Kuyt

Well, before the World Cup, I hoped the much talked-about Dirk Kuyt could be just the striker we need: a powerful, alan Shearer-type centre forward judging from reports. I know these Youtube videos can make anyone look good - even Cisse - but with Rafa keen and Newcastle and Arsenal also rumoured to be interested, I trust Kuyt could do the business.

He had a shocking World Cup. My flatmate and I watched out for him, and afraid he was pretty useless. Of course, that doesn't mean everything - Diouf had a good World Cup (2002), while Lampard was as bad as Kuyt this summer. While displacing Ruud from the Dutch side may be a promising sign, the worry was starting to form that he might be another Kezman - unable to cut it at Premiership level.

Klose was a far more popular choice on the Liverpool message board, after recent rumours; but now it looks like Kuyt's finally coming, with a fee rumoured to be as high as £10m, so I just hope I'm wrong.

Whether or not Kuyt lives up to his billing, it seems Liverpool fans are genuinely buzzing over the quality of our current squad. It's impossible to pick a team without leaving out some great players. Just look at this:

First XI Second XI

Reina Dudek

Finnan Kromkamp
Carra Paletta
Hyypia Agger
Riise Warnock

Pennant Gonzalez
Gerrard Alonso
Sissoko Garcia
Kewell Aurelio

Bellamy Fowler
Kuyt Crouch

Of course, rotation means everyone will get some chance in the first team, but look at some of the players in that 'reserve' side (Crouch, Alonso, Fowler, Garcia...) Plus I didn't include players out on loan (Cisse, Carson, Kirkland), Zenden, Diao (still on our books...) or youngsters like Hobbs, Anderson and Hammill. The future's bright, the future's red...