Cool. We determine the venue later but try to get a headcount so we can make a booking.

Lol will do. We will do another headcount at the beginning of January.

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Added on December 4, 2012, 1:06 pmWhen Rafa signed Xabi Alonso, instant comparisons were made to Jan Molby, a player who let the ball do the running for him. Both are excellent pass masters and marksmen from outside the box. This author wrote of his appreciation for the big Dane. He was one of my favourite players at the time as well behind, Barnes, Beardsley and Rushie.

http://www.redandwhitekop.com/article.php?id=11140023

This post has been edited by Duke Red: Dec 4 2012, 01:06 PM

Please do. The more the merrier. More shoulders to cry on should we lose. Monitor this thread closer to match day for details.

I hope for your sake they have a telly there.

Oh Andy. Old habits die hard.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/fo...ult-3315602.htm

Hmm let's see if this one works.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/fo...lt-3315602.html

Awesome.

Thanks for volunteering to keep track of the LYN headcount I'll do the MyRAWK headcount

Cycle? When he said, "bike", I assumed he was referring to a motorbike.

Enrique did and still does push up a lot but what I think Rodgers means is he'd like him to get in the box more, like when he scored that offside goal. When crosses come in, we need our fullbacks to attack the back post when we aren't playing with wide wingers.

Looks increasingly likely that Pepe will leave, and we'll sign Butland of Zieler. Also, Sturridge and Ince looks like they're heading to Anfield. The Daily Mail is a pretty credible source.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...-Ince-join.html

Looks very likely that Sterling will leave now, especially since he's been reported to have fallen out with Rodger's in the Daily Mail.

In terms of defenders, we currently have the following players who are able to play in the designated positions :-

Martin Skrtel - CB
Sebastian Coates - CB
Jamie Carragher - CB/RB
Daniel Agger - CB/LB
Martin Kelly - CB/RB
Glen Johnson - RB/LB
Andre Wisdom - RB
Jose Enrique - LB/LW
Jon Flanagan - RB
Jack Robinson - LB
Danny Wilson - CB/LB (on loan at Bristol City)

If we do sign anyone, it will be to replace any one of these players. Carra's best days are behind him to perhaps we are looking at a CB but given that Agger and Skrtel are first team regulars with Coates waiting in the wings, we're possibly looking at a young lad for the future.

I do think we need an established LB with Enrique looking fragile defensively. Jack Robinson still has time to develop and Danny Wilson hasn't impressed. Glen Johnson has done a pretty decent job there though.

Our RB is pretty much sorted.

I thought we had signed a pretty decent no.2 in Doni but after having taking a hiatus from the game due to "personal reasons", he hasn't even been able to trump Brad Jones.

I agree that Reina has looked shaky and worse still, he doesn't look happy. He is now into his 30's and I reckon he's looking to win some trophies and it doesn't look like we'll be doing that anytime soon.

Can't let sentiment get in the way of making a smart decision here. Arsenal offered $10 million a couple of years back and rebuffed the offer is memory serves me. Let's just see what kind of offer is laid on the table should the Walcott deal progress. I'm not adversed to signing a good young keeper with games under his belt like Butland or Zieler. Both have been capped internationally.

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Added on December 6, 2012, 12:46 pmTrue but we do need to get rid of a defender to get a defender so we don't go over the squad size limit. Question is, who goes?

This post has been edited by Duke Red: Dec 6 2012, 12:46 PM

Far as I know, Arsenal were the only ones who put in a bid for him the last time round. If he subnits a transfer request, I'm pretty sure they'll be other takers.

Here is an interesting article with some stats (http://www.talksport.co.uk/magazine/features/121205/why-pepe-reinas-decline-may-be-liverpools-fault-and-arsenals-gain-186869).

It suggests that Pepe's decline in form has to do with us not having solid defensive players in front of him. Is this indicative of the fact that the Agger-Skrtel partnership isn't as solid as some may think? Do we really miss Lucas that much? Is it because Rodgers and Kenny before him are more adventurous and attack minded?

Pepe made the most number of saves in the 09/10 season which was Rafa's last season in charge. This was also the season we sold Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid and brough in Lucas Leiva who had to fill the gap left behind by the Spaniard.

I think it's a given that we need a realiable goalscorer but I also posed the question a couple of weeks ago, of bringing in another defensive midfielder. Reina enjoyed his best seasons playing behind Sami Hyypia and Jamie Carragher. Now he sees the backs of Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel who I think we'd all agree are a solid combination. However, Pepe has not had the best of times so either a) he is out of form, b) Agger and Skrtel aren't as good as we think they are, or c) we simply don't have a good covering player in front of the back four. In the past, Reina's defence has been shielded by the likes of Dietmar Hamann, Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano. Lucas struggled at first and then got crocked after coming off arguably his best season in a red shirt.

