Liverpool FC Forum

by **bigmick** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 1:40 am

maguskwt wrote:I have seen some changes in Benitez behaviour with regards to giving praise to his players and being protective which is good but I wouldn't want him to change until he becomes a Kevin Keegan. That's not just how it works in any relationship.

No I wouldn't want him to change into anything or anybody else, although Kevin Keegan isn't the only manager who bigs up his players. There have been some very successful managers over the years who have adopted the more arm around the shoulderish approach and some of them have been very special at winning trophies. Even Ferguson goes in for the old "big up" generally, but that wasn't really my point.

My point was actually about Gerrard, how he looks a bit distracted, and how it is impacting upon us. Because though there was metion of Rafa in the post, the point gets derailed a bit but you get that.

by **maguskwt** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 1:44 am

bigmick wrote:
maguskwt wrote:I have seen some changes in Benitez behaviour with regards to giving praise to his players and being protective which is good but I wouldn't want him to change until he becomes a Kevin Keegan. That's not just how it works in any relationship.

No I wouldn't want him to change into anything or anybody else, although Kevin Keegan isn't the only manager who bigs up his players. There have been some very successful managers over the years who have adopted the more arm around the shoulderish approach and some of them have been very special at winning trophies. Even Ferguson goes in for the old "big up" generally, but that wasn't really my point.

My point was actually about Gerrard, how he looks a bit distracted, and how it is impacting upon us. Because though there was metion of Rafa in the post, the point gets derailed a bit but you get that.

but your title was Forget Parry.... blah blah blah...

by **bigmick** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 1:48 am

Come Magus, less of the blah blah blah. the title was "Forget Parry, Rafa singles out Gerrard for a mention (I actualy forgot to put the "a" in by mistake but no matter).

My only comment was "I don't think Gerrard has played at his best, but it's an interesting decision to single him out like this. Thoughts?".

Once the likes of GYBS get involved, the most innoccuous of topic starters turns into World war three unfortunately

by **aCe'** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 2:35 am

Didnt he come out last week and say that Torres should moan and argue with refs and that he needs to just get on with things.... was that something he actually needed to discuss in a press conference... i know if i was Torres it would pi$s me off hearing my manager criticizing me in public instead of just having a word with me in private to point out the issue...

Dont think theres much to read into with regards to the whole Gerrard thing but when it comes to Rafas handling of the media, its always been a little suspect imo...

by **LFC2007** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 2:39 am

Like Torres, he would have told you in private too so don't worry

by **aCe'** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 2:48 am

LFC2007 wrote:Like Torres, he would have told you in private too so don't worry

why the need to go public with it ? im sure he had a word with Torres too but it just seems silly telling the press that Torres "seems to be distracted more" and is "arguing a lot more", and that "I told him that he has to stop this".... maybe its just for the refs and opposition defenders to take notice

by **LFC2007** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 2:57 am

I don't truthfully know why he went public with it, nor do I know how Torres would have felt about it - I suspect, though, like most sensible people - Torres would just get with on his job without much fuss. After all - it's no big fuss unless you want to read things into it - as so often, so many people on here do. It may p!ss you off, it may p!ss others off, it might not p!ss Torres off though. Hypothetically speaking, I don't see why it would p!ss me off if I was in that situation, what is there to get p!ssed off about? What will getting p!ssed off about something so trivial as this - in the grand scheme of things - actually achieve? Maybe he'll take it on board, maybe he'll get p!ssed off for ten minutes then realise why he signed for Liverpool football club, maybe it could do him some good? Some people are different though, some go looking for arguments, some construe harmless comments as threats - to who? Their egos, perhaps.

by **Lando_Griffin** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 4:51 am

aCe' wrote:Didnt he come out last week and say that Torres should moan and argue with refs and that he needs to just get on with things.... was that something he actually needed to discuss in a press conference... i know if i was Torres it would pi$s me off hearing my manager criticizing me in public instead of just having a word with me in private to point out the issue...

