rafa versus stevie g...

[SouthAfricaRed]

does anyone else here share my suspicion that rafa would have preferred to have sold sg when those two opportunities presented themselves a couple of years back? i can't shake the feeling that sg is not a rafa type player - he's a loose cannon and flair player who just doesn't fit with rafa's mentality. he's too egotistical and too much of a big name.

i think rafa has been pragmatic enough to see and respect the place that sg occupies in the minds of the fans - "talismanic" local lad - but can anyone else see the argument? or is rafa so detached that he just isn't given to any sentimentality when it comes to players ****ing off because they aren't being shown the love?

If Rafa wanted rid of Gerrard, he would be gone. Rafa does what is best for the club and has no qualms about getting rid of stars if needed. As Owen and Mendietta at Valencia

[dmulla]

does anyone else here share my suspicion that rafa would have preferred to have sold sg when those two opportunities presented themselves a couple of years back? i can't shake the feeling that sg is not a rafa type player - he's a loose cannon and flair player who just doesn't fit with rafa's mentality. he's too egotistical and too much of a big name.

i think rafa has been pragmatic enough to see and respect the place that sg occupies in the minds of the fans - "talismanic" local lad - but can anyone else see the argument? or is rafa so detached that he just isn't given to any sentimentality when it comes to players ****ing off because they aren't being shown the love?

I think he did want to sell him, but has since changed his mind.

[kop-al-74]

does anyone else here share my suspicion that rafa would have preferred to have sold sg when those two opportunities presented themselves a couple of years back? i can't shake the feeling that sg is not a rafa type player - he's a loose cannon and flair player who just doesn't fit with rafa's mentality. he's too egotistical and too much of a big name.

i think rafa has been pragmatic enough to see and respect the place that sg occupies in the minds of the fans - "talismanic" local lad - but can anyone else see the argument? or is rafa so detached that he just isn't given to any sentimentality when it comes to players ****ing off because they aren't being shown the love?

So why didn't he sell him?

Rafa would not of committed himself to liverpool if he was being pressurised in terms of keeping players or selling players.You have to give Rafa alot of credit but even a fool can see that Gerrard is arguably the best footballer in his position in the world and no manager in his right mind would want to get rid unless they really had to, either due to financial pressures or the player actually getting too big for his boots therfore creating unrest in the dressing room or undermining the managers decisions.

As none of these issues apply here.I can't see where you get your suspicions from.

Rafa has just come out and said that the club is showing it's ambitions by tying down Gerrard on a long term contract,one that will see him play for us for the best part of his career.


Gerrard is a model pro.Never in the papers for the wrong reasons and a prime example of local boy come good.He is infact,imo, a managers wet dream in terms of the ideal player/captain.

[Johnny]

No.

Silly thread

It is a bit.

Sg is a versatile match winner,the type of player Rafa would try to buy if SG played abroad.

[Draxdor]

friedk...Post of the Year candidate.

[NICKZS]

**** off back to old toilet...

Come on now, don't be nasty

[kop-al-74]

What do you want me to do?



Win this;



and this;



then this again.



There's a good boy.

What a great response.Fantastic.

[Maestro]

Ok, let's be fair here.
The problem with this thread is that it is PRESENTLY a non-issue.

It was a valid talking point after Istanbul though, so let's not be too hard on the original poster.
My view is that Rafa thought that SG was gone (he did hand in a transfer request, remember), so he quickly and professionally accepted the fact and started to
plan for the future of the club with the transfer fee we *would* have gotten from Stevie's sale.
The whole thing was a communication problem in the end, and both parties nearly ****ed up to such a degree that Stevie left against his will or that of the club.

Now - that was in 2005. Everyone has since learned from their mistakes and I think that any notion that Rafa doesn't rate SG as one of his most important players is a foolish one.

I'll just illustrate the reasons why Rafa rates Stevie using a few images:

[kop-al-74]

Ok, let's be fair here.
The problem with this thread is that it is PRESENTLY a non-issue.

It was a valid talking point after Istanbul though, so let's not be too hard on the original poster.
My view is that Rafa thought that SG was gone (he did hand in a transfer request, remember), so he quickly and professionally accepted the fact and started to
plan for the future of the club with the transfer fee we *would* have gotten from Stevie's sale.
The whole thing was a communication problem in the end, and both parties nearly ****ed up to such a degree that Stevie left against his will or that of the club.

Now - that was in 2005. Everyone has since learned from their mistakes and I think that any notion that Rafa doesn't rate SG as one of his most important players is a foolish one.

I'll just illustrate the reasons why Rafa rates Stevie using a few images:

Whats with the sig maestro? Is it Hope?

[Red_Polo]

**** off back to old toilet...

Hopefully you're just being facetious....?

Nicey, I don't think that level of vitriol was really justified.

That said I just don't see where you're coming from on this one badpiggy.

[Maestro]

Whats with the sig maestro? Is it Hope?

Is that what the name Ümit means then?

My sig is devoted to Ümit Korkmaz.
He's a 21 year old left-winger for Rapid Vienna and is slowly becoming a cult hero with his displays. He was born and bred in Vienna, but his parents are Turkish immigrants, hence his name. He grew up playing street football, so a lot of the crowd can identify with him - I love the guy!



Ümit! Ümit! Ümit! Ümit! Ümit! Ümit! Ümit! Ümit! Ümit!

[kop-al-74]

Is that what the name Ümit means then?

My sig is devoted to Ümit Korkmaz.
He's a 21 year old left-winger for Rapid Vienna and is slowly becoming a cult hero with his displays. He was born and bred in Vienna, but his parents are Turkish immigrants, hence his name. He grew up playing street football, so a lot of the crowd can identify with him - I love the guy!



Ümit! Ümit! Ümit! Ümit! Ümit! Ümit! Ümit! Ümit! Ümit!

Umit korkmaz translated is hope unafraid.

ThanksBeen meaning to ask you for a while now.Gonna go and look him up now.

[Maestro]

Umit korkmaz translated is hope unafraid.

ThanksBeen meaning to ask you for a while now.Gonna go and look him up now.

Cool - must tell my mates that.

[dww]

**** off back to old toilet...

I thought you were just taking the piss with this. But now everyone seem sto think you were serious so I'm going to do the only sensible thing and respond with:

A smiley for all occasions.

[thesilverfoxlfc]

This seems a post that should of been posted about 2 years ago, at the height of Stevie leaving or not