Liverpool Thread

Re: Liverpool Thread

Abhishek said:
Careful what you wish for.

When Ferguson goes, we'll have the best manager in the league. If Rafa left, we'd never be able to replace him with a manager as good.

The FACT is, and it's been proved over the years, and with our league form, we're in the Top 3 teams of Europe at the moment. The only shame is one of them is in our league. And at our very best we can beat Barcelona and United (as we already have).

We were not even in the Top 10 when Rafa came.

He's not been brilliant in the transfer market, but he's still been bloody good. Only Torres? What about Alonso? Alonso for 10 fuckin million. That's a steal if there was ever one. Mascherano, Reina, Skrtel, Agger, Benayoun?

British media (and the vast majority of fans) have no clue how good Benitez is. He's in the very top echelon of managers. Just the fact that he's 'Spanish', has the audacity to challenge Ferguson, not exactly a flair manager and a little overweight, people consider him a 'lucky' manager. Bullshit. Not one manager in the world I'd have over Rafa. The fact that's conjured up a title challenge with all the bullshit that's going around in the background is a minor miracle.
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If you end the season in third (which you've just gone back into), given what rubbish seasons United, Chelsea and Arsenal have had (by their standards) do you still believe Rafa is the man to get you to the title? I don't think he is.

He'll always be a great cup coach, because his negative, controlling, stifling football means that games usually get decided by a single touch, a single decision (look at every 'big' Pool game in recent memory - it's always the way). He doesn't play expansive football, he doesn't set his team up with a lot of attacking threat. He ensures that teams will struggle to break his team down. It's negative football, but it's also negative football at its very, very best.

I put it another way. If Ferguson coached Liverpool, and they fielded a team consisting of Gerrard, Alonso, Kuyt, Babel and Torres - do you think you'd get more shots off? Play more attacking? I mean Alonso and Macherano are essentially two defensive midfielders. Javier is made for that, but Xabi is so skillful, he really should be up the pitch.

Personally I think your performance int he league this year has been a lot down to closing games well. If you hadn't nicked a series of very, very late results earlier in the season, no one would even be having these discussions.

Anyway, it doesn't matter, because I don't think you have a squad that can compete with Chelsea and United. And the league is the great leveller, and it looks like its now coming true.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Summed it up there Beachryan, I think They could fall to a 3rd vs 4th battle with Villa.
 
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Re: Liverpool Thread

Totally agree with that Ryan.

Also in a cup game there is no incentive for the other team to sit and defend (as they can't get a point for a draw). Most of you're poor results this season have come from struggling to break down teams 'parking the bus'. In the cup Rafa succesfully employs that tactic as the other team have to try to get a goal and end up conceding from a set-piece or lucky break (like Real on Wednesday). He seems content to play for a draw more often than he does to win. Even the two cups Rafa has won you were both on penalties after the matches ended with draws!!

In my opinion, this is the whole reason why 'everyone is against Liverpool', they're unnattractive and boring to the neutral.

Anyway todays result was a nice suprise after the day I've had!
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Iv been saying for weeks now chelsea are title contenders, liverpool never have been, its just the media got carried away!!! we'll have the title wrapped up by early april, mark my words! but there's always NEXT YEAR!!!
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Abhishek said:
And at our very best we can beat Barcelona and United (as we already have).
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Yeah, but these victories have come when both Barca and United have played nowhere near their best.

If we and Barca played you and both competing sides were on top form, you wouldn't get near Barca, and you wouldn't beat us, your team isn't good enough.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

matherto said:
Yeah, but these victories have come when both Barca and United have played nowhere near their best.

If we and Barca played you and both competing sides were on top form, you wouldn't get near Barca, and you wouldn't beat us, your team isn't good enough.
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More like we didn't allow them to play that well. I couldn't remember exactly abou thte barca game, but like Real on Wednesday, it's more of the stifling defense that helped us to that scoreline than anything. Rafa's better in defensive tactics rather than attacking, and that's where it makes the difference by having offensively great players like Torres and Gerrard.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Know that its pretty obvious the race is over, I have to say It will take something special to get you lot out of the CL, Apart from Barca I'd probably put you lot alongside us.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

I still think you guys are in need of someone like Iniesta in your midfield. I think you lack some creativity/skill there.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

I agree Lami. We hoped Benayoun would be the answer but he isn't getting chances really.

John Aldridge was pretty scathing about a few things on the phone-in last night. He's fed up with Ryan Babel saying we gave him a break because Rafa didn't start him and we believed if he started then he'd be great. But Rafa has started in on both wings and up front and he's been poor regardless so thinks Babel needs to go.

He also said he agrees with other fans that it doesn't make sense to see Benayoun score against Madrid then drop him to the bench.

And lastly, too many players have gone REALLY off-form and need to get their act together. Riera was the main one who he said started off brilliantly but is now acting like he's reached some kind of comfort zone and has been very poor lately.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

I believe Rafa is not looking for that type of player. We know Xabi has creativity but he cannot display it because of the team's situation and mentality. Rafa would prefer to see his midfield with 3 DMF's.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Pfff, what a mess. We started so, so well, and then conceded a goal, and it fell apart. Guess that's the title challenge over. United are going to cruise through, so we better hope to keep the difference in single figures.


beachryan said:
If you end the season in third (which you've just gone back into), given what rubbish seasons United, Chelsea and Arsenal have had (by their standards) do you still believe Rafa is the man to get you to the title? I don't think he is.

