“I don’t think they are too happy with me at the moment, particularly as I also sent one of them a pair of Liverpool FC designed curtains at Christmas and told him that I figured it would be the ideal gift for someone who enjoys living in our shadow. That didn’t go down too well, but sometimes you’ve just got to do what you’ve got to do.”

Gerry you are so cruel but I could not stop myself from laughing. The boys did a professional job on Thursday, considering that that the pitch was worse than a rice plantation site.

With regard to today’s game, just like you I can’t stand Alladyce. I enjoyed the thumping we gave them last season and I’ll give my right arm for a similar or better result today.

I think Torres should start today as I reckon that his presence on the pitch may give the Blackburn defenders plenty to worry about and this may create space for the likes of Gerrard, Kuyt and Benny. I agree that Lucas or Mascherano should take the bench today and I’ll opt for Lucas. Masch can protect the back four on his own because I expect Blackburn to pack the bus in front of the goal.

I’ve argued earlier on this forum that we won’t be seeing champaigne football between now and the end of the season. I stand by that view because it’s all about the results between now and the end of the season.

As regards the enigma that is Babel, if Rafa can unlock his potential it will be as big as breaking the German enigma code in World War 2. His turn and shot in the game against Arsenal were world class. Almunia was lucky that the ball flew straight at him.

I continue to remain hopeful that Ryan will be a success at Anfield. Perhaps it may be my imagination but his attitude on the pitch appears to have improved a great deal. Long may that continue. A 2-0 or 3-0 victory for the boys today.

2-0 to the Reds 2moro (Gerrard 20, Kuyt 55).Only one saturday game for the rest of the season if the Reds reach the europa final!.The pitch was a great work out for the Wigan game.

After all the disrespect given to Rafa from the Romanian press in the pre-match conference, I’m pleased we have taken the piss out of Urinal.

Now, for part two: Take away his LARD and turn him into Alyce.

should prove to be a tricky encounter tomorrow really worried about them on set-pieces but we should have too much in attack for them IF nando plays a part.

Just back. What a karsey. If you think the pitch was bad you should have seen the streets… mud everywhere. Poor buggers are skint though, and you can’t blame anyone for that when there’s no opportunity or dough about.

But to give you an idea of how bollacksed it is…
I walked through this park, run down and when I say walked I mean I tip toed and leapt from the least muddy bit to the next. I near got done for trying to smuggle half of bucharest home on me trainees.

Anyway, the park must have been lovely in it’s day. It was the main square in the centre of town, with a huge old lovely fountain in the middle of it. Not a drain of water in it except for an aul rain puddle, and I kid you not…
A dead dog slap bang in the middle of it. Poor fucker must have been there for at least a week an all.

So, that’s the state of the place. The people were alright though, friendly and that. And the ale was a pound a pint…
So, it’s back to the couch to lick me self inflicted wounds for me.

As for Babel, Churchill said it best, a puzzle wrapped in the mystery of an enigma.

Or something like that, sort of sums him up though. Meself, I’d just let him go, try and sell him to some decent European team and hope we get the few bob off the other pair of robbing bastards.

Oh well, back to the couch to watch the two novue riche upstarts. Can’t work out which club I dislike more. I suppose I’d normally want City to stuff them, but in our position we’ve got to hope they get beat. Football is horrible at times, eh.

If I had anything better to do, I wouldn’t even watch it. Our Kid and he’s bluenosed mates are out on the town today for their end of season do, but I don’t think I’d be too welcome at that wake.

Posted in last blog didn`t realise there was another blog..

It will certainly be hard Sambo to reach the hieghts of last seasons performance.Saying that we can improve the way we play going forward now we`ve sorted ourselves out at the back.

The return of benny,Torres and soon Johnson will add a new dimensionb to our play n0o doubt about that.The thing is pal this isn`t FIFA10 so it will take a few games for these three very important players to get up to speed.

I`m confident we can do them tomorrow.I see Fat Sam is at it again.The sad oul cunt is just looking for attention again and there`s no better way to get attention from the press than slagging off Rafa.He`s best ignored i`m sure Rafa will ignore him.

I,like everyone else would like to see torres start tomorrow but if Rafa decides different,then i`ll understand.
My team would be…

Reina
Carra,Kerry Argos,Agger,Insua
mash,lucas
Babel,gerrard,benny
Kuyt.

I feel N`gog could do with a rest and Babel has earned a chance to keep his spot.

FS,
glad your back safe and sound bud, that place sound’s like Skem.
Can you believe the fuckin half witted chav fans booing Bridge, honestly there is’nt 2 brain cells between that lot of fuckin morons, Bridge was taking a throw and of course the camera was on him showing a teenage turd mouthing the word’s “you fucking prick”, like Slim Pickins in Blazing Saddles said’ ” i am depressed “.
You are right about normally wanting city to stuff them FS, morally i would love to see them (chavs) fuckin hammered, the horrible cunts.
YNWA.

I went to Skem once mate, in a roundabout way.

Have you ever seen so many in your life. They must have had roundabout gear left over so just lashed them in all over the place.

Are Chelsea fans the worst or what? Did you see Sky stage manage them before the match. Stupid, fat, drunk, baldy headed, knuckle dragging, imbecile kunts.

I can’t bear them, their players or anything about that horrible fuckin club. They’re a goal down now, and I should be made up. But I’m not only hoping they at least get a draw, I’m left hoping they win the league if Arsenal can’t nick it.

What a fucker footy can be, eh.

Oh shit. That looks like that then. But fuck it. I suppose it’s justice. So, I’m just gonna laugh at the Chavs and hope we catch Shitee over the last few games.

Hi Gerry,
Great blog, with your usual hilarity as cute as always. I look forward to the game tomorrow against Blackburn. Should hit them for 3-0, to silence Diuof, and big fat Sam A himself.
Was away in India for work and forgot to tune in to the game against Bucharest. FS Hope you enjoyed that game and Bucharest itself. I remember you told me you were booking for the Misses to go too. Hope she enjoyed the city too.

Hi Gerry and fellow Kopites.

My gems this week:

1)”…Anyway we’re now in the last 16 and will face Lillet’s in our next monthly cycle in the competition and it’s sure to be an interesting period of our season…” (I’m sure there was no pun intended there, ha ha)

2) “…The other good news from the Europa League in midweek was seeing our wee neighbours Everton being thumped 3-0 by Sporting Lesbian…”

3) “…I took some perverse pleasure from that result because I have a few mates who are lifelong Evertonians and I enjoy telling them that even though we are having one of our worst seasons in years, we are still a class above them. I don’t think they are too happy with me at the moment, particularly as I also sent one of them a pair of Liverpool FC designed curtains at Christmas and told him that I figured it would be the ideal gift for someone who enjoys living in our shadow. That didn’t go down too well, but sometimes you’ve just got to do what you’ve got to do…”

My congrats to our captain for surpassing Shearer’s European goalscoring record. It’s wonderful to note that despite people berating Rafa for being a specialist in “defensive rotation”, a fabulous player, Gerrard, has been played “out of position” and ended up being a goalscoring machine and nuisance to the opposition.

We were already aware he could play anywhere but didn’t envision him in the hole or as a right winger. A lesser manager would have let this Englishman continue “playing in his best position of central midfield”. I hope Jermaine Pennant’s noting.

My second congratulations is to Agger for reaching 100 games for the Reds. I appreciate and laud his contribution and class despite a what if regarding an injury free playing career at Anfield.

Mascherano’s goal celebration was pure passion and a beauty to watch. I hope Babel isn’t taking us through another cycle – moaning, Rafa speaks to him, Babel repents, Babel plays wonderfully, Babel switches off.

I would still rather have Flying Ryan in my side than in the opposition because of what he can do. Unlike the player’s beliefs, he’s gifted enough to play as a striker or in the wings. He doesn’t like the wings but has the pace and strength to play there nevertheless. What can he do from the flanks? Just the small matter of crossing like he did for Ngog to score in our first leg Europa encounter and direct running at the opposition (second leg, goal three). I enjoyed watching his nuisance factor in Unirea’s penalty area, causing widespread panic and goals galore.

Are we out of the playing woods yet? I don’t know but what I DO know is we and Rafa are most dangerous when counted out. We can still believe and show the world what true Kopism is. We are not fairweather fans regardless of where we are. We are Reds even more so in adversity and storms.

Thanks once more Gerry for absolutely making my day. Siempre es posible and we CAN do it. C’mon you Reds. Airborne gang!

YN(Ever)WA(Ever)!

[Update] Man City have won 4-2. Regardless of it all, we can only control our destiny. Tomorrow we tackle Blackburn and keep in touch with fourth. C’mon you Reds!

See the tramps arse-licker in chief is at it again doing what he does best shouting his fuckin mouth off,

http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,1776_5986366,00.html

the fuckin big telly headed cunt.

Super read Gerry and very whitty as usual.

Babel is certainly an enigma and we`ve had multiple discussions in here about him.He has the tools alright but sometimes we wonder has he forgot how to use them.
To be fair to Rafa he has given him his chance and he,to his credit,has performed well in last couple of games.
Rafa could have so easily washed his hands of him after his behaviour but he`s stuck by him and if it helps improves our team then its a good call from the manager.
Weather some want him to stay or be sold he`s here until may at least so if he continues to perform well that can only be good for the team.

FS good to see you got back in one piece even though you probably won`t feel like it.I`m sure you`ve brought the misses to more exotic spots.Thats the lenghts you go to watch the redmen fair play.

I took a shot in the dark myself and booked Hamburg.Well just the flights only one way.Got a flight from cork to Libpool for 25 yoyo`s on the monday and flying liverpool to bremen for 45 on the tuesday.
Its not out of cockyness or aragance that i`l think we`l stroll to hamburg but we`re in with a shout so i took a gamble.If we make the semis i`ll start checking out hotels.

A gamble but not a big one for 70 nicker.

Glad to see you back FS. We missed you.

I see the Chavs getting hammered at home for the first time in ages. While it’s pleasing to see these Chavs are getting a taste of their own medicine, I’m pissed that there’s now one less straw for me to clutch on, I see.

Everytime we end up being dependent on others to stop our competitors, those said other clubs simply fall flat and drop dead.

I think I stopped believing in God ever since the Scum somehow managed to win the fucking treble in 1999, but after tempting me with Istanbul 5 years ago, it seems he is making sure I don’t come back to him anymore.

Fuck you, Shitty, if you’re gonna go on a run, make sure you’d better go on and beat the crap out of the Scum to stop them winning number 19.

Fuck that, Fat Sam, you’re a dead man tomorrow. Rafa, I give you free license to insult him however you like in his face, take all your frustration (and ours) out on this cunt.

Thanks lads. I never took the missus to this one though. I might let her out the kitchen for Hamburg if she’s good. And a good deal that Timmy. I’ll probably go to Lille. It’s like a home game for me… quick nip through the tunnel, over the border into Belgium for baccy, back to watch the game, quick piss up and home. Nice day out.

New song in Bucharest…

Kyrgiakos is a scouser,
Kyrgiakos is a red,
Kyrgiakos plays for liverpool…
And he broke Fellaini’s leg.

Funny. But the funniest thing all trip, some lad throw a Dildo on the running track as the subs was warming up. Kuyt clocked it first, burst out laughing, showed it to Nando. Nando doubled up laughing, but kicked it out the way. A steward slyly slid it up the sleeve of he’s coat and got off with it. Dead funny.

Oh well, off to watch the Arse. Hope they stuff Stoke but can see them coming unstuck against the Neanderthal footy and it being a good day for those other bastards. Oh well, let’s hope they’ve learned to handle a bit of rough and a silly bloody throw in.

Here we go, first throw in… 1 – 0. Diabloodybolical. Pathetic.

Fat Scouser

The problem with Arsenal is that they always man-mark. They don’t use zonal marking.

1-1 now.

While pissed at the Shitty Chav result, this still amuses me: Bridge refusing to shake Terry’s hand.

ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afzBynuqrdQ (add the h at the front)

Thank god for that – Arsenal won 3-1 at Stoke.

They could yet save us from having to watch the Chavs, or worse still the Mancs winning the Prem.

They are now just 3 points behind the Chavs and we still have to go to Old Toilet in three weeks time and “welcome” the Chavs to Anfield in May. Should be an interesting end to the season.

FS,
did you watch the Stoke v arsenel game, the ref was a fuckin disgrace, the fouls he let go by stoke in the first half was fuckin mind blowing to say the least, that Abdoule Faye should’nt be allowed to wear footie boots as he used his hands and arms most of the first half i dont think he touched the fuckin ball with his feet at all.
So it was only a matter of time that something like that would happen to a player, i hope Ramsey is going to be OK but Sky would’nt show him lying on the pitch as his injury was that horrific and they did’nt want to sicken the viewers, i know Shawcross is not a dirty player as i would’nt mind Raffa putting in a bid for the lad next summer, but it was a bad bad tackle so bad he was in tears leaving the pitch.
The ref did’nt get any better still letting bad tackles and obstructions go and blowing and booking for little petty fouls it just is’nt good enough for the supposedly best league in the world.
Hope Ramsey recovers like Eduardo did.
YNWA.

“These glimpses of his ability have been few and far between but they do show that he has good instincts and a certain degree of footballing intelligence.”

That’s exactly it, and exactly why i don’t think he’ll ever be a success in a Rafa Benitez side. So much of what we do isn’t on instinct at all, everything is tactical, standing in zones, give, but don’t go etc.

It’s why I laugh at all the fist clenching and “if only’s” whenever Bellamy has a good game for City. He’s played in the exact position Ryan should be played, as a wide left forward, not a left side mid-fielder, but a forward. Someone whose given a little bit of license to stay up the pitch and look to do teams on the counter with his pace. Babel could do that too. The difference being that when we counter, we’ve rarely ever got anyone ahead of the ball.

The saddest part about Babel is his actual ability, he’s got power, pace and a great shot, but his touch is his let down. However if he put more application into his attributes, then the sky’s the limit.
.
Sadly that’s his biggest hurdle, the mental side of playing for a high profile, giant of a club.
.
I had high hopes for Babel, but when his most memorable games come against Derby and Urinal in several seasons, it’s time to bite the bullet and cash in.
.
I also think his head lets him down when he gets injured, for example when the ball hit him in the head at City. If that was Carra he would have been embarrassed to stay lying on the pitch, Babel on the other hand was down for 7 minutes and looked like that was it.
.
Nice young lad but just not up to playing for a big team.
.
Ok, Blackburn, when was the last time Fat Sam had a heart attack, is he due soon. Lets hope we batter them more that 1-0.

I really hope we bang them 4:0 . The time is right , we’re solid in defense , we’re strong in attack , with a little bit of luck we could get it right , and a massive win with 4 goals will get us back on track till the end of the season .

Hope we see Pepe, Kelly, JC, Dagger, Insua, Benny/Babel, Masch, Stevie, Riera and Aquilani just off Dirk. Im torn btwn Babel and Benny but think Ryan should retain his place, he’s earned it. Hope we’re a couple up by the 60th so we can throw on Nando and Benny and the camera flicks to pumpkinhead chewing ever more anxiously. Then after Nando scores this yrs goal of the season Rafa walks up too lardeyes and says ‘game over fatboy’. Now that would be sweet.

Just came across this little snippet from pacman Sam.

http://www.imscouting.com/global-news-article/Allardyce-accuses-Liverpool-of-mistreating-Diouf/6094/

Look at the comments at the bottom of the page lad’s, i wonder if that is our Thomo.
2-0 to the boy’s today.
YNWA.

Allardyce – what a fucking muppet,

Good win for the reds on Thursday – would expect them to have to much for the shit kickers today

RE : Babel – for me its too little to late – he’s only putting in the graft now because its coming up to the world cup

Starting Lineup:
Reina,
Mascherano, Aurelio, Agger, Carragher,
Lucas, Gerrard, Benayoun, Kuyt, Rodriguez,
Torres

Good to see Torres back…

There we go, Babel back to the bench just as he’s been showing signs of finding form. If we had creativity in abundance all over the pitch then I would understand but jesus, last match was the first time we got 3 goals since september!
I know a lot of people have given up on Babel and perhaps you are right A-Linn – maybe he’s only grafting now because world cup is on the horizon – but we can still use the goals if he can come up with them…
Anyways, Maxi and Nando together on the pitch for Liverpool for the first time, interesting to see how that works. I’ll take 3 points cheers and some gloss on the scoreline is sadly something we also need to work on, in the end it might come down to that.

I’m very surprised and delighted to see Torres starting today – I really didn’t think he would do. Well done Lurgan, you called it right.

Now let’s hope we get these 3 points. Tottenham and Man.City both won this weekend.

Seems like Rafa got his team selection spot on. Nice assist by Maxi but who played the ball from midfield to Maxi?

Lucas?

Lucas made that pass. So much talk about Lucas not contributing anything to Liverpool’s attacking play.

…and how about Monster in the right back position…?

I think he did much better than Carra in the right back position.

I don’t like gloating, who predicted Gerrard 20 as first scorer?.Decent performance, hope they hang on for 3 points.

Torres scores the winner! Sounds familiar, doesen’t it?

Reina made a superb save from Samba at the death to secure all three points. I’m happy with this result, it puts us back on track.

A trip to Wigan on Monday week before the Trip to Lille on 11th March. Great to see Nando back, and scoring too!

That was worrying a bit at the end. Anyhows, job’s done, three points in the bag! Here’s to up yours fat sam!!

just p yet snt see gameidult,dopped in to say great reso wont comment.

Jesus what happened there?

I think ye`ll get me drift

good result some nice passages of play gotta keep it going right to end hopefully we can beat the mancs and chavski and help the gunners to the title while securing fourth along the way.

Redman: I did see the game. Sickner for the poor lad, and I hope he recovers well and soon. He would have been one of us, if them pair of fat robbing bastards weren’t pocketing every penny that comes into the club.

But here’s the thing mate…
I certainly don’t want to see it again, but if you do, have a look at his standing leg.

It was already over, bent double. He was sort of standing on his ankle/outstep as he hit the ball. So it was in a perfect position to snap if any contact was made.

That doesn’t sound right, but I hope you get my drift. I’m not excusing what happened to the lad. But I’m pretty sure it wasn’t intentional and one of them tragic accidents that can’t be averted once it’s started…
He had already moved the ball as the tackle came in, and once it hit him, his leg was bound to snap.

Terrible shame though, and I really am gutted for the lad and Arsenal. I really hope they can win the league, but it’s not just that. I hate to see that happen to anyone, even Gary Neville.

Tell you what though mate, I wouldn’t have been surprised if something similar had happened to one of ours today. Fucking filth from start to finish that mob, and that’s one prick that Allarshite fella. He obviously sent them out with clear instructions… do them in.

Alehouse team managed by a yard dog. But that was the sort of hard fought win that can send us on a run. It was the sort of performance I was hoping for before Christmas. We’ve won a few of them lately, and I just hope it’s enough to see us have the confidence to start playing now. And there was glimpses of it today.

On top of that, all our creative players are approaching full fitness. Apparently Aurelio has just ripped a thigh muscle, and Skrtle broke a metarsal. But Nando, Gerrard, Yossi are near fully match fit now. And Johnson is only a week or so away. And I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves but here’s our league run in…

Wigan Athletic v Liverpool
Liverpool v Portsmouth
Man Utd v Liverpool
Liverpool v Sunderland
Liverpool v Fulham
Liverpool v West Ham
Burnley v Liverpool
Liverpool v Chelsea
Hull City v Liverpool

I see nothing to fear in that lot, and that’s including the Mancs and Chavs. So I’m looking forward to it meself.

And Red, I’ll be home for the Sunderland game. I’ll be staying in Bootle for four or five days, but I’ll be meeting a few Huyton lads for the match and might end up there for a few bevvys afterwards. I’ll let you know when it gets nearer in case you fancy a couple of scoops.

A bloody disgrace the way Blackburn played today. They have some really good players that I respect, like Samba, but most of them are nothing more than a mediocre bunch of thugs being urged to play dirty and violent by their so-called manager. It’s a completely different story when both Everton and us play like that in the derbies. I get upset when the ref misses clear red cards committed by Everton players then as well, but Fat Sam always has his players go on like that, and I’m sure he enjoyed seeing his best friend Rafa get his players torn to pieces at times and his own players getting away with it. I’m sure him and Fergie will have a good laugh and a fucking bottle of whiskey talking about it the next time they meet.

Anyway, we are lucky to have such a great keeper as Pepe. Even though I thought we had done enough to nick the three points, it might well have ended up differently. Some months ago I’m sure it had. Now let’s build on this victory and fight until the end to get that fourth spot.

sachem – I bet Alan Wiley would give them good company. Its not like he didn’t see those red cards but he chose to give a yellow for the challenge on Lucas and nothing for the challenge on Maxi!!! Both deserved reds in my opinion.

Still didn`t see game but popped in to drop a quote form Rafa.

“We can win on the pitch and enjoy. Some people have to talk before or after the press conference because it’s more difficult for them to do a football job.

“I think he’s a model for managers all around the world. I am sure his style of football, his behaviour – everything. It’s the perfect model for all the kids.

“The style of football – I am sure Barcelona are thinking about copying the style.”

Love that sarcy git

Another bless from Torres and Gerrard ! Hope we see more of this till the end of the season I think Rafa didn’t play Babel because he played full time at Romania . I’m confident Ryan will start next premier league game . He’s showing character , perhaps he can finally develop , I have high hopes for him .

TimmyT, you dont have a youtube link to those super comments by rafa do you?

” The Boys are back in Town”
Gerrard and Torres double act..great to see
them scoring.
I thought Stevie G looked so much more at home in the middle of the ‘Park”, some of his cross field passing was sublime.
Well done to all the lads.Maxi looked like he was enjoying himself out there, getting stuck in and fighting for the ball.Great ball across to Torres.
Well done Lucas ( maybe Rafa does know something about picking players).
Masher grew into his role at right back as the game progressed.I would keep him there against Wigan if Johnson isn’t fully fit, especially on that cow pasture.
How does Chimbonda stay on the Pitch after that kick out against Maxi?
“Shithouse allardyce, was intent on trying to kick Liverpool off the park, but we were up for the fight Today..
Congrats to everyone Today.Especially Pepe Reina.
The best Keeper in the Prem.

F.S what part of Bootle are you staying in?

RS: I’m up near the Strand.

Just watching the game now as i type.Seen the highlights on MOTD2 last night but i`d like to see the whole game to study it.

One thing i do know is we are blessed to have a keeper in the calibre of Pepe.
My six year old joined his first team this season and has taken a fancy to playing in goal.Not what i foreseen for him but whatever makes him happiest is most important.
When he gets a bit older and still wants to play there i`ll showe him footage of this great goalkeeper we have.As an all round keeper i don`t think there`s any better in the world.

Sad to see Aurelio gone off again,the lad has no luck on the injury front.

The team is starting to put some good moves together now that benny and nando have got back in.
I see someone impersonating Lucas played a defense splitting pass that resulted in the second goal.
Thats two mythical passes now Digger

Fatty i meant to ask you did you see the banner a few irish lads brought to Buacherest.We all chipped in for it on the site its a ace banner i was wondering if you spotted it?

The inspiration behind it is the style of communist leaders posters from the 60′s, Chairman Moa and all that but with Shanks,Bob,Joe,Kenny and Rafa in it.

http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/6043/commiewatermarked25b558.jpg

Paddy is cleaning his rifle & he accidentally shoots his wife, so he dials 999
Paddy: It’s my wife, I shot her by accident, I think I’ve killed her”
Operator: “Sir, Can you please make sure she’s actually dead”
CLICK BANG!
Paddy: “Okay, done that, what’s next”

Nice one Timmy.

