Liverpool FC thread - This Is Anfield

[uggla]

In case anybody wants to watch it, heres a link to his goals and assists in the PL this season:

Surprised it was stretched out to 1:03


Yeah no surprise but still think supporters would of liked him to stay another year also, i have a bad feeling about the American owners also.

[scouseman]

Surprised it was stretched out to 1:03


Yeah no surprise but still think supporters would of liked him to stay another year also, i have a bad feeling about the American owners also.

You sure it is not just a black youtube video mate because for the life of me I cannot think of a single positive aspect of Downing this season. How he has managed to get into the England Euro 2012 squad is still baffling. Hope he improves but for a first season it cannot be worse.

[Tony07]

You sure it is not just a black youtube video mate because for the life of me I cannot think of a single positive aspect of Downing this season. How he has managed to get into the England Euro 2012 squad is still baffling. Hope he improves but for a first season it cannot be worse.

It looks like a job for the X Files

[cleanprophet]

I say we should appoint Linda Pizzuti, the wife of Liverpool owner John Henry as new boss. Boy John Henry is ruthless does not mess about does he? He reminds me of JR in Dallas. Not even a club legend is safe. I was half expecting him to go through so was not really a surprise to me. Funny how the club choose to put the news out about kenny getting sacked on the same day as Roy Hodson naming his England team for the Euro's. How Downing (I have done nothing all season and Carroll are in the team based on a months good work in Carroll's case is a bit shocking.

I don't care about whether Dalglish is a legend or not when it comes to doing the manager's job. He will always be a legend, but it doesn't mean he is the right man for the manager's job. The fact that the club are prepared to sack him shows how determined they are to get it right. I'll say it again, they have invested over £500m in LFC. They want to get things right. The only concern I have is their lack of experience in English football. But, I'm sure they will not be making decisions blindly.

I'd have selected Carroll in the England squad, no doubts on that. But Downing does not deserve his place.

[cleanprophet]

Looks like the owners are looking at all the expected people. Martinez has been given permission to speak to the Fenway Group about the job. AVB is, apparantly, being looked at. Rodgers has said he's not interested (no surprise there) and I'm sure Rafa is being considered also.

Martinez looks like the obvious front-runner for the job and I'll be surprised if he doesn't end up as the manager. There is a question mark over how he would do at a club of Liverpool's size and with the ambition of getting back into the Champions League. He's managed with pressure for the last few seasons, but a different type of pressure. What impresses me about him is his ability to find the right players for his team. He seems to have a good understanding of the players he needs. He also clearly has the ability to get the best out of his players. Watching Wigan play in the last couple of months of the season showed that he had his team playing some good football. More importantly, his team worked hard in games (although they seemed to work harder in games against Liverpool, United, Arsenal etc than in games where they were not obvious underdogs - easier to get your players fired up for a game where they know they are underdogs). He's a good communicator too, with his players and the media.

We won't know if he is a manager that can manage a big club until he does it and it looks like the Liverpool owners are prepared to take the gamble and test that out.

[riise94]

I think you should get Rafa back asap before another club come in for him.

[Tony07]

This is the man you want to get back.............

[cleanprophet]

I wouldn't be against Rafa returning. Purely because you know what you are getting. He has his faults (faults that forced Alonso to leave the club), but we know he has what it takes for a big pressure job. I have concerns over his use of youth players (he doesn't seem to give young players much of a go) and he has signed some duff players. But, he also signed Torres, Alonso, Reina and Mascherano. I'm sure Rafa would love the job back. He still lives in the area and feels he has unfinished business after the way it ended last time with all the business with Hicks. Gillett and Parry.

On a seperate note, I see Adam Johnson is likely to leave City this summer and for a fee of around £10m. He is absolutely the sort of player Liverpool desperately need (we could add him to the growing North East ranks at the club), but I bet we don't entertain a bid for him. I would put signing him ahead of signing any other player right now. A winger who can play either flank, who loves to dribble past players, delivers a good cross and scores goals. Yeah, the team were crying out for a player like him last season.

[bertcocaine]

I wouldn't be against Rafa returning.

