Pack your bags Roy

[dom9]

to scout?

and to advise a manager as to whether a player is worth pursuing.

That is what they did.

[RichC]

[QUOTE=The Birdman;1753902]I can't be ****ed to join in with all this thread but someone earlier (either Perkins or Havors I think) posted that Rafa's record in the transfer market in the last 2 years was ****e.

Would this be the same 2 years that we actually turned over a profit in the transfer windows?? you know the time of year when every other club was investing and upgrading Rafa had to sell to support interest payments then replace Ferrari's with Robin Relients and still get the same level of performance?????[/QUOTE]



It's a useful fact to forget this - a top footballing side looking to challenge should not be making a profit in the transfer windows (unless you've sold someone like a Baggio knowing you've got a Del Piero coming through!) how on earth we're suppoed to compete with sides that have either been spending big for about a decade or have just spent hundreds of millions in a short space of time.

Rafa made mistakes in the transfer window but who hasn't Veron, Forlan, Djemba-Djemba from slur Alex to use him as an example - one fact I will give is that all football managers make a mistake with a player from time to time - just how it is!

[Havors]

and to advise a manager as to whether a player is worth pursuing.

That is what they did.

lol your like shaggy, you just dont read my posts properly! i said he relied on their opinion too much. in my opinion of course...

[peekay]

Irrespective of whether Rafa did well or did bad, the question is Did he leave a squad capable of coming no higher than 19th in the league.

The answer to that is a resounding NO. It is obvious that Hodgson is not able to use the squad to even 50% of its potential. If we were 10th or 12th with some sign that the first team is evolving into a different style of play, then we can give him more time.

We are 19th and with a **** defense and with no sign of being able to fashion a chance in open play. And we have had no major injuries. I will shudder to think what is going to happen if any of our major players get injured.

Every football team in the country (league or no league) will fancy their chances against us. Thats how bad we have become.

[danperkins]

Or, as Rafa said himself at the time, we didnt have the cash to go out and buy someone so we had to take a chance on someone like Aquilani because he was cheaper as a result of his injury record.

(Im still not sure whether we ever paid anything close to £20m for him - I wonder if him being sent on loan was to avoid triggering repayments, as it was rumoured we paid very little up front?)

Like with Maxi and the Greek, they were signings dictated by how little money we had available, not by who we would have signed in an ideal (or even normal) situation.

As quoted several times £19.4 million on Aqua including wages

[danperkins]

Make a profit and / or performed as a stop gap until there was a budget for an improvement.

We don't need 3 or 4 stop gap LM, we need one good solid one. We aren't a cattle market where players come and go, we need to buy players that offer something to the club on the pitch.

[danperkins]

Does anyone genuinely think that Roy will actually make it until Christmas? Or more to the point will the new owners let him stay until then? I wonder will it be the case if we win our next game or get a few ok results will it take the focus and pressure off Roy and extend his reign for few more months.

[Havors]

Does anyone genuinely think that Roy will actually make it until Christmas? Or more to the point will the new owners let him stay until then? I wonder will it be the case if we win our next game or get a few ok results will it take the focus and pressure off Roy and extend his reign for few more months.

No, unless he wins every game until xmas. The new owners need to act and not react. Waiting until things get worse is not a luxury we can afford.

If we dont get into the Europa league next season at the very least all the top players will leave and we wont be able to attract new top players.

[Craig_H]

I can't be ****ed to join in with all this thread but someone earlier (either Perkins or Havors I think) posted that Rafa's record in the transfer market in the last 2 years was ****e.

Would this be the same 2 years that we actually turned over a profit in the transfer windows?? you know the time of year when every other club was investing and upgrading Rafa had to sell to support interest payments then replace Ferrari's with Robin Relients and still get the same level of performance?????

Beggers belief

That's the point, under the constraints put upon him, his transfer record wasnt bad at all.

