duke2

Anyone taking delight in football fans of any team, anywhere, being battered by police clubs or otherwise should fuck off and find some other team to 'support'. It's not just moronic beyond words, it also reflects incredibly badly on the rest of us Liverpool fans. Those of you who believe in the The Big Media Conspiracy against our club should be equally wary of tits like fivetimes and that other cowboy who was on here the other day spilling their bile on such a public forum about the violence being the best thing about the Manure Roma game. We know the newspapers watch these forums because members have been quoted in the press before. I can just see posts like this this one coming back to haunt us if we get United in the CL final. Fivetimes, you wanna dance around and have a party when a United fan gets twatted till he bleeds? Do it in front of your kids you tosser.

Paul, What is it with you man? How come you're so balanced and reasoned all the time? Even when you're a bit chuffed off with things you still keep a fair and broad view... How about just losing it and throwing us a curve-ball now and again? Try it, you might like it.

Errr...Yes I can. Smicer, Biscan and Traore each played their part in us winning number 5. Some might say 'failures' such as Smicer were instrumental you quack. But I think the point was that not that you don't deserve an opinion, but that rarely do you express anything positive. When you go to Anfield, do you get shouted down a lot for negative comments regarding our players? You ever wonder why? Every soul on this forum is fully briefed on how you feel about Crouch, but there's no need to bring it up at every opportunity, especially as you know full well how others will react.

Count Crouchie's goals to games ratio since he arrived and I think you'll agree he's done ok for somebody who is almost never seen as a goal threat. Count them in any way you like, whether it be by season, by calendar year (in which case you should really include his goals for the Saints before he became a red), including or excluding international goals, whatever you like mate. And look at the quality of those goals as well. And look at how he links with Gerrard, Kuyt, Garcia, all players with great technical ability. His finish from Garcia's pass against West Ham earlier this season was as good a one-on-one as you'll see anywhere, equally his pass for the thumbsucker's goal against Villa last week was everything you want from good link-up play. It demonstrated good awareness and the skill to execute what was needed. We have four top strikers, any of whom can be dangerous and have their qualities, right now he's scoring more than they are and regardless of your pathetic Heskey comparisons, he's difficult to play against and great for attacking team-mates. You simply can't be won over with hard evidence. You're tall-ist.

You're a clown if you deny Crouch can score goals, link the play and deserves as much of a chance in the team as anybody else like Rashid has since the day the big man arrived. And just to stop you from feeling that I haven't acknowledged your very impressive match-attendance record, "good boy, fivetimes, have a gold star."

I'm a lurker too. I've spent years habiting the shadowy corners of this forum and don't feel my insight into the characters on here lacks credibility just because I'm the quiet type. I post when I have something to say and today I have something to say. Ahem. I'm afraid the tooled up chimp is right Rash. You're an absolute clown mate. You reckon Crouch isn't a goal scorer or a link man, yet he's currently scoring for fun and is capable of linking the play as well as anyone. Ask any professional and they'll more than likely tell you they love playing alongside him because he can get hold of even the worst of passes and lay it off. Truth is, you don't like him because he's incredibly tall and doesn't have a foreign name. This ain't the first time you've drawn me to post against your divvy ramblings. Clown.

But is he capable? Can he forgo all his attacking instincts and do the job of patrolling across the middle? Players like Didi and Makalele have it in their blood, they win the ball and play it five yards to the nearest team-mate before holding their position and waiting for their next chance to do the same again.

Paul, Owen Hargreaves is definitely a good shout but as said above, wouldn't want to come to sit on our bench when he could go to the mancs and make himself a regular.

