Galatasaray 3 Liverpool 0

What the fuck was that all about?

Seriously.

I’m not arsed about the result. I’m not worried that we have lost two consecutive preseason games 3-0 and conceded 3 in each of the four games played so far.

What arses me is that when the players and management should be preparing for the new season, they were pissing about in Turkey wasting everyone’s time by playing a match that they quite clearly didn’t want and weren’t prepared to take seriously.

Doni in goal; a back four of Flanagan, Kelly, Kyrgiakos and Insua; fucking Poulsen in midfield with Shelvey; Jack Robinson on one wing and fucking Degen on the other; fucking Joke Cole in the hole, and Andy Carroll inexplicably picked to play with the dross.

What the fuck?

Right now, Andy Carroll needs to build his confidence up. The supporters need to build a bit of confidence in Andy Carroll. We need some reassurance that Kenny, Comolli and co didn’t blow £35m on a player not worth £5m. How is that supposed to be achieved when he has shit players around him who can’t string 3 passes together let alone supply anything resembling goal-scoring chances?

Why has fucking Poulsen featured in every preseason game so far? He is shit. What does he need games for? Surely Kenny and co aren’t thinking of using him in a competitive match(?) so why is he out on the pitch clocking up minutes that could be helping another player to gain fitness and sharpness ahead of the new season? I’ve heard the claims that Kenny is putting him in the shop window but it doesn’t wash. No prospective buyer is going to watch him gifting Milan Baros a goal and think “I must sign him”. If anything, giving him game time is going to make him harder to offload. He is an embarrassment to the club and must not be allowed to pull on a Liverpool shirt again.

The same sentiments apply to Philipp fucking Degen. Why the fuck was he playing?

And what about Kyrgiakos? Don’t get me wrong, I like the Greek but he is too error prone and too susceptible to pace to play for a club with the lofty ambitions that we hopefully have. We need better quality. Seeing him playing in every preseason game and captaining the side last night, it didn’t appear as though he was a player earmarked for the exit.

Meanwhile, one of the few players to do himself justice, Alberto Aquilani (who came on at half time), continues to be linked with moves away. Aquilani is the one player who has consistently impressed in preseason. He looks a quality footballer who belongs in a top team. I dearly hope the press speculation is nonsense as I cannot comprehend why we would consider parting with this player without giving him a proper chance to show us what he can do in our first team.

I can understand that with a game in Norway in just a few days and with all the travel this schedule involves, Kenny might not have wanted this fixture. I can understand that despite the wishes of the manager and his staff, the money men might insist on an inconvenient fixture being played in order to tap into the Turkish market. However, with a squad the size of ours, I cannot understand why we needed to field a team that weak. The first and second half teams used in the Far East were all stronger than the XI that started yesterday.

It was embarrassing to see that team and hear it called Liverpool FC.