Liverpool FC Forum

[stmichael]

For once I think Rafa got it wrong .

When I saw our line up I THOUGHT Rafa was underestimating the opposition and the tradition of the FA Cup . At half time i was CONVINCED .

Well, live and learn Rafa ,and welcome to the FA Cup. I felt sorry for the first teamers who had to try and put together a performance against a fired up team who were more than able to take on our "kids" .

Can understand the many reasons why Rafa decided to play this line up bt as the saying goes "If you're serious about winning a competition ,field you best eleven or don't bother entering to start with"

afternoon guys. i was going to start a new thread on here today about last night. infact i have been thinking all night about what to say on this subject. i didn't think i could be more p#ssed off than i was after saturdays game but i was wrong. last night topped the lot and proved that we haven't got the depth in squad. i've had to take a sh#t load of stick from my mates at work today and believe me it's hard to take.

but i'll ask you a question. after ten minutes of the game last night, could you ever see us winning in a million years? i certainly couldn't. burnley were quicker to every ball, they were hungrier and they played better football than us. as a matter of fact, they could have had more than the one goal (the less said about that the better).

but on to my main point. first of all i am a fan of rafa benitez but last night should have taught him a big big lesson if you ask me. i said beforehand that he should put out virtually his strongest team but it really resembled the side we put out in the carling cup. for god's sake this is the fa cup, the biggest cup competition in the world. there's no wonder people are talking about the competition being devalued when the top clubs field weakened teams. manure did it and just about got away with it. arsenal and chelsea the same. we should have learned from that.

after all we were playing burnley not exeter. this is the same burnley who hammered villa's first team earlier on in the season. the manager's team selection merely underestimated the opposition and threw away probably our best chance of winning something this season.

i could go on but i won't     

[FrankM]

Agree with a lot of what you say apart from the assertion that the FA Cup is the biggest competition in the world. It isnt! And therin lies the answer to Rafa's selection.

It p*ssed me off bigtime too I can tell you but on reflection and after listening to his after match comments its all starts to make more sense.

[Red_Si]

IDIOT

moron

If you think that posting one line put downs on Liverpool FC and its players means that you are in a position to call anyone a moron, then I feel for you, and your family who clearly need to give you round the clock care.

You are incredibly disillusioned in thinking that Benitez has made great improvements and that we are a good side.

We are still a poor side, albeit with a few bright sparks who can win the odd match. In football, it's the results that matter not making your style of play more attacking.

What we have seen so far is less than satisfactory.

[hawkmoon269]

as far as i am concerened, you play your strongest team every game, it does not matter who you are playing. we have been badly let down tonight by both the manager and the players. and as for traore, i hope the next liverpool shirt that clown pulls on is baro's as milan runs past him when traore is playing for whichever side is stupid enough to buy him. what was he thinking   

How, with the number of games played these days, is that possible.  Even if we had 22 of the best footballers in the world, you still would have 11 that you classed as your best.  So what would be the point of having the other 11, if you never used them (excluding injuries)?  With the number of competitions we have been in this season, some degree of squad rotation was necessary.  Remember also, that the squad has been seriously affected with injuries.

We need major investment in players, so that when we need to rotate the squad, we're not left with inexperienced younsters.

[Fowler_E7]

Both players and manager are to "blame".

The manager played a reserve side and so took his chances, and the players choosen should still be good ebough to beat Burnley (though, just about), so both manager and players are both to blame.

Its as simple as that. Of course the manager has to be "blamed" as he picked a weakened side and took his chances. Unfortunately it backfired.

I'm not that worried, as we are in the latter stages of the CL and the League Cup, and have a fight on our hands for 4th place in the Premiership, so we couldn't really afford the cup run.

I'm not that bothered at all: the manager clearly sent out a message tonight that he cannot take the FA Cup seriously this season.

spot on, i think rafa's team selection made it clear that the fa cup is a luxury we cant afford at the moment and i think our early exit could turn out to be a blessing in disguise, because of the extra fixtures the cup would have created.

