Saithip

Unfortunately Gerrard sank without trace in the second half and was non-existent as an attacking threat, so we just about never looked like scoring after the break

Yawn!

Yes but the player who scored for them didn't run from outside the box. He was just a few yards further out than from where he scored and didn't have to get a run. He simple ambled forward into the area where the ball arrived and was more or less unchallenged I think that zonal marking has been proven over many years as an extremely effective way to defend corners - many continental teams have used it successfully for years. We too went a couple of years conceding only a couple of goals a year from corners, which was fewer than others. So it has proved to be very effective for us too. I think the problem this season has been with personnel, in particular the fact that the back four has been chopped and changed because of injury and, without a settled lineup, there's been no consistency in using the system So what really gets on my t*** is the way the system is always, but always, but always blamed as being at fault when someone scores from a corner. But when a goal is conceded where man-marking is used - and this happens countless team all season - the system is absolutely never blamed, which is just plain stupid

Ah I see it all now. All those fans over many forums voting him as man of the match all the time are out of step and you're the only one in step. It must be great to be so right

Well said. I'm constantly amazed at the short-sightedness of many on here. Since he's been in the team it's noticeable that we're keeping possession of the ball much better. He's comfortable with it and doesn't treat it like a hot potato to be sent Carragher-style into low earth orbit. He links very well with other players and it's been good to see us doing more of the short passing game. It's only in the final third that we've been lacking and that's not his fault. But because he hasn't been going past three men and lashing the ball into the top corner some people think he's actually making no difference. You have to laugh really

Agree 100%. City were the home team, above us in the league and have spent a fortune on new players. Yet they seemed incapable of getting the ball forward and really never looked like scoring, although yesterday was apparently the first time in 23 home games that they've failed to score. But because the opposition was Liverpool I could hear in the tone of voice of the commentators and pundits yesterday that they felt it was our fault and only we should be criticised. If we had parked the bus I could understand it but Sky Sports - hardly Liverpool's biggest fans - this morning showed that we had more than 56% of possession and more than 54% of territorial advantage. But their general thrust seems to be let's ignore that, forget about's City's negativity at home and get back to the agenda of slagging off Liverpool I don't like supporting that useless ref but, after Torres had been penalised for the push, it was very clear on TV replays that he shouted to the ref "f*** off" - I didn't need to be a lip-reader to make it out - and it was at that point the card was produced.

Why single out Lucas? Can you give any examples of Alonso running past Gerrard into the final third when he was in the same position? Considering he only made three assists last year out of our 77 goals, I'm guessing it's not very many, but I'd like to hear your examples - one will do. A blind anti-Lucas stance is only amusing to normal fans for so long before the ranter starts to look deranged

Well, I for one clearly remember our fans throwing bananas at John Barnes when he was taking a corner for Watford at Anfield. A lot of football fans are scumbags and we've always had our fair share too

Mascherano Lucas Kuyt

Eric Djemba Djemba? So s*** they named him twice

Yes there's nothing quite like showing faith is there?

I would put myself in their shoes in a heartbeat and, believe me, I would happily accept any boots up the a*** my manager wanted to administer and wouldn't need an arm around the shoulder. There's no pressure in their "job". Pressure is bringing up a family on low pay or after losing your job. What they do is a pressure-free, extremely highly paid, extremely privileged hobby and they should get down on their knees and offer thanks every day for being so lucky I'll avoid the obvious joke as it's a tap in at the far post! Oh sorry, you must be right. How the poor lambs manage every day is beyond me. You're right, £100K a week isn't enough. I don't know what came over me, comparing them to people in the real world Anyway I am a multi-millionaire

Any professional player on £50K-£150K a week for kicking a ball around that needs "that arm round the shoulder" should get a swift kick up the a*** - and then quite a few more kicks up the a***. You need man-management skills if you work in a building society, not a frigging football club

We do overall - but we now look weaker at right-back. I could give Carra a 10-yard start and I'm the same age as his dad

Er, we had 8 years in Division 2 not a decade and he was manager for the last three of them. Get your facts right. What does "built the modern Liverpool" actually mean - in English please. I watched the Shankly era, met the man too, so don't try to tell me what Shankly and his contribution was about from the laptop under your duvet

