Rafa Benitez

[bobbyfallon]

Like it or not, with that schedule coming up Rafa WILL rotate the players. I think he mentioned it earlier in the season when questioned on the subject. He seemed quite happy for his players to play consecutive games when they were playing every 4 days.

But with games every 3 days at some stage in there changes will happen. He just has to make sure he gets the changes right. No doubt there will be wholesale changes in the Carling Cup. Hopefully we can beat Atletico home and away and then rest all the players in the remaining two games.

that would be my take on rotation - rest the whole first team for the carling cup who cares about it.

beat athletic twice and again do the same wholeheartedly agree

[Pacman]

got to agree craig

Blah blah blah

[rage]

I'd rather have a knackered group of players that are top of the league in March than out of the race by Xmas.

I really do think that if we're in such a position then tiredness won't matter as adrenalin and dreams of glory will carry us forward.

[Guest]

I'd rather have a knackered group of players that are top of the league in March than out of the race by Xmas.

I really do think that if we're in such a position then tiredness won't matter as adrenalin and dreams of glory will carry us forward.

I agree with you.

[NicoBernetini]

I wouldn't mind being paid £40,000 a week to do what i love.
Keeping fit and playing football.

It costs me 30 pound a week for my 5 games of footy a week, would dream of a professional contract.

[Leyton388]

Rafa Banitez is the best thing to happen to this club since Shankly. Anyone who dislikes Rafa for whatever reason be it football or personal just need to look at the state the club was in before he took over and also compare player for player his squad this year to the ones of Houllier, Evans, Souness and even the Dalglish side of 1990.

This is the best squad we have had in nearly 20 years and it was all the result of Rafa Banitez. Anyone who thinks he is not good enough for liverpool need to look at the 2005 squad which went head to head with the best sides in europe and Won! which was down to rafa's tactics as a manager.

Anyone who wants rafa out this club is mad as the whole structure of the club from youth setup to first team has been brought into the 21st century by rafa and the results show it.

2006, 2007 FA youth cup winners
Reserve league champions last year
Now we are pushing for the premiership this year with the best set of players we have had in 20 years.

[blacky]

To win the Prem (sadly I agree with Lawro), Gerrard and Torres will have to play most Prem games this season. Rotation has it's benefits, but you don't rotate your best players at a whim. That's the difference this season. The best players have usually played when fit

We beat united without Torres and SG played 20 mins or so. Lawro talking through his arse as usual. We can rest these players against the lesser teams either by taking them off early if we kill the game off or bringing them on late if we are struggling. The key here is being clever with the rotation, I have never been a fan of mass rotation from game to game but changing one or two players per game is beneficial and won't affect the teams performances. I think Rafa has realised this. I am sure he knows what to do now to win the title.

[blacky]

Rafa Banitez is the best thing to happen to this club since Shankly. Anyone who dislikes Rafa for whatever reason be it football or personal just need to look at the state the club was in before he took over and also compare player for player his squad this year to the ones of Houllier, Evans, Souness and even the Dalglish side of 1990.

This is the best squad we have has in nearly 20 years and it was all the result of Rafa Banitez. Anyone who thinks he is not good enough for liverpool need to look at the 2005 squad which went head to head with the best sides in europe and Won! which was down to rafa's tactics as a manager.

Anyone who wants rafa out this club is mad as the whole structure of the club from youth setup to first team has been brough into the 21st century by rafa and the resutls show it.

2006, 2007 FA youth cup winners
Reserve league champions last year
Now we are pushing for the premiership this year with the best set of players we have had in 20 years.

Spot on lad. Rafa is a feckin legend and anyone who says otherwise is a fool

[blacky]

I'd rather have a knackered group of players that are top of the league in March than out of the race by Xmas.

I really do think that if we're in such a position then tiredness won't matter as adrenalin and dreams of glory will carry us forward.

