Re: Liverpool Thread
I agree with what you are saying but sometimes certain players have just got to the point where they feel they can't succeed with the current manager and as soon as somebody new is brought it they feel revitalised and begin performing again. Whether this is right or wrong is irrelevant as it's a human factor coming in to play.
Look at Chelsea last season, they started brilliantly then something happened, Scolari made some decisions that didn't work for the best of the team like freezing Drogba out, the players weren't get along with his methods and they were playing poorly. Abramovic realised a change was needed, along comes his mate Hiddink and players like Malouda and Drogba are showing form we'd not seen for a while and playing with confidence and there's a significant improvement in the team.
It's good that Torres has backed Rafa and is rightly taking responsibility for his performances but whilst the players are at fault, Rafa is equally to blame in my opinion because at the end of the day it's his team and the buck stops with him. Players like Dossena, Babel, Voronin aren't duds, they're SEVERELY lacking in confidence and Rafa is hardly helping motivate them through this.
Carragher has always seemed like a bit of a cunt to me and it would not surprise me in the slightest if that's true about him slagging off the younger players. Same with Gerrard (different kind of cunt though

) but if it's these two that are the disruptive elements in the dressing room then this is a real problem for you because they are the only homegrown element in the first team (I know there's a few young lads coming through) and probably the most influential players you've got. If Rafa (or a new manager) gets rid of those two then it may solve the problem but I don't think the fans would be happy.
Bloody Yanks eh?
