Dogged Rafa calls Torres back to front

[Darth Marty]

have to say im completely undecided on the Rafa issues - I like him and he has undoubtedly improved us as a team and a club. But can he push on?

mmmmmm...........

[Dan]

Oh heeby jebus Rafa does something that he thinks is right for the team and now we doub't if he can get us the league title

Torres is a fantastic player but lets be honest, his performance against Porto was muck so why should he instantly go into the starting 11 anyway? We've got 3 other strikers and I can promise you this will not be the last time this season that Torres will be left on the bench

[Jazzmaster]

Oh heeby jebus Rafa does something that he thinks is right for the team and now we doub't if he can get us the league title

Torres is a fantastic player but lets be honest, his performance against Porto was muck so why should he instantly go into the starting 11 anyway? We've got 3 other strikers and I can promise you this will not be the last time this season that Torres will be left on the bench

Everyone was muck against porto.

Torres, when he came on against Brum was easily the most threatening to their goal which puts lie to any of rafas suggestions that torres was not suited to the type of game.

It was a mistake leaving him out, no question.

[The_weatherman]

Everyone was muck against porto.

Torres, when he came on against Brum was easily the most threatening to their goal which puts lie to any of rafas suggestions that torres was not suited to the type of game.

It was a mistake leaving him out, no question.

I can agree with that, but every manager makes mistakes, I don't see the need to turn on Rafa's back after one mistake I was not surprised that Torres didn't start against Pompey as he played two internationals and got injured in international duty as well. So, IMO, it's only one mistake we are talking about here......

[Sir Bob]

Rafa has always been difficult to understand in terms of team selection and substitutions. However, because I know he's such a top notch manager I've accepted them. Whilst we've done so well under Rafa its hard to argue about anything he's done. Overall he's done an pretty unbelievable job in my book.

But this season has been worse than ever, particulary with regards to Torres. If Torres does play tonight, its impossible to see any logic behind it. Rafa's gone on record saying th League Cup is our 4th priority. His teams in previous years have backed this up.

I can't think of any reason why Torres should play tonight but I couldn't see why he didn't play on Saturday. I know Rafa said it was because his pace wouldn't be utilised against a negitive Brum side, defending so deep. But if that the case, Torres won't play very often at Anfield because at least half the visiting teams every season play a similar way.

As long as Rafa is successful, his baffling tactics can't really be questioned. However, if we don't mount any sort of title assault this season, it will be very difficult to justify them.

[kemm1]

if Torres plays tomorrow then I will really begin to question Rafa's judgment. Tomorrow is tailor made for Crouch

I hate the fcuking Carling Cup, I really hope we play the reserve team.

[paulcooper4]

So now were complaining if Rafa DOES start Torres?

I feel for Rafa, whatever he does is pulled to bits by the modern day liverpool fan.

He was the ****test manager in the universe the other day because he DIDNT start Torres.

[Pacman]

I wrote this elsewhere:


Play the best team against Pompey and get the points which were so obviously there for the taking in the first half. Don't rest the players for a match against Porto in the first stage of the group play. Any fool can see that we will get 9 points at home (at least 7) and probably 4 or 6 away. We didn't need a result against Porto.

Switch to a 3-5-2 against Brum when you can see they offer nothing forward and are only there to defend. Get the extra man in midfield that we clearly needed. Lucas would have done nicely in there with Mascher and Gerrard.

Show some of the alleged tactical skill and what the **** is going on with the substitutions? Are you dense or just completely incapable of changing your gameplan when it's not working? Athens anybody? Second half substitutions - too little too late! The last time we saw some action from the bench was in Istanbul, where the tactical blunders were so obvious after the first half that you had to be ****ing retarded not to act at halftime.

I fart in the general direction of Rafas tactical faculties. Sorry but I do.

Should we let him go? It really depends on who we could get instead. All I can say is that I'm not gobsmacked by Rafa. If Gus was knocking on the door I would definitely open it and sit down and listen to what he had to say.

I just don't believe Rotation Rafa has what it takes to win us no. 19.

What a crap post.

So you would play 3 at the back against a team that's playing one up front? Makes perfect sense

I'm not even going to pass comment about what you've written about Rafa as I know I'll only get some sarcastic comment.

What a truly unbelievably **** post.

[CAD]

**** the Porto game I don't give a flying **** about it. We will progress from the group stage regardless. Marseille and Besiktas FFS. We could field the 83 team and still do enough to progress. We could even bring back Diao and make it.

We clearly looked MUCH better when Torres and Gerrard came on against Pompey. Much much better. There is no reason to debate that fact. Why not play Momo against Porto? He was made to run around all over the pitch and kick Quaresma to smithereens.

After the Derby game we had momentum. After the Pompey game we went back in neutral. After the Brum game we had a lot of stuff in the dresssing room but not momentum.

[Pacman]

**** the Porto game I don't give a flying **** about it. We will progress from the group stage regardless. Marseille and Besiktas FFS. We could field the 83 team and still do enough to progress. We could even bring back Diao and make it.

We clearly looked MUCH better when Torres and Gerrard came on against Pompey. Much much better. There is no reason to debate that fact. Why not play Momo against Porto? He was made to run around all over the pitch and kick Quaresma to smithereens.
After the Derby game we had momentum. After the Pompey game we went back in neutral. After the Brum game we had a lot of stuff in the dresssing room but not momentum.

Because his wife was giving birth

[paulcooper4]

In my humble opinion. our fans now are ****e.

I fully agree that supporters should criticise, its your right being a fan. BUT the criticism should come secondary to the support you show, especially when things arent going as they should.

At the moment I definitely feel our fans show far far more willingness to slate the team and especially the manager than they do to support them.

[CAD]

What a crap post.

So you would play 3 at the back against a team that's playing one up front?

Makes perfect sense

I can't begin to descibe what I think of your post. ****e doesn't cover it.

If you try to tell me that you can't play a 3-5-2 against a team playing one man up front then you don't need to answer. I will just file you in the "stupid beyond help" section.

[Pacman]

In my humble opinion. our fans now are ****e.

I fully agree that supporters should criticise, its your right being a fan. BUT the criticism should come secondary to the support you show, especially when things arent going as they should.

At the moment I definitely feel our fans show far far more willingness to slate the team and especially the manager than they do to support them.

[Pacman]

I can't begin to descibe what I think of your post. ****e doesn't cover it.

If you try to tell me that you can't play a 3-5-2 against a team playing one man up front then you don't need to answer. I will just file you in the "stupid beyond help" section.

Answer me this then gob****e why on earth would you have 3 centre backs against one forward? Stick to ****ing net ball mate you clearly know **** all about association football or have never ****ing played the game.

[The_weatherman]

I can't begin to descibe what I think of your post. ****e doesn't cover it.

If you try to tell me that you can't play a 3-5-2 against a team playing one man up front then you don't need to answer. I will just file you in the "stupid beyond help" section.

Who were you going to deploy at the back with Agger out injured, we also had Xabi injured and weren't Benni and Momo unavailable? I also think that playing 5 across the middle against Birmingham at home would have worked to Brum's advantage, stifling all midfield play instead of using the fullback to support the flanks in trying to stretch a compact team that's sitting deep in their own half........