Time to face the stark reality...

[-V-]

I was going to do a long post like James has done but it seems most people have clicked on now so can't be bothered really

The thing I take issue with is people constantly saying we can't do better than Rafa Benitez. Thats a load of bull because we have more bad patches under him than good patches. I would be the first to thank him for many great champions league nights I've had at Anfield but in the league he's been a total failure.

For me it would not be difficult to find a coach who can pick an attacking team under an attacking system and give us some pace and flair in our build-up play. Most of our squad is good enough, but they are clearly not performing and thats down to the manager not getting the best of them or holding them back by picking players with limited ability to play alongside them. Rafa is holding back LFC

[sniffer]

we have got to start clearing the dead wood out, but we can't do anything till next season. We have Torres, Babel and Kuyt as strikers so why not use 2 of them up there rather than one. We brought in Aquilani to replace Alonso so lets use him, we have Riera, Maxi and Benayoun as wingers lets use them there.

This has gone beyond a joke now and gone on for too long now issues off field with the ownership and issues on field with players turning out rubbish performances week after week showing no fight what so ever for the red of Liverpool, the Liverbird and the millions of Liverpool fans around the world. I think Rafa could of got 11 Liverpool fans off Stanley park and they could of put a better performance than last night's diabolic display.

Has Rafa lost the dressing room? Do the players not understand what he wants? Do the players not want to play for Liverpool anymore?

[Mike]

I'll say we finish 6th, mark my words.

[Reece]

I'll say we finish 6th, mark my words.

A-

[James P]

I was going to do a long post like James has done but it seems most people have clicked on now so can't be bothered really

The thing I take issue with is people constantly saying we can't do better than Rafa Benitez. Thats a load of bull because we have more bad patches under him than good patches. I would be the first to thank him for many great champions league nights I've had at Anfield but in the league he's been a total failure.

For me it would not be difficult to find a coach who can pick an attacking team under an attacking system and give us some pace and flair in our build-up play. Most of our squad is good enough, but they are clearly not performing and thats down to the manager not getting the best of them or holding them back by picking players with limited ability to play alongside them. Rafa is holding back LFC

I agree, and I do think that people need to look past the obvious candidates. Arsene Wenger is a prime example of someone who came from a less than obvious club (Nagoya Grampus eight, if memory serves) but for me has moulded a team that plays the best, if perhaps not the most effective, football in the league. We need to look past the Mourinho's (too much baggage) and the Hiddink's (has just taken a new job) for someone who will bring a fresh approach. Just don't ask me who that is, because right now I don't know!

[Vermilion]

we have got to start clearing the dead wood out, but we can't do anything till next season. We have Torres, Babel and Kuyt as strikers so why not use 2 of them up there rather than one. We brought in Aquilani to replace Alonso so lets use him, we have Riera, Maxi and Benayoun as wingers lets use them there.

This has gone beyond a joke now and gone on for too long now issues off field with the ownership and issues on field with players turning out rubbish performances week after week showing no fight what so ever for the red of Liverpool, the Liverbird and the millions of Liverpool fans around the world. I think Rafa could of got 11 Liverpool fans off Stanley park and they could of put a better performance than last night's diabolic display.

Has Rafa lost the dressing room? Do the players not understand what he wants? Do the players not want to play for Liverpool anymore?

Well, it could be said players like Torres signed on to a vision...under new ownership..a new stadium project, and a bright future with an ambitious club...Now though, the perception around the clubs future is different, and could anyone blame him for thinking he's been mislead as regards club ambition.

I don't know if that would be the case for many of our players, but the ones who could walk into any top side...well maybe.

The others may just feel the club is going no-where under this ownership, not any time soon anyway, and think that seeing as they are expected to compete with Utd, Chelsea, Madrid, Barca, and are judged by this...maybe they aren't up for that, i know they should play for their ****in wages..dear god they get enough, but we all know footballers aren't like that....the large majority anyway.

