Damian_de

Compare and contrast Didi Hamann please

Looks like Yossi on soon, then.

Anyone else listening to Pleat? Surely the best of the UK based summarisers.

Rafa showed them all a movie of a horse and a hooker before kick off?

Yup. Plus side of zonal, who'd have thought!

As yourself if you honestly think Gerrard can't be arsed.

Internet rumour-mongering at its finest there.

The board made quite a big deal out of why they chose Rafa when he replaced Ged, they specifically said that they had been combing Europe for a manager who had a track record of achieving success against sides with greater resources. It seems that process had been going on for a while while Ged was still boss, and Rafa's availability and willingness to come no doubt influenced their decision about when to part company with GH. I think we can take it as read that they also seriously considered Mourinho at the same time, from there you can decide whether they chose Rafa, or were turned down by Mourinho. So if you want to suggest candidates for a theoretical Rafa replacement it might be a good idea to state your criteria rather than just listing the first half a dozen 'big names' who are either out of work, or hyped in the press. It would help to see the wood for the trees, so to speak, to assist in picking out any other 'Rafa's' out there. I'm dodging that one as I firmly believe Rafa is the right man, and it would probably take relegation to make me change my mind on that this season. But I guess the situation would either be the same i.e. track record on little resource, or, as mentioned earlier, party man with the nouse to squeak home in 4th most years. Are there any other possibilities?

FA Cup last season, and a million Dutch trophies with PSV 2002-2006.

which, considering he's on the mother of all salaries at Bayern, seems rather unlikely

It's good to hear you say that, at least. If you want to talk about lucky in the 2006 FA Cup, what about West Ham?? OG, just about the worst mistake Reina ever made, and a cross that flew in! Not to mention Crouch scored but was given off, when he wasn't.

We won, nice one

I reckon he'd be about as good as Morientes for us.

Has no one got the bottle for it this season, then? Panic is rife, yet we aren't miles off 4th, and out of all the contenders have more to add. I can't see better than 3rd I must say, but them's the breaks sometimes. As last season doesn't seem to have much bearing on this, so this season isn't predictive of next. Fair point about City next year. If Hughes doesn't get CL football and they don't sack him I think it's questionable whether they have the mentality to make it big, or should I say, massive. Think we'll finish 4th - unless either Torres or Gerrard are really long term crocked. If so... could be tricky to get the consistency going.

We're 3 points off fourth - any kind of run and we'll easily get into the CL next season. And we have a track record of going on those long runs which no one else outside Arsenal, Chelsea or the Mancs has. Decent comparison IMO.

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Sportsmail saves tha day! I think we should show willing.

Answered you rown question there, Knoxy.

Yeah. But which kids. Thats the question. Ayala against Gomis? Darby against Lisandro? I can retype this all night long.

Best thing about this is that Loblaw is taking the piss, and yet his first choice is a deceny shout for best player on the pitch. Watched it on the teletext?

I'd like Kev to answer this too, because he knows that Lucas was way better than Spearing could have been, so does he really think he wanted Ayala against Gomis or Darby against Lisandro?

Would have got us none, whereas the team we put out came within 60 seconds of getting the 3. I know you're disappointed, but such is the way when things aren't quite happening for you. But kids, kids is kids mate - let them get blooded when it isn't make or break. We made one mistake, and it cost us - thats the CL for ya.

I think we would have been beaten. We deserved to win this evening, on the whole because of the platform provided by players with experience, even though some of them are young. You have banged on at length about spearing over lucas, but lucas was very very good tonight, the kind of good of which there is no evidence that spearing could ever produce. You can't think that was not a high pressure environment, and thats the kind of situation that makes inexperienced players make mistakes. Your options instead of Kyrgiakos or Agger at centre half tonight was Dani Ayala, or Darby. You fancy Darby up against Lopez, or Ayala against Gomis? Really? You can't chuck kids into games like that. Unless you fancy getting fired... but then again, you haven't quite nailed your colours to the mast on that one yet, have you?

But it's not true. Mistakes were made, but throwing kids into pressure situations like that is a guarantee of mistakes.

They would, and you know it.