Recently by Larry Moran

It was nice to beat the blue meanies from across that big empty park where a new stadium should now be but we all know that we have serious problems off the pitch.

It's getting to the point in the Merseyside Derby these days that we might as well start off with ten-a-side to get the sendings off over with.

The tackling on the field is as nasty as the atmosphere off it these days and I can't see the city ever getting back to the days of the Friendly Derby.

I was going to write about the fact that thus far we haven't made any significant signings during the transfer window but then I heard Tom Hicks Jnr had resigned.

Well blow me. What a surprise.

The surprise being that he actually did fall on his sword after the abusive email he sent to a concerned Liverpool fan. The Guy was only voicing the concerns we all have regarding the "stewardship" of Hicks and Gillett and the response of Hicks Jnr I think sums up the attitude the Americans have had towards us from Day One.

Another defeat at Pompey and although the Mascherano sending-off was a key moment you have to also say that the referee gave us nothing all day.

Rafa's post-match ironic dig at the ref went over a few heads to be honest and you would have to say referee Lee Mason's favourite book must be the Iliad.

Mind you, you need a decent side with confidence, desire and determination to overcome a dodgy ref and the only team that bore those hallmarks yesterday were wearing blue I'm afraid.

The exit from the Champions League during the week was hardly a major surprise. We were already in a position of clutching at straws to stay in the competition and most of us were realistic enough to pretty much expect those two results in the group during the week.

We've now dropped into the Europa League which many national newspapers gleefully described as "the booby prize" and you do wonder what the financial consequences will be, in spite of Christian Purslow's post-match assertions that basically "everything will be OK".

Can't quite buy into that viewpoint at present because we can all see that everything clearly isn't.

It was a good day at Anfield yesterday. The supporters demonstrated against the two owners who are currently causing us so many problems, the atmosphere was electric and we stuffed the team we love to hate the most.

Added to that was the sight of Fergie again living up to his honorary title of Britain's Angriest Pensioner.

Sir Angry Ferguson once said he "loved to see all those empty seats" at Anfield when Liverpool fans were leaving early due to being on the receiving end of defeats by United.

The sight of SAF bouncing up and down on the touchline, beach ball like, red-faced and raging at things not going his way, was a hoot.