Alonso

2-0 Man Utd Rooney's gonna be fired up for this one and it's sod law he'll break his scoring duck against us.

Ok I'll start it then and let's see who gets closest to Rafa's! Reina Finnan Carragher Hyypia Riise Pennant Alonso Zenden Aurelio Garcia Bellamy Subs: Dudek Warnock Paletta Sissoko Gonzalez Crouch Kuyt

For me this is one of those times where it highlights what a mistake letting Didi go was. With Momo not 100% and Gerrard out that leaves a CM partnership of Alonso and Zenden which doesn't fill me with much confidence. This is a potential banana skin and really one we should be looking to get 3 points in and if we'd had Didi with his experience and protection he gave to the back 4 I'd have been far more confident. Still he isn't here and we'll have to make do with what we have but a lot of responsibility will fall on Xabi's shoulders to take the lead out there.

Yet they're still level on points with Man Utd. What happens if they click cos I'm sure there's a Chelsea fan site saying, "Ok we haven't played anywhere near our best yet we are still level on points with Utd. Just wait til Shevchenko, Ballack etc find their feet." They're winning and winning ugly whilst not playing particularly well.

It is an aside yes, but they have 8 more players than we have! Also Saar has won titles at Juve and maybe (?) Heinze, Vidic and Ronaldo have too at their previous clubs. As big an achievement as it was and one of the greatest days of my life, winning the CL is not the same as winning the league. If they pick up any injuries they'll be able to cope as the players they bring in seem much more drilled than when we bring in our "squad players". They also started the season without Rooney, Scholes, Carrick and Vidic and have Heinze, Silvestre, Park, Neville and Ronaldo out at the moment. FFS last season they had a midfield of O'Shea and Flecther yet still finished 2nd . It pains me to say it our squad seems far stronger on paper but the likes of Brown, O'shea, Fletcher etc just seem to come in and do a job. Agreed, hopefully now with no stupid international breaks Rafa can galvanise the squad and really get them playing as a unit. It's also time our big game players to find some form and if we win at OT it should really give us some confidence and help us to go on a decent run. Come on you redmen!

I agree with you altho would like to see Kuyt alongide Bellamy as the striking partnership. With Kuyt's ability to play through the middle and link up play and Bellamy's running the channels, this may then allow Gerrard to come inside from the right and link up with Kuyt or get into the box and not have to be stuck out wide for 90 minutes. Given time so an understanding can be formed could prove a very dynamic, flexible forward set of players and very difficult to mark with the interchanging. With Gonzalez getting forward and into the box from the left would give good balance too. The pace and movement would also help Alonso out as he'd have options ahead of him and Momo alongside protecting him!

Why can't you see the Mancs being the main contenders? They were second last season and are top this season, plus have a manager and players who are experienced in winning titles. As for saying that's there for us well I'd love to agree with you and thought we'd win it at the beginning of the season but IMO we've started far too slowly and are now relying on winning massive games AND others slipping up. Not only do we have to beat the Mances twice and Chelsea at home but we also need to take points both home and away against Arsenal. There's being negative and there's being realistic. We have the squad and manager to turn this around but it's gonna have to be some effort starting at OT on Sunday.

Thing is turn that on it's head and we're 11 points off the lead and given our away form this season with only 1 goal (and that a penalty) against Sheffield Utd on the opening day you can see why I'm not overly confident. Even if we do win that means we're only 5 behind Utd but with Chelsea at home to Portsmouth which given Chelsea's home results should be a win and at worst a draw we could still be 8 off the top. Yes there are still 90 points left to play for but (87 after the Mancs) but we need to put together one hell of a run and hope that the top 2 start to drop points. Arsenal are also starting to look good again and if they win their game in hand they go 6 points clear of us. People are saying the league won't be won by as many points this seaosn what with teams getting better but we all play the same teams at the end of the day.

Friedle is a doubt apparently.

And how many were penalties (they don't count either!! )

Yashin Carlos Alberto Baresi Moore Maldini Best Beckenbauer Zidane Maradona Van Basten Pele

Not saying I agree with the Official's view and am more likely to agree with people's views on here than on there!

