Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Wed Jan 30, 2013 11:30 pm  

Conroy wrote:

Ah. Hardly a surprise seeing as they're the biggest name in it with the most fans, most of whom only watch on TV as they struggle to make it from London, Bristol, Cornwall, Birmingham etc etc etc

In a way I agree with you. They are the biggest club and the biggest draw for TV audiences.

However, just like the TV contract for the Premier League is spread around so that each club gets a minimum number of games, the FA Cup TV deals should be spreading the TV games around too. If Man Utd are playing Liverpool, Chelsea, Citeh, Arsenal etc then obviously that should be the televised game because it's something most neutrals would be drawn to. But Man Utd v a Fulham XI? Does any neutral really want to watch that?

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Wed Jan 30, 2013 11:31 pm  

Conroy wrote:

39?

Scharner will be a decent signing as a CB. Was always his best position. Hopefully McGeady will replace Beausejour. Would love to see Charlie back at the right price. Wasn't Benitez a flop last time he played in the PL?

Always looked dangerous at opening a defence but didn't then put the ball in the back of the net enough. Flop maybe a bit harsh IMO.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Wed Jan 30, 2013 11:31 pm  

Conroy wrote:

Ah. Hardly a surprise seeing as they're the biggest name in it with the most fans, most of whom only watch on TV as they struggle to make it from London, Bristol, Cornwall, Birmingham etc etc etc

...then the TV companies should do football a public service by denying the filthy glory hunting scumbags the means of "watching" "their" "club"...

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Thu Jan 31, 2013 12:05 am  

carl_spackler wrote:

Always looked dangerous at opening a defence but didn't then put the ball in the back of the net enough. Flop maybe a bit harsh IMO.

It's someone who can put the ball in the net that we need though

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Thu Jan 31, 2013 12:05 am  

Northampton_Saint wrote:

...then the TV companies should do football a public service by denying the filthy glory hunting scumbags the means of "watching" "their" "club"...

And that's you speaking as a Liverpool, Darlington or MK Dons fan?

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Thu Jan 31, 2013 12:16 am  

Conroy wrote:

It's someone who can put the ball in the net that we need though

Oh, I agree. He's probably not what you need, but he wasn't without his positives for Birmingham.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Thu Jan 31, 2013 12:27 am  

Northampton_Saint wrote:

No, you're right - Benitez did a brilliant job with very limited resources. His signings were all brilliant and magnificently successful. He should still be in the job now.

And I know I shouldn't bite on anything you post too, what with your amply proven supreme tool-ness and all, but what the hey...

...and any fool with half a brain knew that Downing was always going to be an awful signing, as was Carroll. But still nowhere near as bad as persevering with Benitez for so long and then bringing Dalglish back...

Nah, Benitez wasn't perfect, nobody's ever argued that, but people can't help but have an opinion from one extreme to the other.

Benitez had Liverpool as close to their 'ceiling' as any recent manager in the past twenty years or so. There wasn't a lot of silverware, but he managed against arguably some of the best managers ever and best teams since the PL started. We were in the top 4 year after year, we reached the latter stages of the CL year after year and we finished second in his second to last season. His signings weren't perfect but we were decent enough.

He became tied up in issues that eventually started to effect results. The one signing that probably sealed his fate was Aquilani - a stupendously talented player who never gained the fitness nor faith of the manager. He replaced probably his greatest signing (Alonso) and we never recovered from that, but he still brought some good players in over the time. He made some shocking signings, like Keane; he probably gambled on the wrong type of 'potential', like Pennant and Babel, but he brought some of the best players in the world to the club and raised the expectations of our supporters to levels we could only dream of at the moment. There was no shame in coming worse off against the likes of Ferguson, Mourinho, Wenger and Ancelotti.

People always point to the Barry/Alonso saga but people always reflect after his last season. Before that he'd suffered from injuries and wasn't the consistent force in midfield. It was sad that in his final season he probably established his best role and was at his most influential, as at the same time he was agreeing moves to Real Madrid whilst still a Liverpool player. Rafa always rated Alonso, more than most as well, as the year he tried to get rid, the only clubs that came calling were Arsenal and Juve, offering somewhere between £11m-£14m (I can't remember exactly), whilst Rafa wanted at least £18m for him.

