The Liverpool Thread

[Tyton]

Benitez's philosophy was to play for a point. That's how he set his teams up. Anything above and beyond that was a bonus. You start with a point. The least you can do is finish with one. It was the most tediously boring, sterile football imaginable the majority of the time.

Eh, that's not quite how I remember it. Rafa played defensively while the squad was still ****. Which is a sensible approach, all the best managers build from the back.

His peak squad from 2008/2009, is entirely different story. 4-0 vs. Madrid and 4-1 at Old Trafford doesn't exactly qualify as playing for 1-0.

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

Eh, that's not quite how I remember it. Rafa played defensively while the squad was still ****. Which is a sensible approach, all the best managers build from the back.

His peak squad from 2008/2009, is entirely different story. 4-0 vs. Madrid and 4-1 at Old Trafford doesn't exactly qualify as playing for 1-0.

And nobody will tell many of us that it wasn't player power that turned that around the second half of that season with many observers close to the dressing room saying it was Gerrard/ Carragher lead. So ****** off were they at the negative style that went before. The first half of that season, it could well be argued Rafa cost us the league with his negativity. And the very next season, after playing such brilliant attacking football like you mentioned, and finishing a close second, he reverted straight back to type and shut up shop again.

That 5 month period was so out of character to went before and after that it's real hard to believe that was down to Benitez and not the players forcing his hand.

 

[Mike.]

Say what you want, but the petroboys are managing City a lot smarter than any other multibillionaires that I've seen.

After the initial screw ups they are doing very very well indeed.

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

.....
Of course he worries about tiredness Scouse, the first thing he did was have a pop at the FA for overworking young players. Counter pressing doesn't work if you do have tired players.... .

Just seen the edit. He and the club (rightly) took the FA to task over Rossiter playing 3 full 90 minutes in 5 days. The only player in the U-19's squad to do that. Absolutely ridiculous workload. That was what he went off at the FA over. Nothing would of been said had he been used reasonably like the other players.

 

[Tezzz]

Would agree but I think Benitez ate them. You are free to have a premiere league title though. We have plenty to spare

Gis a billion quid.

 

[Tezzz]

He's also got the CL football he wanted. Only the blind and bitter will ignore that.

Long term, they have better resources, better funding, better youth academies, and more room to gorow. They are much better placed than Liverpool are, and recent history is already showing the the long term benefits coming in.

Just like Torres doesn't regret his move to Chelsea in the slightest. *whistles*

 

[Mike.]

Just like Torres doesn't regret his move to Chelsea in the slightest. *whistles*

The difference being Torres left Liverpool perma crocked and Sterling has left with only upwards to go. And Torres still one a bag of trophies. Mad to consider the situation between the two the same.

 

[Tyton]

And nobody will tell many of us that it wasn't player power that turned that around the second half of that season with many observers close to the dressing room saying it was Gerrard/ Carragher lead. So ****** off were they at the negative style that went before. The first half of that season, it could well be argued Rafa cost us the league with his negativity. And the very next season, after playing such brilliant attacking football like you mentioned, and finishing a close second, he reverted straight back to type and shut up shop again.

That 5 month period was so out of character to went before and after that it's real hard to believe that was down to Benitez and not the players forcing his hand.

So Gerrard and Cara forced attacking football on Benitez, it worked brilliantly, so the next season they decided not to force it anymore?

You do realize this makes absolutely no sense whatsover.

 

[Alcaraz]

The difference being Torres left Liverpool perma crocked and Sterling has left with only upwards to go. And Torres still one a bag of trophies. Mad to consider the situation between the two the same.

I really do wonder if Torres regrets his move to Chelsea. It was arguably the period which permanently crucified his reputation but at the same time, he won a handful of trophies he had no business winning considering how bad he was on the pitch

Perhaps if he stayed at a Liverpool, it would have probably been the same story minus the trophies

 

[ICYUNVME]

And nobody will tell many of us that it wasn't player power that turned that around the second half of that season with many observers close to the dressing room saying it was Gerrard/ Carragher lead. So ****** off were they at the negative style that went before. The first half of that season, it could well be argued Rafa cost us the league with his negativity. And the very next season, after playing such brilliant attacking football like you mentioned, and finishing a close second, he reverted straight back to type and shut up shop again.

That 5 month period was so out of character to went before and after that it's real hard to believe that was down to Benitez and not the players forcing his hand.

If you look at our points per game for the first 19 matches compared to the last 19. If I remember correctly it's like 1.73 & 1.74 PPG. So your point makes no sense.

The reason we lost the title that season was Utd went from 1.6~PPG first half of the season to 1.8/9~ second half. They were immense. And they had Macheda, the little *******.

