Times today

[Buzz]

Yet quite different. The first one is by a Joe Lovejoy who has got to be related to that other Chlesea loving Lovejoy and although he concedes we played well he says a few times that we were just playing long ball, suggesting hoofing.

The other is by Jonathan Northcroft, who, although he is a very impartiall journalist, seems to like us, and says we played to our strength, there weakness and put high balls into the box.

Lovejoy

Northcroft

Found this bit quite surprising

Mourinho, after all, who wanted a small squad and, makeshift though it was, his back four plus Mikel cost at least £10m more than Liverpool?s entire XI plus subs.

Edited January 21, 2007 by Buzz

[Guz]

Our football wasn't amazing, we've played better football at times this season, maybe even Chelsea away but lacked the tenacity as a unit that we had yesterday. We exploited Chelsea weaknesses and did what we had to = good performance.

[Greenoak]

Ok back four was:

 

Geremi 7m

Ferreira 13.2M

Essien 24.4

A Cole 15 always a guess

Mikel 16m

 

total of 75m

 

cant think of many managers that would have put essien as cb when so much of their play is dictated by the holding midfielder.

 

but thats the special one for you....

[Scally Bob]

Oh dear me, we beat their chums and they didn't like the way we did it. Rafa recognised how to beat them, picked a team to do the job and got three points. Pity Rafa isn't a genius who can't get the best striker in the world to play and sells all his centre halves on the eve of the season-perhaps they'd respect him if he did that?

 

Do they say the same about the Chavs when they grind out dull wins?

[Guest Disintegration]

The amount of money the team they had out there cost to assemble shows why injuries to one or two players should not be taken into account - a set of players so expensive should be top of the Premiership and still winning most games comfortably. They have no excuses - they were outplayed and it was as comfortably as I thought it might be.

Edited January 21, 2007 by Disintegration

[Cooger]

Ok back four was:

 

Geremi 7m

Ferreira 13.2M

Essien 24.4

A Cole 15 always a guess

Mikel 16m

 

total of 75m

 

cant think of many managers that would have put essien as cb when so much of their play is dictated by the holding midfielder.

 

but thats the special one for you....

 

I think Drogba might have done the best job for them at centre back, but I guess they needed him upfornt. HAving said all that they needed Essian in midfield.

[Rimbeux]

It worked, up to a point, but left Michael Ballack, whose form and contribution seems to deteriorate by the week, and Frank Lampard hopelessly outnumbered in midfield, where Gerrard ruled the roost.

 

 

found that odd

Xabi Alonso spent six minutes off the pitch with a bloodied mouth and it made not the slightest difference. Chelsea were no more cohesive and Liverpool no less comfortable when playing 11 v 10.

 

 

that too from the other bloke.

 

 

 

Two writers, one on Mourinho's side the other not, neither article much to do with us, which in itself is not good

[Guest Disintegration]

I make our starting line-up out as costing 52.7 million. Truly embarrassing for Chelsea to have forked out so much over the past few seasons whilst failing to land every trophy in sight.

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

kind of ironic given that's all they did hooooooooooooof towards Drogba, even when SWP was on

[Guest Sabre]

Yes, we're the hoofers. Were they not watching Chelsea?!

[Andyjandy]

I'm suprised chelsea did'nt have any young centre backs that they felt comforable using, sad for them.

Edited January 21, 2007 by Andyjandy

[Andy @ Allerton]

How much out of interest did their full squad cost against our £52.7M lineup?

[Swipe]

Man Utd getting £12m or whatever it was, for that kid Mikel looks like the deal of the century.

[Rimbeux]

kind of ironic given that's all they did hooooooooooooof towards Drogba, even when SWP was on

 

Aye, Drogba and the out ball are the cornerstones of their game

 

 

I'm suprised chelsea did'nt have any young centre backs that they felt comforable using, sad for them.

 

 

Matbe they do, maybe it's part of the power struggle

[Andy @ Allerton]

I personally couldn't believe the amount of long balls that Chelsea were doing yesterday

 

Not that there is anything wrong with mixing up your style of play

 

The problem is most journos don't seem to know anything at all about football

[allez les rouges]

if you have 400 million to spend on players, and if you get an injury to your LEFT center back, and have no one to replace him, whos fault is that?

