Leo No.8

Absolutely superb last night - his delivery caused us no end of problems; I've rarely seen a player cross the ball into dangerous areas so consistently. I don't think I can remember him putting a single bad ball in, and when the goal eventually came it was following his cross. He worked hard as well - wasn't just poncing about as some players with his quality feel they have the right to, he ran his balls off for his team. I'd love to see us sign him in the summer and last night was the clincher for me. The main thing is he seems to have sorted that attitude out; he has the demeanour of a lad who has got his head down now. Yes he had a little strop in the corner, but I like to see that kind of passion from a player. I'd probably put him as my number one choice to solve our right midfield problems; if Brum go down we'd probably get him cut price as well. I'd love to see him and the re-born Harry Kewell operating down each wing. Hope my mate is right and he's coming in the summer. Apparently we've got first refusal following the dicussions recently, and we're his first choice.

As it always seems to be with Moro, I thought he did a couple of good things, but in general was anonymous and failed to hold the ball up the way he is supposed to. He got caught in possession far too often, and spent a lot of time on the floor. Players coming in from foreign countries may be used to a different game, but after a full year they should have learned that over here you stick your a*** out, grab the centre-half's shirt and look to lay it off. When he feels any kind of contact from behind, Morientes is still hurling himself to the ground, and rarely being given free-kicks. In addition, he still hasn't learned his job when he's playing with Crouch is to play on the last man and pick up the pieces when the big man challenges for headers. If he used his head he could be scoring goals playing off Crouch, but instead he challenged for the same balls again and again, meaning when one of them won the knock-down there was no-one there to capitalise. The couple of nice moments he brings to each game isn't enough. When he throws off a defender with his body movement and lays the ball into someone's path you think 'great', but his overall conribution is totally unacceptable. Last night he may as well not have been on the pitch in the first half, all he did was get in Crouch's way and get caught in possession. He did a couple of good things in the second half including the pull-back for the goal, but I would replace him and Cisse in the summer - I just don't think either is cut out for England for different reasons. If we had a genuinely top-class striker, I think we'd be challenging Chelsea. The chances we have missed this season are quite shocking.

Kewell was superb last night - he looks so quick and strong, Melchiot was soiling himself every time he ran at him, and the Dutchman isn't the slowest defender in the Premier League. People talk about Fowler being God - I genuinely thought only divine intervention could make Harry Kewell move as quickly as he used to again, but somehow Rafa and his team have helped him get there. With that pace back, he is as good as anyone - delighted to see him doing so well (as I predicted at the start of the season ).

'Due to arrest' - has Djibs been at the Mrs again?!

Beckham shmeckham - give me a few more examples. You'll probably struggle because the simple fact is that most players who have the kind of quality we are looking for are involved with the first team by the age of 18. So don't over-do the caution; giving a player 15 minutes at the end of a first team game isn't going to kill him. Much less likely than sticking him in those crappy reserve games for 18 months anyway...

There are more of us than you think...

Absolutely - Souness would batter Hasselbaink...

Windows XA!

Beckham is a great example - he wasn't doing that much for the reserves, went on loan to Preston and was a success, then made his name at United when he came back. This is my point - if players like Anderson aren't ready for our first team they should be going out on loan next season to play competitive football. More than 6 months of reserve team football, I believe can ruin a young player. They get used to that low-key atmosphere. I wouldn't want to see a kid with Anderson's potential still plodding along in the reserves in 12 months time.

I'd ask this question to add to the debate - how many genuinely top players spent more than 6 months in the reserves? Carra, Gerrard, Macca, Fowler, Owen - none of them spent much time in the ressies...

There really are two ways of looking at this. I watched the reserves a lot last season, but quite clearly none of that crop of young players were ever going to be good enough. You'd hear people call for Welsh to get a game in the first team, when you'd seen him fail regularly to stand out in reserve games, despite the fact he'd always give 100%. He just wasn't good enough. This year there are a few who may have what it takes to make it, but its so hard to judge from reserve matches. I'd agree of course that a lot of the promising young lads won't make it, and some who may aren't ready for regular first team involvement yet. However, I don't agree that because Anderson is slight it means he can't be given some time off the bench, perhaps even before the end of this season. I'd be interested to know how many times Giggs played for United's reserves? Very few I'd imagine, even though he wouldn't have been a dis-similar build to Anderson when he was his age. See, its all very well preaching caution, but caution can kill young players as well. Whilst making the case for delaying the introduction of youngsters Cardinal Fang, you said people should try attending a few reserve games, and I completely agree. But as well as looking for themselves at what the players can do, they should go to taste the atmosphere, or lack of, and see what playing in the reserves week-in, week-out could do to a young player. It is a terrible scene for a young footballer; usually there are a couple of first teamers strolling round not giving a toss and there are so few people in the ground you can hear the hum of the floodlights and the rustle of crisp packets. The games tend to be fairly scrappy affairs, as the line-ups are changed so often to accomodate first-teamers returning from injury, young players being given a go etc. I personally believe that a young player needs to be given a taste of real football, whether that be on loan to a championship side or from the bench in our first team if they are a top-class prospect. Some young players take immediately to top-flight football, but you never know if they aren't given a go. Would it really hurt to have one of our most promising young players on the bench in a game like tonight? Give him a run-out for 15 minutes just to taste the atmopshere, and see if he has the balls to run at a Premier League defender in front of 45,000 people in that time. I actually think both Neil Mellor and Ritchie Patridge could have been far better players had they been given more of a taste of the first team at a younger age. Instead they played game after game in the reserves whilst mediocre foreign players sat on the bench. Baros looked dreadful in the reserves, but he just wasn't motivated to perform at his best at that level - he had to be chucked into the first team despite his poor reserve form to actually find out what he could do. I agree there has to be a level of caution, but bear in mind also that over-caution and reserve team football can dull a young players talent, and a taste of the first team can give them the fire they need to become the best that they can be.

