Liverpool 2, Swansea 1: Seven things learnt

Finally a decent win and a comeback none the less, let's just hope this leads to greater things.  The following points no way reflect a sane person.

1. Coutinho doesn't last.
The Brazilian's quality on attack diminished significantly after 20 minutes in the first half and after about ten in the second.  It may be conditioning or just the pressure of him having to be the creative force, but he went from brilliant to utter rubbish after those times.  Not sure if there is a fix to this, I guess having Sterling on the pitch will allow him some 'down time' off the ball, but he may just be best as a super-sub.

2. Our defence is getting better...
...and it's really about keeping possession, which all great sides do best.  It took Swansea 28 minutes to mount an attack into Liverpool's third.  After that, it became more frequent, but we kept possession well and didn't make many silly turnovers until then.  Also, their goal was more luck then anything.  It was a great finish, but a deflection and a missed-kick were what found the ball to Enmes.

3. Rickie Lambert is a meaningless late match sub at best.
The 32-year-old just doesn't have the physical ability nor instinct to be on the same pitch as some of his teammates and it showed at a near embarassing level in this match.  Coutinho, in particular, was clearly frustrated that Lambert failed to see what the Brazilian was trying to do and stood like a statue during a bomb raid nearly every time the midfielder was trying to feed him.  Even if and/or when we get Sturridge back, we need another striker come January.

4. Markovich was a major catalyst on attack.
I know most fans have no love for the 20-year-old Serbian, but he did things in the match, particularly off the ball, that did wonders on attack.  Mainly, he created space, specifically for Coutinho.  He was disciplined and stayed to the left when it was clear he was not comfortable there.  He also made runs to open space, something Lambert and Lallana could learn from him.  By the way, to all those who worship the disco dancing Lallana, he was absolute rubbish.  At one point, with no one on the left and Coutinho bringing up the ball into Swansea's half, the over-rated midfielder went to his right where everyone else was.  What an idiot.

5. We could do without Hendo's showboating.
Seriously, half the time it was pointless, a quarter of the time it cost possession, and the other quarter of the time a simple, straight forward pass would do.  We get it, you can pass the ball with all parts of your feet, congratulations, now do something worthwhile.

6. Borini can play second striker.
I was actually impressed with the Italian's ability to keep possession and make intelligent passes deep in Swansea's territory, surrrounded by defenders.  He basically made his name as a poacher at Swansea, Roma, and Sunderland, but it seems like he has more to his game than first thought.  He also benefited from a statuesque Lambert and a disciplined, space-hopping Markovic giving him room to work.

7. The goal is inside Anfield, on the pitch.
This something our players need to learn as well.  Seems like they didn't figure that out until four minutes to go in the match.  How many times did our players sky the ball into the stands beforehand?

EPL Fantasy Week 5: Slim pickings (Everton, Tottenham, and...)

Well, last week you could pick names out of a hat and have a good shot of putting together a solid squad, this week there won't be many names to draw.  The clubs to go with are Everton or Tottenham, but if you have to pick from other squads, I'd go Arsenal, Swansea, or Hull.

Keeper
Tim Howard or Hugo Llloris.  If you want to get adventurous, go with Szczesny, since Aston Villa can only score on set pieces and put backs.

Long term, Mignolet will probably not blunder for at least 3-4 matches now that he goofed on Tuesday.  Plus Liverpool do have a rather easy run upon them. Begovic is still the best keeper in the league and Stoke are still the best defence, so their upcoming fixtures seem manageable on paper.  If you're really into gambling Forster hasn't been the worst form lately and Southampton should be competitive in the next 5 matches or so.

Defenders
Everton's back four of Baines, Jagielka, Stones, and Coleman, if that's who start, are all candidates, as are Tottenham's Kaboul, Dier, Vertonghen, and Danny Rose.  Arsenal and Man U defenders should be decent as well with latter playing a Leicester side that will try to play a very 'controlled' match.  In other words a 0-0 draw will be as good as a victory for them.  Don't bet on that result though.  If I went with my gut, I'd go Chambers, Dier, Rojo, and Jagielka.

