G Richards

Obviously a long way to go and it could easily be Chelsea v Milan in the final, but we will have to accept whatever comes. IF it is LFC v Mancs then it will be some game. It will offer incredible highs to the victor and despairing lows to the vanquished. Surely that's the stuff of being a fan though? I'd take it in a heartbeat right now. The chance to really put one over them, to give us a new song to sing, and to extend it to 6-2? It would be fantastic. If they beat us we'd still be ahead 5-3 with a great chance to regroup over the summer with Rafa's new money.

Zenden did well enough. He showed his versatility in playing wide and in the middle, and he also took a decent free kick. He will likely move on, and that would be the right decision, but for a freebie who gives experienced cover we shouldn't complain.

Henry was less (£10-11M I seem to recall) Ronaldo was less (£12-13M) Lampard was less (£11M) My figures are from memory, as I couldn't be bothered to look it up. Even though you have a couple of prices too high, your point still stands about Crouch's value.

Tevez is a very good player and would be a good signing for us. He plays as a deep striker and he has a lot of skill. He doesn't offer the amount of goals that we seem to need, so I'm struggling to get my head around this one. If we get rid of three strikers and replace them with Eto'o, Tevez and Voronin, bring it on. If we get rid of two strikers and replace them with Tevez and Voronin then I'm not so sure about that. Perhaps not enough goals.

If Owen is our only main signing up front in the summer (I know we have Voronin, but I see him as a fourth choice) then I'm not for it. He has obviousy been a good player, but given we have much more money these days, I'd much rather see us go for Eto'o/Villa/Huntelaar. If we can't sign any of them for whatever reason, then we need to step down a level and the likes of Owen (current player, not 2001 player) would come under consideration.

I think we'll be happy with what summer brings us in the transfer market. It's obvious Rafa's potential signings will now be of a higher calibre, since he has firmly committed to us with Real Madrid hovering. Everyone knows we need at least two top men for the team, and most would say a striker and a quality wide man are the two we need. One from each row please Rafa! (And in the order I've written) Eto'o/Villa/Huntelaar Alves/Quaresma/Ribery

Pennant is not really winning me over. I didn't have high expectations of him, but I don't even think he has met my modest expectations. He is worth keeping as a squad man for one more season to see how he might go, but we need better in the first team.

Kewell Alonso Gerrard Alves One needs to get fit and one needs to be signed, but that will be the midfield that brings home no.19.

Alves Eto'o/Vila/Huntelaar Quaresma

Fowler to come on with 20-30 mins to go for me. From the start the opposing defenders are fresh and all over him, and he can't find any space. He tires quickly and doesn't give us the athleticism we need up front to defend from the front. He has goals in him though, so I'd bring him on with 20-30mins to go if I were Rafa.

I'd be very happy with Alves and a top striker (Eto'o or Villa). 2 top signings like this would give us bags of pace going forward and would get us challenging strongly for the title. (I know we already have Voronin on board, and he may prove a shrewd signing too). We may ned a left midfielder but I'd rather see if Kewell can come back (he is a good player despite his poor fitness record). Failing that, I'd like Gonzales to have a go and I'd like to see what Leto can do.

The idea is wrong. There are loads of football league clubs ingrained in their communitites and the hopes and dreams of many people rise and fall with them accordingly (albeit on a much smaller scale than at a top Prem team like us). They have just as much right to exist in Professional football. The answer is to revamp the reserve league, or to improve the loan system. Neither one of these is necessarily a better option for our youngsters than the one Rafa suggests, but, like it or not, football does not exist solely for the top teams.

When Rafa signed Mascherano it looked like a bit of an insurance policy to me. By all accounts he is a good player (certainly internationally) and he should come into his own in the Prem with a bit more time (his passing was off yesterday, but you could see it will come, as he is a neat and tidy type of player who normally gives it simple). We are overrun with quality central midfield talent. It might just be that Rafa is willing to let one of them go if this gives him an edge to bring in the top notch striker we desperately need. The money from the new owners will be great, but sometimes money is not enough, expecially if there are other teams willing to pay as much (or even more in the case of Chelsea). That's where the possiblity of letting ALonso go might make sense. Ideally we keep him and get a top striker, but I feel Xabi may go to help bring Eto'o in. Stevie should come into the middle and this makes even more sense if we sign Alves. Mascherano behind Gerrard would be a great central midfield pairing and the extra steel Momo provides would be really useful to have as an option too. I feel this will be the way forward next season, with Alonso reluctantly moving on but paving the way for the striker we need.

