Guz

Because it's got f*** all to do with them

The most obvious choice. He is england's best defender at the moment and has probably been their best player for the last few years. He's first pick and playing well for club and country. hardly a shock decision. Given the dislike there is for Gerrard around some red fans I'm surprised so many people think he should get it, hell why anyone would even want him to get involved in that circus is beyond me.

Why are you mentioning Mascherano and why do you need to watch him for the whole season? He set a precedent (for himself in that game) with the yellow card of TORRES who complained, in a relatively calm manner without shouting and screaming in the ref's face about being elbowed in the face by Ferdinand. He was then yellow carded. Bennett used that benchmark for the following 30 seconds when he gave Mascherano a second yellow. Masch was stupid to put his foot in it though because everyone saw it coming. But why did he leave it there? Why allow Alonso to argue with him at HT? Why not show Gerrard, Carragher, Arbeloa, Ferdinand, Anderson and Rooney a yellow card who all argued with the referee through the game? The second half of that game showed the ref lost his rag and lost (if he had it at all) any ability he had to communicate 1-to-1 with the players on the pitch for those 60 seconds in which he cautioned Torres and Mascherano. He showed he is a weak referee. Garaham Poll was a crap ref who got a lot of decisions wrong but iirc one (the only?) reason he was given a lot of the big games was because he knew how to deal with the players by talking to them and knew how to let certain games flow. Being trigger happy with the yellow card isn't the way, especially considering it didn't stop the other 21 players on the pitch complaining or swearing for the rest of the game one little bit. btw, wasnt Bennett the ref that showed Xabi a second yellow at Highbury despite having his back turned to the play after one of the Arsenal players tripped over??

There is a balance you know. Mascherano went over the top and couldn't see that his emotion was getting himself and the team into trouble. Referee was a dick and a weak official but Mascherano put his foot in it. When the cameras shot to Mascherano arguing with Bennett all I could think of was how I wanted Masch to walk the f*** away and get on with the game. I wasn't applauding his passion and drive at the time.

The whole club currently revels in the underdog role at the moment. It's why we do so well in Europe and that CL success compounds that feeling that we're inferior to a lot of teams in Europe and this country. It's slightly different in teh league because we still expect and hope to beat the Mancs so the pressure is on and we freeze. We started the game very well for about 15 minutes and really put them under pressure for about 15 minutes before their 2nd goal but that's it. Why we can't play with that sort of confidence for the majority of the game is beyond me. It's as if one attack or near-goal just sets us off and breaks our confidence

It's obvious to a blind, deaf and dumb man that we've stagnated in the last couple of years. 05/06 we made some real strides and got within touching distance of the mancs. Since then they've shot up and we've just stood still. Signings in summer 2006 didn't help us at all with only Kuyt and Aurelio playing regularly now and I think a lot of people would agree that neither of them are good enough. The mancs have signed the likes of Hargreaves, Carrick, Tevez, Anderson and Nani since then. We can debate the merits of someone like Carrick but they're all (excluding Tevez currently) huge money signings and have contibuted to what looks like 2 league titles in a row. I think it's been money well spent on Torres, Mascherano and Babel but we still need two more probably. We've stagnated again this year but as much as people may hate this to be brought up I still think the whole manager/owners spat has to be taken into consideration when judging our season. Sure that doesn't explain some of the dropped points earlier in the season and shouldn't be used as an excuse just to mask our failings but it happened and must've had an impact.

OK maybe Skrtel got a shout but what's Alonso's (think it was Xabi?) excuse for Ronaldo's goal? Pathetic attempt at getting the ball and my biggest disappointment of the day.

Thought that hairy beast made a sensible comment when saying Bennett got pulled up on not doing anything about Ashley Cole in midweek.

Gonna be f***ing boss with the whole kop singing and bouncing to that

He had a very poor game but that system with Gerrard playing behind the striker won't work if our midfield find so little space on the ball and we can't keep the ball higher up the pitch. I would definitley stick with it for the rest of the season, including away to Arsenal, but I do wonder about how long we can keep playing it for and hoping that Gerrard isn't forced to play with his back to goal and Torres effectively running around on his own.

Couple of points 1. Bennet is a c***. Mascherano was f***ing stupid not be realise he was putting himself into it. Very annoyed at both of them 2. If a referee does not have the respect and control of the players that he cannot communicate his point to ONE player who is not ranting or screaming at them without the use of a 2nd yellow card then, IMO he isn't strong enough to referee such an encounter. I have a lot of sympathy for situations like the picture below because 5-6 players harassing a referee is out of order and a very difficult situation for the ref to diffuse but today wasn't an example of that.