Grobbelaar Clemence Reina Jones Babbel Hughes Carragher Hyypia Hansen Agger Gillespie Lawrenson Riise Nicol Kennedy Beardsley Johnstone Houghton Gerrard Alonso Sissoko Hamann Molby McMahon Barnes Berger McMananman Dalglish Rush Fowler Kuyt Aldridge Owen

Cheers for the report. Strange isn't it but the Official Site gave him man of the match!!! From what you've described it seems as if he should have been lower than a 7 too!!

Might well see that against Blackburn as Xabi has been away with Spain.

If you mean by "rivals" who's going be the team to beat to win the major trophies then it has to be Chelsea then Man Utd followed by Arsenal. Everton are our local rivals but in terms of winning things then they're not. As for hating a team well that's gonna be all of the ones mentioned in the poll and including teams like Bolton for their alehouse tactics, Pompey for that f***ing cow bell and the same monotinous Play up Pompey song, Newcastle for their dellsuion of grandure, Sheffield Utd for their twunt of a manager etc.

Manchester City defender Micah Richards is a January target for Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. (The People) Would be a good buy IMO, give solid cover for Finnan and also at CB. He's quick, strong and good going forward altho maybe a bit raw/niaive defensively but I'm sure Rafa will be able to improve him in that area. .......... Liverpool striker Salif Diao is set to join Stoke on a three-month loan deal. (News of the World) Now the validity of the article is somewhat discredited what with them claiming Diao's a striker but please let it be true!! Strories taken from the BBC Gossip page

Who is then? If he's not the best he's certainly one of the best.

Dunno but I'd doubt it. It'll probably go to Ronaldo.

Looks like Finnan will be playing both games for the Rep of Ire over the next week as Carr has pulled out of the squad. With Peltier injured last night I just pray we don't lose Finnan in either of Ireland's games as our cover is not the best.

You say no comparison but away against all 3 of the promoted sides last year we picked up 3 points, so that's another 2 points dropped on top of the 4 already mentioned. We therefore have to pick up at least 7 points elsewhere just to better last year's points tally by 1 and who knows if that'll be enough to win the league?

Anyone going that'll be able to post a match report? Leo No 8 are you still going to reserev games? Your reports were well worth reading and better than what was on the official site! We haven't got a game til 14 Oct so Rafa is probably keeping them match sharp.

Hopefully that'll give him some confidence and the boost he needs. A goal or two wouldn't go a miss either!!

This rotation stuff has been blown out of all proportion. Ok Rafa rotates, that?s his style. He?s won 2 La Liga titles, the UEFA Cup, Champions League and FA Cup in recent years doing it. Now where the problem lies is how and when it?s being done. There are key partnerships forged across the pitch and with the new players introduced to the squad these are taking longer to gel than usual due to the chopping and changing. Once these click either due to training or playing time then we will see the entire squad playing with rhythm, consistency and understanding whoever is picked. IMO Rafa sees this as a possible short term loss but long term gain in terms of overall style of play, results and cohesion between every squad member. In a way it?s similar to the zonal marking where at first we seemed to struggle but once everyone has got use to it it?s been brilliant. There are times when I think Rafa gets too hung up on opponents style of play and over-analyses things rather than just letting the team go out there and play and let the opposition worry about our style of play. However, he may not be confident that he can do this just yet as he may not be happy with the level of play that his team can reach. Again this will take time and understanding and a more expansive approach which is what Rafa has hinted at recently. The nucleus of the squad is there now and we can only get stronger as the season goes on. I can only see minor additions to the squad next summer and if that is the case there should be a well oiled squad there ready for an assault at the title after having a world cup free summer. Personally tho I?d like to see a core of the team remain as static as possible with the keeper back four, Gerrard, Sissoko Alonso and Kuyt starting 9 times outta 10 leaving 2 places up for grabs. The back 4 showed last year how key it is to be a settled unit and the 3 midfielders are the best at the club giving a good balance between them. Kuyt seems to have everything, pace strength, finishing, hold up play and can play with anyone and IMO should be the first striker on the team sheet. Current form suggests Crouch should be his partner.

Some Morrocan 20 year old who we souted at the same time as Paletta at the World Youth Cup. He looks to be an attacking midfielder with strength, pace and skill from various You Tube videos. He was at St. Ettiene who released him or we paid £200k compensation for him to be released and was on trial with us. No-one seems sure if we've signed him or not cos nothing official has come from the club but his official site claims he's signed a 4 year deal.