Do you want Rafa back?

[Vermilion]

But laughable as it may seem, I actually get the impression that the majority of players (Nando apart) enjoy working under the Bodge and believe it will eventually come good.

[Lecter]

Wasn't Paco one the persons that fell out with Rafa, and the reason he left us? Not sure I remember it correctly, might be confusing it with someone else.

Yeah he was but hes supposedly back living on the Wirral as well

Pac and the players got on really well he was the buffer between Rafa and the players

For Rafa to come back and for it to work he'd have to bring in someone like that, he'd also have to come to some working relationship with Comolli as well

Cant see it happening myself but that is what would be needed for it to succeed

[Tee]

Nah.

They dont

I hope so.

[Kenneth]

But laughable as it may seem, I actually get the impression that the majority of players (Nando apart) enjoy working under the Bodge and believe it will eventually come good.

I think they would like the freedom they get under Roy. I know that sounds silly given the way he shapes the team, but I get the impression Rafa had given them instructions about what to do in every conceivable situation. With Roy, you get the impression he says 'we're playing 4-4-2 and you're playing left mid', or such like, and leaves it to them. Maybe not that extreme but you get my drift.

[Craig_H]

I hope so.

I know so. And so does Lec, by the looks of it.

[Kenneth]

I know so. And so does Lec, by the looks of it.

Is this your Joe Cole ITK thing again?

[Kenneth]

Yeah he was but hes supposedly back living on the Wirral as well

Pac and the players got on really well he was the buffer between Rafa and the players

For Rafa to come back and for it to work he'd have to bring in someone like that, he'd also have to come to some working relationship with Comolli as well

Cant see it happening myself but that is what would be needed for it to succeed

I wonder what the players view of Sammy Lee is these days.

[Darkon]

Yeah he was but hes supposedly back living on the Wirral as well

Pac and the players got on really well he was the buffer between Rafa and the players

For Rafa to come back and for it to work he'd have to bring in someone like that, he'd also have to come to some working relationship with Comolli as well

Cant see it happening myself but that is what would be needed for it to succeed

agreed, Rafa needs some more 'people-persons' around him to make it all function. Also it would be very interesting to see how he would work with a footballing director considering the amount of control he want's over almost every aspect of the footballing side of things.

I also doubt that all the players that fell out with Rafa after Paco left are out of the club, so I see a risk in bringing Rafa back.

But as you say, I just don't see it happening.

[Lecter]

I think they would like the freedom they get under Roy. I know that sounds silly given the way he shapes the team, but I get the impression Rafa had given them instructions about what to do in every conceivable situation. With Roy, you get the impression he says 'we're playing 4-4-2 and you're playing left mid', or such like, and leaves it to them. Maybe not that extreme but you get my drift.

The sentiment of this is correct

Hodgson does give instructions (mainly defensive ones) from what I have heard

[MrMichael]

I'm a Rafa skeptic. Have been for a long time. I didn't enjoy the way his teams played in the main. I felt he was too negative and was overly tactical against the poorer teams where we needed more leeway to get out and play.

He also had blind spots with players who he just seemed to absolutely love despite the fact that they clearly weren't good enough.

I didn't greatly look forward to going to the match and never expected to witness anything that would excite me or make me feel great or wowed. My low expectations were usually correct.

The surprise is that we ended up with a manager twice as negative as Rafa was.

And I suspect too that his trait for public fights wasn't limited to his battles againt H&G as he has done it at Valencia and Inter too now, and after all the instability I don't want more of that from whoever replaces Roy.

On top of that, in his last 2 seasons he's taken Liverpool from 2nd to 7th, then Inter from European and Italian Champions to 7th.

There's far too many question marks over Rafa for me to want him back. Yes he's better than Roy, but Roy or Rafa isn't what our choice is limited to.

I love the fella but I'd rather we move on. It's been so long since I've been genuinely entertained at Anfield on any sort of consistent basis, and it's so unlikely we're going to win the league any time soon, that being honest I'd rather we get someone with a bit of flair who'll get me smiling at the match again.

For many seasons the only time I get entertained and feel I've watched a football team is when Wenger brings Arsenal. I want to feel that way every home game, or at least with enough regularity to expect it and be excited by the prospect of a Saturday afternoon.

My fire is all but out with LFC at the moment and it's been that way long before Roy set foot here. I need someone who'll bring that back, and in truth Rafa's teams were never ones to light any fires in me.

So I voted no. Sorry.

Agree with pretty much all of that, especially the bit in bold.

[Craig_H]

Is this your Joe Cole ITK thing again?

I know a couple of his mates and based on what i've been told, most of the players arent overly happy and arent enjoying things.

[Redspin]

Not a chance. He's boring negative and plays not to lose rather than to win. The few times we have played good football under Hodgson is as good as the best we played under Benitez.
We need to forget about Benitez and hope we get a manager at Anfield who likes his teams to play attacking football. The type of football that i grew up watching.

What bollocks. We've played about a half in each of two games of acceptable football this season. Hodgson with his rigid 4-4-2, everyone behind the ball and hoof it up the pitch approach, is the negative coach.

How do you suppose we got to be top league scorers two seasons ago if Benitez doesn't play attacking football? I'd really love to hear you explain that one.

And let's not forget that all our best managers have taken action in negating the opposition when they thought the circumstances merited it.

In the football I grew up watching even Bill Shankly did this. Whenever we played Man U, even at home, Shankly would have one player, usually Ian Ross, man-marking Bobby Charlton and doing nothing else. Similarly when we played Everton Shankly would use Ross to shadow Alan Ball, also even in games at Anfield. Would you consider Shankly a defensive-minded coach? I'm absolutely certain that if Benitez man-marked anyone at a home game the feeble-minded on here would have gone apoplectic.

To illustrate all this nonsense about defensive coaches and teams - someone else mentioned playing two defensive midfielders as a negative approach - both Spain and Germany adopt this tactic and do so home or away no matter who the opposition is. Are they defensive teams? Of course not. If a coach, like the coach of those two national sides, settles on a formation, it's important to stick with it and not chop and change because the opposition may be weaker.

Playing two DMs in a five-man midfield is the modern approach. Hodgson's 4-4-2 is the dinosaur approach to football.

[Lecter]

I wonder what the players view of Sammy Lee is these days.

I'd imagine its better than their view of Roy and Mike Kelly

[Lecter]

most of the players arent overly happy and arent enjoying things.

[Kenneth]

Although Germany are I would say. They're a counter attacking team. As an aside.