Rafa Exclusive in The Times

[Tom R]

I just did. We're 3rd top scorers.

 

Jesus fucking Christ....

 

[coop]

Silly question, how the hell do I know? But we'd have had £17m not spent on a right back. Darren Bent isn't doing too bad for £10m.

 

We couldn't have afforded to spend £17m on a right back had we not sold players at £30m+ in the first place.

 

Had Alonso and Arbeloa stayed then we would have probably signed no-one.

[Kennys_spell]

I dont think it is that much of a factor. There many influences that can aid or burden the teams final standing the league, Liverpool being the best example. Our wage bill has changed that much since last season where we fnished second.

 

This season we sold Xabi and if anything we UPPED our wage bill to keep existing stars at the club and now we are in the worst form we have ever been under Rafa.

 

I am not saying that you are wrong but I dont believe that 90% is right.

 

It seems to me that you're guessing and hoping that these things are not right. You've only put one side of the equation to make your "guess" seem better. What about the extra sponsorship money that has come into the club since last season? Surely that evens up any wage hikes - No?

 

Haven't any other teams mentioned had to "Up" their wage bills?

[aws]

How many names do people want before they are satisfied, myself and others have probably listed around 20 names by now.

 

So please put that argument away as it just ruins the other arguments you might put forward.

 

Would you like me to come up with the names of 20 central midfielders in the Premiership who we might have bought to improve on Alonso? That would be easy.

 

Coming up with realistic suggestions is a bit more difficult.

[Hermes]

We couldn't have afforded to spend £17m on a right back had we not sold players at £30m+ in the first place.

 

Had Alonso and Arbeloa stayed then we would have probably signed no-one.

 

How do you know? Wasn't Johnson signed before Alonso was sold?

[coop]

How do you know? Wasn't Johnson signed before Alonso was sold?

 

If that was the case then what happened to the rest of the Alonso money when Rafa was told he only had about £1.5m left to sign a defender with.

[Whelan]

Silly question, how the hell do I know? But we'd have had £17m not spent on a right back. Darren Bent isn't doing too bad for £10m.

 

Based on what?

 

The reason I ask is quite simple, we received thirty million pounds for Alonso, and 6 or 7 for the rest, which roughly equals what we spent.

 

In other words, had both of them decided to stay we would have spent absolutely nothing! nothing at all on any players. No Bent, no Tuncay, no Crouch. Absolutely nothing. This is fact. Not opinion, a fact.

 

You can ignore this fact that is fine. But it is still there, Rafa spent what he had through sales.

[Tom R]

No. We should have moved Gerrard into midfield, he could always revert to the forward position if needed.

 

Absolutely 100% bang on, Hermes.

 

He's the best centre mid player ON EARTH. Fucking use him there and sign a quality forward with most of the Johnson money.

This isn't hindsight either. I said also said it at the time.

OUr priorty was NOT right back. Yes, we NEEDED a right back, and we all rate Johnson highly, of course we do. But come on... a SEVENTEEN MILLION POUND right back?!?!

And then moan about budgets???

 

A £17m, atacking RB is a luxury that we couldn't and can't afford.

I've never known a RB win anybody a league.

A £17m RB is thetuype of player you sign when you've got everything else in place, or perhaps when you've already won the league and are looking to consolidate your position.

 

You can get decent enough RB's for a fraction of that.... Look at the one we just sold to Real Madrid for absolute peanuts!

[Kevin D]

That's fair enough, but it just does your head in. 86 points - isn't the manager ace, we're on our way, I guess that showed you, you Rafa-bashing cunt etc etc.

 

Piss poor start, 1 win in 9, near-exit from Europe, and it's what? A tidal wave of bilge. Who gives a fuck about what players we ought to have had, and when is he going to stop using the yanks and Parry as a protective shield for everything that goes wrong? I've grown accustomed to the "I can go to Real any time I like, you know" emotional blackmail he's used since 2006 to get detractors off his back or get more funds.

