Liverpool FC Forum

[Scottbot]

Ok Scott you could be right mate but sacking Rafa on november 1st does not solve the problem.

We need a business plan and game plan to see ourselves out of this mess.

Without a doubt, I'm not for one minute saying sack the manager, he still has my backing and getting rid of your manager mid-season is a desperate measure that comes from desperate chairman. And to be fair, I don't think that many on here want rid either, they're just frustrated.

I still can't get over that team we fielded yesterday though 

In you're opinion then and from now until the end of the season what would Rafa have to do to keep him in the job?

Well i've pretty much backed Rafa from day one and I will continue to do so, so it is very difficult for me to say he must achieve this or that to keep his job. What Rafa does possess (and even his fiercest critics will concede this) is an uncanny ability to turn things around when the vultures are circling and the wheels seem to be falling off his team. Houllier built a team that progressed season on season but he couldn't get them over the hump, they started heading downhill and he could do nothing about it as they headed into free-fall. The same thing happened to the likes of Keegan and Bobby Robson at Newcastle. Even if we go out of Champions League at the group stages and never manage to pull ourselves back into the title hunt, I suspect that we will go on an FA Cup run + together with an impressive run in the league at some stage to ensure Champions League football for next season. And while that would not be enough for me (I expect us to challenge every season or at least to still be in with a shout as we head into April) I think it will be enough to ensure he gets another crack at the whip next season. Of course, if we fail to qualify for the Champions League, Rafa will be out on his ear, in fact it wouldn't surprise me if the owners got twitchy if it looked like we weren't going to make it with 6-8 games remaining.

In the past, quite a few posters have compared Rafa's rein to that of Houllier and claimed that Rafa has not really fared that much better than his predecessor but it's important (I think) to remember just how bad things got under Houllier (compared to now) during those last two seasons. The football was the worst I'd ever seen from a Liverpool side, we were absolutely clueless, the few top players we had wanted out, we had a squad full of expensive misfits and Anfield was like a library. Now it looks like we've well and truly screwed it all up for this season (we certainly will if we field half the team that played yesterday) BUT we've just come off the back of our most exciting league campaign in nearly two decades and i think that should probably buy the manager more time even if the best we do this season is to limp home in 4th place.

[Fauxy]

Rafa shouldnt get fired.. any other manager in these circumstances, with these owners, would have completely crumbled and most likely left.

If we dont win anything this year, and if we dont finish in the top four then I think he will get fired.

[mart]

They dont have the finances to sack him.

[NANNY RED]

Ok Scott you could be right mate but sacking Rafa on november 1st does not solve the problem.

We need a business plan and game plan to see ourselves out of this mess.

Without a doubt, I'm not for one minute saying sack the manager, he still has my backing and getting rid of your manager mid-season is a desperate measure that comes from desperate chairman. And to be fair, I don't think that many on here want rid either, they're just frustrated.

I still can't get over that team we fielded yesterday though 

In you're opinion then and from now until the end of the season what would Rafa have to do to keep him in the job?

Well i've pretty much backed Rafa from day one and I will continue to do so, so it is very difficult for me to say he must achieve this or that to keep his job. What Rafa does possess (and even his fiercest critics will concede this) is an uncanny ability to turn things around when the vultures are circling and the wheels seem to be falling off his team. Houllier built a team that progressed season on season but he couldn't get them over the hump, they started heading downhill and he could do nothing about it as they headed into free-fall. The same thing happened to the likes of Keegan and Bobby Robson at Newcastle. Even if we go out of Champions League at the group stages and never manage to pull ourselves back into the title hunt, I suspect that we will go on an FA Cup run + together with an impressive run in the league at some stage to ensure Champions League football for next season. And while that would not be enough for me (I expect us to challenge every season or at least to still be in with a shout as we head into April) I think it will be enough to ensure he gets another crack at the whip next season. Of course, if we fail to qualify for the Champions League, Rafa will be out on his ear, in fact it wouldn't surprise me if the owners got twitchy if it looked like we weren't going to make it with 6-8 games remaining.

