Post match knee 'jerks' in here please.

[bigfooty]

We don't seem to have an attacking mentality. That is the main problem. We are happy with the draw. Italian mentality, defence first.

Indeed, and it comes from his Spanish roots where you don't need quite as many points to claim the title.

Last 8 years in Spain average points tally of winners = 77.6
Last 8 years in England average points tally of winners = 88.3

When Rafa won it with Valencia he did it with 75 and 77 points. If we keep up our current form we'll manage around 73 points. That's nearly enough to win a title in Spain, it's nowhere near enough to win anything in this country.

[Cormack74]

Rafa has my undying respect for securing #5 and giving us a shout of #6.

However it's getting to the stage now where some of his choices are unfathomable.

If as is rumoured G&H keep in touch with the views of fans you have to wonder which will bend first, Rafa's stubborness or G&H's patience.

I can't see him taking advice, so . . . . . . . . .

[Johnny]

I wouldnt go that far mate. If he had started Kewell and Crouch and we drew the game, people would say we shouldnt have started a half fit kewell and why are we playing crouch against Chris Samba.

Our style of play and system cost us today.

We were a different team with Crouch and Kewell as Subs.Before hand we were ****e.If crouch doesnt start on Tuesday were fecked.

[Fowler_God]

Rafa did inherit a good team at Valencia as well. He took over from Hector Cuper who left to join Inter Milan (if memory serves me right) because he had done such a good job with Valencia.

Rafa only had a few little tweaks to perform at Valencia, here it has been open heart surgery on what was a shockingly poor squad he took over.

[Rashid]

Rafa did inherit a good team at Valencia as well. He took over from Hector Cuper who left to join Inter Milan (if memory serves me right) because he had done such a good job with Valencia.

Rafa only had a few little tweaks to perform at Valencia, here it has been open heart surgery on what was a shockingly poor squad he took over.

I agree with that but some of that "shocking squad" won us number 5.

[Johnny]

I agree with that but some of that "shocking squad" won us number 5.

Because of Rafa.

[bigfooty]

And of that "shocking squad" he inherited Finnan, Carra and Stevie, 3 top class players in their positions. He also got Riise, who was solid until the last 18 months when Rafa ****ed about on the left instead of getting a proper Kewell replacement, and Sami who has been pretty solid despite his advancing years. Oh and Kewell himself who seems to still be an automatic choice if he can get fit.

[redwien]

Today's match proved one thing for me, Babel is no winger and never will be.







and that a Kuyt and JAR are ****e.

[willa1975]

I don't think it's a knee jerk reaction that we've been playing poorly for two months and counting...and that our current run of poor form is consistent with what has happened to us over the past two seasons as well. Our squad is considerably better than it was two years ago, but we aren't playing any better football than we were back then. I was worried last year that we had taken a step back, falling off considerably when you look at how many points separated us from the champions. Looking at the way we're playing this year, we aren't likely to do any better, and we're not likely to have another Champions' League run to put a shine on the season.

All sides have poor runs, but top sides don't play poorly for several months. We are becoming unwatchable...our football today was as bad as anything we produced under Houllier. Kuyt, if anything, has regressed as a player since he joined us, and playing him alone up front pretty much guaranteed that we'd never look like scoring today.

The way things are going, we're not likely to make it out of the Champions' League group stages, and we'll be lucky to finish fourth. Rafa's brought in a number of players, and has at least had as much money to spend as Wenger over the past few years. But Wenger has basically rebuilt his side over the past few years since Arsenal's last league title, and has a team that is scoring goals and playing attractive football. We, on the other hand, have been embarrassing, talking about titles in August only to be out of contention by December. Our failure to display any progress on the pitch over the last three years has to fall, in some part, on the manager.

People criticize Rafa for rotating players, but he doesn't change the side any more than Ferguson or Mourinho...speaking of rotation, why doesn't he ****ing rotate Kuyt for once? I'm starting to believe that it isn't rotation, but Rafa's tactics that are the problem. Sure, we had a couple of chances to score today, but those came more from loose balls falling to our players and/or defensive errors from Blackburn than from the quality of our football. This simply isn't good enough, and we'll never advance beyond playing in the CL qualifiers in August the way we're going.

The frustrating thing is that we've got some genuine quality in the squad. But as a whole, we are undoubtedly less than the sum of our parts. Again, this falls on the manager.

I'm not giving up hope just yet, but if we don't turn things around sharpish, we should look for a new manager next summer...

[Craig_H]

Indeed, and it comes from his Spanish roots where you don't need quite as many points to claim the title.

Last 8 years in Spain average points tally of winners = 77.6
Last 8 years in England average points tally of winners = 88.3

When Rafa won it with Valencia he did it with 75 and 77 points. If we keep up our current form we'll manage around 73 points. That's nearly enough to win a title in Spain, it's nowhere near enough to win anything in this country.

Interesting post.

[tomasjj]

I am sure it has been said earlier in this thread, but here it is once more:

Dirk Kuyt is not good enough to be in the first 11 of LFC.
Sell.

Woeful first touch.
Atrocious finishing.
Running in water.

[alunevans]

YES, see above

Another thing about rafa is the fact that after 3/4 years, he still hasn't taken gerrard off corners.

I reckon if he had, and Gerrard was in the box and a better quality corner taker was firing them in, it would have meant 10 extra goals per season

Absolutely spot on shout. Gerrard should be loitering edge of the box. I'd understand if he could take corners - but he cant really can he.

[Howard_lfc]

I am sure it has been said earlier in this thread, but here it is once more:

Dirk Kuyt is not good enough to be in the first 11 of LFC.
Sell.

Woeful first touch.
Atrocious finishing.
Running in water.

I will agree with you on this one sir.

[tomasjj]

I will agree with you on this one sir.

You sensible, young and handsome* man.













*according to Jay's mum.

[mick the click]

Didn't see the match. It's painful reading this lot...