DGMO

Luckily I didn't pay, was taken out by a company I work with. Stuck with the Spurs fans, but more than happy to dish it out to Lampard whenever I got the chance ;-) If only watching us afterwards was as much fun...

I'd take both over Owen any day of the week on current form. Owen is nowhere near his previous years. You have to ask when was the last time Owen played like Defoe did this weekend? Owen looks slower than ever. More of a curious decision is leaving out Woodgate (unless he picked up a knock today). I was at Stamford Bridge today and he was f***ing immense. Won everything and didn't put a foot wrong. Strange one if Capello thinks Lescott and Upson are better players.

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Memory tells me that it was the Turkish Cup Final, played in fener's back yard against their nemesis Galatasaray. Gala won, Souness ran on the pitch with a huge f*ck off Gala flag and planted it in the centre circle. Try imagining Fergie running onto Anfield after a huge match and planting club colours and magnify that by 10. That was the outrage it caused and there's loads of YouTube clips out there on it. Souness is a understandably a legend for Gala fans for doing that.

I think that sums it up. I remember when he came back to Anfield with Newcastle a couple of seasons back. The players had just walked out at the start, and Sky caught him talking to staff I think inside the tunnel area outside the dressing rooms. Realising that the players had walked out and he was late, he went down the tunnel and placed his hand on the 'This is Anfield' sign. I have been searching ages for it on YouTube but it's not there. But it was definitely nice to see, made me smile and was spot on. As he said: 'Its in you, it never leaves you' I thought Keegan might do it a few weeks back but he never. Fantastic player, unbelievable in that midfield.

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Sorry if Romario, but a nice article and some nice words said by Cisse about us: Cisse Smooth Talks Return to Anfield Djibril Cisse could be forgiven for feeling he has a point to prove as he makes a Champions League return to Anfield on Wednesday night, but the Marseille striker is in no mood to reopen a feud with Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez. The football fates were not kind to Cisse as he agreed to join a the Reds in the summer of 2004, with manager Gerard Houllier seemingly intent on making him a Premier League star. The world appeared to be at his feet, yet by the time he kicked his first ball in anger for the club, Spaniard Benitez was his boss and he was always up against it in his bid to become an Anfield hero. Throw in the fact that he suffered a series of serious injuries during his spell on Merseyside and it's hardly surprising that he was viewed by cynics as a £14million flop during his two turbulent years in the famous red shirt. Often played out of position and criticised by many for what was perceived as an over inflated ego, his Gallic temperament may have been managed astutely had compatriot Houllier stayed in charge. Instead, Benitez's insistence on constant squad rotation and his tendency to use Cisse in a role on the right wing infuriated a player whose confidence in his own ability has never been an issue and few were disappointed when a parting of the ways was confirmed in the summer of 2006. While it would be natural to suspect the French international hit-man is more than a little keen to get one over on the manager who played a part in tarnishing his career for good, he insists Wednesday night's Champions League game at Anfield should not be billed as Cisse v Benitez. It's safe to assume his platitudes will go down well with supporters who often struggled to fully appreciate the talents of a striker who scored a penalty in the shoot out as they famously claimed the 2005 Champions League crown in that Final against AC Milan. 'When I heard that Marseille had been drawn in the same group as Liverpool, I had mixed feelings,' begins Cisse. 'On the one hand, I was so excited to be going back to Anfield and taste again that special atmosphere there. On the other, there's the danger I will be distracted by all the media excitement about returning to the club. It will be great to see old friends, but I must not lose sight of the fact that I've a vital European tie to perform in. 