Conrad

play Dossena. let's push them back into their half, Valencia can't do much damage from there. Reina Arbeloa-Carragher-Agger-Dossena Mascherano-Alonso Gerrard-Keane-Riera Torres G and K interchanging

I rate him.

Really can't see what the big deal is here. Rafa loves Liverpool - he's in no rush to manage Real - perhaps one day when his kids are older and he's won the league here. There's no way he wants to leave before he wins the title - he's too proud, and too ambitious a man to walk away without adding his name to Shanks, Paisley, Dalglish...he knows his LFC history. Sure he wants more control over transfers. He can probably get it regardless of the contract terms if he has allies in the right places (eg Hicks). This is quite obviously a concerted attempt to put pressure on Parry.

F***

You don't rate Pennant do you?

Absolutely. Agger is top drawer. He needs to stay.

that's a cracking little interview. I don't think it gets said enough - we are unbelievably good defensively. The back 4 are so well organised. It's right up there with graham's arsenal, only in a more competitive, faster-paced league.

We've got to beat Stoke!!!! we didn't manage it at home, so its not a foregone conclusion. Fuller's out for them isn't he? Any other injuries/suspensions that could affect them?

Yep, that's the team although definitely Agger for me - I think his runs from the back will cause Stoke problems, plus he's been getting back to near his best recently.

Yes, fair play. I have never liked him, and would be the first to moan if his name was in the starting XI - but last 2 or 3 games he has been very good. Much more incisive.

Is Carra going to play at Right Back? Arbeloa out with a hamstring injury for at least a fortnight - not good news. Reina Carragher-Hyypia-Agger-Insua Alonso-Mascherano Kuyt-Gerrard-Riera Keane (assuming Torres is still out)

Tony Barrett has confirmed in today's Echo that we have agreed terms at around £3million with Real Madrid.

can't understand why so many people are leaving out Keane in their formation. He did a pretty good job up top on his own at stamford bridge, with Torres out injured. Same team as then (agger for skrtel), I'd certainly settle for the same level of performance/result.

Er, no we didn't

"My Idea" for sure, no?

Is right.

Alonso, by a country mile Kuyt Gerrard

quality wide players in that game and we'd have won. Alonso and Mascherano dominated the centre, Rafa's tactics/formation were spot on. Penannt and Zenden saw plenty of the ball but did very little with it. Occasionally, Pennant looked dangerous but - as always - flattered to deceive. £6.7million was far too much to pay and a poor signing. His signing certainly wasn't a "necessity".

Huge game. Best XI available. Take it to them, put them on the back foot early doors. Reina Carragher Hyypia Agger Aurelio Kuyt Gerrard Alonso Riera Keane Torres

What Abramovich shells out on players is not the issue. We have signed a lot of fullbacks under Rafa -a couple of ok/average ones and a load of s****. There's free transfers and there's free transfers. A club of our stature no doubt paying out a decent signing on fee and big wages should be able to sign better quality full backs. Babbel is an obvious example of a great free transfer. And the likes of Sagna, Cliche, Evra etc all cost less than Dossena for example.

Both have been decent this season, but F*** me we are worried that one of them goes missing long term (quite likely in Aurelio's case) beacuse we haven't got decent back up. If our full backs were at the level they should be, A&A would be the back up!

I also think you can't count Man Utd out. They've already played their 3 hardest fixtures - Arsenal away, Chelsea away, us away. And they have a home game against Fulham in hand. Can see them jamming a couple of results and going on a long unbeaten run.

Great post. Sums up exactly how I feel about it the moment. Excited but worried at the same time. Perhaps we might be able to use jan to bring in 1 player who can help keep the momentum going? Not worry about him being cup-tied for Europe but just focus on strengthening the league challenge. The pessimistic side of me says - Rafa's sides have always finished well in the league partly because the pressure's been off. It is - hopefully - going to be a run-in with a lot more at stake this year. We can't afford any long term injuries to key players. Despite the improvement in squad, if we are relying on the likes of Benayoun, Lucas, Pennant for any length of time we'll be battling Arsenal for 3rd.

I can sometimes be a bit knee jerk in my criticisms of players , and sometimes I have a gut feeling from watching them whether I think they'll go on to do well or not. And Dossena - he hasn't been great, but there is real quality there I think. You see it in some of the crosses he whips in. And he's put a few good tackles in. I think he'll come good when he settles down and adjusts to the pace of the English game. I don't have the same confidence , for example, that Lucas is going to make it here.