Liverpool FC Forum

bigmick wrote:Well we're currently joint top, which isn't too bad surely?  If somebody had said to you before the season started that we'd get seven points out of nine, from two away games and one home game and be joint top, then I think most would have thought that was pretty good. If theyd've also stuck in the provisio that we were going to play absolutely sh!t in all three matches but still be joint top, as well as playing absolutely sh!t in the Cahmpions League qualifier but still go through without conceding a goal, you'd surely be rubbing your hands together.

If they told you Keane wouldn't have settled in anyway shape or form after five matches, you'd know there was plenty of improvement to come because we absolutely know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is a very good player (regardless of anybodies feelings visa vis his valuation). Similaly, if they told you that in those five matches, Torres would score only once you'd definately expect him to improve on that. What about Gerrard tho? Well, they'd tell you that in those five matches Gerrard had reached nowhere near his potential, Masherano had only played one game and Agger was still not really ready, all would be good with the World.



As anybody who has read my posts will know, I'm no happy-clappier or "in Rafa I trust"er but all things considered, it's a pretty fantastic start when you look at it. It would have been nice to have won today, but we didn't. So far, Man Utd had a worse result than todays at Home against Newcastle, while Arsenal had a worse result than todays Away at Fulham. Chelsea's Home draw with Tottenham was about equal to todays I would say.

My only concern is a little bit of "tinkerism" and styling just creeping around the edges both with selection and substitutions, (although of course it's nowhere near the ridiculousness of the previous four seasons), and what appears to have been a lack of ambition today. Games such as today are there for the winning, and I hope we aren't going to mirror last season when some were still championing the fact we were unbeaten long after the league leaders had disappeared over the horizon. If you go all out for the win in games such as today and are only successful 50% of the time, even losing the other 50% you are still better off than if you draw all of them and don't lose any. Lets not die wondering this season, if we're gonna go down let's go down swinging.

Thank fook for the voice of reason.
Your in the club now Mick whether you like it or not, its not all bad mate being happy and clapping alot is actually quite fun.
Better than the moaning g!t squad anyway, we have backgammon on Mondays and we pray to our lord Rafa twice daily followed by 20 minutes of clapping.
Your T shirt and mug is in the post.

Effes wrote:

Bermenstein wrote:well imo we must beat Man Ure on 16th sept @ anfield.
This will be a serious test for Rafa. If they beat us again at home, well then that endorses the fact that we have not moved on under Rafa's rule.

Rafa MUST NOT LOOSE to the scum. Beat them, then we can move on with confidence.

Saturday, 13 September 2008
Barclays Premier League
Liverpool v Man Utd, 12:45

IF we do beat Man U then it can be deemed a great start (results-wise)

However, under Rafa we have never even scored against them (except for an O'Shea o.g)

Bad Bob wrote:FYI, folks...I've merged the original "Rafa's Last Chance" thread with the "How Long Has He Got?" thread that popped up today.  Unfortunately, I got the merge going in the wrong direction such that the new thread's title has replaced the old one.  Apologies to Saint, who started the original thread.

Emerald Red wrote:

Effes wrote:

Bermenstein wrote:well imo we must beat Man Ure on 16th sept @ anfield.
This will be a serious test for Rafa. If they beat us again at home, well then that endorses the fact that we have not moved on under Rafa's rule.

Rafa MUST NOT LOOSE to the scum. Beat them, then we can move on with confidence.

Saturday, 13 September 2008
Barclays Premier League
Liverpool v Man Utd, 12:45

IF we do beat Man U then it can be deemed a great start (results-wise)

However, under Rafa we have never even scored against them (except for an O'Shea o.g)

Crouch scored against them when we beat them in the cup, so that's not true.

heimdall wrote:I missed the match yesterday but saw it on my Sky +, It was so boring that in the end I watched it at X2 speed and there were very few times that I switched it to normal speed!
Everyone knows my position on Rafa, I don't like him and I haven't for a long time but I was willing to give him a chance but his signings including assistants etc has been a complete joke this transfer season. We now have have Sammy Lee who proved to the world that he has zero football knowledge at Bolton and is a total yes man to Rafa and we have 2 defenders who are , did Dossena successfully complete any passes?
Also what the hell is the deal with playing strikers as wingers, that kind of cr8p might work on Fifa 2009 but not in the real world.
Why the hell pay £20 million for a striker and put him on the wing, and then when you have to replace Torres you replace him with Ngog instead of bringing on Babel and moving Keane to the striker position, where is the genius in that? again can I have a happy clapper explain it to me because I'm baffled.
My major criticism though is that almost every Liverpool game I see these days is such sh1t quality that it bores me too tears and I am genuinely worried that Manure are going to tear us a new one next weekend and humiliate us again!

I think it is probably too soon to replace Rafa but I expect this is a new season down the drain, and yes I know we are joint top but if we play this way then we won't remain there for long!

Bad Bob wrote:FYI, folks...I've merged the original "Rafa's Last Chance" thread with the "How Long Has He Got?" thread that popped up today.  Unfortunately, I got the merge going in the wrong direction such that the new thread's title has replaced the old one.  Apologies to Saint, who started the original thread.

No need to apologise mate, it might just reduce the amount of abuse I get...... then again....... probably not 


Back on topic, I think Rafa should be given the rest of the season, a strong title challenge combined with a good CL run should be enough to earn him another season. Fourth place with no challenge and no cup and I would be looking for a replacement.

