Rafa on sky sports

[Trucker Paddy]

rafa was a genius in euorpe. if we where there tonight we would have gone through i make no apoligies for loving the guy.

 

Love whoever you like, but no team was gona beat Barca tonight, they quite reasonably scored 10 goals last night and it would have been deserved.

Rafa did have us performing in Europe excellently no doubt, but last night the only thing gona stop Barca was a dose of pre match food poisoning

[Scottish Steve]

We were the most feared team in Europe. Inter was last season. Stoke isn't.

 

Exactly. When we destroyed Real Madrid at home, PSV and Marseilles away (to name but three) the only grinding taking place was the upper and lower molars of the oppo manager whose team was being taken apart...

[njackets]

Was weird seeing him and Souness together, good to see these posts can go up now without the usual bitching.

[dennis tooth]

Kenny still has something to aim for, which is pleasing - who knows, he could surpass our record with benitez in Europe

 

Doubt it very much mate, Kenny is better in the league for sure than Rafa but Rafa is better in Europe.

[Juan Galonso]

Rafa taking Murdoch money eh? Who'da thunk it?

[dirk grout]

Was weird seeing him and Souness together, good to see these posts can go up now without the usual bitching.

 

Spoke too soon mate.

[JohnnyH]

Rafa taking Murdoch money eh? Who'da thunk it?

 

And apparently him and Carra both donated their earnings from Sky to the Tory party. The world has gone crazy! CRAZY!

[Randy Marsh]

does anyone else cringe when people say things like "we were the most feared team in Europe". we really weren't feared. we were a horrible team to play against that knew how to grind out a result better than anyone else. not saying we weren't great for about four seasons there but I'd seriously doubt many teams feared us. no more than Barca feared Inter last season, or Arsenal fear playing Stoke.

 

i thought his punditry was a bit meh, had nothing really insightful to say and seemed to contradict himself on Barca's pressing and the energy needed to do it.

 

No I don't, because we were.

 

We weren't really feared? Horrible team to play against? That 90mins against Madrid at Anfield was the best 90 minutes of football Liverpool have played in probably over 20years. We destroyed the biggest club in the world, absolutely tore them apart. As we did with countless other super powers in the European game.

[Istvan Kozma]

is there going to be a wafa thread everytime he appears in the media now? always resulting in the same debates. Have we got up to the net spend bit yet? i like that bit.

[Scousa Tomo]

Torres should have rang Rafa before he left the club for sum tips on a dignified exit strategy.

[Jonny83]

Personally I just found it good to see a pundit delivering some actual analysis and relevant stuff like how he beat them and contained Messi, etc. (when given the opportunity) rather than the same old tired cliches. Of course being his first time as a pundit he's at least a bit fresh in that regard, perhaps if he made a habit of it he's eventually get dragged down to that level.

 

I also had a laugh with the Barca fan holding up that sign when they were like "Oh wow we've got someone who can speak Spanish here, what does that say Rafa?"

 

Rafa: "No, it's Catalan" *goes on to translate it anyway*

 

is there going to be a wafa thread everytime he appears in the media now? always resulting in the same debates. Have we got up to the net spend bit yet? i like that bit.

 

Nah we might as well skip over all of that:

 

I hate baked beans. Especially when accompanied by certain foods of the fried variety that I do like.

 

There we go.

[Xherdan]

I bet Rafa was doing his usual rubbing of the hands as he received his 30 pieces of Murdoch Silver.

[RSM]

Rafa taking Murdoch money eh? Who'da thunk it?

 

Despite 61% Sky being owned by a other shareholders.

 

Not sure if you realise but Liverpool FC take Murdoch's money by your logic.

 

Who'da thunk it?

[RSM]

does anyone else cringe when people say things like "we were the most feared team in Europe". we really weren't feared.

 

What an utterly ridiculous thing to say and to add further stupidty to the equation you fucking liken us to Stoke?

 

We dominated and beat almost every major club in Europe during that period. Teams were scared of being drawn against us as probably meant that was the end of their tournament. We pressed and suffocated the opposition and had players like Alonso, Gerrard, Macherano, Luis G and Torres who struck fear into the hearts of opposing teams.

 

Unbelievable that a Red can write this sort of shit!

[Scott_M]

Souey not agreeing with Rafa about Barca's fitness. Haha.

 

I missed the pre-match build up but saw Rafa after the game ask if somebody could find out if the Barca players had run more than the Arsenal players and it came back Barca, as a team, had run 4000m more than the Arsenal players.

 

Was Souness saying Arsenal were fitter than Barca or something?

[navbasi]

does anyone else cringe when people say things like "we were the most feared team in Europe". we really weren't feared. we were a horrible team to play against that knew how to grind out a result better than anyone else. not saying we weren't great for about four seasons there but I'd seriously doubt many teams feared us. no more than Barca feared Inter last season, or Arsenal fear playing Stoke.

 

i thought his punditry was a bit meh, had nothing really insightful to say and seemed to contradict himself on Barca's pressing and the energy needed to do it.

 

2004/05 - European Champions

2005/06 - Last 16

2006/07 - Runner Up

2007/08 - Semi-Finalist

2008/09 - Quarter Finalist

 

Whether you like the man or not, try not to rewrite history to fit whatever agenda you might have..