[109-1105722616]

as far as i am concerened, you play your strongest team every game, it does not matter who you are playing. we have been badly let down tonight by both the manager and the players. and as for traore, i hope the next liverpool shirt that clown pulls on is baro's as milan runs past him when traore is playing for whichever side is stupid enough to buy him. what was he thinking   

How, with the number of games played these days, is that possible.  Even if we had 22 of the best footballers in the world, you still would have 11 that you classed as your best.  So what would be the point of having the other 11, if you never used them (excluding injuries)?  With the number of competitions we have been in this season, some degree of squad rotation was necessary.  Remember also, that the squad has been seriously affected with injuries.

We need major investment in players, so that when we need to rotate the squad, we're not left with inexperienced younsters.

rightly said


this has been a bad week for the club but we'll bounce back dont worry

[Fowler_E7]

I felt sorry for the first teamers who had to try and put together a performance against a fired up team who were more than able to take on our "kids" .

You are joking right?

I personally felt sorry for the younger lads who where badly let down by the inept performances of three experienced players, (Biscan, Hyypia and Traore) who thought they only needed to show up for a spot of babysitting and let the youngsters do all the work.

Biscan was disgraceful, and has undone all of his previous hard work with a display of ineptitude when he should have really been taking the mantle and showing the young lads who was the boss.

Hyypia was out shone, out classed, out passed and out done by young Zak Whitbread who for my money was outstanding and looked (along with young Raven) the better of our defensive foursome.

Traore simply confirmed what I always knew he would, that he is not good enough. All this rubbish of him being most improved etc was undone against Watford when he was atrocious, Man Utd when he thought he was a winger and didn't need to get back and defend, and last night when his seeminly unending desire to "turn" was comical, and when he "turned" it into his own net, I actually laughed.

These three players need to have a real good look at themselves this morning, and go and apologise to the gaffer for their display, and to the young lads who played superbly.

It was at times embarrasing how bad those three where.

totally agree, those three were a complete joke and you can add nunez to that list also. Last night if anyone disrepspected the opposition is was hyppia, traore nunez and biscan. Do you think traore would have tried that little twirl against man utd? i very much doubt it

[SALTROCK67]

Lets face it the FA cup means squatt to the big clubs unless they can get through with under strength sides,the one and only aim is CL football so anywhere in the top 4 end of story,the cups have become an unwanted distraction simply down to the fact that the CL is where the serious money is.Do any of you think SG would stay if we only won the FA cup i dont think so.No body can blame Raffa for the situation hes in,i would imagine the board have given him 2 priorities one to qualify for the CL again and two to keep hold of Stevie G but with the lack of a quality squad and the lack of any investment coming through both of these may be out of reach.
Rafa has taken on a very poor squad put together by a very poor previous manager its going to take time,money and a big clearout before any major steps towards us winning the prem for the first time.

[mistyred]

Did you see Jimi at the end of the game hiding his face and givind the sheepish pathetic look jesus,stone the crows the guy had a stinker.

[stmichael]

agree with what's being said. the elite don't give a stuff about the fa cup anymore. the year that man u "were forced" to play in the world club championship and couldn't enter spelt the beginning of the end as far as the tradition of the fa cup goes.

[The_Rock]

Well if we have to move a step back (losing FA cup) to move 3 steps ahead (qualifying for champions league this season ...via 4th or actually winning this year's competation), then i am all for it.

[mistyred]

you gota understand that as "Older" supporters we think different from the young kids sitting in the crouds crying thier hearts out cos thier beloved football team has been dumped out of the cup by Burnley.

I have told my son about LFC'S illustrious past and of yet he has no recolection of the good times but it's hard for parent's to tell children that we don't care if we win or lose.

[109-1105722616]

the neighbour over the road likes to tell me of the days when liverpool won everything and even my uncle who is a blue says he remembers when we wear untouchable and won everything, this was before my time and it seems mad that we where once a  club that struck fear into the opposition

[The_Rock]

you gota understand that as "Older" supporters we think different from the young kids sitting in the crouds crying thier hearts out cos thier beloved football team has been dumped out of the cup by Burnley.

I have told my son about LFC'S illustrious past and of yet he has no recolection of the good times but it's hard for parent's to tell children that we don't care if we win or lose.

the last time liverpool won the league, i was 11 yrs old..... Even i have almost forgotten how it feels like to win the league.

[Santa]

the neighbour over the road likes to tell me of the days when liverpool won everything and even my uncle who is a blue says he remembers when we wear untouchable and won everything, this was before my time and it seems mad that we where once a  club that struck fear into the opposition

The difference...hard graft, loyalty and passion!