Sunderland 1-0 Liverpool - Post Match Meltdown

According to the BBC Manchester City have put a £30 million bid in for the balloon.

Rumour has it that the kid was a secret manc under the name 'TheFella'.

too easy to blame the owners. we all know what sort of people they are and how badly they are doing but all the same. its the players who go out on the pitch and today there was not enough quality and commitment.

I don't get all the criticism Johnson is getting. He wasn't playing the usual right back role today and was expected to attack. Surely it should have been down to Lucas or Spearing to mark Bent. Also Johnson was where he expected the cross to go.

According to the BBC Manchester City have put a £30 million bid in for the balloon.

Who is the balloon

It appears to me having read this thread so far that there's a huge difference in opinion as to where we go from here.  Look we play Lyon on tuesday night and Man Utd next sunday.  2 wins against them teams and things will certainly look a lot better and i guy all the rafa bashers will dissapear again.

On the other hand i myself and i am a big rafa fan, do have to wonder how much longer Rafa can survive. 3 seasons without any trophy whatsoever no matter what your opinion is just not acceptable.  This is Liverpool Football Club for gods sake. Whatever happened to the times when one season without a trophy was considered a disaster never mind 3.

Rafa has had an awful lot of money to spend since he took charge including before the owners came in. He's made some great signings but three times as many appauling ones, he basically has wasted a hell of a lot of money and even today's team made me wonder how many of our players would get in Chelsea or Arsenal's team (not even gonna say man ure) and ive got to say not to many would.

Its also quite obvious that a lot of liverpool fans feel that we can always use the owners as an excuse for our failures FORGET IT. They were not responsible for the defeat today just as they were not responsible for the defeats at chelsea, fiorentina, aston villa, and spurs. Rafa has had nearly 6 years to shape a title winning team and so far he has failed - simple as that.

We have sh*t owners YES but we can't keep blaming them for everything, its a cheap excuse. He had 4 seasons to shape a team even before the owners came in. For me he has been living off the champions league win for some time now.

It appears to me having read this thread so far that there's a huge difference in opinion as to where we go from here.  Look we play Lyon on tuesday night and Man Utd next sunday.  2 wins against them teams and things will certainly look a lot better and I guy all the rafa bashers will dissapear again.

On the other hand I myself and I am a big rafa fan, do have to wonder how much longer Rafa can survive. 3 seasons without any trophy whatsoever no matter what your opinion is just not acceptable.  This is Liverpool Football Club for gods sake. Whatever happened to the times when one season without a trophy was considered a disaster never mind 3.

Rafa has had an awful lot of money to spend since he took charge including before the owners came in. He's made some great signings but three times as many appauling ones, he basically has wasted a hell of a lot of money and even today's team made me wonder how many of our players would get in Chelsea or Arsenal's team (not even gonna say man ure) and ive got to say not to many would.

Its also quite obvious that a lot of liverpool fans feel that we can always use the owners as an excuse for our failures FORGET IT. They were not responsible for the defeat today just as they were not responsible for the defeats at chelsea, fiorentina, aston villa, and spurs. Rafa has had nearly 6 years to shape a title winning team and so far he has failed - simple as that.

We have sh*t owners YES but we can't keep blaming them for everything, its a cheap excuse. He had 4 seasons to shape a team even before the owners came in. For me he has been living off the champions league win for some time now.

it pains me, but yes i agree. However, if we get a new man: 1. Will he be any better? 2: Another 4 seasons of rebuilding.

It wasn't one single player @ fault (although I'm not a fan of Lucas - he's just not the quality we need for the PL - it was everyone on the pitch.  No commitment and our central defenders were shockin including Carra,  They gave Bent acres of space we weren't shown at the other end. Simply not good enough on the day.  We played that system last year @ Ncle and battered them so it's down to the players.  What bugs me is that Sunderland were stong bu not that good.  Worried now - even Acquilani might not put this right.     

I'm just tired of reading this same sh*t about the owners.  People are too quick to lay all the blame at their door. Yes they are sh*t owners but they are not responsible for everything. 

6 years in charge, a lot of money and no premier league title. Lose next weekend and it will almost certainly be all over. What do we say then - maybe next year??

Who is the balloon

You didnt even watch the match did you ?

Four Minutes, Twenty-Eight Seconds. This is the moment a star was born at the Stadium of Light today in the Premier League match-up between Sunderland and Liverpool.
Come the end of the game, Beach Ball's opportunistic strike was still the one that counted as Sunderland scored their first win against Liverpool for 7 years, and what a strike it was. World class positioning some are saying, as Beach Ball got between ball and keeper and diverted an otherwise standard save past a hapless Reina.
Asked about his thoughts on the game, Beach Ball said, "Well, I was just in the stands enjoying the spectacle, trying to score a beer off someone when some dickhead just threw me onto the field! Thought, hey heres a chance to kick off my career, and it came. Really blessed I am, lucky the rules allow Beach Balls a chance in this league"
After this he was mobbed by thousands of adoring new fans looking for a signature, which he unfortunately could not provide being he has no hands.
Premier League clubs are reportedly already fighting over who will land the new stars signature, none more so than Sir Alex Ferguson, who remarked after his sides win against Bolton, "We at Manchester United are always looking for new ways to steal matches and points in any way possible. With the tapping up of referees seemingly fading out after Wiley's f**k up last week, Beach Ball really seems like the perfect type to fit into our corrupt system."
Rafa Benitez refused to be drawn into the speculation, simply saying, "With two skint basterds at the helm of our club, we have no chance in signing Beach Ball, FACHT. We will try for his poorer cousin, Golf Ball, to replace Babel."
Whatever happens with the Transfer saga beginning here, it is certain a new star has been born.

courtesy of big ynwa

I'm just tired of reading this same sh*t about the owners.  People are too quick to lay all the blame at their door. Yes they are sh*t owners but they are not responsible for everything.  

