better than 1-1 at theirs, a match notable for the kind generosity of the Boro defenders, and the ref and Rafa not rotating the team, save for Carra’s suspension…

Well the main talking point was that Liverpool have answered their critics and finally bought a 20 goal a season striker. Our Fern pops in his first hattrick, and we’ve now taken 13 out of 15 points from the North East clubs…

Talk of Tom Hicks’ son holding a bring and buy sale in the Sandon are as yet unconfirmed. (Bring all the disgruntled fans in to meet me and my pals from the US in, then I’ll say bye… quickly…)

The blog is meant for random and occasional thoughts and my one for today is this:

Is Rafa a dead man walking?

I remember when Ferguson announced to much cheering that he was going to retire at the end of the season. Man Utd promptly played pish for that season. The motivation, the commitment, the effort wasn’t there. And this was from a team who adored, well, respected, their manager and wanted to play for him.

I wonder if Rafa’s authority has been so undermined by the deafening silence from our owners over measures of support for him that those players who don’t like being rotated have just given up trying to impress, and those that do like him, know they’re playing for the end of the season.

Gerrard himself has stated that Benitez isn’t the warmest of managers, and if he doesn’t have a really close personal relationship with many of the players then they are not going to bust a gut for him if they don’t want to.

 This is of course, conjecture and if true, a sad indictment on the mindset of our players, but recently we have look lacklustre, non-commital, and half arsed.

At Luton, we were 2nd best to most balls, yesterday ‘Boro passed the ball around us, and since the New Year we’ve looked half the team we were last year.

Well if its the case, any fondness I may have ever had for our new owners will have gone with the morning rain, never mind not investing, never mind not understanding, the cardinal sin in football is to sling enough mud so it sticks and let the press pirahnas feast on the rest.

To undermine the main voice of authority at any club is petty, misguided and pathetic, never mind bad business sense. And that 2 successful businessmen are doing this made me question whether or not they were doing that, but now it makes me question how they got to be successful.

For some reason ‘Boro away has often been a trickier match than is should. When Liverpool do well in the North-East the season goes well, when we don’t, the season isn’t such a good one.

Well we’ve beaten Newcastle and Sunderland (just) as theirs, so here’s hoping that Rafa will put out an attacking force and a good display to shake off the ridiculous winter blues.

Of course it was at ‘Boro that marked the beginning of the end of Gerard Houllier when he put one up front there all those years ago, showing a defensive intent when really we should be going to places like Smog City to steamroller them

Naturally Rafa would never just put one up front against a lower league team away from home.

He just does it at Anfield

Frustrating yes. But as I read the press’ announcement of our inability to break down Citeh, the lack of imagination, the let down of our players and so on, I am reminded of one thing. Man City 1 - Man Utd 0.

Of course they are ahead of us in the league, but sometimes the reporting makes it look like we are the worst team in the world. As I say, according to the press: Rafa rotates whilst Arsene rests and Alex drops. Or is ill, after the fact as was the case with Rooney. Before the match, Rooney was rested, dropped, whatever. After the loss to West Ham, that mighty pr machine from Old Trafford tells us actually he was ill. Just as all the international players are before an England friendly…

Anyway enough of the other city in the North, onto to an allnighter at Wigan.

Before I forget, just one thing: Pack the back heeling in unless its 27-0 to us. Gerrard’s backheel today was lazy and unwarranted and as if he was in a training game. But of course I love it when it works.

Anyway, £17m for Javier? Man Utd paid £18m for Carrick. You do the math. You’d be nuts not to sign him. But again he showed why he’s class. It was as if he needed to prove his worth. well you don’t my little Argentinian hero, you were bloody all over the place. In a good way, as opposed to the Portsmouth defence who were all over the place for other reasons.

At least we weren’t subjected to Play Up Pompey for 3 hours, largely due to the fact the Portsmouth fans had just worked out how much the 15hour drive had cost them in petrol.

we played ok, with flashes of brilliance, but didn’t look like getting out of 2nd gear. Certainly after the 2nd goal, it was an odd match - they didn’t try to attack and we didn’t want to push forward so it was all tame. Until of course, the inevitable goal that comes for the away team when we fanny about at the back.

But Harry and Torres do have an understanding and there was moment of Kewell class when he almost chipped David “Bluto beard” James.

