dl2009

I'll have to watch it again, but wasn't he shunted to the left when the changes were made?

And me.

Don't be ridiculous; he only had very good games against lowly teams like Madrid, Barca, Valencia, Depor, Seville, Liverpool etc. He'll never make it as a footballer, get rid.

Vargas is indeed an excellent winger, but he's a poor left back. Positionally, he's all over the place.

Another top, top quality performance. It helps to view him as an inside right rather than a winger, as the latter will skew expectations. The guy is simply a wonderful footballer and was, along with Gerrard, the catalyst to our quick-paced pass and move football. An excellent freebie by Rafa which offsets his c**k up in signing Voronin, in my eyes.

What a disingenuous statement. What about all the games that he did play in (the majority of our league campaign) where we went unbeaten and indeed beat the opposition? Torres missed around 14 games last season - most of which we went unbeaten - but was still crucial to our success; he was one of our best players who positively impacted their team when he played. A player being crucial to success is not to the exclusion of other players (last season, notably Reina, Alonso, Gerrard and Torres). Additionally, it's not synonymous with playing every single game - see Leo Messi this and last season. As for Alonso's below par performances (not terrible), so what? Professional footballer in playing a couple of poor games shocker!!

Assists? Assists??? Forget the statistics (especially those imported from American sports) and watch the actual games. That, aided with something resembling a moderate understanding of the game will render the fact that Alonso was crucial to our success, all too apparent.

I'd like us to make at least a cursory bid for Joke Hole's services.

It could be argued that although he scores 10+ a season, he prevents 20+ by slowing down attacks, poor first touch, being in the right back position when we need an attacking outlet on the flank etc. So in terms of Net Goals, he's minus 10. Net Goals is the new Net Spend!

I'd like to see Riera try and chin Tony Silva in training. Albert would wake up with Van Nistlerooy's head in his bed.

Of course, my bad! I reckon he can become a top, top class player and is already good enough to walk into our team, imo.

Suggested the same thing myself a couple of pages back. However, strong fullbacks are essential to play an effective 4-3-3, so we absolutely cannot persist with Insua as fist team LB. Signing a top class left-back is even more vital than getting a left winger. Check out Pocognoli next time AZ play.

That's now 3 of our 6 Summer 2008 transfers out of the club. Or £34m* worth of 'talent'. * According to LFCHistory.net

I'd love to bring Momo back!

Short term, play the following team as often as possible until the end of the season: - - -- - - - Reina Johnson - Carra - Greek/Kelly - Agger - - - - - - Masch - - Maxi - Aquilani - Babel - - - - - - - - Gerrard -----------Torres Longer term: I believe that a change of system is in order; a flexible 4-3-3 is what will become more and more prominent for successful teams in for the next 3-4 years, imo. If Rafa stays and contractual terms oblige, he should be moved to more of a head coach role and other people brought in to manage other important aspects of the club, such as scouting, youth development, contracts and general management. I've maintained for a while now that Rafa's biggest achievements and most successful spells in his career came when he was a Head Coach and not as a manager (in the traditional English sense). Transfers: [FM2010 Mode Engaged] Sell Riera, Babel, Skrtel, Degen, Benayoun, Aurelio, El Zhar, Spearing, Plessis and Itandje. That's what, £40m? Buy the likes of Turan (who would swim the Bosphorus to play here), Krasnic, Kjaer, Pocognoli (Belgian LB), Humberto Suazo on a freebie (at least I think he's on a Bosman) [/FM2010 Mode Disengaged]

I just spoke with him. He said, "Okay".

I'm not sure Carra's body is up to the rigours of playing fullback any more. I seem to recall Johnson playing all but one pre-season game as a left-back and he did okay. It would be interesting to see Johnson on the left and Kelly on the right. Although Johnson still doesn't look fit.

Very good analysis by Jocky. As I mentioned though, this is nothing new, we saw it time and again in the Reserves.

He's displaying the very same deficiencies he showed when he was plying his trade in the Reserves'; getting sucked in, falling asleep and letting players run beyond him, being poor in the air and standing off his man. He doesn't seem to have developed the defensive side of his game a great deal. I have very little doubt that his experiences this season will set him in good stead to be defensive cover in the future, but he is costing us goals right now and needs to be taken out of the team. It's true that shifting Agger to LB will see a slower CB replacing him in the middle, but we hardly play a high line as it is, so it wouldn't make a huge difference.

I've said it before, but we need to take Insua out of the firing line (for his sake and ours). Agger played as LB on one occasion this season and looked good there.

Maxi on the right and given license to control the attacking tempo is a positive selection. Paired with a pacey player on the opposite flank, he becomes even more effective. Unfortunately, he was shunted to the left and clearly instructed to babysit our liability of a left back. That was negative.

Rafa: "Tight game, not many chances. Looking at the penalty, the way the player's position, the way he goes to the floor is very suspicious. Some players played too many games in a row.We're not favourites for 4th place, but we have to do our job. It depends on the other teams, also."

Agreed - especially the bit where he got the ball, gave it away to Kuyt, who gave it away to Torres, who gave it away to the back of the net.

He looked at least two yards off the pace and had the turning circle of an oil tanker. Was he rushed back?