Lovren, Shawcross, Moreno, and Alderweireld would be my best bets for the next 4-5 weeks.

Midfielders
Here's where you can get a little risky and not sacrifice points like on defence.  Still Mirallas and McGeady from Everton along with Chadli, Lamela, and Eriksen from Tottenham are the most likely/safest picks.  Arsenal midfielders are a shot in the dark, only because there are so many to chose from, you don't know who'll play.  Last week I was sure Cazorla would make an impact and he never saw the pitch.  The obvious is Ramsey, but even Flamini can put in a decent match here and there. The same with Swansea, as you never know who's going to have big day, you're most likely high scorer is Sigurdsson, but Dyer, Shelvey, Sung-Yeung, and Routledge could all go off any given match.  Out of all those above, I'd go Mirallas, Chadli, Lamela, and Dyer.

In the long term, Sterling, Schniederlin, Victor Moses,  DiMaria and Tadic are the most likely to produce mucho points.

Forward
The most obvious picks here Lukaku and Adebayor, but don't fret over Naismith and Eto'o is a decent roll of the dice.  I don't know about Harry Kane though, you got some brass cajones if you pick him up.  If you want to go Arsenal, Welbeck is bound to have a decent match at some point, but if you want to play it safe there's always Alexis Sanchez.  Other players worth a shot include Jelavic and Abel Hernandez at Hull and Wilfried Bony for Swansea, who is bound to get his starting spot back after Gomis unable to take advantage of his first start.

My long term forwards are Balotelli, Pelle, Diouf, and Flacao.

All tomorrow's winners: Man United, Man City, Chelsea, Newcastle, Swansea, & West Ham

Predictions for tomorrow:
Burnley vs Man United
Betting on Burnley is a sucker bet as United's attack is far better than portrayed and Burnley has the worst defence in the league.  This one could get ugly and expect Van Persie to open his account for the season. Burnley 1, Man United 3

Man City vs Stoke
Begovic & company are good enough on defence to hold this to late, but I don't think they will.  City will probably get a goal around the middle of the first half and then add another late.  The Potters just don't have the ability to break down the City defense at the Etihad without a major mistake from their hosts. Look for Dzeko to get his first goal of the season. Man City 2, Stoke 0

Newcastle vs Crystal Palace
Three points will not get any easier for the Magpies.  They boast a decent attack and a respectable defence plus playing at home against Palace, who are dreadful on attack, should give them a significant edge.  If Dwight Gayle plays a significant amount, Palace will get at least a goal from him, but not sure it's worth the risk.  Newcastle 3, Crystal Palace 1

QPR vs Sunderland
Joey Barton and Rio Ferdinand have played exceptionally for their less than exceptional side, but if Remy is not available, this match has draw written all over it.  Sunderland is superior both on attack and in defence, but the confidings of Loftus Road will give QPR a proper boost. QPR 2, Sunderland 2

Swansea vs West Brom
This match could end up being the most exciting of the day.  Swansea is just poor enough on defence to allow a mediocre WBA attack to keep it exciting, but ultimately the superior Swan attack should prevail.  Wilfried Bony is itching for a goal. Swansea 3, WBA 2

West Ham vs Southampton
Another candidate for match of the day, Southampton should have enough to make it interesting against a somewhat decent West Ham defence.  In the end though, the Hammers strength of Allardyce's 'air ball' are the Saints' weakness.  West Ham 2, Southampton 0

Everton vs Chelsea
Despite being at Goodison, I don't think the Toffees will be able to compete with Chelsea, but if they try, the London club could humiliate them.  This is just a bad match-up for the blue side of Merseyside, Chelsea play a similar yet superior style of attack and are far better on defence.  I'll go conservative here though and say Everton 0, Chelsea 2.

Fantasy picks for match day 3: Newcastle, Villa, Swansea, West Ham & City are the way to go

Keepers
This week: Tim Krul (Newcastle)

Alternates: Brad Guzan (Villa), Fabianski (Swansea), Hart (Man City), De Gea (Man U), Robert Green (QPR).

