Not a Sack Rafa thread, but....

[The Guv]

...Who is to blame for what we've been forced to endure this season? As much as the players bear partial responsibility, Benitez in my opinion has been the prime culprit in what as been a catalog of disgraceful performances.

 

The reason why Chelsea are Chelsea, Man U are Man U and Newcastle are Newcastle is because of the mentality of their managers and the ability of their coaching collectives. Even if we buy a new starting eleven in January, "a team of carraghers" if you like, nothing much will change as long as they're being managed and coached with the same mentality that our present bunch are being.

 

Our mentality stinks! The lack of passion from the management and the coaching staff trickles down to the players, who are bombarded with endless tactical jiberish that is useless, confusing and over complicated. Football is a simple game that is arguably more psycological than tactical during a fast tempoed premiership encounter. Benitez tactically over-complicates at times, paying less attention to other aspects of the game and the result is a display of shambolic proportions.

 

Zonal marking from set pieces, squad rotation, resting fit players, dropping on-form players, playing players out of position, purchasing lackluster footballers in the transfer market is to name just a few of our problems, all steming from the manager.

 

Winners don't get beaten like we've been today. Winners don't look beaten only 1 nil down and 50 minutes to play. Winners we are not at the moment.

 

Still think Rafa's one of the best in Europe though and hence wouldn't be too quick to get rid of him like others are suggesting. I hope he's acknowledged our weeknesses in greater depth than we do and use his ability to turn things around before his name gets chanted from the stands in a different tone and his services become despensible.

[Guest ziggystardust]

sack rafa

[Andy @ Allerton]

...Who is to blame for what we've been forced to endure this season? As much as the players bear partial responsibility, Benitez in my opinion has been the prime culprit in what as been a catalog of disgraceful performances.

 

The reason why Chelsea are Chelsea, Man U are Man U and Newcastle are Newcastle is because of the mentality of their managers and the ability of their coaching collectives. Even if we buy a new starting eleven in January, "a team of carraghers" if you like, nothing much will change as long as they're being managed and coached with the same mentality that our present bunch are being.

 

Our mentality stinks! The lack of passion from the management and the coaching staff trickles down to the players, who are bombarded with endless tactical jiberish that is useless, confusing and over complicated. Football is a simple game that is arguably more psycological than tactical during a fast tempoed premiership encounter. Benitez tactically over-complicates at times, paying less attention to other aspects of the game and the result is a display of shambolic proportions.

 

Zonal marking from set pieces, squad rotation, resting fit players, dropping on-form players, playing players out of position, purchasing lackluster footballers in the transfer market is to name just a few of our problems, all steming from the manager.

 

Winners don't get beaten like we've been today. Winners don't look beaten only 1 nil down and 50 minutes to play. Winners we are not at the moment.

 

Still think Rafa's one of the best in Europe though and hence wouldn't be too quick to get rid of him like others are suggesting. I hope he's acknowledged our weeknesses in greater depth than we do and use his ability to turn things around before his name gets chanted from the stands in a different tone and his services become despensible.

 

Sack The Guv

[Billy Dane]

How come Rafa's only won one trophy for us so far this season - and a mickey mouse one at that?

[aka Dus]

Some of Rafa's buys, at this (early) stage of their Liverpool career, appear to be out of their depth. He should probably play his best players in their best positions more often than not,

 

They are the only reasonable accusations that can be levelled at him IMO. Most of the rest of it is frustration, though I can understand it because this was to be the year that we could give our 'title rivals' a run for their money away from home. Until we can do that, we'll be whistling in the wind.

[Cam]

Even our defensive walls are a joke!!!

[John am Rhein]

Sack the manager after Rafa!

[pipnasty]

Sack the manager after Rafa!

 

 

Bring back Houllier and sack him too

 

 

And then Evans, Souness and Dalglish.

[Knoxy]

It's as if some are storing things up for occasions like this

[Tommy Cockles]

Just got back. Another lame, tedious AND THOROUGHLY UNACCEPTABLE away performance.

 

Benitez is rapidly approaching Houllier levels of tactical crassness.

 

No-one in their right mind plays Zenden in central mid with one of the worlds best CM out wide. Absurd. And then fails to change it until after the game is lost. Zenden was appalling today and culpable for the 1st goal. I mean what is his history at CM, I don't watch other teams but I dont recall him playing there for Chelsea or Boro?

 

What is the point of paying £6m for Pennant and not playing him?

 

What is the point of Mark Gonzalez?

 

What is the point of taking Hyppia off at 0-3 with 5 mins to go & replacing him with Agger. Was he injured, it didnt look like it? If he wasnt then that is an appalling slight on Hyppia. Why would you do that?

