alias75

So Crouch and Arbeloa are s*** today? ok just checking.

I was disappointed in the team selection today just didnt look right, with 3 big games in a week though he had to make some tough decisions and todays game was the obvious 1 of the 3 to rest a couple, but the balance didnt look right when the team was named. The players have to take responsibility too, some poor performances today, but i think the balance wasnt right from the start.

Not sure what to make of that team, maybe Rafa thinks Reading will be getting plenty of men behind the ball and so Riise and Arbeloa can provide good width, with Gerrard having a license to roam. Not sure where the front 3 will play?

I listened to it overnight and left the TV on anyway the point is Gillett may be on there tommorow hopefully someone that was conscious can confirm or deny this.

Sorry if this is incorrect but half asleep with Talksport on this morning, im sure i heard Alan Brazil say George Gillett will be on (im assuming tommorow). Does anyone know if this is true, could be an ideal chance for few well informed fans to ask him some questions re Rafa and transfers.

Think hes more of an attacking midfielder than a forward, but we also have plenty of those now we have a few 16 year olds that are highly rated, Dalla Valle, Pacheco, Bruna i wonder if they'll figure at all in the youth cup? If they're good enough to play for the ressies they're obviously good enough but maybe they wont be considered because they qualify next season and it wont be fair on the boys that are older this may be their only chance.

I think the other clips are extended ones from the games in the link i gave. Not sure when they were taken but he's playing for Finland U17 in some of those, im guessing he was around 15 at the time. If you look at the longer clips his first touch is very good, and he looks very quick, looking forward to seeing him in January, im guessing he'll figure in the youth cup team.

Comes in January i think, apparently one of the best (if not the best) players in Europe for his age. Managed to find this on youtube, havent seen any footage of him before so makes interesting viewing. Some Ronaldoesque touches here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7mnVv_rH8Y...feature=related

Is this Durans first game back?

Because success on the pitch is vital to success financially for them, not only are you losing one of the best managers in Europe but your risking losing maybe half of the team with him, how far would that set us back? Im sure they do owe Parry, but i think its much easier to replace him than a top class manager and 4 or 5 top class players. There are plenty of smart football men that could do Parry's job and going on what we've been reading im sure they could do it better, he almost lost s our captain a few seasons ago and now it looks like he could have helped lose the best manager we've had for a long time. I just dont see what specialist skills he has that would be so difficult to replace.

I would find it amazing that any shrewd business men would choose Parry over Rafa, not to mention your probably choosing Parry over Rafa, Torres, Alonso, Reina etc... madness.

Not sure maybe because there were 2 games left at that point and so that game didnt decide the group. Heres the story.. http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/...p;TEAMHD=soccer

The SPL have allowed Rangers to postpone their game on the weekend to give them their best chance to qualify in the CL, is there any chance the PL would do the same for us, and would we prefer to play Reading on Saturday anyway so we dont fall too many games behind the other teams?

It would be a typical Rafa signing too in that nobody has mentioned this guy before hes very good about signing these players from left field and the first you hear of it is when its almost done and dusted.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=654xxx8p7FI&...feature=related heres stuff from the super cup im sure Rafa was impressed in that game, its all adding up!

Could make sense as Rafa did say he was working on 2 players for next season that were both bosmans...

Before we signed him i never realised how quick he was, i knew he wasnt slow but he goes through the gears like Henry, i love it when he slows the defender down and then bursts away from them, how do you defend against that? Having someone with that type of pace is such an asset you can already see someone like Gerrard is thriving playing with a striker he can thread those through balls to, like he used to with Owen.

Just think he has far more technical ability than Owen, theyr'e similar in that they both can make chances for themselves but i think Torres' all round game is better, he holds it up better and brings other into the game more.

Hes the best striker we've had at Liverpool since Rush and hes only going to get better, he already looks like hes gone up a level to what he showed at Atletico. At the moment we have 2 genuine world class match winners in Gerrard and Torres i think if we can add a third we're going to be one hell of a team, as another poster said someone that plays in that Kaka position or maybe a genuine world class wide man like a Messi or Ronaldo if we can find someone like that then its on!

Pound for pound has to one of the greatest signings in PL history. Playing very well at the moment and a model pro, the ideal person for our young defenders to learn from, helped Hobbs through the game well today.

I reckon as a striker drifting out wide, maybe he plays better in a 4-3-3? but i think he has the potential to be a Henry type striker, not someone that plays through the middle but drifting wide and dragging defenders around.

Oozes class, the way he moves the way he controls the ball, still very young but we're going to have a top player once those rough edges are smoothed and the more experience at this level he gets. Perfect sub at the moment, coming on with the game stretched.

Torres is the first striker we've had since Owen thats able to make his own chances and looks a threat every time he gets the ball. But hes a far better technical player than Owen, and makes such a difference to the team.

lots of good performances but... 1. Torres 2. Gerrard 3. Lucas (think Riise deserves a mention too apart from the last 20min when he was shooting from everywhere, he defended well and put in some superb crosses)

Great result great 2nd half performance, lots of positives today... * Lucas gets another 90 min and really improved as the game went on, think hes still a little nervous and he still needs to feel as if he justifies being in the 1st team but thought he had another solid game and he seemed to grow in confidence during the 90min * Jack Hobbs has some vital 1st team experience, not tested much defensively but he looked assured and played a couple of fantastic passes. Just the experience of playing in a PL will do him the world of good. * Torres is the best striker we've had since Rush, able to make chances for himself and looks a danger every time he touches the ball. * Babel is going to be some player... Overall very good team performance, thought Riise had one of his best games for a while, put in some great balls and defended very well.