Long term: De Gea, Krul, Forster (Southampton), Mannone (Sunderland)

Defenders
This week: Alan Hutton (Aston Villa), Dummett (Newcastle), Kompany (Man City), Armat (Swansea)

Alternates: Vlaar (Villa), Coloccini, Williamson (Newcastle), Williams, Rangel (Swansea), Ferdinand (QPR)

Long term: Dummett, Coloccini (Newcastle), Fonte (Southampton), O'Shea (Sunderland), Blackett, Jones (Man U)

Midfielders
This week: Barton (QPR), Nasri (Man City), Sigurdsson (Swansea), Cabella (Newcastle)

Alternates: Delph, Westwood (Villa), Colback, Sissoko (Newcastle), Ki Sung-yeung (Swansea), Silva, Toure (Man City), Noble, Kouyate (West Ham)

Long term: Valencia (Man U), Larsson (Sunderland), Colback, Cabella, Sissoko (Newcastle), Schniederlin (Southampton), Gerrard, Sterling (Liverpool)

Forwards
This week: Bony (Swansea), Riviere (Newcastle)

Alternates: Dzeko, Jovetic, Aguero (Man City), Cole (Newcastle), Rooney, Van Persie (Man U)

Long term: Pelle, Long (Southampton), Wickham, Fletcher (Sunderland), Sturridge (Liverpool), Riviere, De Jong, Gouffran (Newcastle)

Pay close attention to transfer news as some may not be with their club come match time.

Fantasy Picks for Matchday 2: Tottenham, Southampton, Chelsea, Swansea, & Hull

Note: I don't play fantasy football myself, but I was asked who I would pick this week and for the next month or so (plus a few 'alternates').  So, using my vast vault of useless data, here's my picks:

Keeper
This week: Lloris (Tottenham)
Alternate: McGregor (Hull), Courtois (Chelsea)

Long term: Forster (Southampton), McGregor (Hull), Mannone (Sunderland), Krul (Newcastle)

Defenders
This week: Clyne (Southampton), Davies (Hull), Kelly (CP), Rose (Tottenham)
Alternates: Chester (Hull), Vlaar (Aston Villa), Kaboul (Tottenham), Ivanovic (Chelsea)

Long term: Clyne (Southampton), Coloccini (Newcastle), A. Williams (Swansea), Wilson (Stoke), Davies (Hull), Chester (Hull), Kelly (CP), Ward (CP), Shawcross (Sunderland), Cahill (Che)

Midfielders
This week: Hazard (Che), Shelvey (Swansea), Bentaleb (Tottenham), Schneiderlin (Southampton)
Alternates: Ince (Hull), Fabregas (Che), Ward-Prose, Tadic (Southampton), Mata (Man U)

Long term: All listed Southampton midfielders above plus S. Davis, Wanyama, & Ramirez if you are feeling extra lucky, Ince (Hull), Fabregas, Schurrle, Oscar (Che), Cabella (Newcastle), Mata, Fletcher, Young (Man U)

Forwards
This week: Adebayor (Tottenham), Costa (Chelsea)
Alternates: Bony (Swansea), Long (Southampton), Weimann (Aston Villa)

Long Term: Rooney (Man U), Jelavic (Hull), Gouffran (Newcastle), Berahino (WBA)

That's all I got, sorry a bit short on the strikers, but it what it is.

It's fitting that the Korean 'Gerrard' helps sink Man U

What a glorious way to kick off the Prem.  With goals from Ki Sung-yeung and Gylfi Sigurdsson, Swansea took all three points at Old Trafford, winning 2-1.  The South Korean is affectionately known as 'Gerrard' and 'Kirrard' by the Asian press, a well-deserved moniker after his performance today.  The best part about his goal though is how Wilifred Bony manhandled Phil Jones to make space for Sung-yeung's shot.  He tosses the dimwitted defender aside like a limp hot god.  It's a thing of beauty.

