Cherry Ghost

I think his best position is in a bar in Amsterdam smoking weed

Ah, but can we be sure that's really you saying that, after all your lad knows your age. He could be double bluffing us or you could be triple bluffing us. We'll have to ask you questions about the 1980's

I'll put it in percentages, the figures don't mean much but the principles do. Shankly dominates this club because he created the environment, in unison with the supporters for everything that followed, did not win a fantastic amount but created something that was more than just a football team, I won't put a figure on it, lets just call it base. Paisley kept that alive almost entirely, some things change but essentially we got 99-100% of of the previous except for the quotes and the humour (we exchanged those for more success on the pitch). Fagan was not there long enough to judge and Heysel stops us giving the full picture but he's still pretty much on a 99-100% level. Kenny changed things round a bit and in some ways brought a dimension of attacking football that was better than before but for some of the late stuff (a la David Speedie etc) and the way he left suddenly I'd take it down to 90% for him, despite the success. Souness took a hatchet to the club and took us backward and for that and failing to understand the Sun I'm giving the man 40%. Evans brought some dignity back, understood the club but was not strong enough to deal with some of those (ie Rudduck) that Souness had brought in. Despite that, for being the only Liverpool manager in the last 20 years to never finish outside the top four, he gets a 65% from me. Houllier took it on again, brought some steel into the club and, early days, trophies and quality. Another upward to 70% although he'd been higher until the heart caved in. Benitez added again, especially in Europe, gets praise for the first CL final where we were outclassed but doesn't get as much praise for 2007 final when we were the better team and should have won. Frustrating and flawed as even his supporters would admit he racked it back up to 85% and gave promise of higher before slipping down again last year and I won't put a figure on it because it was confused. Mr Hodgson and circumstances between them have currently got us back down below 40% again and you argue what the causes are but nevertheless that's where we are. Has Roy got the capability of getting us back to 85% and beyond, to the 100% that some of us can remember (or romantacise). I think most of us believe that with a favourable wind then best we can achieve is 55-60% and, with the possibility of everything going shit shaped, of making 10-20%. There are few that believe that the current regime will get anywhere the 90% that we touched a couple of years ago. Disagree all you like and don't take the numbers too seriously, these are purely personal opinions of someone who only knows half the story.

Great article, shame the British press are scum

Rumours abound that JWH is stealing milk from H&G's respective doorsteps, using John the milkman in his new role now that he has found international fame and left the Wirral far behind.

At one point missed a decent chance then wandered around with his hands on his head in disbelief while the ball was still in play around their area and we had the momentum. Could not believe he had missed (we could) but was so obsessed with himself rather than the good of the team. Lazy, self obsessed, able but the lack of true application has never shifted in his time here. Will take a very special manager to get the best of him (we don't have one at the moment) A dutch Stan Collymore but talks less shit and, probably due to his twitter obession, has yet to be found dogging. We have saying in England, if you play shit for three years, you are shit, even if you like milk

From henceforce the rumour that is dutch shall be known as Frank Ricard Its easier to spell and it's got more bottle than Hodgson, just remember that if you don't like the taste, don't spit it out.

It all depends what we want. If we want a club that challenges every year for a place in the Europa club alongside Villa, Everton, Stoke, Fulham (and hopefully MU) and gets to the QF of the FA cup now and again, has no major players selling shirts, is regarded in Asia as not worth the shirt. If so then we can get our glorious history DVDs from the club shop, sit back and wait for our records to be squashed by others and sing songs of greatness to players like Bobby Zamora. If so then fine. If on the other hand we wish to look down on MU, to be winners and to watch european football on a tue/wed with just three officials on a major channel. If it means names being linked with the club that bring genuine excitement and allow young children to go into school with pride with their heroes written on their textbooks, if it means not fearing games like Bolton away and crushing our neighbours on a regular basis with football that is worth the extortionate price we will be expected to pay then; Choose differently The choice is yours

It is good that you have maintained your passion and optimism its commendable of you, ultimately you are the type of supporter that makes the club great, you must be getting lonelier game by game though as the passion is squeezed out of the club and the team. Even if the old owners created the uncertainty around the club they didn't put words in Roy's mouth and despite the displays, the right things said and a visible display of passion might have bought him some sympathy. Unfortunately, passionless football, negative comments and resigned apathy mean that the belief of the fans and players appears to be at an all time low. The season is well underway now and whatever gunpowder exists in this club is damp and wet and is going to need one hell of a spark to ignite the passion that still exists. We're all increasingly convinced that Roy's matches are soaked. (we all speak in metaphors these days)

Just pointing out he took over mid season when Scolari failed, steadied the ship completely, won the FA cup and united the players. Club had pick of the summer managers then. Rikjkaard has as much experience in PL as Gullitt did, might be good but he's a gamble, as is Pellegrini who's form is similiar to Ramos. Either of them might work but can we risk it half way through a season?

Hiddink is Turkish manager, won first two games, then lost next two. Lying third in group behind Germany and Austria and struggling to qualify. They have no game until March so could do both jobs this season, easy. Just like he did at Chelsea who loved him (and won something). Premiership experience, highly regarded and did a fantastic job with PSV (EC 1988) also managed Real Madrid, Valencia, Fenerbahce, Holland (WC SF), Real Betis, S.Korea (WC SF), Australia, Chelsea, Russia, Turkey. Although not successful everywhere.