We did look short of goals during two spells last season but I don't believe we'll see that repeated this season, at least I hope not. If we do it will be a case of incredibly bad luck. If we field an XI that includes any of Fowler, Bellamy, Crouch (can be really prolific when feeling confident and on form - last year's drought was pretty freakish if you ask me), Garcia, Zenden, Kewell, Speedy G, Pennant and of course Gerrard I think we're more likely to score goals than not. That might sound like I'm hedging my bets but I reckon as manager you prepare as much as you can but still have to leave little things to chances. Take the Boro away game, last season's opener, bet Rafa watched Gerrard miss his five hundred chances and thought: "Most things are going to plan, we've obviously done everything right, Stevie must put one away soon.." Just wasn't to be. But our team is littered with potential goals. Even Riise, Aurelio and Sami are no strangers to finding the net on a fairly regular basis. Crouchy ain't a natural but will still get 12-15 goals and creates as many chances as you'd want in a target man or second striker. And Fowler, Bellamy and The Boy Mellor are all as instinctive as any in the league. Don't get me wrong, would love Kuyt to arrive as Rafa has obviously taken a good, long look at hime and he looks to me like a real footballer - (butt-ugly, seventies blonde haircut, runs all over the place making room for his team-mates, the type of player you'd expect to have seen playing alongside Johnny Wark on Escape To Victory). However, there's nobody else in the squad bar Sissoko that hurls himself around the pitch like a tank in an effort to break up every opposition attack and disrupt their rhythm, whichever blade of grass they happen to be standing upon.

Anyone else a bit worried about the prospect of big Mo missing a few key games through injury or (more likely) suspension? Rafa obviously knew what he was doing letting Didi go but I don't see an obvious replacement of that quality in the squad. Those of you who know the youngsters better than I do or have seen Zenden play this role - a 'possibility' I recall Rafa hinting at recently - may see it differently. And with all those stats doing the rounds last year showing the success rate of Alonso's tackling, maybe I'm worring prematurely. However, Alonso tends to sit behind an attacking midfielder sweeping up and playng the quarter-back role, starting attacks once he's been given the ball. And Bolo looks to me like he's better creating from the middle and getting beyond the strikers. Without Didi and with that Zapater fella not having arrived I don't see a genuine ball-winner without Sissoko and while Gerrard and Alonso make for a great centre-mid pairing against most sides - put them up against the truly great sides of the Premiership and Europe and we stand to lose out on Stevie's attacking instincts as he sits deep trying to play in forwards that are miles ahead of him. I would argue that cover for Sissoko, someone young and inexpensive but hungry for experience, is perhaps a more pressing need than a striker considering who we've got as options to play in the front six positions.

Actually ScouseJim, I don't live in Cardiff anymore (I was there for a couple of years when every Red I know wanted to be my best mate - I had no less than six mates sleeping on my little lounge floor the weekend we beat the Mancs in the Carling Cup final). I'm now in London and am looking for a final ticket and a place to stay like everybody else! Nice one for reminding me to update my profile though...errr...how do I do that again?

