micmij

1. Torres 2. Gerrard 3. Alonso

He can also defend a bit! In the first half Cole got a yard or 2 on him, Skrtel recovered and Cole didn't even end up getting a shot away. Actually, I think we won a goal kick when, if Skrtel was more rash, we could've conceded a penalty.

Just wanted to throw something out there based on the confidence of a couple of posters/owners around here that the deal will go through without too many problems.... Is this all (what has gone on in the media in the past few days) a smokescreen? i.e. Has the deal already been agreed? There's been talk for a fair while on the various forums (certainly before it was hinted at in the media) that DIC were in the picture again. Talk of slow progress, positive signs, difficulties, etc., and then suddenly CTR from RAWK and, shortly afterward, ES from here say that a deal has been struck. Neither of those respected posters back away from their positions really, only CTR says he doesn't know when everything will be concluded. Meanwhile, RP and Snorky keep confidently insinuating that all will be sorted at some point. Things drag and drag and now it seems that we are back at square one. The word is that DIC's sudden statement is being used to put further pressure on G+H, but I wonder if it's all part of a staged PR exercise. DIC offer set amount, G+H continue negotiations and squeeze a few extra $s out of DIC. DIC get what they want and G+H look like shrewd businessmen. Win/win all round.... Am I completely off the planet with this?

1. Alonso 2. Mascherano 3. Babel

We've got nothing to lose - If we don't go for a win we'll lose anyway.

In the WH game, the cross that Kuyt put over from the right that was mis-judged by Neill bore that out - if he'd reacted at all he would have scored. Instead, he didn't get anywhere near it....

Whether new owners come in or not the proposed stadium design is still a very important issue - sure not THE MOST important - but I'd rather a design that we were all happy with than something going back to the bowl design. This whole stadium saga has gone on for too long and I wouldn't like to see new owners (here's hoping!) come in and scrap the plans again, delays, etc. Hopefully, they'd see this design and decide that it's in order. From reading this thread, I don't think that the latest design has changed many, if any, people's desire to see the back of G & H. They just like the design....

Exactly

At the start of the season I think Rafa would have rated our strikers like this - 1. Torres 2. Kuyt 3. Crouch 4. Voronin Something that's fogotten about Voronin is that his deal was secured before the takeover. I don't know if it's wishful thinking, but I doubt that he'd be here if the takeover had gone ahead in Nov/Dec 2006 (i.e. before the transfer window). However, it does show the constraints under which Rafa was working, in that he was looking at Bosman's to improve our strikeforce, and though I loved Robbie, Voronin has had a greater impact this season than Robbie did the last. As for Crouch, there was talk that we wanted to shift him in the summer, wasn't there? I guess nobody met our valuation. However, considering the way he's been used this season (essentially we've only been using 3 strikers) it would have been better if we'd just gotten what little we could for him in the summer. I can only assume that Rafa was happy enough to hang on to him but that somthing's happened in the meantime that says to Rafa that Crouch can't be relied on.... If, for whatever reason, Crouch or Voronin weren't here for the start of the season, I imagine/hope(!!!) that with a little extra in the kitty we would have been looking for a new number 2 - not necessarily a 1 for 1 swap. Also, the loss of Garcia has been massive. He was an infuriating player at times, but certainly was a constant threat in the final 3rd and had an enbelievable eye for goal. I imagine that it was hoped that Voronin and/or Benayoun would fill that void but they haven't proved that they're able to make the difference in the big games the way Garcia could. So I want 3 players - cover for centre half, a winger who can beat a man and cross a ball AND a true number 10 in the mould of Garcia.

Same here.

1. Alonso 2. Gerrard (for the last 10 minutes) 3. Torres (for the goal)

1. Torres 2. Mascherano 3. Kewell

A friend of mine has a 2-year-old and she's getting him to 'kiss the birdie' on the LFC crest. Seems to be doing the trick, he refuses to go anywhere without his kit and loves kissing the birdie! And he was yelling " 'pool, 'pool, 'pool " over the phone to me the other night. So, I think you need to bring it down to a level the child can understand. p.s. this kid's in Oz, too.

1. Gerrard 2. Lucas 3. Sami

1. Voronin 2. Benayoun 3. Gerrard

1. Benayoun 2. Voronin 3. Arbeloa

I'd like 30 points from the next 10 games please. I don't care who we're playing. Hopefully, that works....

Not sure if that is the same one that I'm thinking of, but there was an instance last year where the opposition back 4 held a beautiful line and Kuyt had strayed offside. Gerrard made a run and was about 2 yards offside, however, his marker in the effort to get to Gerrard, had played Kuyt onside. Then the ball was played to Kuyt & everything was sweet as Gerrard was not 'interferring' with the play or the keeper's line of sight. So the 'reward' that the player who tried to go with Gerrard gets is to inadvertently undo all the good work that his defence had done and concede the goal. For me, the bizarre thing about the rule is that it rewards players who can't play against the offside rule. Week after week you see goals where defences are pushing up to play attackers offside only to see somebody make the run through from midfield, and the attacker who was 2-3 metres offside just joins the attack with a good headstart on the defence. By the way, try and guess where I play?

Didn't Finnan pick up an injury on international duty? Might not be fit for a full 90 mins yet.

1. Benayoun 2. Hyypia 3. Torres

Don't you mean current 2007 Liverpool FC Official Calendar star, Mark Gonzalez?

Particularly when a game is 90 mins long - it makes me laugh when managers (or the media) say that, as if it gives them some sort of consolation.

He didn't injure his groin playing for Australia.

1. Mascherano 2. Pennant 3. Torres

Mascherano played the full 90 mins against Australia. He got a bit of a knock from Grella near the end of the game, but got up and finished the game without any apparent discomfort. That said, I doubt that Rafa will even consider him for the bench for Saturday.