trowie

Somehow feel that Pellegrino will be just as tough a task master. Being 'freindly' won't detract players/coaches from the drive to perfect and achieve.

Didn't you say a couple of months back, via your cloggy relatives that we were pursuing him and they were getting shirts with his name on?

g & h still here as well an no sign of the stadium crossing the finishing line either

I babblefished that and it made better sense yet was still less understandable

An duty free

To sort out the 16 goals conceded from set pieces. Why is Pelle worried about finding a school that teaches good football? Can't he just bring them to Melwood everyday

For me the function of the academy and reserves is Academy - local talent up to 15 years old and then including the 16-18 year olds The function is to prepare them to develop their football skills and character and including education. To progress them to 'reserve level. Reserve Team - To continue the development of those academy kids in a more adult environment and to include later recruits to old for the academy but who need to acclimatise to a new environment often from a foreign country. A feeder to the first team squad (not the first team as such) The latest recruits over the last couple of years have been mostly of a very young age and the likes of Pacheco and Bruna have only just established themselves as reserves. Still a long way to go to be classed as even ready to be a squad member. Nemeth Plessi have great talents as do Insua but I would still not consider them squad material yet. The kids themselves will know that from just training with the first team squad when invited. I think it may have been Arbeloa who intimated that they don't pussy foot around in training. It's full on. If it was Arbie, he was told by a coach on his first day, to be prepared. They don't pull out of tackles in training and they go in like its a champions league final. So to make that step up to being considered a squad member, these kids would have to be really confident and even piss takers when presented with the opportunity to train with the first team squad. Players like Gerrard and Fowler probably had that scouse hardness to mix it with the older players. but I doubt they had an easy ride with the older pros. If you were an old pro would you let a young upstart mess you about. It's a really hard environment where you are playing and training for the right to stay here. Going out on loan can be precarious for the same reasons. Senior players at the club they are loaned out to won't want to lose their place to some foreign upstart who might arrive with a bag of tricks but little in confidence and may give the kids a rough ride while they are on loan without them getting on the pitch to start with. If they do show something they may earn the respect of their fellow players while out on loan and they will then get their chance to prove they can cut it with the adult players in that division, albeit at a lesser skill level. I don't believe it is any different for teams abroad like Barcelona and their reseve teams. It's one hard life to succeed, but if they do the rewards are great. So why do kids come here, if they know what is in store for them. I believe they come to get the best football education from the best coaches around and be nurtured in a considered way. That is the structure that Benitez has introduced here and few kids will make it to being squad players here and only the odd one who will make it to senior staus in the mould of gerrard Fowler Owen. They know that but they will hope to get there, but sure as hell they will know with every step of the way that they either have it or don't.

Yeah dave hodgson, Plessis came in and grew in stature, but I remember the next game he played was in the reserves and he was well off the pace, probably because of it. Players don't progress in a steady upward line or curve they come on in steps, and usually take one back for every two forward. There is this fine balance of when to blood players, but when the demands for consistency are so great for the first team it's always going to be hard to just throw in a couple of rising stars in the hope they will continue to shine and progress the team on a steady line. We were never a team to do that in the past. Young players got a chance for whatever reason and would slip back into the reserves in what was then a smaller squad before again getting a future chance later down the line. Souness had his hand forced to some extent when launching his batch of kids , but at the end of the day they won f*** all, even though it produced a couple of reall sparkling gems. Just noticed that Utd have just released 5 young kids from their reserves and am not seeing many kids making the step up there either. It is early days in the programme for the development of our youth system under Raffa and I think we won't be able to see the full effect of his policies for another year at least. I think till then we and the kids are gonna have to be patient.

And something Elisha omitted to tell

Gilett said something re the Liverpool Football Stadium and it being recognised the world over and it being as good atmosphere as Anfield Does this signify at all what they are considering naming it

It was an argument that I bought into at the time, that because he tried the creative and sometimes ingenious pass, it was inevitable it wouldn't happen, and the ball would be given away.Then I remembered what Raffa was about. Hunt the ball to get it, Once gotten don't give it back until it hits the back of their net, or you could spend another ten minutes hunting it down again or worse still get it back from the back of your own net.

Spurs have agreed £20m, but Valencia haven't Obvious

Make sure you wear a scarf then

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnNWbTlucl0

Sorry he's gone to Leeds On Ilkley Moor Nihat On Ilkley Moor Nihat

"god raffa, yer like a dog with two dicks since Nando signed"

The guy did his level best to be in top form by volunteering for the reserves and putting in a good shift. It relly hurts me when our supporters lambast players regardless of their endeavours. Skill style o0f play etc is fair game but to dismiss him in that manner is crass.

Raffa may have wanted deals to be done quickly this year but he can't force other teams to pursue our plays with the same rigour.There doesn't seem to be much happening in the rest of the prem as regards buying yet. Also if we are selling JAR then he has the right to hold out for his preferred destination. If we want to be rid then it will be on his terms and there's little else we can do as opposed to us wanting a player that other teams are unwilling to let go.

The Ark Royal?! Was that the one that went down or the present one

I agree I think, but if you have the basic skill attitude and consistency, then you would at least think that he should have been able to grab that position in a period when England were begging for a player to surface. In fact he didn't have to be that spectacular at the time, just add balance by being there.

The problem for me with Downing is that as much talent and potential to improve, England has had a whopping big hole on the left side of midfield and just a run of consistant games would have seen him hold the position for life. He has failed to grasp the position for himself leaving the management to play Joe Cole, stevie and anyone else they can find before leaving the position to Downing. Suggests either he can't raise his game to the level needed or is hit and miss on the day.

I can understand why Ballague would mention that raffa would not shop at Valencia. However if Valencia are putting the player on the market as opposed to Raffa enquiring, his attitude may change

Dosser

Wasn't eager to do anything, and wasnt trying to offend. Just seemed like any old thread after our defeats, slating one of our players, difference being that, (I included) want to have a go at anyone who didn't stuff it to the mancs last night. Malouda is my scapegoat though Terry is a c**k

Bad enough having the knee jerk reactions against our own players when they lose but now we are into the other teams