Rafa 'manipulates' the fans - Redknapp

[Parr_Zee]

[QUOTE=BFG;1464372]He was saying the same things last year though when we finished above Chelsea. [QUOTE]

Well to be fair to Chelsea, they did finish 3rd, but they also won the FA Cup and got to the semi-final of the Champions League.

We may have finished above them, but we got **** all silverware to show for it. Which would you have prefered?

Some people are just so bitter that they want to complain about anything.

[BFG]

Well to be fair to Chelsea, they did finish 3rd, but they also won the FA Cup and got to the semi-final of the Champions League.

We may have finished above them, but we got **** all silverware to show for it. Which would you have prefered?

Some people are just so bitter that they want to complain about anything.

You said he talks about how good Chelsea are because they're ****ing good but we were better than them in the league last year and he still tore into us. A bit of balance is all I want.

I agree with your last sentence wholeheartedly and that's the precise reason a lot of us dislike Redknapp, he's so bitter he complains no matter what we do!

[Redspin]

I stand by the fact that the MAJORITY of people agree with what Redknapp says:

1. He says that the fans are firmly behind Benitez, but if we go out of Europe and lose to Everton, then fans may be swayed. I think most people would agree with this.
2. He says that Fernando Torres won't want to play in Europa League next season. I can guarantee that that is true. All fans would agree.
3. He says that if we don't get into the top 4 it will be a major problem. He is correct again and fans would agree.
4. He says that there are "huge problems going on behind the scenes with the owners, but it is too easy to blame that. On the pitch the players are not playing well enough, that's a fact." Surely everyone would agree with this?
5. And finally he says that we are having problems marking zonally (his opinion is that its because Crouch and Hyypia have left). I don't think anyone could argue with our set-peice problems.

The only contentious issue for me is when he says about Benitez manupulating the fans - which i don't think is true.

Mostly bollocks. The majority of fans I know all over the country are well behind Rafa, recognising the huge constraints he's under in the transfer market, whilst also recognising that the injury situation has played a major part in our dropping more points than usual. When everyone's back, hopefully in the next couple of weeks, we'll easily move up the table. Any people thinking we won't end up in the top four are crazy. It's a certainty

[Redspin]

FFS, he gets paid to give his opinion on things and he gives his honest opinion. He's not looking at it through rose-tinted specs like we do.

Its not a coincidence that everyone in the media, plus every football fan I know (who is not a Liverpool fan) think that Benitez has been given ample time and is not doing a good enough job, and that we are gash at defending set-peices.

So why are you so bothered about what non-Liverpool fans think? Do you base all your views on what alll football fans rather than Liverpool fans think? Very curious

[Molby]

Of course he'll be on TV this Sunday talking about us - there is a merseyside derby to talk about. He'd look pretty dumb if he didn't talk about it!! Why is this sad?

What i mean is, he will be on the TV talking about us, impartially.

He will always be on the side of saying something sensationalist about Liverpool.

Will he say " let's have a bit of calm here, there is still a lot of points to play for, if Liverpool go on a run of say 10 unbeaten games, who knows where they can be in the league...." or will it be this crap he has been spouting over Rafa recently?

We all know which.

That's what is sad Parr_Zee.

Cockney ****......

[The Birdman]

Jamie's dad is one of the best managers that has ever existed in England ever, so it's not surprising he has a natural affinity with it.

What has he won or more to the point ever achieved?

[Shaggy]

Whoosh?

[dww]

[Harv]

facepalm

[Joe Le Toff]

FFS, he gets paid to give his opinion on things and he gives his honest opinion. He's not looking at it through rose-tinted specs like we do.

Its not a coincidence that everyone in the media, plus every football fan I know (who is not a Liverpool fan) think that Benitez has been given ample time and is not doing a good enough job, and that we are gash at defending set-peices.

Its also a handy coincidence that not one of these ****ing pundits has had the good grace to mention the horrendous injuries that Rafa has suffered this season to his most important players which has hampered his selection to this day since the start of the season.

Redknapp makes a couple of fair comments but it seems to me theyre all too quick to stick the boot into Benitez without mentioning anything thats outside of his control that contributing to our **** season.

Zonal marking has been Sky's stick to beat Benitez with for many years now, but only when it doesnt work, you never hear a word when Reina's getting Golden Gloves awards or we're going x amount of games without conceding.
When the mancs or Chelsea concede from set-pieces they never seem to debate the dangers of going man-for-man.I agree we are conceding too many from goals at the moment but as soon as we get back to the old habits of attacking the ball i think we'll see an improvement.

