by bigmick » Thu Jan 29, 2009 1:49 am
The best post on here was Sabre's one where he talked of letters to the manager if we win the league. A good response that was to an interesting interjection from Peewee (which I have to say was IMHO a bit more light hearted than he was given credit for).
I've always maintained that moaners, whingers and anti's want the team to win just as much as people who don't like to hear a word against the manager, and there was certainly no celebrating here when the penalty went in. Neither was there any at the start of the season during the "seeing of the light" period. Rotation was never the important issue, the team winning football matches consistently was, and at the start of this season we managed to do that which was excellent.
The wheels coming off finally tonight as they have been threatening to do for a while now probably puts the manager under the most extreme of spotlights though. Almost every strand of the fabric which makes up his philosophy is now stretched to breaking point, and from here I fear he has only one opportunity to survive and that is to go very close indeed to winning the league. Even a Champions League victory wouldn't save him if we were a distance back I don't think (nor do I think it should) and the manager is either going to have to get luckier, or change his philosophy.
By his philosophies being stretched to breaking point, I mean this:
Firstly the policy of mass rotation is once again proving to be detrimental to our chances of winning games consistently. Yes we were the better team tonight, and yes nobody could know whether we would have faired better if Alonso (in particular) had played. We do know however from experience that we win more consistently if we don't mass rotate. Zonal marking is coming under pressure. Not because it's the wrong system, but because we are looking vulnerable. His signings are looking dodgy at best, while his policy on the handling of big name aquisitions could hardly be argued to be improving their form. His substitution policies are looking flawed. As somebody else pointed out, in the last two games we have arrived at a situation where we are 1-1 without a striker on the pitch. His squad building thought process looks at best hit and miss. In some positions we seemingly have a surfeit of players, in others we rely on seemingly one player only plus "options". His handling of the press, the "facts" on the piece of paper rant now looks at best a misjudgement, at worst an embarassment.
We have improved since Houlliers days, but like I always ask, how much and at what cost? We've improved, but the team contains quite possibly the best player in the World today, who has been here throughout the managers reign. Despite that, and all the money, there is the possibility we are still going to be double figures in points off the top come the end of the season. Enough? Not for me no. I've maintained for three seasons we are good enough to challenge, and we proved it this season. If it all goes horribly wrong from here, it's time for the handshake (golden of course) and try somebody else. They'll get us into the Champions League as well without any problem as long as Gerrard stays fit, and will hopefully take us further in the league.
If I was Rafa now, I'd go for it. Lets just go all out to try and win games, throw men forward and lets not die wondering. Starting from the Chelsea game, each one now is a must win. No more caution, no more trying to close games out. All out attack, get the video's of when he first arrived and the performances we put in at Anfield then. We couldn't win the league at that point so we played with a bit more freedom. That's what we need from the manager now.
It's time for our "all in" moment.
"se e in una bottigla ed e bianco, e latte".