In the past, quite a few posters have compared Rafa's rein to that of Houllier and claimed that Rafa has not really fared that much better than his predecessor but it's important (I think) to remember just how bad things got under Houllier (compared to now) during those last two seasons. The football was the worst I'd ever seen from a Liverpool side, we were absolutely clueless, the few top players we had wanted out, we had a squad full of expensive misfits and Anfield was like a library. Now it looks like we've well and truly screwed it all up for this season (we certainly will if we field half the team that played yesterday) BUT we've just come off the back of our most exciting league campaign in nearly two decades and i think that should probably buy the manager more time even if the best we do this season is to limp home in 4th place.

Sensible post that Scott mate

[LFC2007]

That's a great post, Scott. Completely agree with you.

[Paul C]

We will win at Lyon and we will scrape through to the next stage
Then we will get knocked out

We need positive members like you, be a real 'supporter' and show some f.cukin support rather than negativity!   

[Effes]

We will win at Lyon and we will scrape through to the next stage
Then we will get knocked out

We need positive members like you, be a real 'supporter' and show some f.cukin support rather than negativity!   

Not that ol' chestnut.

Support is what happens at the match, not an internet football forum.

[Greavesie]

We will win at Lyon and we will scrape through to the next stage
Then we will get knocked out

We need positive members like you, be a real 'supporter' and show some f.cukin support rather than negativity!   

Not that ol' chestnut.

Support is what happens at the match, not an internet football forum.

supporting is in your heart mate, and your mind. it is for me anyway.

Not that I agree with anyone being a 'better' fan than another

[7_Kewell]

read a rumour in the newspaper that Real might make a move for Rafa again. Not sure how true it is, was in the Sunday Telegraph

[Dazzer]

read a rumour in the newspaper that Real might make a move for Rafa again. Not sure how true it is, was in the Sunday Telegraph

They must be thinking about it they wanted him for years now and what better time to grab him for them a better chance might not happen for a long time.

[heimdall]

It seems to me the fans are weaker than the manager.

First sign of disappointment and look how they bleat.

We should create a separate forum for mentally weak people so they can go there and cry together and have group hugs.

Fcuking wooftas, its pathetic.

Yeah Rafa's great isn't he, I love being an average team again, so much better than having ambitions in life, mediocrity is the way forward. 

[heimdall]

read a rumour in the newspaper that Real might make a move for Rafa again. Not sure how true it is, was in the Sunday Telegraph

They must be thinking about it they wanted him for years now and what better time to grab him for them a better chance might not happen for a long time.

If we loose to Lyon Rafa can kiss the Real job goodbye.

[Rockthekop]

My backing for Rafa is hanging by a thread but support him I will until the end of the season. 

I think he deserves that at least unless we go into freefall, which is unlikely.

I'll be expecting Rafa to be replaced though if his only achievement for the season is scraping 4th. 

With any luck we'll get rid of the idiots who own the club by then too.

[7_Kewell]

read a rumour in the newspaper that Real might make a move for Rafa again. Not sure how true it is, was in the Sunday Telegraph

They must be thinking about it they wanted him for years now and what better time to grab him for them a better chance might not happen for a long time.

If we loose to Lyon Rafa can kiss the Real job goodbye.

i'm not so sure. Real rate Rafa and have tried to lure him before. A defeat to Lyon could be the opportunity they seek to turn his head to a new challenge.

The rumour is probably b0ll0cks tho..

[bigmick]

If we do lose to Lyon, presumeably we'll go into the UEFA Cup. Given the sense that we are out of the league and out of one of the domestic cups already, it's almost certain that we are going to take the competition very seriously indeed should we be in it. Funnily enough, with lots of European ties in both a league and two leg knockout format, the competition is in many respects made for Rafa and I've no doubt we'd go very well in it.

The unfortunate thing is with the competition that you have to play seemingly loads of matches to actually get anywhere, and when you do you normally play Seville or someone like that in the final. That's by no means an insurmountable hurdle in itself, but it does mean that the thing lacks the glamour of its big brother competition.

How do people rank the UEFA Cup or whatever it's called these days? I'd have it behind the FA Cup and League Cup to be honest, although I may modify that if we won it I suppose.