The Official Liverpool thread 2007/08

[all_funkt_up]

Its been a funny old week hasnt it. The emotional rollercoaster has had enough ups and downs and twists and turns to write a book about this week and I'm only talking about Steve McLaren here.

Papers love stories. Papers need stories to survive. Having seen off Martin Jol and fresh from polishing off Steve McLaren midweek, the "we told you he wasnt good enough" band of hacks now turn their attention to Rafael Benitez.

Benitez has to go. That's the common consensus. The experts that write for the papers are all of the opinion that he's underperforming and must be shown the door next. And they're all wrong.

Here's the table as of this morning:

1 Arsenal 13 19 33
2 Man Utd 14 16 30
3 Man City 14 4 29
4 Chelsea 14 12 28
5 Liverpool 13 16 27
6 Portsmouth 14 12 26

5th Place with a game in hand against West Ham, win that and we're up into 2nd place. By whose standards is that "not good enough" ?

Im certainly very happy with it. I was going to write more but I'm tired of constantly having to defend my manager and my club from nob heads, be it in the pub or at work, who come out with shit like "Rafa needs to stop tinkering" or "Rafa's spent big this summer - he needs to win the league".

Fuck off and leave us alone.

Wednesday is a massive game, brilliant atmosphere - Raise the Roof for Rafa.

Lets show all the twats in the media and certain Americans, just how much we appreciate the work of Benitez. He is the man to take us forward.

[andeeeee]

in the interview on MotD , rafa said they have to stop losing players before summer , to me he`s told the yanks they have to sign mascherano in jan or he`ll leave. just what i think .
i`m with you mike , things ticking along just nice

[all_funkt_up]

I think he's frustrated. United sorted their summer buys nice and early. Thats the way to do it. We were still running about on deadline day trying to sign players. That is not the way to do it.

You risk losing your targets and/or paying over the odds for players too.

[all_funkt_up]

New song for tomorrow's game, its a take on the old Luis Garcia song:

Rafa Benitez
He came to greet us
For a bevy, in Germany
They'll try to sack him
The Kop will back him
You can't take our Rafa away...

[crowie]

Interesting stuff from the Times.

Rafa's need/pursuit of a centre back in January and the board/owners reluctance to sign one (at the moment anyway) reminds you exactly of Jose and Roman/Chelsea this time last season does it not?

Rafael BenÍtez is preparing to back down in his public dispute with Liverpool’s American owners, but a parting of the ways remains the most likely outcome in the long term amid growing concern that the manager’s departure could be followed by an exodus of players such as José Manuel Reina, Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano.

Several of Liverpool’s senior players are known to be deeply concerned by the way in which BenÍtez’s position has been destabilised by his conflict with Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr. The long-term commitment of local players such as Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard is not in doubt, but there is concern within the club that some of those BenÍtez has brought to Merseyside will consider their futures if he is sacked. Reina, the goalkeeper, and Alonso, the midfield player, are attracting interest from Atlético Madrid, but the most worrying case is that of Mascherano, which has been one of several issues that have contributed to the crisis that has left BenÍtez clinging to his job.

The manager is determined to secure the Argentina midfield player’s services on a permanent basis, given that he is more than halfway through the 18-month “lease” arrangement on which Liverpool signed him from West Ham United last January, but Hicks and Gillett, along with Rick Parry, the chief executive, are unhappy that BenÍtez took it upon himself to broker a £17 million fee with the player’s advisers.

That deal was effectively vetoed by the board and, although Liverpool remain eager to sign Mascherano beforehe becomes a free agent on July 1, the affair has persuaded the Argentinian that it is BenÍtez, rather than the club, who wants him. Mascherano is reluctant to commit his long-term future to Liverpool while BenÍtez’s situation is so precarious, with the 23-year-old’s representatives acutely aware that Barcelona are eager to sign him.


BenÍtez’s employment prospects improved marginally yesterday as it emerged from Liverpool’s Melwood training ground that he was preparing to soften his belligerent stance towards the club’s owners. He is understood to be willing to resolve his differences with the board and to focus simply on coaching and identifying future signings while leaving all transfer negotiations to Parry, but this promised climbdown is likely to have come too late. By undermining their authority over the past week, BenÍtez has infuriated Hicks and Gillett to the point where his departure seems to be only a matter of time.

Nevertheless, BenÍtez feels that he has shown willing by agreeing to concede some ground in the dispute. He is also prepared to accept defeat in his pursuit of Kakha Kaladze, the 29-year-old AC Milan defender, whom he had identified as a prime target for the forthcoming January transfer window. BenÍtez was unhappy at the club’s reluctance to proceed with that deal, which would have brought much-needed cover to his defence, but the manager has now reluctantly agreed to wait until the Americans’ visit to Merseyside in mid-December before finalising his transfer strategy.

The need for reinforcements, though, remains a thorny issue at Anfield, with the board believing that BenÍtez should not be asking for more players after the club’s outlay in the summer. BenÍtez believes that he is entitled to sign at least one defender in the transfer window - he has not spent the £6.8 million earmarked to sign Gabriel Heinze from Manchester United in August, when the Argentina full back instead joined Real Madrid – and his case appears to have been strengthened, albeit against his wishes, by a setback suffered by Daniel Agger in his recovery from a fractured metatarsal.

Liverpool face FC Porto in a crucial Champions League match at Anfield tomorrow, with a show of solidarity with BenÍtez planned by the supporters. A win, amid fervent backing for the manager, would strengthen his position. A defeat, though, would push him ever closer to the exit.

[all_funkt_up]

Rafa Rafael, Rafael Benitez........

Brilliant. Knackered in work at the moment, got in at midnight and had to set off at 3am to be home and ready for work

I'm shattered. Going to post up some more thoughts and pix etc when I get home.

Cant wait for me bed!

[all_funkt_up]

[all_funkt_up]

[all_funkt_up]

We're going to win the league.

FACT.

[Tom Sawyer]

once again rafas baffling tactics and team selection and substitusions cost liverpool dear,your never going to win the league with this man in charge,i think he trys to be too clever and seems more intrested in europe,why take gerrard off when you still have a chance of saving the game,he was the only player that looked like doing something,also puts more pressure on liverpool to take something next week,i think you have to win on tues and take something off man utd to save your season.

[ONEDUNME]

It's a brave shout Tom but you could well be right there. I wonder what price you would get on them winning the UEFA cup?

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

Originally Posted by all_funkt_up

We're going to win the league.

FACT.

Still a fact?

Have to agree wit Tom. Some of his changes against Reading during the game were absolutely bizarre to me.

Huge game with Marseille now. Fail to qualify and its goodbye i feel.

[space2007]

yep i know it was a poor display on saturday... the lads have got there minds on tuesday night.. plus a very big game at the weekend against the scum... i mean man utd,,, think we will do it tuesday against the french side... dunno about sunday though... itll be a bit tricky.. look at last season.. we dominated the full match ,, an they go an snatch a victory.. we woz robbed...... any way... heres my contribution.. theese look good on ur moby...

[ONEDUNME]

Originally Posted by all_funkt_up

Rafa's gonna be livid when he gets back home and finds that that's gone missing.

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

Originally Posted by ONEDUNME

Rafa's gonna be livid when he gets back home and finds that that's gone missing.