Apologies for a new Rafa thread

[Ron Yeats Rules]

After 50 years you'd think I'd get used to this but every loss or stupid draw still cuts to the bone.

 

At least I lived through the Shankly and Bob Paisley years and maybe that's what's so hard about seeing Rafa lead us on a downward path.

 

I wasn't impressed with him at the start but was prepared to give him time. In my opinion he's had that time but who would we replace him with?

 

I reckon Rafa's lost us the title this season. His ill-advised and ill-timed Fergie rant and carping about his contract may have seemed perfectly reasoned and calculated to him but I see it as contributing factor to our recent performances. His bizarre substitutions and formations are a puzzle to me as they are to many others (including the players I would imagine).

 

My own view is that Rafa is becoming less rational. He's stubbornly sticking to his path, and it's almost as if he's doing it to be deliberately perverse as if he's trying to show he's his own man and no-one else will influence him. This stubbornness is costing us dearly.

 

What hurts the most (and as a supposedly mature adult nearing 60 I should be over this) is knowing that fucking Fergie will be enjoying every minute of our apparent "collapse" and that his own very measured mind games contributed to it.

 

I don't want to start a discussion about whether Rafa should go or stay (there are enough of those already) but I'm interested if anyone thinks that Rafa is indeed "losing it", as the media love to put it, and if he is what can be done?

 

In short, do you think Rafa needs a shrink?

 

Sorry again for the new thread.

 

Cheers

 

Ron

[Best Believe It]

Didn't live up to the standards of your first post.

[RedinSweden]

I was prepared to give you time after your first post, but your posting career is definitely on a downward path. You still have my full support though and I will reassess your position at the end of the season.

[Ron Yeats Rules]

See how difficult it is to maintain standards, no wonder it's difficult being a manager :)

[HJohal]

People need to get a grip !

 

We have lost 1 match this season and are obviously are having a downturn in confidence. No football team has been proven to win trophies when there is civil war and hence uncertainty off the pitch.

 

Let the season runs its course and assess the manager at the end of the season. Hopefully we will have new competent oweners in place by then.

[Ron Yeats Rules]

Get a grip? I think I've got a grip but I'm not sure Rafa has. He's making some bizarre decisions. I really hope that the Wigan draw has the same effect as the Barnsley defeat last season and we now see a different team against Chelsea.

[Dave D]

Not good gents. I said a while ago that Rafa had literally taken his eye off the ball. His boardroom/contract struggle has taken priority. Its a shame as I think we really had it all to play for. A great squad. and that includes Keane.

If he had some plan to replace him this month its backfired and we're looking short of options up front.

 

Of course there is the quality there to get this season back on track and possibly even win it, but Im not sure if the players or the fans believe that rafa can change or adapt enough to halt what his fast becoming an inevitable countdown to change and another "five year plan". :no

[Royal Family]

5 years is actually a very long time in the modern game: it's no use him going how Ferguson has been given 22 years at United! After 5 years I think one is entitled to see an improvement, but for me we're no better than we were at the end of 2005-6. Transfers have actually weakened us this year.

[Dave D]

The transfers have could have been better, but I dont think its easy to compete in the transfer market with the clowns running this club.

Its Rafas treatment of players that possibly might have annoyed him in some way like Keane, Babel, Agger etc who he would rather win the battle of the mind with than coax them back into the form they are capable that has blunted are threat

[john23liverpool]

The transfers have could have been better, but I dont think its easy to compete in the transfer market with the clowns running this club.

 

Not everything that goes wrong can be blamed on the Yanks you know.

 

They are scum, im not trying to stick up for them, but it was Rafa who made the signings that he made, not them.

 

He knew we were shit on the flanks and still decided to pursue Gareth Barry and Robbie Keane.

 

The Yanks didn't decide Dossena was worth £8,000,000 did they?

 

Rafa is benefiting from the ownership situation in the sense that because we hate them so much (and rightly so), Rafa has become some sort of deity because he is on "our" side.

[Dave D]

Not everything that goes wrong can be blamed on the Yanks you know.

 

They are scum, im not trying to stick up for them, but it was Rafa who made the signings that he made, not them.

 

He knew we were shit on the flanks and still decided to pursue Gareth Barry and Robbie Keane.

 

The Yanks didn't decide Dossena was worth £8,000,000 did they?

 

Rafa is benefiting from the ownership situation in the sense that because we hate them so much (and rightly so), Rafa has become some sort of deity because he is on "our" side.

 

Fair point, I kind of forget (or block out) that Dossena cost £8m. I think Benitez will always point to the fact that he cant bid for the very top players as we dont have the finances that we were led to believe we had when the yanks took over.

