Patrique - have u not been around the last few years? - Rafa has assembled this squad over the last 6 or 7 years, spending millions - he didn't inherit it. It hasn't worked for him, time for someone else to have a go. Even if he wins sunday, he has to go.

Brolly (Monaghan) - Posts: 4472 - 21/10/2009 12:29:37    461432

Do you think Liverpool would keep hold of a manager rather than pay the compensation at the moment?

GetOverTheBar (Tyrone) - Posts: 1388 - 21/10/2009 12:34:06    461441

As a Man Utd Fan, I hope he stays. It gets funnier by the week. Even if Utd beat them on Sunday Rafa won't get the sack, because if he does liverpool fans will regret that fact sheet for life.

Also, the spanish managers never step down, they always get sacked. It's the done thing in spain.

JFK (Wexford) - Posts: 590 - 21/10/2009 12:50:02    461470

My whole problem with Rafa is not that he has spent money or hasn't spent money or been given money or not been given money.It's the Fact that he has made over 100 player transactions in 5 years.It's like a child with Championship Manager for the first time. Guessing his way to success is what he seems to be doing.

How the board sanctioned Aquilani is beyond me.Good player but is always injured.It'll be too late for him to do anything when he gets to play.

How many Liverpool fans wouldn't like to see the likes of Keane,Crouch,Alonso,Garcia,Anelka,Kewell,Fowler,Bellamy,Cisse,Finnan,etc be on the pitch/bench last night instead of some of those stopgap players he has bought.

Babel didn't have his boots on even on the bench as he probably gave up thinking he might be used.....not fair on the guy.

or even a certain Michael Owen that is playing up the road for nothing and looks sharper with each game.How Rafa couldn't take that gamble is beyond me.Owen might come back to haunt on Sunday.......

Rafa has won 2 trophies on penalties after all......and if anyone thinks that those 2 games were anything to do with him and not Steven Gerrard they are not football fans...

Tipple30 (Tipperary) - Posts: 77 - 21/10/2009 13:37:41    461549

Like I said before, Pool will never win the premiership with him there. Far too stubborn in his own ways.
The money that he's wasted over the years has been criminal
He could have been looking at his bench last night and brought on Bellamy, Keane or Crouch had he not go rid of them so hastily instead of bringing back a failed player who would be lucky to get a start for a sunday league team
He can't cry about money to spend during the summer. He's been there 5 and a half years and had money to spend during that time and spent it poorly for the majority of players he's brought in

NavyNBlue (Dublin) - Posts: 1357 - 21/10/2009 13:47:40    461576

As usual, after a setback of a loss, the knives comes out against Rafa\or whoever else is under pressure at the time. The same people will be lauding the man if he turns liverpools season around. I mean what planet are some liverpool 'fans' on. Who says we have a right to win the league. Its been 20 years. Fans are now so obsessed with Sky sports\ tabloids that they cant think for themselves, they are fed a line from these superpower media machines. Rafa has liverpool in a far better position than when he arrived and he is the right man to take the club forward. It is his non-conformist beliefs that people\skysports seem to have an issue with. Thats what endears me to Rafa most, he doesnt give a stuff what people think, hes his own man. And thats refreshing in the game today.
People have very short memories. We were within a game of winning the league last season and are always extremely competitive in Europe, and will be again, whether this season or next.
Fair enough some of his purchases are questionable but he did take a gamble (and won) on bringing the (now) worlds best striker to the club, when others wouldnt take the gamble (He had never scored more than 14 goals in a season in spain).
Football need some perspective that it has lost with all the millions thats floating around. This win 'its glory', lose 'its a crisis' attitude has to stop and fans need to get behind the team again, afterall thats when fans are needed most.......

mayonews (Mayo) - Posts: 254 - 21/10/2009 15:03:31    461680

A large, red, gas-filled bag. That's the beach-ball, obviously. Not Rafa.

He was so bitter last season when Utd won the league. I lost a lot of time for him then.

