Poolfrog

Everton were robbed?? One shot at goal apart from Hyypia's. We wasted about 4 great chances, played all the good football, while they lobbed high balls into the box. This site is becoming more and more a virtual 6-0-6. Rafa's attitude to Crouch is no doubt because he's refusing to sign a new contract, unlike the others who'd been offered extensions. Next summer he has one year left so his value drops. Hopefully he'll be offloaded in January. Why not change your username? Just a thought

I've been away for a month's holiday. I see the level of informed opinion hasn't changed while I've been away. I'll refer back to this post later this season

11 to their 4 64% possession

I'm sure we will. I live near London and I know many Arsenal fans. They have a decent level of support but can only dream of the kind of fanbase LIverpool have. In fact where I live (admittedly on the edge of Surrey, so about 25 miles from Highbury) you're far, far more likely to see an average bloke in the street with a Liverpool top than an Arsenal top - I witness this every day. Indeed, following the announcement of their impressive financial return, Arsenal Chairman Peter Hill-Wood took a pop at Chelsea's delusions of grandeur (a team with a smaller fanbase than Crystal Palace in reality), Arsenal Chairman Peter Hill-Wood said in today's paper, "Manchester United and Liverpool are the biggest names in UK football and probably throughout the world. For Chelsea to think they are suddenly going to dominate is fantasy". He cheerfully left Arsenal out of the big-club equation

It's a certainty, but it will be by stealth over a few seasons. I believe Man U's American owners have hiked theirs more than used to be the case this season and will keep hiking them. They have to pay some ridiculous amount like £50-60m a year to service their debts. Let's face it, we watch Liverpool (and the same goes for Man U fans with their team) on the cheap relative to London fans. I went to see us play Spurs at least 10 years ago - possibly 12 - when we drew 3-3 at their place. In the lower tier of the west stand at White Hart Lane I had to pay £37 all those years ago. Christ knows what it costs now. We'll just have to get used to higher than inflation rises each season for the foreseeable future when we have the new stadium

They're incredibly expensive. Their most expensive seat costs more than even Chelsea's. I think it was £72 last season. The average cost is way, way higher than Anfield prices. Like it or not, our American friends will hike prices like there's no tomorrow when the new stadium opens. It's inevitable

I thank God that Rafa picks the team and not you

1st Chelsea for second, then a***/Scum to crap for third place. Chelsea will grind out narrow wins all season. Arsenal are flattered by their position after 5 games, having played 3 poor teams at home and hopeless Spurs away. Man U have been poor in most of their games and don't look as if they've improved at all - in fact they seem to have gone backwards

...conveniently leaving out the fact that it was only 3-1 in their favour for shots on target - and one of those was the penalty

I don't know why our point was "lucky". Although we didn't play well the only 2 chances they had in the entire 90 minutes, apart from the penalty, were from unforced errors. The first when Finnan dithered and his clearance rebounded to a player 8 yards out and the second was when Reina made a weak punch after colliding with a defender resulting in an efort on goal. There was no real threat other than those two chances and the longer the game went on the less Porto looked likely to score. The last 20 minutes were very easy for our defence. Given that that was on paper our hardest group game - I fully expect us to beat over-rated Porto by a couple of goals at least at home - and we got a relatively comfortable point, it augurs very well for the rest of the group games. The interesting thing for me is how those players that the whingers were berating Benitez for not playing against Portsmouth played very badly last night. Has Gerrard ever played more poorly? He had an absolute shocker.

It was the first time I'd seen Quaresma play live. On the basis of what I saw I can only assume he had an off-day, given all the hype I'd heard. He was very ineffective and a great example of style over substance. I can't think of any real threat that came from anything he did. His crossing was inaccurate, he seemed very lightweight and took appallingly bad set-pieces and usually chose the wrong option. The worst thing was his blatant diving at the merest hint of a physical challenge or the second he lost possession. He hit the deck quicker than you could say Didier Drogba. Anyone paying £20m based on last night's performance would be crazy. I think he failed his audition on the big stage last night, so I hope we don't rekindle any alleged interest in him

The only pressure on Rafa that I see is from idiots on sites like this who intimate that pressure could be put on him despite a brilliant start to the season. I can't wait to see what happens when we play crap and lose

I think both Liverpool and Man U both tried to win - but both failed and ended up with a draw. If you honestly think we went trying not to win, but they tried to win, then you're demented

We've never looked like conceding a goal in the previous 4 games and Reina had one shot on target to deal with against Portsmouth - the penalty. So it's not as if we've been battered all the time like your post implies, with Reina "mainly" responsible for our unbeaten status. He's been a spectator in every game really

An excellent article - which will be completely ignored by the mentally-feeble on here because it doesn't suit their agenda. Liverpool are unbeaten and have yet to concede a goal in open play in an excellent start to the season. But apparently the real issue is that Rafa is a complete idiot who rotates too much!

Have I missed something? Did we actually lose? I thought we drew and kept yet another clean sheet. I also thought that we hadn't yet conceded a goal in open play this season. Maybe I've been in a coma and it was all just a dream and we're actually struggling near the bottom of the table? I thought Man U only drew there this season too - and lost there last season, which didn't exactly harm their title chances did it? Remind me not to look on this forum when we actually lose a game. Some of the suicidal comments are unreal

Is 100% correct. Yours is the only sensible post in the thread

Not comparing like with like. Man U's early KO was just down the M62 at Everton and Arsenal had to go all of 3 miles to White Hart Lane. We went about 275 miles

Andy Gray made much the same points as you - conveniently overlooking the fact that Man Utd deservedly lost there last year and went on to win the league. Maybe they didn't know that they needed to beat Portsmouth away to win the league. They were also held to a draw there a few weeks ago. Can we write them off now too as far as this season's title race goes?

What are you talking about? He highlighted this weeks ago. Maybe you weren't listening

Yes but Man U have a 30 minute drive down the M62 to Goodison Park, Arsenal nip across North London to Spurs (and Chelsea also have a nice easy home fixture) while we go to Portsmouth at the other end of the country. Hardly the same is it? Also, I believe that we also have early kick-offs after the next two England midweek internationals. Not really fair is it? To be frank, it's more annoying that people like you think Rafa's wrong to merely point out the facts

In fact I think you'll find that Sky TV is not "in Murdoch's stable". His organisation owns 37% (or maybe 39%, I forget which), so Murdoch is a minority shareholder, nothing like an owner

Not in the slightest. You have to bear in mind the propensity for knee-jerk reactions on most fans' forums. Those that wish to may boycott the Sun, but in reality it was solely its editor at the time who was responsible for the slanderous comments about Liverpool fans. It's controlling company had nothing to do with it, so the News of the World (easily the most popular UK Sunday paper, which is in itself enough to enrage the desperately right-on amongst us who feign disdain about the tastes of ordinary people) has nothing to do with it.

I can - very easily. You're always sniping at Liverpool, so the odds are you're one of a number of scum fans on here pretending to be Liverpool fans. We play an excellent passing game and are a joy to watch.

I think it's entirely reasonable given that they were utter crap against Sunderland - and Tottenham previously. So it's more evident than ever that they over rely on Rooney and Ronaldo and will do well to keep them fit and/or suspension free all season. Also, their summer buys haven't done much. Nani looks like a headless chicken, Anderson was rank before being hauled off on Saturday, Tevez looks lost and scared to go into the box, while Hargreaves is the same player that has disappointed so often for England. Their back-up players are poor too. If they struggle, plan B is to bring on Darren Fletcher or Chris Eagles!