The Rafa Thread

[Slinky Skills]

Reina
Carragher
Dossena (early days i know but i really like what i see)
Agger
Skrtle
Mascherano
Gerrard
Torres
Keane
Lucas and Babel (our up and coming stars)

Thats is a ****in brilliant squad that Rafa is building. He buys players that are technically very good, intelligent and incredibly hard working.

The super prospects coming through our youth ranks have fantastic potential

Rafa has turned this club back into a European Powerhouse practically overnight. And thats without ever publically saying that he would be in a position to challenge for the league. Rafa has always known that he never had the squad to challenge and that it would take time.

4 years into the building process we are no arriving at that special stage where we have a squad truly capable of challenging. Compare to the Mancs and Chelsea we are probably still 2 players short of winning the league but anything is possible with the group of players. If they get a run going we will be up their big time.

I get to quite alot of home games nowadays and towards the end of last season i thoroughly enjoyed us scoring 3/4 goals most home games. That will continue now and if we can also carry on scraping victories away at battle's like sunderland (we were missing 5 key players!!!) then we CAN win the title. As the season progresses our style of play will improve greatly and i believe we will score a massive amount of goals this season

Good post fella, totally agree my man.

[Exiled_red]

Reina
Carragher
Dossena (early days i know but i really like what i see)
Agger
Skrtle
Mascherano
Gerrard
Torres
Keane
Lucas and Babel (our up and coming stars)

Thats is a ****in brilliant squad that Rafa is building. He buys players that are technically very good, intelligent and incredibly hard working.

The super prospects coming through our youth ranks have fantastic potential

Rafa has turned this club back into a European Powerhouse practically overnight. And thats without ever publically saying that he would be in a position to challenge for the league. Rafa has always known that he never had the squad to challenge and that it would take time.

4 years into the building process we are no arriving at that special stage where we have a squad truly capable of challenging. Compare to the Mancs and Chelsea we are probably still 2 players short of winning the league but anything is possible with the group of players. If they get a run going we will be up their big time.

I get to quite alot of home games nowadays and towards the end of last season i thoroughly enjoyed us scoring 3/4 goals most home games. That will continue now and if we can also carry on scraping victories away at battle's like sunderland (we were missing 5 key players!!!) then we CAN win the title. As the season progresses our style of play will improve greatly and i believe we will score a massive amount of goals this season

Spot on

[Exiled_red]

This Net Spend difference between Houllier and Rafa is a convenient argument if you don't bother with any of the other factors.

Houllier bought in 40 players and sold 48 compared to Rafa's 51 in and 54 out. If you scrub the total Net Spend and instead make it an average per player, Rafa's net spend per player is £1,875,613 and Houllier's? £1,870,938.

So, you could say that Rafa's squad is a fecking bargain for just over £4500 per player more than Houllier's squad.

(my head hurts now )

Good work

I never realised there was that little in it. It looks like Rafa is definately ahead of Houllier on transfers

[rage]

Reina
Carragher
Dossena (early days i know but i really like what i see)
Agger
Skrtle
Mascherano
Gerrard
Torres
Keane
Lucas and Babel (our up and coming stars)

Thats is a ****in brilliant squad that Rafa is building. He buys players that are technically very good, intelligent and incredibly hard working.

The super prospects coming through our youth ranks have fantastic potential

Rafa has turned this club back into a European Powerhouse practically overnight. And thats without ever publically saying that he would be in a position to challenge for the league. Rafa has always known that he never had the squad to challenge and that it would take time.

4 years into the building process we are no arriving at that special stage where we have a squad truly capable of challenging. Compare to the Mancs and Chelsea we are probably still 2 players short of winning the league but anything is possible with the group of players. If they get a run going we will be up their big time.

I get to quite alot of home games nowadays and towards the end of last season i thoroughly enjoyed us scoring 3/4 goals most home games. That will continue now and if we can also carry on scraping victories away at battle's like sunderland (we were missing 5 key players!!!) then we CAN win the title. As the season progresses our style of play will improve greatly and i believe we will score a massive amount of goals this season

there's plenty of good players there V and indeed some world class ones. i agree we're probably 2 players away from winning the league BUT key for me here is whether rafa will let the players you mention play a few games together in a consistent formation. because if he doesn't then we will continue to play disjointed hoof ball.

we hit form last year when week in week out we played 4231 with give or take the same players in key 'make it happen' positions. prior to that rafa was tinkering away week on week. every year rafa brings in players, tinkers, loses points at the early stages of the season when all of us know pretty much what our strongest formation and players for this are. i don't give a **** about keeping players fresh for the end of the season when we're out of the league race come xmas.

so yes i agree with 9 of the 10 players you mention (lucas for me has yet to show anything outside of el jefs youtube clips, 1st season i know but i must be missing something here as i also think babel had a really good first season) as being of high quality - key for me is whether rafa will give them the pitch time and a consistency in tactics so they can gel as a team.

as i've said previously if rafa wants to prove a point he needs to do his talking on the pitch. i'm sick of the bickering between rafa, parry and the yanks. and to present a balanced opinion here rafa is by no means blameless.

