Rafa's not had enough to spend...

[wiw]

No answer to my post Baldemort?

[the rev leeroy brown]

Had we been in a negotiating positon Owen would still have been at Anfield. I should think that is very clear.

disagree. owen wanted to go, that much was clear, and no amount of negotiating was gonna change that. we couldn't afford another mcmanaman situation to arise and had to sell him. owen held all the chips in that deal.

[DannyMan2006]

disagree. owen wanted to go, that much was clear, and no amount of negotiating was gonna change that. we couldn't afford another mcmanaman situation to arise and had to sell him. owen held all the chips in that deal.

Read again. I'm agreeing with you !

[the rev leeroy brown]

Read again. I'm agreeing with you !

i apologise. near sleeping the now and read it wrong pal.

[Craig_H]

So if we win it, should fergie and scolari be sacked, based upon the fact they have strong enough squads and failed?

I would suggest that you're quite simple, rather than your theory.

Ferguson has won 8 PL titles. I dont think he has much to prove.

As for Scolari, i dont rate him that highly.

See how i can disagree with you without adding a personal insult? You can aspire to that level of maturity hopefully.

[Craig_H]

If Rafa gets to within a few points of the title he should stay. I think he's a very good manager but he doesn't seem to be learning from his mistakes, which the game against Wigan showed. He's been rightly taken apart by the media and fans as a result. I hope he puts it right. But with regards to your post, it's Scolari's first season in charge and Ferguson has **** all to prove. What's your point?

I wouldnt bother mate, Robster and Redspin are in the category of people who wont criticise rafa ever. He could pick Rick Parry at left back, Hicks in goal and Pepe up front - and those two would still say it's the correct decision.

As far as they're concerned, Rafa is always right, always and forever. Easier to just ignore them.

[Baldemort]

Your entire post is an oxymoron. The personal insults are an indication of your intellect. Your use of the word objective to describe your behaviour is ridiculous.

Fergie was given 7 years to prove himself, Rafa's had 5 and is challenging. Fact.

oh, the irony! You make a backwards comment regarding fergie and big phil and you question my intellect! Your comment was on about this season and was dim. I agree entirely that rafa needs more time as long as he learns from his mistakes. We should stick with him and i have said so in other threads. But that has nothing to do with the nonsensical point you made. You're great. Great entertainment, please keep it up.

[bipjohn]

Sly Sports reporting Keane to Spurs and Javier Saviola to us on loan.....

[Craig_H]

Sly Sports reporting Keane to Spurs and Javier Saviola to us on loan.....

Good bit of business if it happens.

[Baldemort]

Sorry wiw, didnt get a chance to post much til this morning. Your point is a valid one, but it still does not detract from the fact that rafa has had plenty to spend. Enough to prevent him from moaning publicly about it. I am not saying he has had so much money that i expect the league this season, but he and his most blinkered supporters should stop moaning about lack of funds. £180mill is £180 mill.

[Baldemort]

I wouldnt bother mate, Robster and Redspin are in the category of people who wont criticise rafa ever. He could pick Rick Parry at left back, Hicks in goal and Pepe up front - and those two would still say it's the correct decision.

As far as they're concerned, Rafa is always right, always and forever. Easier to just ignore them.

Yeh i am beginning to see your point mate.

hope the keane and saviola deals happen. Good business all round if rafa can get the best out of sav.

[Craig_H]

Absolutely. He's flexible too, can play up front, or in an advanced wide position. And wouldnt cost us money. I really hope we get him.

[DannyMan2006]

Sorry wiw, didnt get a chance to post much til this morning. Your point is a valid one, but it still does not detract from the fact that rafa has had plenty to spend. Enough to prevent him from moaning publicly about it. I am not saying he has had so much money that i expect the league this season, but he and his most blinkered supporters should stop moaning about lack of funds. £180mill is £180 mill.

It's not £180m if £100m has been recouped on players. Instead it is £80m, however which way you spin it.

Let's take the squad he inherited when he came, and compare it to other teams squads. And also take into account the Net spend of each club. Having looked at the whole picture I would say that Rafa should be looking to break into the top three every year.

Clearly we are not at the same level as Manchester United and Chelsea, but by the same yard stick we are clearly above the likes of Villa and Everton financially.

So going on that basis, by and large Rafa has acheieved the minimum requirement of what is expected of him. Throw in the best record of any side in Europe in the Champions League whilst he's been at the club and you can see why he's so highly regarded on the continent.

You should also ask yourself where all the money for transfers has come from recently. It has come from success in the Champions league. Had we not progressed to the latter stages every year I don't see where the transfer kitty would have come from. On occasion our earnings from the Champions League have exceeded the Net Spend.

It's all well and good saying go for O'Neil and Mourinho, but neither has as good a record in the Champions League as Rafa, despite Mourinho having free reign to spend millions to win the one trophy Roman craved. O'Neils record is nothing short of disastrous, but he was with Celtic in all fairness.

Going on that basis I would strongly assume that Neither would have as much cash to spend as Rafa. So I wouldn't expect fireworks iif they took over.


So my final verdict on Rafa? Minimum expectations in the League reached and excelled in the Champions League. Can't really complain. Now it's about time he showed how good a manager he is and raised the bar in the league.

[Baldemort]

With regards to the nunez issue, i still do not see how he was forced on us. That would imply that we had no say in the deal and that there effectively were no negotiations. If that were the case, madrid would have paid us two packets of lager and a packet of crisps. Can someone please explain to me how we had no say in the deal, and that if this were the case, why real madrid very generously offered to pay us millions.

[Robster007]

Ferguson has won 8 PL titles. I dont think he has much to prove.

As for Scolari, i dont rate him that highly.

See how i can disagree with you without adding a personal insult? You can aspire to that level of maturity hopefully.

Congratulations.

How long did it take Fergie to win his first title?

This point seems to be avoided to suit.