Other football

[xerxes]

What he did at Liverpool and Valencia will be dismissed as 'years ago, and no longer relevant' (not what I think, just what many will say)

Rafa was, and is, a paradox.

 

At Valencia he had a free rein, and did well, as soon as the club wanted to control him he bailed.

 

The irony here is that he prospered under our worst owners because they had no idea, again, as soon as some sort of control was imposed, he couldnt handle it. That cycle was repeated at Inter and now at Chelsea.

 

So I think you are wrong to say that his time with us is not no longer relevant. The boardroom manoeuvering which Whiskeynose and Maureen are so good at is beyind Rafa. And to be fair, Mancini has shown himself to be pretty adept with the suits too.

[RobbieOR]

Rafa was, and is, a paradox.

 

At Valencia he had a free rein, and did well, as soon as the club wanted to control him he bailed.

 

The irony here is that he prospered under our worst owners because they had no idea, again, as soon as some sort of control was imposed, he couldnt handle it. That cycle was repeated at Inter and now at Chelsea.

 

So I think you are wrong to say that his time with us is not no longer relevant. The boardroom manoeuvering which Whiskeynose and Maureen are so good at is beyind Rafa. And to be fair, Mancini has shown himself to be pretty adept with the suits too.

 

The club fell apart under Hicks and Gillett you clown. Benitez didnt prosper under them at all.

[FanchesterCity]

I don't think the owners will share the fan's view on Mancini, but if I supported City there is no way I'd want him gone.

 

Can see you being similar to Chelsea and changing managers every year. Every manager, whether they're a Mourinho or a Grant, won't have enough control ultimately. Certainly not to plan for the mid/long term.

 

I'd probably bin Maicon, Nasri, and Dzeko. Presumably Santa Cruz and Bridge won't come back either.

 

What do you make of Sinclair's lack of involvement?

 

I think the owners want to avoid the Chelsea scenario, but it's one thing to 'want' that, another to practice what they preach.

 

Maicon was an odd buy, but no complaints about his few performances. Just doesn't seem a sensible 'building' buy.

Nasri's been mediocre. Not dire, but not great either. Worthy of replacing I'd say.

Dzeko... nice lad, good attitude, would be a shame to lose him, but we want to do better in CL... we want to compete with bigger and better clubs. If we are serious about that, then I think he'll go, and we'll try to get Cavani who is a much more aggressive version of him.

 

Sinclair's a strange one. Seems to be a squad filler. I've no problem with that I suppose. It's not 'building' in my mind though.

Rodwell, Nastisic and Garcia are the only valid 'building' buys... and only Nastisic gets a thumbs up. Rodwell's a punt (who may well work out), Garcia has disappointed.

 

I'd rather he'd tried for Wilshere over Rodwell, but you can't always get who you want!

 

I honestly think Mancini had a list of about 20 players... with the likes of Cavani, Falcao, Hazard etc towards the top of the list, and then a bunch of names like Sinclair, Rodwell, Garcia down towards the bottom. They failed miserably trying to get the big names, so just bought the bottom end. Poor buying policy that.

 

Santa Cruz and co (I think) will be out of contract, so off the wage bill, thank God!

 

I don't like what we did.... going mad with the spending and buying all manner of good and bad buys, but I do think it was probably necessary given the FFP regime. It really does feel like 'get in the top 4 before the drawbridge rises'.

[FanchesterCity]

Rafa was, and is, a paradox.

 

At Valencia he had a free rein, and did well, as soon as the club wanted to control him he bailed.

 

The irony here is that he prospered under our worst owners because they had no idea, again, as soon as some sort of control was imposed, he couldnt handle it. That cycle was repeated at Inter and now at Chelsea.

 

So I think you are wrong to say that his time with us is not no longer relevant. The boardroom manoeuvering which Whiskeynose and Maureen are so good at is beyind Rafa. And to be fair, Mancini has shown himself to be pretty adept with the suits too.

 

I did not say it was irrelevant. I said it's not what I think, but what many will say (and do).

