Nice one Gerry. I told the lad’s about the new job and that you was to blame for the price of Stella. Made up for you mate. I think we’re all feeling the pinch at the minute, and in this time of nothing but shite news, it’s nice to hear something going right for us.

Just don’t batter the Stella on a Sunday night. And them midweek Europa games are going to be very tempting an all.

Thanks for the mention. I’ve got some more good news, but I’ll leave that for awhile. Let the blog run for a bit first…

And in all truth, here’s my thoughts on Mr Hodgson…
I didn’t want him. I still don’t like him being our boss. But that’s only because of the circumstances that got him the job. Under any other situation, I would have been more than happy with him. And, as the new manager of LFC, he will get my total support.

Well, no. That’s a lie. It won’t be total, because I will not be going to another game until H&G and the snakes in our boardroom are gone. And I will stick to that.

But as for Roy himself… I agree. He’s a decent man. He has the sort of integrity I want in a Liverpool manager. There are doubts I have on several things, but for now all I can really say is…
Welcome aboard Roy. I hope you do us and yourself proud.

Oh and just a quickie cos I know a few lads want to buy this…
http://www.viga.co.uk/lsu

How come we can sell them for that, and H&G will charge you double?

Oh well, as I said, I’ll let the blog run it’s course before kicking off. There’s a comment in the last blog that some of you might want to see though.

Hi Gerry. It’s been too long. I’d also thought Germany were good for the money but I’m rooting for one of Holland (FOR Kuyt only) or Spain.

I wanted Pellegrini instead of Hodge, but I will give my support as long as two things happen: 1) He doesn’t play the part of poodle to the Poisoned Square of our “owners” Coleslaw or Brought On; and, 2) He doesn’t coze up to SAF.

Was real proud of what SOS is doing, including yesterday’s rally whose pictures I continue to see. My respect for Aldo grows.

The eternal optimist in me believes we might surprise selves this coming season and for whatever reason I can’t wait.

Just a shout to fellow Reds to keep the faith and wish classy Rafa the best at Inter.

YN(Ever)WA(Ever)!

Oh, Sir Benny of the Onion’s move to CFC has lost him uncountable points from this fan. Thanks for loyalty!

Welcome back Gerry. Congrats on the new job as well. Apparently (according to Fianna Fail!) were finally out of recession but as per usual Biffo and his cronies are talking a load of bollox. Anyway dont get me started on that or i’ll be off on a rant.

Great blog and I can only agree with you about Roy. I think he’s conducted himself, so far, with absolute dignity. I was extremely impressed with the way he handled the press conference with Bought-Man.

One of my biggest concerns though is the continued use of the phrase “steady the ship” by all and sundry at the club. I know what it means in my terms but what does it mean in the club’s terms. Well when i say the club i mean the board. My biggest fear is he’s been brought in to be a yes man and the board are banking that he wont kick up a stink no matter what shit he gets when it comes to finance/transfers.

It will be very interesting to see over the coming weeks whether he has the reported 12 million to spend plus money raised from any players sold. i.e. benny the rat onion… thats apparently 6.5 mill so according to my skewed mathematics makes nearly 20 mill. But i’ll believe that when i see it.

He has my full backing, but at the same time I wont be putting a penny into the club until the tumours are gone.

Lets hope the campaign keeps gaining momentum. Congrats to everyone who attended and had a hand in organising the Independance Day rally. Was keeping an eye on it all day yesterday via various websites and it looked a great day out.

The new kit looks fantastic and its amazing what people can achieve when they have a common goal and put their minds together. I’ve ordered myself one and urge everyone to do the same instead of buying the official kit. Keep up the good work lads, and keep the faith everyone.

Super stuff Gerry is missed your humour.Listen pal thats fantastic news about the job and goldfish!

Anyway i wanted Rafa to stay too Gerry but whats done is done so its Roy we have.Like you i thought Kenny could have done as good a job but i`m thinking the tumours didn`t want to entertain Kenny for the job because he could talk certain players into staying,you know the same certain players they plan on selling in their asset stripping process before they sell the club ala wheetabix.

Anyway i`m just back from Liverpool myself.There was a decent turn out for it.

Karen Gill,Bill Shanklys grandaughter,spoke very well and from the heart.I could help thinking what the great man would say now if he were alive.Everyone broke into the “shankly” song to the tune of amazing grace,bills favourite song when she came on stage.

Various local groups played music,including Fattys mate,Terry O` Shea,the man behind the “Sons of Anfield” tune.John Aldridge spoke,also did Howie Gale.
John Bishop provided a bit of comedy.He was a laugh.Neil Fitzmaurice another comedian and actor was the MC which he did with excellent humour.

Other people spoke from SOS with the speech from James Mc Kenna perticularly impressive.He expained the role of SOS from its humble beginning in the Sandon in january 2008 to today.

People from the world of politics spoke too.So a great day was had by all.

Well, I’d call that, “one bloody triumphant return”!!
Congrats on the job and all that.

For me the most important line of the blog is the closing statement… “all I need now is a new owner to come in and my life will be complete!”

I agree my first choice would have been Rafa staying (any success Roy does have will be very much rooted in the work Rafa has done over the last 6 years)
my 2nd choice would have been Pellegrino, with Roy in 3rd.

I can see the appeal of Kenny… and I can’t say I’d have been unhappy if he’d got the gig, but I think we’re better off if he stays at LFC and works some magic backstage… (if he’s to be a more active link between youth and first team and be involved in player recruitment then surely we have a ready made future manager who is familiar with all our assets?)

But Hodge it is and Hodge is shall be, so come Roy, do us proud!

I just think he’s already doing the job in a straightjacket, so any enthusiasm I may have had for such an appointment is tempered by the reality of the situation… and that situation is…
… it almost doesn’t matter who manages us right now… since G&H are still at the helm and we have puppets at executive level.

I hope Roy does have 12 million at his disposal…
… but I don’t believe he does.
I hope he gets to keep money from player sales…
… but I don’t believe he will.

Where did the 12 million come from???
Seriously… I haven’t forgotten the financials from just 2 months ago…
…have all of you?

We were in debt to far larger amounts than were being reported (than are still being reported) and were in danger of not “…meeting the fixture requirement for the 2010/11 season…” or some such thing.

Rafa was reportedly told there would be no money.
…We paid him 6-7 million…
…we paid Fulham 2-3…
… how much is Jovanovic costing us… (coz frees aren’t exactly frees)
…if contracts are to continue coming out of the transfer budget… then how much of it went into Roy’s deal?

12 million plus player sales my arse!!!!!!

… but maybe I’ll be proved wrong and all will be well come August 14?

Anyway… nice to have you back Ged… don’t let your new life get in the way of a good blog!

Nice one FS just ordered on there now.They look great i take it they`re all in the black are they?

I`ll spread the word also.

Sick I couldn’t get up there Timmy. Would have sunk a pint or 8 with you. I really should have went, but oh well, too late to start moaning about that now.

That sort of rings a bell…
but anyway, yep. The shirts are black. It was put to a vote. I voted red. But you know these young fashionistas and how they love their black… apparently it’s the new red.

Just a quick word on the shirts…
There was quite a few people involved, getting to be a reality from an idea took quite a bit of work. But the driving force behind it was a young fella called John. What a smashing lad he is.

Throughout all this, his father was lying on his death bed in hospital and has since passed away. But that kid would not stop. And I know things got very hard for him and his family. But there was just no stopping the kid. He was the one who got it done, and the one who deserves the big up for this…
And stories like that are the reason why we must keep up this fight.

My Alfie was only born in November. I can’t begin to tell you how much I love him. But I can’t even buy him his first LFC shirt, except for this thanks to John and the other lads who made it possible. But there’ll be no substitute for the club, so fuck that. I won’t stop either until there gone either or there might be nothing left for our Alf.

Congrats on your new job, Gerry. Hope this one survives the next Depression, which is like, 70 years later.

Anyway, I’m surprised you’re still feeling upbeat about Roy. There’s now quite some heated discussion over in Paul Tomkins’ blog about the pros and cons of Roy, and I confess to being one of those that view Roy’s appointment with some reservation.

He’s a nice guy, and perhaps it is this nice guy attitude that Dumb and Dumber sees as easy to manipulate into a yes-man. Roy would need to prove to me that he’s not going to be their mere puppet.

Another thing that riles me is the media is singing Roy’s praises at Rafa’s expense. Wonder if these muppets will still be around to back Roy when his honeymoon period is over?

Make no mistake, as long as the Pricks are in charge, Roy will just be as undermined as Rafa. At least the xenophobic press can’t whack Roy as some foreigner who knows fuck-all.

Oh, and as for the World Cup, I’ve been supporting Germany for as long as I can remember. In fact, I must confess, I followed them before I followed Liverpool (it was the days before blanket TV coverage of live football week in week out).

This World Cup has been the happiest I’ve ever been watching Germany. They’ve successfully shed off that efficient and ruthless defensive team, and turned into an efficient attacking force – In fact, they’re not unlike Rafa’s Liverpool when they thrashed Real Madrid and the Scum (before being undermined and dismantled by the pricks in America).

And maybe them not having any Liverpool players in it means I can support them without any reservation about who gets hurt or not, though I’d still be pleased if a Liverpool player like Torres (if he’s still with us) or Kuyt scores against them.

Speaking of Kuyt, he has got to be the man of the match against Brazil. Funny he’s part of what that cunt Stan Collywags described as the “worst Liverpool side” ever. And this coming from a sore loser who can’t even turn up for regular training with Liverpool.

The Blacks fine FS.In fact i think its appropriate in the circumstances if you know what i mean.Also it will make people who see you wear it take notice and they might ask questions on it.If it were red it could easily be mistaken for an official jersey.Soit good work and black a good decision IMO.

No need for you of all people to worry about not making it.Everyone that knows you know you were there in spirt and i don`t say that lightly.You`ve done enough work as it is.

Anyway here`s a litle vid of yeaterday.I pop into it a couple of times.I`m the fat lad in the red shirt holding the can of carlberg with the balding head at the back

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbBWbxany28&feature=player_embedded

Nice one Timmy you handsome bastard you.
Fat, balding and holding a can of Carlsberg… that describes just about every other person in Liverpool, especially the women.

As for the shirt, well that was what won the day… the young lads said Black cos it was like being in mourning. So I suppose they had their point but I’m just an old traditionalist and a bit of a commie anyway.

As for the march mate. I just wanted to be there. I wanted to see all me mates and won’t be going to the match until the others are gone. So that was me chance. But oh well, there’s always the “We’ve Fucked Them Off” do when we get shut.

But all me old mates were there. Terry who done the Sons Of Anfield is a great lad. And I know Karen Gill’s dad, Vic. Lovely fella has some great stories about Shanks, mind you being his son in law, and also being on Liverpool’s books but fucking it up, they aren’t all nice.

But anyway, glad you made it and had a good time. It’s a fair aul place the Pool. I’m sorry I ever left it, and I’d go back tomorrow. But it’s the kids and the grandkids. I’d go mental if I didn’t see them all the time. Maybe in me dotage I can go back, but for now, I’m stuck here and it could be worse. It’s not a bad gaff, but it’s so bloody far from everything. Oh well, we all have our burdens. And I couldn’t cope without this…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lsh2BYYx49M

Got a written reply form the premier league in the post this morning.

Dear Mr McCarthy,

Thank you for your recent letter.

We understand the support and strength you have for Liverpool Football Club.

We understand that fans wish to ask questons of their club,via the appropriate channels,and we encourage dialogue between clubs and their supporters.Liverpool football club,like all clubs in the Premier league,is an independent body that is subject to and bound by the competition Rules.Our role is to apply the Premier League Rule Book on behalf of the clubs and we cannot act outside those rules.

There are several Rules aimed at ensuring good governance of Premier League clubs and they are of course also subject to company law.We cannot however make decisions about day to day running of our member clubs.They all have their own directors,management teams,lawyers,accountants and many other staff with that responsibility,and who they employ to fill these positions is entirely their decision.In terms of club ownership we provide a framework that includes rules governing who can invest in Premier League clubs and,introduced for the 2010/11 season,a requirement for clubs to prove that they are sustainable by submitting future financail information showing they can meet their liabilities for the year ahead.

The Premier League`s view is that the regulatory process is a continuing one and,as new challenges emerge,the nature and extent of our Rule Book is under constant review.These matters are regularly discussed by the Premier League Board and,having been discussed at a recent club meeting;it is likely that additional rules regarding club ownership and club finances will be introduced for the 2010/11 season.Further clarification on this will be available on Premierleague.com at the start of the season.

We hope that this goes some way to explaining our role at the Premier League and how we monitor the financial management of the clubs that play in our competition.

We regognise that football has a significant cultural and social resonance,and we are well aware of the level of responsibility that comes with it.Our regulatory standards are high,and we recognise the need to push for further improvements as circumstances change.We believe that the work we are doing will continue to have a positive impact on our competition.

We thank you for taking the time to share your opinions.We appreciate and understand the passion which you feel for your club and will pass on a copy of your letter and our reply to Liverpool Football Club.

Youys sincerely,

Rachel Pallant.

Supporter Relations executive.

Ha new son of Anfield i take it thats little Alfie!

Just thinking now maybe i should have waited for the blog to go on before i posted that reply.Sorry about that there Gerry.

Nice one Timmy, at least you got a response and thanks for posting it.
Kinny, I know there are reservations about Hodgson but let’s give the guy a chance and we’ll soon find out what he’s about. In the absense of Rafa, I think a steady pair of hands is just what we need right now and I actually think the guy might do quite well for us but we’ll soon see.
I haven’t bought a replica shirt for myself since the 80′s but I’m definitely having one of those black ones, they are absolute class.

Yeah. That’s the Alfie fella. Little cracker he is. And I don’t think Gerry would be bothered about that. In fact, I’m sure he’d want to see it.

It’s the standard reply they are sending. And it’s up to yourself mate, but I know you by now, so I know you’ll want to do what everyone else is doing…
Writing back, politely thanking them for taking the time to answer, but firmly pointing out that this is their business and they should be doing something about it.

I could easily have templates knocked up for this by some right clever bastards. But the thing is mate, an original heart felt letter from a committed fan holds far more weight.

It’s like this really…. me bird asks me to do the garden or wash the car. It take no notice. She does it again. I go the alehouse or something. She does it again. I uhhm and ahhh for a bit and come up with a few excuses. She gets on me case again, I end up doing the car, the garden and probably a bit of painting or something to get some peace.

It’s called nagging. It’s horrible. It’s a pain in the arse. It does all our heads in. But you know what…
It works.

Missed that while writing. Nice one Gerry I knew you’d like that an fuck it you lads are good as gold so I’m going to tell you the next step…
We’re sorting out a full page advert in The Times.

It’s going to be based on Stephen Hester’s recent comments on the owners being allowed to take on too much debt. Sort of thanking him for at least addmiting it but asking him what he intends to do about it…

Fuck the press. They won’t put us in their shitty rags, so we’ll do it ourselves.

Lads I think its VITAL that we don’t tar Roy Hodgson with the same brush as G&H, CP and MB.

… not yet anyway.

Maybe he’s not a Great Manager?
Maybe he’s not a World Class Manager?
But Maybe, just Maybe, he’s a pretty decent manager and helming Liverpool FC will be the chance he’s waited for to gain such status.
After all, short stint at Inter aside, he’s never really managed a club of this stature before.

Its important we keep our eyes on the bouncing ball here folks… coz MB, CP G&H will do their very best to get you looking at the right hand, while the left hand does the nefarious deed.

And yes, there is a very good chance that Roy’s appointment is just that… a public right hand… while behind the scenes the left hand is doing all sorts of nefarious deeds.
But that isn’t necessarily Roy’s fault.

We are all very conflicted at teh moment….
…and I guess all I’m saying is let’s be sure to give Roy our backing until such times as HE actually does something to warrant us not doing so…
… and not hold him responsible for the actions of the board/owners (after all… that is in large measure exactly what happened to Rafa!)

Let’s remember that a philosophical discussion about his merits as LFC manager…
…is a different discussion, or should be…
…to a discussion of the job he is now doing…
… and more importantly/significantly, under the ownership/directorship he is now doing said job.

Judge Roy by HIS actions… not by Broughton’s, Purslow’s or H&G’s.

I`ll get right on it i won`t be fobbed off that easily!

I agree Aitch,Roy didn`t cause these problems.We judge him on his ability as a manager.I see some people see him as “one of them” and refuse to back him.Well i asked the question if Kenny took the job would they label him “one of them”.

Don`t think they would.They`d see him as the “saviour who came in to settle a sinking ship.

Thats what roys job is to do so we should let him get on with it even though he`ll be held back from taking us forward by H&G.

Don’t worry Gerry, I’ll be giving Roy a chance at least.

FS, speaking of protest T-shirts, my local fanclub has already printed T-shirts with the caption:

YOU’RE KILLING OUR LIVERPOOL FC – NO YANKS!

And I’m already in possession of one.

Perhaps if you are interested, I might try getting in contact with the guy who’s had a hand in the manufacture of these T-shirts and see if you two would fancy working together?

I’m not sure of the details, but I think he’s got some connections with people from the textile factories in China to get these merchandise made.

Cheers Kinny but that’s all taken care of now. The lads found a manufacturer who was honestly in to all this. He’s a proper Red, and so they’ve managed to keep the costs down. The only profits are going to split betweeen SOS and HJC. So, it’s all sorted but thanks for the offer.

As for Roy, I think anyone blaming him for any of this or saying he’s a puppet is bang out of order.

Like I said, due to the circumstances, I’m not happy he’s here, but I wouldn’t dream of blaming him for anything that’s happened beforehand and I can’t see anything he’s done wrong.

Even if Torres and Gerrard go, it’s not really his fault. And up until now, he’s made all the right noises… keep our best players, owners must sell up soon as possible, etc.

So I think he deserves a fair crack of the whip and he’ll get my backing until that opinion changes. And the only way I’ll change that opinion is if he ever is seen to be compliant in the dismantelling of the club that H&G are set upon.

Hey FS… for the Times ad, you guys might consider trying to use that “Good Days Hunting” picture.
I came across it in the “phtoshoped pics” thread over on RAWK.
Its a pic of G&H holding their LFC scarf on a shoreline with the Liver Buildings int he background and a huge dead and bleeding Liver Bird on the sand in front of them, with the caption…
“A Good Days Hunting, George?”
“Yes Tom, A Good Days Hunting Indeed.”

Not sure who owns the rights to the original pic, but I’m sure the lad that did the photoshop work would have no problem with you using it.
Just a thought…

There’d be no problem with using anything mate. They’re all good lads, who are trying to do the right thing. The finished ad isn’t sorted completely. It’s probably going to be just an open letter to Hester, with some questions and hard facts, and an appeal to all Reds to join the fight. I really shouldn’t have said anything about the it, but fuck it. It’s alright, and I wanted to let all you lads know that there are things getting sorted in the background.

In fact, there’s a lot of good people doing good things that don’t get seen. We’re just the foot soldiers. But don’t underestimate what you’re doing. It the footsoldiers who win the battle, not the generals.

I have to be honest, the appointment of Roy Hodgson doesn’t exactly fill me with joy. If anything, it seems like a bit of an easy, media-driven choice. Particularly as he didn’t cost anything. Like others, my first choice was Rafa to stay on followed by Manuel Pellegrini as a second call. But truth be told I wasn’t hugely impressed with the names being thrown around and I guess Roy was the best of a bad bunch.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ll back him 100% until he gives me decent reason not too but I just feel our club is worthy of someone with a bit more of a record, so to speak. Hogdson seems like a decent bloke but his career is hardly anything to shout about, especially compared to the man we’ve let go (or forced out, more accuratly).

I suppose I was just hoping for a genuinly exciting name to appear and throw their hat in the ring. However its difficult to see anyone like that you’d want in at the minute, especially when you’re gonna have those two yankee parasites and their minions making you work with both hands tied behind your back.

Still, it could’ve been worse. We could’ve got Mark Hughes!

Just watched Holland V Uruguay. Our Derek’s having some world cup. Made up for the lad. He deserves it.

Delighted for him FS if all our players had his attitude we wouldn`t go far wrong.

Can`t say i`d want them to win it although i wouldn`t begrudge Derek his medal i`ve fifty on spain at 5/1 so i`m sure our Derek would understand with everyone feeling the pinch!!

Can someone explain to me the point of the poll on the TIA mainpage, asking what position needs strengthening the most…
… when the two most OBVIOUS choices…
A. Owners
and
B. Director
…are not provided as choices?

As long as we don’t sort those two “positions” out then the rest is pretty fuckin redundant!

Since FS seems to have dropped the ball on this one and not posted it yet…
… I thought since we have a pretty International contingent in here, I’d get you all on it.

SOS has put up a great page on their site.
Here’s the skinny…

You got to http://www.spiritofshankly.com/gallery-15.html

…you print out the “Tom & George Not Welcome Anywhere” sign…

… you find an easily identifiable landmark unique to your part of the world…

… and you take a photo of you, a friend, a family member… or just the sign… in front of that landmark…

… you send them the photo…

… they post it on the site to show how Internationally despised G&H are.

They’ve got a handful of good ones so far…
(my fave is the Abo bloke holding the sign… fuckin Classic!)

I’m gonna try to get out and up to the Hollywood sign and Disneyland this week.
I’ve got me mate up in San Francisco on the Golden Gate Bridge and Alacatraz.
I’ve got mates in Brazil and Portugal on it also.

So wherever you are… get on it.

Morning lads, fuck I never thought of that Aitch. This is the perfect place to get people on that campaign.

To be honest, it’s robbed from the Bluenoses. But it’s a right giggle and is effective in raising awareness. The Evertonians have a thing where they write Kopites are Gobshites in the local lingo and get a snap by that countries landmark… bitter bastards, eh.

But yeah. This is a great idea for in here. There’s not really much to update on the struggle front. Sadly these things move slowly, but things are getting done.

There’s some sort of posh do today, Standard Chartered and Purslow will be there. They’ll be holding a Q&A session. SOS are intending to ask some rather pertinant and embarrasing questions, but I have a feeling this will go tits up.

I can see Purslow just swerving them or them getting thrown out. But either way, it could be a bit embarrasing for the little web-footed fucker.

Feeling a bit guilty here lads. I know I commandered the blog for a wee while. But like I said, all the info’s out now. I’ll put up the occasional bit of info or link to keep the lads who are interested informed. But other than that, I’ll leave you all in peace, even Digger and BM, to talk about the footy and that.

And you might have noticed, there’s been quite a few developments, even a new manager on that front. Plenty to discuss, I’d have thought.

Oh well, later lads.

Kuyt’s having a great WC. I’ve seen some great touches, and some good skill from him that went missing last season.
My folks go over to the UK every year & bring back the latest LFC top. They asked me if I wanted one this year. I told them to save their dough, especially since the Rand is 12 to the pound. I might get my hands on one of the SoS shirts though. Look great.
Timmy re 11: So that is summer in Liverpool eh? I think I’ll stay down this end of the world thanks.
Did you see how quick the press latched onto a story/interview by Torres’ agent? Turning it into ‘Torres is leaving Liverpool’ bullshit. And then a day later his agent puts them (the wankbucket press)straight, saying he said no sich thing. Oh, and Abromovich is flying to SA to try & persuade Torres to join the Chavs. The fucker has had his boat docked in Cape Town for the duration of the WC. Anything for a story – the twisted, no-good motherfuckers. Even the broadsheets are spewing out kak these days.

Aitch, you’re a week late. I’ve already submitted my photo to them.

Quite amazed at all the exotic locations these people come from, this should hopefully silence those doubts that SOS is nothing but a xenophobic anti-OOT organization if they can involve more of the global fanbase into the action.

http://tomkinstimes.com/2010/07/the-long-and-winding-road-supporter-ownership/

I hear SOS and ShareLiverpool have decided to launch a Credit Union scheme, though at the moment it’s only limited to Merseyside due to legislation. Only when they can figure out how to include the global fanbase on this will this start to work.

As for the World Cup, the WC Final will feature at least another Liverpool player in Dirk Kuyt since Dietmar Hamann represented Germany in 2002.

Depending on today’s result between Germany and Spain, each finalist will feature at least 1 player from Liverpool (Kuyt and Torres) and 2 more on the benches (Babel and Pepe). Meaning 2 of them will win the WC since 1966.

In this WC finals, we have 13 Liverpool players

For the Round of 16, there remains 10 players (Agger (Denmark), Kyrgiakos (Greece), and Jovanovich (Serbia) out on Group Stage)

Quarter Finals – 6 players left (Skrtel (Slovakia), Gerrard, Johnson and Carragher (England) out)

Semi Finals up to 3rd/4th place and Final – 4 players remaining (players mentioned above minus Masch and Maxi Rodriguez (Argentina) out)

So much for that cunt Stan Collywag proclaiming this Liverpool side to be the “worst Liverpool side ever”.

Kinny as in any organisation you get a few hot heads. It’s true of SOS. Some of them are xenophobic and, well, quite plainly put, nutters.

But that’s just the odd individual. Make no mistake, the union itself is all inclusive, any one is welcome and local groups are already being set up. The London branch has it’s first meeting this weekend I think and there are other branches being created abroad.

The London branch is already working on a march through the financial district in the city, culminating with a demo/protest outside RBS headquarters and a petition is being worked on to hand over to the bank and some politicians.

This struggle is all of ours, and the only way we can win it is by all pulling together and all doing whatever we can.

As for the press… fuck em. They’ve always been the same. We have a few friends in there, Rory Smith, Tony Evans, Brian Reade, Dion Fanning, etc. And that’ll do for me. Bollacks to the rest of them.

