Lick

Last time we won on opening day was 5 years ago apparently? Come on you Reds.

And does it look like we're gelling as a team?

Nothing new to report here. Different faces (Leto looked promising, Insua steady, Torres+Benayoun ok, Babel... dunno) but same old story as we had loads of possession and made few chances. As I said earlier, I wish we could show some signs - even one sign - of establishing a pattern of play when we go forward. Unless you count a stubborn reluctance to get bodies in the box as our particular pattern?

It's a bit weird isn't it. He drifts around to not much effect, but when he gets one on one with a defender he looks dangerous. Anyway, we've been all over them last 15 but still look utterly clueless around their 18 yard box...

We've picked it up in the last five. Even to the point of having 3 in the box when a cross came in

Surely a song about him has to rhyme Leiva with girly hair. Somehow. Coat.

Kuyt for Torres, Mascherano for Lucas. Did Arbeloa come on? Some Shanghai subs too. Edit: looks like Arbeloa for Finnan. Then Benayoun f***s it up after Kuyt puts it on a plate.

good effort at the wrong end from Insua edit: how slow is my stream?

he ain't good enough for us, that's for sure

After the bright start we've been a mess for the last 10. They look more likely to score. It would be nice to see some kind of pattern to our play. Is that really asking too much, even in preseason?

nice pass, nice run, nice finish. Keeper down a little early but that should keep the Guardian off his back a little longer

anyone else watching a stream where the cursor arrow is in the middle of the screen? bright start but we're still light on bodies in the box when crossing...

If you go to their freeview faq page it quite clearly says that they will send you the appropriate viewing card if your box has the slot. You have to call them though - you can't subscribe and get it online. http://gb.setanta.com/images/setanta/porta...s/faq/index.htm

The swiftness of your witty response has cut me to the bone. Are you his mum?

Sack Torres. Sack Pennant. Sack everyone.

f***ing cross it Riise you t***. Imagine running all that way to f*** it up so pathetically.

How about [Hansen] Shockin [/Hansen]

Can you imagine how frustrated you'd get playing left mid for us when Riise is left back? Maybe that's why we struggle to attract players for the position? Crouchie with a shocking miss.

He's looking like a slow learner then Lovely miss by the Auxerre forward from - surely not! - a cross from our left. El Zhar looking useful and there's a goal for... someone. Setanta are s****. Oh, it's Agger.

f*** off Riise. Please.

Spackman is such a t***. He should be paying Setanta as he must be costing them subscriptions... I know it's only a preseason but we look... just like we did last season. I do wonder why we're persisting with Hobbs in centre mid.

quicker to say what he's done right. i.e. nothing.

nothing like a well thought-out response to criticism. and that's nothing like... [/tarbuck] you have no f***ing idea who rafa's top targets are or used to be, same as most of the rest of us. The only thing you've got right is the need to wait more than a couple of weeks after the end of our season, possibly until the transfer window opens and the league in which some of our likely targets play has actually finished. So you admit you're basing your s**** on press reports? And which people can be trusted? Bascombe? Usher? Gillette? Gerrard? Alonso? Your mum? More purely speculative crap without grounding in fact. Whoops, I think the ironimeter just exploded.

Because obviously you know what you're talking about, being privy to all kinds of inside information. Or perhaps you don't know what you're talking about and it's all complete crap based on media speculation amplified by your own impatience?

Too many underpar. But not many surprises in who they were: Riise s**** (surely we're going to get rid of the biggest ginger s***house ever to soil the shirt?), Zenden not very good, Alonso under-par like most of the season, and I'd say Gerrard too, in his defence I don't think he's suited to that position. Kuyt ineffective but not surprising without support and service - nice poach at the end. Even Carra looked a bit wobbly. Thought Crouchy should have been on much earlier. Pennant and Mascherano were my only positives. For all that we had the better of the first half we created little. Second half was a bit of a mess. Didn't agree with taking Masch off, though I can understand the theory. And the ref was utterly f***ing s****.