If we were in the CL this season

[CJ]

Aye, can see Rafa back managing us again one day. go on, persuade me different.

Never thought i'd see Kenny back tbh.

with our current owners?

i really cant see that.

would i like it to happen? yes

will it? i would bet no.

i just dont think the club is structured in a way that rafa wants to work. Also not sure if you are an owner that the hassle that Rafa can bring is something an owner would want.

Shame as for me he is one of the top (top top top top) managers in the world. Hopefully his break helps him. We were an absolute rock in Europe for all but his final year.

on the other side even though i personally think that Rafa is a better manager than Kenny i dont think anyone could have come in like Kenny did and lift the whole club and drag us out of that negative place.

Am happy with KK as manager and he needs some time and a couple more windows to build what he is building.

[Vermilion]

with our current owners?

i really cant see that.

would i like it to happen? yes

will it? i would bet no.

i just dont think the club is structured in a way that rafa wants to work. Also not sure if you are an owner that the hassle that Rafa can bring is something an owner would want.

Shame as for me he is one of the top (top top top top) managers in the world. Hopefully his break helps him. We were an absolute rock in Europe for all but his final year.

on the other side even though i personally think that Rafa is a better manager than Kenny i dont think anyone could have come in like Kenny did and lift the whole club and drag us out of that negative place.

Am happy with KK as manager and he needs some time and a couple more windows to build what he is building.

Fair. But i do think he's mellowed a tad now, and would'nt neccessarily want total power, just a decent budget for players, and honesty from the owners which would enable him to plan ahead with confidence in those owners not leading him down the garden path.

When i think back to what we did in europe, and the money that must have brought in only for Rafa to see it go on debt!

Anyway, hopefully we won't need another manager for a long long time, as we'll be successful with Kenny, we are soooooo lucky he was there. .

[CJ]

Fair. But i do think he's mellowed a tad now, and would'nt neccessarily want total power, just a decent budget for players, and honesty from the owners which would enable him to plan ahead with confidence in those owners not leading him down the garden path.

When i think back to what we did in europe, and the money that must have brought in only for Rafa to see it go on debt!

Anyway, hopefully we won't need another manager for a long long time, as we'll be successful.

he certainly looks better for the break. I am totally stunned that there does not seem to be a huge queue for his services.

still dont see him fitting in with our owners. I do think he has to react better when things dont go his way though. He has had battles with several owners and most managers dont get everything they are promised.

anyway back to the question i suppose but the prem league has regressed hugely over the last couple of years.

our team when we finished 2nd against this barca team. I think we would have a chance, not that we would be better than them i just think that tactically we could be a match for them?

i wonder if its true? i know i think it but that doesnt mean its true

[el matador]

i agree with dave. i dont think we'd get out of the group stages because its a new team and the players are still getting used to each other. enrique and downing on the left and kelly and henderson on the right, adam and lucas in the middle and suarez and carroll up top. all the major partnerships are in their infancies and even carra and agger isnt a given.

however, i think that if rafa was still in charge we would do very well with this team. his 4231 formation is probably the finest european formation of them all and really if we added enrique, johnson, suarez and downing to the team that did so well under him i think we'd have a team capable of getting to the semis at least.

reina, johnson, carra, agger, enrique, alonso, mascherano, gerrard, downing, suarez and voldemort.

that is a ****ing wicked team and were only missing xabi, masher and he who shall not be named. mind you if kenny had those 3 then same might apply but he doesnt have rafas european knowledge. that might be the only thing that stops us progressing to the later stages of the CL.

[Kenneth]

So many players without CL experience, I think we'd get mullered by the top teams.

[BobTheCharmer]

I can't say I'm missing the champions league one bit. It's a ****ing tedious 'competition' until you get to the knockout phase.

[Craig_H]

Re Rafa and wanting complete control - i wonder if he'd want that, if he was working for owners who he actually trusted.

It's possible that if he has faith in his employers, he might not have a problem having less control over some things, and letting the owners put good people in charge of different areas of the club.

[Lee]

I can't say I'm missing the champions league one bit. It's a ****ing tedious 'competition' until you get to the knockout phase.

Baffling statement.

How can you not miss us playing in the CL?

[CJ]

Re Rafa and wanting complete control - i wonder if he'd want that, if he was working for owners who he actually trusted.

It's possible that if he has faith in his employers, he might not have a problem having less control over some things, and letting the owners put good people in charge of different areas of the club.

i have thought about that (sad but true) my take is that the problem is more about trusting owners than anything else. Rafa is very driven and wants things and seems (or seemed to be more accurate) to want it now. This may well have been a result of a breakdown in the relationship with us and Valencia (not too sure about Inter). I think that most managers tend not to get everything they think they will. Some will be because owners tend to either lie or be optomistic to get their man or perhaps just generally getting carried away. I am not sure the more considered pace that our owners have would be something Rafa would feel comfy with.

I also think that many club owners see his disputes and think i dont want that. I have said many times that i think from a fans point of view that from our point of view and for our club is was right. However in the eyes of people who tend to own a football club i am not so sure that they see it the same.

the other possible issue is that there is a view that he required a fair turnover of players due to the commitment that he requires from players.

even though that may read as anti Rafa i am anything but that.

Baffling statement.

How can you not miss us playing in the CL?

I miss the Weds night interest in football. Given the latter stages are more exiting but i do miss the CL

[BobTheCharmer]

Baffling statement.

How can you not miss us playing in the CL?

Because I find the competition ****ing boring. The top 2 in each group usually qualify with ease. Big wow. Teams you've never heard of that have some oil or corruption behind them make up the numbers. When it comes to the knock out stages, then it improves immensely, as the games actually mean something. The group stages are a charade.

I want to get back in when the team is good enough to compete and when we've earnt the right. Hopefully that'll mean we've done more than just finish 4th.

I have nothing against the rest of you missing it, just the way I feel. League is always more important.

[Mr Darko]

I think we'd do okayish, maybe we'd scrape through the group stage but I don't see where the goals would come from if Suarez got injured, or more likely, suspended. Just not good enough having to rely on Kuyt or Carroll (i.e. Braga this year and Atletico Madrid before that, 2007 CL final etc.). I think this could be the difference in later stages - If Torres didn't have surgery I think we'd of beaten Atletico Madrid in 90 minutes.

Other teams have much better strike options if one of theirs gets injured.

[Craig_H]

Because I find the competition ****ing boring. The top 2 in each group usually qualify with ease. Big wow. Teams you've never heard of that have some oil or corruption behind them make up the numbers. When it comes to the knock out stages, then it improves immensely, as the games actually mean something. The group stages are a charade.

I want to get back in when the team is good enough to compete and when we've earnt the right. Hopefully that'll mean we've done more than just finish 4th.

I have nothing against the rest of you missing it, just the way I feel. League is always more important.

[CJ]

i suppose one thing to think is that the current squad was not built with the CL in mind this year. The aim is too qualify for it. Presumably the additions should be qualify will be made with the CL and the league in mind?

[Liverpool]

rafa built a side to play in europe, kennys built/building one for english comps

[BobTheCharmer]

rafa built a side to play in europe, kennys built/building one for english comps

Well considering we're not currently in Europe, that's a bloody good call on kenny's part.