Manager Poll

[CJ]

Is it possible to redirect 90% of shaggy posts to the rafa thread? The otherv10% to wayltatm?

[baronvonskidmark]

I think that Benitez should be given more credit for his signings. Sure some of us knew that they were good players, but it was Rafa who was prepared to put his neck on the line by signing them when others had balked.

For example, Real refused to meet Sociedad's £13 million price tag, so Benitez jumped in - the only voice of note that initially was disappointed by this was Redondo.

Chelsea preferred to pay £30 million for Shevchenko in the year before we signed Torres - clearly, then, they could have got him if they wanted him. As we know they later signed him for £50 million.

It was Rafa that was famously at the gates of West Ham's training ground, with the stones, discussing how he wanted Mascherano to play. At the time he couldn't get a game at West Ham due to payments if he reached a set amount of games. We then signed him initially on a loan deal to solve the problem of 3rd party ownership - a deal which United copied when signing Tevez.

Rafa was largely ridiculed for his comment in a press conference (the one where he told Gerrard that he wanted him to stay at Liverpool for ever) that, in signing Reina, he had signed 'the best goalkeeper in Spain'. Also, most people, including myself, thought that he was just publicly backing his player when he said that Lucas was a great player and retaining such faith in him - I don't remember Lucas in the best midfield in the world song.

Sissoko wasn't getting a regular game at Valencia, and it was only Everton that had expressed any interest in him at all. Noone was particularly enthused about Crouch as I recall. Arbeloa was signed for a couple of million and then marked Messi out of the game in his first match for us. And so on.

He obviously signed some duds, but relatively speaking I would say that he was fairly astute in the transfer market. How many of our current first team players were signed by Rafa? The majority of them, I think, - quite a feat when you consider that, towards the end of his reign, Rafa had very little money to spend AND we have had 3 transfer windows since then (2 of which where we have spent large sums of money).

[Roboklopp]

Pretty sure it was with salt & pepper pots Rafa was showing Masher where he wanted him & Xabi to play.

****, I loved having them 2 in CM. Always thought you had a chance-especially in Europe - cos of how much they dominated possession.

[Rich]

Scouts don't just judge a player's on the pitch performance. Or at least they shouldn't.

Rafa used to get his team to delve into a player's off the field living to see if they would be suitable to play for a club like LFC. Didn't work everytime but we bought some absolute bargains while he was manager.

[BG1973]

I think that Benitez should be given more credit for his signings. Sure some of us knew that they were good players, but it was Rafa who was prepared to put his neck on the line by signing them when others had balked.

For example, Real refused to meet Sociedad's £13 million price tag, so Benitez jumped in - the only voice of note that initially was disappointed by this was Redondo.

Chelsea preferred to pay £30 million for Shevchenko in the year before we signed Torres - clearly, then, they could have got him if they wanted him. As we know they later signed him for £50 million.

It was Rafa that was famously at the gates of West Ham's training ground, with the stones, discussing how he wanted Mascherano to play. At the time he couldn't get a game at West Ham due to payments if he reached a set amount of games. We then signed him initially on a loan deal to solve the problem of 3rd party ownership - a deal which United copied when signing Tevez.

Rafa was largely ridiculed for his comment in a press conference (the one where he told Gerrard that he wanted him to stay at Liverpool for ever) that, in signing Reina, he had signed 'the best goalkeeper in Spain'. Also, most people, including myself, thought that he was just publicly backing his player when he said that Lucas was a great player and retaining such faith in him - I don't remember Lucas in the best midfield in the world song.

Sissoko wasn't getting a regular game at Valencia, and it was only Everton that had expressed any interest in him at all. Noone was particularly enthused about Crouch as I recall. Arbeloa was signed for a couple of million and then marked Messi out of the game in his first match for us. And so on.

He obviously signed some duds, but relatively speaking I would say that he was fairly astute in the transfer market. How many of our current first team players were signed by Rafa? The majority of them, I think, - quite a feat when you consider that, towards the end of his reign, Rafa had very little money to spend AND we have had 3 transfer windows since then (2 of which where we have spent large sums of money).

If Rafa came back I would feel happy that we were finally back in safe hands. I would be excited to watch the side he would build.

I don't have one iota of excitement about anything Kenny and Commoli are doing. No belief in their vision.

Sad but true.

[danperkins]

The thing is though, that a scouting team should not be judged by it's ability to spot all the obvious talents we all heard about before ie. Mascherano, Alonso, Torres but rather on the unknown talents they find where I think Reina, Agger and arguably Arbeloa.

I don't think the clubs scouting team have been particularly impressive over the last 10-15 years tbh. Very few real gems we have gotten in to the club from an unkown position.

[little dave hedgehog]

i vote for sausage.

[Icon]

I bet you do, perv...

[little dave hedgehog]

you say it like it's a bad thing.

[barnes10]

expect this thread to liven up this evening.

we've been here too often in the recent past to not recognise it. kenny's at the point of no return imho and he really doesnt look to have the players behind him. no-one's giving him their all, we look distinctly average and no fluke of a carling cup win will paper over the cracks in my eyes.

im sad its gone this way for kenny but many of us feared tarnishing his legendary status when he took over. he's been hugely let down by his signings of the summer but at the end of the day, they were his signings and all managers live and die by that.

Still a legend and the best servant this club has ever had but im convinced its now time to let the new man in.

[Exiled_red]

expect this thread to liven up this evening.

we've been here too often in the recent past to not recognise it. kenny's at the point of no return imho and he really doesnt look to have the players behind him. no-one's giving him their all, we look distinctly average and no fluke of a carling cup win will paper over the cracks in my eyes.

im sad its gone this way for kenny but many of us feared tarnishing his legendary status when he took over. he's been hugely let down by his signings of the summer but at the end of the day, they were his signings and all managers live and die by that.

Still a legend and the best servant this club has ever had but im convinced its now time to let the new man in.

Whatever the situation with the manager is in the summer there are a number of players who should be moved on, there are players who aren't good enough, players with the wrong mentality and players who don't deserve to wear the shirt.

[CJ]

you say it like it's a bad thing.

am I allowed to vote for peas

[Kenneth]

Would it be racist to state a preference for a beige manager?

[barnes10]

Whatever the situation with the manager is in the summer there are a number of players who should be moved on, there are players who aren't good enough, players with the wrong mentality and players who don't deserve to wear the shirt.

far too many. problem is kenny either signed them, stuck by them or didnt do anything in jan to move them on.

[Vermilion]

I'm beginning to think the problem is LFC, Like engerland, the club has a way of making normally decent managers and players look and play poorly.

Kenny has set up a team that created lots of chances, and had ..up till recently a very solid defence, is it really his fault if Suarez and co miss them all, easy chances too that they'd knock in for their last teams for fun ?

I have no idea who at the answer is, but i'm not at all confident a change of manager will help.