Alonso

The Official 7 days to the end of our season thread.......................... The Official 7 days to the START of our season thread.......................... Here comes number 6!

Aurelio hasn't proved himself capable in my eyes and this poor woeful (!) form for Riise has is not the norm as he arguabley had his best season for us last year. Riise has done it, Aurelio hasn't and is also injure, a lot! Admitedly Gonzalez has struggled (but shown glimpses) in the same way Aurelio has, but he's younger and the faith that Rafa put in him getting him here and the rave reviews he got in Spain makes me wanna give the lad a chance. Until Kewell comes back I don't think we can make a judgement but it'll be a bit risky giving him a new contract due to his injuries. I haven't seen Leto play no but again he is an option for the left and why I had him down in my reserve/back up list. Agreed Richards is also flexible (could play CB too) and offers something different to Alves in his strength, pace and athletisism. Would I like to see Alves play RB for us? Hmm not convinced by his defensive abilities and his height could well count against him. If he were to play RW then that would congest the CM area with 4 players who'd expect to start as well as Pennant. If he were to play as a wing back then I'd be all for it, however, how often will Rafa use that formation? Agreed and this is the problem we have, who will it be? Kaka, more than likely off to Madrid. Diego, is he really of the required standard? Quaresma, too inconsistent? Deco, not getting any younger. Aimar, has he still got the ability? I could go on but when/if we do sign someone of that ilk how will we accommodate them in the team/squad. They will expect to play most games as will the likes of Xabi, Momo, Mascherano, Gerrard, Kuyt, Bellamy, Crouch (AN Other striker) and how will we keep the balance of the side? It's far more complex that just saying we should buy that type of player or player x as there things to consider like you say the balance/flexibility of the squad and also keeping players who aren't playing regularly happy. Whatever Rafa's plans I'm sure he has it sussed.

We need to start letting Barce think christ, how are we gonna stop Gerrard, someone will have to close down Xabi to stop him passing us off the park. What about the pace and energy of Bellamy, someone needs to keep tight on him and not leave to much space in behind. Crouch will cause us problems in the air and holds up the ball well, we'll have to make sure that we cut out the crosses and balls into him. Then there's the destructive force of Sissoko how are Xavi and Deco gonna get any time they'll have to be on their game. That Kuyt guy never stops running and is strong on the ball, he could pull our defence all over the place with his movement and he also tracks back to deny space for the midfield. Did you see Carragher mark Drogba outta the game recently against Chelsea? Eto'o is only just back from injury so how will he fair gaianst him? Ronaldinho is gonna have to give support to Van Bronckhorst what with Gerrard maurading down the right and Finnan overlapping putting in great crosses. He'll also have problems cos of Gerrard's energy and Finnan's defensive capabilities to get any joy own the left. Any shot we take is gonna have to be deadly accurate too cos they've got Reina in goal who has kept XX amount of clean sheets this season. Rather than us worrying about what they're gonna do to us. COME ON YOU REDMEN!

I don't think we can say Aurelio is miles ahead of Riise at the moment purely cos he's had one decent game. He's still to find his feet in a new league and regardless of Riise's form this year I'd prefer him to Aurelio as back up even if on the ability to play 2 consecutive games. With Kewell's injury record I'd be surprised to see him come back to the level we are all taking for granted. He's also only got 18 months left on his contract so unless Rafa wants to give him a new deal then we need to sell him this summer to get any money. I would doubt that Rafa is keen to give someone with his injury record another big pay deal for the next few years. Hence the reason Garcia is as back up to Gonzalez and we'd also have Leto as cover if Garcia were to play more centrally or on the right. Worst case Riise could also cover that position. With Leto coming in and the number of left sided players we have at the club I seriously doubt Rafa spending big on a LW this summer unless there's a big clear out. There would have to be someone outstanding AND available for Rafa to consider it IMO and there just isn't anyone obvious who fits those criteria. Finnan also only has til 2008 on his contract and isn't getting any younger. Sooner or later he'll need to be replaced and giving Richards a year to settle in, learning about playing for a club at the highest level can only help his development. Even if Finnan starts the season as no. 1 RB who's to say Richards wouldn't force him out?