When looking back at Rafa's reign, I think it should be seen as generally quite good but far from perfect. We were one of the best sides in Europe but struggled to compete domestically against some stupendous competition. He messed up quite a few signings but he also had some ridiculously good buys. If I could go back five years and have things the way they were then, I'd do so in a heartbeat.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Thu Jan 31, 2013 6:08 am  

Disgusting diving antics at the Emirates last night i see, Liverpool should be disgusted with the actions of players who go to ground so easily.

Player rightly booked as well, lets hope Liverpool can draw a line under this now.

Oh wait, you mean it wasn't Suarez... It was a Arsenal player.... Cant see anything in the press about it..... Must be some mistake......

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Thu Jan 31, 2013 8:28 am  

Roddy B wrote:

Nah, Benitez wasn't perfect, nobody's ever argued that, but people can't help but have an opinion from one extreme to the other.

Benitez had Liverpool as close to their 'ceiling' as any recent manager in the past twenty years or so. There wasn't a lot of silverware, but he managed against arguably some of the best managers ever and best teams since the PL started. We were in the top 4 year after year, we reached the latter stages of the CL year after year and we finished second in his second to last season. His signings weren't perfect but we were decent enough.

He became tied up in issues that eventually started to effect results. The one signing that probably sealed his fate was Aquilani - a stupendously talented player who never gained the fitness nor faith of the manager. He replaced probably his greatest signing (Alonso) and we never recovered from that, but he still brought some good players in over the time. He made some shocking signings, like Keane; he probably gambled on the wrong type of 'potential', like Pennant and Babel, but he brought some of the best players in the world to the club and raised the expectations of our supporters to levels we could only dream of at the moment. There was no shame in coming worse off against the likes of Ferguson, Mourinho, Wenger and Ancelotti.

People always point to the Barry/Alonso saga but people always reflect after his last season. Before that he'd suffered from injuries and wasn't the consistent force in midfield. It was sad that in his final season he probably established his best role and was at his most influential, as at the same time he was agreeing moves to Real Madrid whilst still a Liverpool player. Rafa always rated Alonso, more than most as well, as the year he tried to get rid, the only clubs that came calling were Arsenal and Juve, offering somewhere between £11m-£14m (I can't remember exactly), whilst Rafa wanted at least £18m for him.

When looking back at Rafa's reign, I think it should be seen as generally quite good but far from perfect. We were one of the best sides in Europe but struggled to compete domestically against some stupendous competition. He messed up quite a few signings but he also had some ridiculously good buys. If I could go back five years and have things the way they were then, I'd do so in a heartbeat.

You're spot on. I will defend Rafa to the hilt, and especially his signings.

The worst thing he did was replacing Alonso with Aquilani - once it became apparent that Aquilani simply wasn't going to work out, it became equally apparent how vital Alonso had been to our team in Rafa's reign. Bare in mind Alonso was a Rafa signing himself - undoubtedly one of the best Premier League buys since the turn of the millenium. Keane was a strange one, in that we sold him just as he was coming good - the problem was that he was far too similar to Torres, but looking back, Keane would have been a better bet for regular goals in the long term!

Rafa often bemused and baffled me with his rotation, team selections and tactics, but he provided some magical times for Liverpool. It's like letting go of a long-term girlfriend. You don't realise how much you miss them 'til they're gone.

He deserves better than that shambles Chelsea. Trust Rafa to do his own thing (and give him more than a year) and you will reap the rewards -- just ask Valencia.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Thu Jan 31, 2013 8:55 am  

Saint Viper wrote:

Disgusting diving antics at the Emirates last night i see, Liverpool should be disgusted with the actions of players who go to ground so easily.

Player rightly booked as well, lets hope Liverpool can draw a line under this now.

Oh wait, you mean it wasn't Suarez... It was a Arsenal player.... Cant see anything in the press about it..... Must be some mistake......

Always the victims.....