just

Oh, I don't know BB. Sure he's getting on but his game isn't based on physical effort and lung-busting runs. Positioning, timing, reading the play and using the ball simply and wisely are his strengths. And he still does those things better than most. Plus he nearly always plays well in the really big games.

If we trust Wenger then no. So who marks Henry tommorow then? I wish it was Gallas. But I'm sure Robben can handle the job Kev.

Maybe just a tad of transference here? If we had asked you to provide a list of all the things you don't like about Robben, it would have read something like the above. I think you might be overstating your case a bit to attribute ALL of those opinions to JM (unless you and him are drinking buddies, in which case he would have told you personally and I withdraw my comments) Kev PS - I agree with you on some of the criticisms of Robben (not all), but I have no way of knowing what is in JM's mind, so would only be able to state what MY opinion is Possibly Kev, but there again, the paper reports after the Liverplod game ? Jose's reaction on the sideline that day ? Even when fit, he's no longer an automatic first choice pick for Jose. http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hli ... d=8&cpid=8 http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hli ... d=8&cpid=8 Look forward to him tearing Eboue a new one on Sunday at Cardiff though.

He picked up the ball and laid it off to Sheva for the goal. Nothing technically difficult invovled in that, but it's a positive. G4 did you ever see Pat Nevin play ? You'd have loved him.

souce: chelseafc.com don?t think it was an injury Odd but given recent history, not suprising. I think I can safely say Jose does not rate Robben as highly as many on here do. He has many doubts. About his stomach for a fight. About his willingness to put team before self. About his tracking back. About his quality against top draw defenders. About his attitude. About his fitness. About his consistency. Many doubts. Personally, until Robben conclusively proves otherwise, I'm in Jose's corner. When everyone is fully fit and available he would not make my first choice starting XI. On who done well tonight, pretty much agree with G4. Sheva, Carvy and Essien, yet again. On who did rubbish, Drogs (first time this season), and Ballack, (again), poor.

Showed who ? When ? You said Ballack has never done it in a big CL game, whether or not that's true I won't argue, but I'd say that goes even more so for Robben. I'd play Robben solely because we do need some width, but I wouldn't say he's automatically entitled to a place a on either form or past CL appearances.

Liam is gonna love this thread.

Who would you leave out for Robben ?

I watched the whole game and want to know why you'd say that ? Beckham shone, (by that I mean he passed well), for the first 45 when Real were attacking, and then all but disappeared in the 2nd half when Real were under the cosh. Where would you fit Beckham in our team ? Who would you leave out for him ? Why would you have him in there ? The only reason I can think of is for his dead-ball delivery. Other than that, zip. Also Cannavaro facked up big-time for Bayern's first goal. Totally went to sleep and left Lucio unmarked.

I was thinking the same thing. Be great to get another quote from "Dignity" Carragher. Something familiar about Liverplod being bigger than that and having more class etc. etc. Trouble is they actually really do believe they're so different from every other club And yet they shoot themselves in the foot so often you gotta laugh haven't you ? Gerrard and the diving thing, Dignity Carragher, Pilsbury and his small club comments, ASBO Pennant, Bellamy. They've got as much class as Jade Goody's mum.

Back to two fit centre-halves then. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 372293.stm

As far as I remember Poyet was offered a new contract. His main gripe was that he couldn't accept that he was no longer an instant first choice pick, and was spending more and more time on the bench. Hence, he moved to a much smaller club.

This an old chesnut and my vote goes with BJD. In fact you couldn't be more wrong on this one Scott if you tried. I was there at sh*te Fart Lane that night as well and you have to take what he did in the context of the game, the atmosphere, the hatred between the supporters and the fact he ran right up to the Chelsea fans to do it. I still get the hump thinking about it now. Poyet can fack right off. End of. But back to Wisey, I think we all know he'll start spouting off before putting his brain in gear. Dennis is rightly a legend for us because of everything he's done for the club and his get-stuck-in attitude. However, I'm honest enough to admit that if he hadn't played for us, but instead played for one of our rivals, I would probably have disliked him as much as I do Robbie Savage. How many neutral football fans do you know who have a good word to say about Dennis Wise ? Not many I'll bet.

I think Diarra could be a very good player, but will fall short of Maka's overall class. That's no slight on Diarra because Makelele, in the holding role he plays, is IMO the greatest there's ever been. He still doesn't really get the credit he deserves from many people. He may be past his best now but his positioning, reading of the game, decision making and timing of interceptions are still superb. His first touch and keeping the ball under pressure are not to be sniffed at either. Incidentally, though he's been wonderful for us, I feel he actually peaked during his years at Madrid. The 2002/03 CL quarter final against Man U was probably his greatest hour. He totally 110% dominated the central midfield. He made Roy Keane his bitch over both legs.

