TLW

AVI COHEN 1979-80 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 14/11/56 Nationality - Israeli Position - Defender Games - 24 Goals - 1 Club Hons (Lpool) - None Intnl Hons - Israel Caps Other Clubs - Maccabi Tel Aviv, Maccabi Tel Aviv (twice), Rangers, Sheffield United, Huddersfield Town, Port Elizabeth (South Africa) Defender Avi was signed from Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv in July 1979 when he was 22 years old. Due to Ray Kennedy's absence, he was given an early debut at Leeds on 15th September 1979 but didn't feature in a League match again until the following April when he came on as a substitute for Colin Irwin against Stoke City. Ten days later he was named in the side which would retain the League championship if they could beat Aston Villa at Anfield. It was a day of mixed fortunes for the Israeli international. After David Johnson had given the Reds an early lead, Avi had the misfortune to slice an attempted clearance over Ray Clemence's head and into his own goal. But 5 minutes after the interval, he made up for his error by driving a low shot into the Kop goal to give Liverpool a lead that they never surrendered again. Avi played in 14 League matches the following season (1980-81), mostly as a deputy for Alan Kennedy, but never had an extended run in the side and it was no surprise when he eventually decided to leave Anfield to pursue his career elsewhere. Avi was tragically killed in a road accident in 2011. YNWA Avi. More info on Avi Cohen: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

PETER CORMACK 1972-76 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 17/07/46 Nationality - Scottish Position - Midfield Games - 178 Goals - 26 Club Hons (Lpool) - League Championship 1972/73, 75/76, UEFA Cup 1972/73, FA Cup 1973/74 Intnl Hons - Scotland Caps Other Clubs - Hearts, Hibernian (twice), Nottm For, Bristol City, Partick Thistle Edinburgh-born midfielder Peter arrived at Anfield in July 1972 after having played 72 League games for Nottingham Forest and double that number for his home-town club Hibernian. His experience and creativity added something extra to the squad that had narrowly missed out on the championship in 1971-72 and Peter was an important part of Shankly's 'new' team which won not only the First Division title in 1972-73 but also the club's first-ever European trophy, the UEFA cup. Peter had to wait until the 7th League fixture of the season (at Derby's Baseball Ground) before being handed his League debut but he scored on his home debut against Wolves the following week and never looked back after that, finishing with 8 goals from his 30 starts plus another 22 appearances in the different cup competitions. 1973-74 was another good year for Peter. He figured in all 42 League matches and added an F.A. cup winners' medal to his collection. Aged 28 when the 1974-75 season began, he looked to have years of success ahead of him at Anfield but when Bob Paisley's master-stroke converted Ray Kennedy from a lumbering forward into a graceful midfielder, it was Peter who suffered as a consequence. He did qualify for another championship medal in 1975-76 after starting 16 League matches but was clearly surplus to requirements at Liverpool and it was no real surprise when he moved on to Bristol City in November 1976. More info on Peter Cormack: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

TITI CAMARA 1999-2000 by Dave Usher Date of Birth - 11/07/72 Nationality - Guinean Position - Striker Games - 37 Goals - 10 Club Hons (Lpool) - None Intnl Hons - Guinea Caps Other Clubs - St Ettiene, Lens, Marseille, West Ham, Al Ittihad, Al Saïliya (S-Arabia), Amiens SC They say it's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all, and we certainly loved Titi Camara. One of the most popular players to pull on the red shirt in recent memory, Titi should have enjoyed a long and lasting relationship with Liverpool Football Club and its fans, but instead, he was sold to West Ham after a little over a year, sold for a paltry £2m. But just where did it all go wrong? Basically, Gerard Houllier did not have the same high opinion of Camara that the fans had, and he only ever saw him as a back up for Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler. As soon as Emile Heskey arrived at the club, Titi's days were numbered. The decision to drop Titi for the run in to the 99/00 season did not go down well with the majority of reds fans, and many feel that Titi's exclusion from the side cost the club a place in the champions league. Heskey was struggling to settle into his new surroundings, and Owen and Fowler were struggling for fitness, yet Titi was kept on the outside looking in. That was where the relationship with Titi and LFC started to deteriorate, and Titi's agent was causing a lot of problems behind the scenes, and appeared to be trying to set up a move to Celtic. That, combined with Titi's lax approach to training seemed to convince Houllier that the popular Guinean was surplus to requirements, and he was completely frozen out of the first team picture for the start of the 00/01 season. He only made the substitutes bench once, for the UEFA Cup tie with Slovan Liberec, and that game proved to be the final insult for Camara, as Houllier humiliated the African by forcing him to run up and down the touchline for the entire second half, yet refused to bring him on in a game that was crying out for his unpredictable talents. The fans chanted his name, but the more they called for Titi, the more Houllier dug his heels in, and the next day, Camara handed in a transfer request. Titi will be remembered for his wonderful skill and exciting runs, as well as some truly stunning goals. Most of all though, he will go down in Anfield folklore for a goal against West Ham at Anfield, just hours after the tragic death of his father. When Camara handed in his transfer request, Houllier accused him of a lack of commitment to LFC, but anyone who was at Anfield on that emotional night in Octber 1999, knows that Titi Camara's commitment to Liverpool Football Club is unquestioned. It was great while it lasted, and he'll always be a hero to many. Thanks for the memories Titi. bO8bn_b-H2U More info on Titi Camara: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

