Babb'sBurstNad

Spot on. When boardroom and ownership tussles are played out in the press people bitch and moan about airing dirt laundry in public, but when it goes on behind closed doors everyone just guesses anyway. Perhaps what some see as no evidence for a takeover is simply because whether there is or isn't, it will be kept behind closed doors as it should - a lesson that finally the board/owners seem to have perhaps learnt. I'm not saying they haven't buggered up the hunt for a new manager or that we're not further than ever from being sold (although i don't think Hicks can hang on much longer without further intervention from RBS), but i firmly believe most of what we're reading in the press is just hacks guessing and people are jumping off from there with their own theories, be it Hodgson's "imminent" arrival, meltdown, takeovers, WC managers, asset stripping, etc.

Honestly, i can't see that being true. Getting people's hopes up only to have them dashed is a surefire way of creating even greater discontent. I think for all the talk of leaks and briefing the press with an agenda that the majority of what's appeared in the media recently is just guesswork pure and simple and the rumours of takeovers generally come from hopeful fans/nutters. Just read any football rumours site to see the masses of people desperate to appear in-the-know and how many stories, even in the mainstream press, can emanate from an unsubstantiated pile of shite like Dunc's drivel on K**talk. I suppose it depends on whether you think it's the board making a hash of things or journalists bullshitting to sell copy. Right now it seems a fair bet that it's a healthy amount of both.

I take your point, but the question is whether it's the player's ability with the ball or mindset that's to blame for such ineptitude. We know they can pass the ball under pressure (particularly those with CL experience), but what is it about joining the national side that seems to evaporate that ability? I think when you look at most national sides, they tend to have a system and slot players into it, but in this country with the press always pushing for those in the top teams to gain places we build a system around the idea of fitting in the biggest names, no matter if that means putting someone in an awkward position or including dead wood because one striker supposedly works well off him. I don't like to immediately jump on the manager, but the claim that he'd only take in form and fit players has not materialised. King was held together with blu-tac, Green couldn't catch herpes and Heskey apparently "does more for the team than just score goals".

I really don't buy the theory that these dismal performances are entirely down to our players simply not being as good as we/they think they are. I'd say it's more to do with the stage and whether they can reproduce the form they are capable of for club sides (sadly Green and Upson showed they can, but in the wrong manner). Some players look far better for their country and others look better at club level. Had Baros been as explosive for us as he was for his national side he'd have been fantastic. The England team has always been less than the sum of its parts and Germany the opposite. England players lose all semblance of discipline at national level and each tournament that goes by with huge pressure on them causes them to under-perform and this in turn makes it worse. The level of trepidation they played with in the group stage was ridiculous. I think it's time for a clear out and give an opportunity to some of the younger talent.

Completely agree. With the score level there'd have been no reason to press so high and leave only two inept CBs to mind the shop. Germany played some nice football, but Christ they were given a lot of room. Barry seemed almost guaranteed to lose it when he got in the final third and everyone was bunched in ten square yards like they were playing sardines. Shock horror, the only moments of genuine creativity happened when Gerrard linked up with the strikers in a more forward and central position. I don't even want to discuss Upson and Terry. Well played Germany.

It's not an "either/or" scenario though. ;)

Fair enough, personally i like to see Liverpool players doing well, but each to their own.

So are you supporting Ghana then at the WC?

My favourite is still - "He's a striker who loves to score goals"

How about if Gerrard scores?

I agree with most of that, but the one area i think Barca would notice the diff is the lack of height. Toure in particular is capable of bolstering their defence when teams try to bypass the midfield with lobbed balls, Masch wouldn't stand a chance in hell and he certainly couldn't slot in as a makeshift CB if the need arose as Toure has.

Do we even know who made the decision? To want a national squad, or any football side for that matter to do badly because of a decision that might not emanate from anywhere near the playing side/manager is frankly moronic. Yes it was tight, but does anyone think that a truly insightful question was going to come up? Are you confident? What's the mood like? Why does Capello's forehead look like a scrotum? etc etc.