I wonder what Van Gaal must be thinking now?  Mangoloid U dominated possession, completed 87% of their passes, had three times as many shots, and won two-thirds of aerial battles.  There's not much more they could have done.  I actually feel a little sorry for the Dutchman, if he doesn't get at least one great player in, they are going to be in trouble.  Did Herrera even play today?  Never mind, I see he committed a couple of fouls.

There's a smile on David Moyes' mug right about now that not even a sledgehammer could crush.  Van Gaal took one match to break-in the record book, first time ever in the Prem that United have lost their opening match and the first ever league win for Swansea at Old Trafford.  There are 37 more to go though, and you'd have to lower your intelligence level to a Manc not realize United will improve.

Steven Caulker doesn't fancy a tackle

It's not that the 22-year-old is poor at tackling, in fact his 63.8 career percentage is admirable, it's just not his style.  The one-time England international has clearly learned the game from former clubmates Ashley Williams and Ledley King.  Neither of those two were much of tacklers either, but both are/were considered capable defenders.  Caulker still has a way to go before he reaches the level of those two, but at least he's on the right path.

npg90	gc90	cc90	ap90	ccv	TTI90
0.09	0.11	0.27	0.03	9.1	8.1
pass%	bp%	sacc%	shot%	intp90	clrp90
83	22.8	31.3	10.5	1.39	8.47
drbp90	bs90	tp90	tack%	adw90	adw%
0.22	1.15	1.22	63.8	2.8	56.2
gsp90	gap90	gop90	tgop	gopd
1.12	1.56	-0.44	-0.25	-0.19

Stats definitions can be found here.

Those are his career stats from the last three Premier League seasons.  He spent 2011-12 on loan to Swansea, where he paired with Williams, 2012-13 at Spurs, and in the summer of 2013, Tottenham sold him to Cardiff.  Three years, three different clubs, and next season he'll be at either QPR or Liverpool, but is he worth buying?

The thing about Caulker is that he was a much better player in his season with the Spurs than at either Welsh club.  He set career highs in goals and assists per 90 minutes played, successful passing, tackling, and shot accuracy percentage, true turnover index per 90 minutes played, interceptions and clearances per 90 minutes played in that campaign.  A couple were particularly impressive, his 89.7% successful pass percentage with only a 27.8% back pass percentage is outstanding and his 4.3 true turnover rate is one of the best I've ever seen.  I can only imagine how impressive his numbers would be if he came to Liverpool.

Probably his most commendable career stat is his 0.22 dribbled past per 90 minutes. If his 0.26 drbp90 from last season at relegated Cardiff, which would have been second to only Skrtel among Liverpool centre backs, doesn't impress, his 0.06 drbp90 in his season at Tottenham is mind-blowing.  Again, that is a number  so low, I'm pretty confident I have never seen anything like it.  For perspective, Lovren posted a 0.48 drbp90 last season at Southampton, that would have been worst among Liverpool centre backs last season, even behind the 0.44 put up by 'Ole Man' Toure.

If we can get Caulker for the £8m that QPR apparently bid (and was accepted), by all means we should sign him.  Even £10m is an acceptable amount.  He is right-footed and will give Skrtel a run for his money, not to mention the Slovak and Agger are both 29-years-old and not getting any younger.  If Sakho shows improvement and adapts better to the English game next season, he and Caulker would be a force hard to reckon with for years to come.

Ben Davies is the Welsh Jon Flanagan

Apparently plan C to sign a left back is Ben Davies, 21-year-old Welsh International who plays for the Swans.  His stats from last season are eerily similar to those of our Jon Flanagan.

	Davies	Flanagan
age	21	21
app(subs)	32(2)	23
mins	2874	1890
p90	31.9	21
goals	2	1
assist	1	1
chances	31	13
npgp90	0.06	0.05
gcp90	0.09	0.1
ccp90	0.97	0.62
ap90	0.03	0.05
ccv	3.1	8.1
pass%	84.3	83.7
bp%	35.9	42.6
sacc%	33.3	42.9
shot%	22.2	14.3
TTI90	9.7	9.2
gap90	1.47	1.81
gsp90	1.45	3
gop90	-0.02	1.19
tgop	0	1.32
tp90	2.38	3.8
tack %	42.1	45.7
intp90	1.97	1.9
clrp90	3.51	3.6
dribpp90	1.69	1.9
bsp90	0.34	0.2

Here are stats definitions, if so needed.

