diego

Rafa is not a flawed man. The implosion on the pitch you referred to was the result of sustained patches of poor form by Carragher, in the first 8 weeks of the season, the poor form and attitude of Gerrard throughout the season, the frequent absences of Torres, the lack of intestinal fortitude in a number of players and the extraordinary number of serious injuries to some 18 members of the first team. Given the influence of the pusillanimous moaners in the team one can appreciate all the more the fighters and workers Rafa brought in such as Pepe, Kuyt , Mascherano (although he started poorly, too) and Leiva.

Still posing? You have been one of the most persistent Rafa scab pickers for more than two years even during the days when we were scoring more goals than any other team and more points than ever before in the Premier League while coming in the top four for five years and second last year. Whether or not you called him a fat Spanish waiter and said he was on the take and throwing games and threatening to do him physical harm - like some of your cronies on here - is not the point. But its noticeable that you never called any of them to account at the time. Some of us who did had our posts removed without explanation. Your technique was to attempt to plead for Bascombe and his vindictive lies, to offer moral support to any of the gossips and nutcases who tried to undermine Rafa and to constantly favor the players, like Carragher, who fuel the journos with gossip in support of their own political agnedas. I've seen you repeatedly adopt your "reasonable critic" pose to defend the extremist anti-Rafa loonies who seem to have a specially protected status on here. To meet you on your chosen ground - that of rational critic - your position is unreasonable that a manager should be forced out who has brought LFC back to international recognition, ensured a top four finish in his first five years, won prestigious cups, guided the team to score more goals and more points than any other in the club's history and exposed for the fans the true nature of the ownership while making a profit on transfers. And before you carry on bleating about 7th place being justification enough, remember that you were on this Rafa scab picking campaign when we were in 1st and 2nd place last year and and all through this season when we were in 4th and 5th. As I have said, nobody begrudges you the right to waltz off on an anti Rafa campaign however petty it is, but at least admit it and stop claiming that it represent reasonable criticism and the Livepool Way.

Still posing? You have been one of the most persistent Rafa scab pickers for more than two years even during the days when we were scoring more goals than any other team and more points than ever before in the Premier League while coming in the top four for five years and second last year. Whether or not you called him a fat Spanish waiter and said he was on the take and throwing games and threatening to do him physical harm - like some of your cronies on here - is not the point. But its noticeable that you never called any of them to account at the time. Some of us who did had our posts removed without explanation. Your technique was to attempt to plead for Bascombe and his vindictive lies, to offer moral support to any of the gossips and nutcases who tried to undermine Rafa and to constantly favor the players, like Carragher, who fuel the journos with gossip in support of their own political agnedas. I've seen you repeatedly adopt your "reasonable critic" pose to defend the extremist anti-Rafa loonies who seem to have a specially protected status on here. To meet you on your chosen ground - that of rational critic - your position is unreasonable that a manager should be forced out who has brought LFC back to international recognition, ensured a top four finish in his first five years, won prestigious cups, guided the team to score more goals and more points than any other in the club's history and exposed for the fans the true nature of the ownership while making a profit on transfers. And before you carry on bleating about 7th place being justification enough, remember that you were on this Rafa scab picking campaign when we were in 1st and 2nd place last year and all through this season even when we were 4th and 5th. As I have said, nobody begrudges you the right to waltz off on an anti Rafa campaign however petty it is, but at least admit it and stop claiming that it represent reasonable criticism and the Livepool Way.

Where have you been for the last six years, then?

Not correct. He was entitled to 14 million (not 16) but agreed to accept only 6. His compensation is not affected by his starting a new job straight away although he knew that there were offers from Inter and other teams.

He was also sacked by the Mexican national team last year. Under him they had the worsed results in living memory. He sucked all the life out of them and brought them to the brink of disqualification from the World Cup losing out to teams like Trinidad. The new manager - a Mexican - had to win all the 7 or 8 remaining games, which he did, reviving the team in the process.

Does anyone know what Rafa's contract buy-out price at Inter Milan is? It's something the new owners might want to know. Note: This is a genuine question designed to evince real information. As such, it is not addressed to Stringvest.

