Post match rants and recriminations

[Fowler_God]

We need a fresh start. Rafa has never cut it in the league over here.

Compared to the Mancs Millions and years of success before he come
Compared to Chelsea's trillions
Compared to Arsenals stunning scouting network and success before he come

If it was a marathon, its like asking someone to make up 10miles on the leaders is 5mins. Its impossible.

[Roboklopp]

gerrard os far from perfect. no matter his opinion of the manager he shouldnt behave like a spoilt kid as captain & senior pro

[Shaggy]

IF the rumour is true (and I get the impression there is at least some truth to it), I'd like to know what makes Gerrard & Carra think they can manage a football team.

[Joe King]

Here is my take:

We need better strikers. We had soo much of the play, battered them left right and centre. The only thing we missed was the cutting edge. We are still in the same position as where we were when Rafa took over the club. When Rafa took over, he had Cisse and Baros. After a couple of performances from them, it was obviously clear, they weren't good enough. Our strikers bar Torres aren't good enough to play for the teams challenging for the title. No matter what anyone says about Crouch's goal ratio, he still doesn't cut the mustard. Even when he play long balls, he still doesn't win the first ball. 'He has a wonderful touch for a big guy' WTF is that supposed to mean? He is a footballer. He plays with a ball all day. He is paid stupid amounts of money to play a sport. Of course he is going to be good at controlling a ball.

We still have players who aren't good enough. Why rest a goalkeeper? He does **** all. Both goals can be blamed on Itandje. He is seriously not good enough. It might be time to bring in Bouzanis as a reserve keeper. Finnan, Hyypia, Riise, Aurelio, Arbeloa, Benayoun, Alonso, Pennant, Kewell, Crouch, Voronin, Kuyt. These are players who aren't good enough and are players who I think would not be able to play in any of the top three sides. Look at the Man Yoo today. They had no Giggs, Ronaldo, Scholes, Saha, Hargreaves and pulled off a stella performance. We can't do it without Torres. Thats one player against a Championship side.

Rafa desperately needs to win the Champions League to salvage what has been a ****ing ****e season.

[Joe King]

IF the rumour is true (and I get the impression there is at least some truth to it), I'd like to know what makes Gerrard & Carra think they can manage a football team.

Passion? Playing at the highest level? Connection to the bootroom? Local lads?

[1 True Red]

There are many factors to consider on this.

My take on it...

Takeover talk plus the fight between Hicks and Rafa has not helped and still is ongoing.
Talk of dressing room unrest isnt helping
The fact that winning the CL may be a lifesaver for Rafa and is having a knock on effect in other comps.
Having a squad that relies on two players
Rotation policy

There is a lot going on at Anfield at the moment. You could say a crisis of sorts. Its very un-liverpool like.

Should Rafa go? I dont think thats the answer right now .......right now I said.

Its unfortunate that todays game fell on the weekend before the Inter game. Had it been a week earlier, I think today would have been a different outcome. Plus with the Internationals just been, he obviously feels a rest is on the cards (you know how his mind works).

I think our biggest problem is the fact that we look average without Torres in the team. Even today, Gerrard as soon as he came on made something happen.

Is the squad poor? Not sure on that. I think we have individual players with top class skills but as a unit? I think we have character issues.

Then you have to look at Rafa himself. What does he want out of his time here? Does he hold the respect as say a Fergie or Wenger amongst his players.

I really dont know what will happen. The easy answer is DIC come in, give Rafa £100m and say go for it. But can we trust him to spend £100m?

Rafa of late has looked an average manager. It mirrors the last year of Houllier's reign and if we lose to Inter now, the pressure will be unbearable.

I suppose Rafa could go on to win number 6 but in the long term, would we settle for the odd CL win amongst years of failing in domestic football?

Rafa! Go back to basics. Pick your best team and stick to it.

Of course its not all about Rafa. The players who play should shoulder a huge amount of the blame.

Why disturb the back four by playing Itandje. He's not a patch on Reina.

All in all, the players owe the fans an apology. The game against Inter is a great chance for them to show, you know what people, we do care and we want to prove it.

Summer isnt far off now.

Cant wait for the cricket season.

Rather long post full of nonsense probably. Sorry

Good post mate with a few good points, i personally think Rafa has lost the plot a wee bit AND some of the players respect along with it too. i also think that if we fail to win the CL at the end of the season(which i can't see us winning anyway) he'll be shown the door unless, DIC think otherwise. I maybe being a wee bit harsh on Rafa as after all he's done for the Club in reletively short space of time with limited amounts of funds, and also nots forget about the squad he inherited from GH but, what makes me think it may never work for Rafa even if he stays on and is given the serious funds needed is that i don't think Rafa knows how to hold down a consistent side for weeks at a time without the urge to make major changes(and i don't mean the three subs either), i could be talking utter bollocks(and probably am) but, i've just got this funny feeling theirs gonna be a major upheaval preety soon

[Big-Red-Ed]

I really worry about a scenario were we have to replace the manager. There aren't many good available managers out there. Then you have another 5 year plan etc. However, I am beginning to think that Rafa has peaked as a a manager with us. I am not so stupid as to expect to win the premiership from this position of weakness compared to our main rivals. All I want is progress. Even if it is slow progress. We are no longer progressing under rafa. There are more and more embarrassments as time goes by. The only positive this season is Torres and he may leave if we off rafa. Really depressed and disillusioned.

I prefer my managers as empire builders but we may have to go down the road of a quick fix artist like a capello. Not the liverpool way i'm afraid but neither is this mediocrity.

YNWA

Ed.

[el matador]

If we lose heavily on tuesday and effectively lose the tie against Inter will he be sacked.

I dont think so...

The reason for this is that hicks and gillett wont want to sack him as they are on the verge of selling the club and wont want to get involved with a £6m payout for him.

The dastardly act of sacking him will fall to DIC.

[andyinswinton]

As much as it pains me, I'd take Mourinho now if it meant us getting fourth and its bad enough just thinking about battling it out for fourth place.

[Jazzmaster]

They wont do anything until the summer no matter what happens against Inter. Rafa is already a dead man walking and the players already know it. Its obvious. This season cant end quickly enough for me....

[Kronenburg1892]

IF the rumour is true (and I get the impression there is at least some truth to it), I'd like to know what makes Gerrard & Carra think they can manage a football team.

Can you expand on that.

[el matador]

As much as it pains me, I'd take Mourinho now if it meant us getting fourth and its bad enough just thinking about battling it out for fourth place.

I cant see him joining now unless DIC pay a portion of the payoff from chelsea that he would lose if he joined another EPL club this season.

As for bringing him in at the end of the season who knows ?

I would certainly take him over Benitez, but he's got a funny track record. Sucess everywhere but only for a short period of time. He doesnt seem the type to manage a club for 5 or 10 years. Its a quick 3 years which means 2 league titles, 2 domestic cups and maybe a champions league haul.

Tbh I cant think of anyone else (apart from Guus Hiddink who might not fancy such a high pressure job like ours).

Marcelo Lippi ?

[Marky]

Oh and congratulations to Barnsley, a brilliant effort. Fair play to them.

[Shaggy]

Can you expand on that.

It's nothing really. There is talk that Gerrard & Carra have lost faith in the manager's methods. They're just rumours and most rumours in Liverpool are bull****, but IMO the way they're both playing at the moment (allied to their awful body language) suggests there might be some truth to it.

[andyinswinton]

Incidentally, I know Rafa likes to rotate to keep the players fresh but why rotate Reina?

I'm not saying Itandje is at fault here, I wasn't at the game and I've not seen the goals but why rotate a goalkeeper?