Season 2012-2013

[Martinmarx]

The inclusion of Allen concerns me. It will be difficult. What a pity Couthino and Sturridge can't play. They would make a huge difference.

I'm not worried Ray. Either he can overcome his poor form (he has to sometime seeing as he's a very talented player) or it'll continue. In either case this game's all about the collective including the fans.

[barticus]

Team for tonite's game from The Empire of the Kop:

Starting XI :  Reina, Johnson, Enrique, Agger, Carragher, Lucas, Allen, Gerrard, Henderson, Downing, Suarez

Subs :  Gulacsi, Coates, Wisdom, Shelvey, Assaidi, Suso, Sterling

People will probably scream at the inclusion of Allen. We'll see. It's a home game and if he's ever gonna turn around his fortunes it's probably at home. As long as Shelvey's kept out of the starting line-up I'm fine with this.

Allen is light weight, but if we play a 5 man midfield we might get away with it. I would have played Sterling instead of Allen as he was rested for the game against Swansea and fresh. Suso should also have a run out in the 2nd half for 30 minutes or so. Skrtel's not even on the bench then?

[Martinmarx]

LOL! Not at all.

I wouldn't think so either. I have namely worked it into perfection.

[the dude abides]

Rafa had a set number of statements for the press. They were quite monotonous. I'd much rather hear someone speak from the heart

bloddy ell.   You reckon Rodgers is speaking from the heart.   That says a lot about your limited analysis.

Rodgers is full of arrogance, excuses, would've, could've, should've, and scapegoats.

And his utterances are full of politics - note he always glows, overboard, in his praise for the big political animals that he desperately needs to keep onside with i.e. gerrard and carragher.   Despite Gerrard having a woeful opening 3 or 4 months to the season....and Carragher being three years past his retire date.

On the otherhand, he will slag skitrail, drop agger, pi.ss on enrique, downing and henderson, undermine pepe, and rant and rage against the youngsters. 

politically, I can see right through rodgers.

[Ed]

The inclusion of Allen concerns me. It will be difficult.

Means Hendo on the left up front, I think.
Bit unbalanced.

Thought my idea with Wisdom would have
fixed that with Enrique up top on the left.

+ Wisdom would be a better presence in the box for corners.

Oh well.

Taken into context there's no other award than a fiver! 

I sense a null pointer (marker) error in the game tonight 

[Ageing Stick Insect]

Hold up a sec, what I meant was it does a disservice to those
managers to think that we can now mismanage our approach
to Europe and rely on the "big night" effect to get us through.

But we probably bigged up things in May 2005 prior to the Chelsea CL semi. Difficult to find quotes now but I'd be surprised if Rafa - when questioned by the press - didn't call on the Kop to give the team that extra man advantage. Anyway, I don't agree that we've mismanaged our approach. We played the kids in the group games and now we're playing the senior players. How is that mismanaging?

I've no doubt Stevie will be determined and has the quality and
nerve to grab a goal. He's just not a spring chicken anymore, so
a rest seemed logical. Regards the 5-0, it's meaningless because
Swansea were weakened and we don't have Sturridge or Coutinho.
These Zenit lads are Champions and have quality an entirely different
proposition imo.

We played well on Sunday after less than 3 days break including a long flight. We've had 4 days to rest for this. That's enough. Regarding the meaningless 5-0 it won't be if the better goal diff gets us into Europe.

Yet you can decipher BRs messages perfectly? 

I have special skills. 

[the dude abides]

Allen is light weight, but if we play a 5 man midfield we might get away with it. I would have played Sterling instead of Allen as he was rested for the game against Swansea and fresh. Suso should also have a run out in the 2nd half for 30 minutes or so. Skrtel's not even on the bench then?

with lightweight allen, the danger is we won't boss midfield.

yes, like you, i would have played sterling.

we need to boss midfield tonight, and have zenit on the backfoot.

and we need gerrard to weigh in with a good performance.

but ultimately, we need a good balance between defence and midfield....because if we concede, it is most likely all over.

[Ageing Stick Insect]

Means Hendo on the left up front, I think.
Bit unbalanced.

Thought my idea with Wisdom would have
fixed that with Enrique up top on the left.

+ Wisdom would be a better presence in the box for corners.

Oh well.

Yes, I would have preferred Wisdom to Allen. Still, he's on the bench and will probably get game time.

[barticus]

But shouldn't ther be, then, at least some sort of evidence we're heading straight on to that iceberg? Some? Just little? How little? By the sound of you and others we were heading for that iceberg before the ship was even manufactured, ffs.

Okaaaayyyy....evidence. Out of the Carling cup by Swansea, out of the Fa cup by oldham and out tonight from the europa cup by zenit...
Look how toothless we are tonight and the lack of experience on the bench. Even just at a basic level (before even mentioning kuyt, maxi, bellers etc) but Andy Carroll could have done a job tonight but wasn't even given a chance by Rodgers to fit into his 'system'.
And the bollox of we were heading for the iceberg before the ship was even manufactures is absolute gobsh*it...we were all willing to give him a chance and his relative crapness means we now have nothing to aim for.
Full speed ahead, though! Delusion does that.

[Martinmarx]

Yes, I would have preferred Wisdom to Allen. Still, he's on the bench and will probably get game time.

But we would agree that if he's to put in a performance like he did against City at home it is most likely to be at Anfield? Do we agree that much? And do we agree that his performance in that match played quite some role to the overall performance of the team?

[Martinmarx]

And the bollox of we were heading for the iceberg before the ship was even manufactures is absolute gobsh*it...we were all willing to give him a chance and his relative crapness means we now have nothing to aim for.

It would be interesting to go back in this thread to see what date that you decided enough's enough, that he had his chance but blew it. August 18th probably too early to find it in Writing. September 2nd will probably be it. Not much of a chance if you ask me but each to his own an'all.

[the dude abides]

this type of night tonight, takes me back 20 odd years (when Martin was still in primary school), to the era of Graeme Souness.

the same type of scenario - having to retrieve a 2-0 first leg defeat, against some standard european side, and hoping against hope that we can overcome the odds in the second leg at Anfield.

when all is lost, and you have no talent or ability to call upon, the weak (and no-good) always turn to hope and belief...and sometimes nationalism.

[barticus]

It would be interesting to go back in this thread to see what date that you decided enough's enough, that he had his chance but blew it. August 18th probably too early to find it in Writing. September 2nd will probably be it. Not much of a chance if you ask me but each to his own an'all.

Go ahead and check...i'll be fascinated when i saw the true light and not the false one spun by rodgers..

[Ed]

It would be interesting to go back in this thread to see what date that you decided enough's enough, that he had his chance but blew it. August 18th probably too early to find it in Writing. September 2nd will probably be it. Not much of a chance if you ask me but each to his own an'all.

C'mon Marx don't you remember how you timidly
posed the idea of him being gaffer back in April was it?

& how we all fell about laughing!

Anyway, he's your man and has the chance tonight to
prove some doubters wrong. I wish him well and support
the lads as always!

[the dude abides]

C'mon Marx don't you remember how you timidly
posed the idea of him being gaffer back in April was it?

& how we all fell about laughing!

Anyway, he's your man

and Martin, a good man knows when to throw in the towel.

it takes a big man to admit he got it wrong.  There is no shame in acknowledging that it has all gone pear-shaped this season.

come on over to the light.

your friends are waiting here, to welcome you over.