Dont think theres much to read into with regards to the whole Gerrard thing but when it comes to Rafas handling of the media, its always been a little suspect imo...

It p*sses me off that you're daft enough to think that Rafa won't have said that and a whole lot more in private.

Christ - do you even listen to yourself? :no

by **Lando_Griffin** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 4:54 am

aCe' wrote:
LFC2007 wrote:Like Torres, he would have told you in private too so don't worry

why the need to go public with it ?

Because once a person knows the entire World is watching it tends to make them try that little bit harder.

Does it not?

by **Sabre** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 8:50 am

It's from the BBC website. I don't think Gerrard has played at his best, but it's an interesting decision to single him out like this. Thoughts?

I remember Rafa told Alonso to step up a gear, I remember Rafa said the other day to Torres to focus on the game, He has mentioned at some point Mascherano's game.

So if it's interesting, it's because there seems to be the pattern of Rafa tending to ask most to those players who can be an example to the rest of the squad. He'll tend to ask more to the key players, and he'll tend to defend the Kuyts and the Lucas who receive the criticism of the knowledgeable football pundits.

So the need to tell this, is pretty clear to me. For starters there's the need of press conferences, in which journos will ask why the team has lost two games. To answer this Rafa says two things, that the system are not that important (as Scotty said in the other thread precisely), and that players' performance is what's important.

And to ask players to improve, like in the past, he chooses the players that can set an example to the rest of the squad, and in the past they have been praised by the manager big time. If the manager singles out Gerrard, the Lucas, and the Insuas will think "well he doesn't choose the easy option, and if he asks Gerrard to improve it means we have to improve all of us".

Rafa has been a cráp player in Castilla, and he knows perfectly how the not that good players in the squad feel when the manager talks!

Probably the captain has talked with the manager before this so no, I won't forget Parry for this like the thread topic suggests

Interesting aswell that Rafa labels Agger as "key". I agree if he manages to be fit.

by **bigmick** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 9:19 am

Sabre wrote:Interesting aswell that Rafa labels Agger as "key". I agree if he manages to be fit.

Well like you Sabes I've always rated agger as a good player, certainly better than Skrtel in my opinion anyway. Curiously though, despite mentioning him here, Rafa has played the other fella when they're both fit (which admittedly isn't very often).

This is probably one of those scenarios that when a player is missing from a losing team, his value to that team increases by definition. If we lost at Bolton, Agger would look like an absolutely key player

.

by **kazza** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 10:34 am

I remember Houllier singling out Gerrard when he thought he was acting like a pop star and his game had suffered because of it. Gerrard started to play much better after that comment and indeed became the great player we know. Maybe that is how you reach him. I am sure Benitez is no idiot and has his reasons. I saw this on skysports but did not post it as I felt it did not deserve it's own thread. It may end up yet another nursery ground for Raffa bashing.

by **mistyred** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 11:10 am

agoodmentality wrote:just seen rafa on SSN, the fella asked him about any new transfers in the next few days,

Rafa said "i don't think so", but the smile, and twinkle in his eye told me something big is on its way.

I keep remembering Nando's interview this summer when he said we needed a small, tricky player. I remember he named David Villa, David Silva and Juan Matta??.

What are the odds on one of them players arriving in the next 4 days?

I hope your right mate.

We need that something extra this season we really do, I wish we had signed Arshavin they guy is just quality.

by **HacksawJimDuggin** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 11:20 am

I wouldn't read too much into Rafa's comments.

Gerrard will be more than aware that he hasn't performed at his best and I bet this is a case of Gerrard being willing to taking the majority of the blame for the poor shows vs Spurs and Villa.

I too saw the twinkle in Rafa's eyes when asked about any transfers between now and 5pm on Tuesday. I live in hope that something (not someone) big is on the way.

by **GYBS** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 5:14 pm

It seems Rafa words gave Gerrard a bit of a kick up the backside , good man management that is

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Forget parry... - Rafa singles out gerrard for mention.

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