Carlos Tevez on seeing his new born baby for the first time says to his wife – “It looks nothing like me!” irritated she shouts back “Give me a chance git I’ve only just put the kettle on!”

Lol! Yeah Tim, 2 of em in what, 120 odd appearances over 3 seasons? Yup, he’s really raising the bar! But sure he’s just a young inexperienced kid dont ya know?! But seriously, he had a mare of a first half apart from his annual moment of inspiration. Constantly pushed off the ball, (something he gave away at an alarming rate) he was a real liability and extremely unsure of himself or what to do. Must say to his credit he improved in the 2nd half and battled for everything. So there is that…

I didn’t see it there Timmy, but I know the banner. There’s T-shirts with it on for sale.

I should know better, but…
A young lad, thrust into his first full season and forced to play practically every game, goes onto become one of our most consistent and better players of the season…
Some of our fans continue to slate him.

A fella who is deemed (By some, not me) to have all the attributes to become a world class player, consistently fucks up chance after chance, moans and whinges, acts like a prima donna superstar, demands transfers, slags the club and manager in the media, generally shows a bad lazy attitude, and – despite the odd decent thing and goal – doesn’t do enough to displace players rightly ahead of him in the playing order. The manager continues to give him his backing – in public/the media and by playing him…
Some of our fans continue to back the player and slate the manager.

Things really have changed at this club. So much so, that it’s getting to the point that I’m actually embarrased by some of our “supporters.”

Oh well, modern life eh.

Two and rising Dig,in all seriousness though he`s improved big time no doubt about that.Fellas who have once said he`s not fit to put on the shirt now are admitting his improvement.

Long may it continue.

You on about Diouff there FS.

78 points are the max the Reds can finish with.The Cita result means there won’t be much room for error.73 POINTS COULD BE ENOUGH FOR FOURTH.The Manc win means sixth in the prem will get a euro spot.

TT, great stuff from Rafa. What did you get that, mate?

That was in his post match press conference Knight.I`ll try find a link.

Akka,Knight..

I can`t find a link to the vidoe but if any of you have a E-season ticket for the officail site then its on that.

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/eseason/Premiership/09-10/Liverpool-Blackburn-Rovers-28-02-2010/Rafa-on-Allardy-17265.php3

Apparently Wayne Bridge texted John Terry and said
“That’s the way to play away from you c**t!!

15 year-old atacking midfielder Raheem Sterling has signed for Liverpool from QPR. Anyone know anything else about this kid? He’s meant to be the Dog’s bollocks!

Nice jokes by the way lads!

He has Tim no doubt. But in all seriousness that wouldent have been difficult! Question for ya Tim: given Stevies impressive turn in the centre yesterday, when Johnson returns and Masch is restored to midfield, would you retain Stevie or continue with arguably the most limited midfield partnership in the Prem? In other words, Stevie and Masch or Masch and Lucus?

Arguably the most limited midfield in the prem? Is that a serious comment? I’d defo have stevie G pushing further forward supporting El Nino. I would like to see our man Aquilani more though, I think he’ll be class.

#64: Steve, apparently Rafa’s been after the kid for a while. As usual, all the top clubs got onto this and started trying to lure the kid away. So, Kenny Dalglish got onto the kid and his family…
Bingo! He’s a Liverpool player.

Of course, in here, instead of that being seen as a good bit of business/management by Rafa – 1: getting Kenny out of retirement and back on the LFC bus, 2: Getting Kenny to sway the kid – I expect that comment to bring fresh calls for Rafa’s head and for him to be replaced by Dalglish.

But you’re right. Some of the jokes are good. I near cracked up over the most limited midfield in the prem one.

Heres one for you:

What do you call a women with two cunts ?

Mrs Neville

Deadly serious. 1 goal and 1 assist all season (prem) speaks to the seriousness of it. Watching Stevie ping the ball around yesterday, low, high, wide, centrally, wherever the fuck he wanted really, and from a deep central area demonstrated to me what we’ve been missing all season. Surely I cant be the only one who notices the difference when he drops back into midfield in Xabis absence? My midfield for the run-in would be Stevie and Masch. Then again, that would have been my midfield since August.

Hi Gerry, As usual, a great read! Killer B’s HUH? I like it! sounds good.

About Babel, Yes I completely agree, I don’t know what to make of him. He is either too hot or just blue balls! He is so inconsistent that you really don’t know who is going to turn up. At the moment, because of the clowns as our owners, we do not have much choice but to keep him and hopefully he can show us what he can really do. But to be honest, I really think those days have gone. Why? because he has got his head up his arse and expects everyone to lick his balls, just because he was a so called special under 21 player who had so much potential. Potential maybe, but not working hard off the pitch and moaning to the press in every instance he gets, is definitely not going to get him into Rafa’s good books!

Yes we are playing him at the moment, because we haven’t got anyone else, and on paper he is an excellent talent, but above all, we are only playing him because of those wanking yanks closing our transfer funds!

This is where I hope Rafa will use Babel wisely. Because which ever way we look at it, He cant win. If he plays crap, we’re stuck with him. If he does well, he is definitely leaving with a big club. He is probably thinking that he needs to sort himself out if he is to get into the dutch squad this world cup. If he does, then all he has to do is play a few good games and he’ll attract some top clubs in the world. So what can Rafa do? Well if i was him, i would try to play him in as many games as i can. If he plays crap, so be it. Give him a run to the end of the season, and reap the quality of the player at least until the end of the season. Because at the moment, he needs us more than we need him and he knows that but I guarantee you, that if he does well, He will leave at the end of the season and unlike Alonso, will slag Liverpool off to his boyfriends in the media.

Aquilani: Well you mentioned that he should play against Blackburn yesterday, but as expected he didnt! This guy as well, I really dont know if we are going to get the best out of him too! Reason? Well when he came, we were the second best club in the country, Lost one of our best performing midfields of that year Xabi, Aqua was bought in to ‘so-called’ replace him, even though we all know he was a completely different player, came to LFC injured, had a £20million plus price tag, did not feature for over 3 months, did not and still not getting much time on the pitch! Mate, I dont know what that would do to your self-esteem and belief, but to me? It would destroy every ounce of me. This is where Rafa slacks in my opinion, He really does not how to bring the best out the players. He sends them mix messages! firstly it is, ‘You’re a great player and if you were fully fit, you would be worth more than £20 mill. Secondly he says, Yes you are now fit, but you have not had too much time on the pitch because you need stamina levels and have not settled in the game well, so you’re on the bench.

Firstly, there is Aquilani who has this price tag, expectations from the fans (would you blame us? pay £20 mill, you expect a fit player to be instrumental when playing at full strength, not hear excuses that he needs time!)and yet every time he plays, we expect miracles from a guy who has hardly played, playing with all that added pressure. Losing a key midfielder in the summer, replaced by him and then chasing a 4th place with the likes of Man Shitty, Taxham Hotsperms and Villa up our arses instead of being in the top 2 elites of the country and proving to everybody you are worth the money? If this doesnt destroy people, I dont know what will.

Is Rafa protecting his asset or is he thinking that he cant handle the distance yet due to match fitness? or has he realised that this player is more attacking oriented hence cannot play him, Gerrard together and need some defensive players behind him? If so, Rafa has fucked up big time! We dont have players or extra money (extra money!?? should say, we dont have fuck all!) to buy anyone else. Once again, if we do have talent in Aquilani, we probably wont see much of it this year. Let him play his game and give him a run, and please prove my theory wrong, I beg you!!!

You can say Rafa seems to do this with all his players, bad man management. Look at Bennie, everyone knew he was a talent, yes he fucked up in the starting, but he did not have any time on the pitch. As soon as there were a few injuries he slotted in to replace the players, he started playing really well. Same could be said with Babel, but the only difference but Bennie and Babel (Killer B’s) is that one is talented and down to earth, while the other is an awesome talent in the making but a complete donkey when it comes to personality.

Conclusion, Still love Rafa, and unlike a lot of other people out there, I still do feel he is the right person to take us forward – But he has to use his options and utilize his players that he has available, better then he has if we wants to win those games that we have recently lost or drew.

With that, I will call it a Day and GERRY – Keep up the great articles mate! Its good to read some good pieces and opinions every week then read some shite that is printed in the papers!!

YNWA

It’s very difficult to be consistent when you sit on the bench more than you play football. Lucas’ improvement has come about by playing football every week. Same can be said of Kuyt. Babel will never realise his potential until he is playing regularly from the start. If that is at another club so be it. Personally I think we have already wasted his talent by not playing him regularly when he was actually confident and feeling good about his football. There were occasions in his first 2 seasons where I feel he should have had a prolonged run in the side. People keep saying Rafa has given him plenty of chances but that depends on what you call a chance. 20 mins every 3 weeks doesn’t count in my opinion. He’s never had 4 games in a row for Liverpool. The last 3 games has summed up his Liverpool career. 2 starts in a row for the first time in 12 months and he plays well and scores a goal. Rafa says he has been doing better in training and working hard. His reward? Back on the bench and comes on for 9 mins against Blackburn. Lets see what happens in our next 4 games. Wigan (a), Lille (a), Portsmouth (h), Lille (h).

People say he is lazy and has a poor attitude because he uses twitter and records rap songs. That’s just an easy thing to attack him with. If I was a Dutch international and never got more than 3 starts in a row after 3 years I’d have a funky attitude myself.

I’d say the reason some of us would rather a guy like Babel get a run than Lucas is because we see glimpses of what Babel can do and dream of it happening regularly.

Lucas has been Alonso’s replacement this season and to be honest we are talking about 2 very different calibre of player. Xabi was a lynchpin in the side as far as I am concerned and he hasn’t yet been replaced. Only time will tell if Aquilani is the answer. Lucas isn’t. No matter how you slice and butter it Lucas is not one of the best in his position in the league and I haven’t seen any sign of him achieving that status in the foreseeable future. For me he is a good back up player.

It appears I’m not the only one….

Without getting this into a big “Lucas is he or isn`t he good enough” debate ill stand by what i said.He`s the most improved player in our squad.I never said he was the second coming but there is more to come from this lad.Just because he dosen`t score goals he`s never going to earn respect.
I just wish that some would actually WATCH this kid play,he has got something and i hope he`s here for a while.

Digger “arguably the most limited midfield in the premier league”

Ridiculous statement to be making.

Its not ridiculous to me bud. Would you clasify Masch & Lucas as a dynamic attacking midfield? One that strikes fear into opposing defenses? I wouldent. I wouldent even clasify it as balanced. I stand by my statement. They are arguably the most limited midfield duo in the prem in my opinion and I feel the stats bear that out as well as the performances. I know and see what Masch brings and I’ve really WATCHED Lucas as you suggest and see little. I notice you dident answer my question…

To be fair to Digger he did say ‘arguably’ lol

Yes Dig in a perfect world we`d all love to see Gerrard and mash partnership every week.Who wouldn`t?
Lucas is in there because of our injury problems earlier in the season and he has performed well and kept his place.
Alls i`m saying is the lad isn`t given enough credit.I think he`s more than a midfield mullucker.Thats my opinion.
Love to stay and chat,i`ve to head off to work.

One question for LB.

How good is this youngfella sterling that we signed.Have you heard anything about him?

I’m going to add my 2 cents worth – for what it’s worth!
I have been a huge backer of Lucas. I mean, if Rafa & Dunga see something in him, that’s good enough for me – and it should be for all LFC supporters. Masch, after an indifferent start to the season, is back to his best i.e. last season’s form. IMHO I have (sort of) realised that the 2 of them can’t really play together in the midfield – IF we want to play attacking, ’6-goal creating per game’ football. But is this Rafa’s fault? If ypou consider our squad & injuries, what other options (besides a 1/2 fit Aquaman) did/does he have? When the 2 of them played together (the last dozen or so PL games) how many goals did we concede? Maybe 2? So at least that side (defensive) worked.
But seeing Gerrard playing in that ‘Alonso’ role, alongside one defensive midfielder, and dictating the game, spraying passes around, I really do belive that this is the way to go. Saying that, we did allow Blackburn to create a few chances – maybe because we didn’t have that luxury of 2 defensive midfielders?
My point I suppose, is that we now need to score goals & win matches. That means Gerrard alongside Monster (with Lucas as backup), Aqua/Benny in front of them, 2 wide players & of course Nando up front. And with Magic at right back, we should be providing loads of chances for Nando, Gerrard (who is good enough to get forward from that deeper position), Aquaman etc. But at the same time, be prepared to leak a few extra goals…
Ps.I don’t want to be seen as agreeing with Digger too much here, but this is just an idea re the above
In Rafa We Trust

Timmy mate, I don’t know anything about the lad Sterling. I’ll ask about him.

FS, Thanks for the heads up on young Sterling.

Let’s just say Rafa and Kenny both deserve huge credit for signing him, two great men who both want the best for LFC. There can be no doubt about that.

By the way, have you seen the lad in action yet?

I will try to find a you tube link.

No Steve mate, just heard good things about the lad. And know Rafa was after him for awhile. As usual, the other top clubs got wind and were trying to nick him, but Kenny approached the lad and his family and swung the deal.

#69: No Digger, you’re not the only one who notices Gerrard makes a big difference over Lucas in midfield.

But you do seem to be one of the few who…

A: Don’t realise Gerrard hasn’t played like that all season. He’s actually been one of our most inconsistent players, and quite bad by his standards. But then you don’t seem to realise the lad’s been like that because he’s been injured for most of the season, and that it’s only in the last two games that he’s been able to hit spray the ball like you say. Or as I’d say, hit the ball properly with the usual direction and power …. groin strains have that effect on a player.

B: 29 year old world class players, and possibly the best LFC player ever, and young lad’s forced into their first full season shouldn’t really be compared.

C: Whichever way you slice or dice it, Babel has not done enough to command a regular place in the side or displace the players used instead of him. Granted. He does have some of the ingredients to make a good footballer. Granted he has done some decent things and scored some(Well, 2) important goals. But I said that anyway, and when you think about it, that raises another question…
Why has he made so little of these gifts?

He can rap and be a twitter as much as he likes as far as I’m concerned, just as long as he pays as much attention to the things he should be when LFC is paying him huge wages to do that. But even if he is, I still wish he’d stop being such a traitorous whinger in the press.

Oh, and these gifts of what power, pace that people go on about, (I don’t see much else) could they possibly be just a tad over rated – especially by people reaching for a Rafa stick?

D: I just can’t be arsed with this anymore.

But by the way, the other half of that shite midfield, the ex-West Ham sub that became captain of Argentina at LFC under Rafa, has been getting back to himself since his country qualified for the World Cup and has been absolutely fantastic in the last two games.

Well, just caught the highlights and Monster was a monster. Gaved plently going forward as well. MOTM IMHO.

I know that it’s a bit early but I think that he gives us more options and more attacking bite over Carra in the full back position. Anyway, I always prefer Carra to be in the center, to control the game.

Blackburn should have ended the game with 9 players but there you go. A few decisions go against us again.

Pepe. Best keeper in the league and if we can keep free of nah nah nah nah nah (don’t want to say it) then we should be OK.

The thing for me is the next citeh match. Will the show the same desire. I hope not. Villa’s legs are starting to go and the spuds are spuds.

Interesting times ahead.

Great jokes BTW.

Fatty, A: I know all about Stevies injuries. Before he picked them up he should have been beside Masch but wasnt. In fact it was the only thing you and I agreed on all season. We both concurred that Lucas wasnt ready and Stevie should be in centre. Check it out big fella. B: Whos comparing them? Believe me, there is no comparison. All I’m saying is get an inferior player out and a superior one in. It makes us stronger. C: why was Babel dropped yesterday? On form, he shouldent have been.

cont’… Maxi was anonymous in his previous 2 outings whilst Babel was excellent. Now Maxi did well yesterday but thats not worth a fuck to Ryan whose dropped again as his form and confidence rises. Wheres the reward in playing well? Theres no checks and balances in Rafas management style. None. D: if you cant be arsed then stop saying you cant be arsed and just dont be arsed. As for Masch, no-one said he was shite or part of a shite midfield, or maybe you couldent be arsed reading the post properly?!

Lurgan mate, the only thing that worries me now…
Well, there’s a few really, some really harsh ones…
We’re the only ones chasing 4th still in Europe. And I know there was a few lads worried about that when we dropped out the champions league…
Thursday and Monday night games for the rest of the season.

It might be great for supporters, going to all the mad and new gaffs in the UEFA instead of the usual places, but look at the paddy field the lads played on in Romania, and besides it being a really draining schedule played on bogs…
We never win on Monday’s. I’ve heard some mad stats on that. I’ll try to dig them up.

Then it’s stupid fucking friendly time again…
They’ve robbed us of Nando and Gerrard for most of the season. Without even going into what will be called excuses for our season, the maddening thing is… we just about get them both sort of fit and you watch what will happen.

It’s one of the things that drive me mad.

There’s loads of other things that worry me about the rest of the season an all, but that’s the main ones…
Like I said in an earlier post, I’m not worried about any of the remaining matches, certainly not the Mancs and Chavs. I’m actually looking forward to the chance of bursting the tramp’s bubble. But the thing is, if we are to win the UEFA and finish fourth we’ll need all hands at the pumps and fit and rearing to go…
including Babel.

Sunday basically summed up what English football is all about. How the f*ck did Vidick not get sent of for his Rugby tackle especially as the penalty was awarded therefore,it was seen, but no cards given ?. Then again the MUFA want Slur Alex to win another trophy that way,David Gill can collect his bonus.
Blackburn players commiting GBH all over the place but no red’s LFC players have been sent off for this season for f*ck all.You just know the old boy network at the LMA & MUFA are a bunch of corrupt c*nts.
How far was Defoe offside at Wigan ? 2 pts for Happy Harry

Babel can do what he wants in his spare time as long as he’s giving 100% to the job he’s been paid millions a year to do, for a while he’s been doing a half arsed job. I want him to succeed at Liverpool but if not sell him at a good profit. The only way we’ll see profit is if he steps up,gets his place in the Dutch squad and has a good World cup.
The next 6 months of his life are very important so lets hope he realises his potential.
YNWA

When I see people using Babel, and even Aquilani whom we won’t know yet if he’ll be successful as cases to prove Rafa’s bad man management abilities, I wonder what these people will say about Torres and Gerrard.

Torres hasn’t been what you call a prolific goalscorer in his A. Madrid days, with even renowned expert like Ferguscum deeming him not worth a risk. Rafa saw the talent in him and made him our record signing. The rest is history.

Why hasn’t Rafa been given the credit for spotting his talents, believing in his abilities and bringing out the best in him? Even Torres in his interviews have repeatedly acknowledged and thanked Rafa in making him a better player.

As for Gerrard, we just need to look at how he has improved since Rafa came in.

First, the number of goals. According to chief Rafa apologist Tomkins, “He now has 101 goals in less than six years under Benítez, compared with just 27 in the five-and-a-half years before the Spaniard took charge.”

If I don’t remember wrongly, he was deemed a defensive midfielder in the mould of Roy Keane and Viera, despite scoring the occasional thunderbolts we now know he is capable of doing more regularly.

I keep hearing people saying Gerrard’s best role is in the centre of midfield, but the last two season’s role in attack supporting Torres has even got them to be compared with the Rush-Dalglish partnership.

I believe Gerrard’s talent warrants a much more wider role in the team that most of us fans want to constrain him into (the centre midfield, that is). It is to Rafa’s credit that he has observed Gerrard’s multiple talents and that have since been utilised to good effect in different positions (right midfield, supporting striker and of course, centre midfield), resulting in the huge jump in goals scored (and the less mentioned reduction in disciplinary problems on the field).

I remember the press quoting Gerrard yearning for praises from Rafa as a means to validate his improvements and achievements, which means Rafa is able to motivate him to achieve greater heights despite his already astounding achievements. Bad man management again?

So guys, we have to look at the big picture, and not focus on the negatives all the time. Like what I’ve just said, we can easily find positives against the negatives sprouted.

Digger If Rafa drops Maxi or Benny after they had a good game and plays Babel wont that be destroying Maxi’s or Bennys confidence or will they be more understanding or adult about it
You mentioned something about stats on Lucas ie goals scored check out Hargeaves & Andersons goal stats then check the important stats on tackles and passes which are very good, much better than Fletcher’s.
Besides that after the many violent attacks he was subjected to on Sunday ( With the refs blessing ) you’d think the fans would be praising him.

YNWA

Great post that, axchoice.
Here’s something mate…
Torres has scored 13 times in 17 appearances – and in most of them he hasn’t been fully fit.
Gerrard has just became the highest scoring English player in Europe after Alan Shearer… not bad for a central midfielder, eh.

On top of that, Steven has said, the desire to constantly please Rafa and get the praise he wanted has made him the player he is.

I can understand the media ignoring things like that. And the post you just made makes me even feel like appologising for biting, but it drives me mental when our fans grind these sort of axes.

It’s a new thing to me. I’ve only seen it in the last few seasons, especially the scapegoating of some players. I had an argument with younger reds, who’d probably only ever see LFC struggle until Rafa arrived, who wanted our boss sacked even though he must have given them the greatest moments in their lives as supporters but somehow believed sacking the man, who has achieved so much with so much less than his oposition and at a club in turmoil, would suddenly turn LFC into all conquering champions again.

Was it Curbishley or Pardew who managed Mascher at West Ham?
I think it was Curbishley, but no matter. Me point is, both of these geniuses, and even our arch looney Fat Sham, are some of the names we’ve had suggested. Of course, there was the other great suggestions but totally unaffordable, and anti-LFC, Mourhino, Lippi, Cappello and the likes.

Oh well, maybe we could get in Houdini… mind you, if he had to put up with what Rafa has to work with and against, nevermind the constant attacks from the media and “supporters, the only magic he’d do is… a rather sharpish dissappearing act to Real or some other European giant with money, loyalty, patientce, gratitude and understanding of the realities of the situation at the club.

Well, I’m off to bed and I appologise for biting in here today. The thing is, having a go at one of our players, (who’s actually playing very well), when there’s real issues to be talked about does my head in.

But I came into really say this, before I go to bed…
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2010/03/01/carragher-hails-special-torres-for-beating-off-blackburn-bullies-liverpool-fc-latest-100252-25934216/2/

Like I said earlier, it’s make or break time of the season. Fourth place and Europa is going to be a long hard fight. So we need all hands to the pumps. But… We get Agger back. Skrtle is out for up to 2 months. Then Agger leaves Anfield on crutches.

On top of that, after Fat Sham set his yard dogs lose yesterday, we’ve lost Aurelio, meaning we have no back up for Insua. And we’re already having to use our midfield boss as an emergency right back. And think back to that tackle by the centre forward and we could have also easily lost Masch an all.

And Pepe, Maxi and Gerrard (If Diouf had made contact) could have easily been back in sick bay.

And yes, Lucas. We could have lost that lad, who besides getting WWF’d to the deck, fought the cause all day, and stayed calm, not only when continually getting kicked and elbowed throughout the match, but even at the end when we was getting airially bombed and under intense pressure.

But not to worry, thankfully, Lucas is fine, Pepe’s shoulder is sore but okay, and Mascher and Max are only bruised and bloodied. So let’s just hope Agger will recover quickly.

