Cronky

I thought Butt was the best placed player to cover Gardner's run for the goal. Normally you expect your midfield player to track back for that sort of run if at all possible, rather than have the Centre back coming out. Instead, Butt didn't seem to do anything - he didn't help Enrique out and just watched Gardener run away. There's a lack of leadership and communication throughout the team that does cost us. Often players seem to be going for the same ball, or leaving it to one another. Martins had a terrible game. He just couldn't get involved, mentally or physically. I thought he was going to be a lot fitter, because he is a good athlete. Viduka for Martins isn't a natural swap, but I don't think Hughton had much choice. Interestingly, I thought we improved after Butt went off.

The level of hatred against him is so great, I'm a bit surprised he's lasted this long. He must have very thick skin, but in the end everyone must have their limit. I hope he stays though. Within the confines of the transfer budget, which aren't set by him, he's done a more than decent job, particularly in the field of recruiting young talent. I've often felt that our fans have too much influence, not too little.

He wasn't that bad before, and he isn't that great now.

If there's any truth in this at all, it's just legal manouvering. The relationship between Ashley and Keegan is clearly shot to pieces and there's no way they can work together again. It's in Keegan's interests to establish that Wise was at fault for the break-up, and saying that he'd be prepared to work for Ashley again if Wise was dismissed just strengthens that impression. It's an offer that clearly won't get taken up.

Not what's been reported recently. The Keane deal (incoming) was apparently brokered by Parry & opposed by Benitez, hence why Benitez never played him. The Keane deal (outgoing) was opposed by Parry but wanted by Benitez. There's been an ongoing power struggle at the club over who has control over transfers for a while now. I can't quite believe that Benitez was actually opposed to Keane's coming in, and it's not true to say that he never played him. He did pick him, but Keane didn't play that well. Liverpool have joined a long list of clubs that have fancied Keane, but ended up disappointed. I don't think he has the athleticism to compete at the very top level of club football. This isn't a dig, but he's found his right level at Spurs. Liverpool are in serious financial shit, and that may be what prompted selling Keane with no replacement brought in. The clash may not be so much between Benitez and Parry, as Benitez and the money men. Like Keegan, Benitez might simply prefer to deal direct with the owners.

It might have been his fitness tbf. As despite all of aura around Big Sam and his so-called modern day fitness techniques I've never seen the team be so unfit. He's quick in a straight line, but slow on the turn, I think. He often looks to me like a cross between a centre back and a full back.

Overall, I don't think he was the right player for us, but he wasn't the only reason why we faltered in the second half of that season. If I recall right, Beardsley was pushed out to the right to accommodate Tino. The Beardsley - Ferdinand partnership had been a big factor in our success, and they didn't really blend as a threesome.

That's interesting. He was being criticised not long ago for not saying anything.

Acuna is a good shout. It still puzzles me that he didn't get more games. Anyone remember John Gallagher?

FYP. I may be mistaken, but i think the defender he slid to take the ball off, was Mike Gatting ( cricketer), brother. Used to stand directly over the wall at the top of the players tunnel in them days. I think he went to Liverpool, cos Willie Mcfaul,or more likely Stan Seymour, wouldnt match the money , Liverpool were paying players at the time. Twas against Brighton and Eric Young was the player Pedro robbed. I think gatting was actually the defender poleaxed in the build up,.. can anyone confirm if he was Mike gattings brother, or am i just dreaming this shit up ? No dream. Steve Gatting was Mike Gatting's brother.

Why does the game tolerate players ignoring the ref and running away when he wants to have a word with them? It's a childishly rude gesture which you don't see in any other sport.

i agree. at least at club level. He's been shit in the big games at all levels, bar one backheeled flick in a World Cup or something similar. Of his type, the best in the world, I'd say. This forum must have a thing against tall, gangly strikers.

I'd agree. Rooney would destroy them with that amount of space to operate. Who would you take off? Would have to be Berbatov I guess, but the team seems to be working almost perfectly as it is. Giggs would be the like for like swap in terms of role. So him. I just think Inter are probably going to score, now that they're getting stuck in more. Christ knows what they were thinking about in the first half.

I'd agree. Rooney would destroy them with that amount of space to operate.

I'm amazed that Inter aren't bothering to press Man U. So many Man U players have about 10 yards of space in front of them whenever they receive the ball.

Do you not think that's a prime example?