'European nights in Liverpool are absolutely unique. If Anfield is a cauldron of noise for a Premier League game, the volume gets turned up a few more notches in the Champions League. It hits the opposition straight between the eyes and the Marseille players will have to be very strong mentally to stand up to it. Culturally and historically, Liverpool see the Champions League as their competition and that gives them an important edge. 'From a personal point of view, I don't feel I have anything to prove to Liverpool or Rafa Benitez. Obvious, I was irritated by his decision to play me wide on the right at times as it's well known that I'm at my best through the middle. Still, this discussion is in the past now. I had my difficult moments in Liverpool, especially when I broke my leg at Blackburn, but I generally look at my two seasons there as a positive experience. 'I scored goals and played my part in the club winning the FA Cup and Champions League so overall, Liverpool was good for me. How could it be otherwise? Coming from three-nil down to beat AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League Final was the greatest moment of my career and nothing can ever top it. What we achieved that night in Istanbul was incredible. On reflection I don't know how we managed it, but we did and this sort of fairy story could only happen at a club with such a glorious European pedigree as Liverpool.' They are surprisingly warm and humble words from a performer whose colourful appearance has often overshadowed the talents he clearly possesses. Anyone who chooses to wear bleached blonde hair and an equally glaring beard will raise suspicions of eccentricity, so he was always going to struggle to win over supporters in a working class city like Liverpool. With that in mind, it's hard to guess what sort of reception Cisse will receive when he steps out onto the stage he rarely made his own, yet Marseille fans will be expecting their talisman to turn in the sort of match-winning performance many have long believed he is capable of. Blessed with pace and skill, he appeared to be 'the next big thing' in French football before two serious leg breaks and the former Auxerre marksman will be keen to use the Champions League platform to prove he is still a force to be reckoned with at the highest level. And it may be that his inside knowledge on the Liverpool team who will be squaring up to Eric Gerets' Marseille side this week could be a key factor in the outcome of the crucial Champions League Group A encounter. 'I wouldn't be so presumptuous to lay down a game plan to counter them, but I can obviously offer some inside information about how Liverpool like to operate, on their set-pieces for example,' he states. 'Where I can be useful is to help the boys prepare on a mental level for the trip to Anfield. My opinion is that Liverpool is one of the most ruthless teams in the world. Switch off for a split-second against them and they will make you pay. That's their hallmark. I could go on forever about their brilliant individuals, but they wouldn't be half the force without the organisation, commitment, intensity and the backing of the Kop.' The uncertainty surrounding Marseille in the opening few weeks of the season was emphasised by the decision to change their coach and Cisse accepts they have much to prove under the guidance of Gerets. 'Our problem is that our domestic form is poor,' he concludes. 'We are struggling for confidence and momentum and it's not easy to break out of this spiral of defeats. 'My hope is that the Champions League can be a springboard to a quick recovery. Liverpool are favourites, there's no use denying it, but if we stick together, we are capable of getting a result at Anfield. Marseille have a reputation for coming alive in the big games too.' Djibril Cisse has always liked to think of himself as a big time player and while his polite words for his former employers may surprise a few, you know he will be more motivated than ever as he becomes a Champions League star at Anfield once again this week. ESPN Soccernet

