I think he should go

[Sheik Yerbouti]

its no good firing him now as the new manager cant sell or buy any players till the summer.

It might give a new manager time to assess what the squad requires by seeing what he's got at his disposal now in competitive games.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

Must say, I find it strange that some would keep him until the end of the season then fire him regardless. I know he does well in the cups but srely if you are going to fire him, would it not be better to do it now to let the new man see who he fancies player wise?

And what if Rafa won a cup? Then what?

Personally I believe Rafa has done enough in previous seasons for him to deserve to be backed, but thats just my opinion.

Think it would come down to who's avalible right now.

If the owners want Mourinho or Lippi, both currently out of work, then move now, don't wait.

[Joe King]

He is playing a guessing game with his side. Tinkering the side, constantly bamboozling the side with weird formations, different partners across the pitch. It doesn't help especially when the side is not winning.

The Professor, in my eyes, needs to stop making football into a science and play his best team and go out and win. At times, it seems like Benitez picks a side to constrain the opposition instead of concentrating on themselves and most importantly winning the game.

With all the public expectation, especially that of the Liverpool fans, Benitez and the side have crumbled and it seems like they can't cope when asked the questions. Liverpool don't look like a side who can constantly perform games in order to win the title. Lackluster performances throughout the season have led to the owners, mainly Tom Hicks, to criticise Benitez about sending his side with an inferior complex. To me, both these men could have settled these issues quietly and behind closed doors however the stubbornness and male-pride didn't allow either one of them to apologise and get on with the task at hand which was to challenge for Liverpool's holy grail.

This, to a lot of Liverpool fans, seems like de ja vu to when Houllier couldn't get his side to perform on a consistent basis. Maybe the owners will start to ask questions about Rafa like the fans did of Houllier. Houllier spent around £100 million whilst at Liverpool and whilst many will say the market has changed since then for Benitez, he has spent quite a bit of money, many of whom have failed to perform for the club. (The argument about net spending isn't in question, its general spending). If Benitez is asking for vasts amount of money and isn't getting the results on the pitch, what makes him think he would be granted the money which was specifically designated for him as part of the refinancing made by the owners last week?

Instead what he could get is a P45 posted and many new faces being linked with the Liverpool job.

Many will say that give the money to Rafa and see what he can do next season. That would be a fair estimation after he did buy Torres and Benitez has claimed that if given the money, he would buy quality. Is he indicating that if he bought better players, he could win the league? Thats something many would like to ask him, but certainly, I would like to ask him whether he is happy with his current squad of players and does he think that any additions need to be made and can they win the title because it is pretty clear over the season so far, they can't deliver the title in a very long time and what looked like the impossible is now looking like the inevitable as Manchester United look very close of being the most successful team in the top flight of English football.

Benitez's fate lies in the FA Cup and the Champions League. If you told that to Liverpool fans at the start of the season, think about the response you would have got. Ask them now about the harsh reality, you would see the anger and frustration boil over in what has been a disappointing season on and off the pitch for Liverpool Football Club.

[AFII]

It looks like it's between keeping Rafa or selling a lot of players.

It's a bigger gamble to sell a lot of players than to sack Rafa. I still love him but some of our so called players clearly want him out IMO.

So in the end it's Rafa that will have to go but it's a choice between two very bad options.

[merv]

I'm sure most other managers would have binned Deadly Dirk to the dungeons under Anfield a long time ago and given the £11m Babel a go...just in case, you know, he might be good there.

What the **** is Rafa playing at with playing this plank?????? i mean seriously like he's a ****ing striker that doesn't score goals, he nearly injured himself tonight while having(attempting) a strike on goal you might ask who can we replace him with? i say who the **** cares play with 10 just drop the useless *******, his inclusion in the team week in week out is starting to make me lose faith in rafa's abilities so it must be doing the same to the players.
And another thing i bet we'll see the prick in the press before the game with sunderland saying that he feels like he's turning the corner and that he might not get his legs tied in a know the next time he has a shot on goal..

Any one that has played ball will tell you how heart breaking it is to have a player in your side that wastes chance after chance or not even that a player who you feel just isn't good enough it really zaps a teams confidence to even have one of these ****s and tonight we had many..
i think it's bizarre that with all of rafa's rotation you can nearly guarantee that one of the worst strikers in the clubs history will be in the starting line up & not only that; he will be kept on til the finish even when we're clearly struggling for goals that he so obviously never get.. i think he may well become Rafa's Diouf

[scouse lad]

Can't see why some don't rate Martin O Neill. Success wherever he's been both in terms of getting the best out of players and turning bad teams into good ones, as well as proven ability to bring teams to trophies.

He's a great motivator and above all else he's an attacking manager. A breath of fresh air IMO.

Mourinho on the other hand, why would we want amanager who will bring more dour football to Anfield? I thought we were sick of this and he's a c*** too.

Cant see why? hum, Routledge, Zak Knight or Harewood anyone?

[Diego]

I'd have no problem with Mourinho if Rafa got the sack. He's a winner and it's well publicised that he wanted the LFC job originally as he relished the challenge of taking LFC back to the top.

But with the uncertainty at LFC I couldn't see a manger right out the top drawer wanting the job. Sure, there will be applicants queing a mile long, but none who I'd rate in the top bracket.