Or I suppose, we could just go back to slagging our own, like oh let’s see…. Fat Sham directed by The Tramp and the media.

Night. Night.

Heard that the Chavs plan to raid Reina for 20million pounds in the summer.

Chavs can go f*ck themselves.

The Monday night thing is wierd. I can’t remember us winning on a Monday night……… Just can’t remember it.

One things for sure though, we will have to change that against Wigan and Portsmouth or we can kiss 4th place goodbye.

We are the only one’s of the teams chasing fourth who are still in europe, but don’t forget that Spurs and Villa are both still in the FAC….. May they both get to the final!

I think Dagger just has heavy bruising FS. If Denmark are playing on Wednesday, I dont think he will be involved.

Hopefully he should be fit for the trip to Wigan, but if not Kyriagos can fill in as his suspension has now finished.

I know Steve mate. I’m just trying to make the point that there’s real issues that should be ahead of snide digs at our players and management. In fact, wait until you see what happens when we drop points, nevermind what will happen if we claim 4th and win the Europa.

Although it was made to instill confidence in a struggling team, and most fans would have went mental if Rafa had said, “No. We have no chance of 4th place – when cornered and pushed by some prick of a reporter – it’s already getting used as a stick by some of our own “Supporters.

And make no bones about it, them whispers will soon become screams if we don’t walk both 4th and UEFA. And mate there’s plenty of them who seem to think we should walk both despite the realities of what we face…
Coming back from Euro games Friday night and then having to play on Monday night – playing teams that most of them will have had over a week to rest and prepare – and all knowing how tired we will be, and determined to go at us as if it was their Cup Final.

And that’s just on the pitch, mate. And I really don’t want to even say this but…
Off field. Well, we know how bad that is. But how many realise we still haven’t even started talking to Pepe or Masch about the new contracts they should have been given in the summer.

And you know all the richest clubs in Europe are going to start tapping most of our best players up. To hold on to them, what are we supposed to offer… all our transfer fund?

The rich club money list has just came out. I just heard it on the radio. Liverpool are in 7th place with one hundred and fourty odd million. I don’t know the exact figure, I just heard it on the news.

But that’s roughly it, 140 odd million. So, after paying the next installment on the debt, nevermind the cost of running the club and improved contracts for players, what do you think will be left for transfers?

Well, if Rafa can somehow sell Babel, Degen and erm, err, errm, Thingio, we might be able to afford another 15 year old if we’re lucky.

As for the kid Sterling, I’ve heard nothing but good things. He’s supposedly a very handy attacking central midfielder with a trick or two up his sleeve. He’s already one of the top players at England youth level, and he’s so good he was supposedly on the verge of the QPR first team. But the fact is, he’s still 15. So…

I give it a week before some of our fans are calling for him to be played instead of our usual pairing?

That should read… what will happen if we claim 4th and win the Europa.

And believe me, they are already sharpening the 4th place gaurantee sticks, in hope they’ll get to stick them in Rafa as well as beat him with them.

I said in an earlier post I had an argument with some younger Reds in a pub in Romania. These lads were of an age, early/mid 20′s, that the only success they must have seen before Rafa was our cup successes. So, obviously Rafa had given them the best times of their lives as Reds.

When I reminded them of that and asked how they felt after Istanbul? One young lad said, “What about Istanbul. That’s old history, and anyway… it wasn’t Rafa’s team that won it.”

When I pointed out how silly that was, and the realities of what Rafa has done for us, what he has achieved with less than his opposition, how we’ve constantly improved despite all the financial/management problems, and that this was a weird season, what with the injuries etc, one young lad, said, and this god’s honest truth…

“I don’t care about that. I hate him.”

How the fuck are you supposed to combat or educate that sort of mindset?

I never bothered. I just told him to fuck off and grow up. Other than that, I don’t know what anybody can do with these sort of people. But apparently, they all have a right to this sort of opinion nowadays.

Oh well, nothing new there. Just the way it is today… everybody knows their rights but hasn’t got a clue about their responsibilities.

Liverpool 7th on the rich list with €217m which is around £190m. That’s just revenue generated and doesn’t include transfer funds, spending or debt. As far as I understand the bank wants £100m from H&G so we aint buying anyone.

Regards the Lucas debate. We should be able to debate the attributes (or lack of) of a player in our team in a civil manner surely? Most debates these days just degenerate into tribal warfare anti Rafa / pro Rafa.

So Torres is off to the Spain squad. Nando actually had the cheek to say that Rafa shouldn’t be worried. I chuckled at that one.

My team against Wigan would be

Reina
Carra, Kyg, Agger, Insua
Maxi, Gerrard, Masch, Benny
Kuyt, Torres

I wouldn’t pick Lucas or Aquilani to play on that pitch.

FS, you just can’t argue with the totally ignorant.

Liverpool are about to offer Masch a new contract that will keep him at Anfield until 2014. The press also report that ‘contract talks with Pepe are ongoing’. We seriously need to get these 2 to sign!
I also see that Alexander Hleb is keen on a return to the PL, and that Barca want around 8 million for him.
Anychance of swapping Babel with Hleb?

I don’t really think Wigan should present any problems to our lads, simple as that. However their pitch will defend better than anything WIgan has, it’s their top 11. It is probably the worst pitch I’ve seen in years, there are roads in Iraq with less bumps, and more grass.
.
Sadly it’s not a football pitch, it’s a paddock.

Spurs managed to play some decent football on that pitch. Modric especially.

I don’t think we have reached a consistent level of performance where we can say any other team shouldn’t present any problems to our lads. It’s not like last season when I predicted us to (quite seriously) whup Newcastle 7-0. I am expecting a difficult match and wouldn’t at all be surprised if it ends in a draw.

Wigans pitch has been completely relaid with brand spanking new turf. Its pristine and Liverpool will be the first club to play on it. So we can get that excuse out the way from the off. Is Kyrgiakos suspension complete LB?

Nice new pitch? Oh I was looking forward to a battle in the mud.

I’ll check on Kyg – hold on.

Kyg is available. Ban has been served.

Kyg is OK for the weekend.

It’s like a feckin revolving door – get one player back and another replaces him on the physio’s table or off to the FA for a suspension hearing.

Now scary is out for 8 weeks, so that’s basically him until the end of the season. Magic should be back next week, so I would stick him in midfield beside Lucas and leave Masch at RB

Thats good news thanks LB. Nice one Lurgan!

people make me laugh. I’m not saying Rafa is the second coming but didn’t we win the blackburn game? Babel has never done enough to warrant a regular starting place.

I’ve read people moaning this season saying why did Rafa go out and buy Glen Johnson when we needed a striker, Err because Arbeloa was going. Why did he get Aquilani when we needed a striker? because Alonso was going.
why did he buy Aquilani, he’s crocked? Why this, why that?
I seem to remember Rafa saying right in pre-season we still had enough to buy a striker not a David Villa but enough for a quality back up but we all know what happened don’t we.
I’ve read people saying we need to go out and buy some better players! what with exactly? Rafa has wasted £200 million quid. Hilarious! He hsn’t been given £200 million quid in 1 go and been told to go out and buy a team. He’s wheeled and dealed apart from a few top class buys bought on the never never. It’s like me owning a BMW worth £20,000 someone could say he’s got plenty of cash to splash around. What they don’t realise is I had £5,000 I went to the auction and I bought a car for £4,000 but sold it for £6,000 and after some wheeler dealing and some considerable time and effort I managed to get enough for a £20,000 BMW.

KDLL, I have heard from a (reliable) source that Rafa did not know until half way thru’ the summer that his transfer budget had been cut.

To be honest I do not understand why Rafa puts up with this shite and just fuck off. I hope that it has something to do with his affinity with LFC.

LB mate, I agree on both points… we should be able to discuss any players pros and cons, and you can’t educate the ignorant.

But isn’t that the problem in a nutshell?

Nowadays, it seems with a section of our fans, once a player is labelled shite, that’s it. They stick by them guns to the bitter end, even if it makes them look silly. But even worse, since the internet, people have even started to think it’s more important that they are proved right rather than the team/player/manager succeed.

And, no Digger. That’s not a sly dig at you. It’s becoming more and more common. And it’s not only on the internet. It’s the phone ins, the papers, Sly, the whole media in general. And I know a lot of people in here aren’t around to see this constant back biting whipped up by the media. But wherever you are, and no matter how old you are, I can’t believe there’s anyone in here who hasn’t seen this.

Along with all the other shite attached to the modern game, it’s one of the things that is drives me mad bout footy today. And, in all honesty, the attitude of some young reds is really annoying me nowadays. There’s plenty of more examples I could give besides them young fellas in Romania.

In fact, I think I’ve already told the worse one I’d seen/heard so far… young lads at the Pompey game joining in with the Pompey fans singing, “You’re getting sacked in the morning” towards Rafa.

I can’t be arsed going on about all that’s wrong, but that attitude definetely is. They seemed to think it was funny and ironic. And I’m not giving it the “Back in my day the Kop knew how to support and be funny,” bit. But no. I’m not having that.

But at least the Kop has now come up with a song for Lucas. I heard it for the first time in Romania. It’s took far too long in my opinion, but still a nice change from the boos and moans the lad has had to endure and I’m sure the team/club will benefit more from that than the groans every time the lad touched the ball.

And that’s me point LB…
Nevermind all the circumstances that dictated Lucas being thrust into this position. In the old days, the lad would have just got full hearted support anyway because that’s what helps the team/club.

Yes. We moaned about players in private, much like in here, and argued about them and discussed them. But no one was ever scapegoated. The weaker links were backed all the more. But Lucas isn’t a weak link. He’s been one of our better players all season, so I shudder with embarrasment when I see the lad abused in that way. Aswell as being disgraceful, it’s not exactly kowledgable. And I know it’s not just older fellas like me that feel that way.

Take Babel, we’ve had endless discussions on him. And, no matter anyone’s position on the player, the one thing that everyone has in common… they want the lad to succeed.

I’ve gave me thoughts on him time and again. But I want to say this…
On Saturday in that dogfight, we actually scored our two goals when we managed to play some football. Lucas made one and had a part in the other. On top of that, he fought his bollacks off from start to finish.

Yet, he still gets gyp (and not just in here) and Rafa is questioned about the line up. Babel not playing being one of the main criticisms. But, here’s the thing…
Like I said, both goals came from proper football – wide men Yossi and Maxi providing the killer balls.
Would Babel have provided them?

Well, I know that’s unfair and about as answerable as asking how long’s a piece of string?

But we all know the player and what he’s capable of/not capable of. So, I think it’s okay to ask.

And to me… Yes. He could have done what Maxi done. But the Benayoun piece of skill, ball retention, and killer pass… well, sorry. But I don’t think the lad will ever be capable of that sort of play.

So, yeah. Of course it’s acceptable to discuss players. That’s probably 90% of what the blog is here for. And yes. It’s perfectly acceptable and highly understandable that we’ll all have favourites and won’t really take to some other players.

But at the end of the day, we are all supposed to be supporters of the club. So, to put it mildly…
I find it ironic that in the last couple of days, I’ve not only seen some of our players slagged off, by people who’ve also had a go at Rafa, questioning his team selection and tactics, but also slamming him for having a go at Fat Sham, because they don’t think that’s the Liverpool Way.

Imagine what Shanks, the inventor of the Liverpool Way, would have done to the fat bastard.

So it’s beyond boggling for the likes of me. It’s quite headwrecking for most aul fellas like meself, even if it is just the way of things nowadays. And like I’ve said before, when I come across it, in here or anywhere else, I can’t help but have a go back. And to be honest, I wouldn’t like meself if I was any other way.

Oh and as usual, here’s what I meant to say before coming out with that shite…
Wouldn’t you fuckin know it, we play the Mancs on a Monday night after playing Lille on the Thursday.

I’m not kidding you, that sulpherous drunken aul bastard is in cahoots with Old Nick himself.

FS, I read a piece from Craig Johnston the other day and, don’t ask my why, I was wondering if he would have made it as a red (or anywhere else for that matter) in the ‘modern’ game.

Meself, I have my doubts. I know it’s a question without an answer but considering a few of your previous posts, I thought that it would be an interesting to ask it.

I think that Kuyt is probably the closest we have to him and probably better to boot but look at the shite he gets every third week.

Monday night against the mancs. Well at least we get 4 days rest and Lille is a short distance. I didn’t realise our monday night record was shite though. Are the mancs playing that midweek? I hope Rooney does a hammy before we play them. He is scary good at the moment. Valencia looks tasty too and I aint looking forward to him vs Insua.

Can Fernando and Gerrard rip them to shreds again?

My First comment in kopblog thanks to Gerry helping me out with my login problems. Appreciate it very much.

Top post again. Well I have to say this Babel Conundrum is freaking the hell out of me. I love the lad and I want him to have decent starting appearances, but guy always has some sort of negative thinking that somehow he doesnt end up giving his best. But recently some of his interviews has suggested a change in the direction and admitting that he has to serve the way what Rafa has in his mind is a significant stride. Which is most probably why he was given back to back appearances. Lets hope he has made peace with Rafa and promises to deliver some real stuff.

Agree with Fat scouser, well in a way this will be a season to remember for many reasons, one of which will definitely be the loyal support to the team. I have moaned the team in the past. Been a Benayoun basher, Kuyt, Lucas basher far back in 2007 so am not telling its wrong to criticize players. Unless it is substantiated with some sense. I have seen this happening always that once the team sheet is out there is always some stupid disagreement. Sometimes these people do tend to forget only 11 players can be fielded in a football match.

And do go easy on young reds man. I mean its no surprise when we have ex-legends scorning us like that.
Hopefully time will make them learn more about the game. My mate is an arsenal blogger and he has shown me an even worthless set of supporters, who go down on their manager like a hawk spotting a juicy rabbit. It is natural for some people to turn their back at us when they have not been long enough to understand what the club and the manager means to us. But as long as Rafa keeps proving them wrong, as long as people like Gerry,Tomkins and the good men at various LFC forums all over the world keep the flag flying high I don’t think there is cause for too much worry. trust me, they are bound to change or they will follow city or chelsea in the future.

Well that’s better than 13.30 Sunday according to LFCTV website

FS: I’m an aul arse in attitude not age (i’m 38 this year)but I was taken to every home game from about 3 years old so I got my education from the likes of your good self.
Mark Walters – He frustrated the hell out me as well as every other Kopite but he got backing when he was on the pitch in a red shirt. There was no one happier than me when he went though.

Also I wonder if the way some of the guys write in here is the way they speak to people because if someone spoke to me like that they would get decked!! Well they would if I could punch me way out of a paper bag anyway.

LB: Valencia against Insua? Nice little south America rivalry there. The mancs defence should be bricking itself at the prospect of Stevie G and El nino running at them – that’ if they aren’t crocked playing for ingerlund. Which reminds me, I notice Shrek is injured for the ingerlund game – surprise surprise.

Shrek will be playing for England Kenny. Ferguson tried a fast one but the England medical team did their own scan and declared him fit.

Well lets hope he gets injured playing for England.

No problem Fatty. I know if you’ve got something to say to me you’ll say it. You make some good points there. At the risk of blowing smoke up your ass I prefer even tempered balanced posts like that than the woe-is-us-its-a-conspiracy-victim-mentality ones you’ve had a penchant for lately. Your best point there was ‘we all know the player and what hes capable of and what hes not, so yeah its ok to ask’. Exactly. I’ve been saying this since day 1. So, question: why the umbrage when I ask about Lucas?

Digger, the problem is that you come across as if you reckon Lucas is complete shite. Most of the lads here admire the lad’s bottle and the fact he has improved this season. They think and I also think that he has done well in the circumstances. Shoved into a team playing shite and expected to run games.

I know where you are coming from regards Lucas. I think he is limited and ultimately if we are going to be competing for top honours then he should be back up rather than first choice every week next to Masch. That doesn’t mean he is shite or a scapegoat.

My best mate criticises Lucas every week – he is a massive Alonso fan. Was one of those that thought Rafa was smoking some high grade weed when he wanted to replace him with Barry. My mate also loves to watch La Liga. So he’ll see Alonso pull the strings for Real Madrid and then see Lucas in a shite Liverpool performance and be on the phone to me foaming at the mouth. That’s when I turn into a Lucas defender. But really I see things from both points of view in his case.

Yeah but LB I’ve never called Lucas shite or any other such name. In fact after the initial Lucas debate raged for a wk at the start of the season I made a concious deliberate decision not to harp on about it and let it play itself out. And in fairness I havent harped on it. The only reason I brought it up this wk is because Stevies performance on Sunday made it so glaringly obvious what our midfield is missing all season. I felt sure it couldent be ignored any longer.

LB: I understand what you mean. The point is Rafa didn’t want Alonso to go either, it’s not as if he wanted Lucas over Alonso he wanted them both obviously with lucas learning his trade as an understudy to alonso.

Whether you think Rafa handled the alonso/barry saga wrong is another matter. I personally don’t think he did. alonso was average for the two seasons before his last excellent season in a red shirt.

Lucas is a good footballer he reminds me a little bit of Ronnie Whelan. We didn’t realise how good whelan was until he wasn’t there. He’s a crap pundit now like.

Digger our team has been missing a fit and firing on all cylinders Torres & Gerrard simple as in my humble opinion. I like Lucas’ attitude, give me lucas over Babel any day of the week.

I don’t blame Rafa for Alonso wanting to leave. I think Xabi just thought that the time was right to go back to his homeland and play for the biggest club there. I doubt he’d have turned that move down no matter what. Even if we offered him £100k per week and him and Rafa were best chums throughout their time here.

I was one of those that thought Barry in for Alonso was a good idea. That’s the summer before last. Barry was in the form of his life looking quite dynamic and Alonso had a couple of average season’s by his standards. When you look at the 2 players since last season up to now though there seems to be a massive gulf in class between the 2 players.

The situation is we lost a key player and that position has not been adequately filled as yet. Similar to when Viera left Arsenal. Look at it this way. Last season was our best in over 20 years. Gerrard and Torres missed a chunk of it. Xabi was ever present and our player of the season. Take him out and don’t replace him with class and we got problems.

Ronnie Whelan was a more dynamic player than Lucas. I remember him curling shots into the top corner quite regularly. I also him chipping Grobbelar from 25 yards at Old Trafford. Lol.

FS: One of my favourite songs is;

They’ve got big fat heads, they’ve got big fat heads, they’ve got big fat heads. Steve n Sam they’ve got big fat heads, they’ve got big fat heads, they’ve got big fat heads.

Never fails to make me chortle. What a saddo I am.

LB: I meant you as in the royal you, not you personally.

Ronnie Scored some peaches, not many but they normally won a cup final for us. I remember him lobbing brucie, it was executed perfectly. What I mean is his value to the team wasn’t appreciated to the extent it was when he wasn’t there.

I think Aquilani if he can stay fit will net season be a great player for us. That’s my prediction now although I make the proviso if he stays fit.

What position do you think he’ll play in Ken? In other words who does he oust?

Digger I think it depends if monster stays but all things being equal and there being no sales I reckon he’ll oust Lucas.

I hope your right Ken. Again, I’m not slamming Lucas I’m just hoping for what makes us stronger. And in my opinion Stevie beside Masch with Aquaman in the hole makes us stronger, or vice versa. But I’ve got this nagging feeling man…. I stated earlier in the season that I think Lucas will be Rafas Little Bighorn or Waterloo if you like, and I stand by it. Stevie aint injured no more, Johnsons due back any day, we’ll see where Lucas plays when Masch is restored to midfield. We’ll see…

Firstly, Lurgan mate… I often compare Craig Johnston to Kuyt. There’s differences of course. And obviously, no two players are ever exactly the same, but doing that makes it easy for me to explain what I see in a player and what type/style of player I think he is.

For instance, I reckon Aquilani is the sort of player we haven’t had since Terry McDermott. Of course, that’s far too high praise for him now and even if he stays for his whole career and puts in great performances week in week out, he’ll still have a way to go before he can be called a Terry Mc.

But I can see that style in him, the eye for a killer pass, the natural knowledge of when and where to make the run, the ability to ghost into the area or hit a missile from further out. And from the little I’ve seen, I’m confident enough to say this lad is going to be special and offer us something we’ve been missing for a long time.

And funny enough, making these comparisons lets me comment on a few things here…

Digger, I don’t want to be dragging scabs off old arguments but the most limited midfield in the prem?

Lad, give it awhile and you could be in for a very pleasant surprise. There’s no one more frustrated by how this season’s gone than me. On top of that, I’m really worried our financial situation will fuck it up before it can even happen, but here’s the thing…

Nevermind a varied midfield like the one he had at Valencia – made from interchangable parts that can play in many positions, adopting a few different styles/systems and cope with any type of opposing player/team – Rafa is trying to build a total footballing side.

That’s why Barry was never intended to replace Alonso. He was being brought in to play on the left with Alonso inside him with Lucas as the back up. And unlike Babel, Barry can play anywhere on the left, from the back to the top.

The myth of Alonso leaving because he was upset that Barry was being bought to replace him is just that… a media driven myth.

Rafa gave Rick Parry his list of players in order of importance. Barry was the top, Keane was the last on it.

And it’s well documented that Parry conspired with the yanks, and decided to go for Keane above Barry. It eventually cost him his job. But the idea behind it was Keane would have a bigger resale value, and make more in shirt sales…
how many kids/people would want a Barry shirt when there was a Xabi, Masch and Gerrard in midfield?

Well, I can safely say, a whole lot less than all the Irish lads who’d want an LFC Keane shirt.

But a central midfield of Masch/Xabi added to two attacking but hard working wing backs that can defend, Barry/Kuyt, with Gerrard topping it off and backed up by Yossi and Lucas…. well I can’t see anything better in our league.

That’s why it’s such a shame, Babel can’t do what’s expected of him. But I’ve also said it loads of times…
that’s Rafa’s fault for expecting it, not the lad’s for being unable to deliver it.
Wrong player playing for the wrong manager, at the wrong club in the wrong time.

That’s why Rafa tried to swap him for Arda Turan.

But sadly that’s the reality of life at LFC under the Borrowers…
a little investment to push on to the next level? Fuck that.
Stick a band aid (Riera, Maxi) on to what can only turn into a gaping hole – but still be expected to compete with clubs who pay mega millions for bench warmers and even more for finished articles.

And as for Gerrard, while he’s the best second striker in the league – scoring goals while defending from the front, and linking up play from front to back and side to side – he will only be used in central mid when needs must and then when he’s older and has to drop back.

He’ll make a boss holding player as he ages an all.

But again, that brings it back full circle… Gerrard could well be forced to play there anyway if Masch decides to leave.

And how the fuck else are we going to replace Masch when we haven’t even paid for him yet, even though we got him for snip, and he’s playing for next to nothing in footballer’s terms?

And then it’ll probably be Pacheco forced into the Gerrard role as we have no other back up for Torres.

How long does that kid get given before the knives are out?
And what the fuck happens when Carra, Kuyt and Gerrard start needing less games and eventually replacing – which isn’t that far away.

And this is what kicks me off. By now surely we should all know the realities of what Rafa is working under/against. He really must feel like the lad with his finger in the dyke at times.

Which doesn’t mean he or any of the players are above criticism. But having a pop at them, while ignoring the circumstances that put them/us in this position, especially after a hard fought win against a team of thugs, well… let’s face it, that’s why most of us choose to ignore the media and come in here.

