pigeon

I'd prefer a Hitzfeld or Capello, someone who has won top honours. Or of course Mourinho or Benitez. I'd even take O'Neill over any of the English managers.

In that spell he used the exact same tactics as Houllier, and though he did well at first, after he won manager of the month, they went on a long run without winning, which took us right out of the title race. As Rick Parry said, we need someone with a track record.

Gerard Houllier

Here's a pretty good article from The Independent, which sums up the reasons for Houllier's dismissal:

Pulp Fiction.

Albums: 1. Nirvana - In Utero 2. Rage Against The Machine 3. System Of A Down 4. Deftones - White Pony 5. System Of A Down - Toxicity Tracks: 1. Nirvana - Dumb 2. System Of A Down - Sugar 3. Rage Against The Machine - Wake Up 4. Tool - Stinkfist 5. Deftones - My Own Summer (Shove It)

God, I hope not...

Yeah, that's because, although we had won a few league titles before he arrived, we were languishing in the old second division when we appointed Bill Shankly, who made us the best team in Europe. We've spent less time in the top flight than a few English clubs, but won more trophies than any of them. I'm assuming that "statistically better" takes league positions or points or something like that into account.

Actually, before the last two years, we had been improving our league position year on year for four seasons, even finishing second with 80 points two years ago. And though ManUre and Arsenal have been catching up our trophy haul in recent years, they're both still a ways off. Arsenal have no European cups, and ManUre have two, to our four. Neither look like catching that up straight away. Yes it is a long time since our last title, but I remember when Utd went 26 years. And we don't expect to "automatically be winning things now". I'll even quote myself: Going backwards for any club is not acceptable, and that's why Houllier is gone.

Where did Gerrard supposedly say this? He's going nowhere. He's been made assurances by the board that there will be 3 or 4 quality signings arriving this summer, and he's signed a new contract this year. He'll be leading the team out next season. Owen on the other hand is uncertain, and a lot will depend on who the new guy is.

Odds for next Liverpool boss from Skybet: R Benitez 2/1 A Curbishley 5/2 M O'Neill 7/2 J Mourinho 8/1 C Ranieri, K Dalglish, S McClaren 12/1 D Deschamps 25/1 Out of those, I'd prefer Benitez.

source: liverpoolfc.tv

Can't see how foreign refs could be worse than Mike Riley, anyway.

Good in the 80's? In case you don't know, we're the most succesful English club of all time, not just for a single decade. We don't expect the championship straight away, but we do expect a certain style of football, and to at least be closing the gap on the top of the table. We've gone backwards in the last two years, and that's unacceptable for any club. Also, with the money that may be coming into the club this summer, a decision had to be made on whether or not Ged was the right man to spend it. The signings he made two years ago (Diouf, Diao, Cheyrou) would suggest otherwise.

source: football.guardian.co.uk -------------------------------------------------------------- All the best to Ged. Hopefully now Liverpool can appoint the right man to stop the slide thats been going on the past two years.

He should go. He could experience relegation for the second time in two seasons.

Dutch squad: van der Sar (Fulham), Waterreus (PSV), Westerveld (Real Sociedad); F de Boer (Rangers), Bouma (PSV), van Bronckhorst (Barcelona), Heitinga (Ajax), Reiziger (Barcelona), Stam (Lazio); van Bommel (PSV), Cocu, Davids (both Barcelona), Seedorf (AC Milan), Sneijder, van der Vaart (both Ajax), Zenden (Middlesbrough); van Hooijdonk (Fenerbahce), Kluivert (Barcelona), Makaay (Bayern Munich), van der Meyde (Inter), van Nistelrooy (Manchester United), Overmars (Barcelona), Robben (PSV)

