Liverpool FC Forum

[Sir Roger]

Is Rafa in a situation where he needs to acheive at least X Y and Z in order to keep his job, or can the club put a poor season down to experience (if indeed it pans out that way) and simply brave it out for the good of the project?

Experience is all fine and well, Mick, IF Rafa learns from it. But I don't think he will because that's the kind of person he is. Rafa will turn to injuries, the owners and Father Ted for reasons we didn't come on this season. That is not learning from your experience, that's being childish.

But that's Rafa - and we have to either accept that about him or get rid.

I say we stick with him for the rest of the season and judge his performance on the season as a whole. Not August - November.

Things are grim - as grim as they can be - but it's still early days yet. It's going to be an odd season with big teams losing all sorts of points and we're capable of going on a serious unbeaten run. Couple that with players coming back from injury and others reaching the performances of last season and we'll be okay. We've got heart and we got the talent. We're just not believing in ourselves at the moment. And luck is against us.

It'll be okay.

Good post
This month is crucial. We have five matches and we must win them all. If not we will be in crisis territory

[Benny The Noon]

Missed that post from Avi - and agree with Sir Roger . Last season are horror month was Jan - lets hope we have got rid of our horror month already .

[Effes]

Aspirations, in priority order:

1. I pray we get a top 4 spot.
2. Win FA Cup
3. Qualify from group stage.

I think you're dreaming mate.

Aspirations Reg.

aspiration noun
/ˌæs.pɪˈreɪ.ʃən//-pɚˈeɪ-/
[C usually plural U] something that you hope to achieve

[Owzat]

Never mind players eyeing the exit door. My biggest worry is that whether or not the player wants to go, failure to progress in the Champions league and the resulting loss in revenue may well prompt the owners to sell off some of our best assets    .

Even if we progress in the CL, the way we are going we'd need to win it somehow to be in it next season! People talk of the cost of sacking Rafa, what about the potential calamity we could face if we continue as we are and don't sack him - players wanting CL football when we might not qualify, players want league titles when we seem no closer, players wanting to see new signings when we have no money, etc etc etc

I do worry that fans might get carried away with a CL run or even success and lose track of the main aim, to win the league. Cup runs can prove distracting in many ways

[eonerf]

As a follow on, do people who are broadly speaking "pro" have a minimum standard of acheivement for the team this season, or do you advocate leaving the manager in charge absolutely regardless of how we go? Would non qualification for the Champions League be enough to make you think a change would be beneficial, or would you be able to put that aside given man City's financial investment?

Well at the end of the season if we don't qualify for the CL than Rafa should go unless we win the league which is looking rather unlikely.

At the end of the day Rafa has shot himself in the foot by selling the likes of Alonso, Hyypia, Crouch, Sissoko, Keane, Bellamy, Ciise, Riise, Luis Garcia and Pennant. Some of those players might have not played their best for the club but they were still better than some of the dead wood we've now got in the squad.

[spion]

It is known throughout football that in the Premier League Managers of Arsenal, Manure, Chavski & Liverpool (the big four) must attain top four status at the very least. Wenger & the manager of manure aside if Benitez or Carlo Ancelotti fail to get top four they would be shown the door. We must qualify for the champions league this season or it truly will be a disaster. I don't think we'd do a "Leeds" but to keep players like Torres, Mascherano & Reina at the club we must be playing in the Champions league year in year out.

[Zidane]

Win the CL and or FA cup while finishing at least 3rd in the league.  4th isn't something I am hoping for we're better than that and we'll prove it before its all said and done imo.

[Benny The Noon]

Nice and positive Zidane - good to see and hear

[Sir Roger]

Nice and positive Zidane - good to see and hear

Ditto
Except we'll finish second not third

[Benny The Noon]

[loopyliverpool]

Top four, FA Cup, having a fully fit 'first' team, and as we aint going to win it, watching any team other than Man U win the league.