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Yeah God certainly doesn't like things to be won at goodison.

The thing I’ve enjoyed most about Jamie Carragher’s podcast is the incredible forthrightness of the interviews. The shared context, friendship and experiences with his guests provides an incredible platform for honest conversations – far exceeding the cookie cutter Q&As we hear in the vast majority of interviews conducted by actual journalists. Carra’s standing, and aversion to sugar-coating anything, enables him to frame questions in a way that would be downright insulting coming from a reporter. It’s what made the recent episode with Michael Owen such a startlingly brutal and uncomfortable listen. If you came out of that interview still unwilling to bury the hatchet with Michael Owen and finally welcome him home, then I’d advise you to contact someone with a stethoscope. Michael’s story, as told on The Greatest Game, sounded like the clichéd sports movie, charting the incredible highs, then the depths of despair. It was set-up for the final act – the inevitable, uplifting redemption, but in Owen’s case, there is no feel-good ending. If the Robbie Fowler story could draw comparisons to Rocky, Owen’s could be likened to the end of Raging Bull. Put it this way: Michael Owen, who scored 158 goals for his club and thrice tried to get back home after his initial departure, now feels intimidated when he walks into Anfield. “Any Liverpool fan has the power to break my heart,” he said. Jesus, I don’t know about any of you, but hearing that just about broke mine. It’s not right. Owen brought as much joy to the old stadium as any individual in the last quarter century; that much is indisputable. Yet, as Carragher brutally pointed out, Owen gets no love, his career and contributions are glossed over. Or, to use Carragher’s word “dismissed”. I’ll be honest with you. Michael was my guy. At the time I’d have argued “Michael over Robbie” with anyone. My best mate and I still joke about it to this day (how lucky were we to have those two to playfully argue over by the way?). I’d never really resented him for leaving, but it did break my heart. I never hated him for signing for Newcastle because I was privy to information he desperately wanted to come home and was distraught to be going there. I wasn’t among those screaming “where were you in Istanbul?” in his face, because what was the point? It wasn’t even as if I felt signing for United was unforgivable given his predicament. For me, a fissure tore into a gaping crevasse the day he scored the winner in that Manchester derby (as unreal a finish as it was). I hadn’t seen him celebrate quite so exuberantly in a decade. I hadn’t seen that joy since he was a teenager and, as he raced behind the Stretford End goal, hadn’t seen him run that fast either. How could he be that happy doing that, there, for them? At the time when we were in the utter depths of the Gillet and Hicks era, with Rafa’s tenure coming to an end, it was an absolute sickener. For many, it confirmed what they had felt all along. It was the first time I believed it too – that Michael Owen cared only about Michael Owen. It didn’t matter which shirt he was wearing. On that day he was happy for himself, not for Man United. And now, in the context of his interview with Carragher, it’s a little bit easier to see why. Many will still feel like Owen got what was coming, that he made his own bed and thus doesn’t deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as other Liverpool greats. That’s fine. But there’s also a staggering hypocrisy here that’s bothered me for decades. It seems you can be terrible, as a man and a footballer, but as long as you’re pushed out of the door, rather than leave on your own terms, you’re welcomed back to Liverpool with open arms. The ovations afforded to a returning David James down the years, for example. Here’s someone that made an absolute mockery of us, his manager and the entire club, quantifiably costing us a title during his time on his PlayStation, or modelling, or whatever else he was doing while flailing around between the sticks. James and Owen both broke my heart. Michael for leaving us when he did, James for being abjectly terrible at his job and causing us to lose football matches. One of the two feels intimidated walking into Anfield for fear of abuse, the other would probably get a standing ovation if he turned out for one of those Liverpool Legends games. More recently, the reverse is somehow true. It seems a player can force his way out in the most egregious manner and still be remembered fondly. His recent roasting at Anfield aside, the esteem in which Luis Suarez is held absolutely staggers me. Carra mentioned this too. Some of my best mates have him in all-time Liverpool five-a-side teams. I can’t scream this loud enough, but to Hell with Luis Suarez. This bloke went on strike to force a move to Arsenal (to Arsenal), bit opponents and racially abused others. Our reputation is yet to fully recover from our association with that ‘loveable little scamp,’ as evidenced by the recent, long overdue apology to Evra and the coverage it received. I feel ashamed for supporting him at the time. Between Owen and Suarez, which is the club annually falling over itself to wish a happy birthday? Here’s a clue: It’s not the one who ran himself into utter physical degradation before his mid-20s, while wearing the red shirt. Nor is it the one who won a Ballon D’Or in the same year he helped us to a cup treble. Owen’s contribution to the modern history of Liverpool far eclipses Suarez’s season or so of giving a damn. Even Stan Collymore enjoys a higher standing than Michael Owen among some Liverpool fans on social media. Seriously. Even the aversion to Fernando Torres has faded these days. Everyone seems alright with him again with the club often commemorating his contribution more and more often. I promised myself I’d never love another footballer again after he went to Chelsea; then Klopp’s lads came along and now I’m besotted with the lot of them, but that’s beside the point. Speaking of Chelsea, remember when Steven Gerrard tried to force a move there? If Gerrard’s explanation for how that situation came to pass (Papa Rafa didn’t show him enough love, etc.) is understood then why can’t Michael’s reasons for heading to Real Madrid, when all along his plan was to just “do a Rushie” and come back after a year? The answer’s rhetorical, if we’re honest with ourselves. After developing an Alan Shearer-like reputation for bland, guarded interviews during his playing career, Michael has been an open book since his retirement. Especially regarding his injuries and his self-professed rapid decline. We’ve had a window into Owen the person. Maybe that’s what has me warming to him again? The fact that, away from his horses, his millions and his media career, he’s a guy with insecurities, with regrets, with fears and apprehension. It’s a great leveller. I don’t know how the current impasse changes. Maybe it starts with the club affording him the same respect it does to other, less deserving folks, through its constant content output? If they can get off Suarez’s lap for five minutes that is. For all their talk about the “LFC family” they aren’t half choosy about who is treated as such. People shouldn’t need reminding just how good Michael Owen was, but if that’s what needs to happen, it should. There’s no reason for this continued antipathy or, perhaps even worse, utter apathy. That might be the hardest thing about this for Owen. Right now, he doesn’t matter. He’s not loved, nor particularly hated. Just irrelevant. Some will say that’s his punishment. After listening to his side of the story, I’d counter by saying, “for what exactly?” Carragher brutally pointed out that, while he finished his career with a guard of honour and a Kop mosaic, Michael went out coming off the bench for Tony Pulis’ Stoke. Wasn’t that punishment enough? Enough is enough. It’s time to recognise Michael Owen’s contribution for what it was. On the stat sheets, to the numbers on that increasingly-active “Wall of Champions” and in our mind’s eye. “One-nil down, two-one up, Michael Owen won the cup.” Remember that? Like many others, the story isn’t straight forward. There are complications. But Michael Owen is unquestionably a Liverpool great and deserves to be spoken of as such. It’s time to end the story in the right way. Chris Smith @ByChrisSmith View full article

