Balague speaks...

[el matador]

you'd take rafa over gerrard? wow. fair enough. I'd take Gerrard everyday of the year. no choice.

i would get rid of them both.

no one player can have that much power and no manager should be backed unconditionally in the face of an avalanche of justified criticism.

[Guest]

i would get rid of them both.

no one player can have that much power and no manager should be backed unconditionally in the face of an avalanche of justified criticism.

So you'd go to demonstrations and call for Rafa's head then, a bit like how Bolton fans behave?

[billy_mac]

I'd bet the player refered to is Benayoun and that the innuendo in the article is supposed to make people read more into it than there is. Ballague is an interesting guy at times but as a journalist his style is very tabloid.

You could be right or maybe Pennant who Balague was talking to for Sky the other day and his tabloid style would make pennant influental!!

[Paul12]

I think he's been on a massive sulk for months now.

I really do think he'll be moving on at the end of the season.

I think it all relates back to the original injury (well, the recurrence because it is apparently actually a long-term weakness that Gerrard has). He was playing for England, but didn’t return to LFC immediately he got it.

I think Rafa told him that his number one priority was LFC. He also told him it was in LFC’s interests for Gerrard to play on, without surgery, so, even if that put his World Cup at risk, that is what Rafa wants him to do. Gerrard is cross because he blames others for LFC’s poor early season start and he wants desperately to play in the World Cup for an England team that does well.

If that is all right, it means they won’t both be at LFC next season.

Of course, I’m always wrong (so my wife says) so you can ignore this.

[SRR]

Well when you consider what each of them has given to the club and weigh it up, its Gerrard for me if there's a choice to be made. I stand by the guy thats given us 10 years of quality service. But my opinion is probably being clouded by the that fact I don't like rafa anymore.

Fair enough, like I said normally I would agree with you but when a player has to much influence to undermine the manager (if that is what's happening) then the player needs to go just as much as the manager (not that I want Rafa to go).

Changing the manager may not be the right answer if the problem is some where else.

[el matador]

So you'd go to demonstrations and call for Rafa's head then, a bit like how Bolton fans behave?

jeez what have you had for lunch ?

I said that rafa doesnt deserve to stay on because of our crap results and that gerrard doesnt deserve to be at the club because he's behaving like a petulant child.

I didnt say anything about a demo bud.

[javier_monsterano]

he's on talksport the now
but i have missed most of it.

[Guest]

he's on talksport the now
but i have missed most of it.

Nothing surprising.

[barnes10]

sell gerrard and give benitez all the funds (and therefore back benitez) or sack benitez.

sounds like ballague's message to me.

hmmm. i'd back benitez im afraid.

[Tatterdemalion]

But when has Rafa ever DROPPED Gerrard?

[Tatterdemalion]

That's a very strange article and if there is a semblance of truth in some of the assertions then it does appear things are coming to a head.

To be honest I was thinking about Gerrard the other day, and I hate to say it, but now is a good time to decide on his future. We either get romantic and refuse to let him go anywhere, or cash in on a player who is possibly passing his best.

To be honest I've always thought one of our problems is the fact that Gerrard is such a big personality compared to the rest of the team, that the rest of the team simply doesn't know how to play without him, because he is always there calling for the ball and commanding.

He needs bigger players around him, simple as that. But there aren't many.

Dunno, would like to say my heart rules my head on this one.

[The Birdman]

No one player is ever bigger than the club. End of discussion

[el matador]

That's a very strange article and if there is a semblance of truth in some of the assertions then it does appear things are coming to a head.

To be honest I was thinking about Gerrard the other day, and I hate to say it, but now is a good time to decide on his future. We either get romantic and refuse to let him go anywhere, or cash in on a player who is possibly passing his best.

To be honest I've always thought one of our problems is the fact that Gerrard is such a big personality compared to the rest of the team, that the rest of the team simply doesn't know how to play without him, because he is always there calling for the ball and commanding.

He needs bigger players around him, simple as that. But there aren't many.

Dunno, would like to say my heart rules my head on this one.

Gerrard is having the henry effect in that i think he subdues the other players aroung him or that they feel obliged to pass the ball to him even if he cant really do anything positive with it. We had our best spell after half time when neither steve or fernando were on the pitch.

I would hate to see gerrard go but we need the money and he is only fit for 6or 7 out of every 10 games we play.

[Charly]

No one player is ever bigger than the club. End of discussion

Neither is the manager

[Charly]

Gerrard is having the henry effect in that i think he subdues the other players aroung him or that they feel obliged to pass the ball to him even if he cant really do anything positive with it. We had our best spell after half time when neither steve or fernando were on the pitch.

I would hate to see gerrard go but we need the money and he is only fit for 6or 7 out of every 10 games we play.

Are you having a laugh?

Apart from Mascherano and Benayoun, the rest of our midfield is awful. There is no one in there who is suddenly going to blossom just because Gerrard is not playing. What you see is what you get, ie the **** that finished against Reading.

Aquilani is the new Veron. Was never sure that that sort of player could function in the Premier League. Hopefully he will either adapt to the pace, or we will flog him in the summer. I am not even sure of his position. Rafa assured us he would play further forward than aLonso, but if anything he is sitting deep most of the time. I feel a bit sorry for him, but he reminds me more of Cheyrou that anything else at the moment. He may just need time, but we need him to play well now.