Standards

[kenny_89]

I'm a bit confused at the moment, is it just me or do I not recognize my team anymore, I watch my team of highly paid professionals (who all look very unhappy with their lot by the way) seemingly struggle with some of the most basic stuff. It was Shankly who coined the expression "pass to the nearest pair of red socks" now I'm no master tactician but I expect the very basics. I watch Liverpool FC with complete bewilderment because for the life in me I see no team shape, no guile, no skill, no team ethic, and last but not least no passion.

A lot of people on this site have been slated recently for having doubts about Rafa, well when all said and done its a forum. I think we've all gone down the road of late with defending Rafa and I for one have done so myself and yes we have been unfortunate with injuries and had some bad luck. But somethings got to change, we can all bang on about owners, money, injuries, that team on the pitch is NOT much different than the one that finished 2nd last season (will Steven Gerrard start playing when Torres is back, because he isn't at the moment). Something is clearly wrong, my feeling is that Rafa's lost the dressing room.

It all feels quite surreal at the moment, we all (myself included couldn't wait for the season to start) it would be very interesting to hear what position in the league you think we'll finish because at the moment I dread to think.

I will always support my team, but are they at the moment supporting us.
Somethings wrong. Answers on a postcard please.

[Molby]

I'm a bit confused at the moment, is it just me or do I not recognize my team anymore, I watch my team of highly paid professionals (who all look very unhappy with their lot by the way) seemingly struggle with some of the most basic stuff. It was Shankly who coined the expression "pass to the nearest pair of red socks" now I'm no master tactician but I expect the very basics. I watch Liverpool FC with complete bewilderment because for the life in me I see no team shape, no guile, no skill, no team ethic, and last but not least no passion.

A lot of people on this site have been slated recently for having doubts about Rafa, well when all said and done its a forum. I think we've all gone down the road of late with defending Rafa and I for one have done so myself and yes we have been unfortunate with injuries and had some bad luck. But somethings got to change, we can all bang on about owners, money, injuries, that team on the pitch is NOT much different than the one that finished 2nd last season (will Steven Gerrard start playing when Torres is back, because he isn't at the moment). Something is clearly wrong, my feeling is that Rafa's lost the dressing room.

It all feels quite surreal at the moment, we all (myself included couldn't wait for the season to start) it would be very interesting to hear what position in the league you think we'll finish because at the moment I dread to think.

I will always support my team, but are they at the moment supporting us.
Somethings wrong. Answers on a postcard please.

Nice positive 1st post there, King Kenny !!

Welcome to Est1892

[Shaggy]

He raises valid points.

I'm a big Rafa fan - love the man - but even I'm asking questions. We've got virtually all our players back and if anything we're playing even more depressing football. Can't play the injury card now.

Keeping clean sheets is a start, I suppose. Gives us something to build on, but our play in possession of the football is dire.

I'm mystified, depressed, and if I knew the answers to our malaise I'd be a football coach.

[andrewces38]

It's a very good valid point , it hurts me to say this but when you look at the mancs and their defensive problems they can go away and score 4 at a place where most teams find it difficult to score one , and no matter what team they put out they always play the same way , ****ing painfull at the moment , If we have 2 or 3 players out we watch a scrappy avoid defeat performance , I am still backing Rafa but only so much we can take...............on the positive we proved at the end of last season we have what it takes to play entertaining football and score plenty of goals ,

[kenny_89]

I'm normally known as mr positive. I know it sounds depressing, hopefully the cup's to bring us some cheer eh? Sorry lads and lasses, its just how I feel about our team at the moment. IT HURTS. Oh and its not my first post, I have previous on this site. I use to be known as redphantom.

[Helios Creed]

I'm a bit confused at the moment, is it just me or do I not recognize my team anymore, I watch my team of highly paid professionals (who all look very unhappy with their lot by the way) seemingly struggle with some of the most basic stuff. It was Shankly who coined the expression "pass to the nearest pair of red socks" now I'm no master tactician but I expect the very basics. I watch Liverpool FC with complete bewilderment because for the life in me I see no team shape, no guile, no skill, no team ethic, and last but not least no passion.

A lot of people on this site have been slated recently for having doubts about Rafa, well when all said and done its a forum. I think we've all gone down the road of late with defending Rafa and I for one have done so myself and yes we have been unfortunate with injuries and had some bad luck. But somethings got to change, we can all bang on about owners, money, injuries, that team on the pitch is NOT much different than the one that finished 2nd last season (will Steven Gerrard start playing when Torres is back, because he isn't at the moment). Something is clearly wrong, my feeling is that Rafa's lost the dressing room.

It all feels quite surreal at the moment, we all (myself included couldn't wait for the season to start) it would be very interesting to hear what position in the league you think we'll finish because at the moment I dread to think.

I will always support my team, but are they at the moment supporting us.
Somethings wrong. Answers on a postcard please.