I don't know the answer, last season and this season are so far apart nothing really explains how it could be like this, except to say injuries hurt us early on..and since then we've been playing like there's nothing to play for, which is shocking.

[Roboklopp]

I agree, and I do think that people need to look past the obvious candidates. Arsene Wenger is a prime example of someone who came from a less than obvious club (Nagoya Grampus eight, if memory serves) but for me has moulded a team that plays the best, if perhaps not the most effective, football in the league. We need to look past the Mourinho's (too much baggage) and the Hiddink's (has just taken a new job) for someone who will bring a fresh approach. Just don't ask me who that is, because right now I don't know!

Kinda like we did in summer 2004.

[James P]

I'll say we finish 6th, mark my words.

Behind City and Villa and ahead of Spurs, presumably?

[ntto]

look at villas midfield and forward line that started against reading

yes i know reading - but they still put us out

downing, young, milner and petrov in midfield
carew and heskey up front

theres no way Rafa would start with a line up like that

but he still insists on playing two defensive midfielders and one forward against weaker teams.

[The_weatherman]

I agree, and I do think that people need to look past the obvious candidates. Arsene Wenger is a prime example of someone who came from a less than obvious club (Nagoya Grampus eight, if memory serves) but for me has moulded a team that plays the best, if perhaps not the most effective, football in the league. We need to look past the Mourinho's (too much baggage) and the Hiddink's (has just taken a new job) for someone who will bring a fresh approach. Just don't ask me who that is, because right now I don't know!

There is always someone that's true, upcoming managers in Germany and Spain, France even who we have not even heard about or in a pinch give to someone random, Hughes, Thompson, Dalglish or whoever really. I think we just need a change.

[-V-]

I agree, and I do think that people need to look past the obvious candidates. Arsene Wenger is a prime example of someone who came from a less than obvious club (Nagoya Grampus eight, if memory serves) but for me has moulded a team that plays the best, if perhaps not the most effective, football in the league. We need to look past the Mourinho's (too much baggage) and the Hiddink's (has just taken a new job) for someone who will bring a fresh approach. Just don't ask me who that is, because right now I don't know!

I don't like Hiddink but I wouldn't mind Mourinho Im that desperate now. But Mourinho wouldn't come to us now as Man City can offer him 10x more in transfer budget.

I don't need a big name, I just want a manager with a fresh approach and a less cautious approach, one that lets the shackles off the players and can get them to play an attacking game every week.
My only other condition is that he cannot be an ex-man utd/fergie connection

Babel has again shown some potential over the past few weeks and despite this Rafa has gone back to give him 8/9 minute sub cameo roles. So bloody frustrating. The Babel situation doesn't make sense, the Aquilani situation doesn't make sense, the consistent use of Lucas makes no sense when he clearly is too defensive. Its all head-banging stuff and the manager can't even explain it himself he said so last night.

The biggest failing of Rafa now is his inability to adapt, he plays the same system every week and its just too predictable and it doesn't work without flair in the wide positions. We can't get out our own half ffs

[Mike]

A-

Oh dear.

[Kinell]

There is always someone that's true, upcoming managers in Germany and Spain, France even who we have not even heard about or in a pinch give to someone random, Hughes, Thompson, Dalglish or whoever really. I think we just need a change.

A change indeed. We need a manager who can get the best out of the players because we are massively underachieving with the squad we have now.

A new manager possibly in the summer, rumoured investment, on the back of the spanish lads winning the world cup we will win the league.

[The_weatherman]

A change indeed. We need a manager who can get the best out of the players because we are massively underachieving with the squad we have now.

A new manager possibly in the summer, rumoured investment, on the back of the spanish lads winning the world cup we will win the league.

Like the optimism but no. We are not going to win the league for the next ten years at least, we are going backwards while so many teams are moving forward, Hicks, Gillett and Rafa have taken us out for the time being.

[red g]

I concur, I love rafa , but would love it more if he left.