Rafa - I'm here to stay

[Sarb]

so on that basis then youd happily swap our squad for any of theres yes?

alonso/gerra/carragher/torres/masch/agger/babbel would walk in to any top team in the europe, please be serious.

He was class. We dont own him though do we?

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

I honestly don't know about him anymore.

I really don't.

Sometimes he gets it so right, but other times so wrong.

The one thing that really worries me about him - re his ability to win the league - is that I think he has an inherent negative streak in him, he seems to worry about the opposition and setting out to stop them first before formulating an offensive gameplan for us to win.

I realise both go hand in hand, but how many times in the league especially do we control games, have more chances and either draw or lose when we should win?

In the Premier league it pays to attack teams and impose yourself, your gameplan on them. 90% of the teams in this division are there to be beaten. It's a completely different format from a knockout cup competition, just because you've beaten Barca over two legs by playing a cautious, slower paced technical game, doesn't mean it'll work against Birmingham or Boro at home in the league. To me this shows a lack of versatility in Rafa's methods.

We've had 4 years of doing it his way, it hasn't worked and he's yet to compromise. Doesn't this concern anyone?

What happened against Reading destroyed my faith in him ever winning the league with us. He decided that night we had little or no chance of winning the league. He quit on it.

If we don't win number 6 then based on his league performance he's on shaky ground. He's had more than enough time and money to build a title challenging side. I think this current side is more than good enough to challenge for the league. He's just failed to get the best out of them, again.

The question now is how many goes does he get at it?

I'll judge him at the end of the season, if he wins number 6 he stays, if he doesn't his position should be under serious review. Regardless of 4th place or not. 2nd is nowhere to me.

What I will say that if he is to go we need someone better to replace him, otherwise it's a pointless exercise.

[pezzzer]

These sort of factors won't be considered - everything is black and white here, with no extenuating circumstances worthy of consideration. It's a waste of time.

id ammend it though to somepeople always looking on the black side.

[Craig_H]

These sort of factors won't be considered - everything is black and white here, with no extenuating circumstances worthy of consideration. It's a waste of time.

UEFA wont take any mitigating circumstances when they give out next season's CL places either...

[Mattshark]

Because we havent been good enough to beat the likes of Bham, Spurs, Reading, West Ham etc

Not being good enough and failing to do so are two different things.

[Shaggy]

UEFA wont take any mitigating circumstances when they give out next season's CL places either...

More ifs and buts.

You don't think we'll finish 4th - I do. *shrugs*

[Craig_H]

so on that basis then youd happily swap our squad for any of theres yes?

alonso/gerra/carragher/torres/masch/agger/babbel would walk in to any top team in the europe, please be serious.

Course i wouldnt swap squads..i'd get a manager in who can get the best out of what we have...which is kinda the whole general gist.

[Craig_H]

More ifs and buts.

You don't think we'll finish 4th - I do. *shrugs*

We may well do...but it's too close for comfort.

[nbryan1764]

Cant remember whether that's true, but put it this way, i cant see us getting 4th place with 4 points to spare.

yes it was true, it was touch and go for a long time but we managed to get 3 wins and a draw in our last 4 to clincg it

and...I can't see us finishing with only 60 points and 30 points from the top either as was the case in 2003/04

[pezzzer]

Course i wouldnt swap squads..i'd get a manager in who can get the best out of what we have...which is kinda the whole general gist.

your not making sense. you hinted earlier that you didnt think our squad was better now than under GH but you wouldnt swap any of that squad just the manager errr

[Craig_H]

your not making sense. you hinted earlier that you didnt think our squad was better now than under GH but you wouldnt swap any of that squad just the manager errr

No i didnt hint that at all....sundays are slow arent they?

[Shaggy]

Portsmouth have scored.

We'll never come 4th!!!!!!!!!11

[nbryan1764]

UEFA wont take any mitigating circumstances when they give out next season's CL places either...

what do you mean by that?

[pezzzer]

But that squad finished 4th.

Are you saying the squad now is much better than the one he took over?

your clearly hinting that rafas team is no better than the one he inherited, and now your backtracking after facts are thrown at you

stop hinting at stuff and say what you mean, then stick to it mate.

[Sarb]

Portsmouth have scored.

We'll never come 4th!!!!!!!!!11

You're paying attention to a game between Everton and Portsmouth to help us finish 4th....is that how far standards have dropped?

That's the problem Shaggy. We're struggling to finish 4th. Liverpool are or should be about finishing 1st