Galactico

:lol: You're the first person to say that, even Bluenose Gray said it was a stonewaller. Which it was. Rafa said "If I decide to stay here it WAS because of the fans." Just watched it on Beeb. So no story there.

Shocking game, shocking ref, good character from our players and Kyriagos deserved MOTM...we really should have won that. We're out of luck at the moment, we were denied two clear pens and on another day Kuyt's header goes in (bad miss though). But there is something fundamentally wrong with a team that keeps conceding late goals, just as there is something special about teams that keep nabbing them. Was Rafa's 'I can't decide' comment lost in translation somehow or is he really thinking of quitting? Susprising it hasn't been picked up more widely.

This argument is nonsense and just shows how obsessed the media are with certain stars. Alonso was critical to how we played last season, yet apparently we were a two man team, in spite of the fact that we have arguably the best holding player and best keeper (or close to it) in the world. Overall: Reina - world class Johnson - Very good and made an impact but been unlucky with injuries Insua - young and learning, but made too many mistakes this season and needs a rest - a weak link at the back ATM Carragher - fading tbqfh but a Liverpool legend who, like Sami, will continue to have more good days than bad Agger - short on confidence but has real quality Skrtel - had some storming games for us and arguably has a case to start ahead of Carra now Aurelio - as good a left back as most in the Prem, but injury prone Darby - shows promise and deserves a go more often Kelly - see Darby Degen - ok going forward but poor defender Kyriagos - shocking, don't know why we bought him Mascherano - world class Aquilani - clearly talented, but will probably need a season or so to really show his best Lucas - squad player at very best, ok as cover in the holding role but limited and fouls too often Gerrard - world class (but doesn't look interested this season) Spearing - not sure he has quite enough, but as he is young and local, we may never know Benayoun - very good Prem player who has had some great games for us Riera - started well but disappears too often - squad man Babel - frustrating as he clearly has talent, not sure about his attitude but not sure he has been well managed - definitely good enough if he was invested in IMO Kuyt - second touch a tackle. A trier but little more. Torres - world class N'Gog - probably not good enough but has his moments Pacheco - a real young talent, give him a go Rafa, you've little to lose now El Zhar - shit Maxi - time will tell Most of those players are good enough and some are among the best in the business. But none of them have any confidence in each other (or arguably the manager) ATM. The question is whether Rafa can get them to believe and play as a team, as he did last season. I'm not optimistic,

The emotion in this thread is palpable and understandable. I have always been one of those who has defended Benitez and I think that in his time here, we've had some great nights. He has brought in some world class players who were a vast improvement on what we had before - Torres, Reina and Mascherano are among the best in the world at what they do. But...we can't go on pretending that something hasn't gone wrong. Reading - fucking Reading, a team struggling to stay in the league below us - is simply the crowning glory. We have also lost to the worst team in our league and to several other teams who are less than ordinary. Whatever the limitations of the current squad, the players we have are better than those in most of the teams that have turned us over this season. That can only point to one thing - the players are not performing as they can 9and did towards the end of last season). That is where the manager comes in - if he can't motivate the players or build up what looks like shattered confidence - then he is not doing his job. I have no doubt Benitez has fallen in love with LFC or that he works hard, but frankly, so would I if I were our manager (and so does Kuyt on the pitch, but what's the outcome?) I'd be sad to see Rafa go, but we just seemed to have reached a point, as we did with Houllier, where the players don't believe in him (or themselves) anymore. We can point to shocking luck with injuries and some bad luck in certain games, but the bottom line is, this keeps happening and it can't be allowed to go on. Things have changed very quickly, as they often do in football and Rafa doesn't look like he knows how to resolve this. Like Boxer in Animal farm, his only solution is to work harder. I can't believe I'm saying this given that I tipped us for the title this year, but the only thing that can keep Rafa at the club now is us not being able to find the right man to take over. The cost of firing him and the likely cost of bringing in a Hiddink or a Mourinho (with no real transfer budget) could well keep him in his job. If we can't bring in the very best, we'd have to look to the next level down - an O'Neill, Hodgson or similar -and that may be a bigger gamble than keeping Benitez. I'm sure Kenny would take over as an interim, but he has been out of the game at this level too long to inspire confidence that is anything other than sentiment. But...if things are so badly wrong that we can be outplayed by such a shit team...maybe we just have to bite the bullet. I wouldn't relish it as some people on here seem to, but it is hard today to see a way back for this regime.

I'm afraid whatever one's view of Benitez, this is a laughable thread with some laughable opinions. So the guys who wanted Jurgen Klinnsman as manager are somehow going to step in with their superior footballing knowledge and pick the team? And Rafa doesn't care about the club? That's clearly bollocks, whatever people's views on some of his decisions. He has had a number of opportunities to walk away. Some of the anti-Rafa stuff is now nothing more than silly ranting. I have serious problems with some of what has gone on this season, but some of the reaction to it is increasingly bizarre.

