The 08/09 Liverpool F.C. Thread

[Nuje]

It's JANUARY!!!! Transfers are open. Time to get.....excited? Not so sure. Rafa has said that signing someone big would be very unlikely and expensive at this point. We haven't heard much from Statler and Waldorf lately, as every time they open their mouths, Liverpool fans seem to hate them more. While I believe Rafa is simply saying 'They gave me no money to work with', that's just one person's opinion.

Jermaine Pennant is being shopped hard, and apparently could get into the high 1 digit in millions of pounds, as at one point was apparently garnering interest from Ac Milan, Real Madrid, and Juventus. Unfortunately a lot of this interest seems to have fizzled, so moving the winger could even wait until the summer. It would be a nice way to raise money with an asset the Reds never use, but we'll wait and see I suppose.

Emile Heskey is out of contract in the summer, and rumour had it that Liverpool would entertain bringing the man back to Anfield, but that seems to be all but fizzled too. This means that Aston Villa, the only team recently linked to Emile, will likely swoop in and take him, attempting to keep themselves in the top 4 in their most impressive season in a while.

Wishlist? Pennant out, Dossena out (not to be fulfilled, as Rafa has said specifically that it won't happen) Yossi Benayoun and/or Ryan Babel out, if the money is needed for the other (very unlikely to be fulfilled) wishlist.

Lukas Podolski's price has been set at 10 million Euros (9.6m pounds) by Bayern Munich. While Liverpool has not been linked to him at all, I find they play their best football with Gerrard playing CF and Torres as a lone striker (even though Stevie's too valuable at midfield to be playing up there every match). Tottenham has been linked with Podolski, as has Manchester City (however, they have been linked with everyone, and even some inanimate objects since being acquired by wealthy people).

That's all for today. Need sleeeeep. Anyone coming by the pub for any of the 2 Merseyside Derbys coming up on Monday and next Saturday?

[Locke]

Ffffffffuuuuuuuuu

[Jagger]

Originally Posted by Locke

Ffffffffuuuuuuuuu

My sentiments exactly.........

[Nuje]

GAH! Stoke city was beating Chelsea 1-0, and just now in the 87th minute, Chelsea tied it up. The Mancs have also just beaten Bolton. They were tied 0-0 ,and a late goal in the 88th (I think) minute just put them ahead. It was looking SO good just 5 minutes ago. So now, until we see what happens on Monday, Manchester United is top of the league.

[ShotDownInFlames12]

A very frustrating morning for sure! 47 seconds from time!!! I thought Bolton had held them, but it wasn't to be. That chelsea game was stupid. I thought it would end in a draw, and it stings a little more knowing Fatty Frank won it for them. At least they are still one point behind and we have a game in hand . We must beat Everton on monday! Xabi's back at least!

United play West Brom, Everton, West Ham, Fulham, Blackburn and Portsmouth up to the end of Feb

Liverpool play Everton, Wigan, Chelsea, Portsmouth, City, Middlesborough

Chelsea play Middlesborough, Liverpool, Hull City, Aston Villa, and Wigan


We have a better schedule than Chelsea but United will have to drop some points to help us out. We need Hull City to continue what they have been doing and hold Chelsea or beat them and the match against Chelsea will be even bigger!

Come on you Reds!

[Bagor]

And here comes Man U.

Titles will be 18-18 come May where they also move 5-4 behind the pool as European champions.

Take it to the bank.

Martin O'Neill and Villa now in a CL spot. One hell of a manager.

[Nuje]

Originally Posted by Bagor

And here comes Liverpool for now.

Titles will be 19-17 come May where they also move 6-3 ahead of United as European champions.

Take it to the bank.

Martin O'Neill and Villa now in a CL spot. One hell of a manager.

Yeah, you're right. Liverpool will win both of those!

The Villa thing is fun to be watching too. My brother's an Aston Villa fan, so he's definitely loving it.

[Locke]

ARGH!!! I could F***ING KILL!!!!

[Pagal4321]

Tim Cahill's kinda cool!!

[Nuje]

ARGH indeed. I haven't heard a pub's noise level die down so fast since John Arne Riise scored the own goal in leg 1 of LFC vs. Chel$ki in the first leg last year of Champions League. So the Reds get another crack at the toffees at Anfield again, unfortunately it's something that at the moment is a less important competition.

Liverpool dropped 2 important points, and will have to play insanely to get back to where they need to be. 9am Saturday, and as usual, we'll be at the pub to watch. After that, a mid-week match against Wigan, followed by the rent boys' visit to Anfield. These are 6 points that are mandatory if Liverpool wants to entertain any aspirations of winning their 19th league (1st since the Premier League was founded) and also very importantly, preventing those damned Mancs from catching up for the first time...ever!

Now for those very interested, there is a trip being planned for April for a visit to Anfield (which will be my first time ever). If you're interested, PM me, and I may be able to help you out in terms of joining us.

[Jagger]

Originally Posted by Nuje

Now for those very interested, there is a trip being planned for April for a visit to Anfield (which will be my first time ever). If you're interested, PM me, and I may be able to help you out in terms of joining us.

You'll love it.

It's easy for me to be a little blase about another trip to Anfield as I grew up in Wallasey and was a season ticket holder for years before moving here. Still, it's an EPIC first time experience. There's just something about that first time when you climb the steps and see the hallowed turf. A little melodramatic perhaps but not really, you'll see. If "The Kop" is in good voice then the hair will literally stand up on the back of your neck. It's incredible.

One of my favourite times at Anfield was many moons ago when they beat Spurs 3-1 to clinch the League title. 1-0 down at HT due to a Hoddle special they stormed back in the second half with King Kenny getting a couple if I remember right. It was awesome. The sound was simply deafening. My ears were ringing throughout and it was fantastic. Great memories.