RAY CLEMENCE 1967-81 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 05/08/48 Nationality - English Position - Goalkeeper Games - 665 Goals - 0 Club Hons (Lpool) - League Championship 1972/73, 75/76, 76/77, 78/79, 79/80, European Cup 1976/77, 77/78, 80/81, UEFA Cup 1972/73, 75/76, FA Cup 1973/74, League Cup 1980/81 Intnl Hons - 61 England Caps Other Clubs - Scunthorpe, Tottenham Arguably the greatest of the many great goalkeepers that have represented Liverpool over the years, only Emlyn Hughes and Ian Callaghan had made more first-team appearances for the club by the time Liverpool's last line of defence through the glory days of the 1970's moved to Tottenham Hotspur in 1981. Ray had played 48 League games for Scunthorpe United when Bill Shankly brought him to Anfield in June 1967, folklore suggesting that the famous Scot chopped a few years off Tommy Lawrence's age to encourage the young 'keeper to think that he would soon be first-choice in his side! In fact Ray had to serve a long and frustrating apprenticeship in the reserves apart from being selected for a League cup tie against Swansea in September 1968, a competition Liverpool certainly didn't take seriously at that time. As the 60's moved into the 70's, Shankly was starting to break up the team which had brought him so much success and Ray was given his full League debut at Nottingham Forest on the last day of January 1970. Tommy Lawrence's last appearance for the club was in the awful F.A. cup quarter-final defeat at Watford the next month and seven days later Ray was one of a number of changes made for the visit of Derby County and he had established himself firmly as first-choice 'keeper by the end of that season. Ray only missed SIX League matches in the next ELEVEN years and picked up a bagful of medals as the teams of the 1970's surpassed the achievments of their predecessors of the 60's, not only winning the championship several times but also conquering Europe as well. In his first full season, Clemence only conceded 22 goals in 41 First Division matches, a record which was surpassed in 1978-79 when just 16 goals were let in with Ray being an ever-present for the sixth time. Ray's positional sense and quick reactions led to England caps galore and his tally would have been even higher had Peter Shilton not been around at the same time. One of very few players over the whole continent to have won three European cup winners' medals, Ray's crucial save from Stielike when the Rome final in 1977 was tensely balanced at 1-1 helped Liverpool achieve perhaps the most memorable result in the club's long and illustrious history. Just as important saves in the Anfield quarter-final with Saint-Etienne in the same season had paved the way for that first success in Europe's premier club competition and his penalty-save from Jupp Heynckes prevented Liverpool from losing the 1973 UEFA final on the away goals rule. Another brilliant penalty-save at Dresden in the UEFA tournament three years later also prevented a quarter-final exit and the Reds went on to win the cup that year as well. Memorable saves like these come easily to mind. What is not remembered so well but what was just as vital to all the success the club enjoyed during the 1970's was Ray Clemence's remarkable consistency and athleticism which turned many a draw into a victory and many potential defeats into draws and wins. Ray's final game for Liverpool was appropriately on the sort of grand stage to which he had become accustomed and he kept a clean sheet as Real Madrid were beaten by Alan Kennedy's late strike in Paris. But the flamboyant Bruce Grobbelaar had been signed only weeks before that European final and Ray knew that after so many seasons of almost unbroken success, he might have a difficult job at the age of 32 to keep the young South-African pretender to his crown out of the team. He chose to move to London in the summer and ironically his first competitive match against his former team-mates was at Wembley when, despite his heroics, Liverpool retained the League cup by three goals to one. A few weeks later Tottenham travelled to Anfield with Liverpool needing a win to secure their 13th League championship. As Ray ran towards the Kop goal at the start of the second-half he received a fantastic ovation from the thousands of supporters packed onto that famous terrace (and from other parts of the ground as well) as a tribute to the remarkable service he had given Liverpool for so many years. Whilst at Anfield, Ray won the League championship 5 times and also picked up 7 winners' medals in major cup competitions. He left Anfield having played a staggering number of 656 games for Liverpool in all competitions, a record unlikely to ever be beaten in modern times by another goalkeeper or - for that matter - any outfield player. More info on Ray Clemence: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

NIGEL CLOUGH 1993-96 by Dave Usher Date of Birth - 19/03/66 Nationality - English Position - Striker Games - 34 (10) Goals - 9 Club Hons (Lpool) - None Intnl Hons - 14 England Caps Other Clubs - Nottingham Forest, Man City, Sheffield Wednesday, Burton Albion Of all the disappointing signings that Liverpool made during the nineties, Nigel Clough was perhaps the greatest disappointment of all. He wasn't a complete flop of course, but he was hardly the roaring success he should have been. He does not deserve to be classed in the same category as the Paul Stewart's and Istvan Kozma's of this world, but Clough was a bigger disappointment than those two purely because of the greater expectation level that surrounded his arrival at Anfield. Graeme Souness famously stated that he had signed the 'new Kenny Dalglish' when he spent £2.25m on the England international, who had been an integral part of his father's fine Nottingham Forest side of the mid/late eighties, and to be fair to Souness few Liverpool fans were disagreeing with him. At that time, if you could have picked out any player in the English top division that was well suited to the "Liverpool Way', it would have been Clough. With his clever passing and wonderful vision, he looked every inch a Liverpool player, and it is a complete mystery as to why he never made the grade at Anfield. It started well enough, with two goals on his debut against Sheffield Wednesday at Anfield, one an absolute beauty. The biggest compliment that could be paid to Clough was that he did not look out of place in the famous number 7 shirt, and a bright future appeared to be on the cards for both Clough and Liverpool. The chant of "He's red, he's white, he's fucking dynamite - Nigel Clough, Nigel Clough" rang around Anfield that day, and a new Kop hero was born. At least so it seemed. He netted again with a clever backheel at QPR, but then the goals dried up, the team went on a poor run, and after a miserable defeat at Goodison Park Graeme Souness decided to introduce a teenage Robbie Fowler to the forward line for the away game at Fulham. Clough was forced to drop into midfield to accommodate the precocious Fowler, and never really looked like making a success out of his new position. Classed as being too slow to play up front, he appeared to be too lightweight to play in midfield, and his form dipped alarmingly. Aside from one wonderful performance in the classic 3-3 encounter with the mancs at Anfield, Clough seemed lost in midfield, and he never really recovered from the dip in form he suffered. He was eventually sold to Manchester City for £1m, but he again failed to recapture the form of old, and even a loan spell back at Forest failed to help him re-ignite his career. Clough's time at Anfield wasn't a happy one, but he was always a popular figure amongst the fans, who never turned on him despite his poor form. He wasn't helped by his father's scandalous comments about Hillsborough, which put him in a very awkward position, but Clough junior handled the whole situation with a lot of dignity and his popularity with the fans never suffered despite the resentment Kopites had towards his father. Clough really should have been a star at Anfield, but it just never worked out. He finest hour in a Liverpool shirt was his inspired performance in that United game at Anfield, when almost single-handedly he brought the reds back from 3-0 down to earn a draw. Clough was like a man possessed that night, scoring two fine goals and leading by example. Normally a laid back character, Clough was running around with his fists clenched, encouraging his team-mates and flying into tackles, at one point sending Ryan Giggs six feet into the air and earning a booking for his trouble. Had he been able to sustain that kind of performance, then when Liverpool fans talk about the great number 7's of the past, then the name of Clough would be right up there with the best of them. Unfortunately he couldn't, and he will always be known as one of the great disappointments. A8sRq3FjunM More info on Nigel Clough: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