To be fair, we're taking the piss but I don't resent Ancelotti having a good start, or Everton fans enjoying football for a bit. It's just the mental 0-60 that's funny.

can someone stick this up on bluemoon pls ha ha brilliant gohead lads

Don't underplay the run they're on. They've beaten the mighty Brighton, Watford and Palace, drawing against Newcastle and West Ham. The tide is turning.

The problem we have is our usual two main party’s, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, are two sides of the same coin now. Both are now hated, albeit people will still vote for them. They’ve had a confidence and supply agreement for a while, so no proper opposition. The Irish Labour Party has been desperately poor since they last got a big vote in the ‘90s and wasted it. Sinn Fein have been on the periphery for a while, but now will finish ahead of Fine Gael, and possibly Fianna Fáil. They have said they want to be in government, so if the usual suspects ignore it and try and form another confidence and supply agreement, there’ll be hell to pay. So I think Sinn Fein will end up in government and will have to actually govern and stand over their policies. It’s not been some silly, anti-British campaign by them either. Nor has it been all about a United Ireland. They’ve promoted policies. This is good. I hope they end up in government (albeit it’ll be in coalition) and actually have to govern. Britain had been torn apart by Nationalist politics, but the Sinn Fein kind of nationalistic politics is very different. It’s left leaning. It’s socialist-lite. It’s pro-immigration. It’s pro top earners pay their tax. It’s a big day in Irish politics. The most dramatic election since 1918.

What do you mean it wasn't thought through? If you get a chance to bring in the 19th leading goalscorer from the Chinese league last year, you have to jump on it! Quarantine concerns, the fact that you don't have time to do a medical - none of these matter when you're the best-run club in football and you know you've identified a top talent who happens to share the same agent as your manager.

If anything, this article has just made me hate him even more.

Sorry, can't get past the footage of him cavorting around in front of the Stretford End with the Premier League trophy. The only reason - I mean that literally - Ferguson took him on was as a vanity project. I can make this Liverpool legend a title winner here! I don't hate the guy and I still have fond memories of his time at the club. But I can't memory-hole that image, nor should I have to.

