Oct 27 2009
Comment From Chris: Dominic, do you think theres a chance for 20mins for Alberto tomorrow night? Cheers
Dominic King: Hello everyone - Aquilani hasn't been decided yet, Rafa has still got a number of things to finalise. He's still a long way short of the required fitness, but is happily progressing.
Personally, I'd love to see him get 20 minutes and Arsenal would be the perfect game because they play football and there's no chance of any daft tackles on him.
Comment From Kopite 76: Do you think we can still win the league having already lost 4 games?
Dominic King: Why not? You can never say never and there's still 28 games to go. If LFC can play like they did on Sunday consistently, who knows? It's not like the other contenders are out of sight is it?
Comment From Bluenose: Dominic - Is there any truth in the rumour that you're an Evertonian?
Dominic King: I'm not an Evertonian - thetre's no truth in that rumour.
The first Liverpool game I attended was when i was six in April 1984 - we beat West ham 6-0 en route to the treble. The scorers for the record were Rush 2, Souness 2, Dalglish and Whelan Obviously I have moved from writing about Everton which was a fantastic experience and they are a terrific club, but I am delighted to be writing about Liverpool now.
Comment From Crocky Red: is carra back to his best now after sunday's performance? rooney never had a kick
Dominic King: Carra was back his best before Sunday. Reports of his demise have been greatly exaggerated - if there was a centre back in decline on the pitch on Sunday he was wearing a black shirt with white shorts and his initials are RF.
Comment From Guest: Do you ever just wake up and go na na na na Torres... Torres! ;o)
Dominic King: I'm trying to teach my eight month old son the words to that already!
Comment From Matt: What about january? Will Rafa have a go in the market?
Dominic King: Christian Purslow - LFC managing director - went on record on Sunday before the Man Utd game and said that January is not the time to be strengthening the squad as it doesn't fit in to the manager's plans. However, if an opportunity comes up that is too good to be missed, or heaven forbid, an injury affects an important squad member, the manager will look to strengthen.
Comment From Mark: Hi Dominic, Congratulations on your new role. How have you found the atmosphere around Melwood since you started covering Liverpool and what is your opinion of Rafa Benitez as a person?
Dominic King: Thanks Mark. It is only early days for me but I have found the atmosphere to be very positive, everbody has been very welcoming and helpful too.
As for Rafa, he's one of life's gentlemen and I hope to have a long and successful working relationship with him. He lives and breathes football and you only have to spend a couple of minutes in his company to realise how driven he is to bring more trophies back to Anfield.
[Comment From Chris R: ] Hi Dominic, what did you think of Lucas on Sunday? I was there and I thought he had a very good game. He deserves credit for his improvement I think.
Dominic King: I thought Lucas was abs. terrific - he gets an unfair press occasionally but you have to remember he's still a young lad who is learning all the time. Sunday was arguably his best performance for the Reds and hopefully there is much more to come.
Comment From Sophie: Does it look like Agger's injury problems are behind him now that he's had surgery? Obviously you never know what is going to happen and niggles can occur to any player at any time, but is there more confidence in his back now?
Dominic King: Daniel Agger's situation has been so frustrating since he has been at the club and there's no doubt he would have doubled his appearances had injuries not intervened. All being well, surgery will have rectified the root of the problem he had during the summer and it has been very encouraging that he has been able to play four games in the last fortnight. he was all class on Sunday and there's no doubt he'll make a difference to the Reds' defensive record the longer he stays fit
[Comment From Stubbzy: ] Hi Dominic, just wondering have you seen much of Aquilani in training at all and what you think he can bring to the team? Also if he does play a small part in the Arsenal game is there any chance of him travelling to Fulham aswell?
Dominic King: I haven't seen a great deal of him, but I did see him in the reserves last week and I know from people who have been watching him in training that the signs are very encouraging. He's going to need time to settle but hopefully he will be a big success. He's eager to impress and his confidence is growing. The thing I took most encouragement from at the reserves was he was able to conduct a TV interview in English. I know some foreign players who have arrived at clubs and never bothered to learn a word, but he's obviously working hard to settle in and communicate with his new team-mates
Comment From Matt: Is N´Gog ahead of Voronin/ Babel in the pecking order now you think?
