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May as well start it because it's doing my nut in not seeing a match thread on the day of the game. Three points to hopefully finish the season above Everton, but I'm off the boozer later to watch the Manc games and I'll have to catch up on this on MOTD later.

By this time next week Kenny will have or will be about to sit down with Henry and Co and asked to explain this season. The most obvious question is why did we finish 8th? With Kenny being a man who speaks the truth but also wants to keep his job, what answer does he give? The most obvious answer would be "bad luck" but if my employee was offering no better than "bad luck" as an excuse he would be heading to the job center.

"Steven Gerrard Is Our Captain" Steven Gerrard is our Captain Steven Gerrard is a red Steven Gerrard plays for Liverpool A scouser born and bred... As myself and the other travelling Liverpool fans sang this ditty in admiration of our captain on Saturday afternoon, he turned around and applauded as he strolled in direction of the tunnel, head held high, chest puffed out and leading his men from the battlefield triumphant. Before the game, he gathered his troops on the edge of the centre circle; a rallying cry from the leader to his obedient soldiers. They huddled together and hung on his every word, before breaking away and pondering the lyrics of the mans battle cry. Steven Gerrard approached Lucas and Mascherano, called them together and gave them another few seconds of inspiration and encouragement; clenching his fists and fuelling the fire within. He took it upon himself to go around each and every player, ensuring they were as fired up for this game as he was. "Steven Gerrard is our captain". How very apt. I have been one of his biggest critics over the past few years; not because of his ability as a footballer, as that has never been in doubt, but for his leadership qualities and suitability to the role of captain of Liverpool Football Club. I have not been alone in those thoughts, with many declaring their vision of Jamie Carragher donning the armband being an ideal. Let the vocal leader on the pitch wear that black band around his arm and drive the team when required. We just didn't see those qualities from Gerrard. For me, he just didn't perform and inspire in games where he was needed most. He "went missing" in games when players all around were looking for leadership. The greatest example of this for me was a the final group game of the 2004/05 European Cup campaign, when Olympiakos came to Anfield. It may seem strange to some for me to highlight this game as an example of a weakness in Gerrard's armour, but watch the game back again and I think you'll agree with me. People will always remember his magnificent strike that won the game, the strike that put us 3-1 up and sent us through to the knockout phase of the competition. It was typical Gerrard; popping up with a wonder strike to drag the side from the brink of failure. But what about the previous 80 minutes or so? We trailed 1-0 at half time and were never in the game. Our captain was hiding and just didn't look interested. "I don't want to wake up tomorrow morning in the UEFA Cup" he stated before the game, but was doing anything but looking true to his word. I was seething with his performance that night. The lesser players were looking for inspiration and leadership, but it was nowhere to be seen. It took the introduction of two amateurs in Neil Mellor and Florent Sinama Pongolle to change the game that night. Their infectious desire, energy and eagerness turned the game around and dragged us back into it. 0-1 became 1-1. 1-1 became 2-1 and we were back in with a shout. Gerrard suddenly became interested again. The rest is history. Some may deem that assessment unfair, and accuse me of forgetting all the wonderful moments that man has given to us. Believe me, that assessment could not be further from the truth. But I just didn't see him as captain material. The Chelsea sagas just strengthened that view. This season however, he has turned everything around and has become everything you would want from a captain. His actions on Saturday, before and during the game, finally confirmed that we have a real leader of men as the captain of our side. There are no more doubts in my mind that he is the real deal, and the one player that everyone else in the squad looks up to. He leads them. He is their General. He is fast approaching the peak years of his career, and has matured into one of the best players in the world; maybe even the best player in the world if you listen to Zidane; and he is far more qualified to judge than I. The likes of Messi and Ronaldo grab the headlines, but is Steven Gerrard the best player on his planet? He seems to think so, and who am I to argue? He certainly eclipsed the over rated Ronaldo on Saturday afternoon. I've argued for several years, and wrote a previous article on the issue, that Steven Gerrard is not a central midfielder. We constantly hear from the so called experts that he needs to play in the middle of the park in a 4-4-2 to be seen as his best. "Play him in his best position" they cry. Maybe some of them may eventually begin to realise that he is now playing in his best position if they've watched the games again Real Madrid and Manchester United this week? Playing in the hole with the world class Fernando Torres in front, and the two central midfield players behind, allowing him freedom to roam and create havoc. Playing in central midfield he has the shackles on. Playing behind the front man he is a menace, a constant attacking threat. I think the past week proves that beyond all doubt. The legend that his Raul ran over and shook his hand as he left the field on Tuesday night. At the end of the game, the entire Real Madrid side stood in the tunnel and applauded him back into the dressing room. If that is not a sign of great respect then what is? Being applauded like that by a Real Madrid side highlights more than anything the regard in which he is held throughout world football; the ultimate honour. I don't think we appreciate just how good the man is. We can't see the wood for the trees at times, and will only really appreciate how special he is when he's gone. Not only has he bloomed in his new role and become the world class player he's always promised to be, he's also grown into his role as a leader. "Steven Gerrard is our captain" You better believe it! Paul Jones Fanzine Fanzone - Times Online - WBLG: "Steven Gerrard Is Our Captain"

