It's affecting us. Honest

[smither]

Carragher said the other day if he was playing in another country and it was happening then he wouldn't really take any notice. I can see why it could be affecting local players, but can't really see why the foreign contingent would really be bothered. This kind of press coverage dogs the spanish league too

[Shaggy]

OK, so Laursen won a header, but no way a goal should come from that. 99 times out of 100 Harewood skies it into the stands.

And a deflected goal?

Sorry, but if we weren't concentrating from set pieces against a team like Aston Villa we'd get massacred.

The ball shouldn't reach Harewood in the first place - you can't really on a striker to miss "99 times out of 100" - you stop the threat 'at source', as they say in the game.

It's not that we weren't concentrating...it's just a slip for a millisecond. Normally we're so well drilled but for a couple of minutes we were all at sea, although clearly the 2nd was very lucky. Still, we could've cut it out before then.

[Morph]

Carragher said the other day if he was playing in another country and it was happening then he wouldn't really take any notice. I can see why it could be affecting local players, but can't really see why the foreign contingent would really be bothered. This kind of press coverage dogs the spanish league too

because the spaniards who rafa brought to the club might be fearfull for rafa and his job, there's just no saying what effects it has on the players

[alunevans]

What was half hearted we played one of the better sides in the league pretty much off the park but conceded to sloppy goals there was nothing half hearted last night imo.

gerrard claimed this is affecting the players and he wasn't simply talking about last night and nor am i.

and there's been plenty of half hearted displays as i'm sure you've seen, where we only turn up in a desperate last 5 minutes, even if last night wasn't one of them.

i just don't think its wise to start hiding behind external problems. blaming that immediately relinquishes your own responsibility to sort things out.

i don't think it's wise for us to explicitly state "if we're **** today lads never mind, its not our fault but all this boardroom nonsense."

bollocks to that. take responsibility and win your own individual battle on the pitch should be the message, and on top of that, anyone who uses the situation to take his foot off the pedal or take the piss out the manager will get their arse kicked good and proper.

that's the correct response. i fear that handing out alibi's for future poor performances is not the way to get results in future games. every squad will have it's fair share of players who will grab that alibi with both hands. i'd prefer a reliance on personal responsibility.

why focus on things the players CAN'T change when they are paid 50k a week for something they CAN influence. focus on that, and stop whingeing about the boardroom. that would be my message to my team mates if i was a liverpool player.

anything else is pointless and self defeating.

[alunevans]

They're people not just players. If you're in a job you love and you think the person that hired you is for the chop this is bound to have an affect. You might be midly worried or it might really play on your mind, depending on your nature. Similarly, if you're a slacker, it gives you the perfect opportunity to take the piss. This situation should never be used as an excuse for poor performance but it's unrealsticto say it should have no effect.

Tinker, that's my point really. It is a problem Rafa has to carry, but not so much the players. If you're a pisstaker of a player then get out the club anyhow. If you're worried for Rafa, then it should motivate you.

[andyhanrahan]

having calmed down after watching last nights game on a dodgy chinese link thought we were punished for 5 mins of lying back and 3-4 mins of sheer bad luck. The way villa played sickened me always thought O'Neill could have been a contender for us but watching their style last night sickened me

[Shaggy]

having calmed down after watching last nights game on a dodgy chinese link thought we were punished for 5 mins of lying back and 3-4 mins of sheer bad luck. The way villa played sickened me always thought O'Neill could have been a contender for us but watching their style last night sickened me

He's always been a hoof-merchant. I'm not buying this ****e about a "vibrant Villa who play great football...".

Balls. O'Neill's teams hoof it to a big strong lad up front (Heskey, Hartson/Sutton, now Carew) and get quick players in and around him.

Fair play, he's doing a good job at Villa but I'd be ****ing aghast if he ever got the job at our place.

[disco]

The ball shouldn't reach Harewood in the first place - you can't really on a striker to miss "99 times out of 100" - you stop the threat 'at source', as they say in the game.

It's not that we weren't concentrating...it's just a slip for a millisecond. Normally we're so well drilled but for a couple of minutes we were all at sea, although clearly the 2nd was very lucky. Still, we could've cut it out before then.

Fair enough. It's a judgement call afterall

[vonk]

I just feel there is a lack of resilience in our club. Any little thing going on seems to upset the applecart and we are wheeling out the excuses. I don't remember ManU having a huge on field crises during their takeover battle. Good managers can take things like this and turn it around in players heads to get the necessary results on the field. Take Mourinho with his siege mentality approach. Rafa doesn't seem to do this. We are too easily knocked off course to be able to win the League IMO.

[alunevans]

having calmed down after watching last nights game on a dodgy chinese link thought we were punished for 5 mins of lying back and 3-4 mins of sheer bad luck. The way villa played sickened me always thought O'Neill could have been a contender for us but watching their style last night sickened me

im not specifically discussing the villa game. i'm discussing gerrard's statement. we should be in the midst of a siege mentality, the senior pro's should be cracking down in the dressing room to make up for any potential lack of authority the manager may be suffering.

we shouldn't be handing out "if you're **** next match then its not you but the boardroom stuff" licenses to be crap.

its a psychological thing, but an important one. it worries me to see us giving each other an alibi to be losing games. it's not on in my view and i think its really really unwise.

[Vermilion]

The day-to-day stresses and pressures of all this ****e MUST take some toll on the players. It must do. It's all about small details at that level - meticulous preparation and unswerving focus....and this has obviously, in my opinion at least, gone awry under the strain of this nightmare situation.

It's clearly not the be all and end all but I do believe it's had an effect.

Ofcourse it's had an effect, the sub-concious is a powerful thing, it took Torres ages to leave Spain, even turning down the Scum, Signs a 6yr deal & all this **** kicks off, it plays on the mind even though you wont know it.

[ronniedrew]

i think that it is easy to blame the off the pitch stuff for poor performances and probably too easy at times.

But i think it must have an effect on players, the likes of carra and stevie love the club and will be concerned about it. also the uncertainty over rafa's future will not be helping, i remember when there was uncertainty over fergies future at manu and he said he was going, the team slumped in a major way. Although they are pro's and it shouldnt effect them, i think this type of stuff has an effect on confidence & morale etc, its human nature

[kopdan]

Perhaps Rafa is moaning behind the scenes in the dressing room slagging off the owners. Getting the players down.

[andyhanrahan]

Our players need some mental toughness Alonso is a player who imo has buckets of it came back against Juventus a few yrs ago after been out for months play brill. We have too many mentally brittle players Kuyt looks like one miss away from the looney bin,Aurelio is playing to to half his ability and Gerrard looks constipated with uncertainty( like he does when he plays for England)

[ronniedrew]

Perhaps Rafa is moaning behind the scenes in the dressing room slagging off the owners. Getting the players down.

i would doubt that, but theres no point in speculating like that