Very interesting read from Paul Tomkins

[el matador]

So you haven't read the articles or the comments thereon but you feel the need to slate him any way. That's pretty poor form in my book.

Tompkins is an odd writer in that he is usually very positive and obviously biased but he is thorough and has views which you don't read elsewhere. It was a bit of a shock to read him be so down and to point out potential problems within the squad. His analysis is not so far away from that of many on here.

I agree with the earlier comments that it is intriguing that Carragher felt the need to call him up. As usual though I find his confidentiality bit quite hard to take - if you phone up a journalist or invite them for a chat (as Rafa did) then presumably it is because you want information out. I understand that some things might be said and the journalist made explicitly or implicitly aware it is not for publication but by and large I think Tompkins, like Ballague, is prone to trying to big up the information they are privy to.

I agree that this is not one of 'its not that bad and here's why' pieces, but it does reveal some really interesting stuff.

He obviously goes on to say that carra and gerrard dont appear to be on benitez side and that if anything then the two of them should leave and we should start again. He says a lot of forthright things but there isnt a lof of negativity towards benitez. Its more about the owners and the lacklustre players.

I wonder if rafa's up to his old tricks again. First using balague and now tomkins.

[dww]

It is odd that both he and Ballague have come out with clear out related blog posts this season. That said I think that it is only a slight modification of what a lot of people have said about us needing new faces. I'm surprised Tompkins went as far as he did in suggesting that Carragher and Gerrard should be part of it I admit.

There are times though when I am inclined to agree with him, especially in the case of Gerrard. However if Gerrard can get to the more dynamic performance levels of last night on a regular basis then I think a lot of the worries will go away.

[YNWA_IRE]

The problem for me with Tompkins is that every time I read one of his articles he always absolves Rafa of all blame. No mention of his poor buys, his constant selection of poor players, his negative attitude in certain games etc.

No obviously Rafa has always got too much stick in the media from day 1 and I think Tompkins see's his job as defending him but I think he takes it too far. In this article he is basically implying most of the problems are being caused by Carra and Gerrard... which is total rubbish if you ask me.

[badpiggy]

The problem for me with Tompkins is that every time I read one of his articles he always absolves Rafa of all blame. No mention of his poor buys, his constant selection of poor players, his negative attitude in certain games etc.

No obviously Rafa has always got too much stick in the media from day 1 and I think Tompkins see's his job as defending him but I think he takes it too far. In this article he is basically implying most of the problems are being caused by Carra and Gerrard... which is total rubbish if you ask me.

Absolutely. First time I've really seen a tompkin's article being pro-rafa propaganda at the expense of the players. We can all question Gerrard's attitude this season and carra has been very poor at times but how he can essentially turn this article into some weird selfish player/selfless manager diatribe with carra as the villain while ignoring our utterly ****e performances, makes the whole thing seem ridiculous to me.

[el matador]

Absolutely. First time I've really seen a tompkin's article being pro-rafa propaganda at the expense of the players. We can all question Gerrard's attitude this season and carra has been very poor at times but how he can essentially turn this article into some weird selfish player/selfless manager diatribe with carra as the villain while ignoring our utterly ****e performances, makes the whole thing seem ridiculous to me.

it might be that rafa is talking to the fans / media through tomkins. Some of us suspected a dressing room split and this has more or less confirmed what was thought.

I definitely thought gerrard wasnt with the boss and had a suspicion about carra but tomkins has cleared things up rapidly.

When the two biggest pillars of our team go against the manager then no wonder the house fell down.

[Redspin]

Absolutely. First time I've really seen a tompkin's article being pro-rafa propaganda at the expense of the players. We can all question Gerrard's attitude this season and carra has been very poor at times but how he can essentially turn this article into some weird selfish player/selfless manager diatribe with carra as the villain while ignoring our utterly ****e performances, makes the whole thing seem ridiculous to me.

I suppose he may have seen a link between Gerrard's attitude and Carragher being very poor, with resulting utterly ****e performances. Seems fair enough to me. Both have been crap all season and it's high time they knuckled down or **** off somewhere else

[Kronenburg1892]

Absolutely. First time I've really seen a tompkin's article being pro-rafa propaganda at the expense of the players. We can all question Gerrard's attitude this season and carra has been very poor at times but how he can essentially turn this article into some weird selfish player/selfless manager diatribe with carra as the villain while ignoring our utterly ****e performances, makes the whole thing seem ridiculous to me.

Depends who you want to believe, and when you want to reset that timer.

I think you seem to forget that there was an obvious split at the end of last season, when Carra wanted to lump Arbeloa at The Hawthorns last seaon. And who got inbetween? Alonso. And who's still at the club?

Funny that.

No, a few need to look at themselves and grow up.

[anfieldanfield]

Tomkins is an extremely long-winded, boring, rose-tinted free lance journo.

You could sumarise most of his articles in a concise 150 words.

[Craig_H]

Tomkins is an extremely long-winded, boring, rose-tinted free lance journo.

You could sumarise most of his articles in a concise 150 words.