This is the thread for those 'urban myth' type stories which you heard in school. The one everyone knows is the kid and his bird, they do anal on the white leather couch for the 1st time, she shits everywhere, they blame the dog, dog gets put down. In our school there was a story going round that a man in the vale would give you whatever you wanted to pop your bum cherry and that one kid took him up on the offer, he got about £100 worth of weed and a brand new bike.

AFTER THAT RESULT TODAY, WE ARE BACK IN WITH A SHOUT. TOMORROW'S GAME IS AS BIG AS ANY WE'VE HAD FOR YEARS. THE TEAM NEEDS US MORE THAN EVER. TO ANYONE WHO IS GOING TOMORROW, PUT YOUR PERSONAL OPINIONS, MOANS AND GROANS TO ONE SIDE. SACRIFICE THAT LAST PINT, GET IN THE GROUND EARLY AND SING YOUR HEARTS OUT LIKE ONLY WE KNOW HOW. ANYONE WHO IS REGISTERED WITH ANY OF THE OTHER FORUMS, PLEASE POST THIS ON TO THEM AND GET THE MESSAGE TO AS MANY REDS AS WE CAN. YNWA

Could someone explain it to me please? It's clearly going to be a factor in our transfer business this summer, but I'm not totally clear about what it is. Something to do with four players developed by the club and four developed in the country where they're playing, isn't it? However, am I right in saying nationality is not relevant?

