Liverpool FC Forum

by **DAV** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 8:10 am

I have read all the posts on our fa cup disaster, and i'm giving my opinion like it or not.
Firstly, i like our manager and think in time he will take us far.
however.
The FA cup means somthing to me and most english football fans. It is the most famous cup competion in the world.
I find it an insult to see the team sheets in some of these cup ties.
The managers who put these weakend sides out are arrogant.
In our situation, The premiership is out of our reach, European success is highley unlikley, the worthless cup is exactley that, worthless.
Winning the FA cup in our managers first season, in my opinion would be a major success along with champions league qualification.
I find it more insulting to see fans post threads like "it's not a bad thing we are out of the cup"
Get real, both fans and managers alike.
Stop degrading our nation game.

by **116-1105728556** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 8:20 am

Starbridge42

Yer right in some respects of getting it in context but its a business not a game and fans who paid hard earned money to see their team must have felt let down.

If you go to the theatre to see a top show wouldn't you feel let down if they turned out to be the 3rd row stand ins?

It didn't make sense to me in respect of too many young uns, I accept the argument that they need to have their day but so many in such a game, come on it was a kook up and lets admit it.

I also think that Raf needs to get used to the change in culture and perhaps he's unaware of how important the FA cup is to fans. For me it wasn't as if they played well and the best player on the pitch up to the mistake was Traore so I don't blame him at all.

by **Starbridge42** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 11:39 am

alrite i accpet it is a business (which would make the champions league more important ne way) and the fans that paid for their tickets would naturally like to see their side win but certain members of their forum seem to think that beacuse liverpool didnt win a game of football that the players should all be shot and the manager burned alive. Ok we lost, ok their mistakes all round, but how does whinging about it help?

by **Leonmc0708** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 11:47 am

bakes40 wrote:raffa has obviously no respect for f.a cup, does he not realise we fans love it. what a sad team we were i cannot remember being so humiliated, yet raffa says we did ok. Why rest our top players are they weak, we aint gonna win anything so why not a good cup run, terrible night for lfc

I could not give a toss about hte FA Cup, if we are given the choice of playing Burnley away on a wet Tuesday night or Barcelona at the Nou Camp, I know which one I am picking twenty times out of ten.

by **Big Niall** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 12:21 pm

A lot of english people care about the Fa cup and as the club is english it should be given some importance, however, the manager, the coaching team and the majority of first teamers are not english. The chairmen are businessmen and realise the league is much more important.

The Fa cup is second rate to everybody bar the fans and SOME of the english players.

There is a growing gulf between clubs employees (board, management, players) and the fans.

It is sad , but true.

by **jonnymac1979** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 1:52 pm

One of the Mancs in my office e-mailed me this morning with;

Subject: A funny thing happened last night

Content: I won't say anything if you dont

I simply replied that the reason I've felt worse in my time as a fan than I did last night and do today, is because it WOULD be a big deal to some going out in the 3rd round of the FA Cup, if Manchester United hadn't devalued it in the first place five years ago by not competing in it.

Too big for it then were they not? Biggest team in the World and all that? They've got to make you laugh. :angry:

The most famous Cup competition in the world? It's not just Liverpool that have a slight contempt for it anymore. Will people remember this as the night Burnley pulled off a giantkilling or the night Burnley beat Liverpool's reserves/youth team?

The fact of the matter is that managers would rather rest their players in case of injury and suspension so they have a better chance in the Premier League. Last night was Burnley's night, let them have it, it's gone.....bring on Southampton at the weekend.

by **Sean** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 2:13 pm

Rafa got it wrong. 96 of our fans died because they wanted to see us in the F.A. cup. Rafas selection last night was disrespectful. Just because United took the cup for granted doesn't mean we all have to follow their lead like sheep. It would have been great fo the club to win the cup this year.

by **azriahmad** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 3:07 pm

Sadly, Sean, the time when the Hillsborough disaster happened was a far different era than today.

Then, it was the First Division championship and English clubs were out of Europe. Then also, the CL had not been set-up to be this lucrative.

