FA Cupset
DJPrestige
1,710 Posts
I am sitting here after Liverpool just got bounced from the FA Cup by Barnsley.If this isn't a further indication that Rafa has to go, then I don't know what is.Also, why take out Ryan Babel who was owning the Barnsley defense and put in Harry Kewell? Pathetic. The only saving grace is that either United or Arsenal will be bounced after this round. Not a great season for my Reds. 
Comments
i did as well, but i was referring to the club.
I've avoided joining in with any "Benitez Out" clamouring, because any manager that can bring us a fifth European Cup in his first season deserves a longer-than-normal grace period. It isn't so much the opposition that bothers me (although Barnsley are an average Championship side at best), as the fact that he's continued to field second-string sides in a competition that was our only realistic remaining chance of honours this season. Itandje's done nothing to indicate he has the quality to succeed as a Prem-level keeper, and Rafa's bloody-minded persistence with this squad rotation policy in the face of so many inconsistent performances is no longer bewildering and is now just a pain in the arse. If we were getting the results, it might be defensible, but we're not, so it isn't.
United are thumping Arsenal as well - it's 4-0 now!
watched tghe first half,
man u plays well
but the prem league so well?
its the opposite in germany
Most of the opinions I've read from Liverpool fans blame the Americans.
They haven't helped - or at least Tom Hicks hasn't, by saying that he and George Gillett openly courted Jurgen Klinsmann as a potential replacement for Rafa when relations between them were at their worst. The bad feeling that created has lingered ever since. But by the same token, Rafa hasn't strengthened his own case with his inability to get the best out of the players he has. There's no such thing as a settled line-up at Liverpool anymore, and I think a lot of the problems on the field stem from this.
There's always a rush to blame the manager when a team is struggling, but I think the problem lies elsewhere. Certain players seem to think the team can't function without them, they're a cut above everyone else on the park, and the style of play should be geared towards them all the time. It became a problem at Arsenal and they dealt with it. If he's still there at the end of the season, Benitez needs to do something similar at Liverpool. He needs to sell Steven Gerrard.
BAN!!
we looked pathetic yesterday. i figured we would lose with such a depleted team, but not that bad. ugly loss. Gunners better show themselves vs Milan. I don't need another repeat of getting knocked out of all competitions in the span of 2 weeks like we did last year.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4eq93_manu0gunners-160208_sport
To answer that question just look at how many English players were on display for the premiership teams playing at the weekend.
Liverpool are all out of sorts at the moment and this constant sacrifice of everything else in favour of the European cup is going to look extremely stupid if they get undone this round (I actually think Rafa's too good a manager in Europe for his team to preform how they have domestically recently but we'll see).
LOL at Arsenal. I can't deny I didn't enjoy that match though you know things are going badly when you let Fletcher score two against you.
I can also imagine the big names not wanting to play these matches because of the risks of:
a) Being injured by some part-time plummer wanting to make a name for himself as the next Roy Keane or
b) Being badly sonned by a pub side.
I am sure all right-thinking people have huge admiration for how Wenger sets his sides up, regardless of the foreigner vs local talent debate.
And his use of the youngsters in the League cup last season was inspirational
BUT.... Arsene, dude, the bad loser thing is SUCH
and severly debits your goodwill account
Carragher has the more PR nous - he will say the teams naused up when the public can clearly see it.
Carra also has the luxury of being the only native English speaker in the Liverpool side who can pass judgement on a
Capello seems to have transformed Rooney into a 1-man striker phenom and over the course of the World Cup, Scolari turned Ronaldo from a boy into a man.
? what happened? I saw the game... OUCH. but didn't see the post match interviews etc... what did he do?
The usual Wenger thing, as an Arsenal fan it's embarrassing. He used his trademark "i didn't see it" response regarding Gallas's little kick on Nani, said Eboue's sending off was "harsh" and said the pitch was terrible. He did go on to say Arsenal never looked like winning though, even before the sending off...
I'm not sure not having many English players playing in the Premier League makes much difference in the quality of the national side either, how many of the current Brazilian squad play in Brazil?
Yeah it wouldn't matter as much if all the English 'talent' was playing for big clubs abroad but most of it is benchwarming or fighting for a starting place for the big clubs who sometimes seem that they buy players up just to stop them signing for competitors.
Despite how the above sounds, I'm actually all for foreign players in the premiership and love how they've changed and expanded the way premiership football is played, it just saddens me that managers will go and spend a million or two on shipping over young foreign talent instead of focusing on trying to bring through and develop any decent English youths.
Who knows though, maybe the young talent just isn't there.
I am sure the kids in the favellas of Brasil are much safer and can indulge their desire for football anytime anywhere.
Who will Lpool diehards accept as a replacement?
I see a place for the club, as keeper of the soul of all that was finest in British football, spearheading a return to local roots for players and managers.
There's so much kid talent in the surrounding areas, and many people steeped in Liverpool history still in the football world to make it viable.
Granted it will be 10 years before there are dividends, but someone has to start it off.
And here's a manager: Paul Fairclough at Barnet.
Former Pool reserve in the 70's, local lad, manager of England non-League, former scout/analyst for Sven, alround good guy; he took me thru coaching badges at kids mini-soccer level.
Pie in the sky idea maybe but we can dream