Parky

We really have to try 2 forwards AT HOME against poor/average sides or domination won't produce as many goals as it should.

When either winger breaks fast, Nolan just can't catch up to get into the box.

Sorry but your attacking central midfielder should be arriving in the box to get on the end of stuff, unless you think only two players in the squad should be responsible for scoring goals. Exactly. In my book both wide players should be looking to get goals as well so Routledge was also disappointing today. We had the ball in some fantastic areas today but the lack of players getting in the box beyond the static Nolan meant Stoke easily absorbed the threat. Correct not enough players hitting the box in key moments. Stoke like Blackpool just held their shape and absorbed and then started to find the condidence to come out. You need to try and hurt these sides early AND keep the pressure on. These are games we simply must win at home.

Taking off a defensive player and leaving on an offensive player when we need a goal. Shocking that like. Tiote's not a defensive player from what I've seen so far though, he wins it but also drives us forward (far more than the insipid Barton who is trying to perfect the Nicky Butt aimless chip into the corner). Tiote was absolutely bossing the central midfield imo. Barton was better than Tiote today. Barton's passing was nearly perfect for the whole game. u watching another game? he had a few great hollywood passes but his crossing corners and freekicks was horrible fucking horrible. his second half perfomance was piss poor, and this is coming from a barton fan. I've said that before, they took him out of the game in the 2nd half near perfectly because he was running the show in the 1st half. I can't remember doing Tiote anything what was really countable today. CH had some tough choices today in a very tight match in which although we dominated posession, we very rarely gave Stoke serious problems even in the first half ( i think only 2 shots on target was the stat iirc). There was something missing from the players (perhaps the ususal suspects) in the second half and Nolan alwaus looks knackered to me after 60 odd mins. Chris has got a lot right over the last couple of weeks and I don't really want to have rip into him at all. But...I would question taking off Hba who kept their whole right side pinned back in fear and not taking Nolan off for Shola. Bringing Shola on for Tiote was a gamble cause he was our only real protection against a big phyiscal side. Once he came off they cruised throught the middle at will. Anywat the team is still developing and there will be close games where we win.

Wouldn't have taken Tiote off against a big side like Stoke, his pace, power and def cover is really important anyway and more so against a big physical side. Might be worth trying Guti on the right next time as Routledge is so wasteful on posession.

Liverpool were really bad for about 75min and then started playing, even then it looked bitty and forced. A very lucky point.

It's been all over the papers for a month. Deadline is early Oct and the yanks have no money left.

Regarding the new contract for CH. If we are safe in Jan give him a 3 year one and a hefty payrise, he will have earnt it.

This is going to be mighty interesting in a couple of weeks.

In football these things go in cycles, I think barring the appearance of a mega wealthy owner, Liverpool are fucked for a decade while they convert to a low debt busniness model. I never thought I'd say this 24 months ago, but I can honestly see us overtaking Liverpool's position in the Premier within a couple of years. Think RBOS will take it over in Oct. But will they get fined points and will it be called administration? It should be, but I have a feeling Liv will get protection from the Fa.

Intrersting comment on there: 4. At 10:01am on 23 Sep 2010, LFCforumCo wrote: With Gillette out of the picture, all eyes are on Tom Hicks and RBS. As long as Hicks hasn't found some rich lunatic to lend him hundreds of millions of pounds when the deadline hits, RBS absolutely HAVE to take over. All prospective buyers are waiting for this to happen. As soon as it does, and we are praying it will, I wouldn't be surprised to see some interested parties of old slip back into the frame... Then RBS hold a quick auction of suitable and solvent parties (no LBO merchants please), possibly even turning a profit themselves? I do wonder though if the only way to legally wipe out the holding company debt would be to officially declare 'administration' and lose 9 points, though the FA appear to be rubber-stamping immunity from penalty in that instance. I appreciate RBS really don't want to find themselves in charge of a football club, but they've admitted to over-extending this line of credit, so having got us in this situation (and creamed in the interest), it's time to step up and get us back out again. I was greatly reassured by Mr Purslow's comments and manner during the recent interview- let's hope the bank and board win this final trans-Atlantic showdown not just for us fans, but for the very future of Liverpool Football Club. Someday soon I'd like to be able to justify to myself buying shirts, match tickets, hotdogs and bovrils again. I'd also prefer to spend my 'footy time' actually worrying about leftbacks and not leverage. One day I'd like to take a grandson or granddaughter to watch the reds, with all this sh*te a distant memory (that the FA learned lessons from). I might even reopen my RBS account if they do the right thing!

Pretty blown away by the acquisitions of Tiote (never heard of him but looking a gem) and Afra (knew about him and never thought we'd steal him).

In football these things go in cycles, I think barring the appearance of a mega wealthy owner, Liverpool are fucked for a decade while they convert to a low debt busniness model.

