Portsmouth V Liverpool 19/12/09

[coop]

We are fucked.

[Captain]

I guess I am what people call a staunch Rafa supporter but I'm on the edge now. Results this season have been unacceptable.

 

I love Rafa and have a lot of sympathy for the man. I think he's ace. But you either stop the rut right now Rafa, or you have to go.

[RobbieOR]

Ive reached my breaking point. It has to end. Just put us out of our fucking misery soemone.

[1892-LFCWasBorn]

We are fucked.

 

We'll probably be 8 points behind Villa and drop down to 8th if Birmingham win.

 

Absolutely disgraceful.

[derykw]

Totally out-played by the bottom placed Club. Anyway let the excuses begin.

[1892-LFCWasBorn]

What was it rafa said about the ref? He was perfect and then what? I couldn't understand it.

 

He was being ironic. Just made him look a bigger prick.

 

I can't even look at him any more. Can't stand the fucking sight of him.

[Hooch]

Spot on, I am close to breaking, not quite there yet, but I am close.

 

The players have been an absolute dsgrace especially our captain. Now I know he has been injured people and not fully fit when he has played, but you can still show passion, motivation and leadership skills when your not at 100%.

 

As much as some poeple feel Rafa is not inspiring the players, I feel that Gerrard is in this same bracket, but those players who have come out and backed Rafa and gave rallying calls I am sick to the back teeth of words and bullshit. Pull your fingers out of your fucking arses and show that you mean what you say.

 

If wearing that shirt, the shirt that millions of people wouild die to wear and probably do it for free, is not enough to mtivate you or even the incredible amounts of money you get paid each week then kindly and politiely get the fuck out of our club.

 

An absolute fucking disgrace this season from everybody who works as part of the first team, bar Reina of course he has been impeccable this season and I feel sorry having to stand behind that shit for the last 4 months.

 

He's kept Benitez in a job long enough.

[Red Nick]

Rafa is not capable of stopping the Rot

 

We will obviously beat Wolves but probably end up with one point from 6 against our CL rivals and be 11 points behind 4th going into the new year.

 

This is why action has to be taken before our next match

[liverpoolsno9]

You know, despite the shite we are in, and as much i feel that Rafa has played his part in that. I still like the man, and i'll still feel a twinge of sympathy, even sadness if/when he does go.

 

 

I agree, but some of the twats on here insulting him, calling him a `prick` etc. Go and get fucked you fuckin tossers. Its one thing wanting him gone but to start getting personal is wrong. He`s earned the right to be treated better than that. JUST. FUCK. OFF.

[GJM]

You don’t become a bad team over night. But, at some point between the 25th May 2009 and 15th July 2009, it seems to have happened. We have gone from being a very good team that had the occasional off day, to being a poor side that, from time to time, pulls the odd decent performance out of the bag – although, since May, I think the game v United is the only one what I would consider a really decent performance.

 

I’ve said recently that, despite the start we have made to this season, I was urging caution about discarding Benitez a little too easily. Every game we play at the moment tests my resolve further. It’s not just the results (although it is mainly the results), but the utter garbage we are serving up.

 

The team selection today yet again looked like an invitation for trouble. Dossena carries very little culpability for the performance today, but we desperately desperately needed a win today, to at least offer something that felt like a platform to build from. We were away to by far the worse team in the league this season. We play two left backs, one of whom is a spare part and has barely featured in the squad, let alone first team, this season.

 

What kind of message does that send out? It’s the same message that’s sent out as when we played Aurelio in midfield away at Fiorentina, i.e. this game is not important, we can win it with less than 100%, sit back, wait for their mistakes, and we’ll pick something up.

Thing is, it’s use that make all the fucking mistakes these days, and by the time we get our go at the table, all the good stuff has gone and we’re left trying to salvage something from the scraps.

And if all of that were not bad enough, who at the club above Benitez do you trust to choose a replacement if he were to go? I don’t trust anybody.

 

A fucking shit performance, a fucking shit result, and a fucking shit Christmas for all.

[tptoff]

I agree, but some of the twats on here insulting him, calling him a `prick` etc. Go and get fucked you fuckin tossers. Its one thing wanting him gone but to start getting personal is wrong. He`s earned the right to be treated better than that. JUST. FUCK. OFF.

 

Well said. Replaced as manager is one thing but personal attacks are completely inappropriate.

[johnno1970]

You know, despite the shite we are in, and as much i feel that Rafa has played his part in that. I still like the man, and i'll still feel a twinge of sympathy, even sadness if/when he does go.

 

 

I agree, but some of the twats on here insulting him, calling him a `prick` etc. Go and get fucked you fuckin tossers. Its one thing wanting him gone but to start getting personal is wrong. He`s earned the right to be treated better than that. JUST. FUCK. OFF.

 

Well said! totally agree. the man was part of the best night this club has had in 20 years, show some respect.