What terrifies me about their Ancelotti-recovery is that - after 25 games - they have almost half as many points as us...

In New York a few years ago, was walking through Central Park and someone was dressed up as Big Bird. He/she was randomly sticking their head in a bucket pretending to eat food. Crazy bastard, whoever it was

Totally disagree. That’s a way worse deal.

I see Pickford says criticism doesn't affect him, which I guess helps explain his general lack of progress as a player.

Anything that disturbs complacent, duopolistic political careerism - in any country - is a good, good thing.

Just driven down to Ipswich for work. Booked into one of these pub restaurants with accommodation. Got settled. Had my tea. Have just wandered back to the room across the pub garden, and there’s a fucking massive blood red full moon hanging low in the sky. I’m stuck in Suffolk, werewolf fucking central, on a full moon, and without any silver bullets or knives. Luckily my room is on the first floor and two German families have just booked into family rooms on the ground floor. A veritable all-you-can-eat buffet for a werewolf.

If only that were the case when he was buying jumpers.

Not by me I'm afraid. He still refers to Man U as "we". I still refer to him as "treacherous blood-sucking cripple".

We went to her folks for a meal and drinks Friday night. Her mum had been sorting through her Gran’s jewellery and said she wanted Claire to have her eternity ring. It’s a double diamond band eternity ring worth well in excess of £5k. Claire got annoyed with her mum for wanting to look after the ring for her and made some barbed comments about not being trusted and she’d obviously take great care of something so important. Within 24 hours she’d lost the ring!

It doesn’t need to be privatised (whatever that means in this context) it needs to be properly democratised. A properly democratised, regulated public broadcaster, with proper journalism that doesn’t just parrot hegemonic talking points, would be a perfect tonic to combat the continued rise of propaganda and help restore trust in institutions. I’m talking specifically about the news output, the entertainment stuff is still largely good*, afaik. *Note: I have not watched a second of the updated Top Gear with renowned banter merchants “Fredward” Flintoff and Paddy mcguiness

Fair point, a few of those Championship sides have a pretty dire following. I guess my nostalgia for the '80s/'90s plays a big part. When we beat the likes of Huddersfield or Brighton it seems to have little context; however, even if they're shit, putting 4 or 5 past Leeds will give me a big ol' chubby. I'm at the stage where I want the biggest, gobbiest shithouses in the league so we can smash the lot of 'em while Klopp's here and we're the best in the world. Having said all that, there's fuck all chance I'm going to Leeds away. I've got a note from my mum.

You originally said he couldn't create for others so stop fucking whingeing.

So long as the gimp remains manager, I really couldnt be arsed who they sign. A tactically inept manager is still tactically inept even if he is surrounded by world class players.

In a word... yes. In a picture... Last season: This season:

Well I'm only half way through it but I have my suspicions that it was actually Gary Numan. *taps nose

Haha, the joke's on you, because it had stopped raining when I finally hauled my arse out of bed. *typing this message with cracked, chapped fingers*

I like to think a Blue in work was joking today when he said "if we carry on like this we'll be challenging for the league next year".

And Nunez!

I've been doing a bit of research and I reckon his great grandfather was related to mine. I'm not sure yet how to use this information to the best advantage.

Jesus, not this old chestnut again. They arent making any money from the club, look at the audited accounts if you wont take my word. Yes, the value of the club has sky rocketed and when they sell, they'll make a huge profit. Of course we could have been saved by Peter Lim or some hedge fund looking to get back the money gillet owed them so I guess things could have been even rosier.

Ok, I understand. There's been a very clear effort here to divide the two. We've bellends walking around claiming they're provos when they're just selling drugs and robbing banks to fund themselves while giving about 1% to some dissident lot who couldn't bomb their own fridge. They do this to try and claim some weird "we're better than normal criminals" high ground. They're just criminal gangs trying to fly under a flag that even the Provisional IRA deny them. On occasion though it suits the State to call them dissidents as then they can hold them longer, questions them longer, and lock them up for longer. Most are happy just to have them off the streets.

I've never seen Love/Hate, but that's literally the reason it was set up. The court allows the opinion from a senior Garda as to whether a person is a member of a banned organisation to be enough to charge - however this has never happened without proper evidence added to the opinion. Now, as the threat of "terrorism" is not an issue currently, it is mainly now for criminal gangs. But having a court with no jury trying ordinary citizens, albeit not for every-day criminality but at the more extreme end, is still quite shaky ground from a human rights perspective. This has always been Sinn Feins issue with it. Dissident paramilitaries will still be tried there so that is an argument to keep it also.

