Rafa bleating about money again

[Iantn]

If I had my wish, I'd personally change everyone from Rafa up Ian. I'd probably want to get rid of a fair few players as well if we had the financial means to replace them.

 

Fair do's mate.

 

Perhaps I'm just too trusting on these things or blinded by the good times but I just feel that Rafa deserves one chance to work with competent owners here. I really don't think we are too far off. 2 starters and 2 back ups and I'd be happy enough that we can win this league next season.

 

And by competent I don't mean City or Chelsea style spend whatever you want owners, I mean just a kinda here's 25million and whatever you can bring back in.

[spider-neil]

If I had my wish, I'd personally change everyone from Rafa up Ian. I'd probably want to get rid of a fair few players as well if we had the financial means to replace them.

 

throwing the baby out with the bathwater

 

we came 2nd last season and at the tail end of the year were playing fantastic football, personally I'd want to find out why its gone tits up

[Kennys_spell]

I don't have any arguement with what Benitez is saying there at all. He's right, pretty much.

 

What irritates, though, is the manner in which the point is made. There was no need to make any reference to Crouch at all. There often seems an awkwardness about Benitez's public statements - a kind of Frank Spencer-like ability to spot trouble when there really isn't any and put his foot right in it.

 

Aye it's as if he is a foreigner speaking a second language or somehting.

[zigackly]

Fair do's mate.

 

Perhaps I'm just too trusting on these things or blinded by the good times but I just feel that Rafa deserves one chance to work with competent owners here. I really don't think we are too far off. 2 starters and 2 back ups and I'd be happy enough that we can win this league next season.

 

And by competent I don't mean City or Chelsea style spend whatever you want owners, I mean just a kinda here's 25million and whatever you can bring back in.

 

I can understand and respect that viewpoint. For me however, the fact that we are still playing as we are at this stage shows that the backroom staff have little idea how to turn things around and the players have little desire to.

 

The whole team needs a massive shake up. To go from where we were at the tail end of last season to this is a disgrace and no-one involved should feel safe.

[Iantn]

I can understand and respect that viewpoint. For me, the fact that we are still playing as we are at this stage shows that the backroom staff have little idea how to turn things around and the players have little desire to. The whole team needs a massive shake up. To go from where we were at the tail end of last season to this is a disgrace and no-one should escape harsh criticism barring one or two exceptions.

 

True. A couple of quality players and some new owners could give us a lift. Whether that be enough I suppose only time will tell.

 

I think one thing we can all agree on though is it's just fuckin' depressing and we need something to regroup us all.

[Faustus]

Money had nothing to do with today.

[Kennys_spell]

We are punching well above our weight.

 

Today I`m not even sure we made the keeper from this team even sweat.

 

Mark Schwarzer - Free

 

Aaron Hughes - £1M

Paul Konchesky - £2M

Brede Hangeland - £2,5M

Chris Baird - £3M

 

Danny Murphy - undisclosed fee

Jonathan Greening - loan

Dickson Etuhu - £1,5M

Damien Duff - undisclosed fee

 

Bobby Zamora - £4,8M

Erik Nevland - £1,85M

 

Substitutes

Pascal Zuberbuhler - Free

Nicky Shorey - loan

Chris Smalling - youth product

Stephen Kelly - Free

Bjorn Helge Riise - £1,5M

Kagiso Dikgacoi - undisclosed fee

Stefano Okaka - loan

 

How many of them would you like in our team and who would they replace?

[Royal Family]

I honestly think Rafa is starting to plot an exit strategy - demanding £60-80m investment in the squad (which, let's face it, is unsustainable and frankly embarrassing - it smacks of the classic 'chequebook manager'); talking about selling players; openly critical of the board for the first time all season; oh, and Roberto Bettega, the Juve director of football, just happens to have been staying in Manchester this weekend... of course, he could be meeting Mancini, but then again...

[Dougie Do'ins]

They're lower down the league because they don't play better football than us.

Just not true. We've just managed to grind out more results while producing some of the worst football I've ever seen.

 

I would probably have kept a clean shet for Fulham today and I`m the worst keeper alive.

Worse than Intandji ?

 

Cos it was never an issue under Houllier. He had a decent amount every summer. Just like Evans did. Neither, after a decent time at the club, got really close enough to being as successful as we wanted.

You sure about Evans ?

[King Emlyn]

How many of them would you like in our team and who would they replace?

