Liverpool nearly upset? What a joke.

And I'm not talking about our performance. I'm referring to the onslaught of garbage the press is force feeding the general public, most who didn't even see the match and won't look at the facts. The truth is this was a no contest. The truth is Havant scored on a set-piece, which any club can do against any other club no matter the differential in talent. The truth is the other goal was a deflection off Skrtel, ruled an own goal. The truth is Liverpool won quite easily, by three goals, but I guess the press has to conjure up bullshit to rectify and prove their control over the ignorance that is so rampant in the football world. At least the casual fan will concur. A farce nonetheless and it should have been worse if it weren't for a futile performance from the king of such, yes, I'm referring to one Peter Crouch.

The positives were abundant. Lucas opened up his scoring account for us with this piece of brilliance:

The kid is going to be a legend.

A lot of the attack went through Babel and Pennant, even though Benayoun will get most of the superficial credit since he did get a hat trick. It appears that Babel is finally learning that he doesn't have to go it alone, as the final goal by Crouch, which the young Dutchman set-up by finding Gerrard in the box on the left. Stevie-G then set it across to an offside Crouch who easily tapped it in. Yes, he was offside, but at that point it mattered little, the match was over.

Pennant looked like his old trickster self, bobbing and weaving his way through the Havant defense like a ghost through a graveyard. I was really glad to see him back to such form. He'll never get the credit he justly deserves since his past will allow the shallow their self-righteous judgments, but in reality, JP's style of play is eclectic and produces results. I hope this performance convinces Rafa that Pennant is deserving of more pitch time.

Havant deserve plenty of credit for playing hard and not giving in. They almost had a third, on a set play, if it weren't for a brilliant stop by Itandje. Their play was inspiring and the flow of their attack was quite impressive, if not lackluster. Defensively though they were as porous as a sponge and their wall-building schemes only managed to leave them stagnant. I could have also done without their overt physicality which was more prone to nearly injuring our players than accomplishing anything else.

As for negatives, well, I could go off on a tangent on how bad Crouch was, but why bother? Once again he showed he's not much better than an amateur. I fear what would have happened if Torres had started, which is another point, we didn't put out our best side and won by three goals. Enough said.

Today's Banter: Calm down Mr. Babel, Arbeloa relishes Ronaldo, Sir Alex wanted Torres, & more

Apparently Ryan Babel is not fond of the 'super sub' label. Sensitive, are we? Well, Mr. Babel, you shouldn't confuse 'super sub' with 'one who is not good enough to start', that clearly does not apply. Unfortunately there are other players who have more experience that play the same positions as you. Your abilities are duly noted and in due time, you will be a starter, I have little doubt of that. Don't let meaningless words hinder your progress, the biggest obstacle for a young athlete is his ego. Why do I get the feeling that something was manipulated in translation here? Anyhow, the author of the linked article mixed deceptive math and words to make the Dutchman sound like the God of all subs. It was a nice touch.

Álvaro Arbeloa is ready to cage Cristiano as he did Messi in his Liverpool debut at Camp Nou. The 24-year-old fullback is expected to start on the right as Finnan looks out with a knock. To the Spaniard, what position makes no difference, as long as he plays. I'll be curious to see who we play on the left. I have my ideas and will post them in due time, but whomever gets the call will need to step up and contain the Portuguese winger.

You can spot an envious Man United fan a mile away. They are the ones who write things like 'Ferguson didn't want Torres' or 'Man U rejected El Niño'. Well, their leader has spoken and he says different. Sir Alex Ferguson states that he attempted to bring Torres to Man U on multiple occasions, but believes he failed due to the language barrier, an aspect Rafa had the advantage. Though I think that had something to do with it, the mystique of the club, where the fans are not products of the fear of losing, was more important. Torres is already revered and idolized on a level that not even Cristiano Ronaldo can match. It's almost as if he's the adopted son of most supporters with the uncanny ability to channel that positive energy into amazing results on the pitch. A factory like Man U just can't compete with that.

I don't always have respect for Ferguson. For the manager of a club which has received the Michael Jordan treatment from the refs for years, he doesn't take it very graciously when the tables are turned. What goes around, comes around, in life and sport equally, how you endure the lows shows true character. I will credit the Scot with one thing though, he's keen to truth, whether he brings it into the limelight or not is his own discretion, honor aside. Standing up for Rafa in the Spaniard's recent quarrel with the owners is more than just taking the side of another manager. It was taking the side of truth and common sense. As the nine-time Premier League winning manager said, "You ask yourself where that comes from and there’s obviously some undercurrent of a dispute somewhere along the line, but with Rafa’s record, it’s strange." Strange, indeed.

Anfield Banter Awards for November

My player of the month was Sami Hyppiä. I'm so glad I disabled comments because I can only imagine the garbage spewing from the mouths of those who have their own opinion. If you are one of those who know better, than I have a suggestion, start your own blog. Anyhow, here's the rest of the awards.

Unsung hero of the month
Well, I sort of shot myself in the foot on this one by naming Hyppiä as player of. Let me see, Carragher is certainly a candidate, as is Yossi, who seems no matter how well he plays gets little recognition, but I'm going to have to go with Javier Mascherano. The Argentine was instrumental in shutting down our opposition in the four matches he played and improved drastically from our previous matches with Beşiktaş and Porto. Not to mention he had to go to South America and back to play two matches for his home country.

