Chili Palmer

I think we may get used to this, we have say 20 odd players who could make a good arguement for being in the match day squad, so when ever Rafa leaves 4 of them out and the result goes against us we will get rumours that there was a bust up or something, Bellamy played 2 big games during the week and there was always a good chance Rafa would rest him for Tuesday night. I would suggest nothing to worry about here.

It really was their cup final wasn't it!, maybe if some of our players treated evey game as a 'cup final' we would have started the season better.

Says he wasn't good with the young YTS kids, didn't talk to them much and then when Stevie was saying how Robbie, Redknapp and Macca were good with him when he first broke into the team he says Berger was...OK. Damning him with faint praise I think the saying is! He loves Didi tho, says his life took a turn for the better when he met Didi, which I think is a nice think to say, he also apologizes for the 'he squealed like a girl' comment, he says he did say it but it was seconds after the game so fair nuff. Didi sounds like a top man.

Good to hear that mate from someone who knows him well, Maybe he is right about Neville but I don't see the point in bigging up a player who you are still playing against, when he retires, sure, tell it like he saw it but while he is still playing...

He also says Gary Neville is a better right back than Finnan, Neville is 'the best right back I have ever played with' apparantly, he also has a right pop at Diao which is fair enough I suppose and calls big Igor a t**, I don't think he liked Patrik Berger much either. I don't think its a bad read but i am getting fed up with reading players books as they all more or less come across as spolit kids who always want their own way, I'm sure its the surroundings they find themselves in that influence their opinions of themselves but it would be nice to read a book and put it down saying 'yeah, I like that bloke and would like to have a pint with them' but not yet, Robbie, Stevie, Barnes, all the same, I can't wait for Carras tho...! BTW only my opinion after reading the book, I'm sure Elisha will say what a top bloke Stevie is, and I'm sure he is, its just I don't think footballers come across well at all in books as they live in a totally different world to us normal plebs!

He should just buy himself out of his contract then. sign for us and get a whopping great signing on fee.

i think every team should have a player who complains about decisions, rightly or wrongly,as RP said, it keeps them on their toes and just might influence one our way, you can't have a whole team of them as you just come across like, em, like...Chelsea!

Momo and Xabi in the middle with Stevie on the right when we don't have the ball and wherever he likes when we do!

Agree He even thought there was nothing wrong with the thatcher assault!

Tony Gale said it had 'reverse swing'!

I hope so

I don't think we will have a 'first choice partnership' Rafa will pick horses for courses. Agree, very good debut, and btw Rafa has really drilled this 'only the team matters' idea into the players hasn't he. Dirk and Danny were repeating it like they were brainwashed in their interview with sky. Interviewer: 'great goal danny, tell us about it' Agger: 'thanks, doesn't matter who scored, only the team winning matters' Interviwer: 'so Dirk, you really wanted a debut goal' Kuyt: 'It would have been nice, but, only the team winning matters' and so on...

I think that you are right that if you want to play Stevie as a central midfielder you have to play him with Momo. I think dating back to Istanbul showed us that Stevie and Xabi are not well balanced as a midfield pair so as you say to play with all three the obvious solution is to push Stevie out to the right and I think we will see this a lot again this season, especially in the big games. You mean...you...lied?

I think that if we want to play a passing game, which we do, Alonso has to be in our best team. Just how Rafa fits all three world class midfielders in to his formation is a problem that I'm sure he will enjoy trying to solve!

Boring. Do you watch sky? same thing.

Sad if he is, he is the biggest g******* on Talksport (I know most of them are but he is the biggest!) values his own opinion too much and talks absolutly pants and comes across as an idiot. Hopefully he supports the blues****.

Do you really think so? I would be amazed if a smart man like him would want to go to that circus.

I have a funny feeling Rafa will have a surprise selection for the game, I could see him doing what he did at Newcastle last season and play all three. Just a hunch.

I think Rafa sees that as well, If Momo is fit for the derby I wouldn't be surprised if Alonso got another rest and is eased into the season and by xmas he will be playing every game.

Mickey Quinn and Alan Brazil said there was nothing wrong with it and that Alan Hansen was wrong on match of the day to critisize it because as good a player as Hansen was 'he couldn't tackle a fish supper and didn't know what he was talking about!' You couldn't make it up...

Brilliant, kids do buy their dads the funniest things!

Hope he enjoys it! I brought my 2 girls to their first game last season, one loved it and one hated it, the youngest was only 2 and loved the singing, she was trying to join in! when it went quiet she belted out 'Bob the Builder' everyone burst out laughtng and a group of scousers carried on singing it throughout the match! She loved it but now thinks this will happen all the time, she says next time she goes she's going to sing 'scooby doobie doo, where are you...'

Agree that they are great alternatives but even last night when Momo went off Stevie and Alonso were leaving too big a gap between defence and midfield, we will be fine against the lower teams but we need cover when we play the better ones. Can we take Didi on a months loan?