Perspective:

[Duncan Clench]

Please.

 

Some of you lads need to get a grip because you're starting to sound like Newcastle fans.

 

Worst case scenario (and most likely, admittedly) is that we're 3 points behind United in January.

 

Not too shabby is it?

 

Yes, it would have been nice to be ahead, and I do believe that we should be, but we're not. Too many points dropped but we're in a very good position.

 

You all know that the Derby is not 3 points on the board. We've got a lot of games to go, and United will drop points.

[RedKnight]

Bet you were one of the people saying "we're joint top" and that all those draws didn't matter because the "Mancs have to win their games in hand".

[wiiksie]

We've had 2 terrible results in 2 games. Plus the other 4 or 5 draws/loss which have caused our season to stutter in various places.

 

I think people are well within their rights to want to question why the above has happened.

[05 Milan]

Fuck perspective, I'm livid. We should be leading by many points, but we aren't. But that's just how it is.

 

I just hope the players get the kick up the arse they need pretty soon. Because we can win the league if we start remembering how to dominate and win games again.

[Major Tom]

We've had 2 terrible results in 2 games. Plus the other 4 or 5 draws/loss which have caused our season to stutter in various places.

 

I think people are well within their rights to want to question why the above has happened.

 

Exactly.

 

I could see this all unfolding a few weeks ago. Too fucking predictable - a bit like our attack. If Rafa doesn't change his mindset and doesn't change it soon - we can say goodbye to our best title chance in years.

 

Yet, I feel we could have a decent crack at this if the players were allowed to..

[Duncan Clench]

Well I'd say one terrible result, that being the Stoke game.

 

I wasn't one of the people thinking that United would lose any points from their games in hand because those games are against Wigan and Fulham. There is still a chance but you would expect that they will be 3 points clear.

 

I also agree that people are within their rights to criticise the team. What annoys me is the anger directed at the manager and players that have given the team the best chance of the title in 18 years.

 

Rafa hasn't become a prick overnight. Last night we were 3 minutes away from everyone on this board getting their cocks out and wanking off about Rafa again. My opinion of the man doesn't change after every game like some others'.

 

The stick some of 'our lads' are getting is out of order. We should be thankful for where we are and be looking forward to a brilliant run-in.

[Catch22]

Exactly.

 

I could see this all unfolding a few weeks ago. Too fucking predictable - a bit like our attack. If Rafa doesn't change his mindset and doesn't change it soon - we can say goodbye to our best title chance in years.

 

Yet, I feel we could have a decent crack at this if the players were allowed to..

 

 

 

The "best chance in years" has come because of Rafa's good transfer work & the way he gets the best out of our players & got results against the Chavs & Mancs.

The only reason it exists is because of Rafa & his mindset.

 

The Mancs are current European champions (something we have only ever faced twice in teh PL), have got all their hard fixtures out of the way & haven't conceeed in 10 games or over 90 days by the time they next play (& it is defence not gung-ho that wins titles)

[dave u]

The "best chance in years" has come because of Rafa's good transfer work & the way he gets the best out of our players & got results against the Chavs & Mancs.

 

Personally I think we had a better squad before his transfer dealings last summer, and if he'd been allowed to sell Xabi and buy Barry I believe we'd be even weaker. Just my opinion.

 

The results against Chelsea and the mancs are the reason we are where we are though, no question about that.

[Unrighteous]

Fuck perspective, I'm livid. We should be leading by many points, but we aren't. But that's just how it is.

 

I just hope the players get the kick up the arse they need pretty soon. Because we can win the league if we start remembering how to dominate and win games again.

 

Correct.

 

Thread over.

[Catch22]

Personally I think we had a better squad before his transfer dealings last summer, and if he'd been allowed to sell Xabi and buy Barry I believe we'd be even weaker. Just my opinion.

 

The results against Chelsea and the mancs are the reason we are where we are though, no question about that.

 

Certainly last summer was v bad work but i was comparing now with '04 & the improvement whilst spending less than any other big side is massive.

 

Did we improve over last summer? Porobably just about as Kewell's wages finally coming off the book was such a step forward but i agree its close

 

I don't like this myth that the rest of the League is shit when the Mancs are atcually European champions, have 3 strikers costing over £30m & the recently elected best player in the world & have just set a PL record for 10 clean-sheets in a row.

[aws]

Certainly last summer was v bad work but i was comparing now with '04 & the improvement whilst spending less than any other big side is massive.

 

Did we improve over last summer? Porobably just about as Kewell's wages finally coming off the book was such a step forward but i agree its close

 

I don't like this myth that the rest of the League is shit when the Mancs are atcually European champions, have 3 strikers costing over £30m & the recently elected best player in the world & have just set a PL record for 10 clean-sheets in a row.

 

And at the moment it's looking like the bottom three may well all get 40 points. There's definitely a levelling-up and even WBA are not looking a soft touch any more.

[Major Tom]

The "best chance in years" has come because of Rafa's good transfer work & the way he gets the best out of our players & got results against the Chavs & Mancs.

The only reason it exists is because of Rafa & his mindset.

 

Maybe.

 

But do you realistically think we will still be challenging in April? I actually don't. Yet I believe we have the squad to do so. Or first XI anyway..

 

I am not advocating a gung-ho approach, but I am advocating releasing the shackles occasionally. One point is better than none for sure, but I would rather we lost the title by having a crack at it rather than not at all and slumping our way to draw after fucking lame draw.

