Real Football (Soccer to you Yanks) Thread

[Springsteen]

I meant in terms of sacking him would cost them that much, but sure him leaving for another club (which as you say Juve seems the most likely destination) would mean nothing accrued in terms of funds owed to Rafa.

As for Gerrard, there is an expectation that he'll turn it on in every game, certainly moreso from Liverpool fans, and I honestly believe the main reason is because they don't have that many players who can rescue them from difficult situations and turn on the style etc. I would say we have Rooney, Nani, Giggs and Scholes (to a point). Chelsea have the Lampards, Drogba's, Anelka's, Malouda's etc. Arsenal have Fabregas, Van Persie (case in point being the Tottenham game, sure they lost but they played a lot better when he came on), Nasri and Walcott.

But look at Liverpool's options without Gerrard/Torres - Lucas? Not going to inspire a good display. Mascherano? Good player but again not inspirational. Babel is in and out. Ngog is crap. Kuyt is ok but not a top class player. Aquliani could be but is injury ravaged at the moment.

Hell I'd even go as far as to say teams like Tottenham and Man City have better squads than Liverpool at this point in time because of the quality. I mean Spurs have Modric who is a classy player, Defoe, Crouch, Pavlyuchenko and Gudjohnsen are good strikers who pose threats, Bale's good at getting forward, Huddlestone and Palacios are up there with the top CM pairings in the Country and Gomes is much improved in goal.

City have Bellamy, Tevez, Adebayor up front who will always get goals. Adam Johnson etc in midfield who threaten and Nigel De Jong works hard in the midfield. So yeah in terms of squad depth I think they are better than Liverpool.

 

[Zorak]

But look at Liverpool's options without Gerrard/Torres - Lucas? Not going to inspire a good display. Mascherano? Good player but again not inspirational. Babel is in and out. Ngog is crap. Kuyt is ok but not a top class player. Aquliani could be but is injury ravaged at the moment.

Agreed.

You can't say that Benayoun, Babel, Kuyt, and even Glen Johnson and Daniel Agger don't have goals in them... Add Gerrard and Torres into the mix, you have to wonder why Liverpool score so little - and worse, create even less. The buck has to stop with the manager.

He's a real shit though, the fact that he sits there and blames all problems on a lack of funding slightly sickens me. Maybe now he's getting less money (not that Man U, chelsea or Arsenal have spent significantly in the past few seasons anyway) but that's probably because he's proven to his bosses time and time again he can't be trusted to spend large sums sensibley.

People also forget, it was Rafa's constant moaning and pushing for new investment that got Hicks and Gillette into the club...

 

[skyblue]

its possibly going to be good for liverpool if they dont qualify for europe

 

[Springsteen]

You can't say that Benayoun, Babel, Kuyt, and even Glen Johnson and Daniel Agger don't have goals in them... Add Gerrard and Torres into the mix, you have to wonder why Liverpool score so little - and worse, create even less. The buck has to stop with the manager.

I forgot Benayoun actually but yeah he's another one who is capable of scoring but for whatever reason doesn't always produce. But yeah fully agree.

He's a real shit though, the fact that he sits there and blames all problems on a lack of funding slightly sickens me. Maybe now he's getting less money (not that Man U, chelsea or Arsenal have spent significantly in the past few seasons anyway) but that's probably because he's proven to his bosses time and time again he can't be trusted to spend large sums sensibley.

Well I mean last Summer he signed Johnson for £18m, who, while being a decent player he's a poor right back (he'd be better as a wing back because he can get forward well) and he's also worth not even half that. He signed Aquialini who's goiod but again, way too injury prone (by the way, Rafa knew he was injured when he bought him) and for the £20m he cost Liverpool, really hasn't done enough. Kyriakos cost £2m but to be honest I wouldn't spend £2 on him, he is a poor defender, certainly not top class. And he bought Maxi in January for free which I believe will be a decent signing because he looks alright.

But I mean you go back to last season, he buys Robbie Keane for £18m and sellls him back to Spurs for half that six months later because he didn't 'fit in'

He also signs players like Dossena and N'gog who are/were awful players.

I mean he has made a few good signings (Torres, Mascherano, Agger, Alonso, Reina and Benayoun) but the bad far outweighs the good, and for a top club it isn't good enough, considering Liverpool, apart from last season, have never really challenged for the Title since Rafa arrived.

Regarding Ian's point, they are guaranteed Europe now because of Everton's failure to beat Stoke yesterday, but it will only be the Europa League, which again for what they have spent etc should not be good enough.

I wouldn't trust Rafa with my weekly shopping nevermind my summer transfers.

 

[skyblue]

really think we should have this thread. I'd like to start it off by laughing at Tottscum being bottom of the league:24:

how the tables have turned:24:

 

[Peter Parka]

how the tables have turned:24:

Yeah, remember early posts in this thread where you reckoned Coventry were going to qualify for the Premiership, too.:24:

 

[TGLucario475]

its possibly going to be good for liverpool if they dont qualify for europe

I think it'd be good that we didn't qualify, as then we'd play less games and be more ready for each game instead of traveling around Europe!

Ah well, Europa League next season, could be worse.

 

[Tyler Durden]

Agreed.

You can't say that Benayoun, Babel, Kuyt, and even Glen Johnson and Daniel Agger don't have goals in them... Add Gerrard and Torres into the mix, you have to wonder why Liverpool score so little - and worse, create even less. The buck has to stop with the manager.

He's a real shit though, the fact that he sits there and blames all problems on a lack of funding slightly sickens me. Maybe now he's getting less money (not that Man U, chelsea or Arsenal have spent significantly in the past few seasons anyway) but that's probably because he's proven to his bosses time and time again he can't be trusted to spend large sums sensibley.

