Leo No.8

If I can't get my hands on enough Granny Smiths and horse poo to get to Salford at least, I'll be jumping a lift with my Dad and Uncle...

He's not far off! Isn't he 24/25?

Although I rate Nihat highly, he's had some serious injuries. And despite the fact that I think Forlan is a talented footballer and I'm well aware of how well he's done in Spain, the prospect of us signing him doesn't exactly fill me with anticipation. When Gonzales, Paletta and hopefully Aurelio arrive our squad will be that strong, I think we should be looking at bringing in a striker who is out of the very top drawer. I'm not sure injury-risks and players who have already failed in England are really the key to taking us to the next level. Nihat I'd take on a bosman, say as a direct replacement for Cisse. But the other striker we sign has to be a top quality striker who'll guarantee goals, and will accordingly probably cost a fair old wedge...

I'm considering travelling in a small electric cart powered by a mixture of horse manure, used tea-bags and apples. If I leave tomorrow lunchtime I should just make the kick-off...

'attacking tyrone'. We're signing the fat lad off Corrie...

Sami really will go down in Liverpool history as one of the best; as one of his staunchest supporters when it became fashionable to want him out in favour of a 'pacy centre-half', I'm delighted to see him prove me right! He's performing as well as ever in Rafa's side, which of course adopts a notably higher defensive line. As I always said, there have been plenty of fantastic centre-halves throughout the history of the game who haven't been the quickest. With the intelligence and reading of the game required, speed is a quality which I'd consider no more than a bonus for that particular position. As soon as your centre-half is in a sprinting match with the player he's marking, he's made a positional mistake; if defences are as well drilled as ours, then stepping out for offside as a unit can completely negate pacy centre-forwards. Alternatively we also have the flexibility to move deeper from time to time as we did against Blackburn. I can see Sami going on for a good few years yet. Although I'm sure he'll get more of a rest in future seasons with the arrival of Agger and Paletta. One of the great Liverpool centre-halves, the ultimate professional and a legend in his own right. I hope Sami will move into a coaching capacity of some sort when he eventually does hang his boots up...

Will has got me to contend with as well then, because I agree with you... His confidence and decision-making remind me of the best goalkeeper of the generation I grew up with - Peter Schmeichel...

He's Terry Nutkins from 'The Really Wild Show'... Didn't you know?

I don't think this Dave Hodgson ever claimed to be the real Dave Hodgson! I always thought it was just his user name... Can I have your attention please? Will the real Dave Hodgson please stand up...

What I was going to say (before accidentally powering my work PC off by pulling the cable with my foot lol), was the point he's trying to make is actually a good one. He shouldn't have said 'Reina has worked out when to come for crosses', but rather 'he's worked out how to play in England'. The game over here is so different, and Pepe has adapted, with the help of Rafa's advice by all accounts. He's worked out (most of the time) when to punch, which is when he's under pressure, and when to catch the ball. He's just got better and better, and I'd say that is down to him tweaking his game slightly to suit English football.

The hacks linking us with Riggott and Mexes really are laughably bad at their job. If you're filling column space by linking a team with a player they've been interested by in the past, do yourselves a favour and try and make sure the position hasn't already been filled, its not that hard...

You can have him as well...

At £4m, the price that has been quoted, he'd be exceptionally good value. With the quality of Sissoko and Alonso in the middle, and hopefully a couple of quality forwards to arrive, I'd expect Gerrard to spend a fair bit of time on the right. Because of that we don't need to spend a huge amount of money on a right sider, but Pennant represents loads of potential for a smallish outlay, and his delivery is exceptional. He'd be an excellent option.

I think it was universally acknowledged we tried to get SWP in towards the end of the transfer window.

Steven Davis has had an excellent year Ostrich Man I'd agree. In fact you could put him, Sissoko and Gary O'Neil ahead of Lennon. Being biased of course I'd say Sissoko, but he has basically been a key member of a team strolling 3rd place and already on 70 points. He has become a key member of the Liverpool team in his first season in England. What could you say about the contributions of the rest apart from Rooney, Bent and Ronaldo? The United players are obvious for me, and Bent's goals justify his inclusion. However Arsenal have been dreadful domestically and Fabregas anonymous for much of the season, Ferdinand has been OK but its one of those players people think its fashionable to rate and West Ham have hardly been watertight defensively, whilst Lennon's inclusion is ridiculous. Gary O'Neil and Steven Davis on the other hand, have been their club's outstanding players this season at their tender age, both being the driving force at their respective struggling clubs. My list would be different. More like Rooney, Sissoko, Bent, Ronaldo, Fabregas, Davis. I'd just about leave Fabregas in as although I feel O'Neil has given more domestically, you can't ignore the Spaniards contribution in Europe.

Aye - very true. If he is over here now, presumably at the time of making the comments we would already have been in contact with him. Which makes me pretty damn confident he'd come to us...

If Dave is telling porkies they are pretty elaborate (showing pictures to his source etc), and likely to result in a great deal of vitriol I'd imagine. Don't really know why he'd do that. David was right about the SWP thing (which I doubted at the time) even though the lad didn't come in the end, and doesn't come across as the fibbing type. I'm sure he's right about this - fingers crossed the boy picks us if he's as good as he seems to be and the man Rafa wants...

Steve Bruce has become Everton's new manager...

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Sean knows who the next Newcastle manager will be - ask him...

Neville is schite - but just to show that view isn't purely down to his club, I actually think another Everton player would be a far better option to cover the right-back slot. Hibbert has been a very reliable performer at right-back for a couple of seasons now. No he's no Cafu, but he's steady and I'd rather him there than Neville, who has already succeeded in knocking England out of one major tournament... In fact - seeing as how he won't get into the midfield, I'd try playing Scott Parker at right-back in the friendies leading up to the World Cup. I think he could be superb in that position, much the same way Gerrard was when he first came through for us. He has the tacking ability, engine and quality to make it work.

Might be a good time for someone like us to try to pick up Baptista at a reduced price. I still think he has fantastic qualities for the game in England...

With the sub headline below - 'fatter and uglier than expected'...

I genuinely reckon a lot of them probably didn't realise how young Sissoko is. That may be something to do with it...

Lennon being in the list ahead of Sissoko for young player is absolutely outrageous. I could make bloody good case for him having been more influential than everyone on that young player list apart from Rooney and Ronaldo being honest, but Lennon is the one which stands out as being downright unfair. What a load of schite.