I've always thought you were insane.

we know he has what it takes for a big pressure job.

FACT.

[cleanprophet]

I've always thought you were insane.

It's easy to forget, with the passing of time, how a manager actually was at a club. I can clearly remember being not in the least bit bothered when Benitez left the club. The team were playing terribly in his last season. When I say terribly, I mean with no passion, no work rate and none of the things that should be a given for any player in the Prem. But, you have to look at his whole time at the club and he did do some good things. Too often, his hands were tied by the owners or by Rick Parry.

FACT.

Well, yeah, not his finest moment. He does know what it takes to manage Liverpool. I suppose that's the main thing you would say.

I don't like how the owners have gone about the manager thing. Letting it be known they are looking at a dozen people and having the likes of Rodgers and De Boer publicly turn an interview down. I like Rodgers, but he is so wet behind the ears it is untrue. Giving him the job would be a big gamble. De Boer, I'm not at all sure about. The other 10 people will include AVB, Martinez and Rafa. Who the other 7 are, I have no idea. I've heard Capello could be one of them, which sounds mad but actually isn't such a mad idea. Some people have mentioned Moyes and that is mad, very mad.

For me, I would like to see Martinez get the job. A gamble because he is untried at that level, but he will be untried until someone gives him a go.

[bertcocaine]

Fair comment on Martinez, I said the same to a mate at work earlier today. Always amusing when there's talk of Everton stalwarts (players or manager) crossing the park. You can't be heart and soul and even consider it. Still the press love a good rumour no matter how stupid.

Capello could be a great move - pre-England anyone would be happy with it. Whether Stevie G would welcome having him as a boss again I don't know!

Can't see them having any real interest in RB - he has too much history of publicly kicking off on the owners of clubs, and only really got away with it at Liverpool because H&G were universally hated even by non-Liverpool fans for what they were doing to a great club (that was hard to type ). Same game at Inter and look what happened.. They've got a few decent names without such issues so can't see why they'd do it, particularly as he never had to rebuild a team in the same way - he joined a 'top 4' club and, to be fair, kept them as one, but it's a whole new ball game now with City and Spurs in the mix, much harder than before. As a blue I still dream of breaking into the CL, but am aware it's far harder than last time we did it. The problem with City and Spurs rising is that someone had to drop - and that's much harder to recover from these days. Took City several years and a billion quid. Fair enough, you've got a better starting place, but as you've described time and time again this year, you've got plenty of players that just aren't of the standard that's needed - a few years back I used to look at your team sheets for derbies and think 'hmm they have better players' but I haven't thought that for the last couple of years, except maybe Gerrard. Last derby? the Steven Gerrard show...

[cleanprophet]

a few years back I used to look at your team sheets for derbies and think 'hmm they have better players' but I haven't thought that for the last couple of years, except maybe Gerrard. Last derby? the Steven Gerrard show...

There were games last season that saw the likes of Spearing, Henderson, Kuyt and Downing in there. You can only ever call them medicore players and none of them would get near a top 4 starting XI. Spearing works hard, but that's not enough. He just doesn't have the quality. We will have Lucas back in that position next season. He's not the best on the ball but he is better. More than that, the position of holding midfielder is more than just headless chicken stuff, running around and making tackles. That's another area Spearing struggles - making the right decision regarding his positioning. Lucas is far, far better at doing that, so having him back will be a big difference.

Henderson will improve, but he just looks more and more an odd signing. Particulary when Shelvey looks a much better player and we're supposed to be trying to sign Rasmus Elm (who looks like a very good player). Downing? Well, what can you say about him? He has shown he isn't slow and he can cross a ball. That's all you want from a winger. He seems very meak to me and scared of failure. If he's going to do anything with his career someone needs get hold of him work on his attitude. As for Kuyt, he's past his best. He works hard and has been a very good player for the club, but his best days are behind him. Someone like Milner would be an ideal replacement for him.

Overall, there is a lack of quality in some areas in the Liverpool squad and there is a need to improve. It's possible that City will let Johnson and Milner go and possible they could be available for about £20m in total. Elm has one year left on his contract and could be brought in for around £7m. If Liverpool have £27m to spend and are able to get those 3 players, it would make a huge difference to the squad and starting XI.