Well nice to here from you, congrats on the new position, hope all goes well.
.
Plenty of discussion over Roy, as far as I’m concerned, regardless of whether he’s good or great, he seems to be another in the long line of decent people managing LFC.
.
However I guess I shouldn’t say I like the man this early into his LFC career, that would only put the get rid of him pressure on early.
,
He seems the type of person who just goes about his business without much fuss, and to be honest I haven’t heard a peep from dumb and dumber since the Rafa thing, not sure I heard them during the Rafa thing, so that’s the way it used to be.
.
Hopefully Roy might be able to entice a few in or use a few we have, either way good luck Roy, all the best.

There’s a difference though Gaz… the silence is not calming. In fact, it’s deafening and very worrying.

It’s the lies mate…
Spade in the ground in 60 days.
I never said that, he did.
No debt on the club.
Good financial health, better than any other big club.
No money spent now, but a big summer.
Investment by Easter.
Rafa’s signed a 5 year contract, his job is safe.

And there just a few of the top of my head. We can all think of many more, all usually issued after something had or hadn’t happened. All designed to keep us mugs quiet and beleiving everything is okay.

Well, I stopped listening way back when Snoogy Doogy was about to sign for Roffa. But we’ve got just over a week to see what the last load brings…
Big announcement on buyers in mid July so reckoned Mr Boughtman. Apparently that’s now been moved back to August, just as the transfer window closes funnily enough.

Personally, I can already see through it, why it’s timed for them, and the even bigger lie that’s being formulated by leading it with that particular lie.

But I agree with you a 1000% on Mr Hodgson. He does indeed seem a decent honest man. And until he gives me reason to believe other wise, that’s how I’ll think of him. And like I’ve also said, unless it’s glaringly clear that he’s condoning it in any way, even if we go into free-fall I won’t blame him for it.

But, like you said, we’ve got to hope for the best. And I hope all the players really take to the man, stay at the club, and start playing like we all know they can.

Do I think that’s what will happen?

Well, sadly on that, all I can say is the usual… we’ll see.

Surprise, surprise…
Purslow cancelled the do with Standard Chartered.

Apparently he heard SOS would be present and that was that. But he can’t hide…

If you would like to ask Standard Chartered why they or Mr Purslow cancelled the event, feel free…

Standard Chartered
Tim Baxter
Head of Corporate Communications
Telephone: + 44 (0) 207 885 5573
Email: tim.baxter@sc.com
Address: 1 Basinghall Avenue, London, EC2V 5DD

For electronic contact https://forms.online.standardchartered.com/public_website/group/contact_us/en/

People are resending the questions that we had for Purslow. I’ll put them up in here in a moment.

To repeat my point in #31

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_FIFA_World_Cup_squads

12 Liverpool players represented in this World Cup, only Barca has more represented. 13 if you include Jovanovich.

Out at Group Stage: Agger, Kyrgiakos and Jovanovich

Out at Round of 16: Gerrard, Carragher, Johnson and Skrtel

Out at Quarter Finals: Mascherano, Maxi Rodriguez

None out at Semi Finals

And now, we have up to FOUR Liverpool players (Kuyt, Torres, Babel and Pepe) that might feature in a World Cup final (realistically just two, as Babel is injured and Pepe rarely used).

And at least TWO will win a World Cup medal.

With the exception of Gerrard and Carra, ALL WERE BOUGHT BY RAFA.

So to all you cunts (especially you, Collywags) that proclaimed Rafa has left behind the “Worst Liverpool Side Ever”, this FACT has given you two words as an answer to that:

FUCK YOU!

fucked off

Oh no, Lurgan, please don’t take the wrong idea, I certainly wasn’t telling you to fuck off.

(Don’t think you’ve ever said what that cunt Collywags has said. )

http://www.flickr.com/photos/47942694@N07/sets/72157624317728179/show/

Some cracking photos from the SOS rally.

Hi Groovers,

Congrads Gerry ! The only man in Ireland to actually get a job this year. Good Kopblog karma that.

A right interesting post that Kinny. Boy oh boy has poor old Roy landed himself a job or what. Follow that.
Good luck to the gent. Seriously.

I have never less looked forward to a season to come as far as the team is concerned.
Who knows, it might be a blessing for Roy. I don’t think there are huge expectations the likes of which we had got used to under the guidance of you-know-who.
He might slip a good one in ? He’ll have to to have any vague chance of hanging on to any of our A-listers.
Of course that is assuming our “Great Leaders” don’t manufacture a way to flog them off. Under the new regime expect lots of promises form our “Great Leaders” and then “Senior Sources” will explain just why ____________ left despite being offered ____________ and really the clubs “Great Leaders” are not to blame for the player in questions’ lack of loyalty/unscrupulous agent/greed/whatever.

Yep Roy’s gonna have to have the season of his life because the Rafa project is gonna be unravelled before you can spell unravelled. IMHO.

The one thing is … personally I don’t think Roy is there for the cheque. He is not stupid and neither are a growing number of activists and armchair supporters out there.
This may yet surprise our “Great Leaders”.

Rafa brought (nearly) all of this out in the open. Perhaps Roy (gagged as he probably is) doesn’t have to ? Perhaps the momentum generated by RAFA / SOS / Gerry,FS, Aitch and lots of other imaginative and dedicated supporters and others has created the awareness and interest and activity whereby we can really call their bluff. Maybe some good will come out of the slow disintegration and destruction of what we all loved.

Anyway I finally got out from under the new wave of nappies and posted off a fistfull of letters to the FA, RBS, etc etc.. It felt good to do something. I’ve ordered the “Standards Corrupted” shirt and you know as much as I’m frankly not interested in the team right now I’m very interested in the fight for the club.

Finally I’m happy too say that we had a bouncing beauty of a new baby boy here at home 2 weeks ago and that is pure magic.

He’s gonna be a red, hope they’ll be around.

Congrats Dougle! I have my 2nd boy due on Wednesday. He is going to inherit all his brother’s (Liam’s) Liverpool kit, from bib, to babygrow, to t-shirt etc. Luck little fucker. Just glad they haven’t/won’t have to live through this period of our club i.e. G&H and Purslow.
Are these Standard Corrupted shirts selling at stores? My folks are in B’hamshire at the moment & would really like for them to bring me one back home. Otherwise, where/how can I order one (prices etc)?
Cheers!

Big congratulations Dougle. That’s brilliant. And to you Rafalution mate.

If you want to get the new Kop bloggers the alternative kit, I’ll dig up the link. You can pre-order it now. The lad’s are just waiting on delivery before they can start distribution. I put the link in the last comments. Dead busy this morning. Just popped in to say this…

Purslow has no had a mural of Rafa and the lads lifting the European Cup taken down and removed from Melwood….
Strange for a life long red, eh.

The little fucker isn’t happy to force out the best man we’ve had since Paisley. He know wants to write him out of our history.

There’s an email and address in my last post if you’ve had enough of these bastards. I’m dead busy spreading the word while I’m on me own in the house. All the click, click, clicking is doing people’s heads in. So, I’ll have to crack on.

But yeah Kinny… not only are they determind to re-write the man’s legacy, they are trying to write him out of our history.

Where’s the Rafa bashers now?

I should leave it out… but it’s not petty vengance. These idiots helped cause all this shit, and I’m still fuckin livid about that.

Vindictive… yeah. So what? I took years of abuse and sniping off these people while I tried to get them to see sense. Well, they won. They got their way. And I’ll never ever forgive them.

Dougle/Rafalution, I can’t even buy me Grandson his first kit but I’m going to do all I can to see there’s a club left for him.

What a bloody mess, eh.

That’s pretty outrageous!

…and on the day that his swan-song gift to us (Milan Jovanovic) signs for 3 years!

http://lsu.viga.co.uk/

Link for the shirt.

Well, I’m not fucked off with you Kinny, not yet, but I could call you Kenny. I know that you LOVE that.

It’s the whole state of affairs at LFC that is fucking me off. What’s new you say?

I understand the call to arms for Roy from Gerry but no matter what Roy does, he, and LFC will be well and truly screwed over by the shire of shite that we call the present LFC board.

I just hope that Roy stands up to these fuckers but we shall see. The proof will be in the pudding though. Me personally, I would have preferred to have Rafa there but I guess that most people knew where my loyalties lay i.e. with the only fucker who was sticking up for us!

I know that I sound like a broken record but, like FS, I have stated again and again that this would happen.

I feel that I must state that I am not a FS puppet. He is his own man and a very decent one at that. I do not have to go further.

I do admit that I have used some of his info but at the same time I have used my own small brain to do a few searches on the internet and see what’s REALLY going on.

If you do this, it’s as plain as the nose on your face what is going on here. For example, with a bit of research, G&H have taken a Kop Holdings loan and then loaned put it onto LFC to pay, with a higher interest rate for LFC. How kind they are. Talk about getting fucked up the arse?

All LFC fans should do a bit of research and spread the word. This is the only chance that we have.

G&H AND THEIR HENCHMEN ARE HERE TO FUCK US FOR EVERY DIME THAT WE HAVE. FULL STOP! THEY WILL ONLY LEAVE US WHEN WE ARE SPENT! WHY A 800M PRICE TAG?

Maybe it is because I grew up in Norn Iron that I take everything with a pinch of salt, but please people, I implore you to do a bit of donkey work and investigate what these baordroom fuckers are doing.

It only takes short amount of time and the answers are there for everyone. Get off your fat/ slim/ smelly fucking asses and do it, otherwise LFC, as we know it, may no longer exist.

FFS, it’s like Well’s 1984 all over again. The ministry of Peace was the army. Rafa was the root of all evil. Just watch out for the LFC thought police.

Purslow is a cunning fucker, no doubt. So lets keep up the fight against this tyranny and we can win it together.

This is the end of the party political broadcast – again.

Good luck with the new baby Rafalution.

We’ve just inherited some second hand baby clothes from a friend of Mrs Dougle. Guess what she turned to me with in her hands ? A manure baby grow! She got a great kick out of that. So will I as I mop up the floor woth it.

Kind of a poignant moment yesterday. The Mrs asked me what was going on (in Liverpool world). We have a new manager I explained. “How weird is that” she says. “Ever since I’ve known you Benitez has been the manager of Liverpool. For me they are same”.

How about that. She’s seen me screaming at a 12″ black & white snowstrom screen. (Chavs – Europe), leaping up and down howling while ripping off my shirt (3-2 vs Arsenal – Europe), rushing into her even more bemused (non-football loving, european) parents waving my fist (Chavs again – Europe)… as they sat there the weekend before she gave birth to our first child… wondering, yet again, if she had made the right decision… This and many more lectures, rants, raves and moans she has put up with with the central character(s) being LFC and Rafa.
What are we gonna talk about !!!

Well, I’ve cheered/sobered up a bit and wanted to say, congrats Gerry on the new job. I was hoping that it would be as manager of LFC but I guess we went for the cheap option again

Also congrats to Dougle (Is your wife French?) and Rafalution on the new arrivals. It sort of put things into perspective.

Dougle, your post made me laugh because my wife (French) and her parents (non-football), have witnessed the same thing on my behalf and I am sure they have wondered, what the fuck is my daughter doing with this clampet – BTW I still have the scar from the friction burn on my knees (no jokes) from that arse match.

Usually after the 2nd kid they think that you’re a decent bloke though!

Good times and memories indeed and I thank Rafa for that.

But that was then and this is now. Good luck Roy but you’ll need a shed load of it.

At Timmy #11 Great vid that Tim, I was stood about 10 yards to your right with my Bluenose mate. We didn’t stay for the whole thing because I could see my mate was getting out of his comfort zone LOL

Just reading Dougle’s drama with the missus. My wife does not do sport – she is from a ballet/dance background. But she has seen my mood & state of depression from last season, and (God Bless her) she now regularly asks me on the latest re LFC & Rafa. I always don a LFC top on the weekends, when we head out to the shops, cafe’s etc. She has taken in the commeraderie of LFC fans – when you walk through the shop & another bloke with a Reds top on gives you the thumbs up or a knowing smile. She has (after 12 years or so) got to know what LFC is all about, and she is even hurting at the mess that these 2 Wanks have put us in. Enough of the family…
I was having a beer with my brother last night – also a Rafatolah. At the end of the night (& half a dozen beers later), we sort of came to the conclusion that ‘thank fuck we at leat have a decent person managing the club’. The jury is still out on Roy – and like all of you, I say let’s give him a chance – but for me, a very NB fact is that he is NOT a Fat Sam, a Mr. Ferguson. He is NOT a prick. This might seem like small consolation, but imagine having a manager you don’t really want, and who is a total prick as well, managing your side? It is bad enough having them in the boardroom, but to have a chop representing your team from the dugout as well?
Thank God for small mercies.
And good luck Roy, do your best mate, for this unique & wonderful club.

Alright lads just popping in for a second i`m off on the piss for the weekend starting with a pals wedding today and ending sunday with a trip to thurles to follow the rebels in the munster hurling final.

Dougle and rafalution congrats on the babys and all the best for the future.
Dougle the only time she`ll talk to ya no boy is when your getting the elbow into the back at 3.30 in the morning….”get up its your turn for the feed”.

DJGAZZZA at least your bluenose mate turned up says a lot about the scousers in general.

Finally i got two more replys from the british government and rbs.Usual “nothing to do with the day to day decisions” shite.

I`ll get to the replys monday or tuesday depending on my physical condition

All the best guys.

something i’ve taken from germany’s world cup successes is the beauty of 2 holding midfielders as an attacking formation. yeah, i know they’re a counter-attacking side, but it was the best shape in the competition, scored the most goals, and destroyed england, argentina and australia.

i wasn’t always a critic of rafa’s formation, but i was a critic of the players he put in those positions. in here last season every man and his dog were having a go at rafa’s negative tactics by adopting this system, and those who defended him generally said that lucas wasn’t a holding midfielder (which he clearly was).

i stayed out of that debate, preferring instead to debate how gerrard and aquaman could be better utilised within it. but having watched the world cup, i’m definitely in the pro-rafa-formation camp. the problem was that lucas and masch didn’t have a good enough range of passing to allow us to break quickly. alonso, of course, did and that’s why we missed him so much. i for one hold him mainly responsible for the discrepancy between the 08/09 and the 09/10 performances. yeah, there were loads of other factors like the injured torres and the shit gerrard, but basically we looked rubbish because we couldn’t spray the ball forward with the same accuracy and incision and therefore couldn’t spring attacks.

look at germany. they had a solid block of 2+4 behind the ball when england attacked, and then, when they gained possession, lauched the ball wide and suddenly had 3+1 attacking the england back line. it worked the same against the argies. teams with only one holding midfielder over-committed players in attack and then couldn’t handle them on the break. luckily for spain, they had the benefit of watching those games and immediately dropped torres to adopt a 4-2-3-1 of their own to counter it.

rafa was definitely onto something with that formation and anyone who said it was negative, didn’t understand the dynamics of attacking football which can spring from 2 deep-lying midfielders.

with xabi and masch we were able to do what rafa wanted. with lucas and masch, we weren’t. simple as that. during last season anyone who criticised lucas was shot down and told to watch the games properly because he was our best player. fuck that. look and busquets and alonso. look at khedira and schweinsteiger. if you’re going to play with 2 holding midfielders, they need to be able to do that, i.e find wide men with precision and immediacy. slice open defences through the middle. hold on to the ball and not shit yourself when someone challenges you.

i know what you’re thinking. rafa had no money so what the fuck was he supposed to do? well, either change the formation from the stoke of genius he’d had when he bought alonso, or move gerrard back to do that job (which a few of us in here have been campaigning for since the start of last season.

what’s the point of this rant? 4-2-3-1 is the way forward. it’s not only the most solid defensive formation, but it also produced the most goals at a world cup since the brazil team of 1970 (most big wins anyway). if roy can make aqua, torres, babel, jovanovic and kuyt work up front with masch and gerrard BEHIND them, we can still have a shot at this league.

ridiculous? yeah probably. masch will probably be at inter, gerrard at real, and torres at chelsea. and there’s no back up so if any of them get injured we’re fucked. but if roy is allowed to spend that money, knows his shit in the european market, and buys players of a similar ilk, we might even make the top 4 because we’ve got the best keeper in the world, 2 of the best young centre backs in europe, and a world class attacking full back. that ain’t bad.

4-2-3-1
YNWA

Sambo, you are pretty much correct. I for one, defended Lucas to the hilt – and I still will because he gets unnecessary flak, even from our own fans. He won loads of accolades as a youngster playing in Brazil…as an attacking midfielder! This is his favoured position. Even though his heading & shooting abilities would seem to refute this fact.
Anyway, you comment ‘ hold on to the ball and not shit yourself when someone challenges you’ hits the nail on the head. Ingerlund were guilty of that in the WC, and Liverpool were last season as well. Look at Iniesta, Xavi, Alono, Schweinsteiger amongst others. Calm on the ball, BUT they always have a release i.e. someone else in a position to knock the ball to. And Alonso’s passing at the WC has been great – reminds me of the previous season when we finished 2nd. Can Gerrard perform this role? He should be able to, but does he want to? He prefers the role behind Torres, but he is close to 31 and maybe the ‘Alonso slot’ would be better & more successful for the team.
Let’s wait & see who we have available next season, and what formation Roy wants to play.

Makes a lot of sense Sambo. For 4-2-3-1 to work the 2 holding midfield players need to be able to pass the ball and dictate a tempo of a game. Sweinsteiger and Khadiera can both pass it well. The former is very good and intelligent on the ball. Alonso and Busquests are both very good on the ball and can pass and dictate the tempo. Brazil played with this formation also. Neither of their sitting midfield players were mobile enough in my opinion though. Gilberto too slow and passing range not good enough. Holland also play the formation but their midfield is similar to Brazil. Not mobile enough in my opinion and I don’t think they will get near Spain in the final.

Masch and Lucas as the 2 in the 4-2-3-1 doesn’t work for me. Not enough range of passing, neither can dictate the tempo of a game.

Good wide players are needed to make the system work also. Rather than playing fullbacks either side of the 3. Of course the centre forward position is key. He has to be able to run the channels, hold up the ball, and score goals. 2 attacking fullbacks required. As our squad is now this would be my team starting the first game of the season:

Reina
Johnson, Carra, Agger, Insua
Gerrard, Masch
Kuyt, Aquilani, Babel
Torres

Our left side is weak. Ahh well, that’s what happens with a books balancing/debt servicing philosophy.

Who knows what formation or team Hodgson will start with. I’m not really lookingforward to the season with much glee.

Watching both Gareth Barry and Xabi Alonso play recently it makes Rafa’s decision to consider replacing Alonso with Barry a ridiculous one.

Ahh hindsight LB it’s a wonderful thing. Recently yes 3 seasons ago no. alonso had a couple of shockers. Barry was more mobile which sort of agrees with Sambos theory and he had more of a goal threat. Now before you all jump down my throat, I am and was a big alonso fan. I think Rafa would have loved to have added Barry to the squad as opposed to replacing alonso with Barry but I think with the constraints he had he had to choose and decided on Barry for the aforementioned reasons.

LB: Jovanovic can play on the left.

PS: don’t forget the injuries which necesitated Lucas playing more games than anticipated last season.

all very logical lads. but i think its fairly nailed on roy will play a 442 for almost all our games its his preferred formation but really does it make that much difference spain are in the final because they have the best team and holland are in it because they dont know how to lose. we had no one in the whole team bar the ever injured aqua who could pass the ball or receive the ball at pace much like england technically inferior players all over the park.

for the Dutch, German and Spain formation to work you have to have a mobile and passing able middle two – so that kinda rules out both Masch and Lucas. But when I see Holland I see De Jong and Van Bommell – two wrecking balls similar to LFC last season. However the big difference between us last year and those three national teams – is that the Dutch, Spanish and Germans have pace on the right and left flanks – something we sorely lacked last season

yep, it’s amazing how many teams are playing with this defensive 4-2-3-1 formation and scoring buckets of goals.

With hindsight I underestimated the loss of Alsono and the impact on the team playing this system. Ah well you live and learn.

I hope RH sticks with this system as we have the personnel, assuming everyone stays, to pull it off. I fear that he will go to a 4-4-2 but I guess that the proof will be in the pudding.

BTW, did you know that Schweinsteiger translated to English is ‘Pig Fucker’. He must have had some crack at school

I have said it a million times… Rafa Benitez, a man ahead of his time.

Shankly was the same, pass and move – simple and beautiful.

Shankly learned to play this way in the pits. On their short breaks the miners used to play football on top of the slag heaps. Sick of chasing the ball down the slag, and bringing it back up to start the game again, so wasting minutes of their precious break away from the pit face, they knocked boards into the slag and played the ball on the floor….
Bingo. Pass and move was born.

Every now and again football changes. Think of the beautiful Dutch total football. It was a joy to watch and unstopable when in full flow.

Look at what Rafa has been slatted for since arriving in England… Rotation, Zonal Marking and 2 holding midfielders… all slagged by pundits, reporters and “Dinosaur” coaches as Rafa called them, but now all common practice by the top teams and coaches.

Sadly too late to save Rafa. And so it’s on to Roy. Well, I’ve said me piece on him. I like him as a man. I wish him, and so LFC, all the best, and I think he’s a decent fella who will do a decent job…. but inovator, European Cup winner, taking us on into the future of football.

Sorry lads. It’s just not going to happen. But I don’t want to be pessimistic and I hope an old time manager might just take us back to the old time basics of the boot room… pass and move, the old Liverpool grove and stop us from just being Hick’s vision… you know the script, brand loyalty and so on.

The Dutch have pace on the flanks Arthur… Dirk got new boots or something?

Only problem with our middle two… a season too early for Lucas.

Having said that, I hope Roy let’s Aquilani loose, shows him some vids of Terry Mc and says go and do that lad.

Can’t be arsed with all the other stuff right now, but things are happening chaps. I’ll update you next time. Just felt like talking some footy.

Some of you love your revisionist history don’t you.

Last week, I watched a rebroadcast of two games…
Our opener against Spurs and the first Chav match.

In both games, Lucas was spraying passes about like Alonso (well okay that’s an exaggeration coz few can do it like Alonso… god I miss him) and players were getting on the end of them.
Even though we lost both games, we were attacking in numbers when we moved forward… and actually got caught on the break for the goals.

In both games, we pretty much had full strength teams… and the injury list hadn’t truly set in yet.
As the season progressed and injuries piled up, those forward passes were still being made… but the ball was being lost and players stopped marauding forward, and holding back to protect what was becoming an increasingly make-shift back 4.

As for pulling Steven Gerrard back into a midfield role… well its a no brainer philosophically… I even began campaigning for it myself the moment we lost Xabi… but half-a-dozen games in it became obvious it was a bad idea… and if we’d done that last season in the form SG was in… we’d have finished a helluva lot lower than 7th.

Lucas is a fine footballer. The lad had to much to carry too early. That’s all.

HA HA “Schweinsteiger” what the hell did his forefathers do for a living!!

Mascherano’s passing was made to look very ordinary when Argentina played Germany. The German holding midfield players could pass the ball. Every time they pressed Masch he either had to pass it backwards or he gave the ball away. Lucas suffered a similar fate in many matches last season. When really pressed by the opposition you could sense the “oh shit” he was thinking to himself and he’d pass it back quickly or over dwell on it or at times give away a throw in.

Rafa definitely pioneered this formation in England. It was a masterstroke. Alonso though was absolutely key to it. Remember the stats that would come up towards the end of a CL match? Alonso always ran more meters than anyone else. So work rate as well as intercepting possession to go with the wonderful passing range both long and short. Even though I knew Alonso was a key player for us I certainly underestimated his impact on how we play as a side. Our best performance in 20 years has to be the Real Madrid slaughter at Anfield.

4-4-2 is definitely a dinosaur formation. My favourite is Barca’s 4-3-3 and Chelsea’s 2004-2005 4-3-3. One holding midfield player with 2 good ball players either side who can get around the pitch. Pace/Skill/goal threat in the wide positions. Elite centre forward. 2 pacey/intelligent up and down fullbacks.

Hmmmm?
Yet stats that showed the very same kind of running and passing for Lucas are ignored coz it doesn’t fit the accepted “he just wasn’t up to it” tag.

One is a philosophical discussion.
The other is what happened last season.
Just like the “Gerrard should have played midfield” debate.

As for formations… well football is a pretty simple game, made all the more complicated by pundits who played it yet seem to have so little understanding of it.

For sure, a 4-4-2 is getting harder to play… but I’d hardly suggest its a dinosaur.

Its a case of horses for courses, in any season. You play top 4 teams… top half teams… bottom half teams…
…you play World Class Teams for sure, but also 3rd rate champions from much poorer leagues, in both the CL and Europa…
…and you play Championship and lower division teams in the FA and Carling Cups.

And you need to mix it up not only based on the opposition, but also on the players you have available, their particular skillsets and strengths and their form.

I think Rafa was working towards an eventual situation that would allow us to fluidly switch from 4-2-3-1, to a 3-2-3-2 type of situation.
We saw him do it sporadically, and then more than a few times in 08/09 but then things went pear shaped and we just didn’t have the fit personnel last season.

guinness… I think they were the original designers of the flugelhorn, weren’t they?
… or perhaps it was lederhosen? I forget.

Here you go…
http://www.savelfc.org/wordpress/

One lad sorted it all out, worked his nacks off. And some good lads contributed, but it’s still getting built. Looks good though, and hopefully it will work.

You know what, maybe Rafa knew that Alonso was key player for his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation and that is why he held out for a ridiculous asking price from RM but they came up with it.

Nothing to back that up though and I am probably talking shite and it wouldn’t be the first time.

BTW, where are the CBC? I thought that they would be here in there droves. I guess that they decided to support Chel$ski.

