Football Focus

[fonson]

Agreed,

Rooney does need to get over himself........The problem is that all the coaches who were around when he was 12 years old knew he was a massive talent and probably let him get away with murder instead of getting him to read 'Of mice and Men' or 'To Kill a Mocking bird'.

Rooney knows his true worth and knows how much they will bend the rules for him.

Remember the Shearer situation when he kicked the leicester player in the face just before one of the major international tournaments......He threatened to boycott the competition if the FA diciplined him........and they did sweet FA (No pun intended).

I am also sick to death of our players not being able to speak basic English.

We get players like George Boeteng (Dutch) and Thierry Henry speaking elegantly and then along comes Rio Ferdinand from Peckham with his Braaaap Braaap celebration (Immitating machine gun fire)..........How I held my head in hands when I saw that.

[Keef]

LOL >:D<

I remember that Shearer thing well. He was a dirty bastard throughout his career! Plus he cost us Sol Campbell's goal against Argentina in 98 cos he went in on the keeper with his elbows flying.

[fonson]

Keef,

I truly despair.....How can suh a small nation like Holland consistantly turn out the talent they have been for the past 38 years....The dutch only turned pro in cira 1969 and managed to get to 2 world cup finals in '74 and '78......Along with Ajax winning the European cup in '71,'72 and '73.

The French are a rugby playing nation and are not great football fans but they manage to be world and european champions at the same time.

We need to teach our boys to stop drinking the beer and falling out of night clubs at all hours!!

[Annasfield]

Like Keane - I blame the WAGS :'(

[Keef]

Anna, how sh!t were we last night?!?!?!?

[Ladygooner]

Chelsea weren't much better

[SeanMacGabhann]

I didn't see either but the papers seem to be giving Liverpool a lot more credit than Chelsea...

That Pennant will never grow up will he?

[Jah Lush]

Yes Liverpool were awful in the first half but certainly improved second half despite Jermain Pennant's needless abberation. He was a very silly boy indeed and let his frustration get the better of him. He's an very good player on his day though and an excellent crosser of the ball who, if he was to keep his head down and behave himself and continue to put in good performances could make the England squad in the near future IMHO.

[Annasfield]

Oh Keef - I blame myself. It's the first game I've missed this season. I never EVER miss televised games (unless I get to the macth, but unfortunately had made arrangements to see clients last night and cancelling for the football wouldn't have been acceptable! To top it all off I had no signal (top floor bar in Gherkin (shameless name dropper me! :-$)), so had to get my Dad to text me updates.... His daft wife has to do it for him and told me we were down to 9 men - so I got a bit panicky.

TBH I've only read the Liverpool website report, which is of course biased but from what I can gather it was a tough game. Carra' is quoted as saying its the toughest he has ever played and apparently Quaresma was something else.

Am slightly hungover now, so may spend my lunch hour watching the E-season ticket highlights.

On a positive note, we may have been lousy, BUT I would have accepted an away draw before the game and just think - we haven't conceded a goal from open play this season. 23 Carra' gold! >:D< Shame that Reina didn't have his magic gloves on again last night.

The thing I love about our team is that we put our hands up when we're bad and say that we were. None of this omelette and melons nonsense that is uttered from a certain Portugese manager's lips

[Keef]

You're right about the final result, I'm happy enough with the draw, but thought we looked messy, and could have done better. Oh well.

[Jah Lush]

It's still a good result for Liverpool though but do you not think that Rafa's constant tinkering with the team is having a negative effect? I thought the nil-nil against Portsmouth at the weekend was a good example of that.

I'm off to see the Spurs tomorrow night in what I hope should prove to be a much needed confidence boosting convincing win against Anorthosis Famagusta (who? I hear you ask) in the UEFA Cup.

[Keef]

I think Rafa is still making up his mind on his best 11... I also think he thought they'd get an easy win at Portsmouth (foolish), and fielded a weakened team with the champs league in mind.

Good luck to Spurs tomorrow, really want them to pick things up and take the presure off Jol, who is a great manager, and doesn't deserve all this sh!t... Darren Bent (who I'm a big fan of) needs to start justifying his transfer fee!

Back to Portsmouth, sitting in a pretty good position having played the top 4 in their opening 6 games... Easy from now on ;-)

[Annasfield]

Rafa is a great tactitican (and

) and I think that there is definite method in his madness. I can't comment on last night's game as I have yet to see it, but I saw this interesting post on the LFC forums.

