Cooger

Isn't it funny how none of the media have mentioned the zonal marking recently. With 10 clean sheets in 11 games, I think it shows the system is working. They are quick enough to criticise it when we conceed though.

Neil will be one of them and the other might even be a loan for midfield... he won't be needed once Momo is fit. Then in the summer I expect some class to be added in the wide areas.

I'm a big fan of Cliche. Everytime I watched the French under 21 team he always stood out, along with Mr Ribery. But I guess the Internation game isn't a good place to judge talent. Le Tallec looked a totally different player for that under 21 team, than he did for us and scoring regularly. Given alot of people didn't want Kuyt after the World Cup, Diouf looking good for Senegal, Ronaldinho having a poor WC... I think it is better to judge players at their clubs where they can be assed over more games.

Haven't seen much of Bale. Baines from what I have seen certianly has what it takes to be at a big club. Saw him total control Walcott the other night and other than the 'knock it past the defender and hope I'm quicker' tactic Walcott had nothing to trouble Baines. He looks to be composed on the ball, solid defensively and has a great shot on him and his goals have been top draw. I'm a big fan of Riise, however I would like to see a younger player come in and really gie him some top competition. Aurelio from what we have seen of him look more comfortable in midfield and weak defensively. Warnock can be good, but can be poor and I can't see him being a regular at Liverpool. Insua might be the man to give Riise some much needed competition, lets hope he settles into the league.

Lahm would cost alot, doubt Chelsea would sell Bridge, not sure about Bale... I like Baines at Wigan though. I think Riise' biggest weakness, if you were to be over critical, is that he is very one-footed. It's not a massive problem, as lots of top players have been one-footed. I personally rate him defensively and I can't remember too many players getting the better of him. Yes he can make mistakes, defenders do unfortunately. I think his positioning is good and whjen he goes forward he always gets back into position. I don't think Riise is a problem at all.

I agree. If Gonzalez has a poor game, people say he isn't used to the league or he is showing signs of potential. For Pennant he has to create for people to say he has contributed, even that isn't good enough sometimes. He does look frightfully short of confidence, but I'm not surprised with some of the treatment he has got. He is staying wide, which is something we haven't had for year natural width. Murphy, Garcia etc would constant cut inside and cram up midfield. Gerrard and Alonso controlled the centre today and Pennant / Gonzalez staying wide gives them more space. It also stretches the opposition defense, just standing on the touchline. Nunez used to be very good at this and it might sound simple, but Garcia wouldn't do it. I'd prefer a tidy player, who stays wide and keeps the ball, crossing / running when appropriate... rather than Garcia or Murphy who lose the ball more and make the pitch smaller. Pennant isn't a world beater, but he can be effective.

Alonso for me. Looks to be really enjoying playing alongside Gerrard and showing signs of reaching his top form. Shortly followed by Gerrard, Bellamy and Finnan (who's assist for the second goal was important)

Same can be said of Gonzalez from what we have seen so far. Yes our wingers are not in the same class as Man U's or Chelsea's, but if they have a good game we should say they have a good game. Today they both did well. Re: Pennant not running at players enough. I think this is very criticial. It is not huis main strength running at defenders. He is more of a 'pass and move' type player, relying on good movement from himself and others. He's a tidy player who keeps the ball well and likes to cross early. Abit like Beckham, in the fact he's a one-two touch player.

I agree, but someone said a good left back would walk straight into the team, I don't agree.

I think it should also be pointed out, while all the predictable Riise bashing posts occur... he was one of few players who started the season well. (Along with Kuyt, Agger and Sissoko) He has had a couple of poorer games, but he is still our best left back. He's good in the air, gets forward, scores the odd vital goal and is an option in midfield or wing back. He's abit one footed and lauches the ball long too often at times. But I think it would help if he had a decent play infornt of him. Gonzalez has been raw, Aurelio poor so far and when Garcia is used on the left he is often seen more centrally. I also like it how Riise stays on his feet when he defends, unlike Traore for example. Not too many left backs around who could be available better than Riise. He allowed the odd bad game, especially as Carragher, Gerrard, Alonso and co. started the season so poorly.

