Rivals? Newcastle (sorry) & Spurs! Wise up they are clubs with far more resources than us. If you want to study our real rivals you could always get a season ticket at t'Turf or Deepdale. While you are there just ask them which league they would rather be fighting for survival from. Sure I'd love to return to the JW era when we were in for all the top players but those days are well and truly gone. What I definitely dont want is to return to the 25 years pre JW when we alternated between Divs 2&3. But maybe you are not old enough to remember them.

Henry will win against anybody in the world if pace is the criteria. Terry did well against him in the Champions thingy but Terry's big weakness IS his lack of pace. We must adopt Prem tactics and defend deep enough not to allow any room behind the defence, this negative tactic is the only one that has made Henry struggle this season. If we can get em to cross the ball in the air from deep wide positions then Henry will be as much use as a chocolate teapot! Unfortunately for us, and something that doesn't happen v Arsenal, that 'defending deep' tactic will play right into the hands of Zidane! The performance of Butt / Gerrard or whoever is chosen to shadow ZZ might just be the key to the entire game. Incidentally am I right in understanding that Di Canio and Cudicini both qualify to play for England? Cudicini might still have hopes of being picked for the azzuri at some stage but Di canio will surely realise that his time has gone. If this is so then not taking Di Canio is a big mistake. He is the perfect player in football today to have on the bench and bring on 20 mins from the end when something needs to be made happen. He would be soooo motivated to show the world how wrong the eyties were to ignore his talents, and a fully motivated Di Canio is a hell of an asset.... just think what options he could have provided in the WC v Brazil instead of Svens bumbling madness in replacing Sinclair with Dire.

imo qualifying to the knock out stuff is far from a formality, and I think that the upshot will be the back of the two-faced overated Swede complete with a mega mega bucks payment that he successfully and gratuitously negotiated just a couple of moths ago. The FA shouldn't have capitulated but should rather have agreed to pay an absolute Kings ransom if we were to be successful.

Am I alone in thinking that owing a debt of gratitude to BRFC is the biggest humiliation that a Dingle could suffer!

I'm just so good it's spooky!..........Conclusive proof that GS and JW read my contributions to this board! I thank you all .

Well if he goes then maybe we could turn the tables and move for Berkovitz. If we are intending using the tactics that we employed in the last few games there are few better.

Ricky that point about Duff I've made many times. I always held the opinion that if Duff ever learnt how to score then we could not hold on to him. Credit to Saunders who imo gave him the confidence necessary and taught him how to score and we did indeed make big bucks out of selling him........ however the fact remains that the current management team have had a bad season and as they say in football "you are only as good as your last game"!

I think that he should simply take a leaf out of Boltons book and appoint specialist part-time assistance. e.g. 1. Fitness coach and dietician. 2. We obviously need a change in the scouting dept. 3. Somebody to help with the psychology / personnel issues and general day to day liasons with individuals. Especially necessary when dealing with errant players. Some need encouragement to get the best out of them whilst others need a big boot up the jacksi.......GS only seems to understand the latter. 4. Some shrewd cookie with a legal background to introduce very lucrative but stricter and performance related contracts. I think that this is the only option for the Williams / GS partnership as the managers weaknesses have now become obvious to all. And whilst the Sword of Damoclese is currently hanging over Souness' head how about issuing one each to Parkes and Saunders too? I may be wrong but I fail to see what TP is currently contributing to the overall set up. I think the time is now ripe to get Parkes off the bench and install him at Brockhall in charge of one of the kids teams.

Brian Kidd didn't fall out with any yet he had to go too! I must say I don't mind a bit of passion from a manager, it shows they care. And dont forget the Prem's most successful manager could cause a fall out in an empty room.

Good summary AESF. Unfortunately Lpool can now only get stronger.

Careful PhilipL that fine respected messageboard member Jim will be calling you names for suggesting as much! 'Berk' apparently being the chosen insult for criticising the Thai govt and questioning the morality of this bid if my memory serves me correctly. I guess that he must have fond links with that country.

Nothing that I have seen since has suggested that he was wrong to get shot of Robbie Fowler. Anyway even if he stiill 'had what it takes' Fowler is far too slow to complement Houlliers tactics.

I agree, I'd wouldn't be upset if he came to Rovers. Oh it's all gone quiet over there, Oh it's all gone quiet over there, Would you two 'male members' care to comment on that list of Houlliers dollopers? Or are you simply going to keep schtum, slink away quietly to lick your self-inflicted wounds and await another chance to twist the knife into our club's manager and board? I have no problem with Souness and our current board. I just think, that Houllier, with the squad we have now could take us further than Souness. And as far as his "dollopers" go, Rovers aren't in the position to compare.... I mean Kevin Davies for god sake!! The club could sell tickets for the first meeting twixt Houllier and Lucas Neil.

