Nah, you may not rate Mascherano, but he is a sensational player. Just because he doesn't compliment Gerrard in the middle, doesn't mean he's a bad player. Not many players can link well with Gerrard, in fact, only Alonso has ever brought out his best form, as Alonso would consistently give him the ball in space. Mascherano is easily one of the best defensive midfielders around, he's intense, tenacious and he reads the game as well as any, he's a fantastic player and his pedigree shouldn't be questioned. I'd also put Glen Johnson up there with the best full backs in the league, and I'd say he's the best right back in the league, I think he's class and seems to have taken a lot of stick for the poor form of Carra, Skrtel and even Insua. Agger and Skrtel are top centre backs as well, a bad run of form doesn't make a player poor. Like LGJM said about Cech, he may not be at his peak form anymore, but he's still a top player. Same with Skrtel and Agger, both have had a few injuries and have been unable to get a run of good form going, but they're still quality players and, if they return to form, they are up there with the best centre backs in the league. I'd certainly take a form Skrtel or Agger over any Everton defender in form.

I've spoken openly before about the lack of quality and depth in our side. I would say Torres, Gerrard, Mascherano, Johnson and Reina are top players, whilst Agger and Skrtel are also class players, but I'll admit they've been well off form this season. I think Fabio Aurelio is also a good player, but has had massive injury problems this year which seems to have made him forgotten. Last year he was class for us all year, this year he's barely played which results in him being discarded as poor. Aquilani is another who many have already decided upon him being poor. Anyone who seen him in Italy will tell you he has the highest pedigree, he's a fantastic talent, technically brilliant, versatile and an underrated engine, he will prove to be a class player once given the chance, but the manager's decision making with Aquilani has been embarrassing. I have no doubts he'll prove himself to be one of the best midfielders in the league, it's a shame that he won't get that chance until next year.

As said, our squad is generally average, we have some fantastic players who are dragged down by some shocking players, but please, if you're going to try and judge our squad, try and use at least a bit of sense.

Superb goal from Robben tonight to put Bayern through to the next round.

He is a fantastic player. I rate Ribery highly but I'd probably take Robben out of the two from Bayern. I think he can be too one footed when playing on the right, but it's so hard to stop him when he comes inside it rarely matters.

Raheem Sterling Scored on his Liverpool u18 debut. We won 4-3 vs Everton.

His only just turned 15.

Wigan's first ever win over Liverpool... so, how's that for history then, Javier Mascherano? www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/articl ... z0hk9Rae48

Wigan's first ever win over Liverpool... so, how's that for history then, Javier Mascherano? www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/articl ... z0hk9Rae48

Red Knights? Let's go one better and send for the Barron Knights www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... z0hkCnZBEH

Red Knights? Let's go one better and send for the Barron Knights www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... z0hkCnZBEH

so you never bother reading ancellotti's quotes on squad building for next season do you?

[iMarch 10 (Bloomberg) -- Real Madrid said building its team by spending a record $300 million on players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka was like making a blockbuster movie. So far, it hasn’t been a hit for the world’s richest club. While Real leads the Spanish league, it is selling fewer jerseys than Chelsea and Liverpool, according to uniform supplier Adidas AG. Attendance at the club’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium has fallen 7.8 percent from last season, as Spain suffers its worst recession in 60 years. It may get worse. Real must come back from a 1-0 deficit against Lyon tonight to reach the quarterfinals of Europe’s Champions League. Being eliminated may mean losing as much as $82 million in prize money, sponsorships and other revenue, according to Simon Chadwick, a professor of sports business strategy and marketing at Coventry University Business School in England. [/i www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid= ... EmuIWvbs7Q I so hope Lyon knock them out tonight.