Still on your anti-Kenny agenda from several years ago? As boring as it is it offers some relief from your anti-Rafa agenda. You really are precious the way you cite the board as the fountain of wisdom, authority and justice when it suits your agenda. Accountants and salesmen know football best, don't they? But I suppose that's all we can expect from a glorified bank clerk.

Don't be too hard on him. One of the "pets" of TLW - part of the ruling clique on here - is on record on here as saying he "hates" Rafa and will physically attack him given the opportunity. The same guy also accused Rafa of taking kickbacks. More recently he said Rafa had told Gerrard that he could not be sacked because of what it would cost the club and he did this by rubbing his fingers together in the style of someone rolling a reefer - or in the style of a Spaniard talking about funny money to a guy from Whiston. Its amazing what you could get away with on TLW in the last two years if your were anti-Rafa

We are so lucky to have you! A pseudo-psychoanalyst with a specialization in Spanish football managers you have never met but whom you detest anyway; a pseudo-sports psychologist with inside knowledge of the emotional and mental states of players you have never met and never will; an armchair football analyst trying to pass yourself off as a seasoned professional; a glorified bank clerk who can't believe he sometimes makes it to a corporate box and rubs shoulders with real capitalists: an under-employment gossip who spends far too much time on football forum on his employer's time while lecturing Rafa on ethics.

Rafa didn't finish 7th. The team finished 7th. That includes Gerrard, Carragher and all the others. For Gerrard and Carragher it was not the first time although it was for Rafa.

He didn't say he was "sacked". He wasn't. Rafa was referring to the decision by Purslow to refuse to give any written guarantees about transfer funds and the sale or non-sale of key players. Rafa had been demanding these in his meetings with Broughton. He referred to it when he said that Torres and Gerrard would not be sold despite what "senior sources" might say. Faced with Rafa's demands Purslow preferred to declare that the situation between the board (read "owners") and Rafa was unworkable and under instructions from the owners the board offered Rafa compensation for what was clearly the board's breach of Rafa's contract. Rafa was prepared to fight but faced with the complete collapse of any semblance of independence from the board - including from Broughton - Rafa decided take one of the several jobs he was being offered.

Another important phrase he clearly wanted to get out was to the effect - I fought from the beginning until the end. He won every fair fight. Hopefully he will come back and take care of the hyenas in the press and their mealy-mouthed informers at the club and their sycophantic chorus on here.

The words that the fuddled huddle of petty Rafa-haters on TLW dreaded to hear: I'm definitely not selling the house. Its my home. We'll be back.

Oh the irony! (again and again)

Still posing? You are a long-standing Rafa-hater and your attempts at rationalizing your position are clumsy. You must be shitting yourself at the thought that Rafa might do well at Inter. So you try to cover all eventualities - damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. Why don't you admit that you don't want Dalglish because Rafa does? I had to laugh at your citing Danny Murphy and Carragher as putative references for Hodgson. One of your repetitive themes during the last two seasons was that Rafa was political. It was part of Rafa's job to be political and he did it very well for the club and the fans. As for politics on his own behalf, he finished up exposing the board's breach of contract, getting them to pay 6 million in compensation and landing a top job in Europe a couple of days later. But in your potty anti-Rafa world you want the players to be political - even though it is not their job - but only if they are anti-Rafa. Hence you love Danny Murphy - Koptalk's only genuine Anfield Mole - and a guy who never stopped talking to Bascombe at the NW and Maddock at the Mail and who seized every opportunity to put the knife in Rafa's back both before and after Rafa threw him out. And of course Murphy is big mates and a regular gossiper with Carragher - the guy who has made it very clear that he wants to be manager of LFC someday, and who has already gotten into the habit of weekly press conferences or interviews or phoning radio programs and blog writers to browbeat them with his views. He won't tolerate criticism of himself or Gerrard but thinks its fine to tongue-lash the OTT and foreign players. He's strangely silent on Rafa's leaving even while he sucks up to Capello. Needless to say he is also in the Bascombe Mafia - even pays him to write about him. You are a long-standing admirer and slavish follower of Bascombe and of the school of management-by-tittle-tattle so it doesn't surprise me that you think are next manager should be chosen by the two biggest backstairs gossips the club has seen in a generation.

Seventh is not pathetic and Rafa wasn't sacked.

