Sami

[Joe Strummer]

Rafa has said there will be a position for him here in a couple of years.

[fowler9]

he will be back :)

 

 

oh Sami Sami....

[loadsoftrophies]

Usually don't pissed off with much opinion on here but the digs at Rafa on this have been fucking petty, we had 2nd place to get done with first and however way you dress it up Rafa had to be professional and go about it the way he thought. Of course i would have loved to see him play ninety minutes but if things went against us today we could have finished 3rd, that would have been a disaster.

 

Looking forward to Sami coming back in a couple of years as you just know he's going to be a great servant for the club.

[Red Nick]

I was actualy holding back, Pat.

 

A man who has given 10 years of nothing short of 100% in ever single game he has played in deserved to start today and come off with one minute to go to get a standing ovation.

 

Not a cameo appearance of around 5 minutes. He nearly scored in that 5 minutes too. We had a few other corners in the match which he could have possibly scored from which would have been perfect and would have topped off the emotional day.

 

But no, apparently it would have been best for everybody to stick him on for the last minute. God forbid, Rafa had to throw him on a few minutes earlier than planned because the fans wanted it done.

 

Got to agree with that

[loadsoftrophies]

Only read about the one minute thing now and i do agree that was a bit shitty, as i said earlier when it was 2-0 i thought he should of come on.

[Unrighteous]

When Keane scored, I was afraid that sami wouldn't be allowed on at all.

[chauncey]

Can see why not starting Sami is seen as arlarse by some... However Rafa's clearly not the sentimental type and add to that the fact Reina was in line for the golden glove then it's not all THAT surprising he didn't start with what he believes is the strongest XI to suit that particular game.

 

Besides, it's this pig-headedness which will make us champions soon ;)

 

When Keane scored, I was afraid that sami wouldn't be allowed on at all.

 

Why not? The clean sheet record was already gone.

 

Rafa was just teasing the crowd and enjoying the power at that point.

[AmerScouse]

has anyone mentioned that there is a different financial incentive between finishing 2nd or 3rd?

[Herp McDerp]

1 minute clip of Sami's post match interview, a short bit with him on Pepe's shoulders as well.

 

Liverpool Vs. Tottenham Hotspur (24th May 09) - Latest Football Video Highlights, Interviews, News and Fan Feedback

[theghost]

I was actualy holding back, Pat.

 

A man who has given 10 years of nothing short of 100% in ever single game he has played in deserved to start today and come off with one minute to go to get a standing ovation.

 

Not a cameo appearance of around 5 minutes. He nearly scored in that 5 minutes too. We had a few other corners in the match which he could have possibly scored from which would have been perfect and would have topped off the emotional day.

 

But no, apparently it would have been best for everybody to stick him on for the last minute. God forbid, Rafa had to throw him on a few minutes earlier than planned because the fans wanted it done.

 

Yeah, I can see that.

[JohnnyH]

Great stuff. Some how this has turned into a Rafa bashing thread.

 

Sami comes on to huge emotional applause and cheering. The Captain gets to leave to massive applause and thanks for his great season, and hands over the Captains armband to Sami and we get to say a 10 minute emotional goodbye of cheering his every touch with massive noise and that continues into the final whistle and loads more cheering and applause and singing.

 

As opposed to Sami starting the game and getting initial cheers before the game turns into the usual end of season bore fest with no one caring and just waiting for the final whistle.

 

Soem right fucking nuggets on here.

 

Roll on next season.

[Ezekiel 25:17]

Rafa has been saying he had planned to bring him on in the last minute, but made it earlier because the fans were shouting for it.

 

I think jumping to the conclusion that the nasty man wouldn't let him play is a bit daft. There could be a number of reasons for it happening as it did.

 

 

Please enlighten me because I cannot think of one.

 

Al, Cain, you're being fucking hysterical.

 

Really ?? because I don't think it's funny in the slightest.

[Thants]

I would have played him from the start. And I stopped myself from putting £20 on him scoring a header at 9/1 as I know that usually things don't have a fairly tale ending. Putting him on in the last few mins for the crowd to concentrate and cheer soley for him once the game was won makes rafa a shithouse eh? If we lost and came third the atmosphere would have been different. Yes, it was Sami's day and the stories and pics are all about him, there was probably more chance of him scoring in the last 10 mins than from start. It nearly worked and the legend had his day.

Rafa took off Dirk, what more do people want?

