what a performance

[Al Campbell]

The papers this morning keep saying how out of sorts Henry was. That might have something to do with Finnan's performance y'know. He didn't give him a second on the ball.

[Gav]

Originally Posted by Al Campbell

The papers this morning keep saying how out of sorts Henry was. That might have something to do with Finnan's performance y'know. He didn't give him a second on the ball.

Was the London press ever gonna say anything else tho!!! Its hardly as if they are gonna print anything complimentary about LFC players

[dave u]

Originally Posted by Gav

Was the London press ever gonna say anything else tho!!! Its hardly as if they are gonna print anything complimentary about LFC players

Bought the Mirror today, hoping to read Maddock eating some humble pie about Mellor (apparently he's said a few non too complimentary things about him in the press room).

Instead I open it up to see Martin Lipton (a man so far up Peter Kenyon's hole that even Harry Harris has lost sight of him) focusing on the demise of Arsenal, what's going wrong with them etc and how Chelsea are now the top team in the land.

"Ok, it's a big game so they usually have two journo's writing about it" thinks I. So I look to the other side of the page, and what do I find? Some tit called David Anderson (who he?) harping on about how Gerrard will inevitably end up at Chelsea and blah blah blah.

So in short, fuck all about how well we played, what a great goal Mellor scored, what a great game etc. No, the only thing that seems to matter to the national press these days is how things affect Chelsea

[Tim]

You should see the arsenal site's match report. They are claiming that it was a classic arsenal performance but they couldn't create the decisive chances. Saying that arsenal played the game their way.

[Rushian]

was out in Ljubljana last year and Maddock was holding forth to all and sundry in the press pack with some none too complimentary things about Owen. It appeared the little lad was shite despite 160 goals for us and 25 or so for England with a Ballon D'Or thrown in a for a laugh.

He disappeared from pub sharpish when I challenged him over his imbecelic comments.

[Red Nick]

Originally Posted by dave u

Bought the Mirror today, hoping to read Maddock eating some humble pie about Mellor (apparently he's said a few non too complimentary things about him in the press room).

Instead I open it up to see Martin Lipton (a man so far up Peter Kenyon's hole that even Harry Harris has lost sight of him) focusing on the demise of Arsenal, what's going wrong with them etc and how Chelsea are now the top team in the land.

"Ok, it's a big game so they usually have two journo's writing about it" thinks I. So I look to the other side of the page, and what do I find? Some tit called David Anderson (who he?) harping on about how Gerrard will inevitably end up at Chelsea and blah blah blah.

So in short, fuck all about how well we played, what a great goal Mellor scored, what a great game etc. No, the only thing that seems to matter to the national press these days is how things affect Chelsea

just goes to show what a bunch of wankers these jouro's are, a month ago Arsenal were the greatest club in europe and with there new stadium they were gonna be a major European force etc, now its all about chelski and if utd win 6 on the trot it will all be about the wonder of Ferguson.

its all rather sickening really but next season we'll have our day and i hope the club treats these Journo's with the respect they deserve

NONE

[DT]

All journalists are scum. At least for now anyway:-)

[Vincent Vega]

Decent match report by Henry Winter in The Telegraph, he's always complimentary about us is Henry:


Young gun shoots down Arsenal
By Henry Winter

Liverpool (1) 2 Arsenal (0) 1

It was a shot that rang out around the Premiership, delighting Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United, and darkening the gloomy mood of the champions, Arsenal. One touch from Neil Mellor, a magnificent strike that raced into the Arsenal net in front of an ecstatic Kop, shivered with reverberations. Mellor is nicknamed `Gerd' and the great German Gerd Muller would have relished this last-gasp thunderbolt.

Mellor, 22, is another graduate of Steve Heighway's successful Kirkby academy and typically down to earth. "The ball just dropped, and I just hit it," said Mellor. "It was in front of the Kop, against one of the top sides in Europe, but I wasn't feeling any pressure. I've been scoring plenty of goals in the reserves." His last goal came against Wolves reserves at Telford United's Bucks Head stadium; yesterday's was rather more momentous.

