Hicks - "I Have No Problem With Rafa"

[Kilteragh]

Les it's not that difficult to stock a club shop or put a few more people on the phone lines. If you want to capture the 'hearts and minds' of the average fan then you do the little things as well. It's not as if they've been here a week or so. However I don't blame them entirely, Moores should have sought greater financial guarantees as to their ability to finance the deal.

Things have definitely improved in sports shops in Ireland. LFC merchandise used to be like gold dust and now all shops are well stocked. There is an enormous market over here.

Not saying the new guys are whiter than white but things have improved in some areas. We finally have a tv channel too. We also have one of the top strikers in the world. Just need to add more quality now. This transfer window may tell a lot.

Agree wholeheartedly with the comments about the owners coming out with statements. No matter what they say people with either take a negative slant or slag them off for saying anything publicly at all. They can't win. I don't feel sorry for them. They're rich enough to put up with this ****.

Anyone who wants DIC in is talking through their arses. Nobody knew what G&H were going to be like and nobody knows what DIC would have been like so statements like "I wish we had gone with DIC" are the greatest load of bollocks.

[redlancer]

My opinion is that despite the new commercial director things are just as bad. By the time March comes round there will be no point buying the black shirt because the new ones will be due out.

It's shocking really to be honest. When I was in the one in town there was tourists waiting to give the store their money for the red shirt and they never had any.

The tourists were then going next door to JJB and buying them there.

How come a retailer next door had plenty of the shirts but the official club store never?

Very shoddy.

that could be down to addidas supply agreements - individual stores not forcasting demand.

we're 6 months into new ownership who knows what contracts are in place and for how long.
Untill they are in a position to put in place thier contracts and setup hard to be critical IMO.

I've now been employed by 2 large companies all in the 500M plus ranges that have be bought out/taken over and it might come as a suprise but things don't happen over night as when they do it oftens only needs to be readdressed later

[Roboklopp]

At this early stage I imagine they will be looking at long term strategies rather than short term fixes as far as merchandise is concerned.

[Darth Marty]

going back a page id like to point out 2 things, a) i dont read any tabloids, b) what i do get to hear i dont take as fact, so I really dont understand your response to my factual post. The club shop is ****ed, and I will go on what the yanks do and not say. Wheres the problem in that?

[Mattimetal]

It seems like the message LFC want to convey out there to the media and our competition is that there is turmoil in the club. We had this before no money blah blah blah then bang! We buy Torres, Babel and Benni.. So let's just wait and see what happens come January.

I don't think we should be buying too many players this transfer window as the side has gelled this year altho the more I see of Voronin the happier I am that G&H saved us by buying Torres.

We obviously need defensive cover but nothing more really, I was a lot happier also reading the quotes regarding the new stadium as well. I'm happy in general (unlike plenty of sour p**ses here) we're 9 pts off the leaders with a game in hand and it's almost new year - when last did that happen...?

[slimbimjim]

Right I hope that puts an end to it. What manager is going to want to work for Liverpool knowing such two facedness IF they did sack Rafa after those statements.

[Roboklopp]

Please see other thread

[desertscouser]

Right I hope that puts an end to it. What manager is going to want to work for Liverpool knowing such two facedness IF they did sack Rafa after those statements.

I agree.

I think we can rest assured now that Rafa will not be sacked for NON FOOTBALLING reasons as had been hinted at by the media over the last month or so. If we continue to progress under Rafa then imo his job is safe.

[G]

"I think our team played like they mentally didn't think they were good enough to win, played tight,'' Hicks said ''

His view of football is getting better too.Thats exactly how I thought we played,afraid to really take the game to them.The one time we really went at them was the cup quarter final.transfer that to the league please.

[captainfog]

His view of football is getting better too.Thats exactly how I thought we played,afraid to really take the game to them.The one time we really went at them was the cup quarter final.transfer that to the league please.

do you not think that is what he was told by Rafa at their meeting?

[bazza76]

His view of football is getting better too.Thats exactly how I thought we played,afraid to really take the game to them.The one time we really went at them was the cup quarter final.transfer that to the league please.

That is the quote that worries me to be honest, Hicks quote that is. He is only in football for a wet day and now he thinks he is qualified to give his expert opinion about what went wrong during the game, it is a worrying quote for me, because it suggests that Rafa's motivational techniques or preparation is not up to what it whould be.
Personally, I think it was more a case of being up against a good side, a very staong defensive side who were defending deep and made it difficult, while trying to catch us on the break. I have noticed in recent seasons, United are getting more and more defensive or carfeul when they come to Anfield, they dont approach us with their usual week in week out gung ho attitude when they come to anfield.

[Skillz]

That is the quote that worries me to be honest, Hicks quote that is. He is only in football for a wet day and now he thinks he is qualified to give his expert opinion about what went wrong during the game, it is a worrying quote for me, because it suggests that Rafa's motivational techniques or preparation is not up to what it whould be.
Personally, I think it was more a case of being up against a good side, a very staong defensive side who were defending deep and made it difficult, while trying to catch us on the break. I have noticed in recent seasons, United are getting more and more defensive or carfeul when they come to Anfield, they dont approach us with their usual week in week out gung ho attitude when they come to anfield.

I know where you are coming from but TBH he is right. He may not know Football that well but he knows sports and what he said rung pretty true to me. There was a lack of belief and it is our greatest barrier to the title. Beating our major rivals. Once Rafa starts doing that we will be serious contenders.

[Roboklopp]

Aye, but part of the reason for that lack of belief is the lack of quality creatively & only a serious cash injection is likely to solve that in the short-medium term.

[Neil Young]

That is the quote that worries me to be honest, Hicks quote that is. He is only in football for a wet day and now he thinks he is qualified to give his expert opinion about what went wrong during the game, it is a worrying quote for me, because it suggests that Rafa's motivational techniques or preparation is not up to what it whould be.
Personally, I think it was more a case of being up against a good side, a very staong defensive side who were defending deep and made it difficult, while trying to catch us on the break. I have noticed in recent seasons, United are getting more and more defensive or carfeul when they come to Anfield, they dont approach us with their usual week in week out gung ho attitude when they come to anfield.

I agree. Hicks can have his opinion but he knows f*ck all about football and as co-chairman would be well-advised to keep his views private rather than risk undermining the manager in public. Of course, he couldn't intentionally be looking to blame the management team, could he?

As for Man United, they play counter-attack against us at Anfield, a point that never gets mentioned by the drooling, cliché-spouting pundits.

[AFII]

G&H have talked the talk a lot.

I will praise them when they turn their talk into action but until then I will be very critical how they run the club.

The stadium is already another year late and they pay for players through loans.