Aitch the stats alone won’t convince anyone that Lucas or Alonso is a class midfield player in a particular role. The overall performance is what convinces and the stats just support the opinion really. For example if I told you Xavi had the best pass completion and covered the most distance in La Liga and the world cup you might think to yourself “ahh what a player eh”. If I told you Robbie Savage had similar stats it, alone, probably wouldn’t change your opinion of him too much.

Alonso was 22 when we signed him in 2004. Lucas is 23 now. Maybe my standards of how a starting midfield player should perform is too high.
By the way Gerrard was garbage last season in every position. I’d hope we see a return to his former self next season though, which is why I’d be tempted to start him in the middle next season.

I reckon if Lucas is our best performing midfield player next season (as he arguably was last season) we’ll have a similar season to last year – a poor one.

Given that he’s one of the few new things we have to talk about, can any of you give us some insight as to what we should expect from Jovanovic next season? What kind of player is he? Strengths? Weaknesses?

Well that was sort of my point LB.

…and anyway…Nothing… would convince some people that Lucas is a good player

A lot of people were spouting off in here last season… all season long… about how Lucas was crap and not good enough and wouldn’t walk into any other team, and how we should have played SG in midifeld in his place….

…yet week after week, Lucas did the business in midfield while far senior (and arguably technically superior players) simply melted and wilted around him, failing to control the ball, turning over posession, or getting caught in possession, or simply miscontrolling it out for an opposition throw-in.
In spite of all that, Lucas kept tackling and playing the ball forward… yes that’s right forward, as well as the too-oft ill-reported sideways… and when it came right back down his throat, he did what was necessary to win the ball back.

Look, the previous season(s), his performances were such that, those opinions (except for the “he is shite one”) were to some measure hard to argue.
The opinion that should he not have been played in midfield last season however, is just completely wrong. (its like comparing SG last seaosn to any of his previous seasons.)

When comparing his performances over the 09/10 season to his midfield competition, the lad simply outplayed better players for the duration… whether his bashers want to admit it or not. That is as Rafa will now be saying in Italian “the Facts, no?”

As for comparing the lad to Xabi Alonso… well the majority of midfield players in the world pale by comparison, so its hardly fair on poor Lucas is it.

And as you say, I’d also hope to see SG return to his former self next season… problem is.. he’ll be doing it in fuckin Madrid!
Ah well, we’ll have Danny Murphy to root for, again!

Interesting debate over Lucas, I think the reason Lucas cops so much shit is because he is Brasilian and everyone expects Brasilian midfielders to be Kaka’s, Zico’s etc.
.
Lucas had a good solid season but lads I think thats the type of player he is solid, not special, solid and dependable.
.
If we’re debating the downfall of last season, his name should only be mentioned in the forced to use the guy so much category, because it was the SG’s who were far from convincing.
.
Mash may play with his heart and soul but his passing is second rate. Did anyone see the passing in the German game, he was awful. Did anyone notice his defence in the German game, very lazy I thought.
.
Lucas is a good player and his character is second to none. Lets hope the poor lad shines evern brighter this season.
.
SG is the one who needs to get of his arse.

My daughter got a baby sister last week, and for that I thank God

Dunno whether this interview has been read by all:

http://www.empireofthekop.com/anfield/?p=17628

I joined the SOS about a month ago when FS came in here and urged people to join. Can’t really tell why I didn’t join before that. Perhaps I lazily assumed there was no point since I live in Sweden and am not formally connected to the local things going on in the city of Liverpool and so on.

Well, I’m glad I finally joined and I have now also joined the recently established local branch of Sweden. There are some really good people, some of whom years back even paved the way for my current understanding of the history of the club by, for instance, familiarizing Swedish supporters with the story of Bill Shankly and the core values the club is still (though some might doubt it) based on.

Liverpool (along with the Man Utd) are by far the two most popular English football clubs in Sweden, but I have previously been surprised by how few Swedish reds are aware of what’s really going on around LFC. A lot of people undeniably base their opinions on what is reported in the media, and we all know (or most of us, at least) the problems that entail.

Therefore I’m slightly surprised a Swedish branch of the SOS was the first international local branch to be set up, but I’m also delighted to be part of it of course.

Congrats Dougle, SOAK and good luck Rafalution. My missus is due our first this thursday myself. At this stage we just want the thing out! Its starting to drag in. Talk about a baby boom. Well definitely one here in Ireland. One positive side to recession hey… gives us more time to do “other things”. That Coombe is some baby making factory.

Some good points made there by sambo and LB. Playing 2 holding midfielders is a good formation if you have the players. i.e. good passing mobile midfielders and pacey full backs to provide width and get forward quick enough to support attacks.

I recently heard Johnny Giles and the panel discuss this very thing on RTE. And Giles had a pretty good point for once. Why are holding midfielders just able/expected to hold? Why shouldnt they be expected to be able to pass the ball forward. He said before Makelele there was no such thing as a “holding” midfielder. Midfielders were expected to be able to do everything. I can see his point. Your paying these guys 100k a week and were not expecting them to be able to see and make a pass forward? For fucks sake its called “football”. We’ve been brainwashed by the sly sports generation that every team needs a holding midfielder. Unfortunately there’s too much emphasis these days on the physical side of things. How many defenders these days do you know who actually cant pass the ball? The majority of them. Its kick and lump forward with them and it gets right on my tits.

As for our 2 “holding” midfielders last season. Well Lucas was probably our best outfield player. I think people need to give the kid a break. In my eyes last season there were a lot of games that Masch just continuously gave the ball away because he can only make 5 yard sideways and backwards passes. He’s a crab! A lot of passes that went forward from him didnt find its target. I think in some way this contributed to Stevie’s shite form. Thats not me making excuses for him because he was shite anyway last year. If your playing in the hole then you need somebody to find you with a clever pass from midfield. And your not going to get that from Lucas & Masch. I think that was the argument last year about playing these 2 together. Well that was the argument from the clever people. The fuckin morons calling for Rafa’s head just moaned about it being defensive and couldnt see it wasnt defensive we just didnt have the right players for it.

For me, i’m really looking forward to seeing Aqua this year. He can pass the ball, he can shoot, he has good awareness, and at times he had some great link up play with stevie and nando last year. I think he can really make a difference in the right formation with the right players around him. Here’s hoping.

Nice to talk a bit of football hey.

Right little baby factory this place. We should start talking about nappy changing and that. Made up for all you lads, there’s nothing better.

As for the state of the club, SOS and the footy… it’s the same thing really – ignorance.

One quick look shows what H&G are and what they will do. People just ignore it, hope it all just goes away or someone else will sort it for them.

The footy… for the most part they listen to the media and fall in line – even some of them who can see it’s nonsense. They’d rather just listen to the “Expert analysis” than trust the evidence of their own eyes.

One look at Rafa’s Valencia and what he’d tried to do at Anfield should have been enough. But no. They had to agree with Hansen and Grey and conclude this was the worst ever Liverpool side/squad and it played shit football… even though 13 of that shit squad went to SA and all the succesful teams played a version of what we played.

We can blame it on Lucas or Kuyt not being quick enough for that formation to work. There’s really no merit to that. We can’t just go out and buy the best all round central midfielder and the fastest winger available. But if you look at the ones that got away, and the constant upgrading on what we had, it’s completely obvious what Rafa wanted, and despite all the hinderances, was working towards.

But now, we’ve got an old fashioned English manager, who will probably take us back to an old English 442. The media will be happy. They will tell us what a disgraceful shocking side Rafa left behind and what a wonderful job Roy is doing by keeping us in touch of Villa, Spurs and Everton.

And there should at least be the honeymoon period. That’s one thing stats does prove… new manager, upturn in results.

It usually lasts about 6 games on average. But if you look at our first 6 fixtures poor old Roy mightn’t even get that.

I’ll bet me bottom lip on something he won’t get… the 14 million that we have taken in on sales since the last window and this one. Yep. Add up the money we’ve made since Dossena/Vroniin left right through to Yossi and we’ve made at least 14 million on sales.

This is the future – bankers and wankers running the club into the ground, while poor old Roy tries to steady the sinking ship.

I hope no one thinks that’s harsh or disrespectful of Mr Hodgson. I’ve made it plain what I think of him, but I haven’t said this…
There’s a little part of me that believes, despite everything that’s against him, if Roy gets it right and gets these bastards playing, we could still be alright. We might win the UEFA or the FA and we might even force our way back into the top 4. And if we force the other bastards out in the mean time, we might just come out of this strengthened by it all.

It’s a terrible shame that we had to lose one of the world’s best managers for this to happen, but if Rafa’s dismissal is the catalyst that really sparked the revolution and led to their downfall, then it would be worth it and it would be Rafa’s biggest achievment in football.

It’s just like the old saying…
Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

And I honestly think that is the best we can do right now.

Wow,

Membership of this blogsite should come with dummies and condoms, cover all options like !
Thursday’s gonna be a big day Artful, enjoy. Congrads SOAK.

Well maybe as the footie is off season and we’re all fairly underwhelmed anyway we should have a (Gran)Daddy and kid blog Gerry ? Apologies to any female readers (are there any ?).

Spot on Lurgan – the present Mrs Dougle is indeed a french speaker and right again, once the second one comes they kind of throw their lot in with you eh !!

On an overall point, and it is good to talk footie again, what do people feel about the EPL and the standard of football that we watch ? I think the hype is gonna be very hard to keep up after the abject failure of the english together with and complete lack of intelligence and mental fortitude shown. One more hole in the overcrowded listing ship I reckon.
I think there is gonna be a lot of general football fans once more looking towards Spain and now Germany ,for the football (and evenmorso the organisation lack of cost and experience of watching football played by fan-owned clubs in Germany). It isn’t just the Likes of H&G and their cohorts that have to be eradicated from the game here but also Sky and even the EPL itself for me.
Gonna be a very interesting year indeed. How are they gonna cover up the empty terraces on the box. In fact it’s another benefit of boycotting (Liverpool) games.

Ah yes. There’s nothing like the smell of revolt!

Snap FS !

One other thing that I may add to the tirade is the standard of punditry. Shi*e.. Well hey are all in bed together aren’t they.

Rude awakening is a comin’ round the corner.

Gotta go now ,,,, babies !!

congrats on all the sprogs lads i reckon match of the day was boycotted for a large chunk of last season leaving a lot of reds with nothing to do on saturday night;-)

anyway on the state of british and irish football this is where the new rules on local players might actually help the english national team apparently only 40% of the players in the league are english compared to 75+% in spain and germany instaed of giving the local lads a chance players are bought from all over the place to plug any gaps call me what you like but i would have much rather see spearing kelly and dearby given starts ahead of lucas deagan veronin and the other cut price players we have recruited. otherwise whats the point in having academy at all? these islands are well able to produce class players if they are given a chance to play.

Where?
That’s jingoistic xenophobic nonsense. If the likes of Jay Spearing was better than Lucas he would be playing in the first team.

We aren’t producing players and haven’t got teams full of local lads for a multitude of reasons. Look at the Celtic team that won the European Cup. Every player in that side was born within 30 miles of Celtic Park. Now?

The fact is, the Premier, and therefore it’s product which is sold all round the world through Sky, is only the spectacle it is because of all the foriegners in the league.

Yes of course, there’s great home grown players. They all play for the top sides. Just naming a Liverpool 11 with no foriegners in is hard. Playing a Liverpool 11 with no foriegners and we’d soon be playing in the Championship.

Guinness – Cheers mate -

I’m not so sure about these islands producing players of quality these days. I think it comes down to coaching and vision. Foe the life of me I cannot understand why coaches in these islands don’t go abroad to Spain/Holland/France/ wherever and learn about academies etc. Rafa had got the Barca academy man in for us last season …. too late eh ! (Is he still with us ?).

I don’t see much in the way of “intelligent” footballers appearing here. I agree it’s more difficult when the premiership is a form of rugby a lot of the time (see Sam Allerdyce/Mick Mc Carthy/even David Moyes …etc etc..) but Arsenal can compete here and play ball, I’m pretty sure Barca could and they have a crop of home grown “intelligent” footballers of no great stature e,g Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro, Messi, Puyol, how big are these guys ? It shows you what you can do if you open your mind and develop a style of ball playing that encourages mental, spacial, skill, pacing and concentration qualities as against the pace and power 2 dimensional version of Football-Rugby we have here.
Nope, for me it’s down to the blinkered vision and survive at all costs mentality of the EPL. Which is itself fueled by major money “Sky Product”… The sooner it crashes the better.

That’s a good reason for being happy that Holland and Spain got to the final, Germany and even Uraguay would also have been ok. So would Japan, South Korea and Chile have been good for the game. Why ? Because they all have something other than Pace/Size and Power. IMHO of course.

i agree dougle but we all know of gifted lads who have gone to big clubs and just dont get a chance it just seems the clubs have no vision of what they want. FS its not xenophobic to want homegrown players not just at liverpool but at all the clubs in the league surly a side with 5-6 british/irish lads and the best of the rest would be ideal. theres a hell of a lot of very average foreign players in the league and there just has to be lads in the acedemys around britan that can do the job just as well no?

Thank you for the wishes and congrats to fellow (grand)fathers/mothers too. For my little one, I wish for her to don a new kit in the near future, right after the boycott ends.

I think the EPL is gonna be in for a rude awakening very soon.

This World Cup is gonna bring a lot of interest to both the Spanish League and the German League.

In the German League you have an organization that is very well (and to some extent, even rigidly) structured financially.

They already have a self-imposed home grown player quota.

They’ve had a Nationally reaching youth development program in place for a long time… cleverly structured to develop late-teens, as well as youth… the first crop of which we’ve seen at this WC… and it would appear they have more to come.

There will be plenty of places in the Bundesliga that Big Money Boys can flood into and make a profit on… but one of them WILL NOT be owning the clubs (particularly in the way that happened in the UK.)

I think Spain will become the “next big thing” and we’ll start to see many of our big “foreign” names leave for Spain.

A lot will depend on the ability of the less glamorous clubs to attract those names.

But all it takes is television coverage and a bit of money… as we saw in the UK, with “big name foreign” players signing for Wigan and Middlesborough and Portsmouth.

And of course they have the tax structure to attract them also.

A player can take a pay cut on a move to Spain… and make more money! (same with Germany!)

The Premier League is like the Housing Market. Unrealistic values, placed on low rent properties, that weren’t actually worth that much.

#79: Obviously no or they would be in the teams.

I agree to the extent that it would be better to have decent home grown players. But where are they?

After that abysmal showing at the WC the media here went mental. First of all it was the usual throw them all out and give the kids a go.

When a few people started to point out there is no kids, the saber rattling started… kick out johnny foriegner and get Tommy Atkins in.

Again, I’ve got no problem with getting Tommy in, but where are they?

And I tell you something, it’s only going to get worse. Premier clubs and individual players, such as Bellamy, are now opening academies all over the world especially in the more deprieved countries.

Hard to knock that. The kids lucky enough to go to the academies at least get a decent living and education while they are there. But, let’s face it, there’s no one who thinks for one second that these clubs are doing it for altruistic reasons. The top class kids will be over here and filling slots at the academies before they’re in their teens…. it’s already happening.

Talking of young players, it appears Insua, our only established left back is pretty close to moving to Fiorentina. When asked about this, Hodgson replied, I don’t know anything about it. I like the lad as a player and a person. But I’ll have to talk to the club about it.

I hope while he’s talking to Mr Purslow and Broughton, as it seems they are deciding what players we will and won’t have, I hope he asks them what team he’s got to put out, and now that it looks like both Yossi and Insua will be gone, who exactly is going to play on the left?

So, there you have it… one footballing man in the hierarchy and he’s in charge of exactly what?

Oh well, Guinness Drinker, it looks like you might get your wish sooner than you thought… as there might not be anyone other than home bred youngsters to pick from soon.

What’s there to worry about FS? Everything is fine.

In all truth Lurgie mate, GD has a point and it is worrying. The answers wrong though, just throwing in local kids won’t make them better, but it is worrying that none are coming through.

It’s been going on for years though, just look at Scotland. I remember having this conversation with a Jock mate about 10 to 15 years ago. So, it’s nothing new, but it just keeps getting worse.

When I look in the street, I barely see lads kicking a ball about. There’s pitches by me, I take me dog down there. They’re only used on a Sunday. You hardly ever see lads just having a kick about. Where are they all?

When I was a kid, back in the days of coal powered goal posts, there was really nothing else to do. So, from when you ran out into the streer of a morning to when you got roared to come in of a night, it was football. And a decent ball was rarer than hen’s teeth.

This produced all the great players of the past, not academies. But even fellas like Gerrard and Carragher, the older pros today, also learnt that way, and all the imported lads did too.

And that’s the key, getting kids playing again. They’d rather be Messi on the computer nowadays than a be him chasing a ball around the street.

Like I said, look at the Celtic team who won the European Cup, they were all born, grew up and lived within 30 mile of the ground. And that really was a belting team, good as anything anywhere. Now, there’s not 1 player in the whole of Scotland good enough to get in that side.

Think of all the great footballers and footballing people to come out of Scotland. Bill Shankly, Matt Busby, Jock Stein where all born within something like a 10 mile radius. But where’s the next one. Once Slur Tramp falls off his perch, I reckon that’s it, done and dusted.

Why? Well, you have to have a look at what’s happening…
Alco Pops, Cider, Fried MarsBars/Pizza and that, Pot, 24 hour telly, a million channels of pure shite to choose from, computers, computer games, and so on and so on.

Now how you combat all that, I don’t know. I’d say get decent pitches on all the estates with decent lights were kids can play every night. Can’t play footy in a street full of traffic. In my day one car a week would come by, the debt/rent collector’s and that was it.

But 1, there’s no money to build these pitches, 2, school’s are actually selling playing fields off to developers, 3, the general state of society. Put decent pitches in with lights, they’ll soon be infested by the naughty brigade.

So that’s the key… getting kids playing again.
But how you do that is beyond me.

Here you go boys…
A bit of nice light reading for you here. I’ve just been doing me usual Sunday morning trawl through the sites and papers. I came across this. There’s also a report in the Business/Financial part of the Sunday Times. It’s the same thing. But here’s the point, we aren’t talking the Sunday Sun. We aren’t even talking the Sports pages. This is all from a good reliable source. So, here you go. Hope it starts your Sunday in a nice positive mood. It did for me….

http://www.footballeconomy.com/content/ … ool-owners

Whatever the new management team at Liverpool can achieve to restore the club’s fortunes is going to be constrained both financially and in terms of stability as long as the ownership question is not resolved. The general view is that Tom Hicks and George Gillett have set too high an asking price, given that any new owner would be expected to fund a new stadium in Stanley Park. Indeed, that is essential if the club is to progress.

Now it appears that Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), which is owed about £350m by Kop Holdings, is losing patience with the lack of progress towards a sale. Apparently, it would be possible for RBS to call in a large amount of the money owed in October. The move would trigger a default on the debt by the club and control would pass to the bank, just as has happened in the past week with AS Roma in Italy.

RBS, which is currently publicly owned, has no more wish than UniCredit in Italy to own a major football club. But it seems that it would be prepared to consider taking charge temporarily of the sale process to get a result.

My reading of the situation would be that RBS may be dropping hints to Martin Broughton that it wants the process of finding a new owner speeded up so that there is an outcome by the end of the summer. It wants to continue its relationship with Liverpool which has been quite lucrative given the interest payments involved (£40m last year, but not all to RBS). I do not think it would press matters to a default, but at least if there is renewed pressure to resolve the ownership issue, that is good news for long-suffering Liverpool fans.

Congratulations to Torres and Pepe winning their World Cup medals. Sympathies to Kuyt and Babel.

Torres played a big part in that decisive Iniesta goal, though a few minutes later he had to pull his hamstring just near the end of the match. He looked alright and managed to climb up the steps to collect his medal, and was seen smiling with Pepe and Xabi, so hopefully he’ll be recovering sooner rather than months later.

Looking at the bright side, at least it’ll mean Chavski and Man Shitty will get off Torres’ back for now for this summer, as they wouldn’t be interested in injured stuff. That would be enough time for Torres to take a long break during this summer and get his mind in order on where he wants to be.

I’d be quite happy if RBS called in the loan…and then sold the club to someone willing to invest and take it forward for a reasonable sum…and if they could screw over Hicks and Gillett in the process all the better…

That’s the hope Mark… force the sale, even force administration if needs be and make them fuckers walk with nothing. We’ll recover. Brand loyalty will see to that.

The RBS won’t pull the loans while LFC is paying 40 million a year in interest, they’ll just hang around waiting for the UK taxpayer to come along and bail them out.
.
I’ve been reading up on the Corinthians, and guess what, Corinthians went to the wall but Hicks made a profit. Fuck no wonder I’m no good a business, I’m honest. Moores I still blame YOU, regardless of your little paper exercise. You still haven’t actually apologised, how is your 80 million.

Gaz – thats where I hope FS’s campaign comes to the fore though…otherwise youre right – they’re just as greedy as them Yank bastards…

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/695/torreslfc.jpg

Torres with the World Cup. Notice the Liverpool scarf on his shoulder.

Here’s hoping El Nino will continue walking the walk.

No Gaz. RBS are going to jump mate, you wait and see. I can’t say too much, but it’s on the cards. They’ll pull the rug soon.

Sadly, though, you’re right… them pair of bastards will still make money out of it. Sickening to the stomach, but nothing we can do about that.

It’s the story of the world mate… rich cunts making money at us poor cunts expense. Rich getting richer, poor getting poorer and all that.

Don’t want to go on a mad rant about that, so….
as for Moores, well yeah. The man’s a bloody idiot. But he was duped, just like most of us. There was no malice on his part, and, well, I’m sworn to secrecy again on something. Bloody hate all that lads. I’m not trying to look like some big in the know. I’d love to just lay me cards on the table, and I’m saying more than I should here, but…
keep your eyes on old Davey. I’ve been reliably informed, that he’s about to put a few things right and good. He’s a tit, and I’ll never forgive him for putting us through all this…
Were the fuck could we have been now, with the right owners and Rafa?

But anyway… Stupidity isn’t an alibi in my book. But he’s not a villian. He’s actually hurt more than most of us, and all I can say is, from what I’ve been told, he’s going to do his best to put things right. Tithead? Yeah. Of course. Always will be. But fair play to him if he rights some of the wrongs.

We all agree that Moores was a tit, but more out of stupidity and a wee bit of greed. But you can’t deny that he loves Liverpool FC & I’m sure he is hurting…real bad. Just like the rest of us. So I don’t know where he would fit in FS, but if he has a bit of dosh lying around…is that it? Surely not 500mill plus though?
Now you have us all guessing & surmising.

Maybe Moores is thinking about taking some sort of legal action. Cant see what premise he could build a case on though. I’m sure he has enough money to employ a reputable solicitor though!

Was just doing my regular lunchtime scroll through the internet papers and was reading the Echo comments under some LFC related story. Christ almighty some of the brain dead twats that are supporting our club. Not to mention despicable. One twat actually called Rafa a heartless cnut? Talk about a lack of respect. Its complete and utter treachery of the highest kind. It fucking depresses me how someone like that can be associated with our club. I actually couldnt reply to it i was that angry. and i knew the words would have came out all over the shop. Scum.

Isn’t it fuckin sad Artful mate. As for Moores, sorry lads I’ve already said more than I should have. But I said what I meant… the man is a div, he’s a patsy in all this. And yes, no doubt he did get a little chubby when he saw an extra 8 mill in he’s bung. But if he puts it right?

Well, yeah. I can forgive and even sort of forget, but only if he does the right thing.

come on moores sort it out son. loving that picture of nando with the world cup and the pool scarf. class.

Anyone read the BennyOnion article?
No doubt that’ll bring some of the twats back out of their hiding places to wag fingers at us.

Already sold are: Benny, San Jose, (total 8mill)
In talks for a move are: Insua(Fiorentina), Lucas(Palermo), El Zhar(TBD)
offered to Real Madrid are: Stevie (for 60mill)

(all despite Christian Purslow’s assurance that “no discussions will take place on possible player sales until a new manager has arrived.”)

and rumored incoming …. Paul Scharner???

… oh dear!
or as Higgins would say…
“Oh… my… god!”

(oh and yeah… by and large… the people who comment in the Echo are more brain-dead than BM)

Here’s what the Onion said, maybe:

-0-

Midfielder Yossi Benayoun has accused former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez of trying to “break” him in an explosive indictment of life at Anfield under the Spaniard.

The Israeli, who left the Merseyside club to join Premier League champions Chelsea earlier this month, said Benitez deliberately destroyed his confidence and showed him a lack of respect.

“Everyone asks me why I left Liverpool,” Benayoun said. “There is only one reason – Rafa Benitez. He never treated me with the respect I deserved. If I played well, I never felt he gave me credit.

“When I scored, I still expected to be out of the team the next game. And when the fans wanted me to play, Benitez told me he couldn’t understand why… He tried to destroy my confidence. You can’t treat a player like this and expect him to be happy. I felt so unhappy but, out of respect to the club, I never spoke out. The players and the people at the top of the club knew how I felt.”

-0-

Was it me or was Benitez not sacked before this deal went through.

I am sorry but he is coming across as a spoilt brat there. Again, if the quotes are true.

‘Never gave me credit’, ‘never gave me the respect I deserved’. I think that he may have a high opinion of himself. It’s water under bridge but it still grates!

BTW, I got a response from RBS and the EPL. The EPL one is the same as TT’s. Will post the response from RBS once I get this OCR thingy working on my scanner.

OK maybe I pulled the trigger too soon, but the ‘spoilt brat’ comments still stand.

http://www.thejc.com/sport/sport-news/34846/benayoun-israels-most-expensive-player-ever

What is interesting Lurgan is that the Onion article was posted on the Echo website this morning…
…but it isn’t now?
What’s up with that?

