Well done Benitez

Treebeard

Ranger of the North
Hate to tempt fate but its nice to see the pundits eating humble pie about Arsenal's start to the season.

I think Chelsea will ultimately prove too strong over the 38 games but its good to see the current business model and way of playing working. I guess most will say that there has to be trophies as well (and I agree to an extent) but realistically the winners of the trophies this year will again be a very exclusive club.

We can't keep a clean sheet for toffee though.

Even as a Gooner, I found the 'Pool v Lyon game very tense and exciting. That Voronin though eh? Blimey. The Birmingham game may be worth a watch tonight although I think Liverpool will stroll it.
 

Anubis

The Doggy Chimp
I predicted a draw tonight, and no surprises with the result. Yet they had to cheat to get a point and I hope N'gog gets what he deserves which is a 3 game ban. Hopefully it's one more nail in the manager's coffin but Statler and Waldorf wisely got the fool to sign for 5 more years so it will cost them money to fire him, money which they won't have when they get knocked out of Europe next game. Nice one Rafa. I get far more enjoyment watching Gillingham, at least they put the effort in...
 

Anubis

The Doggy Chimp
Lol you're going along with Arsene's message of support last week. I'm now waiting for Fergie to say he's a good manager but that might be going a wee bit far :)
 

Chick

Cartwheel RIGHT
I heard from a man down the pub Fergie doesn't like referees that don't give him 3 points just for showing up. True/false?
 

Flight

Full Member
I predicted a draw tonight, and no surprises with the result. Yet they had to cheat to get a point and I hope N'gog gets what he deserves which is a 3 game ban. Hopefully it's one more nail in the manager's coffin but Statler and Waldorf wisely got the fool to sign for 5 more years so it will cost them money to fire him, money which they won't have when they get knocked out of Europe next game. Nice one Rafa. I get far more enjoyment watching Gillingham, at least they put the effort in...



Poor post that; guessing you watched the highlights on MOtD or something ?. We played really well last night.


That's not just from me, that's from a Spurs fan :



http://tottenhamhotspur.blogspot.com/2009/11/liverpool-i-applaud-you.html



Liverpool, I applaud you

I watched the Liverpool vs. Birmingham game on the box yesterday evening and saw the Red's truly batter Birmingham.
I muted the TV as I couldn't stand for another Jon Champion assisted commentary and put on Five Live instead. Out of the fire and into the frying pan. Instead of Champion, I got Green, Alan Green. Now, this man either hates everyone (Jimmy Armfield excluded), has an extraordinarily sized chip on his shoulder (thanks Phil), or just simply, detests Rafa Benitez?

Either way, it's quite obvious to me that you can count Alan Green in on the "Rafa Out" movement group.

Personally, I quite like Rafa. I think he's a top, world-class manager. I also view Liverpool fans among the best in land and yesterday's fan performance reiterated that fact. After drawing 2-2 with a team that, well, let's face it, they should have beaten and beaten comfortably, the Kop simply applauded. I was waiting for the booing crescendo, but none came.

Rafa, as we know, is a particular kind of guy. His captain, Steven Gerrard, had said that in all the time he had known his boss, the two had never spoken about anything other than football. I assume that's a far cry from our Harry. The players probably leave their kids round his house when they want to go out with their wags. Maybe little Bent could have taken a few tips off of Sandra and shown what he had learnt to his father; who knows? The point is that some managers have relationships with their players, whilst others don't. Mr. Benitez obviously falls under the latter criterion.

I said that I think Rafa Benitez is a 'top, world-class manager'. You don't win La Liga twice and the UEFA Cup with a side that had to compete with Real Madrid and Barcelona, without having something special about you. He took Liverpool to the Champions League final twice, winning one ever so memorable game.

Liverpool fans and by that, I mean the true Kopites, have given Rafa time. They will continue to grant the Spaniard time. They are true football fans, knowing the bigger picture. He'll also be given time by his management (or two clowns). They won't sack a guy that still has the fans by his side. Let's not also forget the other financial deterrent in that Rafa has approximately 4 and a half years to go on his new lucrative contract.

I can see Liverpool going on a run in the second half of the season that will see them clinch the 4th (or maybe 3rd) Champion's League spot.

I wish other fans around the country were as willing and loyal as Liverpool fans. I make this point because on Saturday, a lot of so-called Spurs fans, booed the players off at half-time. We were 1-0 up at that point, but they booed. Abuse was hurled at Harry for his "negative tactics". It pains me to say it, but anyone who booed on Saturday at half-time is a moron.

Let's try and be a bit stylish eh? I heard a few fans calling for Harry's head. I won't mention the exact phrase used, but it went along the lines of (picture a large bloke with stains down his 1999 home strip, IQ lower than 23, you know the sort); "If we lose this one to, well, that's it, Harry's got to go. He's not done anything different to what Jol did and he's useless".

That's right, Harry's useless. He saved us from the Championship, but all in all, the guy hasn't got a clue.

I do wonder about us sometimes.
 

Soupytwist

Full Member
When I turned teletext on this morning and saw Benitez had scored for Birmingham my first thought was 'Christ that must have been one Hell of a deflection'.
 

Anubis

The Doggy Chimp
Nope, that was before the game and N'gog did cheat. I don't care who it is, there's no place for it. However, they did play a lot better than they have done recently and IMO deserved a win. I was offered a ticket and could have gone to the game but had other arrangements. Hopefully they will start performing now and go on a run that they are capable of. It doesn't change the fact that I want the owners out asap, and the manager soon after. I hope I am proved wrong but he's taken the team as far as he can and is losing many of the fans - however the similarities between his current plight and Fergie being 1 game away from the sack are there and maybe it's the start of dominance...
 