So why would we want to bring in Flanagan's statistical doppleganger? Well, Davies  does play for Swansea and though they are respectable, they did not finish second in the league.  Davies would probably benefit from having more skilled teammates and playing in a more attack-minded side.

I think it all comes down to cost.  He is only 21 and having both he and Flanagan cover the left back position for the next 8 or so years certainly is appealing.  They could even play together with one playing the wing and possibly interchanging during a match, but as I said prior, it's all about the quid.

Funny enough, Davies is valued at around £5m while Flanagan is only worth £1m.  Strange how the transfer market works, I guess it is believed that the Welshman has a bigger upside.  I can't see anybody paying more than £8m for Davies and even that is probably too much.  I don't know, I think I'd rather see us splash the cash for a sexier pick or just hold off until one falls into our hands.

Today's Banter: Quaresma wants weeping, Ferreira just wants focus, Lucho laidback, but Kuyt confident

Ricardo Quaresma has volunteered to be the Matías Delgado of today's match. Remember Delgado the Beşiktaş midfielder who proclaimed prior to the 8-0 thrashing his club suffered at the hands of our boys that 'This Liverpool side is vulnerable and not the super team of previous seasons'? Yeah, wasn't so smart, well, Ricardo Quaresma has one-upped the Argentine by declaring that he wants to make us fans cry. His exact words were 'They will weep with despair.' If our boys needed any more motivation, well, there you go. I hope Mascherano personally humbles 'the Q' himself.

Porto manager Jesualdo Ferreira just wants his side to remain focused. Though it would appear that all the current turmoil involving Rafa and the owners would be more of a distraction for our side than his, Ferreira doesn't want his players thinking that we won't be at the top of our game because of it. He needs not look further than Barça in our tie with the Spanish club at Camp Nou last year as proof that controversy sometimes helps a side play better. After all, football is merely just a distraction in itself.

Dragões captain, Lucho González, feels all the pressure is on our side and along with Porto's carefree attitude, could be the right ingredients for an upset. He may be right, but he fails to take in consideration that our club tends to thrive on pressure. Porto also needs to remember that despite a woeful performance from our side when we played them at Estádio do Dragão, they still required a penalty to get the draw. We had one attempt, mind you not just one shot-on, that entire match, and failed to earn a single corner as well.

Dirk Kuyt has nominated himself to be the voice of the rallying cry this time. Talk is cheap, boys, just get it done.

In other news, former Academy product and brief first-team midfielder, David Thompson, has decided to throw in the towel on his career due to knee injury. The 30-year-old played in 56 total matches for our side between 1996 and 2000, tallying five goals.

Finally, it appears the knee injury that forced Paul Anderson off the pitch yesterday is being assessed as not serious and only 'badly bruised.' The on-loan at Swansea winger is very doubtful for his club's FA Cup venture to Horsham on Friday night, but will most likely be back next Tuesday to face Northampton in League One action. I'll be back later with the starting line-up against Porto. Cheers.

On-loan watch: Will Paul Anderson play tonight?

Swansea City will look to extend an unbeaten run of 10 matches tonight when they face Huddersfield Town at the Liberty. It is unclear whether or not Paul Anderson will be available to play, but since I've yet to read otherwise, I'm going to assume that he will. On Tuesday, the 19-year-old winger was subbed off in the 50th minute of the Swans' League Trophy match with Yeovil Town, though there have been no reports to think that it was anything but a precautionary measure. Anderson will be looking to add to his goal tally of eight as the Swans have a chance to go to the top of the League One table if they manage to win by a margin of two or more. If anyone gets the chance to see this match, feel free to comment below on Anderson's performance.

on-loan watch: Miki Roque for Xerez? & League Trophy results

The only kid that could have saw action today was Miki Roque for Xerez CD. The Segunda División side faced former LFC player Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Recreativo de Huelva in the first leg of the 5th round of the Copa Del Rey. Don't expect the 19-year-old to have seen any action though, for according to the official Xerez site, he's yet to play a single minute for his temporary side, which currently sit third from bottom on the división table, a point from relegation safety.

