Does this forum need a team building exercise?

[Red_Polo]

Well picking 1 up front suggests he went for the draw, which is what he is at fault for. Evra and Vidic are **** yet we had only Kuyt up front. Maybe realising our form isnt great Rafa decided a point was getable rather then risk being raped by not stuffing the midfield.

Rafa, for me, is guilty of not picking 2 up front and having a go at thier **** but thats all. The rest of the players seemed dis-interested and out of form. Thats only for them to sort out, no one else can help them with that. Crouch didnt look dis-interested when he came on and he has suffered more than most with Rotation. That shows me that rotation isnt a problem. If he can cope and look hungry then why cant the other ****ers?

I agree, I think it was a big mistake to not take the game to them more than we did. When Kuyt had the ball there just weren't enough midfield runners supporting him. The ball just kept coming back and back and back again. Whilst it's important we don't play gung-ho I do feel that the cliche that attack is the best form of defence could do with a bit of an airing at the moment.

[Kaip]

Money money money

Thanks

[The Glove]

But that's wrong - this isn't the first time people have been lamenting Rafa's managerial nous.

Its the Premiership that we all want, its the Premiership were Rafa has struggled the most. I'm not saying he's atrocious, but he has deserved some of the criticisms levied at him this season, and in the past.

Oh, the irony of this thread.

So Rafa getting us our highest points total since the Premier League began means nothing?

Forget winning cups, he is still the best League Manager we have had. Ged may well have finished second but Rafa has got more points.

95% of the time Rafa gets it right. League or Cup. He has dragged this club up by the balls.

**** me, lets say we do sack Rafa. How much is that going to cost? We've got **** all money as it is never mind paying him and his backroom off. Then what? Whoever comes in isnt going to be cheap, then they'll wanna buy players.

People might not like it but Rafa is here until HE decides otherwise and it would be a sad sad day if he gets hounded ut because we lose a few games. If we endure a season of ****e, like Houllier, then yeah fair play but can anyone honestly see that happening?

Rafa isnt behond blame but the players right now need to take more of the blame. Rafa is man enough to admit when he gets it wrong, he doesnt sulk or hide, he does something about it. Something a few players could do well to learn from.

[Bob]

Well picking 1 up front suggests he went for the draw, which is what he is at fault for. Evra and Vidic are **** yet we had only Kuyt up front. Maybe realising our form isnt great Rafa decided a point was getable rather then risk being raped by not stuffing the midfield.

Rafa, for me, is guilty of not picking 2 up front and having a go at thier **** but thats all. The rest of the players seemed dis-interested and out of form. Thats only for them to sort out, no one else can help them with that. Crouch didnt look dis-interested when he came on and he has suffered more than most with Rotation. That shows me that rotation isnt a problem. If he can cope and look hungry then why cant the other ****ers?

Isn't man-management a factor? I'm not sure Rafa has the hair dryer treatment in him, which is a shame cause some of these players need it.

Knocking a few magnets around a white board may help from time to time. However sometimes there's nothing wrong with good old fashioned Old-School!!

[paulcooper4]

Thanks

[thesilverfoxlfc]

The High five master

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_P5o2EPpVg

Get in there

[The Glove]

Isn't man-management a factor? I'm not sure Rafa has the hair dryer treatment in him, which is a shame cause some of these players need it.

Knocking a few magnets around a white board may help from time to time. However sometimes there's nothing wrong with good old fashioned Old-School!!

Well man-management will only be the same as last season wont it? Not to many problems then.

[alunevans]

I wanted to say the same thing Benny but had to resist.

Rafa is doing NOTHING differently from last season, yet everyone wanted to lick his ringpiece last season. Yes he’s made some mistakes with selections (namely Crouch), but the overriding problem in all this (IMO) is a core of players all underperforming badly. Gerrard, Alonso, Hyypia, Carragher, Finnan and Reina are all players who excelled last season but have been **** this. Add to that underperforming new players like Bellamy, Pennant, Aurelio and to a lesser extent Gonzalez, then that’s 10 **** players – before we’ve even mentioned the hopeless Garcia, Riise and ****ing Zenden.

15 or so players playing seriously **** – how can anyone argue claim it’s all down to Rafa?

The question I'd have though is WHY are they all playing ****. Its certainly the question I'd be asking if I was manager.

Not saying its down to Rafa, but I wouldn't rule it out either.

I don't know the reason why, but it could well be down to a host of things, including something to do with the management of the side.

From our vantage point, we just don't know.

[Bob]

So Rafa getting us our highest points total since the Premier League began means nothing?

Forget winning cups, he is still the best League Manager we have had. Ged may well have finished second but Rafa has got more points.

95% of the time Rafa gets it right. League or Cup. He has dragged this club up by the balls.

