in reality, has done little other than to have papered over the cracks?

Anfield is certainly the epicentre of a season of surprises, and it was a surprise that Liverpool won at home against Tottenham, one of the teams tipped to end the season with an elusive top four spot. It has been a remarkably unpredictable season.

It was Spurs’ best chance to break a 17-year winless run at Anfield against a Liverpool side struggling for confidence and form, but Harry Redknapp’s side showed little sign of dismissing that statistic.

Tottenham looked like the nearly team they have proven to be so often. It was frustrating for any Spurs fan to watch a side full of such promise fail to overcome the physiological barrier of winning at Anfield, when a team shorn of Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard were there for the taking. In fact, Redknapp’s side were caught short, and the Spurs boss was far from amused. Sebastien Bassong didn’t have any shorts when called upon to come off the bench and conceded a late penalty, and Spurs ‘aspirations to clinch one of those coveted top four spots were dented. Redknapp’s side were caught with their trousers down, while Benitez oversaw his team pull their socks up.

Not blessed with fully fit centre halves, captain Ledley King failed to last the course and was taken off, while Jonathan Woodgate remains injured, so there appears every reason to re-sign Younes Kaboul from Portsmouth.

And to compound Spurs fans’ misery, bitter rivals Arsenal came back to beat Bolton at the Emirates to top the Premier League. Only a few weeks ago, Chelsea were nailed-on certainties to take the title, in what was at best a two horse race, and now suddenly Arsenal are on top of the pile.

Liverpool seemed doomed to suffer financial meltdown by failing to qualify for the Champions League and despite the embarrassment of going out of the FA Cup to Reading at Anfield, they have gone on a run in the league to take them within a point of Spurs in the race for fourth position.

Calm down, though. I’m afraid I’m sticking to my guns. I still think Spurs will pull themselves together and that Manchester City remain a major threat. Arsenal continue to mesmerise both their own fans and neutrals alike with their superior brand of pass and move football, but the Gunners really don’t have the strength in depth to maintain that lofty position, and it might be premature to believe that all is well in the domain of Benitez too.

But let’s give the guy some credit, with his back to the wall and suffering endless headlines about his future and speculation about who might replace him, the players have shown an admirable fighting spirit, epitomised by captain Jamie Carragher.

The defender has had one of the worst seasons of his career, but he never stops trying, and set the tone against Spurs with a crunching early tackle and never flinched throughout a tough contest with so much at stake for both sides.

GettyImages

Liverpool fans continue to support Rafael benitez.

For those who have been calling for his head (myself included), Benitez enjoyed his respite, with the home crowd chanting his name at half time and at the end to make a mockery of some of the Spurs fans sniping “You’ll be sacked in the morning”.

We all know the American owners cannot afford to sack Benitez and are waiting for either new investment or new owners. A final assessment will be made at the end of the season and will be largely based on whether Benitez can guide the club back into the Champions League.

Benitez has guaranteed everyone that Liverpool will finish in the top four, and this victory, no matter how nervy, will support his claim. Don’t believe it though, I certainly don’t swallow it. It’s been far too traumatic a season and Liverpool could easily fall to a more unlikely opponent.

Did anyone mention to Harry the Fuckwit, that once he made his iron clad speel about Mancini, they went a got beat by Everton. Come on Harry stand up and be counted. Ha.

Skeat no offense pal but i wish you wouldn`t tarnish this great blog with that crap.

It`s amazing what support like that can do.Rafa and the the players must have felt ten feet tall coming in on the bus last night.Great stuff.

Instaed of sitting on your arse and moaning at the match.Get up and support the team and be the twelth man again.

Sure man..

Where’s BM by the way.

Great result lads.

That Dirk lad has some heart. Sure he may have been frustrating during the game (missed a few sitter), but he really lead the team well, real leadership from him.

Kyriagkos was also quality, should have scored, but all in all stuck to Crouch.

Im looking forward to seeing the team over the next few weeks, and anticipating Johnson/agger/stevie/torres return eventually and really push in the last 5-10 games.

Kinny, great link on 326! Had a lump in my throat watching that (soft bastard I am), and I will be sure to send it on to some of my ‘Reds-supporting’ mates who are doubting the team & Rafa.

Arguing the other day with a fellow Red:

Benitez has to go.
Why?
He’s a crap manager.
If he goes who do you replace him with?
Allardyce. Hodgson.
So they’ve got better records than Benitez?
They’d do better than him, he hasn’t won anything in years.
But you admire Wenger he hasn’t won anything in years…
He’s won the premiership!
Benitez has won the Champion’s League in the same time…
He has to go.
[At this point a Leeds fan chirps up]
Liverpool were close last year to winning the league…if you had done would you still want Benitez to go?
Yes.

I had to leave it at that point…Leeds fans being more supportive than a fellow Red? WIht friends like that….

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