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Rafa to finally pen 5 year deal next week?


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More recently I have been inclined to want Rafa to stay a couple more years, the reason being that I don't see who can come in and instantly have us remain the best team in Europe AND get us better than 3r - that won't be easy with Chelsea and Manchester United around - and soon Manchester City.

 

So say Rafa does stay which seems likely which one thing would you change about him?

 

I think we could be quadruple winners if we were better at scouting and buying attacking players. I think Rafa needs a Sporting Director to help him spot the best attacking players. That is his achillies heel, the sooner he reminds himself that the best attacking players are not necessarily the most hard working or defensive the sooner we will win the league.

 

He knows who the right attacking players are, he went after them and didn't get them (Berbatov, Alves, etc). More importantly to me he needs to be told NO MORE SQUAD BUYS. Incremental improvement is not an option anymore transfer money is to be invested in the starting lineup only. You now have a squad, you have a fully seeded reserve team, a fully seeded academy. First team buys only.

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He knows who the right attacking players are, he went after them and didn't get them (Berbatov, Alves, etc). More importantly to me he needs to be told NO MORE SQUAD BUYS. Incremental improvement is not an option anymore transfer money is to be invested in the starting lineup only. You now have a squad, you have a fully seeded reserve team, a fully seeded academy. First team buys only.

 

I think we can all universally agree on that. I'd also only let him buy a striker, wingers and a full back and restrict him even further. The team is on the brink, no more tinkering.

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I think we can all universally agree on that. I'd also only let him buy a striker, wingers and a full back and restrict him even further. The team is on the brink, no more tinkering.

 

No way, he's the football man. He decides the players, if he wants to swap Alonso for Barry that's his choice and that's how it should be. You can't hold him accountable if the decisions are not his.

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That's the kind of thing the tabloids say, something Richard Keys and Andy Gray cook up to spice up their coverage of a Liverpool v Obscure Wanderers game.

 

It's true. It hasn't helped. It's also true that Russell Brand's Manuel fun didn't help the team. A delayed space-shuttle launch also did not help the team. Chris Moyles climbing a mountain for comic relief did not help the Liverpool team. Jeremy Clarkson calling Gordon Brown a one-eyed something or other did not help Liverpool Football Club's first team.

 

Did any of it hurt the team? None of those things did. And Rafa "crying" in the media about it, did that hurt or hinder the team? How? How on earth did it hurt the team for Rafa to discuss his contract in the media?

 

If we didn't have such a political mess at Anfield half the things Rafa does to piss some people off just wouldn't happen.

 

And all this about "acting a big man" by not signing a new deal and asking for more and so on. You're thinking as a football fan. Whether you're right or not in terms of expectations, you're thinking about silverware not gold bars. Investors don't have a problem with us winning silverware, but they'll throw the European Cup in the sea before they'll drop any of the gold bars they're carrying.

 

I'm pretty certain that both owners have made it clear to him what they think. Gillett's made his views of Rafa very clear. But Gillett wants out and sees Rafa's signature as being a key part of getting a decent price for his half. Hicks - well whether he wants out or to stay, he clearly wants Rafa to stay because it helps him either way.

 

Even if I don't agree with all the frustrations people have (in many cases I think people are overreacting or asking for too much) I do understand the frustrations. And I do share some of them.

 

If you really think Rafa should get 2 or 3 more years, say so now, and I'll hold you to it!

 

The season Ferguson announced his retirement the team went shit overnight. So saying anything to the media makes a difference I think. Some of the players have even said that Rafa might not stay and the situation needs to be sorted soon.

 

I have said in my posts today, yes I do think Rafa should get 2 more years but only if we get in a good strong CEO / Director of Football, Rafa stays out of the academy and concentrates on the first team. I think for any man to better our CL performances and get better than 3rd is going to be a tall order. I think we are on the brink of success but that last step is down to Benitez, not the players or anybody else but down to the manager.

 

There has to be give and take. Rafa has made mistakes in his youth development policy and the signing of attacking players so he should be helped on that (plus Eduardo Macia should be shot in the asshole for wasting so much of our money).

 

Rafa has also managed the team magnificently in Europe and kind of kept pace at the top this season so should have all the final say on anything to do with the first team and reserves.

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No way, he's the football man. He decides the players, if he wants to swap Alonso for Barry that's his choice and that's how it should be. You can't hold him accountable if the decisions are not his.