In the meantime, I suppose we need a manager. It seems the owners are keen on talking to Brendan Rodgers as well as Martinez. If the club can convince Rodgers (and there's a clear issue with the owners being adamant on having a director of football overseeing transfers - an idea which nobody seems to like), Rodgers would be a good appointment and he could convince Sigurdsson to follow him. Otherwise, I don't mind Martinez as manager.

[riise94]

Sad not one Liverpool fan can remember today's date. 29th May. Ring any bells? You expect the world to stop for Hillsborough but always overlook this one.


R.I.P. the 39 victims of the Heysel Stadium disaster (29th May1985)

[cleanprophet]

Sad not one Liverpool fan can remember today's date. 29th May. Ring any bells? You expect the world to stop for Hillsborough but always overlook this one.


R.I.P. the 39 victims of the Heysel Stadium disaster (29th May1985)

Very simple reason for that, Liverpool fans believe the disaster was the fact that the match was played at the dilapidated and decrepit Heysel Stadium in the first place. There was violence between both sets of fans, as there often was in European football back then (especially with the Juventus Ultras), but you don't expect the stadium to fall apart around you. The stadium was fundamentally unfit to stage such a game and it was an accident waiting to happen. Drunk Liverpool fans fighting with drunk Italian fans? Happened all the time. The difference this time was that the violence took place in a death trap - literally.

What happened back then is not forgotten. It's not as close to home as Hillsborough and it doesn't suffer from the organised authoritarian cover-up that Hillsborough does.

Nobody expects the world to stop for Hillsborough. It would be nice for you to meet the parents of people who's children never came home from Hillsborough so that you could aim your bigoted rhetoric at them. You may gain some appreciation to inform and dispel your bigotry (but I wouldn't bet on it).

[riise94]

Very simple reason for that, Liverpool fans believe the disaster was the fact that the match was played at the dilapidated and decrepit Heysel Stadium in the first place. There was violence between both sets of fans, as there often was in European football back then (especially with the Juventus Ultras), but you don't expect the stadium to fall apart around you. The stadium was fundamentally unfit to stage such a game and it was an accident waiting to happen. Drunk Liverpool fans fighting with drunk Italian fans? Happened all the time. The difference this time was that the violence took place in a death trap - literally.

What happened back then is not forgotten. It's not as close to home as Hillsborough and it doesn't suffer from the organised authoritarian cover-up that Hillsborough does.

Nobody expects the world to stop for Hillsborough. It would be nice for you to meet the parents of people who's children never came home from Hillsborough so that you could aim your bigoted rhetoric at them. You may gain some appreciation to inform and dispel your bigotry (but I wouldn't bet on it).

Listen silly bollocks,you are talking to someone who donated money to the Hillsborough Family Support Group for several years and I'm not talking pence here. Hundreds of pounds actually. Hillsborough effected me and millions other football supporters very badly. As usual you miss the point I am trying to make and instantly go on the defensive. The stadium was a state = true. So was Stamford Bridge at that time and many many other grounds around the world too. I don't remember seeing anyone crushed to death though. So those 39 deaths don't count because the stadium was a mess? Are you for real? Those fans died because of the actions of your fans. Take some responsibility. You know it,I know it and the whole world knows it. Yes of course Liverpool fans didn't charge into those Juve fans with the intention of killing them but that is what happened. Just like Mr Incompetant Copper at Hillsborough didn't mean to cause 96 deaths by ordering a gate to be open. He still did it didn't he. It is the same principal. Fact!

If you can't acknowledge your role at Heysel then it is no wonder you lot are,and will continue to be,the most despised fans in the Premier League (and no I'm not talking about the likes of scouseman here as he is a one off) You lot continue to bunk in grounds en mass,storm gates ala CL final in Greece/Wembley this season and expect the world to feel sorry for you. You are the only fans in Britain not to have learned a thing from Heysel AND Hillsborough yet you expect the worlds sympathy. Fact!

