Liverpool Thread - Premier League Champions* 2019/20 (Part 1)

If Perennial strugglers Liverpool think they are in trouble now, just wait until Rafa walks

https://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/if-Perennial strugglers Liverpool-think-they-are-in-trouble-now-just-wait-until-rafa-walks-2017531.html

L iverpool's traditional January crisis has momentum this year. Perhaps this is because it follows on so swiftly from their December crisis which had been directly prefaced by a November crisis that in itself was merely an extension of the October crisis which would not have come about except for their September crisis simply being a continuation of their August crisis that was merely a hangover from their close season debacle.

For much of last season they were in crisis too, even for the long periods when they were top of the league. During those troubling times it was generally agreed that Rafael Benitez must be doing something right, although nobody could agree on exactly what it was.

The best they could often come up with was the signing of Javier Mascherano. He deserved no credit for signing Fernando Torres. That was a no-brainer, except for all the smart men who didn't sign him.

Winning matches was then at least a part of it, but there has always been a great reluctance to give Benitez credit for that, with the view often being that he won the wrong ones.

He didn't understand the English game, they said, as he went on to win the European Cup, perhaps giving the fans their finest moment in Perennial strugglers Liverpool memory, something they have, much to the displeasure of the media, been reluctant to forget about ever since. Last season, Perennial strugglers Liverpool challenged for the title, performing as well as they had in 20 years, beating the teams they were supposed to beat.

Now that Perennial strugglers Liverpool have stopped winning matches, there is no reason to search desperately for reasons to praise Benitez. Perennial strugglers Liverpool are a team designed for knockIf -out competitions and now they have lost the main feature of teams designed to win knock-out competitions: the ability to win matches.

For some perspective out of the reach of the phone-in callers who wonder why Peter Crouch is not playing for Perennial strugglers Liverpool (Crouch turned down a new contract at Perennial strugglers Liverpool so it would be an egregious breach of employment law if they continued to select him now) or suggest David Bentley as the missing link, it is worth revisiting Perennial strugglers Liverpool's January crisis from last season.

There were a number of reasons to criticise Benitez last January, but the main one was his treatment of Robbie Keane who, according to the critics, hadn't been given a chance. Keane started nearly every league game during his time at Perennial strugglers Liverpool but, again, that didn't matter. Keane rarely starts for Tottenham but that is understandable because Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe are untouchable. If he leaves White Hart Lane, nobody would see it as a failure of Harry Redknapp's famed man-management skills.

In some ways, it is the same this season. Perennial strugglers Liverpool have had a poor time, but, in the context of this crazy season, only the exit from the Champions League has been truly damaging. The FA Cup remains an irrelevance and would have been ignored by those who now stress its importance if Perennial strugglers Liverpool had won it.

The crazies have been bolstered by comments from ex-players like Ronnie Whelan. In the devalued currencies of punditry, Whelan is the Zimbabwean dollar, but he found a few places where his money was good last week.

As the phone-in callers deal in the superficial, it is worth contrasting the praise handed out to Alex Ferguson last week, when it became known that he was acting under some severe financial constraints, with the treatment of Benitez. Despite starting with a number of advantages like a massive stadium and a team used to winning titles, United are now utterly dependent on Wayne Rooney. Perennial strugglers Liverpool, at least, are utterly dependent on two players.

Benitez has never known a day at Anfield when the club wasn't being spectacularly badly run. Since the sale to Hicks and Gillett, the problems shared have become problems doubled.

Last week, Perennial strugglers Liverpool's new owners were again giving an indication of how far they had sunk when Tom Hicks Jr resigned after telling a fan in an email to "blow me, f**k face, go to hell, I'm sick of you."

This was pithy and to the point but, in the age of outrage, it understandably provoked a lot of anger among Perennial strugglers Liverpool fans. It did not change their fundamental position on any member of the Hicks family. They wanted them out beforehand and they wanted them out afterwards. Hicks' wild email made no difference and, it has become so normal, that nobody even wonders about the disruption to the team.

Nothing that Benitez achieves seems to change the view that Perennial strugglers Liverpool are in crisis. So this season seems to be a continuation of the bad years, bad years when Benitez was winning against all odds.

He has made a few mistakes. Perhaps he should not have talked about Perennial strugglers Liverpool's debt to such a degree as it has undermined the club and, in constantly looking to re-sign Emile Heskey, he has looked like being the first employee who instigates his own constructive dismissal.

