Rafa may have the club at heart...

[Lofts]

Paulo Ferraira - £13.2m

Mateja Kezman - £5m

Tiago - £10m

Didier Drogba - £24.5m

Asier Del Horno - £8.5m

Michael Essien - £24.5m

Shaun Wright-Philips - £21m

Jon Obi Mikel - £12.5m

Andrei Shevchenko £30m

Khalid Boularouz - £8.5m

 

Anyone who couldn't win a league after spending that (heavily abridged) amount deserves to be shot dead. Mourinho probably deserves to be banned from football manager forever for crimes against the sport for failing to win the league last season and failing to win a single CL in his time at Chelsea.

 

And Wenger hasn't won a 'big two' trophy since 2004, and has been out pointed and out witted by Rafa up until this season.

 

The problem is, people like you pay too much attention to Sky and the pundits. You desire to see us in a Newcastle or Tottenham style state, for that is what your methods of chopping and changing would bring us.

 

The current manager has given us our highest points total since we last won the league and won a trophy AT LEAST as important as the Premiership title, and reached another final a couple of years later.

 

We've seen what works in the Premiership - you either give a manager SHEDLOADS of cash and see if he can make enough shit stick or you give them time - particularly when they've already won you a fucking trophy which is, in many ways, harder to win than the Premiership in itself (ask Wenger and Ferguson). If you go around axing managers who do that, you end up a fucking wreck.

 

i agree, just given rafa what he wants in a season, no problems behind the scenes and then judge him. u try working each day thinkin you might not have a job!

[Lofts]

Thats rubbish mate, any team in which Dirk Kuyt can play 90 minutes will never mount a title challenge.

If it wasn't for Hicks and Gillet bein gobshites all the heat would be on Rafa right now, fortunately for him it's not but it should be.

 

the hicks and gillet thing is having a massive effect on the team, if wasnt for them rafa would have the team he wanted and would not have to worry about his job

[Lofts]

How many years did Alex Ferguson go before winning his first title?

 

Why are Ferguson and Wenger allowed to go four, five years without winning a major competition without question?

 

Why do they go unquestioned, even in fallow periods?

 

How many years did it take Ferguson & Wenger respectively to reach a CL final?

 

What is a youth infrastructure, and does it necessarily pay immediate dividends?

 

Has Arsene Wenger won a major trophy - excluding the FA Cup - since Benitez took the helm at Liverpool?

 

If not, why not?

 

Should he be sacked if they fail to win a major trophy this season, taking him two seasons beyond the apparent 'sacking point' of Benitez, who hasn't had almost 12 years with which to build the club in his image?

 

Why do barely any managers have as many CL wins to their name than league title successes?

 

Why are they backed to the hilt by their boards?

 

How long do managers of clubs like Newcastle & Tottenham receive on average?

 

How many major trophies have the aforementioned clubs won in recent years, despite spending the sort of money Liverpool does, and in excess of Arsenal?

 

Why are Wenger and Ferguson the most successful managers over the last two decades?

 

After Wenger won his first Premiership title, he didn't win anything else for four years. Why?

 

You'll find all the questions in the answers and the answers in the questions.

 

well said

[Lofts]

What a truly horrible thread this is and anybody who agrees with it should be ashamed of themselves.

 

Rafa looked terrible in the post match interview and has been through hell for the good of the club and its supporters since November. Rafa should be thought of in the same breath as Shankly the way he has tried to drag the club off the floor.

 

Hopefully our support will get him through the final furlong and his health doesn't suffer.

 

Rafa deserves more respect

[Lofts]

Until off the pitch is sorted I can't judge on the pitch.

 

Agreed

[Caramac]

Until off the pitch is sorted I can't judge on the pitch.

Yep if we manage to win anything at all this season it will be one huge bonus.

[Lofts]

Yep if we manage to win anything at all this season it will be one huge bonus.

 

this seasons a write off for me, if we can win something it will be a nice day out

[Section_31]

this seasons a write off for me, if we can win something it will be a nice day out

 

Agreed, we're basically spiralling out of control as a club so expecting us to shoot straight on the pitch is unrealistic.

[Gray_O]

The only thing we're missing is some top class forward players to finish off teams when we're on top. You could name half a dozen games which we should have won comfortably but our inability to finish them off has cost us. That's the difference for me. We don't need a new manager just some match winners up top.

[Spy Bee]

Like Kaka?

[bobhorse]

Just out of interest do you think we will finish 4th this season? Is that deemed good enough considering we have spent shitloads more than Everton our main rivals?

 

Think you will find that we havnt

And yes We will finish above the Bitters who will be twatted tomorrow now go and play with your toys

[Lofts]

The only thing we're missing is some top class forward players to finish off teams when we're on top. You could name half a dozen games which we should have won comfortably but our inability to finish them off has cost us. That's the difference for me. We don't need a new manager just some match winners up top.

 

i think we need some quality wingers, at the moment we have kewel, babel (should be up front), riise and benyoun. i dont think these players are good enough to win us the league,

 

we need players of gerrard and torres standard.

[Guest Red Maniac]

WUM Fuck off

 

old Ginger pubes is at again i see, somethings never change, expect for maybe use a dye bobhorse?

[Dougie Do'ins]

The home / away thing leads me to believe we are very, very close to mounting a title challenge. It's a case of blending the two. Like Arsenal last year, we might look like we're years behind but we're not.

Do you watch the same Liverpool as I do ?

[Dougie Do'ins]

Thats rubbish mate, any team in which Dirk Kuyt can play 90 minutes will never mount a title challenge.

If it wasn't for Hicks and Gillet bein gobshites all the heat would be on Rafa right now, fortunately for him it's not but it should be.

thank fuck for that. So its not just me.

