Liverpool v Wigan Post Match

[Kinell]

The Rafalution is well and truly over. Bloody good go at it though, CL, Fa Cup, Charity Shield, Super Cup, and a fantastic go at winning the league last season.

****s got stale though, system doesn't work and the players look dejected as the fans do.

[Darkon]

Kris agree with what you saying!

After the game last night I felt as though I could write a number of names on scraps of paper, pick them out of a hat and pick 11 players who had more interest to play for liverpool.

Torres:
I think he was trying hard, with limited possesion. In the 2nd half he came into midfield, wide everywhere to go searching for the ball. His 'chances' weren't as good as the commentators were making out.

Carra: needs to learn to pass short and keep the ball.

Kuyt: I don't know what he did last night.

Greek: I love this guy the more I see him, in a woeful season at least something has shone!

One of the very few positives this season with so little happening for us.

[kenny_89]

Gerrard played like a huffy cunt tonight

It’s time to blood a few youngsters at least we'll get a bit of enthusiasm.
And some of the so called big names need to be dropped and have a bit of a reality check.

[Darkon]

The day after report:

[RANT]
Still sick to my guts that we lost against Wigan in a situation where we can't afford to. With City going on a run of form, beating chelsea 3-1, having 2 games in hand one point ahead, our hope for 4th is very slim. It makes me wonder, and I have wondered for some months now:

- Where is the urgency in our squad?
- Where has the passion gone?
- How can arguably one of the worlds best midfielders end up playing like he is?
- Where is the pride and motivation in this lot for proving themselves and the fans wrong?
- What went tits up for Rafa during the summer?

It's just horrible to watch us play football these days when we still have so high expectations and hope for the club. We should be challenging for the leageu but we're not. We should be walking over bottom-half teams but where not. We should be able to string together 3-4 passes but we can't.

I have said it a few times before, but right now the major difference between now and the Evans days is that we are basically a boring team to watch most days, when under Evans at least we where scoring a lot of goals playing attacking football making the lack of titles a bit more bearable. The second big difference is that we have so few that can carry the liverpool spirit and culture within the club now. We have Carra and Gerrard with the first not being here for that many seasons. That leads me to think we might not have the necessarry passion around the club and it's traditions.

I am gutted right now, outright angry with the lot on the pitch - perhaps with the exception of Reina and Kyriagos. Something must be fundamentally wrong within the club for our players starting to perform like that. We have a full team of internationals for big footballing countries and they play without pride and urgency - something must be wrong - the question is just what?

I don't think Rafa will be here for next season, and right now I'm thinking that will be just swell, although I know I will be sad the day he leaves. The resemblence to the Houllier days is there and that's the way it's going IMO.

Now on for restructering the clubs and stop the last 10 years of playing more and more controlling-defensive football and at least getting back to playing attractive footy.

I have so much more I want to get of my chest, but I have a ****ing meeting in 10, so that will be it for now. Hopefully an hour worth of sleep in that will have me calmed down a bit.
[/RANT]

[RoadEnd]

On paper the first XI is good enough to be challenging for the title, let alone 4th place. On paper, Rafa is a decent manager.

The solution. Rip up the turf at Anfield and put a big sheet of paper down for them to play on. I'm off to Staples now to price up.

[Reece]

Didn't bother posting anything last night - was too depressed. But as one of Rafa's biggest fans, I'm finding it hard to see where we can go from here

That's all

[Shaggy]

Wondered if I'd feel any different having slept on it but no, Rafa has to go.

I'd also sell Gerrard if we got a crazy offer.

[Reece]

Wondered if I'd feel any different having slept on it but no, Rafa has to go.

I'd also sell Gerrard if we got a crazy offer.

I still can't quite bring myself to say that

And on Gerrard - well it was difficult to figure out who was supposed to be the world class superstar between him and James McCarthy last night

[little dave hedgehog]

i have my ideas about football, but i don't pretend to have all the answers.

but i do know that there is some sort of answer somewhere.

and some people somewhere who are more important than me who make a lot more money and have a lot more influence--they need to put theit ****ing heads together and come up with something here. you build excellence by being eternally vigilant and perpetually trying to do better. we are on the verge of losing a generation of potential belief in this club, and in its ideals. if we settle for this now, it's over for years.

somebody sort this out. please.

[Spanishfly]

I can't see why the blame for LAST nights performance is on Rafa, he picked fundamentaly the best team he could. He made a few tactical changes. As he said in the interview, Wigan wanted it more. That was the difference. Gerrard was too busy arguing with Kuyt, Kuyt was too busy finding blue shirts to pass to, Carra was busy hoofing the ball with not much direction. Even Gerrard was passing the ball badly.
I would love to say it was a one off, however we know it isn't from the first half of the season, the only thing I can think off as an excuse was a poor pitch (not much of an excuse as a few of our players don't play football anymore) and the fact we have another important Europa league game thursday.

I'm going to be looking at the Lille game thursday in the hope we can turn it around, all is not lost this season 4th and a Europa win would still imo be a decent season, not the league we thought we would win, but we got to live for now rather than last season.

[little dave hedgehog]

the thing is i don't necessarily blame rafa. in fact the extent to which i blame rafa is pretty irrelevant. it doesn't really matter how we got here. the thing is we need some new thinking. the club needs a change. it may not be rafa's fault, but if he has to leave to change the situation for the better, then that's what has to happen.

[Bender]

The PLAYERS DON'T WANT TO PLAY FOR THIS NEGATIVE/TACTICAL MANAGER

[Shaggy]

The PLAYERS DON'T WANT TO PLAY FOR THIS NEGATIVE/TACTICAL MANAGER

They wanted to play for this 'negative' manager last season when it was all hunky dory and we were the league's top scorers. So what's ****ing changed?

Enough is enough but I am appalled by most of our players - cowardly, gutless glory boys who only apply themselves properly when the sun is shining on their arses.

I think the rot set in after the first game. A season of so much promise went tits up at Spurs and they lost heart. There's no excuse for that. Teams have won the title having lost the first game but I'm convinced the rot set in there.

It is not black and white and Rafa is not 100% to blame. He's accountable cos he's the manager and he has to go, but I'd sell the majority of these ****houses too. Their attitude is ****ing disgraceful.

[Bender]

most which have been bought by Rafa.......sorry but there's no passion/commitment/desire from the players and for me this comes down to not wanting to play for the manager

[little dave hedgehog]

They wanted to play for this 'negative' manager last season when it was all hunky dory and we were the league's top scorers. So what's ****ing changed?

Enough is enough but I am appalled by most of our players - cowardly, gutless glory boys who only apply themselves properly when the sun is shining on their arses.

I think the rot set in after the first game. A season of so much promise went tits up at Spurs and they lost heart. There's no excuse for that. Teams have won the title having lost the first game but I'm convinced the rot set in there.

It is not black and white and Rafa is not 100% to blame. He's accountable cos he's the manager and he has to go, but I'd sell the majority of these ****houses too. Their attitude is ****ing disgraceful.

spot on, shaggy. there is little to point to and say this is a thing that we are getting right at the moment. even if it is unfair to some people once all has been revealed, some heads have to roll here. this kind of abjectness cannot possibly be laid at any one person's feet. the players were all there today, they had a chance to do something about it, and whether or not they care about benitez, if they don't care enough to try for the club, they can go.