James Lawton = c u n _

[Dhav]

Genuinely a laughable piece. And i never take any journalist seriously when he mis-spells player's names. Hleb's first name isnt meant to have an 'e' in between the 'd' and the 'r'.

He certainly comes across as an arsenal fan or someone who hates Liverpool

Is there an email address for Mr Lawton? I'd quite like to bring to his attention the fact that if you take away Arsenal's goals this season, they havent scored any...

[desertscouser]

I reckon any Arsenal fan with half a brain would cringe at that article. Lawton's an idiot. A big idiot.

[Dhav]

I reckon any Arsenal fan with half a brain would cringe at that article. Lawton's an idiot. A big idiot.

that rules most of them out then

[AFII]

What every journo seems to forget is that there isn't a single manager in the PL that is excellent both in europe and in the league, not a single one.

Rafa, excellent in europe, good in the league.
Wenger, excellent in the league, poor in europe.
Fergie, excellent in the league, poor in europe.

It's very, very difficult to succeed in both europe and the PL because you need so many different type of players.

[Craig_H]

No, it's very difficult to WIN both the league and the CL in the same season. To be successful in both is something Chelsea and Man Utd have both managed.

[AFII]

No, it's very difficult to WIN both the league and the CL in the same season. To be successful in both is something Chelsea and Man Utd have both managed.

I can't call Man U record in Europe succesful and Chelsea have not even managed to get to the final yet even that Roman have splashed out £300m+ on players.

[Craig_H]

I can't call Man U record in Europe succesful and Chelsea have not even managed to get to the final yet even that Roman have splashed out £300m+ on players.

United got to the semi finals last season, didnt they?

Chelsea have been to three semi finals too.

Is reaching the final your only definition of being successful in the CL?

[BFG]

United got to the semi finals last season, didnt they?

Chelsea have been to three semi finals too.

Is reaching the final your only definition of being successful in the CL?

Surely winning it is the only real success especially to clubs who spend like Man U and Chels?

We've come third in two of Rafa's PL seasons and he gets criticised for our league form. By your definition has he not been very successful?

[Frank Leroux]

I think you guys are being unfair to Lawton. I've generally found him very balanced - even tending towards a positive outlook wrt LFC when on Irish radio. I suspcted he was a Red, in fact. Do a search (as I did) - he'll call it as he's sees it I think. You'll easily find an item by an Arsenal fan doing him for his comments on their 2006 CL final.

It appears to me that other than the extremely blinkered Tompkins (is he a journalist?), all journlists are to be treated with suspicion. Real paranoia..., me thinks

[Joe King]

What the **** is this guy rambling about? I got bored half way through.

Anyway, in parts of his article he makes out Arsenal battered Milan apart and created a mass amount of chances when in fact, Milan were very impressive limiting Arsenal to one clear cut chance at the end when Adebayor missed the open goal.

Milan were a side who came with the pure intention of getting a 0-0 or even better sneaking a goal. They defended really well by narrowing Arsenal and making it very congested and at times Arsenal were playing hoof football which they ridicule out of others.

He can talk about Fabregas having wit and playing a marvellous game but he lacked the ingenuity to carve open a very rigid, stubborn and intelligent Milan backline.

[calvoboy]

James Lawton is an excellent journalist, and has been one of the best sports journos in the country for the last 20-30 years. He has written some fantastic articles on Hillsborough over the years, and is one of the few who kept writing about the injustice even after the bulk of the British press had moved on to their next moral panic. He has also written some great articles about Liverpool over the years, and he has a huge soft spot for us.

That makes this article all the more disappointing, and bewildering.

[Shaggy]

James Lawton is an excellent journalist, and has been one of the best sports journos in the country for the last 20-30 years. He has written some fantastic articles on Hillsborough over the years, and is one of the few who kept writing about the injustice even after the bulk of the British press had moved on to their next moral panic. He has also written some great articles about Liverpool over the years, and he has a huge soft spot for us.

That makes this article all the more disappointing, and bewildering.

I thought it was him but this article seemed so out of character I assumed I'd got it wrong and it was in fact the other Lawton - Matt Lawton - that I had in mind as being the good journalist with a soft-spot for us.

[MattB]

This kind of article (Lawton's that is) is just a symptom of everything that is wrong with footie these days. Sky may have brought lots of money in, but they also brought the middle classes - who want instant gratification and to be 'entertained' - ****ing Theatre of Dreams says it all. And all this talk of the 'new Kop' being part of the show at the new anfield sticks in my thoat too - what so the hardcore fans are there to entertain the corporates and the prawn sandwich brigade?

Footie used to be played by the working classes for the working classes. it was about togetherness, identity and pride - entertainment was secondary to winning and bragging rights.

I know those days are long gone, but when you see articles appearing basically saying that a nil-nil is beter than a two-nil win because it was prettier to look at, you know the game is dying.

**** **** bollocks

[Shaggy]

This kind of article (Lawton's that is) is just a symptom of everything that is wrong with footie these days. Sky may have brought lots of money in, but they also brought the middle classes - who want instant gratification and to be 'entertained' - ****ing Theatre of Dreams says it all. And all this talk of the 'new Kop' being part of the show at the new anfield sticks in my thoat too - what so the hardcore fans are there to entertain the corporates and the prawn sandwich brigade?

Footie used to be played by the working classes for the working classes. it was about togetherness, identity and pride - entertainment was secondary to winning and bragging rights.

I know those days are long gone, but when you see articles appearing basically saying that a nil-nil is beter than a two-nil win because it was prettier to look at, you know the game is dying.

**** **** bollocks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MusyO7J2inM

[Cormack74]

He should look back to last years CL final when we outplayed AC Milan. Did he wax lyrical about our display then ?

Anyhow im sure things will be different next year when DIC are in charge and Benitez has been replaced.

Coincidentally one of the Telegraph Journos in yesterday's paper (not Winter) referred to Milan as being comprehensive winners of that game.

Incredible.