Espanyol v Liverpool FC - Match & Post-match

[Craig_H]

At the end of the day we used 19 or 20 outfield players in what was just a pre-season kick-about to give a few youngsters a game and contribute to fitness levels of all the squad, with a view to hitting the ground running when the season starts. So there's no way that the performance can be used as an indication of how we'll play in a real game. Similarly I doubt very much Spurs will be losing any sleep over their loss. It's a pound to a penny that if we played Espanyol over there in a competitive match we'd win by at least a couple and not get past third gear. It's important to keep a sense of perspective when looking at pre-season games.

Frankly I couldn't give a toss if we lost all pre-season games if we're going to use 20-odd players a match. The important thing is to get to proper match-fit levels by the day of the first game, try to avoid too many injuries by resting key players or only playing them for parts of games and, finally, give our fans around the world a rare chance to see their idols in live action, such as was the case in the Far East and will be in Norway in midweek

Playing well isnt something you can just switch on and off like a tap though.

We could do with actually getting into the habit of performing well, to take it into the season.

[Craig_H]

Although I agreed with you at the time, it's still too early to judge. Let's see how Rafa spends the Xabi money first.

Fair play, but all i will say is that a very good fullback for £3.5m is a great deal, which we will do well to match when it comes to finding a replacement (if we even sign one, that is).

[Redspin]

Yes and i banged on about it in the Arbeloa thread. Was shouted down by most, of course. Because 'in rafa we trust' etc etc.

I think most people trust in rafa more than in you, hard that is to imagine for you I'm sure. Arbeloa wanted out, had one year on his contract and we got £3.5m - a profit - on him and signed England's RB to replace him. Good business to me

[RedReet]

Fair play, but all i will say is that a very good fullback for £3.5m is a great deal, which we will do well to match when it comes to finding a replacement (if we even sign one, that is).

It was indeed a snip for Madrid, but I’m banking (hoping) that Rafa has a CB in mind that is comfortable on the right. We definitely need someone in, and hopefully if they prove good enough, Arbeloa would have been surplus anyway.

[Craig_H]

I think most people trust in rafa more than in you, hard that is to imagine for you I'm sure. Arbeloa wanted out, had one year on his contract and we got £3.5m - a profit - on him and signed England's RB to replace him. Good business to me

Trusting Rafa more than me, yes. Indeed.

Never ever doubting anything he ever decides =

If Rafa decided to sell Gerrard and Torres, the usual Churchill nodding dogs would be out in force claiming it a masterstroke.

[red g]

Trusting Rafa more than me, yes. Indeed.

Never ever doubting anything he ever decides =

If Rafa decided to sell Gerrard and Torres, the usual Churchill nodding dogs would be out in force claiming it a masterstroke.

i dont believe anyone is that trsuting in Rafa's Ability.

[Tee]

Trusting Rafa more than me, yes. Indeed.

Never ever doubting anything he ever decides =

If Rafa decided to sell Gerrard and Torres, the usual Churchill nodding dogs would be out in force claiming it a masterstroke.

Nothing wrong in questioning Rafa - I have been and I am sure he will answer us all this season in the best possible manner. Fingers crossed.

[Guest]

Nothing wrong in questioning Rafa - I have been and I am sure he will answer us all this season in the best possible manner. Fingers crossed.

Nothing left to chance Craig would say.

[Craig_H]

That's the thing, people defend rafa when there's criticism, saying that he isnt perfect (who is?) and that's spot on. He isnt perfect, nobody is expecting him to be.

By admitting that, they obviously admit that he makes mistakes - and IMO, selling Arbeloa was one of them. That's all i'm saying. Hopefully i'm proven wrong.

[Craig_H]

Nothing left to chance Craig would say.

I wouldnt, but Rafa probably would - he's a perfectionist, after all.

[Mattshark]

That's the thing, people defend rafa when there's criticism, saying that he isnt perfect (who is?) and that's spot on. He isnt perfect, nobody is expecting him to be.

By admitting that, they obviously admit that he makes mistakes - and IMO, selling Arbeloa was one of them. That's all i'm saying. Hopefully i'm proven wrong.

Did we have too much choice but to sell him?

[Craig_H]

Did we have too much choice but to sell him?

Well yes. It depends on what you value more. £3.5m in cash or a season's worth of contribution from Arbeloa. I'd prefer the latter.

[DannyMan2006]

That's the thing, people defend rafa when there's criticism, saying that he isnt perfect (who is?) and that's spot on. He isnt perfect, nobody is expecting him to be.

By admitting that, they obviously admit that he makes mistakes - and IMO, selling Arbeloa was one of them. That's all i'm saying. Hopefully i'm proven wrong.

Selling Arbeloa was the RIGHT decision.

He either leaves now and we get £3.5m towards a replacement.

or

He leave next summer and we get no money towards a replacement

[Ben_Itez]

Which is exactly why I hate the saturated TV coverage of pre-season. I cannot help but want Liverpool to win in any game I watch them and it is difficult to just accept that it is a meaningless friendly. It certainly looked more than that to Espanyol.

Ive avoided all the pre-season games for that reason - they're totally meaningless. Obviously managed to catch the goals on SSN and the net though. I remember last year we were similarly **** in preseason (or maybe the year before) and got off to a cracking start. Spurs on the other hand were thrashing everybody including Roma 5-0 yet only took one point from their first eight games!

I'll start worrying if we start the season poorly and are more than 6 points off top after 10 games.

[Craig_H]

Selling Arbeloa was the RIGHT decision.

He either leaves now and we get £3.5m towards a replacement.

or

He leave next summer and we get no money towards a replacement

£3.5m is ****. Possibly a year's wages for a good ish player.

I'd rather have had Johnson for the games where we need our RB to be better in an attacking sense and Arbeloa for when we need a RB that can defend.