Croatia squad: Stipe Pletikosa (Shakhtar Donetsk), Tomislav Butina (Club Bruges), Joey Didulica (Austria Vienna), Dario Simic (AC Milan), Robert Kovac (Bayern Munich), Igor Tudor (Juventus), Boris Zivkovic (VfB Stuttgart), Josip Simunic (Hertha Berlin), Stjepan Tomas (Fenerbahce), Mato Neretljak (Hajduk Split), Mario Tokic (GAK Graz), Niko Kovac (Hertha Berlin), Milan Rapaic (Ancona), Jerko Leko (Dynamo Kiev), Marko Babic (Bayer Leverkusen), Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Nenad Bjelica (Kaiserslautern), Giovanni Rosso (Maccabi Haifa), Niko Kranjcar (Dinamo Zagreb), Jasmin Agic (Dinamo Zagreb), Dado Prso (Monaco), Tomo Sokota (Benfica), Ivica Mornar (Portsmouth), Ivica Olic (CSKA Moscow), Ivan Klasnic (Werder Bremen), Marijo Maric (Kaerntern, Austria).

Yeah, I was just about to recommend 'I Am Legend'. I've read it, and it's an excellent book.

Portugal squad: Ricardo (Sporting Lisbon), Quim (Braga), Moreira (Benfica); Paulo Ferreira (Porto), Miguel (Benfica), Ricardo Carvalho (Porto), Jorge Andrade (Deportivo La Coruna), Fernando Couto (Lazio), Beto (Sporting Lisbon), Rui Jorge (Sporting Lisbon), Nuno Valente (Porto); Costinha (Porto), Petit (Benfica), Tiago (Benfica), Rui Costa (AC Milan), Deco (Porto), Maniche (Porto), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), Simao Sabrosa (Benfica), Luis Figo (Real Madrid); Pauleta (Paris St Germain), Nuno Gomes (Benfica), Helder Postiga (Tottenham) Postiga??? Have they no more in form strikers than him?

France Squad: Fabien Barthez (Marseille), Gregory Coupet (Lyon), Mickael Landreau (Nantes); Jean-Alain Boumsong (Auxerre), Marcel Desailly (Chelsea), William Gallas (Chelsea), Bixente Lizarazu (Bayern Munich), Mikael Silvestre (Manchester United), Lilian Thuram (Juventus), Willy Sagnol (Bayern Munich); Ludovic Giuly (Monaco), Claude Makelele (Chelsea), Olivier Dacourt (Roma), Patrick Vieira (Arsenal), Robert Pires (Arsenal), Jerome Rothen (Monaco), Sylvain Wiltord (Arsenal), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Benoit Pedretti (Sochaux); Thierry Henry (Arsenal), David Trezeguet (Juventus), Louis Saha (Manchester United), Steve Marlet (Marseille). No Cisse, who is suspended, and surprisingly no Mexes, who's just been left out, but still a strong squad, and it's easy to see why they're favourites again.

I've mixed feelings about this. He was tremendous in his first season when we won the treble, but he's not produced enough since. Only 60 goals speaks for itself. He has got talent though, and I wish him well. He'll score a few for Brum, just hopefully not against us.

England Squad: Goalkeepers: David James, Paul Robinson, Ian Walker Defenders: Wayne Bridge, Sol Campbell, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Ledley King, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, John Terry Midfielders: David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Joe Cole, Kieron Dyer, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Paul Scholes, Owen Hargreaves Attackers: Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen, Darius Vassell. On standby: Southgate, Upson, Parker, Defoe, Smith, Wright.

Still a few weeks to go yet, but the provisional England squad is announced today. Should be interesting to see who he picks. As a Liverpool fan, I'm hoping to see Carragher in there. Owen and Gerrard should be automatic. Speaking of Gerrard, here's an article from today's Guardian: It's taken a while, but Stevie is finally getting the recognition he deserves.

In my experience the vast majority of United fans are arrogant, and ungracious in both victory and defeat. I don't think it's just a few at all. For example, check out any cup final they have lost, and watch how many of their fans stay to at least applaud their own team receiving medals. I don't consider Arsenal fans anything like them at all (although there are a few obviously). And yes, I Bleed Red has the right to say what he wants. But by the same token, other people have the right to comment on what he said. Just as you have made a point of doing with Gooner. I don't want to get into a huge discussion about it, but little things like saying that United were still champions until Arsenal got the trophy strikes me as typical, petty manc behaviour. Nobody wants their rivals successes rubbed in their faces, but as far as I'm concerned, they shouldn't respond with jealous jibes.