Tuesday October 27, 2009 12:54 Matt
Dominic King: They all bring something different to the squad. Voronin gets a huge amount of criticism but if you watch him, he is a clever player with talent.
Babel has struggled but has shown flashes of quality but going on to Ngog, the goal on Sunday will have done his confidence the world of good. His goals to game ratio is good and with a bit more experience he could blossom into a real player
Comment From Vidic_fears_Fernando: So many people are excited about Nemeth and Pacheco - when are we expecting to see Nemeth back and do you think Pacheco is anywhere near the bench for the "smaller" games?
Dominic King: They are both held in high regard and progressing on the right lines. Pacheco has done well for the reserves and he would have been in the squad for tomorrow night's trip to the Emirates but for the Spanish FA demanding he be released to play in a tournament next week
Comment From P Neville: Hello Dom, how's your new job going? I'm still working my way back to fitness after picking up that knee injury at Fulham. We need to speak soon though, the Echo just isn't the same unless I'm on the back page.
Dominic King: It's fair to say Phil I have missed talking to you too! Hope the recovery is going well
[Comment From R Atle: ] Do you have to change the way you write now you are covering Liverpool rather than Everton? I can remember a derby match report a couple of years ago when you were very critical of the Liverpool fans.
Dominic King: I just write what I see and there's no change in my writing style. I'm just writing about Liverpool now and not Everton. If you're referring to something I wrote about the derby match a couple of years ago, I was disappointed with both sets of fans over some unseemly chanting. That was my point of view which i always give.
[Comment From Matt: ] What´s wrong with Riera? Been out injured a lot this year, was it the same injury that kept him out of Utd game as before?
Dominic King: Riera has a hamstring problem Matt, that he picked up before the Lyon game. He's currently being treated at Melwood and a further prognosis on how long he will be out for is expected at the end of the week
Comment From Eoin: Why type of team do you envisage tomorrow - all youth and squad players, will Pacheco feature in your opinion?
Dominic King: Pacheco won't play as I said above. I think the squad will be a mix of youth and experience, but hopefully whatever 11 Rafa selects will be good enough to get a result
[Comment From Peter: ] I've always enjoyed reading your stuff Dominic, it's very informative and balanced. As you said in your most recent match report, though, there is a lot of rubbish said and written about Liverpool. Which journalists do you enjoy reading and are any of them well informed?
Dominic King: Thanks for the kind words Peter. I enjoy reading a number of journalists, like Paul Joyce from the Express, who has a wealth of contacts in Merseyside. He's widely respected and invariably writes the right kind of piece win, lose or draw
[Comment From Ahnil: ] Dominic - regardless of others opinions, do you think the squad could use some strengthening in January?
Dominic King: It's no secret that Liverpool are a little short in one or two areas and the more options the manager has, the better it is for everyone. Maybe if the right kind of experienced striker became available, that would be just the ticket although if David Ngog continues to progress he might just be the answer
[Comment From sean: ] can we expect the formation to change when aquilliani starts to play?
I'm sure everyone's thinking that when Alberto is fit he will come in and Lucas will drop down to the bench, but it could be that Aquilani - who is a completely different type of player to Xabi Alonso - plays in a more advanced role alongside Steven gerrard and behind Fernando Torres, meaning rafa won't have to tinker with his system at all. Clearly, the manager knows better than everyone and will have had a clear plan of how best he's going to fit in when he bought him
[Comment From Tommy: ] Do you think if Pacheco were english he'd get almost as much media attention as Jack Wilshere?
