Tevez to be absent for Manchester City game?

[Chris]

****ing hell, get a life Sydney, seriously.

[Craig_H]

If you have no interest in taking part in the topic, what's the point of posting that?

Kinda backs me up though, post something that goes against the grain, and you get insulted for it

And right on cue...

[Chris]

Kinda backs me up though, post something that goes against the grain, and you get insulted for it

Well if you talk constant drivel and partonisingly bait people then yeah you'll get **** for it.

I genuinely believe there is something wrong with you mentally. Day after day, week after week, month after month and year after year, argue, argue, argue. Do you not get bored of it?

And when anyone dares pull you up on the nonsense you spout you start coming out with the "Im bullied" "Im so hard done by" crap.

Its tedious as ****. You even got banned for it, which would make most people think "Fine, **** them and their site" yet here you are again, 1000s of posts with the exact same arguments.

It cant be healthy even on the internet arguing all day every day, its been years!!

While ive been typing this I bet you've pressed refresh about 200 times havent you?

I expect a long winded reply as you cant help yourself but just had to get that off my chest and wont respond to you again. Take care and enjoy your night doing what you do best (or should that be worst?)

[Woobus]

I'm not saying you'd be naive to believe Sami, i'm just saying it's one person's view and the issue is down to opinion.

Yet, if i express mine that Rafa's man management skills arent that good, it's treated as though i'm being factually incorrect and it's dismissed. People would say "I wouild rather take the opinion of someone who worked under rafa and within the club, than someone on a forum". Which ia fair enough. Pennant worked under him and within the club too - but of course, then the goal posts will get moved Because the opinion doesnt correspond with the status quo, so it'll be dismissed.

I wouldnt say dismissing the view of someone who failed at the club and was thrown out as moving the goal posts that much. We all know what Pennant was like and I wouldnt put much faith in much he has to say, as I said I think Pennants view would have been totally different when he was in the playing all the time. Its far easier for him too blame Rafa than accept his own short comings.
Your last line in the quote is only human. You seem to agree with what Pennant says over Sami as it fits your view and claim that Sami only said what he did to stay diplomatic. It seems a lot of the top players at the club have respect for Rafa but we might need to wait until they move or their autobiograhies to come out to see if they really mean it.

[Craig_H]

I'm not saying i agree with one and disagree with the other, but i think there might be an issue there, as opposed to dismissing the possibility, because it's now what i want to believe, which i think some people do, not necessarily you, but some do.

Privately, i reckon Alonso would probably take issue with how the manager handles players personalities and as people. Babel and Keane probably would have opinions on it too.

I guess people might think they could have an axe to grind too perhaps, who knows.

[ashey]

People respond to different personalities in different ways. It sounds like Rafa doesn't sugar coat his opinions, instructions & methods like a "Harry Redknapp" for instance. Consequently, some players may not like this. However, they'll "put up with it" if they're playing every week. If they're not, they get all bitchy & the stories about Rafa's lack of man management skills appear.

Personally, I can't stand Bosses who treat you like a child & want to be mates. I expect my Boss to be a Boss, tell it to me straight & give me clear instructions & feedback.

[Armchairkopite]

People respond to different personalities in different ways. It sounds like Rafa doesn't sugar coat his opinions, instructions & methods like a "Harry Redknapp" for instance. Consequently, some players may not like this. However, they'll "put up with it" if they're playing every week. If they're not, they get all bitchy & the stories about Rafa's lack of man management skills appear.

Personally, I can't stand Bosses who treat you like a child & want to be mates. I expect my Boss to be a Boss, tell it to me straight & give me clear instructions & feedback.

Yea, but your an adult.

[ashey]

Haha, only some of the time!

[Armchairkopite]

Haha, only some of the time!

Seriously though, I think we all forget how young these guys are and the ridiculous amount of money they earn.

They lead sheltered lives which makes them more immature then the average guy of the same age imo.

[Lee]

Shame Vieira is suspended as he's pony these days. That kick out in the week? His legs have gone.

