Liverpool FC Forum

[dawson99]

so basically when i said he didnt care about the league (but admit that he just had bigger prioroties, im now having people agree? if only i could articulate id be a plus point on this board

[Bad Bob]

so basically when i said he didnt care about the league (but admit that he just had bigger prioroties, im now having people agree? if only i could articulate id be a plus point on this board

Fair point, mate.  It's all in the terminology used.  Saying he doesn't care about the league is an insult.  Saying he doesn't prioritize it is at least worth a debate.

[god_bless_john_houlding]

I don't see why people get their knickers in a twist over the start of the season. We were unbeaten until December wasn't it. Top of the league early on. And to be frank, it was the european cup that was failing because of it...up until the Reading game (in the league) we'd won eight and drew five. But the Reading game changed the season. We gave up, plain and simple, for me Benitez gave up because of the european cup. For me he wasn't prepared to go out at the group stage, and concentrate on the league. This is where he "priorities" the european cup ahead of the league.

This will take some explaining...he put the league first (imo) up until the point that europe was about to go right out the window. Once he saw the european cup disappearing, the league became second on the priority list. If we'd taken 9 points from our opening three champions league games, then I don't think we'd be in the league position we currently find ourselves in. But to the fact that we picked up just one point in the opening three group games has forced the league to suffer IMO. This is where Benitez puts europe first, he's very happy to see the league slip away, but won't let europe go.

GBJH, when will you ever understand that it's not just Rafa's decision of what trophy we should go for.  It's not like he just favors the CL and nothing else.  The reason he gave up on the Reading game, was because Torres and Gerrard were getting kicked around and it would have been a disaster if one of them had gotten injured.  Plus, he would have been fired, if he did not qualify for the knock out stages.  Please tell me, what would you have done in his shoes?

who said he would be fired? people have assumed he would be. Did Tom Hicks (a man who isn't afraid to say what he's done in public) come out and say "Rafa Benitez will be sacked if he loses to Marsielle"? Did he?

Benitez isn't the only one who decides what trophy we go for. No I suppose he isn't. But he is the one who picks the 11. He is the one who makes the subs. He is the one who chooses tactics. He is the one who persists on playing players. So he does have a rather big say in it. Probably the biggest say out of anybody at the club.

Awwwwwwww Gerrard and Torres were getting kicks. Awwwwww. Torres took a battering from the same team (reading) in the carling cup and scored a hattrick. So on your theory that he was being kicked, he shouldn't of been on the pitch against reading in the carling cup either. Also he shouldn't be a professional footballer if he doesn't like being kicked. Also, weren't Mascherano, Voronin, Sissoko, Crouch all being kicked as well?

Next, people (mainly those who support Benitez) said after the Barnsley game "our reserves should be able to beat Barnsley, so you can't blame Rafa" well the same goes for Marseille. Our second string (likes of Benayoun, Crouch, Voronin, Riise) should be able to beat Marsielle, but no Benitez isn't prepared to go out of europe but doesn't mind going out of the FA Cup cup.

What would I of done in his shoes? I'd of made sure we weren't 3-1 down in the first place. I wouldn't of played Crouch/Voronin out on the wings. I wouldn't of put Jack Hobbs' premiership debut start away to Reading, when Hyypia was on the bench and we'd just come off the back of a good run of clean sheets. (four in total against blackburn, fulham, newcastle and bolton all with Hyypia and Carra as the centre halves. Hobbs played the majority of the second half against Bolton with Hyypia when we were 2-0 up at home, that's understandable, throwing him into an away game in the premiership with just 40 minutes premiership experince is stupidity)

[LFC2007]

Priority list as Rafa sees it;

1) Premier League
2) Champions' League



3) FA cup




4) League cup

..............................

It's his number one priority, and he has said so before.

The fact that Rafa on very rare occasions makes noticeable omissions of key players in EPL matches doesn't mean we don't try to win it, or that it isn't a priority. It means he has faith in his squad. Has he rested key players more often in league matches than our competitors? I don't think so.

He's rested players in the UCL, just as he's done with the EPL, the FA cup and league cup.