If he's not going to play, why is he there? He may be injured, but since he hasn't played at all, I have to assume otherwise, even though with Torres we know how rough the Spaniards can be in training. At least if he had stayed he'd play once in a while with the Reserves and get a chance to train with top flight players occasionally. Seems like a waste unless Rafa doesn't figure the young Spaniard in the club's future anyhow. Who knows. Anyhow, it looks like his side fell 0-1 to Recre on a goal by former Xerez forward Javier Camuñas.

In yesterday's Johnstone Paint Trophy action, Paul Anderson and Swansea City knocked Lee Peltier and Yeovil Town out of the competition, 1-0. Anderson failed to score for the first League trophy match of his career and was actually substituted in the 50th minute though it doesn't appear because of injury. Lee Peltier played the full ninety for his club.

Finally, Hartlepool United and Godwin Antwi were eliminated by Morecambe on penalty kicks as the match ended 1-1 in extra time. Antwi played the full match, but did neither score his side's lone goal nor participate in the decisive penalty kicks. Cheers.

Paul Anderson's goal vs Millwall

Still looking for the Gillingham goal and the League Trophy goals, but here's his crucial 78th minute equalizer versus Millwall on the 6th of November. It's the last one of the highlights about 40 seconds in. Cheers.

Johnstone Paint Trophy: Loaned kids in action today

Three of our on-loan kids have a good chance of seeing action today as their respective clubs are in action for the Johnstone Paint Trophy. Two of them might even square off against one another.

Godwin Antwi and Hartlepool United will host Morecambe at Victoria Park this evening. The 19-year-old Ghanaian-Spanish centre-back/defensive midfielder saw action for the first time in a month two days ago. He replaced Gary Liddle in the 56th minute of the Monkey Hangers' 6-0 thrashing of Gainsborough Trinity in the first round of the FA Cup. The last time Godwin started or even played for the 'Pools prior was in their last League Trophy match, a 5-2 win over Lincoln. He has one goal for his temporary League One Side and that came in their August 18th 2-1 home win over Doncaster.

Paul Anderson looks to add to his goal tally of eight as the Swans welcome Yeovil to Liberty Stadium. The 19-year-old winger will also be looking to extend his streak of scoring in League Trophy matches to three as he as already netted in his side's wins over Millwall and Wycombe.

On the other side of the pitch, Lee Peltier could very well be facing his former youth-side teammate as he looks to get the start for Yeovil. The 20-year-old defender/midfielder has started in 14 matches so far this year for The Glovers, though has yet to score. He did net in pre-season for Liverpool though, in a friendly versus Crewe.

It's too bad James Smith is no longer at Stockport, because the Hatters are in action as well.

Today's Banter: Paul Anderson saves Swansea again, New stadium gets green light, Benayoun vows to rescue England, & more

There's just too many interesting responses to yesterday's match to include in my daily, so I'll do separate post in a bit.

Once again Paul Anderson was the hero yesterday as his goal with 12 minutes to go in regulation saved the Swans from certain defeat at Millwall. The 19-year-old on-loan winger scored the equalizer to make it 2-2 at the New Den after the Lions had come back from a goal deficit to take the lead. It was Anderson's eighth goal of the season. Interestingly enough, former LFC player, American Zak Whitbread, scored in this match as well. Swansea currently sits fourth on the League One table with a game-in-hand over all three teams ahead of them.

(Edit: I'm now reading reports that it was Darryl Duffy and not Paul Anderson who scored the equalizer. If anyone can confirm this, please do. Anderson did get the assist on the first goal though. At least that's what I read.)

