Favourtism

[Rashid]

Rafa is demonstrating it with Josemi, Pelligrino etc. Houllier did it with Heskey and Murphy etc.

 

I tell you what, Venables was the master at it and any manager who remains stubborn with 'their' players to prove a point end up fucking themselves up.

 

Carra and Sami have been a leading light for us this season - there was no need to break that up. I'd rather Raven at RB if it meant we kept the stability at CB.

 

Its halg time at Southampton and whatever happens, its bloody obvious we miss Carra in the middle.

[Original202]

I have to agree.

 

As good as Carra is at right back, he's established himself as the best centre back at the club and that's where he should stay. If Raven's on the bench Rafa obviously has some faith in him, so why start with him?

 

Really can't understand splitting up Carra and Hyypia. We're not going to be solid defensively if the back 4 (or 5 if we include the keeper) is constantly changed. You can just about get away with rotating the full backs, but I don't think you can fuck about with the spine of the team.

[Original202]

And as we speak Raven has just come on for the injured Hyypia, Carra back to the centre...

[Baresi]

Rafa is demonstrating it with Josemi, Pelligrino etc. Houllier did it with Heskey and Murphy etc.

 

I tell you what, Venables was the master at it and any manager who remains stubborn with 'their' players to prove a point end up fucking themselves up.

 

Carra and Sami have been a leading light for us this season - there was no need to break that up. I'd rather Raven at RB if it meant we kept the stability at CB.

 

Its halg time at Southampton and whatever happens, its bloody obvious we miss Carra in the middle.

 

Garcia, anyone?

[malser]

how the fuck garcia stayed on that pitch for ninety minutes i fuckin beyond me. an absolute passenger. i think it would be fair to say he was more positive for them than he was for us, fuckin disgrace. surely he was the man to make way for pongo. not jumpin the gun here but i promised i wouldnt let the same thing happen to me after houllier. im right behind benitez but this element of stickin with players who are clearly not up to it must stop or as has been already said will undo all the good that the manager does.

[dean37]

Bring back the Sheriff asap........

[Rashid]

Carragher has been our best defender this season by a mile at centre back, today and against Man United we shifted him to right back to accomodate a reserve from Valencia - both games he has been shit... especially with his speed and distribution.

 

If one thing in our team was not broken its the centre of defence - yet this guy comes in, gives the ball away for the first and second goals and we concede both times.

 

Josemi has been shit but when he is fit (and he is injured now) he plays.

 

I used to despise Houllier for his favourtism but now Rafa has his own band of merry men. Garcia, Josemi, Pelligrino, and Nunez have cost about £10M and been mainly rubbish. Alonso cost £10M and he has been world class - just shows what you can do when you buy quality.

[Steve]

Don't often agree with Rashid but have to say that this time he is spot on.

[Tim]

Is it favouritism or is it making use of the resources available. Pellegrino was poor and if I had my way I would have had him off the pitch as soon as that 2nd goal went on. But I can certainly understand why he started the match as we have had no experienced right backs available.

 

Sticking with Josemi when he was having that bad run of form may have smacked of favouritism, sticking with Garcia at the moment may do too but even that is pushing it, just like trying to say playing Pellegrino today was favouritism (he has only been here 2 weeks and during that time we have had no recognised experienced right backs). Rafa could of course started with Traore but no doubt there would have been uproar from the likes of yourself rashid. Instead Rafa tried to use the resources at his disposal as best he could. It didn't work.

 

Ask yourself these hypothetical questions and be objective rather than going on what you seem to want to believe.

 

Would pellegrino have played had Finnan/Josemi had been fit?

Would Garcia have played if Kewell had been fit?

[Brownie]

Pellegrino is wank i'm afraid. He may only have played two games but he's 33 so there's hardly time on his side. I can't see what he's gonna bring to the side and i'd rather see Raven at right back or Djimi at centre half.