Yeah, right. Never ceases to amaze me how rabbits when caught in the headlights seem to think that standing still is an option. Can you really see Roy talking sense and unlaunching an inspiring all out attacking performance against Blackburn? I remain to be proved wrong but he must know that he's inches away unless he really thinks these new guys are stupid and have too much money.

Strike her off the list then, shows you how small the list is.

Why remind us at the moment, that just hurts, you'll be putting up a picture of Sami next

We've become massive optimists recently haven't we. Even without their biggest threat (Samba would have been camped in our box having nothing to do in his natural area of play) we still fear the draw specialists of Blackburn. Seriously, could we not organise a hasty friendly for England this weekend and have another break. Despite the blood pressure strain the best part of this season is when there's been no football, at least we've had something to cheer about and actually won something. The thought of Liverpool v Blackburn fills me with several new dimensions of doom (even more boring than what's gone before, losing to Sam, Diouf's joint spitting/celebration in front of the Kop, yet another post match interview-could we not get him banned). The only positive about this one is that I fear it slightly less than the Bolton and Chelsea games in which I fear we have no chance at all. I actually cannot believe I am writing this, anyone over the age of 70 who can tell me what it''s like to be following a totally defunct Liverpool team (Souness now seems like a golden age). I'm actually optimistic and do believe that we will wake up one day and look back at this period with cold sweats from a good position, just can't say when that feeling is going to start properly after friday's initial promise.

People's champion but only if it's him. Irrelevant and embarrassing. Worrying thing that Everton's celebrity contingent includes Amanda 'Les Dennis is my ladder to fame' Holden, Derek 'Horesebox mentalist' Hatton, Sylvester 'tea spitter' Stalone, Pete 'not a beatle' Best, Jennifer 'talented' Ellison, Rex 'total bastard (but long dead)' Harrison, Freddie 'total testicle' Starr, Clare 'poor man's cilla' Sweeney (and Cilla's a poor man's star anyway). Yes, I know, we have Chris De Burgh and Michael Howard but we can't keep people out can we. Any more?

""We have a saying in Spanish: 'White liquid in a bottle has to be milk'," said Benitez. " That's why so many Spanish schoolchildren are taken to hospital each year for downing Fabric Conditioner Milk Shakes and also why you should never accept a cup of tea in a Spanish fertility clinic.

I thought Rafa getting 8m for Momo was one of the best pieces of business he did which sort of indicates my thoughts. I think Sammy Lee, as a club employee, could probably do a better job than Poulsen and not only is he 86, he's only 3' 4"

If I had a choice of someone coming from Turkey it would be Hiddink, After two wins they've lost two games and are 3rd behind Austria who have a game in hand. Getting hammered 3-0 by Germany (no shame in that) last week would have gone down badly with the crowd which was predominantly Turkish, despite being in Germany. We need a loose manager thread watching who's available if/when this turns out to be false. Must be careful not just to be too hasty and just say anything is better.

Rabotnicki A 2-0 adequate Rabotnicki H 2-0 adequate Arsenal H 1-1 good second half, poor first Trabzonspoor H 1-0 Barely adequate City A 0-3 Desperately poor Trabzonspor A 2-1 adequate West Brom H 1-0 Struggle Birmingham A 0-0 Poor Steaua H 4-1 adequate, flattering scoreline United A 2-3 Poor Northampton H 2-2 Utterly woeful Sunderland H 2-2 Outplayed Utrecht A 0-0 Poor Blackpool H 1-2 Pitiful, humiliating Everton A 0-2 Desperate, totally humiliating Can we have this in graph form because for me things seem to going from adequate to desperate, I don't call that improvement or even stability

I didn't think it was possible that we could lose faith in any manager in just 8 games (its 15 actually and Europe's not been bad but still uninspiring, you can definitely add in Northampton though). At the beginning of this season I optimistically believed we had enough good players to challenge for the league whilst everyone else was concentrating on the CL. We have 15 world cup players, we started the season with arguably 4 (now 3) of the best players in their positions in the world or thereabouts. If we were seventh I'd be disappointed but we will probably be bottom by the time Blackburn come at the weekend. Do you feel confident of beating Blackburn? This is like watching Swindon. Blame shifting to the players is the sound of the death throes creeping up at a club like Liverpool, right or wrong. They're valuable, the manager is expendable.

Rumours abound that Kenny's taking linguaphone english lessons

Caretaker only, that way he can't lose, just gives us more time and he goes back to a seat in the stands again. If he's poor we've more time to choose, if he's good he's added to the list. If he's very good we don't need a list.

I think there is only one possible choice. Appointing now reduces the choices available at this time and would be rushed. Giving Kenny a shout as caretaker would prove or disprove the theory that he's too long out of the game, either way and if he doesn't do well no-one will hold it against him and we can appoint after due consideration of the field (given that some of the possible candidates will have had more of this season to show their talents). If he does well he can be considered himself. Either way no one loses and if he does say something embarrassing at the post match interviews no-one will understand him anyway. Might even take all this season to have the right candidate become available. It is not in any way possible for him to do worse and even if he does it will at least prove that the players are the problem (which, with a few exceptions is unlikely) At least Poulsen was better today (joke)