Liverpool V Portsmouth Match Thread

[drewy]

Great post other RR.

 

Nothing to add to it, I just hope others can try and think about it for a minute. I think some will ignore most of it, it being quite long. Then again I'm ignoring some of those who'll ignore what you've written, thanks to the good-old ignore feature.

 

You have an ignore fetish mate, which is worrying. It will only escalate on here as there's a whole load of ignoring to be done.

[Rashid]

I don't really mind it, but to be honest it's no wonder I flip sometimes. It's that old thing of "not seeing any good in someone we dislike" - I won't change it and to be fair I've bought a lot of it on myself.

 

Anyway, we still need a top class winger!!

[drewy]

I'm not listening.

 

Who said that?

[coop]

I don't really mind it, but to be honest it's no wonder I flip sometimes. It's that old thing of "not seeing any good in someone we dislike" - I won't change it and to be fair I've bought a lot of it on myself.

 

Anyway, we still need a top class winger!!

 

That made me laugh.

[Captain]

There's too much shit flying around here at the moment and it's all starting to stink the place up. Can't we all just stop flinging it around and post about fucking football? Is it too much to ask?

 

Yes, unfortunately it is.

[cochcaer]

I don't really mind it, but to be honest it's no wonder I flip sometimes. It's that old thing of "not seeing any good in someone we dislike" - I won't change it and to be fair I've bought a lot of it on myself.

 

Anyway, we still need a top class winger!!

 

I've no real opinion but at least we can annoy the 'ignore button' brigade by quoting your posts.:laugh:

[thisisanfield]

When 2 people start slagging each other off it should go straight to pm's and carry on from there, (if they so wish) not on the foum for everyone else to read.

[Gav]

I've no real opinion but at least we can annoy the 'ignore button' brigade by quoting your posts.:laugh:

 

is that a war you really want to start !!!

 

 

Seriously stop fucking quoting the prick

[Chocoholic]

Who was it who said we still need a top class winger? :whistle:

[Red Nick]

If I'd have posted that I don't see Babel as a pure-bred winger in the classical sense, exclusively hugging the touchline and delivering crosses whilst rarely coming inside, or said that given Rafa's oft-stated opinion of Kewell's talents, I feel he's brought Babel in with a view to him gaining experience of the PL this season by working with Harry and JAR before Harry goes in January or the summer (i.e. Babel will start games this season, but unless he plays himself into it he won't necessarily be number one choice in any position) then I reckon some people would have agreed with me and some wouldn't.

 

I think the same's true if I'd suggested that signing Mancini would be a good idea, especially in view of the countless posts supporting that idea throughout the last two months. Benayoun isn't a winger, Gerrard (who really does need his chain jerking about playing the twat when he's put there) won't be a winger and Pennant might be a winger, but the jury's been chilling out in a Travelodge for the last twelve months as far as I'm concerned and is still nowhere near reaching a verdict. In veiw of that, I'd love us to sign another storming winger. I can't see us doing it like, but I certainly wouldn't be unhappy if we did.

 

 

Regardless, I don't think anyone would have called me a clueless prick, or suggested that I was as thick as shit*. That's mainly because I don't think anyone would have put quite as much effort into misunderstanding the point if I made it though - the only thing I'm curious about is whether all that was off the cuff (or perhaps off the wrist would be more like it) or actually orchestrated. Make someone post the same, simple fact ten times and then berate them for going on? It's hardly Machiavelli.

 

 

It's irrelevant anyway, what it all amounts to is out and out bullying. Bullying isn't an recent invention of the infamous politically correct brigade, nor is it something that big boys should just put up with. Bullying has been the principal way that shithouses have felt good about themselves for centuries. In short it's fucking pathetic and I'm surprised to see it on here because I thought that most of us were better than that, able to make our points with wit and intelligence rather than cheap insults. I mean, I've no problem with cheap insults, but on their own they're a little pallid.

 

 

There's too much shit flying around here at the moment and it's all starting to stink the place up. Can't we all just stop flinging it around and post about fucking football? Is it too much to ask?

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Hey, somebody call me that now - go on, it would be dead, dead funny. Everybody will laugh.

 

Fair points there especially about too much shit flying around

 

FTR I think Babel and Benayoun were a mistake as we needed players of proven abillity that would go straight into the first 11, Rafa will be judged on this at the end of the season, Torres alone is enough to improve us drastically on last season

 

In simple terms the do gooders say trust in Rafa Babel & Co will be brilliant and the leppers are questioning why we didnt buy players to go straight into the first team, it does seem rather small difference of opinion for everyone to get so worked up about

[mcflynn]

Fair points there especially about too much shit flying around

 

FTR I think Babel and Benayoun were a mistake as we needed players of proven abillity that would go straight into the first 11, Rafa will be judged on this at the end of the season, Torres alone is enough to improve us drastically on last season

 

In simple terms the do gooders say trust in Rafa Babel & Co will be brilliant and the leppers are questioning why we didnt buy players to go straight into the first team, it does seem rather small difference of opinion for everyone to get so worked up about

 

Quaresma?

[Chocoholic]

"...the do gooders say trust in Rafa Babel & Co will be brilliant and the leppers are questioning why we didnt buy players to go straight into the first team"

 

No need to ask which camp you're in then

[Red Nick]

Quaresma?

 

Manicini, Malouda(Rafa wanted him), Alves (marginal IMO), Silva, Lennon or Quaresma would have improved the first 11 IMO

[mcflynn]

Manicini, Malouda(Rafa wanted him), Alves (marginal IMO), Silva, Lennon or Quaresma would have improved the first 11 IMO

 

Just didn't really know what you meant by proven, I have no doubt any of those players mentioned would have improved the current 11 just as Yossi and Babel will.

