One thing you SHOULD NOT say about Rafa

[dww]

My main reason for including the tables was to illustrate that as a goalscoring team, not much has changed - elsewhere in the thread the point was made that Houllier's teams were negative, but our goalscoring threat doesn't seem to have changed much since Rafa - according to the stats. The points issue is different, didn't AC Milan bore their way to Serie A scoring something ridiculous like 40 goals?

It is an interesting point but the way goals are scored is in many ways important and the variety of tactics that we have shown if not always the beauty of the play under Rafa has been better.

Houllier deserves a lot of credit for what he did initially he put in solid foundations and got us going in the right direction at a times when the PL was improving overall. That improvement though at the end seemed to be catching us and Houllier whether it was illness induced or otherwise seemed to have no new solutions and the team seemed to be evolving in much the same way it had been.

The comparison being drawn by most is the last days of Houllier to now is that the lack of change has resulted in others over taking us and our style being 'found out' resulting in poor displays and results. I think though that the root cause is different. In fact in a counter intuitive way I think that much of our problems come from our move to a set of players more willing and able to pass short - Insua, Lucas, Mascherano, Benayoun and in some ways Kuyt are all better with quick movements close to them rather than the spread of play we had at times in the past.

I think in some ways we have simply made an ill balanced move - we have too many short players and we haven't balanced the increase in short passers with dribblers, players with pace or attacking play makers. However we do have some players (notably Benayoun and Gerrard) who I feel can adapt and make the system work and Aquilani may help further to redress the balance. We will probably still be vulnerable in the air at the end of the season but I think we will see a much more progressive, united team emerge.

[carheex]

IMO Kuyt is **** and is Rafa's blind spot, waste of money and is nothing but a donkey. Kewell was hardly ever on form for US and always injured, so what's the difference?

Our teams defended well under Houllier but at the expense of EVERYHTING else. Houllier was a disgrace!

Never a truer word spoken.

[Kenneth]

Never a truer word spoken.

It's extremely unfair.

[kemm1]

You accuse others of short term memory loss but slate everything about Houllier and call him a disgrace. You, my friend are a cock.

Seriously, you can go fcuk yourself, I don't reply to your posts for a reason so stay away from mine.

[kemm1]

Am i right in saying that alot of you don't like houllier?
I liked him,man was a legend.But i think after his health problems he was not the same again.those 5 trophies in one season was special.

You're probably right about the person but his football tactics were absolutely shocking for a bout 3 seasons in a row.

[kemm1]

So Rafa's ;eague average points is 74, whereas GH's was 68. The league is much stronger nowadays too- as is evidenced by the Chavs & City money & the recent domination of English sides in the CL.

Our style of play is much better than under GH in general, but I'd agree when it's broken down this year, it looks just as bad.

Agree with that 100%

[Kenneth]

Seriously, you can go fcuk yourself, I don't reply to your posts for a reason so stay away from mine.