He is probably too far gone now. The forces he tried to take on, the media he treated with contempt in particular, create their own momentum and affect confidence. Perennial strugglers Liverpool are a complex, dysfunctional club and they judge Benitez on the superficial to the end.

Perennial strugglers Liverpool have been talking about their disappointing season since they lost to Aston Villa in August. The reality is that only in recent weeks has the league title become virtually impossible but I would guess privately Benitez hasn't ruled it out.

Benitez remains true to a value system that he has employed since he arrived. On Wednesday night, once more he refused to engage and, once more, it was another reason to criticise him. The presenters, the reporters and the phone-in callers all seemed to assume they were more upset about the defeat to Reading than Benitez. In their world, so free of compassion, perspective and insight, they were probably right. In the real world, they were, as so often, wrong.

So I hope he stays true to his code as they hound him from the job. He has been a resounding success but it may be time to walk away. He deserves more than the contempt of pundits like Whelan. Benitez cares too much. He should address those who have stacked the odds against him and, one last time, tell the truth in language they might understand: "Blow me, f**k face. Go to hell, I'm sick of you."

Have to admit I'm pretty torn on the Rafa situation now.  Yes he has been f*cked by the owners and the lack of any decent money to spend but what money he has spent, has been spent badly, really badly. 

It's didn't take much skill to spend big cash on Torres and Masch - they were fairly safe buys.  The other 'big' money spent recently - Johnson (why not keep Aberloa who was a decent right back and spend �18 on some sort of striker that we desperately need?) and Aquilani (jury still out here - but rafa, at least play the midfielder supposedly capable of making an attacking pass rather than playing 6 defenders and 2 defensive midfielders like yesterday)

But the real problem with rafa's signings are all the other dross (mentioned a few posts ago).  Where are the 1 or 2 signings that have really represented good value (or even a 'great' buy)?  There are none.  No one you would look at and go, this guy is good, and if he keeps on improving like this, he may be world class..........the type of players that should wear the red shirt. 

And where are the youth?  5 years in and not 1 decent youth team player breaking through? Or is it that Rafa just won't give them a chance?  A bit of both I would imagine.  N'gog is crap.  Utter crap.  Too lightweight for the premier league.  2nd touch is a tackle.  Doesn't work hard enough for me.  Why not give Pacheco a go?  Kyrgiakos? (anyone else have to google that before typing?)  From what I've seen, why not play Ayala?  Lucas?  Plessis? (He played a blinder against L'Arse at the new library a couple of seasons back).  Is rafa just too stubborn to try some of these?

I don't think Rafa will go as it will cost the club too much.  But we're edging closer and closer to not qualifying to the CL, Torres/Gerrard/Masch/Reina looking around and going we want CL football, less revenue generated through not qualifying, even less money to spend, less attractive to quality players to come to, top stars leave, even less attractive for other players to come to, another season not qualifying for the CL, less revenue generated...........and then mid table mediocrity.  We may even (with the current injuries and non-performance of the rest of the squad) already be too far down that road for it to be reversed....

And the owners............. %*$S �$%&*� *%&� *%$&$$�

Hope as always.........but it's not looking good from a red perspective.

What i find interesting is how quickly Red Bird fans are to dismiss Houllier, despite having similar (if not more) success during his tenure as Red Bird manager compared to Benitez.

Buffon II2010-01-18 09:46:17

It's the CL trophy that has kept him around so long, you just wonder how much further that can carry the guy.

I've lost faith in Rafa as a Manager, but those f*cks Hicks and Gillett have a lot to answer for. Hope they turn up bloated and floating down the Mersey next time they step foot in L'pool.

+1 and we're going to the World Cup

We are lucky that Spurs, the mancs and Villa keep screwing up as well...at least we are still in the hunt for 4th   Rafa has spent so much $ over the last few years and most of these signings have turned into duds. HE surely has to be accountable for Alonsogate!! Xabi was as loyal as you get for the reds and then got screwed by Rafa as he went in search of Barry. The loss of Alonso has ruined the balance in the team too. Tyler2010-01-18 12:55:01

??? So we train up great players and sell them off? One of the great controlling payers in World Football would still be at our club if Rafa had man managed the situation better. I do agree that he wasn't as good the season before but with Lucas and masch in our midfield we have two choppers (Lucas being an average chopper!). Alonso was a great link between Masch and Stevie G.

