Football Focus

[matthew123]

If the non Big 4 managers were given enough air time I'm sure that we'd find likes of Moyes, Redknapp & Big Sam moan as much after other games they lose as they do when they are nailed by the Big 4.

[jimmy two times]

Who'd be a Ref eh? Poor Kuntz never get anything right.....and that's not a German ref by the way.

[????]

As always.....the Mash gets it right

[Narnia]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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> That sums it up in a nutshell ratty and ????.

> Ferguson, Wenger and Benitez are the biggest

> moaners when it comes to refereeing decisions.

Maybe it seems that way because you see more of them Jah. Trying doing a search of managers fined by the FA and see who comes up. Fergie hardly said anything about Drogba being offside last w/end and stated that Chelsea were the better team. Last night if he hadn't blamed the ref, the Germans, Basil Fawlty or George Bush, he would have had to blame Da Silva. He is a good prospect and up to that point was having a good game. He will feel somewhat better that his manager didn't blame him for the defeat. Perhaps that's how to get loyalty from your players, something which doesn't happen much in the modern era.He knows the boy will learn. No point in kicking him when he is down already.

[Sandperson]

jimmy two times Wrote:

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> I wouldn't say Robben's goal was a soft goal

> Sandperson. It was absolutely brilliant and

> required excellent technique.

Robben's goal was fantastic Jimmy. I was talking about the two Olic goals, home and away.

[ruffers]

???? Wrote:

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> Good point Ratty, I've always giggled a bit about

> the 'big 4' bleeting on about refs decisions, bias

> and penalties.

I've always giggled a bit about the rest of the league bleating on about how refs favour the big 4.

['bout now]

;-

If the non Big 4 managers were given enough air time I'm sure that we'd find likes of Moyes, Redknapp & Big Sam moan as much after other games they lose as they do when they are nailed by the Big 4.

Who are the big four?;-)

[matthew123]

Annasfield Wrote:

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> Whose that shouting in the background? "Cheating

> bastard ref!! CHEATS CHEATS CHEATS!"

A 'typical Scotsman' perhaps... Darren Fletcher!!

[kpc]

Self-portrait doodles by PL players and managers (for charity) - don't give up the day job.

Art Attack

[matthew123]

I laughed when I saw Rooney's effort but when I saw the rest he is by comparison a boy genius.

[ruffers]

Rob Green's is bizarrely good.

[matthew123]

Pepe Reina signs a new 6 year contract for Liverpool - yes!

[kpc]

Reina is a class keeper - has to be good news.

[Annasfield]

Absolutely made up with this. He is Liverpool through and through.

Read this interview with him the other day - only of the only true loyal football players left?

THE question was straight and, given Liverpool?s travails on and off

the pitch this season, it was also fully justified. But there was

something about being asked if committing his long-term future to a

club which has been described as "a sinking ship" by one of his team

mates and which is in grave danger of veering off course altogether

represented a sacrifice that rubbed Jose Manuel Reina up the wrong way.

The Liverpool goalkeeper looked his inquisitor in the eye, his glare

reminiscent of the kind he would usually save for a defender who has

cost him a clean sheet with a last minute mistake and, after a

momentary pause to collect his thoughts, he answered.

?Why is it a sacrifice?? Reina responded. ?It is not a sacrifice. I am

really proud and lucky to be here. It is about principles. I don't

know how to explain it really, but it is a feeling. I felt wanted from

the beginning here. It is not always about being competitive or to be

in the biggest club, but being at the right club. I think Liverpool is

the right club for me.

?I am happy here and I think the club is happy too. I have been

talking with my wife and we don't see any better place to go. It is

personal and professional, the education of my daughter, it is a bit

of everything. Listen, Liverpool is one of the best clubs in the

world. Whatever happens, whether we are in the Champions League or the

Europa League, it is still Liverpool no matter what. It will always be

like this. I see no reason to leave.?

Spoken like a true keeper of the faith, in every sense. It is little

wonder, therefore, that Reina is increasingly coming to be viewed as

not only one of the finest exponents of his trade but also as a

genuine leader of men, both by the Liverpool hierarchy and on the Kop.

As such, the new contract that he is set to sign, which will keep him

at Anfield up to 2016, is seen as a genuine cause for celebration,

particularly at a time when there are precious few positives to get

excited about.

The Liverpool supporters have already made their feelings known about Reina,

the club?s undoubted player of the year so far, with a flag

bearing the Spaniard?s image recently making his debut on the Kop.

