Back Rafa.. or the Kop wilderness years could stretch on to eternity(Reade)

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

If it's not something good coming from a journo you won't state that he's got it somewhat right in his article.

But as you say, let's wait and see.

Jesus wept.

Positive or negative - and that all depends on your bias to begin with - I've always taken a wait and see approach on all things press related re LFC.

Surely taking any other stance is folly?

[Guest]

Jesus wept.

Positive or negative - and that all depends on your bias to begin with - I've always taken a wait and see approach on all things press related re LFC.

Surely taking any other stance is folly?

Or realistic ?

[blacky]

Jesus wept.

Positive or negative - and that all depends on your bias to begin with - I've always taken a wait and see approach on all things press related re LFC.

Surely taking any other stance is folly?

How long do we wait though? When the takeover happened a year ago where did you think we would be as a club today?

[AFII]

You mean "no I haven't got any evidence"

AFII, does it EVER, for one second, cross your mind that maybe, Jusssssst maybe, Rafa doesn't want to spend 30 million every window just for the sake of it.
Maybe, jusssssst maybe, he only buys the players he wants for the right prices.

Is that a possibility? Or does he want to spend 30 million every window?

Also, any talk of past seasons are irrelevant as it was under a different ownership.

So that's why he has moaned that he want to be backed in the transfer market

Thank you I didn't realized that he had been backed to much and wanted to be backed to cut down on the spending.

[Dhav]

We're not talking about "supporting the manager" we're talking about this perceived split between the manager and the owners and the fact that the media keep stirring it up.
Also we're talking about these claims that Rafa's been frozen out and has no idea how much money he has to spend. All specualtion/lies

Yes, but the perceived split has led to speculation that the manager's job is under threat. Unfortunately, stating that the split was down to a misunderstanding that has now been resolved has not been sufficient to kill the speculation stone dead. I think giving public support to the manager is important if you want the speculation to end and the pressure on the manager to ease.

The claims that Rafa's been frozen out and has no idea of his budget are speculative, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're not true.

I just feel the club has been complicit in allowing the speculation to continue. A few carefully chosen public words could have ended this right from the start before it festered. Was it a deliberate ploy by the club?

[Fowler_God]

Tom you must have realised by now that people on forums on want to hear what they want.
When the inevitable happens and the Yanks sack Rafa and dont sign Mascherano then people will be shaking their heads saying 'i didnt see that one coming'

You all want to listen to Tom when he tells us about player X or Y we are going to sign, but when its something thats going on behind the scenes then you call him a doom merchant and shout him out of here.

[Sir Bob]

As usual Reade is spot on with his article.

Too many on here want spoon feeding every bit of info. on LFC. sometimes you have to read between the lines to see whats going on but in this case even a blind man could see we are in trouble.

The Yanks have been a complete disaster. They have played the PR game well enough but have delivered nothing. The split between G&H/Rafa is vast from where I'm sitting. Its clear they fell out big time and a few half hearted statements from both sides changes nothing. Rafa's hand are well are truely tied. He either follows the party line or he's out.

Our best hope is for G&H to go but that might not be enough as who will replace them. DIC - the same DIC who said they'd sell up in about 7 years as that would be the optimum time to get the best price for LFC. Forgive me if I don't wet myself at the thought of them taking over.

[der_Fuchs]

Brian Reade is certainly correct if he means to say that the owners must back the manager (Rafa or whoever) financially or we won't win the league. But I want to contend the league every year for decades to come, in which case a big transfer kitty this window or even next summer is less of a priority than securing sustainable increased cashflow.
I think I could bear the short term pain of losing out on Mascher and even Rafa, if in the long run the Americans sorted out the stadium and marketing to increase our overall wealth (and thereby deliver suitable, sustainable replacements).
Quite possibly they'll drive Rafa out, sell Mascher and not provide a stadium either, in which case we'll be the 4th best club for as long as they stay, just as we were under David Moores: but I don't recall the papers calling for him to pay up or get lost.
Meanwhile, just as I generally give the players a chance to come good, and just as I mostly give the manager the benefit of the doubt, even when I don't understand what the hell he is doing, so I shall give the Americans a chance. I can at least wait another 26 days before I hit the panic button.

[Skillz]

The problem Rafa had in his first 3 season's IMO was the wage bill. We can bang on about transfer fees but just as important is the overall wage bill. Unfortunately we were left with a number of players on 1st team wages who were nowhere near 1st team class eg Daio, Cheyrou, Le Tallec, Pongolle etc. We also had a record signing who did not fit Rafa's system.

Once they left it would of freed up a lot wage space allowing to resign our major players and sign higher class players eg Torres.

There are other factors as well, like Rafa wanting to get the basis of the squad right before going after top targets. In short he is 75% done, with 25% still to go. If he isn't given that chance I for one will not be happy.