[dawson99]

you mean rafas priority list as YOU see it right? unless you have a quote of course

i think the last few seasnos his priorities have been in europe, but expecting lfc2007's list to be spot on next season

[RedBlood]

ofcourse we (rafa and the team) try to win it, the simple fact is were not good enough yet

but im confident that will change 

[dawson99]

ofcourse we (rafa and the team) try to win it, the simple fact is were not good enough yet

but im confident that will change 

we're good enough to beat milan but not wigan?

[LFC2007]

you mean rafas priority list as YOU see it right? unless you have a quote of course

i think the last few seasnos his priorities have been in europe, but expecting lfc2007's list to be spot on next season

Rafa: "Our main priority is the Premier League"

[god_bless_john_houlding]

you mean rafas priority list as YOU see it right? unless you have a quote of course

i think the last few seasnos his priorities have been in europe, but expecting lfc2007's list to be spot on next season

Rafa: "Our main priority is the Premier League"

Tom Hicks "I won't put this club in debt"

[LFC2007]

you mean rafas priority list as YOU see it right? unless you have a quote of course

i think the last few seasnos his priorities have been in europe, but expecting lfc2007's list to be spot on next season

Rafa: "Our main priority is the Premier League"

Tom Hicks "I won't put this club in debt"

GBJH: "I think we even possibly have the manager to win the league".

GBJH: "Rafa WON'T win us the league, I want him out now".

[god_bless_john_houlding]

you mean rafas priority list as YOU see it right? unless you have a quote of course

i think the last few seasnos his priorities have been in europe, but expecting lfc2007's list to be spot on next season

Rafa: "Our main priority is the Premier League"

Tom Hicks "I won't put this club in debt"

GBJH: "I think we even possibly have the manager to win the league".

GBJH: "Rafa WON'T win us the league, I want him out now".

you're proving my point for me, cheers mate.

People can say one thing without believing it or meaning it. Benitez doesn't have the premiership first on his list, no matter what he says.

And for future notice, it was out at the end of the season, not now. Just to let you know.

[RedBlood]

ofcourse we (rafa and the team) try to win it, the simple fact is were not good enough yet

but im confident that will change 

we're good enough to beat milan but not wigan?

ofcourse we can beat wigan but the fact is we dont win games consistently enough, there is always a period in the league where we lose and draw games on the bounce and we need to stop this if we wont to win the league

europe is a different game its more tactical and this is where rafa proves what a good manager and coach he is year in year out but in the league its the team with the best players that comes out on top and aresenal chelsea and man u unfortunately have better players at the moment...

but i feel one or two top class signings in the mould of torres,gerrad would change that

[LFC2007]

you mean rafas priority list as YOU see it right? unless you have a quote of course

i think the last few seasnos his priorities have been in europe, but expecting lfc2007's list to be spot on next season

Rafa: "Our main priority is the Premier League"

Tom Hicks "I won't put this club in debt"

GBJH: "I think we even possibly have the manager to win the league".

GBJH: "Rafa WON'T win us the league, I want him out now".

you're proving my point for me, cheers mate.

People can say one thing without believing it or meaning it. Benitez doesn't have the premiership first on his list, no matter what he says.

No problem, I'm more than happy to prove you're an idiot - anytime mate.

And for future notice, it was out at the end of the season, not now. Just to let you know.

GBJH: "I haven't missed a home game (league, cup, europe) for 35 years. That's where I am, I'm supporting the side, I'm desperate for us to win, and I'm desperate for us to succeed under Benitez. That's not going to happen, so sack him NOW."

The genius of GBJH demonstrated once again.

[RedBlood]

LFC2007 i might be wrong but im not sure you get on with GBJH??

[god_bless_john_houlding]

redblood he doesn't like the fact that my wealth of football knowledge is constantly proven right.

start of the season I said "we'll never win league under Benitez"

recently in the match threads near enough everything I've predicted is coming true. Even the Barnsley game...I said we have to be professional about this because it's not going to be a walk over. Plus he believes everything he hears and reads.