Liverpool FC Forum

by **account deleted by request** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 11:50 pm

Feeney wrote:
s@int wrote:
Feeney wrote:
s@int wrote:
carmonkeycasino wrote:I am delighted about the news, i think Rafa is an excellent manager. In a way his rotation policy works as it keeps players fit. But the quality of some of the players in the squad is questionable. He needs what any manager needs TIME. I have no doubt that Rafa has what it takes

I think that is open to debate mate.

Since he arrived in English football, Benitez has used 30 players in the Premier League in 2004/05(final position 5th), 24 in 2005/06(final position 3rd AND BEST POINTS TOTAL ), 29 in 2006/07(final position 3rd), 28 in 2007/08 (final position 4th) and 23 so far this season.(FINAL POSITION ?)

To be fair Saint, that stat shows that Rafa didn't trust the squad in 04/05 and that his best performing sides are the ones that he has always he maintained is the necessary requirement - 2 players in each position (24 in 05/06 and 23 in the current campaign).

The quality of some of the squad is questionable and thats where improvements need to be made for us to sustain a consistent title challenge year in, year out.

If a squad player is "questionable", surely the answer is DON'T PLAY HIM ? Then sell him and bring in someone of better quality. The fact that after 5 years we still have a squad full of questionable players is maybe a genuine concern?

I don't think we have a squad full of questionable players, more like 3 or 4 which with an improvement will pay dividends. To not play that player means running others into the ground and, stating the obv, is never always possible due to injuries etc.

5 years ago, our squad was on the bones of its ar$e in terms of quality, truely dire in areas. I think the movement from that squad to the current one is vast and to do so with a monkey such as Parry doing your dealings for you (who nearly loses Gerrard by going on holiday ffs) deserves credit.

For me, Parry gone with Rafa assuming more control of dealings and the Academy is going to reap rewards for years to come. I'm genuinely excited.

I am more curious as to what the new excuses will be now that Parry has gone and Hicks and Gillett are almost out the door mate, because sadly in my honest opinion he will need some.

Anyway don't let me spoil the celebrations. Yeh for Rafa and his new contract. :buttrock

by **Scottbot** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 11:50 pm

Effes wrote:It's good news.

Im not convinced he can win us the Title, Im very iffy about it.

But Im glad he's signed.

Ditto for me, glad it's been put to bed, got the managerial stability I hoped for with the ownership issue the way it is and hopefully it can just be about the football from here on in.

by **NANNY RED** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 11:50 pm

heimdall wrote:
bavlondon wrote:
heimdall wrote:
NANNY RED wrote:
heimdall wrote:Duplicate

Whats that mean Hiemdell,

It means I wrote something that would have been taken the wrong way by many of you and I immediately regretted it, nothing nasty just would have started an argument I think.

Come on it's been a while since we have all had a massive row.

What do you mean? Every day is a massive row on this forum for me.
In all seriousness you guys are all mega happy about Rafa signing and I don't want to spoil the mood.
I'm looking forward to news of new owners tomorrow though, fingers crossed.

Im buying the club Hiemdell an your fecking barred, is that the good news your waiting for :laugh:

by **Sabre** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 11:51 pm

heimdall wrote:
bavlondon wrote:
heimdall wrote:
NANNY RED wrote:
heimdall wrote:Duplicate

Whats that mean Hiemdell,

It means I wrote something that would have been taken the wrong way by many of you and I immediately regretted it, nothing nasty just would have started an argument I think.

Come on it's been a while since we have all had a massive row.

What do you mean? Every day is a massive row on this forum for me.
In all seriousness you guys are all mega happy about Rafa signing and I don't want to spoil the mood.
I'm looking forward to news of new owners tomorrow though, fingers crossed.

I appreciate you don't want to spoil the good mood.

But you can't do it anyway .

2014 and Rafa setting all the conditions? It's the national day for Rafaliteland.

