I had fears for this game. Everton are a team never to be underestimated. I just wish that all the PL teams could have an extended period of time when no-one has any injuries or suspensions. Then we'd see who really are the best teams.

The best team or teams are the ones that stand on top of the league come May !! Injuries and suspensions are part and parcel of the game.

Last nights results for the title wannabes all favoured a team that wasnt playing...Man U. If they manage to win their game(s) in hand they will have open up a healthy gap. Shiteh did what they do against the top teams sit in and take a battering and Arsenal certainly did batter them but couldnt find the back of the net...possibly the reason why neither of these teams will win the prem Shiteh to negative at times and Arsenal unable to close out a game after having a huge amount of the posession.

Spurs had a tricky game... Everton are a good side and capable of upsetting the pace setters. Tiredness doesnt come into it as Spurs have a huge squad. Spurs paid for being too cavalier in attack.

Liverpool..Well they were shocking !! And after Gerrard scored you would have normally seen him diving into the net  to wrestle the ball out to take the kick off but even Scouse Gerrard had the look of a beaten man. Has Hodgson lost the dressing room..?

Chelsea.. Possibly now one defeat too many, it will be very difficult for them to win the prem title tho not impossible. I just dont see it...

Rumours that the chicken farmers are going to make big money available! Could be interesting.

"However, despite that sacking and a seemingly failed bid for Brazilian star Ronaldinho this week, there is an air of optimism beginning to circle around Ewood Park, with talk of big money being made available by their Indian owners."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/9331205.stm

All look in a dodgy position?? To go in May??

There was a meeting today to discuss whether to sack Woy. How the heck can you stay on after a meeting like that regardless of what decision was taken? It will all come down to the cost of sacking him and whether a decent replacement can be lined up. I understand Franklin Rijkaard is available, and Dalglish is being mentioned.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/9343626.stm

If they go down the Frank Rijkaard road rest asured Liverpool will be making trips to places such as Barnsley and Ipswich next season.

Hmm, just been on the Spurs bulletin board and one of the most highly regarded ITKs on there reckons Spurs are going to have talks with Torres next week. Mind you, it is fast approaching that time when people make things up. We shall see.

So, Dzeko signs for City although he wanted to go to Juventus.

Robinho signed for City, although he wanted to go to Chelsea. Eventually ended up at Milan - where he really really wanted to go - after going out on loan to Santos.

Tevez, signed for City, although he now wants to go to Real Madrid or perhaps back to Argentina.

Adebayor, signed for City although he now wants to be anywhere but City.

Balotelli, signed for City, although he really really wanted to go to Milan. Will probably end up there.

There does seem to be a general pattern here i.e the lure of money is eventually overcome by the stark reality of having to live in Mancland.

HODGSON SACKED. Dogleash in charge until the end of the season.

William Hill had to slash their odds yesterday after a punter placed 2K on Hodgson to go. I wonder if it was Woy or someone who knows Woy very well.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/9350630.stm

And what good will Dalglish do???? Liverpool need to forget the dream that a yesterday hero can do any good. Half the players wont even know who he is and probably wont care.

Liverpool are falling further and further behind

No chance

At least the non English speaking players in the squad won't be disadvantaged when he mumbles out instructions. His trump card will be that no one in the squad will understand what he's saying.

That's a large part of the problem. Liverpool are, and have been for a long time, just another average Prem club, but the fans can't or wont see it. There are established adults out there that haven't lived in a year that Liverpool won a league title. Until they get shot of the atittude that they are a huge club that is in a blip then they will remain in obscurity and the glory days will remain decades ago

Man Utd went 26 years withoiut winning the League, including a spell in the old Div 2, and spending about as much Div 1 time in the bottom half of the league as the top.

Did they stop being a 'big club'?

Not at all. During their many wilderness years of mediocrity, they still remained one of the two biggest clubs in England.

You may just judge the 'size' of a club on its current league position, but I tend to look at a wider picture. Unfortunately - and I don't like this - modern football is a business, and the business side dictates how big a club is as much as current position and history/honours. What I reckon is that once a club reaches a certain level of success and acclain, they kind of join a global footballing elite, and it takes a much longer period of no success than Liverpool have suffered to eject them from that club.

Liverpool's global interest (and thus global income streams) are massive. Take away the 'false' (for want of a better expression) incomes from sugar-daddy figures, and you'll find that Liverpool are 3rd or 4th behind Man Utd, Arsenal and perhaps Chelsea (due to their huge corporate income). Looking at just global merchandising income, then Liverpool are possibly even up to 2nd biggest. This reflects the brand awareness around the world that Liverpool have, especially in Europe and Asia.