Bench player of the month
Easy, Ryan Babel. In his three appearances as a sub, he scored three goals, utilizing his skill and pace to punish our opponents. Funny enough, he failed to net in his two starts. For now, Babel clearly is best suited coming on in the 60th minute.

Goal of the month
We scored 17 goals in five matches this past month, so there's plenty to choose from. I think I've got it down to five though. From the Beşiktaş match, Babel's first goal where he cleverly deflected a ball from Benayoun off the inside of his foot and Gerrard's nasty swerving blast in the box after receiving a cheeky back heel from Voronin, Gerrard's nasty free kick in the Newcastle tie, and finally both goals by Torres in the Porto match. The thing is, all of these goals have one thing in common, they were all team efforts, so I'll let you to decide for yourself. If I had a gun to my head though, I'd take Babel's first goal against Beşiktaş, only because it was a great announcement of the kind of talent the young Dutch forward possesses.

Assist of the month
Again, some great ones to choose from: Benayoun to Babel and Voronin to Gerrard against Beşiktaş, Kewell to Torres against Porto, and three corners from Gerrard to various players. I'm gonna have to go with the back heel by Voronin to a streaking Gerrard though, the whole play was just a thing of beauty.

On-loan player of the month
Hey, it's not Paul Anderson this time, even though the Swansea winger had another great month, playing in seven matches and scoring twice. No, this month's award goes to Danny Guthrie, who played in all but 16 minutes for Bolton while helping them go unbeaten for the month. Yes, you read that right, Bolton didn't lose in five matches in November, going 1-4-0. Only one win, but it was against Man U. Guthrie has proven a solid contributor to the side which makes me wonder what his future holds, our midfield is already cluttered as it is.

That's it for today... probably, but I'll be back tomorrow with my daily and a 'What will Rafa do?' for the Bolton match. Godspeed.

Euro-qualifying: A great day to be a Liverpool fan... well, almost.

I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. With the conclusion of today's matches, a large majority of our players who would normally be representing their countries in next year's Euro Championship, will now be getting the summer off. Like I've said prior, I don't give a rat's ass about international play, especially exhibition tournaments like the Euro and the World Cup. They're great for killing time or for an excuse to binge drink, but for the most part they aren't legitimate competitions anymore and have certainly ceased to matter. Too many questionable calls and duplicitous actions have tainted them far beyond any rational person's belief.

Anyhow, to get to today's matches, four teams, three featuring our players were given glints of hope before having them squashed by the all-mighty hand of reality. John Arne Riise and Norway crushed Malta, 4-1, but occurring at the same time Turkey was hosting Bosnia-Herzegovina in Instanbul. The Norwegians needed the Bosnians to at least manage a draw while they took care of business in Ta' Qali. After going up 2-0 in the first 28 minutes and Turkey appearing to have their problems scoring against Bosnia-Herzegovina, Norway probably started to believe they had luck on their side, but it wasn't meant to be. Villareal scoring machine, Nihat Kahveci, placed a shot in the far side of the net with two-minutes to go in the first half and Ay-Yıldızlılar managed to hold on, 1-0.

Sami Hyypiä and Finland were hoping to travel to Porto today and pull off one of the biggest upsets of qualifying by beating Portugal at the Estádio do Dragão. The only way for the Finns to advance was to win. They were lucky to come away with a 0-0 draw as Portugal unleashed an onslaught of attack on the Finnish side, but came away empty each time. The result eliminates the Huuhkajat from competition and with the summer months off, might allow Hyppiä to come back for one more season.

Then we have the Three Lions. After going down by a pair of comical goals by Croatia, England battled their way back to draw even, the latter goal a magnificent chest-catch and finish by Peter Crouch. It looked as if Gerrard and company might just get it done, but then Sol Campbell forgot he was supposed stop the ball from going towards the goal and conveniently got out of the way of a Mladen Petrić shot, which found itself in the back of the net. Carson hadn't a chance. Euro dreams for England were crushed and Steven Gerrard will finally have a couple of months off to recuperate. I can't say I'm not ecstatic.

Finally we have Spain with Pepe Reina the lone Spanish Red starting in goal. Thanks to a deflected shot from Xavi Hernandez, our Pepe got the win and the clean sheet. Other players who saw action include Andriy Voronin, who was the only goal scorer from our club, and the Dutch duo of Kuyt and Babel. The former came in at the half, while the latter played the full match and collected a yellow card to prove it. So Spain and Holland are the only two teams with our players that advance, which may mean up to six of our players, but it could have been worse.

The genius of Rafa shines through Ryan Babel

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been tediously mulling over data during the international break, the extent of which might deem me certifiably insane. Basically I'm trying to create a 'performance database' for each and every player on our squad in an attempt to quantify as many determinants as possible to figure out what would be their optimal situation to provide maximum performance. I would probably go as far as including elements such as what they ate and at what time on match days if I could get a hold of such data, but as for now, I'm going to stick with basic corporeal information.

Though I've barely built a foundation hardly worthy of drawing any thorough conclusions, today I decided to attempt to assess Rafa's seemingly erratic use of Ryan Babel. When you take a young, inexperienced player with immense talent like Babel, it's usually best to slowly ease him into a new competitive environment as intense and grueling as the Premiership. Rafa has appeared to have done an astounding job, delicately and almost nonchalantly allowing the young Dutchman to familiarize himself with new challenges on his own. Statistically, the results have been more than just positive, they've been extraordinary.

