kop205

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If Garcia is sold then I'd agree we need 2 players wide right to come in but again, whatever you, I or anyone else thinks of him Rafa has played him predominantly on the right. Still think as well that we will use (and be right to use) Gerrard wide right next year at times, regardless of who comes in. He may well be more effective through the middle but given that his ability and versatility allow him to be a quality option in other positions I can see him being played there as there will be times when Xabi and Momo in the centre will be the right blend. But yes, I do agree that it s an area where we need a quality player bringing in though as I said I'm really not sure who that should be.

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Some valid points, though I don't see any use in bringing someone in on a free to simply 'do a job' wide right. Whatever you think about Garcia, the very least that can be said about him is that he 'does a job' for the team - his goals record at least outweighs his surrendering of possession and given that he hs been used there for the majority of his time here it appears that Rafa would agree. Nor am I advocating hanging any hats on Anderson - or any of the other youngsters. I just feel that if they are the real deal then they will be forcing themselves into the reckoning at some point next year. Buying a stop-gap right winger would only either hinder their progress or be a pointless exercise if they were overtaken by one of the kids anyway. Where Gerrard would be happier himself playing is irrelevant. The manger will decide where he can best beneift the team and play him there. I suspect that when Alonso and Sissoko are fit that will often be at right-mid, where there are few better. I take the point about needing quality cover out there in the event of injuries, and someone who would give genuine width and pace (which Garcia, Kewell, Anderson or any of the options at the club either can't do or haven't yet proved that they can do). That being the case, maybe we can justify a big chunk of the transfer budget on a right midfielder (as a centre forward is arguably the only other area that urgently needs addressing). Not sure that SWP is the man though (although I know you weren't particularly claiming that he was), and not just because of his cost. Like I said, SWP is worth however much Rafa is willing to pay for him, but people also need to ask why he hasn't broken into the Chelsea team and whether he is quite all that he is made out to be. I've seen very little of him so can't claim to know either way. If Rafa goes for him, that is good enough for me but as it stands I'm not convinced.

I agree that he is a better option than Potter and it is exciting to even be able to have a debate again about whether or not a 17 year old is ready for the first team, as the last one was Owen I suppose (Gerrard was 18 I think, and probably 19 before he really started to come through due to his injuries). I wouldn't be against giving him a run in the last couple of games if everything is tied up as that could be the chance to blood him. He might take to it straight away - although by his own admission he was nowhere near the Hull first team only 6 months ago so I'd be playing him more with an eye to getting him experience than because of what he could contribute at this stage. Good player though.

Very pleasing display. Under the cosh a little bit at times in thes econd half but still managed to look dangerous on the break. The most pleasing aspect for me was that pretty much all of our players (certainly in midfield and attack) looked so comfortable on the ball and had such assured first touches. Not sure that any of them are ready for the first team squad just yet. There is no Owen in the side on the evidence of last night (i.e. someone who is clearly just far better than everything else around him at the level) but in a strange sort of way it was quite reassuring to see that the likes of Anderson and Hamill don't just rely on sheer pace or brute force because that would soon be negated anyway if they stepped up to first team level. Their technique and awareness was excellent and that more than anything was what was impressive about them. Antwi impressed me with hs sheer comittment and physicality too, probably man of the match for me due to his second half display - thought he kept things together when we might have started rocking a bit. Personally I didn't see anyone who is truly ready for the first team, but lots of promise and if just two of the team make it at Liverpool then that is an excellent return.

Make it a sticky. The thread, that is.

I hope you don't get banned cos watching you unravel is hilarious. First you posted decent stuff, then you developed a chip on your shoulder the size of sack of King Edwards and you started pissing me off, now you just come across as a microcosm of your club - smalltime, whinging, grudge-bearing, delusional, insecure and a perfect reminder of why you will always be in our shadow. Please don't f*** off as others have asked you to, I'd miss you. Fish. Barrell. Bang.

Attendances always are, and always will be, very low for earlier rounds of the Youth Cup. Rightly or wrongly, people wait to hear if there any players who it might be worth getting excited about before going to have a look for themselves. Agree that loyalty from earlier rounds should have been rewarded though. Wouldn't have hurt the club to even give free entry to anyone who had been to, say, two previous Youth Cup games this season. Haven't been to earlier games, but going tonight. Return leg next Friday.

