Blueshite 0-2 Mighty Reds: A great day at the Pit...

First off apologies for the total lack of blogging over the past two weeks but internet or lack of put paid to any updates.

But what great timing to be returning to action and toasting a fantastic victory at Woodison in the bright Saturday afternoon sunshine.

Everything about yesterday's win was just perfect. It was a great performance from start to finish and it would not be unfair to say we could have had four or five. Dirk Kuyt and Fernando Torres did actually score goals three and four only for both to be ruled out.

But two brilliantly taken goals from a back to form Torres with the help of Robbie Keane who although is still not amongst the goals played a big part in setting up both of them showed that the partnership is slowly starting to click.

Whilst last weekend's draw with Stoke was hardly ideal and the win over Crewe in midweek was uninspiring we have managed to take six points from two of our biggest games of the entire season and are joint top of the table.

With Arsenal capitulating at home to Hull City in the late kick off and Man U winning but continuing to play catch up we are taking our opportunity (Stoke aside) to set the pace along with Chelsea.

As the top two, separated only by goal difference, all going well our showdown at Stamford Bridge on October 26 should be a real indication of the progress we've made and whether or not we can really expect to be in the mix come next April/May.

Derby wins tend to get everyone carried away with themselves (Igor Biscan bossing Wayne Rooney five years ago anyone?) but this was good today and it will give the whole camp a massive lift.

A long way to go yet though and matters European next with the visit of PSV on Wednesday.

Reds 2-1 Dirty Mancs

Been a while since we've been able to enjoy a win over Manchester United and what a feeling it is!

Fantastic performance, fantastic day. Top of the league and all of that without the one man in our one man team!

More detailed analysis to follow after I've calmed down!

Get in there!

Deadline day: Berbatov, City, Finnan, Andriy, Jermaine, Riera, and the YouTube kid!

I have to say the deadline day tug of war between Manchester's United and City over Dimitar Berbatov is exciting stuff.

As I write, with just over an hour to the deadline, there is still no resolution and to be honest I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't before 12.

Afterall Cashley Cole's move from Arsenal to Chelsea was completed after the deadline a couple of seasons ago. When it's Chelsea deadlines and rules don't matter you see.

It will be interesting to see how the sale of Manchester City to a bunch Abu Dhabi businessmen pans out.

They claim to have more money than Abramovich. If that's the case then we're in for an interesting January window when they can really flex their financial muscle (assuming they don't get Berbatov which is likely in my view). But then it's one thing attracting players to an already well established London club, another to the second team in grey Manchester.

To matters Liverpool and our activity has been fairly predictable. Steve Finnan and Andriy Voronin have been off loaded with no news yet on our other unwanted first teamer Jermaine Pennant.

Apparently Pennant has been told he'll rot in the reserves if he doesn't agree to join Stoke City. The former Birmingham man is reluctant to leave his boyhood club for a probable relegation battle. I don't blame him.

I'm sad to see Finnan go. He's been a loyal and excellent servant to the club but at 32 it was obviously felt his best days were behind him. Espanyol is not a bad move though. They are a decent La Liga side and he'll enjoy the sun.

Andriy Voronin's loan move to Hertha Berlin is best for everyone. For us we have managed to unload a player very few clubs seemed to want and they'll take up a percentage of his wages. Hopefully he'll impress back in a Bundesliga familiar to him and Hertha will pay £10m to make it permanent next summer....dream on.

Albert Riera's arrival was always on the cards and it was nice that he actually got to Merseyside this time unlike Simao Sabrosa on deadline day 2005. The Portuguese winger was reportedly on the plane and ready to leave for Liverpool when Benfica upped their asking price and the deal collapsed.

Rafa's been heaping the praise on the Spaniard whose cost around £8m.

There's plenty in this country who are sceptical about him given he had an uninspiring spell at Manchester City two seasons ago. But the 26-year-old has apparently come on in leaps and bounds and was unlucky not to make the victorious Spanish squad in the summer.

There was a bit of business at reserve level as well with promising Hungarian keeper Peter Gulacsi's move from MTK Hungaria made permanent. Gulacsi will compete with Dean Bouzanis for the reserve team's number one shirt this season.

We've also signed Vitor Flora from Botafogo. I know nothing about him but I've discovered a YouTube compilation so he must be the new Pele....



We should probably fast track him into the first team given the news today of Fernando Torres' injury that will sideline him for up to three weeks.

While it's not been a particularly exciting deadline day what needed to be done has been done and now Rafa can get to work on getting the team playing properly again...after those pesky internationals of course.

What a way to start the season.

Some months ago I wrote (a bit tongue in cheek I must admit) that Liverpool would stay at Anfield, but would upgrade the turnstiles. Now I believe those words are coming back to haunt me!

The situation goes from bad to worse and while we have those two American idiots (not that you have to be an American to be an idiot) I am now of the opinion that we will never move away from Anfield.

DIC who many fans see as our saviour from this holy mess, appear to be distancing themselves from the situation, so it is hard to see who or how we will get out of the hole we now find ourselves in.

That is off the pitch, how that reflects on the players and their performance it is hard to say, however fair to say, we are not exactly setting the world on fire with performances on the pitch.

3 games played, 2 wins + 1 draw = 3 pretty poor performances and slip in between a last minute winner in the champions league and we have a very shaky start to the season.

Then - look on the bright side, we are unbeaten, second in the League, through to the group stages of the Champions League and a new left sided player about to sign, could things get better.

It has always been said, that the sign of a good side is winning games, however the sign of a great side is winning matches when you are not playing well!

That is certainly Liverpool at the moment.

It can (and will) only get better!