Rafa Watch

[Tee]

I loved Rafa and the Rafa songs. One of my favourite memories from his era was the Porto game in 2007 after the spat with the yanks and it was rumoured that Rafa was in a precarious position. There was the march before the game and the match was memorable not only for the 4-1 win and Torres' brace but the Rafa songs and the support shown to him throughout.

I still have great fondness for the man and wish him well there, since we are not really competing with them either for league position or the top trophies. It would be amusing to see him finish above Ferguson this season, possibly even winning the title, and ramming all that bile that drunken idiot has spouted in the past along with his cronies at the LMA and the press back down their throats.

That said, there is no way I can bring myself to sing the name of a manager of a rival club. He'll get a warm applause from me when he visits Anfield as an opposing manager of an English club, but no more.

You know what, no matter that he is Chelsea boss, we all know where his heart truly is. Liverpool FC is and always will be his club.

[baitman]

im sure this will be heard when he next visits [from 1.25]

[ame]http://youtu.be/BKDLO0oeK9g?t=1m25s[/ame]

[Shaggy]

So so true.

It has been horrible since he left, absolutely horrible.

Only now I feel optimistic about our future but it is still a long journey ahead.

Yep. I'm happy with Rodgers. Not entirely convinced but there's much to like about his football and players he's brought in. I'm more positive in that sense than at any time since Benitez left. I still see people slagging off FSG for sacking Kenny, but I'm much more positive now than during Kenny's time. Much more so.

[Mattshark]

Yep. I'm happy with Rodgers. Not entirely convinced but there's much to like about his football and players he's brought in. I'm more positive in that sense than at any time since Benitez left. I still see people slagging off FSG for sacking Kenny, but I'm much more positive now than during Kenny's time. Much more so.

[CJ]

im sure this will be heard when he next visits [from 1.25]

http://youtu.be/BKDLO0oeK9g?t=1m25s

thats the one i like.

i particularly like when it slows down

[Tee]

Yep. I'm happy with Rodgers. Not entirely convinced but there's much to like about his football and players he's brought in. I'm more positive in that sense than at any time since Benitez left. I still see people slagging off FSG for sacking Kenny, but I'm much more positive now than during Kenny's time. Much more so.

If someone had said over a year ago that Kenny should go and BR be brought in, I honestly would have thought they have lost the plot! BR has a different job now on his hands to when Rafa was here, and he is doing it admirably tbf.

We always imagined how well Rafa could do with the right financial backing, well now we will get the chance to see what he can do with Chelsea.

[CJ]

Yep. I'm happy with Rodgers. Not entirely convinced but there's much to like about his football and players he's brought in. I'm more positive in that sense than at any time since Benitez left. I still see people slagging off FSG for sacking Kenny, but I'm much more positive now than during Kenny's time. Much more so.

basically agree with the possible exception which was kenny coming back to the club his caretakership produced some lovely displays in the league.

[Shaggy]

If someone had said over a year ago that Kenny should go and BR be brought in, I honestly would have thought they have lost the plot! BR has a different job now on his hands to when Rafa was here, and he is doing it admirably tbf.

We always imagined how well Rafa could do with the right financial backing, well now we will get the chance to see what he can do with Chelsea.

basically agree with the possible exception which was kenny coming back to the club his caretakership produced some lovely displays in the league.

Yep, that was very encouraging. But for reasons known only to him, he tore it up and started again. Disastrous.

That made up quote is *everywhere* - Guardian, Mail, all the papers. I've checked and checked and found nothing. Nick Harris is going to check something called 'lexux nexis', which is a database open to journos which stores everything ever in all newspapers - national, local etc. He's run similar Google checks to me and has found nothing, yet is staggered so many 'respectable' journos have run with it. It's almost certainly completely made up. Says a lot about how stuff is reported in the modern age.

[souliv]

There is an upside to this , Whiskey Nose is going to be livid , next Chelsea v Scum is going to be interesting as a neutral

[CJ]

Yep, that was very encouraging. But for reasons known only to him, he tore it up and started again. Disastrous.

yep i cant for the life of me fathom why he did that.

[RedReet]

On the theme of the players not playing for Rafa, I don’t think it will be a problem:

Obviously Torres will now have a spring in his step, whether or not that’s good enough, I don’t know.

Mata is their main man and I’m sure he respects Rafa as a coach.

Hazard and Oscar are only young, plus haven’t been at the club long enough to develop an affinity for any other manager.

Romeu was signed from Barca and was doing ok for AVB and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him brought back into the fold under Rafa.

Ivanovic is their best defender and has problems with all managers for playing him at FB. If he’s played at CB then he’ll be delighted and if still played RB then he’ll just get on with it as always. Rafa might rate that young Spanish RB too.

They are important players I think could respond well to Rafa and then you have those who just won’t care and will get on with it.

Really looking forward to this City game now.

[mick the click]

If someone had said over a year ago that Kenny should go and BR be brought in, I honestly would have thought they have lost the plot! BR has a different job now on his hands to when Rafa was here, and he is doing it admirably tbf.

We always imagined how well Rafa could do with the right financial backing, well now we will get the chance to see what he can do with Chelsea.

I doubt if he'll get much to spend given that he's only slotted in for the short-term. Surely he'll be expected to cope with what he's got. I really can't see him being there for long for reasons I've stated somewhere above.

[Lee]

On the theme of the players not playing for Rafa, I don’t think it will be a problem:

Obviously Torres will now have a spring in his step, whether or not that’s good enough, I don’t know.

Mata is their main man and I’m sure he respects Rafa as a coach.

Hazard and Oscar are only young, plus haven’t been at the club long enough to develop an affinity for any other manager.

Romeu was signed from Barca and was doing ok for AVB and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him brought back into the fold under Rafa.

Ivanovic is their best defender and has problems with all managers for playing him at FB. If he’s played at CB then he’ll be delighted and if still played RB then he’ll just get on with it as always. Rafa might rate that young Spanish RB too.

They are important players I think could respond well to Rafa and then you have those who just won’t care and will get on with it.

Really looking forward to this City game now.

Was just thinking this.

I'm guessing Rafa will stick with 4231.

Does Ivanovic move inside? If not then what two will he pick from Terry, Cahill and Luiz? Will Luiz be moved into midfield?

I wonder if he'll recall Lukaku and Essien. And who he'll flog in January (if anyone).

Assume the front four (Oscar, Torres, Mata and Hazard) picks itself but he might have other ideas.

It'll be interesting to see what he does with that squad.

[el matador]

anyone seen this...

Paul Dalglish @pauldalglish
My little girl hears the news Rafa has gone to Chelsea. http://youtu.be/8Y6-5jMWQ7g

[CJ]

he is a big rafa fan. was reading his tweets yesterday evening