[Red Hot]

Bad luck seems to have stuck to us like dog shit . Players have to stand up and be counted. We are far from playing as a unit, far too reliant on on Torres and Gerrard, to pull us out of this situation. Need a settled side who can opperate as a unit.

[Mathewbet1]

Hate that Cheeky sky twat interviewer. Yes Rafa's in trouble, but you don't speak too a man of his class like that.

[ZonkoVille77]

Think calling him names is just a reaction from being angry with what he's doing to the side. I am guilty of that too so hands up.

[coop]

We are not a bad team and in players such as Torres, Gerrard and Pepe they are players who would get in more or less every team in Europe.

 

Gerrard looks like a player who knows he is not 100% and has lost the battle for the manager.

 

We made changes today but even so that team should have been enough to beat Portsmouth easily yet we hardly had a shot on target.

 

Changes need to be made and im afraid it looks like Rafa's time as manager has come to a close.

[GJM]

We have had some bad luck this season. The cunting beach ball at Sunderland was bad luck, for example. That result today had nothing at all to do with bad luck. Mascherano wasn't unlucky to get sent off, he went over the top of the ball. Whatever happens as a result is irrelevant. It's a red card more times than not.

 

Were we unlucky to create very little? Were we unlucky to allow them to score twice? Were we unlucky to start with 2 lef backs, one of whom features in our long term plans about as much as Rosemary West features in the Nobel Peace Prize committee's considerations for top prize this year.

 

Nothing at all to do with bad luck, everything to do with playing clueless, shitty football.

[Chinandeler Bong]

Gonna a lot of rumours flying around today and tomorrow that much we can be sure of.

 

We just didnt deserve anything from that , we are awful , I feel the most for those who went to the game , Imagine what they are feeling right now !

[The Dude Abides]

Rafa is not capable of stopping the Rot

 

We will obviously beat Wolves but probably end up with one point from 6 against our CL rivals and be 11 points behind 4th going into the new year.

 

This is why action has to be taken before our next match

 

Look, we get it. Now could you please stop filling every thread with the same repeated drivel please. It's boring as fuck.

[Trumo]

As a whole we were shocking and got beat to the second ball pretty much every time. Still we had the usual of a player scoring with his "wrong foot" when he otherwise cannot hit a cow's arse all season, followed by an instinctive reaction save by the opposition goalkeeper (had that incident been at our end it would have bounced off either Carragher, Johnson or Lucas leaving Reina to palm it into the net for an own goal), coupled with wasted chances. The players did not seem to notice Portsmouth's pre-match huddle so they seemed surprised that Portsmouth were so up for it today.

 

Reina - one decent save but it still led to the first goal. Couldn't react in time to stop Belhadj's shot but I thought he gave up a little with Piquionne's shot. Nothing to do really other than that.

 

Johnson - poor header straight to Belhadj for their first goal, and didn't get forward all afternoon. I thought his head dropped a bit after the first goal also. His link up play was poor.

 

Carragher - didn't do much wrong all afternoon, and couldn't have closed Piquionne any tighter without conceding a penalty to be fair. He positioned himself all wrong when he had that clear shot at goal in the second half, thus ballooning it into/over the stand (not sure where it ended up).

 

Agger - a couple of shaky moments, and didn't clear the ball when he should have in the build-up to the second goal, and followed up by not closing Boateng down and allowing the cross to come in. Should have done better with his first-half chance which was just a bad as the one against Wigan.

 

Insua - very poor and got flustered by the fact Portsmouth kept coming at him. Wasn't helped by Dossena's lack of tracking back.

 

Lucas - did nothing of note all game. Don't know what else to say.

 

Mascherano - injured after his foul which was late rather than malicious. With the ineptitude of today's ref and his card-happy nature, a straight red was the obvious outcome. Other than that he did his usual closing down of space without any creative action.

 

Kuyt - seemed to be playing with two left boots on (which had the wrong studs in as well!) and was always on his heals at exactly the moment where we needed him to be more dynamic. Should have done better with his cross in the second half as he had time and space.

 

Dossena - kept running and making space but never got the ball in a position where he could do anything useful, other than one cross in the first half. Also did not track back enough, exposing Insua and causing Agger to be dragged out of position.

 

Gerrard - as pedestrian a display as I've ever seen from him. I don't know if he's playing within himself because he's carrying a knock, or whether he's just out of form, but he looked so disinterested today. Also, I'm not sure if he's thinking he doesn't have to work harder to close down opponents because he's got 2 shields behind him.

 

Torres - was starved of service all afternoon, so ended up trying to fashion chances for himself by running at them. Also displayed his moaning side too often and allowed Portsmouth to think they had the measure of him.

 

Benayoun (for Dossena) - did nothing and was guilty of losing the ball very easily in the lead-up to the second goal.

 

Aurelio (for Insua) - should have started the game if he was fit, as his composure compared to Insua could have helped to some of the sting out of Portsmouth's game.