I thought DIC were going tits up, selling off assets and begging for money and time to pay their loans. Frying pan and fire spring to mind, unless our new stadium is to be a giant Travelodge.

Sorry, when i say boring i mean in terms of a footballing spectacle. If England take an early goal i'll be on the edge of my seat, but i can't see it being good for an open game for the nuetrals.

Did anyone see the look on Bocanegra's face when Gyan got away from him to shoot? For some reason he was looking in the air for the ball to drop out of the sky.

England 1-0, boring game that won't live up to the hype. England to snatch an early goal and then try to defend for 75 minutes. Continual attempts to hoof the ball to Heskey/Crouch at every opportunity and Rooney'll still be playing like he's wearing orthopaedic shoes.

Good point, and given the quote "I am not there for just one year. A coach must be there for the long haul" and the fact he left Juve (albeit in somewhat acrimonious circumstances) after one year surely means he's not averse to moving onto pastures new. However, when you look at how confident the Marseille president was, i'd say it's a no-go anyway.

I'd argue the complete opposite, to me this shows people here look beyond the trophies and instead scrutinise the records and playing styles a manager would bring. Deschamps won a league title in a league that is painfully weak, where the team at the top of the pile are happy to take on Houllier, Le Guen and even Perrin after he failed at Pompey. A reasonably organised side in France can shoot up the table in a single season. I think he's a good coach, but Kuyt had a great scoring record in Holland as well, it doesn't mean it'll translate to success in the Prem. I'd be happy with any of the above, bar Hodgson, but it is far from being cut and dried. Pellegrini took Villareal from humble roots to punching far above their weight whilst playing attractive football. He also managed to gain Madrid their record points tally and hold together a profoundly uneven team of egotistical twats that weren't his signings and were only beaten to the title by a Barca side that looked nigh on unstoppable. Rijkaard is a fair shout, but with his inability to get Gala, with perhaps the best squad in their league, to the title and some may feel he isn't a better option than Pellegrini. In short, trophies aren't everything, even Roy has a few of them from other leagues.

Huh, why?

QF1 = Ned/Slovakia vs Brazil/Chile QF2 = Uruguay/S. Korea vs USA/Ghana _______________________________________ QF3 = Germany/Eng vs Argentina/Mexico QF4 = Paraguay/Japan vs Spain/Portugal Semis = QF1 vs QF2 and QF3 vs QF4 etc onto final. They mix it up for the quarters though so it doesn't move between the group stage to the latter stages in a linear fashion.

I think he's right, i'm pretty sure they can't meet until the final, the quarter finals don't follow on from the same side of the grouping layout i.e ABCD/EFGH

I'd love to see how fat Dunc at K**talk will back peddle and try to explain that one.

I can't see it being Argentina, Demichelis looks shaky and some of Maradonna's decisions, particularly in qualifying, seem about as tactically sound as he is mentally. No matter how good Messi is, i can't see him papering over the cracks. I'd like to see Uruguay go all the way, and if they make it to the semis then anything can happen from there.

Christ, is this what it's come to? Coupled with their Jovanovic iterest, our new main rival in the transfer market is Brimingham!

I understand where you're coming from, but i have to disagree. Hodgson may only just be coming back from South Africa, but that doesn't explain why he was not contacted prior to leaving these shores. As for there not being much a manager could do during the world cup, given the nature of the modern game, tapping up etc which will likely be going on even during the competition, every day that we don't have a man at the helm increases the likelihood that the players on international duty (i.e our best) lose a little more confidence in the notion that Liverpool as a club is heading in the right direction. Being on international duty isn't stopping numerous Bartca players from courting Fabregas and i doubt it'll stop those wanting a word in our players' shell-likes. I commend the idea of taking time to find the right man for the job, but every moment that the position is vacant erodes confidence in the club and makes us that little bit more of a joke to other fans, which pains me greatly.