Sport Liverpool Football Club

[ras el hanout]

LULz. My friend - a lifelong Red - thought Liverpool would be 10 points "off the pace" this year. I bet him £50 it would be more than 10. That steak dinner I'm going to buy myself is going to taste pretty sweet - sweet with failure and his pain. Come on Villa!

You're lying. Nobody would make that bet at the start of the season as we thought we were going to win it. So fuck off you lying fucking trolling twat.

[Sng]

Rafa's summed it up in his typical fashion:

"To draw away is sometimes good but when you want to win it is not so good."

[Guest]

Rafa's summed it up in his typical fashion:

"To draw away is sometimes good but when you want to win it is not so good."

Let me sum it up.

SHIT

[Guest]

Can't argue with that! I quite like Rafa, and would love him to mount a genuine challenge, a real shame it seems to have petered out this year, especially when you have a genuine world class striker.

[Guest]

Plus it's not like he hasn't bought players. Benayoun...is he really any good. He's in and out of the side. I'd prefer to see him sacrificed for Crouch.

It's all very disappointing really.

And as a Captain does Gerrard really inspire the players still???

[dogsout]

Why does everyone want him to play as a second striker? He doesn't strike(lol!) me as a link up striker to sit behind Torres.

Because he's a forward. He was predominantly used on the left of a front three in Holland. He's very versatile and Rafa's just easing him into life in England gently. I'd imagine he's attempting to improve the defensive side of his game and his technique on the ball; better he get used to English football and learn how to make space for himself over here on the wing , rather than being marked out of games by physical centre backs. I'm pleased with the way Rafa has eased him into the side so far.

As for the game and my general mood regarding our season at the moment: Shit and shit and more shit.

Torres, though.

[ras el hanout]

Because he's a forward. He was predominantly used on the left of a front three in Holland. He's very versatile and Rafa's just easing him into life in England gently. I'd imagine he's attempting to improve the defensive side of his game and his technique on the ball; better he get used to English football and learn how to make space for himself over here on the wing , rather than being marked out of games by physical centre backs. I'm pleased with the way Rafa has eased him into the side so far.

I think Rafa's too hung up on players improving their defensive sides (I'm glaring at you, Dirk). Our defense is great, I'd rather Babel focus on going forward.

And surely you learn how to be a centre forward by playing as a centre forward? Learn the rest after learning that first. Having said that I think I'd rather him as a winger. We've got Torres. Torres and Crouch, in my mind at least, is a dream team.

[Kelthink]

:'( etc.

[dogsout]

I think Rafa's too hung up on players improving their defensive sides (I'm glaring at you, Dirk). Our defense is great, I'd rather Babel focus on going forward.

And surely you learn how to be a centre forward by playing as a centre forward? Learn the rest after learning that first. Having said that I think I'd rather him as a winger. We've got Torres. Torres and Crouch, in my mind at least, is a dream team.

I think the way Rafa has handled him is the right approach to take with him. It'll make him a more complete player in the end. As I said before he joined us: He is still raw and has flaws in his game that need ironing out. Rafa's approach with him so far will go some way to improving that.

[phresh]

I think the way Rafa has handled him is the right approach to take with him. It'll make him a more complete player in the end. As I said before he joined us: He is still raw and has flaws in his game that need ironing out. Rafa's approach with him so far will go some way to improving that.

He could well turn out to be a great striker but can you really see him playing alongside Torres? I think he would be considerably better in a Ronaldo-esque position, drifting between midfield and upfront. Plus if you do stick Babel upfront it means finding another left winger, unless Kewell finds some form of course.

[Guest]

Well the FA Cup replay is on Tuesday. That better be a good win...after that some important games coming up.

Monday, 21 January 2008

Liverpool v Aston Villa, 20:00

Wednesday, 30 January 2008

West Ham v Liverpool, 19:45

Saturday, 02 February 2008

Liverpool v Sunderland, 15:00

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These three should all be wins. I don't care that Villa are doing alright. It's a home match. Sunderland are rubbish, and not beating West Ham away would show us up as unable to progress any further this season. 9 points there are pretty vital. THEN...

---------------------------------

Sunday, 10 February 2008

Chelsea v Liverpool, 16:00

---------------------------------

Anelka could have some fun there, who knows...that's gonna be a tough one, confidence and points needed going into this one.

---------------------------------

Tuesday, 19 February 2008

UEFA Champions League

Liverpool v Inter Milan, R1, L1, 19:45

---------------------------------

Then all that starts up.

[Shevchenko]

Liverpool could do with someone like Vicente. At the moment all their wingers are really crap compared to the other top three teams.

