Rafa 'manipulates' the fans - Redknapp

[Parr_Zee]

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

No, i don't base all my views on what other people think - but i listen to what is being said, and if its negative i don't suddenly think "what the fcuk are they playing at? Why are they trying to de-rail us? Fcuking bitter ex-players- they are just jealous" and some of the other pathetic witch-hunting theories that people think goes on in the media about Liverpool.

[BFG]

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.

They played one more fixture than us in the CL and four in the FA Cup, one of those after the season finished. We were competing quite seriously in the CL, they knocked us out in quite a close game in case you've forgotten and we were knocked out by Everton in the FA Cup, again a difficult tie that could have gone either way. By contrast Chelsea had to replay against Southend in that competition and lost to Burnley in the CC while we were beaten away to Spurs.

We lost 3 less games than them in the league and came three points above them because across 38 games we were better than they were. Try taking your disappointed and emotional specs off for a change and give some credit where it's due rather than being stupidly over critical.

[Parr_Zee]

They played one more fixture than us in the CL and four in the FA Cup, one of those after the season finished. We were competing quite seriously in the CL, they knocked us out in quite a close game in case you've forgotten and we were knocked out by Everton in the FA Cup, again a difficult tie that could have gone either way. By contrast Chelsea had to replay against Southend in that competition and lost to Burnley in the CC while we were beaten away to Spurs.

We lost 3 less games than them in the league and came three points above them because across 38 games we were better than they were. Try taking your disappointed and emotional specs off for a change and give some credit where it's due rather than being stupidly over critical.

Mate, when are you going to realise that you continue to make excuse after excuse after excuse:
- "They knocked us out in quite a close game" - who cares if it was close? We lost. And it wasn't even that close, 7-5 on agg. We were 3 goals from winning it.
- "we were knocked out to Everton ... again a difficult tie" - who cares? We lost? Do you think Chelsea didn't have a difficult tie?
- "we were beaten by Spurs". Yes, again BEATEN.

I'm not sure i understand your 2nd point. I'm not disputing that we weren't better than Chelsea over the course of the league campaign. The points clearly show that we were. But they finished the season with a trophy and we didnt, therefore, their season can be dubbed a success and ours can't.

Stop making excuses for our failings - it makes us sound like a 2nd rate club. We haven't been good enough in the last couple of seasons - no dispute.

[Baracus]

Mate, when are you going to realise that you continue to make excuse after excuse after excuse:
- "They knocked us out in quite a close game" - who cares if it was close? We lost. And it wasn't even that close, 7-5 on agg. We were 3 goals from winning it.
- "we were knocked out to Everton ... again a difficult tie" - who cares? We lost? Do you think Chelsea didn't have a difficult tie?
- "we were beaten by Spurs". Yes, again BEATEN.

I'm not sure i understand your 2nd point. I'm not disputing that we weren't better than Chelsea over the course of the league campaign. The points clearly show that we were. But they finished the season with a trophy and we didnt, therefore, their season can be dubbed a success and ours can't.

Stop making excuses for our failings - it makes us sound like a 2nd rate club. We haven't been good enough in the last couple of seasons - no dispute.

We've not been good enough in the league for the last 19 years

[Parr_Zee]

We've not been good enough in the league for the last 19 years

Yeah, i know. I wasn't talking about just the league though.

[Joe Le Toff]

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.

No, as i said above, you never hear them say anything positive when the system is working, only when its not, very similar to to your posts i suspect.

The notion that teams have worked out how to combat zonal marking is bizarre, a look back at the goals we've conceded this season show that we're not attacking the ball, Bolton, Villa and City immediately spring to mind, please tell me how you think our opponents have managed it exactly because all i see is goals conceded that are down to our own frailties at the back rather than some tactical masterstroke by opposing managers.

[Shaggy]

The notion that teams have worked out how to combat zonal marking is bizarre, .

It is completely bizarre. So, after 30 years or so of it being in use (at least, to my limited knowledge) a system that has been tried and trusted by so many great teams has suddenly been completely worked out by the other 19 PL clubs!!!! What a pisser eh.

It hasn't been worked out at all, we're just executing it really poorly and, yes, we're a much shorter side than we were a couple of years ago with the likes of Crouch, Sissoko, Sami etc

[Parr_Zee]

No, as i said above, you never hear them say anything positive when the system is working, only when its not, very similar to to your posts i suspect.

The notion that teams have worked out how to combat zonal marking is bizarre, a look back at the goals we've conceded this season show that we're not attacking the ball, Bolton, Villa and City immediately spring to mind, please tell me how you think our opponents have managed it exactly because all i see is goals conceded that are down to our own frailties at the back rather than some tactical masterstroke by opposing managers.

