posted Feb 19, 2008

CAMPIONE, CAMPIONE CAMPIONE LIVERPOOL.

Arriverderci Inter. RAFA You are a 24 carat genius my man.

Now I wonder who we will get in the last 8? any easy ties?, hope we dont meet Lyon they look a formidable outfit at the moment. Carior if my maths is correct didn't the Redmen last win the league in 1990? Or have we jumped to 2016?

Bitesize History Lesson. The Mighty Dons (Aberdeen) 1980 European Cup. Wonder who ended their run ? Who was their manager at the time?

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posted Feb 19, 2008

"or maybe they finally had the financial clout to compete with United and Chelsea" - Now you look like an idiot. Since Benitez has arrived at Anfield he has spent more than Fergie! BURN.
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Where are these figures? Torres became Liverpool's first 20 million pound player, in that time man u had already purchased Rooney, Ferdinand for over 25 million pounds, not to mention players like Carrick, Van Nistlerooy and Hargreaves who all would have easily broken Liverpool's transfer record fee up untill the arrival of Torres.

Therefore, its not to difficult to assume that, while Fergie has had the luxury over Benitez (untill this summer) to look all over Europe for talent that cost in excess of say 14 million, Liverpool have had to maybe buy two sometimes three players with the same amount of money. That means that the quality brought is not of the same standard. Like i said who wouldn't take 25 million pound Rooney over a 14 million pound cisse, it's obvious who is better simply by the price tag.

Finally for all Benitez poor signings he still manages to make a decent profit on some of signings ie. sissoko and bellamy. You slate benitez for poor signing Fergie hasn't all was been gold mate, how much was the loss on Veron?

Some Man u fans convienently forget these things while they slate other managers and other clubs.

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posted Feb 20, 2008

comment by Robbo Robson
posted 8 Hours Ago

Now could someone explain why it never happens in the mundane everyday world of the Premier League (a phrase you're not allowed to use in Scudamore land!)
-----------------------------------------------

I can explain why it won't happen next Satda when they get a visit from the Mighty Boro

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posted Feb 21, 2008

"Now then. I sort of knew this would happen. Petty sending off aside, it was, and I choke on these words, another great Anfiled night in Europe.

Now could someone explain why it never happens in the mundane everyday world of the Premier League (a phrase you're not allowed to use in Scudamore land!)"

Hmmmmm. Seems to me like you're just going along with the mass media line of anti Benitez sentiment at the moment Robbo. I thought you might be above that but that's life.

You talk about Benitez as if he's been a massive failure in the league. We've come 3rd in two of his three seasons and also won the CL and FA Cup in that time and reached another CL final. I'd just like to point out that in that time the seemingly untouchable Wenger has steerd his team to one 3rd place finish and two 4th's whilst winning no major silverware.

It would appear that your anti-Benitez rhetoric is misplaced as he has been incredibly successful in the short time he's been here. He does make mistakes but name a manager that doesn't and HE DOES NOT ROTATE MORE THAN FERGIE AND JOSE DID. Look at the stats mate, they don't lie, it's just that those two teams have many £15mil plus players on their books so the changes aren't as noticeable. Give Rafa equal spending power and he'll win the Prem. Until then we'll just have to win the CL every few years.

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posted Feb 21, 2008

Yeah and give Wenger less spending power and he'll still win the Premiership.

This is a fact probably not gone un-noticed by the American owners.

To a yank, even second place (and certainly not 4th) just ain't good enough as Benitez will find out before too long.

It's not the press he should be worried about but Rafa's Gaffers

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posted Feb 21, 2008

Hmmmmm. Seems to me like you're just going along with the mass media line of anti Benitez sentiment at the moment Robbo.

couldn't agree more and its because of statements like this.

'Benitez is great at taking on better teams than his. Trouble is, he hasn't got a clue how to beat worse ones'

i mean if anything liverpool have found it harder beating top four sides than sides lower in the league. this season has had a very poor run in it but how many small sides have beaten liverpool in the league. in fact how many times have they lost this season?