Treebeard

Ranger of the North
I really like Rafa.

Whenever I have seen an interview with him (except for a notable couple of incidents) he seems like an intelligent, unassuming, genuine man with a real love of the game. I would imagine he is a joy to work with.

None of that means he is good enough for Liverpool, but its a shame to see someone like him in the firing line.
 

Flight

Full Member
Arsenal players know what they are talking about :) :

ANDREY ARSHAVIN has hailed the best supporters in the world � but they are not at the Emirates.

The Arsenal player said Russian fans should learn how to support their team better by taking lessons from Liverpool�s supporters.

Before Russia�s 2-1 win over Slovenia in a World Cup play off on Saturday, he said: �Our fans need to learn from the English football supporters, and in particular from Liverpool fans.�



Told that Chelsea star Yuri Zhirkov was awe-struck about the support Manchester United fans gave their team against CSKA Moscow in the recent Champion�s League clash, he said: �It�s only because he hasn�t played against Liverpool yet.�
 

Flight

Full Member
Yesterdays local paper revealed that not only was the Alonso money used to service the debt to buy the club, but also the money from selling Keane.
 

Ky

Stupid is as stupid does
Out of the Chumps League now.

Its turning into a really great season for Benitez and Babel let rip at him in the weekend papers too.

I will never understand the logic of selling Alonso and then bringing in a 20M signing to replace him that can't play until you're out of the CL and are virtually out of the title race and aiming for 4th at best in the league. That is piss poor management.....

/shrug
 

Anubis

The Doggy Chimp
Summary of an article from TeamTalk.
{My opinion: The game last night to me shows why he should go (although not now as it would cost too much and nobody else available) - bad team selection, bad and unchangeble tactics and poor substitutions. Not forgetting the biggest case of self delusion I have seen for a long time. They will NOT finish 4th this year as there are other teams who have improved considerably. If what Babel said is true (and he's a complete waster) then things are worse than they appear.}

Should he be sacked?
Yes

Benitez has been in charge since 2004 but Liverpool had never mounted a serious title challenge until last season. And then, when they finally did look capable of toppling United, the Spaniard had his infamous 'fact' rant that undeniably played a part in their demise - the Reds drew their next four games.

Bad man management. Xabi Alonso had been made to feel so unwanted by Benitez 12 months previously that he forced a move to Real Madrid. (If I was treated like Xabi was, I would have left).

Blind faith in certain players. Aquilani has so far managed just 22 minutes of action and that has led to regular starts for the Brazilian Lucas, who, whilst not as bad as some make out, will not rate as one of Benitez's greatest buys.

Overall poor transfer record. There's been the odd success - Alonso, Fernando Torres and Pepe Reina to name three of a small handful - but those successes cannot mask the many failures. Ryan Babel, Andriy Voronin and Andrea Dossena are three of the many, many examples of Benitez's bad buys. He has failed, at times almost stubbornly, to strengthen in positions the side really needed strengthening in.

There's been a consistent problem at full-back that he's failed to address - bear in mind he let go Steve Finnan and Stephen Warnock - and he's had a similar problem on the wing. Then there is the inexcusable failure to sign players capable of filling in for Torres and Steven Gerrard.

A Champions League win in his first season, with players who were mostly not his. Apart from this a very luck FA Cup is all he has won.

No

Owners at fault. Benitez's led the Reds to their highest ever points total in the Premier League last season and surely deserved better backing from the club's owners in the summer. Unfortunately he was under instructions to 'sell to buy' and the fact he was left with just �2million to sign a defender, Sotirios Kyrgiakos, sums up the tight restrictions he was working under (Even this was a panic buy).

Funds withdrawn. Benitez may have been given money to spend in the past, but he was certainly not backed properly in the summer just gone, when the Alonso receipts went to service debts.

Injuries. They may be reliant on Torres and Gerrard but to lose them at the same time is cruel, and what side wouldn't suffer without their two best players? And it isn't just those two - Johnson, Albert Reira, Yossi Benayoun, Fabio Aurelio, Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel have all spent time on the sidelines and the Reds' injury list was in double figures at one stage. (I personally don't rate Riera or Aurelio).

Players' form. Carragher has had a nightmare season so far, Mascherano looks like his plane to Barcelona is already booked, and Reina hasn't been up to his usual standards. They are not alone either but Benitez has had to rely on the under performers in light of all the injury problems.
 

Anubis

The Doggy Chimp
I will never understand the logic of selling Alonso and then bringing in a 20M signing to replace him that can't play until you're out of the CL and are virtually out of the title race and aiming for 4th at best in the league. That is piss poor management.....

/shrug

He had no choice with Alonso, who was treated badly.

Don't forget the Europa League :clown:

Playing for 4th 2/3 into November... good grief...
 

Ky

Stupid is as stupid does
You missed my point. Why replace a key player (didn't have to be Alonso) with someone injured that is going to miss the start of the season, not be available for CL group stages, etc. Spending 20M on an injured player that won't be ready for the start of the season when you know you lack a really good player in that position is poor judgment. Not just in football either.... you lose a key employee, you're coming up to a critical phase in your business growth and you employ someone that can't start for another 3 - 6 months. I'd get crucified for that in my job from a continuity planning POV.
 

Anubis

The Doggy Chimp
You're right, but who else would come up with that solution, even if Aquilani is, as most sources think, a top class player? There was always the risk that we'd be out of everything by the time he gets fit, and only one person deemed the risk worth taking. Oh well...
 
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