[Red Nick]

Just didn't really know what you meant by proven, I have no doubt any of those players mentioned would have improved the current 11 just as Yossi and Babel will.

 

Thats where we differ as I believe that Pennant or Gerrard and Kewell are our best choices for the flanks, Babel may yet improve the first team as a striker but I dont see him playing about a fit Kewell.

[Stu Monty]

Manicini, Malouda(Rafa wanted him), Alves (marginal IMO), Silva, Lennon or Quaresma would have improved the first 11 IMO

 

Would that be the Lennon that was, at times, being kept out the side by Ghaly last season?

[bobhorse]

Havn't gone through this thread so it might have been said already but for me David James was the diffrence between 4 or 5-0 he is still a great keeper The squad is far far stronger than last year and when we play our best 11 then i think you will see teams like Pompy turned over this season

 

Another point, i dont know who Rafa will start up front but from what i have seen so far, Voronin will play himself into the first 11, not just for his goals but for the way he can play people through into space, i would think now that we move onto Rotterdam we will start to see what players will be in contention for which positions still no Javi Alonso playing well Momo ran his heart out and Steve G on the bench someone is gonner be upset out of them 4 cos they aint even gonner make the bench?

[Strontium]

Would that be the Lennon that was, at times, being kept out the side by Ghaly last season?

 

Hey, it could be worse... like being kept out of a team by Hayden Mullins ;)

[Cardie]

To be fair to Rash I think he was questioning Babel's role rather than his ability. Tho this was too complex for Cardie.

 

Funnily enough so was I, or more specifically the 'he'll be a bit part' 'I didn't call him a bit part player' (which incidentally is Babel's role in the team not his ability which seems to suggest you were struggling with the complexity of it not me) fruit loop argument.

[dave u]

I actually agree for the most part with what Rashid has been saying on this thread. RoboRiise's post at the top of this page sums this sorry episode up.

 

I've said before that the people jumping on his every post are every bit as much to blame as Rashid is, but since his return they've been far worse than he has.

['Kaka]

Just like to say - welcome back Rash.

[havarantagain]

Having watched the game I thought we were streets ahead of them in terms of fitness with one or two exceptions, namely Babbel he looks tired still.

As for his ability well he has something of the John Barns about him and if he wants it bad enough he could turn out to be a good buy but it could take him a season to find his feet and confidence. Torres is going to score for fun provided we can play the kid in he wont shy away from the responsibility of the red shirt.

My main concern at this stage is defensive, do we have genuine depth across the back, sorry, sammi is not up to it, his legs have gone and he's easy to turn and run away from. Can or should J.C. carry us through another season at the back. I don't think Heize is the solution either but needs must if no one else is available, overall a good performance which deserved an easy victory.

[coop]

I watched the game late last night and although i already knew the result i wanted to see if our performance was as bad as some were making out.

 

Considering it was a pre-season game and in red hot conditions i thought we played some very good football.

 

These are the points i take from the game and arent in any order of importance.

 

- Alonso and Momo were superb in the middle of the park. Alonso is looking like the midfielder we initially signed and Momo is playing further forward then normal is is still the terrier we all know. Were he gets his energy from i dont know.

 

- We should protect Carra at all costs because i fear the day he gets injured.

 

- Kewell is showing signs of improvement and if he continues we could well have a good season out of him.

 

- Pennant is playing well but why does he have to cross every ball long . Nearly every cross was to the edge of the box instead of whipping a cross in for the strikers to head.

 

- Kuyt hopefully will improve his goalscoring this season as he doesnt have the first season excuse no more.

 

- Torres is class. The chance he flashed over the bar was created by himself with a flash of skill we have been lacking.

 

- Babel will be a top signing for us and will prove it over this coming season. Its still uncertain what his best position is but personally his best position for Holland has been on the left so Rafa should keep trying him there.

 

- Benayoun showed a couple of pieces of skill and was wrongfully ruled offside. He maybe a squad player but offers another option and he can be an important player for us this season.

 

- Purely based on the pre-season games so far our 1st choice strike partnership is Torres and Voronin.

 

I would have loved to have won yesterday as obviously no-one wants to see Liverpool lose (although some on here enjoy i think) but its only pre-season. When we were in our pomp we would lose pre-season games regular as its purely a getting fit excersise.

[G Richards]

With regard to Rafa wanting Malouda: I think he did, but at the same time I think Malouda failed Rafa's test. It seems to me that Rafa often likes to find out if prospective players have the right attitude and hunger to play for Liverpool. Malouda came across as quite indifferent. Had he shown the requisite hunger then I think a more aggressive pursuit would have ensued, but as it transpired the deal for us faded.

 

Malouda seemed driven by money (perhaps most footballers are, but Malouda didn't make much effort to disguise this). He also went on about how much he would love to play for Chelsea and team up with Drogba.

 

Perhaps Malouda will be better than Babel, or it might prove to be the other way around. I really can't tell at the moment. But I do know that Malouda failed Rafa's test and didn't show the requisite hunger to be here.

[G Richards]

On another note, I think Rashid is more than entitled to his view about needing another winger. He is coming across consistently and clearly, and I don't agree with the heightened tension surrounding everything he posts. I'm finding what he writes to be reasonable and he may have a point.

 

I can eaily go either way on the winger issue. I think Rafa is happy with his attacking options at the moment, given that he is on record as saying Kewell is like another signing. Babel, Kewell, Pennant and Benayoun. Then there is Riise and Gerrard to factor in as well. That's six players for right and left mid. It should really be enough, but if not, I'm sure Rafa has the funds at his disposal and is monitoring the market for suitable candidates.