[vonk]

Goalkeepers
Pepe Reina - Excellent player
Brad Jones - Poor player - thankfully backup

Full-backs
Glen Johnson - Very good player - need the right setup though
Paul Konchesky - Awful player - would be a good backup for Fulham
Stephen Darby - Doesn't have a future at the top level.
Fabio Aurelio - Permanently injured - a good player though.
Martin Kelly - Has never let us down, better then Konchesky.

Centre-backs
Jamie Carragher - Good player but I am concerned about how he influences the team.
Martin Skrtel - Decent, not top four quality though, needs a quality partner.
Daniel Agger - Excellent player if injury prone.
Sotiris Kyrgiakos - Decent back up.

Defensive/central midfielders
Lucas Leiva - Decent squad player.
Christian Poulsen - A dreadfully inadequate replacement for Javier Mascherano
Raul Meireles - I think he could be a good player IF played in his natural position.
Jay Spearing - No future.

Attacking midfielders
Steven Gerrard - Inspirational and indispensable, ? marks about is influence on moral.
Dirk Kuyt - Crocked my arse! Good player, very dependable.
Joe Cole - Dont know really.
Maxi Rodriguez - Drifts through games, contributes little.
Ryan Babel - Much-maligned, and usually rightly.
Milan Jovanovic - Identikit mid-table player.

Strikers
Fernando Torres - One of the best in the world when he gets service.
David N'Gog - Still just 21, and actually quite promising.

I'd definately keep those in bold and try to add to that core. So for me it's Reina, Johnson, Kelly, Carra, Skrtel, Agger, Lucas, Meireles, Gerrard, Kuyt, Cole, Torres and Ngog plus Pacheco and Shelvey at least. Babel, Maxi, Jova and Aurelio could stay for a while to provide some depth for the time being as the main problem is the way we set up which would make Messi and Drogba look poor.

Almost completely agree. But Johnson has been utter ****e this season and I would give Kelly a chance next few games. I can see why Carra started yesterday, because that's a hell of a game to throw Kelly in for.

I thought Martin Skrtel was good yesterday. Kyriakos, Konchesky and the so-called holding midfielders were poor. The first goal was down to Konchesky, Lucas and Meireles, the second down to Kyriakos and Meireles.

[Craig_H]

Back on topic:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/philmcnulty/2010/10/hodgson_living_an_illusion.html

Seems some in the media are finally waking up.

Yep, he's been getting pellets today on the radio. Sooner the better.

[Boogs]

Robbie Savage tweeting during the game yesterday
Everton want it more Liverpool players are towing caravans !!

I'll take that back Liverpool are not shocking there in a relagation battle where's the heart gone ????

At least Liverpool have a famous midfield Matt lucas and Cheryl cole !!!

I hope we draw Liverpool in the f.a cup

It is one of the most inept lacklustre Liverpool performance I've witnessed for years and I grew up supporting them

I would disagree with the last one. Change years for the word ever.
You know we are in the **** when you are being mocked by Savage

[danperkins]

No, unless he wins every game until xmas. The new owners need to act and not react. Waiting until things get worse is not a luxury we can afford.

If we dont get into the Europa league next season at the very least all the top players will leave and we wont be able to attract new top players.

yup the last thing we want is a mass exodus, lets hope Torres doesn't leave in jan either.

[Galb]

As quoted several times £19.4 million on Aqua including wages

Quoted where? Not quibbling like, just Ive also seen it said that we only paid £5m up front for him. Which Im not saying I believe but it would at least make more sense of the ridiculous decision to ship him out on loan (where he's now apparently first name on the Juve teamsheet according to their manager).

[Reece]

Quoted where? Not quibbling like, just Ive also seen it said that we only paid £5m up front for him. Which Im not saying I believe but it would at least make more sense of the ridiculous decision to ship him out on loan (where he's now apparently first name on the Juve teamsheet according to their manager).

Can you remember where you saw that? I'd be interested to read it.