Opposing teams would slice through our midfield like a hot knife through butter. Try reading the preceding paragraph a little slower DP cos I already made that point. When I suggested they shared the midfield duties I didn't mean that I wanted them both on the pitch at the same time but rather gave one 60 mins one week and the other the same the week after depending on opposition and form. Could save us a fortune in trying to find expensive and temperamental strikers as my mum would get 15 goals a season in front of those two.

I agree, I'd wouldn't be upset if he came to Rovers. Oh it's all gone quiet over there, Oh it's all gone quiet over there, Would you two 'male members' care to comment on that list of Houlliers dollopers? Or are you simply going to keep schtum, slink away quietly to lick your self-inflicted wounds and await another chance to twist the knife into our club's manager and board?

£15m for Diouf and Diao - ouch! Who the hell is Diomede? Does he even exist? My favourites Nick Barmby! £6m from Everton! Those toffees must have been $issing their sides so much that they took total leave of thier senses and gave it all to Newcastle to lure Big useless Dunc back!

OhBugger! For a minute I thought you meant Jim!

Chalk and Cheese mate! Undoubtedly and rightly after some of the events and performances last season GS is under the microscope but there is little comparison between Ranieri and Houllier, they are at opposite ends of the managerial scale. Aspdens probably have about 10 better coaches than Houllier. anyway stop winding folk up Jim........are you bored or what? Its the close season ffs.

I agree, I'd wouldn't be upset if he came to Rovers. Houllier Here?.........You're having a laugh! Houllier here?.........You're having a laugh! His spending makes the wildest excesses of The Hodgson / Kidd era seem like small change! And for what? By far and away the best players Lpool have this season came through the ranks. His tactics have even managed to make Kewell look ordinary. He would either fail dramatically or bankrupt us. What amazes me (and especially with all the good home grown managers around) is just what benefits do YOU think that he would bring to the party should he come here?

Comparing Douglas to Tugay is daft. Douglas has done well out of position but he is simply a 'water carrier'. Tugay needs support nowadays protection but in reality still provides our 'drum beat' by dictating the pace, shape and tempo of our game. Nobody else comes close to his ability to do this so we must not get rid until we find a replacement midfield general. Ferguson is a good player but he is no Tugay and I doubt he will ever be. 2 schools of thought to consider. Why Pompey?!? Berkowitz was absolutely superb in their last game but is he there on loan or permanent? If he is permanent I cannot see how they can afford two players with such similar ability and who are so poor defensively. They could never play both in the same team thats for sure. Maybe as they are both 'getting on' they could be planning to use them sparingly in front of 3 low cost, basic but willing midfield growlers in order to supply the bullets for their speedy forwards to fire, but unless the back-up players are on little money having 2 big hitters for one place might represent a steep financial cost for what is till one of the smaller clubs. Alternatively...... having both Tugay and Berkovitz sharing the midfield creative duties is certainly an interesting and mouth watering prospect and one which could well pay dividends. Given GS's relationship with Berko I would'nt mind turning the tables by hanging onto Toogs and bringing Eyal back. We could fund it by selling Emerton who would be superflous to requirements in that system. Top strikers cost big money that neither club can afford BUT whilst the wages would be high for one position these two possess the God-given ability to make ordinary strikers deadly. Overall they could be the best value for money pairing in the Prem!

That should constitute your epitaph on here Jim! IMO Houllier knows as much about football as you.

the heart scare is totally irrelevent to his ability to manage a football club. I take it that you would like him in charge at Ewood then Jim?

Not only 10mill on that useless waster he was only prepared to bid around half (our) Duff's contract release value! I'd like to see him try to prize him Duff away from Chelsea for that much now. Complete tosser! He couldn't spot a footballer to save his life. He doesn't even look like a football manager ffs! I really hope the reds keep him but there is probably more chance of Nelson getting his eye back

Do you really believe that Matt? If so and in these days of the 'Global Village' what are your reasons for thinking that society is moving that way? imo with all the intrinsic political correctness in todays UK society and all the anti- racism, anti-facism, etc efforts by the authorities/media/press etc compared to my formative years society should surely be moving in the other direction.

Thug - vicious or brutish ruffian according to the dictionary. Describes perfectly a "footballer" who lumps his team-mates on the training field. Sorry Jim, but the original Thugs were a very different cup of tea than our Toddy. http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hi...features/thugs/ Somehow merely kicking some French git up the arse does not quite put him in the same category.