Im no Rafa worshipper and he does make mistakes, but theses pundits piss me off with their myopic views, its no wonder many think they have an agenda with LFC and Benitez in particular.

[Parr_Zee]

you never hear a word when Reina's getting Golden Gloves awards or we're going x amount of games without conceding.

Yes we do, actually. Several times this season I have heard Andy Gray and several other of the commentators/pundits say that they think Reina is the best keeper in the league. Its just that when Sky say something positive, the fans agree with it and it doesn't bother them, but when they say something negative, certain fans flip, and think that the world is against us.

The general consensus from pundits is that we are a 2-man team with no real strength in depth, and that when we are missing Torres/Gerrard, no-one steps up to the plate. This is TRUE. They also think that everytime we concede a set-peice, we look like conceding. This is also TRUE.

Regarding the injury situation - we notice it more because we don't have the strength in depth to deal with it. When we played Fulham a couple of weeks ago we were without a couple of first-teamers, but they were without 3 or 4 of their main players. The difference was that the players who came in for them, did their job and performed.

[Kenneth]

Yes we do, actually. Several times this season I have heard Andy Gray and several other of the commentators/pundits say that they think Reina is the best keeper in the league. Its just that when Sky say something positive, the fans agree with it and it doesn't bother them, but when they say something negative, certain fans flip, and think that the world is against us.

The general consensus from pundits is that we are a 2-man team with no real strength in depth, and that when we are missing Torres/Gerrard, no-one steps up to the plate. This is TRUE. They also think that everytime we concede a set-peice, we look like conceding. This is also TRUE.

Regarding the injury situation - we notice it more because we don't have the strength in depth to deal with it. When we played Fulham a couple of weeks ago we were without a couple of first-teamers, but they were without 3 or 4 of their main players. The difference was that the players who came in for them, did their job and performed.

I think injuries is being used as a conventient excuse. And when it's not injuries, it's 'lack of match fitness'. Wonder how long that one can be used for returning players until is becomes laughable. We have put out strong starting line ups this season on many occasions and played like ****e. We have put out weakened lineups and played like ****e. The common feature is the ****e football.

[Joe Le Toff]

Yes we do, actually. Several times this season I have heard Andy Gray and several other of the commentators/pundits say that they think Reina is the best keeper in the league. Its just that when Sky say something positive, the fans agree with it and it doesn't bother them, but when they say something negative, certain fans flip, and think that the world is against us.

The general consensus from pundits is that we are a 2-man team with no real strength in depth, and that when we are missing Torres/Gerrard, no-one steps up to the plate. This is TRUE. They also think that everytime we concede a set-peice, we look like conceding. This is also TRUE.

Regarding the injury situation - we notice it more because we don't have the strength in depth to deal with it. When we played Fulham a couple of weeks ago we were without a couple of first-teamers, but they were without 3 or 4 of their main players. The difference was that the players who came in for them, did their job and performed.

I was referring to the lack of praise from them of a zonal marking system well executed as obviously that plays a massive part in not conceding goals and Reina winning awards. The zonal marking is only ever highlighted when its not working as is the case currently.

[Parr_Zee]

You said he talks about how good Chelsea are because they're ****ing good but we were better than them in the league last year and he still tore into us. A bit of balance is all I want.

I agree with your last sentence wholeheartedly and that's the precise reason a lot of us dislike Redknapp, he's so bitter he complains no matter what we do!

But maybe we were better than them in the league because they were trying to compete quite seriously on 3 fronts, and the league was all we had to go for? Try try to think without some red-tinted specs for a change.

If we have performed brilliantly or are playing well, Sky do acknowledge that. There are loads of times that I remember Redknapp and Gray fancying us to win games against Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal when we are in form.

[Parr_Zee]

I was referring to the lack of praise from them of a zonal marking system well executed as obviously that plays a massive part in not conceding goals and Reina winning awards. The zonal marking is only ever highlighted when its not working as is the case currently.

Ah ok, so just as i said above, you ignore when they say something positive, but get agitated when they say something negative.

On zonal marking, the only think i tend to hear Sky commentators saying is that they feel its not a system that they like. As ex-players, most of them are entitled to their opinion on tactics. Mark Hughes said that they specifically targeted this and it worked. Your lack of admission that it is an issue is laughable.

Maybe it was successful as few years ago, when we began adopting it. But in the here and now, it seems that teams have found a way around it, and are exploiting it in almost EVERY GAME.