Benítez: We could not afford to lose

[BFG]

Pretty tame excuse, IMO.

Playing Skrtel at RB was a woeful and costly decision. I look forward to seeing Rafa repeating the same mistake soon.

Yeah we lost because Skrtel was at right back. Nothing to do with the fact that we created about five good chances and didn't stick one away then conceded a soft own goal.

We lost because we were ****e in front of goal.

[Reece]

Rafa never ever brings it up. What's he supposed to say if some dickhead sticks a camera in his face and asks him the same old question and do you know what, those dickheads will keep asking him when our fans are so naive as to blame the press harassment on Benitez.

He doesn't answer the question, he tries to talk about football. I'm sure there's noone more sick about hearing about it than Rafa.

Some were moaning on here when he refused to answer questions on it after the Madrid game.

[BFG]

Some were moaning on here when he refused to answer questions on it after the Madrid game.

The manager just can't win at the moment. We've got to a stage now where, because of the improvement Rafa's made and the increase in expectations, we'll moan about anything.

[pondus]

Pretty tame excuse, IMO.

Playing Skrtel at RB was a woeful and costly decision. I look forward to seeing Rafa repeating the same mistake soon.

As we all look forward to your constant childish snipes at our manager

[Reece]

Playing Skrtel at RB was a woeful and costly decision. I look forward to seeing Rafa repeating the same mistake soon.

The thing is, I think you genuinely do.

[The Birdman]

From watching the highlights I could tell that it was definately Rafa's and Skrtel's fault that El Zhar blazed wide from 8 yards and that Kuyt managed what only our dutch players seem able to do which is completely miss the ball with an open goal.

I'm as ****ed off as any of you but don't climb into Rafa for answering questions about his contract, if he said 'no comment' or ignored it the press about it would be even worse, I have seen interviews where he has said "I don't want to discuss it, it isn't important I'm here to talk about the next game"
Critisise him for buying Lucas if you want (but I still think he isn't as bad as a lot make out) but be realistic we lost because we are poor in front of goal which comes down to composure, bottle and trusting your technique.

[Craig_H]

Yeah we lost because Skrtel was at right back. Nothing to do with the fact that we created about five good chances and didn't stick one away then conceded a soft own goal.

We lost because we were ****e in front of goal.

Nothing to do with Downing ripping Skrtel a new one then.

The thing is, I think you genuinely do.

Oh dear.

[BFG]

Nothing to do with Downing ripping Skrtel a new one then.

Not really no because we should have been 2-0 up before half time and then the midfielders wouldn't have had to leave him isolated. If we'd took our chances then Skrtel at RB would have been solid and we'd have seen the game out.

If you need anything else clearing up then do ask. I hate to think of you blindly clicking around the forum posting ill informed drivel with depressing regularity.

[Craig_H]

Not really no because we should have been 2-0 up before half time and then the midfielders wouldn't have had to leave him isolated. If we'd took our chances then Skrtel at RB would have been solid and we'd have seen the game out.

If you need anything else clearing up then do ask. I hate to think of you blindly clicking around the forum posting ill informed drivel with depressing regularity.

But we werent 2-0 up. So maybe if we'd had someone better at RB, they might've prevented the Downing threat and we wouldnt have been under so much pressure.

I assume you watched the 90 mins?

[BFG]

But we werent 2-0 up. So maybe if we'd had someone better at RB, they might've prevented the Downing threat and we wouldnt have been under so much pressure.

I assume you watched the 90 mins?

I certainly did. I can only assume you didn't.

If you setup a fairly attacking midfield (which we did btw) then you're going out there to make chances and win the game. We only did half that job and it came back to haunt us.

Skrtel at right back should have been irrelevant but out poor finishing meant that we then put ourselves under presure to leave him isolated against his man and push JM and XA higher up the pitch to equalise. Downing only really came into the game after the own goal because they could hit us on the counter attack and get 1 on 1. If we'd took our chances Skrtel and one of the DM's were quite capable of keeping the right side solid and seeing out the game. I'm not sure what's so hard to understand about that but hey I suppose it's much easier to shout rotation, zonal marking or Skrtel rather than forming a coherent argument.