Isn't that kinda the point?

[Faustus]

How many of them would you like in our team and who would they replace?

 

I don't think that's the point, mate. I think it's about getting the best out of what you've got.

[BolshieBastard]

I honestly think Rafa is starting to plot an exit strategy - demanding £60-80m investment in the squad (which, let's face it, is unsustainable and frankly embarrassing - it smacks of the classic 'chequebook manager'); talking about selling players; openly critical of the board for the first time all season; oh, and Roberto Bettega, the Juve director of football, just happens to have been staying in Manchester this weekend... of course, he could be meeting Mancini, but then again...

 

Add in his 'I may have to sell Torres and Gerrard' despite saying he'd resign if Torres was sold and, not only do you have another backtrack by benitez, it could also be another addition for his exit strategy (which cant come soon enough for me).

[Moo]

Tell you what I'd love most is for decent investors with a track record of carefully increasing value in businesses they invest in to buy the club and install a new manager. Anything short of that would be a sticking plaster.

 

Despite being supportive of the manager I'd jump at this if it meant Benitez had to go.

But it's not hard to form the opinion that some people would turn it down if it meant Benitez staying.

[spider-neil]

Money had nothing to do with today.

 

course it did. money would have ensured a 20 year kid wasn't drafted in when the main striker was injuried.

[Iantn]

You sure about Evans ?

 

Without checking it out and with only thinking about it from memory, yeah. I'm guessing you disagree though?

[zigackly]

course it did. money would have ensured a 20 year kid wasn't drafted in when the main striker was injuried.

 

So would spending the money we've had sensibly. Or playing the striker we paid ten million for.

[King Emlyn]

course it did. money would have ensured a 20 year kid wasn't drafted in when the main striker was injuried.

Well should it have not ensured that a multi million pound line up should have destroyed one that cost buttons?

[njackets]

Hahahahahhahahahhahaahhahahahhaha you don't half chat some shite. So it's Rafa's fault the club is being bled dry by 2 American pigs? It's Rafa's fault the club is being whored around to different businesses? It's Rafa's fault we're in massive debt? He had £60 million pounds worth of players on the bench for the Birmingham game you say? Well, it might be because we had a massive game in midweek against Benfica and as Rafa has said, the players were tired. Is it Rafa's fault they are tired? Would you of been happy if we lost to Benfica so it would prove your point on Rafa? It's been a long hard season and they needed a rest. Aquilani has been recovering from an injury which has made him miss the best part of 3 years. Do you suddenly expect him to recover in 9 months with no setbacks?

 

Like I said, lift the wool from your eyes and see the real reason this club is fucked. Stop trying to twist everything to suit your agenda, half of it doesn't even make sense. Yes, you hate Rafa, but you're clutching onto the shortest of straws to take a pop at him, and it isn't him who is looking the cunt at the end of it all.

 

1 of the best posts i've ever read on this forum!

[zigackly]

1 of the best posts i've ever read on this forum!

 

You must have very high standards.

[Dougie Do'ins]

Without checking it out and with only thinking about it from memory, yeah. I'm guessing you disagree though?

Yes.

[Kennys_spell]

Well should it have not ensured that a multi million pound line up should have destroyed one that cost buttons?

 

What like Man Utd v Blackburn - oh no that doesn't work, I know

Like Spurs v Portsmouth? oh hang on.

 

doesn't always work like that. They put 11 men behind the ball with no ambition other than getting a draw. Our lack of depth in the squad didn't allow us to have the key to open them up with.

[njackets]

You must have very high standards.

 

Not as high as yours! Still think were to shit to win the Europa?

[King Emlyn]

1 of the best posts i've ever read on this forum!

is it? is it really? Wow!

[zigackly]

Aquilani has been recovering from an injury which has made him miss the best part of 3 years. Do you suddenly expect him to recover in 9 months with no setbacks?

 

The very same argument which many used to criticise the signing at the time ...

[King Emlyn]

What like Man Utd v Blackburn - oh no that doesn't work, I know

Like Spurs v Portsmouth? oh hang on.

 

doesn't always work like that. They put 11 men behind the ball with no ambition other than getting a draw. Our lack of depth in the squad didn't allow us to have the key to open them up with.

You're the one who tried to justify money being an issue for failing to beat a team that cost multi millions less mate, not me.

 

Edit:It was actually SN, but the point stands.