If you wish you can express yourself freely, it will be fiesta here

by **tubby** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 11:54 pm

To be honest with his wife and kids being so settled on here I wouldn't have imagined he would leave for anything else unless it was a stable big project like Liverpool. Something like Real Madrid would have been the opposite.

by **fivecups** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 11:57 pm

heimdall wrote:
fivecups wrote:Excellent news for me. Continuity rather than yet another rebuilding process is what I want. We've progressed again this season with virtually no new transfers of merit, and with our two best players having time on the side-lines. It could have been far better and Rafa has frustrated at times especially with his public fights. I do believe that his intentions have always been towards making Liverpool a better club. He has fought for the control he feels he needs to take us to the next level - I hope he can now deliver on that. It is a big ask. I think we could certainly win a title in the next couple of seasons - it will be magic if we do, but what we really want is sustainability - being title challengers year after year. Some of the recent threads have demonstrated how far we are behind our competitors in terms of club income, overall spending power, player wage spending, stadium capacity and gate income. These things have to be addressed if we are going to continue to compete at the very top level. Oh and a tweak to more aggressive, attacking, 'win at all costs' football as well please.

"No new transfers of merit", yes funny how you see us spunking £30 million away in the summer on mostly transfers as a positive . You rafalites are just fantastic, oh how I wish I could twist every fact to being a positive like you guys do.

Ha Heimdall! I knew as I typed that comment that I was going to get brought up on it! Fair enough - I don't care too much tonight because I'm happy he's signed on for longer. And it's true, everyone on the forum twists things slightly to put their argument across.

What I was trying to say (badly) was that the players who've been here longer than the summer are playing better together and that some are maturing into better players than they were when they came. I agree that the transfer dealings this summer were very poor. If last weeks results had gone differently then we would be talking about them a lot more. The Robbie Keane saga was a disaster from start to finish. Degen a waste; Riera looks alright, no more and Dossena just about deserves another season in my opinion. Also, we could really have done with Steve Finnan as back up when Arbeloa got injured.

Can't let you away with the £30 million comment though - our NET spend this season has been around £3.5 million.

by **heimdall** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 11:59 pm

Oh and there was me trying to be respectful but even that seems to annoy. I guess you guys just really hate me but guess what:

:sleep

by **aCe'** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 11:59 pm

Sabre wrote:
heimdall wrote:
bavlondon wrote:
heimdall wrote:
NANNY RED wrote:
heimdall wrote:Duplicate

Whats that mean Hiemdell,

It means I wrote something that would have been taken the wrong way by many of you and I immediately regretted it, nothing nasty just would have started an argument I think.

Come on it's been a while since we have all had a massive row.

What do you mean? Every day is a massive row on this forum for me.
In all seriousness you guys are all mega happy about Rafa signing and I don't want to spoil the mood.
I'm looking forward to news of new owners tomorrow though, fingers crossed.

I appreciate you don't want to spoil the good mood.

But you can't do it anyway .

2014 and Rafa setting all the conditions? It's the national day for Rafaliteland.

If you wish you can express yourself freely, it will be fiesta here

2014

by **Dundalk** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 12:00 am

His socks say it all

Made up that he has signed and hopefully its only the start of the good news. We are on the right road at the moment and if he gets investment in the summer thinks could start looking up very soon

by **Sabre** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 12:02 am

That's the spirit Ace, not taking too seriously what's really out of our hands. Sometimes we debate here things as if the debate could make the slightest difference to what happens.

Plus, this is still a big club, and no one, forgets that the timer is on, in big clubs you can't be without titles forever. So if Rafa doesn't bring the success we all wish for this club, I don't think he'll make it to 2011.

by **fivecups** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 12:05 am

heimdall wrote:Oh and there was me trying to be respectful but even that seems to annoy. I guess you guys just really hate me but guess what:

If you mean me Heimdall, I was trying to say that you were right to bring me up on what I posted. It didn't make sense. It wasn't the point I was trying to make and I sort of realised it when I wrote it but I posted it anyway. I might not have conveyed it very well either but wasn't trying to criticise you at all.

by **tubby** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 12:06 am

From The Times
March 19, 2009
Rafael Benitez Q&A: What does this news mean to Liverpool?

Oliver Kay, Football Correspondent

After this evening’s announcement that Rafael Benitez has finally signed a new five-year contract with Liverpool, Oliver Kay, Football Correspondent, answers our questions.

