At the risk of being boring, I’ll have to sum up the last two matches again as: another week, another two clean sheets. But of course, that’s not all by a long way. These last two matches were away wins in the Premier League, meaning that we have picked up another six points, moving us up into fourth place, with only two points between us and second place.

Saturday was a work day for me and so I had to wait until about 6pm to watch my tape of the Man City match. The commentator reminded me that we had played a European match the previous Wednesday, which was a problem last year in that we performed badly in Premier League matches following midweek European matches. Not only that, this was a difficult fixture last year that we lost in the late stages, so it was with some trepidation that I started playing the tape. My guess was that this would be a tightly played match with Man City trying to shut us down in midfield, and thereby playing not to lose. A point saved is a point earned and all that, which can lead to the most boring football you’ve ever seen. How boring was it? Well, considering that it was a tape, I was tempted to fast forward part of it but didn’t as I felt that I might miss something taking shape. For the entire first half we looked solid but lacked any real pace or decisive movement. Whatever Rafa said at half-time must have worked as the second half showed that they had stepped it up a gear and were starting to move the ball around well, opening up the City defence and creating some good chances. We looked much better and should surely score soon. The breakthrough came at 60 minutes when Gerrard played a perfect 1-2, putting the ball into the path of the onrushing Riise who blasted the ball into the net. 1-0 and we never looked like giving City a chance all through the rest of the match.

The post game comments from both managers were short but to the point. Rafa talked about how we controlled the game, were working hard and playing well. It was in that sense a good result. Stuart Pearce believed that they were keeping up with us in the first half but that we had something more than they did in the second half. “That’s probably why they’re European Champions, you know.” Whichever way you look at it, it’s a good result. Championship sides are made up of players who know how to grind out a win when necessary as well as how to thrill the crowds when possible. Any manager would take a boring away win over a thrilling loss when it means three points and a move up the table. We can save the entertainment for our home games.

Saturday’s results put us in the position that a win on Wednesday away to Sunderland by 2 goals would put us in fourth place, ahead of Wigan on goal difference. That’s exactly the result that we ended up with after first half goals by Garcia and Gerrard. This match also started out slowly, with Sunderland looking as though they were determined to make a game of it. But, once again, we stepped up a gear when the opportunity came, and started attacking. Xabi Alonso played a perfect ball through to split the Sunderland defence and allow Luis Garcia to beat their woeful offside trap. He was the first to react and ran onto it, slotting the ball into the far corner of the net. It was a sublime move, almost a replay of his Champions League goal in the first leg against Bayer Leverkusen last February. The second was even better. Just before the end of the first half, Alonso played a perfect ball down the right to Gerrard, outside of his marker who was left to chase a lost cause. Gerrard’s first touch was perfectly weighted to round the keeper and his second touch placed the ball in the net. 2-0 at the break; this should be good for a few more. It would have been nice to have seen a 5-0 or 6-0 thumping which we haven’t seen since last Boxing Day against West Brom. Well, it could have been except that I’m sure Rafa is more concerned with the bigger picture rather than a single result. With that in mind, the second half was going to be a much more relaxed affair, with less emphasis on attack. I expected several players to be rested, except that idea was dropped when Sissoko was sent off for a second bookable offence. That changed the plans somewhat, but we never looked like being in danger, even with a man short.

Once again Reina notched up another clean sheet to make seven in a row, and has now equalled our previous Premier League club record (five, David James, 1996/97). Crouch had a good game and should have scored, especially on a chance early in the second half when he was denied a scrambled ball into the net by being brought down. That should have been a penalty but the referee obviously didn’t get a good look at it. My prediction before this one was 2-0 with goals from Crouch and Gerrard. Close but not quite. I know in my heart that Crouch will score soon, but I’ve been thinking that for weeks now. Is anybody giving odds on the poor lad going all season without a goal?

More importantly for this season so far, we have answered a number of questions that were nagging at us all last season. Yes, we can win away from home. Yes, we can win after midweek European matches. Yes, we can grind out tough boring wins when we need to. Yes, we can put a good run of wins together and challenge for the title. Things are really beginning to take shape with this squad. We’re looking good and look as though we can be even better. Are we there yet? Well no, but we’re well on our way.

