Ronnie Whelan

[Shaggy]

I think Gray's thawing towards us is simply because we might win the title - he just can't criticise as wantonly as he would like because he knows he'd seem ****ing stupid....slating the team who are just one point behind the time he likes to cream his pants over.

Although...did anyone notice what he said the other day? He was talking about how Benitez makes fewer changes these days and something along the lines of "he's finally realised it's different in English football........as much as we've learnt from him, I'd like to think he's learnt from us"

[dww]

I think it depends who he means by us. I think he has gradually adapted parts of his way of working to the PL. The people I think he has learned from though are Wenger, Fergie, Queiroz, Sammy Lee and some of the other managers and teams not any of the pundits who have bleated about headline issues while offering no sensible solutions apart from not changing the team as much (despite the amount of changes seen in the United team each season).

[Dhav]

Ronnie Whelan, what a ****. Once a Manc always a cunt. **** off you horrible little parasite. Rafa's forgotten more about football management than than this failed manager ever knew.

[Darth Marty]

Ronnie Whelan, what a ****. Once a Manc always a cunt. **** off you horrible little parasite. Rafa's forgotten more about football management than than this failed manager ever knew.

On that note id love Andy Gray to take a punt at management too, no chance cos the cunt is happy picking flaws in those with enough balls to try it properly. Bet hes great at Footy Manager though.............

[Joe King]

On that note id love Andy Gray to take a punt at management too, no chance cos the cunt is happy picking flaws in those with enough balls to try it properly. Bet hes great at Footy Manager though.............

I bet he wouldn't. Andy Gray is so ignorant to teams and leagues outside the Premiership. In fact, I would go all out and say Andy Gray's knowledge is limited to the top six.

[bertie]

Ronnie Whelan, what a ****. Once a Manc always a cunt. **** off you horrible little parasite. Rafa's forgotten more about football management than than this failed manager ever knew.

Couldn't agree more

I was speaking about this with a mate recently. He raised the very interesting point that the likes of Whelan & McMahon are overly critical of Rafa is because deep down they're worried they are about to be replaced by new legends of the club with new sucess. Think about it. It must be a great feeling being constantly told you were the dogs bollix & "if we only had you today we'd win the league". You haven't achieved a jot in the game since you left the club (Whelans last job was in Cyprus ) so this is all you have to cling on to. Therefore you take every opportunity to take a dig at the current team/manager. Not saying every ex-player is like this but does explain why Whelan in particular is such an irritable **** lately. ... Anyone else come to similar conclusions?

[Rigadon]

Ronnie Whelan, what a ****. Once a Manc always a cunt. **** off you horrible little parasite. Rafa's forgotten more about football management than than this failed manager ever knew.

[Rigadon]

Couldn't agree more

I was speaking about this with a mate recently. He raised the very interesting point that the likes of Whelan & McMahon are overly critical of Rafa is because deep down they're worried they are about to be replaced by new legends of the club with new sucess. Think about it. It must be a great feeling being constantly told you were the dogs bollix & "if we only had you today we'd win the league". You haven't achieved a jot in the game since you left the club (Whelans last job was in Cyprus ) so this is all you have to cling on to. Therefore you take every opportunity to take a dig at the current team/manager. Not saying every ex-player is like this but does explain why Whelan in particular is such an irritable **** lately. ... Anyone else come to similar conclusions?

No

[Dhav]

Listen mate, I idolised the ****er as a kid, as I did every other player of that glorious late 80's team, him as much as anyone because he was a Cup winning captain for us in 89. I even followed his management career very closely in Greece then in Cyprus. But **** me is he acting the cunt now. Touting Mourinho for Rafa's job - that's a cunt's trick.

[Dhav]

Couldn't agree more

I was speaking about this with a mate recently. He raised the very interesting point that the likes of Whelan & McMahon are overly critical of Rafa is because deep down they're worried they are about to be replaced by new legends of the club with new sucess. Think about it. It must be a great feeling being constantly told you were the dogs bollix & "if we only had you today we'd win the league". You haven't achieved a jot in the game since you left the club (Whelans last job was in Cyprus ) so this is all you have to cling on to. Therefore you take every opportunity to take a dig at the current team/manager. Not saying every ex-player is like this but does explain why Whelan in particular is such an irritable **** lately. ... Anyone else come to similar conclusions?

Not only was Whelan's last job in Cyprus, he was sacked from it for being a failure. The club he was managing was owned by one of the richest men in the country at the time and he was given **** loads to spend.

[DannyMan2006]

I actually side slightly with Liverpoolrat on this. I'll explain.

When Ronnie Whelan was a player he was at a fantastic Liverpool team and obviously is proud of what he and the team achieved. No doubt he is as disgusted as me and the rest of you at our massive fall from grace. We were the best team in England by some distance and more than likely the whole of Europe. We were also ten league titles clear of the mancs. To see what has become of LFC down the years is a ****ing disgrace.

I, however was only briefly present for the glory years so I can't say that I was that used to success as a fan. But I can understand that there will always be fans around who will look at our club and always compare it to the glory years. And Ronnie Whelan as an ex-player has more right to do that than most.

People on this site will only too well remember rage and sarb, both of whom could be described as very bitter individuals. But they were not mancs, they just (as rages title said) had high expectations. There are people who will cling to any kind of little victory and wallow in it due to lack of success (a league cup final win over Bolton) and there are those who will look at that and think "Is that ****ing all?" .