"He'll be dreaming about that goal for years and years," said Steven Gerrard, the captain and catalyst of seventh-placed Liverpool. "He deserved it because he ran his legs off. Hopefully, it will be the turning point of our season. We don't want top four – we want higher than that." Gerrard's manager, the smiling Spanish diplomat Rafael Benitez, laced his own verdict with more caution, saying: "Before the game I was sure we can finish in the top four and after the game I'm still sure."

Liverpool's new confidence contrasted with Arsenal's uncertainty. Two defeats in 55 Premiership games hardly constitutes a crisis yet the champions have been seized by a strange torpor, physical and mental, just as Chelsea, particularly, and United have found their elegant stride. After collecting only six points out of a possible 18, Arsenal not only trail Chelsea by five points, but their goal difference is now also inferior (19 to 21), an unlikely scenario back in their prolific autumn.

"At the moment, we are not too concerned by Chelsea," said Wenger, who really should be. "We are more concerned by us. We have to re-group and find ways of killing games off. We are not incisive enough. We look like we're suffering from fatigue. Liverpool looked sharper. Liverpool were strong, disciplined, focused, fought very hard and played a direct game very efficiently."

In securing a first victory over Arsenal since the 2001 FA Cup final, Liverpool's 4-2-3-1 formation had started as they finished, flying at Arsenal's goal, almost breaking through after three minutes. Inevitably it was the rampaging Gerrard involved, the England midfielder clearly caught by Kolo Toure. Alan Wiley waved play on as Anfield seethed.

Yet this famous old arena was revelling in Liverpool's play, which was high on tempo and ambition. Jamie Carragher was a rock at the back. Xabi Alonso was the conductor in midfield. Gerrard, playing forward midfield, was everywhere. Harry Kewell was again poor, but even he became suffused with Liverpool's upbeat spirit at times. After 41 minutes, the Australian awoke from his stupor to play a part in Liverpool's opener by nodding Steve Finnan's pass towards the marauding Gerrard.

Liverpool's captain, thrillingly leading by word and deed, swiftly and cleverly squeezed a pass through a gap for the onrushing Alonso, whose finish was sensational, the rising ball covering

the 20 yards in a blur before embedding in Jens Lehmann's net. How Anfield celebrated the sight of such free-flowing, assertive moves cutting apart such vaunted visitors. Arsenal re-grouped at the break and exuded far more threat, even equalising just before the hour mark. Here was Wenger's side at their quick-thinking, smooth-passing best, the ball transferred effortlessly between Lauren, Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry and Robert Pires before Vieira lifted the ball over the exposed Chris Kirkland.

Indicating their earlier poverty, Vieira's fine strike was Arsenal's first effort on target.

His next contribution was less edifying, the midfielder scything down Alonso. Vieira was rightly cautioned, bringing a fifth booking and a ban for the Chelsea game on Dec 12, when Arsenal face a midfield crisis with Gilberto Silva and Edu both injured. Vieira then risked expulsion for following through on Dietmar Hamann. Bizarrely, if Vieira had walked, he would have been available for the Chelsea match, having served his suspension in Wednesday's Carling Cup tie at United, for which he is likely to be rested anyway.

Vieira unwittingly allowed Liverpool the chance of their astonishing winner, failing to cut out Kirkland's long free kick. Sol Campbell and Toure got in a tangle, the ball diverting off Campbell and Kewell to Mellor 25 yards out. `Gerd' gave the game a sensational finish in more ways than one.

[Gav]

Originally Posted by dave u

No, the only thing that seems to matter to the national press these days is how things affect Chelsea

National press????? Is there such a thing?? As far as I'm concerned There's local press,and Highestbidder&London press only.National doesn't exist in these Islands

[Paul]

Originally Posted by Vincent Vega

Decent match report by Henry Winter in The Telegraph, he's always complimentary about us is Henry:


Young gun shoots down Arsenal
By Henry Winter

Liverpool (1) 2 Arsenal (0) 1

It was a shot that rang out around the Premiership, delighting Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United, and darkening the gloomy mood of the champions, Arsenal. One touch from Neil Mellor, a magnificent strike that raced into the Arsenal net in front of an ecstatic Kop, shivered with reverberations. Mellor is nicknamed `Gerd' and the great German Gerd Muller would have relished this last-gasp thunderbolt.

