Liverpool FC Forum

by **66-1112520797** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 11:39 pm

Ace Ventura I was playing devils advocate earlier in this thread because most people will just defend Rafa against the Yanks as he is the manager and most people will see the need to defend him. I was trying to put it accross from the Yanks point of view.
But I do feel Rafa's comments showed a bit of petulance and TBH they were pretty childish, so much so that Gollum accross the park has even taken the biscuit out of it, the sad little ginger bitter tw@t that he is. It was aired in such a ridiculous manner that Rafa I feel has almost done a Mouriniho, a taken away the limelight of the players and the Newcastle game.

Also like others have said, his agent is quick to band about other possibilities of clubs such as Munich around the time of transfer season. Why is this ? Some kind of ultimatum where the employee is sounding like the employer to get what he wants?

On the other hand and from my own personel point of view and many other Liverpool fans I'd like to see more signings come in. Whether Rafa has got his summer signings right is another kettle of fish, but its obvious we STILL need improvement. So I would like to see the Yanks give him the money, but they might be thinking like I am, will he make the right signings because TBH I'm not to sure, he'll probably draft in more grafters like Kuyt and Voronin in which IMO will be wasted money again.

by **112-1077774096** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 11:44 pm

i am failing here to see what the americans have done wrong. they have said they will be here in mid december (2 weeks away) and they will discuss it then, they never said there would be no money available.

also rafa does himself no favours. they gave him what he wanted last summer, even for heinze and rafa f*cked that by having no back up plan, and now he is moaning because he has to wait 2 weeks. if we were sat pretty at the top of the league and in the next stage of the champions league then rafa can stamp his little feet and make demands, but after such a lacklustre season brought on by his policies he should shut the f*ck up and do what the owners advise and concentrate on winning the games we have coming uop with the squad that he has built. he is noy in a safe enough position to make demands.

its not as though the owners have let us down, they have given him what he wanted and also got the money for the new stadium, but because they dont come running when rafa demands it some of you slag them off, laughable

by **112-1077774096** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 11:45 pm

NANNY RED wrote:
lakes10 wrote:If Rafa did walk or got sacked i would have no idea who would replace him....... now that Ian Holloway has taken the Leicester job

(yes that was a joke from me).

myself then

paul jewell

by **Paul C** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 11:51 pm

If Rafa did go, not saying he will, I think that Capello would be the best replacement, he'd win us the league imo!!! :;):

by **Scottbot** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 11:55 pm

Just watched the press conference and it's pretty clear Rafa is pis..sed. It's worrying to see spats like this carried out in the public because the press see to it that they snowball out of control. It looks and sounds like a communication breakdown to me and it's almost as if the two parties are forced into doing their talking though the press which is never a good state of affairs. What makes it worse is that both parties know that anything they say to the press will be big news so any prolonged rows (not saying it's a full-on row) become very public battles of brinkmanship.

by **roberto green** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 12:04 am

peewee wrote:
NANNY RED wrote:
lakes10 wrote:If Rafa did walk or got sacked i would have no idea who would replace him....... now that Ian Holloway has taken the Leicester job

(yes that was a joke from me).

myself then

paul jewell

I wouldnt look no further than tbe fantastic Steve McLaren personally :eyebrow

by **Sabre** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 12:19 am

Paul C wrote:If Rafa did go, not saying he will, I think that Capello would be the best replacement, he'd win us the league imo!!!

To be honest, if Rafa has to go, Capello would be one of the few men that would make me feel a bit comfortable.

And yes, he might win us the league, he's a great manager, of the same league of Rafa.

However, I must warn you that many stomach ulcers would be prompted by his style of football.

Forget the attack!! thing, rather expect a double holding midfielder. No nonsense. He's made his admiration for Alonso public a couple of times, so he'd probably play Alonso-Mascha as a double and quite defensive holding midfielder, and Gerrard on front of them, or in the right.

After a truce of the newcomer, he'd be criticised for conservative football. I like his school of football, but I'm not sure you'd love the way we play.

He would rotate, but less than Schuster and Rafa.

by **Paul C** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 12:24 am

Sabre wrote:
Paul C wrote:If Rafa did go, not saying he will, I think that Capello would be the best replacement, he'd win us the league imo!!!

To be honest, if Rafa has to go, Capello would be one of the few men that would make me feel a bit comfortable.

And yes, he might win us the league, he's a great manager, of the same league of Rafa.

However, I must warn you that many stomach ulcers would be prompted by his style of football.

Forget the attack!! thing, rather expect a double holding midfielder. No nonsense. He's made his admiration for Alonso public a couple of times, so he'd probably play Alonso-Mascha as a double and quite defensive holding midfielder, and Gerrard on front of them, or in the right.

After a truce of the newcomer, he'd be criticised for conservative football. I like his school of football, but I'm not sure you'd love the way we play.

He would rotate, but less than Schuster and Rafa.

Yeah I know what you mean but he did play some attacking football at Milan, I just want the league so bad it's untrue so attractive or not I don't care.

by **metalhead** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 12:35 am

Anyone read this on skysports?