 

As for Garcia I've defended him a lot lately but that today was an absolute shambles. Why does he keep trying stupid fucking flicks when we desperately need to get back in the game? His completed pass ratio must be awful. I swear if I saw him out i'd crack him after that today.

[BatChainPuller]

Gotta agree with Rashid too - they were playing with just one up front and nothing resembling a left winger so why not put Raven straight in. Carra and Sami have been the least of our worries...

[Paul]

I can't see what he's gonna bring to the side and i'd rather see Raven at right back or Djimi at centre half.

After today Ian, I think you're going to see both. I think the only recognisable defence he'll have available for the next game will be Raven, Carra, Djimi and JAR. God knows what that means further forward with no Riise, Hamann or possibly Gerrard in midfield - Garcia, Welsh, Biscan and Potter/The Pong? Seriously, we're in a crisis and, unlike me, Rafa needs to keep a calm head. It'd be easier if the board gave him a big blank cheque, too though.

[Brownie]

After today Ian, I think you're going to see both. I think the only recognisable defence he'll have available for the next game will be Raven, Carra, Djimi and JAR. God knows what that means further forward with no Riise, Hamann or possibly Gerrard in midfield - Garcia, Welsh, Biscan and Potter/The Pong? Seriously, we're in a crisis and, unlike me, Rafa needs to keep a calm head. It'd be easier if the board gave him a big blank cheque, too though.

 

The worrying thing is we don't even have the money to remedy the problems. What we have needed this season is what Everton have had - incredible luck with injuries.

 

There's no doubt that if we had Alonso, Kewell and Finnan available today, we would have played better. Its been a problem all season, as one player returns another one drops out. It's not an excuse as we should have a good enough squad to cover for it but we don't.

 

Basically this season we have needed either a) lots of luck with injuries, or b) huge investment into the club.

 

We've had neither and are really struggling because of it.

[redrosetints]

Rafa is demonstrating it with Josemi, Pelligrino etc. Houllier did it with Heskey and Murphy etc.

 

I tell you what, Venables was the master at it and any manager who remains stubborn with 'their' players to prove a point end up fucking themselves up.

 

Carra and Sami have been a leading light for us this season - there was no need to break that up. I'd rather Raven at RB if it meant we kept the stability at CB.

 

Its halg time at Southampton and whatever happens, its bloody obvious we miss Carra in the middle.

 

Rashid, you right about breaking up the CB partnership, it was a strange decision. But Favourtism ? No not for me. All managers have players who they trust more and who they feel they can rely, sometimes it looks good when it comes together, at other times it seems madness (like today) why the manager sticks with them. Last weekend, Rafa had to ask, do I trust a man who Ive won two league titles and a UEFa cup with, who has also played in two Champions Legaue finals and whose also played for Argentina. Or a young lad who has started two games for the 1st team. Obviously he chose the former, and stuck with that decision this weekend, but I suspect most managers int he league would have done the same. FWIW, I thought Pellegrino was at fault for the first, but Warnock was poorly positioned and had Sami and Carra stepped up with Pellegrino, rather than drop back, their lad would have been offside. The system isn't working, becuase the players aren't in tune, and this is another reason why I think he has Pellegrino in there, as Pellegrino knows what he wants. I expect Pell to know form a good partnership with Carra, and for Sami to now spend some time on the bench.

[malser]

think were all complicating a simple matter here. weve found carras best position and its seen him have outstanding performances this term only to be outshone by the chosen 1 at times. raven was deemed good enough to start in the fa cup on tues so why not yestdee, it was after all only fuckin southampton with 1 up fuckin front. anyone here reckon he would have cost 2 fuckin goals. also if the chosen 1 is injured why play hamman beside him, that offers absolutely no mobility. yesterdays effort stank of a team who had given up on the manager which i doubt is the case but how the fuck do you think carra felt being told to go right to accomodate that fuckin shambles that took hes place.