Actually, yes, and the facts prove this. Dirk Kuyt is, for all intents and purposes, undroppable. And what have Liverpool gained this season as a result of Rafa Benitez's favouritism? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
I'm sorry to belabour this point but favouritism is on the things that I despise the most in football.

Much has been made of Liverpool's catastrophic start to the season; out of the European Cup; out of the Carling Cup, and in danger of finishing outside the top four. As they would if any of the top four were doing badly, the media has overreacted and (predictably) come up with age-old clichés to explain Liverpool's problems.

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard gave a frank assessment of his side's UEFA Champions League performance after they were beaten 2-1 by Fiorentina at Anfield.
The Reds were already condemned to the obscurity of the Europa League prior to the match and were guaranteed to finish third in Group E.

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez continues to guarantee that his side will finish in the top four of the Premier League, but the Spaniard will be well aware that anything less than three points against Wolves at Anfield will increase doubts.
The Reds have suffered a shocking campaign after producing numerous uninspiring displays to fall eight points off the UEFA Champions League places, a competition the 2005 winners were dumped out of at the group stages this season.

FIFA's recent discussions regarding Ireland led me to think about the possibilities of an extra side at the tournament, and what would perhaps be more exciting than including a side who claimed they've been cheated out of the tournament would be to enter an entirely new team.

This team would be made up of international players whose respective countries did not manage to qualify for the finals.

11am, live in the US on FSC
Because of my basketball season tickets, I probably won't have the review up right after the game. Thankfully, I'll at least see the match before leaving, but I won't get a chance to write a review until 4 or 5pm. Sorry.
Last 4 head-to-head:
1-2 (a; CC) 10.

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Aurelio, Mascherano, Lucas, Kuyt, Gerrard, Benayoun, Torres. Subs: Cavalieri, Aquilani, Insua, Ngog, Degen, Skrtel, Dossena. Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Gallas, Vermaelen, Traore, Fabregas, Song Billong, Denilson, Walcott, Arshavin, Nasri. Subs: Fabianski, Diaby, Eduardo, Vela, Ramsey, Silvestre, Wilshere.

This fixture usually gives us goals a plenty, but with Arsenal fielding no out and out strikers and Torres not yet up to full fitness, this could be a tad dreary. Aquilani the promised man, the Italian who will make all the bad things go away isn't fit to start.

Liverpool lineup: Reina, Carragher, Johnson, Agger, Aurelio, Kuyt, Lucas, Gerrard, Mascherano, Benayoun, Torres.

Yet another HOME defeat for Liverpool. That's two in week now, and the same old problems that have plagued the club all season were very much in evidence at Anfield today.
The GOOD
Benitez played his favoured XI
Alberto Aquilani aside, Rafa Benitez was able to field what he considers to be his strongest team:
------------------ Reina
Johnson ----- Carra --- Agger --- Aurelio
Lucas ------------- Masch
Kuyt ------------ Gerrard ----------- Benayoun
------------------ Torres
Benitez can have no complaints; all his top players were fit, and even if everyone in the squad was fit and available, that is the team he probably would've chosen.

He doesn't celebrate Christmas, he just celebrates scoring big goals
The Funny Feeling Friday selection has historically been reserved for those unpopular, under the radar, or out of form players who we believe will break out in the short term, so Yossi Benayoun, at 9% owned in the Fantasy Premier League game, is a unique selection.

What's in Butt's Brain today...

• The Aston Villa - Liverpool game was fun to watch with the heavy snowfall at Villa Park... Big flurries coming down on the likes of Benayoun (Israel) and Lucas (Brazil) - players who probably have no idea how to deal with these snowy conditions as they grew up in deserts / beaches.

10am, live in the US on Setanta Xtra
Last 4 head-to-head:
4-0 Liverpool (h) 04.11.09
3-1 Liverpool (a) 12.06.08
3-1 Liverpool (h) 04.13.08
0-0 (a) 11.03.07
Last three matches:
Liverpool: 2-0 Everton (a); 1-0 Debrecen (a); 2-2 City (h)
Blackburn: 3-3 Chelsea (h; Blackburn wins 4-3 on penalties); 0-0 Stoke (h); 0-3 Fulham (a)
Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Torres 10; Benayoun, Gerrard, Kuyt 4; Ngog 3; Babel, Johnson 2; Skrtel 1
Blackburn: Dunn 5; Roberts 3; Chimbonda, Di Santo, Diouf, Givet, Nelsen, Nzonzi, Samba 1
Okay, so I guess I have to count last Sunday's opener an OG.

