Rafa's Surrender

[hamstrung]

It was a pragmatic response to a game that was lost.

[jackofdk]

Who is to say Gerrard wouldn't fire on all cylinders though? He has just had 8 world class games on the trot. You are putting in scenarios that don't exist.

 

I think mentality is the key, if we are to get the players thinking the league is priority then we should play our best players and system in league games. And if we are down, we should do everything to get something back, even a draw psychologically was good as we would remain unbeaten.

 

Instead he surrendered for the "bigger prize" - football is a funny game, if we don't get the win agains Marseille then Reading will have been a worse disaster.

 

I actually agree with the most of the points you're making here.

 

But there's no way of being sure that Gerrard staying on the pitch would've gotten us back into the game either, is there?

 

Rafa is a pragmatist and felt he did the right thing for Liverpool FC when thinking ahead with twenty minutes left and the game all but lost.

 

You can disagree with that perception, but if Gerrard had stayed on for the full 90, and the game still finished 3-1, it would have been the wrong decision to leave him on.

[DJLJ]

It was a pragmatic response to a game that was lost.

 

If you think it is lost, it defo will be. Giving up is for losers.

[hamstrung]

If you think it is lost, it defo will be. Giving up is for losers.

 

Key word is pragmatic.

[StevieH]

What happens if we are 3-1 down to United at home next Sunday with 15-20 mins left to play? Do we take key players off thus keeping them fresh for the league cup tie with Chelsea?

 

Rafa surrendered yesterday against one of the poorest teams in the Premiership and is giving the Americans plenty of ammunition to get rid of him.

[RedinSweden]

Then don't open my threads dumbass. You have to be a pretty thick shit to keep reading stuff from someone so irritating. I mean if you had me on ignore noone has quoted me here, you just opened the thread for what?

 

"my threads"? That is the problem with you, you have probably expressed these same opinions on another thread, but you decide to start another thread and that then becomes "your thread". This is just as much my thread as your thread. I came to read other posters comments as well as yours.

 

I was tub-thumping for Rafa not to be sacked by two clueless Americans for reasons other than results but I have been consistent from day 1, failure to challenge for the league this season should see him get the sack.

 

As I thought, it was mainly to do with the americans rather than support for Rafa. Yes you have been consistent. Yoiu have been saying the end of the season all the time. So why the fuck do you need to keep fucking repeating it?

 

Yesterday's surrender was an absolute disgrace.

 

As I said, I didn't see the match, but Steve wasn't that upset and he paid the money and made the trip, so his opinion carries a lot of weight. He is also a forumite I respect, so I trust his judgement.

 

Finally, anyone who thinks that by having 3 strikers on the pitch you are attacking is a bit thick twat. Barcelona play with one striker at a time, are they defensicve?

 

Anyone who doesn't agree with you you mean?

 

You are a fucking one way street. Everyone has to listen to your expert opinions but if anyone questions you you bombard them. I have never seen you back down in an argument. You are forum dysentery.

[Thants]

By doing this Rafa just may have the biggest balls of all managers (like the balls he showed when taking our 'irreplacable' captain off in the Derby to win).

 

Publicly give up 1 point to save 9 (3 points against Marseilles, our 3 points against scum, 3 points for scum).

 

If it works he's an utter genius and it should go down in history as one of those stories of the great man. If it doesn't, well at least he had the balls.

[Lapskaus]

What annoyed me most yesterday was the starting line-up. I mean, we would have won the game anyways if we had any luck or the referee was sober, but Rafa didnt field a team that was going to dominate the game and win it comfortably. Im sure he thought he did though, but strikers as wingers is never going to be reasonable(at least not when they have no pace)

[sned]

It was a pragmatic response to a game that was lost.

 

Not sure the game was lost, but to get a draw or a very unlikely victory with 20 mins left would have taken some doing. Not impossible, just unlikely in my book.

 

In the overall scheme of things we can still recover from not winning this game, but we can't recover from not winning the Marseille one.

 

If we hadn't of fucked up the earlier CL rounds we wouldn't have been in this position to start with.

[StevieH]

What annoyed me most yesterday was the starting line-up. I mean, we would have won the game anyways if we had any luck or the referee was sober, but Rafa didnt field a team that was going to dominate the game and win it comfortably. Im sure he thought he did though, but strikers as wingers is never going to be reasonable(at least not when they have no pace)

 

I just don't understand playing Crouch on the left of an attacking trio. He has Kewell, Benayoun & Babel all available so why not use one of them instead. Babel used to play week in, week out for Ajax in a 4-3-3 formation in that role. And why does he persist in using Sissoko when Lucas has been in great form?

[Original202]

By doing this Rafa just may have the biggest balls of all managers (like the balls he showed when taking our 'irreplacable' captain off in the Derby to win).

 

Publicly give up 1 point to save 9 (3 points against Marseilles, our 3 points against scum, 3 points for scum).

 

If it works he's an utter genius and it should go down in history as one of those stories of the great man. If it doesn't, well at least he had the balls.

 

Absolute horse shit. If we do win our next 2 games, or even draw them both then it won't be because 3 of our most important players were rested for the last 20 minutes yesterday.