So… vastly differing reports between the article taken down from the Echo site, part of which Purg put in #98, and that one form thejc.com in #99 then…

haha… rubber stamped by Roy Hodgson… like he had a fuckin choice.
Compare that to what he’s just been quoted in the Echo as saying in regards the proposed Insua deal…

Really sounds like someone who’s making the decisions doesn’t he?

“the club” …err… you mean Purslow and Broughton, under the direction of G&H then.
Nice deal you’ve worked for yourself there Roy!

Poor Benny Onion, sob sob. The manager didn’t love me and tuck me into bed at night and read me a bed time story. Ohhhhhh, you poor thing. You got to admire him though, 70K a week to sit on a bench for 90 mins a week is great if you can get it.

Sadly lads, you only have to look at the source of the story… Bascombe in the Sunday Sun.

They’re both about the biggest Rafa haters on the planet.

As for Yossi, it’s a shame that he saw fit to stab the man who made his career. If it wasn’t for Rafa he’d still be a bit part player at West Ham. And I’ve got a link somewhere where he admits that himself and goes on an on about how great a manager Rafa is and how much he loves him. Shame a few quid, and a move to Chelsea was enough to cause this, but I bet the man who sacked Rafa and sold Yossi to his own favoured club is quite happy with all this?

I must look like one of them mad conspiracy theory fellas. I sometimes feel like one. And I can’t believe half the shite I see or even say meself at times, but here’s the thing….
Since Purslow tried to quiten us with his lawyers more and more of this nonsense keeps appearing.

I’d like to say these are just the last throes of the regime. But I can’t say that for certain. What I can say though is…
Since sacking Rafa Purslow has only once spoke to us fans. That was a threat through his lawyers. And in the last few days since then, he has ducked meeting with us. He has had a mural of Rafa and Istanbull taken down from Melwood and he’s practically sold our left flank without the current manager knowing and has reinstated a left winger who the former manager tried to sell for battering our left back and yes… for speaking to Bascombe and the Sunday Sun.

Funny old game football, eh.

this’ll piss a few of you off but here goes…

i agree with yossi. he deserved better.

FS, he wasn’t a ‘bit-part’ player at west ham, he was their best player, and i for one was fucking delighted when we signed him. does anyone remember when torres said something along the lines of “we need more players like yossi”. look, i’m not a ‘rafa-basher’. i’ve always commented on the man both ways, loving some of the things he does, and getting frustrated by others. i once posted in here my top 5 reasons why he frustrates me and one of them was the fact that players didn’t seem to be rewarded for good performances. i also once posted in here about how much i loved yossi’s attitute: never sulking, always coming off the bench firing, looking utterly determined, desperate for the team to win, and most importantly scoring vital goals on a regular basis. ancelotti said “i like his behaviour on the pitch”, and so do i. he was a man who didn’t need motivating. he looked genuinely gutted when the team failed, and he did everything in his power to ensure that it didn’t happen.

he fought for his place in the starting 11 and finally won it through grit, hard work, determination and great performances.

rafa made a great signing there. rafa played him in good positions and got the best out of him tactically. rafa IS a quality tactical manager. fact. but if he managed to alienate players in this way then there’s a problem. fungus-son also alienates players so maybe it’s just part and parcel of being a great manager, but i don’t know if it has to be that way. when fungus-son lost heinze, van nistelrooy, stam, beckham, and others, i reckon that shows he’s a bit of a cunt (which we all know). when our manager loses players, who i want to keep, because of personality clashes, i’ve got to think that shrewder man-management could’ve got past those issues.

please don’t regard this post as a rafa-hater coming out of the woodwork to ‘wag his finger’. i love rafa’s tactical nouse as much as the rest of you. but if yossi felt unappreciated then he was right to leave because i certainly appreciated him, and i’d have let him know… but then who the fuck am i? nobody.

I see old Slur Alex moaning about not having enough quality players for the start of the EPL season, due to the WC, well how many players did he have in the finals. From my count we had 4 and he had 1, and that lad happened to be the referee. So he should be back and firing on all cylinders by the start of the comp.
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If Yossi didn’t like the fact the motivation comes from his paypacket then he can f*ck off the backstabbing judas.
If it was Rafa fault why did he go after Rafa left and how much did him and boughtman get out of the missing 4 mill from Rafa’s valuation of 10 mill.
He’s been used as a pawn and money is the motivation for his role in all this.
But what it really comes down to is been willing to fight for a place with Babel and Riera all of whom have sulked with Rafa.
Riera can count himself lucky i ain’t Pacheco’s dad because he wouldn’t be playing football again after i’d jumped on his head a few times. The only place in Liverpool he’d be staying would be the hospital.
Hows that for man-management.
Babel’s absence from the Dutch team might just be the motivation he needs to kick start his career at Liverpool so i’m hoping for a good season from him.
YNWA

Nothing wrong with saying that Sambo. That’s what the blog’s here for… we all have opinions.

I’ve only ever kicked off on a couple of people, and that was for being, to my mind anyway, completely out of order. Discussing things and slagging off are to completely different issues.

As for Yossi, I think it’s a crying shame that he should take such a swipe. It’s not on. But there’s reasons behind it… he’s joining Chelsea. He was sold to them by Broughton, their fan who’d just sacked the fella he’s slagging against most of our wishes. He was also sold without the present manager’s knowledge or blessing. He was talking to Bascombe in the News of the World – both the journalist and paper hate Rafa and have an agenda. And I could go on, but the point is…
you really shouldn’t take this at face value.

If Rafa Benitez was such a twat, then all I can do is point you towards articles/interviews like the one that Benayoun gave saying how much he loved Rafa and what a loverly fella he is.

As for the best player at West Ham, well, all I can say is Mascherano… another one Rafa saved from mediocrity, and if you want a real summation of Rafa, I think you don’t have to look far beyond his comments.

So yeah mate, you’re perfectly entitled to question things. I agree with some of what you said… Rafa was not infallible and he had his weaknessess as a manager, but to take this pile of bile from Yossi and use it to judge our ex-manager is not on really.

FS Was it Insua or Pacheco who Riera hit ?
Anyway i found something you might like
http://inacityliving.piczo.com/?g=27070738&cr=7
PS Did anyone else think Holland played like Blackburn because Dirk said the same thing as Fat Sam when complaining about too many yellow cards, which of course they’re right because 3 of them should of been Red.
YNWA

Sambo, I liked Benny too as was delighted when he came.His outburst against Rafa was not his normal style and I have to think that money or the Russian Mafia were at the back of it IMHO.

So here is the Big “Hindsight” question I think we need to be stoping and asking ourselves right now…

…and yeah, as FS admitted earlier, I understand the bit of a “conspiracy theory” feel in it…
…but I still think its a valid question to ask, given all the shit that’s been going on and what we are learning now… re: All the confirmed examples of Purslow and Broughton saying one thing and then doing another…

and that question is…
How much of this backroom nonsense was going on at Melwood and Anfield last season?
… and can go some way to explaining the poor form throughout the squad?

We have confirmed examples of Rafa being promised money and then not given it.
Promised money from a player sale for a replacement and not given it.

But seeing what’s gone on, just in the last 2-3 months…
…I have to wonder if these two have been at the players, (whispering in ears) and doing their bit of divide and conquer, playing both ends against the middle?

Alright chaps just popped in to give my best wishes to our new manager. ive not had much time or access to the sight so have to settle for what i can get. I was fuming when we got hodgson, just thought we’d landed the perfect “yes man” but now the dust has settled i’ll get right behind him and hope he can drive us forward.
To be honest expectations are well and truly low for the season,but maybe thats a good thing.
Well done to all are liverpool representatives in the world cup lets hope it gives them a great push for the season.
ps i think it was kinny R but whoever put that club players listing together take a bow i got plenty of millage outta that one.

see ya’s for the start of the season.

YNWA

Rome mate it was Pacheco. And he never just give the kid a dig, he battered him. Proper battered him. So that was that, and that was when he started slinging the shite.

If Rafa had have stayed we’d be now looking at Arda Turan on our left flank. Now… well fuck knows. Yossi has gone and Insua is apparently going. So, it’s Babel and Quagmire…. oh dear.

As for Purslow and Broughton, well you don’t have to dig too deep, Aitch. They’ve both leaked it through the media that Gerrard and Torres should leave…
Purslow done it through his mouthpiece Maddocks. Broughton done it through some bird at Sky.

It’s a total mess mate, and we need to drive them all out of the club, not just H&G. On the good news front, SOS are going to get to Purslow. He ducked them last time, but they contacted me for them questions that we had for Purslow and they intend to put them to him in the next few days. It will be nice to see him squirm if nothing else.

So things are moving. Sadly in that world things move very slowly, but a blind man on a fast horse can see things are coming to a head now. And all I can really say is… hopefully, we can all get back to the football soon.

Yeah FS, I know that… that’s the stuff we know from the last 2 months. I’m not talking about that.
That is the stuff that makes me wonder about the previous 12 months at Anfield and Melwood?

I’m speculating on the last 12 months… last season… the player’s “patchy” form… coming off a spectacular season to run a very close 2nd… then (all injuries aside… and I don’t mean to discount that… as you know, I hold the injuries as the primary reason for last season, but…) the almost complete capitulation in some games, by “senior” players.

There are those that seek/insist on blaming Rafa for his “poor man-management” …but, what if…
…what if…
…these players were being unsettled throughout the course of the season?

There are plenty of ways to do that.
I’m jokingly thinking about the comedy baseball movie “Major League” where the owner wanted to move the team, but they had to finish last in order for her to do that, so instead of flying to away games, in a private jet, she put them on an drafty old DC3, then put them on a rickety bus. She got rid of the stars and brought in no-names and fuck-ups, she took away their whirlpool saunas, etc, etc.

Like I said… funny movie… and I don’t reckon it was that over the top, coz we’d have probably heard more by now… but it wouldn’t have needed to be that overt. I reckon its very easy to “unsettle” players nowadays…
(most of them are spoiled brats as opposed to “men” if you know what I mean?)

And I am starting to wonder if there are some parallels in what we saw last season on the pitch… and the obvious behavoir of the boardroom now… to me, makes that speculation not seem to be a particularly far-fetched question?

Actually… come to think of it… that movie might have a greater prallel than I initially thought.

…Remember the UEFA Cup Semi-Final Away game?

…Long, overland, 2-day trek to get there?

…yet we are a port city!
…and our opponents were a port city!

Surely we could have gotten hold of a decent size, cross-channel ferry-type ship for a similar price to what we paid for that little land jaunt? (train, hotel, motor coach?)

A sea voyage wouldn’t have taken any longer and would have allowed the players to walk around and stretch their legs.
Maybe even have proper full-bed cabins?
Shit.. a boat that size would have facilitated proper team training excercises for fucks sake.
At least fitness training, with jogs around the deck and such.

It’s hard to say Aitch. And if I did, all I could really give you is speculation and rumour. And, unless it’s just my opinion, I do try to stick to facts. Over the years I’m sure I must have gave out some bum steers in here, but for the most part, I think I’ve always stuck to fact when talking to you lads.

What I can say for fact is this, because I know the lads and know it was true…
At a game last season, Purslow happened to walk past these three lads I know. On of them said to him… “When are you going to get shut of them yanks, Chris?”
“Soon, soon” he said.
And on of the lad’s who happened to be a Rafa hater said…
“Well, get them to take that fuckin Benitez with them.”
To which wee Cecil said…
“I’m working on it. I’m working on it.”

Now that was early on in the season. Nobody really took any notice but obviously it was one of the few times the fella has ever told the truth.

As for him working to get the yanks out… well, that’s a load of old tom tit right away.

He has no intention of doing any such thing. He’s Tom Jr’s best mate for a kick off. But I have heard rumours of who he intends to get out of the club… it’s not pleasant. But it’s also not confirmed so I won’t spread it. But yeah, it reads like something out of that movie.

So, like I said earlier, hopefully things are moving behind the scenes, and RBS will make it’s move soon and put an end to this whole farce or we could be in extremely deep cack.

Sad times. But I’m not panic mongering or giving false hope. I’m just doing me best to tell the little I know and can.

Oh and Rome mate #108. I know that site. Funny enough I was just talking about one of the pubs on there the other day, The Tatlock.

You know Karen Gill, Shankly’s grandaugher? Well, I know her dad, Vic. A lovely lovely man, proper gentleman. Well, just out the blue someone mentioned this pub in Liverpool… effin Nellie’s.

It was actually called the Tatlock. But it was known by all hands as Effin Nellie’s. That was for the landladie’s use of the language. She could knock dockers out mate. One hard, hard, old woman… only turns out it was me mate’s aunty.

You’d have to know them to see the funny side. Vic wouldn’t say boo to a goose. Nelly would eat them live feathers an all.

FS, that may well be the truth about Christian Purse Strings, but in the end history will remember Rafa as a person who walked out with a big fat paycheck.
.
Last year while the team was running about serving up absolute dross, Mr B continued on with his spiel about, we must keep working hard, working at training.
.
Well when I most wanted Rafa to keep working hard, working for the team, he left and got a better job.
.
Now I’m not going to begrudge him the opportunity to improve his position but he left my team in turmoil. I would hazard a guess the team was left in a worst position than when Houllier left.
.
I have held back from this, trying to keep him in the Saint Rafa persona, but I’m still shitty he left. He didn’t apply the ethos he expects from others when leaving.
.
Likewise I hope he does well where he is, and I would always clap him onto the ground, but now he’s gone and Roy is the man.
.
Roy is left with no CL, a desperately depleted team, low moral and countless players for sale. Now he’s going to need to be a saint to sort that out.
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Maybe just maybe Rafa had something to do with his demise, I personally think he lost the team early last season and thinks went from bad to worse.
.
Ah well blame it on the Yanks, Purse Strings, Bought Man, RBS, British Government, Tax Payer, Agents, WC who fucking knows.

Gaz
“I would hazard a guess the team was left in a worst position than when Houllier left.”
What do you base that on ?
And think as the big fat paycheck as redundancy from extra profit the club made while he was here after all its run as a business now, not a football club
CL qualification money alone more than paid for his transfers
World wide marketing took off after Istanbul and put the club on a financial footing to compete with the best,all those shirt sales ultimately led to contracts like the one we have now with SC
And the fact liverpool can pay off all that interest is proof of that.

FS
I thought it was Pacheco apparently its on CCTV and he gave him a beating,
you wouldn’t see him starting on Ninja or Carra but like the bully he is, he starts on a teenager,one of his own countrymen, whose future with the Spanish squad is much brighter than his ever will.
Probably got him dropped from the Spain WC squad aswell so thats cost him a nice medal

@116 I thought you’d go straight to the pubs page. : )

Gaz@117,

I’m amazed you’re blaming Rafa for all the things that have gone wrong.

1) “I personally think he lost the team early last season and thinks went from bad to worse”. Early last season, we lost to Spurs after 2 unfortunate incidents: Carra’s suicide tackle on Skrtel and the non penalty that Voronin should’ve got (funny you guys don’t cry over unfair decisions like this unlike over England’s). Don’t forget that we then went on a massive scoring spree (the best scoring start for many years) before more injuries set in a brought out the bad form that we all know about last season. Please don’t belittle the effect of our massive injuries!!!!

2) “Roy is left with no CL, a desperately depleted team, low moral and countless players for sale. Now he’s going to need to be a saint to sort that out. Maybe just maybe Rafa had something to do with his demise,”

No CL? I think the reasons have been debated over and over again. The only time when we’ve been relatively injury free last season was between the start of the new year and the Benfica game. I’m still amazed nobody thinks that injuries that led to Masch playing right back, Agger left back for the last few league games have no bearing on our faltering end to the season.

Desperately depleted team? If you have 13 players going to the World Cup (more than any premier league team including Man U, Arsenal and Chelsea), I wonder where’s your sense of logic and reasoning. You can say injury ravaged team, or for our circumstances now, “desperately DEPLETING team”, judging by the actions of the assets strippers.

3) “I would hazard a guess the team was left in a worst position than when Houllier left”. Your guess is certainly based on fiction provided by the press. Let me state again. We have more players that went to the World Cup than any premier league team, 2 of them now World Cup winners. Moreover, Torres, Reina, Babel, Johnson , Masch, Skrtel, Agger (that’s 7 players) are all young and on the correct side of 20, unlike the relatively old players Houllier had left behind (Hyppia, Didi, Smicer, Henchoz spring to mind).

4) “Well when I most wanted Rafa to keep working hard, working for the team, he left and got a better job. Now I’m not going to begrudge him the opportunity to improve his position but he left my team in turmoil.”

You mean you can’t see Rafa had been working very hard? What about the wheeling and dealing in transfers, e.g. the persistent fight with the LFC board to get the ‘very expensive’ Krygiakos at 2.5m? What about the work done to extend and offer more favourable contracts for Torres, Gerard, (yes, and even) Alonso, Reina and other key players? If you think negotiating with the players and their agents is a walk in the park, then I have to first welcome you to planet Earth, before explaining to you about the amount of time, effort and resources needed to perform negotiations.

Rafa’s been linked a certain club called Real Madrid for a few seasons if you care to remember, a job that a certain Mr Mourhino has craved for and got recently. Rafa has not gone to to Real, considered as the most successful club in football with their 9 European Cups. Instead, he has chosen to fight for LFC but was eventually kicked out by the LFC board with the backing of FANS LIKE YOU.

Most people would’ve left the club as early as 2 seasons back, with the extremely difficult working conditions created by the LFC board, press and FANS LIKE YOU.

5) I’m still equally amazed that when Stevie G scores so many goals after Rafa has changed his game since he took over, people are saying it is due to Stevie G’s extreme talent. But when Stevie G has a bad season like the last one, it’s all Rafa’s fault for not playing him in “his rightful position in the centre of midfield”.

And I like the irony that football pundits are now singing praises to the 4-2-3-1 formation so successful in the World Cup with some even suggesting that 4-4-2 is outdated. These are the same people who’ve been criticising Rafa for deploying such tactics and hailing the infallible 4-4-2.

Strictly as I stated on position and moral, with more people looking to jump ship. I am not blaming Rafa for anything other than leaving when we most needed him. So before anyone throw a dummy spit, he left and I’m pissed off because I didn’t think he was a quitter.
.
And lads that’s it. Oh an Axe fans like me, nice thanks very much for actually coming out and stating I wanted Rafa to stay and fight like cat and dog. Fans like me F000.

Gaz,

Remember that Inter was willing to compensate LFC to get Rafa.

Haven’t you considered that it was the LFC board that chose to sack Rafa and compensate him instead? Remember the timing. Rafa was on a holiday and then the sacking news was leaked to the media a few days prior to the incident.

Incidentally, the LFC board had just recently released a statement (or lie) that Rafa’s job was safe. This IMO is a cover up action to absolve themselves for their heinous act of stabbing Rafa behind his back while he is away.

gaz, for you to insinuate that Rafa is not the fighter he is and bottled it is absolute nonsense. Anyone with half a brain can figure out HE WAS FORCED OUT AGAINST HIS WILL.

Now we have the dismantling of Rafa’s squad, not just the big guns like Gerrard, Torres and Masch, but now Lucas and Insua. And who are we linked to replace those with? Beattie and Scharner.

You think Rafa would allow that? Precisely. That’s why he was removed.

Well at least I opened up some debate, alas though it appears I’m on the wrong side of the debate due to stating how I feel. As was written, Rafa was removed because of fans like me. Kinny if Rafa wanted to stay they would have had to pay him a motza, he didn’t want to lose out on the Inter job so most likely bowed out gracefully. Good luck to him but that doesn’t stop me feeling let down by all parties, board, manager and others. However now I’m just looking forward to supporting Roy as I did with Rafa. Axe I guess that means he’ll be out by christmas.

Gaz,

I can’t stop you from thinking Rafa’s not a fighter and has given up on LFC.

But Kinny and many others like myself have concluded that Rafa’s been fighting the board together with the press for a few years, judging from his activities and press releases.

If we don’t agree on this, I think we should stop it here. To each his own opinion.

So now your changing your tact by claiming you can’t stop me thinking Rafa gave up, I thought I was one of the reason Rafa got turfed fans like me with a board like we have.
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I went to the last home game of the season Axe and I watched Rafa walk the entire ground waving. I came in here the next day and wrote, lads I think Rafa is going, yesterday he waved the entire crowd goodbye. Now you can go back and check that. I thought then he was going but hoped I was wrong. Well I wasn’t, and as for your comment on Inter ready to compensate LFC, are you serious or are you just reading media speculation, because Axe you and I both know if they were prepared to pay, they would have. (Not us).
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I feel you should retract your comment about me as a fan, as for the rest well what you think is fine by me.

Gaz mate, Rafa didn’t quit. He didn’t walk away. In fact, he still hasn’t… he hasn’t sold his house, and Montse and the kids are still living there. They have settled and became a real part of the community.

As for what happened last season, well there’s a rot in the club. Eventually it dragged everything down. You speak of Rafa’s resigned look at the end of the season. What you draw from it is just your own opinion. Valid and entitled but still opinion. Have a look at everyone who was on that pitch… no one was cock a hoop. All you were seeing was relief that it was all over and worry about what was ahead.

The other lads have covered just about everything, but I’ll add this because I know if for fact…
Before going on holiday, Rafa had forced a meeting with Broughton. Remember how long that took to get going? But anyway, when he finally forced a show down with Broughton, he insisted on a few things – mainly no transfers in or out without his say so – and he blew the whistle on Purslow.

Apparently he handed in one of his famous lists with all his grieviances about Purslow on there. At this stage Inter were still willing to buy out his contract, but Rafa refused to leave. But here’s where he made his biggest mistake… he believed he was untouchable. He thought he had enough power to see it through and be there when the board had all long gone, and to still have his team around him…. wrong. Dead wrong.

Like I said in an earlier post, Purslow was already working on pushing Rafa out the door. Rafa going on holiday gave him the perfect opportunity.

One thing we do know for fact is, Inter were willing to buy out his contract. That’s not media speculation. That’s undisputable fact.

So, you have to ask yourself a few questions….
Why would a company, a company that’s broke, force out the most successful manager they’d had in the last 20 years?

Surely any business in the world, when sacking a manager, is looking to improve upon what they have?

And it’s admirable that you want to support our new boss as much as you’ve supported others that held the post. I agree. I’m right behind Mr Hodgson. I wish him all the success in the world. But I’m sorry… he is not an improvement on Benitez in any shape form or manner.

That is also undeniable fact. You only have to compare the men’s track record. Please don’t tell me about Fulham’s cup run last season. If you look at the overall picture, Mr Hodgson managed to keep a mid table team, mid table.

Since arriving in the job, he’s had Benayoun leave. Insua is probably next out.

This is particularilly worrying in many ways. Take no notice of what Yossi said to Bascombe at the NOTW. That has to be taken for what it is… a hatchet job ran by a gutter rag of a newspaper, that Rafa had sued and won. Then you have to consider Broughton his Chelsea connections, the size of the transfer fee (undisclosed my arse) and all the implications. Something had to be done there to stop any worrying questions from the fans and the governing bodies.

Now we’re hearing very worrying stories about other players. What makes you think Mr Hodgson will have any say in these matters?

Broughton’s promise is up tomorrow. Where are all these investors? Hicks big summer is half gone? Where’s the transfer money? We’ve made 14 million on sales since the last window.

But RBS are going to be looking for a lot more than that very very shortly.

How will the hierarchy raise this money? Well, last season they paid down the debt using the money from players sales.

Does anyone really think that will be any different this time round?

Well, I do funny enough. I think without Rafa it could be far far worse and there’s very little to nothing that Mr Hodgson can do to stop it.

As for a depleted squad/team, I don’t quite understand how you can say that. We now have a world class spine to our team, the equal of anyone’s. This summer should have seen Rafa finishing it off… adding the likes of Turan and all the final quality.

You only have to look at the value of Ged and Rafa’s squads to know the difference mate.

But this is how team building is done. I begged and pleaded for patientce in here. I’ve seen it all before from Shankly through to Ferguson… stability is the key. But finding the right man to do the job, and then giving him the time and money to complete his mission, is how great footballing dynasties are built.

And no disrespect to Mr Hodgson, but at his age and in his situation, that won’t be the case at Anfield. The best I can hope for is the asset stripping to pay the debt, doesn’t hamstring him too seriously and leaves him some sort of squad to work with.

I tried and tried and tried to warn people. They accused me of panic mongering simply because I was a Rafatollah. Well you know something Gaz, at my age, with my past history with the club, I think that is far more insulting than some of our newer fans being accused of being the catalyst that allowed this all to happen.

Don’t take that wrong. I’m not saying you are one of them. But if you truly believe all that you said in your last few posts, you have got this one seriously wrong.

Rafa fought long and hard for us, even those of us who repaid him with treachery. Yes. I’m sure when it all settled, it came as a bit of a relief. You can see the toll it was taking on the man. But to think he just said fuck it, I quit… nah, you’re barking up the wrong tree there mate.

And as for the pay off he recieved… it wasn’t even half of what he could have demanded, and he’s been giving that money away like it’s some sort of blood money that he doesn’t want staining his hands.

We know of 3 things he’s done with it… the 96, the money to keep a charitable breast cancer centre operating for at least 12 months and an undisclosed amount of money to the Reece Jones charity… money grubbing is not something that can be levelled at Rafa. In fact, we don’t know how much of that pay off that he’s given away. We only know of those 3 kind actions because the people who got the money disclosed it. At which point Rafa asked them to please stop. So who knows, he could have given it all away for all we know.