Agree with others that the Lucas-Masch midfield is a major factor in our poor season to date. We have had other options even when Aquilani has not been fit - drop Gerrard back and play Yossi as the support striker, give Babel a go on the right and make Kuyt the support striker - but Benitez seems determined to persist with a failing system. He has never in the past struck me as Houllieresque in that way, determined to prove he is right and everyone else wrong, but in this case the resemblance is frightening. Mascherano is the best holding midfielder in the world, put him alongside a good passer who can move the ball quickly and set the tempo and you have the perfect balance. put him alongside Lucas, who despite his improvement is a squad player at very best for Liverpool, and you have no creativity in the middle whatsoever. Even the lamest pundits have spotted this, how can a world class coach miss it? Ok, we have had major injury problems so sometimes that has been the only option, but it clearly wasn't the only option yesterday or in the last few weeks. Not throwing on Aquliani for the last 20 minutes or so is just astonishing. So is taking off our best attacker this year and replacing him with an apparently perpetually young player who it would be kind to call average. Having said all that, N'gog missed an absolute sitter which could have won the game and I'm sure Rafa will argue that that was the key moment. We 'controlled the game' of course, which is pretty irrelevant if you don't win it. Rafa is falling back on caution as he always does when we hit a sticky spell. It's totally the wrong thing to do. Aquilani should have stared today, he also needs to look at Kuyt's form this season as it's been shocking and think about his options in that position. Apparently Aquilani will start in the dead rubber in midweek. Whoopy do. If a player is worth £20m, he should be playing in the games that matter.

Christ, thank fuck for that, congrats on being the first person to post a line up that is any way tactically plausible!

He actually does a decent enough job for England in their system, but he wouldn't fit ours and would be warming the bench as he is at Villa, so why bother if regular games is his problem? I don't think Ngog is twice the player - he is very poor cover for Torres and Heskey would be better, but neither is what we really need.

Scott Parker is a million times better than Lucas. Lennon would also be good. I don't rater Carlton Cole and don't want Heskey back, but we do need more options up front. Defoe on current form, but wouild cost too much and wouldn't be happy on our bench. Crouch isn't starting for Spurs so is in same position he was, but with a lesser team - wouldn't mind him coming back. Milner would be too expensive, as would Joe Cole, but both decent players who would be an improvement on Riera/Babel

Agreed - he would be much better in a central role, though ATM his confidence looks shot and his attitude isn't improving.

When Lucas has played further forward, he hasn't done much. I'm afraid he has yet to deliver on his early potential, except for one very good performance against Newcastle. As someone said above, he isn't a player who will change a game and in that position we need players who will - Mascherano is a spoiler, but can dominate the midfield area. Lucas can look useful alogside him if everyone else is playing well, but he isn't a player who will turn a game. It is hard to see him being anything more than back up in the longer term, if even that - his tendency to give away silly free kicks with poor tackles makes him a liability at times, even more so when we are defending setpieces as we have this season.

Babel showed great potential in his first season, took a step back last term and can honestly have no complaints about being dropped after his performance at Spurs, which was atrocious - especially as Benayoun when he replaced him was our best attacking player. Whether he needs an extended run in the side to finally prove his worth is debatable - on current form, he's lucky to be on our very weak bench. He is a player with ability, I've no doubt about that, but he is running out of time to deliver at Anfield. Still think he's our best available option up front if Torre is out, but that is as much a reflection on Ngog and Kuyt in the centre - and on the paucity of our options up front - as a staement of belief in his potential. Sometimes players just lose confidnece and need a move to get back to their best. Unless something changes quickly - and I still hope it will - that looks like being the cae for Babel.

Also think major issues like support for ShareLiverpoolFC are wrong-headed in the extreme. A situation in which the decision to sack a manager could be taken on the basis of the views of some of those 'passionate LFC supporters' I encounter on the net who knee jerk after every game, is a frightening prospect. Not something I'd support and not a decision a union exec should take without consultation. In truth, I have a lot of sympathy with the view that SoS is the only show in town and we should remain members or join to change it, but I've frankly lost confidence in the whole thing. It is not just mistakes being made, like the Shields march or the Munich fiasco, it is the whole approach. We need a mass organisation - temporary I suspect - with a single focus: getting rid of the Yanks. SoS had the potential to be that, but doesn't want to be, it wants to divert its energies into other things. And if you as a member disagree, then you just don't understand the Liverpool way...or that's what I was told at any rate. I've now been told they won't communicate with me again. Would it be churlish to ask for a fiver back then given that I paid for a year's membership?

Expresses my views pretty precisely, well said. I won't be rejoining either.