Not to ruin a nice Rafa-free thread, like, but I think the next manager should be Rafa or whomever Rafa would like us to appoint as an interim manager until the cowboys and their stooges on the board are gone and the new owners are ready to invite Rafa to resume where he left off. Rafa has been very clear, he would like Kenny to be next manager.

I would not ask Gerrard to stay. If I had been club manager I would have benched him often last year and the year before. In fact I would have sold him when his publicity got overblown about three years ago and used the funds to bring in a more focused and more consistent player. Rafa should not have humoured him, although I understand the politics of so doing. My concern is not that he will leave but that he will be judged to be not good enough for Real Madrid and his ego will be too big for him to accept a transfer to most other teams. Barcelona would not want him and, despite all the nonsense being spouted, nor would Inter. Torres would be nuts to stay. He came because he was recruited by Rafa who sold him on his personal vision for the club. Rafa realized that with the current owners and management that vision is no longer viable. Torres should seize the opportunity to seek a release from his contract to find a manager who can develop his talents as well as Rafa did. Despite what he has said about English football, Torres would probably not be happy with the bunch of thugs at Chelsea and he could hardly switch to Man Utd. He should go to Barcelona or, as a long shot and only if they can afford him, to Inter.

Cue the Gerrardapologists: " Capello should have put an arm around his shoulder".

What do you expect from a team led by Gerrard - and that's after a year of "saving himself" for this.

Oh the irony!

I was wondering if there is some kind of mirror device that would allow us to understand your backward-written gibberish.

Still posing? I remember when LFC was scoring more points than ever before in the Premeir League and chasing Man Utd in a very entertaining way. All the time you were carping on about Rafa. Nobody begrudges your right to a personal hatred of the man but have the guts to admit it and stop posing as a rationalist.