Mellor, 22, is another graduate of Steve Heighway's successful Kirkby academy and typically down to earth. "The ball just dropped, and I just hit it," said Mellor. "It was in front of the Kop, against one of the top sides in Europe, but I wasn't feeling any pressure. I've been scoring plenty of goals in the reserves." His last goal came against Wolves reserves at Telford United's Bucks Head stadium; yesterday's was rather more momentous.

"He'll be dreaming about that goal for years and years," said Steven Gerrard, the captain and catalyst of seventh-placed Liverpool. "He deserved it because he ran his legs off. Hopefully, it will be the turning point of our season. We don't want top four – we want higher than that." Gerrard's manager, the smiling Spanish diplomat Rafael Benitez, laced his own verdict with more caution, saying: "Before the game I was sure we can finish in the top four and after the game I'm still sure."

Liverpool's new confidence contrasted with Arsenal's uncertainty. Two defeats in 55 Premiership games hardly constitutes a crisis yet the champions have been seized by a strange torpor, physical and mental, just as Chelsea, particularly, and United have found their elegant stride. After collecting only six points out of a possible 18, Arsenal not only trail Chelsea by five points, but their goal difference is now also inferior (19 to 21), an unlikely scenario back in their prolific autumn.

"At the moment, we are not too concerned by Chelsea," said Wenger, who really should be. "We are more concerned by us. We have to re-group and find ways of killing games off. We are not incisive enough. We look like we're suffering from fatigue. Liverpool looked sharper. Liverpool were strong, disciplined, focused, fought very hard and played a direct game very efficiently."

In securing a first victory over Arsenal since the 2001 FA Cup final, Liverpool's 4-2-3-1 formation had started as they finished, flying at Arsenal's goal, almost breaking through after three minutes. Inevitably it was the rampaging Gerrard involved, the England midfielder clearly caught by Kolo Toure. Alan Wiley waved play on as Anfield seethed.

Yet this famous old arena was revelling in Liverpool's play, which was high on tempo and ambition. Jamie Carragher was a rock at the back. Xabi Alonso was the conductor in midfield. Gerrard, playing forward midfield, was everywhere. Harry Kewell was again poor, but even he became suffused with Liverpool's upbeat spirit at times. After 41 minutes, the Australian awoke from his stupor to play a part in Liverpool's opener by nodding Steve Finnan's pass towards the marauding Gerrard.

Liverpool's captain, thrillingly leading by word and deed, swiftly and cleverly squeezed a pass through a gap for the onrushing Alonso, whose finish was sensational, the rising ball covering

the 20 yards in a blur before embedding in Jens Lehmann's net. How Anfield celebrated the sight of such free-flowing, assertive moves cutting apart such vaunted visitors. Arsenal re-grouped at the break and exuded far more threat, even equalising just before the hour mark. Here was Wenger's side at their quick-thinking, smooth-passing best, the ball transferred effortlessly between Lauren, Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry and Robert Pires before Vieira lifted the ball over the exposed Chris Kirkland.

Indicating their earlier poverty, Vieira's fine strike was Arsenal's first effort on target.

His next contribution was less edifying, the midfielder scything down Alonso. Vieira was rightly cautioned, bringing a fifth booking and a ban for the Chelsea game on Dec 12, when Arsenal face a midfield crisis with Gilberto Silva and Edu both injured. Vieira then risked expulsion for following through on Dietmar Hamann. Bizarrely, if Vieira had walked, he would have been available for the Chelsea match, having served his suspension in Wednesday's Carling Cup tie at United, for which he is likely to be rested anyway.

Vieira unwittingly allowed Liverpool the chance of their astonishing winner, failing to cut out Kirkland's long free kick. Sol Campbell and Toure got in a tangle, the ball diverting off Campbell and Kewell to Mellor 25 yards out. `Gerd' gave the game a sensational finish in more ways than one.

