Liverpool FC Forum

Big Niall wrote:When I said Rafa will never win the league I was called anti-Rafa, funny how some folk are.Is Jamie anti Liverpool too?

peewee wrote:next season if rafa is still boss gerrard may as well get this out of the way at the start of the season and tell us at that point we will be involved in a battle for fourth with city, spurs, everton etc

peewee wrote:next season if rafa is still boss gerrard may as well get this out of the way at the start of the season and tell us at that point we will be involved in a battle for fourth with city, spurs, everton etc

bigmick wrote:No Lynds was right, it was Pompey Away. That was the game which convinced me we would not mount a challenge as it was obvious right there that we were going to continue with Rafa style even when the game was crying out for a sensible selection. We didn't score there where Torres and Gerrard were absent, and we didn't score against Birmingham the following weekend either where once once again Torres warmed the bench. Two weeks later, after the "restings" to keep him fresh, Torres got injured of course (with a muscle strain) and it was all downhill from there.

We were and are plenty good enough to be in the shake-up i am absolutely convinced of it. The meddling and tinkering with "options" and "possibilities" has undermined our challenge massively. The fact that in both of the games where we have come up against Chelsea we have been much the better team is of no surprise to me whatsoever. Unfortunately, the additional fact that we will very likely be hard pressed to finish within eight points of them once it's all totted up at the end is of no surprise to me either. No, we've shot ourselves in both feet with both barrels and it musn't be allowed to happen again.

On a slightly seperate note, Arsenal are still showing no real signs of slowing down. They are kind of showing the delayed gazelle effect in reverse as a great many of their players have played in almost every game and Wenger has steadfastly refused to go down the route of bizarre team selections. In copntrast, Ferguson must be hoping for a little delayed gazelle of his own as Man Utd sit five points adrift with twelve games to go. I wonder if he had his time again whether he would have rested Ronaldo and Rooney Away to Bolton.

Rafa talks of "gambling" with his team selections, and he does. Wenger gambles as well though. He gambles on putting out the strongest team that he possibly can in just about every single game. He gambles that even if his players are tired, the momentum they carry will get them over the line in most if not all matches. He gambles that the enthusiasm the players will feel as they lead the title race will give them an extra yard, as well as the rhythm and cohesion which they have built up will come to their naid when they need some inspiration. Wengers gamble may not pay off of course. Ultimately, Arsenal may run out of steam and win nothing. I must say though, that the type of gambling he's gone for is precisely what I'd like to see the Liverpool manager employ. Lets build a team, not two teams and lets go all out for the title.

nobybob wrote:All the anti-rafa brigade drawn in by the title of the thread like flies to sh!t----OOOOh look another opportunity to have a go at rafa , so predictable you all make me laugh.