Dominic King: Great question Tommy - Pacheco hasn't had enough first team exposure just yet, but hopefully in the next 12-18 months, he'll get the chances to get people talking about him. It doesn't really matter if he is Spanish or English - if he is good enough he will get talked about
Comment From Chris: Dominic, do you think theres a chance for 20mins for Alberto tomorrow night? Cheers
Dominic King: Hello everyone - Aquilani hasn't been decided yet, Rafa has still got a number of things to finalise. He's still a long way short of the required fitness, but is happily progressing.
Personally, I'd love to see him get 20 minutes and Arsenal would be the perfect game because they play football and there's no chance of any daft tackles on him.
Comment From Kopite 76: Do you think we can still win the league having already lost 4 games?
Dominic King: Why not? You can never say never and there's still 28 games to go. If LFC can play like they did on Sunday consistently, who knows? It's not like the other contenders are out of sight is it?
Comment From Bluenose: Dominic - Is there any truth in the rumour that you're an Evertonian?
Dominic King: I'm not an Evertonian - thetre's no truth in that rumour.
The first Liverpool game I attended was when i was six in April 1984 - we beat West ham 6-0 en route to the treble. The scorers for the record were Rush 2, Souness 2, Dalglish and Whelan Obviously I have moved from writing about Everton which was a fantastic experience and they are a terrific club, but I am delighted to be writing about Liverpool now.
Comment From Crocky Red: is carra back to his best now after sunday's performance? rooney never had a kick
Dominic King: Carra was back his best before Sunday. Reports of his demise have been greatly exaggerated - if there was a centre back in decline on the pitch on Sunday he was wearing a black shirt with white shorts and his initials are RF.
Comment From Guest: Do you ever just wake up and go na na na na Torres... Torres! ;o)
Dominic King: I'm trying to teach my eight month old son the words to that already!
Comment From Matt: What about january? Will Rafa have a go in the market?
Dominic King: Christian Purslow - LFC managing director - went on record on Sunday before the Man Utd game and said that January is not the time to be strengthening the squad as it doesn't fit in to the manager's plans. However, if an opportunity comes up that is too good to be missed, or heaven forbid, an injury affects an important squad member, the manager will look to strengthen.
Comment From Mark: Hi Dominic, Congratulations on your new role. How have you found the atmosphere around Melwood since you started covering Liverpool and what is your opinion of Rafa Benitez as a person?
Dominic King: Thanks Mark. It is only early days for me but I have found the atmosphere to be very positive, everbody has been very welcoming and helpful too.
As for Rafa, he's one of life's gentlemen and I hope to have a long and successful working relationship with him. He lives and breathes football and you only have to spend a couple of minutes in his company to realise how driven he is to bring more trophies back to Anfield.
[Comment From Chris R: ] Hi Dominic, what did you think of Lucas on Sunday? I was there and I thought he had a very good game. He deserves credit for his improvement I think.
Dominic King: I thought Lucas was abs. terrific - he gets an unfair press occasionally but you have to remember he's still a young lad who is learning all the time. Sunday was arguably his best performance for the Reds and hopefully there is much more to come.
Comment From Sophie: Does it look like Agger's injury problems are behind him now that he's had surgery? Obviously you never know what is going to happen and niggles can occur to any player at any time, but is there more confidence in his back now?
Dominic King: Daniel Agger's situation has been so frustrating since he has been at the club and there's no doubt he would have doubled his appearances had injuries not intervened. All being well, surgery will have rectified the root of the problem he had during the summer and it has been very encouraging that he has been able to play four games in the last fortnight. he was all class on Sunday and there's no doubt he'll make a difference to the Reds' defensive record the longer he stays fit
[Comment From Stubbzy: ] Hi Dominic, just wondering have you seen much of Aquilani in training at all and what you think he can bring to the team? Also if he does play a small part in the Arsenal game is there any chance of him travelling to Fulham aswell?
Dominic King: I haven't seen a great deal of him, but I did see him in the reserves last week and I know from people who have been watching him in training that the signs are very encouraging. He's going to need time to settle but hopefully he will be a big success. He's eager to impress and his confidence is growing. The thing I took most encouragement from at the reserves was he was able to conduct a TV interview in English. I know some foreign players who have arrived at clubs and never bothered to learn a word, but he's obviously working hard to settle in and communicate with his new team-mates
Comment From Matt: Is N´Gog ahead of Voronin/ Babel in the pecking order now you think?