Looks to be a poisoned chalice at the moment with transfer funds in question.

and i'm worried about that, that could mean it would be alot worse than it is. i'm very worried about top players leaving and not enough money to back the manager who ever it will be if theres a new one. mourinho seems to me be the only one who could claim the respect of the players and convince key players that we are moving forward imo...

[AFII]

Thomas Schaaf would be my choice as his replacement.

[irishgeo]

He is playing a guessing game with his side. Tinkering the side, constantly bamboozling the side with weird formations, different partners across the pitch. It doesn't help especially when the side is not winning.

The Professor, in my eyes, needs to stop making football into a science and play his best team and go out and win. At times, it seems like Benitez picks a side to constrain the opposition instead of concentrating on themselves and most importantly winning the game.

With all the public expectation, especially that of the Liverpool fans, Benitez and the side have crumbled and it seems like they can't cope when asked the questions. Liverpool don't look like a side who can constantly perform games in order to win the title. Lackluster performances throughout the season have led to the owners, mainly Tom Hicks, to criticise Benitez about sending his side with an inferior complex. To me, both these men could have settled these issues quietly and behind closed doors however the stubbornness and male-pride didn't allow either one of them to apologise and get on with the task at hand which was to challenge for Liverpool's holy grail.

This, to a lot of Liverpool fans, seems like de ja vu to when Houllier couldn't get his side to perform on a consistent basis. Maybe the owners will start to ask questions about Rafa like the fans did of Houllier. Houllier spent around £100 million whilst at Liverpool and whilst many will say the market has changed since then for Benitez, he has spent quite a bit of money, many of whom have failed to perform for the club. (The argument about net spending isn't in question, its general spending). If Benitez is asking for vasts amount of money and isn't getting the results on the pitch, what makes him think he would be granted the money which was specifically designated for him as part of the refinancing made by the owners last week?

Instead what he could get is a P45 posted and many new faces being linked with the Liverpool job.

Many will say that give the money to Rafa and see what he can do next season. That would be a fair estimation after he did buy Torres and Benitez has claimed that if given the money, he would buy quality. Is he indicating that if he bought better players, he could win the league? Thats something many would like to ask him, but certainly, I would like to ask him whether he is happy with his current squad of players and does he think that any additions need to be made and can they win the title because it is pretty clear over the season so far, they can't deliver the title in a very long time and what looked like the impossible is now looking like the inevitable as Manchester United look very close of being the most successful team in the top flight of English football.

Benitez's fate lies in the FA Cup and the Champions League. If you told that to Liverpool fans at the start of the season, think about the response you would have got. Ask them now about the harsh reality, you would see the anger and frustration boil over in what has been a disappointing season on and off the pitch for Liverpool Football Club.

The most sense i have read on here in months. Top Post!

[Sir Bob]

Whilst I'm a bg Rafa fan the table doesn't lie.

we are 17 pts off Man U/Arsenal and 17 points ahead of sunderland. In other words this season the gap between LFC and the top 2 is the same as the gap between LFC and sunderland.

Now no matter how you wrap that up, no matter whatever's gone on off the pitch, thats not acceptable. There can be no justification for keeping Rafa unless we show a massive improvement in the league.

[Joe King]

Cant see why? hum, Routledge, Zak Knight or Harewood anyone?

Young, the revitalised Barry, Carson, the revitalised Laursen, nurturing Agbonlahor.

He has a very hard working, attacking, care free style and it deliver results. Its not the most attractive football but he has a real sense of how to win games. He is a fantastic talker, great motivator, great man manager, great enthusiasm and passion and love for the game and the club he is at.

Clearly Liverpool would be a step up and I would like to think if offered the job, he would come to Liverpool.

[Slinky Skills]

I know it's hard to take but we need to keep backing the team. We're supporters at the end of the day and that's what we're here to do, we need to get behind the team and the Manager. Yes Rafa may be to blame I'm not denying that, but the players need to take a long hard look at themselves, they're losing everything that this club is all about. The fight, belief and confidence.

We've had some good times of late, and Rafa has brought us a lot of them. I know we're a mess but the team will get through it just stick with them. Ride through the storm, we'll be ok you know.

YNWA.

[tomasjj]

He should stay for the season.


The players are letting him down.
****houses.

[ARIMAN]

Personally, I`d back him till at least next season.

Let him make up for the mistakes this year, get rid of the players that are undedrperforming

Sacking him will not solve our problems, we`ll still be left with a small transfer budget (still) and a squad seriously lacking in attacking areas.

Lots of players are performing badly - rotation, injuries may have a role but frankly why have Finnan, JC and Xabi just to name three of our proven Quality players whom are playing badly?


If we are looking at replacements, no way i would consider MON - very poor in the transfer market, he has inherited a youth good squad (based on sucess at FA Youth cup level). Wait until the Euro championships when Managers (eg Scolari, Hiddink) will become available

Rafa mistake in this transfer window is that he has not recognised (as of yet) that the squad needed a shake up. Maybe his hands were tied but surely if he doesnt rate our strikers, he could have ofloaded one, maybe brought a couple of players in on loan, anything at all really

At this stage, Id take us recalling Anderson or Guthrie from loan, just to spice up the squad

[Bari]

Has he gone yet?