RazorUK

That is fantastic, and I sincerely hope that Rafa and Montse are back in the not too distant future.

Just to be my own person I am going to say NO! He's done nothing to justify a crack at the Liverpool job. Sure he seems a nice guy, but no way the calibre of manager we should be looking at in an ideal world. I am concerned that we may end up with worse than Roy though.

Screw following him.....Blockade him!

I'm getting angrier by the day. We just got shot of the best man for the job. Gutted.

Thanks for everything Rafa. It's a shame your reign was undermined by the 2 c**** that are still at the club. You did a great job with your hands tied, I'd have loved to see you manage the club without those restraints. All the best for the future. YNWA

Commercially for the long term future of the club it makes no sense. The reality is that short term reduction of debt for these two wnakers makes perfect sense. Asset strip, remove or dramatically reduce the debt and then sell the club and make a nice fat profit. Lying b******s from day one...... Feb 6th 2007 I've never been so out of love with football....

Hopefully he won't score at Anfield again!

I don't believe there is a good reason for Klinsmann to be linked...... The only reason I can think of Klinsmann is that he has a fairly high profile in the states, especially after he was linked as a prospective manager for the US National team following the last world cup. For example look at all of the news articles: Rumours

I agree, how he has used his forwards has been a concern for me as well and some of his decisons perplex me unlike any manager has before. I think he's been a little unlucky with Agger and Alonso both being injured at the same time this season, our alternatives don't use or retain the ball half as good and I believe that has hampered the progression a little. Rafa is a very single minded man, and he puts the team and the sum of it's parts far above the individual players. If you can't follow his game plan and play your part in a team then you are on your way out. We saw Cisse play whatever way he wanted, and he was gone almost as quickly as Rafa was ranting at him from the moment he took to the pitch. We saw Morientes come in and struggle with the pace of the game and he was quickly moved on. We saw Bellamy come in and play his part, but acted like the gobsh*te he is and he was moved on. Cisse let him down week in week out when he was playing for us, he had no positional sense, couldn't follow instructions but he did put the ball in the net. Was that to the detriment of the team and the style of play the manager wants as a whole? Crouch looks next to go from the forward line, he seemed to let the England hype get to his head and maybe got a little too big for his boots to be a Rafa player. For him to fall so far so fast down the forward line shows their is something going on with him. I think we'll also see Rafa continue this ruthless streak providing our American owners give him the opportunity and we'll see the likes of Kuyt, Riise and Pennant drop down the pecking order as better players arrive. I think we'll see Momo move on regardless of whether he can pursuade the powers that be to part with the money to keep Mascherano. I think we'll see another quality player arrive on either the left or right that can retain the ball and offer far more danger than Pennant or Kewell, and I think he'll add someone with a little more guile than Kuyt to partner Torres. I've seen enough evidence over the last few years ( and THAT Valencia side to believe) that Rafa knows what he is doing. If Rafa is given the backing, I believe he and his team will deliver.

For what it's worth I agree, he makes decisions that frustrate the hell out of me as well, but I think you have to look longer term than this season. We currently have too many of our core players coming back from injury, we have too many out of form players playing, and we don't have enough starting 11 type of players to carry some of the water carriers we have. A perfect storm of sorts. Are we making progress with the manager? I think so, and I'd stick with him rather than regress 2-3 years by replacing him and a new man starting all over again.

Nope, because he's working on a budget and he's improving the squad all the time. It's not like he's been able to go out and buy 2 or 3 20 million pound players at a time because otherwise we'd still have Biscan, Smicer and Traore in first 20 man team. It's called progression, it's not as quick as any of us would like but it's happening. You sack him now and we start over again....

wow....... This is a manager that less than 2 years ago a very large proportion of you in this thread were claiming was the messiah..... 2 champions league finals in 3 years, an fa cup win and huge progression in the squads overall depth, this despite him not being given the money that is so obviously needed to go out and buy the first choice players he wanted. Alves, we couldn't pay the money they wanted and we get Pennant for 7 million instead. Cisse goes and gets injured playing for France and we were so dependant on the money that was expected from his sale that it forces another rethink of the transfers.... Moores moved on to allow money to be spent, yet we still appear to be flat broke and completely decieved by the Americans, who promised the money when they arrived. Here we are now 6 months later trying to scrape together the money to try and keep Maschereno at Anfield, downgrading the stadium plans. This is before we try to recruit better players to further strengthen the team. When given the money he's spent well in my humble opinion. Torres, Babel, Reina, Agger and Alonso are all top quality players and all pretty much cost top dollar for their respective positions. You shop at Aldi and not Harrods, you get what you pay for I'm afraid. We either have to spend on proven quality of the same ilk, or we have to rely on players like Pennant becoming 25 million pound players.....

Well I guess he did get something right then.....

I didn't think he did that badly the week before at Chelsea to be honest. He never hid and always tried. He may not be our best player, but he's a honest grafter, even if it doesn't always work out for him. Glad it worked out for him tonight, he played his part in a fantastic team performance.

I'll give Zenden some credit, he may not be the greatest player we have but at least he didn't hide or let his head drop when things weren't going for him. All still to play for next week, wish we'd grabbed the away goal though.

I think Dowie is past playing now

Probably Port Vale. Used to go watch Vale when I couldn't get tickets for Liverpool. Was also a local trip for me when Liverpool beat them 4-1 in the League cup some time back now.

9am is a little early for my blood. Living in smalltown Idaho, not even sure they've heard of Setanta

shame my cable company don't carry Setanta......

It wouldn't be the summer without a sammya SWP thread

this is just great. I am also screwed with satellite because of too many trees in the area. Wonder if I can convince the wife to move this summer..................

Tis true though!

Seem to recall that Liverpool offered him to Barcalona before he fecked off on a bosman after going through the motions for the best part of that season.

Thanks for the updates people. Without it I'd have had nothing. Feckin PPV feed got lost just before half time...

Same here, excepet they lost the fckn feed just before half time and it never came back!!!!!!