[TheDrowningMan]

Do you watch the same Liverpool as I do ?

 

 

Did Arsenal finish above us the last two season prior to the current one?

[Manny]

Fucking wonderful. Let's blame Kuyt.

 

1st post, and I'm pissed.

[philyhamann]

Until off the pitch is sorted I can't judge on the pitch.

 

Is correct. If Rafa gets a decent (not stupid) amount of money to spend in the Summer, and has a good relationship with the board, but still does shite, then it times to start speaking about replacements.

[TheDrowningMan]

Is correct. If Rafa gets a decent (not stupid) amount of money to spend in the Summer, and has a good relationship with the board, but still does shite, then it times to start speaking about replacements.

 

Yep, absolutely.

[DJLJ]

Lets get the cowboys out first, then talk manager. One thing at a time.

[bipjohn]

Out of all of the cleverness on forums about Rafas record no-one ever, ever comes up with an alternative, because there isnt one. Look who was linked last time, Curbishley, Allardyce.....Klinsmann....haha...

 

You look at facts: Mancs played us at anfield in the last 2 yrs had 2 shots on target and both go in...why..I just dont know..I really dont.

 

Wigan at home, OK we were poor but still had enough chances to win. Last night, very good performace, chance after chance but a draw. City away, same story. Arsenal Home, despite the shite media reaction...good performace from us, draw. The list goes on.

 

So why does this happen....

Well In my opinion take the manc team vs us. Cost wise they added up to £150-£160 million, our team which was probably our strongest cost £80, Max.

The same can be said for Chelsea and clearly, clearly clearly it shows. Wenger has had 11yrs at the Arse getting the best young players world over...and again it shows.

 

Thats why theyre top and we are 4th. Its not rocket science!

 

Also, its a very very fine line. That bollocks quote about making your own luck makes me laugh. Luck just happens, noboay can make it happen-if you could make your own luck, why arent I a lottery millionaire!

 

Without really researching a tiny tiny bit of luck in home games v Chelsea, Bham, Mancs, Wigan and Villa would have given us 11 more points.

 

Is it luck or is it one more top class (Torres/Gerrard) type player to make the difference?

 

I dont know, but what I do know is Rafa is one of the most successful managers in Europe over the last 4-5 years, in the top 2/3 and he can and will bring us what we want, but he needs backing at the top level of the market.

[RedinSweden]

How many years did Alex Ferguson go before winning his first title?

 

Why are Ferguson and Wenger allowed to go four, five years without winning a major competition without question?

 

Why do they go unquestioned, even in fallow periods?

 

How many years did it take Ferguson & Wenger respectively to reach a CL final?

 

What is a youth infrastructure, and does it necessarily pay immediate dividends?

 

Has Arsene Wenger won a major trophy - excluding the FA Cup - since Benitez took the helm at Liverpool?

 

If not, why not?

 

Should he be sacked if they fail to win a major trophy this season, taking him two seasons beyond the apparent 'sacking point' of Benitez, who hasn't had almost 12 years with which to build the club in his image?

 

Why do barely any managers have as many CL wins to their name than league title successes?

 

Why are they backed to the hilt by their boards?

 

How long do managers of clubs like Newcastle & Tottenham receive on average?

 

How many major trophies have the aforementioned clubs won in recent years, despite spending the sort of money Liverpool does, and in excess of Arsenal?

 

Why are Wenger and Ferguson the most successful managers over the last two decades?

 

After Wenger won his first Premiership title, he didn't win anything else for four years. Why?

 

You'll find all the questions in the answers and the answers in the questions.

 

I like you. Come sit with me on the patient people's bench.

[Paul]

Whilst I do believe that Rafa has made serious errors in his approach to the league and in the transfer market, to simply cite Arsene Wenger, a man who is unique in world football, as evidence of what can be done on a budget is ridiculous.

[Rashid]

TheDrowningMan

 

How many years did Alex Ferguson go before winning his first title?

 

7. Now answer me how many years MOST of the managers in European and English football in the last 20 years took..

 

Why are Ferguson and Wenger allowed to go four, five years without winning a major competition without question?

 

Because they have proven beyond doubt that they can win the league here, their teams can play good football and ther are always there or thereabouts.

 

Why do they go unquestioned, even in fallow periods?

 

See above.

 

How many years did it take Ferguson & Wenger respectively to reach a CL final?

 

Much longer than it took Rafa, fair enough.

 

Has Arsene Wenger won a major trophy - excluding the FA Cup - since Benitez took the helm at Liverpool?

 

He has spent far less money which brings far less pressure. In that time if building a new team he reached a CL final, won an FA Cup and blooding youngsters.

 

Should he be sacked if they fail to win a major trophy this season, taking him two seasons beyond the apparent 'sacking point' of Benitez, who hasn't had almost 12 years with which to build the club in his image?

 

He has proved he can win the league spending peanuts and have the team "challenging".... which is want Rafa to be doing.

 

Why are Wenger and Ferguson the most successful managers over the last two decades?

 

Wenger is still here because he won the double in his first full season and took it from there.

 

After Wenger won his first Premiership title, he didn't win anything else for four years. Why?

 

Because Manchester United did, Wenger did however Challenge which is what we want Rafa to be doing. His teams also played good football.

[Rashid]

Whilst I do believe that Rafa has made serious errors in his approach to the league and in the transfer market, to simply cite Arsene Wenger, a man who is unique in world football, as evidence of what can be done on a budget is ridiculous.

 

It is not about budgets, or about winning things. It is about "challenging", getting the team to play good football, having the players have some rythmn and ensuring we aren't caught by the likes of Villa, Blackburn, Portsmouth and Everton.