Q & A with Letter of the Weekend Winner Daniel Gan

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When and why did you become a Liverpool fan?
I have been a Liverpool fan for over 17 Years, ever since I was 12. I had three big reasons then – John Barnes, Ian Rush and Bruce Grobbelaar! Since than, the reasons just kept on growing and to top it off, I am a huge Beatles fan! Glory Liverpool!

What was the most memorable experience you had as a Liverpool fan?

Is Benitez the right man to take Liverpool forward?

(Picture: Reuters)

RAFA Benitez has finally put to bed speculations about his Anfield exit by signing a £20m contract that will keep him at Liverpool till 2014.

The Spaniard delayed signing an extension to his contract earlier to negotiate for more control in transfer dealings, as well as the youth academy, and was recently pencilled as a possible replacement for Juande Ramos at Real Madrid at the end of this season.

While Benitez has won the Champions League, FA Cup and the Community Shield since he took over in 2004, Liverpool’s form in the Premiership has been erratic.

The Reds are mounting their first real challenge on the Premiership title since 1990, but needed a special dispensation by Uefa to defend their Champions League title in the 05/06 season after finishing 5th in the Premiership the previous season.

Who will be the next to choke?

FOLLOWING yesterday’s thread on the biggest possible threats to our three main title challengers, today’s Thought of the Day will centre on the physical and mental toughness of Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea in their remaining nine (10, in United’s case) Premiership matches.

With just four points (seven, if United win their game in hand) separating United from Chelsea and Liverpool, all three teams can ill-afford to drop points from now till 24 May, but inevitably, somewhere along the way someone is bound to slip up. The question is, who will blink first?

THE POSTMAN LIM SAY HENG says: LIVERPOOL would be the obvious choice, wouldn’t it?

Question of the Weekend (Who can take over Rafa?)

(Picture: Reuters)

THE POSTMAN’S QUESTION OF THE WEEKEND:If Rafa Benitez leaves Liverpool, who should take over his place and why?

Should Rafa risk playing Gerrard tomorrow morning?

CAPTAIN Steven Gerrard has been included in the squad that will face Real Madrid in the Champions League tomorrow morning (Singapore time), raising the possibility that the inspirational midifielder will take the field for the first time in three weeks since injuring his hamstring.

Should Rafa risk playing Gerrard, who has an impressing scoring record in Europe but has yet to complete a full training session since his return from injury?

THE POSTMAN LIM SAY HENG says: Knowing Benitez’s emphasis on the Champions League, Gerrard will probably play some part of tomorrow morning’s tie, but it might not be the best option, given the state of Liverpool’s domestic challenge.

Was Mourinho aiming at Benitez or Ferguson?

THE ‘SPECIAL’ One has caused ripples in the Premiership by claiming that he sees himself in the Chelsea hotseat again, while not specifying when he could make a return to Stamford Bridge.

Along with the claim, the Inter coach also talked about his penchant for risk-taking, which he feels is a quality that not many Premiership managers share.

He said:”Some managers have a big excuse when they go to a big club. They say ‘I need a lot of time to do it’. If you say this, you get protection.

“If you don’t win the title in the first season, or second season, you can keep saying ‘I need time’. Sometimes you stay for four or five years, keep not winning, and then keep demanding more time.

“I could never be like this. I live for the risk. I believe you can do it in the first season, and if you do not, you fail. I prefer it like this. I prefer the pressure because that’s how I live.”

THE POSTMAN LIM SAY HENG says: While such self-affirming words would not come as a surprise, read between the lines and one may sense that he is actually having a dig at Sir Alex Ferguson or Rafa Benitez, who does not share a good relationship with the Portuguese.

Q&A with Letter of the Week winner Er Chian Kong

When did you start supporting Liverpool and why? 

I started supporting Liverpool in August 1994. Back then, there were limited telecast of the English Premier League and I happen to catch the highlights of the Liverpool vs Arsenal in which Robbie Fowler scored a hat trick in 4 minutes.

I was mesmerised by the simplicity of Liverpool’s passing, in which they dominated possession and the players seemed so calm under pressure. In fact, playing their way out of trouble seemed to be Liverpool trademark in those days.

I then began to read up more about Liverpool whenever I could (there was no internet back then) and since then there’s no turning back!

Q&A with Letter of the Weekend winner Alan Song

Hi all,

Welcome to this new section in the Postman, where we conduct a short Q&A with our Letter of the Week and Weekend winners.

Our inaugural interview is Alan Song, who won the Letter of the Weekend on Tuesday. Read below on what he has to say about the recent flurry of transfers at the end of the January window and Liverpool’s recent victory over Chelsea.

Do you think Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Chelsea will be the turning point for the Reds, after their recent string of results?

It will be only a short turning point. This result will rejuvenate them to win for next 3 to 4 matches but this rejuvenation will not last long as they tend to go back to their old habit of defending their lead again instead of trying to score more goals.

More draws are expected but I do not see them losing matches but the drawn matches would already have cost them the title.