Lille post-mortem

[Shanks]

If you mean he's deliberately losing on the pitch, to prove that the owners need to invest in the team, then that's gross misconduct and he's a complete cunt for doing it.

But i dont believe he's doing that.

I sort of do believe that..

[Craig_H]

Not a chance mate, no way in the world. Obviously its just my opinion but that's a million miles from what i think he'd do.

You can see the hurt in him after defeats, that wouldnt be the case if he was deliberately sabotaging the team to teach the owners a lesson.

[Kronenburg1892]

Yes it is gross missconduct. But then again how can you proove it? Somethings not right, and I'm seriously scratching my head to find a reason to why there's such a gulf between this season and last. It can't all be down to losing just one player.

[Craig_H]

Yes it is gross missconduct. But then again how can you proove it? Somethings not right, and I'm seriously scratching my head to find a reason to why there's such a gulf between this season and last. It can't all be down to losing just one player.

Whatever i think of rafa's decision making and management failings, he's not a criminal and he has far more professionalism and pride to do that.

[Shaggy]

There's more chance of me winning gold in the figure skating at the next Winter Olympics than this outrageous suggestion being anything like true.

He can't deliberately make us lose, just like he can't deliberately make us win. Mental. And you think a man as fiercely proud and professional as he is could even attempt something so crazy? As Craig says you can see the hurt written all over him.

[Kronenburg1892]

Well I'm all ears to what is actually happening.

[Shaggy]

I don't think we'll ever find out until Rafa, Carra and/or Gerrard leaves.

[Craig_H]

Well I'm all ears to what is actually happening.

Mate, just because you're at a loss to decipher what's going on, it doesnt mean that an insane theory must be true.

[Rich]

Craig and Shaggs =

To suggest Rafa would try to make us lose is nonsensical.

[Rich]

...unless he's in the thrall of Ferguson of United

[Guest]

I'm not blaming it on the manager. The manager, and their lack of faith in him to succeed (IMO) is one reason for it along with others such as fitness etc, but that doesnt make it his fault.

So you wouldn't have pride Craig, I mean the players don't have pride and self respect to do something about it, as clearly they've got the talent? They don't need a manager to tell them what to do on a football pitch especially when the chips are down, they've been playing football all their lives no?

[little dave hedgehog]

glad i brought my tinfoil hat to the thread today though.

[Rich]

glad i brought my tinfoil hat to the thread today though.

gamma rays?!

[Chris]

Well I'm all ears to what is actually happening.

The cancer at the top of the club stripped all the optimism we should have had by giving us no money and only allowing us to replace Alonso and Arbeloa not actually strengthen. The players looked utterly ****ed off from that first game at Tottenham, well even in friendlies aswell actually.

The manager - bizarre treatment of players, negative selections etc

The players - to many cowards who cant seem to handle the going getting tough.

And there you have it. The manager is not a match fixer.

[Kronenburg1892]

No I agree, it is far fetched, and it can be a lot more subtle than telling a player not to bother, or what ever you could do to deliberately throw a game. But then on the other side of the coin, you could just not give a toss and put a half day in and call it eight hours, for what ever reason you may have.