I still stand by the assertion that your reputation is significantly formed via your last job though, and if you make a hash of something, then your previous achievements are severely diminished / discounted / attributed to other factors. If you manage to get another job and do well there, then your former achievements are restored accordingly!

 

If Guardiola fails to do well at Bayern, everything he did at Barca will be thrown into question... "what it really all HIS doing?", "how could he fail with that group of players?", but if he does well at Bayern, it will simply reaffirm that Barca was largely down to him.

 

It's always been that way hasn't it?

[gingerhulk]

that psg Marseille game was technically awful.

 

Final ball and first touches (from top class players) were dreadful.

 

Zlatan was shite all night, had the touch of a kerb, his passing was terrible then he scores with his knee and knew fuck all about it.

 

Had a double on over 2.5 goals and BTTS in the milan derby. Twat.

[kalasoma]

I don't think there is such a thing as a'permanent position' as Chelsea manager. As such, Rafa took a chance going to Chelsea knowing that he was probably not going to be received well. Also he can't be held responsible for Chelsea going out of the Champions League since I believe they were already failing in the group under Di Matteo. If he's looking for a position next season at a club already in the CL, he can go to Spain or France, maybe even go back to Italy. I simply don't think he's completely ruined his chances at Chelsea, in my opinion. Unless, of course, they fall out of the top four.

[xerxes]

The club fell apart under Hicks and Gillett you clown. Benitez didnt prosper under them at all.

 

I don't think that you were following Benitez' career with us very closely, were you?;)

 

Benitez performed with us because he had a wholly free rein, no-one else knew anything about football, and he prospered, for better (the CL and a 2nd finish) and worse ( his ill-judged suicide pact with Purslow).

 

Although your abject knowledge of football in general and LFC in detail amazes me- it is entertaining. Thank you.

[RobbieOR]

I don't think that you were following Benitez' career with us very closely, were you?;)

 

Benitez performed with us because he had a wholly free rein, no-one else knew anything about football, and he prospered, for better (the CL and a 2nd finish) and worse ( his ill-judged suicide pact with Purslow).

 

Although your abject knowledge of football in general and LFC in detail amazes me- it is entertaining. Thank you.

 

His best years (bar 2009) were before Hicks and Gillett. It's not that difficult to understand.

[G Richards]

Just finished watching a recording of the league cup final. Bradford had done very well to get there, but they froze on the day a bit, and/or were completely outclassed by a Swansea team who passed it around very nicely. Laudrup seems a class act and will probably go on to bigger and better things.

 

I want to say well done to the Bradford fans. The looked like they were enjoying themselves and they backed their team to the hilt. Fair play. And I don't know the name of the fella, but he must be their chairman or someone important at the club. He had a big club scarf around a dark overcoat. When the players came up to get their medals he applauded profusely and embraced every one of them. They were obviously disappointed, but this fella showed how proud he was of his team. The warmth was evident and it was a good sporting moment.

 

Now, I'm not one to lay into our owners. In fact, I'm quite happy with the way they have backed the manager/s in the transfer market. However... the one blot in Henry's copy book, at least to me, was the way he stood back, aloof, when the King went by, after we lost in the final to Chelsea. I don't know if it was partly cultural, or just a natural introversion on the part of our bespectacled owner. I generally want to be fair and cut people some slack, but I was disappointed that he did not embrace Kenny, warmly, as would have been fitting.

 

I haven't got a clue who the Bradford fella was. Truth be told, he looked like a bit of a glorified county councillor! But the man had warmth, dignity and class for his defeated team. Well done, sir!

[Redder Lurtz]

I don't think that you were following Benitez' career with us very closely, were you?;)

 

Although your abject knowledge of football in general and LFC in detail amazes me- it is entertaining. Thank you.

 

Good god.

[Timão]

I did not say it was irrelevant. I said it's not what I think, but what many will say (and do).

I still stand by the assertion that your reputation is significantly formed via your last job though, and if you make a hash of something, then your previous achievements are severely diminished / discounted / attributed to other factors. If you manage to get another job and do well there, then your former achievements are restored accordingly!