Liverpool FC chief Purslow: Club board is against any Tom Hicks refinance bid Sep 23 2010 Liverpool Echo LIVERPOOL managing director Christian Purslow insisted the club’s board members will firmly resist any attempt by co-owner Tom Hicks to refinance the club’s debts of £237m with Royal Bank of Scotland. His comments came as part of a Q&A with Reds fans in which he also revealed: Tom Hicks and George Gillett turned down an offer for LFC before Easter That refusal to sell led to the board shake-up which brought in Martin Broughton as chairman The club is “a very healthy business” but can only “just about” cope with the interest and bank charges on the owners’ loans. Reports have suggested Hicks is trying to raise cash to buy out the RBS debt ahead of next month’s refinancing deadline to retain control at Anfield. But asked if Hicks could refinance the debt against the club’s assets, Purslow said: “That would require Board approval and the other members of the Board have made it clear that’s not what we want to see happen. It’s very unlikely. “Any occurrence of indebtedness by Liverpool Football Club needs full Board approval. The non-owner directors have made it clear that’s not what we want to see happen.” The non-owner directors are Purslow himself, commercial director Ian Ayre and chairman Martin Broughton, who can outvote Hicks and Gillett 3-2. Purslow said he remains firmly committed to the sale of the club and believes Hicks and George Gillett are still keen to sell. “I can’t speak for the owners but I am absolutely sure that both of them are totally committed to trying to sell the club as soon as possible,” he said. “They haven’t had an offer yet that they like and so I suspect that both of them individually and collectively are pursuing their other alternatives and that’s their prerogative. “I want this club sold more than anybody in the world.” Earlier this year Purslow, whose family hail from Birkenhead, spoke about his hope of securing significant investment by Easter but it didn’t materialise. By Easter there was at least one investor ready to invest in the club, but not on terms that were acceptable at that time to the owners,” he said. “I think it’s fair to say that precipitated a further series of changes; the appointment of Martin Broughton as the new chairman, pretty dramatic changes to the Board of directors where George and Tom’s family came off the Board and essentially the Board was re-jigged and, most importantly, the owners agreed they would seek a sale of all of the club rather than what we had been working on up to Easter, which was a partial investment, which I don’t think was ever likely to be the optimum outcome for anybody. “So I think that was a positive development in April and since then we have been working hard to try and find somebody to buy all of the club.” Read More http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2010/09/23/liverpool-fc-chief-purslow-club-board-is-against-any-tom-hicks-refinance-bid-100252-27325700/#ixzz10MD3mvUS

As Shak said earlier, the psychological and motivational comeback since the Blackpool game has been phemomenal. Well done CH.

Beeb... Rafael Benitez criticises Liverpool board Rafael Benitez Liverpool finished seventh in Benitez's last season in charge Inter Milan manager Rafael Benitez has launched an attack on the hierarchy at former club Liverpool. Benitez had a strained relationship with the boardroom at Anfield and left in the summer to join the Italian club. "The last year at Liverpool I had directors who knew nothing about soccer and you couldn't talk about soccer with them," the 50-year-old Spaniard said. "My relationship with [inter Milan] president Massimo Moratti is good, he is a man who knows his soccer." Benitez took over at Liverpool in June 2004 and led them to Champions League glory in 2005 and an FA Cup victory in 2006. 606: DEBATE What are your thoughts on Benitez's comments? But the Premier League title eluded him and he could only lead the Reds to seventh in the top flight last season, meaning that they missed out on a lucrative place in the Champions League. By the end of his tenure in June, Benitez appeared to have become frustrated at the lack of funds to bring in players with the club heavily in debt under the co-ownership of Americans Tom Hicks and George Gillett. Benitez did not name names but Hicks, Gillett, club chairman Martin Broughton, managing director Christian Purslow and commercial director Ian Ayre sit on the club's five-man board. Hicks and Gillett, who bought the Reds in February 2007, have angered many Liverpool fans with the way in which they have run the club. And, although they have put the Merseysiders up for sale, no buyer has yet been found. Broughton was hired to oversee the sale process in April 2010, with his arrival being at the request of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) as a condition for them extending a loan to Hicks and Gillett for a further six months. However, a refinancing deadline of the club's £237.4m debt with RBS is approaching, with Hicks attempting to gain sole control of the club.

Quite boring now Italian football, prefer Spanish and PL.

Good spot Mick.

Got everything right and picked the correct side. Tiote and Bafra must start every game.

That is a massive massive result. Tiote and Bafra every game please. CH got everything right and the lads were maginificent. Carroll coming back and putting in blocks and tackles along with Nolan is what epitomised that win. Great result. Harper 7 Krul 8 Perch 7 Williamson 8 Coloccini 9 Enrique 9 Routledge 7 Tiote 10 Barton 10 Ben Arfa 11 Nolan 7 Carroll 9

NOt Smith please!! EeeeeK1

He pretended to jink inside and then lined it up. One of the cleanest strikes you'll ever see this season. Magnificent. Tiote really playing well and holding postion and passing the ball around. No way back for Smith hopefully. COME ON!!