Anyway, the match was all about Masch. He was chasing like a terrier and playing out of his skin, or just playing very well. Xabi’s gonna have a hard time displacing him. hopefully.

Off the quiet kop trotted to Christmas. Marvellous.

Just back from the match. Bugger. Bugger. Bugger.

We looked jittery, a little nervous, they defended deep and once again were lucky in their goal.

I’m a like a bin. Feeling like rubbish or empty.

Just like a cold that you can’t shake off, it seems the situation at the club is still rumbling on, without the lemsip remedy of reconciliation from Rafa, having any effect.

Anyway just like that cold, it always hits you when you least need it. Here we are 24 hours from kicking off against the shower from down the East Lancs Rd, and it still seems to be kicking off behind the Shankly Gates.

However, if this is the case, the team shrugged off the uncertainity and had a great game v. Marseilles. But tomorrow is different. Never mind “It’s only 3 points”, Ferguson knows it isn’t, and anyone saying that sounds like they’re preparing a defeat speech.

Firstly, it’s about whether we’re genuinely fighting the top two teams, bugger Chelsea, - we held our own against Arsenal, and so it’s a great litmus test against the shower 33 miles away.

Secondly, it’s bragging rights, akin to the derby. I can’t stand their arrogance, their aloofness, and Ferguson’s trenchcoat mentality. He wouldn’t know maganimity if he chewed it for both halves.

well, in the words of a certain song, you can walk through a storm.

Here’s hoping we don’t walk through it, but ride it, like Red Riders on the Storm. And that the only doors being shown to anyone is those for the mancs’ title hopes.

Come on. I mean COME ON.

What a good weekend to go away and not have a phone nor tv nor sports bar available. Sadly I got the result through but haven’t seen any Sunday papers nor will I go near any post match threads: http://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?topic=201706.0

should you wish to be machocistic….

best just to enjoy Boro beating Arsenal and move on to Tuesday. Better not be the same game there. Nor next Saturday. Still doesn’t mean Coppell is qualified to manage England tho..

Out of all the ex-players I can recall, none have been booed, apart from El Hadji Diouf who again today pointed out why he’s a nasty piece of work and not that talented.

There was a passage of play today when all of our players were playing ‘backheel’ footy. And it looked gorgeous. I can’t wait for Harry and Torres to connect properly cos it’ll be dynamite.

Bolton put 53 players behind the ball, and with Anelka prowling, and still threatening, it was going to be one of those days where we groan and moan and sing Maggie Maggie Maggie. Ah the good old days.

But Sami Hyypia popped up and scored the slowest header since, oooh, well since Wednesday when the lad from Porto headed a similar slow header at the Kop end.

Why the Bolton goalie, or for that matter, any goalie, doesn’t acknowledge the Kop’s applause is appalling. But the Bolton Wonderers thought it might be better to play the opposition end first. Twats. What’s the point, it just riles the fans and makes you look petty.

Anyway we beat them 4-0, Sami, Torres (with again real real class), Gerrard, and Babel. I had 22-1 on for 4-1 so Anelka missing an open goal annoyed me but cheered Torres up cos he did the same thing last week.

the Kop were quietish though it was lovely to hear shouts for Maggie Maggie Maggie, but the best bit for me was Jack Hobbs.

Now whenever Carra goes off, I worry, especially as Sami hasn’t been that assured of late, helping the opposition to score goals by himself. But Jack Hobbs came on and was assured and had very good ball distribution, attempting long ball passes that Carra or Sami would take a few touches to think about and not complete. He looked after Anelka, headed to a red and looked comfortable.

Well done mate, you showed us you could play and play well.

Roll on the next team lads. Roll on.

Was it a storm in a tea cup? Was it a petty dispute that grew arms and legs, or is there a genuine rift in the corridors of power at Liverpool?
Well if there is, may they continue bickering for a good while yet, because we’ve won our last two matches by three clear goals.

Not that last night’s game was that clear cut. We were disjointed for much of it, and Porto settled into a very nice rhythm, but Torres shows why you pay the big money, and Crouch shows why we miss him (in Europe especially where many teams can’t play him)

A big shout to the 2,500-3,000 fans voicing our concerns before the game. Liverpool’s fans do know what’s important to them, and right now a win in Marseille, a win v the mancs, and a winding down of the troubles would bring us all a very merry Christmas.