RedHarvest

Snoogy Doogy??

Agreed. He's a little s*** but I think Robben would be sensational for us. We need a ball carrier - the finished product, who can take on and beat defenders.

I think we're all hoping that DIC will try to implement the model of sporting excellence within the football industry it applies to it's racing concerns.

PLTBT. This would be ideal. Things have been so chronically bad for so long we're afraid to imagine a positive outcome. the above scenario is entirely possible. The Rafa doubters wont like it but he has more than earned his chance to put it right.

The situation at the club right now is such that a new manager could come in and probably lift performances on sheer new regime freshness alone. But Rafa Benitez is now and will be proven in the future to be a great manager in world football - whether it's at this club or another remains to be seen. It would be sickening if we got rid of him because of this unprecedented unrest at board level combined with the prevailing media driven short termism in the modern game. He deserves at least another season to put things right. I believe Rafa and Liverpool will prevail in this crisis and I'm not gonna be swayed by the desperate shrieking press.

We all dream of a team of Mascheranos

it's last resort time - the threat of physical violence may just work.

Because he's lost the players imo, particularly the senior players.For me this can be traced back to Pakos departure. This season has been strange and unprecedented and Benitez should be judged taking all the mitigating factors into account. His percieved chronic stubbornness would seem a virtue in better circumstances - ie: the whole zonal marking thing.

Rotation's not and never has been the problem, this is:

It's true that the equilibrium between players and manager has been disrupted since Pakos departure and is the most likely explanation for our confidence crisis. Didn't know that about Sammy Lee - it bodes badly for Rafa. Another undermining tactic from Hicks.

Because of extenuating circumstances at board level at the club Rafa should be given another season. If he's sacked in the summer Mourinhos record makes him an obvious candidate - still it remains my opinion that he is NOT, on the whole, a better manager than Rafa. Whoever comes in after Rafa needs time and stability. I think O'Neill is the strongest candidate out there for the long term, he has all the class Mourinho doesnt, he's an extremely pragmatic manager and a very good man manager/motivator. He hasn't been tested at a truly big club. I think he's capable and shouldn't be underestimated. but that ship has sailed,,he'll stay at Villa for years.

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He's the only player in the entire squad who's been anything close to consistant this season. Top keeper, Rafas best buy.

Just listened to that...very brief summary of the article, no updates.

Fair enough. I think, given his record, he's is who we'll end up with should Rafa go in the summer and we could certainly do a lot worse (Klinsmann)...I just have a bad feeling about the guy and the Clough-isms can also apply to O'Neill without the messianic self image.

Agree with your first paragraph. But my feeling on Mourinho is that he has an English football axe to grind, he's too wrapped up in the cult of personality to be a true Liverpool manager, he's as, if not more negative a manager as Rafa - probably sounds naive given his record,, but I'd go for M'ON for the long term. I think he has what it takes to make the step up to a big club.

It's gone t*** up for Rafa this season. Club sold to the wrong people, Pakos departure, some ill judged press comments etc... In the current climate he can reasonably be expected to be judged harshly regarding his premiership performances. I'm sure his pride and stubborness, the qualities behind his insistance on rotation and zonal marking, are qualities that would appear herioc were things going his (our) way. I agree with the above comments from Conor that the malaise at the club is affecting us at every level, particularly on the pitch...and that he needs a new no.2. It's all very sad to witness because I believe Rafa is better than this. I believe that given the right backing (from players and board) he could win us the league but that it may now be too late in the day to fix it. I also believe that Rafa is the better manager between him and Mourinho, and for the record, were Rafa to go I'd support the appointment of O'Neill.

Dont want to give any creedence to this Klinsmann rumour but is it possible that G&H have him in mind for a director of football type role, knowing they wouldn't be able to sell him to fans as manager? Similar tactic to Abramovich with Avram Grant. I'm getting paranoid here

Double our money on Momo and secure Masch, that'd be superb business.

Momo's had a shocking season for us but he's still got bags of potential. 10 or 12 mill is about the right valuation. The danger for us is if we sell Momo and fail to tie up the Masch deal. We need a midfield destroyer in the squad.

Who plays in the middle is a headache for the manager to solve. I just dont like the disparaging of a fine player whose qualities are so quickly forgotton in the race to find scapegoats for our current malaise. Sell Alonso and we'd regret it IMO. At the moment I'd play Gerrard on the right and Masch and Xabi in the middle. Sissoko is gone and Lucas is deputy CM.

All this anti Xabi talk is madness. He's clearly the most intelligent footballer we have in the squad. His indifferent form this season is a symptom of the greater malaise at the club all too apparant this season (which may or may not have something to do with Pacos departure). We all know that, on his game,he provides pacing and incisiveness and we need forwards and wingers who can capitalise on those qualities, not rid of him. Xabi is a diamond and must be kept.

I reckon the press are just speculating, Klinsmann is an advocate of American style sports psychology and science - G & H are American - 2+2=5 Either that or there's something more sinister going on

Should Rafa be sacked I would prefer to see O'Niell get the job than Mourinho. I know he's unproven at a big club and with money but I think he's capable,,it's not so long ago he was being touted for Fergusons successor. depressing thread

We'd really have some team if we'd signed all those "nearly signed"s