aka Dus

Not the messiah is right. Merely a very naughty boy.

Denial + stasis + inertia is even worse than death

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Jesus lad, watch what you're burnign there, you're better than that.

Stasis + Inertia = death, Paul.

Manchester United at home. PLease please please

Me too. Surely those three clubs would give us 5 million for Cisse

Nice piece from Dion again Fowler no long odds gamble THAT WAS THE WEEK DION FANNING IF one word encapsulates the ideas Rafael Benitez has tried to promote since becoming Liverpool's manager it is 'clever'. He likes clever players and he has bought a few, from the sublimely clever Xabi Alonso to the frustratingly clever Luis Garcia. Benitez organises his teams rigidly but there is expression too. He believes that a footballer can use his imagination, daring and wit. It is the most startling contrast with the last regime where the only daring moments came when Gerard Houllier started to make his excuses. The signing of Robbie Fowler on Friday evening is the symbolic conclusion of Houllier's reign. It may be the triumph of sentiment over reason, but there is a need for both in every great football team. While Djibril Cisse continues to play with the blankness and vacuity that made his miss from six yards at Old Trafford last week not an aberration but the logical conclusion to his general play, Liverpool will not be free of Houllier's influence. But Fowler's return says something. He remains a better player than Cisse, even at 30, even with a dicky knee, hip and back. The years when Liverpool looked to Emile Heskey, El Hadji Diouf and Salif Diao for inspiration have come to an end. Houllier may have known what he wanted, but he had no idea how to get it except to sign footballers on an identikit basis of pace and power. Skill rarely came in to it. Cleverness, with its connotations of individuality and expression, was a dirty word. Fowler, at 30 is finally getting the manager who would have made him, at 20, one of the greatest strikers in the history of the game. He was indulged at first at Liverpool, then never more than tolerated, his massive popularity a strain on the regime rather than a sign of how players at the club shared some sort of a bond with the team. But when Benitez preaches about the suppression of ego, he is not just talking about the players but his own. He does not care what people think of him, evidenced by his refusal to sign Michael Owen and his decision to go head to head with Hull and Norwich City in signing a player many believe to be gone. Benitez doesn't care what people think and, while he has the support of Liverpool's fans in re-signing Fowler, there would be many managers as concerned with the reaction of their peers to signing a player who has yet to start a Premiership game this season. But Fowler's intelligence and his ability to read the knockdowns of Peter Crouch may propel him towards a swansong. Cisse does not have the intelligence to participate in a team game, while Fernando Morientes only has brief moments where he appears to be adapting. Fowler will challenge them all, while he proves to himself and others that he has not entered semi-retirement, content to work on his golf handicap and live off the earnings of his many, many properties. http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/sto...&issue_id=13611

Personally I prefer the second but I think it might just be the natural successor to der der der der der der der derrrrrrrrrr for Paris in May. And I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder: One of the four beasts saying: "Come and see." And I saw. And behold, a white horse. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts, And I looked and behold: a pale horse. And his name, that sat on him, was Death. And Hell followed with him.

What the f*** is that supposed to mean?

No, I've thought about it again and to be honest, about-turns, retractions and general withdrawals from positions notwithstanding, the interegnum (see what i did there) has seen far too much scoffing, derisive snorts and told-you-he-was-a-James Blunt for me to withdraw what I said above. I can see how it makes me appear small time and not particularly magnanimous/gracious (not that I have any 'victory' to celebrate) but a substantial body of opinion on this board took what I perceived to be an element of delight in Robbie's 'downfall'. Opportunities to reiterate this were never missed. It became common currency to come down on him for reasons that were all too often non football related. Gerard selling Fowler for good money was in many ways fair enough but the subsequent constant sniping, belittling and outright mocking of Robbie were not. I deliberately generalised in my post because it didn't serve any purpose to name individuals. And all I wanted to do was make the point that while many took far too much pleasure in almost mocking him while he struggled, I will now use the full scope of him coming back to reiterate the point that he is, was and always will be a Liverpool legend, and that ordinary decent idiot fans like me couldn't think of a better story than for him to come back to play and make a contribution. I don't understand what you are saying with your big picture comment. His return is sensational, from any perspective.

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"I had someone in the national media checking the rules for me" you ****! Can ya click your fingers for cups of tea too?

But does Robbie consider himself truly to be 'mighty'? Think it's reasonable to expect a certain humility from him after coming back like this. And knowing that Rafa is a European Cup manager and simply won't tolerate any cockishness. We'll see if the fans start the whole chanting thing when he's on the bench. It's not ideal but it's hardly the worst thing you can imagine. It's not like the strikers are going to fall to their knees in disappointment if it starts.

Off the top of my head and in no particular order: Domestically: Reina (Cech, Given?) Riise (Heinze, Del Horno?) Carra (King, Terry?) Finnan (none I can think of) Gerrard (Alonso, Lampard?) Alonso (Gerrard, Lampard?) Globally Gerrard (Xavi, Ballack, Alonso, Lampard Alonso (Xavi, Ballack, Gerrard, Lampard Finnan (I know I'm biased and a bit pissed but are there any stand outs...) As regards goalies, one minute you're hot, then you're not. If we retain the European Cup, Reina will be considered a global keeper (until he lets one howler from which point he'll be known as 'dodgy keeper'.

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