Liverpool FC Forum

[Santa]

Wrong team selection? Against Palace...most definately. Against Chelsea...maybe not! Cast your mind back to 9-Apr, we lost timidly to Man City but come up with super human team effort to knock out Juve days later.  Hope for a repeat tho!

[yckatbjywtbiastkamb]

today has shown our squad depth isnt good enough, but rafa couldnt play alonso who has already worked his socks off after coming back from injury and garcia had picked up a knock. but its a good sign that we rely so heavily on two of rafa`s signings.
maybe his selection wasnt the greatest but what manager hasnt made mistakes selection wise?
for his first season and with what he`s had to cope with i think he`s done well, team rebuilding isnt a five minute job and i know its dissapointing but we`ve got to let him do his job and not start acting like spoilt brats who think footballs a game where success is easy. if anyone wants quick success go and support chelsea, me, i`ll do what i`ve always done, support liverpool through wind and rain.
good luck on wednesday rafa.

[Scottbot]

today has shown our squad depth isnt good enough, 

i know its dissapointing but we`ve got to let him do his job and not start acting like spoilt brats who think footballs a game where success is easy. if anyone wants quick success go and support chelsea, me, i`ll do what i`ve always done, support liverpool through wind and rain.
good luck on wednesday rafa.

Just been to the gym for a serious de-stress and it's done the trick to a certain extent. I'm now thinking more along these lines.

Yes, the boss got it wrong today but hopefully he will be vindicated with a good result on Wednesday. Our squad was shown up big time today and you have to wonder if we were ever going to be able to tie up 4th place as well as giving everything in the Champs League.

I was like a bear with a saw head after the result today but just take a minute to think about it. We've been hearing time and time again that 4th place in the PL is more important than our progress in the Champs League. We're in the SEMIs (yes the bloo.dy SEMI's!) of the European Cup and we're more worried about securing a lowly 4th place (a position which meant absolutely fu.ck all 3 years ago and was no reason to celebrate) than putting all our energy into the biggest game in LFCs recent history.

It could be a blessing blowing the game today. We don't have the best squad in the land and its like the boss has been trying to spread too little butter over too much bread. All the eggs in one basket from now on in i think.

Forget today. Its time to get excited about Wedesday when we play the new champions off the park.

[A.B.]

We have gotten so far in the Champions League and can't throw away all the work we've done, WE MUST GO ON. COME ON REDS

[the return of HAS]

We've been hearing time and time again that 4th place in the PL is more important than our progress in the Champs League. We're in the SEMIs (yes the bloo.dy SEMI's!) of the European Cup and we're more worried about securing a lowly 4th place (a position which meant absolutely fu.ck all 3 years ago and was no reason to celebrate) than putting all our energy into the biggest game in LFCs recent history.

That 4th spot means so much more than you have made out. It Guarantees more money and better players, and that is how we will make long term progress.

Would you sacrifice all that for a semi final, or even a final.

The only way it will be worth it is if we win the competition, and believe me that is not easy.

[JC_81]

The team selection from today tells me that rafa sees success in this season's champions league as a priority over qualifying for it through the league for next year

I think this is a wise move.  Keep our players fit for chelsea, the league was out of our hands before today anyway.  Even if we won today and all our other league fixtures we still might not get 4th.  The champions league however, is in our own hands.  Win our games and we win it, wont be easy but thats how i see it

Plus what would you rather: get 4th or win the champions league?  Coz we don't have the squad for both

Rafa knows what he is doing

[the return of HAS]

We have three full days to recover before the Chelsea game, that is enough.

The only player that he really rested was Riise. Garcia was injured and Alonso wouldn’t be able to play today after coming back from injury and playing 3 games in 7 days and then only having 2 days till the next one.

The absence of Riise, the inclusion of Pellegrino, Troare playing as a left wingback and the stupid system is what cost us any chance of winning today.

[Scottbot]

That 4th spot means so much more than you have made out. It Guarantees more money and better players, and that is how we will make long term progress.

Would you sacrifice all that for a semi final, or even a final.

The only way it will be worth it is if we win the competition, and believe me that is not easy.

You're right Has. We do need to be in the competition next year and it is important in terms of bringing in money/players but atleast we have the 20 million or so earned so far with our run to the semi-finals.

But ask yourself this - If it was on offer what would take right now.

Guaranteed 4th place and a spot in next years Champ League or a guaranteed spot in the Final in Istanbul?

I know which one i would take.