Daniel Pacheco has taken to studying Yossi Benayoun in a bid to make the grade at Liverpool.
The 18-year-old Spaniard is one of the hottest prospects at Melwood but is still waiting for his competitive debut.
He believes watching Benayoun can help his progression.
"Yossi is an important player for Liverpool," Pacheco told LFC Weekly magazine.

Liverpool:

Reina
Johnson-Carra-Agger-Insua
Lucas-Mascherano
Benayoun-Gerrard-Riera
Kuyt

Bench: Cavalieri, Aquilani, Kyrgiakos, Ngog, El Zhar, Skrtel, Dossena

Blackburn:

Robinson
Chimbonda-Samba-Nelsen-Givet
Emerton=Grella-Nzonzi-Douf
McCarthy-Di Santo

Bench: Brown, Roberts, Pedersen, Andrews, Kalinić, Hoilett, Salgado

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Insua, Benayoun, Lucas, Mascherano, Riera, Gerrard, Kuyt. Subs: Cavalieri, Aquilani, Kyrgiakos, Ngog, El Zhar, Skrtel, Dossena.

Reina
Johnson Carragher Agger Insua
Lucas Mascherano
Benayoun Gerrard Riera
Kuyt
Remember all those late goals Liverpool scored last season? Yeah, I miss those.
I'd say it's a return to the bad old days of 0-0 draws, but those were last season's bad days. As depressing as it is to write, at least it's not another slack, stupid away loss, which was eminently possible.

Rafa Benitez has been falling over himself to praise Steven Gerrard in the run-up to his skipper's 500th Liverpool appearance, but having seen Blackburn Rovers hold his side to a tepid goalless draw at Ewood Park, the Spaniard may now cast his eye at the rest of his squad as he looks to inject some consistency into his side's season.

Getting all three points at Ewood Park was always going to be a challenge, but after having to watch the first half, I would have gladly settled for a point just to not have to watch another 45 minutes. There was, quite literally, nothing of interest for either side. Watching the first half highlights was comical the most threatening piece of attack for Liverpool was a Steven Gerrard shot towards goal from the right side that took a deflection and bounded out for a corner.

2:45pm, live in the US on DirecTV. Because it's basically meaningless, it's not on either FSC or Setanta. It's on one of those stations (channel 462 in this case; 462-1 in HD) that show every Champions League and Europe League game. I sincerely apologize for rubbing it in if you can't get or afford DirecTV, but I adore it.

Liverpool's miserable Champions League campaign ended in defeat to Fiorentina on Wednesday night.
The visitors grabbed a late winner through Alberto Gilardino in the second minute of added time to clinch top spot in Group E.
Looking at the positives, Liverpool started with Alberto Aquilani at last - and Fernando Torres returned from a groin injury for the final 25 minutes.

Liverpool: Cavalieri, Darby, Agger, Skrtel, Insua, Benayoun, Mascherano, Aquilani, Dossena, Gerrard, Kuyt. Subs: Reina, Torres, Aurelio, Kyrgiakos, Carragher, Spearing, Pacheco.

When Arsenal came to Anfield last season, no one could have predicted the outcome of the game which finished 4-4 with Arshavin scoring all 4 of Arsenal's goals. Watch the highlights from last season's epic encouter here! Torres and Benayoun got 2 each, while Arshavin did wonders for people who had him in their fantasy football [.

Is He Truly Match Fit?

I'm more nervous about this Arsenal match than any other time I've awaited Liverpool taking on the Gunners. Well: outside of a European quarterfinal, anyway. It's the context of this season that has me all wound up. The injuries. The results. The fall from the Champions League.

The stage is well and truly set. What a weekend for Arsenal fans so far! Title challengers have dropped points as Chelsea were held at home and United defeated in their own backyard. Top four contenders Citeh march on in their quest for the all time record for drawing matches and the tiny Tots just gave us another chuckle.

Rafa Benitez has named his side to face Arsenal at Anfield, with Fernando Torres returning to the starting line up. The team in full is Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Aurelio, Kuyt, Mascherano, Lucas, Benayoun, Gerrard, Torres. Subs: Cavalieri, Aquilani, Insua, Ngog, Degen, Skrtel, Dossena.

Previous Posts: Formation | Keeper | Right Back | Centerback | Left Back | Central Midfield | Right Midfield
Left midfield is probably the weakest position of them all, with two players who appeared in the last poll. But that should make this close. I wrote the thing, and I still don't know who to vote for.