No Rafa had his faults mate, just like any other human being. But cowardice was certainly not one of them. The man is a born fighter. And I’ll be honest, but you already know it anyway… I love the man. He’s a fantastic bloke. I miss him already. I will always regret and rue what happened to him. I will always have nothing but contempt for our “support” who made this all possible. But I wouldn’t have him back. That ship has sailed now.

What we need to do now is focus on the future. Sadly the short term looks very dangerous. But there isn’t even any point in looking at the long term…. if they aren’t stopped there mightn’t be one as we know it. And I’m sorry but Mr Hodgson isn’t going to be able to put that right, or be the man who is going to take us into a brave new era.

FS,

Thanks for your comments above on how Gaz has been sidetracked.

Gaz,

The main thing I’ve wanted to say, that Rafa hasn’t thrown in the towel and leave our dear club in the lurch.

To suggest that Rafa is just as guilty as the owners for our current plight as in the last paragraph of #117 is simply putting yourself in the same bracket as the fans who’ve helped to force Rafa out in my opinion. I’ll retract what I’ve said about you as a fan if I’ve interpreted it wrongly.

“he didn’t want to lose out on the Inter job so most likely bowed out gracefully.”

” lads I think Rafa is going, yesterday he waved the entire crowd goodbye. ”

No offense, gaz, but that’s completely insulting to Rafa’s character.

You said you THINK he waved the crowd goodbye. That’s about it, you THINK. What if he genuinely wanted to fight on, but had no guarantees that he’ll ever see the fans again? It works both ways, mate.

You’re STILL trying to justify that Rafa walked out on us rather than the owners forced him out.

With or without the Inter job (or the Juve and Real job before that) being vacant, the owners had already made up their minds about ousting Rafa, as we now all know.

The Inter job being suddenly available coupled with Rafa’s holiday beginning, as FS has noted, gave them the perfect excuse.

Inter counted themselves lucky that they now have a top-class manager suddenly becoming available FOR FREE rather than having to pay the club anything for his services.

For all intents and purposes, I see this as similar to a blatant coup d’etat against a popular though controversial leader being ousted while out on a state visit or something.

Axe you should interpret it the way it’s written, an astute reader would notice Rafa’s name was never mentioned. If his name is there on your end please feel free to delete it, as it is not on mine.
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Kinny I agree about your coup comment, but that still doesn’t stop me from feeling let down by him leaving. He only just signed a new contract, can’t say he’s the only person who couldn’t see the lies. I wanted him to dig his heels in and go on gardening leave or whatever until they paid him out fully or they publically sacked him.
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Unfortunately I guess I’ll die by the sword on this one but thats life. What has this club come to when I person can’t speak about his feelings, oh I know a corporate one, one in which the followers keep the questioners at bay.
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Anyway enough said, it sparked some comments, which is good, sadly though lads I think I’m giving myself a self imposed ban, so farewell all.

Sigh….

Here we go again about supposed freedom of speech.

When will they ever learn?

We’re still debating Rafa and perhaps we ought to. Some day – I don’t know when – most people will probably realize Rafa was our best manager since Shankly. Sure, he made mistakes, but not nearly as many or severe as was claimed in the media for years and years and still is (Bascombe). Everything taken into consideration he would probably – I say probably – have won us a least one league title by this time had he been properly backed financially.

Some might say it’s pointless to make these hypothetical arguments now that he’s gone, but I think it’s important both to remember what Rafa did achieve at LFC and what he could have achieved with an actual transfer budget the last couple of years and some qualified people calling the shots (as opposed to people denying transfers of Dani Alves and the like).

As for Rafa taking the easy way out as Gaz claims above, well that’s not supported by any reports I’ve read. All of the evidence (FS and others have pointed them out numerous times) leads to the conclusion that Rafa was forced out of the club by Christian Purslow. It is claimed by many that “the club needed a change”, but the truth is probably that Purslow didn’t want Rafa interfering with whatever he’s doing. It’s all probably related to the contract Rafa signed in the spring of 2009 (after a long time of negotiations, mind you). The amount of authority that contract entailed was more than Purslow wanted. With Hodgson, it’s most likely an entirely different story.

Oh Gaz behave. You sparked a debate, nobody agreed with you. That’s all. It’s not some big personal attack on you. I understand that you feel let down that Rafa didn’t stay, but that wasn’t an option.

He was forced out. He told us that. He told us how much he wanted to stay. He tried to stay. He fought them until the end. He lost. But he even hopes to come back one day, hence the “I’ll be back” statement, and him not selling his house. But there was no way he could stay. It was done and he had no choice but to go.

It was an ides of March type sneaky assination, disgustinglly carried out by utter cowards and snakes in private and then trough their agents in the media. There was no way he could have carried on in that situation.

But don’t make the mistake of thinking he just said “Fuck it” and skipped merrily off to Inter. He’d already knocked that job back and stated he wanted to stay at Liverpool. But in simple terms the job had became untenable.

Now the immeadiate problem is why did they force him out and what’s going to happen now he’s gone?

Well, like I said, you normally fire someone in an attempt to get someone better in. Some people will argue that we did, but a look at the two men’s records puts an end to that argument.

So, then you have to look at the other possible reasons for this. Well, all I can say is what I said before, up to now we’ve raked in 14 million on player sales. Not a penny has been offered to Roy. In fact, it now seems players are being shunted out without him even being briefed on it. That’s fact, from Hodgson’s own addmission.

I honestly don’t go in for scare mongering for no reason. So we can only judge on who has actually gone so far. But we all know there’s more to follow… up to now, it’s looking like Insua, Lucas, Nemeth and worse of all, Masch, will be gone at the very least.

Some of the kids have already been sold, Duran and I can’t spell his name, the young Bulgarian goalkeeper. And that’s just the tip of it, if I wanted to panic monger, I’d go on to Gerrard, Torres and co. But what I will say is, instead of Rafa being here fighting to bring in the likes of Turan, we’re now being linked with shite like Beattie.

But as I said, this isn’t about causing panic. There’s no need for that. The reality is more than frightening enough.

“Kinny I agree about your coup comment, but that still doesn’t stop me from feeling let down by him leaving. He only just signed a new contract, can’t say he’s the only person who couldn’t see the lies. I wanted him to dig his heels in and go on gardening leave or whatever until they paid him out fully or they publically sacked him.”

Gaz, which part of “RAFA WAS FORCED OUT” do you not understand? Let me put it this way, HE HAS NO OTHER CHOICE, WHETHER HE WANTED TO STAY OR NOT.

People not just you Gaz may feel let down by Rafa leaving. But to suggest he was not a fighter is madness. That has all he’s been doing since the cancers took over. Its been well documented the hours and the time he put in at Melwood. He was and still is absolutely fanatical about football.

Of more interest to me is the supposed rumours of dressing room unrest last year. Was it just the media spouting their usual vile shite? There may have been something to it. Since Rafa has left there have been hardly any statements from the players about the situation. Why hasnt Carra or Stevie said anything about Rafa leaving? I realise at this stage, with Hodgson all ready in charge it might be perceived as disrespect to him, but not a squeak outta the pair of them during the hunt for a new manager. Very strange indeed.

Gaz, to some extent, I sorta understand where you’re coming from… I just think maybe you didn’t illiterate it very well.

Rafa’s position was completely untenable. The board’s actions turned his position into a “lame duck” position.

I suspect… and I don’t have any evidence to prove this… but it goes along the lines of what FS has said… that he would have stayed and fought it out… but doing so would have dragged the club further and further down into a quagmire… and he did the honorable thing and fell on his sword… FOR US.

Was I massively disappointed that he “gave up the fight”?
Did I feel slightly “let down”?

Yes of course… I think anyone who could see what the man was trying to accomplish… what he’d had to deal with…. not just for the last couple of years, but since the day he arrived in Liverpool and Parry set about breaking promises that had been made to him…

… if you are a fully paid up member of the Gag on Rafa’s Tackle Brigade, then you must be feeling at least a little of that disappointment…

I think even FS would admit to a slight sense of that… but to phrase it as a betrayal… and suggest it was done for money… well I think that’s where you went wrong, mate.

I’m more and more disappointed that Rafa left us with each growing day…
… that might seem like it doesn’t make sense…
…but we have yet to see how badly damaged we are by this whole mess… there are still plenty of days for “them” to sell Masch and buy Scharner, sell Torres and buy Beattie, sell … you get the idea…

…but I think Rafa fought for the cause, until he realized that to continue to fight on…
…would actually damage the cause.

But make no mistake… he was forced out… NOT by mutual consent…
… oh, and his big payday, as FS just described, went back into the community…
…you know, as opposed to the Grand Gaymans!

artful…
I also think that player silence is quite deafening.

I wonder if they know they all need to keep their heads below the parapets, or they’ll be playing in Turkey, or Iceland next season?

…and the squad departing for pre-season games is…

Liverpool squad for Swiss training camp:
Diego Cavalieri, Peter Gulacsi

Emiliano Insua, Daniel Ayala, Stephen Darby, Martin Kelly, Philipp Degen, Sotirios Kyrgiakos (not arriving until July 15)

Alberto Aquilani, Albert Riera, Lucas Leiva, Jay Spearing,

David Ngog, Milan Jovanovic (travelling direct from Serbia)

…and…
Steven Irwin, Nathan Eccleston, Martin Hansen, David Amoo, Lauri Dalla Valle, Thomas Ince, Jonjo Shelvey, Victor Palsson.

To Quote Major League…
“Who are these fuckin guys?”

Except for a few, the young lads are all really good talented kids. But you watch them all start to get cleared out.

That will be H&G and B&P’s next tactic…
raise enough money from sales to pay the next installment on the interest but not pay down any debt.

They can do that by clearing out the kids, and maybe Masch along with them. And then there’s always the interest they earn from the loans they made to the club through Kop Football.

Our only immeadiate hope is that RBS have had enough of these stalling scams and force a sale – as they legally can – or pull the loans and force us into administration.

Which too me, is honestly preferable to lining H&G’s coffers.

As for Rafa. Nah. I do understand what Gaz is saying, but it smacks of tantrum. There was no more Rafa could have done. Him staying there would have hurt the club even more as it would have been out and out open warfare inside the club. The players and staff would have really split into factions then and the club would have been bollacksed. He knew that, so he reluctantly walked.

I don’t blame him for that. I honestly hope working in Inter is a delight after putting up with all that shite. And I wish him nothing but the best and sincerely thank him for all he done.

James Beattie? Fucking hell.

Rafa is not a figther is equivalent to saying that the pope was not a catholic!

Come on Gaz, surely you don’t believe that?

Great post FS in #133.

Fuckin hell is right LB.

And FS, don’t get me wrong… your 2nd to last paragraph in 139 is more or less what I was getting at.
And I don’t blame him for leaving… frankly, I’m surprised he stayed as long as he did, and a lesser man would have walked long ago. (I doubt Rafa has the kind of deal he would really like at Inter, in terms of control.)

What I meant by saying that “my disappointment grows” is simply all the bullshit we are dealing with now, with the off loading of playing staff. We’ve lost our allie on the inside, and we have yet to understand how badly that will efffect us in the short, medium and long term.

Its interesting how commenters in online news articles trot out the old “no one is bigger than the club” chestnut…
…without realizing that “the club” in this instance, is a bunch of money grubbing cunts with our best interests far far away from theirs… and a blueprint to gang rape us into obscurity!

Its dismaying looking at the names we are being “associated” with so far this summer.

Paul Scharner, James Beattie, Hangeland,
and returns for Danny Murphy, Djibril Cisse(?)

the only decent name I’ve heard so far is Arda Turan, and like Jovanovic, Rafa’s been trying to bring him to LFC for almost 18 months now… and I can’t see Hodgson getting 10 million without a senior/significant player sale.

There’s some mad rumours flying around about transfers….
We’ve been linked to the worst and the best. We’re not losing anymore players – They’re all bailing out…
I won’t believe any of it until it’s confirmed and undisputable.

I do understand what you mean Aitch. I think I made me feelings on the whole debacle plain. And I’m really in no mood for I told you so’s, but this is now fast becoming the scenario that some just wouldn’t accept or be warned about.

I’m not even talking about in here, the blog. I mean out in the outside world. There was a section of people who, no matter how much they were warned, we’re just hell bent on bringing us to this situation.

I don’t know why, but all the warnings just passed over their heads. No matter how many times it was explained – It’s not just Rafa’s job at stake. It’s the future of the club – it was ignored and the next gripe, 2 holding mids, no man managment, was brought out again and again and again.

And worse, they completely kidded themselves that all would be well if only that fat spanish waiter would fuck off. I know some actually celebrated. Haven’t seen much of them lately though.

Well, it’s done. There’s no turning the clock back now. But I just hope we aren’t soon thinking of this as the good old days. What a bloody mess.

Hiya fellow babymakers,

Just got the standard EPL reply to my letter but nothing else to the dozen or more other ones.

FS 127 and others …. I hope someone is putting these in the scrapbook mate.

Anyway I come here in a brief interlude from domestics. Torres injury. I have not heard anyone discussing this as to what affects it might have on our season and squad to be.

Funnily enough I think it might keep him here at Anfield for the season. I now doubt Broughton’s Boys at the Bridge will be buying him without he proving himself fit and able again. Let’s not forget he’s had a lot of injuries this last 2 seasons. I reckon the big clubs in the EPL (as in spenders, as in Citeh and Chavski) will wait.

Consequently Stevie G may also stay on this season as his “class” buddy will be here.

Consequently this may also encourage some of the others … Mascher amongst them, to give it one more year ?

Call it clutching at straws ?

In the normal course of things I’d happily see Stevie (of last year, and there is no great sign he’ll be any diferent this year) move on. Both for ‘Pool and himself it would be / could be, a good move. Likewise Mascher, if he’s had enough and wants to do as his agent is touting then fair enough. If you don’t want to be here then … you know where to go.
However these are not normal times and of course we know that whatever monies are generated by the sale of 2 of our “stars” will not be going to Roy H to re-invest. One way or another it will end up in the yanks pockets. So it makes the whole business of speculating and guessing and theorising, which I love to do, a complete and utter waste of time.
Which, when you expand the theory, in turn makes the whole tenure of Roy H just a joke. Unless he’s signed on to manage whatever mish-mash he’s left with at the end of EACH and EVERY transfer window. It does not make sense to me. He will have no authority and stature with the big players because everyone knows he is not in charge because he can’t sack them, he has no stick really.

As has been expounded here and in other sites I reckon we’re headed to a situation where H&G will piece by piece dismantle the Rafa squad. Sell for what they can get and buy cheap and cut the wages seriously to boot. 7th or 17th it does not matter to them.

But of course the club is being sold tomorrow (actually today eh !). That’s what the rumours say. Shucks, ignore what I’ve written. Just sleep-deprived raving.

They’re still out there FS… and still spouting the same old drivel.

Pretty much every inline Echo and Post article, has these dickheads still commenting below them, blaming Rafa for everything and now even excusing the Yanks and predicting a good season (I was stunned when I read that) now that Roy is at the helm to “steady the ship”.

They just don’t understand.

And as you say dougle, I think we’d all like to be chin-wagging about the forthcoming season and our prospects, but how do you do that in our current predicament?

All we can do is chat about the highly dubious speculation… and where does that really get us.

Some Wanker commented on the Echo-site this morning that “if we can get a good pre-season under our belt, we can set down a marker for starting the season well.”
He obviously didn’t see the names on the squad list for pre-season.

Don’t get me wrong, I think its great that the kids will get a runout… and it’ll do Ayala, Kelly, Darby and Ngog the world of good.
I just fear they are all in the shop window right now and we have no idea who’ll actually be facing Arsenal on 14 August.

Dougle is right, we all know where any proceeds from sales will go. What if Roy was able to organise an American style trade of players? Yes this presumes he has some level of authority over transfer policy but if, as reported, Mascher does want to leave are there any scenarios you guys would deem acceptable “trade value” for him or any of our other players?

What we’re seeing is the wholesale De-Rafa-ization of the club here.

Not even the De-Houllier-ization when Rafa first took over was that extreme, Rafa kept the best of Houllier’s stuff, like Hyypia and Finnan and Warnock, and only gradually slowly phased them out in favour of his own purchases over many years.

I’ve mentioned this before, I wouldn’t be too bothered if the big egos choose to go elsewhere, as it’ll show where their true loyalties lie. But I’d be mightily pissed if the shameless cunts sold off the bulk of players that form the basic backbone of Rafa’s squad.

Fuck it.

I shall wait till September 1st to see what they’ll turn this team into. I might even have to consider boycotting this Yankerpool altogether, I refuse to waste my time watching a potentially title-winning side get turned into a mere cash-generating circus. I might as well go watch American Idol for that. This isn’t what I signed up to support for 15 years.

Rest assured folks, I’ll come back the moment Dumb and Dumber signed their names on the Piss Off Forever contract.

Ah James 147, the joy of speculation ! If only.
Personally, “Under normal Circumstances”, as I said above, I would not mind Mascher leaving if he wants to go. Motivation is very important at any level (I guess)and I think it makes a critical difference. So go if you want.

I have no clue as to who or what Roy would want in his place as I have no clue as to who he sees in his team and what he expects them to produce. I suspect he doesn’t know himself actually.

Does Roy want a “team for now”, does he have a plan for the future ? What his take on the academy ? Where does he see the club going ? All of these factors could influence a manager in his choice of player. We (at least I) simply don’t know.
There is an obvious point to be made about the difference when Rafa took over, you all know where he stood.

But, what’s gonna happen to the money?

Is Roy being consulted?

Does he want Mascher/Gerrard/Torres/Lucas/Benny/Insua/Nameth/…. down to the ressies who are being sold off to go?

Or should we just cut to the chase and name Purslow as our new manager and imagine the team he envisiges?

As Kinny says maybe we should wait until Sept 1st to see what we have left. Not that I ever log ontu G&HLFC site but has Roy said anything at all ? This is a genuine question.

By the way Kinny mate, hang about. Theis view needs airing and we need people to put their perspective out there.

Morning Chaps

Sorry I haven’t commented lately, I’ve been reading but I haven’t had the energy or will to write anything.

I just cannot see any silver lining in this cloud.
I am gutted.

I reckon Torres will sit down with Hodgson and ask what the plans are going forward. After he is told that we will be buying shite he’ll want out. He might not leave this summer but I believe mentally he will want out and will eventually go next summer the latest.

By my very simple maths we’ll need around £40m to pay the interest charge. No CL this season so this will have to come from sales. There is £14m towards that kitty. After we sell Masch we’ll probably have enough to pay off the £40m. RBS will be happy for another year. Then Roy might get whatever revenue we generate from further sales.

I’m afraid I can’t back Roy Hodgson. It looks to me as if he is part of the Purslow/Broughtman/H&G brigade. A yes man that will keep quiet and give us all the clichéd sound bites as we flog our players left right and centre. Someone who will sugar coat the carnage as it crashes down around our ears. Someone who is happy to manage a high profile club but who has no ambition to actually restore it to glory. The appointment just has a care taker feel to it and as such I just cannot respect it.

One thing I’m been thinking about in the last couple of days (aside from the more important issues concerning the club) is the case of Albert Riera. If Rafa would have been allowed to stay, I’m sure Albert would already be long gone. Roy seems willing to give the man another chance to prove himself, presumably only because of a lack of wingers in the squad and more importantly a lack of money.

Personally I’m sick and tired of Riera and the choices he’s made in the past proves what kind of person he his and I just wouldn’t like to see the likes of him in a Liverpool shirt. Has he even apologized for the things he said to the press? In any case, it will take a lot for me to deem him worthy of wearing the red shirt again, but I certainly would never participate in any booing of our own players. It makes you wonder though, how will he be treated by the Kop and other sections of the crowd in our home games should he stay?

Morning lads, some really good comments on here. And it’s good to see. I agree with most of what’s being said, even from one extreme to another.

Although I could never stop wanting the club to do well, I understand Kinny’s point of view… I refuse to support H&GFC too. That’s why I’m refusing to go to another game or buy any over priced official tat until they are gone.

But I can’t turn me back on the team… So in my book, it’s hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

As for the team, the players, the manager and all our hopes…
Well, all I can say is don’t get them too high or they’re bound to be dashed.

As with Kinny, I see LB’s point and mostly agree with it…
Hodgson has definetely not been brought in so as to take LFC onto a brave new era. I think he arrive with the hope of maybe even doing that somehow, with one of football’s giants… a last chance to really prove himself at the very top.

Sadly, though he’s been duped. They hired him as a respected elder statesman, to keep the fans and the media quiet. Knowing full well, the very same lot of them who screamed for Rafa’s head for finishing seventh will now just instantly forget that and gratefully accept any results Roy can have.

I’d love to rip into that and them, but that’s not the point now.

What’s in the future…
Well, everyday it becomes clearer what they are up to. LB has more or less summed it up there… pay off the interest, hang on to the club, cash in as best they can by asset stripping and sell the shell… remember it’s still a very famous shell with great prospects in the right hands. So, I think that’s the way they see of maximising any profits they can take.

Dougle’s said it. Aitch has said. In fact, for once I think we’re all sort of reading off the same page… whatever the means and tactics they employ, the only intentions of the owners are to maximise profit to themselves. They don’t care about anything else. They don’t care how they do this. Whether it’s getting the ridiculous price they are demanding or slowly draining the club – they don’t care. They’ll do anything it takes to ensure they walk away with as much money as they possibly can.

Well, that’s were we come in. Sadly we can’t stop them from making some sort of money. Although there is a theory that we can… get RBS to pull the plug on the loans, control us themselves until a buyer is found, and sell the club at rock bottom price to good intentioned people so they could use money that hasn’t been used in the purchase to invest in the stadium and the team.

Again, I hope that’s right, but I’m not preparing for that. Work is going on behind the scenes lad. Purslow’s in for a little shock over the next couple of days. I can’t say too much, but I can promise you that much. And there’s plenty of other things afoot… the pressure is being kept on and the intentions are to keep notching it up.

I don’t know how much attention you’ve paid to this Save Liverpool effort. But, well here’s my two cents…
Of course I’m a member of SOS. I keep in close contact with the board and I do work along with them. But lately, I’ve been doing much more with the Save Liverpool people. They also work along with SOS, there is no conflict of interest. In fact, all the actions that have taken place recently, the march/rally, the record, the alternative kit, and the letters/email/question campaigns, have been started by people in Save Liverpool but gladly handed over to SOS.

Save Liverpool is much like this blog. It’s just a gang of people from all over the place, who love the club and are loosely bonded together by a wish to see it do well. It’s not an organisation as such. It’s got no leadership, no fees, no members, nothing that makes it an organisation. It’s just a movement… the aims are too educate the fools amongst our support and to put as much pressure on any relevant people as possible.

In a nutshell, it’s a gang of good lads, who for no personal glory or profit, are doing their best to help the club in it’s time of need. And between them, SOS and all the comitted individuals, like your goodselves, we can win this.

I hope that extreme view – we’ll get them out and they’ll go at a loss – is right. But I tend to think, we will win it this way…
We will force the bank into renaging on the loans. They can do this legally. Or we will put that much pressure on Vince Cable (ie, the government, or the governing bodies (Premiership, FA, UEFA, FIFA) or even Standard Chartered, that one of them will eventually crack and force the RBS into recalling the debt. Then when H&G can’t meet it, RBS will sell the club from under them.

It’s not going to happen overnight. But as I said, even when there’s a lull going on in what we can do personally, there’s things going on in the background collectivelly. There’ll be a visible effort in the next couple of days, and depending on the outcome of that, it might be time to fire up the printers and get emailing again.

Pain in the arse. But it’s all we can do. And it’s not that big of a bother, and, you can stand on this… it’s having results.

So, don’t get too down about it all. This is not lost yet, far from it. Mark me words lads, I promise you, between us all, we’ll have them yet.

Sachem, Albert hasn’t gone for one simple reason… there’s been no offers. He’ll go as soon as there is. And in all honesty, I don’t think Hodgson will have much say in the matter one way or another. You can see that from his comments on Insua.

As for the fans and Albie, we’ll I don’t think he was rated that highly by most of them anyway, and I think the bit of respect that he did have died when he shit on the club through the media.

That’s the part that amuses me in a sick kind of way. If we finish 8th I don’t think Roy will get too much blame no matter who is sold or purchased. If Rafa finished 8th next season…. Do I even need to finish the point?

Only one reason they didn’t give Kenny the job and that’s because he would have exposed their asses as soon as he realised the shit that is going on.

Whoever doesn’t smell the bullshit by now is either a fucking moron or an ignorant cunt. Take your pick.

LB – I’d say they are fucking moronic ignorant cunts!

Either that or traitors

Nail on head LB. I would have picked Kenny just so he could keep his beady eye on these four shysters, not even from a football point-of-view.
Once they bypassed him, the could have got the fucking Dalai Lama as manager for all I could have cared.

Football is now secondary for LFC and all supporters should be doing everything that they can to get rid of this cancer.

Sorry to go on and on and on about this but it is the only way we can limit the damage that they are doing on this once, yes past tense, great club.

The thing is lads, for most people football is just a bit of a hobby. They call themselves supporters, but it’s just a bit of fun, an aside to the real and far more important things in their lives…
Which in all truth, is what it should be. But that’s not an excuse for being exactly what you’ve just called them.

And what makes it worse, is the ignorant are the ones that usually make the most noise. Let’s face it, for the last few years while they’ve been calling all the phone ins, spouting shite on the radio, telly and papers, we’ve mainly sat here shaking our heads in disbelief and not worrying about them too much.

That’s why I said, they gave the owners and the board the leeway they needed to implament these plans of theirs. Some seem to think that’s unfair. But Broughton and Purslow have both addmitted as much, and Hicks made it plain from the start…. brand loyalty and all that.