 

More anonymity from the seemingly fireproof Alonso. One fo the worlds best midfielders? Dont make me laugh.

 

We were pitiful today. We would not have scored if we played for a week.

 

None of Benitez's signings from his substantial transfer outlay look capable of playing in a championship winning side. I am very troubled. Getting deja vu with all of this, too many ordinary signings, tactical weirdness, substitution inertia, incomprehensible post match analysis.

 

I wonder if Istanbul is going to be the smokescreen for Benitez that the Cup Treble was for Houllier.

 

If so, settle down for a long hard 18 months.

 

F*** it I'm going to bed but can't see myself sleeping well tonight. C***s

[Knoxy]

Istanbul was a pretty decent smokescreen in fairness

[Guest Kev]

Just got back. Another lame, tedious AND THOROUGHLY UNACCEPTABLE away performance.

 

Benitez is rapidly approaching Houllier levels of tactical crassness.

 

No-one in their right mind plays Zenden in central mid with one of the worlds best CM out wide. Absurd. And then fails to change it until after the game is lost. Zenden was appalling today and culpable for the 1st goal. I mean what is his history at CM, I don't watch other teams but I dont recall him playing there for Chelsea or Boro?

 

What is the point of paying £6m for Pennant and not playing him?

 

What is the point of Mark Gonzalez?

 

What is the point of taking Hyppia off at 0-3 with 5 mins to go & replacing him with Agger. Was he injured, it didnt look like it? If he wasnt then that is an appalling slight on Hyppia. Why would you do that?

 

More anonymity from the seemingly fireproof Alonso. One fo the worlds best midfielders? Dont make me laugh.

 

We were pitiful today. We would not have scored if we played for a week.

 

None of Benitez's signings from his substantial transfer outlay look capable of playing in a championship winning side. I am very troubled. Getting deja vu with all of this, too many ordinary signings, tactical weirdness, substitution inertia, incomprehensible post match analysis.

 

I wonder if Istanbul is going to be the smokescreen for Benitez that the Cup Treble was for Houllier.

 

If so, settle down for a long hard 18 months.

 

F*** it I'm going to bed but can't see myself sleeping well tonight. C***s

 

I'm as gutted as anyone, I take defeats like a personal slight.

 

I'll be down for a few days but still be there at the Riverside in spirit, so will we all. Hopefully Rafa will bite the bullet and admit that playing Stevie on the right is the wrong choice. It may have worked last season, but it's not this.

[Guest Anders Honoré]

Zenden was appalling today and culpable for the 1st goal. I mean what is his history at CM, I don't watch other teams but I dont recall him playing there for Chelsea or Boro?

 

He played centre mid for boro and was their player of the year doing so.

 

None of Benitez's signings from his substantial transfer outlay look capable of playing in a championship winning side.

 

Kuyt?

 

I wonder if Istanbul is going to be the smokescreen for Benitez that the Cup Treble was for Houllier.

 

Not smoke screen. The very reason and vindication for hiring them in the first place.

[Hassony]

 

I wonder if Istanbul is going to be the smokescreen for Benitez that the Cup Treble was for Houllier.

 

 

 

 

the FA cup win last season and the 82 points in the league weren't that pleasing for you

[Guest Kev]

the FA cup win last season and the 82 points in the league weren't that pleasing for you

 

What's the difference then ? Only Cisse has left.

[Hassony]

What's the difference then ? Only Cisse has left.

we need cisse back

[dorgie]

What's the difference then ? Only Cisse has left.

 

How could you forget Didi ?

 

This thread title makes me think that we can expect to see and hear a lot of phrases with the words "Rafa" and "but" in them over the coming days.

 

Any bets on how long before we hear that dreaded phrase of "he's taken us as far as he can" ?

[Bootle Buck]

The brand of football Rafa is playing is way too negative. Away from home our FB's don't pass the half way line. Our midfield shows no creativity and our forwards are only pinged high balls with their back to goal. Carra and Sami have to be the playmakers for most of the game .........and that won't work. Rafa needs to get the players back as at the moment they don't look on the same page. Too many are being shackled.

[_00_deathscar]

who are bombarded with endless tactical jiberish that is useless, confusing and over complicated. Football is a simple game that is arguably more psycological than tactical during a fast tempoed premiership encounter. Benitez tactically over-complicates at times, paying less attention to other aspects of the game and the result is a display of shambolic proportions.

 

I do agree with this though. I think he's over complicating things, because he's too clever, and the Premiership is just really a very simple 100mph league.

[Siang]

I do agree with this though. I think he's over complicating things, because he's too clever, and the Premiership is just really a very simple 100mph league.

