Gerrard demands Benitez Talks (BBC Sport)

[red g]

I suppose Rafa should explain to his captain why he sent him off....good management skills.

I just hope Gerrard takes it the right way.

[captainfog]

I suppose Rafa should explain to his captain why he sent him off....good management skills.

I just hope Gerrard takes it the right way.

he already has done, this press story is complete fabrication

[Nic83]

I suppose Rafa should explain to his captain why he sent him off....good management skills.

I just hope Gerrard takes it the right way.

Why? Noone is above substitution. If the manager wants to take him off, he takes him off. He shouldn't have to explain why.


No harm if gerrard feels he'd like to know but generally a substitution shouldn't be explained to the player.


If he was playing well and dropped from the starting lineup, that's a different situation; the manager should explain so as not do damage the players confidence.

[red g]

Why? Noone is above substitution. If the manager wants to take him off, he takes him off. He shouldn't have to explain why.


No harm if gerrard feels he'd like to know but generally a substitution shouldn't be explained to the player.


If he was playing well and dropped from the starting lineup, that's a different situation; the manager should explain so as not do damage the players confidence.

and

I disagree, Gerrard as well as any other player should know why and they can try and change the way they play next time. Like Rooney who at times is a hothead, dont tell me fergiescum doesnt tell him why he has taken him off?

Gerrard was rightly gutted, but then as pointed out Lucas won us the game, but would it have needed a last ditch penalty if momo had been taken off instead? i think its important for players and managers to talk

[dww]

If he came to me and demanded talks, I would demand he shuts the **** up and goes out and earns his 100 000 and make himself impossible to sub

Surely that depends on what he wanted to talk about. To me every player should want to discuss with the manager when they are substituted unless injured. They need to know what they did and why the substitution was made if they are to improve as players or at least make themselves more useful to the manager.

[kewellnthegang]

Why? Noone is above substitution. If the manager wants to take him off, he takes him off. He shouldn't have to explain why.


No harm if gerrard feels he'd like to know but generally a substitution shouldn't be explained to the player.


If he was playing well and dropped from the starting lineup, that's a different situation; the manager should explain so as not do damage the players confidence.

the captain of the team should and does have "privileges"
so i disagree he should be allowed to ask (not demand)

[kewellnthegang]

Surely that depends on what he wanted to talk about. To me every player should want to discuss with the manager when they are substituted unless injured. They need to know what they did and why the substitution was made if they are to improve as players or at least make themselves more useful to the manager.

i think nic is not a stevie fan

or has designs on the lovely alex

[Parm]

I agree that this a nothing story.

I would have thought Gerrard would have every right to understand Rafa's thinking behind the substitution but to suggest that Gerrard has demanded talks IMO is trying to make him out to be Billy Big Boots again. Not helpful really.

[Craig_H]

Who cares.

Hello cherub

[Craig_H]

Gerrard is beginning to piss me off.

"Ooh, I got taken off, better demand showdown talks!" FFS!

I bet he didnt say that at all.

And unlike most of your punts, mine will probably win

[marcus50bucks]

Surely that depends on what he wanted to talk about. To me every player should want to discuss with the manager when they are substituted unless injured. They need to know what they did and why the substitution was made if they are to improve as players or at least make themselves more useful to the manager.

I would like you to explain this further as I think you are being very naive mate. Could you imagine what it would be like if every player questioned the manager as to why they were substituted? Gerrard is not untouchable so if the manager feels the need to substitute him then Gerrard should just take it on the chin like every other player.

[Craig_H]

I would like you to explain this further as I think you are being very naive mate. Could you imagine what it would be like if every player questioned the manager as to why they were substituted? Gerrard is not untouchable so if the manager feels the need to substitute him then Gerrard should just take it on the chin like every other player.

Yep.

[Pacman]

I would like you to explain this further as I think you are being very naive mate. Could you imagine what it would be like if every player questioned the manager as to why they were substituted? Gerrard is not untouchable so if the manager feels the need to substitute him then Gerrard should just take it on the chin like every other player.

I agree.

[dww]

I would like you to explain this further as I think you are being very naive mate. Could you imagine what it would be like if every player questioned the manager as to why they were substituted? Gerrard is not untouchable so if the manager feels the need to substitute him then Gerrard should just take it on the chin like every other player.

I don't think it is naive at all - I think all first team players should want to play and especially in big matches they want to play all of the game. If they are good enough to start and there is no fitness reason then their is a good chance that there is an aspect of their game they can work on or the manager wanted to change tactics.

By hearing what the manager wants from them the player can try to improve. I imagine they all meet with the manager to do this on a reasonably frequent basis. If not I'm frankly shocked. I think all players with any sort of desire to play for Liverpool should desire to be the best player they can be. To do this you have to listen to your managers advice.

There is an assumption in football (or at least football punditry) that asking questions is intrinsically a rebelious activity which is frankly bollocks. I tend to believe that the key to a team is communication and to meet with the manager would seem a perfectly reasonable thing to do, when he makes a substitution or another decision affecting you.

You make it sound as if talking to all players who are substituted would be an unimaginable workload for a manger but it can only possibly be 3 players a match. I think it is far more naive to assume that the best thing to do is for Rafa to be completely isolated from the players and that no communication from him would be better for the players.

[marcus50bucks]

I don't think it is naive at all - I think all first team players should want to play and especially in big matches they want to play all of the game. If they are good enough to start and there is no fitness reason then their is a good chance that there is an aspect of their game they can work on or the manager wanted to change tactics.

By hearing what the manager wants from them the player can try to improve. I imagine they all meet with the manager to do this on a reasonably frequent basis. If not I'm frankly shocked. I think all players with any sort of desire to play for Liverpool should desire to be the best player they can be. To do this you have to listen to your managers advice.

There is an assumption in football (or at least football punditry) that asking questions is intrinsically a rebelious activity which is frankly bollocks. I tend to believe that the key to a team is communication and to meet with the manager would seem a perfectly reasonable thing to do, when he makes a substitution or another decision affecting you.

You make it sound as if talking to all players who are substituted would be an unimaginable workload for a manger but it can only possibly be 3 players a match. I think it is far more naive to assume that the best thing to do is for Rafa to be completely isolated from the players and that no communication from him would be better for the players.

You make some very good points. I don't see there being a problem when players choose to speak to the manager if they're not getting enough time on the field. What I don't agree with is your views on players speaking to managers whenever they are subsituted.

Gerrard is likely to play another 40-45 games this season so if he is substituted for 35 of those games are you suggesting that he knocks on Rafa's door and questions why he had been replaced? Not only that what about the other players that will also get susbtituted? If we go by your logic it would mean that every week Rafa will have a maximum of 3 players knocking on his door demanding to know why they had been replaced. What if the same person is substituted during the next game, should he again knock on Rafa's door?

Like I said you make some good points but I think players have to be more balanced in situations like this. Its ok players speaking to managers now and again (as stated in my first paragraph) but come on man, requesting to speak to a manager each time they're subbed is taking the piss in my view and in a sense it can appear as though you're undermining the manager intelligence.