2 or 3 top quality players is a lot and has been the case for a while now. We just don't look capable of scoring away to these sides. Apart from Chelsea a few weeks ago where Crouch had a couple of chances we don't even create many openings except [painfully wasted] set pieces and long shots. And for all of United's luck in their last two visits to Anfield the same can be said of our games against them at home as well. Lots of effort but not enough guile, b******s or luck to score a goal. The only positive thing about today is we didn't just hide in our shells like we did last year. I disagree that we looked a bag of nerves because I don't think we did early on but I have no idea why we can't sustain that for a longer period of time in these sorts of games. I seriously think our squad, maybe the club in general has revelled for too long in the role of the underdog (namely our exploits in Europe) and until we can come out of that we'll continue to fail in these games

Cringeworthy (Sky's commentary and the complaints about it)

Still not convinced long term about either of them but given his price, Arbeloa has done very well and definitley has a place in the squad. Fabio too has done well recently. Has to be Carra, Skrtel, Sami and Aurelio against the mancs though. Playing a league game after playing at the San Siro midweek is definitley a tough experience whoever the opposition and I'm just glad we got the 3 points. We're still playing quite well, looking solid and scoring goals so the points were a must

Those manc c**** are due for such a f***ing t***ting from us, now is as good a time as any with our current form. Pepe, Carra, Masch, Sami, Skrtel, Stevie and Torres are f***ing magic at the moment with Aurelio, Alonso, Babel, Lucas and Kuyt playing a very good supporting role as well. Come on you manc t***s. Hope we go into the game with the attitude that we CAN win, even if we go a goal down.

It's too late. We sold our soul the moment Rick Parry was instructed to whore the club around the world in an effort to get more cash. We kid ourselves that we're somehow morally better than everyone else because we didnt have the structure to let a Glazer in or that an Abramovich type figure would tar any achievments by the club etc etc but this whole sorry mess has been brewing for a long time and we have no one but ourselves (the club as a whole, as a collective) to blame. But going back to the original post. Yeah, we've had some f***ing brilliant moments in the last 10 years. We all want the league and to be back at the top for longer than a week but let's no devalue some of the great things we've done recently.

We beat the Mancs 5-4 in the CL final after being 4-0 down at half time thanks to second half goals from Torres, Gerrard, Kuyt, Carragher and then a last minute own goal from [insert horrible manc in here] And Tom Hicks sells his 50% share and work on a new ground begins

Look at the defender though. He has no idea where torres is, looked s*** scared of his pace and is totally un-nerved by Torres' presence alone. Keeper made a howler but even if he stayed on his line the defender was in trouble and the ball could easily have fallen to Torres or between him and the keeper. Defenders don't know when to square up to him, whether to see him wide or inside etc. most of them are scared s***less about his pace and close control. The one thing I think Torres needs to improve on is just drifting into space in the box to pick up goalscoring positions. He's done it a few times but against better defenders (likes of Ferdinand, Carvalho, Corboda the other night) his movement has to be more subtle instead of always trying to get the ball to feet and isolating the defender. But he's still young and that will definitley improve I think, especially if the players around him improve too.

It is not hard to see that the manager has lost total support of some of the players. Reina, Sami, Mascherano, Torres and Kuyt are fighting tooth and nail for the club and the manager. The rest are all either being s***houses, are still too young/raw to tell either way or are just being very apathetic at the whole situation.

He scares defenders s***less which leads to goals like the third

Legend, absolute legend from his first few years when he was one of the best defenders in europe and then taking the armband to giving it up to Gerrard and now the last 12-18 months where he's been edged out by Agger but keeps proving what an asset he is to the club. And the way he has battled this season when so many s***houses in the team have not, says it all for Sami. Legend

Am delighted that Rafa is showing that he is willing to stick with our two most talented youngsters and give them a chance to show their ability. I am sure Babel's long term future is not on the left and he is very raw but I think in 12-18 months time he will be a monster of a footballer for us.

Monster! Brilliant performance again

Stevie scored first and he was up for a fight Vladi scored again and we thought we just might When alonso got his we knew it was our night The cups in its liverpool home For penalties dudek waved his arms around He looked like grobelaar ...a right f***ing clown But it worked three times and the kings we were crowned The cups in its liverpool home Where? The cups in its liverpool home

I'm loving it to be honest. Personally I think we'll just lose out over 2 legs but this is the european cup, knockout stage, anfield tuesday night against one of the best sides in Europe. These are the sort of games we live for. If you're not buzzing by 7 o clock then I dont know whats wrong with you.