'For all the Cup success, Benitez has failed to put a consistent team in place in the four years he's been there and for a club like Liverpool that's just not good enough.'

one thing benitez can be applauded for is his pragmatism. He began his anfield career playing a 451. He quickly realised this would not work against the long ball teams (after getting beat by bolton) because there was too much time for the oppositions backs to play balls forward.

Benitez has also learned about rotating in the prem league. He will never abandon rotation because he would be an idiot. All the best teams rotate but crucially they keep their best players in the side for the majority of the games. Think ronaldo and rooney for utd, cesc for arsenal and when they are fit cech, terry and drogba for chelsea.

Benitez has done the same this season. You you could argue that this is the first season they have enough quality to do so. Look at the amount of games Carragher, Gerrard and Torres play when fit.

Benitez learns from his mistakes and is undoubtedly improving the Liverpool squad while collecting tropjies in the process so to say that 'Benitez's time has come' makes me think that the madrid directors who sacked del bosque (decision of the century) are not alone in being the most clueless people in sport. There are a lot more than i thought.

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posted Feb 21, 2008

Some great and some amusing points on here!

Firstly to heinzeforking "HE DOES NOT ROTATE MORE THAN FERGIE AND JOSE DID"

Come on mate, how many times in their tenure did they go 96 GAMES without picking the same line up. You are correct, the stats do not lie- and if you have a pipe you may want to rustle up some burning embers with which to light that little nugget.

For the first time in a long time I agree with the analysis of where Liverpool are as a club. Lebowski had it spot on when he said : And maybe liverpool are batting at their level when they finish 3rd/4th. Im just amazed that this rationale has finally sunk in on Liverpool, because the perennial call of "it might be our year" is seriously getting more amusing by the season.

"all we need is a 20 a season man and we're set"

enter torres, the supposed answer to the problem and yet you find yourselves 19 points off top spot in February!! I know for a fact that if I was a fan of Liverpool I wouldnt see this as an acceptable position. The simple facts are Rafa has done alright. He has not set the world alight with the exception of the extremely impressive CL victory. And lets face it, its called that for one reason, on paper Liverpool were nowhere near good enough to take Europes top prize. So that apart, what has Rafa achieved in taking hte club forward to become one of the major Premier League forces?

The top 4 is in danger of becoming a top 3, and the one thing no-one wants is a still less competitve title race.

Liverpool is a massive and great football club, and I think maybe Rafa has taken them as far as he can. If there are to be league titles coming to Merseyside I really dont see it being Rafa on the open top bus and I for one wouldnt accept battling for 4th year in year out, because that battle in itself is getting much more difficult with the emergence of Svens City and O'Neills Villa.

He has spent plenty, and I do believe that since taking over his spending has exceeded Uniteds in that period, so saying give him money and he'll win the title is nonsense. Hes had money, failed to mount even a luke warm challenge until christmas and for all the "yanks go home" remember that stauts as a PLC has helped massively in the past so to now complain at the owners is ridiculous.

Remember how unpopular the Glazers were until the trophy cabinet started filling up again?

there is some serious coffe to be smelt in the North West

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posted Feb 25, 2008

"Firstly to heinzeforking "HE DOES NOT ROTATE MORE THAN FERGIE AND JOSE DID"

Come on mate, how many times in their tenure did they go 96 GAMES without picking the same line up. You are correct, the stats do not lie- and if you have a pipe you may want to rustle up some burning embers with which to light that little nugget."

Consecutive games without the same line up is not conclusive proof of the extent of rotation. He could have made 1 change per game and Fergie could have made 3 every two games and he would be the bigger rotator? You understand? Look at the stats mate, per game roughly the same changes as Fergie and Mourinho. May I offer you a pipe?

@"DoctorBoroLove"
How long has Wenger been in the job? Stability breeds success and he had a very good squad when he started that wasn't in need of the major rebuild that Rafa has had to oversee.

You could give Wenger 100 years and £100mil per annum and he still wouldn't win the Champions League. Viva al Rafalution.

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posted Feb 25, 2008

robbo

do you think rafa is getting the sack at the end of the season?

Pls answer

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