Yes and no. I'd hate to fall away in March due to exhaustion but being involved in March has not happened in a long time. I am sure Rafa will get the balance right with the rotation!!

[pondus]

Rafa Banitez is the best thing to happen to this club since Shankly. Anyone who dislikes Rafa for whatever reason be it football or personal just need to look at the state the club was in before he took over and also compare player for player his squad this year to the ones of Houllier, Evans, Souness and even the Dalglish side of 1990.

This is the best squad we have has in nearly 20 years and it was all the result of Rafa Banitez. Anyone who thinks he is not good enough for liverpool need to look at the 2005 squad which went head to head with the best sides in europe and Won! which was down to rafa's tactics as a manager.

Anyone who wants rafa out this club is mad as the whole structure of the club from youth setup to first team has been brough into the 21st century by rafa and the resutls show it.

2006, 2007 FA youth cup winners
Reserve league champions last year
Now we are pushing for the premiership this year with the best set of players we have had in 20 years.

agree wholeheartedly

[rage]

I agree with you.

i'm going to go lie down

[Skillz]

In general I think that Rafa has rotated less the players he believes in and trusts. I think as time has gone on that number of players has grown with the result that now we are swapping just one or two players and they are often players that we might expect both the start (i.e. Alonso and Mascherano). That sort of rotation rarely gets commented upon, I think in the past our changes have been made to protect weaknesses Rafa has seen in the team and that will always be picked up on if it doesn't work for us.

Agree with that.

[El Jefecito]

I'd rather have a knackered group of players that are top of the league in March than out of the race by Xmas.

I really do think that if we're in such a position then tiredness won't matter as adrenalin and dreams of glory will carry us forward.

Didn't work for Arsenal did it. Doesn't work for long distance runners does it. Can you imagine a 10KM runner, starting out trying to match a 100m sprint! I know you would like it to be black and white, alas it is not.

Obviously the difficult thing is to have a group of players that are top of the league in March and not knackered. As Arsenal showed BOTH are as important as each other. So an either/or solution is not going to work.

[MosRay]

Rafa Banitez is the best thing to happen to this club since Shankly. Anyone who dislikes Rafa for whatever reason be it football or personal just need to look at the state the club was in before he took over and also compare player for player his squad this year to the ones of Houllier, Evans, Souness and even the Dalglish side of 1990.

This is the best squad we have had in nearly 20 years and it was all the result of Rafa Banitez. Anyone who thinks he is not good enough for liverpool need to look at the 2005 squad which went head to head with the best sides in europe and Won! which was down to rafa's tactics as a manager.

Anyone who wants rafa out this club is mad as the whole structure of the club from youth setup to first team has been brought into the 21st century by rafa and the results show it.

2006, 2007 FA youth cup winners
Reserve league champions last year
Now we are pushing for the premiership this year with the best set of players we have had in 20 years.

I totally agree with your post. Rafa said he had a five year plan when he came to the club. I know it's early days in his 5 campaign but things seem to be falling in to place now, the third step as they say; but it is not only on the pitch it's the club as a whole that has benefited from his vision, insight and unquestionable genius.

The club has been transformed from the days of the Houllier era in to a modern day bastion of football excellence; but I fear all this achievement is wasted if Rafa doesn't get a long extention, and this worries me greatly.

Rafa has one more season on his contract, if dumb and dumber are wanting to keep him then they'd better make some movement soon; Rafa needs to know now how the future lays to be able to continue his vision and build for the future.

May be we the fan should make some noise on that front; because if we lose the best manager this club has seen since the golden days we will become static once again!

After all the work that has been done within restructuring the club and getting to a very high standard and the massive progress on the field I feel Rafa deserves 5 MORE YEARS minimum.

YNWA.

[Reece]

As someone else had said - I'm 27, and Rafa has given me the best moments (that are clear in my memory) as a Liverpool fan. I ****ing love him, and will be eternally grateful for what he has done so far at the club, and long may it continue.