Liverpool: Reina, Skrtel, Agger, Insua, Carragher,Mascherano, Aurelio, Gerrard, Benayoun, Kuyt, Ngog. Subs: Cavalieri, Aquilani, Torres, Kyrgiakos, Lucas, Darby, Dossena.

Previous posts: Formation | Keeper | Right Back | Centerback | Left Back | Central Midfield | Right Midfield | Left Midfield
Almost there. Last poll, for center forward, early next week.
I debated over the name of the poll. "Second striker," "deep-lying forward," "attacking midfielder," "trequartista.

According to Rafa Benitez, Javier Mascherano's red card was the catalyst for Liverpool's ignominious defeat to Portsmouth today. Well of course it was! It's not like Benitez is ever responsible for anything, is it? It's always something or someone else's fault. In reality though, Benitez is - as usual - the person most culpable for yet another capitulation.

Rafa Benitez is in serious trouble as Liverpool boss as his side failed to overcome bottom of the table Portsmouth at Fratton Park. The Anfield outfit were poor as were Pompey but the south coast side got the breakthrough thanks to a lashed shot from Nadir Belhadj. Javier Mascherano made things worse for Liverpool when he was sent off for a violent challenge on Tal Ben Haim.

Looks like a busy January in store for Rafa!

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The Liverpool manager has received no indication that is the case and therefore plans to raise funds for a forward by finding a buyer or an exchange for Ryan Babel, Andriy Voronin, Andrea Dossena and/or Philipp Degen.

Liverpool team to face Wolves at Anfield this boxing day. Reina, Johnson, Agger, Carragher, Insua, Lucas, Aquilani, Benayoun, Gerrard, Aurelio, Torres. Subs: Cavalieri, Pacheco, Darby, Kuyt, Spearing, Ngog, Skrtel.

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Come avevamo preannunciato, sia Arsenal che Manchester United hanno approfittato del mezzo passo falso di Carletto Ancelotti e del suo Chelsea. Il risultato di 0 a 0, rimediato a Birmingham, e le vittorie dei Diavoli rossi di Ferguson e dei Gunners di Wenger, rendono ancora più vibrante la lotta in Premier League.

Liverpool just managed to pull out a victory last night against a threatening Wolverhampton Wanderers. Liverpool had to win this one against a much organized side of Wolverhampton Wanderers. Thankfully the joint efforts of both Steven Gerrard and Yossi Benayoun helped the team overcome this uphill task, but only after Wolverhampton Wanderers were reduced to [.

The Fantasy Stuff Legends Are Made Of
For brevity's sake, I'm going to skip the game previews and discuss Studs and Duds as well as a predicted Gameweek 20 Best Eleven... It's that "in between" period in the holiday season, and we all have family / extracurricular / etc. obligations so let's go brief for these midweek fixtures.

2:45pm, live in the US on Setanta
Last 4 head-to-head:
1-3 Villa (h) 08.23.09
5-0 Liverpool (h) 03.22.09
0-0 (a) 08.31.08
2-2 (h) 01.21.08
Last three matches:
Liverpool: 2-0 Wolves (h); 0-2 Portsmouth (a); 2-1 Wigan (h)
Villa: 0-3 Arsenal (a); 1-0 Stoke (h); 2-0 Sunderland (a)
Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Torres 11; Benayoun, Gerrard, Kuyt 5; Ngog 4; Babel, Johnson 2; Skrtel 1
Villa: Agbonlahor 8; Carew, Milner 4; Dunne, Young 3; Heskey 2; Collins, Cuellar, Davies 1
Referee: Peter Walton
Guess at a squad:
Reina
Johnson Carragher Agger Insua
Lucas Gerrard
Kuyt Benayoun Aurelio
Torres
So, will we see the same team as Saturday's?

Alberto Aquilani retains his place in the Liverpool team.Dirk Kuyt also returns in place of Aurelio. Team: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Insua, Lucas, Aquilani, Benayoun, Gerrard, Kuyt, Torres.

Tonights Liverpool tema to face Aston Villa at Villa Park. The reds are hoping to continue the good finish to 2009 with a win. Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Insua, Benayoun, Lucas, Aquilani, Kuyt, Gerrard, Torres. Subs: Cavalieri, Skrtel, Aurelio, Kyrgiakos, Babel, Ngog, Spearing.

For the third successive year, I figured I'd do a midseason comparison to previous league campaigns. This ought to temper the good feelings after yesterday's match. I'm running late; the totals don't include yesterday's win at Villa, just the first 19 games. Which, as you may remember, haven't been that stellar.