PHIL CHISNALL 1964-66 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 27/10/42 Nationality - English Position - Striker Games - 9 Goals - 2 Club Hons (Lpool) - None Intnl Hons - None Other Clubs - Man United, Southend United, Stockport County Inside-forward Phil moved to Anfield from Manchester United in April 1964 and made his League debut against Arsenal at Anfield on the opening day of the following season, which was incidentally the very first edition of the B.B.C.'s 'Match of the Day' programme. Phil didn't play again in the League until the last four games of the same season, which also saw his only League goal for the club in the 2-0 home victory over Chelsea. He also played in two European matches for Liverpool (scoring one goal) before being transferred to Southend United in August 1967. More info on Phil Chisnall: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

JIMMY CARTER 1991 by Dave Usher Date of Birth - 09/11/65 Nationality - English Position - Winger Games - 8 Goals - 0 Club Hons (Lpool) - None Intnl Hons - None Other Clubs - Crystal Palace, QPR, Millwall, Arsenal, Oxford, Portsmouth The signing of Jimmy Carter was one of Kenny Dalglish's final, and strangest, signings as Liverpool boss. Carter had not exactly set the world alight at Millwall, but Dalglish saw something in the right winger which persuaded him to part with £800,000 to take him to Anfield in January 1991. A player who relied considerably on his electric pace, he seemed completely out of his depth whenever he pulled on the red shirt. At Millwall he was known for being very fleet of foot and skillful, and his crossing was one of the Lions' main attacking weapons. Yet Liverpool fans saw none of those qualities, as Carter struggled to adapt to the higher expectation levels at Anfield, and the subsequent pressure that brings with it. Lacking in confidence, Carter was the proverbial 'headless chicken.' He was quick, but his strange running style hardly inspired confidence. When in full flow he resembled a duck with a rocket up its arse, and unfortunately he played like one. Poor old Jimmy is most remembered for a game at Stamford Bridge when Graeme Souness' reign was in its infancy. Souness sent Carter on as a substitute, had a look at him for a few minutes, decided that he didn't like what he saw, and promptly hauled him off. He wasn't seen again in a Liverpool shirt, and the reds were delighted to offload him to Arsenal for £500,000 in October. He barely featured for them either, which begs the question, how much cash did George Graham get from that deal! More info on Jimmy Carter: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

BOBBY CAMPBELL 1958-61 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 23/04/37 Nationality - English Position - Games - 14 Goals - 2 Club Hons (Lpool) - None Intnl Hons - None Other Clubs - Portsmouth, Aldershot Liverpool-born Bobby made 13 League appearances for Liverpool during the 1959-60 season, scoring one goal (in a 4-0 win against Bristol Rovers at Anfield on the 16th of April 1960). He made one further League appearance for the Reds the following season before resuming his Football League career at Portsmouth. His playing career was cut short by injury soon after his 30th birthday but Bobby has been well-known as a manager of several clubs in the south-east of England, including Fulham, Portsmouth and Chelsea. More info on Bobby Campbell: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

JIMMY CASE 1971-84 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 18/05/54 Nationality - English Position - Midfield Games - 236 (25) Goals - 45 Club Hons (Lpool) - League Championship 1975/76, 76/77, 78/79, 79/80. European Cup 1976/77, 77/78, 79/80, League Cup 1980/81 Intnl Hons - None Other Clubs - Brighton, Southampton, Bournemouth, Halifax, Wrexham, Darlington Jimmy arrived at Anfield after playing for the Merseyside club South Liverpool and was an instant successs when he made his League debut at Anfield as a 20 year old on the final day of the 1974-75 season against Queen's Park Rangers, a fixture the Reds won 3-1. He established himself the following season, making 39 appearances for the first-team in all competitions and scoring 12 times, 3 of which came on a foggy December night on Merseyside as the Poles from Wroclaw were defeated in the UEFA cup. Jimmy also scored important goals in the quarter-final and the final of that competition and added a European winners' medal to the championship medal already secured at the end of his first full season as a first-teamer. Although still only 22 when the 1976-77 season began, Jimmy had already built a reputation for himself as a tough-tackling, hard-working midfielder who packed a venomous shot. His long-range shooting became a feature of his game and many of the 45 goals he scored for the club came from distance, like the majestic turn and volley with which he scored in the 1977 F.A. cup final against Manchester United. He added another championship medal in his second full season and was also a member of the team which finally won the greatest prize of all on that famous night in Rome when the European cup was secured for the first time. He would go on to win two more winners' medals in that tournament plus another two in the domestic championship. Although an integral part of the team by now (he missed only the last 5 games of the 1979-80 League campaign), many of Jimmy's appearances the following season were as substitute. In the summer of 1981 he was transferred to Brighton & Hove Albion, with whom he returned to Anfield two years later and scored the goal which knocked his former club out of the F.A. cup. He later joined Southampton in his early 30's and was to continue playing League football to a high standard for several more seasons. More info on Jimmy Case: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