Most sides would probably start Babel and play him as much as possible, but Rafa has the convenience of a deep squad with many players who can occupy the left flank and forward positions. Such comfort afforded our gaffer to use Babel in advantageous situations where he's most likely to utilize his talents to produce positive results and increase his confidence. The 20-year-old has only played in 16 of our 20 matches for a total of 809 minutes by way of 7 starts and 9 substitution appearances. That breaks down to roughly 50 minutes per tie, which is important when computing his contribution per a full appearance in comparison to the team's overall average output.

The data speaks for itself, when Babel is on, we appear to be a better attacking side. As a squad our standard performance consists of 2 goals with 15.3 shots, 6.5 on-goal. Our possession percentage, passing rate, and territorial advantage is 55.7%, 76.8%, and 50.6% respectively. With Babel on the pitch, all those numbers increase, some significantly. Our goals per match average increases to 2.46 on 7.9 shots-on and 17.14 attempts overall. As for the percentage stats, possession swells to 58.2%, passing rate ups to 77.9%, and territorial advantage increases to 51.1%. We average a goal every 36.8 minutes he plays. It's pretty clear that the winger/forward is quite the catalyst in our offensive forays.

Where it gets even more interesting is on defense. Babel clearly isn't much of a contributor at the other end of the pitch, but in using the 'best defense is a good offense' logic, the most telling stat that he positively effects our defensive output is the fact that, as a side, our goals against per match decreases from 0.65 to 0.53 when he's on. Taking in consideration that the obvious circumstances of statistics such as possession percentage and territorial advantage increasing for our side results in a decrease for the opposition and that a total of only 5 goals have been scored against us when Babel is playing, he's arguably just as valuable as any of our defenders.

As our season wears on, I don't expect Babel's role to change. He'll get the occasional start, particularly when cup matches come around, but for the most part I expect him to maintain his super sub status. Just because our team is a better attacking side when he's on the pitch, doesn't mean we should keep him on as much as possible. The genius of Rafa is knowing when and where to use certain players to best help the club. He's proven it with Steven Gerrard, Steve Finnan, John Arne Riise, Alvaro Arbeloa, Fernando Torres, even Craig Bellamy in the past, and now he's affirming it with Babel.

Today's Banter: De-constructing Rafa, Babel babble, & A look at our depth

There isn't really much going on in the world of Liverpool Football Club, just reiterations of yesterday's headlines, so I've decided to just ramble on about a bunch of nonsense. Feel free to share your opinions below.

Before I go down that long and winding (or winded, which ever you prefer) road, there's an excellent piece on Rafa's obsession with our club and football in general by Oliver Kay at the Independent.ie. It gives good reason to laugh at all those who feel as if they are obligated to criticize the boss' managerial decisions. He puts in the time and has the trophies to prove it.

Anyhow, moving on, I think it's time Ryan Babel is made a permanent part of our striker force, don't you? From the looks of our last three matches, Rafa may have already decided to do so. He started there against Cardiff and when Kewell came on for Voronin in the Beşiktaş match, the young Dutchman was moved up to partner Crouch. He appears more comfortable there anyhow and in fact, when he plays for the Netherlands, that's his normal spot.

It seems as if when he does occupy the left, he's basically trying to play the role of a forward instead of a winger anyhow. Though I think it would be great if he learned to be effective on the flank, his talent seems best suited up front. With Harry Kewell back to share left wing duties with Riise and occasionally Benayoun, Babel is really no longer needed over there.

Which brings me to squad depth. Just for kicks, let's take a gander:

GK - Pepe Reina, Charles Itandje (inj), David Martin
LB - John Arne Riise, Fabio Aurelio, Alvaro Arbeloa, Emiliano Insua (res)
CB(2) - Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger (inj), Sami Hyypia, Alvaro Arbeloa, Jack Hobbs
RB - Steve Finnan, Alvaro Arbeloa, Stephen Darby (res)
LM - John Arne Riise, Harry Kewell, Ryan Babel, Yossi Benayoun, Sebastian Leto (res)
HM - Javer Mascherano, Xabi Alonso (inj), Momo Sissoko
AM - Steven Gerrard, Lucas Leiva, Xabi Alonso (inj), Momo Sissoko
RM - Jermaine Pennant (inj), Steven Gerrard, Yossi Benayoun, Ryan Babel
F2 - Dirk Kuyt, Andriy Voronin, Peter Crouch
F1 - Fernando Torres, Ryan Babel, Peter Crouch

(I put in bold who I believe to be our ideal starter at that spot, (inj) = injured, and (res) = primarily a Reserves player but capable of filling in on the first team on an emergency basis.)

The thing that stands out to me is our lack of depth at centre back. With Babel establishing himself as a forward, our focus during the January transfer window has to be a class centre back at any cost. Even when Agger gets back, having Jack Hobbs even in the depth chart is a scary aspect. The kid may be good one day, but he's still very raw.

The depth on the flanks is great, but most goals are scored from the middle of the field. One of the most positive results of the Beşiktaş match was that Hyypia and Carra had to do very little, which means they'll probably be pretty fresh come Saturday. After that, there's a two week layoff for the international break, which means when the team plays again at St. James Park on the 24th, we could have a full, fresh squad including Danny Agger and possibly Xabi Alonso.

