Tonight my love affair with Rafa

[Guest Kev]

He disrespected the FA Cup on Saturday and he disrespected the Carling Cup last night, but most of all he disrespected the 41,892 Liverpool fans that paid at least £32 to watch that.

 

If Rafa treats these competitions with contempt, then how would he feel and the players feel if the fans did that ?

 

Imagine Anfield with only 5,000 fans in because its only domestic cup and rafa cant be arsed.

 

You rested the players at the start of season....................for what ?

 

We aint gonna win the league, and Barca will blow us off the planet, so what or why did you rest the players ?

 

Did you f*** pick the right team for tonight (aka post match)

 

Rafa, I know you will read this..............you must take a serious look at yourself tonight and ask yourself if you are the man to seriously take us to number 19, you lost so many fans tonight.

 

Tonight was the first time EVER I nearly felt embarrased to be a Liverpool fan.

[Herbie von Smalls]

when are our young players supposed to get big match experience, kev? tonight we played against a second string arsenal side. i agree it was an embarrassing performance, but don't you have enough faith in Rafa to believe he'll see this as a huge wake-up call?

[Guest Kev]

when are our young players supposed to get big match experience, kev? tonight we played against a second string arsenal side. i agree it was an embarrassing performance, but don't you have enough faith in Rafa to believe he'll see this as a huge wake-up call?

 

I have lost complete faith in Rafa like I did in Ged a year before he was sacked. Tonight was a complete and utter embarrasment.

[4411]

Thing is, Rafa will keep buying cheap second rate players and our team will suffer even more.

[alias75]

How did he disrespect the FA Cup? by playing Dudek?

 

Dudek has been an international keeper for a decade now, as a manager you cant really legislate for individual errors. The FA Cup game we were full strength bar Dudek in goal.

[Guest Kev]

Thing is, Rafa will keep buying cheap second rate players and our team will suffer even more.

 

possibilties for sure...............................................f*** off [and that is not aimed at you Aron]

[Nebraska Red]

i don't think he disrespected the FA Cup game, we got beaten fair and square.

 

i read somewhere (on RAWK I think) that he had a gentlemans agreement not to play all of our first teamers in tonight's game. if he did , that is a travesty.

 

having picked a pretty poor side, evident after the first 15-20 minutes, he shud have had the guts to change it, but injuries screwed that up.

 

sure, we will not win the PL, but Barca will not blow us off the planet. we have a decent first choice 11 who can give the game, and , with alot of luck , beat them over 2 legs.

 

Rafa may lose some fans for a few days, but they will be back for the next game as they realise this was a 1 off cup game and we still have other things to aim for. Watford away is a good place to bounce back.

 

I HAVE been embarassed to be a Liverpool fan, but it was not due to the way our team played.

 

Chin up Kev, remember , you are not a miserable sod.

Edited January 10, 2007 by nebraska red

[Guest Kev]

How did he disrespect the FA Cup? by playing Dudek?

 

Dudek has been an international keeper for a decade now, as a manager you cant really legislate for individual errors. The FA Cup game we were full strength bar Dudek in goal.

 

Poland never took him to Germany, so they knew last year. Rafa picks the team, Rafa picks the tactics. As I said in the first post, how would he and the players feel if the crowd decided that the game wasn't worth it.

 

If Parry and Moores had any integrity they would give the Liverpool fans their money back after tonight.

[Herbie von Smalls]

I have lost complete faith in Rafa like I did in Ged a year before he was sacked. Tonight was a complete and utter embarrasment.

i'm sorry for your sense of loss, kev.

 

as far as i'm concerned Rafa has earned enough slack from two seasons of trophies, not to mention his record at valencia. i think he far outguns GH, whom i loved, in terms of ability to turn things around. it's these kind of setbacks that i reckon make him ruthlessly determined to make the right changes for the longer term.

[billybunter]

gross over-reaction, comparisons with ged are ridiculous......only 2 games ago people were talking about how we were matching his valencia's style of play....

 

...alright our consistency IS a f***ing embarassment but we have shown glimpses of what we can do

 

our squad lacks any real depth but we dont (atm) have the finances to match the chelskis of the world.....

 

YNWA

[Guest Banjo]

What a crappy knee jerk reaction of a thread.

 

We've got bigger fish to fry that the crappy Carling cup and its not as we've got a huge squad of world class players that we can bring in to rest the 1st teamers.

[Shanklyanfield]

when are our young players supposed to get big match experience, kev? tonight we played against a second string arsenal side. i agree it was an embarrassing performance, but don't you have enough faith in Rafa to believe he'll see this as a huge wake-up call?

 

How many young players where out there for us compared to Arsenal though???