We all know the quality of player Rafa has brought in. The spine of the team is as good as anything in the league. But let’s face it, compared to what other teams spend, even Torres was a snip nevermind Reina, Skrtle, Agger, Masch and Lucas. And like I said, Aquilani has only cost us 4 mill up to now, and it won’t reach anywhere near the figures qouted in the media, if he doesn’t put together a long string of games… that stopping Rafa from playing him more often just yet?

I don’t know. But we all know, the type of player Rafa has tried to get but lost to other teams… from the top notch finished articles, Villa, to the top class, ready to go youngster, Ramsey.

And we know he’s tried to fill in the gaps with class when able, Johnson, Aquilani.

But even then it’s not for the money the media would have you believe… Johnson was mainly bought through the sales of Arbie and Crouch. And like I said, Aquilani has cost us 4 million quid so far.

So as frustrating as it is, especially after last season, what do we do?

Have a moan by all means. No doubt I’ll have a go meself, but I’ll also enjoy the rest of the season. And I’ll keep believing that this one has just been a blip in the undeniable progress we’ve made under Rafa.

And it’s not all doom and gloom. Even if Rafa doesn’t get any dough, there’s the likes of Kelly, Pacheco and possibly Della Vale to establish themselves as full squad members next season.

But when you’ve got 6.5 million to spend on a central midfielder, instead of the mega bucks like the opposition and competition… well, I’m just glad Rafa can find Brazillian footballers of the year for that sort of dough.

Has the game against the Mancs definitely been switched from Sunday 21st to Monday 22nd then LB?

Although our Monday night history is absolute shite, we will at least get a little more recovery time after the Lille game at Anfield on the 18th if that’s the case.

If the Manc game is on the 22nd, that’ll be 3 Monday night matches on the spin.

As for Rooney, I’m hoping for a Metatarsal injury (2 months out) against Egypt at Wembley tomorrow night!

Ace post FS.

The whole reason that I brought up the whole Craig Johnston thing, is that he tried his bollox off and that’s all I expect, indeed demand, from a player in the LFC shirt.

I remember me dad saying (manc scum that he is) that it was just as well that the stadium was enclosed in them days, otherwise Johnston would have ended up in John o’ groats or lands end, depending on the coin toss.

But how he hated him. Always popped up with an assist or an important goal at the right time. Ring a bell?

People demand too much nowadays. I have said several times that considering the situation that we are in, Rafa is doing a great job but some people don’t see it like this.

Fair enough. That is there OPINION.

BTW, you should have slapped that LFC ‘supporter’ over in Romania!!!

Well said FS.

SO here’s the thing… its a terrific philosophical debate to be suggesting that SG should have been played in midfield this season instead of Lucas.
But here’s the problem with that argument…
a. SG has been injured for half the season
b. SG has been playing at half-speed for a quarter of the season
c. SG has played well for a quarter of the season.

Whereas Lucas… love him or hate him… grate him or rate him… it is simply undeniable that he has been one of our most consistent performers since the debaucle that was Spuirs on opening day!

So it really isn’t a philosophical debate.
In a perfect world, all things being equal, SG fit and firing… hell yeah he should get the nod… and even Lucas’ staunchest supporters would probably all agree…. but that just simply has not been the fuckin case…
… so its an unfair argument at best…
…and a delibearately skewed one, to suit your purpose, at worst.

Also… maybe its just coz I didn’t have my beer goggles on…
… but this idea that Stevie G was sititing in midfield spraying killer passes left, right and center on Sunday…..
…hmmm really?
…are we including all the stray passes SG made that went out of play for a Blackburn goalkick or throw-in… and all the ones that went straight to a Blackburn player?

I watched the game twice and SG made far more of those than Lucas did on Sunday.

Also, just because the commentators continually make comments ragarding the “quality of Gerrards dead ball delivery” every time he takes a corner or free-kick… does not mean he actually does deliver quality dead balls.
He did against Unirea and it was lovely to see, but against Blackburn his deadball delivery was fuckin atrocious… as it so often is.
His reputation for this, far outways his actual quality of delivery, on a regualr basis.

Lucas, love him or loathe him, must have some amazing ticker, to go through what he has at such a young age, at one of the worlds football royalty, is amazing.
.
He’s been booed, yelled at, abused, noted as the cause of all problems from the global financial crisis to global warming, and still the kid is the raging debate of most forums week in week out.
.
So I figure if he can handle this type of pressure now, imagine what he’ll do in 4 years time. If Rafa can mould him into a midfielder who scores some goal his price will rocket.
.
In a perfect world, Lucas would probably only be breaking through in the LFC team, this year or next, same with Ngog, however the poor bastards have had to start and carry the can.
.
All I can say is give the kid a chance, after all the effort he’s put in it’s the least we can do.
.
People often say if you have nothing good to say, don’t say anything. (Yeah I know it’s a debate, so fuck what I think)

Aitch, as you said yourself, Gerrard’s been injured or playing through injury for most of the season. So, as great as he is, (a close second to Dalglish as our best ever in my book), it’s also a bit unfair to expect too much of him at this stage of his return.

I also think Digger’s right on that one… Gerrard was very good on Sunday, and he was knocking it about lovely. In fact, it was a real pleasure to see the lad banging it around like that again…
He’s had a groin tear. So, for a long time he just couldn’t physically hit the ball like he normally does, and even mentally he must have been wary to risk injury again. So, that also stopped him from making them surging runs as well.

Add that to no Torres – and the fact that Nando has still hit 13 goals in 17 games while playing through injury – and it’s easy to see how much we’ve missed the two of them… especially the two of them together.

Of course the media bang on about us being a two man team. But no team in the world wouldn’t miss them two. Of course others would cope better, but we know why… they’ve got the dosh.

But when I take a look at what we’ve got, and consider how we managed to get them, I’m quite happy. Of course, I always want to improve them and that goes for everyone, Gerrard and Torres as much as Lucas and even Rafa if we can find better.

But that’s the thing, with that pair of shysters in the background, we’ll never improve to our full and proper potential.

Don’t get that wrong, I know there’s no real improving on players like Gerrard or Nando. They’re to be treasured and missed when they’re gone, then prayed for someone that good will land on us again.

As for Lucas, improve on him?

Of course I would. If I could get Messi in, I’d headlock him then face lash him out of Anfield meself.
But even a slightly better player of similair style?
I’d have them right in, especially if they could chip in with some goals.

That’s just how it is. If anyone or thing at the club can be improved then off they go. But all things considered, the lad will do for me. And I really hope that’s me last word on him for him for awhile.

In fact, I’d rather see Masch Aquilani in the middle against Wigan, especially if it’s on a nice new pitch.

And as for the Manc game… oops. Sorry lads. My mistake. I just seen we played them after Lille, so summised it would be on a Monday. But the Manc game will have been probably moved already by Sky, so there’s no way it will be again, especially if it’s one of them Super Sunday jobs.

So, it’s even worse that I thought. The Tramp hasn’t sold his soul. He is the devil.

No problems Fatty, as I’ve been saying a lot lately, I’m done fighting. As I said off the bat at the start of the season, I knew this was gonna be a polarizing year but the civil war that has been going on between Liverpool fans this season has even taken me aback and I fucken love a good ol no holds barred rumble! However….(oh no, here we go!) I must take you up on a couple of things in your post. Given how volatile our exchanges get and how I just simply cant be bothered fighting anymore I’m gonna do it in as benign and non-combustable fashion as is possible for Digger! Alrighty;
1)’The myth of alonso leaving because he was upset that Barry was being bought to replace him is just that, a media driven myth’.
Well, no Fatty, its not a myth. Media driven or otherwise. I believe that YOU think its a myth alright but it isnt. And I’ll go straight to the horses mouth on this one for ya. Last Autumn Xabi gave 2 interviews to 2 different British newspapers stating explicitly that his main reason for leaving was indeed Rafas pursuit of Barry. Exhibit A is his interview with The people in which he says; ‘The pursuit of Gareth Barry took some time for me to accept and in all honesty it changed the course of my future. Leaving Liverpool was one of the hardest decisions of my life but after what happened with Barry I knew in my heart I had to tell Rafa that I wanted to go to Madrid when they came calling.’ Now, I’m no genius but having read the part where he says ‘the pursuit of Gareth Barry….changed the course of my future’, I’m gonna put the tick in the box marked ‘Reality’ for the question ‘Did rafas pursuit of Barry precipitate Alonsos departure, or is that just a media driven myth’?!
Exhibit b is his interview with David Hytner of the Guardian on the 28th of November in which, when questioned on Barry, he says; ‘I’ve said this before (most probably referring to the People interview) but it took me some time to accept that decision and aswell it changed my situation for the future at Liverpool’.
Exhibit c; This will most likely provoke jokes from you and Keith (why I dont know, to each his own I guess) but it dosent devalue or undermine what the man said to me. When I spoke with Molby in December he told me quite categorically and emphasized several times that Alonso never wanted to leave and it was a result of other factors. Now, in light of the ‘one of the hardest decisions of my life’ quote above and the ‘what happened with Barry’ scenario I’m gonna go ahead and make the obvious leap, put 2 and 2 together and say that what Jan told me makes a hell of a lot of sense when presented with the facts and ya know what? Aint a myth amongst em. The facts that is. I’m sorry Fatty, I’m not trying to make you look bad but with all due respect when I see a self serving statement like ‘Alonso leaving because of Barry pursuit is a media driven myth’ I have to rectify that mate. And it was self serving because you cannot, have not, will not accept that Rafa had one iota of resposibilty in Alonsos departure. That was your agenda when making that statement right? That Rafas not wrong right? Wasnt wrong then. Isnt wrong now. Right? If I’m right, and I think I am, ya know what? Fair play to ya! As I said earlier, to each his own. If you believe its a media myth (pesky media!) then more power to ya but I couldent let such a glaring inaccuracy pass and not disprove it. Me I’m gonna go with Xabis own words and those of a man who is close to him.

The second thing that popped off the page at me was ‘Rafa gave Rick Parry his list of players in order of importance. Barry was the top, Keane was the last on it.’ Ok, so lets get the obvious one out the way early doors, eh, how could you possibly know this?! Were you at the meeting? Are you privy to notes passed between Rafa and Parry?! I mean really Fatty….. Believe me, your literary flights of fancy and embellishments are an endearing element to your style of writing but really….Fatty… Keane was the ranked the least important? This, the man who Rafa said himself was key to this whole new style and formation with Barry on the left, Keane, to play ahead of him, this man was ranked the least important? A man we spent 20mil on? Really Fatty? He was ranked lower than 1.5mil Ngog? A 7mil leftback when we already had 2? Less important than an 8mil winger who was bought a week after the season started?! Keane, who cost 20mil, was already purcahsed when the aforementioned Riera arrived, and the focal point of a new left side Rafa would later reveal, was last on this infamous piece of paper?!? Come on big fella, I love a tall tale as much as the next guy but….

Look, I know why ya do it, ya do it for Rafa and as I said thats admirable, I say a salut, long may it continue, he needs all the help he can get. Truthfully. But to completely invent stuff….I dunno…..I guess what I’m trying to say is it dosent help anyone. Probably not even you. I mean, it might be nice to believe these things but as with most things in life, the truth eventually comes out.

Alrighty, so with all that said your probably ready to bash out a suitably scoffing denial peppered with some choice words! So I’ll try to finish on a conciliatory note. Your right about one thing in your post (well more than one but this one specifically) and I’ll prove it. Parry did conspire against Rafa on the Keane deal. The day before the deal was to be finalized Rafa tried to pull out of it but couldent. It was too late. The financial papers and other such legally binding documents had already been signed without Rafas knowledge. How do I know this? Well, my old friend of course! So, as they say in America, lets go to the video tape; Go to you tube, type in Jan Molby at 11th street bar. His full Q&A in the bar that day is on there in 7 segments. Start with segment 1 (obviously) and so on. The Parry revelation is in there as are many others, its about an hour long but absolutely worth it. I guarantee a few repeat viewings! Enjoy lads….

Aitch your right mate, it isnt a philosophical debate. It isnt a debate at all really. I think you put it best with ‘SG, fit and firing, hell yeah he should get the nod’. Well, he’s fit and firing now bud so as I said to Kenny, we’ll see….we’ll see…

If you think SG is fit and firing… then great for you.

Personally, I don’t see how you can claim that.
What we are seeing right now is SG-Lite… not by SG’s own high standards, but by anyone else in the team.

But whatever, I’m getting to the point where I’m pretty much done with this place.

Discussions, and I use that word lightly, start form a skewed perspective and frequently lack any objectivity.

I’ll continue to read Jerry’s blog, but as for the comments section…. no thanks.

So I’m guessing you think he’s unfit and not firing? But then again that would fit your skewed perspective that Lucas should remain in the team? I want ya to do me a favour Aitch. The moment Stevies 100% fit (in your opinion) and firing, let me know will ya? Cos that was quite the imitation of a fit player he produced on Sunday. So to recap, let me know when he’s fit enough to do what he did on Sunday, eh….again.

And another thing Aitch, of course discussions start from skewed perspectives and lack objectivity. We’re football fans. This is a football forum where opinions are discussed and debated. OPINIONS. Our points of view from OUR point of view, i.e skewed. We’re not journalists or reporters and thus arent required to be objective. All opinions are subjective and are thus unavoidably skewed. Even yours Aitch. Cant believe I’ve had to point out the obvious but there ya go. Sorry to hear this is bothering you.

I actually was not going to post anymore, Atich I know how you feel, especially when people actually think Bugerbrain has more to contribute, but for old time sake I will make one last comment.

This is purely for Son Of Jan’s sake (Digger for the CBC to make the connection). You point the finger very insidiously and are intelligent enough (not meant to be condescending) to use some facts to support your particular argument, mostly by having a pop at Rafa and Lucas or the particular scapegoat of the day, while ignoring the obvious facts that indicate what other options the Manager actually had at his disposal. Gerrard has only been more like his old self for the last two games. Yes a fit and firing Gerrard is always a better option than a maturing kid but that has not been the case this year.

If it wasn’t for the cunts that call themselves our custodians of the Liverpool way we would not have needed to sell Alonso, despite two average seasons, when pursuing Barry. What other top four manager is put in that position, hell top 8 manager.

It was purely down to his lack of form that Rafa deemed Alonso to be expendable under the financial circumstances he found himself in if he wanted to improve the team. The kick up the arse when the deal to Juve fell through was what inspired Alonso to have the best season ever in a red shirt and the reason why Real paid 30 mill for his services.

The truth of why he left will be some where in the middle, yes he could have had his ego dented because Rafa was prepared to sell him, yes he could have wanted to play for Real and go home. What would sit better with Liverpool fans, who he adores and does not want to disappoint. Far easier to blame Rafa then say I want to go back to Spain. We will probably never know.

What we do know is he had the best season after the Barry sage and we got 30 mill for a player that cost us 10.7 all that from a Manager that is a shit man manger.

All you so called life time supporters since 2006 who continually harp on about team selection, this one should have played this one should be benched. I ask you one question, how many times have you managed at any level and how many times have you seen the lads train to make this informed decision for the safety of your armchair.

No Manager get it right all the time and will make mistakes from time to time, but before you so quickly get onto the popular band wagon try to think off all the times he gets it right and remember the constraints and circumstances that he has to work under. Yes we are still up their fighting despite all the shit he has had to endure and put up with this season.

As Atcih said I cannot be bothered anymore with this repetitive arguments and people who get upset when you point out how ridicules their statements are when they feel they are entitled to slate all and sundry.

Digger: You probably don’t care but I’ll let you know why you get people’s back up and to be truthful mine in the past. It’s not because you disagree, it’s not because you (this is how it comes across) that you don’t rate Rafa or Lucas. It’s the sheer biting sarcasm and lack of respect. I can’t believe you talk to people like you write because if you do you must be getting into fights everyday.

Anyway i’m sure you won’t be losing any sleep over it.

Oh and this season I’d carry on with Stevie G as the second striker, I’d start with Lucas and Monster in midfield with Aquilani getting more game time as a sub giving him a chance to adapt to the prem and then next season he should be ready to be unleashed.

He didn’t set the game alight aainst urithea and he was on from the start. I think he’ll defo need a good pre-season but I’m really excited about the possibilty of him making us a 3 man team.

Ah! I knew you wouldent be able to resist Keith! Good one though! Listen Keith, I havent had a ‘pop’ at anyone. I’ve made an observation that Timmy, LB, Fatty, Rafalution, Aitch and now you concede is correct – that being that now Stevie is fit he should replace Lucas in midfield. Yet once again this circuitous infuriating debate rages. Personally I feel the problem is less with the suggestion and more with the poster who suggested it. As with Aitch, sorry to hear we’re losing a respected poster.

include pepe’s 2 arms and we’ll be a 5 man team

Keith, Aitch, will be sorry not to read your posts anymore, if you do indeed leave this ‘place’.
We know what the press is like (especially in Britain), so the below link could have been a bit twisted & Xabi could have been ‘mis-quoted’.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/nov/28/xabi-alonso-liverpool-real-madrid-barcelona
I don’t really want to talk too much about ex-players, would prefer to focus on Lucas, Nando, Masch & Rafa’s other superb bargain buys.
Basically, you could say that Rafa’s pursuit of Barry (thank fuck we didn’t get him, based on current form) did upset Xabi. But so what? Do you have to keep every player happy, and say ‘well played’ after every game even though he is having an average season – as Alsonso was having at the time? Rafa is the boss – that means making decisions, enquire about players who he thinks might help the Reds win the title etc. He should not have to worry about his employees/players feelings. He is employed to do a job, and the fact that he is not a Appy Arry who has an occassional pint & a meat pie with his players has got fuck all to do with it. Even Xabi says that he is a professional manager & that he (Alonso) grew as a professional player during his time at Liverpool (read: improved as a player).
There is also the point that Xabi stayed at home to be with his wife at the birth of their child – whereas on another occassion Rafa missed his dad’s funeral to be with the team. Personally no problem with either decision, but this obviously annoyed Rafa to a degree. It’s just his dedication to the Reds showing, and he probably couldn’t understand why Xabi did not want to play an important CL game. That’s why I will always respect Rafa & his dedication to LFC, especially when you compare him to mercenaries like Arry, who is not opposed to jumping from club to club.
What I’m trying to get accross is that I don’t think the whole ‘chasing G.Barry’ episode was fully to blame for Xabi leaving, but it (obviously) did piss Alonso off, whic he should have got over, being a pro footballer & all! However, I would hasten to add that Xabi always wanted to return to Spain at some point, and to make a 20mill profit on a player is good business in my books. A lot of ‘fans’ are just using his departure as an excuse to slag off Rafa. They obviously forgot 2 NB facts (a) that Xabi had a pretty ordinary season prior to 08-09
(b)we ‘made’ 20 million on a decent player, and the fact that the profit dissapeared into the pockets of H&G is not Rafa’s fault.
YNWA

To be truthful if Xabi Alonso after two very average seasons got his knickers in a twist because Rafa went after Barry then that’s disapointing. I know he had his best season ever but if he’d have given the Liverpool fans who he loves(according to Digger) just one more season, we could possibly be talking about a premier league title instead of scrapping for 4th place.

you beat me to it rafa. better put than me as well

Thanks Ken, I appreciate that. LB said the same thing the other day so I guess its something I have to work on. And as I say I have made a concious decision to stop fighting and just let the season play itself out but I make one suggestion, that most have agreed with incidentally, and the whole place kicks off anyway! I cant win bud.

So why exactly are you guys taking your ball and going home? I haven’t seen any over the top criticism recently.

What I am getting fed up with are the extremes. Either your pro Rafa and nothing at all is his fault or you’re anti Rafa and everything is his fault. Not much in between at all. Every debate degenerates into this argument. Why can’t we discuss Babel or Lucas without it turning into “its Rafa’s fault!!”… “Oh no its not!!”. Fucking hell.

I’d like to discuss football if anyone’s interested. How come it seems to take Gerrard so long to get into some sort of decent form? He has played 8 full games in a row and had missed 2 league games since 21st November. Should he not be fit and firing? Does it all boil down to his fitness or has he just played shite this season? Or maybe a combination of both? I don’t know why there is a problem in saying a player is playing shite. I have watched his body language this season and it hasn’t looked good. Plenty of shoulder shrugging, giving team mates the glare, jumping out of the odd tackle and not going into 50/50s 100%. Is that due to sulking or lack of fitness? If it is lack of fitness then is he turning into a crock? That’s a serious question because he is 29 and if he takes 3 months to get over every injury then we’re going to have problems.

Another point is our midfield – going forward. What would be the choice for the rest of the season? Aquilani next to Masch and Gerrard off Torres? Gerrard next to Masch with Aquilani off Torres. Lucas to continue next to Masch with Gerrard off Torres? Aquilani to continue to play a bit part role for us until pre season in the summer?

Cheers

Great post Rafalution. Great point made.

Aitch, FS, Keith – come back and post god dam you. Aitch has been in splendid form of late, I want to more from FS about how he reckons Aquilani will do a Terry McDermot coz I never saw him play other than videos. And Keith makes the most sense out of anyone regarding our boardroom situation.

I’d like you 3 to address my concerns about Gerrard’s form/fitness that I mentioned in my previous post.

So get your old arses back. Please.

Look LB it’s not Rafa’s fault Stevie G has been injured!!! just kidding.

I think for this season I would go with lucas and monster in center mid with gerrard as the second striker.

I agree that if Aquilani fulfils his potential he should be the main man and lucas should be the back up.

For me Lucas is an excellent player to have as an option. He’s versatile, tidy passer and has a great attitude.

LB thats not true, i was objective when i said Rafa is God but he is bald and fat. And that is the only truth.

does anyone think Arsenal is going to win it this year?

No but I hope they do it’s the lesser of 3 evils.

Digger that’s hilarious… did you just take pyshcology 101? Or is that too much Opera and Doctor Phil on day time telly?

FFS Lad, behave. I’ll leave the personal analysis at that. But I do have to say, if you think I come in here pulling things out of my arse just to defend Rafa, then you might be in need of a bit of pyshco analysis yourself. Don’t they do it free out there?

FACT: I’m Scouse. I’m a Liverpudlian/Red born and bred. I’m a life long Kopite. I’m a member of SOS. And beyond the normal things of life – family, friends, making a living and that – sad bastard that I am, LFC is about the most important thing in me life.

Sometimes I think there’s something wrong that a fella my age, with all I have going on in me life, should spend so much time, money and effort on following a sport that really has nothing left to do with me nowadays, and a team of spoilt multi millionaires who probably wouldn’t stop to piss on me if I was on fire.

But once it’s in, it’s in and there’s not much you can do about. That’s why there’s millions of us. There’s wars, famines, disasters, and nevermind New York, New Delhi, or New Year, there’s kids in my own town going hungry. I have lots of good friends from Chile. Great lads I used to play footy with in California and all their families. I’m sure some of them will be caught up in what’s going on in Santiago. What do I speak about… fucking football, well no, LFC. It’s quite pathetic really.

But as Grandmaster Jay said… It’s like that, it’s just the way it is.

But if you think I ever put any individual before the club, you are, well, let’s just say, wrong, very very wrong.

In fact, I come in here, often just to tell lads in different parts of the world what is happening on a local level. Because, unlike some local supporters, I know you don’t have to be Scouse to love LFC, and I also know LFC couldn’t compete if we didn’t have global support… Like I say, it’s nothing like the game/club I grew up with and fell in love with. In fact, it was deliberately taken away from the likes of me, because kunts like Rick Parry, knew they was sitting on a cash cow of a global industry and entertainment.