Some other links to kill some time:
- Before there was Stevie Finnan, there was Jimmy Willis
- Carra calls on the entire squad to improve

Liverpool 8, Beşiktaş 0: Utterly Ridiculous

I think the score pretty much speaks for itself here, don't you? I was worried that we might be tired after expending so much vigor in the opening 32 minutes of the first half, but it appears that I was the only one who was wasting energy by thinking about it. The second half was just stunning.

Seven minutes in, Yossi Benayoun scored his second goal of the match on a rebound from a John Riise rocket that the keeper did his best to stop. Unfortunately it rolled right into the path of the Israeli International who was lurking in the area. Four minutes after that Yossi made it a a hat-trick on a similar free kick attempt by Steven Gerrard. Once again the Beşiktaş keeper failed to contain the shot and once again Yossi was there to calmly slot the ball into the net.

Now down by four goals, the Turkish side looked beat and bewildered. To their credit, they played staunchly, but never really looked the threat. Once Gerrard broke free on a one-two backheel from Voronin and slammed home a shot in the box with about 21 minutes left, the Beşiktaş spirit was officially broken. To make matters worse, Benitez put in Lucas and Kewell to go along with a newly-introduced Babel to rejuvenate the side.

Six minutes following Babel added to the opposition's woes by cheekily deflecting a Benayoun cross into the opposite side of the net. The brilliant finish appeared to do wonders for the young Dutchman's confidence as he looked the threat from then on. Not three minutes later though, he had to believe luck was on his side as well when a Beşiktaş clearance hit off his back, shot up into the air and landed on the other side of the goal-line. Simply ridiculous and pretty much summed up our evening.

We weren't done just yet though. In the closing minutes, as the attack was pushed forward by Lucas and Kewell, Yossi Benayoun found Crouch on a cross and the lanky striker notched his second goal of the night with a powerful header finish. We not only set a new Champions League margin-of-victory record, we crushed it by two goals.

The true character of this squad will now be revealed this Saturday when we travel to Craven Cottage. If we continue our no-holds barred, rampant ways that began with about twenty minutes left in the Blackburn match and proceeded to run over the Kara Kartallar all day today, then I think we can once again have hope of a season ending in some sort of success. If not, if we resort to playing the long-ball, getting in each other's way, fail to use the entire field, and basically give half-ass efforts all-around, well, then we'll know today was just a fluke.

The worst thing for this side to do is think that they've accomplished anything worthwhile. A record is nice, but if we fail to qualify for the next roudn of the Champions League, it doesn't matter. There's still plenty of work to be done and no time to really sit back and revel in victory over a side that we should have beat at their home. If we can carry this momentum into the next dozen matches, this season could end up being something special.

Liverpool 0, Blackburn 0: halftime thoughts

A kid in the stands trying to solve a rubik's cube is probably a fair representation of how this match has gone. It has been a rather odd and drab affair, though I'm pretty confident in saying it's more the fault of Blackburn's then our own. The Rovers appear to be sitting back as we slowly push the ball forward, at least we're not attempting the long pass every other time we gain possession.

Blackburn seem to be waiting for us to either make a mistake or for fatigue to set in. In their defense, it seems to be working. David Bentley broke free and nearly cost us a goal when we committed our defense too far forward, something for once we have actually been cautious about. Luckily the young England International's shot hit the outer part of the sidebar.

Our meticulous, rather poor man's attempt of total football is somewhat of an encouraging sign. To me it shows that we are capable of having patience on the ball and changing our approach to a match when required. Sometimes though we are making too many passes and we appear to be once again bashful of taking shots from outside of the box. Do we need to start playing Nabil El Zhar more often? If that's what it takes. It's especially disheartening when Stevie-G sends it to the flank instead of taking advantage of the opportunity of cracking the net.

Another alarming aspect of our performance appears to be a lack of communication on defense and an absence of synchronization on attack. We just aren't in sync at our opponent's end and on a couple of occasions Blackburn had unmarked players in the box even though we outnumbered them. The latter is inexcusable while the former is just going to take time for a chemistry to develop.

It's still nil-nil and though Blackburn has been luckless, rattling the bar twice, we have had our opportunities as well. I suspect both sides will get at least one goal, with the first to do so making a mistake and changing their approach to the match. Hopefully, we'll score first and continue to attack, but that's just wishful thinking.

(Quick note: Individually Mascherano has been our best player with Sissoko giving a solid effort as well. Both Benayoun and Babel need to learn to pass the ball before two defenders zero in on them. Kuyt seems hopeless at times, which is harrowing, though Hyypia appears to have found his legs. Would love to see what Kewell can do in the second, maybe subbing him for Gerrard with about twenty minutes left would be optimal. Our Captain needs his rest and King Harry needs to be properly re-introduced to the Premiership.)

It's time for a reality check

We probably won't win any cups nor trophies this season. There, I've said it. Soak it in and accept it because most likely, it's the truth. If you're a Liverpool fan because you're seeking glory, don't let the door hit you on the way out. Go join the hordes of Man United and Chelsea zombies, because you're not welcome here.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have lowered my expectations of our club. Not because we have failed to set the world on fire, but because it's become quite evident that we just don't have the talent and depth to compete with the other big three at the moment. Sorry, that's just reality. We haven't spent near the amount of money as either Chelsea or the Mancs and Rafa has only been around for a fraction of the time Wenger has and certainly not long enough to establish any sort of youth development system.

Having absolutely no expectations has lifted a tremendous weight off of my chest and allowed me to laugh a little, mostly when things don't go our way. Sure, it's nice to win, but honestly, I have unconditional love for my club. If they win nothing, so be it, cups are only icing on the cake.