That said, the money spent in the summer was no small amount and we're hardly reaping the benefits. I really thought that this January window we would make that 1 signing to lift and spur the club on for the 2nd half of the season. Not neccesarily a big expensive name, possibly even a loan.

 

We face a big test, the next 5 games will be the defining moment of the season

[havarantagain]

Never mind the what and the why for, today is a new day. Raffa should shut the fuck up with his media games.Pick the strongest eleven players and win games before he rests anyone. Time for head down and deliver before the 'wheels come off' completely.

[Barrington Womble]

did nobody consider ron yeats rules is a manc WUM?

[aws]

did nobody consider ron yeats rules is a manc WUM?

 

the trouble is they can be a bit difficult to spot on the forum these days

[Barrington Womble]

the trouble is they can be a bit difficult to spot on the forum these days

 

 

i would have thought the way it's phrased to fit in with fergusons claim that rafa is cracking up (coupled with that being the mancs favourite topic at the moment) makes it pretty clear.

[aws]

i would have thought the way it's phrased to fit in with fergusons claim that rafa is cracking up (coupled with that being the mancs favourite topic at the moment) makes it pretty clear.

 

The use of "Fergie" is also a bit of a giveaway. Almost as bad as SAF.

 

As for the Mancs and "cracking up", that's always a good way of undermining the messenger telling an unpalatable truth. There's a few on here who are happy to help them with their dirty work.

[AmerScouse]

i don't think any of our current situation has anything to do with the yank owners. rafa had money to spend this summer and he spent it. he chose to buy a left back a left winger and a 20 million pound striker. if we had gareth barry right now on top of that would it even matter?

 

our number one problem from last year to this is that we simply don't put teams away. we were spoiled in that most of our good luck came early on in the season and now its evened itself out. the saying that good teams grind out results on a bad day is valid however we've been grinding for quite some time. now we're seeing things not go our way. difference is that we've not improved over the course of the season, we've not figured out the parked bus and we've not figured out where to get the goals from other than a shit red hot torres or gerrard.

 

lots of us screamed for a matchwinner this summer and we got robbie keane and riera. 2 good signings sure, but rafa has quite fucked with keane's head and then not played him in the formation/position he's most comfortable. you never buy a square peg for a round hole and if that was what rafa was doing then he's an idiot. if he's just being a twat to fuck with the board then he's an idiot, or if he's realized quickly that he didn't get the player he bargained for when he signed him, well that's on him and his super scouting network.

 

so if the last one is the case, flog him while you can and bring in someone who can help the cause. supposedly rafa is ruthless, well then get rid. and i like keane and thought he'd do a good job for us, but there is no way we can judge him properly on what has gone on the past 4 months or so.

 

players are only part of the equation for our problems. sure some are out of form (masch and kuyt especially), some are playing very well, some have been injured, but tactics, decisions etc all play a part too. there is plenty of blame to go around but the key thing is there are still plenty of games to play and if we blow chelsea away this weekend all will seem right with the world again.

 

i haven't lost hope but i've definitely become slightly pessimistic. but who knows, let rafa get on with it til the end of the season. no trophies? no job. simple as.

[KopOut]

One thing we havn't had under Rafa's tenure, is a settled team.

 

Rotations aside, we've sold squad player after squad player, and bought squad player after squad player, with the exception of Torres and now Keane (was the idea that if you buy a player for 20 odd million and he performs, simply repeat the formula, blindly??)

 

This season's team is vastly different to the Champs FInalists of 2007 - players who got us to that final include Crouch, Pennant, Kewel, Garcia, Finnan, Agger (injured badly) , Kuyt (now being slated for doing nother more than he's always done..following rafa's orders) Riise..the list goes on...

We swap all these players, and yes,as has been pointed out, they are squad players, they are not 'seen' as 'stars', as genuine talent..for another set of squad players who could be better, could be worse..its a gamble..and it's easy to gamble with other peoples money.

 

Looking at the five yrs in terms of silverware, & results, we MAY be slipping....cant say yet...every season we seem to have poor periods and good periods...we badly need a run of form and the results that go with it.

Have we got a better team now than the champs finalists of 2007? or the F.A.Cup winners of 2006? or the Champs league winners of 2005?

 

We have a different team, for better or worse. Rafa's rotation policy, seems to stretch to rotating 'to and from' Liverpool. I hope he's NOT a manager who gets worse when he gets more money!

[Skidfingers McGonical]

I'm starting to get a little suspicious with all these lurkers posting anti Rafa messages.

 

It just doesn't sit right. I can handle the regulars on here and their opinions but the sudden surge of new posters jumping on the Rafa bashing wagon straight from the off makes me wanna puke.

