Liverpool FC Forum

[fivecups]

I'm not going to condemn Rafa for not playing Robbie today - I've hardly ever predicted his starting eleven and usually he wins.

I want both. I always want Liverpool to finish as high as possible. Yes, in terms of CL qualification it doesn't matter, but finishing above Arsenal in the league, finishing in the top 3 instead of fourth matters.

I would like to see Rafa give Robbie 90 minutes against Fulham/ Charlton and I think he'll probably do that. He has room for sentiment but only if he's sure that it will not compromise Liverpool's results. I applaud him for that - thats the sort of manager I want in charge of LFC.

Would Robbie weaken a Liverpool team? Probably slightly, but only slightly. If I had to pick one of our strikers to leave it would be Robbie - he's not as good as Crouch, Kuyt or Bellamy - NOW. Rafa knows it and so does everyone else, otherwise we wouldn't be talking about big send-offs.

[Leonmc0708]

No place for sentiment in football.

I cried (seriously cried) when he went to Leeds, he was and always be my idol, but hes lost it, and its like watching your uncle trying to dance at a family party and making himself look like a fool, you want to stop him.

[barnesrush]

wish my uncle had tought me how to do this

vs blackpool...

[Ace Ventura]

Disagree, Robbie is still easily capable of playing a major part in the end to our season.
And Rafa has let him down badly. The only way it can be defended is that Rafa is protecting the players that are going to be there long term (which is fair enough), but to say Robbie wouldnt have improved thinks an awful lot imo would be a major mistake.
He should of started the last few games and imo would of scored at least one in both.
Its all about opinions and most are looking at the bigger picture, i am looking at the here and now, the lad still could do it.

[Stu.Murph]

I'm not going to condemn Rafa for not playing Robbie today - I've hardly ever predicted his starting eleven and usually he wins.

I want both. I always want Liverpool to finish as high as possible. Yes, in terms of CL qualification it doesn't matter, but finishing above Arsenal in the league, finishing in the top 3 instead of fourth matters.

I would like to see Rafa give Robbie 90 minutes against Fulham/ Charlton and I think he'll probably do that. He has room for sentiment but only if he's sure that it will not compromise Liverpool's results. I applaud him for that - thats the sort of manager I want in charge of LFC.

Would Robbie weaken a Liverpool team? Probably slightly, but only slightly. If I had to pick one of our strikers to leave it would be Robbie - he's not as good as Crouch, Kuyt or Bellamy - NOW. Rafa knows it and so does everyone else, otherwise we wouldn't be talking about big send-offs.

Robbie is still our best striker. End of.

[Stu.Murph]

Disagree, Robbie is still easily capable of playing a major part in the end to our season.
And Rafa has let him down badly. The only way it can be defended is that Rafa is protecting the players that are going to be there long term (which is fair enough), but to say Robbie wouldnt have improved thinks an awful lot imo would be a major mistake.
He should of started the last few games and imo would of scored at least one in both.
Its all about opinions and most are looking at the bigger picture, i am looking at the here and now, the lad still could do it.

Exactly. We all know he's on his last legs, but at the end of last season he proved what a player he still was.

We looked a far better side last year when he played and towards the end of the season I thought we were outstanding and he made just as big a contribution in that period as anyone bar possibly Gerrard.

This season he's been treated like and I think Rafa owes it to him. The lads not been allowed to play himself into form and get into a rhythm and hasn't been allowed to gain match sharpness either so when he's made his limited appearances he's looked rusty.

He is still more than capable of scoring a goal at this level or even creating one. The lads a goalscoring genius.

[ivor_the_injun]

He's been really harshly treated this season, no question about it.

Funny thing is though, many of us were saying exactly the same thing about Crouch until recently, and now it seems he's cemented in the starting lineup even ahead of Kuyt.

In a way Robbie has suffered because none of our other three strikers have stunk out their position. Last season we had Cisse and Morientes who were often ridiculously ineffectual for long runs of matches, but that just hasn't happened this season. I don't think any of the four have played eye-catchingly poorly two games running.