 

Yep, if he wants to sell Alonso and buy Barry, I'd let him - but only if we get a good price for Alonso and pay a reasonable price for Barry. There is no way we should be paying more to have Barry with only a year left. That's where the CEO or DoF has to pull Rafa aside and tell him that it doesn't make business sense.

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More importantly to me he needs to be told NO MORE SQUAD BUYS. Incremental improvement is not an option anymore transfer money is to be invested in the starting lineup only. You now have a squad, you have a fully seeded reserve team, a fully seeded academy. First team buys only.

 

And who is going to tell him this if he gets the control he is asking for, and the control you are saying he should get? On the one hand you're saying he shouldn't have to answer to anyone on football decisions and should be allowed to do what he wants within the budget he has, and on the other you say someone needs to tell him no more squad players?

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I think the 'no more squad players' statement is a very valid one.

 

The only problem however with that is a would imagine Rafa did not sign any squad players last summer with the two main signings of Keane and Dossena but both turned out that way.

 

For me the right side needs money spending on it and if it meant spending our whole budget on a world class right winger i would do it as for me we are still in the same place we were last summer in that we have a superb starting eleven but just need at least one world class addition to make that final step.

 

The squad players can be brought in from the ressies with players such as Spearing, Darby, Nemeth and maybe one or two more capable of making the step up to back up for the first team.

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And who is going to tell him this if he gets the control he is asking for, and the control you are saying he should get? On the one hand you're saying he shouldn't have to answer to anyone on football decisions and should be allowed to do what he wants within the budget he has, and on the other you say someone needs to tell him no more squad players?

 

Regardless of the control he is asking Dave he will always have to answer to the owners.

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And who is going to tell him this if he gets the control he is asking for, and the control you are saying he should get? On the one hand you're saying he shouldn't have to answer to anyone on football decisions and should be allowed to do what he wants within the budget he has, and on the other you say someone needs to tell him no more squad players?

 

Come on be sensible it was a hypothetical question about what I would tell him. That's what I would tell him. Whether or not the organization structure to enforce such advice is in place or is even desirable is neither here nor there.

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Regardless of the control he is asking Dave he will always have to answer to the owners.

 

No, he won't. Not if he gets what he is asking for. He may have to answer to them afterwards if it doesn't work out, but in terms of signing players he's saying he has to be allowed to buy whoever he wants as long as its within his allocated transfer budget. If he has a budget of £20m and he chooses to buy 20 £1m players or use the lot on just one player, he thinks he should be allowed to do that.

 

Loads of people on here have said the same, personally I think he should have to run deals through somebody and shouldn't be given a completely free hand, but it's all about opinions.

 

If he was blocked on signing a player that was within his budget because the owners said 'no more squad players', he'd go fucking nuts, especially if he has it in his contract that he has full control on transfers, and people like SpeedyG would too, despite what he's just posted there.

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Come on be sensible it was a hypothetical question about what I would tell him. That's what I would tell him. Whether or not the organization structure to enforce such advice is in place or is even desirable is neither here nor there.

 

You can't have it both ways. If Parry did what you said you'd like to do, you'd be on here fucking crucifying him.

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I hope we get a sugar daddy in if Rafa signs a contract or we're in for 5 years of turgid, shite football and finishing third or fourth.

 

Yeah, there has been no decent football for the last five years and Rafa's Valencia were shit to watch.

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That's the kind of thing the tabloids say, something Richard Keys and Andy Gray cook up to spice up their coverage of a Liverpool v Obscure Wanderers game.

 

It's true. It hasn't helped. It's also true that Russell Brand's Manuel fun didn't help the team. A delayed space-shuttle launch also did not help the team. Chris Moyles climbing a mountain for comic relief did not help the Liverpool team. Jeremy Clarkson calling Gordon Brown a one-eyed something or other did not help Liverpool Football Club's first team.

 

Did any of it hurt the team? None of those things did. And Rafa "crying" in the media about it, did that hurt or hinder the team? How? How on earth did it hurt the team for Rafa to discuss his contract in the media?

 

If we didn't have such a political mess at Anfield half the things Rafa does to piss some people off just wouldn't happen.