IAN CALLAGHAN 1959-78 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 10/04/42 Nationality - English Position - Midfield Games - 843 (5) Goals - 69 Club Hons (Lpool) - League Championship 1963/64, 65/66, 72/73, 75/76, 76/77. European Cup 1976/77, UEFA Cup 1972/73, 76/77, FA Cup 1964/65, 73/74, 2nd Division Championship 1961/62 Intnl Hons - 4 England Caps Other Clubs - Swansea, Cork Hibernian, Soudifjord (Nor), Crewe The only Liverpool player to make the journey from the Second Division to the European cup final, Ian Callaghan made nearly 850 appearances for Liverpool's first-team in an Anfield career which spanned nearly 18 years from the date of his debut (a Second Division fixture against Bristol Rovers in the middle of April 1960) until his final match in the semi-final of the European cup against Borussia Monchengladbach at the end of March 1978. 'Cally' was a quiet man on and off the field but his achievements and honours for Liverpool speak for themselves. After that early debut towards the end of the 1959-60 season, he only played in 3 League matches the following season but Bill Shankly made him a regular from November 1961 onwards when he played in 24 of the last 27 matches of that season, the year when the club finally managed to make the step up from the Second to the First division. The first of his 69 goals for Liverpool came in the first match of that extended run, against Preston North End at Deepdale on 4th November 1961. He was a right-winger in those early days and an ever-present during the two years in the 60's when Liverpool won the League championship, 1963-64 & 1965-66. That consistency earned him a place in Alf Ramsey's 1966 World Cup squad and he played in two of the early group matches. Probably the fact that Ramsey decided on a formation without wingers restricted his international career and it was not until the Autumn of his career that he was selected for his country again when he was in his mid-thirties. When Shankly's 'rebuilding' brought another League title to Anfield in 1973 after a 7 year absence, Ian was one of three men (the others being Chris Lawler & Larry Lloyd) to play in every single League game. By now he was playing in midfield, a role he adapted to just as easily and competently as he had when asked to play as a right-winger in his early days. Cally continued to pick up winners' medals with regularity as Liverpool dominated domestic and European football for the rest of the decade and he ended up with six championship medals (one Second Division and five First) as well as winners' medals in the F.A. cup, European cup, UEFA cup and European Super cup. The only domestic medal he missed out on was in the League cup, although he was a member of the side beaten in the 1978 final by Nottingham Forest. It was in the League cup that Ian Callaghan became an unlikely goal-scoring hero, when his hat-trick put out Hull City on a midweek afternoon at Anfield in November 1973 in front of less than 20,000 spectators (a fuel crisis meant a ban on floodlit domestic matches at that time). Ian was honoured by the Football Writers as their Player of the Year in 1974, the season in which he won his 2nd F.A. cup with the club (he and Tommy Smith were the only survivors from the first victory against Leeds nine years before). In September 1978 he signed for Swansea City under his former colleague John Toshack and was to play several dozen League games for the Welsh club, helping them win promotion into the Second Division in the process. Ian Callaghan was one of the greatest players ever to wear a Liverpool shirt. His 'attendance record' was remarkable; he made at least 40 League appearances in eleven different seasons and only missed a handful of matches in any competition during the 15 years when he was a regular in the first-team. When he finally left Anfield, he had made made nearly 200 more appearances for the club than ANY other Liverpool player. No man has played more matches for the club and none is ever likely to in the future. Check out our exclusive interview with 'Cally': http://www.liverpoolway.co.uk/forum/features/35032-its-cally-ian-callaghan-interview.html More info on Ian Callaghan: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

LOUIS BIMPSON 1952-60 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 14/05/29 Nationality - English Position - Forward Games - 102 Goals - 39 Club Hons (Lpool) - None Intnl Hons - None Other Clubs - Blackburn Rovers Rainford-born Louis, who signed for Liverpool in January 1953, was a centre-forward who made 100 appearances for Liverpool's first-team in the rest of the decade, scoring 40 goals in the process.* He was given his debut at Aston Villa on 7th March 1953 and played in 7 more League games before the end of the season, scoring 3 goals. His most productive season for the club was in 1953-54, when he hit the net 13 times in 24 League matches. On his day he could be brilliant (a hat-trick against Manchester United in August 1953 and four against Burnley {all in the first half} at Anfield a month later prove that) but he was never considered to be a regular in the side and when Dave Hickson arrived from Goodison in November 1959, Louis faded out of the first-team picture altogether and was quickly transferred to Blackburn Rovers. More info on Louis Bimpson: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

JACK BALMER 1935-52 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 06/02/16 Nationality - English Position - Forward Games - 312 Goals - 111 Club Hons (Lpool) - League Championship 1946/47 Intnl Hons - None Other Clubs - Collegiate Old Boys (amateur), Everton (amateur), Brighton & Newcastle (wartime guest) Jack joined Liverpool after playing for Everton as an Amateur but potentially the best years of his career were lost to the Second World War. He had played in well over 100 League matches for Liverpool by the time war broke out and was an ever-present in the last full season before the war (1938-39), when he scored 10 times from 42 matches. When League football season resumed after the war, Jack resumed as if nothing had changed and was the club's top scorer (equally with Albert Stubbins) as Liverpool won the First Division championship* for the first time for nearly a quarter of a century. It was during that season that he created a Football League record which may never be broken by scoring hat-tricks in three successive League matches in November 1946 (Portsmouth, Derby & Arsenal being his victims).* Jack was a prolific scorer for Liverpool throughout his career and is one of the few men to have scored over 100 times for the club in all competitions. His final appearance came in February 1952 and he left Anfield agonisingly just one goal short of what would have been a century in First Division matches alone.* More info on Jack Balmer: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

SIR MATT BUSBY 1935-40 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 26/05/09 Nationality - Scottish Position - Half Back Games - 125 Goals - 3 Club Hons (Lpool) - None Intnl Hons - Scotland Caps Other Clubs - Manchester City Matt Busby was signed by Liverpool in the Spring of 1936 for £8,000 after he had enjoyed some good years with Manchester City, including winning the F.A. cup with the Maine Road club in 1934. He was therefore an experienced professional when he arrived at Anfield and almost immediately took over the No. 4 shirt from Robert Savage. Matt didn't miss many matches over the next three seasons and was one of two 'ever-presents' (the other being Jack Balmer) in the 1938-39 season. But like so many of his contemporaries, Busby's playing-career was cut short by the Second World War.* After Peace was declared in 1945 and with his playing days over at the age of 36, Matt Busby was offered a job on the coaching-staff at Anfield but chose instead to take the manager's post at Manchester United. It was a bold step for him to take with no previous managerial experience behind him and of course his achievements at Old Trafford were astonishing. In a modern time when too many people seem to be obsessed with the rivalry between the two cities of Liverpool and Manchester, it is often forgotten or not even known by younger supporters that Matt Busby ever was a Liverpool player but in the period immediately before World War Two he - along with Tom Bradshaw & Jimmy McDougall - formed an all-Scottish half-back line that certainly ranks with the best the club has ever had in those three positions at any one time in its history. Matt Busby had played 118 League matches for Liverpool (and 317 in all) when the 1939-40 season was abandoned after just three games.

