The Official Liverpool thread 2007/08

[Kop66]

Yeah i know who Guilleme Ballague is AFU, i quite like the fella, i'll try and get hold of that book, sounds good

[ONEDUNME]

He's the Spanish bloke isn't he ? He talks a lot of sense on European footy on Talk Sport.

[all_funkt_up]

I bought it for my Dad Kop last Christmas and duely nicked it. Brilliant plan.

I've got 2 days off work in December and I have decided to do the Marseille away game in the CL. I was umming and arring about whether to go and it now seems likely that there will be something riding on it for sure. I didnt want to spent money going over there to see our reserves get a run out, no danger of that now one would assume.

[andeeeee]

Originally Posted by all_funkt_up

A book I highly recommend Kop is "A Season on the Brink" by Guilleme Ballague, he does a guest spot on talk sport occasionally.

It follows Rafa and the back room team in their first season at Anfield. Gives an insight into the relationship between them all and the jobs they do.

Very entertaining....

paid 6quid for my copy and sold it on flea bay for 11 , good read as well

[andeeeee]

Originally Posted by ONEDUNME

He's the Spanish bloke isn't he ? He talks a lot of sense on European footy on Talk Sport.

dont get him misstaken for that itie twat

[all_funkt_up]

Interesting take on the matter here:

Originally Posted by Liverpool Daily Post

Benitez denies claims loss of Paco has led to poor form

Oct 5 2007

Rafael Benitez today dismissed claims that Liverpool’s dip in form is a result of the club’s recent internal management changes.

Liverpool have won just two of their last six games, culminating in Wednesday’s shocking performance in their Champions League defeat at home to Marseille.

It has been suggested that the bad run has coincided with the departure of Benitez’s assistant manager Paco Ayestaran, following a break-down in the relationship between the pair after a decade working together in Spain and England.

But as Benitez prepares his side for Sunday’s Barclays Premier League clash with Spurs at Anfield, he said the behind-the-scenes upheaval is not the cause of the current slump.

Ayestaran was well liked, particularly by the Spanish-speaking contingent among the squad, and has not been replaced.

Instead Benitez has spread his former colleague’s work-load among the rest of his coaching and technical staff.

The Liverpool manager said: “I do not believe that the management changes have affected the situation.

“We have been analysing the data regarding our players and we are running more, covering more ground and our physical condition is fantastic.

“With regards to the coaching, I was coaching with the team before. I am not a traditional English manager sitting in an office, I am always on the pitch with the players.

“I was on the pitch before, I was on the pitch today and I will be on the pitch tomorrow.”

Benitez also insisted that Steven Gerrard’s recovery from injury is not hampering the midfielder.

He said his captain will play against Spurs and be available for England’s crucial Euro 2008 qualifiers.

But the Spaniard, who on Sunday will be without full-back Fabio Aurelio due to a calf injury, admitted he must take responsibility for the current problems while equally dismissing complaints about his rotation system.

He said: “The Marseille match was a very bad game for us, everybody was poor, from front to back.

“Everybody must take responsibility for that defeat, me, the players, the staff, everyone. But I accept that the main responsibility is mine.

“Everybody talks about rotation only when we lose, not when we are winning.

“I don’t really like rotating, but I just do it because of the amount of competitions we are involved in. People need to rest.”

He added: “We need to improve but it is not a situation that runs deep. We have only lost once, we were winning and scoring goals earlier in the season.

“For the last game people were bad in attack and bad in defence. We must put that right.

“All the players and the management want to do their best for the team, everyone wants to win and we know what it means to the fans when we do not.

“I take a lot of the responsibility because I am the manager. The manager, the captain, the team, we all take some of the responsibility.

“But I must be positive because I am the manager. You do not win trophies by dropping your head and crying all the time.

“But people must not forget we are in a very good position. Just one defeat.

“That was a very bad game but I do not think that will be repeated this weekend. We have talked about things, and we know we are a much better team than last season.”

Benitez also hit out at the level of criticism he has suffered in recent days.

He said: “I have read the criticism, but it is easy to talk when you are a long way away in London. We are here with the players every day, we know the situation better.”

Benitez also defended Sebastian Leto and Mohamed Sissoko after their displays against Marseille.

He said: “I do not want to talk about one player, that is unfair. But some of them who are being criticised I will support. They do not hide, they may give the ball away and make a mistake, but they still keep going, still keep trying and working hard.

“These players kept trying, and at the age they are I still think they are doing well.”

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

Originally Posted by Kop66

Yeah i know who Guilleme Ballague is AFU, i quite like the fella, i'll try and get hold of that book, sounds good

He co-presents all the Spanish games on Sky. His knowledge on the Spanish game is as good as i have ever known of any expert on their specialised league. Nothing gets by him.

[ONEDUNME]

Perhaps Rafa should put him in the back four then.












Better still, in goal

[FC Basher]

Thanks for the point boys,probably a fair result although we probably edge it even with butterfingers giving you a goal start,I dont think Jol will ever drop him as he obviously wants a goalkeeper that makes clangers every week,bless.

Youve only managed one goal in the prem in your last three games,today you got two so well done on that.

[Bigkegman]

Originally Posted by FC Basher

Thanks for the point boys,probably a fair result although we probably edge it even with butterfingers giving you a goal start,I dont think Jol will ever drop him as he obviously wants a goalkeeper that makes clangers every week,bless.

Youve only managed one goal in the prem in your last three games,today you got two so well done on that.

was it another howler ?

away to see

[FC Basher]

and he will wince if he looks at the video replays of Voronin's goal.

Taken from the beeb, Mr B

[all_funkt_up]

I must say it was an odd game. England's number one made a right cock-up to gift us the first goal but from then on in, until the 44th minute Spurs did very little.

They went in at half time 1-1 after a ball over the top was lashed away by Keane ( I think ). And then straight after the half time tea and biscuits, they fucking got another one. From then on in Liverpool were nothing short of shambolic.

Lucky to get a draw here today.

[ONEDUNME]

Scraping a draw at home to a team 3rd from bottom.

And where is RC with his over rated talk

[FC Basher]

Scraping a draw at home to a team 3rd from bottom.

Excuse me ODM, 4th from bottom were climbing the league thank you very much.

[Kop66]

A couple of defensive mistakes cost us today, we're normally good in that area, no worries, we're still one of only two teams in the league who remain unbeaten, not even a quarter of the way through the season, players to comeback, were still in for a good one.