 

If Guardiola fails to do well at Bayern, everything he did at Barca will be thrown into question... "what it really all HIS doing?", "how could he fail with that group of players?", but if he does well at Bayern, it will simply reaffirm that Barca was largely down to him.

 

It's always been that way hasn't it?

 

Totally agree with you on Rafa. Rightly or wrongly, he is being judged not on his whole career but on the last few years, which have not been very good, for whatever reason one may point to.

 

For me, his last good season was in 2008/09, in football terms that is an awfully long time ago.

 

Again, rightly or wrongly, he has a reputation as someone who cannot get on with his superiors and who looks for trouble, as if it is something he needs to prosper. In no other club will he ever find a chairman as laid back and hands off as David fucking Moores, so that reputation spells trouble in terms of him finding another job. Chelsea was precisely the opportunity to show 'hey, I'm still here' and he must have been counting on winning the League Cup to prove that point.

 

As for Guardiola, I think he may have a tough time at Bayern, especially bearing in mind that he will take over a team which is, currently, near perfect: they will win the league by about 15 points, score lots of goals, have conceded a grand total of 8 all season, play nice football and could yet win a treble (as last year, when they ended up with nothing).

 

It will be really hard to better what Heynckes has done this season, all at a club which is not know for its patience unless you are a friend of Ulli Hoeness

[Redder Lurtz]

Just finished watching a recording of the league cup final. Bradford had done very well to get there, but they froze on the day a bit, and/or were completely outclassed by a Swansea team who passed it around very nicely. Laudrup seems a class act and will probably go on to bigger and better things.

 

I want to say well done to the Bradford fans. The looked like they were enjoying themselves and they backed their team to the hilt. Fair play. And I don't know the name of the fella, but he must be their chairman or someone important at the club. He had a big club scarf around a dark overcoat. When the players came up to get their medals he applauded profusely and embraced every one of them. They were obviously disappointed, but this fella showed how proud he was of his team. The warmth was evident and it was a good sporting moment.

 

Now, I'm not one to lay into our owners. In fact, I'm quite happy with the way they have backed the manager/s in the transfer market. However... the one blot in Henry's copy book, at least to me, was the way he stood back, aloof, when the King went by, after we lost in the final to Chelsea. I don't know if it was partly cultural, or just a natural introversion on the part of our bespectacled owner. I generally want to be fair and cut people some slack, but I was disappointed that he did not embrace Kenny, warmly, as would have been fitting.

 

I haven't got a clue who the Bradford fella was. Truth be told, he looked like a bit of a glorified county councillor! But the man had warmth, dignity and class for his defeated team. Well done, sir!

 

I think that was Mark Lawn, Rev. This bloke:

 

 

I enjoyed his reaction as well. Seems like a really passionate chairman. He does like a pie though...

[Il Fenomeno]

I don't think that you were following Benitez' career with us very closely, were you?;)

 

Benitez performed with us because he had a wholly free rein, no-one else knew anything about football, and he prospered, for better (the CL and a 2nd finish) and worse ( his ill-judged suicide pact with Purslow).

 

Although your abject knowledge of football in general and LFC in detail amazes me- it is entertaining. Thank you.

 

We finished 2nd that season despite the owners, not because of them.

 

Up until 2008 you could see the clear progress that was being made with the squad when we had a very strong team that also had a bit of strength in reserve. Then the sell to buy policy kicked in and we lost a lot of depth in key positions. We did well to finish 2nd but we were lucky that most of our key players avoided injuries and the average players in the squad played above themselves for most of the season.

[G Richards]

I think that was Mark Lawn, Rev. This bloke:

 

 

I enjoyed his reaction as well. Seems like a really passionate chairman. He does like a pie though...

 

Thanks Redder Lurtz - that's the fella! I didn't know how much was the big scarf and the overcoat, but clearly the man is partial to a nice hot-pot! Top fella though. Loves his team.

