Troubadour

Thought that was a good game tonight. It helped that I thought the score was much closer than everybody else did. In my mind, it was very dramatic. Ignorance really is bliss...

No, been a bit snowed under. What's been going on?

The difference is that of all the clubs challenging for third and fourth (I'm including Arsenal, because they've only taken one more point from their last five games than Spurs) it's only us and Arsenal who are likely to go on a winning run of more than five or six games. Then it's City, then Spurs. I'm not saying we will, or that it looks likely, but we have it within us to do it. For example, our remaining games this year are: Everton (A), Blackburn (A), Arsenal (H), Wigan (H), Portsmouth (A), Wolves (H), Villa (A). That's a maximum of 21 points. There are some tough games, especially given our form, but it would not be unheard of for us to win all of them. We have done that before, with weaker squads than we have now. Being realistic, though, we should be targetting 15 points from that lot. Spurs' next seven are: Villa (A), Everton (A), Wolves (H), City (H), Blackburn (A), Fulham (A), West Ham (H). They'll get, say, 10 points, maybe 12, being as fair as possible. The games in bold are also important, as our rivals are starting to play each other. The match after that run - and the cup - is Spurs' visit to Anfield. Not sure how well I've expressed my point. My apologies.

£100,000 a week wages might prove a problem, definitely for a permanent deal and probably for a loan, too. Harry's saying he only wants three forwards, but wait til he sells Pavlyuchenko, and he'll sign another. And the Alf Ramsey's Porn Dungeon tag is genius. Zeinab Badawi's 20 Hotels...

"Me going forward at pace? It's an awesome sight. Nobody can live with it." That will live with me for a long, long time. You had a good game, though, marshalling an indisciplined back-line.

Were you on ours, were you?

Man of the match, for my two cents, would be Rob, on the grounds that he scored one goal which was absolutely brilliant. Thought Dave had a good game, too, and obviously Emilio, despite him dressing like some sort of hedge-lurking rapist. The real winner, though, the part that warms the cockles of your heart, is that the stunning comeback victory wreaked cosmic revenge on Woo for his sly team selection. You might have had a keeper and an Argentine in a hat, but we had kharma. Out next week lads, because of a hilariously dramatic family funeral drama, so expect the standard to increase markedly.

Mark, you can have my place if you wish - you come before me in order of precedence, and think I could be working til quite late. Will drop you a text as well...

"Nah, Sammy, get it in the other ear. The right one's gay"

Woo, I'll drop out if you want to play. It's only right.

Yeah, that save was genius, no question. It was almost better because it was going over anyway. Intersport shut down, has it? Fucking credit crunch. I'm tired of not being able to stand up, though, so I'll pull my finger out.

Not just any Onitsukas, either. Onitsukas that have had all of their already paltry grip worn away, so are essentially leather slippers, but without the exciting bondage association. I shall be properly equipped as soon as I can get myself down to Intersport, if that still exists. Sadly, even that may not make up for an innate lack of ability.

Maybe for you, but those of us who spent our evenings doing a passable impression of Disney's Retards On Ice may disagree. All of you, and the sport of football, have my apologies. Thought you, Ged and Richie did well for us, and the better Rory and Rob made the difference for them, although our shocking marking played a part, too.

I may not agree with what you say, but I shall defend to the death your right to say it. It doesn't seem right ending a discussion like this on the internet. Shouldn't you call me a cunt, me talk about net spend, then you say something about Rafa being more important than the club before I offer you out in Wavertree? I thought that was the rule.

I blame Babel for that more than Rafa. His manager has to take some responsibility for part of his failure to develop, but a lot of it's down to the player. His head's not right and he doesn't have a Liverpool mentality, and that's something that you can't necessarily know until you've taken the plunge. I'm not saying Rafa's not made any more errors in the transfer market - Keane, Gonzalez and Leto, for a start - but to me only Dossena is a true, inexcusable fuck-up.

Don't think so - he's on about £40k a week, which two or three of the German sides who wanted him could probably afford, and he also wants to go, which means he maybe would take a cut, though that's speculation. There were a couple of bids in but Rafa didn't know if he'd get to spend the money, so he decided anybody (even if it's a big fat body) is better than nobody. Dossena is Rafa's one real transfer failure, the one he can really be blamed for (the others were all comparatively cheap or should have worked, like Morientes). When you think of the players he could have got for that £8m, it does occur that in a way, he cost us the title. Dossena, that is, not Rafa.

Degen, no, I agree with you. Voronin, given his scoring record in Germany, was probably worth a punt. It's not worked out, and Benitez would have sold him if he'd been guaranteed the money, even for another £2m player. Would probably have shied away from giving him the number 10 shirt, mind.

“We can only buy one or two big, £20 million players a year,” Benítez said. “If we want to have money available then we have to sell some players." This I find intriguing. “With the fringe players, we needed to take a gamble on Bosmans and one, two million-pound players. Some of these players have not been good enough for us. It is a risk you have to accept when there is not too much money about.” Say what you like about Rafa, but barely any other manager would admit that. Credit to him for saying it.

