Liverpool V's Wigan 2nd January

How ever we feel tonight we are a much better team than 12mths ago,fact.So where ever your coming from it hurts to lose and tomorrow we have to wake up to the sh*te that'll be thrown our way from all sides but remember that in the not to distant future It'll be our turn.It may be the champions league again or the FA cup but come around again it will and that's a fact,the league may have to wait for next season although I don't think we are out of it yet stranger things have happened and as long as the Americans stick with Benitas we'll be fine...

How ever we feel tonight we are a much better team than 12mths ago,fact.

Sure, where's the proof?

We are 5th in the premiership lad? aitn good for us

I can hear the fat lady sing is coming from a distance, but I think its truely over it would have to be close to perfection to win it from here on.  I don't think this our year, really really pissed off. 

5 midfielders AT home AGAINST Wigan?

Come on - get real.  What a F***ing stupid side to send out. 

I really wonder if the guy is looking to get the sack so he can get a pay-off.  F***ing idiotic.  I don't think anyone at the club deserves to be picking up their wages this week.

But again - you look at that team and they should have hammered Wigan.

I really admire Rafa, but tonight... tonight he fu**ed up BIG TIME.

Jeez the man's a genius but tonight HE lost us the game before the team ran out... and was not much of a calming influence when they scored - ranting and screaming... just not him.

Something is going badly wrong behind the scenes... or maybe Rafa really is missing his soul brother Pako, which I have always felt he would but didn't want to speak publicly here about it, as I would get hammered for it... and probably will now for mentioning it again.

The man works in a winning manager and asst mgr team for 10 years - loses his right-hand man and we all expect it to go on perfectly without him .... WELL NO IT DOES NOT.

Team selection, dynamic in-match decisions... were all rather irational tonight... I think Pako would have had a word about it, I really do.

I really feel so deflated. never thought I would say this but ''Rafa your time is up''. Playing Harry Potter for that long, I ask you where was Ryan Babel . He would have made so much use of the space been given to Kewell today(and against Man City). As for Pennant, Don't get me started..... tonight there where at least 4 players not good enough to grace to pitch even as a Wigan Player.
Kewell, Pennant, Finnan and Aurelio to start.. have to go.. Not Liverpool Standard.
I have kept the faith for so long with Rafa's strange sub choices and starting line up's.
In my Humble Opinion he should start with the strongest team possible & then when the team have the advantage by 1, 2 or more goals then rest some players at his famous 70 min mark for subs.  

Just got in from the match    I can't tell you how frustrated and angry I feel at the moment, I've stood there for 90 mins watching a half-hearted attempt to win 3 pts.   Just where was Gerrard supposed to be playing?  I thought he was supposed to play right behind Torres to support him ?  He was playing far to deep and ended up in a defensive role instead of supporting Torres.  I can't say too much cos he puts his heart and soul into it but he's just not disciplined enough.  We end up with 3 strikers and can only draw against Wigan Athletic - FFS !! 

This is the team that went to Marseille and trounced them away from home, just where are we going wrong ?

At the end of the game, for the first time ever I heard booing from the crowd, I felt ashamed to be honest with you.  No-one deserves that, bloody morons !!  They have very short memories.

Not reading any papers tomorrow and not watching Sky Sports News.

The highlight of my night was meeting Chris Kirkland while he was warming up, he came over and was signing autographs and signed the back of my hand, cant get washed tonight now 

I really admire Rafa, but tonight... tonight he fu**ed up BIG TIME.

Jeez the man's a genius but tonight HE lost us the game before the team ran out... and was not much of a calming influence when they scored - ranting and screaming... just not him.

Something is going badly wrong behind the scenes... or maybe Rafa really is missing his soul brother Pako, which I have always felt he would but didn't want to speak publicly here about it, as I would get hammered for it... and probably will now for mentioning it again.

The man works in a winning manager and asst mgr team for 10 years - loses his right-hand man and we all expect it to go on perfectly without him .... WELL NO IT DOES NOT.

Team selection, dynamic in-match decisions... were all rather irational tonight... I think Pako would have had a word about it, I really do.

I agree 100% mate. This isnt coincidental, there is a reason behind why we have dipped since Pako left. There might be more to the situation behind doors but it doesnt seem good.