But at the end of the day, I’m not going to back anyone individual above the club. So to suggest I would lie in order to back one up over the club… oh dear, Digger. You didn’t really think that one out did you.

Mind you, you never really thought the whole post out as the bit on Keane shows… you said it yourself… Rafa tried to stop the purchase, but it was too late – deals had been struck, papers had been signed. And we all know it was the final straw that broke the back of Parry’s job.

Of course, there’s more to be said on that, but, well, that pretty much covers it. Although I will add… what made Keane surplace to plans… Yep. The failure to capture Barry. Without him on the left, Keane became an un-needed extra cog in the wheel, and it was simpler to stay with the tried and trusted formation of Torres and Gerrard just off him. I could say more, but to keep this shorter look at the post on total football, or read Rafa’s intentions at the time… it’s on the net somewhere, from the horse’s mouth… the template we were trying to follow… Sachi’s Milan. As has always been the plan as seen in Rafa’s Valencia.

Anyway, as for the Alonso thing… well, I’m sure you got a bit of a thrill thinking you found something to put me and my lies to bed. But like you said before suggesting I was mental, let’s leave the personal aside and just look at your proof…
What is it?
An interview with The Sunday People?
Oh dear Digger, am I really expected to accept that as a reliable source, nevermind proof?
Surely you jest. Or do you really believe shite like that? I’ve got a lovely van for sale if you do, one old lady owner, low milage, lovely bodywork, mint, a classic waiting to happen.

Yeah. Sorry bit on the sarcastic side that. But then it does rub off. So, I’d advise against reading things like the Sunday People. Like I said most of us come in here so we don’t have to read the media driven agendas and myth.

And the Sunday People is one of the lowest of the low of the gutter press, in the same bed/stable as the paper no decent red would wipe his arse on nevermind read.

But you’ve used it, so I’ll play…
Although, I can see right through their meddling… And I qoute your exhibit A, or was it B? Anyway…
“The pursuit of Gareth Barry took some time for me to accept and in all honesty it changed the course of my future.”
Of course it did. But where in any of that does Alonso say… “I left LFC because Rafa wanted to buy Barry and sell me to fund the purchase?”

Yes, we all know, Rafa would have let him go to Juve, if they would have shtumped up the dough. And we all know that after having a wonderful next season, we doubled that dough because Rafa played hard ball with Real, almost refusing to let Xabi go, even though the player was now desperate to go home and play for the biggest team in his own country.

I found that a bit strange for a Basque. But eh, there was lots I didn’t understand about it. How could I when Xabi and Rafa didn’t even understand each other? If you think back, they was like father and son. Xabi was Rafa’s first purchase (When nobody had heard of him), and he saw him as the fulcrum of his team. So much so, that he was quite willing to let Gerrard go to Chelsea, and use the dough to build a team around Xabi.

Sadly they fell out because Xabi wanted to see his first baby born. And Rafa, like Shankly would have before him, just couldn’t understand that. Think we’re nuts on footy. Fellas like Shanks and Rafa are proper nuts, completely obsessed. But anyway, that was the start of the rot. It’s nice to see it’s all patched up now, and both men realise they made mistakes, and get on great again.

But like I said, that was the start of the rot. Xabi was always going to go after that. It’s then down to the individual on how they percieve it. Me, I’m going to believe what I know and see as fact. I’m certainly not going to use it against our manager, just as much as I’m not going to use it to…. how do you put it, Digger? Well, let’s qoute as it easiest…
“Look, I know why ya do it, ya do it for Rafa and as I said thats admirable, I say a salut, long may it continue, he needs all the help he can get. Truthfully. But to completely invent stuff….I dunno”

Well, seems you really dunno after all, Dig. And I haven’t got time right now. I should have already left to pick me grandkids up, but I made the mistake of coming in here and found I had to defend meself… again. So, I’ll dig out some much more credible statements and sources for you to read when I get back… you probably won’t like them though.

As for Jan, well didn’t we go round this one before?

Jan must be in need of a few bob lately. He’s normally a very private fella and not seen so much. But yes granted, he’s a very personal lad, easy to approach, likes a pint, and is always up for a gab about LFC and footy in general. An adopted Scouse who still lives locally. I don’t know him personally, but I know a few lads who do.

Anyway few bob or not, for some reason, Jan has been quite visible lately. He’s face is hardly ever off LFCtv. Yes. I know it’s the propoganda channel, but you’d be surprised how honest people can be on there, and how anti-Rafa. They sort of toe the line on one thing… H&G. But they do allow fans to pull them to bits on the phone ins to the station.

But anyway, from everything I have seen and know, Jan is saying the exact polar opposite of what you said he did… and let’s be honest, at first all you said that was, was that he agreed with you and he wanted Rafa out.

Who’s making things up? I’ll let the lad’s decide that one.

Anyway, got to go. Tatty bye, or have a nice day as they say over there. When I get back, if I haven’t got the kids dementing me, I’ll try and dig up them links… there’s one to what Xabi had to say on his recent visit to see Rafa and the lads at Anfield. You might find it illuminating if a tad embarrassing.

TTFN
Ta-Ta For Now. Back Soon.

Although I do understand why some people bail out. I have to do the same meself from time to time. Sad that really.

Fuck you near slipped that under the radar Digger.
#142: Where did I agree with you?

Tell you what though, I got 3 words for you…
The Sunday People.

You’d make a great (Selective) editor.

Taty bye.

Agree with LB #148. Let’s talk football. Mind you, there do seem to be a couple of issues that need sorting out re the regular posters as well
IMO, I think we have to (well obviously, duh) look at trying to get 3 points every game, if we want to be playing CL footy next season. Saying that though, the guys above us are also dropping unexpected points every 2nd week…
Back to ‘..getting 3 points every game.’. That would mean playing our most creative side every week: Johnson at rb, Agger, Carra, Insua, Benny & Maxi/Kuyt out wide, Nando up front. So that leaves us with 3 midfielders, and a headache for us (& Rafa) in choosing the right combo! Looking at Stevie’s performance against BR, I think he is improving every game. All of us would agree with LB that Stevie has been well off this season, when he has played. Body language, sulking, no energy etc. But as FS says, a groin stain can stay with you a long while & maybe he has just been trying to protect it, subconciously or not! I did my groin when I was younger, and I know that it is always at the back of your mind when shooting, knocking the long ball etc.
Back to Gerrad improving – he seems to have more energy, gets more excited, smiling, fist pumps etc. So let’s maybe stick to last season’s combo – Stevie behind Nando. Which leaves us with Lucas & Monster – we would probably need them with Johnson pushing down the right flank anyway. Which leaves Aqua on the bench for the rest of the season, I’m afraid. I’m contradicting myself here, as in an earlier post (after BR game), I stated that Stevie looked very good in the ‘Alonso’ role, spraying passes etc. But hey, we are allowed to change our minds aren’t we – in hindsight?

Jesus tap dancing Christ. Its worse than I could have imagined. Wow. Just….wow….

digger; don’t take the lord’s name in vain.

would anyone have this team for the rest of the season?

Pepe
johnson carra agger insua
benny monster gerrard babel
alquilani
torres

I wouldn’t, although on paper it looks magnificent

I never mentioned Robbie Ken!

So much love in here

I’d give my right arm to have robbie in his prime up front with Nando digger.

Lads, lads, lads, I go away to London for a weekend on the piss and when I come back Aitch and Keith decide to “leave” the forum!!! what have ye done Digger???

anyway I can’t for the life of me understand why they would have done that. Isn’t this a place for discussion, debate and banter? Not to make us all sign off the same hymn sheet.

Anyway I don’t think Digger’s tone has been overly sarcastic or condescending. In fact I find myself agreeing with him and LB quite a lot – but still appreciate the other side of the coin from the likes of FS, Aitch, Kenny and oh ok even Keith – even though he can be a bit nasty at times

Let the conversation flow lads……….

that should have been sing off same hymn sheet…

Fuck it,
that’s me as well fucking off (again) and i am going to turn into a chelsea fan to boot, collect man utd autographs and sell spot the balls for everton, yeah as if i’d rather spontaneously combust.
Aitch, Keith i through my dummy out of the pram just over 12 months ago and just read the comments and not commenting fuck me (thats not an offer) i had to tie my hands together to stop responding especially when the other idiots where in here till Gerry got rid of them, honestly you two just like FS are a valued commodity in here.
FS, let me know when you are visiting two dogs fightin, hope its not june as i’m away till possibly 3rd week in august.

That should read “i threw ” silly old fucker.
I went to a dance at the weekend and got this rather gorgeous looking woman up to dance and i asked her “do i come here often”.

Ah the old question of debate, discussion and banter, eh Arthur.

Well, how about constant sniping and snide, unfunny sarcasm about the players and management?

How about using ex-players names as proof for your agenda, saying they’d said something that there’s no way they would have, not in public, not in a million years, and certainly not to some stranger?

Where do we stand on that?

Or how about telling people what they’ve really said in their posts and why they have said it?

And how about a bit of character assasination and physco analysis thrown in on the side?

That fit in okay does it?

Well, it doesn’t go down too well with me mate.

And I really don’t like being called a liar, and told what I’ve just said and why I said it, especially when I’ve just said it meself and it’s there in black and white for all to see.

Neither am I to happy about other posters being told I’ve just agreed with something when I’ve just done the exact opposite.

In fact, I can’t see how I ever could agree with a fully grown Irish Man who lives in New York and talks like a Californian Vally Girl… Opps, My Bad.

But still an all, out of courtesy, I dropped in as I was just about to take some time to root around for that Xabi link. But you know what, I can’t be arsed.

And you know why… it’s not a wobbler. It’s not dummy spitting. It’s exactly what it says… I just can’t be arsed.

Few years I’ve been coming in here now. Loads of times it’s pissed me off. Loads of times I’ve had arguments. Loads of times it’s driven me mad. But now, I honestly just can’t be arsed.

Redman, it looks I’ll be in Bootle from the 27th for about 5 days. I might well end up in Huyton, probably The Quiet Man, for a bevvie after the Sunderland match. But I’ll let you know nearer the time as I’ll know for defo meself then.

Sometimes its just better to let something speak for itself and so…..

Shame you didn’t do that with my post that you decided to psycho analysis me over then, eh?

And how come you thought it would be a good idea not to let that talk for itself, instead of accusing me of lying on behalf of Rafa?

Or how come you thought you would speak for me and announce how I’d agreed with you when I’d done no such thing?

You sir, are an arse.

Sure Fatty, sure.

Seems like the problems at Liverpool are if it all gets to hard we don’t turn up, wonder where that started in this club.
.
Maybe the 12th man has more imput into the squad than the realise.
.

I’ve often thought that gaz after the W ham game last year and the following Fulham game ( both at Anfield ) i realised that our 12th man was disappearing especially against the “lower teams” where season ticket holders sell their tickets to anyone and more tickets are available from the club. If we lose our 12th man we’ll need to buy one like the Mancs & Chavs ie ref.
Then we’ll need to pay top wages and top transfers just to get players to come to LFC.
Why because when it come down to it i’d rather earn 50k a week and have 40,000 fan’s singing songs about me, ( in fact i’d do it for minimum wage ) than earn 150k entertaining those miserable spoilt gloryhunting Manc & Chav fans. Man City fans will end up like them aswell, which there seem to be a lot more of them this year glory hunting c*nts, f*cking the game up.
YNWA

I really admire FS, Keith, Aitch for their contribution. I have been impressed by the way these guys come in day in and day out and explain liverpool way to all of us. Thanks. I have learned a lot just by reading stuff in here. I believe strongly and I hope I am right that none of them can stay away.

Hey Lads

Just reading Carra’s book and have to say its fucking deadly

Any other red autobiographys ye fellas reccomend

Carra, Iceman (chuck Lidell) and Cash by Johnny Cash are the best autobiographies I’ve read so far

Anyway good call on the ‘back to fotty’ call LB

I’m hoping a firing on all cylinders liverpool is enough for 4th cause im pretty sure thats what were gonna get especially now Stevie has his El Nino back.

Fatty I actually apperciate any news from Liverpool we get in here hence why I feel its the best blog in the interweb

Thanks Gerry

Over and out

#172: I haven’t disappeared anywhere mate.

All I said, is I can’t be arsed with this nonsense. Why bother spending a load of my time rooting around for something that would just be ignored anyway as it doesn’t fit the agenda?

My grandkids where here. Why neglect them to find some fact, when I’ve done that a million times before and it’s completely ignored or the goal posts are shifted? It’s pointless.

As I said, in Romania and Portsmouth I saw the attitude of these type of people up close. Of course I’d heard the moans and the groans of the greedy and ignorant before. On the net, on the phone ins and up close at the match.

But in Romania I actually spoke to some of these people and what was the height of their argument…
Well, it seems Istanbul doesn’t matter. It’s history and (Here’s the best one) it wasn’t his team anyway. And in the end while trying to talk to these people, I was told…
“I don’t care what he’s done. I hate him.”

That was about our leader – the man who had given them the best time of their footballing lives.

In honesty, I prefer it out straight like that though, rather than the sly constant sniping. But no. There’s no arguing that sort of mentality. So, I wasn’t going to try and I told them so. But believe me, I was a lot more foul mouthed about it than I get in here.

#171: Nice romantic notion mate, but not quite how footballers think.
For instance…
Barry agreeing/promising to join us at the beginning of this season. How much did the Villa fans love him? Well, enough to agree with the lad that he had gave them great service, and sing him out of Villa Park in his last season, wishing him him well in his “Challenge of Champion’s League Football” with Liverpool. Which was what he told them he was leaving for.

So Man City pop up, and suddenly the challenge of earning twice what he’d earn at Liverpool becomes the new goal.

Or Xabi Alonso…
Blames LFC/Rafa for approaching Barry as the reason why he wants to leave. But funny enough, Barry had already agreed to join Man City by then and Xabi had been asked to stay anyway – even offered a new contract and assured Barry wasn’t coming him to replace him… he was being bought to play on the left.

So, I wonder, just wonder, if Madrid offering him 75% more money than anything Liverpool could/would offer helped sway the decision?

Well, I’d like to believe that the lad was telling the truth when he said, he wanted to return home to raise his kids in his native land and that his wife insisted on it.

In fact, I’m sure that is the truth, but I’m sure the 75% increase on his wages and the 50% less tax rate made the decision a lot easier to take. (Oh and I’d agree with him on the taxes aswell like).

But oh well, modern day football eh, from the boardroom, to the pitch, to the stands, to the pubs, to the phone ins and websites… gimme, gimme, gimme, an gimme it now.

It’s all a bit sickening really.

I think this comments section is turning into a forum instead of comments about the blog. We may as well just start up our own forum. Some of the posts in the comments section is twice as long as the Blog itself.

Glasgow, 4th March 1951

A star is born

Kenny Dalglish is 59 today.

I wish he was still pulling the strings up front imagine him linking with nando…ah one can but dream.

Donal I’m reading 44 years with the same bird at the moment and it is outstanding, probably best LFC book I’ve ever read. Defo get your hands on it. Dident know Chuck had a bio, must look out for it, that man is lights out!

I’ve read 44 years with the same bird, it’s a good book but the chapter over the heysel disaster did me head in a bit.

Best LFC book I’ve read for saying it how it is has to be Jamie Carragher. Class pure class.

Was reading 44 years with the same bird until and while i was half way thorugh it mysteriously vanished from the house.I blame the kiddies

Paul mc Grath`s “back from the brink is an ace read Donal you won`t be able to put that one down buddy.I think LB got it on my reccommendation and i`m sure he`ll agree.

See that Dirk scored against tim howard again last night.He must be sick of the sight of the deadly one by now!
I think everyone went through the friendlys unharmed so thats good news so roll on wigan.New pitch has been laid there so we don`t have to play on the shite surface.

FS The thing with Spanish Taxes is that if Alonso hadn’t of gone last season when the tax was 25% and was to go at the end of this season he’d be paying 50% but because he went last season he’ll continue to pay 25% for the rest of his career.
So with a huge payrise to boot i can’t really blame him, he did the 5 years he promised and made the club a big profit.
Plus after all the Red cards that was given for fouls against him last season it was just a matter of time before he got his leg broke or worst.
Besides the weather’s not too bad either,better than 3 years of pissy wet summers in England and running about in sub zero temperatures on a Monday night in winter.
YNWA

Can’t argue with your logic rome, he’d already had his ankle broken by fat frank.

New pitch Timmy did you see the state of the Wembley pitch when that was new.

Wembley’s not for football rome it’s for holding concerts.

The wembley pitch is diabolical alright Rome.£900 million odd spent on it and they cant even put a decent surface down.

Whatever way wigans pitch will be though at least it won`t be the pigstye spurs played on a couple of weeks back.

Yeah, that’s a wonderful thought Kenny.

I reckon if Dalglish was in his prime now and playing alongside Nando it would be just like it was when he lined up with Ian Rush. Poetry in motion!

Imagine I had a gun to your head and asked “Who is better? Rush, Fowler or Torres?” and if I didn’t get a straight one word answer I’m pulling the trigger. Who would you say?

Difficult one LB. For me it’s a close one between Rush and Torres, but if you point the gun and ask me while about to pull the trigger, I think I’d say Torres.

Rush all the way.

#181: Rome mate you’ve got the wrong end of the stick there.

I’m not slagging Xabi, far from it. I was just pointing out realities… one of them being, LFC just can’t compete with the other big clubs in the wage department.

And then of course, there’s the English tax system what makes it even harder to attract top players when they can earn more in other countries…. remember the shock Arshavin got at Arsenal?

By the time he gets taxed he was actually earning more in Russia.

But that’s not to say we can’t attract the top talent. I saw an article today where two of very highly rated players more or less issued a plea to Rafa/LFC to come and get them.

One is the young Dane, Simon Kjaer. I don’t know much about the kid, but he plays with Agger in the national team and he’s supposedly excellent.

The other is Arda Turan. Now there’s the realities…
He would have already been playing for us if we had any money. We tried to swap Babel for him, but Babel refused to go to Turkey. So a deal was struck that Turan would stay there and come over when the season ends. As far as I knew, this was all done and dusted.

So, why’s he issuing pleas to Rafa?

Well, doesn’t take a genius, eh.

This is one of the things that drives me mad…
Not the realities of the situation. I trust Rafa to be able to work under these constraints more than other top manager.

But the thing is, why do so called fans not understand this?

Okay. Some you can forgive for ignorance. But then you get people moaning about the… Well, here’s the best couple… Crouch and Bellamy.

The amount of times I hear Rafa ragged for letting them two go is unbelievable. I don’t mind it so much off the media. Anyone who think’s they haven’t got an agenda against Rafa is an idiot… especially when some of them have already admitted as much.

But when I hear our own fans moaning about it, well I honestly dispair. It’s all there in black and white from both players…
Crouch wanted to leave for more football – funny how he doesn’t moan when he’s on Spurs bench. But then he’s on better money at Spurs.

As for Bellamy, well, I’m surprised that I’ve never seen it mentioned in here by anyone, and for some reason I’ve never got round to it meself.

Bellamy is still in love with the club. Still says playing for us was the height of his career, and says if he goes into management he’ll base himself on Rafa as he’s the best he’s ever worked under.

And you can read into all of that whatever you want, but there’s really no need… it says exactly what I meant it to – these are the realities of life at LFC under H&G.

You can either moan about it, blame it on someone else, or be grateful we have a manager that is not only prepared to work under them conditions, but is obsessed with succeding under them, who loves us the fans, the club and the city, and can find us players for next to nothing(Insua, Kyriagos, Aurelio, Maxi, etc).

As I say…
184 million profit last season?
How much is the next payment on the debt, and when is it due….

You do the math.

My math:

£184m – wages – £100m payment that RBS want = ‘gulp’.

the 184 is the revenue methinks. the profit is pittance compared to what we owe. you can write that with a capital G LB.

Indeed, Bhav.

So… Rush, Fowler or Torres? I have an itchy trigger finger.

does the gun have bullets?

Silver ones. Just in case.

Bhav you are right. It is revenue. I didn’t realise I’d put in profit. But anyway, you get my drift.

Believe me, I’d much rather talk about football, but this can’t be ignored. It affects everything at the club, including what we see on the pitch.

Well, here’s something to think about…
If you think losing the likes of Xabi, Bellamy, Crouch is bad. What do you think it was like when Rush went to Juve?

I would have said Keegan, but we just brought in Dalglish and that was that.

But when we sold Rush, well, let’s put it this way… We were more than a little pissed off, especially knowing it was a political move to placate Juve and UEFA.

Anyway, if I remember rightly we got just over 3 million for Rush… I should look it up, but I know it wasn’t quite 3.5… but anyway, it was a lot of money back then.

And for a bit of a laugh, I was going to do this as a bit of a quiz. But that wouldn’t be fair because I have looked up the players we brought in from the Rush money…

Barnes
Staunton
Aldridge
Spackman
Beardsley
McMahon
Venison
Durnin
Hooper

Well, they were brought in across the season at a total cost of 4.5 million.

Meaning we spent about a million quid on that lot.

So, what I’m saying is… it didn’t really happen very often, but this is nothing new. We have always let players go at the top of their game. Some of them, top top players too. But the difference was… we had men like John Smith and Peter Robinson in the background, who always made surt the managers recieved the money straight away and the targeted players were bought and unveiled at Anfield before any other top club even knew we was in for them.

Rafa’s been given nothing in the last 3 transfer windows – not even the money he has raised through sales.

There’s already a player who should have came to Anfield in the summer, Turan, making pleas to come and get him because other Premiereship clubs are making approaches and he will go to one of them if we don’t tie up the deal.

In all truth, I don’t know why the lad doesn’t give some of us are wishes… go home, take over the reins at Real, spend loads of money in the sunshine, and leave us to wallow here under…

Oh well, if it ever happens under H&G… I just hope we can get someone in like Hodges. Who at least knows the league and would keep us in the top half.

And I haven’t got a crystal ball but, having give it loads of thought, I’d hope for more but don’t think we could really expect much more than that.

Oh well… all aboard the H&G express to mid table mediocrity.

Hello all,

Lucas verus Gerrard – I think that maybe the best suituation , now that Torres is fit, would be to have Gerrard playing off him in the hole but if we are struggling to break teams down maybe move gerrard back to cm and put Aquilani or Benny in the hole, ie substitute Lucas or even Masch for that matter

Heres one for you now that Johnson’s return is immminent do you think that the defensive fralities we had earlier in the year will start to creep back in

LB, i’d go for Biscan, seriously for me it has to be Rush, the man was almost immovable when he was on the ball, Van Nostrilhair was the same or almost when he had the ball but not as strong or cleverer than Rush.
But the three player’s you mention just seemed to fit into the football of their time if you get my drift, like KK was like an atomic elf, Rush was very strong but not as fast as KK or Nando, and as for Nando he is up with the times as football, especially the prem gets faster and harder every year, i wonder if you agree with any of this FS, i ask only as you go back quite a bit concerning the Reds (not as far as me though) and have probably a fresher mind than me.

Here you go….
http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2010/03/03/liverpool-fans-to-tom-george-debt-lies-cowboys-not-welcome-here/

I wish I could find a link to something better. But then that’s the English media where LFC’s concerned.

If the Mancs had done that I guarentee I could find a multitude of reports in all the national papers, TV and radio… and they’d all be glowing.

Right now, I could easily dig up dozens of media stories about their green and gold campaign… Pure genius is what it’s usually labeled as. But you know what it is in reality…
some Del Boy like meself making a packet out of green and gold scarves.