I also remember Liverpool FC blaming fans of other clubs for Heysel too. One name sprang up in particular. That name was Chelsea FC. Fact!

If what happened is not forgotten (like you say) then have a bit of humanity and acknowledge the day 29th May 1985 like you do Hillsborough. Was it on your club's website yesterday? I doubt it. Probably written out of your "history" like everything else that doesn't fit your "best fans in the world" tag.

PS I will be back next year on May 29th too just in case you forget the date. Fact!

[NY17]

Sky have suspended betting on next Liverpool manager after reports suggest Brendan Rodgers will be confirmed in the next 48 hours!!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18235961

Edit - Brendan Rodgers has signed a three-year contract to become the new manager of Liverpool Football Club,

[cleanprophet]

As usual you miss the point I am trying to make and instantly go on the defensive.

I haven't missed any point at all. You seem to think that you speak for every single Liverpool fan. Because Liverpool fans don't make as big a deal over Heysel as Hillsborough you judge them as overlooking Heysel. You then compound that with this statement, which is total bigoted rhetoric:

You expect the world to stop for Hillsborough but always overlook this one.

You are pissed off because you don't like being pulled on it. Solution is simple, don't come into the Liverpool thread criticising Liverpool fans about Heysel or Hillsborough.

The stadium was a state = true. So was Stamford Bridge at that time and many many other grounds around the world too. I don't remember seeing anyone crushed to death though. So those 39 deaths don't count because the stadium was a mess? Are you for real? Those fans died because of the actions of your fans.

Don't make me laugh. You are comparing the state of Heysel to the state of Stamford Bridge? Now you really are exposing ignorance and bigotry. There is no comparison. Read my words silly bollocks: dilapidated - derelict. We're not talking: tatty or umkempt. We are talking a death trap.

Take some responsibility. You know it,I know it and the whole world knows it. Yes of course Liverpool fans didn't charge into those Juve fans with the intention of killing them but that is what happened. Just like Mr Incompetant Copper at Hillsborough didn't mean to cause 96 deaths by ordering a gate to be open. He still did it didn't he. It is the same principal. Fact!

You have to understand what happened at Heysel. The Liverpool and Juventus supporters were throwing cans, bottles and bits of rubble over the wall at each other. Liverpool supporters tried to climb the wall to get to the Juventus supporters and the wall collapsed.

Liverpool's chief exec implored UEFA to use a different venue because Heysel was not fit for a match of this size and nature. UEFA ignored this and went ahead with the game. The whole organization of the game was an utter shambles with vast amounts of tickets meant for locals in Belgium going to Juventus fans. The stadium was a wreck and was full beyond capacity.

There's no doubt both sets of fans were behaving violently and aggressively. But that wall could have fallen down on either side and killed many. It wouldn't have changed the fact that a wreck of a stadium was overcrowded with pissed up football fans who wanted to kick seven shades of shit out of each other.

If you can't acknowledge your role at Heysel then it is no wonder you lot are,and will continue to be,the most despised fans in the Premier League (and no I'm not talking about the likes of scouseman here as he is a one off) You lot continue to bunk in grounds en mass,storm gates ala CL final in Greece/Wembley this season and expect the world to feel sorry for you. You are the only fans in Britain not to have learned a thing from Heysel AND Hillsborough yet you expect the worlds sympathy. Fact!

And this is more of your bigotry. Liverpool are a massive club. Understand that. They have masses of support outside the city and have for a long, long time. There are many truly awful Liverpool fans, just as there are at every other club. LFC have more than most because they have more fans than most. The percentage of Liverpool fans that go to games out of those that support the team must be less than 1% and you want to judge the other 99% for the actions of a fraction of that 1%? Bigotry - fact.

There are only two plaques at Anfield. One for Hillsborough and one for Heysel. In 2005, Liverpool fans in the Kop help up a sign saying "amicizia" (friendship) to the Juventus fans. Chances are that the people at Heysel were not even anywhere near the Kop that day. The people reaching out to the Juventus fans were people who were not there that day and a lot of them were not even born. And yet, you judge them?