Bearing the legend ?No parasan? ? they will not pass ? it is a fitting

tribute to a player who is in the running for his fourth golden gloves

award, for the most Premier League clean sheets kept, in just five

seasons in English football.

The banner was commissioned and paid for by Dan Wakefield, a disabled

fan who thought it was high time that Reina?s devotion and commitment

to the Liverpool cause was richly deserving of such a tribute. The

gesture touched Reina, who readily admits to being humbled by it. ?I

feel really proud and really lucky,? the 27-year-old said.

?It is always important to be loved by somebody and when there is a

flag with your face and your name or whatever and it is coming from

someone like it is always special. I am happy about that. I am always

grateful to the fans. When we reached the ground before the Tottenham

game recently and saw all of those people outside the ground waiting

for us, it was one of those moments when you realise how good and how

big and important this club is and how special the supporters are.?

Reina?s decision to stick with Liverpool at a time when the club?s

future is far from certain and its prospects are open to question should

not be mistaken for a lack of ambition. The need for improvements to

be made following the current campaign, which promised so much only to

deliver so little, is a regular topic of conversation in the Liverpool

dressing room, particularly following Fernando Torres? recent

insistence that ?four or five? top class signings must be made this

summer if progress is to be made.

?All of us want to play in the big competitions and aim to a maximum

level,? Reina said. ?Fernando said the other day we have to learn from

our mistakes and try to improve the team as much as we can. In some

ways he is right. First we have to think about finishing as high as

possible this season and then sort out the problems for next season

for whatever competition we are involved in.

?It is understandable and all of us want to win trophies, but

sometimes it is not the case and because of that you cannot just throw

in the towel and leave. It has been a long wait without the Premier

League title for the fans and I would just love to be here if it

happens. For some of the lads it is normal for them to think are we

competitive enough? Are we under our level? Maybe there is another

place to go? But I don't think the majority of us are thinking that.

?There are no problems in the dressing room. It has been bad season in

terms of results, but there is another season and another one and we

have to be learning all the time from our mistakes and be competitive.

We are Liverpool and we have to be competitive again. It is one of

those seasons where things are bad and we have to sort it out and

start again. We have a base, a great spine of players, supporters who

are always behind us and a wonderful club so it is easy from our

position to react and sort the things out.?

The future of Torres? is inextricably linked with the success, or lack of

it, of his current employers. Should Liverpool fail to achieve their minimum

requirement of finishing in the Premier League top four and once again offer the

forward the Champions League platform his talents so richly deserve

then it is inevitable that fears will rise that he could depart for a

club with more obvious chances of success. Reina, though, sees things

differently, even if he does recognise and identify with his close friend?s

desire to win trophies.

?Fernando and myself speak to each other of course,? Reina said. ?We

are grateful for what the fans do for us, they are crazy for Fernando

and he feel the same way about them. If he is going to leave or not it

is not my concern or my decision. Hopefully not, he will stay with us

for a long period as well. I think Fernando is happy to stay longer.?

Liverpool?s top four credentials will again be put to the test on

Sunday when they make the short trip to Old Trafford to take on

Manchester United. It is a fixture which brings back the happiest of

memories for Reina, coming almost exactly a year after Benitez

masterminded a 4-1 victory over the eventual league champions.

That was the second of three successive wins Liverpool have enjoyed

over their great rivals but Reina is not expecting a similar result

this time around. Nor does he believe Liverpool should take any extra

incentive from the possibility of denting United?s latest title bid,

not even in the knowledge that Sir Alex Ferguson?s side only need one

more league championship success to end the Merseyside?s status as

English football?s most successful domestic club.

?It is always a different class of game,? Reina said. ?You cannot

trust the statistics. At the end of the day it is one of the best

games in the world. It is always tough to be beat them and for them it

is tough to beat us. Anything can happen and at the moment they are

favourites because they are at home and fighting for the title, but it

won't be easy for them.

?I really doubt we will ever be able to repeat the week that we had at

this time last year. To beat Real Madrid 4-0 and then beat Manchester

United 4-1 at Old Trafford is going to be difficult to repeat. It is

disappointing what has happened since then. Manchester United are

fighting for the title and we are fighting for fourth place, but that

is how it is and we have to be positive. I am not trying to beat them

to stop them from winning the league, but to help us get fourth

place.?

But back, once more, to the original question. As one of the best

goalkeepers in the world, surely he could have his pick of clubs?

?It?s nice for people to say that,? Reina said. "It's nice to hear, but

I am not thinking about leaving Liverpool at all.?

