Carra: No title this year

Straight to the point from JC.

Jamie was asked if Rafa was the man to end the 18 year wait for the title.

"Only time will tell and I haven't a clue.

"Rafa has done very well but the League is the one we want and it doesn't look like it's going to happen this season.

"We'd need an unbelievable second half to the season, while those above us would need an unbelievably bad one. We realise the cups represent our best chance of silverware this season — that's why they're so important.

"We haven't won the League for such a long time and it'd be lovely if we could do it before I finish. You could say the spending power of other clubs is making it more difficult. But then you look at Arsenal and what they've done under Arsene Wenger without spending big and you realise you just have to get on with it."

"You can't hide behind excuses. Results haven't been good enough because we haven't been good enough. End of story.

"It's not just a question of whether the manager is good enough. The same applies to the players and we all know we have to improve."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=508702&in_page_id=1779&ct=5

Nail on the head really. The players go on the pitch and kick the ball. They haven't been good enough of late and that's why we've slipped away in the race.

Is an unbelievable run in the second half of the season out of the question though? I think for us to go on a decent solid run is for the players to believe they can go on an unbelievable run.

I conceeded last week that I think the title chance has probably gone but you have to keep plugging away and not think about what anyone else is doing.

Rafa's made some stupid decisions of late no question.  But the players have been abysmal and chronically underperformed all over the festive period when they were no doubt giving all their energy to their other halves.

Unfortunately now the reds hierachy have made it 10 times harder for Rafa to enforce discipline.

The usual 'Pull your finger out or you'll be off at the end of the season' that he could normally say will probably be met by 'I'll be here longer than you.' from some of the cockier members of the squad.

I'd rather have Bill Hicks in charge than Tom Hicks, and he died a while ago.

Nobody loves the club more than Carra and it's highly significant he didn't back the manager there and then when asked if he thought Benitez will win the title at Anfield. He could easily have said "I think he will given time".  Also very interesting he named Arsenal as an example of a club who compete for the title despite not having ManUre's or Chelski's millions. He is saying politely blaming it all on money is sheer nonsense and excuses for failure.

Gerrard and Carragher have not backed Benitez publicly lately; only Riise has said anything because he knows any new manager will get rid of him for his poor performances all season.

I agree with Carra really. Results have been bad because players haven't played good enough, not for Liverpool FC standards anyway.

I agree Poolgiant it seems youre biggest critics of your argument have gone completely hush.

Thing is though, who has won the league since Benitez has been in charge? Money men or Arsenal?

True, RedKenny. Arsenal haven't won the league since 2004 -  and I don't think they will stop ManUre this season. But Liverpool fans would much prefer to be where they are in the league playing the football they play rather than 12 points behind playing, quite often, the dour stuff we play. To see us even compete for a title til Easter would be nice after so long.

Carragher used them as an example because Wenger has always had less money than Ferguson but still won the title from him. So to make it out to be mission impossible because of finances is an excuse, as Carra points out.

Yeah and its an excuse we've all fallen back on at one stage or another. How does Wenger do it though ? I know he invests in young players but being able to spend as little as he does and win the league is an achievement. Nice of Carra to take some of the blame off of Benitez too.

Liverpool are in bad perfomances recently......
i think the departure of Paco effect them and that spooky americans

Liverpool go on a decent run late on anyway dont they? Probably not enough, BUT, I know we will improve and get a hell of a lot closer than others think we will.

Welcome back Poolgiants.

Liverpool can play very attractive football, we saw that earlier in the season when all this hype of us winning the title started. Valencia were turned around into playing very, very attractive football with Benitez in charge. He turned an under performing spine of the team to a world beating team and won the league ahead of the big-uns in Spain. He needs backing, none of this crap he is copping from the board and media and some fans (no direct hit to anyone on this forum).

And the thing with Arsene, this came at the back of early investment in the Youth System which brought him succes now, is anyone complaining in Arsenal? No. They are the most attractive team now and their Youth players are breaking through and becoming stars of the game. All Rafa needs to inherit is a Youth policy and we will see the benefits of all this work from himself and Houllier.

To be honest I dont expect us to finish higher than fourth this season (Im still livin in hope though !) and I just hope that we finish within ten points of the winners. The Champions league however................. .....who knows what might happen !?

We have to be realistic 4th place is our target now we have to play the top 3 away and a small matter of a merseyside derby in our remaining games,the players need to pull there socks up and start getting results to make sure we get trhat 4th place.

I want third and i genuinly think we can get it. I am very confident we will beat chelsea at stamford bridge, i know their current record there is good but look at when we played them earlier in the season we clearly outplayed them for 90 minutes and that penalty awarded was a disgrace. And the carling cup game to only lose to a deflected shot and a late goal using quite a few youngsters against 10 chelsea first teamers and a young lad who lets face it is worthy of being in chelseas first team.

 I really think we can get fourth, when we are in bad form we tend to get a turning point and i feel the luton game was that turning point, just look back at stevies delight after his hat-trick and the team looked confident.

We can pull off something amazing before this season is over be it pulling back alot of points in the league and finishing higher than people believe we will or even going on to win a sixth champions league. I know everyone wants the premier league title i want us to win it so much its unreal but wouldnt winning the champions league again this season be amazing.

3 finals in 4 years would be astonishing and 2 wins within those 4. I would be overjoyed, now that it looks unlikely that we will win the league i want us to focus on finishing high as we can and going as far as we possibly can in both the FA cup and the champions league.

Would be great to win a Champions league and FA cup double.