This Saturday’s match will see us at home to Wigan (live on Sportsnet at 4:30am). They have fallen from the heights of second place and are now facing the Mighty Reds, which is the first time this season that they will face a team higher than them in the table. After that we have Chel$ki away in the Champions League, followed by Middlesbrough at home. A couple of wins at home and we should start to put some distance between us in the top four and the rest of the Premier League. Then it’s off to the World Club Championships in the middle of December, where we have an excellent chance of adding another piece of silverware to the trophy cabinet. Besides a few new key players, what else could you want for Christmas?

What do you think? Fire us a reply and we'll get it to Keith, and try to put it in next week's newsletter

Our defensive steel of late is much overlooked due to the media focus on Crouch and his goal glut. It's overlooked our defensive prowess under Rafa and it hasn't looked this good since the Treble...remember those days? Babbel and Carra flanked the twin towers of SH, Henchoz and Hyypia, and we looked like we could catch bullets in our teeth. Barcelona even looked ordinary in attack against us. Rafa's making sure we have it sorted at the back first and foremost, and has us defending as a team. Including our midfield terrier Luis Garcia, who cut short Roy Keane's last Man Ure appearance!

I attribute our defensive improvements down to a few key points that I'll outline here.

Keep in touch: This was noted last season as well, particularly in that semi against Chel$ki, and has really been prominent this season. When we're under attack, we don't tend to hoof it upfield most of the time unless we're playing long ball to Crouch. What we usually do is clear the ball for a throw in. This prevents the opposition from getting the ball back and coming straight at us.
With a throw-in, we get time to regroup and organize, and the opposition can sometimes rush a throw as well. It's definitely not as lethal as a corner and much easier to deal with. No point in just aimlessly punting it up the field, particularly when our numbers are back. If we're playing a quick posession game it works better, as we seem to win the ball after throw-ins a fair bit, it seems.

We walk the line: We play a mean offside trap of late. We don't only play high up and play to an offside trap, we'll always do it deep as well. Rafa must've drilled the defenders with this, we make opposing strikers look lazy. I've noticed too that when a corner is played, we'll get an offside call after the first or second touch due to some dozy defender moved up. It's a perk of that 'zonal' thing the media were jumping on last season.
It's true that Carra isn't exactly gifted with searing pace and Hyypia has little of it as well, but it's more of a non-issue when we play such a clever offside trap. Heck, at Valencia Rafa had some slugs in his back 4 as well (Pellegrino, Ayala) and he made it work. I'd love to see Gallas at Anfield in January, especially as his contract is up soon. He's one Chel$ki player I have time for. Especially if he breaks Lampard's and Cole's legs on his way out! But I digress.

The pep of Pepe: Pepe has barely had a chance to shine. I can count the shots on target he's had to deal with for the last 6-7 weeks on one hand. But I've noted his role in the defence, he reminds me of Schmiechel in some ways and I can see how he fits into Rafa's scheme with that as well. Pepe's always ready to sprint from goal on the rare occasion the trap doesn't work, he almost functions as a sweeper keeper (I hate that term, but you get my gist). He's no stationary type and seems alert to close down attackers' space, and already seems a shot stopper of the highest order. He was unlucky not to save that pen in the home league game against Chel$ki, and I'm sure he'll save one or two for us this season from what I've seen of him in Spain last season.
Pepe also is fond of the punch (he almost took Riise's head off in a pre-season match I recall seeing) and if he isn't 100% certain of a catch he'll punch it to touch, or if he can, he'll start an attack with his punch like a throw! This goes with our defensive mindset excellently...why risk a catch (and possibly a quick throw to start an attack) with a punch like that? It's a worry when the punch lands at opposing feet though, and personally I hope to see Pepe catching more of them but maybe that's as he gets used to this league. Or maybe it's his style, with a punch like that.

Run for cover: Sissoko looks a real potential player for a box-to-box man, but if not he could work as a defensive midfielder as well. Excellent tackling and anticipation for someone only 20, and I love the look of him. Hamann is a legend, words fail with this guy. And Alonso is also much improved defensively this season, even his display last season against Juve after coming back fresh from injury was immense. This is without considering Gerrard's backtracking, Riise's ability to almost play like a wingback when needed, and the defensive workrate witnessed by Morientes and Garcia as well. We protect our back four excellently, we have some of the best in the business at doing so, and we do this without folding into a defensive shell. Rafa makes it flow.
I didn't get to mention him, but Steve Finnan is the best right back in the league. He's a top class player and does his job to near perfection.

I hope to be talking about our attacking play sometime soon as it develops more, but defensively we surely must be 90% there at least. Who knows with Rafa's exacting standards, but I'm more than happy with our defence. Just a bit of cover and we're set.