[kpc]

Wish we could nail Joe Hart* down for a similar period. Or kidnap him. Or something.

* who, incidentally, should be England's first choice.

[matthew123]

This one is a slow burner but well worth watching it for the full 5 minutes of Fergie cracking up - he seems to lose it over some bus trip a bunch of hacks were making back from Rome back in May..

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1264836/VIDEO-Watch-Sir-Alex-Fergusons-rant-Manchester-Uniteds-defeat-Bayern-Munich.html?ITO=1490

Q: Should the quality of performance [v Bayern] galvanise the players?

SAF: Well, we have to remind them of that because it still hasn?t come across in the press. It is hard to understand the press. You know, someone told me that the press came back from the Rome Champions League final last season and they were all delighted on the press bus that we had lost (to Barcelona). They were absolutely pleased that we had lost. The English press.

Q: You don?t know that. You weren't on that bus.

SAF: Well, somebody who was on the bus told me that.

Q: Alex, there are United supporters in this room, you know that.

SAF: Well, it is disappointing that a British team is in the final and even one member of the press...

Q: But you don?t know that.

SAF: No, listen. The issue is, a member of the bus told me that and he said he was absolutely disgusted by the British press in that final and that?s a fact. He has no reason to lie to me. And you were on the bus, You will know that. But what has been lost from the game on Wednesday is our performance. Our performance was fantastic. At 3-0, it could have been 5-0. We were magnificent and that gets lost just because you want to write a headline about what I say about the Germans. That is disgusting.

Q: We have given the team praise.

SAF: It?s disgusting. The players deserve some praise from you lot. That performance was outstanding.

[kpc]

Given the postings over the past week or so over the rantings of various PL managers, who would you name as manager of the year. Methinks Roy Hodgson for what he has done at Fulham with a small squad in reaching the QF of the FA Cup, semi of the Europa League and making Bobby Zamora look like a proper footballer, while retaining his dignity. Other candidates?

[Mick Mac]

First thought was Tony Mowbray but on reflection decided he probably won't make the shortlist.

[kpc]

I'm sure there are those that would say he did a cracking job and are sorry he didn't stay to complete it!

[daizie]

I think Harry Redknapp ( ugly bastard) has done a terrific job at Spurs . He has got them playing exciting football and may well qualify for the champions league this season . He has also unearthed a few gems such as Pavylachenko and Gareth Bale . There . By the way i am a Crystal Palace fan .

[red devil]

Hmmmm...the post-european matches 'analysis' makes for an interesting read...it's funny how a certain Liverpool supporter feels more obliged to talk about Utd losing and the psychological state of our manager, but says nothing about his own team winning...very strange, maybe someone needs to assess their own psychological state of mind? :)

I'd like to echo KPC's big-up for Roy Hodgson. I'd also throw in Big Eck and Tony Pullis.

BlueRev: Is G&T all the rage in Stockport these days? ;-)

[Narnia]

I think medically it's known as 'United envy'.

[matthew123]

daizie Wrote:

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> He has also unearthed a few gems such as Pavylachenko and

> Gareth Bale.

That pair cost Spurs in excess of ?20m!

As for Liverpool beating Benfica to reach the semi final - yes I was pleased to progress but tbh I thought it was an average performance. Although I was delighted to see Lucas once again show he has the ability to be a box to box player. I think if Babel ever gets a run in the team on the right wing we'll also see the best he can offer. Again it's not rocket science. Similarly Aquilani is not a holding midfielder and until he is allowed to play as an attacking midfielder for a sustained run we'll not see best of him either.

Manager of the year for me would be Arsene Wenger. No money, young squad, more injuries than anyone else, and they're on the brink of picking up the PL title. Amazing.

[kpc]

daizie Wrote:

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> I think Harry Redknapp ( ugly bastard) has done a

> terrific job at Spurs . He has got them playing

> exciting football and may well qualify for the

> champions league this season . He has also

> unearthed a few gems such as Pavylachenko and

> Gareth Bale . There . By the way i am a Crystal

> Palace fan .

Agree Harry has done a good job but should do given players and funding available. Think Spurs needed a bit nor consistency.

As for being a Palace fan, the first step to recovery is to admit it (glad to see Neil Danns having a decent season though).

[kpc]

matthew123 Wrote:

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> Manager of the year for me would be Arsene Wenger.

> No money, young squad, more injuries than anyone

> else, and they're on the brink of picking up the

> PL title. Amazing.

You forgot to mention his graciousness in the face of such adversity.