[Craig_H]

I certainly did. I can only assume you didn't.

If you setup a fairly attacking midfield (which we did btw) then you're going out there to make chances and win the game. We only did half that job and it came back to haunt us.

Skrtel at right back should have been irrelevant but out poor finishing meant that we then put ourselves under presure to leave him isolated against his man and push JM and XA higher up the pitch to equalise. Downing only really came into the game after the own goal because they could hit us on the counter attack and get 1 on 1. If we'd took our chances Skrtel and one of the DM's were quite capable of keeping the right side solid and seeing out the game. I'm not sure what's so hard to understand about that but hey I suppose it's much easier to shout rotation, zonal marking or Skrtel rather than forming a coherent argument.

I saw it all.

Whichever way you dress it up, we played a player at RB who'd never played there before, he got destroyed and we lost.

But hey, Rafa's never wrong, so maybe it was the colour of the grass or the height of the dugout that's to blame.

[BFG]

I saw it all.

Whichever way you dress it up, we played a player at RB who'd never played there before, he got destroyed and we lost.

But hey, Rafa's never wrong, so maybe it was the colour of the grass or the height of the dugout that's to blame.

Or maybe it was the fact that we didn't take our chances which is a shared responsibility and not just Rafa's?

[Craig_H]

Or maybe it was the fact that we didn't take our chances which is a shared responsibility and not just Rafa's?

Obviously missing chances doesnt help, nobody's saying differently.

Playing Skrtel at RB caused us problems too. It's the simplest thing in the world, players out of position are less comfortable and less likely to perform at their best. Dispute it all you like, but it's pretty much a fact.

I'm not saying it's JUST rafa's fault, but he makes things harder than they need to be. The players didnt perform but again, i'd point to the motivational responsibilities of a manager.

I'm curious as to if you think ANYTHING is rafa's fault. Ever.

[BFG]

Obviously missing chances doesnt help, nobody's saying differently.

Playing Skrtel at RB caused us problems too. It's the simplest thing in the world, players out of position are less comfortable and less likely to perform at their best. Dispute it all you like, but it's pretty much a fact.

I'm not saying it's JUST rafa's fault, but he makes things harder than they need to be. The players didnt perform but again, i'd point to the motivational responsibilities of a manager.

I'm curious as to if you think ANYTHING is rafa's fault. Ever.

Of course. When we don't do well he's a part of that just as when we win but not every tiny minute thing that goes wrong is his fault and he does a hell of a lot more positive things than negative.

I think the problem many of us have is that we're living in the past. It's twenty years since we've won the league and just because we are the most devine club in world football it doesn't give us any automatic right to win a thing. It's a long long way back and we're half way there. We don't worry about finishing top 4 now which we did under Houllier when a rot was really setting in. We're the best Champions League side and 2nd/3rd best in the PL. I think Rafa's done very well to get us to the state we're in now and because of the increase in expectation and the "it's not good enough for LFC bla bla bla" attitude then if someone farts at Melwood it was definitely one of Rafa's and probably the reason why we don't win every single game.

[Craig_H]

I've never disputed that Rafa's done very well. But he doesnt have it in him to win the PL IMO. Furthermore, it's not even about winning the title. There's no divine right and i dont 'expect' us to win it.

What i do want however, is for the manager, whoever it is, to get the best out of what he has to work with. And Rafa doesnt do that on anywhere near a consistent basis. 10 draws out of 27 games proves that.

I think our squad, with a bit of luck and a manager who gets the maximum out of the players, is good enough to win the title. I dont think Rafa gets the best out of them though and i think he makes what is already a hard task, much more difficult.

I dont want a manager who increases the level of difficulty for us.