Anyone who thinks that just the addition of Fernando Torres was going to take us to the next level is sorely mistaken. Babel is a nice addition, but he's only 20 years old and is playing in a major league for the first time. His potential is aplenty and it shows at times, but it's going to take a few years for him to fully develop. Benayoun has been a solid addition as well, but he's not a world class player.

I look at it this way, Torres is exponentially better than Bellamy, Voronin is certainly better than Fowler, I would rate Benayoun on the same level as Luis Garcia except the Israeli is younger, and Babel already appears to have surpassed the efforts of Gonzo. Consider that we've also added an already praiseworthy player in Lucas and a solid prospect in Leto, and I'd be hard up to say we aren't clearly a better side than last year.

Of course, at this time last year we only had 14 points from 10 games, sat 11 points out from first, and had a goal difference of zero. The only reason there wasn't a mass hysteria anti-Rafa movement then was because we were on the top of our Champions League group on the 31st of October last year with ten points. The Premiership was easy to forget.

It's going to take at least £50-60m more worth of players for our side to be close to the level of a Man U or Chelsea. Another class striker and centre back will be crucial before we will even be able to consider ourselves as a league contenders. If all of our players stay healthy, we would have a slight shot this season, but that would require a tremendous amount of luck. Injuries happen and if we don't have class back-ups to plug into those spots, which we don't, points will be dropped.

So all I'm saying is calm down, breathe a little and learn to laugh at all the moronic pundits and press who criticize and ridicule Rafa's ways. They only do so because they're egos are bigging then their brains and they for some reason think they can do a better job. Trust me, they can't.

If Rafa sticks around for ten to fifteen years, we'll win our fair share of cups and trophies, but panicking and overreacting aren't going to get us anywhere. Let's enjoy the ride no matter how bumpy the road, we can always take solace in the fact that we aren't glory-hunting Man U nor Chelsea fans.

Today's Banter: Riise wants out?, Torres back for derby?, Babel loves his shuteye, & more

- According to Aston Villa striker John Carew, John Arne Riise is unhappy and would like to join his fellow Norwegian at the London club in January. Apparently the ginger left back is not pleased that he has to share playing time with Arbeloa and now Aurelio due to Rafa's rotation. Honestly, I don't want to see him go, but if he's a disruption in the clubhouse than so be it. Also he hasn't exactly been setting the world on fire when he does get to play. Other than the League Cup match at Reading where he came on as a sub and set up a Torres goal, I can't really recall any stand-out performances from him this season. He should probably think about this a little more before making such a rash decision. If he goes to Villa, will Martin O'Neill use him at left-mid occasionally, like Rafa does? Also he should consider Europe and actually having a shot at winning cups. I guess it really comes down to if he wants to play more or if he wants to be a part of a top club.

- Apparently Torres' injury is not as bad as initially reported and could be back Saturday for the Merseyside derby. That would be outstanding.

- Ryan Babel lost his chance at a starting spot for the Netherlands in their Saturday Euro qualifier at Romania when he overslept twice missing team meetings and a meal. Sounds a bit odd, I mean, I know he needs to be responsible, but couldn't one of his teammates have made sure to wake him up? Sounds like the normal team camaraderie of a Holland camp. Anyhow, I could care less, the less he plays for his country, the less chance he has of injury or fatigue when he returns to Liverpool. 'Big talk' Van Basten originally wasn't going to play the 20-year-old at all, but he still made it on to the pitch as a second half sub for Arjen Robben.

Some more links:
- We might be pursuing AS Saint-Étienne attacking midfielder/forward Pascal Feindouno
- The official site is catching Paul Anderson fever
- Everton defender Alan Stubbs doesn't think Liverpool are contenders

Today's Banter: Ladies lose derby, Pennant excluded from England again, Babel wants striker role, & more

- Like the saying goes, 'It's only gonna get a whole lot worse before it's gonna get any better.' Those words seem to be a fair representation of what our beloved club is going through at the moment. Yesterday, just to add a glacier to the well put-out fire, the Ladies lost 2-1 to Everton in league play. Despite taking a 1-0 lead, our girls couldn't hold on as two strikes in two minutes in the second half were enough to lead the lady Toffees to the victory. Next up is a League Cup clash with Leeds United on Sunday in Skelmersdale.

- Steve McClaren snubbed Jermaine Pennant again for an England spot for the Three Lions Euro qualifiers later this month. I understand JP wants to play for his country, but honestly, there is just too much baggage going on in the England camp to make me give a rat's arse about his exclusion. Concentrate on your Liverpool game, lad. Unfortunately, Steven Gerrard will never be excluded from an England side.

- Ryan Babel, who just recently was found under a rock in the Sahara, thinks he is best suited as a central striker. He appears to be patient to get his opportunity to play there and is content playing a wing position. I'll put my shyness to the side here and say put him in the rotation in front of Crouch as soon as Harry Kewell gains fitness. Of course, who knows when that'll happen.

- I found this article about Rafa desiring a show of character for the Tottenham match a bit peculiar. He claims it's a call to have us improve ourselves from the dreadful Marseilles performance. I say it's a call to have all the rumored nonsense going on behind closed doors put to an end. There have been rumblings of discontent about certain players voicing their unhappiness with more than just the squad rotation. Let's just hope Rafa puts certain players aside and puts out a squad that's just happy to be on a great club come Sunday.