 

Someone on here the other day actually blamed Dossena on Parry! I've been using that as a joke, as a standard "Rafa got the good ones, Brillohead got the shit ones" parody of that mind-boggling spew of misinformation he's given to SoS and others, but someone actually said it!!!

 

Wait and see what our first choice team is capable of before judging? Good idea, it's only fair - except we couldn't do that from day one, could we? Then Gerrard and Torres are missing with injury (who could foresee that......) and players are dropping like flies. If/when they have the operations that'll be more time to wait. Stuff like N'gog's nose is unfortunate, but one of Tony Barrett's 5 solutions was to reassess training and the medical side. It's not just luck.

 

You don't expect him to just sit there and take all the garbage coming his way - he may care to ask his good buddy Purslow why he isn't putting that shit stirrer Henry Winter straight - but ultimately we have to win. It's not a blip and it needs to end quickly.

 

He actually brought it up during the pre-match interview before the Birmingham. Was quite surprised there was no thread on here about it, can only guess people are now so used to " New Liverpool", but I thought it was really unpleasant.

 

The parry thing - which now amounts to " Rafa had a £1 million deal to sign Messi all wrapped up but Coco vetoed it and signed Lucas instead for £6m against Rafa's wishes and he kidknaps Rafa's dog everytime he doesn't play him so he has to play him cause Rafa's dog is really ill and also he..."- is amongst Net Spend, Bascombe and the inevitable return of Momo as the things I find most entertaining on here.

 

 

Carragher refused to play there purely due to the fact he didn't feel he had the energy at that stage in the season to play right back.

 

You know you will always get 100% of Carra but this season he is struggling with the pace of the game so imagine him coming up against a pacy winger.

 

You also have to factor in that the modern day full back is expected to attack as well as defend and there is no way Carra has the stamina to do that.

 

Carra is a top class centre half but a right back he is not.

 

I've seen this repeated on here numerous times and with the absence of proof, I think it's an incredible statement to make. One which is a slight on both the player and manager.

[Tom R]

If that was the case then what happened to the rest of the Alonso money when Rafa was told he only had about £1.5m left to sign a defender with.

 

it doesn't matter. A SEVENTEEN MILLION POUND right back was NEVER our priority, even if he thought he had another fifty fucking million to spend!

[Hermes]

If that was the case then what happened to the rest of the Alonso money when Rafa was told he only had about £1.5m left to sign a defender with.

 

I don't know. Hearsay and speculation is not my field and that has nothing to do with whether we should have bought a forward or a right back. Rafa made right back his priority and I maintain that he was wrong.

[Tom R]

Carragher didn't "refuse" to play there btw.

 

He was made a perfectly legitimate case to the manager that he was in agony, and requiring extensive massage treatment, after playing there.

 

I can't advocate playing Carra there for a full season either. No chance.

But let's not confuse that with him "refusing" to play there. That's a great dis-service to a great servant and totally uncalled for.

[Carra_is_legend]

I don't think the length of the contract is too much of a worry to be honest and i can fully see it from your point of view regards only giving him a 2 yr contract.

 

Lets just say Rafa is sacked in the summer that doesn't mean we then have to pay him the rest of the 4yrs of contract but purely until he gets another managers job.

 

There would be a fee obviously but that would only have been the same had he been on a 2 yr contract.

 

It also helped protray a sense of stability at the club in that the manager and the top players were all signed to lengthy contracts.

 

The length of the contract only really affects the payout we have to give him when he leaves.

 

Given we're a football club not a fucking bank, it shouldn't matter...

 

I wasn't talking about the length of the contract from a financial point of view. Not in terms of a payout should he get sacked.

 

I was talking about it purely from an accountability point of view. He does a good job, he gets a contract extension. He does a great job, he gets rewarded accordingly. To me, he was doing a decent job until last winter and he should have got a 2 year extension. Not a 5 year bumper deal.