Tuesday October 27, 2009 12:54 Matt
Dominic King: They all bring something different to the squad. Voronin gets a huge amount of criticism but if you watch him, he is a clever player with talent.
Babel has struggled but has shown flashes of quality but going on to Ngog, the goal on Sunday will have done his confidence the world of good. His goals to game ratio is good and with a bit more experience he could blossom into a real player
Comment From Vidic_fears_Fernando: So many people are excited about Nemeth and Pacheco - when are we expecting to see Nemeth back and do you think Pacheco is anywhere near the bench for the "smaller" games?
Dominic King: They are both held in high regard and progressing on the right lines. Pacheco has done well for the reserves and he would have been in the squad for tomorrow night's trip to the Emirates but for the Spanish FA demanding he be released to play in a tournament next week
Comment From P Neville: Hello Dom, how's your new job going? I'm still working my way back to fitness after picking up that knee injury at Fulham. We need to speak soon though, the Echo just isn't the same unless I'm on the back page.
Dominic King: It's fair to say Phil I have missed talking to you too! Hope the recovery is going well
[Comment From R Atle: ] Do you have to change the way you write now you are covering Liverpool rather than Everton? I can remember a derby match report a couple of years ago when you were very critical of the Liverpool fans.
Dominic King: I just write what I see and there's no change in my writing style. I'm just writing about Liverpool now and not Everton. If you're referring to something I wrote about the derby match a couple of years ago, I was disappointed with both sets of fans over some unseemly chanting. That was my point of view which i always give.
[Comment From Matt: ] What´s wrong with Riera? Been out injured a lot this year, was it the same injury that kept him out of Utd game as before?
Dominic King: Riera has a hamstring problem Matt, that he picked up before the Lyon game. He's currently being treated at Melwood and a further prognosis on how long he will be out for is expected at the end of the week
Comment From Eoin: Why type of team do you envisage tomorrow - all youth and squad players, will Pacheco feature in your opinion?
Dominic King: Pacheco won't play as I said above. I think the squad will be a mix of youth and experience, but hopefully whatever 11 Rafa selects will be good enough to get a result
[Comment From Peter: ] I've always enjoyed reading your stuff Dominic, it's very informative and balanced. As you said in your most recent match report, though, there is a lot of rubbish said and written about Liverpool. Which journalists do you enjoy reading and are any of them well informed?
Dominic King: Thanks for the kind words Peter. I enjoy reading a number of journalists, like Paul Joyce from the Express, who has a wealth of contacts in Merseyside. He's widely respected and invariably writes the right kind of piece win, lose or draw
[Comment From Ahnil: ] Dominic - regardless of others opinions, do you think the squad could use some strengthening in January?
Dominic King: It's no secret that Liverpool are a little short in one or two areas and the more options the manager has, the better it is for everyone. Maybe if the right kind of experienced striker became available, that would be just the ticket although if David Ngog continues to progress he might just be the answer
[Comment From sean: ] can we expect the formation to change when aquilliani starts to play?
I'm sure everyone's thinking that when Alberto is fit he will come in and Lucas will drop down to the bench, but it could be that Aquilani - who is a completely different type of player to Xabi Alonso - plays in a more advanced role alongside Steven gerrard and behind Fernando Torres, meaning rafa won't have to tinker with his system at all. Clearly, the manager knows better than everyone and will have had a clear plan of how best he's going to fit in when he bought him
[Comment From Tommy: ] Do you think if Pacheco were english he'd get almost as much media attention as Jack Wilshere?
Dominic King: Great question Tommy - Pacheco hasn't had enough first team exposure just yet, but hopefully in the next 12-18 months, he'll get the chances to get people talking about him. It doesn't really matter if he is Spanish or English - if he is good enough he will get talked about