[shaunstrudwick]

[king luis]

does anyone else cringe when people say things like "we were the most feared team in Europe". we really weren't feared. we were a horrible team to play against that knew how to grind out a result better than anyone else. not saying we weren't great for about four seasons there but I'd seriously doubt many teams feared us. no more than Barca feared Inter last season, or Arsenal fear playing Stoke.

 

i thought his punditry was a bit meh, had nothing really insightful to say and seemed to contradict himself on Barca's pressing and the energy needed to do it.

 

this is the reason i post here

 

people like you have no fucking clue about football and your 1000's of posts are all obviously fucking drivel

 

we were the most feared team around we beat the very best. we beat barca, madrid, chelsea, arsenal......EVERYONE

 

over two legs we were so good, people were shitting themselves to come to anfield.

 

remember the night when inter milan fans stood up and appluaded us in the san siro?.......with still 10 minutes left on the clock!

 

when the fcuk does that happen.........anywhere in wolrd football?

 

yea beating madrid 4-1 was a real grind

 

swamping juventus at home was really all about grit

 

hoesntly you know fuck all

 

we changed our tactics against every team we played. during games at times......

 

who was responsible for that?

 

rafa benitez

[Whelan]

The Dude Abides, is one of the fairest and best, posters on this website, and certainly doesn't spout 'drivel'.

 

I don't agree with him totally, nor do I agree with the hyperbole about our reputation! I think Barcelona are feared, people just didn't want to play us!

 

Just thought I would say that.

 

Rafa was great last night. Fucking great, so great in fact, I think I am going to fuck off and support Sky! He was that good!

[shaunstrudwick]

2004/05 - European Champions

2005/06 - Last 16

2006/07 - Runner Up should've won it but Crouch left on bench!

2007/08 - Semi-Finalist after that game against Arsenal in teh 1/4's it was a terrible showing in 1st leg & not much better at the bridge - shame seeing as a final showdown with the Mancs was at stake

2008/09 - Quarter Finalist we beat Madrid 5-0 and then go out to Chelsea who dominated us over both legs

 

2009/10 - we didn't make it out of our group

 

Whether you like the man or not, try not to rewrite history to fit whatever agenda you might have..

 

see comments in red - not quite as rosy as it would seem

[ngogswilly]

I wouldnt go as far as to say we had teams running scared or anything. But everyone knew if they got us they were going to have a tough time. We did very well for a few years under Rafa. Then it all went to shite.

[Code]

What an utterly ridiculous thing to say and to add further stupidty to the equation you fucking liken us to Stoke?

 

We dominated and beat almost every major club in Europe during that period. Teams were scared of being drawn against us as probably meant that was the end of their tournament. We pressed and suffocated the opposition and had players like Alonso, Gerrard, Macherano, Luis G and Torres who struck fear into the hearts of opposing teams.

 

Unbelievable that a Red can write this sort of shit!

 

I dont think we were feared any more than any other English team during that period.

 

Rafa reached 3 semi finals in 6 years, how many did Chelsea and the mancs reach in the same period?

[king luis]

The Dude Abides, is one of the fairest and best, posters on this website, and certainly doesn't spout 'drivel'.

 

I don't agree with him totally, nor do I agree with the hyperbole about our reputation! I think Barcelona are feared, people just didn't want to play us!

 

 

he spouted alot of drivel there. we beat teams properly. we werent grinders, we were tough opponents and NOBODY wanted to draw liverpool.

 

and you contradicted yourself there......

 

not wanting to play us and being feared are the samething......

 

losing or winning is the name of the game. barca beat teams they're way, we beat teams our way......the end result is the same, we win and our opponents lose.

 

difference is we didnt fear barcelona, we knew we could beat anyone. and at that time barcelona feared us.

[Reacher]

 

I missed the pre-match build up but saw Rafa after the game ask if somebody could find out if the Barca players had run more than the Arsenal players and it came back Barca, as a team, had run 4000m more than the Arsenal players.

 

Was Souness saying Arsenal were fitter than Barca or something?

 

It was at half time if I remember correctly and they were talking about Barcelona pressing Arsenal. Rafa was saying it is effective as when Barca lose the ball they hunt in packs and only have to run 10-15m to regain possession but Souey was all Barca are gonna burn out as they chase the ball for 40m's to get it back and Arsenals superior premiership fitness will see them through at the end. The pressing videos came up and Rafa was correct in that 4-5 Barca players hunted, shut down and isolated the Arsenal player gave him no options and then dispossessed them.

 

Rafa went on after about Barca doing it in their final third of the pitch to when most teams drop back to their defensive formations. Souey went quiet.

[Whelan]

he spouted alot of drivel there. we beat teams properly. we werent grinders, we were tough opponents and NOBODY wanted to draw liverpool.

 

and you contradicted yourself there......

 

not wanting to play us and being feared are the samething......

 

losing or winning is the name of the game. barca beat teams they're way, we beat teams our way......the end result is the same, we win and our opponents lose.

 

difference is we didnt fear barcelona, we knew we could beat anyone. and at that time barcelona feared us.

 

I can see what he means!

 

I think the difference is subtle but, to me most teams would expect to be beaten by Barcelona, whereas even Barcelona would be scared of playing us because we could beat anyone!

 

Expectations and possibilities, that to me is the difference between us being feared throughout Europe and Europe wanting to avoid playing us.

 

The Dude is a good lad, you should read some of his 1000 post's, certainly before you judge him! (This is just a suggestion, not attacking you!)