honourablegeorge

260 million people CAN be wrong.

Three defensive-ish midfielders is a lot though - not a whole lot of runs into the box from midfield there and only one striker up front. I still can't help wondering - with Eto'o likely to leave Barca, them interested in Xabi, Rafa describing Masch as a dedicated holding midfielder (which I interpret as him beign amore natural central partner for Gerrard)..... I'm puttign two and two together and coming up with millions here, but....

The defender was an idiot. Gerrard points out that he's being fouled. Ref sees, it,. acknowledges it. Defender STILL has his arm around gerrard,. and when Gerrard runs, he impeded him, while the referee looks on. If he's dumb enough to obviously fouls someone when the referee is looking, and has already acknowledged that it's a foul, then he deserves al he gets. Colin Warnock can f*** off aswell, the whinging tosser.

West Ham fans I speak to reckon Tevez is a definite goner in the summer. Hard to know what to make of him. He certainly has ability, there's flashes of class at times, but he hasn't put it together for them - that said, who has? If he was going for a similar fee to Mascherano (and he was originally the cheaper of the two, I read), would you take a chance? Alves definitely. Wonder if Rafa will reignite interest in other old (alleged) targets he missed out on before - Gabriel Milito, Pablo Ibanez, those sort of players?

I don't think he's particularly anything.

Has Rikjaaard been heavily criticised? His substitutions were dreadful, like. Every player capable of making a tackle was taken off, and they ended up completely conceding midfield to us.

My Spanish isn't the best, but: El Mundo - Los cheatos divos b*****dos no esta beato los Reds. ABC - Valdez es mucho whopper, Bellamy en holo uno. Marca - Ronaldinho eatos too manos pies El Pais - Rikjaard as too many del lightweightos fancy-flickos merchantos. As - Ell whippo good old fashiono El Mundo Deportivo (Catalan) - Momo esta los boss

Guardian Rumour Mill mentions a summer Barca move for Xabi, funnily enough. Maybe just pre-game unsettling nonsense. Arbeloa looks like he might just be our man.

You don't have to look past Wednesday night for an example of him being sloppy.

I think he's started very poorly, and has improved, but I still think don't think he's at his top level. He's still making quite a few sloppy errors at times.

Alonso and Gerrard both - hard to name an outstandign game this season from either. Agger looks to be going the Sissoko route too - outstanding young player for a medium-sized fee. If he can keep picking up these kinds of signings, we'll doe very well.

Anyone got a pic of "This Is A Sheet"? That's classic.

Did Duran play wide or centrally? "Attacking Midfielder" says the offish.

Did Duran get on at all? What's he like?

"Riise finally ends the invisible man's reign of terror"

Heh. Least I'm not alone. Even if he hadn;t apologised, he coudl have at least said somethign along the lines of what Riise did - that it had been sorted out and put behind them. Mind you, I'm a lot happier having read that Rafa interview. From the sounds, the players were plenty professional after the event.

I can't stand Bill O'Herlihy (was great last night when Giles KEPT telling him not to interrupt his Ronaldo thesis), but good points otherwise. The main difference is they assume that the viewer isn't a complete moron.

They did. But Kuyt's missed more than his share of late. And he's open to criticism, same as everyone.

Aye, but you know as well as i do that the truth lies somewhere between the Echo/Club "Official" version, and the tabloid nonsense.

Just his closing few minutes of brown-trousers action. But burn me anyhow, to be sure.

Apologise to the fans for his lack of professionalism, apologise for dragging the name of the club through the mud, that sort of thing.

For the pricking about that went on last week, whatever it was. I know we're all smiles now, but still.

He's not one for humility, is he? An apology wouldn't have gone amiss, however good his performance.

What way is the deal structured then ric (andy?)? Have we done a permanent deal? What's the story with Joorabchian's alleged option to buy him bck?

Were they all at some special training camp in Poland last week? Reina, Valdes, Canizares - they all had the Dudeks.