Magic8Ball

Villa are making a title challenge out of it

scoring a late winning goal means you have less time to defend it and hence less time to concede and equaliser

Doesn't matter if Rafa has balls, the team doesn't. The only way we'll win is by scoring a late goal. Not scoring first and defending.

read above - part of the problem with "getting rid" of Keane is that Rafa's wants to be assured he can spend any money raised. What's the point of raising 20m and not being able to spend it on who he wants?

had we bought Barry instead of Keane, I think many of these score draws would have been wins - we've lost 2 games coz of Lucas - Barry wouldn't have been so stupid.

in hind site maybe the best move would have been to sub Lucas and put on Xabi ... don't know why that wasn't thought of

That confuses me as earlier stories from the London press has said Lennon WOULD be part of an exchange deal. Smacks of bait and switch by Harry to me. I can understand Rafa's position of wanting a player and cash as the Americans may not let him have the cash again..... is that why the money was spent on Keane in the first place ?

at 1-0 up you would have hoped for us to go for the win - sure with 10 mins left it makes sense to defend, but I maintain the best defense is when you have the ball in their penalty area shooting at their goal

Rafa needs to win a cup to be here next season. The sad thing is even though we're negative and hesitant, the reason we're in this position could be Parry buying Keane and not Barry Yet so far Parry's job seems safe.

it's not the draw, it's not going for the win

Other than Keane partnering Torres this has been the biggest mistake in our 4231 - playing 2 DM's this is where having Barry AND Alonso would have made us stonger

Benítez coy on Keane future as he urges striker to show his worth • Irish striker returns for tonight's visit to Wigan • Anfield manager refuses to rule out future sale Andy Hunter The Guardian, Wednesday 28 January 2009 Article history Liverpool's Robbie Keane is determined to prove himself at Anfield. Photograph: Nigel French/EMPICS Sport/PA Photos Rafael Benítez has warned Robbie Keane he must realise his "potential" over the final months of the season at Liverpool but steadfastly refused to confirm the Republic of Ireland international is not for sale at Anfield. Tottenham Hotspur have inquired about re-signing Keane since his omission from the Liverpool squad to face Everton in the FA Cup on Sunday, just six months after selling the striker for £20.3m, while Manchester City have also asked to be kept informed of any willingness at Anfield to sell the 28-year-old. At present, the Liverpool hierarchy are intent on keeping Keane, who remains determined to prove himself at the club he supported as a child. The striker is back in Benítez's plans for tonight's visit to Wigan Athletic and the Liverpool manager responded to questions on Keane's position yesterday by stating that he does not have to sell any players in this transfer window. Benítez would not confirm, however, that he shares the resolve to retain Keane should a firm offer arrive in the future. "Clearly he is our player and in the squad for tomorrow, and that's it," said the Spaniard, when asked if he wished to end speculation over the striker's position by announcing he would not be sold. Benítez added: "I want to see him scoring goals tomorrow. I don't need to sell any players. We are in the title race. I want to keep all the players. We don't need to sell anyone. We have had four or five approaches from different teams for players and the answer's been the same for them all – no. Robbie could be one of the ones we had an approach about, I won't say. Hopefully he will be a key player for us and score the winning goal in the last game of the season to win trophies." Keane's commitment to Liverpool is a major obstacle to any club that attempts to sign him this month, despite the humiliation of being left out of the FA Cup derby, and Benítez denied claims his decision prompted a furious reaction from the striker. Keane, along with all players not selected for Sunday, was given the day off, said Benítez. "He had a day off on Sunday, but yesterday I was a little bit late to training and later on I talked to Sammy [Lee] and [Mauricio] Pellegrino, who said there were no problems, everyone had worked hard," said Beniítez. "He's in the squad for Wigan and that's it. It wasn't necessary to speak to him separately about it. Sometimes with the young ones you need to, but the experienced ones know the situation." Keane, however, has been left under no illusions that his long-term future at Liverpool will be shaped by his contribution towards the club's title challenge. Benítez claimed he felt more relaxed about the signing of a proven goalscorer like Keane than even Fernando Torres last summer, given how the Spaniard was untested in the Premier League when he moved to Anfield 12 months earlier. Now the Liverpool manager admits: "Sometimes it's a question of understanding with your team-mates and everything at the club. Sometimes it's confidence. But clearly he has potential." Benitez added: "Expectations for us have been high this year. Every single player has to play really well each game because we are expecting it. In his case because he wasn't scoring goals everyone speaks of his price, and maybe it's been more difficult for him. But he has time and hopefully will be good for us. There are some big, big names in England who needed one or two years but people say they're fantastic now." http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/ja...keane-liverpool

would be way better as a partner for Torres than Keane

That's the point though. It's not rotation or the method Rafa uses for rotation, fitness some magic runes stones behind the trainers seat. What matters most is we actually play to our strengths and play to win. We've not done that since Spurs. That game has affected the team more than they're letting on. which says how fragile the team's belief really is. As ever I expect Rafa to smother the opposition and then be left wanting when it comes to actually applying the finishing touches. Another draw tonight

I expect us to draw tonight even though we need the win. Rafa will set out cautiously again, tinker with few late subs and we'll not lose BUT WE'LL NOT WIN. I don't see rotation as the problem, I see our not going out to win as the problem. Every game it's the same, go out to control possession. Great! but having the ball and not knowing what to do with it doesn't help much. What's that game plan got to do with rotation? - Nothing. That's the point.

I think Rafa wants too many tool and tried to be way too clever in using them. This league needs only a hammer and a nail - we don't need a plane, a jewson workbench or a screw driver ... Rafa insists on playing this person here, that person there when all that's required is the hammer and nail. He's too subtle in a less than subtle league.

Tevez would make a better Keane than Keane - he has more running power from deep and just doesn't stop of hang his head (unlike Keane)

I wont let facts change my opinion, ;-) I feel Lennon could be turned into a 10+ goals a season winger

but would score more goals

Have to agree Lennon may lack a final ball, but he terrifies defenders and scores more than Pennant - if true we'd be mad not to take the deal. Of course if Keane doesn't want to go back that could be the problem. TBH if Lennon can't cross I'd just try to turn him into an attacker who plays on the right and scores .... take the deal

absolutely - our main problem with 4231 (other than stand ins for Torres and Gerrard ) is the RW - we have Reira and Babel for the left but no-one for the right We need to be looking for someone who's perfect for the right ... that's a problem

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sell him for the January premium 25m to City

oh dear, another Pennant, only with 3.5 yrs on his contract ................