I hope Xabi stays but if he wants to go back to Spain then it may well help us strengthen overall. Stevie to move back into the middle with Momo/Mascherano and Rafa to spend big to bring Alves in for the right. If Xabi goes to Barca then we must get Eto'o in a swap/part exchange. Then we would be stronger overall, even minus Xabi next season. It was an unusual bit of business when Rafa brought in Mascherano, but it may well have been as some sort of insurance policy. On today's evidence against Aston Villa Mascherano still has quite a bit of improving to do, but by all accounts he is a class player and should come good.

Pongolle is doing quite well in Spain. I think we should get at least £3M for him. He has been scoring and making an impact and he is still very young. Someone will get a very good deal on a talented young striker IMO.

There's so many permutations that it is impossible to make a call. How long will Rafa be here for? Are we thinking of: 1. Manager's already at the top? (Ramos is yer man) 2. Those who could conceivably be at or on the way to the top in years to come? (Keane, Southgate, Bruce, Coleman, Jewell) 3. Are we thinking of those who are not even started as managers but you could see them doing really well as they are astute types when it comes to the game? (Carragher, McAllister) It's impossible to say really, but I dearly hope Carra will be a future Liverpool manager. He is a great student of the game and if he continues to pick things up from Rafa he will give himself a good chance.

Rafa likes us to play a pressing game all over the park. He wants the strikers to put their defence under pressure. Whatever else their relative merits as strikers, I'd have to say that Kuyt fulfils this pressing aspect better than Crouch.

Figaro, I enjoy reading your posts and I enjoy the snippets you add from Spain. I wouldn't have a clue as to how well connected you are, but I have to say that the first sentence here just does not sit quite right with me. You are 'giving' a conference and the Spanish businessmen are a 'select group'. This may well be 100% true, but why the need to say this? I would imagine there are plenty of professional people working at a high level posting all over Liverpool message boards. Most of them manage to do so without needing to blow their own trumpets!

Moores was always a decent Chairman in my eyes. Previous success was not sustained under his stewardship, but it is unrealistic to ask for any club to be dominant for longer than we were. He leaves with the club in a good state, with a top manager, good players and wealthy new owners to hopefully take us that last step to no.19 (and more!) He is a decent man, a passionate fan and a local as well. There's a lot to be thankful for.

Agree with all of that until the end. Nugent would be a fourth choice striker for us, and not in nearly the same class as the first choice striker (e.g. Eto'o, Villa) I hope we sign.

Alves, Eto'o and Woodgate would give us a great chance at no.19. I'd be very happy with those three additions. Alves and Eto'o have been done to death, but the addition of Woodgate would enable Rafa to play 3-5-2, which would suit Alves and also enable him to play two of Alonso/Momo/Mascher in the middle with Gerrard.

Reina Finnan Carra Agger Riise Alves Gerrard Mascherano Kewell Kuyt Eto'o Two main additions: Alves and Eto'o Ribery and Villa would do as well

Rafa has a sports science background and he will know better than anyone on this board what he needs to do to stay fit. Knowing it and doing it are two different things. I imagine Rafa is busier than most people, and I bet his schedule is full on. He lives for the game and never really switches off. I would have though he could work in 20-30 mins cardio a day though, even if he is doing something else. For example, if he has video compilations of scouted players, they could be viewed while on a rowing machine/treadmill. I love Rafa and I'm really glad he's our manager. But he does need to lose some weight.

Clemence (just beat me to it!)

In all likelihood Alonso will be here for a long time to come, and he is most certainly an excellent player. But given our obvious strength in central midfield, I feel it is possible that ALonso's sale would be considered if that was the only way, for example, we were able to land someone like David Villa. Presumably plenty of teams will be in for Villa in the summer. Hopefully with the new owners we will have the cash to compete. But what if Valencia will only deal if we let Xabi go to them? I'm not saying it will happen, but I'm just trying to suggest possible circumstances that might lead to Xabi (reluctantly) being sold.