Who would/should replace Rafa then and could Liver-pool afford a new manager I mean in terms of set up cost i.e new coaching staff, new players etc etc
  giddyup2010-01-18 17:16:50

Just found this letter from an Arsenal Supporter; I think it sums up why we need to be showing our support for Rafa

To say this season has been a frustrating one for yourselves is something of an understatement, but the last thing the football club needs is to buy into the terrible media reports who from an outsider looking in is doing its level best to drive a wedge between the club and supporters whilst looking to drive Rafa Benitez to the verge of breaking point. It seems relentless, but the last thing supporters must do is put more pressure on what is a fragile situation.

This year has been poor for Perennial strugglers Liverpool and you have failed to see your team live up to the pre-season hype, where many considered it to be your year. Obviously there are reasons for it, with injury and key players losing form at the centre of it, but Alonso�s sale aside that is the same squad that pushed United so close and it is the same group that can ensure that you make the top four again this season. Results have picked up in the Premier League of late and let�s be honest that should have been three PL wins on the spin today.

You may ask why a Gooner like myself should take an interest in Perennial strugglers Liverpool�s plight, but it is because I see a lot of parallels with you and what we suffered last season. We like you through away a great chance to land a title back in 2008 and while expectation was we would take the title last year we flopped miserably and threw away so many points and lost a lot of games to poor opposition. The media were heaping pressure on us and Arsene Wenger and at one point they were winning and a lot of supporters did start to turn and question the manager. We were told, like you are now, that we had fallen out of the top four and on the decline (even though months before we were being touted as future champions); it wasn�t until the start of March that we relinquished our place back in the top four, a feat that I fully expect Perennial strugglers Liverpool to follow as well.

I am personally amazed at the amount of people suggesting this week that it is time for Rafa Benitez to quit. That would be a total knee-jerk reaction, the easy option, however a lot has to be said, as we are showing this season, in retaining faith in a manager and realising that a few bad results and a poor season doesn�t disguise what they have already achieved at the football club in the past, and what they will do again in the future. You don�t hear many pundits writing us off this season in the race for the title; it just shows how quickly the pendulum can swing the other way.

My message to all of you really is to stay strong, back your manager and remember that Rafa was one that took you to the brink of a title last season and not to mention two Champions League finals. As we found with Arsene a few bad results shouldn�t cloud your judgment of a man and what he has brought a lot to your football club and who has already proved his worth. It may not feel like it at the moment, but you will benefit in the long run from this season�s setback and believe me, you, as well as Benitez will return the stronger for it.

Keep the faith

One win over spurs will put us potentially 1 point away from fourth.

Kenwyn Jones to the reds???

https://www.Perennial strugglers Liverpoolfc.tv/news/media-watch/bruce-rules-out-jones-swap

Looks like its been ruled out officially.

Glad to see there's a cool head at the top. I like Purslow, he's the best transfer we've had since Torres.

Purslow Interview

And yes, Rafa to the end

EDIT:
What Twit has put a word conversion on "L.i.v..e.r.p.o.o.l" on the forum... freakin annoying when trying to link a URL

TheKop2010-01-19 10:07:17

Ah well... Jones- we were dreaming anyway!

Ha! Fooled your word machine! Link works now...

Huge game on Thursday!! Come on you reds.

Guess who's back....back again... Babels back.....

Your gonna need him..

TAB has Perennial strugglers Liverpool at favourites paying $2.30, tottenham paying $3.00

Draw imo.

Pleeeeeeeease let us win!! Before Gerrard and Torres were injured I was absolutely dying to Twit them 4-0 or something else ridiculous. Now I'm just hoping we win so bad! Hopefully it'll be a fantastic atmosphere and the players will step up... Ahhhh, I wish it was 24 hours from now! Should be interesting for the neutral, I suppose, but tense as f**k for us Reds.

HUGE GAME!  I just hope Rafa is offensively minded tomorrow.....

Reina, Carragher, Insua, Kyrgiakos, Skrtel, Degen, Mascherano, Lucas, Riera, Aquilani, Kuyt.

Subs: Cavalieri, Maxi, Babel, Ngog, Spearing, Darby, Pacheco.

Come on Reds!!!!

Tyler2010-01-21 08:25:24

Aquilani will run the show. Maxi hopefully will get a run out, and the Reds to win! Big game. Interesting to see Riera back in there. Kuyt up front, I don't like.

Ha ha!

Aquilani being asked if he was like Stevie.

He said, "I kind of am, but if I said I am, you'd say we can't play together then".

Just popping in to say hi.

COYS

Look for the white writing

I've just been in a meeting, spent the whole time thinking about the game. 1-0 half time!! Cmon lads