Liverpool FC Forum

by **redtrader74** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 6:07 pm

Sabre wrote:I agree Lando and Bad Bob.

I also think that we should demand more to Rafa from now on. Liverpool is always expected to win, but now that Rafa hasn't so much budget constraints, I think it's fair to ask him a bit more from now on. This season we have to go up another step. If not winning the league, at least being with options until the last 3 weeks.

I agree in the main, but it will be at the end of this Summer that we will really know the extent of the money he has, and therefore parity if any with Chelski/ manure, so far our NET spend is about £7m, when you include the sales of Cisse, Bellamy, Garcia and projected £5m for Gonzo.

He is one of only 3 Managers to get an English team to 2 CL/EC finals, and within 3 years, without doubt a success.

by **Bad Bob** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 6:28 pm

kunilson wrote:is bad bob a journo?

Chris Bascombe at your service! :laugh:

by **Thingy** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 6:32 pm

Club Levis, to say hes hopeless in the premiership is ridiculus. Really dont know what youre snortin there mate.

by **Sabre** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 7:07 pm

Yes, no matter how much you spend you never can guarantee you'll win, but we should be closer.

Not only because now we're approaching first targets rather than second options, but because the core of the team has played together for a while, the Gerrard, Alonso, Reina, Carraguers know very well each other and know what they're going to do in the pitch, that's as important as budget.

by **maguskwt** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 7:20 pm

Sabre wrote:Yes, no matter how much you spend you never can guarantee you'll win, but we should be closer.

Not only because now we're approaching first targets rather than second options, but because the core of the team has played together for a while, the Gerrard, Alonso, Reina, Carraguers know very well each other and know what they're going to do in the pitch, that's as important as budget.

yes... plus now we've got a real strong spine from back to front with the addition of Torres...

Reina
V
Carra/Agger
V
Alonso/Gerrard
V
Torres

hmmm... looks like a fish...

by **Kewell2Dominate** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 5:19 am

I thought we took a little step backwards last year. Of course Euro form is terrific. I know we have argued about this during the season but rotation is killing us. I am sure if Torres is banging the goals in he won't rotate him like he did crouch when he hit a bit of form mid season. Rafa will be a success and it will start this year.

by **The Manhattan Project** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 6:09 am

An enormous success.

No doubt about it.

by **josip84** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 11:37 am

Apart from your amazing win in the 2005 Champions League (no small feat, I must admit), you were left well behind by Man U and Chelsea in the EPL in the last few years. Therefore I would tend to say that although Benitez's managering is far from being a failure, it can't possibly be regarded as an unquestionable success yet.

by **Big Niall** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 12:18 pm

He is better than the fool GH. He is the best manager in European games but falls short in the premiership, we are miles behind the front two and his constant rotation is damaging us massively.

Mourinho and Ferguson and Wenger rarely switch their team but last year I don't think Rafa knew his best 11. He must improve in the premiership. He has also failed to buy a really good forward (Bellamy, crouch, kuyt, morientes etc - hopefully Torres will be the one)

STOP ROTATION.

by **tukes16** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 1:03 pm

He has been a great success. Don't no how people can say that he hasnt been a success

by **stmichael** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 1:03 pm

Excellent article on Rafa:

http://soccerlens.com/liverpools-problems-lie-with-rafa/2310/

Personally, I don't think a Rafa team is ever disorganised. I think the issue is, Benitez doesn't always have the players to implement his strategy effectively and he's reluctant sometimes to flex to his players strengths. Rafa sees players as tools to implement a grand plan, not a grand plan a way to meld players together. This is fine if you have the players you want but as we've seen at times, when you don't have those players the performances come up short.

I’m not saying that Liverpool can’t win the league with Rafa - in fact under him they have their best chance in a long long time. But for Liverpool to win the Premiership, it’s not just the players that Liverpool needs. It’s a change in Rafa that must take place as well. His teams have to be more aggressive, more clinical.

It's interesting that in his first season after we beat Arsenal and put in a truely incredible performance Benitez commented that he'd love to see his team play like that every week. However he didn't believe there was the depth of talent in the squad, nor the level of fitness for it to be achievable week in week out. However that was what he was aiming towards. We're quickly moving to the point where Benitez has the players in every position for him to put the team out to play the way he wants in every game.

by **Big Niall** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 1:13 pm

Manure go for the throat every game. Against teams like Villa , spurs etc they know their team is better and if they go all out they'll outscore their opponents.

we seem too cautious, lacking ideas.

by **grayghost** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 1:30 pm

Come on the guy has been here 3 years unless yo spend 150 mil in that time on all the best players in the land then you don't have a shout. football has changed so much you cant just go arond the corner and find a jony barnes type player like you could years ago no you have to pay big bucks for that talent and we have not been able to for years lets give him a chance while he can build a team with some real quality and not players with talent but who have failed when they had there chance at outher clubs.

by **grayghost** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 1:37 pm

Big Niall wrote:Manure go for the throat every game. Against teams like Villa , spurs etc they know their team is better and if they go all out they'll outscore their opponents.

we seem too cautious, lacking ideas.

Thats because we have never had the players to just go for the throat. I could not see players like Crouch D Kuyt and Zenden bombarding a penaty area with chance after chance.

Now we have some attacking talent that could be possible but thats never been Liverpool style for years.

by **Kewell2Dominate** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 5:46 pm

I think the prem is obviously what we really want and he just hasn't lived up to that expectation. My main reason for this is because we were 20 points behind and were out of contention after 10 games. Of course we can't go round the corner to find another barnes so he must realise he needs to spend a little to gain a little. so spend a little rafa.

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