Liverpool FC Forum

[supersub]

[72-1090627431]

I think the guy is scared of LFC. he knows they are gonna get pasted monday night. he made a comment saying the Benitez has done what Wenger did for Arsenal when he came, and brought unknown players from his own country that no other premiership clubs knew about. thats why he's saying LFC can challenge for the league this year.

im expecting Garcia and Alonso, and Stevie to take the p*ss on monday night.

[JBG]

I still think its the old Fergie tactic of talking us up in the hope that'll it'll add to the pressure on us.

[azriahmad]

Agreed, JBG. It is too early in a long season for Fergie to be genuinely scared of us. He knows that his team cannot really match Arsenal although he hates to admit it. His gameplan is to play mind games with whomever he can, try to put unnecessary pressure on his opposite number and try to pile on the points for manure so that they don't get too far left behind.

He is just trying to put more pressure on Benithez knowing how important it is for Benithez to put on a good showing in the upcoming game against the auld enemy manure...

[A.B.]

He can't play mindgames with Rafa. I'm sure Barca and Madrid the same thing against Valencia

[the great one]

He can't play mindgames with Rafa. I'm sure Barca and Madrid the same thing against Valencia

nah im sure they didn't its the british meanitly to play mind games

[A.B.]

you'd be surprised. Depends on who the manager is.

[azriahmad]

Mindgames are played to upset or add unnecessary pressure to your opponents, not because one is necessarily scared of the opponent. If you are genuinely scared of your opponent, you'd do more than simply play mind games, you'd adjust your tactics and/or playing personnel to counter your opponent's strengths. What Fergie does is his classic ploy to try and play up Liverpool's chances in the hope that it will get into the players' heads and let in complacency.

He has done this successfully in the past, most notably against a Newcsatle side with Keegan as their manager with 12 point advantage over manure in 1996. He suggested that they are already champions in waiting and that refs give them the break in games.

Against Arsenal. he never did say such things as they are superior to his side, just that they may get the lucky breaks and that their side has not accomplished much in Europe. Against Arsenal and Chelsea, Fergie would go on the offensive and try to belittle them, against teams which he does not really fear, he tries to give compliments in the hope of complacency coming in.

I don't believe Fergie fears Liverpool, cautious but not fear like Arsenal, and this mindgame against Liverpool is geared towards unsettling us and ensure they get max points to close the gap to Arsenal.

Get real, guys and gals, it is Arsenal and Chelsea he fears more than us.

[The_Rock]

Fergie is an old fart who have should have retired 2 seasons ago (luckily he didn't  ).

He is still living in mid 90s where he thinks managers will fall for his now in-famous mind games.

RB is the last person who will fall for Fergie mind-games. He is a modern scentific coach (Benitez once described himself as a 'loner with a laptop' due to the amount of time he spent alone masterminding tactics on a computer).

So sorry fergie, go and play your games with wenger...

[laza]

More Fergie mind games or will Rooney be sitting in the stands
I actually prefer to see him play

fm LFC TV

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson insists that despite press speculation to the contrary, he will not be handing Wayne Rooney his United debut against Liverpool on Monday night. 
The former Everton striker returned to training last week with a view to hopefully making his first appearance for his new club against Rafael Benitez's side but Ferguson appears to have slammed the door on that idea.
 
"We can't play Wayne until he's been passed by the medical people. He has another meeting with them on Monday which should be the final one. He has no chance of playing against Liverpool. He's been training fine but he's had no contact yet."
 
* Take Alex Ferguson's quotes about Rooney having "no chance of playing against Liverpool" with a hefty pinch of salt. The Manchester United manager has been known to write of a player's chances of being fit for a big match before only for the player to make a miraculous recovery on the day.