Postponed - due to safety reasons

Half glad to be honest. Didn't fancy freezing my crackers off tonight.

The only two away games that have not been live on TV this season (Blackburn and Bolton), I attended.

He’s been terrible. He seems to make the other defenders panic too. IMO our best partnership would be Lescott and Nedum.




TBF Dunne was arguably the worst centre-half in the Prem last season, and, in general, he was pathetic for the latter half of Sven’s time at the club. He had to go.

I like Lescott. I think he will go on to be a key player for City. He has had two poor games but reading reports, he has had to miss quite a bit of training this season because of injury.





Strange substitutions? You will generally find that fans think the manager of their club makes strange substitution decisions. It’s a widespread whinge made by supporters. What supporters don’t know, are the reasons behind the decisions. For example, the player may be running out of steam or have picked-up a knock. Is the player recovering from illness. Not to mention the tactical issues that supporters don’t understand. If management was so easy, I would be doing it.

IMO Adebayor looks annoyed with the tactics or the fact that his teammates are not carrying out instructions. Against Spurs, Given was kicking the ball to areas 20 or 30 metres away from where Adebayor was. Also, we seem to be getting into the habit of lumping it up to Adebayor but no-one is running beyond him. It’s therefore even a waste of time him challenging for the header as he outnumbered and he can hardly flick it on for himself while being challenged.

I have to disagree with Cibaman. Robinho can handle the physicality as he has great feet and balance. His problem is that he doesn’t have it in him to get a grip of a game. He needs teammates to do the donkey work for him.

Again, re the issue of tactics, I am unsure. Managers know a lot more than we do. It’s not as if we can see something they can’t. I am unsure what happened against Spurs. In the first 35 minutes I could not see Spurs scoring. They only had one attacking outlet. Our defenders pushed up to the half-way line as Defoe and Crouch did not have the pace to beat Onouha and Toure. It also brought into play Onouha if they tried firing the over-the-top ball to Lennon. Onouha could deal with his pace. In that first 35 minutes, Barry was helping out Sylvinho in dealing with Lennon. Spurs scored, and then suddenly, we started defending deeper and Barry was no longer helping out Sylvinho. Was Barry covering because Robinho ignored instructions to track-back? Did Barry simply think he has to play in a more attacking role and leave Sylvinho to his own devices? Was that a Hughes instruction or did Barry make that decision? Goodness knows.

Fans will often moan about the tactics of managers. United fans sometimes moan about Ferguson’s tactics and some Liverpool fans moan about Benitez’s tactics. Let’s just say the fans are right in criticising Ferguson and Benitez. Well if Ferguson and Benitez makes mistakes then we have to accept that the likes of Hughes will make mistakes too. I am wary about criticising the tactics of managers because they understand the game far more than we fans do.


Just out of interest – have you heard the rumours that Adebayor and Toure were essentially Brian Marwood signings that were reluctantly accepted by Hughes. Not sure how true it is.


I am not overjoyed with the appointment of Mancini. However, I am happy with Brian Kidd appointment. He is apparently an excellent coach. The question is though: how will Kidd and Mancini get on? I have a feeling it’s a short-term appointment.

Mancini having an interpreter for the press conference. Does this mean he can't speak a word of the queen's?

Apparently Hiddink would of been interested in the City job had they been prepared to wait. He would surely of been a more inspiring choice?

Listening to Cook talk it still stinks that they had all these discussions behind Hughes back. If your removing him at least have the decency to tell him he's going.

It's pretty clear he knows his behaviour was wrong as he won't answer any questions on the matter.

Someone's been having fun on Cook's Wikipedia

Personally I think Hiddink's a non-starter for Citeh. Abramovich pays Hiddink's wages as Russia boss. The only reason Chelsea didn't appoint him as permanant boss was because of Russia's World Cup campaign (and the obvious political problems if Chelsea nicked the Rusian coach).

Hiddink was practically perfect as Chelsea boss last season. There are rumours that he's being brought back to Chelsea as a DoF.

I don't think Chelsea would sit back while Hiddink took the Citeh job. And I don't know why Hiddink would go to Citeh when there'll be many better offers.

Hiddink is something of a footballing mercenary in my eyes. A very good manager as well but he will go where the money is and the money is at Citeh. Whether Chelsea would of put in an offer as well would of remained to be seen.

Cook really is not coming out of this well at all.

Citeh bringing in Mancini to watch the game on Saturday was completely and utterly disgusting. It was stupid from both Citeh's and Mancini's point of view. I can't believe they did it.

But negotiating with other coaches is just living in the real world. They didn't think Hughes was up to the standards they are setting, but until they found someone new they kept Hughes in the job. They were just doing what every club does.