GERRY BYRNE 1957-68 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 29/08/38 Nationality - English Position - Left Back Games - 329 (1) (21) Goals - 3 Club Hons (Lpool) - League Championship 1963/64, 1965/66, 2nd Div Championship 1961/62, FA Cup 1964/65 Intnl Hons - 2 England Caps Other Clubs - None Liverpool-born Gerry signed professional forms aged 17 after coming through the Junior ranks at Anfield. But although he made his League debut at Charlton Athletic on 28th September 1957, that was his only outing that season and the experienced full-back pairing of John Molyneux and Ronnie Moran prevented him from making more than a handful of appearances during the next two years as well. But Bill Shankly's arrival in late-1959 changed Gerry's prospects completely as the new manager seemed to take a liking to the tough-tackling full-back and he took over from Ronnie Moran in the Autumn of 1960 and played in the remaining 33 League games of that season. Gerry was to become a regular for most of the rest of the decade and was an important part of the settled team that brought so much success to the club in the middle of the 1960's after so many mediocre years.* He might not have been as well-known as some of his colleagues but his uncompromising style and courage were never in question; and that was never shown more clearly than on the day Liverpool finally won the F.A. cup for the first time after 72 years of trying. He was injured very early on in the 1965 final against Leeds United and although trainer Bob Paisley knew that Gerry had broken his collar-bone after a tough tackle and was in danger of puncturing his lung if involved in a similar challenge, the player concealed his injury at a time before substitutes were allowed and bravely carried on although in extreme pain. The extent of his injury was not revealed until the final was over, by which time Gerry had a winners' medal in his pocket and an important involvement in the first, vital breakthrough goal scored by Roger Hunt early in extra-time. 1968-69 was Gerry's last as a Liverpool player. Although he had celebrated his 30th birthday a few days into the season and was by no means over the hill as a player, the injury problems which had wrecked most of the 1966-67 season for him were to recur and he made his final appearance for the club against Wolves at Anfield early in April 1969. Gerry's reward for a career which had seen him play over 300 times for the first-team in all competitions was a testimonial match attended by nearly 40,000 people who braved appalling conditions to pay tribute to a man who had been an integral part of the success story of the previous few years. Although his career had been cut short by injury, Gerry Byrne had the satisfaction of being part of the best Liverpool team for many, many years and the medals he took home with him in League and Cup confirm that fact. He also played twice for the full National team.

ANDRE WISDOM PROFILE by Dave Usher Date of Birth - 09/05/93 Nationality - English Position - Defence/Midfield Intnl Hons - England u16 Signed from Bradford as a 14 year old in January 2008, Andre is still an u16 player even though he's been with the u18s all season. Big and strong, he is also quick and comfortable on the ball, and looks to be a player with huge potential. Andre has been a mainstay of the u18 side throughout their run to the FA Youth Cup Final and excelled in a variety of positions, starting at right back before switching to centre half, and eventually moving up into midfield for the semi final against Birmingham. An England u16 international, he was also named as an unused substitute for Gary Ablett's reserve side early in 2008, despite only being 15 years old at the time.

TOM INCE PROFILE by Dave Usher Date of Birth - 30/01/92 Nationality - English Position - Midfield/Forward Intnl Hons - England u17 Tom is a tricky left sided attacking player who has made giant strides in recent years. Son of former Liverpool skipper Paul Ince, young Tom is a very different type of player to his old man. After starting the 2008-09 season on the left wing, he soon established himself in a different role, playing just off the front man in the FA Youth Cup and producing a series of fine displays. Tom is skilful, has a terrific left foot and can pick a pass. He's also excellent from set pieces, and is a player the club have high hopes for.

ALEX COOPER PROFILE by Dave Usher Date of Birth - 04/11/91 Nationality - Scottish Position - Midfield Intnl Hons - Scotland u16 Son of former Aberdeen midfielder Neale Cooper, Alex joined the reds from Ross County in the 2007/08 season. He went into the u16 side, and the following season moved up to the u18 set up. A strong player who can play left back as well as further forward, he has represented Scotland at various junior levels.

ADAM PEPPER PROFILE by Dave Usher Date of Birth - 02/12/91 Nationality - English Position - Midfield Intnl Hons - Adam caused a bit of a storm when he quit Everton to join the reds a few years ago. As a very young lad, he'd been hyped up as the next big thing and Everton fans had high hopes he would follow in the footsteps of Wayne Rooney. Liverpool had other ideas however and tempted him across the park. That 'superstar' label looks to be wide of the mark, but he is proving to be an extremely promising player and has become an integral part of the u18 side. Excellent on the ball with a good range of passing, Adam is a tenacious player despite his lack of size, and he caught the eye during the youth team's run to the FA Youth Cup Final.

ANTONIO BARRAGAN 2005-06by Dave Usher Date of Birth - 6/12/87 Nationality - Spanish Position - Right back/midfield Cost - Undisclosed Games - 1 Goals - 0 Club Hons (Lpool) - None Intnl Hons - Spanish U18 caps Other Clubs - Sevilla, Deportivo La Coruna Talented young Spanish right back snapped up by the reds in the summer of 2005 from Sevilla. He appeared as a substitute in a Champions League qualifier, and appeared to have a bright future ahead of him. Antonio was a regular in the reserve side and produced some exciting displays, but never looked especially secure in his defensive duties and when Deportivo made an offer of £1.5m in the summer of 2006 Rafa Benitez felt it was too good to turn down and allowed the youngster to return to his homeland. The reds did retain a buy back option when the deal went through, but gave it up as part of the agreement to sign Alvaro Arbeloa from Depor in January 2007.

DEREK BROWNBILL 1972-75 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 04/02/54 Nationality - English Position - Midfield Games - 1 Goals - 0 Club Hons (Lpool) - None Intnl Hons - None Other Clubs - Port Vale, Wigan Athletic Derek came through the Junior ranks at Anfield before signing professional forms around his 18th birthday. He only played once for the first-team, a League match away to Birmingham City on September 15th 1973. He was substituted by Brian Hall when Liverpool were losing 0-1 and Hall promptly scored the equaliser with just 5 minutes left!* After leaving Anfield in February 1975, Derek went on to play many games in the lower divisions for Port Vale and Wigan Athletic. More info on Derek Brownbill: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

TOM BROMILOW 1919-30 by Chris Wood Date of Birth - 07/10/1894 Nationality - English Position - Defender Games - 375 Goals - 11 Club Hons (Lpool) - League Championship 1921/22, 1922/23 Intnl Hons - 5 England Caps Other Clubs - West Dingle, United West Dingle Prebytarians (both amateur) Left-half Tom made 341 League appearances for Liverpool during the decade which followed the end of the First World War, his debut coming in a First Division fixture with Burnley at Turf Moor on 25th October 1919. Having played 23 times during that debut season, he would miss only 5 matches over the next 3 seasons, which included the club's 3rd and 4th League championships in successive seasons, 1921-22 and 1922-23. Tom was a regular member of Liverpool's defence for the rest of the decade, making his final appearance for the club at Blackburn on the last day of the 1929-30 season. Tom made 33 appearances in the F.A. cup competition for Liverpool and was also picked to represent England on 5 occasions. k6YcIn1sQ4c More info on Tom Bromilow: ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