So, when we got a home draw against West Ham, their screaming that Lucas was shit and it was Rafa’s fault “for playing two holding midfielders” was actually making all this possible even though we went to the top of the league with that result.

That’s why the likes of Lucas and Insua will be shuttled off and no one will make much of a fuss as they are replaced with inferior cheaper players, instead of maybe being upgraded as Rafa had always done or allowed more time to develop to their full potential.

I meant to comment on this earlier, it just slipped me mind. I always get distracted when I read the other comments. But anyway…
Like Aitch said, some of them are still at it. The silly bastards still don’t realise the damage they are doing. But there’s also a much more sinister side of this…
Although I always considered this blog home, it’s the first site I came across. In the last few months I’ve been bouncing all round the net, posting all the anti-owner stuff.

It’s amazing really and hard to believe, but there’s no doubt in my mind…
The owners and the board have been conducting their own media blitz. They’ve got plants all over the place, telling us how everything is okay and in good hands. And how great things will now be that the stubborn, fat Spanish one has gone.

Sounds ridiculous that. But it’s straight up. And don’t put nothing beyond these evil fuckers, but the really sad thing about it is…
There’s still plenty of people who not only fall for this, but actively back it. Sad but there you go.

That’s actually what Save Liverpool grew out of and how it was sort of formed. One lad, a cracking kid, was so frustrated by the morons that he started a thread on a site, just hoping to educate some of the daft bastards on that site.

Sadly, I don’t think it got through to many of them, but the idea was born and the movement just kept growing and growing. He’s been a great help to me on the letters and email front, and it’s going from strength to strength. Hopefully, we’ll finally get through to enough of them to shake the rest out of their apathy.

But it’s not easy. I was listening to Talk Shite this morning. It’s hilarious really. All in the same sentence, presenters and callers, were…
Blaming the foriegner Cappello for England’s terrible showing.
Blaming the “English” game, saying we needed to take direction from the continent… stop playing typical English football and introduce “continental” inovation, styles of play, such as 4231, (you know 2 holding midfielders and a second striker in the hole) and things like a winter break.
Then almost in the same breath, you got…
Liverpool will be alright now they’ve got a good old fashioned English manager.
Liverpool will be alright because they’ve got shut of that uppity Spaniard.
Liverpool will probably only finish mid-table but that’s okay and it can’t be blamed on Roy…
Apparently the Rafa left a crap squad theory is still alive and well, despite 4 of them having WC final medals.

The hypocrisy and stupidity is truly unbelievable. But it’s lapped up by the vast majority.

Okay people like us who talk football and think about it, probably far too much, know exactly what Talk Shite is… exactly that, people/morons talking shite. But it’s the biggest national daily football forum. It has great influence on what people think. And they are queing up in droves to get on there and agree with the knobs that come out with this shite…
So, sadly, we aren’t just fighting the owners and the boar. We are having to fight our own Lemming fans and the kunts that fill their heads full of very damaging shite.

Not an easy task.

Could you imagine if King Kenny had got the job. Unbelievable to see him in the dugout again. Would have brought tears to my eyes I tell ye. It would have galvanised the club, the players and the supporters to a large extent. And that is the antithesis to what BOUGHTman, PurSLEW and the cancers want. They want us divided and bickering amongst ourselves so they can pick the bare bones out of our club from under our noses. Whilst we saunter through the days arguing about were best to play Beattie and Scharner.

I’ll say it again and i’ll keep saying it till i’m blue in the face. Who the fuck is, and what remit and footballing experience does BOUGHTman have to enable him to tell a living club legend like King Kenny that he was not going to be even considered a candidate for the job. Who the fuck does this prick think he is?

Even with King Kenny being out of the game 10 years surely he was as good a candidate, if not better, as Hodgson. Anyway, I mean that in no way to be disrespectful to Roy.

Going over old ground, I know. Just brings my blood to the boil when I think of it.

Anyway, onwards and upwards according to FS. Thanks for the update. Looking forward to getting stuck into another e-mail/letter campaign. Feels good to be able to do something to help the campaign.

Believe or not FS I used to listen to Talk Shite years ago. I also used to visit that Football365 website. I had to stop doing it, because i swear to god i was gonna take a heart attack with the frustration of listening and reading to the absolute shite and drivel that spewed out of them.

I actually thought i was in the minority (which i was) and that i was the only one that talked sense. There were that many idiots and un-intelligent morons. My hands would be shaking as i was typing responses to some of the twats. I’d also be punching my desk in work listening to that talk shite shit. Just gave it up, because it wasnt worth the stress. Came across great blogs like this. Were the majority of people have a footballing brain.

The thing is your dead right FS. Some people treat football as just a hobby. They walk around wearing the shirt. They listen to talk shite. The read the fucking back pages of the rags. They ingest this shit with their greedy little minds and then they go onto forums like 365 and regurgitate the same old crap.

I’m sorry but football is not a hobby to me and plenty of others in this forum. Football/LFC is a passion. Almost a religion. We fucking love our club. We know our club inside out. Its history, traditions and the Liverpool Way. Dont know you guys here much at all but i do know that from reading the comments you seem the same as myself.

And thats what the problem is these days. With our club, and many others. Too many part-time fans who are jumping on the bandwagon because its fashionable to be football supporter.

This is what sparks many of the arguments in here artful.

Its so easy to assume everyone in here is the same.

I was born and bred and am an “older” bloke.
I moved away from Liverpool many years ago and while I try to get back often, I more often than not, follow the reds from afar.
That takes effort.
Like buying into a satellite, then buying not 1, but 2 “sports pack” channel subscriptions, so I don’t miss a single Reds game.
Like getting up at 4am to watch the early Scum/LFC, or LFC/Everton match-ups.
Like spending far too much of my time on this bloody internet thingy.
(I work from home, and the sheer number and length of my posts as evidence to the contrary, I do actually do some work… but it never fails… if and when my wife does decide to walk into my office to ask me something… you can bet she does so just at the precise moment I’ve decided to stop what I was doing, and pull up Kopblog and have a look what you fuckers are jabbering on about on here… talk about BUSTED! It’d be funny if I didn’t then have to spend so much time convincing her I do actually get some work done.)

Anyway, my point is this, some of you follow LFC with the same passion I do, and from the same background I do (and yes I understand fully that background is not necessary for that passion… which is why I stated it as two seperate things… hell my poor nephew follows the LA Lakers more religiously than LFC… breaks my fuckin heart, that!)

But it does mean that comments get made by people who haven’t researched this site and its users, let alone researched “their opinion” (you know, the opinion they are entitled to, no matter how outrageously misguided,) to verify whether or not they are talking out their arse!

I’m not suggesting they should just shut the fuck up (well, that’s a lie I am… better to say nothing and be thought a fool, than say something daft and prove the point,) but if you want to run with the big dogs, you best get yourself up to speed, and expect to get nipped occasionally in the process.

Following Liverpool Football Club is NOT a part time thing. It’s a lifelong passion.

The sheer number of times, just in the last 6 months, that I’ve heard the phrase “no one is bigger/more important than the club” …or talk about “The Liverpool Way” …being used in a context so completely and utterly at odds with what those phrases mean, what they really, actually mean, is staggering.

…oh and I meant to add…

…in reading the comments in online articles…

… many of these people are still talking as though G&H, Broughtman and Purslow are “clowns” …or “incompetent” …or “morons”
… the term “cowboys” in some circles, has come to mean “idiots who don’t know what they are doing”
… and that’s very dangerous for US… because these fuckers know exactly what they are doing…
… they’ve done it before… and made lots, and lots of money in the process.

… many of these people are still talking as though G&H, Broughtman and Purslow have the same wants and desires for LFC as the fans.

They DO NOT! They are businessman and they want what’s good for business, and a business in debt can make you just as much money, as a solvent business … and more importantly…
… it has NOTHIING to do with what happens on the field…

I keep hearing things like…
… “the club is worth more with Torres and Gerrard”… NO… it isn’t.
… “the club is worth more as a top 4 club”… NO… it isn’t.
These things are counted as assets and counted into any projected earnings, but they do not directly affect the sale price of the club.

Ask yourself this…we’ve supposedly turned down two offers in the region of 350million… given the worldwide fan base, will those same buyers reduce their offer price if Torres and Gerrard are sold?

G&H are playing for time here. They will sell assets, bank the money, and eventually sell the club at a small profit. (having made the bulk of their money under the cover of night over the last 2 years)

As long as RBS are making their daily VIG, they will continue to allow G&H to operate under the status quo… their only edict is to receive their interest payments on time…. That’s it…
They don’t care whose running things, they don’t care whose sold, or bought.
They don’t care if we get knocked out of the CL, the Europa, the FA Cup, the Carling Cup.
They don’t care if we lose 1-3 to the Arse, 0-2 to the Chavs, or beat Scum 4-1…
…RBS only cares that they are making their money daily, and can eventually recoup their initial loan.
… and they will… coz even if we sold Reina, Agger, Skrtel, Carra, Masch, Aqua, Stevie, and Torres… someone would still pay 350 mill for Liverpool Football Club.

As FS has continually warned… the only way we can affect what happens, is to put RBS in a position where it is more trouble than it is worth to keep collecting that daily 100k…
…if that is done sooner… we might be able to limit the damage…
… and that is what this is all about now folks… limiting the damage…

… but, if its done later… well…?

…and another thing… …said the fuckin blog hog…

Let’s be careful about how we treat Roy Hodgson.

The man was offered the Liverpool Football Club Manager’s job…
… shit if someone had made you that offer, even knowing all we know about the club’s situation, you’d have asked “how much do I have to pay you for the privilege?”

I don’t doubt he took the job for all the right reasons.

I don’t doubt that promises were made to him… promises “they” had no intention of keeping.

He may have even suspected this, but you can’t really blame him for taking the job anyway…
… it’s the best fuckin job in football… even under “this lot”!

You can bet that Roy hoped he could believe Purslow when he said “no players will be sold without your consultation” and that Purslow made that statement with a straight face, as his phone beeped and he read the text message… “Yossi deal done. 6mill. With 2 mill off the books for G&H. and 500k each off the books for you and MB.”
… then smiled as he shook hands with Roy and MB presented him to the press.

I don’t think Roy will be a “yes man”
… certainly not in the context that is being used…
… I just don’t think he was given any player in-out control in his contract…
… I reckon he’s taken the job realizing it’ll be (as said above) more of a caretaker role
…and he’s probably hoping the club sale happens, sooner (as he was no doubt led to believe) rather than later, and he can maintain the club’s on field/league position through the process and then keep the gig under the new bosses.

Here you go lads… keep up to the minute with Claire Roarke at the Swiss training camp…
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/free-claire-s-swiss-video-blog

Real Madrid in shock transfer swoop for Octopus???
…well maybe not Real, but the City of Madrid

Madrid zoo bids to buy Octopus Oracle from Germany
From Associated Press
July 15, 2010 2:37 PM EDT

MADRID (AP) — The Madrid Zoo said Thursday that it has made an offer to buy Paul, the octopus who became a pop culture sensation by correctly predicting the outcome of as many World Cup matches as he has legs – all seven of Germany’s games plus the Spain-Netherlands final.

The zoo said it made the offer after receiving hundreds of requests from Spaniards for Paul’s transfer from a German aquarium after Spain won the World Cup on Sunday.

Zoo spokeswoman Amparo Fernandez said an unspecified amount of cash was offered for the purchase of Paul, now a hero in Spain, which went wild after it won its first World Cup ever.

“We hope that within the next few days we will be able to confirm news that the admirable Paul will be part of the club of the most loved and charismatic animals of the Madrid Zoo,” said a statement from the zoo.

Paul’s owner – the Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen, Germany – declined immediate comment and requested that a reporter send questions by e-mail.

The intuitive invertebrate was retired this week from predicting football game outcomes, and Madrid Zoo officials promised he wouldn’t be used again for similar duties.

The Madrid Zoo also offered to exchange animals with the German aquarium in return for Paul or beat any other offers, and promised he would “receive the utmost attention, a reflection of the great affection that all Spaniards profess for him since he predicted that the Spanish squad would win the World Cup.”

As I’ve said before, I hate linking other sites in here. I think it’s a bit disrespectful, but I know Gerry’s fully behind this. And like I promised, I won’t keep cluttering up the comments page with all these announcements. So…
http://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?topic=260637.0

Please have a look in there and help out where you can. Don’t worry it’s nothing hard, as Gerry’s Blog priest said to his favourite nun.

It’s as easy as this… I said in an earlier post, SOS have been promised they will get these questions answered by Purslow on LFCtv. Sound.

But think about it Purslow is also the Managing Director of the tv channel and the website. So we can imagine what’s going to happen there. So, we’ve started a blitz to back it up.

See what you think. Please have a go, it doesn’t take a minute.

FS,

I just sent the emails, and have asked my LFC supporting friend to do so.

Re #166, done and sent emails to the list.

Beattie & Scharner? Sounds like the type of players Souness would have/did buy during his tenure.
So glad we don’t get Talk Shite down here.
Riera should leave for his own good. Take a pay cut Albert lad. You won’t enjoy running out at Anfield after the shit you spew.
Keep up the good work FS & others. I’m still keeping the faith – these fuckers will be out of here sometime (with the help of the supporters), and I hope that Purslow follows them as well.
Gotta run & change some diapers.

I think Roy has landed a dream job where he has nothing to lose. If Liverpool do well then he is a genius and it was right for Rafa to get sacked. If he fails badly then it is still Rafa’s fault because that’s the team that Rafa left behind. I’ve heard some people say that Rafa purposefully dismantled the team because he knew he was going to get sacked. And that’s from our own supporters who obviously cannot think for themselves.

Aitch had a look at that link with Claire Rourke had to laugh
“The players and Rafa met up with a local kids charity”
More lies from the media ¦ )

been away a music conference all week (don’t ask! ) and had no access to web and very little mobile coverage too. Anyway not much happening in my absence apart from:

a) Spain beating the Thugs and winning the World Cup – TAKE THAT!!! TWO HOLDING MIDFIELD PLAYERS!!!

b) I got my Please Go Away letter from RBS – they’ll be getting a follow up from me but not so sure what good it’ll actually do

and finally c) I see that LB has given into the misery and doesn’t seem able to back Roy ?? Come on LB – things are shitty but lets just see what happens for a least a few games into the season??

…err… Arthur, you did watch the part where Spain fielded both Xavi AND Xabi in almost every game the played, right?

Has anyone read the article about Roy meeting with Nando?
Cordial meeting, but short… talked football… assured him he was looking forward to working with him… stated that he is not for sale… then clarified that “we do not want” to sell him…
… which all sounds great and is exactly what we all want to hear, short of Nando actually saying “I’m going nowhere”…
… but then the bomb drop…
… “I left the meeting to come here (Swiss Camp) but left him to continue talks with Christian Purslow.”

… now I’m just guessing, but I reckon that conversation went something like this…

“Yes, yes, we definitely want you to stay. As far as we’re concerned you are not for sale….”
…door closes…
“Now then, do you have a club preference, coz we’re looking to get somewhere in the region of 60 to 70 million for you.”

rome… a slip of the tongue from Claire Roarke?
…sounds like a fantasy that?

(I do wish she’d get a new hairdresser though!)

oh and Arthur “what good it’ll actually do”?

I know it seems like we’re banging our heads against the wall, but they are counting on us all thinking “you can’t fight city hall”… but we can!

The campaign isn’t about making them realize the error of their ways, suddenly growing a heart and taking pity on us poor LFC fans.

The world … and particularly the banking world… isn’t run by captains of industry, its run by bean-counters.

This campaign has a cost to them.

Having their executive inboxes cluttered up with emails, means someone taking the time to sift through them. This process causes a slower response to important emails!
That has a cost.

Paying one of their IT lads to create a filter to weed such emails out, has a time/cost.

RBS are well happy to collect their daily 100k VIG, but at some point, this campaign will have a cost that subtracts from that amount…
…add to that the cost of a negative PR campaign…
…and there’ll be a breeaking point, at which profit is offset by cost…
…at which point they’ll want to cut and run…
…either forcing a sale, or calling in the loan.
That’s the target.

Yeah Aitch – i just read that interview there with Roy.

Very worrying. He only had a short time to talk with Nando then left Purslow in there to talk with him. That is extremely worrying. We know that slime ball has previous. I bet that scumbag was whispering sweet nothings in his ear about 50 and 70 mill from the chavs and man city respectively. There are going to be an interesting and stressful few weeks for LFC fans. Losing Nando of all players would be a major blow. Especially if we dont see any of the money. Which is likely.

The only thing we have going in our favour artful Nando’s price tag, which will put the majority of clubs off him… More importantly the Euro clubs… and his age.

Unlike SG, he can afford to give LFC time.

He seems like the kind of lad that makes his decisions for the right reasons… hence his coming to us in the first place… so him jumping to Citeh or the Chavs, seems an unlikely scenario… (if he has much say in it.)

… but he (like Rafa and the rest of us) has been lied to by the board for 3 years now, regarding “quality players to improve the squad”
.. and when he sees his mates in the Spain squad winning medals… and he’s on plane rides to Armenia for a qualifying Europa League match… well… it can play on a lad’s mind.

Ah Aitch, Xavi is an offensive player in every sense of the word, great passer yes, holding midfield player, no. Xabi is a playmaker, in my eyes Busquets was their only “holding midfielder ” and by that I mean a player who breaks up play, ala De Jong and Van Bommel. And yep it was a not so veiled comparison to our usual formation last year Aitch! Not really sure how you argue with me, but you always do so I shouldn’t be surprised!

Alonso and Masch was regarding as 2 holding midfield players by most people. Myself included. Alonso is a deep lying player. Not many assists or shots on goal but directs the tempo of a game. I would call Alonso and Busquets 2 holding midfield players.

yea alonso can break up play but more importantly he can create from deep which we cannot now that hes gone.

None of it will matter when we have no players left.

Don’t you get it…
Roy’s been packed off to Switzerland with the players he’ll be working with. Now Purslow and Broughton will get to “negotiate” with the senior pros…
Mascherano won’t even answer any messages.

Roy has toed the party line, or even told the truth as far as he is concerned… “We don’t want to sell any of our players.”

Now Purslow and Broughton get to have their say in private…
We already know the difference between them two situations.
In public…
Purslow: I’ll have big investment in by Easter and Rafa’s job is safe. We are planning a big summer. We’ll know by July the 15th. And the club should be sold at the end of August – convieniently just after the transfer window shuts.

In private…
Well, we’ve already seen what Rafa’s job is safe meant. We’ve already heard Boughton’s plans drunkenly spewed out to some Sky News bint he was chatting up at Chelsea’s end of season do…
“Liverpool are fucked. It will take at least 3 years to sort this mess out. Our best players might aswell just leave.”

The 15th of July has been and gone. No new bids have been announced – meaning we don’t have anyone who wants to buy the club right now, never mind the end of August. Yossi has gone to Chelsea, thanks to Mr Boughton, and dutifully toed the party line by stabbing Rafa in the back… The manager who made this all possible for him. The manager who Yossi was “in love with” only a few months before. And yes. That is a direct qoute of what he said.

Now Boughton and Purslow are left to find the money they should be bringing in through investment and new ownership…. Well, seeing none of that is forthcoming, I wonder how they plan to raise the money owed to RBS and KOP FOOTBALL – H&G’s company in the Cayman Islands. They won’t wait to be paid. So, it’s got to come in from somewhere… Mmm, I wonder how that sort of dosh can be raised?

But not to worry. Roy’s in charge now. He’s got the players. Spearing is better than Lucas and he should be able to fill in for Masch aswell. So, no problem there then.

Sorry lads… but wake up.

442,4231, the only way any of that will make any difference to us right now…
if we’ve got them on a lottery ticket and they come in.

And yes Arthur. We’re getting results… you’ve just got one personally. That round of letters and emails led to Stephen Hester addmitting the yanks were allowed to borrow too much money.

Now we need to push him to the next step – recalling the loans or selling the club from under them. And this latest round of emails has already had a result towards that goal… a rather big one at that an all.

I can’t divulge it just yet. You’ll just have to believe me, or you can always believe the alternative…
Oh well, I hope you really enjoy your big summer.

i’d certainly call alonso and busquets 2 holding midfielders, especially when torres was dropped for pedro(a direct response to the astonishingly successful and goal-laiden german system) and the other 3 were all operating behind villa. for me the world cup has ushered in the age of the 4-2-3-1 and we’ll be seeing it everywhere now (i know it’s already been pretty evident, not least at lfc).

alonso was definitely a holding player for us, just one with other skills. he sat so deep that the centre halves or pepe just rolled the ball to him a few yards away and let him set up play like a quarterback.

i know what you mean arthur about spain’s victory being a triumph for skill and technique over defense-minded durge, but the systems played by germany, spain and holland were basically the same. just the style, tempo, tactics and skill-levels differed. that’ll be the players, not the system.

Ok some might call Alonso a holding player but I still prefer to call him a playmaker but Aitch mentioned a midfield of xavi and xabi as “holding” and sorry for being pedantic but that isn’t the case

Brazil have been playing with 2 holding midfield players from 1994. I remember Mauro Silva and Dunga in the middle. 2 flying fullbacks in Jorginho and Leonardo. They have played with that philosophy religiously every since.

Van Bommel and De jong are both destroyers where Busquets and Alonso and also kaniera and sweinsteiger do their job while playing good football – big difference.

FS, I think most in here are pretty wide awake now. We will have Sharner and Spearing holding. Lol.

yeah arthur, xavi isn’t a holding player, he’s part of the attacking platform behind villa, so it isn’t pedantic to point that out.

i reckon it’s important to remember the range of styles that are still available to a manager with that system. whereas germany used it to ‘spring’ attacks by outnumbering opponents when defending and then catching them short at the back with fast incisive service to the ‘front 4′, spain used it as a way of utterly controlling possession and tempo with a wealth of options to pass to; forward, back, left, or right when on the ball. 1-0 was always going to be enough for spain. 4 goals were always on the cards for germany with the way they attacked at pace.

i know none of this matters because we won’t have any players left to utilise any kind of effective system, but rest assured i worry about that when i’m not chatting about formations.

something i can’t help wondering is… what instructions did rafa actually give lucas and masch? don’t worry, i’m not having a go at any of those 3 gentlemen. i just wonder what the plan was during some of those drab draws and defeats last season. was it to maintain possession and patience and sneak a goal, or was it to get the ball wide fast and outflank ‘em, or was it… something else?

i think the thing that frustrated a lot of LFC fans about the system was that there wasn’t the same clear strategy that underpinned the spanish, dutch and german systems. in a lot of games last season, we looked aimless in midfield and attack. the system was often blamed, but in retrospect, i don’t think the system was the problem. so what was? maybe they were only given 2 shredded wheat each due to cutbacks, maybe they all hated each other. who knows.

Yeah. I know LB. Just pointing out the obvious really. No harm in talking some footy.

How’s this for irony though…
What Rafa was slatted for has finally sunk in, and is now being touted by the media and football in general as the way forward… not that they’d ever admit that of course.

And now we’re going back to an old traditional manager who’ll probably be playing 442 while others follow the 4231.

To top it off, Rafa was trying his best to get away from that system. He was aiming at playing 41311… that was the idea behind Aquilani.

I agree about Brazil when Dunga done the destroying. But it was Sacchi’s great AC Milan that really formed Rafa’s thinking on tactics, formations, etc.

Have a look at them, especially the European Cup Final, 198?, against Bucharest. Rafa always raved about that team being the best he’d ever seen, not necessarily the players, although they had some crackers, but as the unbeatable team.

He modelled Valencia on them, and spent his time at Liverpool trying to build us into that sort of team/squad.

It does rely on attacking fullbacks and wingers that work hard tracking back. And I’ll bet my bottom lip that is what you will see at Inter.

Mourhino won the European Cup by getting them to play a 4231, in Rafa’s style, but you watch Rafa flip that on it’s head and go back to that AC Milan/Valencia style. He’s got the personel there to do it. And you can bet, if Inter stump up the dosh, Mascherano will be the one true holding midfielder in the system.

Here you go, Rafa’s idea of near perfect football…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II5oepJwl9I

It’s what he was building at Valencia, until they bought him a lamp instead of a coffee table. It was what he was building at Liverpool until they bought him off.

I hope the fella gets the chance at Inter to complete his vision, and makes his knockers look like the idiots they are. He deserves that at the very least, after all he’s had to put up with.

Just seen Roy’s press conference in Switzerland…
Oh Dear.

Arthur… if Xavi is an offensive player in every sense of the word… why is it that he was so often the deeper positioned player of the two, with Alonso further up the field?

I don’t argue that on paper he is an offensive player… but he sat deep an aweful lot… and sitting deep is what a holding midfielder does.
And while Xabi, playmaker or not, often gets forward for Spain, he does sit deep a lot.

Its not a question of your label… it’s a question of what you do during the 90 minutes.
When Xabi played for us, he often dropped deep to collect the ball… but that doesn’t make him a holding players.

See this is the problem.

Anytime the names Masch and Lucas were seen on a team sheet, the baby went out with the spilled milk and people started ranting about “2 holding midfielders”.
It didn’t matter that in the first half dozen games last season, Lucas did not sit deep and play as a holding midfielder, and was often so far upfield he got nosebleeds. It only mattered that calling him a “holding midfielder” fit an already established agenda.
Hell… there was actually one game last season (I can’t remember off the top of my head right now which) where SG and Lucas actually switched position for about 15 minutes. It caused havoc and we created 6 chances, one of which was a clear shout at a penalty when Lucas was brought down in the box and one of which was Lucas breaking through and just missing getting his toe on a through ball in the box.
I remember thinking at the time… why don’t we do that more often? It’s the kind of thing opponents don’t see coming and haven’t prepared for.