RAM85 (Westmeath) - Posts: 978 - 21/10/2009 15:10:31    461689

Some good points there mayonews. I don't buy into the crisis talk at all. Liverpool can still qualify for the next round of the champos league. A win in Lyon and a win at home against Fiorentina is not impossbile and neither is Lyon beating Fiorentina to do Liverpool favours. But I, for one, have wanted rid of Rafa for about 2 years now. My mind wasn't changed after last season at all. In classic Rafa style he has failed to build on the success of the previous year. Regardless of Alonso leaving, buying a replacement that isn't proven in the premiership and would be injured for 3 months of the season was a massive gamble. At this point in time, the gamble has not paid off at all. Should Liverpool lose on Sunday, then its adios to the league for this year, they'll be 10 points adrift and its only October. Having a great run in in the last quarter of the season will prove useless again.

I can see the method in his madness (well madness to me). He has a set way of playing and has what he has perceived our best system. I see fundamental flaws in being dependant on only 2 players to get results for a team. In the event of injury, which to Torres is quite frequent, the system inevitably fails. Liverpool's attack options without Torres is severley limited - this is Rafa's choice, no one elses. Instead of having Bellamy, Keane or Crouch sitting on the bench or trying to find a system to accomodate 2 strikers, he has decided to let good quality go. N'Gog may have potential, Voronin is useless, Babel hasn't been the success we had hoped for although he is still young while Kuyt is no longer an out and out striker.

Rafa to me, is his own worst enemy. He's signed more poor players than successful ones. I still think that there's hope for the team but it will take a lot more selling and signing of players which inevitably means that this season is a write off already.

NavyNBlue (Dublin) - Posts: 1357 - 21/10/2009 15:40:58    461740

good points there mayo news - although i have created a thread called lfc going into meltdown.
id love rafa to succeed but after 5 years we should be much further down the road than this.
everyone is saying last season was brilliant but it wasant 2nd best never has or ever will be good enough for liverpool football club.
the club does rally round when times are tough and i think some heat will be taken off rafa on sunday, because liverpool will beat man utd

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11539 - 21/10/2009 19:14:31    461965

Joking aside, the man's record is appalling.

He has had 5 seasons with Liverpool and has only been in two champions league finals, and only won it once. A miserable ONCE in 5 years.

To make matters worse 30 miles down the road at Manchester United their manager has won this trophy a record twice in 23 years.

Compared to that, Rafa must go.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 21/10/2009 20:04:27    462040

Patrique and across town city have never been near it never mind win it.

Mulligan Eamonn (None) - Posts: 896 - 21/10/2009 23:42:38    462387

Patrique, whatever bait you use you catch them !! You are some fisherman !!

Cavan_Slasher (Cavan) - Posts: 10253 - 21/10/2009 23:50:58    462400

lmao @ your man attempting to Compare Ferguson and Benetiz....as much as i dislike Ferguson thats a proper insult.

GetOverTheBar (Tyrone) - Posts: 1388 - 22/10/2009 11:21:35    462640

he's bought some very good players=reina,torres,alonso,mascherano+kuyt+benayoun(kind of!)

All of these players were well-known established internationals when he bought them. He doesnt deserve any credit for 'unearthing' these guys. Its the josemis and the pellegrinos, the itandjes and the gonzalezes that he should be judged on. Rubbish one and all, just like himself...

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 22/10/2009 15:04:55    462938

I saw Rafa at the end of game on Sky Sports News & he looked a beaten man today for the first time since he took over, I'm one who always stands by the manager until it becomes a real danger (just like Houllier) of becoming a joke.

i think we if we loose on wednesday its curtains for rafa and im not happy to say that but it aint good enough for LFC

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11539 - 31/10/2009 20:05:16    471922

The top four is still reachable, it is only November next week, not April.

He made a few good decisions today like saving Torres for the European game because Europe is where it is at for Liverpool.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 31/10/2009 22:33:49    472016

Its d-day 2mo nite for rafa..

Brolly (Monaghan) - Posts: 4472 - 02/11/2009 16:21:04    473126

Brolly
County: Monaghan
Its d-day 2mo nite for rafa..

wednesday nite brolly...

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11539 - 02/11/2009 16:38:53    473152

Pool fans - Should he go, and if he does what manager would you be hoping for and which manager would we be most likely to get?

NavyNBlue (Dublin) - Posts: 1357 - 02/11/2009 16:52:19    473174

Im a Liverpool supporter but i hope Liverpool get beat. RAFA OUT

allstar4 (Donegal) - Posts: 558 - 02/11/2009 16:54:17    473178