Here is a full list of the players involved in internationals

Starting lineup

Riena travelled to Iceland and Spain

Finnan Injured

Agger 27 mins Denmark / 90 mins Sweden

Carra None

Arbeloa None

Benayoun 90 mins England

Pennant None

Sissoko None

Alonso 21 mins Iceland

Crouch 11 mins England

Voronin 72 mins Georgia / 31 mins Ukraine

Subs

Itandje None

Babel 90 mins Belguim / 90 mins Albania

Torres 57 mins Iceland / 90 minutes Spain

Hyypia 90 mins Serbia / 90 mins Finland

Gerrard 71 mins England / 90 mins England

Unused players

Riise 90 mins Moldova / 90 mins Norway

Kuyt travelled Albania / Holland

Mascherano played in Australia

Leto Unsure

Leiva Unsure

When you look at it from that perspecitive, his team selection on Saturday makes a lot more sense. On the other hand, I personally would have started Gerrard and Torres, got the job done in the first half and then rested them. But being a girl talking about football what do I know?;-)

[Jah Lush]

"Being a girl and talking about football," has got nothing to do with it Annasfield. My lovely niece Deborah who is a year or so younger than your good self and also Liverpool daft is about as knowledgeable as I am and I like to think I'm as well informed as the next man. If you love the game as much as you obviously do, it doesn't matter what sex you are. I reckon you know what you're talking about.

[Ladygooner]

Anyone want to give predictions for tonights game?

Arsenal 3 - 1 Sevilla (love that scoreline Jah!)

Sporting 1 - 0 Manure

[Jah Lush]

Arsenal 1 Sevilla 3 (even better Lady Gooner).

Sporting Lisbon 2 Man Utd 1

[Annasfield]

Arsenal 2 Sevilla 2

Sporting Lisbon 0 Mancs United 1 (Spawny late goal in extra time) (6)

[Keef]

Arsenal 2 - 1 Sevilla

Sporting 1 - 2 Manc scummers (Rooney will come on and get the winner, then say something like "The big mans back")

[Annasfield]

"(Rooney will come on and get the winner, then say something like "The big mans back")" and then do the Cantona "I'm the man" stare around the stadium. B)

[Rolo Tomasi]

Arsenal 2 - 0 Sevilla

Man Utd 2 - 0 Sporting

[SeanMacGabhann]

Must

Not

Get

Too

Carried

Away

But holy moly... I was not one of the doom-mongers pre-season and I thought we would improve without Thierry (still a ledge - no disrespect) but even so we are playing for fun at the mo

Individuals:

Hard - everyone is pulling their weight. Of the relative newbies, Sagna is getting better and better. Eduardo has only had a few cameos but manaages to score on most of them

But we are much more physical and don't get bullied.... I'll regret saying all this soon because we will get turned over in due course - but very satisfied punter tonight

[clare]

See you then Jose.

Fancy giving us a well manicured hand up at Elland Road ?

Actually .........we don't want you ........

[Keef]

You got in there before me Clare... Mourinho gone, that's just not right, he obviously wouldn't be the puppet they wanted... Oh well, what a shame >:D

[Ladygooner]

Well what a night at the Emirates! We are just sooooooooo good at the moment! Woke up to the news Mourinho has gone - bit of a shock. Even more of a shock is they have put some fella called Grant in - friend of Roman's and Director of Football. Anyone know anything about him? Bet Manure are glad they are playing Chelski this weekend....

[Rolo Tomasi]

For Ladygooner and anyone else who is interested. p.s.top result last night, i'm well chuffed. p.p.s SeanM, right on the mark matey!

From wikipedia

Avraham "Avram" Grant (Hebrew: אַבְרָהָם גְרַנט‎, born May 6, 1955 in Petah Tikva, Israel) is an Israeli football coach, currently Director of Football of Chelsea

Once coach of both Maccabi Tel Aviv (twice, from 1991-1995 and less successfully from 1997-2000) and Maccabi Haifa (2000-2002), Grant was formerly the national team coach of Israel, taking the position in May 2002 when he replaced Dane Richard M?ller Nielsen. Israel finished third in 2006 World Cup qualifying Group 4 behind winners France and runners-up Switzerland. This meant that Israel marginally missed on qualification to the finals, despite being undefeated in the group - with four wins and six draws. He announced on 26 October 2005 that he would step down from the national team as his contract expires in June 2006. Subsequent to this he took up his new position as Technical Director at Portsmouth. A personal friend of Roman Abramovich, on 8 July 2007 he was appointed Director of Football at Chelsea. It was announced that Grant is to become the new head coach of Chelsea on 20 September 2007