[RedinSweden]

Absolute horse shit. If we do win our next 2 games, or even draw them both then it won't be because 3 of our most important players were rested for the last 20 minutes yesterday.

 

There is a slight chance that post was tongue in cheek.

[Judge]

I think Rashid is getting an unfair and harsh treatment on this thread.

 

Rafa surrendered against Reading, when there was still possible to win the match. The consequences may be that we soon are out of the title race. Everyone is entitled to have their opinion about this.

 

I think Rafa got everything wrong today. With another team selection and formation, it is very possible that we would have been in a position where he could take off Gerrard, Torres and Carra while we were leading and controlling the match instead of chasing it. This would have built on our momentum and given the players lot of confidence before the next two vital games.

 

I see the point about Rafa being pragmatic. There is all the same no reason to slag off the fans that believe that the league should be our first priority and that surrendering against a team like Reading is not in accordance with this club`s proud tradition.

 

I will await my judgment until we have played United. We have put ourselves in a position where we are forced to beat Marseilles away and United at home to have a realistic chance of getting anything out of this season. If we manage this I will give Rafa the credit he deserves. I do not dare thinking of the alternative.

[RedinSweden]

I think Rashid is getting an unfair and harsh treatment on this thread.

 

Rafa surrendered against Reading, when there was still possible to win the match. The consequences may be that we soon are out of the title race. Everyone is entitled to have their opinion about this.

 

I think Rafa got everything wrong today. With another team selection and formation, it is very possible that we would have been in a position where he could take off Gerrard, Torres and Carra while we were leading and controlling the match instead of chasing it. This would have built on our momentum and given the players lot of confidence before the next two vital games.

 

I see the point about Rafa being pragmatic. There is all the same no reason to slag off the fans that believe that the league should be our first priority and that surrendering against a team like Reading is not in accordance with this club`s proud tradition.

 

I will await my judgment until we have played United. We have put ourselves in a position where we are forced to beat Marseilles away and United at home to have a realistic chance of getting anything out of this season. If we manage this I will give Rafa the credit he deserves. I do not dare thinking of the alternative.

 

Can you explain why he needed to start another thread for his point of view? What was wrong with Barry Woms thread? or the Match thread?

[ratcatcher]

The way I see it he gave up on a long shot of changing 0 points to 1.

 

With the importance of the next two games, I won't blame him for that.

 

 

One of those games is the mancs. So you seem to have no problem surrendering the points at reading so we can get a 'wi'n against the filth? Presumably, you are saying the win against filth is more important than the 3 points?

 

Personally, I could do without Europe this year IF it meant we'd stand a chance of the title. My opinion is any Liverpool manager worth his salt should play his stronget 11 week in, week out (see previous post!)

 

Unfortunately some people still wont take their head out of the sand over rotation. Its costing us dear not helping us!

[Judge]

Can you explain why he needed to start another thread for his point of view? What was wrong with Barry Woms thread? or the Match thread?

 

No, I can`t explain it. Agree that it should have been in an existing thread.

[StevieH]

There are far too many changes in team selection each week, too many changes to the formation and too many mistakes made by the manager. Players like Sissoko, Crouch, Voronin and Riise are simply not good enough for Liverpool and the reason we lost yesterday is because there were too many mediocre players in the team playing a formation that was alien to them. What is the point of paying £16m for 2 creative players like Babel and Benayoun & not playing them.

[7dalglish]

all twats, all of you all twats. lets sack rafa right now. We only need another 5 years

[jackofdk]

One of those games is the mancs. So you seem to have no problem surrendering the points at reading so we can get a 'wi'n against the filth? Presumably, you are saying the win against filth is more important than the 3 points?

 

Personally, I could do without Europe this year IF it meant we'd stand a chance of the title. My opinion is any Liverpool manager worth his salt should play his stronget 11 week in, week out (see previous post!)

 

Unfortunately some people still wont take their head out of the sand over rotation. Its costing us dear not helping us!

 

No I'd rather we'd just beat Reading comfortably as I think we were on the way to until their second goal.

 

I was referring to being 3-1 down with twenty to go and a massive week ahead.

 

And Rafa rotated quite a lot in the 5 games before the Reading one where the goal score was 21-1, didn't he?

 

It's like zonal marking - it only gets mentioned when it goes tits up.

[Thants]

Absolute horse shit. If we do win our next 2 games, or even draw them both then it won't be because 3 of our most important players were rested for the last 20 minutes yesterday.

 

There is a slight chance that post was tongue in cheek.

 

Actually RiSybaby, it wasnt.

Er . . why did he do it then if he didn't think it would help us?? For a laugh??

[7dalglish]

you ungrateful twats, cunts bitches glorgy hunting southern cunts, wankers

[7dalglish]

twats

[Dirk]

you ungrateful twats, cunts bitches glorgy hunting southern cunts, wankers

 

C'mon, that's totally over the top. Rashid behaves like a twat but he doesn't deserve racial abuse.

[7dalglish]

you all have the ticks by you name, fuck you all you cunts. i'd done with this gay site, wamnker gay loving gobshites

[StevieH]

you ungrateful twats, cunts bitches glorgy hunting southern cunts, wankers

 

I'm not Pakistani, but I fall into all of the other above categories.