Poolfrog

This would be the same Reading that deservedly drew at Old Trafford when down to 10 men I presume - and the same Reading that are several places above Arsenal's conquerors, Middlesbrough. We should have won but didn't. It happens.

Can we use your post please to define perfectly what the term "knee-jerk" reaction means? Arsenal lost to an abysmal Middlesbrough today, Man U lost to abysmal Bolton and Man City. These things happen. Get over it

We didn't pass on the chance to sign him; Juventus simply offered more cash. If stories at the time are true, it involved large sums of cash for the player in US dollars handed over in a bag - allegedly!

There's not a hope in hell that City will finish in the top 4. If they manage to finish in a UEFA Cup spot they will have done really well. I expect them to finish about 8th

I can't remember who they've played away in the last few weeks, but another way of looking at it is that the game against us 4 weeks ago was only their second game outside London - Blackburn being the other - and they failed to win either. Also they've played very averagely in a number of games at home this season, scraping narrow 1-goal wins against such teams as Portsmouth, Man City, Sunderland and Fulham at home, apart from struggling for most of the game against woeful Wigan yesterday, but as media darlings only the outcome of these games is seen to be of interest, not the performances, whilst the knives were out when Liverpool similarly laboured in home games. It's also worth bearing in mind that of their 13 games so far, they've only played 5 away whilst of Liverpool's equal number of games we've played 7 away and only 6 at home (to Arsenal's 8). In short, they've actually achieved nothing like as much as the praise heaped on them by the media pundits would seem to merit and, losing players for the African Nations Cup aside, they will have more away games to play than home games as the season progresses

I think it's a bit of a myth to be honest. On the countless occasions I stood on the Kop neither I nor any of my mates witnessed this. Anyone who wanted a slash simply whipped their todger out and there would immediately be a stampede to get out of the splash-zone while the perpetrator pissed where he stood

You highlighted mention of Portsmouth and Aston Villa as evidence that the article in question was not truthful and well-written but in fact Crouch did indeed play for both clubs. I believe he played for Portsmouth around 2001 after leaving QPR and was sold on after a season to Aston Villa for a big fee at the time - around £5m I believe

Quite simple really. The Torres goal against Fulham was a result of his controlling a clearance from the goalkeeper and going on to score - the sort of hurried boot up the field that goalkeepers of every team do when clearing their lines - it was not part of deliberate build up play by outfield players. The goal versus Chelsea was a well-executed passing move through midfield and in no way could be described as resulting from a ball "over the top" for him to chase. I suggest you look at the videos more carefully

But he has already been offered a contract extension. In common with others who had 2 years left (Carragher, Gerrard, Alonso etc) at the start of the season he was offered an extension but is the only one who has refused to sign. I'm pretty sure that's why Rafa is keeping him on the bench rather than playing him much. His attitude is all wrong. Get rid

I'm in my fifth decade of watching Liverpool and have seen all styles of play from the Shankly era onwards. At the end of the day I don't watch football for entertainment; I'm purely and simply a Liverpool fan. Nothing excites me more than when we're winning and the style of our play couldn't possibly be less important (as it happens I think we're great to watch). I don't understand this fixation with playing this way or that. No bad team has ever won the league and at the end of the day you have to score more than you concede to be successful. You won't do that if your sole aim is to "smother the opposition" as one naive poster put it. It follows that you must pursue a more attacking policy than a defensive one and last time I looked we were unbeaten with a healthy goal difference. For what it's worth I believe Liverpool are one of the finest teams in the league and our style of play brings full houses wherever we play. If we were as crap to watch as some "fans" in this idiotic thread think we are, then opposition fans wouldn't flock to see us in their tens of thousands whenever we visit their part of the world. I believe the commentator said on TV said that Blackburn's 30,000 gate - easily their biggest this season - followed on from the previous two seasons when their biggest home attendances were also against Liverpool, not Chelsea, current media darlings Arsenal or near-neighbours Man Utd. Funny that isn't it?

From what I can see you are as guilty as anyone in stubborness and refusing to change your opinion - which you provide to us possibly more often than we want to read it to be frank. In your world everything's bad with Liverpool now and anyone who disagrees with you is a fool.

