Guz

Win against Fulham all but guaranteed us 4th though, there's no such benefit on offer against Birmingham. We can afford to lose so I agree, rest everyone

Two games in two now against chelsea where he's been class. First in the league against Anelka and now last night against Drogba. More of the same please next wednesday and hopefully a goal too

It's not about fitness in terms of tiredness/fatigue etc. It's about wrapping our players in cotton wool for a few days before the biggest game of our season instead of playing them against a side battling (especially after their pathetic effort at Villa on sunday) against relegation in a game we can afford to lose. Why risk injury? Yeah they can get injured in training as well but it's about minimising the risk.

How can you lose sharpness because of being rested for one game???

I hope you're f***ing joking Torres, Gerrard, Babel, Kuyt, Mascherano, Alonso, Carragher, Skrtel, Reina should stay at home

Cant wait for the usual no mark suspects to come out on Thursday and friday to talk about the "integrity of the league". f*** em. All 11 should be rested and hope Crouch and Pennant don't get injured

But if we score first it gives us such a huge advantage. Grab a 2nd and they need 3 goals. You're right it's not the end of the world if we conceed but it will affect the morale of the players, however slight it maybe. However an early goal for us and the following 10mins being solid and compact will s*** them up completely and give us a lot of freedom in our play which start to shine through tonight. Arsenal nearly went through in the last round, and Barca nearly sneaked it through mainly because they have the belief that wherever they go - they will score goals (that was Barca of a couple of years back and also on a night where we battered them without scoring mind). We need to adopt the same mentality and go at them strong. Lets grow a pair and go at them like winners. Rafa bangs on about mentality, well Wednesday is a perfect opportunity to show a winning mentality and desire.

Need more of the same and much more next week when he has Essien to contend with as well (unless Grant decides to play Essien at RB?)

If Aurelio somehow makes it in time then same team as tonight. If not then Arbeloa LB and Finnan RB. With Essien back I'd keep Xabi and Masch with Gerrard just ahead of them. We'll need that extra bit of support I reckon. If we're still chasing the game 25 minutes to go and aren't creating chances then whack Crouch and Pennant on.

WHo the f*** cares. Obviously he is going to be beaming. He's just played a great game like Reina did last year to keep them in the tie and give them an advantage. This team has had a lot of plaudits for the way they play in Europe. This is a totally new situation so lets see if they have the b******s to turn things around. No point giving up yet

Lets be honest fellas we f***ed it up. Chelsea were s***e, took no advantage of their good start, we bossed them for the rest of the game, Reina had a quiet game and we had enough chances to win 3-0. We wont get a better chance to t*** them into next week. But I said before the game that whatever the result we HAVE to go to Stamford Bridge with the belief that we can score goals. Let's hope we do and start well.

It kind of reminded me of last year when Reina made a string of class saves just like Cech did tonight. We have to score first

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/e...rem/3362519.stm

If Gillet wasn't so small time and had his own money to go it alone none of this would've even started. If he had chosen a business partner whom he didnt fall out with in the space of 8 months, there wouldn't be a problem. If he wasn't so keen for Mr Parry and Mr Hicks to become friends with a certain ex german footballer turned manager, half the s*** before christmas could've been avoided. So he's decided he's had enough and wants to leave. Great. But this is not a play thing. He has toyed with and shat on something that holds the dreams and hopes of thousands upon thousands of people. It's great he's understood the error of his ways but should've realised he is a small time t*** before pissing us about I see what you're saying re selling to DIC and agre with that. But I can't get the intense contempt for the I hold for this weasel, out of my system. Worth nothing now mind you so just a waste of energy moaning about it I guess...but it just makes my blood boil so much.....

I personally have more hatred for George gillet than Hicks to be perfectly honest. The latter is an oportunistic businessman who was invited into this 'project' by his 'mate' George. Hicks is more threatening to the future of the club without a doubt but Gillet has done enough damage to last a lifetime and the worst thing is has somehow deflected the hatred and blame away from himself. Grade A prize 24 carrat absolute small time c*** as far as I am concerned.

How can anyone like a c*** who has put no money into the club, fell out with and wanted rafa sacked and in about 6 weeks time will walk away with about a £50m profit? Sure, it's better than selling to Hicks but I just cant fathom how anyone can "like" this prick who has done nothing for the past 15 months except help destroy the traditions of this football club. It's a shame that the snidy rat is too scared to visit Anfield at any other time than when the players will have 100% focus because it's about time someone let old George know what a small time c*** he is. A continuation of the pathetic games I agree but it shows exactly where his loyalties lie and where his shares will be going, probably.

The Hillsborough documentary is excellent indeed. It can be watched online for free via the offal too

With Essien out of the game, it's a great opportunity for Alonso to boss the gameon tuesday night.

He was going to say that he hopes Neil Warnock never wins a trophy again but then realised how stupid a comment that would be

Torres give us a bounce

Pissed myself reading those quotes. Brilliant that he's such a bitter t***

Why on earth would DIC favour a new manager straight away? Unless they have lived under a rock for the whole of this season and somehow the obvious fan-support for Rafa has gone into a black hole and news never reached Dubai then there's no way they're going to come in and get rid of him. Rafa is bullet proof at the moment and the only reason he would leave, surely, is if this stalemate goes on into the summer and his preparations for next season take a hit

The fact that he's not acting a t*** in public kind of makes me hate him more, strangely. He is sly, he is snidy, he is out of his depth and f***ed us over royally and is going to make a huge profit for it. I cannot put into any other words just how much his actions have pissed me off and the fact that he goes under the radar because Hicks is a gobby t*** makes my blood boil. And to think, he was supposed to be the good one that Moores knew about and trusted. f*** me. Obviously i'm happy he's not just going to roll over and sell to Hicks to get out asap but the damage is done and for me it is unforgivable. He may have gone in with good intentions and whatever but he's a c*** and has more than played his part in ripping the club apart.

Well he (with great help from Tom's big gob mind you) shifted almost all of the blame for the Klinsmann talks entirely on Hicks so he's done something right in that. But I dont feel easy about how he is seen as the lesser of the two evils. He is as bad, and has been as damaging to the club as his c***ing "partner". Too small time to go it alone so grabs Hicks, pisses off Rafa, looks to replace Rafa with his mate Jurgen, has no capital to put into the club, wants out and is just sitting quietly waiting for the day he walks away with a huge profit from DIC and washes his hands of the club after doing 12 month's worth of embarassing damage. w*****.

It was in today's Metro newspaper. Cant remember where they were but someone pointed out a couple of the "wags" posing for pictures on tuesday afternoon