Leo No.8

Buy him - then put him on the turnstiles or have him selling golden goal tickets outside the ground, that'd be even better...

No Biscan Rory?

Although he's become a bit of a legend following Istanbul I'd have to also say Vladi. Incredibly talented footballer - but didn't really deliver to his potential during his time here due to a mixture of injuries and lack of confidence. Seems a top bloke though, and as I said has written himself into legend regardless...

Hmm - my problem with that statement is it's difficult to over-rate a player who doesn't make any mistakes, and in the words of Rafa himself is 'a player who you'd rate as a 7 or 8 out of 10 every single week'. I personally don't know of a more consistant right back in the European game - hows that for over-rating then...

Cisse and Morientes also - I was delighted with both signings, but they've each proved to have their own very differing limitations. Djando Cissientes who has Cisse's pace and Moro's touch, heading ability and footballing brain would be the best striker in world football. How's that genetic research facility at Melwood coming on? If its not up and running yet, then sack Parry...

Nice one mate - good work indeed...

Absolutley - Arteta is more creative than the rest of the Everton squad put together. They are cack without him, completely clueless in the last third as they were at Anfield...

I don't think anything Rafa says in the press will have the slightest bearing in any work permit application. I think he's going on about it because he rates the player so highly and he's still really, really cheesed off at him not getting the work permit, simple as that. By all accounts Rafa was gutted when he did his cruciate, so I would imagine after all that waiting, his annoyance at a panel of football nonentities deeming the player not good enough must have been off the richter scale.

The options I'd imagine he'll favour would be The Pilsbury dough boy, Ronald McDonald at the back of a diamond with the Hamburglar just in behind the front two, or Fatty Arbuckle...

Kuyt and Owen would be my choices. They'd actually make one hell of a partnership in my opinion. Torres could be a huge hit, but he could also be a huge disaster. Too risky for the price IMO...

Should even be a bit less than that from what he's said. With Gonzales, Paletta and I think Aurelio already wrapped up, that leaves plenty of resource for a top class striker or two...

I hope thats exactly what he's doing. Some people say Pennant wouldn't be a Rafa signing, but I'd disagree with that. He represents a lot of potential, for a relatively small outlay, and even if he doesn't succeed we'd be unlikely to lose much money on him because of his age. With Stevie likely to spend time on the wing because of the quality of Sissoko and Alonso, and Garcia very capable there, spending big on a right-winger just wouldn't make sense for me...

I rang my Brummy mate last night and he reckons Pennant is defo on his way this time. He didn't know the fee but apparently, it's all sorted with player and club for him to arrive in the summer. Haven't seen Elisha around for a while and it'd be nice to have his confirmation as I'd expect he'd have heard something about this. From what my mate has said though, I'd be very surprised not to see Pennant in a Liverpool shirt next season. By all accounts the lad is over the moon...

Momo and Didi are completely different players. I actually think it'd be difficult to find two more different players who do exactly the same job! Both are incredibly effective at stopping the oppositon from playing, and that is what both are all about at the end of the day - thats their job. Momo is all action, closing down the opposition all over the pitch and not giving them any space, never stopping running, an incredible athlete. Didi on the other hand is all about being smart - reading the play and being in the right place at the right time to break up attacks. He's never going to cover every blade of grass the way Momo does, but he is so clever it makes up for what he lacks in physical attributes. Didi doesn't even look like a footballer with his gangly, disproportionate frame, but his strengths are in his head as much as anything. I think what will separate the two in time are Momo's driving runs into oppositon territory and ability going forward, the kind runs you saw away to West Ham. He is a phenomenal athlete, and when he bursts forward with the ball and gets momentum up, it'd like trying to stop a freight train at top speed. That side of his game is still developing, but he also has surprisingly good skills. Every now and again you'll see him to a little trick, bring the ball down or go past someone and you'll realise just how much ability he's got as well as the obvious work rate. It's unfair to compare Didi and Momo, because they are so different. It's certainly unfair to say Sissoko is twice the player Hamann is, even though I agree he has the ability to be something special in the European game - a top, top class player in the Viera mould which Hamann never could. But I've got a soft spot for Didi, because he's been a top performer in his role, despite the fact that he's got no right to be a professional footballer when you look at him. It's really unfair to belittle what Hamann has done for this club, because he has turned in some magnificent performances in big games down the years. Momo has less limitations than Didi, but more than anything I think we're lucky to have them both for the different things they can offer this club.