 

Dudek - No

Warnock - No

Hyppia - No

Palleta - Yes

Peltier - Yes

Guthrie - Yes

Gerrard - No

Aurellio - No

Gonzalez - Yes

Fowler - No

Bellamy - No

 

Subs:

Garcia - No

Alonso - No

Carragher - No

 

So out of 14 player we gave 4 young players a chance!! Arsenal probably gave as many youngsters if not more a chance and came to Anfield and beat us 6-3, nearly 7-3 if it wasn't for a penalty save!!!

 

We thought Burnley in the FA Cup would be a wake-up call!!

 

This was our only *realistic chance of silverware tonight and f*** what Wener was doing we should have put out our near-strongest if not our strongest side and been in the semi's now!!!

 

*realistic - meaning it's alot easier to win the carling cup than the Champo's especially as we've got Barca next! (although I do think we can beat them!).

[Maldini]

b******s

[Guest Kev]

i don't think he disrespected the FA Cup game, we got beaten fair and square.

 

i read somewhere (on RAWK I think) that he had a gentlemans agreement not to play all of our first teamers in tonight's game. if he did , that is a travesty.

 

having picked a pretty poor side, evident after the first 15-20 minutes, he shud have had the guts to change it, but injuries screwed that up.

 

sure, we will not win the PL, but Barca will not blow us off the planet. we have a decent first choice 11 who can give the game, and , with alot of luck , beat them over 2 legs.

 

Rafa may lose some fans for a few days, but they will be back for the next game as they realise this was a 1 off cup game and we still have other things to aim for. Watford away is a good place to bounce back.

 

I HAVE been embarassed to be a Liverpool fan, but it was not due to the way our team played.

 

Chin up Kev, remember , you are not a miserable sod.

 

I went on about our pre-season and how it would affect the players,but no-one listened. These defeats will affect the players and their confidence will be hit so badly we will not now qualify for the UEFA Cup. Watford will beat us on Saturday, our season ended tonight and so did Rafa's reign as manager.

[Shanklyanfield]

What a crappy knee jerk reaction of a thread.

 

We've got bigger fish to fry that the crappy Carling cup and its not as we've got a huge squad of world class players that we can bring in to rest the 1st teamers.

 

Just out of interest mate what bigger fish will we be realistacally frying come may?

[alias75]

I think all that tonight proved is that...

 

1. Rafa doesnt care about this competition

2. Some of our "experienced" players are past it, notably Dudek and Fowler who just doesnt have the legs to play against these types of defenders anymore.

3. Our kids arent a patch on Arsenals (ok we knew that anyway)

 

Hopefully this is another wake up call to our fringe players, if you want to make it at Liverpool FC you have to raise your level or you wont be kept on. We know Rafa is ruthless, we know he knows the academy setup needs to be overhauled (and it is being) it always hurts after games like tonight but i agree that it will only make Rafa more focussed, and if it highlights the difficiencies of some players better now than later.

[Michael]

Financially and through supporters' pressure he has managed with one hand behind his back and he has still won the most coveted trophy of all and the F.A. cup and produced unbeaten runs and clean sheets that have broken the record books. He is juggling, through no fault of his own, a lot of players who are not good enough for the top level. No-one can judge him until he has been given the money to build his own team. We know how many times he has had to settle for second best in the transfer market. We also know if we are honest that he has had unbearable pressure from the fans to accommodate certain players who would not be his choice. He is having to construct a team around Gerrard and Carragher, two players who do not suit his philosophy of football. They may be great players, one is truly world class, but he would not have bought them were they available from other teams and he had the money. That's no reflection on those two players and I know I will be slaughtered for saying it, but I genuinely believe that he is balancing things as best he can.

 

He's the right manager for us. Saturday and tonight were always on the cards and are nothing more than staging posts on the way to the great Liverpool side he will build. I don't think he was disrespecting anything. A lot of individual errors from players contributed to the results and you cannot blame the manager for individual mistakes. If we lose him we will lose one of the best Liverpool teams ever; the one he will build given money and support.

[Guest Kev]

What a crappy knee jerk reaction of a thread.

 

We've got bigger fish to fry that the crappy Carling cup and its not as we've got a huge squad of world class players that we can bring in to rest the 1st teamers.

 

Rubbish, we don't have bigger fish to fry, we wont win the league and we wont win the CL. where are these fish you talk about ?

[Nebraska Red]

I went on about our pre-season and how it would affect the players,but no-one listened. These defeats will affect the players and their confidence will be hit so badly we will not now qualify for the UEFA Cup. Watford will beat us on Saturday, our season ended tonight and so did Rafa's reign as manager.

 

 

i hope you've been drinking as you are not of sound mind at the moment.

 

our season ends when we are out of the CL and mathematically out of the race for a CL place next season.

 

that is a long way off.

 

Rafa has sent a message to those in charge that he needs an infusion of talent into a squad that looks good when all the top players are out (other than last saturday), but struggles when we have to bring in others to give the first teamers a rest.