Personally, I think it's a combination of a) and c). If we aren't scoring, we'd better not be conceeding.

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Added on December 6, 2012, 4:14 pmKick-off is 2am tomorrow kan?

This post has been edited by Duke Red: Dec 6 2012, 04:14 PM

Reina's form has been suspect for almost 2 seasons which is a concern. Ever since we blocked his move to Arsenal, he hasn't appeared content to me. He doesn't talk to the media as much as before. In the past he would talk about upcoming games and how happy he was at the club. I like Pepe and I hope his future gets sorted out. He needs to put in a few more impressive performances.

I agree with you completely on our frailties in the air. I brought up this issue some months back and even suggested that Skrtel looks like he has lead in his boots. Both of them are 6'3", and are pretty big lads. However our airspace is far from secure and we've conceeded a few goals from balls pinging about in the box. This is why we had so much trouble with Fellaini and struggle against teams that play direct football. Watch out because we've now got Big Sam's West Ham to contend with this weekend. Monday morning game... sigh...

You are also right to suggests our men in the middle need to up their game and contribute in the goals department. Jonjo has been guilty of scuffing some guilt edged opportunities and Gerrard simply hasn't been hitting them like he used to. Sterling is a bag of tricks and I think he needs to be a little less flashy, and more direct. Instead of dancing about around the box, he needs to make a beeline for goal.

Here is a pretty extensive interview with Pepe from a year and a half ago when King Kenny was at the helm.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/ma...reina-liverpool

For those that are too lazy to read the whole piece, I've picked out a few sentences with stand out to me.













I mentioned earlier that he just doesn't seem happy anymore and by reading this article, perhaps it has to do with the fact that his mates have left while he stayed behind, and we didn't show much ambition when Hicks and Gillett were in charge.

The tone and manner of his answers in this interview suggests to me that he is slowly paving a way to the exit door. He sounds almost sad in this interview. He's seen how Torres was villified, leaving 3 weeks after declaring that he'd stay at the club and I'm sure it would break his heart if Liverpool fans treated him the same way. He's very careful with this choice of words when he's asked questions about the possibility of leaving. Mostly open ended answers like, "you never know", "i can't say for certain" and so on.

If an offer comes in January, I'm pretty convinced he'll take it. He talks fondly of his mates leaving and I'm sure he envies them winning trophies at clubs who are consistenly in the Champions League like Chelsea, Barcelona and Read Madrid. Not convinced he's willing to hang around until we do so again. It could take years.

Well there is a possibility no matter how remote.

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/362761?

I watched the game. Wasn't one for the purists but we did create the better chances and aside from Di Natale's effort near the end, never looked like we were going to lose it. Overall it was a workmanlike performance and we did enough to get the desired result. Sahin got taken off early with a bloodied nose. It helped that Pasquale got his marching orders after his second yellow card infringement on Sterling.

Think it was against Spurs and you are right, he did look out of his depth in that game. I'm trying to look at it from the manager's point of view and he did have a good game particularly against Young Boys. He does look like an exciting prospect indeed. However with the likes of Suso, Sterling and now the converted Enrique in fine form, where does he slot in? Having said that I'd agree that he should start ahead of Downing.

I don't see him in training everyday so I'm not going to second guess Rodger's just yet. All in all, young lads like Sterling, Suso, Shelvey and even Henderson have benefitted from his arrival. I'm sure that if Assaidi continues to impress in training, he'll get his break. Henderson had to go from being a first team regular to a bench warmer but it looks to be paying dividends, touch wood. Suso was impressive against Udinese. If his handling of these lads is anything to go by, Assaidi is in good hands.

An interview with the lad http://nesn.com/2012/11/oussama-assaidi-vo...le-at-new-club/

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Added on December 8, 2012, 8:45 amCorrection. He blamed "British medical treatment". It's why a number of players seek treatment in other countries.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/fe...ewell-liverpool

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Added on December 8, 2012, 9:22 amMichael Owen and that horrid handlebar moustache of his is talking out of his arse. He isn't the only young bloke who played a lot of football at a young age is he? Also, it doesn't take Nostradamus to predict that he would have won more trophies with the mancs given they already have. Hardly an insightful comment. He was angling to leave the club and he got his wish when we released him to Real Madrid and that was that. Bye bye, good luck.

This post has been edited by Duke Red: Dec 8 2012, 09:56 AM

Dliion, what's the list looking like from LYN so far?

You have to ask if they mind

On a totally unrelated note, did anyone see Mr. 700 over millions views on YouTube, PSY perform with Hammer at the AMAs? Dance cheesy, dress classy!