[Ezekiel 25:17]

I would have played him from the start. And I stopped myaelf from putting £20 on him scoring a header at 9/1 as I know that usually things don't have a fairly tale ending. Putting him on in the last few mins for the crowd to concentrate and cheer soley for him once the game was won makes rafa a shithouse eh? If we lost and came third the atmosphere would have been different. Yes, it was Sami's day and the stories and pics are all about him.

Rafa took off Dirk, what more do people want?

 

So are you saying that bringing Sami on earlier meant we would go on to lose ??? it didn't make Rafa a shithouse, it made him no more than what I already know he is. Rafa did not even plan on giving him the time he did, that's the truth of it.

[Thants]

I know, he said he wanted to wait for the final seconds.

I don't know if we'd have lost or not, I'm just fed up at the any fucking decision kick the boot into Rafa. It's fucking monotonous.

 

Anyway I'm off. I think I need to be in the real world with my own thoughts for a while to enjoy football as you lot are bringing me down. Enjoy the summer TLW.

[Ezekiel 25:17]

I know, he said he wanted to wait for the final seconds.

I don't know if we'd have lost or not, I'm just fed up at the any fucking decision kick the boot into Rafa. It's fucking monotonous.

 

Anyway I'm off. I think I need to be in the real world with my own thoughts for a while to enjoy football as you lot are bringing me down. Enjoy the summer TLW.

 

Or on te flip side some people will just not admit that maybe he was wrong, maybe you love the guy and think he is the right man for the job but you know what, maybe he got it wrong.

[3 Colours Red]

I feel I maybe swimming against the tide with the general feeling on this thread but here goes anyway.

 

Sami was a great player and a credit to the club both on and off the field BUT he is not dead! I cannot understand the over emotional reactions. I have seen great players, Keegan, Rush, Dalglish etc. come and go and cant recall a fuss to equal this.

 

If he has not been first choice for most of the season, there is no reason for him to be for the Spurs game. Securing second place was most important. He came on for a tribute to be given and that should be the end of it. Perhaps we are in an new emotional age - God help us when Gerrard hangs up his boots.

[shanks69]

Great stuff. Some how this has turned into a Rafa bashing thread.

 

Sami comes on to huge emotional applause and cheering. The Captain gets to leave to massive applause and thanks for his great season, and hands over the Captains armband to Sami and we get to say a 10 minute emotional goodbye of cheering his every touch with massive noise and that continues into the final whistle and loads more cheering and applause and singing.

 

As opposed to Sami starting the game and getting initial cheers before the game turns into the usual end of season bore fest with no one caring and just waiting for the final whistle.

 

Soem right fucking nuggets on here.

 

Roll on next season.

:thumbup:

[Red Nick]

Rafa was bang out of order yesterday but somepeople feel the need to defend Rafa on everything he does right or wrong and that is just as annoying as people bashing Rafa at every opportunity.

 

On purely football grounds let alone sentimental grounds and this seasons form he should have started ahead of Agger. Maybe Rafa thought if I dont start Agger he might not sign his contract and Sami is already off so that doesnt matter so much.

 

Rafa has done more good things than bad things since he has been here but for me that was his worst decision of the season.

[RedKnight]

This isn't some 50 year old player we're talking about, we're talking about a player who was excellent at Old Trafford just two months ago. I thought he should've started and there was no reason not to do so, we wouldn't suddenly have become vunerable if he'd have come on, it's Sami for god's sake. As for the one minute cameo suggested by Rafa, that would have been incredibly mean.

[Guest davelfc]

What a fucking joke, Rafa picked the team to win the game and that's it. There's little room for sentiment and had he started Sami, and we'd have lost and Chelsea pipped us to 2nd you'd have been calling him for that.

 

As much as people defend everything Rafa does there are other pricks that slate him for his every move. He can't win, i can I can put the pricks on ignore.

[hamstrung]

Please enlighten me because I cannot think of one.

 

The obvious one that springs to mind, would be that Sami, having signed a contract with another club, had an agreement with them to do it like that.

 

It could also have been something he discussed and agreed with Rafa, as others have said, to give him the big ovation.

 

The truth is I don't know. But then nor do you. So there seems little point making angry assumptions.

[Carradona]

I'm also fucking sick of people suggesting that Sami should not have played because we needed to go out and win the game.

 

To me, that sounds like people are saying that he is inept and couldn't play a match up against Robbie Keane and Darren Bent.

 

Sickens me. Sami can still play at the top, top level of the game and there was no reason why he could not have played yesterday.

[hamstrung]

Sami not being up to it, isn't a "reason". I'd agree with that.

[Carradona]

That wasn't directed at you, hamstrung.

 

I read it a few posts up and also heard people saying it at the match yesterday.