Dave D

Not entirely unlike a goal I scored against Merely Flights when I was 14. We lost 4-2. Didnt find the net again for about 10 games. What price the same thing happens to old gourcuffss

Its all to play for. I just cant the shake the feeling that rafa will make it a bumpy ride. I just hope we dont roll up at Old Trafford with Rafa in one of his Genius/Madman moods where he baffles the shit out of everyone with his team selection/formation. Nothing would surprise me. Anger, upset, depress me, but not surprise me.

I think we're being a bit harsh. He's very young, away from home and playing for a manager that seems to bizzarley bring you down a peg or two if you start playing really well. Some respond to that, others just lose all confidence. Its been said on these forums before, if Babel was English he'd be already reaching legendary status. The fact that he settled so quickly has got us all demanding world class football from him every appearance. He definately needs to show more enthusisam when things arent going well for him but my hunch is he WILL be a big player on the world stage, I just hope we show the patience and belief in him to make sure its with us and not playing against us. Players who have a great season often find expectations hard too live up to the following season. Personally when it comes to poor attitude towards fans and team mates and under performing, between them Rooney and Ronaldo have got it nailed. Both are, and will continue to live off reputations forged over one great season. I digress!!

Not with you. Clarify......

Ha ha!!! Rightly or wrongly mr number19, I have to applaud your bravery with this post. Heskey could go either way but on here your risking being electronicaly lynched by the true Heskey haters and then the 100's of bandwagon wazzocks who just love love an email rumble!!!

Im loving all this drama. As hannibal smith used to say when the-A-team were in the shit "Im just loving the jazz" I dont give a turd if the mancs win 10-0 today. WE'RE STILL IN THIS!!!! Theres going to be plenty more twists and turns yet as we all know. But until the fat lady starts singing lets take the rough with the smooth and look forward to putting the 'orrible lot from up the road in their place this weekend.

Totally agree. Some people on here must just have a compulsion to disagree with everything.

How stupid are you? Every player we sign isnt going to go straight into the starting 11. Fuck it, lets do away with subs, we dont need them! Pointless.

Sadly that wont ever happen. Like it or not

What your saying is, that unless they currently start week in week out for utd or chelsea they aint worth a look. I still think he's a good player, even if its just as a squad man. Anyone would think Id suggested Titus bramble.

Be a good signing. Daily mail mention we are likely to bid for him as Spurs cant afford him. While we're at it defoe would do nicely too

Neither are good enough for LiverpoolFC. Both are good on their day, but these are few and far between. Simao would be an immense signing in January, a real lift, but very unlikely. I think we really need to make a good signing in January. Doesnt have to be a big star, or ridiculous money, just a shrewd, quality player to help in the all important run-in. Someone in the Gary Macca mould. Even if its a short term Larsson style deal. If we dont, I think we might get a bit stretched.

Possibly an unfortunate choice of words for the thread title.............. but, I think we're going to spank`em. (Ive done it again) Cant think of a better time to play them. We need a win, the press are on our case, they're all over the place at the back, United are away, Chelsea are stumbling....its christmas!..........Keane inspired 0-3.

When you put it like that.....EIGHT MILLION QUID!! Shocking scenes really.

Anyone followed his progress with Espanyol? Blackburn are trying to sign him apparently. I always thought he was quite a good player.

What an ace season. Us and the chavs dropping points, the mancs loomin large, the gooners going from the sublime to the ridiculous........what drama!! what tension!!! This is what its all about!!!!!!!! And were still top. LET THEM ALL WRITE US OFF!! do us the world of good. So the mancs beat city? So what? We did too, and we dicked our neighbours in their own kitchen. And they beat spurs. Who beat us. And they lost too everyone! Makes a change to be having the debates were havin at the moment, were in the mix, weve definately got the squad to do it so f***in come on!! Lets have it!!

So did Darren Fletcher help them to the double.

Trouble is, we do run out of fucking ideas. THREE times this season. All at home to shite. No point saying we shouldnt allow it, its fucking happening. Anyway, Ive got Paisley down as more of a shouty left winger. Or is that right winger.

If we had the option of crouchamania running wild all over west ham for the final 20mins last nite and not ngog, we'd be 3 points clear. Its baffling with the money we spend, and with Rafa as gaffer, that we end up so woefully short of options like we did last night. Got to be said, looks like Keane will be heading the same way as crouch and bellamy. Decent players, but dont seem to be able to either cope with the pressure, or in the case of crouch, cant handle not starting every game. I think its also true to say that expectations at Liverpool seem to be much higher. Berbatov and Tevez have hardly been world beaters at United, but nothing really gets mentioned. Worringly, looks as though reinforcements are due in January in the shape of emile. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

I think your missing the point. Football isnt just about good teams beating bad teams every week. Its dealing with the different pressures that games bring, and other results have a huge bearing on the frame of mind we approach games. Yes, we should beat west ham at home, but even a scrappy 1-0 win will send out a statement of intent, as it shows we have got the right mentality to win these games when the pressure is on, as that kind of mindset will be absolutely imperative in the run-in should we still be involved, no matter who we play.

I get it in the post. Even the Mrs reads it now. Or is she just intrigued by our Torres man love

I think that kind of labelling of a player is something a lot of us reds are guilty of. Ryan Babel is a young player that we have all got high hopes for but it doesnt take long for everyone too lose patience and start writing him off whilst waiting for him to become the next Henry. This is a young player that is also carrying the weight of a big transfer fee. If he was a product of the Academy I think the expectations and comparisons may have been even greater

Has the premier league changed/improved to such an extent that instead of nurturing and encouraging youngsters who have ability at the ages of 15/16 to become better players, clubs just buy the player when someone else has done all the "groundwork"A good example being Walcott. Are managers under such pressure that the demand for instant success makes blooding a player at the age of16/17 too much of a gamble both for the player and the team. As some recent results have shown, there arent any easy games in the premiership any more. Its also worth remembering when Rafa played almost a reserve side full of promising youngsters in the FA Cup away to Burnley a couple of seasons ago he got his fingers burnt and a barrage of criticism. I think its imperative for any side to have an Academy, and the emphasis should always be on finding local talent, but football as it stands has limited the need for Premiership clubs in particular to have to produce great young players as they just buy them. I think there are changes planned by Uefa meant to be coming in fairly soon that will introduce a minimum requiremnt of english players in Premier league sides that should go a long way towards forcing clubs to put the focus back on producing quality youngsters.

Fair comment. When I look at the premier league though, the only clubs that spring to mind with that set up are Villa and Boro. The rest of the big4 all have boardroom issues. They just dont play them out on Sky Sports News

The real problem we have is that ALL the main people at the top involved in this mess look like they may walk out at any moment. If Parry and the yanks left tommorow I still think Rafa would act in exactly the same way once any new owners had settled in. Its just how he is. In many ways its why he's such a succesful manager, but it can be to his detriment and to the detriment of the club at times. Focusing purely on the Academy, I just cannot see how the 1st team manager isnt fully up to speed and actively seen to be interested and involved. Having said that, if when Rafa was offered the job it was made clear to him that the Academy and all its decision making is to be run and made by others than surely he's only doing as was agreed! Just in his stubborn, bloody unhelpful Rafa way! What the hell do other clubs do? Its really staggering that we are even in a position to mount a proper challenge for the title given whats happening off field.