Unfortunately the various fan websites tend to attract many of the kind of fans who populate the airwaves on 6-0-6 and You're On Sky Sports. Spend an hour or so on this site in particular - there seems to be more whingers and moaners on here than on all other Liverpool sites put together - and you'll despair at the knee-jerk comments and general inanity. "Rafa's the best coach in the world" swiftly followed by " We'll never win the league with that clown Rafa and his obsession with rotation" blah, blah, blah. Crouch when he first joined us was usually berated for being a useless beanpole who couldn't head the ball to save his life and who was as slow as continental drift, but now that he's on the bench more often than not, he's somehow become our under-utilised Saviour and Benitez is a fool for not picking him. Trust me there are a lot of nutters on here

I was at Anfield in 1969 when we beat Dundalk 10-0 in the old Fairs Cup, predecessor to the UEFA Cup, another notable score that everyone seems to have forgotten

As it's fashionable amongst the more excitable fans on the forum to criticise Riise at all costs, no matter what, I'd also like to mention his brilliant header that was cleared off the line and his thunderous shot which the goalie could only push out to Benayoun for one of his goals. Fair play to the lad

One thing's for sure; no-one at all is surprised that you're whingeing and endlesly criticising

Their much-vaunted "passing game" appears in fact to be not very effective at breaking down defences, based on Sunday's game. For all their possession, they had just 2 shots on target and forced just one corner in the whole 90 minutes. But the pretty triangles on the half-way line between full-back, winger, midfielder and back to full-back were nice to watch

That flies in the face of the facts. When Man U play another decent team away from home - like Liverpool away in the past few matches - they deploy Rooney on the left in a withdrawn role to help cover the left-back, whilst they play one man up front on his own and hope to steal a win from a breakaway or a set-piece. All the top teams do this, not just Rafa's Liverpool. Both Chelsea and Arsenal pack the midfield and play one up front away from home

We beat Everton fair and square, wasting at least 4-5 clear-cut chances, while they managed one paltry effort other than the own goal, so where did luck come into it? Arsenal have played at home, of those I can remember, the giants of Fulham, Sunderland and Portsmouth, playing indifferently and winning narrowly whilst conceding poor goals from their own terrible, inept play. They beat whipping boys Derby 5-0 - we beat them 6-0 - and away from home they beat a poor Spurs. They've only played two games outside London in the league, at Blackburn and Liverpool, and failed to win either. It's all about perspective

You say Arsenal gave us the run-around, but they only created chances in the last 10 minutes, other than the one save Reina made towards the end of the first half. It was their goalkeeper that was making the flying saves to keep the score down. Most of Arsenal's possession consisted of making triangle passes on the half-way line with very little threat in the last third. Please keep a sense of proportion.

Your posts are always extremely negative regardless of how we play, so it's hard to mke a reasoned response to your points as you've aleady decided that anyone who takes a different position from your permanently glass-half-full stance is a mug

They should have had a penalty at the end but I fail to see what was controversial about the sending off of Hibbert - the last defender fouling a man through on goal; or Neville - deliberate handball to deny a goal. You won't see two more clear - and deserved - sendings-off all season

No way did Everton deserve a draw. Reina had no saves to make at all in the game. I watched a re-run of it yesterday and the commentator said half-way through the second half that Liverpool will kick themselves if they don't win because they're opening up Everton at will. Sissoko, Voronin and Riise all missed clear-cut chances, while their goalie made a fine save from Voronin and Kuyt too, in the lead-up to the penalty kick when Neville handled. I repeat - Reina had no saves to make at all. They should have had a penalty at the death but if they'd scored it a point would have been more than they deserved for a performance of aimless crosses and long hoofs up the middle. If they'd had us on the rack and Reina was keeping them at bay I'd agree with you. Watch the game again and it's clear that we were well on top the longer the game went on

This is the first sensible post I've read on this thread. As you say, the rubbish that's been posted is a disgrace - and the same whingers will be the first to say they always knew Rafa was the man to take us forward if we win something. It's hardly worth coming on here most days. If I want stupid analysis and knee-jerk reactions I'll watch Andy Gray on Sky

So basically this bloke his speculating and passing his speculation off as fact - to be duly absorbed by the more slow-witted of forum members and passed on as gospel.

It's the first time I've seen him play, but I thought his touch was excellent as was his close control. He looked like one of the better ones really