What is Rafa on about ?

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

fair point but that was true of blackburn too in the first half in particular. the question is, why is there no determination from the players. why isn't rafa able to get their heads right? why do they seem so demotivated and not seeming to give a toss?

Our biggest problem IMO.

I think we need someone like Aldo, someone who cares deeply about the club, as an assistant to gee the players up.

Rafa doesn't seem the type to fly off the handle and give them a hairdrier session when needed.

I think you were spot on about certain players not performing because their place isn't under threat. They know that the squad players behind them are too ****e to take the shirt away.

Perhaps we don't have players with he right mentality for a League campaign. It's a grind, week in, week out. It's not like a cup game where you have to perform, or you're out. Perhaps certain players find it hard to get motivated for these games. It's a different pressure, a different motivation.

Regardless Rafa hasn't gotten it right, and certain players clearly aren't good or consistent enough.

[Rocket]

Rafa doesn't seem the type to fly off the handle and give them a hairdrier session when needed.

.

i don't think his english is good enough to do it.

we need some people from the past back at the club. ian rush will do for starters

[alunevans]

i don't think rotation is really the problem, realistically, about 8/9 players usually stay the same

reina

finnan
hyypia
cara
riise

momo
gerrard
xabi

kuyt

only like 2 players generally change, just the fact thats its not the identical team, and sky can continue using the 90 odd different team stat, that people make a big deal out of it

the thing is though rocket, if you keep changing one of the front strikers you're affecting the front partnership so thats 2 areas of the pitch that is not developing that partnership as effectively as if it was allowed to get on with it and learn each others game.

ditto when changing the back four you affect the whole unit.

i dont really think we can have it both ways....when a new player comes even from anohter premiership club we say that he needs time to gel into the team and settle into it.

yet we constantly fiddle about with the lineup and refuse to accept that this must have a detrimental bearing on the team's ability to gel week in week out.

whether winning or not, i think it hinders us. it just pisses me off more when we're not winning.

[Rocket]

know exactly what you mean fella, i just think that if we went and won 10 games in a row, nobody would mention rotation.

i think its just used as a reason to try and explain why our form is so ****e

[The Glove]

I think we need someone like Aldo, someone who cares deeply about the club, as an assistant to gee the players up.

If players need someone like him to motivate them when we are about to play Man Utd, then they should just be sold.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

If players need someone like him to motivate them when we are about to play Man Utd, then they should just be sold.

Yes you are right.

Still it couldn't hurt to try.

[Morph]

Agger fair do's. He was seriously beginning to make the cb place his own.

Pennants inability to step up should have been predicted. A horrendous error at a price that didn't reflect how much of a gamble the lad is, both on and off the pitch.

If Gonzales was going to be the choice, then he should have just played him. It seems odd not to trust him in little games and then throw him in against Man U away. The only way he'll get acclimatised if he's good enough is to play him, but he has seemed hugely reluctant to. I don't think theres any evidence to suggest that Gonzo is Rafa's choice on the left yet.

Also, if I'm meant to be waiting on Harry coming to save us then God help us.

I disagree on the strikers. I still don't have a clue who is playing up front from game to game, especially as he will often throw Garcia into the mix as well. I think you're surmising who the preferred two is, but they don't play week in week out as you're suggesting.

okay talking about strikers

I think it's fairly obvious that Rafa's front 2 are Kuyt and Bellamy, just that injuries and Kuyts late arrival have hindered their playing together thus far.

[alunevans]

I honestly dont know mate but I dont think Rafa coming out in public and saying we are **** (like some people want) would help. Maybe they need a rest. Maybe they should **** off somewhere for a weeks bonding. Maybe he should play a full first team in the Carling Cup with the hope of an easy victory to get some confidence back. Maybe he needs to be tougher on a few players. Maybe even bring a few young lads up to the bench to try and frighten some of the players coasting along thinking theyre great (Im looking at you Pennant/Zenden.)

I know we have been balls away from home but the goals we have conceded havent really been through bad decisions by Rafa have they? Stupid mistakes and moments of brilliance have cost us. Not bad tactics.