 

He keeps saying he loves the club so he won't leave anyway, right?

[goatboy59]

To the person who asked why I used the word "slop", please read the article titled "Rafa: I can walk through Anfield storm".

 

It's hideous.

[piscinin]

I've seen this repeated on here numerous times and with the absence of proof, I think it's an incredible statement to make. One which is a slight on both the player and manager.

 

Read the updated version of Carraghers autobiography if you want to know why the story persists.

[Whelan]

it doesn't matter. A SEVENTEEN MILLION POUND right back was NEVER our priority, even if he thought he had another fifty fucking million to spend!

 

A top class right back was, and you have argued for top class yourself.

 

If you want top class you pay it. Or does this top quality argument only become relevant with a specific position?

[rebel23]

Johnson was bought because he's one of the best English players and we have very little of them and we needed one anyway after Arbeloa left

 

Also I bet if we didnt buy Johnson and he went to Chelsea or Man city, some would slate Benitez. He can't win...

[Kevin D]

Read the updated version of Carraghers autobiography if you want to know why the story persists.

 

Since there is no chance I'm going to do that, would you be nice enough to tell me?

 

You're so kind.

[Hermes]

Carragher didn't "refuse" to play there btw.

 

He was made a perfectly legitimate case to the manager that he was in agony, and requiring extensive massage treatment, after playing there.

 

I can't advocate playing Carra there for a full season either. No chance.

But let's not confuse that with him "refusing" to play there. That's a great dis-service to a great servant and totally uncalled for.

 

I don't see how right back or central defender would make that much difference. I could understand it if he said he'd get a nose bleed if he crossed the half way line.

[Tom R]

A top class right back was, and you have argued for top class yourself.

 

If you want top class you pay it. Or does this top quality argument only become relevant with a specific position?

 

You prioritise spending your top money on top quality on the positions that are most likely to win you trophies and move down your list of priorities from there.

 

It's really not that difficult to compehend.

[Hermes]

some would slate Benitez. He can't win...

 

Fact.

[coop]

I don't know. Hearsay and speculation is not my field and that has nothing to do with whether we should have bought a forward or a right back. Rafa made right back his priority and I maintain that he was wrong.

 

Fair comment mate.

 

Its all about opinions and the world would be a dull place without them.

 

I personlly thought right back was a priority because Arbeloa had made it clear he was not signing a contract and therefore he had to go.

 

This left us with Degen (always injured) Darby and Kelly.

 

I personally would not be happy going into a new season with those players so Rafa decides to sign the type of player he has been after for a few seasons and that a pacey, attacking right full back.

 

If we were making sacrifices i can fully understand people saying we should have moved Gerrard back to the centre and used the Aquilani money on a forward.

 

That for me would have made more sense as we needed a top class right back.

[Tom R]

I don't see how right back or central defender would make that much difference. I could understand it if he said he'd get a nose bleed if he crossed the half way line.

 

I don't think it's the going forward bit that kills him, I think it's tracking wingers to be fair.

 

I forget which game it was, but it was one shortly before the Boro nightmare last season. He did ok, but he got ran ragged down the line, and was absolutely fucked for Boro, hence Skrtl putting on that absolute horror show whilst Darby sat on the bench thumbing his arse.

[Trucker Paddy]

How do you know? Wasn't Johnson signed before Alonso was sold?

 

The day Johnson signed Rafa said we'd enough money to buy 1 more player without selling anybody.

Johnson was a great signing IMO the best 1 since Torres.

[RedLiberation!]

I've only really scanned this thread.

 

But anyone who criticises Rafa and ignores what those 2 cancers have done is a fucking idiot. They're not a Red but a clown.

 

I'm off to see how we can rid this club of its disease. Some of you might prefer to argue about Insua vs Aurelio all day. Or whether Rafa overspent by 200k when signing Leto and other such inconsequential crap.

I suggest those people consider psychiatric help.