I took my girlfriend up from London having secured tickets for the Chelsea end in a roundabout way. We gave a lift to a couple of Red mates who, like me are from Southport, but now live in the south. One of them had got himself a ticket for the Liverpool end but the rest of us were with the chavs in the North stand, thankfully near enough to the Pool fans there to make me utterly proud. The only time I've sat with the opposition fans before was at Highbury some ten years ago which wasn't too bad. This was a different experience though. Chelsea fans are the worst I've ever come across in 22 years of going to watch Liverpool. Not worst as in violent, but worst as in attitude. Everything is brand new to them and it shows, they really are as classless as some on here have suggested. There were little lads, aged no more than 10 or 12 years singing about Hillsbrough for God's sake, and others, older and uglier, simply not watching the game but instead constantly staring across the 50 yard chasm to where the Liverpool fans were and screaming what was often nonsensical abuse. Three lads in front of us were not dressed in team colours and my girlfriend whispered to me that she thought they were Reds. I got talking to them at half time but nobody gave anything away because earlier in the first half, we'd all watched helplessly as some poor bloke five or six rows in front was turned upon by eight or nine horrible Chelsea fans for clapping Riise's goal. They were screaming at him to fuck off and pushing him into the aisle where several squared up to him, others went straight to the stewards and demand he be removed which he quickly was. All this time he was protesting that he was a neutral - don't know whether he was or not but he didn't deserve that and anyway, it meant that the undercover Reds that came out of the closet all around me at the end would keep quiet for the duration of the game. I'd actually been naive enough to think I should wear my Liverpool scarf into the game but my mates and girlfriend begged me not to so I gave it to my mate who was to sit with the rest of you. Glad now that I didn't as I just wouldn't have been able to stay and watch the game. I'm sure semi-finals and finals in the past have seen the odd supporter of the wrong team sitting in among opposing fans and either treated with good humour or just ignored if they behave respectably enough - things have changed and the abuse we had to sit through yesterday wasn't pretty at all. Now the good news. You lot were just fucking awesome. You outsung the Chelsea fans who quite frankly, had no songs except "Stand Up For The Champions" (laughable) and even when they were singing, all we could hear was you lot when you started up again. Visually, you were also stunning. Despite not getting home until 2am I got up at 7am this morning to see if the telly pictures reflected what it really looked like to see the travelling kop from afar, they didn't, but by God you were feckin' frightening! We were so proud to be Reds. When the whistle went and the glorious result was unchangable, the Chelsea fans all started to leave - but many in our section of the north stand stayed, turned towards you all, put their arms in the air and started to sing along passionately and defiantly to YNWA. As I was did the same, my girlfriend grabbed my arm and pointed all around me, behind and in front, to where several little pockets of fans (who hadn't been wearing club shirts) were getting Liverpool hats and scarves out of pockets and bags and putting them on. As we all clocked one another smiling and singing, several of us held up five fingers at each other as dejected Chelsea fans filed past us mouthing 'fucking pricks' in our direction. It was brilliant. Throughout the game the lot of us had kept quiet and tried not to betray our emotions (when Garcia hammered in from 20 yards I'd bent forward in my seat, put my head between my knees and covered my face with my hands while screaming "Yeeeeeeeeessssssss"). After staying for La Bamba (respect to one Chelsea fan who came over to me and said: "You lot sure know how to party, never seen anything like that" while pointing to the heaving mass of red erupting in the east stand) we were asked to leave by stewards. Me and my mate got into a chat with a Chelsea fan at a motorway services late last night who I swear must have been blind. He comes up to us and says: "Where were you lot in the second half? I could barely hear you?" So, so bitter but deeply funny. He thinks they are going to win the Champions League next year and that we'll be nowhere near the title. We reminded him that we've improved massively this year while they haven't and that next year will be the same. He laughed and said that next year they were getting Michael Ballack! They're so dumb! They only started playing yesterday when they brought wingers on but they're still looking forward to a midfield of Lampard, Essien, Makalele and Ballack. At that point I quoted Rafa and said: "The point is not to collect all the best players or biggest names but to build a team", made my excuses and left. Anyway, just wanted to say thanks - not just to Rafa and the players but to you lot who turned up and showed the rest of the country (and Old Trafford) how to support a team. You were, as ever, simply brilliant.

I want Chelsea to get stuffed. I have never despised a club, a chief executive, a manager, a set of players or a herd of 'fans' as much as I do them. At least when United were dominating you knew they had some heritage and history of success and brought Beckham, Scholes et al through themselves, however lucky they might have been to have a half a team's worth of talent progress from the ranks at the same time. Chelsea have no heritage and no class and almost seem to delight in the fact. I hope Barca show them up as the long-ball playing, cheating scumbags they are. Besides, can you imagine how cool it would be to test ourselves against this Barcelona team?

Thanks chaps.

Sorry about this Dave, i don't know how to do the PM thing... Just wanted to ask if you actually inform subscribers when their subscription has come to an end? Can't remember when exactly I started or how many issues my payment entitled me to and if I need to I'd like to get another payment over to you for the issue coming out this week. Ta very much.

Dave, Do you send out a reminder to subscribers when they are coming to the end of their subscription, I'm not sure how many more issues I've got coming to me! Cheers.

Errrr....what makes anyone think he's going to play for free? Why would he? I know he loved the club and has stated a desire to finish up his career and everything but he knows he's worth something and would need that show of faith by any club to perform properly. One clear pattern that comes out of the book is that when Robbie thinks someone is taking the piss he lets it play on his mind. We might not be able to give him the sort of contract he's been on before but I reckon there's scope for some sort of deal.

I agree Robbie is actually very much a Rafa type of player, relying more on clever link-up play, smart runs and sharp finishing than pace. I've just finished his book and am totally up for having him back as an option and banging in goals for us again...might send my copy of the book to Rafa to read.

Dave, do you ever get tired of people agreing with you "100 per cent"? It seems to happen a lot. Even the odd poster agreeing with you 75 per cent would make a nice change...just a thought like. Anyway, as regards what you said to Rash and everything you've ever said in your lifetime, I agree 94 per cent.