LIVERPOOL 3 Newcastle 0 Report by Dave Usher at Anfield Scorer(s) – Yossi Benayoun, Dirk Kuyt, LucasHalf Time - 2-0 Venue - Anfield Date - Sun 3 May 2009 Star Man – Xabi Alonso I’m not sure Newcastle going down would be such a good thing all things considered. Would it be funny? Of course, how can you not laugh at grown men with massive beer bellies that stretch the life out of their replica shirts, blubbering like babies whilst waving shoes above their heads professing their undying love for ‘tha toon’? But do we really want to lose out on the guaranteed six points a season they provide? It’s a tough one. The Geordies are surely the worst team we’ve played this season. Blackburn’s performance at Anfield recently ran them close, but at least Rovers put up a fight at Ewood Park. The two games we’ve had against Newcastle this season are as comfortable as you are ever likely to get in the Premier League. Newcastle are seriously bad, and we won this game at a canter, without breaking sweat and without Fernando Torres. We played well, but just as it was following the game at St James’, it’s difficult to judge how good we were due to the rank incompetence of what we were up against. On paper they’ve got a half decent side that should be more than good enough to not only survive, but finish in the top half. There is more than a hint of ‘yesterday’s heroes’ about them, but still, these are established top flight professionals with big reputations and salaries to match. Alan Smith, Nicky Butt, Damien Duff, Mark Viduka, Joey Barton, Kevin Nolan, Obafeme Martins, Colloccini and of course Michael Owen. They should be giving us much more of a game than they have done, that’s for sure. What they need is Rafa Benitez. The things they are lacking are the things Rafa is so good at. They aren’t organised, they don’t work hard, they are defensively clueless and they aren’t difficult to play against. Whatever faults we may be able to find in our own side occasionally, those four things are never in question. They are the exact opposite of the side we have. We didn’t have Torres when we trounced them at St James, and he wasn’t playing again this time due to a slight hamstring problem. Imagine how many we’d have scored if he had played. That defence and the high line they play is tailor made for a bumming from Torres. It says a lot about them, and also about us in fairness, that we didn’t need Torres to beat them easily. As he did at St James’, Kuyt led the line brilliantly as a lone frontman. Usually I’m not keen on him playing the Torres role, and there have been numerous examples of it not working. But that’s twice now against the Geordies that Dirk has done the job really well. He created the first, scored the second, and linked the play very well, especially in the first half when I thought he was excellent. With Gerrard returning and immediately settling back into the groove, and the in form Yossi Benayoun once more lively, we tore into Newcastle from the start and created numerous good openings in the first half. Behind most things, as usual, was the imperious Xabi Alonso. He’s just a joy to watch, and only the crossbar denied him two glorious goals in this game. Such was his influence on the game, it’s surprising it took Joey Barton so long to try and take him out. I expected it sooner to be honest, and he did have a couple of little digs that led to some angry words from Xabi. When he eventually did it, I just thought to myself ‘what was the point?’. The game was over, Xabi was going nowhere when he collected the ball by the corner flag, yet Barton couldn’t resist it and has now collected a suspension that rules him out until next season. Like I say, what was the point? I don’t think Barton himself even knows why he does what he does, he’s just got a screw loose. Seriously, the lad has mental problems. Thankfully Xabi is ok, and thankfully Shearer didn’t try to justify his player’s actions. More on him later. I’m not entirely sure what the thinking was behind Newcastle’s 4-3-3 formation. I guess maybe they felt they had nothing to lose and decided to go for it, but having Martins and Lovenkrands on the wings made it so easy for us. Arbeloa and especially Aurelio, just bombed forward at will in the first half. Aurelio and Riera were doubling up down the left flank and the pair of them got a lot of joy and fired plenty of crosses in. The right flank was a little less productive as Yossi was operating inside quite a bit and Arbeloa was more impressive in the second period than the first I thought. A couple of times Kuyt drifted out there and got some dangerous crosses into the box, and Newcastle just didn’t seem to know how to deal with the fluidity of movement and interchanging of positions from our forward players. Kuyt created the opening goal when he collected a loose ball and crossed low to give Yossi a tap in from virtually on the goal-line. Newcastle appealed for offside, perhaps with some justification. The replays weren’t conclusive from what I’ve seen, it looked pretty tight but as Shearer magnanimously pointed out afterwards, it probably wouldn’t have made any difference such was our superiority. They did create one decent opening, when Lovenkrands got in behind our defence but was forced wide and it came to nothing. Other than that, they didn’t offer much, with Viduka once again proving he’s the only striker in world football capable of being offside more frequently than Pippo Inzaghi and Djibril Cisse combined. To be fair, with that arse he look offside even when he's standing in his own half. We forced plenty of corners, which usually means nothing to us, but Newcastle this season have managed to achieve something no other side has done. They’ve made us look dangerous from corners. Every set piece we had at St James’ Park looked likely to end in a goal, and we scored twice from set plays in this game too. Our second goal came from a corner, and on first viewing it just looked like typically horrific Newcastle defending as Kuyt was somehow allowed to plant a diving header past Steve Harper from six yards. A diving header from a corner? Poor marking that, surely? It was only when Lee Dixon (very knowledgeable guy by the way, perhaps Newcastle hired the wrong MOTD pundit?) pointed it out on MOTD2 later that night that it became clear what had happened. It was definitely something we’d worked on in training, as Agger blocked off Kuyt’s marker to allow him a free run. Kuyt returned the favour shortly after, and Agger got in on the back post and knocked it back into the danger area, but this time Newcastle cleared. It was nice to see though, as I know I’m not the only person who often wonders if we ever work on our set pieces. It would appear that we do! Without wishing to offend Sam Allardyce, at 2-0 it was game over. In fact, at 1-0 it was game over, so poor were the visitors. The only question was how many we would go on to score. Surprisingly it was just one more. Agger had a stunning long range drive turned away by Harper, and after the break Alonso and Gerrard both struck the bar and numerous other opportunities weren't taken. The one goal we did manage was a smart header from substitute Lucas, who capitalised on more non existent marking from the Toon to latch onto Aurelio’s free-kick. It was the very least we deserved given how dominant we were. Nice for Lucas too, as he was desperately unlucky not to get a goal in the previous encounter with the Geordies a few months back. By this point, Newcastle were already down to ten men after Barton’s moment of madness. Michael Owen was on though, thrown on immediately after Barton’s red card. I didn’t even notice him coming on, as I was too concerned with watching Xabi leaving the field on a stretcher. Apparently there was some booing when he came on, but I honestly didn’t hear anything. People have their reasons for booing, but I just think it’s a little unnecessary. Nobody knows more than Michael Owen that he made a mistake leaving, and an even greater one in not holding his nerve when Madrid wanted him to join Newcastle. But he’s suffering for those decisions, booing him is rubbing his nose in it. I guess I’m a soft touch, as all I felt when I saw him warming their bench was sympathy. I understand those who say let him rot and that he brought it all on himself. I really do understand, I just can’t feel the same way as I still remember Michael for the great times he gave us. I’d have him back like a shot too if it was up to me. No disrespect to young N’Gog, but I’d be a lot happier having Owen on the bench next season. That argument has been done to death though, and clearly Rafa isn’t interested so it’s a moot point anyway. It’s funny, because for long periods of this game I was feeling sorry for Newcastle and thinking it would be a bit of a shame if they went down. Then their fans started being pricks, giving it the ‘Liverpool slums’ and ‘town full of smackheads’ nonsense. This sparked the Kop into action, with Shearer the butt of their jokes. The match of the day theme was particularly funny, even Shearer was laughing. I’ll be honest, I like Shearer, always have done. Ever since his Blackburn days when I once saw him in town at a Chubby Brown gig. I was bladdered and went over to him talking shite, breathing my ale fumes all over him and probably spitting all over him too as I struggled to put a sentence together. Most people would have just told me to 'fuck off', I know I would have done, but Shearer didn't, he was polite and chatted away to me for a few minutes. That's stuck with me all these years later. He's a good guy Shearer. Like everyone else I’ll have the occasional dig at him just for a cheap laugh, but generally I quite like the fella, even more so after the way he handled this defeat. When the Kop were mercilessly ripping the piss out of him, he took it in good spirit and had a laugh about it. Then he refused to make excuses for Barton, and on the whole carried himself with a refreshing dignity that you rarely see in Premiership managers. If Newcastle stay up, I’ll be happy for him. If they were to go down, I’d feel sympathy for some of their fans (the normal decent lads, not the stereotypical fuckwits with delusions of grandeur), for Shearer and for the ever loyal and ultra professional Steve Harper. They look in deep shit though, and the only thing that can save them is the sheer ineptness of Sunderland and Hull. If either of them were capable of winning a game, Newcastle would be fucked. As for us, well games are running out. Even winning all our remaining games probably won’t be enough, but that’s what we have to do and then hope for a miracle. Star man was Alonso. An absolute masterclass in midfield play that resulted in yet another opponent getting red carded because they couldn't handle him. Honourable mentions to Gerrard, Kuyt and Benayoun. Team: Reina; Arbeloa, Carragher, Agger, Aurelio; Mascherano (N’Gog), Alonso (Lucas); Benayoun, Gerrard, Riera (Babel); Kuyt:

Cheques went out today to thants and George Costanza.

LIVERPOOL 4 Arsenal 4 Report by Dave Usher at Anfield Scorer(s) – Fernando Torres (2), Yossi Benayoun (2)Half Time - 0-1 Venue - Anfield Date - Tue 21 April 2009 Star Man – Yossi Benayoun What can you sat after that? Should I be pleased about the brilliant performance and never say die spirit, or be angry about the defensive mistakes that saw us concede four daft goals for the second time in a week? After last week’s defeat at Chelsea, virtually everyone I know spoke of how pleased they were with the performance and how proud they were of the players. I didn’t feel that way myself, I just felt a mixture of huge disappointment at going out to them fuckers, and anger at the way we threw away the great opportunity we’d given ourselves by letting in four goals in the second half. After this game though, I feel differently. It doesn’t hurt as much as last week, probably because I don’t have the same level of hatred towards Arsenal as I do for Mongo, Drogba and co, and probably because although this result is damaging, it hasn’t directly ended our participation in a competition. Yes, I’m frustrated about the goals we let in, and very concerned about what impact this result may have on our title hopes, but I can’t help but be encouraged by the performance and I’d say we were desperately unlucky not to win this game. I can’t deny that we were the architects of our own downfall, and three of the goals were a direct result of individual mistakes. But on another day we’d probably only get punished for one of those mistakes at most. Arsenal – or more specifically Arshavin - had four shots on target, and scored four times. I don’t know how many chances we created, but it was four or five times as many as the Gunners. Being punished so severely for every mistake was cruel on our lads, who dominated Arsenal pretty much from start to finish. We should have won easily, in the end we did very well to salvage a draw. I wonder if Yossi’s late equaliser may yet prove valuable? Could that point be the difference between 1st and 2nd place? Time will tell, but if he hadn’t grabbed that equaliser I’d say it would have been all over. But if we don’t win the title, it wasn’t lost because we failed to beat Arsenal. This is a more than acceptable result under normal circumstances. In fact, had we not dropped so many stupid points earlier in the season, this would simply be one more point towards securing the title, as we’d be well clear. Drawing at home to Arsenal doesn’t cost you championships, drawing at home to West Ham, Fulham, Hull, Man City, Stoke etc does. If only we’d performed like this in those games, we’d have absolutely annihilated those sides. We were brilliant against Arsenal, even without Steven Gerrard. In the skipper’s absence, we needed others to step up, and they did, none more so than Yossi Benayoun who was just sensational. Unquestionably his best performance for the club, although in fairness he’s been playing very well for several months now. Dirk was another who excelled against the Gunners. He has his critics, and rightly so as there are some games in which he really isn’t worth a place, but in big games played at a high tempo, he’s a great asset to have. It’s against the shit teams where he can sometimes be a hinderance. Along with Torres and Yossi, Dirk ran Arsenal ragged, and I don’t think Gerrard was even missed in this game. Of course you are always going to miss a player of his ability, but seriously, he would have had to been right at the top of his game to have eclipsed the impact Benayoun had. It wasn’t the absence of Stevie that cost us two points, it was silly mistakes coupled with bad luck. The first mistake came from Mascherano, who dwelled on the ball on the edge of his own box and was robbed. Fabregas then cut it back for Arshavin who’s shot went in off the underside of the bar. On another day that hits the bar and comes back out, or the linesman flags Fabregas offside (he wasn’t, but it was an incredibly close call that could have gone our way on another day). The goal was against the run of play, as we’d peppered their goal and Fabianski had made numerous saves, not all of them convincing. We’d produced some excellent football, and at half time most people around me were just shaking their heads wondering how we were losing this game. Our season was on the line, we needed a big second half performance and hopefully an early goal. We got both. If anything, we were even more dominant in the second half than we were in the first, and we quickly turned that half time deficit into a lead. The key to it for me was the tactical switch that Rafa had made midway through the first half, when he switched Benayoun to a central role and moved Dirk out wide. Yossi had been brilliant in both roles, but when Dirk went out to the right he started to have a much bigger impact on the game, and their rookie left back couldn’t cope with him. Dirk bullied him, winning flick ons and using his strength to get the ball down and run at him, and we played at such a high tempo that we forced their players into mistakes. We got a lot of joy down the right, not just because of Dirk, but also because Arshavin didn’t particularly want to help his young full back out. The equaliser came after Kuyt got in down the right, and although his first attempted cross was blocked, he looked up and then picked out Torres who headed superbly into the bottom corner. We were flying now, and wave after wave of attack followed. Yossi somehow headed us into the lead when he met Kuyt’s deep cross at the back post and directed the ball goalwards despite being kicked in the face. The keeper clawed it out, but it was well behind the line and the linesman flagged to give the goal. It was about the only decision the twat gave us all night, he was a disgrace and he’s the reason I’ve