Winning the Champs L would be no consolation for another terrible season, rages Ste G

[Skillz]

I really can't see much wrong with this interview. It was on the Offal FFS, it's a rally call to everyone at the club. I bet Rafa read it before it went on and wouldn't be surprised if he helped write the script.

The whole reads exactly like his comments about everyone being in it together and not about one individual. Why does everyone have to dissect and make it something it isn't.

[Shaggy]

Rafa Benitez: We're all hurting
Feb 28 2008 EXCLUSIVE by Tony Barrett, Liverpool Echo


Rafa Benitez (100)

RAFA BENITEZ today admitted everyone at Anfield is hurting over Liverpool's failure to challenge for the title this season.

The Reds boss insists club captain Steven Gerrard is not alone in his disappointment that Liverpool have been unable to keep pace with Manchester United and Arsenal at the top of the table.

But he called on everyone at the club to focus their energies on what can still be achieved – with the Champions League still a viable target and the race for fourth place hotting up.

Benitez said: “Everyone at Liverpool shares Steven’s sentiments, there is no question about that.

“We wanted to be further up the table and the fact that we are not is a disappointment to everyone.

“But the important thing now is to concentrate on what we can still do.

“We are still in the Champions League and our record in that competition is one that most other clubs would envy.

“And we are still confident of finishing in the top four, which would obviously mean we would qualify for next season’s Champions League again.”

Gerrard spoke of his frustration at Liverpool’s continuing inability to mount a genuine title challenge in this week’s edition of the LFC magazine.

He said: “You don’t get any prizes in football for finishing in second place, never mind fourth.

“I don’t think the fans would accept fourth as an accomplishment and for me it is not nearly good enough.

“Even if we do finish fourth, it doesn’t mean we have had a good season.

“We have to have bigger ambitions than that. The only way we can fulfil those ambitions is in the Champions League and I am not going to pretend that even winning that trophy – and we are a long way from that at the moment – will make up for the disappointments of the league campaign.

“I am pretty gutted every time I look at the league table and see the gap between ourselves and Arsenal at the top.

“We believed we had the players to challenge for the title; we wanted that more than any trophy available to us. I still believe we have the squad to be a hell of a lot more competitive than we are now.

“I am getting tired of saying the same thing over and over again.

“We can’t keep talking about ‘next season’ all the time. There are only so many times you can say it and believe it. Sooner or later, we have to do the talking on the pitch.

“We need to make people believe it. I am 27 now and I don’t want to be talking about ‘next season’ when I am 32. We have no chance if we are always out of it by the first week in January.”

Gerrard also spoke of his displeasure at seeing the club making headlines for the wrong reasons as private disharmony has spilled out into the public arena.

“It has not been a good situation for anybody,” he added. “It is sad so much of the club’s business has been conducted in public. The club I grew up supporting always did its business behind closed doors.”

[El Jefecito]

I can see what SG is trying to do, but real leaders INSPIRE not just moan continuously.

[kop-al-74]

I can see what SG is trying to do, but real leaders INSPIRE not just moan continuously.

Speedy,do you not think he inspires his team mates whenever he's on the pitch?

Also,where does he moan continuously?

[Elvis]

So now Rafa has said he agrees with Stevie, are some going to say that Rafa should shut up and he's a moaning ****? Hopefully not.

[kop-al-74]

So now Rafa has said he agrees with Stevie, are some going to say that Rafa should shut up and he's a moaning ****? Hopefully not.

Well according to some, anyone with an opinion is just moaning.So Rafa should just stop moaning and get on with coaching and training his team!

[El Jefecito]

Speedy,do you not think he inspires his team mates whenever he's on the pitch?

Also,where does he moan continuously?

Yes he sure does, don't mean to take that away from him. He's an anti-motivator he's always moaning at players on the pitch instead of issuing a rallying call, the exception that proved the rule was after he scored in the CL final. That was inspiration.

Whenever he does a press interview, he moans. Shankly would be saying come on lads we can do it, we owe it to the people of liverpool, we've done it before, we should sweat till we win. We will fight them on the beaches, etc, etc.

That's a big part of being a leader and SG doesn't have it in his locker.

[El Jefecito]

Well according to some, anyone with an opinion is just moaning.So Rafa should just stop moaning and get on with coaching and training his team!

Now you are being disingenuous.

[barnes10]

yes they should both stop moaning and focus on what needs to be done.

gerrard is a flawed captain and rafa a flawed manager (over reliance on rotation as a tactic). but no-one's perfect are they. Both have to learn from their mistakes, improve on their deficiencies and work to put things right and then we're all laughing. All the while tho, they should shut up. Rafa should concentrate on coaching and training his team (;-)) to get the best out of what we have. gerrard should concentrate on leading his team like a man and getting them to up the ante when playing ****e in order to turn draws into wins and stop sulking on or off the pitch.

[kop-al-74]

Now you are being disingenuous.

Smaller words please.

[Elvis]

Look at this..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwkAx9mV28Y

..and listen to the man. He does it week in, week out - his opinions are worth more than most, whether you like hearing them or not.

[kop-al-74]

Yes he sure does, don't mean to take that away from him. He's an anti-motivator he's always moaning at players on the pitch instead of issuing a rallying call, the exception that proved the rule was after he scored in the CL final. That was inspiration.

Whenever he does a press interview, he moans. Shankly would be saying come on lads we can do it, we owe it to the people of liverpool, we've done it before, we should sweat till we win. We will fight them on the beaches, etc, etc.

That's a big part of being a leader and SG doesn't have it in his locker.

But if he is happy and laughing around and giving people pats on the back when he truly knows that the play isn't good enough,people would say he doesn't care.He really can't win with some.

A little off topic but do you remember a game recently,i can't remember exactly which one it was,when Kuyt missed a sitter and there was a shot from behind the other goal of Hyypia clearly frustrated at the miss.

It is a natural reaction with born winners.

[Gazmo1]

He can't win whatever he does, pisses on the chips of all the people on here that claim that winning the CL will make this a good season!

[dww]

Everyone knows the truth though. We all know the season has been **** and noone is saying it would make it perfect if we won the CL. HOWEVER, it would still be great if we did. He's kept his gob shut for ages now and not said **** all to back Rafa but yet comes out with this. It's all just negative **** all the time. If he has something to say to the players as captain, say it to them in person. I really don't rate him as a captain.

I think there is a real danger of reading too much into these interviews. What he said is fair enough even if I like you think that a CL win would make the season a good one even if the failure in the league has been very disappointing. I'm not sure players should come out to back managers it just makes everything harder, especially if the manager does go. The place to back the manager is out on the pitch.

I agree with you about Gerrard as captain. He doesn't seem to lead other people very well which is a problem as if you aim to lead by example whenever your form dips your ability to lead goes too. In terms of football and understanding of people Mascher and Carragher seem to be much better communicators than Gerrard.

I guess the captains armband is largely symbolic but I do feel our squad lacks a leader with experience in the forward areas which should really be Gerrards role.

[Marky]

Look at this..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwkAx9mV28Y

..and listen to the man. He does it week in, week out - his opinions are worth more than most, whether you like hearing them or not.

Most of them clips were from last season and seasons before, we're talking about NOW. He isn't performing so i would say to him to keep his mouth shot, worry about getting his own form back and worry about how as Captain of the club he can inspire the team to recapture there form.
I don't see what good these comments of his are doing.
Does he think we as fans don't already know it's been a **** season so far??