[AmerScouse]

I'm starting to get a little suspicious with all these lurkers posting anti Rafa messages.

 

It just doesn't sit right. I can handle the regulars on here and their opinions but the sudden surge of new posters jumping on the Rafa bashing wagon straight from the off makes me wanna puke.

 

the flip side to that is that some of us, instead of just calling for his head week after week, have reserved judgement until recently.

 

i think he deserves the rest of the season to get something out of it. but anyone who puts the blame for how things are going this season either on the yanks or parry would be fundamentally missing the big picture. rafa is as culpable for our position as any of those other things.

[Red Nick]

After 50 years you'd think I'd get used to this but every loss or stupid draw still cuts to the bone.

 

At least I lived through the Shankly and Bob Paisley years and maybe that's what's so hard about seeing Rafa lead us on a downward path.

 

I wasn't impressed with him at the start but was prepared to give him time. In my opinion he's had that time but who would we replace him with?

 

I reckon Rafa's lost us the title this season. His ill-advised and ill-timed Fergie rant and carping about his contract may have seemed perfectly reasoned and calculated to him but I see it as contributing factor to our recent performances. His bizarre substitutions and formations are a puzzle to me as they are to many others (including the players I would imagine).

 

My own view is that Rafa is becoming less rational. He's stubbornly sticking to his path, and it's almost as if he's doing it to be deliberately perverse as if he's trying to show he's his own man and no-one else will influence him. This stubbornness is costing us dearly.

 

What hurts the most (and as a supposedly mature adult nearing 60 I should be over this) is knowing that fucking Fergie will be enjoying every minute of our apparent "collapse" and that his own very measured mind games contributed to it.

 

I don't want to start a discussion about whether Rafa should go or stay (there are enough of those already) but I'm interested if anyone thinks that Rafa is indeed "losing it", as the media love to put it, and if he is what can be done?

 

In short, do you think Rafa needs a shrink?

 

Sorry again for the new thread.

 

Cheers

 

Ron

 

Great post mate and one I can totally emphasise with, We should be streets ahead in the league not chasing Manu. unfortunately Rafa now has a terminal case of Houllieritus and needs to be put down before he does terminal damage to his family LFC.

 

I started another thread some time ago about for those who wanted Rafa sacked who would you realistically replace him with and it was my view then that I would keep Rafa because the alternatives are all too shocking. However I now believe if he is here next season we wont even make the top 5 and he will undo all his good work.

 

Time for a change at least we dont have dithering Moores to do the Liverpool way and keep a manager when its clear he has taken us as far as he can in the PL

[ratcatcher]

After 50 years you'd think I'd get used to this but every loss or stupid draw still cuts to the bone.

 

At least I lived through the Shankly and Bob Paisley years and maybe that's what's so hard about seeing Rafa lead us on a downward path.

 

I wasn't impressed with him at the start but was prepared to give him time. In my opinion he's had that time but who would we replace him with?

 

I reckon Rafa's lost us the title this season. His ill-advised and ill-timed Fergie rant and carping about his contract may have seemed perfectly reasoned and calculated to him but I see it as contributing factor to our recent performances. His bizarre substitutions and formations are a puzzle to me as they are to many others (including the players I would imagine).

 

My own view is that Rafa is becoming less rational. He's stubbornly sticking to his path, and it's almost as if he's doing it to be deliberately perverse as if he's trying to show he's his own man and no-one else will influence him. This stubbornness is costing us dearly.

 

What hurts the most (and as a supposedly mature adult nearing 60 I should be over this) is knowing that fucking Fergie will be enjoying every minute of our apparent "collapse" and that his own very measured mind games contributed to it.

 

I don't want to start a discussion about whether Rafa should go or stay (there are enough of those already) but I'm interested if anyone thinks that Rafa is indeed "losing it", as the media love to put it, and if he is what can be done?

 

In short, do you think Rafa needs a shrink?

 

Sorry again for the new thread.

 

Cheers

 

Ron

Ah, the 'Colossus'! A very imposing figure both on and off the pitch.

 

This man talks sense.

 

Repped.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

the flip side to that is that some of us, instead of just calling for his head week after week, have reserved judgement until recently.

 

i think he deserves the rest of the season to get something out of it. but anyone who puts the blame for how things are going this season either on the yanks or parry would be fundamentally missing the big picture. rafa is as culpable for our position as any of those other things.

 

And the players get off scot free. Do me a favour lad.

[Red Nick]

I think Rafa has lost the players and if he is here next season it will be a rerun of 2002 -2003

[AmerScouse]

And the players get off scot free. Do me a favour lad.

 

said in my original post that they were part of the problem