[the return of HAS]

That 4th spot means so much more than you have made out. It Guarantees more money and better players, and that is how we will make long term progress.

Would you sacrifice all that for a semi final, or even a final.

The only way it will be worth it is if we win the competition, and believe me that is not easy.

You're right Has. We do need to be in the competition next year and it is important in terms of bringing in money/players but atleast we have the 20 million or so earned so far with our run to the semi-finals.

But ask yourself this - If it was on offer what would take right now.

Guaranteed 4th place and a spot in next years Champ League or a guaranteed spot in the Final in Istanbul?

I know which one i would take.

You tease you.

[Scottbot]

That 4th spot means so much more than you have made out. It Guarantees more money and better players, and that is how we will make long term progress.

Would you sacrifice all that for a semi final, or even a final.

The only way it will be worth it is if we win the competition, and believe me that is not easy.

You're right Has. We do need to be in the competition next year and it is important in terms of bringing in money/players but atleast we have the 20 million or so earned so far with our run to the semi-finals.

But ask yourself this - If it was on offer what would take right now.

Guaranteed 4th place and a spot in next years Champ League or a guaranteed spot in the Final in Istanbul?

I know which one i would take.

You tease you.

[welshred]

if we dont get 4th then we end up in the UEFA cup next season, thats no problem if RAFAS going to bring in new players during the summer they have all next season to gel together win the EPL get to know how each 1 performs in an european competition then the champs league cup is our the following year............AS WELL AS THIS YEAR:

[66-1112520797]

The team selection from today tells me that rafa sees success in this season's champions league as a priority over qualifying for it through the league for next year

I think this is a wise move.  Keep our players fit for chelsea, the league was out of our hands before today anyway.  Even if we won today and all our other league fixtures we still might not get 4th.  The champions league however, is in our own hands.  Win our games and we win it, wont be easy but thats how i see it

Plus what would you rather: get 4th or win the champions league?  Coz we don't have the squad for both

Rafa knows what he is doing

He hasnt said that it was a priority i actually believe he thought he could of won with that team at Palace.

And do you think Rafa was thinking about the success he would have in the CL during the group stages, when lets be fair we hardly lit that group up and put in some average performances.

Also when we was playing in the group stages  he wouldnt go and use a really below strenth team like he has today in the premiership.Which is why i cant understand  with four games of the season to go and a possibility of taking fourth he didnt use his strongest 14 .

They worked hard all season to come so close and the throw it away at the last hurdle is a waste.
And i dont agree about him being wise and resting his top players for Chelsea ,he took a gamble and it didnt pay off and now he knows it.
Because it is so unlike Rafa to make silly excuses about the opposition being to physical.

The only sort of conclusion i can come to is he thinks we will win the CL which in my view would be harder than finishing fourth,because he was even saying we will attract top players by being in the competition ,and if we dont win it do you think we will attract those top players.
And i would also love to be in the mind of Gerrard right now wondering what he is thinking.

[REDTILLDEAD]

Rafa made a big mistake with his team selection, he obviously has given up on 4th spot?..he has gambled on us reaching the CL final a pretty big one if you ask me we will haveto approach the chelsea game like we have with all the other CL games we have played..and thats with a "european mentality" and not treat it like a league game or we will play into their hands. I am very dissipointed with our response yesterday perhaps the players themselves had already given up the chase, and wanted to concentrate on the C.L. games? if so then its a pretty sad state of affairs..not to believe in your own ability and give everything for the cause. We need a big clear out some of those players are a disgrace to L.F.C. they were only thinking of their own glory, instead of the club and its fans.

[lfclfclfc]

i was quite puzzled with his team selection against palace. i thought rafa has reiterated more than once 4th place is paramount and should be prioritized over CL, given the financial implications et al. but to have inexperienced players like potter, welsh, alt in with finnan and traore playing unfamiliar positions were questionable. of course the 'selection' of ref didnt help either - can't believe that rihalhati?? guy didn't even get a yellow for all the body-checks, shirt-pulling and arm-yanking!! 

[banana]

Of course it was the wrong team selection. Going with a bunch of proven losers to palace had to fail. 5 of our 8 best players out of the team. And what about our poor youngsters? Something has to be done with the academy. Last 5 years or so it has only produced poo. Welsh and Mellor may be the best players at the academy, but they are far, far, far away from the quality we need. What's the point in having an U18 team that get hammered week in week out and finishes the league rock bottom? Are these players mentaly and physically prepared for 1st team football some day?