got no voice today. I’d also like to take this opportunity to apologise to all those people sat in the rows in front of me, not only for my choice language but for the torrent of spit that tends to inadvertently fly out whenever I shout abuse at some bastard. That linesman really did send me over the edge, especially when Arsenal scored almost immediately after he failed to spot a foul on Mascherano that occurred two yards from him. Of course we contributed to it ourselves, as Arbeloa was caught dallying by Arshavin who then ran through and leathered an unstoppable shot into the far corner. Great finish, but completely avoidable from our point of view, and shameful officiating by the linesman and that Howard Webb prick. Astonishingly, I heard an Arsenal fan on the radio claiming Webb favoured us all night. Damn. I thought he was a disgrace, much the same way as he usually is when he refs our games. For instance, how on earth did he fail to award a free-kick for the foul on Dirk in the first half? He bottled it, because he knew if he gave a foul he’d then have to make a decision on whether the hapless Silvestre was the last man. Joke of a ref, probably hand picked by…. I’ll stop there on the advice of my lawyer. Being pegged back to 2-2 was disappointing, but I still felt we were in the driving seat as we were playing well and it was only mistakes that had allowed Arsenal to score twice. I wasn’t overly worried, but when they went 3-2 up after yet another defensive blunder (this time from Aurelio) had presented Arshavin with his hat-trick, it’s fair to say I was now beginning to have doubts! But before I’d had time to contemplate the consequences of that goal, we were back on level terms through the majestic Torres. When Riera fired a ball into him, there wasn’t even a hint of an opening. But the instant control and quick turn immediately gave Arsenal a problem, and even though Silvestre moved in to close him down, a little shimmy made him a yard of space and predictably the ball was soon nestling in the corner of the Kop end net. He made it look easy, but it was a fucking brilliant goal that. So now we’re back to thinking that we’ll go on to get a late winner, and we almost did. We piled on the pressure, and Arsenal were hanging on. Torres had a header cleared off the line, as we forced a series of late corners. Ironically, it was from one of these corners that we fell behind again. Arsenal had introduced Walcott in a bid to hit us on the break like he did in the CL quarter final last season. It worked once more. An overhit corner found its way to him just outside his own box, with only Xabi Alonso between him and our goal. Everyone in the ground realised we now had a fucking huge problem, no-one more so than Xabi, who is probably the last player we would want in that situation. He actually did ok and held Walcott up a little so he couldn’t run through himself, but Arshavin had printed through on the opposite flank and Walcott did well to pick him out. One swing of his left boot later and we were staring defeat in the face despite putting in one of our best performances of the season. The players must have been hugely deflated, but they regrouped and showed once again the fantastic character and never say die spirit they have. Credit to the fans too, who stayed with the side and belted out YNWA even when it was looking like our title challenge was about to end. We rallied, piled forward and put Arsenal under more pressure, and when Mascherano headed back across the box the loose ball fell to Yossi who bundled it in to secure what will hopefully turn out to be a vital point. I wouldn’t even say we deserved that, as we deserved much, much more. It’s disappointing to only come away with a point given the way we played. I thought we bossed Arsenal throughout, played some great football and created so many chances. There was always a danger that we would slip up somewhere in our run in, and so it has proved. But there’s no reason why we can’t go on and win all our remaining games, especially if we produce this kind of form. Whether that will be good enough who knows, we just have to hope other sides help us out. It shouldn’t have come to this though, it should be in our own hands and it’s our own fault that it isn’t. But what’s done is done, and we just have to keep our fingers crossed that someone will give us a helping hand. Star Man was Yossi, by a distance. Torres was brilliant too, and Kuyt deserves a lot of praise for his performance, but the little Israeli was a joy to watch. Great feet, loads of energy and a huge heart. He’s had a fine last few months, and if we are to win all our remaining games he is going to be an integral part of things as he’s in great form. When Gerrard returns I’d say Riera has to be the one to make way, as although I thought he did ok in parts against Arsenal, clearly he isn’t in the same kind of form as the likes of Yossi, Gerrard and Kuyt. The big concern is the number of stupid goals we are letting in. Mostly it’s individual errors that are costing us, but I think we’ve looked wide open for long spells in the last two games. Clearly when we’re chasing games we can be left exposed at the back, but we can take consolation in the fact that we don’t have to face any sides remotely close to the same level as Chelsea or Arsenal in our remaining fixtures. Special mention to for Ray Kennedy. It was fantastic to see him out there on the pitch at half time, and the mosaics at both ends before the game was very touching. Arsenal’s fans also had a banner in respect of the 96 too, which was a nice gesture and is probably just about enough reason to stop me slaughtering them for the tedious ‘hoof’ chants. Team: Reina; Arbeloa, Carragher, Agger, Aurelio; Mascherano, Alonso; Kuyt (El Zhar), Benayoun, Riera (Babel); Torres:

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