Lost in all the excitement of yesterday's thrashing of Beşiktaş, the Liverpool city planning committee approved the plans for the new stadium. The 60,000 seat, £400m project is set to begin construction next Spring at the Stanley Park site. It is expected to be ready for the start of the 2011 season. For the club to take advantage of expansion options and increase the capacity to 76,000, additional approval would have to be given by the committee. The committee heard from concerned local residents before making their decision and proposed an increase in fines for traffic violations to help control the potential influx of chaos and gridlock.

Yesterday's hat-trick hero and nearly everyone's pick for Man of the Match, Israeli Yossi Benayoun, has vowed to do all he can to help England advance to the 2008 European Championship, when he leads Israel against Russia in an upcoming qualifying match. If Russia wins against the Israelis in Tel-Aviv, they only have lowly Andorra to run-over in their quest to advance and prevent England from doing so. Benayoun, the captain of Israel, wants nothing more than to see teammates Steven Gerrard and Peter Crouch make it to final next summer. I'm going to pretty much hold my tongue on this one, but I will say this, there's really no point in the Three Lions advancing because they have absolutely no chance of winning it.

Burnley boss Steve Cotterill has responded to Rafa claiming that Clarets über-prospect, John Cofie, can be bought for considerably less than the £1m valuation, with a laugh. Cotterill apparently told a crap-shite poor excuse of a piece of paper that: "If they think they can nick him for £250,000 they’ve no chance." Not sure what Rafa was trying to do with his low-balling statement, maybe send out a feeler? But he obviously hit a nerve with the lad's manager.

Finally, it looks like Fulham, our opponent Saturday, will get a boost up front, as on-loan from Crystal Palace, Finnish International Shefki Kuqi looks to make his first full debut for the Cottagers at Anfield. He will more than likely be paired with Clint Dempsey who scored his first career Premiership goal, quite a controversial one I might add, against us last May. I know it was his first goal and I realize it kept Fulham in the Premiership, but they were playing a makeshift B-side that even the saddest of top-flight clubs should have beaten by more than a goal and they celebrated like they just won the Champions League. I hope we crush them. Cheers.

Craig Lindfield scores in debut for Notts County

It took Craig Lindfield all of 23 minutes to assure the Magpies fans that he's well worth the starting spot he was given at Accrington Stanley today. According to the official Notts County website:

"What a debut for Craig Lindfield. A mess-up at the back by Accrington presents a chance to the debut boy just outside the box, and with a rasping right-foot volley on his League debut the ball flew past Dunbavin and into the roof of the net. What a way to mark your debut."

Paul Anderson scored for Swansea as well. The 19-year-old on-loan winger saved the Swans from a potentially devastating loss to Gillingham Friday evening. His 79th minute equalizer was eventually the deciding factor in giving his club a point and momentarily putting them atop the League One table. I should have videos of both of these goals in due time, but for now, the Blackburn match is about to begin. Cheers.

Paul Anderson: League One & League Cup Goals

Here are videos of the goals Paul Anderson has scored for Swansea in League One & League Cup matches. The first is an absolute belter. It's the first of his career and what a way to announce yourself. It occurred in a League Cup match on August 14th against Walsall and put his side up 1-0. It's the first goal on this clip.

This next one is from September 14th versus Carlisle. It is his third goal of the season, but his first in league play. It is the last goal on the clip, starting at the 1:58 (or -0:30) mark. It was the game-winner for Swansea and quite a beaut at that.

"It's that good even the cameraman missed it!" Sure, whatever. The match is a League One contest with Swindon Town from October 2nd, Anderson gives the Swans a 1-0 lead. As you may have guessed the cameraman messed up on this one.

Finally, this last one was against Leyton Orient on the 6th of October. It's the fourth goal of a 5-0 thrashing by the Swans and starts at about the 1:36 (or - 0:36) mark. The camera angle is a birds-eye view, so you might need a magnifying glass. By the way the third goal is an amazing volley by Thomas Butler, well worth your time even if you need binoculars.

That's all folks. If anybody can tell me where I can find the League Trophy goals, I'll be happy to add them, but I'm not sure if they have cameras at most League Trophy matches. Cheers.