Apparently Boro are in a right state behind the scenes. Amongst other incidents McLaren is supposed to have had a fight with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink on the training ground, and the 'senior pros' want Southgate to take over as manager. Can't say I'd be all that sorry if they ended up going down - not a particularly pleasant club and a horrible away trip...

Torres for me would be a gigantic risk as that price. Very, very talented, but not really made for English football. In my opinion only Chelsea have got enough money to take a chance on him and recover if he flops.

If D'Alessandro comes over here to Portsmouth and can take to the English game, I reckon he'll be moving again to a bigger club in the summer for twice the fee. He really is a great talent - loads of ability on the ball and scores goals from midfield; just seems to have made the wrong choices so far; badly advised perhaps? None of the big clubs followed up their interest, and it seemed like he took the first move that came up to Europe. I actually thought he was doing well in Germany, certainly last season I thought he was performing superbly - whats happened to him since then? Rafa knows the South American market well though, so I'm sure he's aware of what he can and can't do I suppose. PS Ortega was brilliant - sublime skills. Never quite achieved as much as he should in the game.

Usually there are conflicting views on young players, but I'd say the verdict has been pretty unanimous so far from supporters, people within the club etc that Anderson has the ability to become a top-class player. Exciting to see a talented young winger coming through - its been a long time...

I realise that - I think half of it was St John's vitriolic delivery of the phrase though.

'The Frenchman' is far and away the nicest thing I could possibly say about Cisse at present. It's factually correct and makes no reference to his touch, attitude on the pitch or general footballing ability...

'Victor Deal is Off' Curses - what the blazes are our lovely Anfield boys going to do for a gung-ho second world war read now...

Quality Macca. You really should have a slot on Soccer AM...

Very impressive indeed - not difficult to see why he was in the running for the UEFA team of the year at right-back. Looked strong, comfortable on the ball and keen to push on. Totally agree a straight swap for Josemi looks ridiculously good business. Has anyone sounded them out on another straight swap involving Diao and Riquelme...

The Portsmouth fans are strong candidates for 'most moronic' in the UK. Two shocking tackles which brought justified bookings were followed by the injured parties being booed, and in the mark of truly classless fans Gerrard was booed for being good. I remember their 'finest hour', when they were still beating their drums and singing their moronic chants on the end of a 6-0 drubbing by Arsenal. My overpowering thought as they panned round the crowd wasn't 'aren't they great' but more along the lines of 'what a bunch of in-breds'...

I know many will have their doubts - but could anyone fail to be excited by Robbie returning? Having said that, Rafa hasn't signed him merely to please the fans. What has never been in doubt is that Robbie Fowler is a goalscorer of unsurpassed ability, the master of his art in that he can score with power, placement, chips, lobs, his head or either foot; you name it - in front of goal he can do it. Right now, our midfield is probably on a par with just about any in Europe, so I've been thinking recently that if there were ever a time for him to return it would be now. With Gerrard, Alonso, Garcia, Kewell et al, we've been creating so many chances, he could score an absolute hatful. In addition, we have two top class 'link' strikers in Crouch and Morientes - Fowler could again benefit hugely from their knock downs. I've said for ages I wouldn't have him back, but with the way things have been shaping up, I've become really keen on the idea since the move was mooted - it looks right from a football point of view. Rafa is no sentimentalist; yes, this move is one that will win the hearts of many fans, but when you look at it, we really can't lose a great deal so it makes financial sense, but most importantly it makes footballing sense when you look at our current squad; I can't wait to see what Robbie can do in the Rafa Benitez Liverpool side...

From what I've seen of him, the player I'd most liken Gonzalez to would probably be Overmars. Incredibly quick, quite direct and knows where the net is.

Burn Him!!

As soon as he walks out on the pitch I'm sure everyone will get behind him. They certainly should do anyway, I know I will. But on a football forum, the only thing you can do is call it how it is. It's not about 'get behind the lads' on a forum, its for exchanging opinions regarding players, the club etc. Getting behind the lads is what you do on matchday. I'm not afraid of sticking my neck out for a player others don't like - I said I had a feeling Kewell would do the business this season before it kicked off when he was number one hate figure and he's proving that right now. But I've always thought Kewell to be a great talent in almost every department - Cisse on the other hand isn't in my opinion, so if I said anything else I'd be lying; where's the point in coming onto an internet forum and pretending? I don't think I'd be alone in saying I've been doing my very best to kid myself Cisse was going to turn out brilliant, because in total honesty I was made up when we signed him - I thought he'd be great over here from what I'd seen of him. But yesterday I finally gave up and admitted to what I've known since about 5 games after his arrival - he's never in a million years a £14m footballer and will go down in the lists of 'disasterous' signings. I reckon a few have been doing that - kidding themselves the way I have. Well its time to wake up and smell the coffee.