Some on TLW have not only applauded the Board's decision "to release" Rafa from his contract but have even propagated the lie that the Board "sacked" him and have congratulated them for that fiction, too. Of course he was not sacked. He demanded that the Board fulfil their employment contract with him and their moral contract with the supporters and the public. In so doing he exposed the Board for what they are - the impotent money-grubbing puppets of Hicks and Gillet. Under pressure from Rafa, the Board scrambled to save face. Rafa helped them out by accepting only partial compensation for their breaches. Since this is what I know to be true I do not agree entirely with the assumptions of the following letter which someone on Rawk has sent to Scudmore at the Premier League. However, with those reservations, I applaud the main purpose of the letter and most of the points it makes. FIGHT BACK, PART III... BROUGHTON. HE NEEDS A RAP ON THE KNUCKLES THIS FELLA! To: Richard Scudamore Chief Executive Premier League 30 Gloucester Place London W1U 8PL cc. David Sheepshanks Acting Co-Chairman The Football Association 25 Soho Square London W1 4FA cc. Roger Burden Acting Co-Chairman The Football Association 25 Soho Square London W1 4FA Dear Mr Scudamore, I wish to express my increasing concern regarding the conduct of Martin Broughton, recently appointed as Chairman of Liverpool Football Club. Upon taking up the part-time role in April 2010, Mr Broughton confirmed that his remit was purely to facilitate the sale of the club on behalf of the current owners. Acting in conjunction with investment bank, Barclays Capital, it was made quite clear that his role was limited to reviewing and making recommendations on potential buyers. Furthermore, as Chairman, it was also made explicit that he would not be involved in the day-to-day running of the club or making operational decisions, deferring those responsibilities to the existing management team headed up by the Managing Director, Christian Purslow, himself a temporary appointment whilst the club sought a long-term replacement for former Chief Executive Rick Parry. As you are no doubt aware, Mr Broughton has always been open about his strong personal allegiances to another, rival Premier League member, Chelsea Football Club. Many Liverpool fans, whilst initally sceptical given such an admission, were nevertheless prepared to cautiously accept his personal inclination, given his very specific role and his 'day job' as Chairman of British Airways plc (BA). We had trust that he would act in a manner befitting the role of Chairman, respectful both of his duties and the confidences they afforded, and ultimately, to act in the best interests of the club. His statement in May 2010 that he felt it unwise to attend the forthcoming Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC, was also seen at the time as understandable albeit a little disconcerting. However, that initial scepticism seems to have been valid and has taken on greater significance following a recent report in the Times: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/spo...cle7140751.ece. Having stated he did not think it wise to appear in public attending that football match between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC, it therefore beggars belief he felt no such compulsion or crisis of conscience about accepting a subsequent invitation to attend Chelsea FC's private party to celebrate their Premier League title. Not only did he happily attend the event, mixing with executives and club officials, but he is alleged to have made 'off-the-record' comments to a Sky journalist and broadcaster present that contradict his official stance on the sales process at Liverpool FC, and worse, made specific insinuations and references to Liverpool's most valuable player, Fernando Torres, glibly suggesting he may leave due to the state of the club. I suggest to you that these remarks - not withdrawn or denied - are both wholly unprofessional (in circumstances not entirely dissimilar to the damaging Triesman affair) and represent clear evidence of a serious conflict of interest given his position at Liverpool FC. There is also the matter of his official involvement in the very recent and somewhat controversial dismissal of Liverpool's manager, Rafael Benitez, a long-standing outspoken critic of Liverpool's owners. Suggestions that he was only communicating on behalf of Christian Purslow are no longer valid given he has now confirmed his direct involvement in an email to Jim Boardman, who runs an independent fans site, AnfieldRoad.com (on which the email is published). In addition to restating his primary remit (the sale of the club), Mr Broughton confirmed he was involved in the dismissal as it was "a matter for the Board". This is contrary to his non-involvement in operational club matters that he claimed upon appointment. Either that original statement was deliberately false, or he has acted in collusion with Christian Purslow (who, it should be noted, shows no sign of ceding his own temporary role, despite having failed in his primary objective to secure investment, and having interviewed no candidates for the CEO position that would render his own job redundant) to terminate the contract of a manager for political purposes. The role of Chairman is not something that he can apply when and where it suits him to do so. Mr Broughton's additional comment in that email that the decision was largely ratified by the media as some sort of justification, is at best, extremely naïve or at worst, utterly disingenuous. Again, a comment that raises serious question marks about his perceived integrity and credibility in general. You may quite reasonably feel this is very much an internal matter for Liverpool FC, not least given the current ownership welcomed his appointment. However, I would remind you that both the Premier League and FA have a regulatory responsibility to maintain the integrity of the game, and where necessary police clubs and individuals involved with clubs, in order to safeguard the interests of the sport. Both organisations are very clear on potential conflict of interests when it comes to clubs, players and agents, and I see no need reason why that policy should not be extrapolated and enforced in this matter. Let us not forget the controversy and disrepute that Peter Kenyon was involved with following investigations into his involvement in transfers towards the end of his tenure at Manchester United whilst in discussions to join Chelsea. Suggestions of questionable moral conduct by association also tainted him at Stamford Bridge, for example the Quest report into unlicensed agents. Then there is David Dein, who was also subjected to similar controversy and accusations of conflicting interests given his dual roles at Arsenal and the FA. Ultimately, the game's executives must be beyond reproach, a criteria that Mr Broughton has even in such a short time, evidently failed to fulfill. Whatever his credentials at BA, Martin Broughton is very far from being an experienced football executive. He was appointed only to provide a credible and reputable business figurehead with whom potential buyers for the club could comfortably enter into discussions with (in stark contrast to owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett). However inexperience is not an excuse for ill-judged and questionable conduct. And so I would call upon you to investigate this matter and strongly consider a motion to censure his conduct. Given the circumstances and his comments, I would hate to think what the potential ramifications would be if, for example, Fernando Torres was sold to Chelsea this summer. Improper or not, it would be seen as a transfer potentially involving corruption given Mr Broughton's access to confidential contracts and his own personal loyalties, and any failure for you to properly investigate such a proposed deal would be highly damaging to the game in England, and consequently the Premier League's reputation globally. I ask you, therefore, to act pre-emptively and in the first instance, investigate this matter by requesting Mr Broughton answer these deeply-held concerns (held by the vast majority of genuine Liverpool stakeholders I might add) regarding his allegiances and agenda, and for you to report as such via reputable media outlets. At the very least, it will serve as a welcome reminder to Mr Broughton as to his wider responsibilities and duty of care as chief representative of one of your high-profile members. Yours faithfully, (name withheld)