Don't make assumptions about me as a poster, mate - i am a very positive poster, but i am also very realistic. And at the moment I am concerned that we are persisting with players who aren't good enough, a set-peice system that is not working for whatever reason, and I believe that the mind-set of our manager (i.e. constantly sitting back on 1 goal lead, rather than looking to kill games off) is worrying.

On your point about zonal marking, if we are not attacking the ball (as you mentioned), and the opposing players are then surely there is a problem. What i see opossing teams do is knock balls into the areas between zones and get their strongest headerers to hit these areas. Therefore, firstly there is indecision from our perspective with regards to whose zone its in, and secondly, if their player has a 10 yard run and jump, chances are he will beat our stationary defender in the air, especially if its Adebayor, Terry, Vidic or any other player who is good in the air. Thats how I see it. if its a case that we don't have players who are tall enough to defend zonally, then surely it needs to be re-addresses, don't you think?

I'm not trying to be awkward or negative for no reason here guys, but it is concerning.

[BFG]

Mate, when are you going to realise that you continue to make excuse after excuse after excuse:
- "They knocked us out in quite a close game" - who cares if it was close? We lost. And it wasn't even that close, 7-5 on agg. We were 3 goals from winning it.
- "we were knocked out to Everton ... again a difficult tie" - who cares? We lost? Do you think Chelsea didn't have a difficult tie?
- "we were beaten by Spurs". Yes, again BEATEN.

I'm not sure i understand your 2nd point. I'm not disputing that we weren't better than Chelsea over the course of the league campaign. The points clearly show that we were. But they finished the season with a trophy and we didnt, therefore, their season can be dubbed a success and ours can't.

Stop making excuses for our failings - it makes us sound like a 2nd rate club. We haven't been good enough in the last couple of seasons - no dispute.

What are you talking about man, I only mentioned those points in response to you're bemusing points below:

"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."

We don't agree mate, I'm sure we'll both sleep tonight.

[Exiled_red]

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

He's Portsmouth's most successful ever manager

[el matador]

Redknapp was a former red and a great player for us. He has more right than any fan to have a go at rafa or the team form because he was part of the club for nearly 10 seasons - he was our team and club captain and people are too easy to forget such things. So what if he commentates for sky - he is a red through and through and im sure it pains him to see how **** we are at the moment and why the team doesnt look like its going anywhere fast under rafa.

Everything he says is correct - rafa is the master of manipulation.

He knows exactly how to manipulate the fans (the infamous 'walk through a storm' press conference), he manipulates the media using balague leaking info about his contract talks, players etc even before important games (he screwed up when taking on fergie last season).

He is a political animal and is very astute. He knows that as long as hicks and gillett are at the club the fans will always be on his side because we see him as one of us in our fight against the owners.

He knows exactly which way the wind is blowing and which way to turn for his own advantage.

[Chrono]

You might be right in the manipulation but...

1) He has no more right than any Liverpool fan
2) Rafa didn't screw up any mind games, if anything it worked rather well

[el matador]

You might be right in the manipulation but...

1) He has no more right than any Liverpool fan
2) Rafa didn't screw up any mind games, if anything it worked rather well

im not sure about this bit because of the 'the facts' press conference last we fell apart. Yes the players play football but it put us under a lot of pressure to win matches. That was our chance to win the league but we blew it big time.

no one cares what you say as long as you win but when you lose and say stuff like that you look like a tit - which is precisely what he did. He was right in what he said but the timing and the manner wasnt.

[Chrono]

I think it just came down to us not playing very good football (as usual) and saying the "facts" as he saw them still linger there for effect. It also caused Fergie and Fat Sam to attempt their pathetic attack on him. I'm not sure it added pressure but perhaps we should win something before we go mouthing off.

[el matador]

I think it just came down to us not playing very good football (as usual) and saying the "facts" as he saw them still linger there for effect. It also caused Fergie and Fat Sam to attempt their pathetic attack on him. I'm not sure it added pressure but perhaps we should win something before we go mouthing off.

its funny because i once heard rafa say its always better to play the game first and talk about it after. But strangely he didnt follow his own advice.

Anyway, lets hope we can get a decent result tomorrow against a second string Everton side. Both teams cant defend for **** so 5-2 to us would be great.

It would also be great to see more than 1 minute of our new midfield maestro aquilani.

This is from the times this morning - its absolutely ridiculous and makes rafa look paranoid.

Rafael Benítez has accused Jamie Redknapp, the Sky pundit and former Liverpool captain, of using his position in the media to try to benefit Tottenham Hotspur, the club managed by his father, Harry. Last weekend, Redknapp suggested that the Liverpool manager was presiding over a team “going nowhere”. “I’m surprised that people who were close to Liverpool before are working so hard to try to help Tottenham stay in the top four,” Benítez said.