6 years in charge, a lot of money and no premier league title. Lose next weekend and it will almost certainly be all over. What do we say then - maybe next year??

Knee Jerk Thread is thataway.

Ah you mean the beach ball . Look on the bright side we have turned the draws into losses

Knee Jerk Thread is thataway.

It should go in the FACT thread

I'm just tired of reading this same sh*t about the owners.  People are too quick to lay all the blame at their door. Yes they are sh*t owners but they are not responsible for everything.  

6 years in charge, a lot of money and no premier league title. Lose next weekend and it will almost certainly be all over. What do we say then - maybe next year??

Yes they are have you been living under a rock ? what can rafa possibly do with no money,forced into selling his best players,if Shankly or Paisley were in charge im pretty sure that they wouldnt be faring much better dryder1 you are the type of bandwagon fan that we dont need or want at this club !

I'm not sure that some of the posters on here are fully aware of our History so much so one guy didn't know who Roy Evans was. We don't just sack a manager without very good reason. Shankly went 5 or 6 seasons without much success Rafa has the same win ratio as Paisley.He buys players we can afford not necessarily those we desire or need.
We are short of players in the squad who are improving.Most pundits agree Babel has everything it takes to be world class but hasn't done it.Others who we bought for a moderate fee haven't blossomed into world beaters if you take Gerrard and Torres out of any team it will be much weaker lets hope along with Aqualani they make a swift return to the team as we desperately need them.As for the manager who would take the job on a transfer budget of a mid table team with a pair of waring owners who will not put money into the club and have lied to get the club and have continued to lie ever since.

Yes they are have you been living under a rock ? what can rafa possibly do with no money,forced into selling his best players,if Shankly or Paisley were in charge im pretty sure that they wouldnt be faring much better dryder1 you are the type of bandwagon fan that we dont need or want at this club !

I know a lot more than you, and as for having no money what do you call £250m since he took charge for fucks sake.  Are u living in cloud cooky land. I could name you a list of 50-60 players who he has bought in his time that were nothing more than average. And yes i do bloody know what i'm talking about.

So what about Man City spending £100 million just a month compared to £250 million in 4 years?

He's been there 6 years actually and nobody can argue that 60% of his signings have been garbage

I know a lot more than you, and as for having no money what do you call £250m since he took charge for fucks sake.  Are u living in cloud cooky land. I could name you a list of 50-60 players who he has bought in his time that were nothing more than average. And yes I do bloody know what I'm talking about.

Give us the list then, and i expect 50 on that list at least. Reasons as to why its Rafa's fault along with that.

I said in another thread, Fergie took 7 years to bring a title to manure, and he did it at a time where there was less challengers as we were starting to struggle and other teams were just on the up also.

I actually think the title of this thread is quite appropriate

Of course it's appropriate.  We've got our fingers on the pulse.

People are completely taking what i said the wrong way.  I NEVER said the owners were not to blame, its public knowledge that there sh*te owners.

What i said (and its my opinion and i believe everybody is entitled to that) is that the owners cannot be blamed for our league position. He's made some poor signings and had 6 seasons to build a title winning team - 4 of them before the owners came in.

So everybody stop F***ing critising me and just respect different opinions

I can guarantee you i know more than you he has not been able to bring in the players that Man Utd,Chelsea,City,could afford he has had to find bargain players which most have turned out to be pretty good.I know for a fact you cant name 60 players that were only average,and the 250 million ? how much of that have we gotten by selling players.and most of that has been spent very well,Reina,Agger,Insua,Skrtel,Mascherano,Benayoun,Torres,Sissoko,Kuyt,Garcia,Fowler to name a few so most of the money he has had he has spent in wisely IMO

So what do you want to do mr know it all,who would you like to bring in ?

I know a lot more than you, and as for having no money what do you call £250m since he took charge for fucks sake.  Are u living in cloud cooky land. I could name you a list of 50-60 players who he has bought in his time that were nothing more than average. And yes I do bloody know what I'm talking about.

How much of the £250 million you quote actually came out of the pockets of any of the owners? The majority of the money Rafa has spent has been generated by him selling players hence the list of 50-60 players you quote. He hasnt had the funds to buy top quality players so he has had to trade them off year on year and slowly but surely get the players that he wants/needs!! I bet we dont see you on here when we win games or have a good run! You clearly dont know what you are talking about and just base your opinions on the crap that is bandied around in the press!!!

I can't say i was too confident going into the game today but i'm shocked at just how severe the reaction has been.

The way i see it there are two supposedly black and white reasons for our result, (i) the owners (ii) Benitez, his decisions.

It's difficult to be rational after a bad performance and result but some people aren't even trying. It's too easy to blame the owners for everything (but i do believe that their situation IS affecting the team and Benitez) and it's too easy to simply blame Rafa.

But the real worrying thing here is that we seem to have owners, coaching staff, players and fans all looking around for something to change/somebody else to blame, while everyone is turning their heads blaming the lack of Xabi Alonso, for example, for losing games there is undue pressure building on our current midfielders like Lucas and Spearing and on our future one Aquilani. In all the areas everyone is blowing everything way out of proportion and a little bit of calm reflection is needed.

We stiill have almost the same squad which should have and could have won the league last year plus there looks like (hopefully) some new investment will be arriving soon, we will be in a much better position come January in the league and financially so we just have to stop applying undue pressure to those players who are giving their best and direct our attentions to the playes who are clearly not doing the same.