goodrobotusses

That's all pundits care about as well when they have a moan about zonal. Does my head in.

Didi was brilliant, both as a man and as a player, but Masch was boss: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbafAMsoCKo Tactical note: Masch gave our full-backs more freedom, much as Lucas does now.

Aw, I was hoping to debate whether Shelvey can play in a midfield two. I reckon Henderson can (and has, for Sunderland). Can Shelvey?

Fair enough. Don't agree, but fair enough.

How so, aside from shooting ability?

I love Didi more than most and never got the clamour from some to have him replaced with somebody more attacking during GH's tenure, but Masch was a better player. Masch's positional play is vastly underrated (see: how we threw the '07 CL final by subbing him off) but he had the advantage of being able to cover more ground and play in more positions than Didi. Both legends though.

Aye. If Torres didn't appreciate what Rafa had done for him by the time he left LFC, I'll bet he f***ing does now.

Aye, perfect description of the average Graun staff football writer. Steinberg is another.

That's a wonderful bit of dark poetry. Edgar Allen Poe would struggle to top that for its nightmarish imagery.

ianayre@onagstring.com

THE TRAIN.

Last season, yes. I don't think Suarez and Carroll link up at all.

I suppose so. If they finish 8th and replicate that it would be a big achievement given budgets, etc. I guess I was just trying to say that plenty of young managers have had the odd good season and amounted to nought. Hopefully Rodgers has a bit for substance than the George Burleys of this world. Touché!

He isn't strictly a No10 (or LFC No7) either. His best football has been alongside Forlan, who is a Nine and a Half like he is. Bit of a myth that Cavani plays as the No9 for Uruguay when he more often than not plays wide with Forlan nominally behind Suarez (though the pair of them will switch and move around). Suarez's best games for Liverpool have come alongside Kuyt. Football at the top level is moving away from the traditional static No9. We shouldn't get left behind. If we're to go 4-3-3 as we've tried to this year, it should be a proper 4-3-3 and not this Allardyce's Bolton-esque 4-1-4-1. But you need the players to pull that off. Stewart Downing, for instance, isn't one of them.

Munter S Todgson.

Rodgers has quickly become the most interesting British coach out there. I hope Swansea can kick on next season and he doesn't wind up being another flavour-of-the-month coach. Something tells me he won't be though. They play excellent, intelligent, well structured football.

Not having that. Dirk's twice the player Carroll is. The fact Dirk is a regular for a much better national team whereas Carroll can barely scrape into a pretty dire and striker-light England squad speaks volumes. I'd have Kuyt in my team ahead of Carroll every single time, form or not.

I predicted as much to Rob a few months ago. Comolli must shoulder some of the blame for our transfer business, of course, but Kenny can't be absolved – they are ultimately his choices.

Allardyce at Bolton was until Chelsea poached Mike Forde. Not that their transfer policy has been a rousing success since he went there. That said, Chelsea is a classic example of too many cooks s***ting in the broth.

Oh, no chance, absolutely. That's just my opinion. I'm not the manager and certainly not an expert.

He's the £35m Emile Heskey then. We could have got the real Heskey for much less.

I agree with the experience part. If Carragher is happy to remain in a diminished role he's still an asset, attitude-wise. I don't think the derby can be a barometer of his abilities though. Everton were abject and played right into his hands by fielding two static, slow lumps up front. It was easy pickings for him.

From the current squad in the short term? Go back to a mix of Rafa's 4-2-3-1 and last season's 4-2-2-2. In the first, have Suarez supported by three of Gerrard, Maxi, Kuyt and Bellamy, in the second, have two of Suarez, Kuyt and Bellamy supported by Gerrard and Maxi. Ideally I'd play Spearing alongside Lucas but it would have to be Henderson for now (who could become a candidate to replace Spearing alongside Lucas in time). We'll be a shambles defensively but there's nothing to be done until summer. Then in the summer sell Adam, Carroll and Downing and rebuild by buying a better Downing, a younger Maxi, a top-class 'Nine and a Half' and a boss version of Spearing (not a pure DM, but someone who can defend but mostly keeps the ball moving quickly). For a final Champ Man flourish, names: Muniain, Jovetic and Nuri Sahin. Still need to think of one more.

How do you know that Comolli didn't recommend, say, Cabaye only for Kenny to prefer Adam? This needs repeating, and comes from both DC and KD: the scouting network brings a list of targets (presumably from worldwide), but Kenny gets last say on the transfers.

Someone told me before that we're bottom of the league from New Year. Not sure if it's accurate but that's pretty sobering.