Rousseau

I've got an image of BD begrudgingly turning up to the Amo, Bert and Numan night, but when Bert speaks he's...

Touche.

Can he play Right-back?

I would much prefer to see Patterson get a start. By all accounts he played well recently. Flanagan's not very good, generally -- although he's dependable in certain, defensive, situations. Polster, maybe, but I'd prefer the youngster.

I might pop in later.

Valverde sacked; Quique Setién appointed new manager. Barcelona will be entertaining again! Quique Setién had Las Palmas and Real Betis playing some really attractive stuff.

May as well get an early start on this. I'll go for a Gaffer special: Rangers 5 - 0 Stranraer Kent to score all five.

Elliott is a special case. Liverpool just bought Elliott at the start of this season from Fulham, after he made a few appearances last season for them.

Yes - he was mentioned in the transfer thread no too long ago (Liverpool sniffing about, I think?).

I want a % of any sell-on fee and a buy-back clause -- we should do the latter more often, like European clubs.

Liverpool were almost forced to play youngsters -- it's not because they are good enough to play consistently. They've got a heavy schedule over Christmas, with League, League Cup, FA Cup and Club World Cup. Klopp played youngsters in the League Cup, where they were smashed by Villa 4-0, and then against Everton, where for the most part they should have been smashed, if not for some poor finishing and good saves. Klopp wanted the CWC, so played his first team -- which is unusual for European sides, I think -- which they won. Obviously, he wants the League more than anything -- I've not seen any youngsters get game time in the League. I think you're putting too much spin on this.

Do I need to install Podbean to listen to it?

Yeah, I quite enjoyed it. I was somewhat -- concerned is the wrong word -- struck, when he suggested he doesn't see himself being a manager for the next 30 years. It seems like it's a ladder for him; whereby the Manager's job at Liverpool is the endgame. It's like everything is geared towards that goal; not necessarily to 'be' a manager, like these managers that go from job to job. (I can't quite describe it.) He's obviously very driven, and that endgame suits us anyway; if he gets there, it means he's been a success with us. I saw him on Gary Neville's Soccerbox (?). I was really impressed with his desire to learn; I lost count of the number of times he questions why things were done in-game by his managers in the past, and in games he watches now. In the above podcast he mentions asking Klopp why he does certain things. He's an impressive man.

Didn't McCrorie play RB for Portsmouth? I wonder if he could be the cover for Tavernier -- I still think there's a player there, in McCrorie.

Yes.

BT are showing every game today.

In general you're correct, but I was under the impression that Offsides are different? I might be wrong there. You're offside, or you're not; there's no interpretation involved. I agree it needs refined. They've made changes already, and will continue to do so, hopefully. I'm still in favour of a challenge system, like Cricket and Tennis, whereby you get 3, 4, or 5 challenges throughout a game which the Captain can take to VAR to check.

It's not every goal. Players don't refer it, the VAR guys will check and inform the Referee if there's a chance, and then check it. I wouldn't be throwing out the baby with the bath water. It has it's flaws but they've made, and will continue to make changes. It's mostly the laws that people don't like -- it's just that before Ref's couldn't judge them properly. I like Souness' idea for offside, whereby an attacking player is ON, if any goalscoring part of his body is behind the defender. It gives the advantage to the attacker.

Yeah, there are a few pundits calling for the monitor to be used more. One suggested it would calm things down if both managers are looking at it too.

Well played -- Forget the ball, take out the man. I can appreciate fans being confusing at the match, but they've made changes to improve that (displaying on screen what's being checked etc.), and they'll continue to make improvements. What's your main arguments against it?

In what way is it "questionable"? It's offside or it's not. The law's the law, centimetre or not.

Fixed that for you. If you have an issue with the laws, then that's a different matter.