Today's Banter: Rafa waiting Mascherano game, Swansea wants Anderson permanently, City to make Crouch offer, & more

- One of the bigger mysteries at Liverpool, outside of the enigma that is Harry Kewell, is Javier Mascherano's contract situation. The good news is that the Argentine wants to stick around, the bad news is that it will cost us an additional £17m to keep him. With other needs to fill in January, I'm not sure we'll have the funds to make the acquisition then, but I think if we wait until his current on-loan contract runs out his price may go up. I don't think we need Masche, but he certainly makes things a lot easier for us. Rafa is at least willing to wait and see what FIFA rules about third-party player ownership since Mascherano is still technically owned by Kia Joorabchian’s company, Media Sports Investment (MSI). I think that's a good idea, but let's just hope that happens before the January transfer window closes.

- Paul Anderson has made such a splash at Swansea City, that the Swans want to keep him permanently. I personally hope Rafa has future plans for the 19-year-old winger at our club, but I can definitely see him being loaned out again next season and if Swansea gets promoted to the Championship, I don't see why that wouldn't be one of the options. I don't see him joining anything less than a Championship side with maybe a SPL club in consideration. His contract runs through 2010.

- Sven and Man City look to be early suitors for disgruntled striker Peter Crouch. The problem is they are only willing to pay £8m for him. I can't see us taking less than £10m. The reason being is that he'll be a fresh addition to any side thanks to Rafa's rotation policy. If Sven can't get ole Thaksin to cough up an extra £2m, I'm sure Redknapp Casino FC aka Portsmouth can.

- Remember Rob Styles? The man who gave Chelsea a point at Anfield with a rubbish call. Well, it turns out he could get an additional ban for the same match, though this time for his showing of two yellows to Michael Essien. Not sure why the FA has waited this long to try him again, but it sounds awfully fishy to me. Maybe he's had a fallen out with the good ole boys in the FA.

Paul Anderson is a scoring machine

Yep, you guessed it, our 19-year-old on-loan winger at Swansea has found the back of the net again. It's the third straight match he has done so and his sixth goal this year in all competitions. This time he netted in a League Trophy match versus Wycombe as the Swans advanced with a 2-0 result. I'm beginning to think he's a little too good for League One.

Paul Anderson with another

There's no stopping Paul Anderson these days. The 19-year-old on-loan winger at Swansea scored his third league goal and his fifth overall of the season today as the Swans crushed League One leaders Leyton Orient, 5-0. It is the second straight match in which the Leicester product has netted. Their next match is a week from tomorrow when they face Bournemouth in league play.

Also former Red Neil Mellor scored for the first time this season for Preston North End as his side fell, 1-2, to Ipswich Town. The iconoclastic striker, who was voted 90th in the Players Who Shook the Kop vote despite only playing 16 matches in a Liverpool kit, came on as a second-half sub to cut the lead in half with a converted penalty in the 88th minute.

Finally, Robbie Fowler helped lead Cardiff City to their first league victory in a month, though they are now undefeated in their last four, the previous three being draws. Fowler and fellow geriatric teammate, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, both failed to score, but the Bluebirds still beat Burnley, 2-1, at Ninian Park. The side now sits at 13th in the Championship, the same place they finished last season. Cheers.

Both Paul Anderson & Robbie Fowler scored today

Paul Anderson scored again for League One side, Swansea, in their 2-1 win over Swindon Town. The 19-year-old Leicester product is out on loan to the Swans for the season. It was his fourth overall goal for the club this season and his second in league play.

Robbie Fowler also netted. The former Liverpool Legend turned Cardiff City striker scored a penalty in the 45th minute of their match with Sheffield United. The Bluebirds eventually went up 3-1, but weren't able to hold on to the lead and had to settle for a 3-3 draw.

Finally, the Reserves lost to Sunderland, 1-0, with a side that was without Sebastian Leto nor Lucas. Maybe that means we'll see them tomorrow? According to the report from the official site, our boys were unlucky not to score a few times against the more experienced Black Cats side. Cheers.