Leo No.8

By the way - there's not one single fact or piece of evidence in that article. It's no more than his opinion, which is no more valid than anyone's on here - in fact probably less so.

What a ridiculous statement - I'd say Rafa's 'emotional ties' are probably as strong with us now as they've been with any club. No emotional ties indeed - where were you in Istanbul Johnny?

Fair enough mate, I'd say rather than go on another few posts we'll have to agree to disagree on the merits of Beckham the footballer. You think he's been crap for Madrid, I think he's been good, I think he'd be great on the right for us, you don't. One other point which has been discussed though is whether Rafa would sign him; contrary to the belief of many on this thread, if he felt Beckham was committed to moving here I very much think he would, and I'd go as far as to say I think he's tried to already. Work rate, professionalism and good living are attributes Rafa values as highly as anything, and I'm sure he'd also like more English players at the club. If he wanted to come home, we'd be in for him I reckon. Why don't I deserve your support as much as that show pony? That's it, sick of these fickle Ingerlund fans - I'm retiring from international football...

I've said it before and I'll say it again - he'll play in the Champions League final! History is destined to repeat itself...

That's a pretty strong statement - I presume you've been watching them every week then to make as bold and damning a judgement as that. I've see plenty of Madrid, (just by watching La Liga on Sky of course, but they are on a lot) and Beckham doesn't look to have done too badly at all to me. I'd say rather than him having playing badly with good patches its been more like him playing well with a few bad patches linked as much to his discipline as anything. The most telling sign in questioning your statement, is how popular Beckham is with the Madrid fans who watch him play week-in week-out. He's the fans favourite over there. If we had a player whose performance had been largely 'nothing short of inept' over the course of a couple of seasons at the club, and brought as much hype as Beckham does, I don't think he'd be too popular with the fans - do you?

Real Madrid's best player this season by a mile, works his balls off, puts about as good a ball in as any player in the game, and lethal from set-pieces. Oh and would probably bring in about £10m a year with his name. You might have guessed I'm not going to toe the party line here - I'd have him at Anfield in a flash, who cares if he's got a nutty, preening wife she's got nothing to do with the football clubs he plays at. I reckon Rafa would sign him as well, that'd be a laugh to see some of the comments on here...

A 'run of games' isn't going to do anything for that touch of his mate. We'd need to recruit Jesus, Buddha, the Holy Ghost and a few other deities to sort that out, and I reckon they'd be pushed to the limit...

Good old Vladi - after years of failing to deliver on his ability for one reason and another, I was made up to see such a nice bloke have his day in the sun. He'll always be remembered with affection at Anfield after Istanbul, which is great.

Kev used to be a striker in school, and he scored hatfuls. I don't think its ridiculous to suggest he could make a top class striker again. He's big and strong and would play well with his back to goal, and has a fantastic instinct for being in the right place at the right time. Add to that his finishing ability and work rate, and he has all the necessary attributes to go back to playing where he did as a kid very succesfully. Yes, most of his experience in the top flight has been gained playing in midfield, but there are plenty of players who can be used in midfield or just off the striker around at the moment, and he could do the same. He'd be made up to see Liverpool supporters praising him, he's red through and through. I agree that position isn't top priority at the moment, but he could be a very useful player to have in the squad if we got a top class striker and wide man sorted out first.

Listen son, take my morientes in law, No go on - take her...

See there's a big difference in our views on that then. If we had £25m to spend as our entire transfer budget and United would sell, I'd spend the whole lot on him and welcome the lad with open arms. He's just a scouse scally; speak to most Evertonians and you'll find their second team is Man Utd, they hate us that much, so it wasn't that much of a betrayal him going there. Nothing like had he come to us. And he's exactly the player we need, exactly.

Better than Walcott? I wouldn't go safari to say that...

Out of interest did David James get a good reception? I hope he did - I always liked James as he comes across as a genuine bloke, even if he always was a disaster between the sticks...

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Carr used to be half-decent at Spurs. As with a great many before, his career has gone downhill at Newcastle... Wouldn't ever have rated him more highly than Finnan though, including when he was at Fulham.

Bent looks a far better player than your mate in all honesty. And he is one of the top scorers in the Premier League this season. Hasn't got a touch like a f*ckin trampoline either...

Some people who go to the game talk a quite incredible level of sch1te. You wonder just what they're doing when the game is on, they can't possibly be watching the same game of football everyone else is...

It makes sense to say he's being rested as he looks far and away our best striker at present. The strange thing for me though is if that is the case, Crouch doesn't look tired at all and if anything seems really disappointed to come off rather than glad of a rest. You're trying to win a game, 1-0 up and we had given a few chances away at the other end, why do you take off your best player in that game when he doesn't look at all tired. It is odd the way Rafa brings him off so often. After all he probably won't play more than a half on Wednesday for England. Ironic isn't it; as a former member of the now disbanded and disgraced ABC group (anyone but Crouch), I didn't want us to sign him. Now he's here, he's won most of us over, we're made up with the lad and Rafa won't give us enough of him! Curse you Benitez and your Crouchery-pokery!

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Absolutely barmy. Much though I love the guy and for all the good things he did, Ged unfortunately wouldn't know a good striker if he came up to him and slapped him in the face. Diouf, Heskey and Cisse are testament to that; £35m plus God only knows how much in wages for three players who must have been worth no more than a third of that when we've wanted to sell them. Temperament problem or not, the one genuinely top-class striker he signed on loan he chose not to buy. Anelka may be a nutter, but as a footballer the other three aren't fit to lace his boots. I genuinely don't know who'd even pay us £5m for Cisse now, perhaps someone in France who hasn't seen too much of him lately. Ade Akinbye recently sold for £1.9m, and I can't see where Cisse is better than him. I think he's of the same level - would score goals in the lower leagues by sheer virtue of his pace getting him into so many scoring positions a number would go in.

We've been charged a few times coming out of Old Trafford - I'd agree that in recent years the policing of away fans there hasn't been brilliant.

Absolutely - Distin makes the odd error, but in general is very solid indeed. Presumably that's why Newcastle didn't eventually sign him after they had him there for a loan period. NUFC Check List for Signing Defender: Error Prone: Occasionally Defensively Inept: No Verdict: Not suitable.

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