Our conservatism, is a catholic church conservatism. If anything it fed the "rebel country" ethos of the people. The church, especially in the country, played key parts in the war of independence from 1919-21 in planning and harbouring before and after. The type of nationalist politics of the current Tory's or UKIP is a million miles from the nationalism of Sinn Fein or pre 1990s Fianna Fai. The nationalist ideal of a country struggling to understand what it is as it's Empire dwindled is polar opposite to the nationalist views of a country forced to live, die and suffer, under the tyrannical rule of an Empire. Don't forget, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail all originally comes from splits within the original Sinn Fein.

Christ, sorry for all the bad spelling and typos. I was sitting on my bed feeding a 1 year old as I wrote it. The final part about Sinn Fein and the Special Criminal Court should read that they are backing away from their wish for it to be abolished, not "backing up" their view. They now are ok with it staying, but with some changes. It's important, because it shows they are getting a bit more mature in their wish to govern and accept that not all their views are right or good when taking in the whole country.

Delighted that Parasite did so well at the Oscars, best film I've seen in years. It's a bit weird that it hasn't really had a widespread release in the UK as yet though, hopefully the wins will cause that to happen.

Yep. Horrible bitch. She’s only got 2%or so of the vote and so been utterly rejected, but I still wonder how 1,300 people can vote for her? Total cunt.

I bet they don't do it for the STD clinic.

I wonder will rival fans be mentioning us in the same breath as Milan early 90s in twenty or thirty years? "Fuck me,you'd swear they were as good as Liverpool in the early 20s they way they go on".

I actually don’t want Coutinho back. Not (just) because he fucked of like a twat, but because we are settled without him, and I don’t think he’s the right type of player to come back into the side now. I’d sooner the money was spend elsewhere. Probably just a tactic to lower the price on Havertz anyway. If it we’re up to me, I’d say getting both Havertz and Werner would be just about ideal. Obviously unlikely, and would be incredibly luxury. But still, I’d like to win everything at all times. Ever.

I'm astonished that this is remotely close let alone Roz winning. It's the equivalent of people voting Phoebe as the best "friend"

TWO! TWO VOTES FOR COUNT VON COUNT! AH! AH! AH!

I'd love us to win the title at goodison. I want their club and players to refuse to give a guard of honour and their fans to hurl abuse and then turn their backs. I want everyone to see what small minded irrelevant twats they are.

Phew, you will be pleased to hear no damage done over at Goodison by storm Ciara

I love Washed Out, particularly the 2009 EP 'Life of Leisure' and the track 'Feel It All Around', which is the theme tune to the TV show Portlandia. Pretty daft really but I listened to that album a lot around the time we went to Portland a few years ago, entirely because I knew it from the show. It makes me nostalgic for a place like nothing else, it's weird. I can't hear that particular track without pining to be in the Pacific Northwest and every single time it makes me think about moving out there, or at least visiting again. It's one of my absolute favourite tracks. Fuckin' A. Washed Out - Feel It All Around Some good recent recommendations guys, cheers.

Sounds a bit grim, think I'll swerve it... definitely not my cup of tea... I've added it to my list

Werner has been out-of-his-mind good this season, like 13/14 Suarez, or pretty close to it. He'll be 24 this season and if the rumours about his buyout clause are true, then it's only a question of whether he'd choose to come here (where he might be worried about being first choice) or somewhere else. There's little doubt we would want him. Even if this season is a bit of a fluke, even before this season he was a top player and fits our style of play perfectly. The other advantage to Werner is that you can easily see how he fits in this summer. I assume we're not going to want to sell one of our big stars, and that means that Mane, Firmino and Salah will all still be here. Werner fits because he can play left or in the centre, meaning we can effectively play any 3 from the 4 of them and it suits our style of play. Sancho does not fit quite as well, because he essentially plays where Salah does and I personally think he's perfectly suited there and it would be foolish to try to play him elsewhere. I actually think the ideal scenario would be to leave Sancho at Dortmund for another year and then buy him in the summer of 2021 when Mo will be 29 and we can sell him to Real Madrid for a billion quid a year before his legs fall off. The problem with that idea is that it does seem like Sancho is ready to move on from Dortmund this summer, which doesn't suit us very well. Ah, well. Can't win all of them, I suppose. It is rather nice to be in such a good position regarding the future, isn't it? We can essentially just replace one player per season for the next 3-4 years with a really good younger player, all the while spending any extra money on stockpiling the academy with the best 16-18 year olds in the world and progress towards a future underneath a golden sky.

You know you've done something special when the most famous picture of you is simply standing over a corner kick.