Recently, a handful of Chelsea fans chose to sing and shout during a minutes silence for Hillsborough. Does that mean all Chelsea fans are disrespectful louts? Should we judge CFC on the actions of these few morons?

I also remember Liverpool FC blaming fans of other clubs for Heysel too. One name sprang up in particular. That name was Chelsea FC. Fact!

I have no idea why Chelsea would be to blame and I have no idea which idiots you have been talking to.

On that day, lots of people were to blame including Liverpool fans, Juventus fans, UEFA ans the Belgian police.

If what happened is not forgotten (like you say) then have a bit of humanity and acknowledge the day 29th May 1985 like you do Hillsborough. Was it on your club's website yesterday? I doubt it. Probably written out of your "history" like everything else that doesn't fit your "best fans in the world" tag.

See above (about the 2010 plaque and the 2005 gesture to Juventus fans). It's only natural that Liverpool fans remember Hillsborough more. It doesn't help when you have authority cover-ups and certain media attacking Liverpool fans only days after the disaster. But, Heysel is not forgotten and if you didn't know that, you do now. Fact.

PS I will be back next year on May 29th too just in case you forget the date. Fact!

Fair enough. But make sure that when you return you are armed with something other than needless bigoted rhetoric because I will be back also, to slap you back into your box. Fact!

[cleanprophet]

Sky have suspended betting on next Liverpool manager after reports suggest Brendan Rodgers will be confirmed in the next 48 hours!!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18235961

Edit - Brendan Rodgers has signed a three-year contract to become the new manager of Liverpool Football Club,

The odds were getting shorter and shorter and they do say that bookmakers are very rarely wrong.

So, Brendan Rodgers is the new manager. I do like what I see in him and I like how he has built Swansea up. It's a big gamble for him to leave what he has built at Swansea. It also looks like Van Gaal will be a director of football (although there are suggestions there won't be a director of football). Not sure how that will work. But that are, on paper, two men who seem to be good selections for Liverpool.

[scouseman]

The odds were getting shorter and shorter and they do say that bookmakers are very rarely wrong.

So, Brendan Rodgers is the new manager. I do like what I see in him and I like how he has built Swansea up. It's a big gamble for him to leave what he has built at Swansea. It also looks like Van Gaal will be a director of football (although there are suggestions there won't be a director of football). Not sure how that will work. But that are, on paper, two men who seem to be good selections for Liverpool.

I don't think that it has been officially confirmed by Liverpool yet. The BBC are saying that he has signed a 3 year contact yet TalkSport are saying that nothing has been agreed yet. I guess the best thing to do is wait for the Liverpool website to confirm it. I just hope that if it is to be Rodgers that he is given time to stamp his mark on the team. Give the manager time to bed in and what we need is consistency. Give him the time and back him when things do not go as we had hoped. Look at Mancini early into the season the press were after him and he nearly go the P45 but the owners backed him and he produced the goods.

Liverpool are a long term project and getting into the top 6 let alone the top 4 has got harder. Every team is after the same price and we need to be clear that it will take time for us to challenge for the PL again. I would be happy to see us compete more rather then fall flat in the PL each season. So I just wanted to say that the new manager has my full support and lets get behind him and lets see what this new era brings. I am very hopeful for the new season. I think we are just a few quality players away from getting a good team together.

[riise94]

I haven't missed any point at all. You seem to think that you speak for every single Liverpool fan. Because Liverpool fans don't make as big a deal over Heysel as Hillsborough you judge them as overlooking Heysel. You then compound that with this statement, which is total bigoted rhetoric:



You are pissed off because you don't like being pulled on it. Solution is simple, don't come into the Liverpool thread criticising Liverpool fans about Heysel or Hillsborough.



Don't make me laugh. You are comparing the state of Heysel to the state of Stamford Bridge? Now you really are exposing ignorance and bigotry. There is no comparison. Read my words silly bollocks: dilapidated - derelict. We're not talking: tatty or umkempt. We are talking a death trap.



You have to understand what happened at Heysel. The Liverpool and Juventus supporters were throwing cans, bottles and bits of rubble over the wall at each other. Liverpool supporters tried to climb the wall to get to the Juventus supporters and the wall collapsed.