[Guest Kev]

Financially and through supporters' pressure he has managed with one hand behind his back and he has still won the most coveted trophy of all and the F.A. cup and produced unbeaten runs and clean sheets that have broken the record books. He is juggling, through no fault of his own, a lot of players who are not good enough for the top level. No-one can judge him until he has been given the money to build his own team. We know how many times he has had to settle for second best in the transfer market. We also know if we are honest that he has had unbearable pressure from the fans to accommodate certain players who would not be his choice. He is having to construct a team around Gerrard and Carragher, two players who do not suit his philosophy of football. They may be great players, one is truly world class, but he would not have bought them were they available from other teams and he had the money. That's no reflection on those two players and I know I will be slaughtered for saying it, but I genuinely believe that he is balancing things as best he can.

 

He's the right manager for us. Saturday and tonight were always on the cards and are nothing more than staging posts on the way to the great Liverpool side he will build. I don't think he was disrespecting anything. A lot of individual errors from players contributed to the results and you cannot blame the manager for individual mistakes. If we lose him we will lose one of the best Liverpool teams ever; the one he will build given money and support.

 

Michael, I read this a few times and your views are different to mine but you put them well. I honestly believe that given the money that the Dudai people are supposedly putting in, I have serious reservations that Rafa will spend it wisely.

 

i hope you've been drinking as you are not of sound mind at the moment.

 

our season ends when we are out of the CL and mathematically out of the race for a CL place next season.

 

that is a long way off.

 

Rafa has sent a message to those in charge that he needs an infusion of talent into a squad that looks good when all the top players are out (other than last saturday), but struggles when we have to bring in others to give the first teamers a rest.

 

Sorry nb, Rafa sent a message out tonight that he hasn't got a clue about what the fans expect of a Liverpool side.

[billybunter]

f*** me we are all a fickle lot

 

The CL will be a close one this year and i believe we have as good a chance as anyone

[Guest Kev]

I think all that tonight proved is that...

 

1. Rafa doesnt care about this competition

 

 

OK, so play behind closed doors or dont enter the competition. BUT NEVER CHARGE THE FANS FOR WATCHING s*** EVER AGAIN.

 

f*** me we are all a fickle lot

 

The CL will be a close one this year and i believe we have as good a chance as anyone

 

Have you seen our record against good teams ?

[downunder]

Kev, I agree to an extent with what you are saying, but I haven't lost faith with Rafa but have what he did tonight.

 

If Dudek has that written in his contract then sack Parry .

 

Playing Dudek in both thse games hasn't woked but I think it had to be done, if Reina get ssent off gain and/or get sinjured we need a kepper who has played recentky. At least we no wknow we have a dodgy keeper to come in.

 

Chin up mate, think of me in Adelaide, working on the laptop outside on the balcony , where the sun is out and it is 37degrees today!

[Nebraska Red]

Financially and through supporters' pressure he has managed with one hand behind his back and he has still won the most coveted trophy of all and the F.A. cup and produced unbeaten runs and clean sheets that have broken the record books. He is juggling, through no fault of his own, a lot of players who are not good enough for the top level. No-one can judge him until he has been given the money to build his own team. We know how many times he has had to settle for second best in the transfer market. We also know if we are honest that he has had unbearable pressure from the fans to accommodate certain players who would not be his choice. He is having to construct a team around Gerrard and Carragher, two players who do not suit his philosophy of football. They may be great players, one is truly world class, but he would not have bought them were they available from other teams and he had the money. That's no reflection on those two players and I know I will be slaughtered for saying it, but I genuinely believe that he is balancing things as best he can.

 

He's the right manager for us. Saturday and tonight were always on the cards and are nothing more than staging posts on the way to the great Liverpool side he will build. I don't think he was disrespecting anything. A lot of individual errors from players contributed to the results and you cannot blame the manager for individual mistakes. If we lose him we will lose one of the best Liverpool teams ever; the one he will build given money and support.

 

correct. Rafa has been forced to bring in 2nd or 3rd choice players like Pennant and Bellamy when he had others that he wanted. We have been left out in the cold when going after other players. yes, rafa was not going to pay over the odds fpr certain players, but that was because he had a limited budget. if his budget is increased he can go after those players he knows can do a job for us and not worry about the money.

 

we still need a decent left back, a good forward and a reliable winger for the first team. once he gets those he can look at getting in some back ups.

[alias75]

We dont really know what Rafa will do with big money to spend cos hes never been in that position. But we do know his big money signings like Alonso, Reina, Sissoko, Agger, Gacia have usually worked out.

 

Theres always the odd Pennant or Morientas in there but in pennants case its clear we wanted Alves and couldnt afford him and in Morientas's case he just didnt work out here he isnt a bad player.

 

Because the squad was so poor when he took over we've had to sign too many players in the "maybe" range some have worked out some havent, most of the ones that havent have been moved on.

 

Hopefully now we can start getting his number 1 targets instead of settling for 2nd or 3rd choice.