CaliMag

I can't see the Board firing Benitez. The only way he'll be out is if he walks. He just signed a new contract and Liverpool (like so many other Premiership teams) are in deep debt and can't afford to pay him off and find someone new. I see no way out for them. In Crumpy's thread Arse vs, Pool I (along with many others) thought Liverpool would be dropping out of the top four this season. At this point I can't see them getting back into it - even with a new manager. Carra's old, Gerrard is getting older, Torres is peaked, they didn't replace Alonso, their academy is not producing anymore, Benitez has killed the youth programme there. Compare and contrast their academy and youth team to any other top ten premiership club. All other managers give some of their youth a chance and have produced at least a couple of regulars from their academy. Liverpool hasn't done this in ages. My prediction: 6th place - no cups.

The comment that is understated in your analysis is that we are not a premiership side. Pompey would do us 5-0 right now. This scares the hell out of me. We are better than the majority of this league, but they are much worse than I had expected. We could become a good side and kill this league with just a couple of players, but I don't think we have the money or the ability to find these people. 1. Midfielder who can run into space. We have Ranger, Carroll and Shola who can all knock a ball down back and hold it up - well we need someone who can run with pace for 90 minutes and either put it out to another midfielder or shoot - we need a fit Kieron Dyer really. 2. A finisher - one who can run onto a ball and compliment one of the three players mentioned above. Nolan is trying but I think he is at his best now and what we could really use is someone like Chopra. We could improve in a number of other areas as well. And even if we got these two players I mentioned we'd still be killed after promotion. One last observation: At the start of the season we seemed fitter than the other teams... that gloss seems to have gone now. Even when we fell behind the other teams seemed to fade in the last 20 and we seemed to have more fitness and drive than our oppoenents - we aren't like that anymore. The Blades and certainly Scunny seemed even fitter than us and last longer. Have we lost fitness? Have they gotten better? I have no idea.

I honestly don't understand this idea that Nicky Butt is a leader in the dressing room or somehow has anything positive to contribute to this team (opinions included). His contribution to the club has been on par with Barton and he has been here much longer. He doesn't want to play for us - its just a job to him. He doesn't love football, he didn't even keep his Champs League winning medal - I have long suspected him of suffering from depression and alcoholism. We pay him a huge amount for almost nothing in return. He is a liability to this club. The moment that epitomises Butt for me: Away to Villa, Dyer and Bowyer start into handbags 15 feet away from Butt. He puts his hands on his hips and watches with apathy. Gareth f*cking Barry actually starts to intervene first (eventhough he is further away) and THEN Stepehen f*cking Carr (perhaps the slowest player for Newcastle in the last 50 years) charges up half the field to try to break it up and THEN Butt lamely walks forward with the Ref. Yeah - that's leadership.

You've gan an' cuuursed us now. We are 3 points* away from 10th place FFS. *(okay I just checked and its 4 points, but still...)

Ashley will not get nearly as much money as he thinks from renaming the stadium: 1. Its an established stadium that will be called St James Park by all locals no matter the sign on the outside - its not newly built 2. Who is going to invest in a rename/rebranding and deal with Ashley given his recent history with investors? Ashley has just f*cked Moat, paid Freshfields late, f*cked his shareholders in the City with Sports Direct PO, talked endless shit about all of his former managers and former employers, totally f*cked Freddie Sheperd, and f*cked everyone who has considered investment into NUFC - he's running out of people to swindle This same logic applies to how much money he thinks he'll make by holding onto us. He's not going to get as much as he thinks he is. Plus the added fact that it is very possible that we won't be going up and without a significant investment (more in the order of 40 to 50 million) we are coming back to the CCC with a Derby County-like points total. This will only get worse.

... and yet he has a girl's name and haricut.

Apologies to Madras, CHez Given and the older gits like myself. That joke is as old as the hills, but I couldn't resist due to today's opponents.

It's an old joke actually: sCUNThorpe ARSEnal Manchester F*CKING United

Name all three English clubs that have naughty words hidden in their names...

Sarcasm and snidelness are unwarranted. He did far more for us than Barton for a lot less cost and a lot less fuss. He would be an asset to the team now. Good luck to him.

15 minutes too late for Ranger. Would have been nice to have him on when we had that spell being crowded in the box.

DId anyone see the post-match Argentina interview with Maradona? Doing his best to win the "Joe Kinnear Press Conference Award." First thing he says before questions - walks into room points at the reporters with a wave of the hand: "You all take it up the asshole and you know it!" Then after briefly apologising to the women in the room for his language he continues: "I would like to thank the fans who came out - especially those Argentines that came across the river, and those few of you who supported me... but for those who didn't, you can just SUCK IT!" -and then grabs his gear with both hands while thrusting. Classy.

That's all fine and dandy, but he hasn't done the business for us. Personality and criminal past aside he should still be sold.

Boro - battering the foxes and yet still losing. Bwahahahaha

He seems to have become the worst of both Bowyer and Dyer for us. It is a sick joke.

I think its going to be that as well and that means a loss to me.

Nolan & Butt in the middle + 4-5-1 = 2-0 loss to Ipswich.

Bad luck Ketsy. I hope he gets another job soon and does well. Seems a bit harsh W5 D1. I remember SBR managing Barca got a headline in the local paper along the lines of "Barca beat Espanyol 5-0, but play no football." Probably a bit like that.

I can't help but feel that many of us are spoiled rotten in terms of 'keepers. Harper is not as good as someone like Van Der Saar, but he's not far off and he is certainly better than the majority of 'keepers in the Premiership (probably all but 5). It would be absolute folly to think we could do better in terms of signing someone better even if we were still in the Premiership. Fair play to criticise his mistakes (few as they are in comparison to other 'keepers - especially in this league), but he is excellent and I am very glad he is here.

Live streamed on ESPN 360 for those of you in North America.

We are playing well at the moment. Looks like Leicester getting tired... they spent it all first half IMO.

The ref and linesmen are really helping the crowd get behind the team here... Nothing like righteous indignation and the common enemy to unite us.

Leicester are playing really well - probably the best team we've played yet. This is the type of tenacity I was expecting from every game in the CCC. I am interested to see if they can keep the intensity up through the second half.

Yep... pretty much.