Now that's a lesson in how to write well. Bascombe take note.

[chrisb]

Grade A in English literature at A LEVEL.
Degree in English from Liverpool University.
Two journalist of the year awards in two years.
Here endeth the lesson.

Twat.

[johnb]

Originally Posted by chrisb

Grade A in English literature at A LEVEL.
Degree in English from Liverpool University.
Two journalist of the year awards in two years.
Here endeth the lesson.

Twat.

Kopite JB
DD JB
GH JB (officially over)
Hermes Everyone
Tom R Rashid
SS Everyone

and now Paul v Basco

Fucking warzone

For what it's worth (about 2p), I think we're damn lucky to have such a good LFC correspondent, especially after what he's been through in recent years when trying to cover the Club. Winter is good, but he's not extraordinary.

Usher's match report is every bit as good, by the way.

[Brownie]

I think Bascombe is great and have always said so. Ive grown up reading his match reports and along with Dave's its the first one I look for.

[Nunavut Patrick]

Paul, he called you a twat. I've never seen that before.

Nunavut Patrick (Glen)

Once passed Grade 11 Geography with 85% and only went 1/3 of the time
University of Manitoba 3rd year BA program
UPS 9 Year Safe Driving Award (9 consecutive years- no accidents. None that I told the company about. Sorry about your cat, 688 Edison Ave.)
Canadian President of the Heroes of the Rafalution Society.

So there, fancy-dancy journo!!!

[Brownie]

Originally Posted by Ian_Brown

I think Bascombe is great and have always said so. Ive grown up reading his match reports and along with Dave's its the first one I look for.

By the way i'd like to add that the personal jibe was over the top and unnecessary. Paul is one of the best posters on this forum and doesn't really deserve to be spoken to like that.

Criticism is part and parcel of life and should be taken as it is given. There are plenty of other people around who could be considered a 'twat' and Paul is not one of them. He has an opinion and puts it accross in a very articulate way with no malice intended.

Let's try to be as happy as possible, especially this week (closes eyes, sees TBM thundering a 25 yard strike into the bottom corner; smiles)

[BatChainPuller]

Originally Posted by Nunavut Patrick

Paul, he called you a twat. I've never seen that before

Ahhh - thought that was his signature-line

Once passed Grade 11 Geography with 85% and only went 1/3 of the time
University of Manitoba 3rd year BA program
UPS 9 Year Safe Driving Award (9 consecutive years- no accidents. None that I told the company about. Sorry about your cat, 688 Edison Ave.)
Canadian President of the Heroes of the Rafalution Society.

So there, fancy-dancy journo!!!

LMAO !

[MLB]

It could just me some nobody on the wind up.

It'd be damn funny if it was real, though.

[Chris]

Originally Posted by Paul

Now that's a lesson in how to write well. Bascombe take note.

With all due respect Paul - as if a reporter for the Liverpool Echo can write in the same way as a Telegraph reporter.

They are two completely different styles aimed at two greatly different audiences. In fact in terms of tradition, politics and social class models, they're about as far away from each other on the spectrum as you can possibly get.

Both reports would look out of place in the other paper. The telegraph readers want to be entertained by words and lyrical writing. The echo readers want punchy and simple with an injection of wit and humour.

I'm sure Henry Winter and Chris Bascombe could write each other's report without too much of a problem. It's a skill you learn along the way as a journalist and there's an art to doing both of them well.

At uni I had this really eloquent writing style, but that's gradually being knocked out of me as pretty much all the stuff I do these days is for the red tops.

I'll tell you what mate, it's fucking harder than you think gaining a style like that and it's something i've struggled with quite a lot.

The amount of times I've been bollocked for using "complicated" words even that a 3 year old kid can easily digest in the space of the last 6 months...

To compare the two styles as one being better than the other is like comparing bread and water. One is a food, one is a drink, it can't be done.

I know you're quite eloquent yourself paul but to frown on someone, with nostrils flared, for using the perfect style for his audience is a bit silly to be honest.