Portsmouth 2-0 Liverpool - POST MATCH

[Pablo]

It's depressing but I'm another one who can't support Benitez any longer. I'd always thought it would make most sense to wait till the end of the season before deciding on his future, but I'm at the stage now where I don't think we can afford to wait (based on footballing factors alone).

Unfortunately, perhaps the bigger problem is that I think the playing staff needs a major overhaul. At the start of the season I was concerned that there were only about 9 or 10 players in our squad that I would be genuinely sorry to lose. That figure has fallen to about 5 at most now, and that's perhaps being generous. The absence of quality is glaring, and I'm talking about our first 11 here.

At half time last week Wenger gave his players a bollocking and they responded by turning the game around qand taking 3 points. I've no confidence that Rafa is capable of doing the same. He's become incapable of influencing the course of a game, so rigidly attached is he to systems and formations. Well, sometimes that's just not enough. You need your players to show desire, character, spirit, and the ability to transcend adversity. In the past, we've seen these traits in Rafa's teams. At the moment, there's no sign of any of them. We know that he's a good manager. What he isn't is a good leader. And that's what we're crying out for at the moment.

I really hope Rafa chooses to go now. He doesn't deserve to suffer the indignity of being sacked. He's been a marvellous servant to this club, during some of the most difficult and challenging times we've had to endure. But I don't think he can take us any further.

Excellent post Zimbo. I think it explains how most of us sensible Liverpool fans are now feeling after gradually being ground down as the season has gone on. We're heading in the wrong direction, as we were under Houllier, and it's high time for a change.

[SimonNo7]

'The referee was perfect' - Rafa

[Chris]

Even if I did want him out and im not sure what I think at the moment I dont even have 1% of faith that the cancer running our club will make the right appointment.

[Rich]

Front six players to try and inspire an attacking performance...

Torres
Babel - Benayoun - Gerrard
Lucas - Aquilani

[SimonNo7]

Fulham 2 up

[lickedlollipop]

hahahah bobbbyyy zamorrrraaaa

[javier_monsterano]

bobby zamora? ****ing hell he'll soon get that england call up

[cream]

Even if I did want him out and im not sure what I think at the moment I dont even have 1% of faith that the cancer running our club will make the right appointment.

Exactly how I feel mate.

[zimbo]

Just head journo on FiveLive who'd come from Rafa's press conference. Said it was the most ludicrous he'd ever seen. Rafa's response to almost every question was 'the referee was perfect'.

I'm sorry, but the referee wasn't responsible for our failure to make more than one clear cut chance in 90 minutes against the worst team in the division.

[Bender]

Rafa is losing the plot ...and soon the fans and i think he has already lost the players

[lickedlollipop]

villa scored

[SimonNo7]

Villa now 1 up!

[SimonNo7]

Sunderland equalised again

[Rowan]

Watching us play has become a truly demoralising experience. It's a chore. Before each game I'm almost resigned to the fact that I'm going to watch an hour and a half of toothless ineptitute in attack and I start getting skittish everytime our opponents cross the halfway line. The problem is that in the squad we've probably got enough talent to field a more expansive, forward thinking team but I just think that Rafa will never put that team out. I'm at a loss to how we've regressed so much from the back end of last season and I can't see us geeting that level of form this time round. An awful state of affairs. Horrible stuff. I'm stuck post match knee jerk mode at the minute and that's making me seriously think that the only way around is a change in leadership to someone who'll at least attempt to attack teams. I really don't think thats Rafa at the minute so maybe we should cut our losses.

The only way around this one is for Rafa to bite the bullet, abandon his defensive and negative team selections and just really go for it for the next few games. Maybe Masherano being out may force his hand but he also needs to stop pissing about with left backs on the left wing, give Insua a break for a few weeks and get Kuyt off the right wing. Rafa needs to demonstrate just how flexible he can be and if he doesn't then he needs to go.

[Shaggy]

Just head journo on FiveLive who'd come from Rafa's press conference. Said it was the most ludicrous he'd ever seen. Rafa's response to almost every question was 'the referee was perfect'.

I'm sorry, but the referee wasn't responsible for our failure to make more than one clear cut chance in 90 minutes against the worst team in the division.

He really is cracking up now.

He's under a ridiculous amount of pressure and it's showing. ****ing hell, this is depressing.