just

This bit from your opening novel also made me chuckle. "Now i honestly dont hate Chelsea, i dont consider them a rival, i dont consider them anything to do with Liverpool. Its Man Utd are the ones we have the beef with. Chelsea dont come into it anywhere they really dont. I dont give two sh*ts what Chelsea do to be honest". With that sort of attitude no wonder you're lagging 12 points behind us in the EPL, (and we still have a game in hand). I bet Stevie Me doesn't feel the same.

I heard the referee in an interview say that yes. Its probably in writing on a site somewhere. And we are the most successful side since 2000. We have won the UEFA Champions League, The UEFA Cup, League Cup, League Cup again, UEFA Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup Again, Community Shield, Community Shield again, FA Cup and FA Cup again. Thats ten! Chelsea and Arsenal have 7 honours since 2000 and Man Utd have 5. Look it up if you dont believe me. It doesn't matter one iota what the ref said afterwards. The ref retrospectively saying he would have sent Cech off and awarded a penalty just goes to illustrate the sheer incompetence of many UEFA match officials. In fact, we have regular on here, Liam23, who would say we get so many of these iffy decisions in Europe there is actually a conspiracy against us. I don't believe it myself. And RedBoy you can't count Charity Shields and Super Cups as major honours!!!! Strewth. We've won the Masters Football Tournament twice in the last three years, bet you've forgot about those.

Sorry to be pedantic, but as it was you who raised the issue, (to be fair, every other Liverplod fan I have spoken to has taken the same skewed viewpoint), we really ought to get the facts right. It wasn't in the Premeirship. It was the UEFA Champions League. Played under UEFA rules. Cech didn't get a hand on the ball because Baros' was way off the ground with his foot above shoulder height. And, if you watch the clip again, Baros does clatter into Cech after the ball is played. As is the norm in UEFA officiated matches, as was the case in the Nou Camp less than a year before, the ref should have blown for a foul challenge at that instant and awarded us the free-kick.

Well, this one doesn't take alot of thinking about. Obviously in the light of UEFA's consistent use of the waist high rule, (and despite your Beto example, which I have no knowledge of, it is, as anyone who regularly watches european football will tell you, consistently applied), it would have been the wrong decision. So, to summarise the point. The season before we have a striker sent off for a much lower raised boot challenge on the keeper and then at your place our keeper should have been sent off when your player has his boot up near his face? That's hardly swings and roundabouts is it?

There's so much to pick apart in Redman's post, (never have met a scouser who didn't like the sound of his own voice), it's hard to know where to start! The "Cech would have been sent off" viewpoint always makes me smile. Why would he have been sent off? Surely, under UEFA rules where you are not allowed to raise your studs above waist height, Garcia should have been booked for the high challenge. After all wasn't Drogba sent off only the season before by Anders Frisk for a similar "challenge" on Valdes in the game at the Nou Camp? I say similar because Drogba's foot was easily a good metre lower than Garcia's and TV replays showed clearly that Drogba never touched the keeper. Still, a year later and it would appear that particular rule was turned on it's head, to the point where it should have been the goalkeeper who should have been sent off. Odd that.

Problem is Kev he was a very fine full-back for Le Arse but hasn't reached the same levels yet for us. The odd game here and there, (Barcelona being one from memory), but on the whole very disappointing for a player we went through so much to get. Personally I don't think there is an awful lot to choose between Cash and Bridgey in eithers favour. They both have definate strengths and weaknesses. At the time, I felt Gallas plus a shedload of cash going to Le Arse and Cashley coming the other way was a huge mistake. Despite Gallas's injury plagued season I still do. I understand why we needed a left-back and why Jose fancied Cole. Del Oh No clearly wasn't good enough and Bridgey was out alot with injuries. But for me Cashley simply came with too much baggage and at too high a price. That said, he wears the Chelsea Blue now and as such he has my full support. I hope he can become the player for us he was for Le Arse.

This one should get popular over the next couple of weeks. Sung to the stirring tune "Men of Harlech" Craig Bellamy is a w*nker, Shags his sister and his mother. Craig Bellamy is a w*nker, Fack off back to Wales.

All that loan dealing scenario works on the assumption that a top quality striker of Larsson's class and experience is free and up for grabs next January. Seems a big assumption to me.

Especially for GB. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35OWwgcz ... ed&search= PS. Watch some of the tackles. Ever see Robben do that ?

Be good to have him come off the bench when needed. But I wouldn't start him even if he was 110% fit. Kalou and Cole have done more than enough to get the nod over him.

Christ Lofty, it's been a long, long while since I've heard that one. Sung to the tune of United States Marines. Slight difference on the first line. I remember it as: "On the cold, dark streets of Liverpool" BY the way mate I noticed your White Wall reference in another thread. The WW was my Shed section as well. I'm sure we've met each other in the old days and that you were familiar with all the faces from the Ruislip/Northolt crew who we used to meet up there. Was you an old King's Head regular in the distant past, before it went all Australian and poncey ? Anyways, back to football chants. For sheer spontaneity and humour you'll have to go a long way to beat the "we've got Abramovich, you've got a drunken bitch" chant sung at Delia when she came on the pitch pissed up at half-time.

And there I was expecting you to call for us to bring back JFH! Jimmy was interviewed on the GMTV Food channel the other day and was asked if he would consider coming out of retirement, (he retired in 2002). He said he hadn't missed football at all and anyway he is far too busy with his current business commitments. He owns a chain of pie and cake shops in Middlesborough and South East London.