Depends what you mean by challenging. For me you have to be top/within a few points of top right the way til the finish and we haven't once been in a position to win the PL in the last 2 years or even put pressure on the team in first.

Reina Carson Finnan Carragher Agger Bale Richards Arbeloa Hyypia Riise Gerrard Alonso Sissoko Gonzalez Pennant Mascherano Guthrie Garcia Kuyt Villa Crouch Bellamy Back-ups/Reserves: Padelli, Insua, Paletta, Huth, Ajdarevic, McCarthy, Duran, Hammill, Leto, Zhar and Brouwer

Wonder if Reina will have any competition from Carson next season: Arsenal are tracking England Under-21 keeper Scott Carson, who is currently on loan to Charlton from Liverpool. (Various) From the BBC Gossip Column. If that is the case then we gotta be looking for around £7-8m surely.

Are there questions over his long or even short term future then?

Especially if they get C Ronaldo too.

I very much doubt we'll be signing a new left winger in the summer as we've got Leto coming over, Gonzalez, Garcia and Kewell as well as Aurelio and Riise who can play there. Admitedly some will be sold but to contemplate getting in a world class left winger would mean selling Gonzalez, Kewell and Gracia (leaving Leto as cover) as well as one of Riise/Aurelio (or maybe both if Insua is any good) to accommodate this new LB we all want.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez's first signing following George Gillett and Tom Hicks's takeover of the club will be to buy Spain international David Villa from Valencia for £20m. (Sunday Express)

From Bascombe: Meanwhile, Benitez is increasingly confident Javier Mascherano will get the go-ahead to make his Liverpool debut. Benitez believes the Premier League could make a ruling as soon as today. ?We think the news on Mascherano will be good and they will decide soon, maybe this will be on Monday,? said Benitez. ?The lawyers have been working hard on this. He was playing for West Ham and FIFA have said he can play for Liverpool, so the answer to us should be yes. He is training and now we are just waiting.?

Here's a link to his profile on the Tenerife website (in Spanish) Iriome Gonzalez

Mate of mine was playing football on the weekend and one of his team mates went to clear the ball good and proper (and being a black belt in Karate means it was a hell of a kick) but ended up kicking the studs of the attacker trying to block the clearance. Anyway the result was an open fracture of his foot and both pieces of the bone came through the boot.

Maybe worth a punt on David Nugent?

Both teams seemed to lack something up front. Portugal defended very well and hit Brazil on the counter a few times with the pace and skillof Ronaldo and Quaresma who looked their most dangerous player on the night. Great vollied goal by Simao from a Quaresma cross and a good finish from Carvalho made it 2-0 to Portugal.

Unfortunately I'm not gonna be able to watch the PC, so would be much appreciated if someone could give a run down of what they've said. Thanks in advance.

It'll also enable him to get his first choice player rather than being priced out of it. Not getting Alves last summer being a key example.

Agger Pennant Carragher

Good to see Crouch already equal last season's tally with probably less playing time and more frequent rotation.

Arbeloa at LB, Riise at LW?

If the decision needs to be made by a certain time for Mascherano to be included in tomorrrow's squad then it'll be made 1 minute after that.

Does this from Bascombe's article mean that Moores and Parry plus some of the baord stay in control? They have also promised continuity at boardroom level. DIC did the same, of course, although it has emerged under their proposals that Parry would have been the only existing board member who would have kept his position. Moores would have been a figurehead, but the other five places would have been selected from DIC.

Not that his sources are anything to go by by Graham Beacroft said that had it not been the derby he heard from various people that there would have been a protest outside Anfield this weekend.