...some of you have taken the opportunity to go on some of the Chelsea fans forums to see what they're saying about last night. I typed Chelsea FC and Forum into google to find a range of fansites and they're hilarious. Some are talking about how much they hate Benitez and slagging off Carra for his post-match comments but most are wondering how the Reds seem to have the measure of them and are deeply concerned about Lampard, Robben, Duff, Makalele and Essien being outplayed by our midfield... They obviously have a nasty West London slant to their view of the game but most are just deeply uninformed about last night's game and football in general. We've all seen the Beeb and the newspapers this morning describe a totally different match to the one we watched but some of the comments I read on the website I went to defy belief. The extract below says it all about these no-marks and their complete lack of class or heritage. "I cant believe you're blaming josé for this, they (Liverpool) are capable of closing down you know, they put the stoppers on our attackers and thats why we appeared boring and defensive, we need to splash out for a creative player like Ronaldinho or Aimar because we dont seem to have much true flair at the moment, I wonder how much kaka would cost"

Can't wait to receive my issue in the post, I'm so looking forward to the Carra interview. Dave, I'm really grateful for all the work you put in, no matter how much posters on here argue, we all have that in common. But you're a lucky b**tard too if you don't mind me saying. Can't believe you get to sit in a pub in the middle of Liverpool with Carra the legend and his medal, gassing the time away.

I lifted it on a tour of Anfield after we won it in 1984. There's a picture of me aged nine with Big Al, the European Cup, the Canon league trophy and the Milk Cup. Classic.

In the light of this you've got to be worried about whatthe Juve ultras have in store for our lads tomorrow. These nutters are targetting their own players now.

Paul, I appreciate what you're saying - any of us would dream of captaining Liverpool FC but to professional footballers it's not a dream, it's a job and a career. He's been here all his life and it probably was a great honour for him to be given the armband - he says he's a fan and maybe he is but not on our terms. I reckon you can't be a fan (as we know it) and a pro at the same time. JC used to support Everton but doesn't give a shit about being Liverpool's best defender every week. The two things aren't connected. We need to get over this whole thing that Stevie has "treated us with contempt", all he wants to do is get on. Moschops, sometimes I make spelling mistakes and the subs have to clean up my copy before sticking my story on the page. Well done for spotting one. You got a point to make about Gerrard? I agree that if he's playing at Stamford Bridge or even Highbury next season it's going to feel like being stabbed every time we see him but clearly Chelsea are in a better position to win things than us right now - that's just the way it is. I hope if it does happen then Rafa will replace him well. Incidentally, are you all going to celebrate if he scores and puts us through tonight?

If you knew me you would hate me for three reasons. 1) I read this forum about three times a day but hardly ever contribute. 2) I'm a journalist. 3) I'm a 'Gerrard-lover' and despite the kind invitation won't be sucking anybodys 'fat one'. What's the matter with you all? Don't you see the simple sense in all of this. Gerrard is without doubt the best player we've seen at Anfield in 20 years and has the ability to be ranked up there with the world's best players - only he won't be if we don't win anything. And before I get a verbal kicking for siding with Rashid (Rash mate, it's true you do take a lot of stick on here but then you do also talk a load of arse in the main) why shouldn't the player be looking around at less talented players as they win European Cups? I work for a top regional paper and give my best every day because I love what I do and I think I'm pretty good at it. Do any of my readers have a problem with the fact that I've got one eye on the nationals? No, do they f*ckers like. Do my bosses expect me to be around for ever? No, they know I'm in it for me and my career and my girlfriend and my prospects. I want to see if I can compete at the top level - sorry for the simplicity of the analogy but can you see where I'm going here? SG has haired around Anfield for years giving everything and outshining the best and I've loved every minute of it. I've been watching the reds for more than 25 years like so many of you regular contributors so I know talent when I see it and this lad has kept me going through a particularly rough patch of being a Red. I'd cut my knackers off for him to stay (maybe) and would love the lads to show him some proof that they can challenge for the title by the end of the season - but if they don't and he leaves then good luck to him, we'll just have to bite the bullet and start working on life post Steven Gerrard. It's not like he came from somewhere else and only stuck around for two seasons or didn't give us enough chance to turn it round, he's been this team for years and with the exception of JC and Alonso he's still this team, end of. Now he's been perfectly honest (as always with this lad) and told us he's considering leaving to go to a top club like Real Madrid (please please not Chelsea or the Arse) and win the silverware his talent deserves. What is your problem?