BG

I like Keane. My comments about Pennant were merely saying that I think the he'll settle faster argument isn't that simple. Some players settle straight away (e.g. Torres).

Bit odd that wasn't it.

I seem to remember eading that argument for Pennant a lot.

I like Lucas a lot - but Gerrard at 20 was already a much, much better player than Lucas is now. Don't get me wrong, though, I think Lucas has it in him to play for a top side - in central midfield - for the next decade.

Lucas knows who he is going to pass to before he gets the ball and hence can make good passes under a lot of pressure. I think he'll go a long way.

Priceless stuff.

What evidence do you have that DIC "genually [?] have plans for the club" that the average fan would consture as positive? What evidence is there they will "have a top quality manager in place"? [Personally I'd call two league titles and the UEFA cup at Valencia, the European Cup with Traore, Dudek etc, another European Cup final and an FA Cup evidence of being "top quality"] Owners are, of course, important. But they key to any successful football club is the trinity of manager, players and supporters.

Could not agree more.

As a centre forward of rare ability, Fernando would have to be absolutely insane not to recoil a bit at the thought of Riise having more opportunities to waste possession by shooting everytime he's in the opponents' half!

The silence from the captain and vice-captain on the manager's future tells a story about the support for him - unfortunately. (I remain firmly in the back him camp.)

No it's not. George had this the right way round. Pennant is not worse than Gerrard because he doesn't play every week, Crouch is not worse than Torres because he doesn't play every week. The best players play in the vast majority of games, others are rotated around them according to form, how we are going to set up etc. For me the argument is less about rotation of players than changes of tactics - which I think is more unsettling and leads to us being less cohesive.

Further options: c) Parry d) Anyone who has wanted Rafa sacked, then backed, then sacked in the space of 4 months.

Agger. Torres - everyone in Spain is amazed at him this season. Garcia was a good buy at the money.

Reina, Torres (ask anyone Spain), Mascherano too

Kaizer: normally I find you an entertaining buffoon posting provocative rubbish, but not after today's result and performance from Riise. He can't pass the ball accurately, hoofs it continually, has had about 12m shots since he last scored, is a poor crosser and only an adequate defender.

I like Lucas because he does most of the simple things pretty well. He's calm on the ball, makes good simple passes, can tackle a bit etc. He always seems to have a great appreciation of where hsi team-mates are. If one or two others made good simple passes as well (Riise springs to mind, as does Carra whose hoofing is getting beyond a joke) we'd be a much better side.

Indeed.

One thing about GG that I think is being under-estimated is his desire to be liked. That interview about his father teling him to do something that made people happy, the walk around in Athens and what he seems to do in Montreal all to me suggest someone who is desperate to be liked. Obviously he wants to make money but I think being liked is very important to him. Given that it must be fairly clear to him that that will never happen at Liverpool I expect him to sell-up.

Were (not where) is the past tense.

Gerrard should be given more games than Alonso to play through poor form - he's earnt that and is several levels above Alonso as a player. On Gerrard at right mid I entirely agree - but that boat seems to have sailed some time ago.

Fair enough. I have rservations on Rafa but would be prepared to go one more season. Rafa's tragedy is that he s brilliant tactically but cannot see when not to think so much about tactics and formations and just 'trust the talent'.

I suspect he will. Hopefully he'll knock five past Everton alone.

No-one: more just that in the past six months (as far as I've noticed) you've been desperate for Rafa to go, desperate for himto stay and again desperate for him to go...while also posting some things which I've found a distasteful (post West-Ham: 'watching us is like watching a love one dieing' for example).

Getting?

Didi as fitness trainer, Molby as dietitician?