Is Ryan Babel the new Harry Kewell?

Okay, so maybe that's taking it a little too far, but someone needs to put an APB out for him. The 20-year-old Dutch winger has been conspicuously absent from the pitch in our last three matches although he was on the bench for yesterday's debacle. Maybe he has been hanging out with the invisible Aussie.

Anyhow, we could have probably used his pace and quickness against Marseilles last night. I like Leto, but he's just not ready. I wonder if Babel might have a slightly injury or Rafa may think he's getting burnt out? Maybe he's working on his website? Well, if he doesn't play against Tottenham on Sunday, I'll be surprised.

I'm a bit surprised there's be no rotation rubbish over him. Come on you muppets, you missed out on the Benayoun rotation spew. We spent over £10m for the kid! Seize the day!

Anfield Banter awards for September

Player of the month

This one is tough. Benayoun has made a strong case with the last two matches. His strike against Reading was crucial as it kick started the goal-scoring machine, not to mention it was a beaut. Obviously his cheeky score against Wigan was important as well. If it weren't for the Porto fiasco, Mascherano would be walking away with it and Riise has had his moments, but I think it has to go to Torres. He does so much on the pitch even if he hadn't scored at all the whole month, he'd still be a candidate for this accolade.

Goal of the month

There's really only three candidates here: Babel versus Derby, Yossi versus Reading, and Yossi versus Wigan. I'd have to give it to Yossi versus Wigan only because of it's importance. All three goals showed plenty of skill.

Assist of the month

Riise to Torres versus Reading was the first to come to mind, so it's got to be that one. Gerrard's through ball to Torres in the Reading match was nice as well.

Unsung hero of the month

Arbeloa, easy. He's played every minute of every match at three different positions. Though some of his performances have been subpar, we have yet to yield a goal from open play, so he's got to be doing something right.

Liverpool vs Porto: What will Rafa do?

This should be pretty easy considering who Rafa didn't start on Saturday at Pompey. The more I think about it, the more shocked I am that he started what is usually our European front in Voronin and Crouch. I understand that Torres and Kuyt probably needed the rest, but it sort of undermines the goal of the league. Anyhow, that's Rafa the Gaffa for ya.

Speaking of the Spanish mastermind, he has announced our Champions League intentions of qualifying for the knockout stages as quickly as possible and then turning our focus back to the Premiership. What better way to prove that aspiration then beating our toughest group stage opponent in their house. I don't see it happening and think we'll come away with a 1-1 or 0-0 draw, but you never know.

Up front we'll probably see Kuyt and Torres. In the midfield on the right, Jermaine Pennant, Gerrard and Mascherano in the middle, and Ryan Babel on the left. There is a possibility of seeing Babel start on the right and Fabio Aurelio making his first start of the year on the left, but I'm not sure how fit the Brazilian is. With Riise injured, the backline will probably have Arbeloa on the left, Hyypia and Carragher anchoring the middle, and Finnan on the right. Pepe in goal.

On the bench I expect to find Itandje, Aurelio, Agger, Xabi, Lucas, Voronin, and Benayoun. Harry Kewell, calling Harry Kewell, where are ya?

So here's my final answer:
Reina
Finnan
Hyypia
Carragher
Arbeloa
Pennant
Mascherano
Gerrard
Babel
Kuyt
Torres

Subs:
Itandje
Agger
Xabi
Voronin
Benayoun
Lucas
Aurelio

I was debating with myself whether or not Pennant would start on the right, but now that I just realized that's probably why Rafa took him out so early in the Portsmouth match I'm more confident he'll get the nod here. Cheers.

Today's Banter: Agger not injured? Buys a couple of eateries, Carra unveils cash machine, & Finnan fitness fight

- Despite reading several reports saying he had injured his hand, apparently Danny Agger is okay. Supposedly the reason he was taken out in the Latvia match was because he was already booked, but looking at the official report from UEFA, this is not the case. Maybe he was being a bit reckless and out of fear of receiving a card he was substituted, I don't know, I didn't get to see the match.

- Speaking of the 22-year-old defender, apparently he's decided to enter the wonderfully stressful world of restaurant ownership. The Dane has purchased two eateries in Liverpool, one Mexican and the other Italian. I hope he has a partner he can trust because the last thing the club needs is him not fully concentrating on football. Good luck Danny and here's to hoping you don't get a visit from Gordon Ramsey.

- Jamie Carragher was part of a ceremony to open a fee-free ATM in his hometown of Bootle. I'm not sure what part Carra is playing in the matter other than bringing attention to the cause, but kudos to him, even if it is a bit odd.

- Rounding up who'll be available for tomorrow's trip to Portsmouth, it appears more and more likely that Finnan will not. With Agger apparently not injured, that's not much of a blow as first thought as Arbeloa can cover the right. Everyone else who was on international duty including Steven Gerrard will be available, though I don't expect Stevie-G to play. And unless you've been living under a rock, Carra is set to make his return. Cheers.

If Liverpool was an NFL side: The Offense

As I sat around with some friends this past Sunday watching some NFL and patiently awaiting the US-Brazil friendly in Chicago, I got to thinking how Javier Mascherano would make a bad ass American football player, particularly at running back. He seems to have the perfect low-gravity, wide, muscular build with powerful tree trunk like legs to propel him forward while carrying a couple of players with him. I could definitely see him slamming himself kamikaze-style through a wall of over-sized ogres and coming out the other side a la Emmitt Smith to scramble for a few more yards. It's too bad he was born in Argentina.

