Liverpool Thread

Re: Liverpool Thread

Another great quote:

"Sometimes the problem you face is not tactical, nor is it the coach, or the team selection. Sometimes it just comes down to how much a particular result or performance matters to the pride of each player." -Rafa talking about the 04/05 team not being good enough and wanting it.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Another interesting quote, this time from Paco:

"If any team, whether it's Valencia, Liverpool or Barcelona, changes four or five players in the first team and is then unable to beat a side from a lower division, that means either the squad is not competitive enough or a certain number of players are not good enough. Every footballer in your squad must be there because he deserves it. If you do not use this player, then someone has made a mistake signing him in the first place."
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Oh, that guy? Yes, he often comes on Sky Sports La Liga coverage (I get Sky Sports coverage through Star Sports). Anyways, I will look into it.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Interesting, and it'll be good news if it's true. It'll make the players show a lot more commitment if they know if they do well in training and the match, that they'll be rewarded.
 
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The hairs on the back of my neck are standing up. I'm now reading the chapter explaining the half-time of our CL win and it's just quotes. Nothing from Balague but quotes from Rafa, the staff, and the players about what was going through their minds and how they psyched themselves up, then coming out to hear the fans singing. Brilliant, the players should read this and see if it doesn't give them a rush to want to perform tonight.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

No Chico, it might be more like Blue is trying to have a proper conversation instead of throwing childish digs around :roll: I'm all for having conversations with Blue if he can post like he has been.

Abhishek, Peter, Tik etc, you guys really should get the book I mentioned before (A Season On The Brink), some brilliant quotes from Rafa and players. Makes you see Rafa as a person as well as a manager, and gives you a lot more insight into how he is who he is.

He's just been saying how, when we beat Juventus, he was driving in his car with his wife when he stopped at traffic lights. Some fans were walking down the road singing his name, so his wife suggested he should get out and speak to them seeing as they were singing his name and he shouldn't ignore them. So he got out and gave them autographs, the fans walked off singing louder and louder :)

I've got it dags, I'm about 1/4 of the way through. Not much of a book worm tbh, but will want to finish it eventually.

I DO love Rafa as a man, he is Liverpool class through and through. But I'm not sure if hes the right man. I would give him another season or two with backing but wouldn't be too upset if he goes this season as long as we get someone of equal standing in.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

^Exactly my thoughts! But we know that there are only 2 managers who have a CV as impressive as Rafa's-Lippi and Mourinho
 
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so are none of you bothered about that dreadful football liverpool play under rafa. hit it long and if that does not work hit it longer. even at valencia he was boring. Yeah they won La Liga but it wasnt pretty..
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

whatever mate. Rafa was the one who helped liverpool win CL in 2005 and reach finals in 2007. theres nothing much got to do with him. i mean he has made some mistakes but the main thing, i think is players' attitude. they dont want to play proper football this season. and ofcourse the problems of the owners always exist.
 
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oh come off it man! Rafa has been there for 4 years and the football has been ugly. It is ugly because that is how Rafa wants the players to play.

You telling me that if Rafa didnt like Carragher or Hypia launching the ball 70 yards he wouldnt stop it. They play like this because thats what Rafa wants.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Rafa's Valencia played great football. We also play decent on occassions. But, yeah, many occassions it's 'HOOF' when Crouch is playing.

Anyways, team news. Babel and Lucas are BOTH playing

Reina

Finnan, Carragher Hyypia Aurelio

Mascherano Lucas Gerrard

Kuyt Torres Babel

4-3-3. Very attacking. I am not so sure about Lucas and Babel in such a big game. Let's hope for the best. I have a slight feeling Babel might surprise us all today.

Or maybe, *shock*, Gerrard on the right, and Babel on the left!
 
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Re: Liverpool Thread

If Rafa is given the money he needs to buy players capable of playing good football then I'm more than happy for that to happen. But the fact is his hands have been tied with how much he's had to spend and he's had to make do with players. Whoever is running this club in the Summer needs to dig deep and help Rafa (if he's still there) get a proper set of players who are league-winning material. Because frankly a lot of our current players aren't.
 
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I like that team a lot, nice one :) That right there is probably close to being our best team we can field at this time. Very attack-minded and better than seeing us with one man up front.
 
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Yes, I agree. I hope Lucas doesn't disappoint me today. The occasion might be a bit too big for him though. But on form, he deserves it.

