It's Groundshare / Groundhog Day. Again.

Rafa is currently doing his Christmas shopping in the bargain bin and how either our illustrious owners or Mr.Purslow expect him to challenge the top clubs in Europe or the Premiership with a limited budget is a question that worries us all.

There is also a rumour going about that Mr.Purslow was appointed by the banks in the summer rather than by Hicks and Gillett and it was either accept that or have the club go into receivership. Good rumour eh? If true, or even close to the truth then it hardly does anything for Liverpool supporters' collective ulcer which is coming along nicely.

To then add insult to injury (and I do mean insult by the way) Everton's proposed relocation to Kirkby imploded during the week too and once again we were deluged with headlines again banging the drum for the two Mersey clubs to Groundshare.

Again, we got quotes stating that "Steve Broomhead of the North West Development Agency was a supporter of groundshare".

Confuses me a bit that.

If Mr.Broomhead's job is to develop the North West then surely TWO new stadiums, helping to regenerate TWO local economies and provide extra jobs in TWO locations, is better than just one stadium in one location? Maybe he can explain his rationale with diagrams and finger puppets.

Also, how does diluting the identity of both clubs help the economy of the city? Everton fans have fought to keep their club in the city so why would they want to lose their identity by sharing a stadium with their biggest rivals? Why would either set of fans want a stadium that would have to be built and designed to essentially be soulless? Neither set of fans would want to be surrounded by the colours and histories of their rivals so we'd end up with a bland, nondescript mongrel of a stadium unloved by all with the possible exception of the leader of Liverpool city council who has been a strident advocate of groundshare from the day he took office.

It seems that the majority of those who keep pressing for groundshare are those of the blue persuasion, Joe Royle being the latest.

One of Everton's most famous songs calls for "hanging Kopites one by one on the banks of the royal blue Mersey". Seems strange that a set of fans and a club with such sentiments would want to move in with us?

Maybe the only way to make the local glitterati take notice of what the majority of supporters want is for those supporters to take all of their shopping and business outside of Liverpool city council's council tax boundaries? Maybe then all the businesses that pay their taxes to Liverpool council would be a tad upset?

It might finally make those advocates of groundshare aware of the fact that THE VAST MAJORITY OF SUPPORTERS DON'T WANT IT.

The fact that Liverpool have dropped into the Europa League also opens up the possibility of both of our teams being drawn together in Europe for the first time.

That would be an interesting tie.

We also have the small matter of the derby this weekend. Everton are currently in free fall and just 4 points off the relegation zone. Liverpool need to win to keep in the hunt for the top four places and the Premiership title (I refuse to concede it's over). United are not that good and Chelsea have yet to have their poor spell.

Personally, I am expecting something of a war on the field this weekend. Both teams are desperate for a win and factoring in the local rivalry then I am expecting 100 mph stuff and plenty of physical contact.

The derby has become a win-at-all-costs game and neither set of fans care how that is achieved.

It's likely to be a one-nil job with plenty of yellow and red cards. Might make for good telly for satellite watchers but will do nothing for football.

The prospect of a shotgun wedding between the two clubs and watching such matches in a purple-bin, Mongrel On The Mersey stadium is too awful to contemplate.