In part...in that I object to paying to join an organisation that then goes off in its own direction. But really it's not just about 'funds', it's also about focus, as time and effort. If I wanted to join an organisation that wanted to organise coaching sessions and community registration, I would - but I and everyone else I know who joined SoS did so to get rid of Hicks and Gillett. That's not a task to be under-estimated and not a task we should be diverted from by worthy initiatives that are better left to others. There seems to be a general lack of consultation with members about direction of travel and then I get this rather toxic response when I raise my concerns. That's to say nothing of the parties and trips abroad...not suggesting any impropriety, just a total lack of focus on the admittedly huge task we joined SoS to achieve.

I have just had the following obnoxious response to my email suggesting I won't renew membership of SoS as they are spending all our cash on coaching sessions, trips abroad and other activities that have nothing whatsoever to do with the reason we all joined - to rid LFC of the current owners. "Thanks for your email which is most disappointing. Despite the primary aims of the SOS being to rid the club of the current owners, the Liverpool Supporters' Union was set up to ensure that the 'Liverpool Way' continued to be understood by future generations of fans and to fight for better conditions for fans whose support for the club has been abused for many years, especially financially. This is why we have Bill Shankly's grandaughter as our patron. Developing community links, especially in the Anfield area and support from the local community is paramount and something Bill Shankly felt very strongly about. If you don't understand this then perhaps it is best that you don't renew. Regards Sammy SOS" I'm simply astounded at the lack of professionalism in response to a member's legitimate concerns about how funds are being spent. I'm all for support for the community around Anfield and communities everyhwere, I just don't think it's SoS's job to provide it and there other orther organisations who are funded to do that - in fact, get rid of our owners and the redevelopment of that whole area will begin to take shape as part of the stadium project. This is an organisation that has totally lost touch with its membership and its purpose - 'cheaper tickets, 'community' initiatives, trips to the US, Christmas parties ...all funded without any consultation by people who just wanted the Yanks out. Imagine what we might achieve if all the money was spent on campaigning for that. But don't complain, you'll get a lecture on Bill Shankly's values from an organisation which lacked the basic gumption to prevent some halfwit leading a singalong about Muncih at its Christmas party...perhaps if they don't understand that Shanks would be spinning in his grave at that, they shouldn't misappropriate his name. The whole thing is a farce and a crying shame.

I don't want to write him off before a ball, or more likely an opponent, is kicked, but let's face it, this is at best an uninspiring signing. For all the protests against the owners, they are still there and they are wrecking our football club. Actually would rather have seen Kelly given a go - what has Rafa got against local kids? Ayala didn't look up to much in the Youth Cup Final, whereas Kelly has always looked decent.

I'm surprised at how many people are just accepting Mascherano is on his way. He is under contract to Liverpool and a Rafa has said, he is priceless to us. There's no better holding midfielder in the world and you can't put a value on the job he does for us. Swapping him for exciting attacking players is ok for those who like to play fantasy football, but the reality is that he's the best in the business at what he does and would have to be replaced by a lesser player. That makes no sense to a club that wants to compete for the highest honours. There's every chance he is just angling for a pay rise and who can blame him when you look at the stories of Johnson becoming the third highest earner at the club. But if he really wants to go...tough shit. He's got a 3 year contract and we are not a selling club.

I think there is a bit of overreaction on here to Keane. He has had a poor start, no question, and lacks confidence at the moment. There is certainly a case for him starting the derby on the bench. But good players don't become bad overnight. he scored 24 goals last season and in a lot of games was Spurs' best player - more of a hero to their fans than Berbatov. Remember it took Crouch nearly 20 games to get off the mark - if strikers don't score, it can affect their confidence and that is what has happened with Keane. We also shouldn't overreact to yesterday any more than we should have to the Man U win. It was just one of those days that all teams have - just because we have dropped silly points in previous seasons, doesn't mean it will be come a habit this year. On another day, the legitimate Gerrard goal counts and we win 3 or 4 nil. People shouldn't knee jerk to the extent they are - it's one reason why ShareLiverpoolFC would probably end in tears if it ever worked, with managers sacked every other week by the sort of people who visit football forums. Having said that, our best shape remains 4-2-3-1 witrh Gerrard either behind Torres or on the right. I'd start next week with the team that started against Man U, with Torres for Keane and Gerrard for Yossi..

Looks like hype to me, he obviously isn't happy, but as ever it's blown out of all proportion. All he has actually said is that Parry is responsible for transfer dealings - which explains why our transfer plans continually go awry. Once upon a time, Liverpool FC was the yardstick for how to run a football club. We lost a bit of that when Moores and Parry took over, but since the advent of the Yanks, we are probably the worst run club in the Premier League. It is absolute chaos, seemingly permanent warfare - two ejits who don't understand football, an inept and spin-obsessed chief exec and a manager floundering in the middle of it all. Something has got to give and if it's not the Yanks (and Parry if I had my way), it will be Benitez. Only the fan protests saved him last year, but they are just waiting for an opportunity to fire him - if he doesn't walk away first.