Damn, I got butterflies in me stomach!!
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

If Rafa is given the money he needs to buy players capable of playing good football then I'm more than happy for that to happen. But the fact is his hands have been tied with how much he's had to spend and he's had to make do with players. Whoever is running this club in the Summer needs to dig deep and help Rafa (if he's still there) get a proper set of players who are league-winning material. Because frankly a lot of our current players aren't.

torres? why do you still have kewell? Why did he sell garcia? Who in there right mind would buy pennant? Kuyt hasnt lived up to his rep. never gives babell a chance.. mark gonzales? Cmon man he has been given the money, he just bought shit players with it. Or one player for too much money(torres)
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Rafa's Valencia played great football. We also play decent on occassions. But, yeah, many occassions it's 'HOOF' when Crouch is playing.

Anyways, team news. Babel and Lucas are BOTH playing

Reina

Finnan, Carragher Hyypia Aurelio

Mascherano Lucas Gerrard

Kuyt Torres Babel

4-3-3. Very attacking. I am not so sure about Lucas and Babel in such a big game. Let's hope for the best. I have a slight feeling Babel might surprise us all today.

Or maybe, *shock*, Gerrard on the right, and Babel on the left!
hypia? thats a surprise.. he is way past it..
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Kewell is still here, because like many, people hoped that if he remained injury free he could be back to his former self (who was world class). Not happened unfortunately. Rafa would never have let Luis go, but he himself wanted to go, and the Garcia transfer was used to smoothen the the Torres transfer. Benayoun has been our 3rd highest goal scorer. Kuyt hasn't lived up to his reputation. Is that Rafa's fault? Is it his fault that after scoring 12 goals last season, he would turn into a shocked? But I do feel Rafa could have been more careful here.

And I am tired of giving the example. If you have 15m to buy a striker and winger, most people would buy both for that money, rather than buying one and risking a reserve. That's what Rafa has done. Give the guy a break!
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

torres? why do you still have kewell? Why did he sell garcia? Who in there right mind would buy pennant? Kuyt hasnt lived up to his rep. never gives babell a chance.. mark gonzales? Cmon man he has been given the money, he just bought shit players with it. Or one player for too much money(torres)

Torres was far too much money?! Behave!
Kewell? The lad has talent when he can be arsed using it
Garcia? Didn't have the strength to succeed in the Premier League, he admits himself the league is too fast and ruff-and-tumble for him.
Pennant? Showed a lot of promise at Arsenal and Birmingham, can have good games when he wants but isn't championship material.
Kuyt? Again, showed a LOT of promise in the Dutch league, failed to live up to it. Rafa doesn't have a crystal ball.
Gonzalez? See Kuyt.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Dags, you not attending the game?

Unfortunately not mate, I just don't have the money to buy a ticket for £35 as well as money in travel and food etc. There are tickets available for the home game to West Ham too, again I don't have the money :(

Fancy sending me some? :)
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Just watching the pre-game show, and the pundits think Ibra has done a great job filling in Shevchenko's shoes :lol:
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Not sure about the formation, atleast not for at home.

To me the formation is more like this:

--------reina---------
-----defensive 4------
------masch--lucas----
--kuyt---gerrard--babel
--------torres--------

I had something like this for the away leg, so the counter was a good possiblity. At home though, with Inter not needing to attack, I think it will leave Torres isolated.

Would have prefered Crouch to be playing as he does pose a problem, and then that would give the Inter defense two dangerous attackers to look out for aswell as the wingers and Gerrard from midfield. Now though, I think lucas and Gerrard will be getting in each others way, Kuyt won't beat anybody and will be passing it back to Gerrard / Lucas keeping them from getting forward. It will be up to Babel to make the game wide with Aurelio, but even Babel prefers to come inside on his right foot. Meaning with Kuyt the team will be very narrow leaving probably 8 (2*4) players of Inter to deal with 5, 6 Liverpool players of which they will nearly all be going towards the middle of the pitch.

I hope I'm wrong!
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

I hope you are! I would have had Alonso instead of Lucas TBH. We would need his guile and creativity against Inter.

Let's hope for the best!
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Woah! That was not bad at all! Still lacked a bit of penetration, but we completely bossed them in midfield. Same, controlling the game, now gotta finish it! Inter are a dirty team, and that cunt Materazzi deserved what he got. Couldn't handle Torres, just kept fouling him.

And no, I haven't seen Cambiasso, but I have seen Mash, running from one penalty box to the other, winning back the ball that he lost to Zanetti.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Well .......

The ref tried to help, but the lackluster Liverpool team is still here and alive. Mater's 1st Yellow Card probably wasn't, but the second definitely was, and he was so stupid or didn't realize that he was on a yellow.
 
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