And sambo… this is also the problem with much of the criticism Rafa got last season…
…People banging on about how he played defensive, with 2 holding midfielders.
Be honest… its not as if Rafa sat on the bench with his arms folded, satisfied grin stretching across his face, as though all was going according to plan.

The man was constantly on his feet directing players into the right position, telling them to get forward, directing them to get closer to their man, telling them what space to move into.
Yes he often made positive statements after a game… but you don’t honestly think he was happy with what he was seeing do you??

The same players that couldn’t string 3 passes together last season… played Scum and Real Madrid off the park the previous one… that had nothing to do with formation… it had all to do with form.

Mascherano is a holding midfielder… Didi Hamman was a holding midfielder. Both will occasionally get forward and twat a 30yarder into row Z, but by and large, the very way they ply their trade for 90 minutes defines them as such.

Other players are not… but circumstances force them to play deeper than they would normally want to.
While I’ll admit the following often depends on who my midfield partner is…
As a midfielder, if I have competent forwards or wide-men, then I’ll ping them a long ball and make a direct b-line for the top of the D, hoping to get the ball back. (an attacking midfielder)
If I have less than competent forwards or wide-men, I’ll still ping them that ball, but I’m cautious about how far forward I’ll get in support, simply coz the likelihood is that the ball is coming right back at my defenders. (a defensive midfielder)

What you saw at the World Cup, was not just 4-2-3-1 being used on the strength of the 2 holding midfielders… but it being used on that in combination with… the strength of the forwards and wide-men in play… the abilities of the right back and left back, both on the ball and in terms of getting forward and getting back into position.

Any system fails when the players being utilized fail to implement it competently.
LFC finished 2nd with a record points haul playing the same system and with the same players as when they finished 7th.
In one instance the players implemented the system well, in one they didn’t.

And anyway… the whole point… the entire point of playing “2 defensive midfielders”… from a football philosophy point of view… is not to defend… its to push both the left back and right back forward… overlapping in attack… so contrary to this popular misinterpretation, it is not a defensive approach to the game!

Its not really important but the formation I interpreted Spain playing once they benched Torres was the following:

Casillas
Ramos, Pique, Puyol, Capdevilla
Busquets, Alonso
Pedro, Xavi, Iniesta
Villa

Xavi was mostly ahead of Busquets and Alonso but of course players are not restricted to stand in one zone for 90 mins. What I like about the Spanish is that all of the above could float all over the field quite comfortably and all took very good care of the ball.

I was very impressed with Busquets (22 years old) and Pedro (22 years old) throughout last season and the world cup. They are further proof of what a proper youth academy, with top class coaching and consistent philosophy can do for you.

looks like insua is on his way out to fiorentina
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/breaking-insua-fee-agreed

gutted. now we had no senior left back

#192… that link is to the club’s official site. It’s now the bloody propoganda channel and should be treated as such…

Did nobody see Hodgson’t comments?

I did try to tell you in post 189. I hoped someone else had seen it and would comment.

But to keep you all up to date, when asked about transfers, Hodgson replied…
“if you want to talk about transfers, you will have to talk to Purslow… I’m only here to coach the team!”

Sound familair?

And where are the Rafa bashers…
Where is Digger and BM, I like to ask them what they think of, Purslow, the new boss that they helped install?

Fuckin idiots. And I’d advise you all to stay out of that LFCtv shite an all, or you’ll end up getting as brainwashed as them daft pricks.

Propaganda it might very well be FS, but the one thing you can count on is when they’ve stated a player’s sold… that player is sold. (and the money has already been wire-transfered to the Caymans.)

I thought it was weird that he wasn’t in the announced 18 to face Al Hilal this morning.

Did you see a video of the PC, FS, or just an article?
Do you have a link?
I looked for it but couldn’t find it.

And yes LB… its pretty much ALL about the payers you have, how they’re set out, and how they perform. (including how they adapt as the game unfolds.)

If you could buy a 23 year old, who’d recently played for his country and only just missed out on getting into that country’s World Cup Squad…
… and you could get him for 4-5 million…
…would you?

Then why the fuck are we selling him … when he is our ONLY left back???
That is an absolute STEAL, for a Young International Left Back!

Aitch you would get more truth watching Kim Jung Iltv.

And do you realise, every time you click on the official site you are earning money for the owners?

Oh yes. The clicks go towards totting up revenues. But if anyone wants to watch Christian Purslow’s propoganda channel then that’s up to them.

As far as I know, Insua was in the team and was suddenly told he had to do one to Italy to discuss terms.

Oh well, at least Gerrard and Torres aren’t for sale and are still at home having talks with Purslow.

As for steals… Rafa bought Insua before he’d kicked a ball for Boca Juniors. So maybe Roy’s extensive scouting system can find us a lad for about 10bob on Hackney Marshes playing Sunday League.

That’s over 20 million in transfers racked in now. George Gillette was there in Switzerland. I wonder how much is left after he takes his expenses.

Sorry Aitch no link. It was on Sly Sports News though, so maybe you will be able to find it on there.

PS… I bet they are fighting in the Arsenal camp over who gets to play right wing against… erm, err, who?

Oh and lads…
http://www.savelfc.org/.

Join up, and spread the word.

For the record FS, I cancelled my e-season ticket subscription a long, long time ago (GOD I miss Stevie Hunter!) and these are the times I got most use out of it… when early seaosn stuff wasn’t being televised… oh well

…And… I hardly ever click on LFC.tv…
I’ve only done it sparingly recently, coz there’s so much drivel out there in regards players being sold and bought, that like it or not, the “official site” is the definitive word on who’s been sold once the deal is done…
…otherwise we’re left to accepting what’s being written by twats that work for the Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, Daily Gobshite DOH (that’d be the News of the World in case you were nsure.)

But I’ll tell you what FS… you might be onto something.
Kim Jong Ill… got a few bob and would surely pass a “fit and proper” test far better than G&H… no?

Here’s another little interesting comment from Roy though…. (and NOT from the “official” site)

But it’s not just the suggestions that the club have been instigating transfer talks without his input and before his arrival, he also couldn’t make his displeasure any clearer about tonight’s opening pre-season fixture:
“I don’t know if I am looking forward to it because I would have liked my first game as Liverpool manager to have been in charge of what people would regard as a Liverpool team. There will be a lot of players playing tonight who are being thrust into first team action far, far too early. The average age of the team is about 20 and we’re playing the champions of Saudi Arabia, a team that does well in the AFC Champions League.”

“When choosing the level of opposition you should really choose a level which is suitable for the sort of team that you can put out. We don’t have enough senior first team players here to put out that type of team, and also it has come fairly early in our preparations.”
After a season that was plagued by injury amongst all the other problems, the last thing Liverpool need this season is more of the same, but Hodgson suggests this match poses exactly that kind of risk:
“We are working very hard physically and I have to be careful that in these games we don’t lose players before the start of the season.”

… oh dear…?

Make no mistake, Insua was removed by virtual of his being perceived as a “Rafa favourite” due to his frequent appearance in the team sheets when Rafa was here.

De-Rafa-ization is upon us. Best we can do is take up RAWK’s suggestion and step up the pressure on RBS to stop bloody extending the loan ASAP.

To all those anti-Rafa cunts that were constantly saying Insua needs to go:

Well I hope you’re all bloody happy that we’re now seriously lacking in the right-back department. Don’t go crying to us when results start sliding down even more than before, because whomever replaces him cannot be branded as a “failure signing by Rafa” as you have constantly used as a convenient excuse these past few years.

Aitch… He also said, I hope we don’t get beat too badly.

The rest of the premier league must be laughing their bollacks off.

Well Roys luck is in, the game got called off.
I’m really pissed off that Insua has been sold but i’m more pissed off with one of my neighbours, someone who i’ve got tickets for in the past and give them lifts to Anfield amongst other favours has only gone out and bought himself a new “official” shirt.
This is after i told him about the Standards Corrupted shirts on the viga site.
Now i haven’t spoke with him yet as i was driving when i saw him and as the road rage kicked in, i felt like kicking his head in.
He annoyed me last season with his SKY washed comments, but this is the last straw and when i do see him again i’m going to be falling out with him.
And if he ever has the nerve to ask me for tickets again i will be kicking his head in ¦ (

…oh dear …

LB – 191 – Bravo your last paragraph. It is absolutely the key to present and future success. We had it years gone by. Pass & move, keep it simple and give a man options. Allied to a consistent high workrate and self-belief it was the basis for 20 years of our(never to be repeated ?) success.

So who is now implementing and creating the blueprint for future generations of players fashioned the new “Liverpool Way” ?

Until last month it was the man who built the Barca academy. One measley year he got. I assume he’s gone. I looked at the list, yesterday, of coaches etc. El Senor was nowhere to be found.

But hey !! Let’s get brits with heart eh. Fuck me pink.

As for Insua. Well twirl the barrel and slip another bullet in the chamber Cecil.

To paraphrase FS above “Roy is already ducking and trying to find cover”… Purslow is de-facto the manager now. He (hires ?) and fires, sells and no doubt buys (that should be a laugh). But I’m holding my spite and laughter for September 1st when we know who’ll be in the squad. It’s gonna be a hoot this season.

Frankly I just don’t know if I have the heart to support what I feel is coming down the line as a team. I know I should but .. we’ll see. I like Hodgeson actually but I cannot stand anything touched by the weasels running our club. Puts me in an odd position. My gut feeling is that football/players/manager/wins/loses/blame/acclaim game, the whole lot, is really just a smokescreen while the Thieves do the Burgling.

In the meantime it’s e-mails and letters and get on with the real job for now.

All in all tonight’s result was as good as Roy oould have wished for. I don’t know if it was good luck or bad luck but I suspect the former.

Soapbox Extra:

Guys, I know for that for many of you, particularly the newer, rarer posters or just good old-fashioned lurkers, this must be really not what you are used to. Is it a drag reading about the campaign to get rid of the board, Purslow and Boughtman all the time?
I bet you are really looking forward to the start of the new season so we can get back to the way it was ?????

Well actually “now” could be far more interesting and important then the coming footie.
What’s possible here is for all of us to take a real stake in the club and it’s future. You can do something and you can make a difference.
Check out FS 198 and get active.
We can take this clubs future and make it the way we want.
Shankly created a revolution by harnessing the players and the supporters and giving them all a vision.
Right now there is no vision and no unity coming from the top down (it is an embarressment frankly),so it has to come from the bottom up. We can help make the template for a future Liverpool. It won’t happen overnight but it’s a fight worth fighting.
When this shower of vampires have been chased off the carcass guess what … there is going to be a doting old Billionaire waiting to take over the club and lavish his money on a new stadium, new players and Rafa/Maureen/Guus/whover we want … eh no, not really.
There is gonna be another version of G&HLFC but what will be different is that there are now organised, creative, passionate, battle-hardened groups of supporters ready to let them know the freebies are over. The more militant and coherent we are the more they will have to actually take us seriously. There will have to be consultation with supporters and the views and ambitions and vision of supporters will have to be accommodated.

I am sure none of us (bar a few older heads) saw all of this coming. Bit there is opportunity even in the blackest of circumstances. How many of you thought you’d be members of a Supporters Union today ? How many of you thought you’d be writing letters to the FA/RBS etc now. I’m loving this personally. The bloated rotting decadence that is the FA/SKY/EPL/Football Miiionaire/TalkShite Culture was really making me sick but now I feel like I’m part of something with heart and some spirit. It’s time to give now not just sit back on my irish backside and criticize.

For anybody who is lurking, watching but doing nothing. DO SOMETHING NOW. Get involved and be a part of this.

Thumbs up to those of us who are making it happen.

See FS 198 – be brave !

Off the soap box now.

Cheers

ooh…ooh… fight… fight… fight!

You should have just run the prick over… Merseyside Police would have likely put it down as Justifiable Vehicular Euthenasia, and let you off with a warning not to do it again “unless there’s at least two or more of them!”

And yeah FS… Roy did say “I hope we don’t get beat too badly.”
… but he was saying it in response to a question about the opening fixture against Arsenal…

The rest of the premier league is indeed laughing their bollacks off.
Most loudly, down the East Lancs Rd, where Fungus tipped a jar the day Rafa was ousted, with a hearty “thank fuck for that, they almost got back on their perch” and he and his minions of darkness haven’t stopped laughing since.

Great. We just sold a very promising left back. Not many of them out there. Really looking forward to seeing him rising to stardom in Serie A, while we have to make do with some wooden leg fella. Who on earth will be playing that position this season, Dagger? What a waste. There is absolutely no logic to this now that Aurelio is no longer with us either. Unless we have to sell in order to pay off some debt…

I usually don’t go into the official site anymore, but I dropped in there now because the Insúa deal pissed me off. There’s article there titled “Roy on Joe Cole link” in which he more or less says we won’t be signing him. And that’s a player well past his best (thanks to all those injuries, I presume). It isn’t even concerning one of the interesting “links”.

Mr. Broughton better come up with some news about the sale soon or else… nothing.

FS, i rarely visit the official site. I personally thought that back then in June, when Rafa left, the announcement was disrespectful to him. And I just can’t stand the idiotic comments written below several articles.

But as Aitch said, we can verified valid ongoing players rumour of our players going out there.

As long as I visit Kopblog, I don’t worry about getting brain washed. In fact, recently I started my own Indonesian LFC blog (which I hope can be a reference for Indonesian supporters, which some of them quoting and debating LFC’s matter based on a media portal translation from the s*n)

Admittedly, due my job, I can’t update it as much as I want to

Don’t worry about Insua going and other players being sold off to line RBS’ and the four fuckers’ pockets. You cannot say that you were not warned.

Anyway this is all just symptoms of the bigger problem – the five fuckers. We need to speask out and make our voices heard. Arthur, the ‘I’m not sure what difference it will make’ is not the attitude we need here now mate.

Spinkage, I would suggest, if you can, set aisde 15 minutes every day to update you Indonesian blog and ensure that everyone understands what is going on at LFC and help us get these tyrants out of the club before there is nothing left but a shell. Try and get them to take a stance against the current incumbents. We have millions of supporters spread all over the world and it will only take a small percentage of us to wake-up and see what’s happening to force their hands.

Dougle made a good point about this being a good opportunity for us to get our club back in the hands of the supporters and everyone should heed this message.

Rome, give him a kick in the nuts for me. I hope he got Insua’s name on the back of it. Twat!

Away to send those mails off and then finish moving house – I am fucking wrecked.

Talk to you later lads.

Dougle, the academy director Jose Segura is still at the club.

The rage is building in me with every sale. How the fuck can you sell Insua!!?? I would understand if he was worth 20mil but its only 4-5 mill, hardly enough to cover any of the interest payments or debt or even as pocket change for the two ass-clowns. Fuck this, just fuck it. For 30 years I’ve supported this club and I’m really not sure if I can do it for a 31st. The Liverpool is being flushed down the fuckin toilet.

The money taken from the sales of Benayoun and Insua will just about cover the cost of sacking Rafa and hiring Roy.

The rest of the money taken in from all transfers from the last window, pays about 1 months interest.

Arman, this is the most important time to support LFC but not necessarily in a footballing sense.

We all need to stand up and be counted to get rid of these parasites and get our club back. Fire out the mails/emails and let’s show them what it means to be a part of the LFC family.

So strap yourself in for a 31st year of supporting LFC and make sure like-minded folk do the same thing. Spread the word! This is how we will get our club back. Resistance and fighting are the key words of today.

Re post 193:

“And where are the Rafa bashers…
Where is Digger and BM, I like to ask them what they think of, Purslow, the new boss that they helped install?

Fuckin idiots.”

Ridiculous comment and symptomatic of how this forum has gone

Aitch
Trouble is its not Merseyside Police i’m worried about, its W.Yorkshire Police and they like to shoot people.

Arthur
Whats ridiculous about it ? its a valid question or do you just object to the “F*ckin idiots” part.

that and the part where Digger and BM are accused of somehow installing Purslow and the new manager….

Like I said..ridiculous

How is it ridiculous Arthur?

Maybe I should remind you of what Mr Boughton said when asked why he sacked Rafa?

Or maybe we should discuss who the actual manager is?
Cause it’s certainly not Hodgson running the show.

Now if you want to criticise something I’ve said, that’s fair enough. But don’t expect not to be challenged on it…

You yourself called for Rafa’s head often enough.

When you all used to do, I would warn of the outcome and be ignored or slatted for it.

I’d ask who you would prefer as a manager, it was the usual suspects… Mourhino, Hiddink, etc.

And you were all warned that the best we could expect is someone like Roy… well, you got your way.

And now I’d like to ask some of these people how they feel about our new manager and the outcome of their witch hunt.

I think that’s extremely fair. Unfortunately, where ever you look you can’t find many of these people.

And I’d say if anything about this particular conversation is ridiculous… it’s them. They were warned. They ignored it. In fact, they stepped up the assaults. They had no alternative. They had no idea of the damage they were doing, and even less about the possible outcome. They didn’t care. They ploughed on regardless with no worry about the outcome and no respect for anyone who tried to show them the dangers of what they were doing. In fact, even worse… they then saw it as a mission to prove themselves right above and beyond everyone else’s opinion. In fact, they got to the point where their opinion being proved right was far more important than what was happening to the club…. and that, my friend, is ridiculous.

And yes. I’d still like to quiz them. But, unless Mr Hodgson performs some sort of miracle and his coaching somehow overcomes Purlsow’s management, then I doubt we’ll be seeing very much of them about.

There again, apparently it’s now acceptable for Mr Hodgson to finish mid-table. So, who knows, maybe if we finish 6th next season they will all come back to tell us how right they were and what an improvement there’s been since he took over.

FS:

I questioned Rafas tactics but I never called for his head

I feel like Im banging my head against a wall here but fans in here had NO INFLUENCE at all on Rafa being sacked and Roy being appointed

That is ridiculous Arthur. They had every influence on this. Not the few in here, granted. But it was the Digger’s and BM’s of our “support” that helped the media create the atmoshphere which gave the hierarchy the bullets to fire… Broughton has already stated that.

And the fact is… when people tried to warn these people that it wasn’t just about Rafa, and that there was far more to it than one man’s job, they ploughed on regardless.

You can argue it until you are blue in the face, you’ll still be wrong. You can get as angry as you like at my comments on them, you’ll still be wrong… and like I’ve said a million times – I will never forgive them for this treachery and pure foolishness.

I think you’re wrong FS. I know that might seen as treason in here but that’s the glory of free speech. You fail to see that us fans have little or no power in corporate matters. Admirable as our letters are to banks and The Premier League are, unless fans stop going to games (which we all know wont happen) or people start taking their money out of RBS, I feel our fortunes wont change until our owners leave. They know they’re not wanted, do they care? not one bit. They’ll sell when they’re good and ready. And us, the fans will have had as much influence on their leaving as we did when our current owners decided to get rid of Benitez….very very little.

AGP, how did the ‘supporters’ have no effect on getting Rafa sacked, when Boughtman himself said that this is why he was booted out.

Anyway, let’s not waste our energy in these meaningless internal arguements and let’s focus our energy on the real enemy.

From the heart AGP you can go and fuck yourself.

You call yourself an Irishm

oops, 2nd go.

From the heart AGP, you can go and fuck yourself.

How can you call yourself an Irishman when at the first obstacle you throw in the towel.

Resistance is our forte and you’re a sad representative of our island, ignoring all that has went before, acting as if nothing ever happened and ignoring the facts.

You’re a bloody disgrace and, as FS has said, where are the Rafa bashers now? Where are the CBC now?

They’ve got what they wanted, whether they wanted it or not. Wishing for Mourinho when everyone else knew that he wouldn’t touch us with a barge poll.

In the end it doesn’t matter a toss and the CBC will now go and support barcelona, or whoever is the flavour of the day. Maybe it’s a team that plays 4-2-3-1 system?

If you cannot see that we paid a lot of money to get shot of one of the best managers in the planet, then I will never know what is going on in your head.

Cheers – that’s actually good news LB. Let’s hope he stays. Talk later. Nappies and nursery rhyme time!

Well ladies and gents if anyone wonders why people like Digger no longer comments in this forum, all one needs to do is see comment # 221.

So I can go “fuck myself” can I Lurgan? Very coherent and educated response to my previous comment. “Call myself an Irishman…” ah yeah…I’m from Dublin so ..i think that means I’m Irish…hmmm I’ll get back to you on that one though…

“Resistance is our forte and you’re a sad representative of our island” – is it 1916 all over again?

Truly sad but not wholly surprising considering that this forum has become radicalised by the likes of FS and his disciples.

Well I’m not gonna go away – I’ll stick with supporting LFC and Roy and try and counter some of the frankly stupid pots in here.

For the record (and I seem to have to repeat myself myself over and over again) I NEVER CALLED FOR RAFA’S HEAD. Yes I questioned his absurd tactics last year and i disagreed with how he dealt with many of the player issues that arose (Alonso , Keane et al). But I also stated, in here, that I felt we should stick with Rafa for one more year given the precarious finacial sitiuation we find ourselves in. So FS, I would appreciate if you would cease from making these falsehoods about what I did or didn’t say.

Oh and Lurgan, I’m sure if someone had to told you to go “fuck yourself” you’d no doubt be jumping up and down, screaming that the poster be banned by Gerry. Well I’m above that – it’s just a shame that you can’t seem to be able to argue a footballing point without resorting to personal attacks. Sad

Just watched some film on Brian Clough and noticed quite a few parallel’s with him and Rafa and he seemed to look up to Shanks but not the likes of Don Revie ( Fat Sam ) or Ferguson (Whiskybreath)

But one area Clough had the advantage over Rafa was Peter Taylor, for the good cop/bad cop routine.
Rafa had Sammy Lee which is a bit like bad cop/worst cop. ¦ )
Anyway if he’d of got into the England job and ultimately the FA English football/Coaching would of changed for the better and eventually it would of paid dividends.

Arthur
One thing that i find absurd is the phrase “his absurd tactics” i got to ask WTF do you know about tactics are you a UEFA coach or something ?
The term “absurd” in it self is up there with “crazy” its loaded with personal bias and it contributes to the character assassination by the media thus helping the 4 snakes.
So while you may not of said sack Rafa you did contribute in a tiny way.

PS
Lurgan i see your getting wound up too so just remember
“Deep breath count to 10 exhale”
YNWA

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup/they-think-its-all-over-it-is-now-so-what-can-englands-bid-learn-2029323.html
Of interest is the 2nd half of the article under heading What we learnt from the World Cup ..
AND the phrase “Overall, however, the predominant formation was the 4-2-3-1 that coaches have been watching in the Champions’ League and (increasingly) the Premier League for the past couple of seasons.” Sounds familiar?

Arthur – I don’t think FS means that Digger & BM were on the selection panel that gave Rafa the boot and Roy the job. Are you being too literal on purpose just to prove your point? Now as for banging the head against the wall – one more time – All the dissenting voices allowed the board to feel they could get rid of Rafa and they did.

Are you really sure fans have no influence? Is that what you’re saying? Do the media have any influence? I think that is “absurd” if that’s the case.

Now again more banging the head against the wall – It isn’t a case of whether Rafa was the best man for the job perse all things being equal and having the choice of any coach in the world with a transfer budget of £30 million per season.

The point is what was best for the club with H&G in charge? Well i find it hard to play devils advocate and say Rafa going was best. I cannot for the life of me fathom how rafa going could in any way shape or form benefit the club.

Hiddink might be a better coach than Rafa.
Moarinho might be a better coach than Rafa
Blah Blah Blah.

However who wanted to build someting that would last at the club?

Moarinho is after personal glory – he go’s where the next big job takes him. That’s fine but if you want to get back on your f#*8ing perch? I want someone who wants to be there long term.

Anyway it’s all academic. This season will be a disaster in football terms but it might be the season we get our club back but only if we fight.

Arthur – They picked on the wrong city mate. If it can be done by any fans…it can be done by LFC fans.

AGP, I was out of order and hereby apologise to you. I broke the golden rule of posting after having a few beers.

Sorry about that and I hope that there was no (permanent) harm done.

I like most Liverpool fans am a Benitez supporter. Hell I supported Spain in the world cup! Not to take any sides though, wht Broughtman said about letting Rafa go for the fans and the other jazz he said was in my opinion complete bullshit. It would be easy to say that whatever they did, they did because of the fans and the media and the interest of the club. He very well couldn’t come out and say they got rid of Rafa because the owners didn’t want him around opposing them now could he?
Although fans have an influence in club decisions, I’d like to think that most of the fans were still in Rafa’s corner as we could hear during matches. There will always be a minority of fans of any club not happy with the manager for whatever reason and the club latched onto those fans as an excuse which is ridiculous so instead of blaming the few fans who would never be on Rafa’s side no matter what but are still on Liverpool’s side, we should perhaps focus our blame on the owners and caretakers. Glad to see the likes of FS and co doing that and more, but us fighting amongst ourselves now that the damage is already done is pointless.
My humble opinion.

Hey Lurgan

Of course no harm done – if I had known that beer was involved I would have been less upset

Anyway I hope I’m wrong about our (the fans ) lack of influence in the bigger scheme of things. Perhaps I’m just a bit cynical-minded

I have sent my letters, I have joined ShareLiverpool and would be willing to plump up real cash if this scheme was ever to get off the ground, so I’d like to think I’m doing my own little bit – I suppose just not all that convinced it will do much in the end

There’s one little comment you made Arthur which needs picking apart a bit.

“One of FS’s disciples…”

FS had the misfortune of playing Cassandra in a time when few people could see what was coming…or like some of us, could see it but hoped it would go away. Foolish, yes, I know.

What’s been clear since the “I’m just the coach” press conference is that Rafa was fighting most of his battles in the boardroom and corridors.