Then I got to thinking, if Liverpool FC was an American football club, at what positions would our players be best suited. On offense, the most obvious is Steven Gerrard at quarterback. He just has that high-shouldered approach that would allow him to keep a good eye on the entire field and allow him a quick over-the-shoulder release. Not to mention his leadership abilities and his uncanny knack to pull off something special when needed most. He certainly has all the physical attributes, he's quick and fast, though it probably wouldn't hurt for him to put on a few pounds, and at six-foot-one he's tall enough. The only thing he'd need to learn how to do is throw a football, but that probably wouldn't be too hard for someone of his athletic ability.

The biggest problem would be linemen. Of the players who could probably make it at that position due to their strength and toughness, certainly Sami Hyypia and Alvaro Arbeloa could, but both would still need to put on at least 100 pounds to even begin not to get pushed around by the opposition. John Arne Riise could probably make it as a tight end, but I'd rather see him and Jermaine Pennant sharing the backfield with Mascherano. I can just imagine Riise getting the ball, gathering up a head of steam and then barreling through some linebackers who later would have no idea what hit them. As for 'Crazy Legs' Pennant, I can definitely see him being like Warrick Dunn, scampering all over the field, defying tackles with juke moves and a relentless refusal to be taken down. He'd probably be one of our return specialists as well.

As for the receiving core, we'd be loaded with Momo Sissoko, Ryan Babel, Yossi Benayoun and of course, Peter Crouch, though I think Crouchy would probably get broken in half on the first decent hit. Pepe Reina would be our starting tight end after he put on about eighty pounds. Yossi and Crouch would be the possession receivers, while Momo and Babel would be flankers. I could also see Dirk Kuyt and Andriy Voronin as split ends or playing some sort of possession receiver roles due to their lack of speed. That leaves Torres, who'd probably be in the backfield, though I'm not sure how he'd fit in with the other three back there.

As for the rest of the team, Harry Kewell seems to have the mentality of the back-up quarterback. Though he may lack in size, he's definitely got the athletic ability and tends to come up with special plays from time to time. Of course he'd have to stay healthy first. For some reason, I see Jamie Carragher as a kicker. I don't mean that as an insult by any means, as I can see him kicking the ball off then going full speed at the opposition trying to take out as many blockers as possible on his way to dragging down the returner. Then we have Danny Agger, with whom I have no idea what to do with. With his height, he could probably play as receiver or tight end, but I just sort of see him sitting on the bench. I don't why, maybe he's just too much of a footballer to me.

If I ever get this bored again, I'll do the defense or somebody can shoot me. Whatever you deem appropriate. Cheers.

International Update: Agger injured?

From the looks of it, none of our boys suffered any major injuries today. In fact, some didn't even play which is awesome because it means there's a good chance they'll be available for Saturday at Portsmouth. Here's a round-up by player:

Sami Hyypia, Finland
Played the full ninety in his side's 0-0 draw with Poland. A win here would have been huge for the Finns chances of advancing, but since Portugal ended up tying as well, they stay in second place and live to fight another day. I doubt the 33-year-old will play versus Portsmouth considering this is his second full match in a row.

Andriy Voronin, Lithuania
Came in as a sub in the 60th minute in his country's disappointing loss in Kiev to Italy. They are pretty much eliminated from advancing now. His limited time on the pitch definitely makes him a possibility for Saturday. How you don't start Voronin in what is basically a must-win beats the snot out of me.

John Arne Riise, Norway
Riise scored an absolute cracker of a goal versus Greece today, but it wasn't enough as his side took a slight blow to their Euro advancing dreams with the 2-2 draw. I don't expect Riise to play Saturday, but he's known for his fitness and despite playing the full match, he is a possibility.

Craig Bellamy, Wales
Oops.

Steven Gerrard, England
Played the full 90 in the Three Lions crucial 3-0 victory over Russia which I guess it's good news since it means he's fit, but I doubt he'll play versus Portsmouth.

Peter Crouch, England
Came on with 10 minutes remaining for England in place of Emile Heskey. Will probably be on the bench on Saturday, but I doubt we'll see him play. Rafa will probably want to save him for our Champions League clash with FC Porto next Tuesday.

Daniel Agger, Denmark
Agger was substituted in the 28th minute of the Danes 4-0 romp over Liechtenstein. No news as of yet whether it was serious, but let's keep our fingers crossed. Losing a centre back could potentially be devastating for our side right now.

Fernando Torres, Spain
Torres played the full match and scored on a rebound in the 86th minute to assure his side's victory over Latvia. As long as he is deemed fit, I wouldn't be surprised to see Torres start against Portsmouth.

Pepe Reina, Spain
Didn't play, will start Saturday.

Ryan Babel, Netherlands
Played the full ninety for the Dutch in their last second 1-0 win over Albania, he's young though and I expect him to at least be on the bench Saturday.

Dirk Kuyt, Netherlands
Edit: Well, I just watched a majority of this match and it appeared that Kuyt was in the whole time, so it's unclear whether he'll play this weekend or not.

As soon as here something about Agger I'll post it. I'm just thankful we'll have Yossi, Xabi, JP, Arbeloa, and Momo ready for action. Cheers.

We should be all right Saturday at Portsmouth

I'm crossing my fingers that our boys on international duty get through the day tomorrow unscathed, but from the looks of the squad that we played against the Crewe Alexandra Reserves today, they might get the day off anyhow.