To illustrate my point, let's say Man City win the next three Prem titles. They still wouldn't be anywhere near as well-known around the world that Liverpool are. If theythen went 20 years without another win, they'd be almost forgotten. Same goes for Chelsea. The legacy that Liverpool built with their unprecedented (in England) level success over 20 years means their brand is far more resilient than that of most other clubs. In fact, the only clubs with equally resilient global brands are Man Utd (who are, unfortunately, streets ahead of everyone else) and Arsenal.

I know you won't agree, but that's my opinion.

Dalglish will hopefully steady the ship, halt the slide which was gathering pace under Hodgson's reign. Sometimes, the demoralisation and lack of confidence becomes a vicious circle that goes so far that the manager simply can't turn things round. Only a new regime can work. That's where Liverpool found themselves.

Additionally, the fans had turned against Hodgson. I feel sorry for the bloke. If nothing else, he's a good guy, a gentleman. He deserved his chance and the rewards (reputationally speaking) could have been immense. Some fans were apprehensive from the start (his management record wasn't great, when you examine it) and let's remember that he was appointed by H&G - with the widely-held suspicion that they considered him to be maleable and unlikely to kick up a fuss, after the prickly Benitez had given them a lot of grief over the years. Anfield is pretty much sold out every home game, has been for years. Tickets for most games are like gold dust, for games like the derby next to impossible to get. Yet fans have been turning their backs on the club - about 7,000 tickets were unsold the other week, and up to the other day, you could still get tickets for the game against Everton. Unheard of.

The owners saw matchday income falling as fast our league position. As businessmen, they recognised they needed to act. Luckily for them, they had someone already on the payroll who not only is idolised by fans, but previously managed Liverpool to major success (although I think his transfer activity toward the end of his reign started the rot at Liverpool). He's younger than Hodgson and also managed little Blackburn to the title. He's hungry for the chance and loves the club.

Is he the answer? IMO, no. He's no managerial great as far as I'm concerned. He inherited a great team at Liverpool and, when it came time to rebuild, failed and fled. At Blackburn, he had the ability to buy the title - although I acknowledge he made some astute signings and bought few overpriced stinkers. But brief spells at Newcastle and Celtic were failures.

I'll reserve judgement, though. Liverpool can write this season off now so the pressure should be off. It'll be interesting to see how he lifts the players. I wouldn't give him any transfer funds this Jan - unless a top player is known to be available. I still feel we need a real top tier, proven manager to come in at the summer and be given a major transfer budget, with the aim of making a statement that Liverpool are back.

Whether that'd be possible is something else completely. The new owners might have a business plan that involves us being a mid-table side with a much-reduced income stream and a declining global brand awareness in time

A lot to consider in the above post. However, I'll answer the obvious point, which has been bolded.

I think it fair to say that a number of Liverpool fans turned against Hodgson as soon as he was appointed, simply because he wasn't a 'big enough' name. Mind you, I remember a similar mentality at Spurs when Christian Gross was appointed. Spurs fans had an excuse though as Gross was a proven finkwit. Woy neither is nor ever will be.

I will add that Liverpool fans are in danger of going down the same road as Spurs fans i.e. wallowing in past glories as a substitute for underachievement in the interim.

And when 'King Kenny' loses a couple of games it will be Roy Boy's fault I guess, not that the job is too big for him??

This is no different to Newcastle thinking 'Big Al' would be their saviour.................whoops

So how will Liverpool's change of manager impact the performance of the team in their next not the easiest of fixtures?

I will be interested to see how Torres reacts on the field, given there's a fair chance he'd never heard of Dalglish until recently. I can't blame Woy for Torres' heart not being in it - I think he's been that way for some time and I doubt Kenny will get him out of his slumber either. 

I am sure King Kenny will give Liverpool a lift, possibly enough to give the a result at OT today (I believes SAF is more focused on the Prem / CL this season). However i dont believe he is the long term solution, an excellent choice to improve the performance till the end of the season but i feel for next season a new manager should be appointed.I agree with Bill's comments that Liverpool have thrown money at mediocre foreign talent and have ignored the nipper's pushing for a chance at Anfield, i have seen Spearing a cple of times and he looks a good prospect.

Even tho Liverpool are in decline on the pitch, they are still regarded as a huge team. Bigger than Spurs or chiteh and arguably Chelsea / Arsenal. Tho people form different era's will have their own opinions. I not sure who could take on the Liverpool manager role beyond this season if Kenny is only in for the short haul then maybe O' Neil or Moyes will be targeted or  even Mourhino..?

It great to see Kenny Dalglish back to Liverpool and good luck to him.  I used to strongly supported Liverpool when he was around before and the glory days. 

The day has gotten off to an excellent start - the Beckham deal showing signs of going tittus verticus and Chelski reportedly set to battle Spurs for Pienaar.

Hopefully Pienaar will go to Chelski - if a bid is made - because he'll realise he has a better chance of getting first team football there.

All I need now is for Man U to draw with Liverpool and I'll be happy as a clam.

Your posts are always amusing in this thread

Up to his usual thuggish antics I see.