Yep. The money goes nowhere except in the arse pocket of the people who make and sell the scarves.

On top of that, there’s a thing popped up recently called MUST, (man utd supporters trust).

It’s a nothing really. In fact, it’s sort of like Facebook or something. You just put a tick on an online form and that’s it you’re a member…
You can click it as many times as you like from anywhere on the planet.

The papers and Sly were both raving the other day about the hundreds of thousands of supporters who were joining the Man United Supporters “Union.”

Union my arse. It’s exactly what I said it is, a sort of online petition. There is no movement. No membership. No dues. No fuck all.

Yet we form a proper Union – actually, the first ever football supporters union – and apparently that’s not news worthy.

And, beside fighting H&G, the union actually does things to benefit the supporters, reduced travel costs to games, and so on.

We’ve locked the owners of the club out of their own stadium. We’ve locked them in their own stadium and prevented them from leaving when they’d managed to sneak in. And we’ve actually even effectively barred them from entering the city of Liverpool. All unique events, as far as I know.

But what do you read/see/hear in the English Media…
Fuck all nothing.

Well, actually fuck all nothing would be preferable to the one thing I seen splashed all over the media…. anti-SOS/LFC propoganda calling us all thugs.

But this is what we are fighting against… complete silence on anything the Union do.
But huge screaming indignation, labelling us all – yes all LFC Fans – thugs, because some drunken kids sung a song about the Munich air disaster at the SOS end of season party last May.

So I hope some of you can see why I can’t stand our so called own “Supporters,” turning on the team/players management or club… it’s not as if we haven’t got enough enemies on the outside.

Anyway, I’ve known for a few weeks that these billboards were going to go up in March, but I was asked to keep quiet about it – as it’s difficult to even organise anything against H&G as the police usually step in on their behalf.

So, it seems they got posted early to make sure they actually did go up. And I know there’s other things planned for the rest of this month but haven’t been told what yet…

And if it was up to the media in this country, we wouldn’t even find out what had been done after the event.

RED: I don’t know about the fresh mind bit mate, but pound to a penny I’d beat you in the skiddy department.

Best striker I ever saw at LFC?

You can’t do it mate… Like you say it’s horses for courses. They are all of their own times. But what I would say is… could you imagine say, Peter Thompson not being able to play in today’s game.

No. Neither could I mate… class is class no matter what era. They’d just have to knock the ale, ciggies and steak and chips on the head, and up the training.

What would you give for Thomo on the left flank right now, eh mate?

1. “now that Johnson’s return is immminent do you think that the defensive fralities we had earlier in the year will start to creep back in?”

…errr… so the defensive frailties were Johnson’s fault?
Sweet Black Baby Jesus on a Goddam Spotted Palomino!

2. “Rush, Fowler or Torres? I have an itchy trigger finger.”

I’m sorry LB, itchy trigger finger and silver bullets or no… I still require clarification before providing a 10 second sound-byte.
Are we talking best natural goalscorer?
Are we talking best natural footaballer?
Are we talking best all-round talent (both of the above combined with athleticism)?

I know you’ve just cocked the hammer and placed the barrel against my temple, but I still can’t give you one name, until we define exactly what we are talking about.

Anything else is a kneejerk subjective response.
I know… it was a simple question… but that’s just it… it really isn’t.

Ah yes FS,
Peter thompson eh even Stevie meep meep Heighway mate made kewell look like a fuckin pensioner, nostalgia eh mate.

this looks interesting,

http://www.givemefootball.com/premier-league/galatasaray-ace-hopes-for-dream-liverpool-move-

does’nt actually say if he has or has’nt an agent ?.

Yep Redman that’s the fella I’ve been going on about. It was the worst kept secret in Liverpool last season that we attempted to swap Babel for him.

I suppose Babel was never going to go to Turkey, but with Riekjard being the manager there it was hoped, and Babel did at least go to meet with him.

It all feel through when Babel wouldn’t sign for Gala, but all on very amicable terms.

The deal was Turan would stay at Gala and then come to Liverpool at the end of the season. I got that from a very reliable source in Liverpool. But a Turkish Red who uses another website that I go into, even posted an interview with Turan in a Turkish newspaper.

In it Turan said how happy he was at how it all worked out. He said it gave him chance to play another season for the fans and the club, and to try and give something back before coming to Liverpool. The lad was even made Captain of Gala as a sort of goodbye gift but also a thank you for not fucking off as soon as Liverpool called.

And then as far as I know, that was supposed to be it… done and dusted.

What’s happened?
I haven’t a clue.

Maybe Rafa doesn’t fancy the lad anymore. Maybe he’s found new targets. But if I was having a bet, I know where my money would go.

Tell you what, I can’t wait to see what happens in the summer… wonder how much Tom meant when he said we was going to spend big this time round.

Anyway, if you see some fat spanish fella with a goatee in May, downtown selling the Big Issue, make sure you give him a pound and don’t take the mag… that way he might even get to keep the nicker.

Aitch, right now you are just teasing the Glock .17.

This is all hypothetical and just a bit of fun of course but I’ll continue…..

There is one remaining striker who you can pick in a team that is playing for your life. You don’t know who the opposition is and you don’t know who is in the side playing for your life. You just know that should the team fail to win, its your ass. You are only given the option of picking either Rush or Fowler or Torres to make up the XI. Each player at their absolute peak and in red hot form.

Now…. who you picking?

Turan:

“Of course I want to play abroad but it is our board’s decision.

“As I always mention, Liverpool attracts me because of their tradition. I am a Liverpool supporter, so if I go to play in Europe, I would like to play for them.

“My dream has always been to play for one of the top European clubs, but you shouldn’t make concrete plans in your life because sometimes these plans cannot be achieved. This is my dream, but for now I’m just working on my football.”

Well, FS – it dont get much clearer than that does it? Trouble is when it comes to transfers Rafa doesn’t have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of.

Rafa: “Big Issue?”

FS, where are those billboards?

LB
Because it sounds like the selection process for the Columbian national team i’d go for Fowler as he once snorted a white line.
YNWA

LB if you had de gun to me head i`d kick you straight into the balls.

Lets get it onn!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx-Uz5JFO8U

Hi gang,
Been moving house, no phone / internet, girlfriend pregnant, mum in law staying in the house… So you think Rafa’s got problems !!
Will read comments sometime in the long distant future.
YNWA … I hope !

LB, (204)i reckon the professor did it with the dagger.

Natural goalscorer? HAS to be Fowler. Dispatched was always a word that I associated with him.

But Rushie must be up there at the top, for doing it on a consistent basis, against the best around. However, we were the best around at that time, so surely this helped.

So, a question. Switching Fowler and Rush around. Who would have performed better. Splitting hairs I know but could you imagine Fowler playing with the King.

Just thinking about that, I must go for a dump. It’s an hereditary problem

Well again LB, Glock 17 or S&W 29, who’s in this magical mystical XI?
Who’s providing the through balls?

Are Dalglish & Molby in the midfield providing the ammo, Barnes & Beardley, Didi & Stevie…
… or is it Smicer, Diao, Biscan and Cheyrou…

…it makes a fuckin difference.
Then again, maybe that’s just “making excuses” for not getting off the fence.

And yes Lurg, that was sort of my point in 201

Are we talking best natural goalscorer?
Fowler surely?
Are we talking best natural footaballer?
Rush surely?
Are we talking best all-round talent (both of the above combined with athleticism)?
Torres surely?

But I’m sure there would be those who’d argue with those 3 selections… right after those 3 legends asked me to stop referring to them as Shirley.

Get off that feckin fence Aitch. One at a time, who is the most natural striker…

Aitch, your point(s) in 201 was a bit cryptic (or completely over my head) but I agree 100% with 214.

Let the discussions and pray to the lord that Rafa is not dragged into this

Thought you missed out on Sean Dundee though.

should have read…

Let the discussions begin and pray to the lord that Rafa is not dragged into this.

FFS, I am shite at writing! Sorry all.

FS, are you going to the Lille match?

Aitch your arse is full of splinters as well as the lead from my pistol!

I’d go with Rushie as I’d be more confident he’d not be leaving prematurely on a stretcher

Harsh.

and can I just add… “come see the violence inheriting the system. Help, help, I’m being repressed.”

and to fuck things up even more…
Rushie at 23 or Rushie at 28?
Fowler at 21 or Fowler at 28?
As for Torres, we don’t yet know if he will eclipse both or have a premature retirement due to the rigors of the modern defender?

Now where’d I put those tweezers and that gauze.

thanks for the book advise Tim and Dig
I actually read PmcG’s book last year but have more of an interest on behind the scenes at anfield
Is Gerrards book or Torres one any good

Ill try to get that one dig but its hard to get the books you want in Korea

Chuck Lidells one is called Iceman……his Granda was Irish!!

Nice ? LB Though If you had a gun pointed to my head I’d probably tell you I wore womens underpants if you asked me!!

Over and out

1) Dalglish – Not as quick as the other two, but quicker than anyone in his head. My oh my, what a footballing brain – Perfect role model.

2) Torres – The quickest of the three and an old fashioned no.9 style – what a finisher.

3)Fowler – An excellent finisher, lacked discipline in his game at times.

Well, I think you lads better read this…
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news//2010/03/05/david-prentice-sos-warning-which-all-liverpool-fc-fans-should-heed-100252-25966103/

Because if things don’t change, you could soon be including Torres on the ex-player great list.

Not being a twat, but I constantly try to warn about these things… it’s either pretty much ignored, or now worse I’ve been called a liar who is pulling these things out my arse to aid me in some sort of agenda on the manager’s behalf.

But I couldn’t give a toss about personal insults. The fact is, I think I have to pass these things on. Yeah. I’d much prefer to laugh, joke, play games and talk footy.

But you know what… joking about Rafa having to sell the Big Issue isn’t that far off the mark. We all know we are in deep shit, but I think most of us, and not just in this blog, are burying our heads in the sands.

This can only go one of two ways… the yanks sell up and fuck off, or they start asset stripping.

Yep. I honestly think that’s upon us already, especially if we don’t get 4th place.

I’m not scaremongering. I’m not over stating the case. The reality of the situation is dire now and, as much as the club will try to cover it up (Rafa included in that) something will have to give sooner rather than later.

We laready can’t afford to buy without selling. We don’t recieve all the money from sales. And we now have players who were supposedly joining us, practically begging for us to come and get them… how long before the asset stripping starts?

Or put it this way… how long before we’re talking about Lucas as one of the players from the good old days?

Ask Leeds fans, once it starts to unravel it all comes apart pretty darn quick.

I could go on but what’s the point. There’s little we can do about it, but I do think we should at least be aware of the circumstances we are in, and expected to compete under…
I really am getting pissed off with LFC fans…. moan, moan, fuckin moan, want, want, want.

Oh well, just the way it is. But yeah Lurgan, I’m going to Lille. And I might be going to Wigan on Monday with a bit of luck. There’s a car going up from here, and if there’s a seat left, I’m in.

I see that the SOS billboard campaign has made its way into the echo.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-columnists/david-prentice-column/2010/03/05/david-prentice-sos-warning-which-all-liverpool-fc-fans-should-heed-100252-25966103/2/

Nothing most people in here didn’t know already but it puts our perilous situation into context.

Like…

An official UEFA report published this week, The European Club Footballing Landscape, revealed that Premier League clubs owed more than the rest of Europe put together – and Liverpool and Manchester United make up more than 50 per cent of that debt.

I must be the slowest typer in kopblog!

FS, is there any chance of getting a ticket for the Lille game?

The frightening thing Lurgan is the increasing amount of the debt and the interest and the speed with which it keeps on going up. That won’t change, and if something isn’t done about it, something will have to give.

I can’t be arsed writing out what happened at Leeds again. But I’m sure most of you remember that post… if you can’t see we are sliding down the exact same route to ruin, well… I don’t know what to say.

The sad thing is, while the Mancs are recieving all this glowing publicity for a scarf selling operation, we are constantly ignored or worse called thugs.

That might seem a pointless statement in all this mess, but it’s not… we will be allowed to go to the wall without a murmur from the media. Nobody will put us in the shop window, or publicise our cause. And no Arab Prince is going to ride to our aid on a white charger.

Dire times, getting worse by the day, but being hid and swept under the carpet.

I don’t know Lurgan. The ticket allocation is very small for that one. Loads got locked out last time. But I’ll see what I can do.

Got to go now though.

Yep, debts have went from 15 million in 2005 to 385 million in 2008, even though turnover has increased by 70% from 2005. It makes you wonder where all this money is going to!

Thanks for checking for the ticket. I thought that it would be a longshot and I still need to run it by the better half as well.

Anyway, must go now – away to buy some weetabix.

Worrying times indeed FS. New owners coming in would be great, but we all know that those pair of greedy bastards will scare off any potential buyers with their sky high demands – boy, we are really caught between a rock and a hard place!

As supporters we can only hope that someone or some consortium out there will come up trumps – but the worry is that there have already been several false dawns in that department.

The idea of supporters owning the club was, IMHO, never going to get off the ground – just too complicated to work.

All we can do is hope and pray now.

Lurgan don’t believe the UEFA hype, Barca, Real Madrid, teams in Italy and Germany are in just as much debt as us, there is no way two teams are 50% of the European Football scene debt. It’s just utter bullshit. Teams in Spain are trying to sell their whole team, just to cover debts.

There is an article in the London Metro this morning that the Abu Dabi royal family want to buy Liverpool. The brother of the shiek who bought Man City apparently. H&G spokesman refused to comment on the report. Make of that what you will. Just thought I’d pass that on.

As for sticking heads in the sand. FS, I think the majority in kopblog are aware of the deep shit we are in. I’ve made the Leeds and Newcastle comparison myself. Can’t allow myself to dwell on it in every post though or I’ll have the razor blades out.

I’ll read that David Prentice article now.

Aitch, I said all 3 strikers at their peak and in red hot form. So you choose what age that is for each of them. But to make it easier I’ll lend you a pair of tweezers and say:

Rush 1983-1984
Fowler 1995-1996
Torres 2007-2008

The Abu Dhabi royal family wouldn’t be put off by the debt – They would go ahead if they really wanted to. Question is, do they rerally want to??

Most of us will take this rumour with a pinch of salt. I’ll just say I’ll believe it when it happens but I won’t hold my breath.

I’m sure you lads all feel exactly the same.

Just read the article. I think the billboard idea is fantastic. It’s just the truth, plain to see, in no uncertain terms, very visible and is difficult to ignore. The more of these that go up the better. I’d love to see the banner of this at every away game. T-shirts as well. Maybe stewards can take a banner off you but they can’t take the t-shirt off your back? Just wear a jacket and once in the ground take the jacket off.

I’d love to see a mosaic of this in the Kop.

Sly sports did mention the posters the other day in a five secind report followed by a ten minute report on the MUST cause.

That won`t happen anyway LB.Any mossiac would need assistance from the club.Would be awesome though.

As for the sheiks being interested,Steve these people are multi billionaires for a reason.They will certainly not pay over the odds for the club.This has been the stumbling block all along.Tom and goerge are willing to sell,but for an inflated price.Nobody is stupid enough to pay over the odds.

FS i think some people are just ignorant to the financial situation.It will take the club to collapse like a pack of cards Leeds style for them to take notice.

Difficult times ahead.

Gazman, I think that you are reading it wrong.

Prentice is saying that more than half the european debt (56%) belongs to English clubs and half of this debt (28%) belongs to manure and us.

I don’t think this is correct because the English club debt is about 4 billion and if you add the debts of manure and us, it’s ‘only’ 1 billion.

So jointly we are ‘only’ accountable for 1/4 of the debt for English clubs and 1/8 of the total European club debt.

The UEFA report is here if you want to take a look – see page 71.

http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/Publications/uefaorg/Publications/01/45/30/45/1453045_DOWNLOAD.pdf

Away to eat my weetabix now and before you ask, I don’t have much of a life.

I see M.Owen is out for the rest of the season, and required an op on his hamstring. Won’t be long before Liverpool & previous management/medical staff are blamed for this.
Another great buy/deal from Whisky Breath. Won’t hear a peep about this in the press, mind.

If they can lock the owners out of their own stadium surely it’s possible to do a mass demo in the kop? Maybe bribe a steward lol. Get one of the SOS to dress like a steward and stand by the turnstile from early in the day. “Yes that banner is fine, go in”.

LB mate, the burying our heads in the sand comment was about Liverpool fans in general not just people in the blog… although we do have our share in here.

My point really is, that this situation is getting worse and worse by the day, but it’s being hushed up by the club and ignored by the media.

I remember a couple of years back having a conversation with Keith in here about the whole game, not just LFC, eventually coming down like a house of cards.

Well, we’ve already got/had clubs like Leeds, Newcastle and Portsmouth on the verge of going tits up and there’s plenty of the littler ones that could go to the wall at any given moment.

Look at Luton for instance. It wasn’t so long ago that they was a great side. Redman will remember the days of the plastic pitch and great players like the Futcher brothers, Ricky Hill and Paul Walsh, who eventually joined us.

But look at them now… gone, fucked, playing in the Southern Lecky Board League or something nowadays. And that’s just one I’ve pulled out the hat. It could be dozens of others.

But anyway, I really don’t want to go on about it, as yes… it is depressing and pointless. But when we are complaining and whingeing about this that and the other, we really do need to keep the realities of our situation in mind.

LB there has been mass demonstrations at the ground and they’ve been largely ignored by the media and cut short by the police.

As for in the ground mate, it won’t happen. It’s been suggested loads of times at SOS meetings but always voted down and the memories of Heysel and Hillsborough won’t allow it.

And for loads of reasons, I think that’s only right. Can you imagine what would be said about us if anything was to go wrong and, god forbid, anyone was to get hurt.

No publicity is bad enough. But can’t you just see the footy reporters now, sitting in the alehouses of manchester and london, trawling the net for stories, just waiting for their chance to pounce on us at the first opportunity.

And if you think I’m just being paranoid all I can say is… I think it’s very neive not to realise this.

Anyway, I’m off. Didn’t mean to preach lads. But thought it needed to be said.

The thing is that the EPL is nearly fully leveraged. There is about a 4.3 billion of assets and about 4 billion of liabilities.

Something will have to give sometime. And you know what, I think that Wenger sees this coming and is just biding his time. Cash will be king in the near future.

I just hope that we can rid of these shysters before the shit hits the fan because when it does, it will get messy. We’ll be lucky to get into the Europa league!

FS, no worries. To be honest I have written off the ignorant. Some people just cannot be educated. I don’t even get into footie arguments with people anymore. When I say that I mean in the real world – not the internet. Vast majority of people just talk shit and get their information from sky sports and the Sun or Talk Sport. So like you – in that regard I can’t be arsed.

This blog though is like a haven for people with any sense compared to most bollocks I hear and read else where.

Of all the big clubs in the PL Arsenal have the best business model. They got themselves into debt with the stadium however the naming rights took up a large chunk. Since then they live within their means. Tight wage structure and transfer spending. It has meant they haven’t won a trophy in 5 years but so what. They are already 5th on the club rich list and will be debt free in a few years when the stadium has been paid off. If Wenger is still there at this point they will be in a very strong position.

The mancs have had their spending massively reduced. Even Chelsea have because the sugar daddy isn’t putting any more money in. Look at their net spend over the last couple of transfer windows and you’ll see this.

My prediction is that in 3 years it will be Arsenal and Man City competing for the title.

LB: I’m 100% in agreement with your statement there mate. I can’t even begin to speak to mancs not because I hate manure but because of the utter tripe that spews out of their mouths. bitters are the same. I mean talk proper footy not just banter. Like the point about zonal marking. so is a goal never scored when the man to man marking system is employed? Trying saying that to someone though.

When we had Crouch, Momo, Hyypia, Kewell (who is quite tall) the zonal marking system worked a treat. I remember that I’d be totally shocked if we ever conceded from a set piece. Back then Pepe used to flap at crosses a bit but he’d very rarely have to come for the ball. He was protected extremely well.

You swap those players with Benny, Masch, Agger, Ngog and you’ll suffer in the air. That’s too logical though init.

The stat that amazed me was that the chavs have conceded 75% of goals scored against them on set pieces. The system they employ? Yes you guessed it man to man marking. Now do Sky ever do a little breakdown of that? Livepool concede 50%. Now the chavs are a much taller team. Which system seems to work best? It was pur class when Rafa was interviewed just before the derby game and was asked will we man to man mark Tim Cahill, he made the guy look like an absolute pratt.

LB: Unless the chavs start to spend some big money they will fall away rapidly next season is my prediction. Fat Frank is 31, Bollocks is 32(I think) Dogbreath is 31, JT is 29 but his body is breaking down. I think they’ll be in trouble.

Just to add to that Kenny, Cavalho looks finished, Essien is always injured, Cech is not the same goal keeper before his terrible head injury which I think is a shame for the lad. I thought he was the best young goalie I’ve ever seen a few years ago. Obviously if you have money you can replace these players but if Abramovic has put away his wallet then the chavs can expect to slip away a little bit over the next few years.

The zonal marking system is always critisised by the media and Aunty Gray in particular.In fact its his pet hate.

The british media dismiss the tactic because well…its not british.Although they welcome foreign talent coming to their shores to play they`ll always expect the game to be played the “british way”.

More foreign coaches are coming into the PL and they have raised the standard of coaching.

The best bar the tramp are all foreign now and once the tramp calls it a day or pops his clogs it will be like that for the forseeable future.

They try to potrait Appy harry,golum and MON as the great hopes but the truth of the matter is none of them could cut it at the highest level on a consistant basis.It would be more than likely that they`d be found out in europe against the top teams and coaches.

Whatever is not the British way in football gets panned in the media. That’s ironic though because it was the Brazilians who invented the back four defensive system. The Europeans adopted it after seeing Brazil win the 1958 world cup I believe. Before then you’d get a 7-5 scorline in a world cup semi final.

Remember only a couple of years ago if you played only one out and out striker you were labelled negative. Now you’d be hard pressed to find a successful team that employs 2 strikers up front.

Yes LB they all do it now.When the mancs or Arse do it,its 4-3-3 but when we do it its 4-5-1.In fact its 4-3-3 when attacking and 4-5-1 when defending.

The media and some “fans” need to realise this isn`t subbuteo.

Whatever fits their agenda eh.

Timmy, its 4-5-1 when you have Kuyt up front and Aurellio and Degen on the wings though.

Torres up front with Benny on left and Kuyt on right. Different story.

Ya the system its self is either none or the other its both.

Rafa is confident that Reina and Masch will sign new deals.I`ll rest when they`re signed.

Also Glenda could be available for selection on monday night so thats some good news.

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/rafa-glen-in-contention

Oh alright then LB…
…as much as I loved Rushie, and wish Aldridge had been given longer with us (Beardsley too for that matter) and as much as I do love to watch Nando do his thing… its gotta be Fowler 95/96
… but again, that’s mostly coz its our Robbie.

…
And did anyone bother reading the comments at the bottom of that debt article FS posted?
The 3rd comment was effectively “that’s a smokescreen, its all rafa’s fault.”
Fuckin Classic Douchebaggery!

So who won the ‘Mickey Owen number of goals this season’ competition?

By my reckoning he got 9 altogether:
- EPL 3
- CL 4 (3 in one match)
- Carling 2

Not a great return it has to be said.

Lurgan,

…..but with little playing times, most as a sub?