It's very cruel that he's not even made the bench in many games this season, but I think now that Rafa kept him on because he expected injuries to hit, or form to dip. And that's not happened. In a way, I wish he hadn't extended his contract now, as it's been a really cruel and frustrating wind-down to a fabulous career in the red shirt.

Unless, of course, Rafa isn't getting rid. I'd be surprised, but not completely stunned, if Robbie was still here next season. Benitez does like to throw us a wrong-un every now and again just to keep us on our toes.

[J*o*n*D*o*e]

why do you persist in banging this drum.

come the last home game of the season and im sure you`ll get your wish

[H_K_LFC]

why do you persist in banging this drum.

come the last home game of the season and im sure you`ll get your wish

I agree, we have a champions league semi - final to prepare for. As much as Robbie is a legend, the chances are he wont feature so we need our players to be in prime shape and ready to go out on Wednesday. We still have another two prem games for Robbie to play in.

[weringo]

I vote for option number 3, do whatever is neccessary for us to progress into the CL final. If that means resting our strikers for the semis and letting Robbie play so be it, but if it means maintaining our main strikers' match fitness then that has to take priority. As Leon said, there is no room for sentiment in football.

[fivecups]

I'm not going to condemn Rafa for not playing Robbie today - I've hardly ever predicted his starting eleven and usually he wins.

I want both. I always want Liverpool to finish as high as possible. Yes, in terms of CL qualification it doesn't matter, but finishing above Arsenal in the league, finishing in the top 3 instead of fourth matters.

I would like to see Rafa give Robbie 90 minutes against Fulham/ Charlton and I think he'll probably do that. He has room for sentiment but only if he's sure that it will not compromise Liverpool's results. I applaud him for that - thats the sort of manager I want in charge of LFC.

Would Robbie weaken a Liverpool team? Probably slightly, but only slightly. If I had to pick one of our strikers to leave it would be Robbie - he's not as good as Crouch, Kuyt or Bellamy - NOW. Rafa knows it and so does everyone else, otherwise we wouldn't be talking about big send-offs.

Robbie is still our best striker. End of.

Even if he was our best player Rafa's aiming to build a team that's going to be Premiership challengers for years to come. It doesn't make sense to make Robbie a big part of that - you said yourself he's on his last legs.

He's been used for the 'fourth' striker role this season and Im sure there's nowhere he'd rather be at the end of his career than at Liverpool.

[fivecups]

No place for sentiment in football.

I cried (seriously cried) when he went to Leeds, he was and always be my idol, but hes lost it, and its like watching your uncle trying to dance at a family party and making himself look like a fool, you want to stop him.

Disagree, Liverpool with it's history has more sentiment than most clubs - but that sentiment should never compromise results.

[redhayesy]

i was privaliged to watch robbie play most weeks in his prime! & have to say he has given me some of the best moments supporting this great club of ours,he is & will always be a true lfc legend,however i do agree their is no room for sentiment,but i would be seriously p1ssed off if i never saw fowler play for us again! so if it means getting 3rd place without him (god please forgive me) then that is the reality of today"s game-it"s a business now as much as anything & raffa would look at the bigger picture,finishing 3rd means more money etc! however i remember stood in the kop on rushy"s last game & saw grown men including myself crying our eyes out at the final whistle,& no doubt that is what will happen on robbie"s last game for us weather it be in a domestic game or in a farewell freindly, he will defo get the send off he deserves & raffa would be the first to acknowledge that.

[Stu.Murph]

i was privaliged to watch robbie play most weeks in his prime! & have to say he has given me some of the best moments supporting this great club of ours,he is & will always be a true lfc legend,however i do agree their is no room for sentiment,but i would be seriously p1ssed off if i never saw fowler play for us again! so if it means getting 3rd place without him (god please forgive me) then that is the reality of today"s game-it"s a business now as much as anything & raffa would look at the bigger picture,finishing 3rd means more money etc! however i remember stood in the kop on rushy"s last game & saw grown men including myself crying our eyes out at the final whistle,& no doubt that is what will happen on robbie"s last game for us weather it be in a domestic game or in a farewell freindly, he will defo get the send off he deserves & raffa would be the first to acknowledge that.

I hope ya right fella!

[66-1120597113]

White Line!!