Stan The Man

[molonyg]

Collymore with his expert opinion. This guy is a genius!

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Gambler Rafa is risking all with Gerrard
Stan THE MAN COLLYMORE'S TAKE ON THE WEEKEND
Collymore 22/10/2007

Rafa Benitez sure does like a risky decision. Because his move to substitute Steven Gerrard 20 minutes before the end of Saturday's game against Ever ton defied belief.

And if that was a shocker, Rafa's explanation afterwards was priceless. Gerrard? Brainless? This was the guy who had run 70 yards to win the penalty that got Liverpool back into the game.

The guy whose guile and cunning has unlocked countless defences to break deadlocks throughout Rafa's reign and Gerard Houllier before him.

One thing is certain. Had Liverpool not gone on to win on Saturday, that substitution would have come back to haunt the man who is emerging as one of the most stubborn managers ever in the Premier League.

He has kept the same side just once in a staggering 160 matches. The one time everyone did expect him to change, just as he was about to bring up the century, he stuck with a settled 11.

But he needs to tread very carefully with Gerrard (right). You could see the amazement on his face when his number was held up on Saturday and Jamie Carragher's face was a picture too. But it is Gerrard's schedule which is catching up with him. I said in this column last month that the big games he would have to play for Liverpool and England would take their toll on him and that's exactly what has happened.

But he normally comes good in the big games and I fully expect him to be back to his best for next weekend's blockbuster against Arsenal.

Perhaps he should sit out the Champions League game against Besiktas this week.

I mean, Spurs beat the Turkish side in the UEFA Cup last season and the Premier League is the priority for Liverpool. At least, it should be.

But back to Saturday and that decision not to allow Everton a penalty at the end was a disgrace. How Mark Clattenburg cannot see a 14 stone bloke being pulled backwards in the box is mystifying and proves how much we need video technology.

The bottom line is that his decision allowed Rafa to survive yet another bad day at the office. You wonder how many lives the lucky Spaniard has got.

I think Rafa deserves his 'luck' with the Lucas substitution, Gerrard was playing ok against Everton and hasn't been playing at all since he came back from injury, to be disappointed with being subbed is one thing but no player is bigger than Liverpool.
Anyway we payed 6mil or so for Lucas so we have got to play him sometime and Stevie G got a bit of a rest before the next 2 big games