**** me, lets say we do sack Rafa. How much is that going to cost? We've got **** all money as it is never mind paying him and his backroom off. Then what? Whoever comes in isnt going to be cheap, then they'll wanna buy players.

People might not like it but Rafa is here until HE decides otherwise and it would be a sad sad day if he gets hounded ut because we lose a few games. If we endure a season of ****e, like Houllier, then yeah fair play but can anyone honestly see that happening?

Rafa isnt behond blame but the players right now need to take more of the blame. Rafa is man enough to admit when he gets it wrong, he doesnt sulk or hide, he does something about it. Something a few players could do well to learn from.

Some fair points, i think positions are more important than points though, but meh!

I don't think Rafa should be sacked. The cost (financially) of GH and his buddies should remind us of the detriment that can cause. I also think the cost of losing WC players could equally set the club back. And as i see it we only have one of those in Gerrard (this is harking back to a previous point of the day, but worth reiterating).

I don't think anyone is hounding Rafa out - don't confuse blind frustration with that! A few innocuous internet posts shouldn't be misconstrued as some lynch mob on its way to Anfield to shout crass OUT, OUT, OUT chants or some other bollox.

[Bob]

Well man-management will only be the same as last season wont it? Not to many problems then.

Not necessarily so. Morale is evidently low at the moment, when man-management is most important (possibly the lowest in Rafa's reign) and we need someone to rally the troops.

To be honest i hope Rafa can - I'm just worried he cannot is all. Certainly this team is the most deserving of a right bollocking - they're playing without heart (with few exceptions)!

If Rafa ever feels he has lost the trust of the player's then he'll walk away IMO like all self-respecting managers would. That's the impression he gives me. I'd doubt very much they have, and if they did, i'd worry about our immediate future.

[Morph]

But surely if thats the case then something must have changed since last season when we were doing so well, and for my mind the only differences are:

Out

Cisse
Morrientes
Traore
Hamman
Paco Herrera

In

Bellamy
Kuyt
Gonzalez
Pennant
Paletta
Aurelio
Eduardo Macia
Gary Ablett

The only players going out that people might want to argue about are Cisse and Hamman, but did they and Traore and Morro contribute something more behind the scenes in terms of morale. Hamman being a pillar at LFC for so long.

Have the new arrivals upset the balance, surely they haven't created a bad atmosphere?

Has the departure of Herrera had a negative impact, or the arrivals of Ablett and Macia - I doubt these last ones but they are changes none the less.

And the only other difference is that we had a world cup before our season, so is it just burn out. Rafa has always maintained we wouldnt find our level till November, due to all the international breaks and WC. but can this be said of the players who didn't even attend the world cup?

[Bob]

We've had a shocking run of hard games as well, more than a fair share.

Can either make or break a team.

[alunevans]

the thing is though, why is it that other sides are coping with the world cup after effects.

i'm sure the WC is playing its part. many supposed stars are having a below form start to the campaign - Lampard, Rooney (so they say), Alonso, Gerrard etc.

Maybe they have better squads/teams and so are not as dependent on the core players to keep em ticking over.

The key extra thing that plays on my mind is that early start to last season.

I look at Steven Gerrard and when was the last time he had a proper end of season break.

Not last year World Cup.

Not before that, started early on European Cup.

Not before that, Euro Championship.

So the year before that.

He's not had a break for 4 years. Many other Liverpool players who are internationals will be in the same boat.

Is it finally catching up with them?

[REDSCOUSER]

And whats that? Pick the best players we have?


(Starts another row)

**** stirrer

[Morph]

the thing is though, why is it that other sides are coping with the world cup after effects.

i'm sure the WC is playing its part. many supposed stars are having a below form start to the campaign - Lampard, Rooney (so they say), Alonso, Gerrard etc.

Maybe they have better squads/teams and so are not as dependent on the core players to keep em ticking over.

The key extra thing that plays on my mind is that early start to last season.

I look at Steven Gerrard and when was the last time he had a proper end of season break.

Not last year World Cup.

Not before that, started early on European Cup.

Not before that, Euro Championship.

So the year before that.

He's not had a break for 4 years. Many other Liverpool players who are internationals will be in the same boat.

Is it finally catching up with them?

How long constitutes a break in footballing terms though, I believe he had about a month off after we won the euro cup, and he had around a month after the world cup I think, maybve 3 weeks. Your average worker gets about this time off a year. True not all in one block, but surely Rafa can identify when a players really needs a break and gives them some time off. There's definately something to be said for the christmas breaks of other leagues.

The other thing as well is the idea of time off coming into play well the following shouldn't really be affected.

Bellamy
Gonzalez
Aurelio
Sissoko
Hyypia
Finnan
Zenden
Fowler

The only players we had in the world cup were I think:

Crouch
Kuyt
Garcia
Carra
Gerrard
Alonso
Reina

And I would say that at least half of those haven't looked to different from their form of last year.