Stefano

Torres always has games like that, when his touch is all over the place and he's moaning non stop. You know he'll eventually click though, unlike MC Babel.

That's mind bogglingly wrong for a start. Ronaldo was forced to stay when he was blatantly engineering a move away and only left with Ferguson's blessing. Blaming our loss yesterday on the owners forcing the manager to sell 2 key players is a naive as it gets. There is still such a thing as contracts and if Rafa felt he needed to keep anyone he should have.

Tevez and Silva still holed up in Hope St?

Rafa is in control of transfers. If he wanted them to stay they would have, the buck stops with him. Are we going to have this after every poor result now?

So after one poor game the defence is not good enough? They'll be fine as the season goes on. It's the lack of a real tempo setter in midfield and the chronic lack of depth up front that concerns me. I don't quite understand why people are suddenly expecting anything different from the defence in terms of distribution. It's not their fault we've sold our key CM over the past 5 seasons and supposedly changed our approach, which wasn't really in evidence today.

Even though his poor distribution is over played, that's just not his game. He's a defender, and a fine one. He needs someone to make space and demand the ball, which Alonso used to do, but today we just looked static all over the park and that puts pressure on the defence. He's already been written off after one game on RAWK anyway, so I expect him to have another good season. The defence is the least of our worries.

The only saving grace is we have those two to come in instead of Babel. Strange, strange decision not to start Benayoun but Rafa is prone to throwing the odd curveball every now and again.

In regards to Carra, he didn't exactly have much on when he had posession in deeper areas. Masch did drop off now and again but our movement all round was poor.

Can I ask who are the saviours waiting in the wings ready to save us and spend all their own money on big name players once we force the current lot out? I'd love a scouse multi billionaire but we've missed the boat, best get used to it. Today wasn't about owners or money, it was just good players playing poorly.

I think Rafa would sell Babel in a shot. Getting rid of that lump for a decent return won't be easy though.

I get him now. Thought he was on about the start of the season.

We beat Sunderland and Boro.

We won our first two games last season.

Would it be worth reminding you that Lucas and Babel cost a combined total of 18 million quid? That's got nothing to with rich owners and all to do with wasting money on mediorce players.

Exactly right.

Reina Johnson Gerrard

Maybe we've got different definitions of 'playing well' but I expect more from my CM. I expect them to get on the ball and dicate our game and not hide, like Stevie when he was dropped back and picked up the tempo.

It seems like you've already made your mind up to defend him at all costs regardless of how he plays. I'm judging him on his performances, which are just not up to standard. People are saying he played well to protect him but in reality he was non existant and just plodded around taking up space. You could see the difference as soon as Gerrard dropped back.

Pity he's not good enough. Gerrard in midfield please.

I hate Spurs away.

Massive difference to our attacking play when Gerrard drops back and starts getting on the ball.

Ayala? Baffling.

Patronisng c*** isn't he. As though every manager should abide to the gospel of Gray.

As in short for Johnson. Exciting eh. 2 feckin 1.

Defoe holding his face, little snide.