Pretty much exactly how I feel. How can a team that were so good last season be so fragile, lacking in confidence and bumbling this season?

I think the loss of Alonso has made a huge difference, possibly even more off the pitch than on and I think selling him and keeping Mascher, even though it made sense, was not a popular decision with the players.

[dww]

I think every season since Rafa has been here when we go through a bad patch people question whether Rafa has lost the dressing room. So far it has never been the case - or at least maybe on some level Rafa never wants to have the dressing room in the way say Mourinho demands a personal cult.

I just think we have taken a step back - which to we probably should have seen coming with a key player like Alonso leaving. As in the past I think the lesson is that when we have an unsettled squad Rafa's methods seem to take a burn in period. Last season was the first where we had a settled core for a few seasons and had added. This season we have lost a couple of players with huge dressing room presence in Sami and Xabi and the burn in has been worse than usual in part because of that and in part due to injuries in my view. You could criticise Rafa for the need to have this build up to good play but I think the same has been seen in the United teams of the last few years - the key difference being that season after season they have maintained the core leaders in the squad and now most of even the fringe players have been through it all before and so confidence is maintained which we find harder.

[Shanks]

Nice positive 1st post there, King Kenny !!

Welcome to Est1892

It's about having an opinion mate, positive or not.
No wonder the lurkers lurk.

[SimonNo7]

I'm a bit confused at the moment, is it just me or do I not recognize my team anymore, I watch my team of highly paid professionals (who all look very unhappy with their lot by the way) seemingly struggle with some of the most basic stuff.

I think your first line says it all really but you use a word I do not associate with our lot at the moment and that is team.

As you say, they struggle with the most basic stuff and in my opinion what I have been watching this season is a varied bunch of 11-14 (inc. subs) players who don't seem to know each other. You would of thought we were Man City (obviously without the cash) and just brought in a load of new players and still trying to get them to gel.

Welcome to Est by the way

[Guest]

I think the team has totally lost its confidence and doesn't believe they can achieve things anymore, which explains our poor results and dire football. We weren't ready for the start of the season and our results at the tail end of our pre-season schedule can testify to that. We never got out of the starting blocks but still, we seemed to hit form afterwards with 6 wins on the bounce scoring a lot of goals, but it was more to do with Torres being on fire than anything else.

I don't think Rafa has lost the dressing room. I'm more inclined to believe that the players have lost confidence in themselves and don't believe they can win anything this season. The belief is not there, as we would have snatched out a scrappy win last season even if we didn't play well.

We've got the same squad as last season, albeit without Alonso, so it can't be said that our team is ****.

[smu1977]

To answer your question, I think we will be 5th or 6th. Rafa will always have my support while in charge, but something isn't right.

[-V-]

This isn't just another bad patch. Its a ****ing disaster. To be out of both the top competitions in November is a disaster.

Rafa went into the season completely unprepared. We needed 3 things-

1- A striker
2- Alonso's replacement
3- Hyypia's replacement

We didn't get a striker, Alonso's replacement is back 3 months later than expected and after the season started we rushed into signing a defender and ended up signing a crap, average defender who has never ever ever proven himself as being reliable.

Further to that add the injury problems, add that Rafa has made many bad decisions and remains stubborn in the face of obvious deficiencies.

In times of crisis, I expected better from Rafa. Much better

[Gazmo1]

It's about having an opinion mate, positive or not.
No wonder the lurkers lurk.

Exactly, if it was out and out tripe that this guy had posted then it would be semi justified to make the negativity call. But this is concise and thought out.

I got jumped on once for blaming the yellow kit for poor results, obviously it was in jest....anyway.

I'll go back to lurking now.

[reds123]

It has become a routine that if we criticize Rafa even though i still think thay he is a great manager, many will slate us back.

Throughout the pre season for example, more than half of the people in this forum (and as news reported the Liverpool players) were in favour of Rafa signing Michael Owen. On this forum also many prefered Sneijder. He didn't and he wanted Aquiliani and he prefered to sign no one upfront. The consequences were tragic imo.

Many young supporters who don't remember Kenny's team of the 80's seem to be happy with Liverpool being 3rd, 4th etc... but this is Liverpool we're talking about!!!

[Guest]

It has become a routine that if we criticize Rafa even though i still think thay he is a great manager, many will slate us back.

Throughout the pre season for example, more than half of the people in this forum (and as news reported the Liverpool players) were in favour of Rafa signing Michael Owen. On this forum also many prefered Sneijder. He didn't and he wanted Aquiliani and he prefered to sign no one upfront. The consequences were tragic imo.

Many young supporters who don't remember Kenny's team of the 80's seem to be happy with Liverpool being 3rd, 4th etc... but this is Liverpool we're talking about!!!

The problem mate is that Rafa didn't have any money to sign a replacement for Torres. This has been well documented. Maybe some people would have preferred buying a striker rather than a midfielder?