Liverpool's chief exec implored UEFA to use a different venue because Heysel was not fit for a match of this size and nature. UEFA ignored this and went ahead with the game. The whole organization of the game was an utter shambles with vast amounts of tickets meant for locals in Belgium going to Juventus fans. The stadium was a wreck and was full beyond capacity.

There's no doubt both sets of fans were behaving violently and aggressively. But that wall could have fallen down on either side and killed many. It wouldn't have changed the fact that a wreck of a stadium was overcrowded with pissed up football fans who wanted to kick seven shades of shit out of each other.



And this is more of your bigotry. Liverpool are a massive club. Understand that. They have masses of support outside the city and have for a long, long time. There are many truly awful Liverpool fans, just as there are at every other club. LFC have more than most because they have more fans than most. The percentage of Liverpool fans that go to games out of those that support the team must be less than 1% and you want to judge the other 99% for the actions of a fraction of that 1%? Bigotry - fact.

There are only two plaques at Anfield. One for Hillsborough and one for Heysel. In 2005, Liverpool fans in the Kop help up a sign saying "amicizia" (friendship) to the Juventus fans. Chances are that the people at Heysel were not even anywhere near the Kop that day. The people reaching out to the Juventus fans were people who were not there that day and a lot of them were not even born. And yet, you judge them?

Recently, a handful of Chelsea fans chose to sing and shout during a minutes silence for Hillsborough. Does that mean all Chelsea fans are disrespectful louts? Should we judge CFC on the actions of these few morons?



I have no idea why Chelsea would be to blame and I have no idea which idiots you have been talking to.

On that day, lots of people were to blame including Liverpool fans, Juventus fans, UEFA ans the Belgian police.



See above (about the 2010 plaque and the 2005 gesture to Juventus fans). It's only natural that Liverpool fans remember Hillsborough more. It doesn't help when you have authority cover-ups and certain media attacking Liverpool fans only days after the disaster. But, Heysel is not forgotten and if you didn't know that, you do now. Fact.



Fair enough. But make sure that when you return you are armed with something other than needless bigoted rhetoric because I will be back also, to slap you back into your box. Fact!

cleanprophet answer me this one question. How long were Italian clubs banned from Europe because their part in the violence at Heysel?

I don't know how old you are but I'm guessing not old enough to allowed to stay up and watch 39 people die live in 1985. Maybe thats why its "no big deal" as you put it. Or maybe it's no big deal because 38 of the victims happened to be Juve fans . Well it should be a ****ing big deal. It is to the familys of Juventos fans that died,that is for sure.

You are a typical Liverpool fan. Just like the song goes "always the victim,it's never your fault"

So it's news to you that Chelsea fans got the blame for Heysel amongst others. Really? Do some research you tool and then maybe you might understand other peoples anger. As for comparing The Bridge and Heysel - obviously you don't remember the 80's. Our ground was a complete shit hole matey.

You lot bleat on and on about your history (18 titles and 5 European Cups ect) but HEYSEL is also part of your history - more so in fact because your fans WRECKLESS STUPIDITY cost HUMAN LIFE.

Yes Liverpool did a nice thing in 2005 when you played Juve. You forgot to mention Juve fans responded by turned their backs on your fabulous gesture. Maybe your club should of done more at the time instead of try to shift the blame.

anyway

R.I.P. to the 39 innocent fans (including one of your lot!)

PS I don't need any ammo to come on here and express my feelings on Heysel. I am a football supporter and I care. The 29th of May should be mentioned on the day so I mentioned it. You can't brush it out of your history if you watched it happen (as millions like myself did live on tv)

PSS Those Chelsea fans at Wembley were morons and I was embarressed by them. Their excuse (Its Chelsea vs Spurs and has nothing to do with Hillsborough) doesn't wash with me either. I was furious and upset despite my dislike of your club. I don't really give a flying one whether you believe me or not either. I don't pretend to like you or your club but there is a line and some of ours crossed it. I can admit that. That is the difference between us.