myrlas

Surely the best official statement from any Premier League club, ever! An open letter from the Chairman, in response to media reports in Saturday’s newspapers incorporating comments from former Manager Mark Hughes: What a strange man Mark Hughes is. Sacked by Manchester City, he was becoming a forgotten man when I rescued him to become manager of Fulham Football Club. Even when results were bad, I did not put pressure on him. I gave him every support -- financial, moral and personal. He fully negotiated a two-year extension to his contract. On the day he was due to sign, he walked out without the courtesy of a proper explanation. And now he insults the club, saying it lacks ambition, and the players who delivered an 8th. position finish last season and a place in the Europa League. He is not just disrespectful but entirely wrong. Fulham has just announced plans for a splendid new riverside stand that will substantially increase the capacity of Craven Cottage. In every aspect of its work, Fulham is a progressive club with a top manager in Martin Jol, the man we had really wanted when Hughes was appointed. We shall endeavour to prosper without him simply because, when the challenge came, it was not the Club but Mark Hughes who lacked the courage and ambition to take on the task of leadership. If people are looking for a flop, they only have to no further than the man who has lost his spark. Yours faithfully, Mohamed Al Fayed, Chairman, FFC Read more: Chairman's Response

Read a blog on Carroll, and found myself agreeing on bits of it. Personally i think Johnson/Gerrard back in the team will help us getting more out of Carroll. Anyway, here's the blog: So what is Kenny to do with Big Andy Carroll? When Andy doesn’t play, Liverpool seem to be a more crisp flowing, passing team. Luis Suarez furthest up field, pulling out wide, left and right, dragging defenders where he goes, with support coming from midfield from Adam, Downing and Kuyt. Unfortunately our downfall with this system is we never seem to get enough people in the box, Adam seems to be lacking the pace to get far enough into the box to get on the end of chances, Downing seems to be suffering from a lack of confidence similar to our number 9, and Dirk Kuyt has evidently lost a yard of pace. Andy Carroll, would without doubt, be an excellent strike partner for Luis. Unfortunately for Andy, and through no fault of his own, the team seems to lack fluidity when he plays with the majority of the team looking for Andy far too early, Carra and Adam being the main culprits. Since the arrival of Andy and beyond, Jamie Carragher it seems has lost the ability to pass the ball less than 50 yards, with Charlie looking for the long diagonal ball every time the big man is on the pitch. Andy Carroll seems to be the most frustrated at this style of play, constantly pointing to his feet and into space bellowing “on the floor” as each player raises their hands in anologetic nature, but still making the same mistakes time and again. To get the best out of Andy we need to get the ball out wide, and hit him from the wings, and when this isn’t happening Andy needs to work on the way he holds up the ball when support isn’t available. Against Wolves his link up play improved immensely, and against Everton he won numerous amount of headers, creating chances for himself and teammates. However his holding up of the ball, wasn’t the best in those games or the matches previous, and for a man of his size and frame this is something that should come naturally. Another problem we have when the ball is played up to Andy from deep is the amount of freekicks we concede. When the ball is played to his head, and with Luis coming from deep, if Andy doesnt concede a freekick his flick ons tend to find no red shirts running on to them. The problem for Carroll is that if Liverpool don’t play 4-4-2, or 4-3-3, in general he won’t play due to the fact, Suarez has made himself almost undroppable because of his form since he arrived at the club. With Downing and Kuyt occupying the wide areas, due to Luis’ effectiveness through the middle Luis will always be selected if there is only one cenrtal striker birth. So what can Andy do to make sure he’s selected more often than not? Andy has to work on his game with his back to goal. His holding up of the ball is just not good enough for a target man and if wants the ball to be played into space for him his movement needs to be better, not to only create space but to find it and to use the space he creates to make space for team mates too. What can Kenny do to make sure we have an Andy Carroll reflective of the one that played for the magpies? We need to find a system where our wingers cross the ball, and don’t continually cut inside. Dirk and Downing are letting us down with their service of late but Enrique seems to be making up for that. And as much as I rate Martin Kelly, the return of Glen Johnson will be a huge thing for Carroll. And finally the team, need to look for Andy less from deep and work it to him as if he was 5”10. He has shown he has the ability to run on to balls and he will thrive on balls into the box from the wide areas and byline and I’m sure Kenny will be communicating this to the team on a daily basis. A performing Andy Carroll will be a huge plus to Liverpool and an absolute handful for the rest of the Premier League.

Asked Code to put his money where his mouth is and bet me whether Carroll scores less than ten goals in the league next season or not. Strangely for a man that convinced - he hasn't replied. PS! He must have found the Lucas napkin since he will keep Lucas in his fantasy squad for next season as one out of six (from a squad of 36). I think he really likes Lucas after all. EDIT: Seen some already has challenged him and got the same response.

Is it only me, or is the .tv stream shit?

Roy Hodgson - by a country mile

David Silva is a bruiser, right?

If 'Arry buys Cole the summer is off to a good start! Here's for hoping!

Benitez, anyone?

Question. Is Sky showing this? I'm in turkey on vacation and would hate to miss it. Rental car already booked to Get me to someone who shows the game

They would be idiots if they got rid of Ancelotti. But oh wait. They ARE idiots.

That situation is about 50% of Ruud Van Nistelrooy's career goals. Stupid rule. Smart play from the striker(s) who gain advantage, mind

1. Aurelio 2. Flanagan 3. The rest Yes, I like ball playing fullbacks

That is what happens when you put two ball playing fullbacks in the team. Great half from both Flanagan and Aurelio.

Remind me how old Kenny was when he first got the job?

My candidate. [YOUTUBE]_tmMZv62BX4[/YOUTUBE]

On a sidenote. Skrtel is one of only five players so far this season who has played every minute in the league.

Our best player. Followed by Suarez (extremely underused) The rest is best not to mention.

Great news.

So this will have to do [YOUTUBE]9PNFpayoUD8[/YOUTUBE]

Fuck off. The brilliant video of Dortmund vs Real Madrid (about ten minutes from each half) when Redondo - my favourite player - gave THE best defensive midfield performance ever is now removed from youtube.

Sure it's him? http://web14.twitpic.com/img/263444990-027131ea88d0039610a25cd81558a0c3.4d8b94b0-full.jpg

That is nothing. I have seen THE worst in real life. In a match I played in (stood in the wall if I recall correctly). The opponent had a freekick 25 yards from goal, and lined up three guys to shoot. the first did the normal thing and ran over the ball. Then came the second, and did the same. Then came the third...and did the same. then the same three had to line up again, and this time one remembered to actually shoot. Would have been a massive hit on youtube, that's for sure.

I see your point and raise you with Momo Sissoko.

There are two types of tackles. One current player discussed in this thread is a prime example of how to just go in and steal the ball from the opponent without needing to get down on the ground. One former CL-winning left back is the prime example of the other type. Where his positioning most of the time made him put his long legs out for a recovery tackle.

I am overwhelmed by the counter arguments produced by those in this thread who don't like Lucas. Class.