Now, it is the EPL (the most lucrative national football league in the world in terms of commercialism) and the CL, even more lucrative than the EPL. Players get to be bought and sold for silly amounts and they get paid even sillier amounts if you consider their age, education level and their salaries. Even players who are not international class gets paid silly money. You get a player like Winston Bogarde who prefers to sit on his ****** and rot away in the reserves at Chelsea (a few years back) rather than move for less than hi 40,000 per week to get regular football.

Managers/coaches get fired after going through a few bad games because the Chairmen wants instant results. As a consequence, traditional competitions like the FA Cup does not get to become a priority anymore. This is the case with Benithez, not because he genuinely has no respect for Burnley. He is prioritising his squad for the more lucrative and thus, more important games - the EPL and the CL.

He gor it wrong, perhaps, but I don't think because he had underestimated Burnley but more because he wants to rest his key senior personnel for games which he thinks he should focus more on.

by **Santa** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 3:10 pm

are you suggesting that last night everything was OK

any bad losses w/o team work or efforts are never OK. I am as sore as you are with the games (especially v. bluenose, ManUre and Chelski) but what I am puzzled at is we always find someone to blame for Every negative results, and I mean Every with a capital "E". Does it ever occur to you that we might have to make a choice and "sacrifies" the 2 domestic cup ties to concentrate on rebuilding? or maybe the fact that we are so unlucky with injuries this season that Rafa might want to "save" his best players for the more important (and lucrative) CL and League games? It could be the club's decision and might not be Rafa's own (I am only guessing here). This same scenario also happened when ManUre and Ar$e were dominating the league the past few years as everybody knows the number of games EPL teams have to play per season compared to the other leagues. I mean, c'mon he have made it very clear what his priorities are before the start of the season right? I don't see anyone here whipping up a fuss when he mention that on national TV??

take off the rose tinted glasses, last nite was a disgrace in both selection and performance, saying so does not make me a boo boy and an unloyal supporter, it means i care enough to be upset when something goes badly wrong and point a finger at the culprits.

I have been on this forum long enough to know you are not a boo brigate and I don't view matters re:LFC with rose tinted glasses (well maybe a little from time to time), and certainly not with yesterday loss. Any loss is a bad loss for me. But we don't run a club or manage a team so the decision and pressure we can only assume and talk about it here like we knows better. What I learn from everyday real life is decision has to be made and tough choices called. We weight the pros and cons and make a calculated decision...and live with the results. Hindsight is always 20/20.

I also think that Raf needs to get used to the change in culture and perhaps he's unaware of how important the FA cup is to fans.

I seems to remember up till recently, some "fans" would rather we trade the triple of 2001 for a league title...I am sure I know what is "important". Do you think Rafa don't?

The managers who put these weakend sides out are arrogant.

...or realistic, or smart depending on which angle you are looking at. Read my lips: "Priority for the club...league, Champions League, FA Cup then the worthless cup"
OK it's never a good news and yes, it shows a touch of disrespect to the competition but rather than coming out and say "Yes, we tank the match to concentrate on other priorities", Rafa choose to keep mum and say we had a decent game and back his young team. What else do you expect to come from him?
Not that we are expected to win all or any of them this season but IF I am set a priority at the beginning of the year, I know which resouces I am going to put to use at any one time. I don't know about you.

Trust me, I would rather we win all 4 competition but we neither the depth of squad nor the luck with injuries or the necessary resources to buy the cups & title. For the moment, yes it is sad but we have to be realistic and accept it...and move forward...

~~edited...thanks JM~~

by **Santa** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 3:23 pm

Sean wrote:Rafa got it wrong. 96 of our fans died because they wanted to see us in the F.A. cup. Rafas selection last night was disrespectful. Just because United took the cup for granted doesn't mean we all have to follow their lead like sheep. It would have been great fo the club to win the cup this year.

Sean I know what you mean. I would rather we have a large enough squad and go on and win the cup but sadly we are not.

To say Rafa's selection yesterday was disrespectful is unfair and show that some of us are hypocrites. Isn't this the same "disrespectful" team who beat Spurs and Boro in the Worthless Cup? Where were you with your reaction then?

by **jonnymac1979** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 3:47 pm

Santa wrote:~~edited...thanks JM~~

No probs.

by **Santa** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 5:29 pm

jonnymac1979 wrote:
Santa wrote:~~edited...thanks JM~~

No probs.

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