Wonder what team Rafa will go for. I wouldn't mind seeing the same as Thursday night really, though perhaps bring Lucas in. I like Insua but think Aurelio played well and he's usually the type of player who needs a run of games to find his best form so keep him.

Anyone for a Pacheco start?!

I'd go for;

Reina
Carragher Skrtel Agger Aurelio
Lucas Mascherano
Kuyt Gerrard Riera
Ngog

[brightred]

One other thing that came to mind - compare Mancini's stance on this, with Rafa's on Alonso, when he wanted to be with his partner for the birth of their child.

Slaughter me if you want, and the usual suspects obviously will, but this paints as emphatic a picture as anything, as to why people question how Rafa deals with his players as PEOPLE.

Sometimes seeing them as chess pieces or emotionless cogs in a machine, isnt the right way of looking at it. Ultimately, that's what cost us the services of Xabi Alonso.

I agree, think that a big part in him leaving. Family has to come first

[Reece]

People respond to different personalities in different ways. It sounds like Rafa doesn't sugar coat his opinions, instructions & methods like a "Harry Redknapp" for instance. Consequently, some players may not like this. However, they'll "put up with it" if they're playing every week. If they're not, they get all bitchy & the stories about Rafa's lack of man management skills appear.

Personally, I can't stand Bosses who treat you like a child & want to be mates. I expect my Boss to be a Boss, tell it to me straight & give me clear instructions & feedback.

I also find it interesting that the players that have come out and criticised Rafa and his methods are the ones he deemed not good enough and shipped out. Coincidence? I think not.

[Craig_H]

People respond to different personalities in different ways. It sounds like Rafa doesn't sugar coat his opinions, instructions & methods like a "Harry Redknapp" for instance. Consequently, some players may not like this. However, they'll "put up with it" if they're playing every week. If they're not, they get all bitchy & the stories about Rafa's lack of man management skills appear.

Personally, I can't stand Bosses who treat you like a child & want to be mates. I expect my Boss to be a Boss, tell it to me straight & give me clear instructions & feedback.

I do agree with that. I also think that sometimes, it pays to be flexible for your own benefit. My own view is to take each case on its own merits, rather than just being completely black & white in every single scenario.

I also find it interesting that the players that have come out and criticised Rafa and his methods are the ones he deemed not good enough and shipped out. Coincidence? I think not.

That's always the get-out clause, isnt it?

They're only going to be the gob****e types who'd say something anyway, especially while they're still playing, even if not for Liverpool. Most of them would be professional/wise enough to keep it under wraps. It seems to me that Xabi is too intelligent and professional to say anything remotely undiplomatic. What they say and how they feel arent always the same things though

Notwithstanding the fact that you're hardly going to get players who still play for him coming out and saying anything.

Is it a coincidence that most people who comment on it, that arent Liverpool fans, seem to think Rafa might not be great in this department? TBH, it's only Liverpool fans i've ever heard defend him on this topic so emphatically. And i'm not talking about on web forums either.

Anyway, it's not a life changing thing, i just think he's not great in his people-management skills and (if) you and others think he is, then fair enough.

[Armchairkopite]

I also find it interesting that the players that have come out and criticised Rafa and his methods are the ones he deemed not good enough and shipped out. Coincidence? I think not.

Reece, I notice you didn't leave your thoughts in the after match thread during the week, what did you think of the performance?

[Reece]

That's always the get-out clause, isnt it?

They're only going to be the gob****e types who'd say something anyway, especially while they're still playing, even if not for Liverpool. Most of them would be professional/wise enough to keep it under wraps.

Notwithstanding the fact that you're hardly going to get players who still play for him coming out and saying anything.

Can you think of a player who has left either on good terms or because he wanted to that has had a bad word to say about Rafa? Even Alonso was pretty complimentary. I'm not saying there hasn't been but I genuinely can't think of any.

I think just because Rafa isn't the old "Arry put your arm around me' type manager" that it doesn't mean he doesn't get along with the players. We've seen plenty of times that he has a charming charisma about him when he wants to, and I've seen nothing to say that this isn't extended to the players when he feels it appropriate.