 

if you have 400 million to spend on players, and if you get an injury to your RIGHT center back, and have no one to replace him, whos fault is that?

[Flight]

I was just coming on to make a post very similar to the OP.

 

All these comments from Maureen and the press about them having no CB's ignores the fact that its down to Maureen himself, who has chosen his squad and spent a fortune on it. His centre backs yesterday cost £38m for the two of them, while the two subs he used cost more than our entire squad.

 

It also ignores the fact that we matched and out played them all over the park and not just in that position.

[Guest Disintegration]

How much out of interest did their full squad cost against our £52.7M lineup?

 

Starting line-up of £129, not including Kalou's undisclosed fee.

 

When factoring in subs, you have a grand total of....

 

Liverpool: £70.1m

 

Chelsea: A minimum of.... £180m (Kalou, Diarra, Morais undisclosed)

[Guz]

I was just coming on to make a post very similar to the OP.

 

All these comments from Maureen and the press about them having no CB's ignores the fact that its down to Maureen himself, who has chosen his squad and spent a fortune on it. His centre backs yesterday cost £38m for the two of them, while the two subs he used cost more than our entire squad.

 

It also ignores the fact that we matched and out played them all over the park and not just in that position.

 

Also ignores the fact that Essien played quite well and was probably their best player, Ferreira has played CB on numerous occasions, Geremi the same at RB and Ashley Cole is his first choice left back. The big loss for them was Carvalho as it messed up the shape of the team but Essien played well and it's not down to injuries that Lampard and Ballack were s****.

[Rimbeux]

if you have 400 million to spend on players, and if you get an injury to your LEFT center back, and have no one to replace him, whos fault is that?

 

if you have 400 million to spend on players, and if you get an injury to your RIGHT center back, and have no one to replace him, whos fault is that?

 

 

Depends who you believe

[Tim]

How much out of interest did their full squad cost against our £52.7M lineup?

 

 

Let's put it this way, our starting lineup cost as much as two of chelseas subs.

 

I think their squad was (of what I can find)

 

Cech (£9m)

Cole (Gallas + £5m)

Essien (£24m)

Ferreira (£13.2m)

Geremi (£7m)

Robben (£12m)

Ballack (Free)

Lampard (£11m)

Mikel (£16m)

Drogba (£24m)

Kalou

 

Subs:

 

Diarra

Morais

Schevchenko (£30m)

Wright-Phillips (£21m)

Hilario

 

 

Total atleast £172.2m plus Gallas

 

And just for the record our line-up

 

Reina (£5m)

Riise (£4.5m)

Agger (£2.8m rising to £5.5m)

Carragher (Free)

Finnan (£3.5m)

Aurellio (£2m, I think)

Alonso (£10.7m)

Gerrard (Free)

Pennant (£6.5m)

Crouch (£6m)

Kuyt (£9m)

 

Subs:

Bellamy (£6m)

Dudek (£4.85m)

Fowler (Free, although could make an arguement for £13m receipt)

Gonzalez (£4.5m)

Hyypia (£3.5m)

 

Total atleast £68.85m (possibly rising to £71.55m, and possibly dropping back down to £58.55m if cheeky enough to stick the £13m the club received for fowler )

[Benitez]

Starting line-up of £129, not including Kalou's undisclosed fee.

 

When factoring in subs, you have a grand total of....

 

Liverpool: £70.1m

 

Chelsea: A minimum of.... £180m (Kalou, Diarra, Morais undisclosed)

 

 

Kalou was 7mill I thought, Diarra 3.5 mill. I've never even heard of Morais!

Edited January 21, 2007 by Benitez

[lawrie]

Its a bit ungracious not to factor in £30m for Gerrard and £8m for Carra

[Benitez]

Its a bit ungracious not to factor in £30m for Gerrard and £8m for Carra

 

 

£30mill Ferdinand

£20mill Carvalho

£8mill Carra

 

yes, that works

[JRC]

Surely it is sensoble, whatever amount you have to spend, that some of your outlay goes on 'squad' players, so that you have, erm, a squad - you know, cover, options and...possibilities.

 

A bit like another Iberian Manager has been pilloried for doing (including on here at times)