I was out for a few drinks with Christian, of TLW fame, tonight and we were chatting about Rafa, his position and why it seemed under threat. After a few minutes, I just exploded into a ten minute impassioned rant about the whole lunacy of this situation. I realised there was something I needed to get off my chest and I needed to do it right now. Maybe I feel more comfortable saying this from a position of strength following the results we've had in the last two games, but there is no way, no way on this earth, that we should be thinking of replacing Rafa Benitez as manager of our Football Club. It is absolute, unadulterated lunacy. I'm sick of the unwarranted abuse he's taking and I'm sick of the shortsighted horseshit I'm hearing from the mouths of a lot of our own supporters that would make even our fiercest tabloid critics and TV pundits cringe. I don't know what people expect from the man, but to be within four points of United at this stage of the season and to be the most feared team left in the European Cup hat is a scenario we'd have all take at the start of the season. People talk about the dropped points, the mentality, the inability to kill teams off, but that can be put down to one thing and one thing alone. The absence for one third of this season of the Gerrard and Torres dynamic. With those two fully fit and raring to go all season we'd be clear at the top now, there is no doubt in my mind about that. Number nineteen would be beckoning as we speak. As it stands we're still in with a shot, but it's unlikely. We're not lucky enough to be gifted with the resources that allow us to have 5+ £20m midfielders or three £30m strikers like Manchester United have. Or leaving the likes of Deco and Essien on the bench. Or Having the choice between Anelka and Drogba. Granted, Rafa could have performed better in the transfer market this summer, but with our budget, absolutely everything is a gamble, everything is scrutinised to the nth degree, because for us to compete with United and Chelsea these signings just absolutely have to work out. Some have. Some haven't. The result is that we're almost there, but not quite. United can easily write of £36m with Hagreaves and Nani, can afford for Berbatov to have been no more of a success than Keane was at Liverpool. We can't. Sure we can all point to faults this season. His shabby treatment of Alonso, maybe Keane also (although I couldn't give a monkeys about him), his negative 'don't lose' approach in games and team selections that have not paid off. I agree with most of these criticisms. Yes he's stubborn. Yes he frustrates us a lot of the time. I agree that with a little more of a positive attitude we'd have been better off in terms of points, but by the same token, how many points has he won us with team selections we've thought unorthodox? Newcastle away, anyone? He is not perfect by any means. He's not without fault, but he is unquestionably the best man for this job at this moment in time and he has my love and confidence when it comes to the crunch. The last two games are evidence of that. Some people say "we're not moving forward, it's the same problems knocking us back, failing to win against the shit teams" (Someone I consider a very close friend of mine said that to me this weekend) But we have improved. Look at our record against the other three top sides this year. Unbeaten with 13 points from a possible 15. When was the last time we did that? So we HAVE improved and that's why we're closer to the top. I agree our problems have been against weaker opposition at home, but I put that down to the absence and lack of fitness of the best striker in the entire world and the lack of world class cover we're able to provide for him. People will say that if we'd been more positive etc... etc... and maybe they're right. But that's just not Rafa's way. While castigating him for that, people fail to compliment him for how organised we are, how well structured, how good we are at defending leads, how good we are at outsmarting the opposition, how good we are at grounding out results, coming back from behind (something else we've improved on immeasurably this year. Twice against United!), how good we are when we don't have the ball. How we do, in one way or another, "control the game" against everyone we play. He's not perfect. He has his faults, but he is by far the best man for this job. People speak of Rafa's politicking, his use of the fans' affection, his manipulation of the media, but let us not forget that the man is swimming in an ocean of sharks here, taking a strain that no manager in our history (other than Kenny post-Hillsbrough) has ever had to deal with. If there's one man that should come out of this ridiculous mess with his position in tact it's Rafa Benitez. For him to even have us challenging with all that's gone on around him in the last two years is a miracle. The fact that we're still in the hunt for the title? Unbelievable. And who can blame him for trying to align himself one way or the other? People speak of him as a fraud or a liar. Please? There may be an element of self-preservation at the heart of his actions, but Rafa Benitez is a football man who cares more than anything else about winning games for Liverpool Football Club. With regards to the Academy, it is a real shame that no young players are following Gerrard and Carragher into the first team. I think it's felt in Liverpool maybe more than anywhere, because of the immense local pride felt in the team, the "me and you vs the world" ethos that remains so prevalent. But at the end of the day. The plight of a local youngster or internal wranglings over who signed who means absolutely nothing to me if the first team are doing well, which in the main this season we have been (closer than we have been to the top in 7 or 8 years at this stage, flying in europe without our best player for most of the season ). It took me moving away from Liverpool to realise this. To realise that I was too close to the situation and couldn't see the woods for the trees. When I was 19-20 and watching the Liverpool under-19s, I was writing articles campaigning for the likes of Mark Peers and Neil Prince to be given a shot in the first team. Players like Richie Partridge, John Welsh, David Raven, David Mannix, Darren Potter were being grossly mistreated according to me 5 years ago, but I was letting my heart rule my head far too much. Who even bothers to mention these lads now. I couldn't even tell you where most of them are playing. Despite my protestations, they just weren't good enough and the only one I stand by is Mellor. If it wasn't for his injuries he could have had 60. 70. 80 goals for us by now. My point is, in this day and age, the first team is first, second, third and fourth. Look at United, Chelsea and Arsenal and how many top quality lads they've brought through their youth system since the turn of the century. Castigating Rafa for this is to do the same to Ferguson and Wenger the two most successful managers in the modern era. Are they "Cunts" to their fans too for not giving local youngsters more of a chance? No. But no, our fans, fans who have labeled him a genius at times, who savoured Istanbul as their most cherished memory, who have sung his name with all the gusto they could muster from their lungs are now turning their backs on him and slinging as much mud as they can possibly gather at this man. And for what? Because we've dropped points at home? Because we're not miles clear at the top of the league when up against two sides that vastly outrank us in terms of resources, as well as being without the best striker in the world for most of the season? Give me a fucking break. I'm ashamed of the treatment he gets and I'm sick to my back teeth of listening to it. Anyway, this is the most I've written about football in a long, long time, but felt it needed to be said. I love Rafa and I do believe he can bring us the title one day, if it's just not to be this year. And I firmly believe that a sixth European Cup is on its way here come the end of May. Viva Rafa.