[iMarch 10 (Bloomberg) -- Real Madrid said building its team by spending a record $300 million on players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka was like making a blockbuster movie. So far, it hasn’t been a hit for the world’s richest club. While Real leads the Spanish league, it is selling fewer jerseys than Chelsea and Liverpool, according to uniform supplier Adidas AG. Attendance at the club’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium has fallen 7.8 percent from last season, as Spain suffers its worst recession in 60 years. It may get worse. Real must come back from a 1-0 deficit against Lyon tonight to reach the quarterfinals of Europe’s Champions League. Being eliminated may mean losing as much as $82 million in prize money, sponsorships and other revenue, according to Simon Chadwick, a professor of sports business strategy and marketing at Coventry University Business School in England. [/i www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid= ... EmuIWvbs7Q I so hope Lyon knock them out tonight.

so average that they have completed yet another league double over the blue shi'te this season!!!!!!!!!


stop being deluded pal just realise that everton are mediocre and FFS it was only hull city you beat 5-1

Quote Lord God Jose Mourinho="Lord God Jose Mourinho"[iMarch 10 (Bloomberg) -- Real Madrid said building its team by spending a record $300 million on players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka was like making a blockbuster movie. So far, it hasn’t been a hit for the world’s richest club. While Real leads the Spanish league, it is selling fewer jerseys than Chelsea and Liverpool, according to uniform supplier Adidas AG. Attendance at the club’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium has fallen 7.8 percent from last season, as Spain suffers its worst recession in 60 years. It may get worse. Real must come back from a 1-0 deficit against Lyon tonight to reach the quarterfinals of Europe’s Champions League. Being eliminated may mean losing as much as $82 million in prize money, sponsorships and other revenue, according to Simon Chadwick, a professor of sports business strategy and marketing at Coventry University Business School in England. [/i www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid= ... EmuIWvbs7Q I so hope Lyon knock them out tonight. '" don't underestimate lyon, they have an excellent team who on their day can mix it with the best of them, that said i think real will win the tie 3-1 on aggregate.

Quote Lord God Jose Mourinho="Lord God Jose Mourinho"[iMarch 10 (Bloomberg) -- Real Madrid said building its team by spending a record $300 million on players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka was like making a blockbuster movie. So far, it hasn’t been a hit for the world’s richest club. While Real leads the Spanish league, it is selling fewer jerseys than Chelsea and Liverpool, according to uniform supplier Adidas AG. Attendance at the club’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium has fallen 7.8 percent from last season, as Spain suffers its worst recession in 60 years. It may get worse. Real must come back from a 1-0 deficit against Lyon tonight to reach the quarterfinals of Europe’s Champions League. Being eliminated may mean losing as much as $82 million in prize money, sponsorships and other revenue, according to Simon Chadwick, a professor of sports business strategy and marketing at Coventry University Business School in England. [/i www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid= ... EmuIWvbs7Q I so hope Lyon knock them out tonight. '" don't underestimate lyon, they have an excellent team who on their day can mix it with the best of them, that said i think real will win the tie 3-1 on aggregate.

No, not really.

There has obviously been a lot of bitching about Cech this season, for obvious reasons, but the overwhelming comments I've seen on the Chelsea website have been about having adequate cover and a contest for the position, not him being replaced. There were obviously some people who said Cech should have been dropped in favour of Hilario, but these calls will have pretty much disappeared after the Citeh game.

IMO the criticism of Cech earlier in the season was unwarranted anyway. A lot of flack came our way because around 80%+ of our goals conceded were conceded from set pieces. Our defending at set pieces was, at times, comical and we have given away some howlers, but our goals against record has always been fairly close to the best in the league. The huge % of our goals given away from set pieces was treated as some huge crisis, but IMO it was just an anomaly and the focus could have just as easily been our exceptional record at not giving away goals in open play.

IMO it would just be crazy from Chelsea's position to be seriously looking to replace Cech. I don't believe we are looking to replace him, and I don't actually think even with Cech being off form that he makes much more errors than 'keepers like Reina or Given. It's partly just the fact that Cech's howlers could possibly be title costing whereas Reina or Given can make the same errors and it's just not as costly down in 5th and 6th place.

Erm, you're saying not to underestimate Lyon, but predicting a 3-0 defeat for them?

TBH I don't really know much about the strength of either Real or Lyon and I don't care, I just want Lyon to knock Real out of the CL. It would be so funny for them to spend so much money on top players and then go out of the CL at the first round of the knock out phase.

In another way, I think Real Madrid going out of the CL at this stage would mean the likelihood of Mourinho taking over at Real is much higher. I'd much rather Jose went to Real than go to Liverpool, Citeh or Man United.