The starting line-up looked something like this:
GK - David Martin
LB - Fabio Aurelio
CB - Jack Hobbs
CB - Xabi Alonso
RB - Alvaro Arbeloa
LM - Sebastian Leto
CM - Momo Sissoko
CM - Lucas Leiva
RB - Jermaine Pennant
F - Yossi Benayoun
F - Jordy Brouwer

The second half line-up:
GK - David Martin
LB - Robbie Threlfall
CB - Mikael San Jose
CB - Ronald Huth
RB - Stephen Darby
LM - Ray Putterill
CM - Damien Plessis
CM - Jay Spearing
RM - Ryan Flynn
F - Craig Lindfield
F - Dani Pacheco

A couple of things come to mind. First, where is Emiliano Insua? I didn't see him named as part of the Argentina squad, so I'm assuming he's injured. That's not good, I hope it's nothing serious. Second, surprised not to see Carra. If he's expected to play Saturday and he didn't today, maybe that means we'll definitely see Aurelio get the start against Portsmouth. Finally, where's Harry Kewell?

Anyhow, it looks like we'll have a competent line-up on Saturday, though I doubt we'll see Xabi line-up with Carra at centre-back. To help us out, it would be nice to see Spain go up by a couple of goals early and allow Torres to take it easy the rest of the match and be fresh on Saturday. Also, I know I'm asking for the sky to rain dollar bills, but it'd be great if either Babel or Kuyt got the day off against Albania. If we can at least get a rested Torres back, we should be fine at Pompey.

Babel thanks Rafa, receives praise from Dalglish

In an endearing piece in the Daily Mail today, summer acquisition and winger extraordinaire, Ryan Babel, has revealed that he owes a great deal of gratitude to Rafa Benitez for his tremendous start with the club.

Apparently when Babel was at Ajax, he would let outside interference (a.k.a the crowd) affect his play, so much so that he would become 'depressed on the pitch'. Benitez saw this while attending an Ajax away match during Babel's stay there and told the future star that the abuse ought to make him stronger and that the more the opposing fans swore at him, the more afraid of him they were.

Yeah, he better get used to it, especially with Goodison Park, Old Trafford, and Stamford Bridge all in his near future. If he can fuel from those fans' hate, the kid has the ability to win those matches for us almost singlehandedly.

Also in the Daily Mail, was an article about Dalglish singing Babel's praises. The Liverpool Legend spoke of the young Dutch International's "cracker of a goal" against Derby and how he thinks that could have been the straw that breaks the camel's back, giving Babel the final piece of confidence he needs to become a force in the Premiership. Of course, King Kenny doesn't know anything about football.

LFC Awards for August

First our best XI:
GK - Pepe Reina
No one else played there for us so this is pretty much a given, though not allowing a goal from the field in 6 matches is not an unimpressive feat.

LB - Alvaro Arbeloa
His ability to defend was rarely held in question last year, especially with his speed and strength, but the things he seemed weak on, especially positioning and discipline, has improved immensely. Not to mention his passing has been spot-on.

CB - Jamie Carragher
Same old reliable Carra and hopefully he'll have the legs towards the end of the season after retiring from International play

CB - Sami Hyypia
Has appeared to find his second legs after faltering a little earlier last year. I really think the fact that he thought he was just a bench player at the beginning of last season hurt him in a negative way, but now he knows that if performs well, he'll get plenty of time on the pitch.

RB - Steve Finnan
Who else? The best right-back in the game has been just as good as ever.

LM - Ryan Babel
Has been simply electric in his performances and though not wholly consistent, has shown flashes of world class ability. His passing and vision are amazing for a 20-year-old and he's only going to get better.

CM - Steven Gerrard
The free kick goal against Aston Villa and the assist to Torres against Chelsea may have been the highlights so far, but our skipper does so much more.

CM - Momo Sissoko
This is the hardest to pick so far as Mascherano has been great as well, but the goal and the calm, calculated nature of his play gives him a slight edge. He has definitely showed signs of maturity this year.

RM - Jermaine Pennant
Though slow to start, he has shown flashes of improvement over his impressive form from last season. At times, he's simply unstoppable with his unpredictable play, but he needs to know that it's alright to shoot once-in-a-while.

F - Fernando Torres
World Class, that's all I really need to say. The kid does so much more than score goals, he literally worries defenses tireless.

F - Dirk Kuyt & Andriy Voronin
I honestly can't pick between the two, both have been tireless and versatile in their performances.

Honorable Mentions -
Daniel Agger, CB - Has appeared to put it together a little in the last couple of matches, but he still has not shown the same form we were treated to most of last year

Yossi Benayoun, MF - It's sort of ridiculous that Yossi is our second choice at the wingers because he's such a threat and a catalyst on attack

Javier Mascherano, CM - The best in the business has been no less than dominating in the few matches he's played this season

I can't stress enough that nobody on our squad has played bad, but in the case of someone like Xabi and even Agger, I just expect so much more. Maybe Xabi's two goals versus Derby will give him more confidence, though he might just still be trying to figure out what his role on the team is.

Player of the Month: Fernando Torres
I could easily see Stevie-G picking this up as well, but Torres truly showed his class and has been the reason for our great start.

Goal of the Month: Steven Gerrard's free kick goal versus Aston Villa
I could have went with Torres' goal against Chelsea, but the Captain's goal just oozed world class. It was simply unsaveable.