I think you can exclude the Chelsea game. And I'm sure any knowledgable football fan has done. Away from home with a decimated team. A keeper returning from a potentially life threatening injury for his first match in God knows how long. Robben Glass injured again inside the first 15 minutes. Maka suspended. No centre-halves at all. And a makeshift back four so vertically challenged Snow White invited them round for dinner after the match. Liverpool played great though.

So long as he doesn't get it in Cardiff on the 25th I don't care. I feel he is slightly past his peak now, but the ONLY defender I have seen who looks consistently comfortable up against Henry is .................. Gallas.

The Euro 2000 final ? To be honest I couldn't remember much about it off the top of my head except for the golden goal bit, so I had to read up a few match reports. Henry hit the post in that game. If it had gone in there's your goal and presumably Henry's bottle wouldn't be in doubt. Still I guess on such small, simple margins bottles stand or fall. Incidentally, he scored in the semi-final against Portugal, (reasonably big game), so he obviously had his bottle with him that day. I do remember the 2001 Cup Final though. Henry was superb and did everything but score. In fact if the Liverplod player, (can't remember his name), hadn't handled on the line he would have had that elusive final goal.

Ah, it's the old "goal = great game = great player" scenario. It's good to know Brian M's footballing teachings live on. Well on that basis alone, you'll be with me in the "Drogba is currently the best striker in the World" club then ? What really makes laugh is that if he was Italian and played in Serie A but had flopped on every big stage he'd ever walked on, you'd be arguing the opposite. It was the formation, the tactics, the service to him etc, etc. because he's the best thing since sliced bread. In a kind of Tottiesque, Veroniesque way of course. Hey, come to think of it, the Champs League final. Wasn't Le Arse down to 10 men for most of that game ?

Bottle the World Cup final ? Not such a popular myth as I've only ever heard that one here. From you. With the formation France played he was extremely isolated in the final and yet still managed to be a real threat whenever he got the ball in dangerous areas. You may remember, even Pauly came on these forums and admitted that Cannavaro hadn't looked as assured against Henry as he had throughout the rest of the tournament. That wasn't too suprising to me as Henry had taken him to the cleaners on the few occaisions they had met before. I'll give you the Champs League final though.

If only that were true. The biggest myth in football I'm afraid. Anyway, I'm glad he turned up with that header against the Mancs the other week.

I had one clear MOTM, and that was Essien. Awesome, yet again. Why isn't he getting the same rave media reviews every week that Divealdo is getting at the Theatre of Muppets ? We've been told that Carvy had flu and couldn't play on Saturday. I for one am not 100% convinced that this was the case. Think. Everytime he has faced Boro' he has struggled big-time with the physical strength and power of Yakubu or Viduka, and he has cost us goals. He has regularly been out-muscled by these two in the same way Frank Le Beef always used to get beaten up by Shearer. I believe Jose simply choose to take him out of the equation and play a player with much more physical prescence........ Essien. Ain't no-one gonna out muscle him. In respect of Robben, I hope no-one is going overboard here. The game was set-up for Robben when he came on. 1-0 up at home and looking more than comfortable against average, workmanlike opposition. He's always "up for it" in that kind of scenario.

The add-on is here the cost involved with hiring another seven or eight fully qualified physios. With Robben and Woodgate in the same squad our current medical staff would be unable to cope.

Is this it ?..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPmHW_q6_Ew I think this is what Just is referring to... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEiv6F4Ygys That's the one. Can you believe Tyler and Walsh are laughing about it ?

Carlo is so much the better keeper that, in my mind, it's not even a serious question. Carlo has one weakness and it's always been there, even before the arrival of Cech, (who is the best in the world for me). Carlo sometimes has difficulties dealing with high balls swung into the box under pressure. Yes, it's a weakness but it's one that 90% of top flight keepers suffer from if the quality of the cross is good, it goes in the right area, and there are enough bodies fighting to get on the end of it. On everything else Carlo is top quality. Reflexes, agility, shot-stopping, distribution, organizing his back line, reading the play. Hilario has nowhere near the same quality and level of performance. It's a disgrace he is getting the nod over Cudicini.

Cough, cough. What about Pennant and Zenden ? Liverplod's answer to Goofy and Messi.