[Kelthink]

Rafa could stick Gerrard on the right and we'd be far better. But Steve will kick up a fuss or whatever, regardless of it being better for the club.

[Takizawa]

I was thinking Gerrard should maybe have a few games on the right now Xabi is back and try and get some stability.

It's kinda depressing at the moment and surely (hopefully) can't get any worse.

[Warszawa]

I've said before, and I've said again...if the owners are not planning to sack Rafa they NEED to issue a statement backing him unconditionally NOW. They have only served to undermine him since November, that inevitably filters through to the players - As I've seen written in various places across the internet, you can't expect the manager's underlings to have full confidence in him when his bosses are being coy about his status at the club. The only positive I can give them is that, unlike the previous regime, they will actually sanction £20m+ moves, but that's tempered by them not giving him any more money overall, even in a season after which he brought the club more Champions League riches.

As I've said previously, we SHOULD be behind Man Utd & Chelsea because Rafa inherited a squad vastly inferior to both and hasn't spent more than them since he took over (he also, of course, inherited a vastly inferior squad to Arsenal, but as we've been considerably more successful than them since 04-05 onwards I'm not willing to judge anything there until the end of the season) but we can't even make against the odds progress with the manager being fucked around by a couple of clueless Americans and Rick Parry, the man who arranged to sell to them so that he could keep his own job.

Anyone seen Ronaldo today? The player our (previous) board wouldn't sanction a £4m move for just before he switched to Man Utd.

I think any notion that suggested us to be EXPECTED to win the league this season was deluded, to be honest. What indication was there that we could usurp two clubs with vastly more expensive squads than us who didn't just sit still in the summer? If one looks at it rationally, that is the case....the media and the 'Sky generation' of fans have a different idea though...and that is why there's a media witchhunt against Rafa and has been for a long time - kudos for Martin Keown for not kotowing and actually acknowledging that today, unlike the majority of the hilariously unknowledgeable former players who now serve as talking heads on atrocious TV programmes. Arsenal are a different matter, but that's what Wenger - and only Wenger - does. Still hasn't won one of the biggest trophies since 2004 though, and I don't think they will this season. And even they had a shitty result today.

[Guest]

Don't talk shite, you should be way closer to the big 2 than you are and you know it.I quite like Liverpool, but you have to agree there has been more mismanagement at all levels than at Chelsea or Utd in the last few years and that is a bigger reason, more than purely monetary, for your current situation.

[Twyford]

I've said before, and I've said again...if the owners are not planning to sack Rafa they NEED to issue a statement backing him unconditionally NOW

Bollocks they do. Newcastle's owners were backing Allardyce the week before he got sacked. All any kind of statement does is feed the media frenzy. Liverpool should do their talking in private, like they always used to.

[Shevchenko]

Rafa did very good at Valencia against teams such as Barca and Madrid. So why can't he compete with Man Utd or Chelsea? The players should really be blamed, not the lack of money. If you can't kill off teams such as Birmingham or Wigan in your own ground then you won't be challenging for the title. Stop using this money excuse. You spent more money then Everton and Villa, yet they have the same points as you. Also maybe Parry has screwed up with a few targets, but you really should be able to kill off teams at home. Last season everyone was saying your a striker short of challenging for the prem, now it seems your a winger and striker short. Why sign Benayoun and Voronin then?

[lampkin]

Rafa did very good at Valencia against teams such as Barca and Madrid. So why can't he compete with Man Utd or Chelsea? The players should really be blamed, not the lack of money. If you can't kill off teams such as Birmingham or Wigan in your own ground then you won't be challenging for the title. Stop using this money excuse. You spent more money then Everton and Villa, yet they have the same points as you. Also maybe Parry has screwed up with a few targets, but you really should be able to kill off teams at home. Last season everyone was saying your a striker short of challenging for the prem, now it seems your a winger and striker short. Why sign Benayoun and Voronin then?

Actually, I thought everyone on here was saying we were a defender, winger and striker short...

Yeh, we all know you can't just spend lots of money and win the title.

[ras el hanout]

I've said before, and I've said again...if the owners are not planning to sack Rafa they NEED to issue a statement backing him unconditionally NOW. They have only served to undermine him since November, that inevitably filters through to the players

We were playing badly before November but I fully expected you to pull out the undermining card. The way you have it set up Rafa can't be wrong. If he gets sacked it was because he was undermined and not given backing. The bad results (which began before November) aren't Rafa's fault.