[G Richards]

On another note, how far will Chelsea fall? Before a ball was kicked this season I thought they would win the league, but it's all gone pear shaped for them. Terry and Benitez don't seem to be the best of friends either. I only hope the discord leads to more dropped points. I hate doing this to myself, but we could EASILY have a couple more wins on the board and be in the mix with Spurs, Arsenal and Chelsea for the last two Champions League spots. I think it is now too much to hope for, as every time we show something, and hope returns, we go on to shoot ourselves in the foot again.

 

I think we will go above Everton but will finish sixth this season. Would be funny if Chelsea didn't make the top four though.

[billypilgrimnz]

Chelsea might not be the best shop window for Rafa to advertise himself. But all he has to do is keep Chelsea in a top four spot. Everyone knows that beyond that, whether he did well or not, he was always a temporary solution until Mourinho comes back. Plus he was a hostile replacement for a fan favourite. A top club looking for a champions league manager might take all of those things into consideration.

 

He's not doing himself any favors by following Mourinho around (Inter, Chelsea, wants Real Madrid) and coming off second best in results. Obviously it's not something he has planned, but his stock has fallen dramatically with his stance of only wanting jobs at clubs that can compete the at the highest level - and then not having them compete at the highet level.

 

If he had never come to Liverpool, would anyone here be salivating at the thought of him coming here on the back of the last three years? I doubt it.

[Nightcat]

Rafa looks tired, unhappy and overweight. He gets tons of abuse every day. He doesn't deserve that kind of treatment. I know some will say the pay check is too high, but Rafa doesn't look alright. I like the man and I hope he finds his tranquility eventually, at another club.

 

I think Spurs would have been the ideal club for him last summer, but they've chosen Villas Boas and it has worked brilliant for them. Newcastle eventually could be a good option for Rafa as well.

[RobbieOR]

On another note, how far will Chelsea fall? Before a ball was kicked this season I thought they would win the league, but it's all gone pear shaped for them. Terry and Benitez don't seem to be the best of friends either. I only hope the discord leads to more dropped points. I hate doing this to myself, but we could EASILY have a couple more wins on the board and be in the mix with Spurs, Arsenal and Chelsea for the last two Champions League spots. I think it is now too much to hope for, as every time we show something, and hope returns, we go on to shoot ourselves in the foot again.

 

I think we will go above Everton but will finish sixth this season. Would be funny if Chelsea didn't make the top four though.

 

I never, ever thought Chelsea would be anywhere near winning the league. Di Matteo isnt a very good manager and his tactics in the Champions League last year basically revolved around having 11 men behind the ball and they got the biggest amount of luck Ive seen any team get in that competition. If they hadnt of given him the job full time I reckon they'd have had a better chance and then bringing in Rafa was a bit stupid too.

 

They are about where I thought they would be this year so Im not having that Benitez is doing a bad job. He's doing alright, they'll finish third and they might win the cup. Not a disaster at all.

[General Dryness]

Fucking hell. Inflatable bananas?

 

Mario Balotelli kept cool despite provocation from Inter fans during the derby | AC Milan Football News, Fixtures, Results, Table | Sky Sports

[moof]

Rafa looks tired, unhappy and overweight. He gets tons of abuse every day. He doesn't deserve that kind of treatment. I know some will say the pay check is too high, but Rafa doesn't look alright. I like the man and I hope he finds his tranquility eventually, at another club.

 

I think Spurs would have been the ideal club for him last summer, but they've chosen Villas Boas and it has worked brilliant for them. Newcastle eventually could be a good option for Rafa as well.

 

Just going off the general perception of him and the media's dislike for the man I don't think he'll get another job in the premier league. Nor should he take one if offered.

 

He'll always be on a hiding to nothing in this country.

[moof]

The league cup was pretty much a non event. Swansea looked completely at ease yet Bradford shat themselves every time the ball came near to them.

 

A real shame because they'd done brilliantly to get to the final and really deserved to be there.

[manwiththestick]

Team GB take the lead against West Ham.

[amli]

Carroll wins and scores a penalty.

[King Gheedorah]

There wasn't any need for Parker to dive in like that. But would he be the Scott Parker we all know if it wasn't for challenges like this.

[Rush 346]

Carroll wins and scores a penalty.

 

nicely converted that pen too