Fair do's. I guess as a fan we just want to feel reassured that the boss knows that its been two deeply unacceptable performances. Forget the use of the ball or how well we passed, I'm just looking at workrate and effort, the two things that should be taken for granted.

I understand why he wouldn't say that, but I hope he's saying it in private at least. It seems odd though to praise their effort in particular if he was as furious as I am with it.

Its hard to claim we need a rest after just 9 games of the season when we've lost 4 of them already. How soon did we need that rest? Can't buy that one when it relates to results in September and October.

Its the lack of effort, the strolling that concerns me more than anything else if I'm honest. I know its an easy thing to allege but really, anyone who saw us 2nd half today or 1st half vs Blackburn will know that this genuinely is what we're facing.

Squad rotation is a possible reason.

The other possible reason is that our buys have been so woeful that the squad is too weak to put players under serious threat of losing their place.

Lets look at it after all. If Finnan is crap we play...er.. well I dunno. If Riise is crap we play Aurelio lol. If Gerrard is crap we play Pennant lol. If the midfield two are crap we play Zenden lol.

Maybe the core players know they can coast and still be safe. And the non core players know they're sharing their place with someone else no matter what.

Rambling now so am gonna shut up.

[alunevans]

know exactly what you mean fella, i just think that if we went and won 10 games in a row, nobody would mention rotation.

i think its just used as a reason to try and explain why our form is so ****e

nobody looks for whats wrong when winning 10 games in a row so true, but when you lose 4 in 9 and you're Liverpool FC you have to start looking for answers.

Maybe rotation isn't the answer, but why IS our form so ****e. More importantly why is our work ethic so ****e. The two are probably linked.

[The Glove]

I think that basically its all boiling down to the players efforts. I know how Id like to get them to change their tune, a few swift kicks in the balls, but Rafa can sort it, thats why he is one of the best managers in the world. We were **** for the first few months last season as well and it clicked. Im clinging to the hope the same will happen again.

[alunevans]

I think that basically its all boiling down to the players efforts. I know how Id like to get them to change their tune, a few swift kicks in the balls, but Rafa can sort it, thats why he is one of the best managers in the world. We were **** for the first few months last season as well and it clicked. Im clinging to the hope the same will happen again.

I agree its down to effort. I just don't get why the effort isn't there. Especially against Man Utd! Have we assembled a bunch of unprofessional wasters? Or is there something else causing a problem that is allowing this level of disinterest kick in, maybe without them really realising how under par they are performing?

If there's no effort there, there's got to be a reason, even if the reason is that they're just a shower of wasters - but if thats true, its pretty much the same shower of wasters as last season so I think theres more to it than that. In fact, its two of the new lads, Bellamy and Kuyt, who are players that are leading by example on the effort front.

[paulcooper4]

I think that basically its all boiling down to the players efforts. I know how Id like to get them to change their tune, a few swift kicks in the balls, but Rafa can sort it, thats why he is one of the best managers in the world. We were **** for the first few months last season as well and it clicked. Im clinging to the hope the same will happen again.

nail on the head mate

[gee]

29 games left and only the Emirates still to visit.

Absolutely dissapointing, but away games are going to be pretty tough for everyone this season... and the run of 5 that we've just been on is possibly the toughest test a team can take.

We failed it... but so will most... and a success in that run is possibly coming out with 5 points. Not an insurmountable figure to pull back.

Let's take them *******s to our place, shout like ****, and bury 'em.

[G]

Was anyone sick of rotation last year when we ****ed over loads of teams? Now we go through a bit of a bad spell and its the cause to all our problems. Bollocks.

IMO rotation dosen't help,and I certainly don't think they need a rest so soon into the season.Last year they team picked itself except for left mid and Crouch's partner up front and that was because everyone we had for those positons were ****.We need the same thing this season but Rafa has made some purchases and he's going to play them which has led to an unacceptable level of tinkering in key areas,especially up front and the back four.

That said top players are not performing but who is good enough to replace them and do better?

Yesterday's defeat was largely down to lack of fight from the players but constant tinkereing is part to blame too.

[Charlie_B]

We were good lat year because the cre of the team played well pretty much all the time; Reina, Carra, Alonso, Gerrard, and to an extent Crouch. The latter hasn't played enough, the otrhers have been very poor.