First of all....Yeah, it's a bad result especially in the second half we have enough chances to win it..Kirkland had probably the best game of his season. I'm upset with the result, but frankly some in here should really start to think before to type something...The kind of "we are sh*te" and the kind of "Should RAFA goes" and "What chance we will have against chelsea man u or arsenal away" and even worse "we suck" are simply in my opinion disgraceful....call yourself fans?? get a F***** grip..

I'm not happy tonight, for sure, but something I will never do is insulting or even considering our coach to be sack What the hell is that?..I can and I do share the disappointment to draw at home against Wigan today, but winning our game in hand will bring us 9 points behind the leader..9 POINTS..Hardly the whole ocean to drink is it?...Arsenal and other man u will also loose points against team like Wigan later on, all these talking about who is in front at Xmas win the league and other stupids  statistics got prove wrong year after year..

A lot in here, are following media and pundits blaming RAFA rotation (notice that it seems that this word only apply to Liverpool this year, for some obscures reasons), when mathematically we will be out of it, I will surrender..but not yet....not yet..WE at Liverpool NEVER surrender, how many times did people buried us and we came back proving to all that...MIRACLES ARE POSSIBLE..(remind anyone anything that!!??)...

Yes we should have won tonight and it is frustrating, but this is football...Kirkland made world class saves to save Wigan tonight...On the positive, our main striker scored again, Gerrard was once again battling like a tiger and the January window open in what 2 days now...Keep the faith for FFS..Critics yes, but insults and call for sacking no thanks..

Good post Cy, the only problem I have with it is the bit I highlightd. I don't think The Arse, The Mancs and Chel$ski will drop points agaisnt teams like this. That's why they're in the running for the Title and WE are slipping further behind.  

I just cant get over it i really cant i am at work in the office supposed to be working and have been ranting on this forum for an hour and a half about to get my ass fired. I agree with ya Don that Rafa screwed the game for us people are talking about these quality players and signings we need to make in January. They are not miracle workers, well thats what we thought Benayoun, Voronin, Lukas, Babel would be when we got them at the start of the season. But who has really had any impact out of these besides Torres no one, Rafa after some 32 matches this season is still searching for his best 11, the new players will be pushed around the park and by the time we get them to gel it would be too late.

So far benayoun has played all across the midfield, Babel has drifted from Left wing to Right Wing to striker, Voronin has been used as a right mid a striker and attacking midfileder i mean ffs we cant afford to make these experiments with players. The season is 38 rounds long not F***ing 82 like the NBA. By now we should have 13 players that we can use to play with consistency but we dont I just hate to think ahead to the game against Inter if we struggle against Derby and cant beat Wigan.

Rafa post match interview

Were you surprised and disappointed that your team couldn't kill the game off when you got the first goal?

Yeah I think that we were creating chances, no? And you could see at the end Kirkland saved twice a difficult situation, so sometimes as I say you need a little bit of luck for scoring the second goal, or don't concede the goal that we conceded.

You set the team up tonight with Fernando Torres through the middle and Steven Gerrard behind. Do you think that worked for you, because there were quite a lot of times in the game where Torres appeared to be quite an isolated figure?

Yeah, but we were trying to play with two wingers really wide, so it was an idea to spread out the other team and get into the box with Gerrard, and I think that we had chances for winning.

What about the situation now with the Premier League, because you've got a game in hand but you're now 12 points behind Arsenal. Do you still think you can win the championship this season?

We think that we must be ready for the next game, because my idea is always one game at a time and we're trying to do this.

But it's a very big gap to bridge now, isn't it?

We know that it's difficult if you lose points at home it will be very difficult.

What about January for you here Rafa? I presume you want to strengthen your squad, most managers do. What can we expect to happen here?

We are working, trying to find the right players also in the right price.

What kind of budget are we talking about here? Will you be significant spenders in January or will you be tweaking the squad?

We don't talk about matches, we talk about the players we need anything else [sic]

Are there particular areas you want to strengthen?

We are working in different areas.