I must take issue with the nonsense that Man U "...play outstanding football, always have...". This is total rubbish. It's one of those self-perpetuating myths like "the Queen Mother had a lovely smile". Anyone who saw Man U at Anfield in a couple of their 1-0 smash-and-grab wins a couple of seasons back would take a different view. They played one striker, 5 across the middle, stuck Rooney in a withdrawn role on the left, got everyone behind the ball, rarely crossed the halfway line, created practically nothing in the game and hoped to nick it with a set-piece - which annoyingly they did twice. If we'd played like that at their place we'd have been slaughtered in the media for our "cautious approach" and "defensive attitude". Instead, Ferguson's a tactical genius and Man U play football "the right way". But last season must surely have finished off this "Man U play outstanding football, always have" bulls*** crap. In 38 league games they scraped narrow one-goal wins on 16 occasions, including a complement of no fewer than 10 1-0 wins, where they very frequently played badly, defended like crazy and ground out a result. They also finished way behind Liverpool in the goal-scoring chart and yet which team do you think was often labelled "cautious", "negative" and "defensive" - Ten times 1-0 grinders Man U? Don't be silly. It was always of course Liverpool, the only team to score more than two goals a game on average, the only team to score 3 or more goals on 15 occasions, the team who scored one and a half times as many goals away from home as Man U. Man U play outstanding football, always have? Don't make me laugh

What complete and utter b******s. I watched all of Shankly's reign and, although he was a catalyst in our greater success by getting us into the top flight and then winning it and the cup, to say that his achievements before 1970 "far eclipse Rafa's with Liverpool" is ridiculously overstated. The fact is that Shankly won two titles and one FA Cup, reached one European Cup semi-final and one Cup-Winner's Cup Final before 1970 (crammed into the period 1963/4-1965/6 inclusive). The record speaks for itself and is undoubtedly excellent. But you merely gloss over Benitez's achievements: "Outside of a CL win when the team weren't good enough to be called champions of Europe" (what in God's name does that mean??).....we have won next to nothing...during Rafa's tenure". Well, the "next to nothing" included the FA Cup. We also got to another CL Final, which makes it twice as many as Shankly managed, and just missed out on the league last season while comfortably being top goal scorers in the Premier League. It's worth remembering that the four-year trophy drought before 1970 under Shankly was followed by three more trophyless years, so we had 7 years in a row under the great man where we won precisely nothing. That does not diminish Shankly's overall contribution at all, it merely demonstrates how difficult it is for a top manager to be successful season in, season out. So why not cut Rafa a bit of slack and concede that he's done pretty well all things considered?

Let's also not forget Nelson Vivas and Gilles Grimandi in the pantheon of dud signings by Wenger that the media like to pretend didn't happen

You are joking of course - or maybe you're David Moyes. Of that list only Cahill would get to the subs' bench/edge of the first team at Liverpool (he'd be a good impact sub for set-pieces; he's a latter-day David Platt - scores goals but his overall midfield play is pretty poor). All the others are average at best. Lescott's so good that my mates who support City in exile down here like me (I'm having a beer with one of them tomorrow as it happens) think he's very poor and a complete waste of money and they're bemused at the hype he attracted before he signed and wish they'd never bothered. But you think he could have walked in Liverpool's side?? In the unlikely event he ever plays for England again have a look at him and you'll see he's totally clueless.

Same all over the BBC website too. It was only ever a non-story anyway and only the most naive would have given it any credence whatsoever.

The Torres to City for £100m thing is completely groundless and the article was full of waffle and speculation, so why give it any credence? It'll never happen

He has exactly the same number of assists as his midfield partner Mascherano - 1 each - and last season provided two assists to Mascherano's one in far fewer appearances. Kind of what would be expected from defensive midfielders. Alonso, our other defensive midfielder last season, only provided 3 assists out of 77 league goals last season, so it's clear that assists aren't what should be expected from players in that role, like Lucas this season

I saw him come on as a sub last night, but I swear he didn't touch the ball. Can't remember him doing anything at all much less get anywhere within several light years of a goal-scoring position For what it's worth, Crouch, the other player the media keep saying Rafa treated badly and was mistaken in selling, was also piss-poor too. Both showed in crystal-clear detail precisely why we sold them

I thought for a moment I'd entered an alternative reality when I read your comments. So there is a parallel universe where the plodding low-scoring Jones is "unplayable" and the, frankly, crap Carlton Cole is "better"? I'm just going to lie down in a darkened room Villa need another striker because of having Kenwyne Jones Mk I - Heskey - cluttering up their bench and Kris Boyd, although coming from a poor league, can't possibly be a worse option for them

Personally I thought he clearly fouled Riera so the offside thing is a moot point