People also forget, it was Rafa's constant moaning and pushing for new investment that got Hicks and Gillette into the club...

Last season, he got the team to play attacking football from the Real Madrid game forward and got such huge benefits. I can't believe he reverted then to type this season and put his teams out back in the ol' defensive way again.

 

[Springsteen]

I agree there actually. I mean the game before the Madrid game they got beat 2-0 at Middlesbrough, and were very sluggish. However then they beat Real Madrid 4-0, came to Old Trafford and beat us 4-1 (had they not won that they'd have gone flat), beat Aston Villa 5-0 and then beat Fulham and Blackburn. But to be honest then I think they got a little bit complacent and they never saw Arsenal, or more specifically Andrei Arshavin coming and they dropped points in that 4-4 game. Now sure from then on they won every game that season but it wasn't enough.

Three things cost Liverpool last season.

1. The rant : It's proven, 24 hours after that rant they drew 0-0 at Stoke, drew at home to Everton and drew away to Wigan, meaning we were able to overhaul them.

2. Complacency : Not just the Arsenal game but also that they seemed to be believing their own press, and that can never be allowed to happen when you are challenging for the Title.

3. All the draws. Last season Liverpool only lost two games, great form in any team, but they also drew 11 games, and the majority of those should have been avoided.

Now Rafa tried earlier this season to blame the exertions of last season on this season's poor finish, and to be honest that is a shoddy excuse. If you are going to challenge year in year out for Titles you have to be prpared to sometimes be tired in games and go full hog in games, we've done it for years, Chelsea know how to now with their impressive squad, Arsenal could do it with a bigger squad and have done it with a bigger squad.

Another note to Liverpool fans, we might not win the Title this season, but we will eventually overhal you and get 19 titles, because you certainly won't win the Title anytime soon.

 

[TGLucario475]

Another note to Liverpool fans, we might not win the Title this season, but we will eventually overhal you and get 19 titles, because you certainly won't win the Title anytime soon.

I have to agree with you there, we might have delayed it for another year, but we're still trying to win the league! And I personality think that Rafa will go in the summer, but as to who is going to replace him, it's still anyone's guess, but I'd prefer Jose Mourinho if he doesn't stay at Inter Milan.

 

[porterjack]

but I'd prefer Jose Mourinho if he doesn't stay at Inter Milan.

is that the guy who used to be Head Coach at Chelsea

 

[Zorak]

Another note to Liverpool fans, we might not win the Title this season, but we will eventually overhal you and get 19 titles, because you certainly won't win the Title anytime soon.

Almost certainly.

The real challenge will be replacing Ferguson when that time comes, Liverpool appointed the wrong man a number of times but still managed to win titles on the strength of the team. They were just a lot better than anyone else.

I can't see that happening at United this time, the competition is too strong, and they're not that good.

Whoever takes over will have to be the best, and lots of money will need to be spent replacing the older players.

We've all seen even good managers take over at clubs, after the previous incumbent has been wildly successful - and they've dropped out of sight.

 

[Springsteen]

I think Rafa going is the best thing personally.

As for Jose I think he's pretty much dead on for Real Madrid because he prevented Barcelona getting to the Champions League final (which is being held in the Bernabeu, and Real didn't want their biggest rivals winning the European Cup in their stadium). Think of it as a thank you.

I'm not so sure where Rafa will go, maybe it's not as clear cut as Juventus have not qualified for the Champions League next season so he could end up going to Inter.

@ Zorak. It really depends on who replaces Fergie. Let's just say it was to be Jose Mourinho, I truly believe he'd succeed because of the fact he knows how to manage big players and out-tactic big teams.

People like David Moyes are being talked of (who Fergie speaks highly of, nothing to do with the fact that both are Scottish of course) but while he is a good young manager he doesn't strike me as a top coach and that's what I believe is needed here when Fergie leaves.

There's only three men currently who I would see as successes here, Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola and Fabio Capello.

 

[Zorak]

I have to agree with you there, we might have delayed it for another year, but we're still trying to win the league! And I personality think that Rafa will go in the summer, but as to who is going to replace him, it's still anyone's guess, but I'd prefer Jose Mourinho if he doesn't stay at Inter Milan.

I thought you lot hated him?
Wouldn't matter anyway - he turned down Liverpool 5 years ago. And his reputation is twice as big now.

 

[TGLucario475]

I thought you lot hated him?
Wouldn't matter anyway - he turned down Liverpool 5 years ago. And his reputation is twice as big now.

I personality don't hate him, sure he's arrogant, but he's a world class manager who speaks his mind and will go out of his way to moan and ruffle a few feathers.

I also think that David Moyes would probably be out of league if he went to Manchester United, but I know he'll have a good go at making the team better, just like he is doing at Everton!

 

[Peter Parka]

So Ian, what do you think about Coventry giving Coleman the boot then?

 

[skyblue]

So Ian, what do you think about Coventry giving Coleman the boot then?

so much for creating stability

 

[Tyler Durden]

I'm worried that Cookie Coleman would be linked with us now!

 

[TGLucario475]

Chris Coleman for Liverpool, no thanks! I've got a better chance at success at Liverpool than he has and I've learned my knowledge by playing Football Management games!

 

[Springsteen]

Tyler's a Crystal Palace fan....

Couple of things from me.

Sheffield Wednesday have announced that anyone found to have been causing trouble after sundays match will be banned from watching the team ever again! So far 23,000 have handed themselves in to police

My Facebook/Sickipedia

And Barcelona have just kicked off against Tenerife at Camp Nou. Foregone conclusion springs to mind.