Today's Banter: Punch-drunk LFC love for Torres, the march toward Marseilles, Pepeadamus, & more

Fernando Torres has jumped on the Rafalution bandwagon, epitomized by the fans on the march yesterday. The enigmatic Spanish striker has praised Benitez as 'one of the greats' and 'more than just a manager.' He also added how impressed he was by the display the fans showed at Anfield yesterday, stating: "And we all had an idea that he's somewhat special here but, honestly, what I saw at Anfield tonight was really impressive... I'm really impressed at how much he's loved by the people, above anything else, even the players... I feel their affection, the support for my team-mates and with each passing day I'm feeling more of a part of this and happier with everything and at the end of the day those things are reflected on the pitch." The kid is all class, on and off the field. Do you think he's regretting not going to Man U now? At Old Trafford, he'd be just another cog in the soulless machine, while here he's sowing the seed to be an esteemed legend.

Build-up for the Marseilles match has already begun. The December 11th tie at Stade Vélodrome will decide whether or not we advance to the next stages of the Champions League. A win will assure us of it, a draw will require help from Beşiktaş, who would have to win at Porto for us to continue. It's probably best we walk away from Marseilles with all three points. The hero for the Ligue 1 side from the first meeting at Anfield, Mathieu Valbuena, has stated: "We'll approach that last match as if it were the Champions League final." Never heard that one before, think they'll score eight on us though? l'OM and their supporters have little else to anticipate these days though, they currently sit 14th on their league table, a point above the relegation zone. Steven Gerrard is looking forward to match as well, stating that he is 'happy that a win will almost certainly be required in Marseille.'

Pepe Reina has revealed his second occupation to be soothsayer. The 25-year-old keeper claims that he knew our recent deluge of goals was on the brink and it was only a matter of time before we broke the dam. No word yet on what the stones say about us winning the league.

Finally, Danny Guthrie is set to play for Bolton today in UEFA Cup group stage action as the Wanderers face Aris Saloniki at the Reebok. I don't see how the 20-year-old midfielder won't get the start as he is ineligible to play against us on Sunday citing on-loan rules. The Shrewsbury product was instrumental in Bolton's 1-0 upset of Man U last week. Coincidentally enough, Guthrie was released by Man U as a fifteen-year-old. Revenge must be sweet.

By the way, yes, I turned off commenting because there's not enough minutes in the day to go through them and for the most part, they're a waste of my time and energy anyhow. Thick-headed, baseless, and ego-driven jabs that were spineless, unwarranted, and for the most part, ignorant, were rampant and I have better things to do than deal with that crap. Blogs are about readers, not commenters. If you'd like to have an intelligent exchange or just drop me a line for any old reason, my email address is in plain sight. If you don't read this blog regularly and are wound-up by something I write, take a deep breathe before writing a scathing email to chastise me. My bite is much worse than my bark. Cheers.