He'll always be a great cup coach, because his negative, controlling, stifling football means that games usually get decided by a single touch, a single decision (look at every 'big' Pool game in recent memory - it's always the way). He doesn't play expansive football, he doesn't set his team up with a lot of attacking threat. He ensures that teams will struggle to break his team down. It's negative football, but it's also negative football at its very, very best.

I put it another way. If Ferguson coached Liverpool, and they fielded a team consisting of Gerrard, Alonso, Kuyt, Babel and Torres - do you think you'd get more shots off? Play more attacking? I mean Alonso and Macherano are essentially two defensive midfielders. Javier is made for that, but Xabi is so skillful, he really should be up the pitch.

Personally I think your performance int he league this year has been a lot down to closing games well. If you hadn't nicked a series of very, very late results earlier in the season, no one would even be having these discussions.

Anyway, it doesn't matter, because I don't think you have a squad that can compete with Chelsea and United. And the league is the great leveller, and it looks like its now coming true.
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Mate, I really, really don't believe the negative, controlling that people come up with. Did you watch yesterday's match. Our attack in the first 30 mins was relentless, we kept attacking. Had 2-3 chances, which someone like Torres had buried. It was our attacking that gave Boro a chance, and eventually the win.

We attack, we attack quiet a lot. Our weakness is lack of cutting edge, which is due to our players. Lack of killer finishing, lack of a killer pass. That's down to quality, not the manager's tactics.

Get it this way, we've scored 2 goals less than you (you have a game in hand), 4 less than Chelsea, and 5 more than Arsenal, which are considered the most attacking team in the league. Our attack is worse than yours, but not by much. But look at this, we've conceded 9 more goals than you. That's huge IMO. And more of contributing factor to our season. Our defense is nowhere near as good as some people think. Imagine if we'd held leads against Wigan, Everton. That would have been some more points.

It's two things, our lack of cutting edge, and poor defense. I agree with this

frangoitia said:
Guys, remember my words, as long as Carragher keeps in the team, we will never win the Premier.
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He's been shite this season. Too many silly goals conceded this season. Our attacks not the best, but defense is worse.

Anybody who thinks Rafa is negative, yada, yada, just watch a game objectively. All games, we go on the attack from the go, and attack relentlessly. The problem is lack of quality in attack, which needs to be fixed. It's not a tactical problem though.

Rafa's teams are not free flowing, they never will be. They're rigid, systematic, but are ruthlessly effective. It's the same with Capello. He's not made England best simply because other nations have better players. It's same with Rafa.

Shocking anyone can compare Rafa with Mourinho. Jose is overrated, and is basically been handed the two most expensively assembled squads in the last decade (Inter and Chelsea). His teams play awful, awful football, far worse than Rafa's teams, he hasn't a clue tactically. And he's never cared for his club. He won't stay at a club to build a dynasty. He simply whores himself out until a club has resources, then goes away.

And don't give me that Porto bullshit. He had world class players like Carvalho, Deco. And players like Carlos Alberto, Costinha, and Maniche who were one of the best during that time.

Talk about replacing Rafa, you talk about replacement, and who do you have? I've said my views on Jose. Who else? Mancini, perhaps, but he's struggled in Europe. Rijkaard, who can't man manage, and again, zero tactical awareness. There are no alternatives.

I'll keep it simple, when Ferguson goes, we'll have the best manager in the league. Rafa has a vision, a project, and he needs to see it through. Nothing, NOTHING will be achieved by sacking him. He'll be given true control from the summer, and then we'll see how he plans his project. He's not perfect, but there's no one else I'd rather have. I've presented my case. I won't listen to the rotation, zonal marking, negative, cup manager, yada, yada, yada of Sky. Don't care, I have an opinion of my own. Rafa's in the top league of managers. Him, Ferguson, Capello, Ancelotti. That's the top league of managers. He's there. He's taking Liverpool there as well.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

yeah great post abhi, all that plus all the spanish players in your squad that came and will stay because of bentitez.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

About time you went back to posting those big brilliant posts, bhai. ;) On the subject of Mourinho, he never has a Plan B, as he showed at Chelsea, where most of the time he would sub Huth on and stick him up front when he was behind. I really do hope that Juventus overtake Inter and show that Inter are not "dominating" Serie A like the English media seem to think so.

Obviously Rafa has continuously improved Liverpool season after season and only a fool would get rid of him. He showed he can put together a title winning team at Valencia. But he has made mistakes, just like all managers do. But a good manager will learn from those, which Benitez will do.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

I agree with the points - but Skrtel at right back when you have Carra there too...thats a simple fucking plan right there - dont put Skrtel right :LOL:
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

If he ever minds the mystery of Wing backs and Wingers then you'll have the squad capable.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Carragher is overrated. Why do you guys love him ? I went to the Stadium tour and I bought the book and it is Carragher this, Carragher that ...
He is awful !!!
 
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Re: Liverpool Thread

"Minds" was meant to say "Finds" :)) Benitez hasnt signed any real quality players in those two positions and if he does then you'll have a better chance of winning the league

Im off to the United thread now (Also loved how you called it the "Manchester Thread" some City fan must have had a heart attack)
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

YoungGun_UK said:
"Minds" was meant to say "Finds" :)) Benitez hasnt signed any real quality players in those two positions and if he does then you'll have a better chance of winning the league

Im off to the United thread now (Also loved how you called it the "Manchester Thread" some City fan must have had a heart attack)
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We all know that the City of Manchester is all evil asi the city of Liverpool is all red.
 
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