Assessing his use of the transfer market this summer would certainly have added to the doubts, depending on where you place most of the blame.

Rush Job wrote:

heimdall wrote:I missed the match yesterday but saw it on my Sky +, It was so boring that in the end I watched it at X2 speed and there were very few times that I switched it to normal speed!
Everyone knows my position on Rafa, I don't like him and I haven't for a long time but I was willing to give him a chance but his signings including assistants etc has been a complete joke this transfer season. We now have have Sammy Lee who proved to the world that he has zero football knowledge at Bolton and is a total yes man to Rafa and we have 2 defenders who are , did Dossena successfully complete any passes?
Also what the hell is the deal with playing strikers as wingers, that kind of cr8p might work on Fifa 2009 but not in the real world.
Why the hell pay £20 million for a striker and put him on the wing, and then when you have to replace Torres you replace him with Ngog instead of bringing on Babel and moving Keane to the striker position, where is the genius in that? again can I have a happy clapper explain it to me because I'm baffled.
My major criticism though is that almost every Liverpool game I see these days is such sh1t quality that it bores me too tears and I am genuinely worried that Manure are going to tear us a new one next weekend and humiliate us again!

I think it is probably too soon to replace Rafa but I expect this is a new season down the drain, and yes I know we are joint top but if we play this way then we won't remain there for long!

Thanks for the contribution.
Whats this place going to be like when we lose.

To be honest with you I felt like we did loose. My contribution is just as valid as any rose tinted happy clapper, and I could say that same about he way you guys go over the top every time we beat a team of the calibre of Standard Liege 

Emerald Red wrote:

Effes wrote:

Bermenstein wrote:well imo we must beat Man Ure on 16th sept @ anfield.
This will be a serious test for Rafa. If they beat us again at home, well then that endorses the fact that we have not moved on under Rafa's rule.

Rafa MUST NOT LOOSE to the scum. Beat them, then we can move on with confidence.

Saturday, 13 September 2008
Barclays Premier League
Liverpool v Man Utd, 12:45

IF we do beat Man U then it can be deemed a great start (results-wise)

However, under Rafa we have never even scored against them (except for an O'Shea o.g)

Crouch scored against them when we beat them in the cup, so that's not true.

heimdall wrote:

Rush Job wrote:

heimdall wrote:I missed the match yesterday but saw it on my Sky +, It was so boring that in the end I watched it at X2 speed and there were very few times that I switched it to normal speed!
Everyone knows my position on Rafa, I don't like him and I haven't for a long time but I was willing to give him a chance but his signings including assistants etc has been a complete joke this transfer season. We now have have Sammy Lee who proved to the world that he has zero football knowledge at Bolton and is a total yes man to Rafa and we have 2 defenders who are , did Dossena successfully complete any passes?
Also what the hell is the deal with playing strikers as wingers, that kind of cr8p might work on Fifa 2009 but not in the real world.
Why the hell pay £20 million for a striker and put him on the wing, and then when you have to replace Torres you replace him with Ngog instead of bringing on Babel and moving Keane to the striker position, where is the genius in that? again can I have a happy clapper explain it to me because I'm baffled.
My major criticism though is that almost every Liverpool game I see these days is such sh1t quality that it bores me too tears and I am genuinely worried that Manure are going to tear us a new one next weekend and humiliate us again!

I think it is probably too soon to replace Rafa but I expect this is a new season down the drain, and yes I know we are joint top but if we play this way then we won't remain there for long!

Thanks for the contribution.
Whats this place going to be like when we lose.

To be honest with you I felt like we did loose. My contribution is just as valid as any rose tinted happy clapper, and I could say that same about he way you guys go over the top every time we beat a team of the calibre of Standard Liege 

heimdall wrote:

Rush Job wrote:

heimdall wrote:I missed the match yesterday but saw it on my Sky +, It was so boring that in the end I watched it at X2 speed and there were very few times that I switched it to normal speed!
Everyone knows my position on Rafa, I don't like him and I haven't for a long time but I was willing to give him a chance but his signings including assistants etc has been a complete joke this transfer season. We now have have Sammy Lee who proved to the world that he has zero football knowledge at Bolton and is a total yes man to Rafa and we have 2 defenders who are , did Dossena successfully complete any passes?
Also what the hell is the deal with playing strikers as wingers, that kind of cr8p might work on Fifa 2009 but not in the real world.
Why the hell pay £20 million for a striker and put him on the wing, and then when you have to replace Torres you replace him with Ngog instead of bringing on Babel and moving Keane to the striker position, where is the genius in that? again can I have a happy clapper explain it to me because I'm baffled.
My major criticism though is that almost every Liverpool game I see these days is such sh1t quality that it bores me too tears and I am genuinely worried that Manure are going to tear us a new one next weekend and humiliate us again!

I think it is probably too soon to replace Rafa but I expect this is a new season down the drain, and yes I know we are joint top but if we play this way then we won't remain there for long!

Thanks for the contribution.
Whats this place going to be like when we lose.

To be honest with you I felt like we did loose. My contribution is just as valid as any rose tinted happy clapper, and I could say that same about he way you guys go over the top every time we beat a team of the calibre of Standard Liege