[ras el hanout]

Arsenal are a different matter, but that's what Wenger - and only Wenger - does. Still hasn't won one of the biggest trophies since 2004 though, and I don't think they will this season. And even they had a shitty result today.

They're challenging though, that's what we want, right?

So we haven't got the best manager. What's so crazy about wanting the best manager? You see we're going to need the best manager in the Premiership to win it. Without him we'll be pretty much where we are, forever.

Maybe there is another guy out there who could do a Wenger.

And what were the pundits saying that was so wrong? Were they saying we didn't play well and we should be doing better? How dare they!

[Das]

Liverpool could do with someone like Vicente.

What, another left winger who's always fucking injured?...GREAT IDEA.

[SomeNaiveChump]

I think any notion that suggested us to be EXPECTED to win the league this season was deluded, to be honest. What indication was there that we could usurp two clubs with vastly more expensive squads

Liverpool's squad is almost as strong as the other three and should be competing on their level. However it is being mismanaged at the moment. Voronin and Benayoun are wastes of space and should not be playing at top-four level, especially with many superior players in their positions Liverpool squad. It's almost too obvious to state that a quality striker and winger should have been signed in their place; instead, in the 11 Rafa is playing regularly you have way, way less quality in those positions than any time in the last few seasons. Even (old) Fowler was more effective than Voronin.

Squad values according to transfermarkt.de

Chelsea €419m total; average player €14m

Man Utd €328m total; average player €11m

Liverpool €289m total; average player €9m

Arsenal €218m total; average player €8m

[ras el hanout]

Voronin and Benayoun are both good players. Voronin looked great for his first few games. Kuyt looked great at first.

It's just with every game these players look worse and worse and not up to the task. If that's the case then it's Rafa's fault for buying them, if, as I think, they're just not enjoying playing football, not confident with what they're being asked to do and all that then that's Rafa's fault too.

What do you guys reckon about this DIC stuff? I can't see them giving those two a massive profit to get the club but the guy from DIC really is a Liverpool fan, so it would be kinda cool, I guess.

[Sng]

I thought the DIC stuff was done and dusted? The guy was like "nobody fucks me with so I'm out" and I imagine he's stubborn enough to not give it a second look.

I'd rather DIC owned than the two Americans though.

[SomeNaiveChump]

Voronin has never been a good player though. Not Premiership standard anyway. Average showings in the Bundesliga for a previously strong Leverkusen team which has failed to finish in the top four since he signed for them, 6 goals in 51 games for Ukraine (most of those being games against minnows), and the only time he has scored 20 in a season was in the 2.Bundesliga years ago. Considering he contributes absolutely nothing to the team but his 'strike rate' and was available on a free after he couldn't win a new contract at Leverkusen, I cannot begin to imagine why Rafa thought he was good enough for Liverpool in the first place, and how he still keeps his place above Crouch while playing so poorly and contributing nothing to the team - frankly it's mystifying.

See also - he hasn't scored for Liverpool since Oct 7. In the time since then, Crouch has scored four when given the chance (and two more for England).

[Guest]

Let's be honest.

RUBBISH

Benayoun

Voronin

Kewell

Riise

Pennant

Kuyt

Sissoko

Also unproven/not sure on now

Finnan (getting on)

Aurellio (he never plays)

Arbeloa

That's most of the first team. Horay.

To be honest I think I've cottoned onto certain signings of Benitez/those he keeps faith in. Let's see if you can spot the common link...

GET A HAIRCUT! I think Rafa is obsessed. Bring back Berger.

[Dandy_Sephy]

Theres nothing wrong with Benayoun. He's not showing his full potential granted, but he's far,far,far from rubbish. Kewell's performance since coming back from injury has been decent enough. lets not forget he's barely played the last couple of years due to nagging injurys. he can't be expected to perform at full level so quickly. Sissoko has pretty much gone already so cross him off your list. Finnan, Aurelio and Arbeloa all show qualitys that will make them great players given time. Finnan certainly has plenty of good games

[Kelthink]

GET A HAIRCUT! I think Rafa is obsessed. Bring back Berger.

Grow a haircut.

[V3zna]

Let's be honest.

RUBBISH

Benayoun

Voronin

Kewell

Riise

Pennant

Kuyt

Sissoko

Also unproven/not sure on now

Finnan (getting on)

Aurellio (he never plays)

Arbeloa

That's most of the first team. Horay.

Benayoun, Kewell and Kuyt are rubbish? What reality do you live in?

Not being sure on Finnan (mr. consistant), Aurelio (undoubtedly good but obviously very injury prone) and Arbeloa (our best player this season apart from Torres) confirms to me that you are utterly clueless when it comes to football.