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Had a Spurs mate at the game yesterday who was raving on about him too.

What I found interesting from Saturday's performance is that they did it without SEVEN decent enough players. The following didn't feature: Duff Solano Dyer Barton Given Owen Emre Definitely worth a shout for 5th/6th if those players return and stay fit (the big issue though).

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Seen a few clips on YouTube and he looks good. Highly rated by the French and Zidane. He was the French Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year as well.

People should also realise that it's a clever trick in retaining the audience throughout the show. Yes the match was live, but i'm sure many missed it due to work or other commitments. Keeping them hooked right until the end is just a pretty basic ploy from my point of view.

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There's a David May one the Manc at work keeps singing about him having more medals than Shearer. I'd go as far as to say he's obsessed with Shearer. Even at the Reading FA Cup replay he was telling me the songs they were singing about him. It doesn't surprise me with the amount of s*** he comes out with though day in day out.

Such a great goal. Made that finish look soooo easy

My Manc mate was there yesterday and told me they were singing that and Hansen turned around and showed them the 5 fingers. He said he had to laugh

The Manc wrote a very nice piece on us last week in the same paper about the takeover. This is an interesting read: Hillsborough Revisited: Time to Stand Up and Be Counted? By Clive Tyldesley The most extraordinary event that I have witnessed at an FA Cup tie this season did not happen on the field of play. For six poignant minutes at the start of Liverpool's third-round match with Arsenal, the supporters at Anfield sang heartfelt chorus after heartfelt chorus of 'Justice for the 96'. It was a moving tribute to the memory and the innocence of the fans that died on a Hillsborough terrace in 1989. But the irony was that many of the Kop end supporters that led the singing remained standing throughout the Cup tie. The Hillsborough Family Support Group are against the reintroduction of standing areas at major football grounds. And perhaps that should be the beginning and the end of the debate. Victims' rights canno t be ignored. Some justice for the 96 that perished at that tragic FA Cup tie was secured through the implementation of the Taylor Report. Any repeat on any scale would leave blood on the hands of any government that reversed the decision to introduce all-seat stadia. And yet 125 MPs have now signed an Early Day Motion to "re-examine the case for limited sections of safe standing areas". That is a direct response to public pressure to reintroduce the right to choose whether to sit or stand at football matches. Thousands of supporters will exercise that right this weekend without any rights at all. The revolt against the existing regulations is growing, and so is the conflict between those that want to sit and those that want to stand in the same sections of football grounds. The argument goes that designated standing areas will make life better for those who choose to sit and cannot see at the moment. Something has got to be done. The debate for and against standing sections is similar to that for and against speed limits on our roads. If we all sat perfectly still in our seats at Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford today, the stewards could go home. If we all drove to the matches at 10 miles per hour, the traffic cops could take the day off, too. But we won't, and they can't. And that despite the fact that history tells us the consequences of ignoring the laws could be equally serious. We think we know best. Standing to watch football is not inherently dangerous. Even Lord Taylor conceded that much. Entering and leaving a stadium are far more hazardous activities. Customers will stand without fear of redress at games in Leagues One and Two today, and at rugby fixtures and rock concerts all over the country. In Germany, most Bundesliga venues have reinstated standing areas. Many of them can be adapted to 'all-seat' European fixtures. The safety standards and considerations bear no comparison to those that led to the disaster that was waiting to happen in the Eighties. Lessons have been learnt, progress has been made. advertisementThe very concept of 'safe' standing areas contradicts the overriding view of the Football Licensing Authority, though. Their evidence suggests seating is safer than standing. Period. Others can campaign and complain, but the buck stops with the FLA and with it a heavy responsibility. But they now have a new responsibility to address: the safety of standing in seated areas. Strenuous efforts have been made to encourage and enforce the 'no standing' regulations. Offenders have been ejected, ticket allocations have been reduced in some cases. But the resistance movement gets bigger, and the inconvenience to those sitting behind and among them gets bigger, too. It's a particular problem when children and Shaun Wright-Phillips' sized spectators cannot get value for the £30 or so they have paid to sit in comfort. The case for 'safe standing' is a good one. It is more dangerous to stand in a designated sitting area than one that has been given over to an old style terrace. There is also hard evidence to suggest that it would not automatically open the turnstiles to the hooligan culture that still infects Italy and other parts of the football world. But underlying the argument is the personal right of a fan to support his team in the position and at the volume that he or she wants to. It is the notion that communal standing and swaying and chanting and barracking are all part of the heritage and the atmosphere of the British game. But that's not a good enough reason. It is a stance that is embellished by emotive talk of football fans being unfairly pre-judged by the rest of society, of working-class supporters being priced out of football in favour of corporate customers, of clubs resisting the additional costs of converting parts of their stadia back to standing terraces. Conspiracy theories abound, but they cloud the picture. It is a delicate issue. Hillsborough made sure of that. But it has now become more of a practical issue. The tension between the sitters and the standers and the stewards caught in the crossfire is not healthy. No wonder a website dedicated to the campaign is called 'standupsitdown.co.uk' because half the people in these sections want to do one thing and the other half want the opposite. And the poor club security officials are the ones who have got to adjudicate. A new threat to safety is emerging and it has got to be addressed. If rules are rules, the revolt must be put down. If rules are mere guidelines, a compromise needs to be reached. We have to be realistic. It may be time for some carefully-monitored trials. I lived on Merseyside in 1989 and was involved as a radio journalist in the aftermath of the Hillsborough tragedy. Two people that were known to me were among the victims. I have always been of the view that nothing - no loss of atmosphere or heritage - could possibly justify a return to terracing and the inherent risks implied. There will never be 'justice for the 96' because they died needlessly. But the seating on the Kop and elsewhere was, at least, a legacy for them. But maybe if there really is such a thing as 'safe standing', it would be an even better legacy. Watching Liverpool people standing throughout their compassionate tribute to those that never returned from Sheffield has made me think again. The Telegraph

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