EDIT: I lied. It was years ago I looked this up. Fix:

Liverpool 1st Half: 2.21 PPG (42 points over 19 matches)
Liverpool 2nd Half: 2.31 PPG (44 points over 19 matches)

Man Utd 1st Half: 2.16 PPG (41 points over 19 matches)
Man Utd 2nd Half: 2.58 PPG (49 points over 19 matches)

 

[Tezzz]

The difference being Torres left Liverpool perma crocked and Sterling has left with only upwards to go. And Torres still one a bag of trophies. Mad to consider the situation between the two the same.

I'm not comparing the situations. Sterling still has time before we can consider the move a regret or not. Because he's played 2 games in the Champions League and and has scored a few goals in front of a full packed stadium of 20,000 people doesn't mean he made the right move.

 

[Tezzz]

[video]https://www.facebook.com/LiverpoolFC/videos/10153894870737573/[/video]

Just when I thought I couldn't love him anymore..

 

[Tezzz]

I really do wonder if Torres regrets his move to Chelsea.

Hahahahaha. Of course he does you tool.

 

[Mike.]

If you look at our points per game for the first 19 matches compared to the last 19. If I remember correctly it's like 1.73 & 1.74 PPG. So your point makes no sense.

The reason we lost the title that season was Utd went from 1.6~PPG first half of the season to 1.8/9~ second half. They were immense. And they had Macheda, the little *******.

EDIT: I lied. It was years ago I looked this up. Fix:

Liverpool 1st Half: 2.21 PPG (42 points over 19 matches)
Liverpool 2nd Half: 2.31 PPG (44 points over 19 matches)

Man Utd 1st Half: 2.16 PPG (41 points over 19 matches)
Man Utd 2nd Half: 2.58 PPG (49 points over 19 matches)

This still makes me chuckle

 

[Mike.]

I really do wonder if Torres regrets his move to Chelsea. It was arguably the period which permanently crucified his reputation but at the same time, he won a handful of trophies he had no business winning considering how bad he was on the pitch

Perhaps if he stayed at a Liverpool, it would have probably been the same story minus the trophies

He probably regrets not been able to play to his lethal levels, but that would have been the case had he stayed or not. After all, it's the injuries that did/have done for him in the end

 

[Tyton]

Hahahahaha. Of course he does you tool.

Correct. Torres feels like this.

 

[Subtle]

Hahahahaha. Of course he does you tool.

Sure he's weeping over that pile of cash and handful of medals he picked up. I mean he was crocked either way, and it's not like he didn't get insane amounts of support from the fans and management. What would he have gained by staying at Liverpool? The only thing he would have gotten is not having to betray the club, but if you think someone with the mindset of a high level footballer is going to value loyalty over success then you're mad.

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

If you look at our points per game for the first 19 matches compared to the last 19. If I remember correctly it's like 1.73 & 1.74 PPG. So your point makes no sense.

The reason we lost the title that season was Utd went from 1.6~PPG first half of the season to 1.8/9~ second half. They were immense. And they had Macheda, the little *******.

EDIT: I lied. It was years ago I looked this up. Fix:

Liverpool 1st Half: 2.21 PPG (42 points over 19 matches)
Liverpool 2nd Half: 2.31 PPG (44 points over 19 matches)

Man Utd 1st Half: 2.16 PPG (41 points over 19 matches)
Man Utd 2nd Half: 2.58 PPG (49 points over 19 matches)

With the major difference being (as regards ourselves. Ronaldo was the over riding difference) we scored 17 more goals the second half of that year than the first. The first, we had absolutely turged 0-0 home draws to teams we should, and would, of beaten had we been going at them. (Stoke, Fulham and Weat Ham.). And a very fortunate 2-2 against Hull. Also at Anfield. There was a WORLDS of difference between our play the first half of that season and the second.

Make sense to you now?

 

[spook]

View attachment 207987

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

So Gerrard and Cara forced attacking football on Benitez, it worked brilliantly, so the next season they decided not to force it anymore?

You do realize this makes absolutely no sense whatsover.

It makes as much sense as a complete exception to the norm 5 month period of all out attacking footie being down to him.

But then not much made sense through his tenure. There was a big dressing room divide the back end with the Spanish contingent still supporting him and the senior English/ everyone else not. And that's not even going into some of the unbelievable **** he pulled transfer wise that he flat out lied and turned onto the board. That I do have from the horses mouth.

I'm exceptionally greatful for Istanbul and Cardiff the year after. But the Benitez era has been romanticised into something it certainly wasn't. To the point he bored me personally so much to death with his negative football I started jibbing home games and passing on tickets.