Do you want them to tell Wayne Bridge that they don't think he's good enough and he's only there until they find a better left back? Of course not, they'll tell Bridge he's wonderful right until they sign his replacement. It's no different with Hughes.

Mancini wasn't in the crowd according to Cook but i'm struggling to believe anything he is saying due to how incredibly uncomfortable he looks when any question is asked.

Negotiating is one thing, agreeing the deal without informing the guy he's getting sacked until the day of a game is very poor form in my eyes. If you are replacing him let him know midweek so that he can leave with some pride.

A press conference master class.

The worst aspect of the sacking was the way it was leaked to the press on Friday. Not surprisingly that wasnt raised in the press conference.

I though Mancini dealt with a difficult press conference rather well. He may not know who owns the club but seemed fairly clued up about Rory Delap. Although I think he gave the game away about his contract having a 6 month get out clause

Just had a read of Fergie's first 6 seasons at OT interesting stuff

That infamous banner in 1989 "Three years of excuses and it's still crap. Ta ra Fergie"

I will admit part of me was like Rob and wanted Rafa to walk as I feel maybes he's lost the players (Main ones from Huyton and Bootle)

Problem for Rafa unlike Fergie is in his first 3 season he set the bar so high.

Keep Rafa At Pool

No laughs first or second time.

Reckon you might land that first European cup this season?

Wonder if the Russian would do one after winning that and leave you in the shiit

Ancellotti has stupidly set the CL as CFC's priority. we're one of the strongest sides, but it's still a long way to go before I start to think about us winning the CL.

No, I don't think he would go after winning the CL. What would be the point of that from RA's perspective?

His playtoy will have won the lot.

I reckon you we meet Barca somewhere either the semi or the final.

I suspect 20 years of a club under achieving brought a certain pressure on Ferguson too - has much been made of Rafa's 'perfect' post match assessment of the ref's performance?

As far as I know anti and pro Rafa fans saw it as odd.

I agree. I, like most supporters, have never demanded a title. Sure, the club has a massive history full of silverware, but I knew demanding trophies, especially the big two, was unrealistic. However, Rafa did set the standard pretty high for himself, some said we overachieved and we did, to a degree, but in 5 years he turned us to one of Europe's finest, there was pretty much progress every season, the squad was getting stronger. This season we have failed immensely, the decline seems so fast and so big, it's hard to take for most. I feel at times he has lost the dressing room, the stuff they're doing, it isn't just mistakes and it isn't just confidence, it's been like this since day one this season and things are getting worse. There isn't a man I want to see succeed more at Liverpool than Rafa, his dedication and effort need to be rewarded, but this season it feels like we've taken strides backwards. I felt it early on and our form in Europe was most unacceptable, I think other than Fergie and Wenger, most managers would have been sacked by now, I'm really unsure if Rafa's the man to turn things around at this point. He's a man of little emotion and, at the moment, the team are showing little emotion on the pitch, I feel they need somebody they want to play for. Of course, I'm just guessing about this, things may be fine in the dressing room and it's simply footballing reasons, but I feel that's unlikely.

Another problem is Rafa's continued faith in some players, it's like Houllier with Heskey all over again. Dirk Kuyt and Lucas are, for me, two of our worst players, yet they are integral parts of our squad in Rafa's opinion. He has a £17m midfielder sat on the bench, he wrapped him in cotton wool for a month after his debut, he's given him very little playing time, it feels like Rafa's oblivious to Alberto's talents at times, it seems he's oblivious to a lot of player's talents at times (Pacheco, Nemeth, Ayala). He made his debut at the end of October yet it still feels like Rafa won't be starting him until the new year, it's depressing.

A lot of people are blaming the loss of Alonso for our problems but it is much more than that for me. United lost the best player in the world and another fantastic player to go with, they lost £100m+ worth of players in the summer and replaced them with a striker on a free and a decent winger for £17m. Hardly inspirational signings but they're still competing, they're still up there and I honestly can't understand why we aren't, especially after the fantastic platform built last year.

Not seen it, just read the transcript, 'sounds' odd.

Neither have I would rather not to be honest.

I don't think he would suddenly walk if Chelsea win the CL. I think it's a sad fantasy of supporters of other clubs. I find the whole notion of, "He'll just get bored of football and leave the club in trouble" ridiculous.

But even if he did go, I'd still be thankful for what he;s done for us. I'd accept whatever outcome we were left in. I doubt he'd leave us in trouble, but you never know.

IMO it's far more likely Torres and/or Gerrard will walk from Liverpool because they want title challenges and CL football.