What do you think? Fire us a reply and we'll get it to Paul, and try to put it in next week's newsletter

By LFC Vancouver member Keith Perkins, 28 November 2005

The untimely death of George Best certainly marks the end of an era. To be saying a final farewell to any man at the young age of 59 is a tragedy for all of us. Considering that we have marked the passing of a footballer, who should have been a youthful presence for many more years, is saddest of all. George Best has been variously described as the most naturally talented footballer of all time, the greatest player of his generation, the most gifted player ever to come from the British Isles, or simply “The Best.” The debates over whether he was better than Pelé, or Cruyff, or our very own Keegan, will take on new vigour as the highlight films are shown over and over again. Was he really as good as they say he was, or was he “mercurial” as some have described him, with long periods of mediocrity broken by flashes of brilliance? The few brief highlights that we are able to see will never answer those questions. We have to take the word of those who saw him play week in and week out. For those (such as Law and Charlton) he was surely a genius on the pitch. I have to agree with that opinion, or should I say fact, after having seen his magic with my own eyes.

It must have been 1970 or 1971. I don’t remember the exact date, nor does it really matter. We were visiting family on Merseyside while I was off school for a week, and was travelling around the Northwest with one of my uncles, making deliveries in his truck. The reds were not playing at home that week and so my uncle deviously tried to begin my conversion to becoming an Evertonian, just like him, by offering to take me to Goodison for a midweek match against Man U. Why not? It doesn’t rate as second choice to seeing the mighty reds but what the hell, what else am I busy doing? The alternative choice was to sit in my aunt’s living room listening to a bunch of grown-ups natter on about all things of complete disinterest to a teenager. So off we went, minus any blue and white scarf that my uncle would have liked me to have worn (some things are sacred, the conversion was never going to be that simple).

Quite honestly, I don’t remember much about the match, the atmosphere in the crowd or even the result. But, I do remember seeing George Best running rings around the Everton defence, making them look like he was playing on perfect turf while they were playing in soft mud. I don’t know how they didn’t end up with twisted knees and ankles trying to catch him as he turned them inside out. This wasn’t just once or twice but over and over again during the match. Fortunately for Everton, it must have been an off night for the mancs; otherwise it would have been a score to remember. The actual result must have been good for the blues as we went to an ale house afterwards, with me being smuggled in and having a couple of “bevies” with my uncle and his mates. I couldn’t believe that one of his friends described Best as being a “lucky, overrated, selfish player” who could have done some serious damage if only he would have played the ball to Charlton or Law. His technique was summed up as “all he does is knock it against a player’s shins and then goes after it when it bounces off.” That was not my first exposure to a purely biased opinion, but it was the first time I had heard an Evertonian slagging off a non-Liverpool player. Looking back on it now, it explains why so many supporters are unwilling to acknowledge talent in other teams’ players. I know that I’ve been guilty of that myself on numerous occasions. That’s one reason, among many others, that I could never be a manager.

Later on, I found out that the “lucky” technique of George Best was in fact deliberate. It was part of his talent that he could bounce a ball off a player’s shins and, being one step ahead both literally and figuratively, could be moving off in the direction that the ball was about to go. He could then use his quick burst of speed to leave the defender standing for a moment until he realised what had happened and then try to chase after him. His unique talent was developed by practicing with a tennis ball wherever he could, whether it be in the school yard or in the back yard. Having no one to play against was never a reason not to practice. On those solitary occasions he would work on hitting a target with the ball and having it rebound to exactly where he wanted it to. The choice of targets became progressively more challenging as each skill level was mastered. Most of us would have given this up as an exercise in futility, but not this young lad. The ball control that he developed was later transferred to a “casey” on a real pitch, with real teams of eleven a side. In his early teens he was spotted by a talent scout and the rest should have been the stuff that dreams are made of.

Unfortunately, the one skill that he needed but did not possess was how to handle the fame and the adulation of the fans. Perhaps it was something in his personality, or perhaps his head was turned by the ever present temptations. We don’t know, and in the end does it matter? The drinking and the playboy lifestyle became more and more of a problem until his career was effectively over in his mid 20’s. He moved from one club to another, on different continents, until he retired for good in 1983. His international career with Northern Ireland was effectively ended in 1970 after being sent off for throwing mud at the referee, with his official retirement coming a year later. The later years were then a downward spiral, with his alcohol abuse eventually requiring him to be given a liver transplant. His health continued to deteriorate until he went into hospital earlier this year, never to leave.