Rafael Benitez: sell Fernando Torres and I will quit Liverpool | Liverpool - Times Online Rafael Benítez reassured Liverpool supporters last night that he would never sanction the sale of Fernando Torres to pay part of the club’s debt. Asked whether an offer of £100 million or more would tempt Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr to sell their superstar striker, the Liverpool manager smiled and said: “It won’t happen. I’d quit.” In a wide-ranging interview with The Times — his first with a British national newspaper — Benítez strenuously defended his record in the transfer market, but admitted that he had taken gambles and made mistakes. He explained why Alberto Aquilani is a bargain buy, spoke with pride about the transformation he has overseen at Liverpool and talked of his desire to leave a winning legacy at the club. Related Links * Ferguson is finally forced to face facts * Benitez: I can walk through Anfield storm The former Valencia manager believes that he has overseen huge changes since arriving at Anfield in 2004. “There is a massive difference between five years ago and now,” Benítez said. “The name of the club round the world is at the same level as it was in the 1980s. It’s a fantastic achievement. Everybody talks about Liverpool in a good way. And we will get better.” More worrying for Liverpool is that while Benítez underlines his commitment at every opportunity — “I want to leave a winning legacy,” he said — Real Madrid may come calling. The second galáctico era is stalling and Manuel Pellegrini, the Real coach, may be on his way out. Real made a huge offer to Benítez at the beginning of the year — their third — and sources in Madrid say they are preparing another. For the moment, though, Benítez is concentrating on one team. The 49-year-old Spaniard signed a new five-year contract in February but has been under pressure this season after a poor start. Liverpool have suffered five defeats in 12 Barclays Premier League matches and are on the verge of elimination from the Champions League. To make matters worse, Torres and Steven Gerrard have suffered groin problems and Aquilani, Liverpool’s big summer signing, has been sidelined through injury, only making his league debut eight days ago. “People are worried,” Benítez said. “But the team will improve. When we have key players on the pitch we are as good as anyone. We have proved this in the past.” Signing Aquilani for £17 million from Roma to replace Xabi Alonso was great business, he insisted. “We can only buy one or two big, £20 million players a year,” Benítez said. “If we want to have money available then we have to sell some players. We have to sell expensive and buy as cheaply as possible. Aquilani fit would be £20-30 million. We checked with doctors and they said he would be out one, maybe two months. We have lost some time, but I signed the player for five years, not five weeks.” What will not happen, though, Benítez insisted, is the departure of Torres. Even with the club’s debts at £245 million, he laughed off the prospect of having to sell him. “I’m confident it will never happen,” he said. “If it did, I’d resign.” The relative lack of cash at the club has made risk-taking essential for Liverpool and Benítez admits to making mistakes in the market. “When we have spent big, normally it’s been very good business,” he said. “Torres, Mascherano, Reina, Alonso. Keane is a good player but we had to sell him because he was not playing at the level we knew he could play. Ryan [babel] was signed for the future and we are waiting for his improvement. He has to be more consistent. “With the fringe players, we needed to take a gamble on Bosmans and one, two million-pound players. Some of these players have not been good enough for us. It is a risk you have to accept when there is not too much money about.” When Aquilani arrived, Alonso, a crowd favourite, left. In a bitter parting, there were suggestions that the relationship between Benítez and Alonso — who was sold for £20 million profit — had broken down. The manager dismissed the theory. “He put in a transfer request,” Benítez said. “We had a professional and good relationship. Some people say the manager must put his arm around the player’s shoulder. I don’t know too many managers who do this. Some managers here in England don’t even see the training sessions.” Benítez’s relationships with the co-owners and Rick Parry, the former chief executive, have sometimes been frosty, but the manager is quick to praise Christian Purslow, Parry’s successor. “Since Christian’s first day I know I’ve had his support, inside and outside the club,” he said. Manager and chief executive may face a difficult transfer window, with the priority being to lower the wage bill. Three or four players may head out of the Anfield exit door, with none of the cash heading back to Benítez, but there will be no civil war behind the scenes. “We are progressing,” he said. “I’m happy and want to do the best for this club.”

All true, but not at 30. You could get another two seasons out of Keita, and he can play wide as well. Plus he has height, which I agree we miss, and he's naturally athletic, and not in the sense of it being a synonym for black. In fact, the player that I just randomly thought of as being a half-decent option in a part-exchange is the best signing we could possibly make. I shall now mention him on every thread in this forum about what's wrong with the club, prefaced with the phrase "if only Rafa would sign..." He can be my Skjelbred. Yes!

Great minds... He's 22, is Pedro. Shows that not all players develop at the same rate. Not so sure City will go back in for Toure. Barry, De Jong, Kompany, Zabaleta and Ireland in those two midfield spots, plus Michael Johnson coming back. Hughes's big test will be knowing when to stick and twist with players he's bought. If they did, and Kompany was available, I'd have him in a shot. Belting player. Anyone who thinks 30 is old is far too young. Hleb would have been a superb signing on loan.

I'd take £10m and Toure and Busquets. Not sure about Bojan. Really want him to be good but have never seen him do anything, except miss a sitter against Chelsea. That Pedro looks alright, though. Where the fuck did he come from?

Yeah, on second thoughts it'd maybe be £15m and Yaya. I'd take Keita, as well. Quite like the look of him. Not sure Rafa fancies Toure, but seems certain he'll go in the summer (Toure, not Rafa. At least at this juncture...), especially if Masch joins. Couldn't agree more on destroyers being easier to find than creators, though Masch is the best tackler in world football when he wants to be. The way he can hook the ball out is incredible. Hope he stays, but I'd be stunned if he did.

Nah, you should always keep penalties low. Shanked it. South Americans, like continental Europeans, don't dream of playing in England. If he wants to play for Barca, it doesn't represent that we're not a big club, it's down to cultural, linguistic, personal and historical reasons. It's fair enough. Fans of all clubs will have to accept it, as United did with Ronaldo and Arsenal will with Fabregas. Express story isn't anything new, though. Terms were, by all accounts, agreed in the summer, but Barca never produced a bid, even if they did suggest they were going to. They'll be back depending on who wins the presidential election, and if I was Rafa, I'd take £30m or £20m and Yaya Toure, as long as he was promised a decent chunk of the money to reinvest.

No-one down? Rob Dunc Cris Manc Dave Rory (if there's space)