 

And all this about "acting a big man" by not signing a new deal and asking for more and so on. You're thinking as a football fan. Whether you're right or not in terms of expectations, you're thinking about silverware not gold bars. Investors don't have a problem with us winning silverware, but they'll throw the European Cup in the sea before they'll drop any of the gold bars they're carrying.

 

I'm pretty certain that both owners have made it clear to him what they think. Gillett's made his views of Rafa very clear. But Gillett wants out and sees Rafa's signature as being a key part of getting a decent price for his half. Hicks - well whether he wants out or to stay, he clearly wants Rafa to stay because it helps him either way.

 

Even if I don't agree with all the frustrations people have (in many cases I think people are overreacting or asking for too much) I do understand the frustrations. And I do share some of them.

 

If you really think Rafa should get 2 or 3 more years, say so now, and I'll hold you to it!

 

Rafa had brown shoes on when eating cornflakes for brewakfast last week. That's hardly gonna help the team is it? Can anyone tell me how that helps the team one bit?

 

tt, you must be Rash, admit it so you can be band again, only your arguments are that poorly thought out. Whining in one post about Macia and then saying we need appoint a DOF or similar to bring in players for the manager. Are you blind? Can you see what you are typing or is your hed just full of shit?

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You've probably assisted him more than Rafa actually by watching matches, buying any merchandise, not protesting enough etc Hope you are fine with that.

 

I don't buy merchandise, and I'm not giving up going the match cause someone else will just take my place so its futile. I think getting SoS to let up on their protests against the Yanks under false pretenses is far worse than buying a coke in the ground.

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No, he won't. Not if he gets what he is asking for. He may have to answer to them afterwards if it doesn't work out, but in terms of signing players he's saying he has to be allowed to buy whoever he wants as long as its within his allocated transfer budget. If he has a budget of £20m and he chooses to buy 20 £1m players or use the lot on just one player, he thinks he should be allowed to do that.

 

Loads of people on here have said the same, personally I think he should have to run deals through somebody and shouldn't be given a completely free hand, but it's all about opinions.

 

If he was blocked on signing a player that was within his budget because the owners said 'no more squad players', he'd go fucking nuts, especially if he has it in his contract that he has full control on transfers, and people like SpeedyG would too, despite what he's just posted there.

 

I think I'm a better judge of how I would react than you are with all due respect.

 

Unlike you I'll not rush to propose a hard and fast solution to a hypotetical problem until I have the full facts available and they are not out there. All this talk of "Full Control" is disingenuous because under corporate law it's illegal.

 

I'm also not a great lover of creating a bureaucracy to protect against a situation that will not occur (buying 20 1m players). Especially when there are many better options.

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So you don't have to take responsibility for your own actions inactions but it's ok to criticise or insinuate that Rafa is somehow sitting on his hands and not doing all he can to get rid of Hicks and you do nothing yourself but fund Hicks, that's fine. It doesn't wash with me though when you are doing more than Rafa to directly empower Hicks and complaining about his lack of action. Tell me, what is it you want him to do?

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I think I'm a better judge of how I would react than you are with all due respect.

 

Unlike you I'll not rush to propose a hard and fast solution to a hypotetical problem until I have the full facts available and they are not out there. All this talk of "Full Control" is disingenuous because under corporate law it's illegal.

 

I'm also not a great lover of creating a bureaucracy to protect against a situation that will not occur (buying 20 1m players). Especially when there are many better options.

 

We both know how you would react if Hicks over ruled Rafa this summer on a signing, because he said 'we don't need this player'. You'd say who the fuck is he to tell Rafa who we need and don't need. Or would you say 'I agree with Tom, player x wouldn't improve our first eleven so Hicks is right'?

 

You said 'he needs to be told' no more squad players. You then said thats not what you meant, and you meant that it's what you'd like to tell him. Fair enough.

 

However, you've been repeatedly saying that he should be allowed to buy whoever he likes within his budget and shouldn't be over ruled by non football people. So which is it? Allow him to sign whoever he wants within his budget, even if it's players to sit on the bench, or tell him he can't sign squad players?

 

Don't try and cloud the issue by quoting corporate law and shit. That was completely irrelevant.

 

And the 20 £1m players was a hypothetical thing to illustrate the point. Of course it's an extreme example, but not much more extreme than the idea he'd spend his whole budget on one player. It's more likely he'd buy a £10m, a £5m, two £2.5m and a couple of Bosmans.

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