[EVO VIP BUNKER]

I agree, its only 3 friggin points!!

The mancs WILL drop more, we CAN win at old trafford and were still in with a great chance.

I do get frustrated with his sub's (Lucas not Masch last night was strange) team selections but were still in a position to challenge which is all we wanted back in August??

 

If we chill, so will they!!!

[Unrighteous]

Maybe.

 

But do you realistically think we will still be challenging in April? I actually don't. Yet I believe we have the squad to do so. Or first XI anyway..

 

I am not advocating a gung-ho approach, but I am advocating releasing the shackles occasionally. One point is better than none for sure, but I would rather we lost the title by having a crack at it rather than not at all and slumping our way to draw after fucking lame draw.

 

The key to your post, is that we have the FIRST XI to do so...

 

Look at our bench. It's fucking woeful. I cringe when I see the substitution board going up these days.

[aws]

Personally I think we had a better squad before his transfer dealings last summer, and if he'd been allowed to sell Xabi and buy Barry I believe we'd be even weaker. Just my opinion.

 

Difficult to disagree with that. But what if we'd kept Alonso and bought Barry instead of Keane when Rafa's price estimates proved way off the mark? Which is what I suspect he'd have preferred until our Director of Football stepped in.

[aws]

I agree, its only 3 friggin points!!

The mancs WILL drop more, we CAN win at old trafford and were still in with a great chance.

I do get frustrated with his sub's (Lucas not Masch last night was strange) team selections but were still in a position to challenge which is all we wanted back in August??

 

If we chill, so will they!!!

 

I think the nervousness in the crowd isn't helping. The players are starting to look as if they prefer to play away as the tension at Anfield if we aren't coasting is getting unbearable.

[Unrighteous]

I think the nervousness in the crowd isn't helping. The players are starting to look as if they prefer to play away as the tension at Anfield if we aren't coasting is getting unbearable.

 

I think this is true to be honest... It was very nervy in the crowd until Gerrard scored but then with Torres came off... it was quite tense again.

[Duncan Clench]

I agree that the players need a kick up the arse. I believe that they will get it and we will be firing soon. We're here without even playing very well. Perhaps we're lucky that the others are playing badly. Dave's right that results against the Mancs and Chavs were vital. You can point to so many dropped points but you can counter those with unlikely points we've picked up. Notably (the one that springs to mind) beating City when 2-0 down.

 

You can say that Rafa 'removed the shackles' on that occasion, or you can argue that the players did their jobs properly.

[KevieG]

Here we go. 2nd aint so bad.

 

The fact is our negative approach is costing us and will continue to cost us. Same thing happened again yesterday as soon as we went one up. Complete change of mindset. Surrendered the initiative completely.

Now this is the key, this is the way Benitez plays, if you don't like it then you'd better start advocating someone else, he is not going to change.

 

We've thrown away a title because of of this, not just a challenge but a title. I think it may have been in one of Dave's match reports back after the Hull home game, when the players just had to go for it being 2 down and as soon as we pulled it back and Rafa got them in the dressing room, he stifled things, he wanted control. Cue a more staid 2nd half. It drives him mental to see players being impetuous, being given free reign or pushing on and possibly leaving a few gaps.

 

Well pissed off.

[captainharris]

As disappointed as I am with the results over the last two games we're still very much in the mix, in fact the destination of the title is still in our own hands!

 

As we all know, anything can happen in a derby, losing such a late goal was a real kick in the bollocks, but its down to us to knock those fuckers out on Sunday and go to wigan and win. The Mancs WILL drop points, they havent been playing well over the last few games.

 

As far as i'm concerned the game at Old Trafford will decide where this title is going.

[Duncan Clench]

I don't think that Rafa can be blamed for it. How do you explain the 5-1 against Newcastle? What is different about them that made Rafa decide "Fuck it, we'll go for the throat here". The players implement his tactics, and sometimes they get it wrong.

 

Arsenal away. They go down to 10 men. Rafa has no contact with the players in terms of team talk and yet the players seem to stop attacking. That was immediate.

 

They definitely play with a nervousness at Anfield and that has to change.

[Warwick Hunt]

sorry but some of our fans don't deserve to support a title winning team

 

we're closer than we've ever been for years yet our atmosphere and some peoples attitudes are a disgrace, almost evertonlike

 

i get the impression theres a portion of reds who actually want Rafa to fail. why the apathy eh?

 

rafa goes then who do we get in? who could do a better job?

 

why won't the fans simply get behind the team and be supporters and give the players a lift rather than wait for them to make it happen. it cuts both ways.

 

really, a lot of times at anfield, too many times, i've felt ashamed. these culprits are the fickle cunts who cheer the loudest when we win something

[Duncan Clench]

almost evertonlike

 

I nearly said that in the original post. Thought it was too harsh though.

[dave u]

The fans only got nervous last night because the players shit themselves after going in front, and started passing the ball backwards. It then gets compounded by the subs, but prior to all that I thought the fans were behind the team and didn't get on their backs.

 

In other games it's a valid point, but the fans weren't to blame at all last night.

[Guest TK-421]

Bet you were one of the people saying "we're joint top" and that all those draws didn't matter because the "Mancs have to win their games in hand".

 

So what if he was. Both of those statements were valid.