McLeish linked with replacing Rafa at Liverpool
By Harry Harris, Football Correspondent

March 5, 2010

Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish is the shock name being mentioned within boardrooms of the Premier League as a potential candidate for the Liverpool manager’s job, should Rafa Benitez be lured away from Anfield by Juventus in the summer.

McLeish has built a formidable reputation for his achievements in solidifying the Premier League status of the Midlands club and word is that he can be prised away for a relatively cheap compensation because of his contract terms at St Andrew’s.

While a move for Jose Mourinho has been mooted, it’s thought the Portuguese coach’s huge personal price tag would be difficult for Liverpool to be match, with McLeish’s wage demands likely to better fit Liverpool’s budget.

In addition, any move for the Inter Milan boss, presently earmarked for Manchester City if they change managers in the summer, would require a massive transfer budget.

McLeish is one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s apprentices, and the pair struck up a perfect manager-captain relationship at Aberdeen, when Sir Alex was making a big impression at the beginning of his managerial career.

A Premier League chairman told Soccernet: “There has been mention of McLeish and Liverpool, but who knows how strong it might be. I would put it no more than 50-50, you never know.

“It is easy to see why a club like Liverpool would be interested [in McLesih] if Rafa Benitez did leave in the summer, as its common knowledge that Juventus have been showing interest in him.”

According to reports in the man utd programme (daily mirror)the tramp is furious with rooney for playing so long for England the other night,
” i was disappointed with wayne for not asking to come off, i could’nt believe it and now he’s a doubt for the wolves game “, fuck me i think rooney is the only international from the manc camp who played this week the selfish bastards,
oh’ and another quote from fergie “he (rooney) has jeopardized our title challenge”, well no worries there shitty arse mick mccarthey will probably send his B team out to play you.

Morning lads. Well, it looks like the billboards are starting to disappear in Liverpool. The one outside the Kop has been taken down and and another on in the city centre.

Don’t know why they’re bothering…
It’s not as if anyone but the converted are taking any notice, and they certainly don’t have to remove them in worry of anyone actually publising them.

Oh well, nothing new there then.

Just a couple of things…
LB: true enough, Arsenal do seem to have their house in order. But look at this…
That startling figure reminded me of a conversation I’d had with that outstanding Anfield administrator Peter Robinson in what seemed like a quainter era, way back in 1988.

After a fixture foul-up left the Reds without a home game for a month, he told me: “We’ve had to approach our bank for an overdraft for the first time I can remember. It’s left us with cash flow problems and we’re in the red.”

That’s a little snip from the billboard article in the Echo. Like I said in one of me previous posts, that’s how Liverpool was ran by men like John Smith and Peter Robinson. Or like Shankly said….
The holy trinity, manager, players and fans. Chairmen were just there to sign the cheques.

He must be spinning nevermind turning in his grave. But what a fall from grace, eh. Every club in the country and for a while in Europe used Liverpool as the bench mark, both on and off the field. Look at us now…. a prime example of what not to do at a footy club.

Crying shame and absolute disgrace.

And Aithc #256: I’m glad you picked up on that. This is what I’m on about with LFC supporters nowadays.

Once again, we were the benchmark. The original 12th man. God knows how many points and trophies we won the team over the years. And that’s not dramatic. It’s truth, and was once established fact… visiting goalies and defences used to visibly wilt with the Kop breathing down their necks.

You wouldn’t believe the amount of Burger Men who have attached themselves to this club, especially since Istanbul. Once the most knowledgable fans in the game, are fast becoming the biggest whingers… I want. I want. I want it all, and I want it now.

It really does my head in. The facts are all there for anyone to see. The manager has had no money to spend in the last 3 transfer windows. He finds us players like Reina, Skrtle, Agger, Insua, Aurelio, Lucas, Yossi, NGog. All of them players were a pittance in footballing terms. And besides Aurelio (Who cost nothing) all are regular starters, and Aurelio would be if it wasn’t for his terrible injury woes.

But what do we get… people constantly whingeing about them and wanting the likes of Kaka when we haven’t got cack to spend.

I could go on, but there’s no point. The only thing that is going to change…. it’s going to get worse. Next time we’re on the telly, watch the crowd during YNWA… there was a time when everyone had a scarf, and as soon as the first notes of the song came out the PA, the scarfs were aloft, the place turned into a waving sea of red and white, the PA was drowned out by everyone singing and it was immeadiately turned off.

Look at them now… there’s hardly a scarf between them. The record stays on till the end. Half of them stand there, faces like smacked arses, shuffling about cos they don’t know what the fuck to do.

Sadly though, they do all know how to moan groan, whinge and boo immeadiately someone has a bad touch.

It’s got to the point where I can hardly stand going to Anfield anymore. Everytime I leave I say to meself, “That’s it. I’m done. No more.”

Then I meet up with a load of old friends in the pub after the game, get pissed, have a good craic, forget and do it all again.

I know this is how football has gone. I know we are still one of the best fan bases and I know we can still support our team properly. But, how long before this being looked at like the good old days?

Oh well, one things for sure… if H&G take us down the Leeds rd, we’ll get our club back if nothing else and the prawn sandwich brigade will move on to something else… probably back to where they came from in the first place.

Redman: Do you remember The Drone in the Kop?

Aitch@201 – So that would be a no then – No its my own fault for not explaining myself clearly – I’ll put it down to a crappy internet connection (this is the third time I’ve tried to write this)
So here goes it:
1. A player of Johnson’s calibre likes to play very high up the pitch and get involved in most attacks down the right wing by getting to the byline or by cutting inside this can leave him caught out of position if the attack breaks down if you compare this to Carra who will very rarely do this but will sit roughly just of the corner of the box to give an outlet if needed or to whip in a cross but also gives him a chance to get back if it all goes pear shaped
2.As good as Johnson is going forward and he does give us much needed impetus down the right flank his defensice capabilities does leave something to be desired now I’m positive this will get better with the time and training but for the time being can be a bit of a weak link
3. Liverpool use a complicated defensive system of zonal and man marking that would take any player a certain period of time to becoming familiar and comfortable with again with time and training his positioning in this system will only get better
4. the all important stats – for the two months that Johnson has been out we have only conceeded by my reckoning 7 goals but our denfivsive line up hasn’t been settled to say the least if you take any other two months period that he has been playing we have leaked a lot more goals than 7 – actually wouldn’t take too much out of that – ie how many goals has he created when he has been playing

So the summarise – I think Johnson will in time be a great player for us he just needs time and training to better his defensive abilities and to get comfortable with our system
Phew !!

Cant say that i do FS,
i must be geting like George Best, when he was a pundit on gillette soccer saturday Jeff stelling asked him a question that began with, “George do you remember last season when blah,blah,blah”, Best replied ” jeff ‘i dont remember last night “, Phil thompson pissed himself laughing as Stelling did’nt know where to look.

You do Red. You probably just don’t know it by that name, but that’s what they used to call it… The Big like Ohhmmmmmmmm noise that started in the Kop went to the Anny Rd and then round the whole stadium.

Sounds daft trying to type it out but it was brilliant. It was like some sort of mad Budhist chant thing. It started quitely. Stayed like that for a long time as well, and then built up and up and up till it rattled the rafters. Went on for ages an all. And it used to put the shits up opposing teams, especially foriegn goalies in Europe.

And remember how slowly the songs used to be sang, building up and up all over the stadium till they lifted the roof.

Spurs fans sort of do it now with Oh when the Spurs. It’s nothing like the hey day of the Kop, but it still sounds really good and different.

Stoke fans are copying it, but I hate their crowd… they still think it’s 1975. Waiting at the station, tooled up, looking for aggro. Silly bastards.

But anyway, that’s what the Kop need to do mate. I feel so sorry for the lads that try. Every fucker just turns round and takes pictures of them. But that’s what we need to do, get our songs back, sung properly, at the proper speed.

Mind you, the speed they get sung at could just have something to do with all hands taking beak breaks in the shithouse every ten minutes, eh. Silly bastards. Anyway, here you go…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AXxf52k0cE&feature=related

It’s only a little snip. Starts about 50 seconds in. Pissed up dockers or beaked up divs… no contest mate. Those were the days, eh.

Mind you lad. We can still raise our game when it’s needed eh…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5-1YiLb2po

Pity fat head is on the beginning of that. Bastards ruin everything. But something else just came to mind watching that….

Look at the Chelsea fans trying to be heard over all that. Made me laugh that, and then it reminded me of something…

Do you remember the Kop used to chant/sing to the opposing fans….
“Give us a song.”

And then go all quiet, let them have a little song, sing to them…
“It’s nice to know you’re here.”

And then drown them out for the rest of the match.

Fucking funny. But it was the off the cuff humour I used to love. Famous one you’ll remember…
Gary Sprake throwing the ball in he’s own net…
Kop immeadiately belt out “Careless Hands.”

Brilliant. But it was like that all the time. We need to get it back. Get behind the likes of Lucas, instead of groaning… they’ve started chanting his name lately and made a little song for him. It’s making all the difference, and the lad’s face lights up when he hears it.

But anyway….
I know that game was huge, but it shows we can still do it. And the humour’s still there. Remember this when we was battering Newcastle…
“You Should Have Stayed on The Telly!”

I know we can’t expect it every game. It’s just impossible nowadays. And I know a few lads think I’m some sort of dinosaur, with no relevance today, especially when on about the support. It’s been said to me in here before. Mind you, I don’t think they’ve ever been to a match. And anyway, think about this mate…
See all them draws that fucked us up, how many of them could we have won with that type of support?

A few I can think of right away. In fact of all the draws, there’s only one I can think of that the support couldn’t have changed… West Ham.

They came and had a go. Played some nice stuff, and could have easily beat us… What happened we went top of the league, and a load of knobheads started booing.

If the same tits had sung against the teams that parked the bus, we might have just won 2 of those games and won the fuckin league.

Oh well, as Paul Weller said… this is the modern world.

I knew it. I’ve been saying all along it was the supporters who cost us the league. Pesky fans….

How would you know? You’ve never been.

Whaddya mean? Sure you just told us – it was the supporters all along. If they sang against the teams that parked the bus (cos nobody sang at those games) we’d have won the league. Simples. I’m with ya big guy.

Digger i was that W ham game all some of the crowd wanted to do was boo the Ref for not giving 1 of 4 handballs ( 3 pens ) and at the end they turned on the team. Pepe was f*cking distraught when he turned round to the crowd. Then some pr*cks boo’ed Lucas at the next game Fulham also a draw, but equally the ref f*cked us against Stoke when Gerrard scored a free kick.In defence of the fans Arsenal injury time losing 4-3 really loud YNWA starts ,their keeper goes to sh*t we equalise,still a draw like.
So did the supporters cost us the league last year ? with some help from the FA yes .
If we had a crowd like the one in that 1965 clip would we have won the league last year ? Absof*ckinglutely
YNWA

No lad. You’re not with me. I have no time for you at all. And I’m not a guy. I’m not a big guy. I’m a lad. A fella. A Scouser.

Rome mate, ignore it. It’s like a having a back street driver. Always there to criticise and moan. Always putting down everyone that contributes, but never doing adding anything. Never doing fuck all constructive. Never doing much really besides whinge, slate and demand… pretty much all that’s wrong with footy nowadays. Well, pretty much what’s wrong with life in general.

I wouldn’t like to be him. But at least I only have to put up with it on here. Imagine being in the trenches with it…. But then you know what them Valley Girls are like.

I’m sorry you feel that way Rome. I swear to fuck I’m genuinely taken aback that you believe that and I hope you wont take offense when I say I’ve read some stunning stuff in here in the past but to lay blame at the feet of the supporters for our not winning the league last yr is just….I dunno, words fail me, I’m gonna go with bat-shit crazy. The supporters who’ve backed Rafa through everything, marched for him, endured his games of media footsie with madrid and juve, they’re to blame? Fuck me to tears…

Digger Do you think the fans can have a positive effect on team performance ? i presume you do otherwise why bother supporting a team. So why is it “bat shit crazy” to think that the loss of the positive effect the fans can have, will be a negative. It seem pretty logical to me.
When i try getting tickets i find it easier for games like Wigan,Stoke,W ham,Fulham its because for the season ticket holders and regulars these games can be missed and if its near christmas and moneys tight then they sell their tickets.
Boo’ing tends to start in the Centenary stand with the corporate’s. Timmy’s been in there he’ll know what its like.
BTW I blame the FA more than those “supporters” and no i dont blame “The supporters who’ve backed Rafa through everything, marched for him” i blame the one’s more like yourself.
“media footsie with madrid and juve” what do you base this little stick on,the fact they want him as a manager and he didnt go on SSN and tell them to go f*ck themselves.
“Fuck me to tears” Go do it yourself

Dont know about valley girls but talking to the anti-rafa brigade remind’s me of this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l693NzVcPyg&feature=related

I told you not to bother Rome mate. The lad is a cretin. For some reason he feels a need to pull apart everything I say…
Funny thing is… where did I say we never won the league because of the fans?

I was talking to Redman, reminiscing, thinking what could have been if we had that sort of backing nowadays.

I’m not a bit surprised that the fool would do that though. Let’s face it, if he can say Jan Molby told him exclusively that he wants Rafa sacked and so does everyone at Anfield…
Maybe his best mate Jan will keep him a seat at the match… you never know. He may go to one some time in his life.

But anyway if he can do that with Jan, what do you think he’s going to do to one of my posts… pretty much what he trys to do with every one of them… bend them, twist them, and try to ridicule them.

It’s quite pathetic really. Maybe some older fella with more experience has given him a hard time in life. I don’t know. He probably gets told to fill the coffee cups and clean the tables faster by some aul drunken cook in the dinner and has his tips taken off him.

But then I suppose that’s just my bad bat shit crazy fuck me to tears jesus h christ on roller skates or some such shite.

But while we’re here, do you reckon the type of support we used to get could have been worth 2 goals over the course of last season?

Can’t be proved. But I would say the Kop roaring Attack, Attack, Attack against the bus parkers, like they used to do in the old days, might have just got us 2 goals at home in a couple of them draws, and…

Oh well, my bad dude….
But I tell you what….
“and no i dont blame “The supporters who’ve backed Rafa through everything, marched for him” i blame the one’s more like yourself.”

Bang nail head.

#You’re on form tonight lad… that’s exactly it, except when you give them a break and try to have some sort of discussion, they move the goalposts anyway….
Oh dear, poor old LFC. I don’t know what we did to deserve this sort of support… there’s far better clubs for them, well, there’s Chelsea and Man U.

Not to worry though, if we don’t finish 4th and win the Europa the vast majority of them will jump ship anyway.

The sad thing is… like I said a few blogs ago, these are the fellas who phone the phone ins, flood the net, email sky, talk shite etc and then proclaim they are speaking for all of us.

Oh well, night night.

Well, yeah. Thats exactly what I base it on. The coy little smirks and remarks when hes questioned on their interest and the not exactly down playing of it, yeah thats what I’m refering to. And yeah Rome I know fans can have a positive effect on the team but to blame their supposed not singing for 2 home games for us not winning the league over a 38 game season is as I said bat shit crazy statement not to mention completely unfair. But a new contender emerges; apparently its an FA conspiracy Rome?

BOOOOOOOIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGG!

Fatty you truly are the most reprehensible kind of person. I know you cant help yourself so I have to accept that there are insidious nasty people like you in the world worthy only of contempt. But as with all bullys you must be stood up to and shown for nauseating liar you are. I have never, ever, said that Jan told me exclusively that he wants Rafa sacked or anyone else for that matter. My post on Jan is no. 441 in Gerrys blog ‘as ever i’m keeping the faith’. Empirical evidence I never said such a thing.

Cont. Go back and read it and point out where I ever said what you purport. Your lies and mistruths have gone uncountered long enough. As for the rest of your insulting offensive post, well, what can one say? I guess it speaks for itself and perhaps more tellingly to the character of its author. How you can conjure such imagined images of anothers life and present it in such a disparaging derogatory manner as if working in a diner was something to be mocked,well, as I said, you are worthy of only contempt.

All of us expected Liverpool to have stellar season this time round especially after we over achieved last year. There are too many decisions that go into making a team successful. Over the last 5 years Rafa has to make countless such decisions which we as fans keep arguing without exactly knowing the truth. We are not even privy to the internals of the team meetings, practise sessions, manager and players 1:1s etc. I would rather look at what he has achieved v/s what we could have achieved with the budget he had. Tomkins does that analysis brilliantly. People who are skeptics of Tomkins may not like me using Tomkins as an example. Rafa has made mistakes some are made to look bigger than really are by media but at the end he has over achieved full stop. By the way I admire FS for he painstakingly provides details and lets us make our own decisions. Sorry for taking sides but I think he does it very well.

I am a deluded person because I believe in the conspiracy theories. I hate to bring this up, but how else would one explain the bizarre and unbelieveable decisions made by the refs in the EPL? Either something is influencing these decisions or the quality of some of the refs in the EPL sucks so bad that these refs shouldn’t be officiating the games.

It is difficult for me not to be a believer of conspiracy after going through what I have. Around two decades ago, more than 200 players in our league here were banned because of match-fixing/bribery. And when I read something like this once reported in the Telegraph: The American journal Foreign Policy estimated the entire Asian gambling industry, both legal and illegal, at $450 billion a year.

And gambling is okay if it were not thriving to influence league games all over the world. For example: “In February 1999 a Malaysian-based betting syndicate was caught attempting to install a remote-control device to sabotage the floodlights at English Premier League team Charlton Athletic’s ground with the aid of a corrupt security officer. If the match had been abandoned after half-time, then the result and bets would have stood. Subsequent investigations showed that the gang had been responsible for previously unsuspected “floodlight failures” at West Ham’s ground in November 1997, and again a month later at Crystal Palace’s ground during a home match of Palace’s groundsharing tenant Wimbledon.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Match_fixing)

Read some of them:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/3224065/Match-fixing-Premier-League-footballs-dark-and-dangerous-side-Football.html

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=522647&cc=4716

http://blogs.forbes.com/sportsmoney/2009/11/a-massive-new-match-fixing-scandal-rocks-european-soccer/

As it can been seen, some of the reports (probably from people like me)state the many leagues from around the world that are allegedly involved in this corruption, but we rarely hear the outcome after the so-called investigations.

I am not saying outrightly that the EPL is corrupted. And I always welcome some controversies since that is an element that we all crave for in the game, although too much of it kills the game I suppose. But it is difficult for someone not to entertain the accusations of a match being fixed/favouritism when confronted with a mind-boggling decision, especially when we hear about all the money involved and the history of match-fixing scandals.

I only wished that there were a simpler explanation to the bizarre decisions in the EPL, like a simple fact that some refs are not fit to officiate the game. And if that were the case, why isn’t the FA or FIFA doing something about it? And if they are aware of the shortcomings of the refs, then their not taking any action in itself is a corruption, no? And whenever I think of the word ‘favouritism’, Taggart comes to mind always..100% of the times.

Thank you Digger. I really appreciate the further pyscho-analysis.

Thank pshenava. But as I said to Rome77, the lad’s like a bit of chewing gum stuck on your shoe. Annoying, hard to shake off, but in the end nothing worth worrying or getting upset about.

Fact is, you don’t have to look back to any previous blogs. You can have a quick scan through this one to see what the lad constantly does…
Everytime I post – whether it factual information or opinion – he bends it to suit his aims against me.

There’s plenty of examples in this very comments section. It started with the Oprah Winfrey style babble on my character, ending by calling me a liar. And it goes on until this last little spat, where he has done the usual… took something I have said, (to someone else, as usual) and twisted into something that wasn’t said at all.

Then there’s the bit of character assination thrown in the end. Quite funny actually. But I have no need to defend meself. I’ll let the lads in here decide for themselves. I seem to have got on very well with the ones who I’ve actually met, got tickets to the match, and welcomed them to Anfield.

In fact, I even got on with their mates who don’t even come into the blog, but asked me for tickets. Not playing some sort of trump card here. It’s actually no problem to me and I enjoy seeing the people have a great time at Anfield.

I even invited my friend Digger for a pint in New York. He decided to swerve that, but went to the place a few weeks later and then came back to tell us all about his best new friend Jan.

And no. He didn’t say Jan had said sack Rafa. He just done the usual thing… infering that happened without having the bollacks to come out and say what he really meant.

It’s quite incredible really. I told Rome 77 last night it was a waste of time. Sadly our friend Digger is one of these new breed of “Supporters” who thinks, rather than the team succeeding, it’s much more important for him to look important on the internet and be proved right in his agenda.

And I only have to go back to the last post to show this and this is what really annoys me…
“The supporters who’ve backed Rafa through everything, marched for him, endured his games of media footsie with madrid and juve.”

I find this sort of thing reprehensible, totally incidious, nasty and worthy of only contempt.

This is the man who is going to stand up to me, the big bad bully, and show the world what a nauseating liar I am.

Fine. I can’t wait. I could do with a good laugh.

But these sort of nauseating lies are truly doing damage to our club. Every one in here, even the people with doubts about Rafa, know quite well whenever questioned on his future at LFC, Rafa has consistently said the same thing…
I love the club. I love the city. I love the fans.

There’s been variations on it. There’s even been that lovely interview that him and Montse gave to Radio Merseyside, when Montse laughed about their daughters becoming Scouse, said how Liverpool was now home, and if Rafa wanted to leave, he would have to go without his her and his girls.

But when quizzed about his future by yet another horrible hack, the Rafa qoute I liked most of all
is…
I intend to stay here for a long time and to leave behind a legacy the likes of what Shankly and Paisley left behind them.

But then Digger knows that’s all nauseating lies by Rafa’s (and I qoute)…
“The coy little smirks and remarks when hes questioned on their interest and the not exactly down playing of it, yeah thats what I’m refering to.”

Unbelievable.

But anyway, I do believe in Rafa’s ability to deliver on that promise, even under these circumstances. The sad thing is…
LFC has attracted a multitude of Digger’s since Rafa arrived. And ironically enough, it’s the very success that Rafa brought us, that attracted them. And it is these very people that will either get the man the sack, or much much more likely get the man to walk.

I warned about this before, and I don’t want to go on, but this needs to be said…
Just a few posts back, some of us had a converstion about what SOS is doing about our owners.
Well, we all know everything that SOS do – no matter how spectacular or unique – is ignored and, worse, swept under the carpet by the media.

And we all know the media has no love for LFC and an absolutely hate filled agenda against Rafa.

But what I don’t think a lot of you lads know in other parts of the world is…
The concentrated attack the media is making on our club. We do have some friends in the media, but the vast majority hate us and they would love nothing more than to see the demise of LFC as a major club in English and European football.

To help them meet these ends, they constantly enlist the support of “Supporters” like our very own Digger.

If you don’t believe this, do a little investigating. You have the internet at your fingertips. You can access all the proof you need of this. You can listen to the “LFC Supporters,” on the phone ins. You can read the emails sent to the British press by “LFC Supporters.” You can read, listen to and watch Sky Sports on the net, and you can see what type of “LFC Supporter,” they choose to use as an example of how we all think and feel.

Have a guess what type you are going to get?

That is the only important thing about it…
These empty vessels make the most noise and it’s amplified 10 fold by the media, while the thoughts, actions and words of loyal supporters are drowned out and hidden.

And I could go on, but I’ve made the point that really counts…
These fools are not harmless, they are being used like puppets by the media to aid an agenda that could do great damage to our club.

But anyway, tatty bye for now…. I’ve got to go back to my day job now as a reprehensible, nauseating liar of a bully.