The tragedy of the story is that we never saw him in his late 20’s when he would have been at his peak of performance. His international career was never going to provide him with a world stage to perform on. If only he had, if only he could have faced down the demons that haunted him throughout his life, who knows how great he could have been and how the debates over who was truly the best might have been settled so definitively. I was asked last Friday if I thought George Best was one of the greatest players of all time. I tried to answer by explaining that for me to say that a Manchester United player was among the very best ever, answers that question by itself, and should need no further comment. It brought back to mind a simple argument back around 1970 with a friend at school who claimed that George Best was the best in the world. No chance! I said. Name someone better, he says. I was stumped then and I still am now.

Finally, I have to leave you with a few words about our local media. A very well known sports reporter who works for a very well known radio station made the announcement about George Best’s passing away, followed by an editorial/rant about what a loser he was for never stopping drinking. Most of you will know or be able to guess his identity, I refuse to give him the satisfaction of mentioning his name. The tone of the piece was along the lines of, “…he was given what many of us never have and that’s a second chance… the first thing he did after his liver transplant was hit the bottle and start drinking again….” Many of the statements were wrong, which is almost excusable for someone who has never said a good word about anything football (soccer) related. It seems that this individual is deliberately controversial in his comments in an effort to stir up reactions and make a name for himself. That is also almost excusable; it’s not original or unique in the media. But, what this reporter seems to forget is that George left behind a family and a wide circle of friends that loved and cared for him, an army of supporters who revered him, as well as a worldwide community of football fanatics who admired and respected him, regardless of their club or national loyalty. For all of us his insulting comments can only be described as sick or demented. Knowing that those comments were said deliberately to offend is not excusable. All I can say to him is: You heartless bastard, you never knew him. You wouldn’t have been fit to clean his boots.

Rest in Peace George. You enchanted many, you’ll be remembered by so many more.

What do you think? Fire us a reply and we'll get it to Keith, and try to put it in next week's newsletter

Keep the questionnaire coming at me, I need more! Thanks to David for this week's contribution.

name: David Carney

age (optional!): 33

how long have you supported Liverpool for?: as long as I can remember

why Liverpool?: I was born in Liverpool and moved to Canada when I was 5. If I didn't support Liverpool I think my parents would have left me there and gone without me.

best memory of being a Red: Istanbul!!!!!

worst memory/moment as a Red: David James punching the ball out to Cantona in the Cup final

fave LFC players (all-time): Fowler, Macca, Mcateer, King Kenny, and Ruddock

current LFC faves: Stevie, Carra, Finnan, Dudek, Alonso & Garcia

most hated team(s): Chelsea, Man U, Blackburn, Everton

best LFC game: Istanbul and the 4-3's over Newcastle

fave non-LFC player: Shearer

all-time best non LFC player: Gazza or Zidane

how's Rafa doing?: I think he is starting to get a handle on the league and we are starting to improve and but I don't think he has the English football sussed out quite yet. Give him time though, I think he is the right man for the job.

If you were the manager, 3 players you'd sign: Ledley King, SWP, Shevchenko

what do we need to do to the side right now?: Get more width and start finishing our chances. We have been spoilt in the past with strikers who could score out of nothing and didn't need the "perfect goal", strikers who would just get it in the net like Rushie and Robbie.

LFC dream starting 11 (and 5 for the bench): This is tough and would probably change after a few pints. This is where it is now. I would go with a 3-4-3 and tell Abramovich to go stuff himself with Grobbelaar, Rob Jones, Ruddock, Carra, Barnes, Souness, Gerrard, McMannaman, Fowler, Kenny, Keegan.

International footy...yay or nay?: Absolutely! Having said that I think we should only play 3-4 friendlies a year and they should only be against top teams, the likes of Argentina, Brazil, Italy. No unlimited subs. Newer or untested players can come thru the ranks playing for the U21's or England B team. Countries should be on the hook if players get hurt and we should be fielding teams as if it was the Euro or World Cup.

Which country's team does it for you (if yay): Come on England!!!!!

Opinion on the state of football right now: I don't think it is as dull as some people are saying. I think if Roman never got involved the league would be the most competitive is has ever been with several teams able to make a run at CL and several more for the UEFA.

Anything else?: YNWA and Happy holidays! See you at Library Square for the next game, Cheers!

See you all next week!