Given the amount of whining Benitez has made over spending in the past he deserves to be called on it.

LEGEND

And a bargain buy

Oh Sami Sami

hang my head in shame

if you're going to come out with poorly researched (if at all) statements you've got to expect someone, probably a journo, to come back at you.

great player and a cracking buy for liverpool. was it houllier who brought him in?

It's the finish for the Finnish.

I don't agree, one of the main reasons you haven't challenged for the title until this year, long ball specialist and sh*t on the ground.

Shankly, I think.

Yup at the start of the new era.

Are you talking about attack minded? If so I agree Agger is better but in terms of a rock in defence Sami's the man.

wasnt sami and carragher voted the best two defenders in the league a few years back

He's been too slow for a couple of years now, I'm surprised Liverpool have kept him this long, although I appreciate he was a fair way down the pecking order.

He's never been the quickest. His reading of the game seems to get better and better, he makes it look so easy. Against quicker, more agile players he gets found out a lot, but last season he had many decent performances, and he's filled in very well when he's played this year. Obviously he's not as good as the younger players, but his experience tells and he uses it very well.

I think we'll probably be in the market for a centre back in the summer, Raul Albiol has been linked, but I think he's too good to be fighting with 3 other top players for 2 positions.

Who else will enjoy SSN watching all the Geordies crying if they go down, I bet none of the blame is attributed to the clueless Shearer.

will have to watch it on spn

It's hard to blame that much on She-ra, really.

We're having a barcode's relegation party in Preston.

He can surely be judged on the games he's been in charge, some daft selections 3 points out of 18? or something similar

villa 1-0 hull

2 from 15. Scored 1 goal, conceded 7.

The stats against Liverpool were particularly damning. They had 1 shot in the match, off target. Liverpool had around 60% of possession, but somehow Liverpool managed to make 24 tackles to Newcastle's 12.

Well, kind of. But he took over a sinking ship, he hardly took a side high on confidence, and ruined them, did he?

He's took over a sinking ship with a few games to go, he's probably made a few bad decisions, but when a side are playing that bad, not much goes right.

You could put a bit of the blame on Shearer, but surely Ashley/Kinnear should deserve more? Especially Ashley.

Don't really see what Shearer has done wrong really.

He has changed things, why has that been bad? ? ?

What exactly has he done wrong? ? ? If he is to blame, let's hear the things that he has done wrong.

what a save from myhil then saving a gabby header

The Newcastle midfield was so slow and lazy, it was ridiculous. When I seen their teamsheet, I was expecting bags of energy and hussle in the middle, but I thought their lack of anything out wide would cost them. Instead, the midfield just folded, the wide players were anonymous going forward and defensively, and their defence was just so vulnerable and easy to attack, I couldn't believe it.

I'm not really sure what could have been done, they seem to be a side lacking everything. Pace, strength, leadership, desire, work rate, but they also strike me as a side who think they can play it about, but they don't have the players, or the chemistry to do it.

But he's inherited a poor team, he's had no oportunity to bring in his own players and model the team around how he wants them to play.