Hicks rap for Rafa
Co-owner tells manager to stop talking

By Peter Fraser Last updated: 23rd November 2007

Gillett and Hicks: No transfer talk

Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has told Rafa Benitez to stop talking about new players and concentrate on steering the Reds towards success.

Reds manager Benitez is thought to have been recently angered after being told by Hicks and co-owner George Gillett, who are based in the United States, to forget about any possible transfers until closer to the January transfer window.

Hicks has defended the financial support offered to Benitez, who spent a Reds record fee in the pre-season to bring in Fernando Torres and the Anfield boss also splashed out on Yossi Benayoun and Ryan Babel, and insists the Spaniard should concentrate on players already at Liverpool.

"After the UEFA Champions League final in Athens, Rafa made certain demands of us and we responded to those demands in the summer," Hicks told the Liverpool Echo.

"We brought in some good players and spent more money than has ever been spent before at this club.

Frustration

"We now have some crucial games coming up in the Premier League and the Champions League and we want to see if we can win these games with the players we have.

"This was the message we gave to Rafa recently and I think during the international break he must have grown a bit frustrated about this.

"We told him to concentrate on the games coming up and nothing else and I guess he didn't like that.

"But, for the time being, we just need to be focused on what happens on the pitch.

"George and I will be over in mid-December and that is the time to talk about other issues. It is really time for Rafa to quit talking about new players and to coach the players we have."

SKYSPORTS

----------------

Lets put it in simple terms, Basically Hicks is telling Rafa to shut up and continue on doing his job, so yes its worrying where this is heading to.

by **The Manhattan Project** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 12:56 am

I agree with Hicks.

Rafa already has a quality team. He needs to make the best of them now.

In December, then they can talk about more players and money.

But public dissent is not good.

by **Kharhaz** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 1:06 am

I dont think this kind of press is helping the players much either. Can you imagine the players sat there thinking to themselves well it doesnt matter if we lose cos the manager said he needs better players, not our fault if we lose pressures off !

by **NANNY RED** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 1:09 am

Sabre wrote:
Paul C wrote:If Rafa did go, not saying he will, I think that Capello would be the best replacement, he'd win us the league imo!!!

To be honest, if Rafa has to go, Capello would be one of the few men that would make me feel a bit comfortable.

And yes, he might win us the league, he's a great manager, of the same league of Rafa.

However, I must warn you that many stomach ulcers would be prompted by his style of football.

Forget the attack!! thing, rather expect a double holding midfielder. No nonsense. He's made his admiration for Alonso public a couple of times, so he'd probably play Alonso-Mascha as a double and quite defensive holding midfielder, and Gerrard on front of them, or in the right.

After a truce of the newcomer, he'd be criticised for conservative football. I like his school of football, but I'm not sure you'd love the way we play.

He would rotate, but less than Schuster and Rafa.

A mate of mine Sabre is a Real Madrid member and ticket holder , we had a conversation about Capello a while back when he was the manager

The madrid fans were very critical of him even though he won them the league. They hated his way of playing football defence, defence, defence , typical Italian style and boring to watch.

If fans think Rafa is stubborn just remember the way he dug his heels in over the Beckham thingy. The man even recieved death threats from the fans to back down. Was not a popular manager there .

Wouldnt mind him getting the England job but id prefer not to have him here

by **LFC2007** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 1:32 am

Rafa is entitled to be pissed off, like every human being.

The reason(s) why he appeared to be pissed off during his press conference are open to speculation.

Some assume that Rafa is demanding more money, whereas there are numerous other more plausible reasons, e.g. frustration due to a lack of communication over the clubs' plans for the January window.

Cursing the guy, telling him to f'ng this or that, is absolutely ridiculous. It's the Rafa bashers at their opportunistic best, and it's fucking pathetic.

by **Yankee17** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 1:41 am

IMHO, One of Rafa's jobs is to target players he thinks would improve the team. Apparently he has done just that. HE WANTS TO IMPROVE THE TEAM. ISN'T THAT WHAT WE WANT?!?!? What I find disconcerting is the fact that they tell him to wait...'We have backed him this far, let him show us what he can do."

If last year, when they where spewing their propoganda, they would have said, "We Will back the manager for a net outlay of 25 million pounds, and then we will have to think about the rest" then most of us would have shouted in anger and disappointment. He has hardly spent anything NET compared to the other big clubs.

Many of you are slagging RAFA off by saying "Look how much he has spent and nothing to show for it." What the heck?!!?
6 points off the league. No losses in the league. I will admit a somewhat patchy Euro campaign, but our squad is miles stronger than 04,05,06. Rafa is IMHO doing a great job rebuilding a club that was once great into a giant once again.

If this is all it takes for G & H to stutter in their financial backing then they should not have purchased a club our size.

This is ridiculous, and the more i think about it the more angry I get. I am a Yank, but I completely support Rafael Benitez.

by **The Manhattan Project** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 1:50 am

Rafa is however crazy to be talking about England.

If the LFC is pressure, then being under the England manager's microscope is even worse.

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