 

 

i think u nailed it with your quote...

 

[ricflairandy]

...Who is to blame for what we've been forced to endure this season? As much as the players bear partial responsibility, Benitez in my opinion has been the prime culprit in what as been a catalog of disgraceful performances.

 

The reason why Chelsea are Chelsea, Man U are Man U and Newcastle are Newcastle is because of the mentality of their managers and the ability of their coaching collectives. Even if we buy a new starting eleven in January, "a team of carraghers" if you like, nothing much will change as long as they're being managed and coached with the same mentality that our present bunch are being.

 

Our mentality stinks! The lack of passion from the management and the coaching staff trickles down to the players, who are bombarded with endless tactical jiberish that is useless, confusing and over complicated. Football is a simple game that is arguably more psycological than tactical during a fast tempoed premiership encounter. Benitez tactically over-complicates at times, paying less attention to other aspects of the game and the result is a display of shambolic proportions.

 

Zonal marking from set pieces, squad rotation, resting fit players, dropping on-form players, playing players out of position, purchasing lackluster footballers in the transfer market is to name just a few of our problems, all steming from the manager.

 

Winners don't get beaten like we've been today. Winners don't look beaten only 1 nil down and 50 minutes to play. Winners we are not at the moment.

 

Still think Rafa's one of the best in Europe though and hence wouldn't be too quick to get rid of him like others are suggesting. I hope he's acknowledged our weeknesses in greater depth than we do and use his ability to turn things around before his name gets chanted from the stands in a different tone and his services become despensible.

 

you have been reading too many papers mate.

 

Zonal marking at set peicees is what helped us to a fantastic defensive record last year, and if im not mistaken has only been at fault for 2 goals this year.

 

Squad rotation, dont talk crap, rafa has rotated yes, but only the fringe players and hasnt rotated the big guns unless they have been injured. Man utd and chelsea hve rotated more than us in the last 50 games.

 

And as for playing players out of position, i suppose you are refering to gerrard? Gerrard the man whos best ever season for liverpool came at right mid(starting position of a free role) and whos best ever game was spent for alot of it at right back?

 

Ok, i see your point :|

[Cooldude]

Rafa is the man, but he's gotta do something about his mentality in these away games against top sides.

 

He keeps trying to be way too defensive, and it just doesn't work, since we can't score, which means we can't win.

[Guest Kenny Park]

...Who is to blame for what we've been forced to endure this season? As much as the players bear partial responsibility, Benitez in my opinion has been the prime culprit in what as been a catalog of disgraceful performances.

 

The reason why Chelsea are Chelsea, Man U are Man U and Newcastle are Newcastle is because of the mentality of their managers and the ability of their coaching collectives. Even if we buy a new starting eleven in January, "a team of carraghers" if you like, nothing much will change as long as they're being managed and coached with the same mentality that our present bunch are being.

 

Our mentality stinks! The lack of passion from the management and the coaching staff trickles down to the players, who are bombarded with endless tactical jiberish that is useless, confusing and over complicated. Football is a simple game that is arguably more psycological than tactical during a fast tempoed premiership encounter. Benitez tactically over-complicates at times, paying less attention to other aspects of the game and the result is a display of shambolic proportions.

 

Zonal marking from set pieces, squad rotation, resting fit players, dropping on-form players, playing players out of position, purchasing lackluster footballers in the transfer market is to name just a few of our problems, all steming from the manager.

 

Winners don't get beaten like we've been today. Winners don't look beaten only 1 nil down and 50 minutes to play. Winners we are not at the moment.

 

Still think Rafa's one of the best in Europe though and hence wouldn't be too quick to get rid of him like others are suggesting. I hope he's acknowledged our weeknesses in greater depth than we do and use his ability to turn things around before his name gets chanted from the stands in a different tone and his services become despensible.

 

 

I don't know why you need to sound apologetic about criticizing Benitez. We are having a s*** season and our players are underperforming. Rafa has to take responsibility. He signed Gonzales, Crouch, Bellamy, Pennant and Zenden - all of whom looked today as if they were having a stroll in a reserve game. They are not world class players and are not good enough for LFC. However, it's up to the manager and the coaching staff to get the best out of the players they have - and that's where I level the criticism. I've hated Everton for nearly fifty years but I take my hat off to David Moyes for getting the best out of his squad. Our team includes Gerrard, Carragher and Alonso and right now they all have one thing in common - they are underperforming.

[KD07]

Shoot the players up with speed!

[Guest Banjo]

What's the difference then ? Only Cisse has left.

 

And we don't have Kewell balancing the midfield, no Didi and no cameo appearances from the likes of Pongo.