What’s been clear since January (some would say MUCH earlier) is that this club is being strangled by leveraged debt.

So, what to do?

Nothing?

Or do what we can?

Like you say boycotting matches would work within a month. But ain’t gonna happen.

Writing to journos is worthy but will have little direct effect.

Writing to RBS (and to some extent your MP) is the best strategy as long as enough people do it…do you know how many people complaining it takes to get a programme or advert pulled off telly? About 23…

FS has been instrumental in helping all of us do the best we can by making suggestions, providing email/contact addresses and keeping us in the know with regard to some of the behind-the-scenes goings on.

For this, FS (and every other person joining the fight) I salute you!

But, FS is not the Messiah…he’s a very naughty boy!

Alright Lads,

So the soap opera goes on and our players are been sold off like hot cakes and Cecil is running the show.

With Insua gone to fiorentina,Benny,who btw lost any respect i had for him when he chose to toe Bascombes party line and stick the knife into Rafa(whats the point now) and Riera reportedly on his way to Olympiakos our entire left flank has been swiped out.

Easily 20 million has been brought in this year in transfer fees since january.

9 million has been wasted on replacing a world class manager with a decent manager,but no way an improvement.

Roy as i said before,has his work cut out.Its already started,his entire left flank is gone.Did roy have a say in any of it?

Well.. “if you want to talk about transfers, you will have to talk to Purslow… I’m only here to coach the team!”

Sounds like something Rafa said not so long ago.

These players are been sold,not nailed on first teamers but on the perifery and normally would play 40-50 games a season.The panic button hasn`t been pressed yet,not by the like of us,we know the score,but the fairy land suporters who feel its “not that bad”.

Torres isn`t sold,neither is SG.Hell Masch is still here but three important squad players are gone fron what is already a thin squad.Ok Riera is maybe an exception,he probably blabbed his way out of the club but the asset stripping is truly under way and there`s nobody there to stop them.Rafa has gone,and agree with his tactics,substitutions etc or not he was the only shield we had against this all happening.

So directly or indirectly the fans who went on “your on ska spotes” or talkshite,606 or even today fm on saturdays in ireland along with the forums,calling for Rafa`s head,HAVE contributed to this downfall.

Whats worrying me the most about this whole debacle is the ignorance of the situation from those who claim to be reds.I`ve tried explaining to people but you just know its going in one ear and out the other cos all you get is “roy will steady the ship” crap.

I`m pulling my hair out at this stage.You can lead a horse to water but you can`t make him drink it.
Thats their perogitive,but god help me,if they ever try to slag off the club,players or manager or claim audulation when we win a big game i`ll put them firmly back in their place.

Messiah… no thanks. Very naughty boy… well, yeah. I hold my hands up to that. But as for the name slinging lads, we should knock that on the head.

I’m sure Arthur’s having a wry little chuckle to himself over that, but the truth is… The only times I’ve really kicked of on anyone was when they deserved it and when I could see I was fighting a losing battle, I gave in and moved on because I really didn’t want to bring the blog down to that level.

And there’s no point in going over and over old ground but the fact is… a good few people in here, not just me, could see that the situation was far more serious than one man losing his job.

They could see what was coming and they desperately tried to warn people what might happen… this was put down to scaremongering, and the Rafa basher’s used all the usual old cliches to make our warnings look silly…
WE ARE LFC! Someone will jump at the chance to manage us. NOBODY IS BIGGER THAN THE CLUB, etc, etc.

All very nice soundbites but little to do with reality…
1: a top manager was never going to touch us while we was in this state.
2: H&G never intended to hire a top manager that might actually fight them for funds and so on.
3: They always wanted Rafa out because he would and did fight them every inch of the way.
4: The type of fans we are talking about did help create the atmosphere that gave Boughton and Purslow the opportunity and nerve to sack Rafa.

All that to me is undeniable fact. But it’s also in the past, so what about the future…

Well, not once have I ever tried to fool anybody that this would be easy. Not once have I tried to kid people into believing a few protests from us – in one form or another – would be enough to bring down this regime… I wouldn’t patronise anyone in that way.

What I have always insisted is this is a fight with many fronts, and it’s a combination of them all that will eventually topple this gang of sharks.

I stand by that.

And so, I announce the things in here that blog members can do. Not much point coming in here and asking you all to attend a rally in Liverpool City Centre. But, the email and letter campaigns, the alternative kit, etc, well, these are things that you can do no matter your location… and they are working. And I always keep you lads updated, and thank you for your efforts.

And you know what… everyone of you, yes including you Arthur, can give yourselves a big pat on the back. No matter how little, or how much, you have done, it all adds up. It’s like a gang of dogs bringing down a lion. One charging head on, will get eat alive… loads of them snapping at the lion’s heels – a different matter all together.

So that’s what we have to do… keep piling straw after straw on the camel’s back and eventually one will snap it.

And we have had results that anyone can see… make no mistake, when Stephen Hester admitted RBS had loaned the yanks too much money, that was a massive shift in tack by the RBS. And why did he do that and admit it… he said, it was fan pressure from an email and letter campaign.

So, don’t belittle your own efforts or the affect they are having.

In fact, there’s a little something going on behind the scenes right now, that will hopefully chip away at them that little bit more.

Oh well, we’ll see.

So Joe Cole has just signed for the Reds!
Don’t know what the fee was but I’m glad after all the gloom and doom.

Sorry I’m still not having this nonsense we are in trouble.

We are LFC
Any top manager would give his right arm to manage us
No one is bigger than the club
Rafa was negative/boring/foreign whatever…
We are lucky to have Roy…he will steady the ship.
I’ll be happy if we finish in the top 10.

Before lurgankop nearly has a heart attack I am being ironic. You never know I don’t want Rome 77 sending the boys round.

Very surprised at the Cole signing. Didnt think we were going to get anyone of that quality after being linked with shite like Beattie, Scharner and Konchesky.

Very very surprised and very happy with Joe Cole signing – if he can stay fit we have a real player on our hands

Just shows we still have a bit of clout in the transfer market

Jole Cole has signed?

We’re going to win the league, We’re going to win the league and now you’re going to believe us and now you’re going to believe us and now you’re going to believe us…we’re going to win the league!!

Hopefully Jole Cole owner of the biggest backside in football is over his injury problems because he is a good footballer.

Steve and Sam they’ve got big fat heads!
Joe Cole he’s got a big fat bum!

We just need two left backs now.

still being ironic!

I wonder had anyone told Roy that Cole just signed! Great signing and quality player. Dont let this signing distract us from the fact that Purslow is still a dirty little snake in the grass.

Well ironic about the winning the league bit not being ironic over joe cole’s big fat bum or the we still need two left backs comment.

Fantastic signing.Joe`s a fantastic player.

Looking at Sly sports at the moment and Cecil must be rubbing his hands.This was a shrood move and as FS said these parisites know exactly waht they are doing.People are e-mailing in now saying they can`t wait for season to start,everyone will stay,joe will bring us back where we belong.

The board have did this to take the heat off themselves.They still haven`t invested money in the transfer kitty.Yes Joe will command big wages but we`ve just taken Benny,Aurellio and insua off the wage bill.We must not let this,despite it being a good signing for the team,distract us from our goal of ridding Tom and George & co.

Well let’s face it, he was well within our current price range. Good player though, if he stays fit, which is a big if.

KDLL, thanks for the clarification on the irony part. The blood pressure was starting to mount there.

Or are they just serving us a couple of nice slices of meat before plonking a nice dollop of shite on our sandwich. That dollop being the sale of Nando and Stevie. Apologies for the metaphor – but you can tell what i had for lunch!

While its great to enjoy a bit of good news for once surrounding the club we still have to put this into perspective. BennyOnion out for approx 5 mill and Cole in on a free. Subject to a signing on fee and some healthy wages. So where is the Benny money going? And what about nearly 20 mill raised from other player sales from this tranfer window and the last.

Purslow thinks he’s some clever c*nt i tells ye. Butter us up with a nice free agent hoping we forget about were the rest of the money is. Dont think so Cecil.

Every Magician has a beautiful assistant in a sparkly sequined swimsuit…
Her purpose is to misdirect your attention so you don’t see “the trick”.

For those of you now imagining Joe Cole in a sparkly sequined swimsuit… I apologize!

Despite having been deployed as a winger recently… Joe’s preferred position is central, in the hole.
Joe Cole’s own words: “I wanted to move somewhere, where I could play a more central role.

So is this a move to pursuade SG to stay…
… or are we unveiling SG’s replacement?

And for what its worth… I more often than not disagree with most of Arthur G’s opinions… but please don’t label him a CBC and lump him in with that lot.

He’s right about one thing… he wasn’t in the group that was calling for Rafa’s head.

And while you were looking at Cole….

…another promising youngster for the future slips out the back door in the dead of night…

Jose Mourinho has swooped to sign 17-year-old Argentine Juan Lescano from Liverpool after the young striker failed to secure a work permit to stay in England.

The Academy prospect, who had yet to play any first team football for the Reds, has signed a four year deal at the Santiago Bernabeu and will now look to follow in the footsteps of Raul by forcing his way into the first team while still a teenager.

Speaking about the move to Spain, Lescano paid tribute to compatriots Javier Mascherano and Emiliano Insua stating:

“At Liverpool people like (Javier) Mascherano and (Emiliano) Insua helped me a lot, but after the legal problems this is a big opportunity for me.

Lescano is the second Argentine to move to Real this summer after the Spanish giants sealed a deal for Benfica winger Angel di Maria. The prospects of the duo being joined by national hero Diego Milito appear to have been hit with Inter Milan refusing to do business for the highly-rated striker.

fantastic signing some good news for a change! if we can hold on to stevie and nando and add some quality to the left hand side and a decent stiker with the money for masher we can deal with any side in the league.

Alright lads, not pissing on the parade. But we’ve got stop and look at this. I know. I know. But that’s how it is now, and I see most of you have been thinking about it anyway. So…
Wages, as we all know, now come out of the transfer kitty. But do they go back in when the player leaves?

I can’t work it out. I’m not sure if anyone can, but it has to be taken into account…
Since the last transfer window, we’ve got quite a few off the wage bill and brought in over 20 million on sales from the same players.

And meself I’d have said smoke and mirrors, but, like Aitch said, Joe is the magician’s glamorous assistant, taking everyone’s eyes off the ball.

That’s not a sleight on Joe Cole. He’s always wanted to play for Liverpool. He’s said that on many occasions going back to the beginning of his career.

It was the Kop that done it. He said he always wanted to play in front of them. He might be in for a bit of a shock when he gets there and three quarters of them don’t even know how to sing YNWA. But, that’s a different story.

Mind you, it’s not really as the dismantling has been taking the kop in for a couple of seasons now. But anyway, it looks like no one in here is being fooled. Sadly, though the majority will. Oh well, as far as I’m concerned, Joe Cole Nat King Cole, Old King Cole, makes no difference to me… the fight goes on.

So maybe this is the start of the big spending spree that was promised by Hicks at the start of the year.

Maybe I have been wrong about him all along?

That’s exactly what my two mates have just accused me of… “pissing on the parade” coz I’m not dancing in the streets at the Joe Cole singing.

“Don’t you rate Cole higher than Benny” I was asked.
Well in point of fact I do… don’t get me wrong… I liked Benny… A LOT… but I think Cole has more to his all-round game.

“Don’t you think he’ll link up well with SG and Nando?” I was asked.
Well yeah… that’s if he does for more than 20 games this season (if at all, accepting either may or may not even still be here, but let’s say for the sake of argument they both stay) … with those 3… we now have the MOST injury prone attack in the Prem.

And there are 45 days left to asset strip.

As for getting in “some quality to the left hand side and a decent stiker with the money for masher” … do you honestly think Purslow will spend ANY of the money for such a deal.

We have 2 new players at Anfield… and yes, both are exciting names… but please “think” will you lads?
Jovanovic was a deal done by Rafa.
Cole was a Rafa target, the deal may have well been wrapped up by Purslow, but it was certainly initiated by Rafa.

And both… cost nothing up front!
(in terms of money to their clubs… signing on bonuses are never counted into the mix.)

Yet there are a number of articles reporting: “Liverpool snap up Cole in 17 million deal”

His contract might well be worth 17 mill over 4 years… but don’t be fooled…
…this was a Bosman… not a 17 million deal.

As for wages and the transfer kitty… yeah I reckon that’s how this deal was done FS.
Cole will be on 90k per week.
Probably what we were paying Benny and Insua combined
So this is basically FREE PR.

Commenters over on the Echo website are pissing themselves in anticipation of the season with this signing.
Roy making a statement of intent, etc., etc.
Sad really!

So the medical staff advise none of our world cup players should be played in our upcoming Europa league matches. Methinks this is just so that they won’t be cup-tied when the clearance sale of the century takes place in August.

Fuckin’ ‘ell Beekster…that’s cynical!

But very clever…

Pleased about Cole signing, but can still see it for what it is…

…the only transfers we can afford for the last year are frees.

Frees always carry a threat of injury or players bang out of form which is why they’ve not been handed juicy contracts to begin with. “The most injury-prone atack in the Prem.”

Think of picture of H&G with dead liverbird on the beach and it about sums up our current transfer market clout.

So why was the Al-Hilal match cancelled?

Guys,

I’m not excited by Joe Cole’s signings as eloquently put by Aitch. Given the unpredictability of football, we may even knick a win against Arse in the opening game, and then the anti Rafa fans will go bonkers and hail Mr Hodgson. One part of me wants it to happen, but it’ll make our fight against the snakes all the harder.

It makes it very difficult to support the club now. Sigh…

McrRed – Rain.

Joe Cole = at least one less goal against us every season. Halleluyah ! Always wanted to play for us, cool.

Grand. Let’s see where we stand come Sept 1st, and then every other transfer window as long as those parasites continue to feed off of us.

Remember Liverpool had a relatively small debt when they took over. The Club is a money making business that has been put into leveraged debt and crippled by them.

Joe Cole and Jova, 2 big signings ? Freebies.

Ax and all of us … lets have the footie debates etc when the time comes around. No problem. It’s ok.
I don’t see any great change vis a viz the real issue here. The “Injuns” will be fooled by bangles, beads and mirrors.
Those of us who have learn’t over the last while and have acted upon it and attempted to educate others and subvert the Sky/TalkShite agenda, well there is no going back.

Lads – you’re right not to get carried away – in fact why would ANYONE get carried away about signing one (potentially Darren Anderton’s new heir apparent)player??? But we have to all sit back and at least acknowledge that it is a a brief glimmer of sunshine, a brief respite from the storm. Yes we still want the owners out, of course we do..and as soon as possible. But amidst the struggle – we’d still all like to see LFC and Roy do as well as we possibly can. Cole, if he stays fit, is an exciting prospect

I for one believe that if we can keep Gerrard and Torres (clearly a huge big IF) and we sign a decent enough left back we may have an OK season – i.e. possibly challenge for a 4th place spot. You never know what effect Roy may have on the place and certain fringe players like Babel may finally come good. We have to be positive as well as militant!

Obviously, we lose Torres and Gerrard and it all goes to shit and I think we’ll struggle badly. But I have a hunch, they’ll stay

Mascherano is a good as gone in my eyes. It’s a shame – but he’s been messing around, looking for a move for the last two seasons now so I suppose he’s better away from Anfield at this stage.

Oh and thanks Aitch for kinda sticking up for me

While everyone was looking in the direction of Joe Cole… here’s another little piece of news released today…

(yes the announcement that the tickets would go up had already been made, by percentage rate… but today the actual prices for those tickets were released)

Here are the new prices for match tickets to Anfield.

Category A games for The Kop have increased from £37 to £43, the rest of the ground from £39 to £45.

Disabled and visually impaired fans will see their Anfield Road prices increased from £29.50 to £34.

The price of an Adult/Child ticket has risen to £67.50

Another ticket price increase is likely from January when VAT in the UK rises from 17.5% to 20%.

Liverpool have also introduced a Category C for some of the games against smaller Premier League sides and these will also cost more than last seasons prices.

No worries Arthur…
I think most arguments these days are gonna stem from the two sides of the idea that you just stated.
You and some others are predicating your opinions on you “have a hunch” that SG and Torres “will stay”
whereas many of us “have a hunch” they’ll be pushed out (perhaps even against their will) for the payday.

I mean seriously… you were typing that Joe Cole’s acquisition was “a brief glimmer of sunshine, a brief respite from the storm.”

…at the exact time I was typing the info about the ticket price raise.

There is no repite from the storm as long as
…Purslow has the keys to the safe (containing player’s contracts).
…Broughton is “working tirelessly” to effect a sale “sooner rather than later”
…and G&H still hold the deed.

Well lads I’m back, I think that was long enough, anyway happy with the J Cole signing, at least he’s someone, someone else wants.
.
Been thinking about the comments of which fans caused which part. Well I have a left field version, here it goes.
.
While at Anfield watching the last home game of the year, I mentioned, I though Rafa was leaving by his full perimetre march and waving exercise.
.
Believe me it was very emotional, after a drab season, players looking out of sorts and finishing the season with a lets get on holidays whimper. The commanded and got a standing ovation from all, not some but all 40,000 people at the ground.
.
If he had indeed decided to leave then this was the type of situation which the board could not have, a man with total adoration and support. I believe this was that start of the collapse of Rafa as the board new he had people power.
.
Not one person was clapping while he walked the entire field, this is why I think Rafa was chopped (Kinny I know he was pushed, I still don’t like it.).
.
The axis of evil at our club couldn’t have a saviour in its midst and subsequently did the Roman Emporer back door deal, however in this one he went back to Italy instead of heaven.
.
Listening to Broughton state fans were some of the reason may be partially true, but it could be the adoring fans, those 9 out of 10 who support him. Broughton was just using the fans so he wasn’t seen as the cunt he is, now he’s part of the axis of evil.
.
This was a corporate decision made by a board who were looking after themselves, NO ONE ELSE, Rafa had power.
.
Well go after this one lads. Ps. Arthur, you had some good points, I actually came back in just to comment, as a layman supporter, I do what I can, but unless we boycott games which Arthur said, then really it won’t make a difference to G, H and the axis boys. Afterall they just rose the prices for admission another 10% or so, if they were worried or hurting they would be reducing the price.
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Long winded and full of shit but anyway worth a discussion. excuse any spelling mistakes as I type whole lines before the writing comes up, can’t be bothered going back and correcting it.

The above line should read “Not one person stopped clapping while he walked the entire field.” Oops.

Ah shit sorry lads a paragraph dropped off the blog, that being, I use the appointment of Mr Hodgson as my evidence of what the board wanted, as LB said, a YES man, a man who doesn’t rock the boat, keeps things quiet, and puts up with shite. Rafa didn’t want to, or shouldn’t of had to.

Gaz/ Arthur,

Just a few things to say:

1) Tom Hicks Jnr was sacked from the LFC board because his abusive email reply met with strong opposition from fans.

2) Rafa was not sacked the first time round after news of negotiations between the snakes & Klinnsman was surfaced, mainly because of the large show of support from fans to Rafa.

Rafa had his contract extended after our most successful season 2 seasons ago. Since the snakes had wanted him to go as early as when they had stepped into the LFC board, why did they extend his contract then? The only reason I can think of is his popularity with fans then of leading us to our best ever Premiership result.

I’d say the snakes do care how the fans think. They’re happy as long as the fans’ attentions are diverted away from their real objective of asset stripping the club.

To add to my earlier note, we fans are the only people that can help save the club, unless we’re willing to see our dear club sucked dry to death and into possible oblivion…

Oh great, Joe Cole has joined.

So…

Besides Pepe, who’ll he be teaming up with come September 1st?

Is anyone having problems with viruses connecting to kopblog, I keep getting norton blocking files every time I log on, anyone else having this happen.
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Kinny, I think he’ll be playing with Jovanovic, Shelvey and maybe Risse if they can get him back.

Ax, I think you’ll find all those things you mentioned were overturned because Rafa had aligned himself with Hicks, during Hicks’ personal vendetta/spat against Gillet. Since they no longer need Rafa on either side, he became expendable. I don’t know if either has any say at the moment, as all is quiet on their front, now its left to the ones who may still be here looking for jobs should a sale go through.

gaz,

Look at point 2 in my post #265. Both of them wanted to replace Rafa then. It was from Hicks statement that they wanted Klinnsman as ‘insurance policy’. Was Rafa ‘aligned to Hicks’ then? What are you overturning?

regards to 1) in post #265, has Rafa’s ‘alignment’ with Hicks resulted in his son’s removal from the LFC board?

gaz, you think G&H have no say in what’s going on?

Everything being done by Broughton and Purslow is being done at their behest.

G&H renegotiated Rafa’s contract for one simple reason, they pretty much had to. (and it suited their agenda to oust Parry, who despite his contributing to our demise, did in actual fact stand in the way of them doing the things they’ve been doing for the last few months)

If they’d ousted him last summer… coming off a 2nd place finish with a record points haul (achieving that points haul with the exact same “tactics” as this miserable cunt of a season I might add) there’d have been a serious outcry.

If they hadn’t renegotiated his contract, it would have raised some red flags…
…so they did what they had to and he negotiated them into what he wanted from a position of strength.

But as more and more people lost their nut over poor results (which were a result of an unheard of series of injuries and poor form… and not “bizarre tactics and player selections”) the anti-rafas grew louder and as a result the fanbase started to split …
…and people who don’t know any better climbed on board the dickhead crowd and created a public anti-Rafa sentiment loud enough to give them the opportunity to what they’d wanted to do all along… fire the mexican gardener!
(They’re from Texas you see… Fat Spanish Waiters are Mexican Gardeners in Texas…)

Firing Rafa was a simple power play… one G&H had been trying to effect since they arrived and plunged us into debt.

They tried… realized it was gonna create more problems than it was worth and held off.
Then they got snookered into giving him more power…
…but knew in reality it was a no-lose situation for them…
…give him more power and he succeeds and they take the credit…
…give him more power and he fails and they get what they wanted all along…
…a fanbase backlash (fanned by the media, in which you can bet G&H played no small part.)

What is happening now is ALL by design.
The only way their plan fails, is if we raise enough stink to cause someone (like RBS) to rethink their part in it and upset the apple cart. Then, just maybe we get out of this alive.

Aitch, they still most definitely have a say but now the difference is they both want out, although at their terms. Ax, Hicks made it clear he was fully backing Rafa against Gillet after the Klinnsman affair, Hicks seemed firmly in Rafa’s corner while he was bitching with Gillet. Remember the fireside chat, that was all about supporting Rarfar and the club. Anyway I’ll back off on the rest. Aitch, I still can’t figure out why they gave him such a lengthy and strong contract, alas though, as I’ve said and yourself, at times I don’t know why he stayed.

Looking at the comments, the best I can say is, like all the other shite going on at the club because of H&G, there’s a precedent for all this…

Maybe one of more knowledgable fans on American Sports can fill in all the blanks, because, there’s that much shite that revolves around that pair, I can only remember the bigger details…

At one of Hick’s sports franchises, there was a very popular and succesful coach. Apparently in America, they are just that – coaches. But this fella stood up to Hicks and wouldn’t toe the line. The fans loved him all the more for it.

Hicks sacked the fella. There was uproar, Hicks bought a top player for the team, so a lot of them calmed down, but then he set about dismantling the rest of the team/squad.

But right now, there’s no point in trying to tell people any of this. The propoganda machine is in full swing…
Talk Shite has been full of it all morning… An Ingurlish boy wiv an Ingurlish manager – good times ahead for the Reds.

Don’t be fooled by this smoke and mirrors is all I can say.

Fs, I think the lads name ironically was Rodrigez, he came in on some massive deal, something above 200+ million over 5 years, I think he only lasted two.
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Look I think we all know its smoke and mirrors but it feels good to actually sign someone, and especially someone who other teams want.
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I know we appear to be going all English, is this because of the new rules or just something else. JC seems happy with the signing of JC. Lots of JC’s there.

No, Gaz. I’m not accusing anyone in here of being conned by this. I’m giving the general picture. And sadly, the smoke and mirrors have worked. That’s all I’m saying.

Not sure I want Phil Thompson and Jamie Carra going overboard about the Joe Cole signing. Don’t get me wrong all things being equal I’d normally be made up up at a signing of this quality especially on a free but this isn’t all things being equal.

Jamie Carragher saying the board need a pat on the back. Tommo saying this is bringing back the feel good factor.

FS – who was the only player against Rafa? I seem to remember you saying that a few blogs ago. Or is classified?

Ok lads here is some good news from our Captain, http://ht.ly/2dQd3, have a look at this, he’s here for good.

FS – I think the Cole deal has to be taken into context of whether Gerrard and Torres leave or stay. If they leave, I think your argument has some merit – however if they stay and we bring in a decent left back (with Jovanovic already in place) I think we can be mildly optimistic.

I understand your scepticism FS – but I don’t think we can say for sure that there is going to be a firesale. So I think we’ll have to be patient and see how the next few weeks pan out

so in the end the Cole transfer may just be that: a good transfer – no strings, no smoke and mirrors

Wow talk about timing!!! – that’s fucking great news Gaz – almost as good (and as important) as the Cole signing yesterday

Well with Gerrard commiting his future to us, that really only leaves El Nino to follow suit. Obviously I’d like Mascherano to do the same but if he wants to leave – I think we should take the money and hopefully we’re able to use some of it

Probably the best news in months. We are able to bring two very good players in Cole and Jovanovic. I think Torres will stay too. He loves the club.Like Gerrard he is passionate about Liverpool FC and money is not everything for him. His commitment for the future will be a big boost.

Owners are bad as hell. Rafa is gone. We needed some good news. Probably this is the beginning.