I guess what it boils down to is that some people believe we have a devine right to win everything like we used to and will blame Rafa Benitez for our lack of success. But he was not the man who contributed in Liverpools grand fall from grace. He is a man who has taken us to Europes high table and fed us so well that we became bloated on the success and ended up viewing the greatest trophy in European football as a sideshow event. It still makes me laugh that myself and others were so non-plussed with the build up to the Anfield game.

It was only when AnfieldAnfield spoke of the trip to Rome after our defeat that the magnitude of it sunk in. Only now, when we are all but out, are we thinking of what could have been. And that success was brought about by Benitez. Just like the title challenge.

This club is going places and is on the rise. But only winning the league will make the doubters believe. But whatever happens, having a realistic view, or negative view, does not make someone a prick or a manc - especially not a man of the stature of Ronnie Whelan.

[liverpoolrat]

I actually side slightly with Liverpoolrat on this. I'll explain.

When Ronnie Whelan was a player he was at a fantastic Liverpool team and obviously is proud of what he and the team achieved. No doubt he is as disgusted as me and the rest of you at our massive fall from grace. We were the best team in England by some distance and more than likely the whole of Europe. We were also ten league titles clear of the mancs. To see what has become of LFC down the years is a ****ing disgrace.

I, however was only briefly present for the glory years so I can't say that I was that used to success as a fan. But I can understand that there will always be fans around who will look at our club and always compare it to the glory years. And Ronnie Whelan as an ex-player has more right to do that than most.

People on this site will only too well remember rage and sarb, both of whom could be described as very bitter individuals. But they were not mancs, they just (as rages title said) had high expectations. There are people who will cling to any kind of little victory and wallow in it due to lack of success (a league cup final win over Bolton) and there are those who will look at that and think "Is that ****ing all?" .

I guess what it boils down to is that some people believe we have a devine right to win everything like we used to and will blame Rafa Benitez for our lack of success. But he was not the man who contributed in Liverpools grand fall from grace. He is a man who has taken us to Europes high table and fed us so well that we became bloated on the success and ended up viewing the greatest trophy in European football as a sideshow event. It still makes me laugh that myself and others were so non-plussed with the build up to the Anfield game.

It was only when AnfieldAnfield spoke of the trip to Rome after our defeat that the magnitude of it sunk in. Only now, when we are all but out, are we thinking of what could have been. And that success was brought about by Benitez. Just like the title challenge.

This club is going places and is on the rise. But only winning the league will make the doubters believe. But whatever happens, having a realistic view, or negative view, does not make someone a prick or a manc - especially not a man of the stature of Ronnie Whelan.

some good points in there, and i just don't think turning on ex-players is a very Liverpool thing to do. Especially for voicing opinion about football matters.

part of what makes Liverpool as a city so great is that the place is full of nutters chatting ****- and thats fine. everyone has a right to chip in, stick their neck on the line, and come out with some nonsense- occasionally they will hit the nail on the head... we all do it all the time (Benitez has been excelling in it since Xmas)... but to turn on an a great for a few comments is just plain soft. It would be so much easier for him to toe-the-party-line, give dull "lets wait and see" type answers to all things title... don't castigate a man for saying things how he sees them.

Its like beating **** out of your nan in her later years for some of her daft cenile comments about "dark people" and "coloureds"... you might not always agree, but you look at the bigger picture.

Ronnie Whelan has done more for Liverpool FC than any of us on here... he knows more about how top class football teams prepare for games and push for titles, knows pretty much anyone in the game worth knowing, and I truly believe has our best interests at heart...

He might not be right- but I am genuinely sickened by some of the comments I have read by some of you about him.

[DannyMan2006]

Ronnie Whelan has done more for Liverpool FC than any of us on here... he knows more about how top class football teams prepare for games and push for titles, knows pretty much anyone in the game worth knowing, and I truly believe has our best interests at heart...

He might not be right- but I am genuinely sickened by some of the comments I have read by some of you about him.

Exactly right there, that's the entire point, especially the bit in bold. I'm 100% sure that if saying Liverpool will win the league would make it come true then Whelan would say it.

But this is not the case, and as Whelans random views are broadcast in Ireland I would suggest that it's unlikely many LFC players will ever here or read of them.

He is different to Kenny Dalglish in that everybody listens to what Kenny says. Everyone at the club will know what he's saying, and Kenny will regularly come across present day players of Liverpool. I would therefore say that Dalglish needs in some respects to "toe the party line". Whelan on the other hand can get away with it.

Anyhow, as you say - he worked his bollocks of for this club and the clubs success he brought is the reason many on here will support the club. So as long as his opinion is purely football related then I wouldn't see a reason as to why he would never get anthing less than a fantastic reception when he goes back to Anfield.

He's not 100% like John Aldridge, but it don't make him a Manc.

[Tee]

All our ex-players just need to take a look and follow the example of the great Alan Hansen in how to strike the right balance as an ex-Liverpool legend turned tv pundit.

[liverpoolrat]

All our ex-players just need to take a look and follow the example of the great Alan Hansen in how to strike the right balance as an ex-Liverpool legend turned tv pundit.

like he did ten seconds before kick-off in the Milan final 2007?!

only messing, for the most part he does strike the right balance...

although in the interests of bloody interest, i would hate to have 20 ex players playing hansen's game... bit of variety does no harm, and we have at least 20 pundits toeing the boring party line as it is, half our ex-player pundits i wouldnt bother to read an article with because i would expect them to say nothing- thats not to say i want to read them to slag the side off, but bland non-commital quotes are just dull.