FS,
i know what you mean now, do you know i completely forgot about that jesus that was some noise mate, but last night i went round to the longy for a few pints and to watch the mancs v wolves, what a lucky shower of shit they are they got battered by wolves only for one of their defenders to virtually set up the ball for that carrot headed cunt to score.
But happy day for me today as i became a grandad for the 3rd time at 6-50am with a beautiful 8lb 1oz granddaughter FS i’m fillin up and overcome with emulsion.

Hi all,

I havent posted on here for a couple of years but have tried to read the blog and comments when time allowed me.

So in true Socratic fashion I will get straight to the point and ask some questions…

~Digger… would you call yourself a Liverpool supporter and or fan? No need to verbose; a simple yes or no will suffice.

Lovely. I’m made up for you lad. Can’t whack the aul grankids eh. Corny but true… get the best of both worlds there. All the fun, get to spoil them rotten and then gyb them off home when they start to get on your wick…. well, in all truth, when they start to knacker us aul bastards out.

I watched a bit of the Manc game an all mate. I wasn’t that arsed to be honest. I can’t stand Mick McCarthey and after he done what he done against them last time out, I got a bit of a laugh out of it. And the same happened at Old Trafford, Wolves might have got something there if he hadn’t fielded the Mollyniuex Alehouse 11.
Hope the smug fucker goes right back down and gets the sack. I can’t stand him.

An I knew you’d remember that. I didn’t even know it got called The Drone meself mate. I brought it up with some other aul crumblies when we was talking about what is happening to the atmosphere at Anfield.

I always go on about the need to get back young local kids and start the new breed for the coming generations. And I think that’s right. But, and only sort of joking, they need to fill a section with us aul bastards, dust us off and wheel us into the Kop right behind the goal, put a few shots of whiskey in our cocoa, and let us loose.

The Drone is the first thing I’d start. The kids would have to take over pretty quick though when the wheezing, coughing and blowing for tugs started.

Anyway, congratulations lad. That’s a good healthy weight. I hope mother and baby are both fine and well. And with a bit of luck we’ll wet the baby’s head in a couple of weeks… Me bird is off to the lake district to see her mate for the weekend when we come up. So that’s that… Sunderland game and on the lash for fatty. And like I like I said, I’[ll be with a few Huyton lads. So, who knows I might even make it out of Walton Breck Rd, but I’m not going to hold me breath….
I usually end up just staggering off home after an after match session in the Salisbury nowadays. The aul elbow bending powers aren’t what they used to be, mate.

PS: Reading just scored as I posted that. Wonder if the British media and Villa fans will be calling for O’Neil’s head if they go onto win.

Digger
Facts are at those 2 home games ie W ham & Fulham some of the crowd behaved atrociously so maybe if we had a decent crowd we may of scored.
Facts are Gerrard scored at Stoke but the ref didn’t like it. Facts are the same W ham defender handled the ball 4 times but the ref didn’t want to see it.
So if you want to look at why we didn’t win the PL look at how the refs dont seem to know the rules and fail to do their jobs fairly.
” But a new contender emerges; apparently its an FA conspiracy Rome?” No its not a new contender its the same one thats been running the PL since it began.
” The coy little smirks and remarks when hes questioned on their interest and the not exactly down playing of it, yeah thats what I’m refering to”.
You sound like a jealous wife after her husbands been on a 2 day bender.
“insulting offensive post, well, what can one say?” Dont call me bat shit crazy it’s insulting and offensive, but I guess it speaks for itself and perhaps more tellingly to the character of its author.

No problem Fatty. Heres some more. Ya know, for a man who bandies about the term ‘moving the goalposts’ a lot,you’d think you were above reproach in that respect when in fact you’ve mastered the art. You concede that you in fact did lie when you claimed that I said Jan told me exclusively he wanted Rafa sacked yet in your very next breath all you’ve done is merely amend the lie to ‘you inferred it’. Again I must defend myself and refer you to the evidence. Its all there in black and white. Go back and show me where I inferred or stated that Jan told me he wants Rafa sacked and I’ll retract my claim that your a liar. But of course that isnt going to happen as I neither said nor inferred any such thing and you in all actuality remain what you are: a liar.
As for character assasination well Fatty, when it comes to amusing unknowing irony, once again I have to say you are the master. The breadth and scope of your lack of self awareness is at times staggering. Character assasination? Are you kidding me? For years Fatty you’ve run roughshod over anyone in this blog who has dared to counter something you’ve said with there own opinion or present one thats opposing yours,most probably regarding Rafa. Its a predictable pattern. At first, to be fair, you do try and engage in debate but then as the the other person continues to present or elaborate on their point it invariably descends into you insulting or abusing that person simply because their opinion dosent corelate with yours. I’ve seen it happen countless times. How many times have you called Somnath a gobshite or worse this year? All the lad was ever trying to do was make his point. He never insulted anyone or Rafa for that matter yet you abused him under the guise that you tried to ‘educate’ him. Bollocks. You dident like his point of view more like. And what of Mook? Another lad making his point that got caught in your crosshairs and you opened up with both barrels on. Result? No longer a member of our community here. I myself have endured your wrath numerous times. I’ve been called everything from a cretin, an arse, a contrary little fucker, a mong, a valley girl, an idiot, a gobshite, right up to a raggle taggle gypsy boy, whatever the fuck that is. By you Fatty. You wanna talk about character assasination? You’ve questioned my fanhood, my crediblity, besmirched my name all over this blog time and time again and you wanna talk about character assasination? You’ve even invoked my mother in a snide little joke at the beginning of the season. After I wrote my post about Jan in the 11th street bar the reaction from everyone, all the lads like Jack, and Lurgan and LB was ‘great post Dig’, ‘thanks for that Dig’, ‘great stuff’ and I was pleased that everyone enjoyed it. Everyone enjoyed it except you that is. From the moment I posted it your immediate reaction was to undermine it and take pathetic childish pops at it for no other reason than it was me and you dont like the cut of my jib do ya Fatty? It started within minutes of me posting it, questioning my credibility and the veracity of what was said. Fast forward 3 months and evidence be damned you just come right out now and claim I said something which was in fact, never said at all in an attempt to besmirch me further and you wanna play the character assasination card? As I said, the unintentional irony is stunning. But its nothing new with you or any other bully Fatty. The predictable pattern begins with you attempting to engage in debate before the inevitable descent into mudslinging and abuse. The last action of any bully with no vestige of argument or debate left is the implosion or to lash out. I’m often tempted to respond in kind but remind myself that to do so would make me no better than you. So fire away big fella, as always, you’re on your own when the discourse reaches your preffered level.

Rome, I never called you bat shit crazy. I called the statement claiming that if our fans had sung at 2 of the home games we drew we’d have won the league bat shit crazy. I must admit I was surprised you agreed with the contention though. But as you say it is insulting and offensive and if I’m gonna adhere to the standards I espouse I should retract it so, Fatty, I dont think your bat shit crazy and apologize for any offense. Lets just say I find your belief that, had the crowd sung at 2 of the drawn games we’d have won the league, quaint and charming. Personally I feel that starting our player of the year against Fulham as opposed to leaving him on the bench, might have given us a better chance. But thats just me. And Rome that leads me to a serious question I want to ask you in light of your FA comment. All joking aside Rome, at what point in time are we as fans gonna stand up, hold up the mirror and take a look at ourselves and accept that WE lost the league. US. LIVERPOOL. Nobody else did it but us. Not the FA. Not the refs. Not luck. Nobody else but us ourselves. When is the crying and whinging, the recriminations and blame game, the revisionist history, whens it all gonna end? Have we become so embittered and desperate after 20 years of waiting that when our golden oppurtunity finally arrived and we blew it we resort to such pitiful excuses as ‘if the fans…’ and ‘its the FA’? Seriously Rome, where does it end? When do we man up and concede; ‘Yeah…we blew it’. I mean the real reasons, or certainly the more likely ones, are all there in every match from last season. And they’re real. Rome, we should have won the league last season. Everything was going our way. Everything. We couldent stop bagging late winners at the start. We were stealing games we should have been buried in, think city, wigan. Luck had embraced us like a long lost prodigal son. Carras deflected goal vs boro, Xabis deflected goal vs Chelsea, Papa bouba diop deciding to play volley ball at Anfield, it was incredible, everything was going our way. Everything. Even the mancs playing shite and suffering a dreadful start. When we came back against city I started to get excited about the prospect of a league title for the first time since I was a boy. Rafa was fantastic, doing everything to win. Throwing on attackers and taking off defenders. Really going for it with an abandon that would all too soon disappear and not reappear til it was too late. When we beat city everything was going our way to such an extent as to make me think this was preordained. We were playing badly in some games and still winning, it was the mark of champions it was said. Xabi was garnering red card decisions like they were going out of fashion. Zabelleta, Vidic, valencia, how many did he finish with? Was it 6 or 7? FA conspiracy? Everything was goin our way and then we hit the top and Rafa started to get a little queesy and instead of continuing on as we had, he started making strange decisions that I believe are far more pertinent in the final analysis than the fans or the FA. The first was the bizarre benching of Xabi against Fulham. Why he opted for Lucas and Masch over Xabi and Masch I guess is open to opinion. In mine it was a mistake as the resulting nil nil would indicate. Yes we were unlucky that day and no I’m not saying we’d have won had Xabi started. But we might. I think its fair to say with your best players stsrting you up the odds of victory no? Next was the hull game where we came back from 2 down to be tied at the half. In Nandos absense Kuyt was selected up front. Alone. At Anfield. No biggie some would say but what is a biggie I’d say is that a 20mil striker with over a hundred premiership goals to his name was sat on the bench. For 90 minutes. As we huffed and puffed to no avail. The only changes made were Lucas and El zhar on in like for like changes as we played on with Kuyt up top and the game petered out. Now I’m not saying we would have won had Keane came on but wouldent we have upped our odds of bagging the winner if we had brought on a 2nd striker? And bear in mind this is a guy who put in a motm performance against PSV the game before and scored a screamer at Arsenal in our next game out. The point where our season really turned though was Rafas speech on Ferguson the day before the Stoke game. Great speech and all but…..ya know how they say ya shouldent poke at a sleeping dog? What Rafa did was effectively give utd all the motivation they needed for the remainder of the season. What ensued the following day was a horrible display of must not lose football from us at the Brittannia (after his performance the day before to lose was unthinkable and he set out his team accordingly) whilst utd went out and kicked the shite out of Chelsea. The rest, as they say, is history. At Stoke that day we started with Dirk up top alone again with Torres and Keane on the bench. When Torres was finally brought on we still remained with one up top whilst Keane remained firmly seated on the bench. Now I’m not saying we’d have won had he came on but with another sriker on wouldent it concievably have increased our chances? I mean he aint gonna get the winner from the bench. Anyway after this we went on a dismal run of draws whilst utd powered away. The Wigan game also falls into the category of ‘games where the title slipped away’. 1 up, Lucas commits an unforced error and we drop points.Not his fault, he was back covering. Just pointing out the reasons, in my opinion, we lost the league. That was also the night Rafa subbed Stevie off and Keane on in another bizarre move. How many times in the past has that man scored late winners and pulled our asses from the fire? I’m all for bringing on another striker and going for the game but for your best player and potential match winner? Was that the FA too? Or how about letting Cahill run across your 6 yard box unmarked to net a 90th minute equalizer? Or how bout your vice captain refusing to play right back enforcing your team mate whose never played there to in fact play there thus arguably costing us that game? Yeah, I know, Carra has since apologized in his book for that and fair play to him. He manned up and took resposibility for his mistake. And thats kinda my whole point here Rome. When are we gonna stand up and admit that we blew it. Us. Our manager and our players. Yes the fans treatment of Lucas was atrocious that day but neither that incident or they cost us the league. And neither did the FA. We, the club made enough mistakes and fuck ups along the way, too many in the end. And its sad, and I’m still upset, we all are, but its the truth. And the sooner we accept it the better. It just looks really sad clutching at straws and conspiracy theories for excuses. Really sad. Once again, no offense Rome, just felt it needed saying. I respect your opinion and no your not bat shit crazy, I just happen to think the reasons for our fall from the top last year are there in the pages of the season review, not at the FA or up on the terraces.

Great post Digger, I really enjoyed reading it. It certainly was our fault as a team that we didn’t win the league last year and it still hurts. I don’t blame Rafa for the speech against Ferguson, I think some things need to be said and the bullies need to be stood up against so good on him for making that speech. And I also don’t think there is anyone else I’d rather see in charge of Liverpool at the moment than Rafa, I hope he stays for a very long time.

Cheers Arman. Yeah, its difficult to be hard on him for the speech, everything he said was bang on but his timing….christ his timing. Could it not have kept til the end of the season? At the time I said it was an error and boy oh boy…. It was a pivotal moment in the season in my opinion and proved to be the catalyst for utds run to the title. He stepped up to the plate in defence of our club in one of the most admirable yet misguided press conferences in LFC history. A truly bittersweet day.

Oh’eeer Missus. I’ve just been savaged by Buffy.

Digger
Couple of quick question: What did you think of the referee at the Blackburn game or the one that won it for the Mancs at Wembley ? One day in the life of the FA.
Do you think if the refs at Stoke & W ham did their jobs properly we’d of won them games ?
And of course we made mistakes all teams do its part of the game as is luck but dont confuse luck with biased refs.
If you dont believe that having the crowd behind the team 100% at those 2 games could have won it for us then i presume its because you’ve never been when the supporters are up for it.

Digger

The problem is that you don’t engage in debate, you decide on how or who you want to attack and then you base your arguments accordingly.

Debate is when you begin with the facts and then come to conclusions based on those facts, not when you pick a scapegoat and proceed to tear them down.

In your post 287 you go back to your same old targets, Rafa should have done this or Rafa shouldn’t have done that, Lucas isn’t good enough, Keane wasn’t given a chance, etc etc etc

To be honest its getting very tiresome and you constantly give the impression that Rafa is responsible for none of the good things that have happened to the club in the last 5 years and all of the bad things.

You talk of character assassination and yet you’ve done nothing but that ever since you starting posting here, the way that you go on I’m beginning to think that Rafa is responsible for everything from the Holocaust to holding the nails while they crucified Christ, and worst of all you rehash every myth that the press have printed for the last 5 years, think for yourself.

You say that last season everything was going our way, lets see the perfectly good goal against stoke that was disallowed and cost us two points, the constant turmoil in the boardroom which surely must unsettle the players, more so I would have thought than them not being played when they are off form, the fact that Gerrard and Torres only started 13 games together that season, the fluky goal fom Macheda for the mancs that put them back on track, the way the press and media distorted Rafa’s statement and how it became known as his rant, none of these are a reason for us not winning the league, but we certainly were not Lucky last season, we did as well as we did because we played well enough to deserve that position.

Everything can be looked from two view points, If Rafa hadn’t considered selling Alonso would he have had the brilliant season he had, certainly the evidence of the two previous seasons suggest he wouldn’t have.

The problem with your posts is they begin from a point of proving that Rafa is wrong and you are right, and of course it follows on that anybody who has faith in Rafa is wrong as well so you make snide little digs and occasionally outright insults at those who defend him.

As for the point about good posters being driven out of here by FS, such as Mook, I honestly find the revisionist nature of the idea that Mook had anything to contribute incredible and it would appear that you have managed to drive out both Aitch and Keithsa in the space of one blog and offended Rome77 by calling him batshit crazy(and yes you did) and then patronized him by calling the idea quaint and charming.

Now they are posters who have something to contribute and dont get the idea that this is because I hold a different viewpoint to you, although god knows I do, but please go back over some of the snide, sarcastic and downright rude comments that you have made in this blog alone to multiple posters and consider whether you are interested in having a debate or whether you are just determined to shout everybody else down until you get your own way.

I love this blog its an oasis in the desert of the internet, its a place where reasonable men can come and discuss in a gentlemanly fashion unlike so many of the forums that exist, I would go so far as to say its unique, but you are almost single handedly turning it into a bearpit.

You like everybody else here are entitled to your opinion, but if you cant manage to make a point without being personal then I suggest YOU find somewhere else to post

Given a choice between reading your posts, and those posters you manage to offend, take a guess whose I would choose

Carragher hints at Anfield exit Article added: March 7th, 2010

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has warned that he would have no problem in leaving the club if he isn’t offered a new contract.

The Reds defender, 32, who has been at Anfield all his career since 1997, has little over one year left to run on his current deal, with no signs of movement from the club to extend his stay yet.

He told the Sunday Times, “I’ll still play my best and if I have to move then I’ll move. It wouldn’t bother me

“The club will give me a new contract if they want to,” he added. “It’s a club thing. It’s down to them. I’ll keep playing and see where it takes me.”

The versatile defender quit international football in 2007 after becoming disillusioned with a lack of opportunities in the England team and said he was “not scared of making big decisions”.

However manager Rafa Benitez says there is no rush over penning Carragher’s new deal, suggesting that the defender is concentrating on matters on the pitch.

Sorry lads. I know how boring this is becoming for everybody, and I really was going to swerve it. But I can’t really. I’ve been called some pretty bad things there, and, well, seeing Digger has wasted his Sunday going over last season’s results, and writing that post, it’s only right I should answer. But I’ll keep it brief as possible as I don’t think it really warrants that much time of mine and certainly nobody elses….

As for the Digger’s review last season, there’s a site, LFCHistory.net Anything factual you can imagine on LFC and their history is recorded on there. You can go back and read all the reports. You can come to whatever conclusion you like and put your own opinion to it.

Obviously, Digger thinks it was all down to Rafa’s mistakes, apparently his “Rant” being the biggest of them. However, if you think back to the time, Mr. Ferguson was constantly attacking Rafa, and LFC. On top of that, he was getting his friends within the media and the League Manager’s Association to attack Rafa. And he was heaping pressure on referees and The FA.

And yes. Referees and the FA do aid him in this. It’s not some organised conspiracy. It’s just a situation that’s developed over the years….

Look at the latest development…
The FA have ordered managers to talk to the media. When we all know, all that means is… Mr Ferguson won’t talk to the BBC, and his lap dog Big Sham has joined him as usual. It was a direct order by the governing body of the game… it’s been ignored. Nothing has been done.

Let’s not make a big deal of it… It’s just the latest example of a long long 20 year old list of Mr Ferguson’s tactics.

Talk of bullies, well, for someone who apparently hates them, I’m a bit surprised at who’s side Digger comes down on in all this. The zenophobia inside English football is actually a disgrace. Even the great Arsen Wenger has been a victim of it. Remember the man being forced to stand amongst United’s fans with them baying for his blood last season?

I could go on, but my point is Rafa stood up to all this. HAs anybody else ever done such a thing? Not to my knowledge. It was the perfect opportunity for the FA, other managers and the media to also stand up to Mr Ferguson. What did they do… Nothing, except paint Rafa as some stupid fat foriegner who’d blown LFC’s chances.

Shame some of our “Supporters,” believed this.

But having said all that, this was started by something Digger asserts I said,and I have cut and pasted post 266…
“I knew it. I’ve been saying all along it was the supporters who cost us the league. Pesky fans….”

Can somebody please show me where I said LFC fans cost us the league?
No. Well, that’s because I didn’t.

I was in all fact reminiscing with someone else about what could have been if we still had the sort of support that often pushed us over the line when the going was tough.

I think we all know that used to happen. If you don’t look up Bill Shankly’s views on the original 12th man. And I think we all know it still happens from time to time… think Chelsea in the first semi-final. And I think most would agree that it’s a shame we still don’t get that sort of support and that things like booing and moaning at Anfield was never the Liverpool Way, and that it’s a shame to see this happening nowadays.

In fact, I think that is what started this between myself and Digger. He has never liked the way I am loyal to the team and the manager, and will defend them against people who attack them.

In fact, that is what brought this about in this blog, and I’m honestly glad it brought to a head.

After the recent Blackburn game, everyone came in here happy at the result fully knowing a defeat would have all but destroyed our season. I shouldn’t speak for others, but everybody seemed to see the same thing… A very hard fought win against a team of Cloggers sent out to kick their way to victory by their Neanderthal manager in his mission to aid his master, Mr Ferguson.

What did Digger do? Slated Lucas and called our central midfield the most, (what was it? I forget for certain) the most limited in English football?

When I, amongst others, took him to task for this his reaction was to compare Gerrard – probably our best ever player – against Lucas, a young lad still learning in his first full season, that was forced upon him due to many factors.

However, feeling sorry for Digger as others started to give him a hard time for that, I said he had a point and tried to stop the attacks on him.

What was Digger’s reaction…
To thank me for agreeing with him.

I have never, and doubt I ever will, agreed with Digger on anything. Not just matters LFC, but things in general.

I have always made it plain that I don’t like Digger. I still don’t, and make no bones about it. In fact, I’m really pleased that he has finally stopped the snide sarcastic comments about me and made his feelings plain.

However, I assert that I have never called people things like he has called me. Yes. I call people gobshite, fool, idiot and so on. I’m a 53 year old Scouser. It’s how we speak. But I have never stooped to such personal attacks.

Apparently I have run many people out of here. Thank you 5 year plan for seeing the hypocrisy in this statement.

What I have done is had a go at those “Supporters” who constantly attacked the club and more personally Rafa. I’ll continue to do that. However, the people I supposedly ran off were mainly banned by Gerry for personel attacks – usually on me. And I have in fact, always asked Gerry not to ban them.

Digger sadly seems to have been keeping a dossier of all my crimes towards my fellow commentors. Please cut and paste some examples Digger.

Yes. I attacked Mook. But oh dear, barrell, scrape bottome is all I can say there. But the name Digger is rather apt here, as you dug back to Rafa’s second season to scrape that particular barrell when our old friend Mook was calling for Rafa’s head.

Where is Mook now? I have no idea, but I could take a good guess…
Where I always said he’d end up, in some Manc or Chav forum, “Supporting” his new found love, merrilly attacking LFC and Rafa with the approval of his new found friends.

No offence meant to any of our fans on the sub-continent, but even Indian fans will tell you how fickle these young kids in that country are.

And do I have the right to defend Rafa/LFC against these people?

Well, as a 53 old life long match going Kopite, I think I not only have the right… I think it’s my duty.

Sadly, this seems to be what made Digger hate me so much. Yes. I did make some silly remark about his mother, but it certainly wasn’t aimed at her. And I can’t remember it verbatim, but I know it was pretty innocent and seeing you like to dig into the archives Digger, why not cut and paste it in here?

In fact, I’d also love you to cut and paste your original few comments after meeting Jan Molby.

Let the lad’s decide for themselves what you and myself actually said.

And I could go on and on here, but you know what… that’s enough. I actually appologise to you lads for all this. In fact, I often do appologise when I bite, as you can see when this all started in this particular blog.

However, I will not appologise for defending my own against those that constantly attack them. What sort of decent man would do either thing?

Which brings me to my last word…
It’s good to see that Digger has actually learned a few things over his years in Kop Blog. Sadly however, it seems the Liverpool Way, the concepts of “Support, Loyalty, Gratitude,” are a lot harder to learn than dipping through your LFC annual and bending and spinning things to fit an agenda.

“Liar”… Pot, Kettle, Black have any meaning to you Digger?

Even though there’s a new blog I thought that it was more appropriate to post the most recent article from Tomkins in here.

http://tomkinstimes.com/2010/03/the-media-liverpool-fc-you-2/

Apart from derailing the new blogs, it seems to shoe-horn nicely with some of the above comments.