heighway

U t*** Mannone

Well in Barnesy!!!!

Here's more from Pirlo on Istanbul: "I thought about quitting because, after Istanbul, nothing made sense any more. The 2005 Champions League final simply suffocated me. To most people’s minds, the reason we lost on penalties was Jerzy Dudek – that jackass of a dancer who took the mickey out of us by swaying about on his line and then rubbed salt into the wound by saving our spot kicks. I could hardly sleep and even when I did drop off, I awoke to a grim thought: I’m disgusting. I can’t play any more. I went to bed with Dudek and all his Liverpool team-mates. I’ll never fully shake that sense of absolute impotence when destiny is at work. The feeling will cling to my feet forever, trying to pull me down… There are always lessons to be found in the darkest moments. It’s a moral obligation to dig deep and find that little glimmer of hope or pearl of wisdom. You might hit upon an elegant phrase that stays with you and makes the journey that little bit less bitter. I’ve tried with Istanbul and haven’t managed to get beyond these words: for f**k’s sake."

That's great, and his quotes that someone linked to yesterday about Ferguson as a "purple nosed manager" were hilarious too. Might buy this book!

When did they do away with the good old Easter weekend tradition where everyone would play a couple games in three/four days? I used to love that and it would be all the more welcome now as we'd get two of the remaining four matches out of the way in jig time.

Good piece on him in yesterday's Guardian by Barney Ronay here. This quote is interesting, highlighting the dramatic upturn in his stats since December; "A turning point came with the 5-1 defeat of Norwich at Anfield in December last year. Sterling scored his first Premier League goal since January, made another for Suárez (who scored four in the game) and seemed to find something in himself in the course of repeatedly slaloming through and past a traumatised Norwich defence. In eight previous Premier League matches Sterling had one unsuccessful shot at goal and no assists. In the 21 games since, he has scored seven times, created 33 chances, had 29 shots and more importantly blossomed on occasion as an assertive, high-pressure, beautifully controlled central second striker."

Arguably, us missing out on Salah and Konoplyanka has given him the opportunity to flourish and establish himself in the team. If either of those had come in he'd probably be starting most of the games on the bench. Fair play to him for stepping up to the plate big time. Don't think I'd swap him for either of those now, good as they might be.

No idea. Wiki says "chosen by a panel assembled by the league sponsor". Wiki also says the managerial award chosen by a panel of "football association members". As to how many on the panel or who they might be, whether it's even the same panel though I assume it is, I haven't a scoobie.

Yep. Kenny, Shearer & Sutton at Blackburn, Nov. 94 Evans, Fowler & Collymore, Jan. 96 Wenger, Bergkamp & Edu, Feb, 2004

Who all gets consulted during the kit design process? Do any of the players get to cast a vote on final selection or does some designer dude or dame just show up one fine day from Warrior and present them as a fait accompli?

They wouldn't shift it to later on the Saturday, like 7.30/8pm?

Says the man who has been posting Moyes pics!!!!

Gawwwd almighty, was just watching the press v Mourinho gabfest there in the half time of the u-21s v Chelsea and the bubble-headed banality of the queries being lobbed, nay, not lobbed, fumbled, in his general direction is astounding. Why o why did I not try to be a footie journo back in my career-picking days, money for jam, and not even quality jam at that, any old jam u can mash together

It has been said here before I know but I really do desperately wish he gets to captain us to the PL cos he soooo richly deserves that reward for all he has given to the club.

Let's all go work for Barnesy's boss!

Too true mate!!!

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Some very good lines in it, I loved the one about Marc Wilson's face being a "potato of disbelief" lol

That's exactly how I feel!

Amen to that brother

The one thing I dislike about Rodgers. He is younger than me. I have now reached that sad milestone in my Liverpool-supporting career where I am older than the flipping managers.

Jordan's run and skip are funny as feck but I just noticed the goalie throwing himself to the ground, another laugh-inducer.

I am probably not as old as Murph, (but maybe I am?) but it was in the year of 1970, when I was aged ten, I plumped for Liverpool as my favourite team. It was the World Cup that summer that got me into football, Brazilian brilliance and their exotic names, Jairzhino, Clodoaldo, Pele. So much more thrilling and poetic than the stodgy Anglo-Saxon Stiles, Wilson, Moore. So which English team to pick, now that Brazil had seduced me? My peers were into Man U and Chelsea and Leeds, none of them appealed to me. Liverpool did. Shankly's charisma and passion and wit. The surging, heaving, singing, chanting mass of the Kop in full voice. The all-red kit. One vivd early memory is on my 11th birthday when Liverpoool came from 0-2 down at half-time to beat Everton 3-2. As I got older I discovered and deeply admired the working class character and pride of Liverpool people. I made a lucky choice, I was spoiled as a fan throughout the 70s and 80s as we dominated home and abroad and hoovered up trophies galore. The past decade has been getting used to being also-rans, with a couple of years interspersed where we were in hollering distance of winning. But, lordy, Crazy Horse, I must agree, this year has been delirious. The goals galore. The Suarez shows. The Sturridge shows. The likes of young guns Sterling and Flanagan asserting themselves as substantial first teamers. And here we are, top of the league with six games to go. My heart is rattling against my ribs like I was 10 years old all over again. Thankyou Brendan!

The "is believing" caption is perfect

I wish it was starting right now