I don't understand how everyone is giving Gonzalez a higher rating than Pennant. Don't think either were outstanding, but they provided good width and were better. Pennant put in some good balls into the box, especially from corners. I don't see how Gonzalez played any better.

Gonzalez and Pennant have been poor, but they are not the whole problem. Everyone in the squad has started the season low in confidence, with only Agger, Kuyt and Sissoko playing consistantly well. Gonzalez is looking very raw at the moment, his crossing is poor and he is losing the ball more than anyone in the team. In La Liga he looked a different player last season, so lets just hope he's not another Morientes who will struggle with the more physical approach with less time and space on the ball which occurs in the Premiership. Pennant has been less poor in my opinion, he's got the most assists in the squad for starters. I do agree that he lacks pace, which everyone assumed he had. Not only lacking pace he has also lacked support, which is why he has constantly cut inside. If he had an Alves or Eboue behind him giving him more support on the flank then I'm sure we'd see him do better. He likes playing 'one-two's', rather than running at a defender and beating them. Our side lacks the movement at the moment for 'pass and move' to work. If you watch Man U this season they have movement throughout the attacking 6 players... all capable of scoring and creating goals. We don't have this and until we get it we will not challenge for the title. I don't think it is right to single out Pennant and Gonzalez as everyone has been poor. Where are the topics about Carragher playing below his usual standards? We have seen them for Gerrard so why doesn;t he get them? Alonso, Finnan, Bellamy, Aurelio, Gerrard, Hyypia etc etc... it is not one or two individuals why we aren't performing this season... nearly every member of the squad isn't performing.

It is out already. Re Owen: I would welcome him back, but I can't see it happening. Think when he left Madrid was his last possible time to do it in the forseeable future (unless Newcastle get relegated). He left the club on good terms and when he had talks it seemed Rafa, Moores, Parry, Gerrard and Carragher would all welcome him back. A percentage of the fans might not have wanted him back... but I don't think that would have stopped Rafa. These fans also didn't want Crouch, Bellamy or Neil... Rafa buys the players he feel will help the club, not what the fans want. But some fans are fickle and I'm sure they would have changed their minds once Owen knocked the goals in. Owen has anwered the critics all his career, by scoring goals... I'm sure he will again.

I think it shows that most players are not like Gerrard and still shine whatever league, team or position they play in. Put Nando in the Premiership he didn't suit the pace / physical nature. Le Tallec never really got a chance in his favoured role behind a lone striker. Cisse didn't suit Rafa's team approach style. But put Nando in Spain, Le Tallec in the right team / position and Cisse in a counter attacking team, they all would look different players. Rafa is buying the 'right legs for the table' and unlike Houiller, putting them in the right position the majority of the time.

But there is no way we could have justified signing Duff at the time, when Kewell was bought for 5 million. We didn't know he'd turn into a Redknapp and not be on the pitch half the time and at the time Kewell was the better value.

No happy with Agger. His distribution is superior in my opinion. Think he is unlucky not to be in the team first choice given his form this season. Maybe he would have been if he didn't break his wrist.

Cisse is another example. He cost us 14 million, which seems alot of money. However I think he was probably worth that at the time and he would have thrived under Houiller's counter attacking approach. But he certainly wasn't worth 14 million to Rafa, as he didn't have the all round game to fit into the 'team mentality'. Bellamy is a far more complete player to Cisse, who will fit in more. Other than goals and pace, Cisse offered little. Bellamy has the pace and should provide goals, but he will also keep the ball better, make more intelligent runs, pass to teammates etc. Another shrewd bit of business... and we haven't even sold Ciise yet. I don't think Houiller should be remembers of being 'all bad'. We need to remember he did alot of good for the club. He got rid of the spice boy image, made the club more professional and most importantly brought back success to Anfield. I think he made the revolutionary changes after Evans and Souness. Benitez's period has been more of an evoltionary process and long may it continue.