What a load of bollocks, surely. Can't see why you're saying that. Man U are a lot better than us at playing the ball through the midfield, and so any opposing team is going to be a lot more wary of pressing them. Obviously team's would be more wary of pressing Man U, as you say they are a million times better at ball retention and opening teams up then us. That's why I said the opposing team would sit a lot deeper against them then they would against 10 men of us. Hence more time for their back four to collect the ball from VDS as their would be less pressure on their defence. According to that diagram he's played it to one of his defenders more than 10 times where as Harper hasn't picked out one of our back four once. Sorry, it might not have been clear - I was agreeing with your basic point and disagreeing with TMU.

Couldn't agree more, yes he wasn't having a good game yesterday but some of the stick he was getting from our fans was a disgrace, any mistake is greeted with howls of derision while other players making worse mistakes were getting encouraged. The way we played hardly helped, the team firing balls towards him, no team mate within 20 yards of him even if he did manage to win it against Lescott, Yobo and Jaglieka. Martins came on and our forward play didn't exactly improve did it?? Agree with both posts. I'd add that he created our one gilt-edged chance of the game with a very classy feint.

What a load of bollocks, surely. Can't see why you're saying that. Man U are a lot better than us at playing the ball through the midfield, and so any opposing team is going to be a lot more wary of pressing them.

He put in our only decent cross of the entire match that Lescott nearly drove into his own net. Had he missed the ball, Taylor was in for a certain goal. Well you've got to admit that his crossing is unreliable. They're just as likely to go straight across the pitch into the hands of the opposition central midfield, in which case we're in trouble. I hope he does sort himself out, because he does produce good moments like that. But I can see now why Allardyce, Keegan and Kinnear have all not been so keen on him. You need defenders who you can bank on.

I think people are getting a bit carried away by the fact that we didn't concede a goal. It was a weakened Everton attack that offered little imagination or creativity, but our defence still looked shaky to me. As for Enrique, I'm still not convinced. In a one-to-one battle when he's close to his opponent, he usually comes out on top due to his strength and pace. What bothers me though is the number of times his positioning seems wrong and he gets caught in no man's land. His passing is also dodgy, although that wasn't apparent yesterday because we didn't do that much attacking. I'd agree about his potential, because he's a good athlete. The problem seems to be in his head.

I still don't like him tbh. His positioning in defence is poor, and his distribution in attack is very unreliable. He has his good moments, because he's very strong, but I hope we're still continuing to look for someone better.

I think you've been a bit generous to our defence, but I'd agree with some of that. Steven Taylor played his heart out and didn't hide from the ball. However, I don't think he's a full back. Butt looks far more comfortable when the opposition have the ball, it's true. But any player in that anchor position gets a lot of possession, and the fact that he wastes it so much does a lot of harm to the confidence of the side. And for all his experience, his decision-making on the ball is often poor. He often plays his team-mates into trouble. As for Shola - well all the strikers struggled, because they were up against a very good defence. Shola didn't have a good game, but he did set up our best chance of the game with a very classy feint. You have to take that into account with Shola. A couple of times each game, he will open a defence up.

Colo had a very good game I thought. I would expect more off a £10 million defender. His distribution was abysmal, especially his passing. Nothing special but nothing crap, as some people on here will let you believe! That would make sense if he hadn't passed the ball very well today. Its his lack of pace that I fear most, he gets turned way way to easy and is not quick enough to make up the lost ground, I am not writing him off but when you look at our CB pairing Bassong looks like the £10mill player. I'd agree. Colo is too easily beaten in the air, and lacks pace. His performances seem to be going downhill - I suspect because other teams are now sussing him out. Nolan's tackle was unbelievable for a player of his experience. You can't jump at an opponent like that. I don't think Jonas has much of a shot on him, so a lob was the right decision. He also looked unfit, and couldn't get away like I was expecting him to. Lovenkrands's miss was in a different league. He was right in the middle of the goal with plenty of time to aim at either side of the keeper. Anyone else think Harper should have come off his line more? There were lots of crosses into the goal area which he seemed to leave alone.

If a player doesn't want to sign a contract at the start of their last season, it stands to reason that they're not going to sign one in the middle. They're obviously aiming to become a free agent, which in most cases will enable them to negotiate a more lucrative contract elsewhere. We should have done what any normal club would have done in the circumstances, which was sell him before the start of the season. It was only because Keegan was at war with Wise that this situation has dragged on.