Rafa: I made a promise to Jerzy.

[dww]

Kusczak and Almunia are quality number one keepers let alone number twos, so the risk of playing them is not only smaller but worth taking if it means keeping them.

Almunia is not a quality number one. He is as inconsistent as Dudek, he is however better at coming in and playing just one game. I guess that makes him a better number two and also a safer call for the cup games but overall I think Dudek is a better keeper.

[Red_Polo]

Almunia is not a quality number one. He is as inconsistent as Dudek, he is however better at coming in and playing just one game. I guess that makes him a better number two and also a safer call for the cup games but overall I think Dudek is a better keeper.

Once upon a time I'd agree, but not now. Given the choice I'd rather we had Almunia in goal for a run of games, certainly if you take out the fact Jerzy knows our defence. The Dude is not what he once was IMO.

I am of course referring to Jerzy Dudek and not the protagonist of the film 'The Big Lebowski', whose qualities shall never wane.

[LFCman]

What an idiotic promise. What the hell was Rafa thinking?

[alunevans]

"I thought he did okay against Arsenal and he didn't really have a lot to do besides the goals."

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drill...70107-0906.htm

Is he losing reality altogether?? I thought he did okay against Arsenal????? Sorry but words fail me.

[Red_Polo]

He's hardly going to say he was **** but hopefully he'll be ok on Tuesday.

[LFCman]

This isn't Sunday League Football though. Promises, pffft!

Reina has been in such good form, it wasn't against some ****e team to rest him. It was a game we wanted to win ffs. I'd rather have won last night then in the CC semi.

[dww]

Once upon a time I'd agree, but not now. Given the choice I'd rather we had Almunia in goal for a run of games, certainly if you take out the fact Jerzy knows our defence. The Dude is not what he once was IMO.

I am of course referring to Jerzy Dudek and not the protagonist of the film 'The Big Lebowski', whose qualities shall never wane.

To be honest both have been shown to be not good enough to be number one in a top 6 team even. I would rather have someone who was on the way up rather than on the way down on the bench.

[alunevans]

He's hardly going to say he was **** but hopefully he'll be ok on Tuesday.

I didn't have a problem playing him as, like you say, many clubs do that with their second string goalkeeper.

But why volunteer the opinion that he did ok. He didn't. If he was asked outright about Dudek's performance he could have validly said that the goals resulted from several people making key errors, which is true.

Dudek did not play ok though so why offer that up as a quote?

If there's one thing that irritates me more than getting beat, its the manager talking palpable poo in the aftermath.

[Red_Polo]

Should've sold Jerzy a year ago or at least during the summer. He's 34 in a few months and he's not getting regular football so he's only getting worse and considering he hasn't been good enough for a while now I'm honestly baffled as to why Rafa has wanted to keep him.

[Red_Polo]

I didn't have a problem playing him as, like you say, many clubs do that with their second string goalkeeper.

But why volunteer the opinion that he did ok. He didn't. If he was asked outright about Dudek's performance he could have validly said that the goals resulted from several people making key errors, which is true.

Dudek did not play ok though so why offer that up as a quote?

If there's one thing that irritates me more than getting beat, its the manager talking palpable poo in the aftermath.

I know what you mean it does seriously grate to hear that. Let's face it though, saying he played ok is almost veiled criticism. If a player actually does ok then usually a manager will say he played well

Hopefully Dude will not have any work to do on Tuesday anyway. Crosses fingers

[SouthAfricaRed]

Should've sold Jerzy a year ago or at least during the summer. He's 34 in a few months and he's not getting regular football so he's only getting worse and considering he hasn't been good enough for a while now I'm honestly baffled as to why Rafa has wanted to keep him.

Nobody wants him - Rafa wanted him included in Kuijt deal, but they were not interested

[lfc4ever]

He's hardly going to say he was **** but hopefully he'll be ok on Tuesday.

/McEnroe/

You cannot be serious man.

/McEnroe off/

[Red_Polo]

"We have heard about how much Jerzy wanted to leave, but I said no, we needed to use all the players in the squad because we have so many games," explained Benitez.

That to me indicates it was Rafa's decision to keep him rather than him being unable to find a buyer.

[Neil Young]

That to me indicates it was Rafa's decision to keep him rather than him being unable to find a buyer.

Come on, Polo, you don't think he's going to say, "We tried to offload him but unfortunately he's so crap that no-one wanted to buy him," do you? I don't know for sure whether or not he wanted to sell him but it's perfectly feasible that Rafa's saying that either to build Dudek's confidence ('I have faith in you, Jerzy'), to suggest to anyone interested in him that only a decent price will prise him away from Anfield or both.

[Red Chilli]

What an idiotic promise to make. I'm sorry, but I expect the manager to make a decision for the good of the team not becuase he made a promise.
Shanks would have said to Jerzy "Tough luck son, you're not in the team".