Rotation doesn't work, our strikers aren't good enough, we need Pako back, the crowd should've backed us more. Rafa's sh*t the yanks are sh*t. Sack the gaffer, bin the board, sell the squad.
 
If any of these were genuine concerns, why are they never raised when we win? We have to accept that it was a bad day at the office, which admittedly we've had too many of lately, but all we can do is dust ourselves down & keep going.

I just cant get over it I really cant I am at work in the office supposed to be working and have been ranting on this forum for an hour and a half about to get my ass fired. I agree with ya Don that Rafa screwed the game for us people are talking about these quality players and signings we need to make in January. They are not miracle workers, well thats what we thought Benayoun, Voronin, Lukas, Babel would be when we got them at the start of the season. But who has really had any impact out of these besides Torres no one, Rafa after some 32 matches this season is still searching for his best 11, the new players will be pushed around the park and by the time we get them to gel it would be too late.

So far benayoun has played all across the midfield, Babel has drifted from Left wing to Right Wing to striker, Voronin has been used as a right mid a striker and attacking midfileder I mean ffs we cant afford to make these experiments with players. The season is 38 rounds long not F***ing 82 like the NBA. By now we should have 13 players that we can use to play with consistency but we dont I just hate to think ahead to the game against Inter if we struggle against Derby and cant beat Wigan.

What about Gerrard - the guy has the freedom of the park - he might as well do a spot of stewarding on a stint in goal too... it confuses the hell out of the players around him as he pops up everywhere... jeez having played the game myself it must be a nightmare for the wingers, forwards and central midfielders... .the guy wants it so much that you have to admire and forgive him... but more discipline from SG is surely needed... Torres ended up on his own for most of the game, which can't be right at home vs Wigan ffs!!

This time last year we were in 3rd place, 14 points off the leaders.

Today we are in 5th place, 12 points off the leaders.

Improvement?

This time last year we were in 3rd place, 14 points off the leaders.

Today we are in 5th place, 12 points off the leaders.

Improvement?

Nope.  Stronger squad and more experience should have had us up there with the other 3.

I'm so bitterly upset tonight... tonight we wave goodbye to it again... it will be 19 years now ffs... NINETEEN F***ing YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rotation doesn't work, our strikers aren't good enough, we need Pako back, the crowd should've backed us more. Rafa's sh*t the yanks are sh*t. Sack the gaffer, bin the board, sell the squad.
 
If any of these were genuine concerns, why are they never raised when we win? We have to accept that it was a bad day at the office, which admittedly we've had too many of lately, but all we can do is dust ourselves down & keep going.

Couldnt agree with you more Eddie not much more to be said in fact.

I say get King Kenny back as manager before he gets ruined by the hands of the FAI.
The Man is Class

I say get King Kenny back as manager before he gets ruined by the hands of the FAI.
The Man is Class

Not as a leader of men he is not... he was super-class as a player but that don't mean diddly when it comes to running teams full of young millionaires.

I disagree.. For any player to walk on to a pitch on not give him respect and listen to what he has to say does not deserve to put on a liverrpool jersey regardless of how much they earn.. Me , you and anyone on this form would give our Left testicle to experience that just the once

Rotation doesn't work, our strikers aren't good enough, we need Pako back, the crowd should've backed us more. Rafa's sh*t the yanks are sh*t. Sack the gaffer, bin the board, sell the squad.
 
If any of these were genuine concerns, why are they never raised when we win? We have to accept that it was a bad day at the office, which admittedly we've had too many of lately, but all we can do is dust ourselves down & keep going.

I'm sorry Eddie but practically all of those theories have been mentioned already on this forum in various threads to varying extents.

I will never give up the hope until it is mathematically impossible.

But on tonight's performance I'm afraid it's not looking good.

Very sad when people have paid good money........we SHOULD have easily won this game.

Why the hell did Rafa only have one recognized striker playing when this was a must win game, I really don't understand him sometimes.

Feel, as I know you all do, very angry at this moment in time, and I can't really say any more, cos I'm too pissed off.

I will never give up the hope until it is mathematically impossible.

Give it a couple of weeks.

Yes I'm aware of that JD, the point I was making is that these excuses crop up in abundance, but only when we lose. If there were any genuine concerns they would still get a mention when we're winning.