'The bitters' is a United nickname for Man City in my book. Not meaning to be pedantic or arsey mate, just one of my bug-bears! (Not that they aren't bitter, mind!)

Yeah, fair enough (as I've already said!). It is more the s**** way that the ballot has been organised that has pissed me off (letters not being sent etc). I got a copy of a form and hand delivered it yesterday, so will have to wait and see.

Oh ok, thanks for clearing that up then. Was just suggesting an alternative explanation to the endless repetition of 'This means Robbie is out' vs 'Nah, he's just playing his cards close to his chest'. Speculation, but no more than anything else in this thread and hardly implausible in the light of the fact that the kind of player Rafa is saying we don't have is the kind of player Cisse was supposed to be. Don't know if I'm right or not. We'll have to wait and see what happens to the two of them at the end of the season.

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I've just got mine, prime spec in the Kop, block 205 - though a couple of rows behind my season ticket seat, as that was gone which suggests they are selling.

Have to say I would do the same.

Some of us didn't even get the letter, despite meeting the criteria. Don't understand why fancard holders with two credits get the same priority as season ticket holders with two credits, but fan card holders with one credit are behind season ticket holders with one credit. I thought their policy now was to go strictly on games attended rather than giving automatic preference to season ticket holders (though I know that was a policy not everyone agreed with). I know there aren't enough tickets for everyone with one credit (once you've already sold to those with two or more) so I suppose the club just didn't want a situation where the numbers in the queue exceeded the numbers of tickets available i.e. in other words they couldnlt be arsed paying for proper stewarding (and possibly policing) of the queue. Maybe the fact that it is the Easter holidays for the schools has been a factor as that would boost numbers, but their general attitude to stewarding the queue seems to be pretty shoddy. Due to my work, it is sometimes my retired Mum who goes up for my ticket and when she has challenged scally knobheads for jumping in she has been givenn torrents of abuse, with no stewards around to intervene. She made a complaint to Rick Parry, who wrote back and said that because she was getting there before opening hours and the incident happened outside of the Paisley gates and therefore not on club property, the club had no duty to guard against this kind of stuff. t***. If it had been a straight sale to all those with one credit I'd have got to the ground whatever time it took and waited in line for as long as necessary, and if I'd not got one then fair enough. This has pissed me of though - though it is probably the s**** way that they organised the ballot (i.e. not even sending letters out to some) that annoys me more tha the principle itself of a ballot.

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Objectively speaking you are probably right, though if we lose in the semi to Chelsea it won't seem that way for a bit. The manner of the Champions League exit still rankles as well, but overall I don't think anyone (a) can complain about the progress that has been made in the League or (b) is unhappy with the work Rafa is doing.

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I assume that is a piss take? Can't say I have a big problem with OOTers in general. You get some who behave like w*****s, but then you get some scousers who behave like w*****s at the game too and are just as clueless as the worst OOTer. Take each fan on merit. I guess we all have a vague idea of what it means for the club to be 'in your heart', even though it is a hard concept to precisely define. You certainly don't need to be from the city for that to be true about you, so it shouldnlt really be a massive debate. This issue normally rears its head with regard to tickets as there has (justifiably) been anger in the past when loyalty hasn't been rewarded and day trippers have been able to suddenly get their hands on tickets for big matches at the expense of regulars. To blame that solely on OOTers isn't accurate though - I know plenty of scousers who I would class as day trippers and a good few OOTers who go week in week out.

I agree and disagree. I agree that Riise isn't the greatest player around and I must admit I'm not a massive fan of his. I disagree that that we need better than him to win the league. Fact is, we've won the league in the past with worse full bakcs than him (certainly Joey Jones, arguably Alan Kennedy) and other sides have won league title in the last few years with some pretty average full backs in their sides (Del Horno at Chelsea assuming they win it, Silvestre when he was played at LB). There are plenty of examples of average full bakcs (Lee Dixon, Gary Neville to name just two) beign fitted into very effective defensive lines. Left back can be improved, but is some way down the lists of priorities.

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Blows my theory out of the water then! Don't know whether that is good news or bad news.

Still nothing in the post this morning. Hoping this doesnlt mean that the ballot hs already been done and those who got letters are the only ones in with a shout of a ticket. Are you from the area mate? Just wondering if for some reason they may have sent them to OOTers first?