Yes I think the option was a cheaper winger and Kuyt. Or Alves and a cheaper striker. Pennant was good value in my opinion. He hasn't been outstanding, but he has had some decent games. He will give the team width and put in crosses given the chance. I think Rafa made the right choice... especially since the start Kuyt has made.

I don't think he has been alone in that. In my opinion Agger, Sissoko, Riise and Kuyt have been the only players who have been consistantly well this season. That's why it is hard to criticise Pennant, Gonzalez, Aurelio... as they haven't been alone in playing poorly. Put them in a more confident team on form, they could look like different players. We can blame rotation, luck, fixtures, formation etc... but the main reason so far has been players form and getting the new players gelling. No coincidence we win three games with 10 players that were in the squad last season... only Kuyt has made a significant impact so far.

Yes one of the main differences between Rafa and Houiller, is Rafa's failures have cost the club little financially!

I think Liverpool fans praise Finnan and value him, as does Rafa. It is the other managers and pundits that give him less credit. I think the two games that you mention above have been probably the only games he hasn't had decent games in. It is a backhanded compliment, I know... but I think it says it all. I like full backs who defend first attack second... that is what we have with Finnan, he is solid and we rarely looked troubled down the right. Lots of people want more in their full backs... but Finnan does get forward, does pop up with some assists and I don't think we could ask for much more in a right back. (Same goes for Riise)

What are everyone?s opinions on Rafa?s style? I personally like the way he does business. He is pretty tight with his money, which is a welcome contrast when you compare him to Houiller, for example. However that doesn?t mean he won?t spent big money if he feels the player is worth it, like we saw with Alonso. I think that is the whole point with the way he does his transfer business. He pays what he feels a player can offer the team, not how much he is perceived to be worth on the market. Sometimes this maybe less, sometimes more? But he is willing to pay over the odds, if he feels a player is worth that value for what he will offer to our team. When he paid 7 million for Crouch for example, a lot of supporters weren?t happy with who we had signed and how much we paid for him. But Rafa knew he was the player at the time that would make us improve. The season before we had struggled away from home, when Crouch arrived (and Sissoko)? we were more physical away from home. Crouch enabled the team to keep the ball better and give our top players more chance to stamp their authority on games and for the team to control games. Had Arsenal paid 7 million for Crouch, I don?t think he would have been worth 7 million. He wouldn?t have suited their style of player as much and been worth that money to them. But Rafa knew he was worth that amount to our club. Sometimes it might mean we do miss out on the players Rafa and the fans really want... for example Simao and recently Alves. But Rafa didn?t think they worth worth the amount of money we would have had to pay. Especially when Pennant a player who is significantly cheaper is available. Pennant might not be in the class of the above players, but he is young, talented and given that he is also English it is highly likely his value will appreciate. Rafa says it is all about getting the right leg for the table. People can debate who is the right leg, but I like his transfer policy. Others might think we miss out on our top targets, but when there are significantly cheaper alternatives, I don?t see that as a big problem. What does everyone else think about Rafa?s transfer strategy?

I'll ignore that! Are new members not welcome?

Rafa has always rotated his team. He did at Valencia, he has done at Liverpool. He has won La Liga (x2), Spanish Cup, Champs League, Super Cup (x2), Fa Cup, Community Shield and we have got to the League Cup and World Club Championship Finals. Not bad for a manger who rotates his squad alot. Rotation as Hansen says, is only a problem when the team is struggling. If the team is winning, then it is seen as great management. Like you have said rotation is essential now in football and it should be done at the right place in the right time. But it is a high risk strategy and can make a manager look foolish or great. It is one of the reason why Rafa thinks we won the Champs League in his first season. It was also another reason why his teams look fitter from January onwards compared to the challengers. We saw this last season where we played numerous games (given Champs League qualification and WCC)... but we still looked the fittest team around and went on another great run. Benitez also says it was one of the main reasons why his Valencia team won the La Liga championships. I personally think Rafa can make too many changes at times. For example one game this season he made 8 changes. But I do think 2 or 3 changes can mean the players stay fresh, as well as keeping cohesion and structured. But if the players were on form... I don't think rotation would be as much as an issue.