What does this news mean to Liverpool?

Clearly it is fantastic news for Liverpool. There had been genuine doubt about whether Benitez would stay, given the tension there has been behind the scenes at the club over the past 18 months and over his frustration at the way that the contract talks were unfolding. Even though he always wanted to stay, he admitted a week ago that he could not guarantee he would be doing so. But now everything is resolved and I think it’s fair to say that Liverpool’s supporters will be very happy.

Does Benitez really deserve a new contract? He's been there five years and they haven't won the league?

I think a lot of people underestimate Benitez and just what he has achieved at Liverpool. It's not just winning the Champions League. People say "he's spent £200 million", but look at the net spend, which is about £120 million, and look at the improvement over the past five seasons. Look at their results in the Champions League, where they're ranked the best team in Europe. The squad still isn't in the same league as Manchester United's, but nobody else's is either. Still, they didn't look too bad up against United on Saturday, did they?

There have been a lot of stumbling blocks with the contract. Why has it been signed now?

Because all of those stumbling blocks, finally, have been overcome. He has been getting there – little by little, to use one of his favourite phrases – over the past few months. First came the agreement over the money, which in most contracts is the biggest hurdle. Then came a series of battles that he won over getting control of his transfer budget and overall control of the youth academy. Then there were assurances over the future of his coaching staff. The final stumbling block was that he wanted something in his contract to protect his position in the event of a change of ownership. I don’t know yet whether he has got any written agreement about that in the contract, but I suspect he has got the assurances he is looking for. And the deal is for five years, not the four years that most people were expecting. It’s amazing what hitting four goals past Manchester United and Real Madrid can do for a manager.

Do you think that was a factor?

It can't have done any harm in terms of heightening the owners’ sense of urgency, illustrating his value and getting the agreement finalised. It can’t have done his bargaining position any harm. I also think that these past two results will have reminded Benitez what this team is capable of achieving. If he had been tempted by Real Madrid – and I’ve never been convinced that he was at this juncture – I think their 4-0 defeat at Anfield last week will have told him which club has the greater prospects in the Champions League over the coming years.

So does this finally mean the end to all the talk of turmoil at Anfield?

On the playing side, it will bring some much-needed stability. I would expect Dirk Kuyt, Alvaro Arbeloa and a few others to agree new contracts quickly, while Benitez can also start proceeding with plans for next season. Off the pitch, it’s not so easy. They’re looking for a new chief executive, with Rick Parry leaving at the end of the season, and there are already signs that Tom Hicks and George Gillett are pulling in different directions when it comes to that appointment. Gillett, in particular, remains a fly in the ointment, but I’m certain his days are numbered. And yes I know I’ve said that before … .

by **account deleted by request** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 12:07 am

my thoughts on Rafa and the title

by **aCe'** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 12:09 am

Sabre wrote:That's the spirit Ace, not taking too seriously what's really out of our hands. Sometimes we debate here things as if the debate could make the slightest difference to what happens.

Plus, this is still a big club, and no one, forgets that the timer is on, in big clubs you can't be without titles forever. So if Rafa doesn't bring the success we all wish for this club, I don't think he'll make it to 2011.

see i dont think he's that far off mate...
surely with all the talk about our transfers and the way we approach the game (this season more than ever) .. he'll be lokinf to address those issues in the summer... OR SO I'D LIKE TO THINK...

if he can improve on those 2 aspects then i dont see the reasons as to why we cant win the title under Rafa...

If things stay as they are atm then i wouldnt want him staying past 2011 honestly.... but atleast now i look in expectancy rather than hope...

for me this season is as good as over... dont think we'll win the CL either..

starting next season ill be expecting massive improvements on the field and from the management....

im off now but knock urselves out everyone... goodnight

by **LegBarnes** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 12:09 am

bavlondon wrote:
heimdall wrote:
NANNY RED wrote:
heimdall wrote:Duplicate

Whats that mean Hiemdell,

It means I wrote something that would have been taken the wrong way by many of you and I immediately regretted it, nothing nasty just would have started an argument I think.

Come on it's been a while since we have all had a massive row.

Legbarnes enters opens mouth thinks about it and exits....

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