Antynwa

Carlo Cudicini David Dunn

They are a point behind us and have more experience. If we won't win the league, Chelsea or the Mancs will, we need to be taking as many points as we can, and not dropping silly points like we have been. We've had our easy streak in the league, United and Chelsea have theirs to come.

It's December We are playing shite Chelsea are hot on our heels We have two strikers who couldn't hit a drunk blind girl in a bar Torres is still injured We have dropped points in the easiest run in the league we will have this season. It's far too early to call anything, I just believe if we are to fall short of success this year, we look upon the past few fixtures and say 'Thats where we lost the league'

I agree. But, and this is the kicker for me at the moment, we have a team to win the league, it's quite clear we do, and I and many people here believe Benitez isn't utilising it properly. Parry called it right, if Benitez got his way we'd be without one of the best midfielders around right now. I agree it isn't Parry's choice to make, but he made a call, go with or go without. If he honestly believed he couldn't get Keane unless he got him at that moment in time, then he made that choice, and he got Rafa his man. I want the owners and Parry out as much as the next person, I just believe at the moment, a contract for Rafa should not be discussed until Summer. We will never get a better manager than Benitez under the current owners, infact we won't even get a half decent manager if Benitez was to leave, and for that reason alone I want him to stay, at the moment though, I'm not confident that Benitez will be able to deliver us a title, as I have repeated time and time again, I think that some of the points we have dropped at home will haunt us at the end of the season. We will soon find out anyway, I hope we win the league, Benitez stays on the owners leave and Pepe Reina goes on the Mic in town. But we are a billion zillion miles away from that now....

Parry is a tit. I've never defended him much, but on this one he may have called it right. We just sold Crouch, we already had Xabi Alonso, a player many of us here wanted to keep (Myself not included I wanted Barry). Parry made a call which would have allowed Benitez to get Keane, which he did, he got Benitez his man, whatever happend with Barry is something that clearly was for the better. I reckon Barry will be here on the cheap soon anyway.

No. He wanted a lampshade first and a sofa second, he got the Sofa first and kicked off. Parry played it right, with the benefit of hinsight of course. Although the decision to sign Keane clearly is up to question.

So many rights and wrongs in what Parry did, all with the aid of hindsight

European Cup Winning Djimi Traore Laughs at your suggestion

I don't think Capello is a as ruth less or as 'robotic' as Benitez

You could say, that Rafa's man management style is his own, I'd say it's shit.We changed one of the best dutch strikers into a midfield workhorse We made Crouch the player he was, and screwed him over. We played Cisse on the wings In many respects Steven Gerrard Xabi Alonso and Gareth Barry Oh and Robbie Keane.

I just thought it was petulant beheaviour...Now I'm not so sure, he's got every right to be kicking off after whats happend the past few weeks. It's Crouch Mk 2

I wanted to sign him, I was buzzing when he signed, really chuffed to bits, I rate him big time. But it's quite clearly now, the wrong decision, and the buck stops with Rafa. I myself said the same thing, we should wait till the end of the season to see what happend with a contract. I have to admit though, for the first time in 3 years, I have never felt so sure that Benitez's decision making has cost us something big. If I didn't have faith in him and what team he has got to win the league, I wouldn't have said expectations. I hope I'm wrong mind.

Aye, very true. Rafa's stubborness may just be the downfall or the 'catalyst' of our success this season.

Fact is Benitez was willing to spend 20 Million for Robbie Keane, and that he did. The buck stops with him, and as I mentioned, 2 weeks ago Rafa came out and said Keane is low on confidence, so what does he do? He keeps him on the bench despite an excellent game v PSV. And puts Lucas, and Babel on ahead of him in a game we need to win. I don't get the logic, you can't say he's low on confidence and don't play him when he plays well, thats just counter productive. You can't have it both ways. Also remember when Keane scored for the first time? What does he do the next week? He drops him? Why? What is the point when a player is low on confidence, who scores his first goal for the club only to drop him the next week? It's bizarre, and it's a stubborn and wrong attitude Benitez has. He did it with Crouch last year. FWIW I don't think Keane would have made much of a difference, but who knows, he was the logical player to put on because Kuyt was having a mare. Even then, he could have changed the formation to 4-4-2 and lobbed Yossi off for Keane, at least the result would have been easier to swallow. As I said, Keane has been a proven quality player for years, Benitez must take some of the blame for what Keane is playing like now. The buck stops with him.

Interesting... Personally I think Rafa got it wrong this summer if that is the case. As much as I believe in many ways Keane's attitude has left alot to be desired, it's a two sided coin, one of the most talented players of the past few years can't go from being that, to what he is now on his own. Benitez must hold some of the blame, for the shadow of Robbie Keane we have on our bench now.

Dirk Kuyt has been turned from a striker, to a RM, to a striker, he's been brilliant this season, he had a shit game v Hull and should have been brought off. But whether you play Keane or Kuyt upfront on their own it's just a bad move.

Madhead

Nah 'imnorracceptinthat' If we won the league I'd go on a bender bigger than the one in 2005 and sing Rafa's name from dusk till dawn. I suppose in the same token, if we finished 4th again this season, we'd still have people mentioning Istanbul and 'Dem Owners' despite the fact we all know we have a team capable of winning the league.

I agree with this. If I see something I don't agree with, I'll say it. I honestly believe the choices Rafa has made of late in the league has cost us, and may just cost us more come May....

The European game suits Benitez, I have no doubt in my mind if Benitez was to leave Liverpool for Europe he would achieve shed loads.

Win, Lose or Draw, the buck stops with Rafa.

True. But from here on in, succeed or we could fail drastically, If we do the later. You would have to give it some thought.

Oh and yeah, I've met George before. My Dad (No shit) is 'Operation Anfield exercise' man, and it was the Hillsborough Service in 2006. He talked to me about the time it happend, and where he was. I was in the control room that day. He's a great guy and is very witty;.

O'Course he should stay, one of the bets one liners was last season, or possibly the one before that when he was announcing the full time score of (I think) Spurs v Newcastle and it was some strange scoreline. Everyone looked at eachother in amusement, to which George responded...'Exactly'

Some peoples cunt-o-metres are clearly broke. If someone that helped raise money for Africa is a cunt? What does that make Andy Gray?