 

Spearing (for Lucas) - no time to make an impact.

 

On the whole it was awful, but the one thing I hope the team do is play with only the one holding player for the next few games. Mascherano will miss a minimum 4 games because that was his second red of the season, and it could be more if his injury is more serious. I do think we need to play a 442 for the next few games, with Aquilani in the middle, Gerrard on the right and either Kuyt or Ngog alongside Torres, since we appear to be a man light with an off-form Gerrard in the hole.

[Red Nick]

There are a couple of 0-0 scores that might give Rafa a stay of execution at present.

 

However I cant see us winning at Villa with Rafa in charge and I believe a change should be made before the Spurs and Villa games rather than the Villa game being his last

[Chinandeler Bong]

From the Melwood section on the Offy :

 

If possible, I like to be out on the training pitch with the players during the session so I can see how the players are performing. Sometimes I am in meetings, though, but we have a top class staff at the club who all do a good job every day.

[Kevin D]

Poor performance with the last ten minutes, in particular, making for very uncomfortable viewing. Our professionalism today was non-existant and it was an absolute disgrace to see a Liverpool side behave the way we did today, and not for the first time this season.

 

The first Portsmouth goal was brilliant, but what was Carragher doing for the second? He's let the shit generic striker who only ever scores against us no:33 run off him, take a touch and not made any attempt at a recovery challenge and allowed the lad a shot on. Criminal defending.

 

I'll leave it at that because I'll just make myself angry. Night and day from the last time we went to Portsmouth and the question is why?

[ratcatcher]

well, Portsmouth away is always a difficult game for use. Even though we were playing some good stuff last season, it needed a couple of late goals to turn the game around for us. In the form we have shown this season, it was always going to be like climbing mount everest.

 

I feel dejected for Carragher. His 600th game and what a shite performance all round.

 

The opening 20 -30 minutes or so where pretty even. And that tells you everything you needed to know how the game was going to go. A definite relegation side playing a side in relegation form, us!

 

I looked hard at Mascherano's tackle. I cant see intent and I watched all the replays. Ben Haim makes a lot of noise but doesnt seem to get caught. He then spends the next minute or so remonstrating with a few Liverpool players before falling to the ground and rolling around. I can see intent to get Mascherano sent off.

 

And the ref duely complies.

 

Already being 1-0 the task has just become virtually impossible. While not wishing to be critical of Reina, he really has to do better on their second goal. Flicking a leg out isnt what you expect of someone who's reckoned to be one of the top keepers in the world. But hey, we looked unlikely to get an equaliser so it didnt really matter, did it?

 

The one thing that strikes me in all of this is just the look of utter disbelief on the players faces. Maybe its just my impression but they look like they dont have that belief anymore. Is that belief in the manager and his methods or just a lack of belief they are going to win the game?

 

Benitez too looks bereft of belief that he can turn it around. Yes he says all the things you'd expect him to say in the situation but does he, deep down, believe he can do it? This run has been going on since pre season. Its not a blip.

 

Is it that the players, having seen how alonso was treated, missing out on the title at the death then seeing £20m spent on a player who doesnt get a game, just lost that belief in the manager? Its seems nothing he says or does is bringing about an end to this shocking run.

 

I've never managed a football side but Ive managed lots of people. I've also seen what happens when people lose faith in their manager. They start going through the motions. The standard of there work becomes less than what is expected.

 

Sounds familiar?

 

I've said it many, many times before. The inevitable will happen, its just a question of when. Benitez is, imo, finished as Liverpool manager. He's given us some great times such as Istanbul and Cardiff. But the dream is virtually over.

 

When players no longer respond to their manager changes must be made. And its always the manager who go. The new manager will will no doubt move on some of the existing players, some will also want to leave.

 

We can stay as we are and sink even further as imo, I think this run is going to continue. I can see nothing, not even a glimmer than we will turn it around with the current set up. We will win some games, ones you expect to win but, if we arent carefull we are going to be so far behind 4th we could forget for this season.

 

I always thought Beniitez should be given to the end of the season. Now, Im not certain because I cant see where an improvement is coming from.

 

We must win against Wolves and we must beat Villa. But I think we'll do well to get 3 points out of these games. and that to me in a nutshell is what Benitez should have to save his job, He must win both of those games to give himself a stay of execution. I dont care if we win with 2 freak goals but wemust win.

 

If he can deliver that, then I'd give him to the end of January to win the games against spurs H, stoke A, wolves A and bolton H and make them the foundation for an unbeaten run to as near the end of the season as possible.

 

If he cant deliver by the end of January, then he has to go. Simple as.

[cmuller]

Disgrace all over the pitch and in the dugout. No heart whatsoever. Kuyt is playing appallingly. Lucas is back to hiding on the pitch. Subs and tactics were the work of someone with big problems.

 

Don't see how this can continue.