[Darth Marty]

I like Bilic as a manager but he is a job or two away from showing me if hes capable of managing a team like us.

Theres plenty of up and coming managers who could be able to do a decent job in the future. That said we are fortunate to be such a good team with great history that we will always be able to bring in the best of managers.

Not that Id like that to happen just yet thank you very much.

[Rashid]

I genuinely think all we need is a coach, like Rafa was at Valencia. If you look at all the issues that Rafa has had, it's to do with transfers, boardroom issues and other off the field shenanigans. Chelsea have a "coach" and leave the rest to Kenyon, Wenger overlooks evrything at Arsenal but is now easing off, Fergie the same - and football is becoming so big now I don't think it is possible to do "everything" like in the old days.

We need to get a solid CEO or a Sporting Director in to work with the manager and the youth team to overlook footbal matters including transfers from behind a desk and leave the coaching and the first team to the manager.

Rafa may have complained about Valencia but he bought noone there and that's where he had most of his success.

[Skillz]

I genuinely think all we need is a coach, like Rafa was at Valencia. If you look at all the issues that Rafa has had, it's to do with transfers, boardroom issues and other off the field shenanigans. Chelsea have a "coach" and leave the rest to Kenyon, Wenger overlooks evrything at Arsenal but is now easing off, Fergie the same - and football is becoming so big now I don't think it is possible to do "everything" like in the old days.

We need to get a solid CEO or a Sporting Director in to work with the manager and the youth team to overlook footbal matters including transfers from behind a desk and leave the coaching and the first team to the manager.

Rafa may have complained about Valencia but he bought noone there and that's where he had most of his success.

We need a new CEO who listens to Rafa (or whoever the manager is) and does everything in his and the club's power to achieve the manager's aims in everything football related, most importantly transfers.

[Roboklopp]

Mate. I've had a pint and a half of captains morgan before I posted. What is your excuse

Mmm Captain Morgans.

[Rashid]

We need a new CEO who listens to Rafa (or whoever the manager is) and does everything in his and the club's power to achieve the manager's aims in everything football related, most importantly transfers.

The CEO is the manager's boss though so we need a manager who listens to the CEO too. Not one who is at loggerheads with him. Rafa having a go at Parry is akin to Gerrard having a go publically at Rafa. It's a nonsense and Rafa would not get away with this in Spain.

As I said, start setting defined roles and this bull**** will end.

[Skillz]

The CEO is the manager's boss though so we need a manager who listens to the CEO too. Not one who is at loggerheads with him. Rafa having a go at Parry is akin to Gerrard having a go publically at Rafa. It's a nonsense and Rafa would not get away with this in Spain.

As I said, start setting defined roles and this bull**** will end.

We need better communication and that will only come with trust between the parties. Unfortunately I cannot see that happening with the incumbents.

[Johnny]

I genuinely think all we need is a coach, like Rafa was at Valencia. If you look at all the issues that Rafa has had, it's to do with transfers, boardroom issues and other off the field shenanigans. Chelsea have a "coach" and leave the rest to Kenyon, Wenger overlooks evrything at Arsenal but is now easing off, Fergie the same - and football is becoming so big now I don't think it is possible to do "everything" like in the old days.

We need to get a solid CEO or a Sporting Director in to work with the manager and the youth team to overlook footbal matters including transfers from behind a desk and leave the coaching and the first team to the manager.

Rafa may have complained about Valencia but he bought noone there and that's where he had most of his success.

Seems to me your saying the problem is not Rafa but the board.

[Rashid]

Seems to me your saying the problem is not Rafa but the board.

I think Rafa would perform better if he was left to just coach the team and recommend players he wants with the club then deciding what to do. Rafa has become too "involved" and it is effecting his performance especially in the league.

[dww]

The CEO is the manager's boss though so we need a manager who listens to the CEO too. Not one who is at loggerheads with him. Rafa having a go at Parry is akin to Gerrard having a go publically at Rafa. It's a nonsense and Rafa would not get away with this in Spain.

As I said, start setting defined roles and this bull**** will end.

The problem is that the route cause of the problems in this area are the owners. One way or the other a single owner would have strengthened Parry's position or sacked him. The political bull**** would have been much less and every thing would have been better.

Obviously what we need is a combination like Arsenal had with Dean and Wenger. For me communication is as you have highlighted the key. We need people who work together as a team rather than wrestle each other to a compromise on every decision.

[Johnny]

I think Rafa would perform better if he was left to just coach the team and recommend players he wants with the club then deciding what to do. Rafa has become too "involved" and it is effecting his performance especially in the league.

But He`s too involved because those above him,mostly Parry are incompetent when it comes to transfers.

[anfieldreds]

I think Rafa would perform better if he was left to just coach the team and recommend players he wants with the club then deciding what to do. Rafa has become too "involved" and it is effecting his performance especially in the league.

I agree with this. Problem is this will only work if we have a capable CEO which unfortunately we don't.