Know it well Loz. It still gets an airing every now and then in the MHL for Rottenham games.

Was enjoying a pre-match beer or six in the Trafford pub yesterday and a rousing rendition of "Chelsea Alouette" went down a storm. Now, I remember this song well from the old days and for me personally, it's probably the best song/chant I've ever heard. It always makes me chuckle. And it got me thinking today. What is your favourite football song/chant ? What one do you always want to join in with ? What one makes you laugh the most, brings back the best memories or makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up ? Incidentally, we do have another top funny song which many of you on here may not have heard because it is not as well known. The Bouncey song. "If you don't do the bouncey you're a Y*d" It is superb. And as those who are familiar with it will know, you don't just sing the bouncey you have to do it as well. The last time I saw it en-masse was in that massive beer hall in the centre of Munchen when we played Bayern the other season. It was brilliant. The locals in there couldn't believe it and some liked it so much they joined in! I've put this in the Football forum because it doesn't have to be Chelsea. It can be anyone or any team. So come on then. What's your shout ?

Agreed. A British player who can hold the ball up and put himself about a bit would suit me, just to bring something else to the mix while the others are away. Dean Ashton? Looked the part for the Spammers before his injury.

A new striker ? Yes. An absolute priority for next season IMO. OK, yes because of the ACN tournament, (seems like they play that every bloody week!). But also because Sheva looks well past his best and is going downhill faster than a horse and cart on roller skates.

Had a great day out but, as I fully expected, a nightmare journey back with the traffic. Both games should have been at Villa Park. One on Saturday, one on Sunday. Thoughts on players performance. Sheva was absolutely woeful. I simply can't believe how easily he gets muscled off the ball. And, (as has been said so many times before), his pace is non-existent. He never won a thing all afternoon. Signs the fans may be running out of patience. The "Andriy Shevchenko" chants are starting to dry up. I for one hope we have another striker in the squad at the start of next season. Ballack played well overall and I loved his celebration with the fans when he scored, but still thought Mikel outshone him when he came on. In years to come I think we are gonna be giving this kid the same kind of adoration and respect we reserve for Lamps and JT. Joe Cole was excellent, (Phillip, I haven't seen the game again but I don't know what awful miss you're referring to), and gave Blackburn problems everytime he had the ball. If he had scored from that trick twist and turn in the Rovers box at the end of normal time it would have been one of the goals of the season. He wants the ball all the time. He never hides. Fair play to Blackburn the muscle and work-rate of Roberts and McCarthy rustled us. They gave our central defenders a real chasing and nearly every ball into our box seemed to cause us problems.

I was up at the Bridge yesterday and brought some extra tickets. I asked the guy at the sales window how they were going and he told me there was still plenty available. I can't say I am at all suprised. I am running a 17 seater mini-bus to the game for precisely the reasons ES has highlighted above. It will be a nightmare getting back, no-one wants to drive up, (in your own motor and not have a drink? Yeah, right!), and none of us wanted to stay over again this year. Especially as a few of us have been out to Valencia this week. Plus, if you go on the ManUre website and look at their seating plan and ticket costs, you will see how much the FA have hiked-up the prices. Making us travel all that way for a 4.00pm Sunday kick-off and then rip us off for the tickets as well. It's farking scandolous if you ask me. And don't give me the ManU are the only team to have sold their allocation malarky. It's all a question of money and travel, as anyone who was at Villa Park for the semi in '96 will tell you. United failed to sell all their tickets for that one, while we didn't have a spare seat left over.

We were in the front row of the top tier for the game, and the atmosphere and noise was superb. Forget what the papers have printed over here about 2,500 away fans. The local press reported 4,000 Chelsea fans and that would be much closer to the mark IMO. Oddly enough there seemed to be no hassle for anyone looking to buy tickets. Looked like they were in plentiful supply. We travelled down from Barcelona on the day of the match and a spanish guy offered us tickets on the train!!! In light of what's happened over the last few weeks, it's worth noting the local papers also said that the Chelsea fans were impeccably behaved. We were kept in the "customary" hour after the game, but we didn't mind too much as we were all having a disco. The players and staff celebrated big-time down in front of us at the final whistle. And after the players had had there moment, (about 20 minutes after the game when the stadium was empty of the home fans and press photographers), Jose came out on his own and stood waving and clapping the travelling Blues faithful. It was just him giving a big thank you to the fans. A wonderful gesture. Loz, I have some footage on my phone which, if I can convert, I would post up. How do I go about doing that ? Also, I did the stadium tour yesterday with my little girl, (I wasn't expecting much, but to be fair it really was pretty good), and took some photos there that may also be of interest.

Someone said on Saturday, that we have five players just one booking away from a ban in the CL. Drogba, Lampard and Essien amongst them. Can anyone check if this true ?

Funny how we all see it differently. Six of us at the game today and every one of us thought Maka was superb. He has to start at Valenica. Jose. He has to start. On the other hand, Lampard was atrocious. Truly fecking atrocious. So was SWP, (and Ferriera), but really Lamps nicked the "Naff Of The Match" award. All in all today we were pretty dire. Without Essien on Tuesday I think we are done for.

Personally I'm a member of the BAGANFKS. Ballack Always Gives Away Needless Free Kicks Society

He played very well today. The goal ? Well, a nice enough hit, but any proper keeper would just have bent down and picked it up. Carvalho's real test will always come in the mega matches. Portugal V France World Cup 2006. That sort of pressure. If he can't do it in the big games he'll just be our Theirry Henry.

When KK was playing it is only time my missus ever showed the slightest interest in football.