Spanish fan in being condescending about Liverpool player shocker...

Very excited about this lad's arrival in the summer (fingers crossed). Good to know the application for the Spanish passport is in and progressing already!

I'd honestly put Diao in the Sean Dundee category. He looked like he couldn't play football. I'm sure him and Audley Harrison got mixed up somewhere along the line; we got the boxer and they got the footballer. It would explain a lot in both cases...

To anyone who says Lampard is as good as Gerrard, my answer is quite simply 'in what areas'? If you assess the players in each area of their game, I really don't know how even a Chelsea fan could argue with the assertion that Gerrard is quicker, better running with the ball, better in the tackle, better in the air and more versatile. It really is a simple case of saying what is each player good at. Up until this season, Lampard scored more goals which was a big advantage he had over Stevie. Well this season the only box Gerrard had a cross in now has a tick. I don't think you can reasonably say Lampard is better at anything than Steven Gerrard now, and in turn I think Gerrard is a level up from him. Lampard is an effective goalscoring midfielder at the highest level. Gerrard is one of the world's best footballers.

Donkey rides on a beach in the South of France. Needs to do some work in the gym on his back to prepare for the strain of petit enfants...

I think its really hard to separate a number of players when you look at the world's best. I think its fair to say that Ronaldinho stands out as the best in the world - you could make a case for that and justify it. But then you could argue until you were blue in the face about separating Henry, Gerrard and Shevchenko all of whom I'd have equal second. Of course I'd favour Stevie, but I'm biased; I'm sure Arsenal and Milan supporters would disagree. Then personally I'd have a larger third group with the likes of Kaka, Terry, Eto'o, Cech, Riquelme and Rooney in it just behind them. Says a lot for Madrid's decline, that I wouldn't have any of their players in any of those groups...

Apparently Robbie saw a couple of 23-year olds lurking round Anfield. When he moved to confront them, they ran off at pace, leaving Fowler puffing and panting shouting for them to stop... Draw your own conclusions.

See now I just can't understand why anyone would want us to spend a large chunk of our budget on an expensive right-midfielder. At present we've got Gerrard, Sissoko, Alonso, Kewell all of whom demand a starting place. Then you've got Gonzales coming in who looks a real talent and Garcia who will continue to score crucial goals from midfield. Of course there will be injuries and players leaving, but that first choice midfield four give us such a good balance, you wouldn't want to leave any of them out for the big games, and the other two I've mentioned have to be classed as top class squad players at the very least. I'd use the money we have to bring in two top-class strikers instead, moving on Morientes and Cisse. Bringing in another high-profile midfielder would upset the balance of things for me; Pennant, in my opinion fits the bill perfectly. He is young, English, very talented (anyone who says otherwise must have sh*te in their eyes), available at a reasonable price and crucially, would be willing to be rotated, at least for a while. Pennant has a low centre of gravity (runs like Giggs), he's quick, hugs the touchline, works hard and delivers a great ball into the box. Every time I've seen him this season he's stood out like a sore thumb in that Birmingham team, and I believe he could become one hell of a player in the right set-up, which he'd have here. My mate the brummy who knows all the people in the press down there, and a few agents etc left our company a few months ago, so I haven't spoken to him, but I'll give him a call tonight to see if he's heard this at all, because if it's true he will. He said Pennant is a decent lad, gets on with everyone fine, he's just thick. He's actually illiterate having been brought up by his yardie dad. He said he's obsessed with Liverpool FC, a genuine boyhood fan, who'd do anything to come here. We'd make the best of this lad I'm sure - sign him Rafa.

Strangely didn't know about him being that ill - poor lad, he's had a bad run of it since leaving Charlton. Left out at Chelsea, had to move to the perennial underachievers in the North East, now he gets a nasty illness that keeps him out of the world cup. I suppose some would say it serves him right for engineering his move to Chelsea, but I've rated him very highly since he broke through at Charlton, and he does always seem to give 100%...

Good shout that Scott Parker - forgot him! He'd actually be my first choice for the holding role, leaving Beckham on the right and Lennon as an impact sub along with Crouchie. Knew there was someone I was forgetting. I suppose I'd counted him out as he doesn't seem to have been involved, but I'd prefer him to Carrick myself...

*Edit - now I getcha Stuff! As I said, I'd rather Carra behind him myself, but Sven just won't do it...