Here's hoping the lads win one for you!

[Nuje]

I'm hoping that the seats we get are in the Kop (which really shouldn't have seats at all...) Most of us plan to be quite loud, and I believe we all adhere to the "if you don't know the words to Poor Scouser Tommy, you shouldn't be in the Kop".

It'll be in April most likely, so Hull City, Arsenal or the Rovers. If it would end up being Arsenal, that would be a simply nuts one to go to. I wish I once got to watch the King Kenny play.

For now though, just looking to Saturday (oops, I meant Sunday)...rough tiring week for all teams still in the FA cup too.

[ShotDownInFlames12]

The game is on Sunday.


Sounds like an awesome trip. I've been to Anfield but only did the tour as it was in May 06 (2 days after the "Gerrard" FA Cup Final which we went to Cardiff for but couldn't get tickets). It's my dream to go to a game, and stand in the Kop. That's one reason I'm glad there has been delays in the new park, I have more time to get there. I won't be able to go this year but am planning on March/April 2010.

You go to "On The Rocks" right? I was thinking of checking that place out after checking out lfccalgary.com. Are all games shown there?


p.s Riise's own goal gutted me more than the Flames losing game 7 to the sharks later that night. After that went in, I didn't even care what happened in the Flames game.

[Nuje]

Gah, I meant Sunday. But yeah, all LFCCalgary members watch the games at On the Rocks. It's a really wicked crew. Riise's own goal turned a "RAFA RAFAEL, RAFA RAFAEL" into pin-drop silence. To have left the 1st leg up 1-0 on Chelsea would have been tremendous. But hey, this year the Reds made Stamford Bridge (finally) fall down.

And yes, I go to On the Rocks pretty well every single game. They show them all, even if it's 5am. The owner Paul (a Chelsea fan of all people) is great, and goes the extra mile to make sure it's a great time every game. He's let us put up a few flags, and makes sure he has Carlsberg around at all times (shame we can't drink it during the early early games).

Riise......good riddance. Now we just need Insua to get back into the starting 11, as I (along with many others) feel he's been a great revealation at left-back.

One thing I dawned on as far as the trip...where can one watch NHL hockey in England?

[Locke]

I'll make it down to the Rock sooner or later....

[ShotDownInFlames12]

All the silence in this thread...guess everyone is as depressed as I am.


This is the first time, where I actually think that Rafa needs to go. Between all the rants and the rotation (I know it's not really a rotation like it used to be, but it's pretty bad) he's lost it, and perhaps his mind.

He's destroying Keane as well. And playing Lucas way too . He's horrible.


Big game against Chelsea, pretty safe to say, if they don't win, Man U is going win the league.

[Locke]

I have not been a happy man lately. Two draws against a crap Everton side, another draw against Wigan.

This is the same story as last season, too many draws. Where they should have taken 6 points they left with 2.

[Nuje]

Originally Posted by ShotDownInFlames12

All the silence in this thread...guess everyone is as depressed as I am.


This is the first time, where I actually think that Rafa needs to go. Between all the rants and the rotation (I know it's not really a rotation like it used to be, but it's pretty bad) he's lost it, and perhaps his mind.

He's destroying Keane as well. And playing Lucas way too . He's horrible.


Big game against Chelsea, pretty safe to say, if they don't win, Man U is going win the league.

I was thinking about posting something quite similar.

Reina is the only reason we're in many games.
If I had to critize anyone at the back, it'd actually have to be Jamie. Carra's showing his age, and if Liverpool can get a few pounds from him, they should (as they turned Pennant into a loan, which gives the team nothing, rather than a transfer fee). I really hate to say that, but I believe it....ok fine, I could criticize Dossena as well, but last game he didn't do anything that reminded me that he's Dossena.

Lucas.....wow, not enough words for this guy. Whatever money that was planned to be used to pursue Heskey (which was strongly rumoured) should be used to pay someone to take this lump of crap.
Babel...where has the super-sub Babel gone? He seems disinterested, and even though we know he's effing fast, he's not showing it this year.
Yossi Benayoun (or 'The Wizard' as we've been calling him) save that one nice goal on Wednesday, has had eighty thousand opportunities, and he's missed 79 999. I figure Keane wouldn't miss any more than 79 952 of those, which puts our goal differential MUCH higher.
Torres...I hope he simply isn't quite fit yet, rather than being disinterested or lazy, but I think it is the former problem, and I hope he's healthy soon.
Robbie Keane....christ....WTF!!!! 20 million pounds?? All that said though....he's still a better option than the guys we've been seeing on the pitch, and Rafa needs to start letting him play. Has he done much to deserve it? No. Have others done things to deserve never seeing a pitch outside the abyss that is the MLS? Yes. I'm talking to you Lucas!
Who at the start of the year thinks that they'd be saying such ludicrous things as "wow, I wish Insua wasn't out of the country, because we need Insua back! NOW! Unfortunately, while I feel he'd benefit the squad, I don't know what has to happen for Liverpool to turn back into the team that was 1st in the league, tied with Chelsea, until they went to London, and broke a 86 game undefeated streak to take over sole possession.

[KevanGuy]

Man, I'd kill to have Liverpool's problems right now.

[Nuje]

The Chelsea sweep!!!!! Lampard, red card. Liverpool coulda used some more wins in the meantime, but this one has made me happy as hell!

EDIT - Did anybody watching notice George Gillett's guest? Apparently, Canada's very own Steve Yzerman is a Liverpool FC fan. Someone at the pub noticed, and it was definitely him.