True, RedKenny. Arsenal haven't won the league since 2004 -  and I don't think they will stop ManUre this season. But Liverpool fans would much prefer to be where they are in the league playing the football they play rather than 12 points behind playing, quite often, the dour stuff we play. To see us even compete for a title til Easter would be nice after so long.

Carragher used them as an example because Wenger has always had less money than Ferguson but still won the title from him. So to make it out to be mission impossible because of finances is an excuse, as Carra points out.

True, Poolgiants. I wasn't dismissing Carraghers point though. Just reflecting on money having a pretty good say in winning the title since Rafa's era here.

Straight to the point from JC.

Jamie was asked if Rafa was the man to end the 18 year wait for the title.

"Only time will tell and I haven't a clue.

"Rafa has done very well but the League is the one we want and it doesn't look like it's going to happen this season.

"We'd need an unbelievable second half to the season, while those above us would need an unbelievably bad one. We realise the cups represent our best chance of silverware this season — that's why they're so important.

"We haven't won the League for such a long time and it'd be lovely if we could do it before I finish. You could say the spending power of other clubs is making it more difficult. But then you look at Arsenal and what they've done under Arsene Wenger without spending big and you realise you just have to get on with it."

"You can't hide behind excuses. Results haven't been good enough because we haven't been good enough. End of story.

"It's not just a question of whether the manager is good enough. The same applies to the players and we all know we have to improve."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=508702&in_page_id=1779&ct=5

Koolkidda you say straight to the point from JC. Did it take him untill now to realise this?. We knew this 2 months ago we had no chance.

Maybe JC has headed the ball to much and damaged his brain cells

Nobody loves the club more than Carra and it's highly significant he didn't back the manager there and then when asked if he thought Benitez will win the title at Anfield. He could easily have said "I think he will given time".  Also very interesting he named Arsenal as an example of a club who compete for the title despite not having ManUre's or Chelski's millions. He is saying politely blaming it all on money is sheer nonsense and excuses for failure.

Gerrard and Carragher have not backed Benitez publicly lately; only Riise has said anything because he knows any new manager will get rid of him for his poor performances all season.

How do you figure that one out then?? Because Carra does not come out and openly support Rafa when asked a question that doesnt really relate to the managers position is inconsequntial. You cannot justify your arguments using ambigous overtones as what he is saying is open very highly to interpretation. Carra if my memory serves me right has never come out in any interview and openly stated that he thinks Rafa is the dogs bollox, thats the sort of character he is, he sees its right to state that a lot of it is down to the players, by stating he doesnt have a clue actually justifies what I have said all along that stats dont prove anything at the end of the day he doesnt have a clue because football is that sort of game. Tell you what I will go and ask Havant & Waterlooville what they think seeing as Swansea should have beaten them on paper and according to all the stats it was a formality really that Swansea should have won wasnt it???!!!!

Here F***ing here Prag.
 
And Dadorious, the people that disagree with Poolgiants haven't 'gone hush' as you put it, some of us just get fed up with going round in circles, whereas Poolgiants seems perfectly happy repeating the same flawed arguments.

Its not over until its over, we can get back into it... En Rafa Confiamos! As Riise said last season "We never give up, cowards give up"

I'm not giving up, just being realistic. I think we almost have the squad to go all the way, and we are capable of making progress in the latter half of the season and shortening the distance between us and the three above us. That is, if we play to our strengths and select the strongest 11 for each game. If we keep going like we have played recently, don't expect to be in the top four come May or even to get past Inter in the next round of the C.L.  On form we are capable of beating anyone, We've done it before and we'll do it again, the team  just need to believe.

Here F***ing here Prag.
 
And Dadorious, the people that disagree with Poolgiants haven't 'gone hush' as you put it, some of us just get fed up with going round in circles, whereas Poolgiants seems perfectly happy repeating the same flawed arguments.

Eddie, you said in a former thread when I used Arsenal as an example as to how a team with less finances than ManUre and Chelski can still compete for the title that it wasn't a valid point. Now JAMIE CARRAGHER has said the same thing in a national newspaper and still you deny the obvious  reality that being 12 points off top every xmas is inexcusable.  And if Carragher had come out and backed Benitez to win a title, Pragmatic, you'd all be crowing about it yet when he pointedly doesn't somhow it becomes matterless.  Ironic indeed. All this is irrelevant anyway because, rightly or wrongly, the world knows Benitez is gone in June.
 
And, F9T, anyone who quotes anything Riise says after the season he has had is really desperate. Will you be using Kuyt's title cry next! Maybe Veronin has some warrior words too, until he gets on the pitch.

Eddie, you said in a former thread when I used Arsenal as an example as to how a team with less finances than ManUre and Chelski can still compete for the title that it wasn't a valid point. Now JAMIE CARRAGHER has said the same thing in a national newspaper and still you deny the obvious  reality that being 12 points off top every xmas is inexcusable.  And if Carragher had come out and backed Benitez to win a title, Pragmatic, you'd all be crowing about it yet when he pointedly doesn't somhow it becomes matterless.  Ironic indeed. All this is irrelevant anyway because, rightly or wrongly, the world knows Benitez is gone in June.
 
And, F9T, anyone who quotes anything Riise says after the season he has had is really desperate. Will you be using Kuyt's title cry next! Maybe Veronin has some warrior words too, until he gets on the pitch.

Do you actually follow Liverpool? I use the word follow as it is clear as day you don't support the club, a supporter by definition offers support. If you do follow the club you are obviously one of these strange individuals who always looks for the bad in everything. Since you have joined here you have not had one positive thing to say about anything to do with the club, instead choosing to preach how great Arsenal are at every opportunity. I'm sure next you'll be telling us Torres is sh*te, or we should let Stevie go for nothing

And, F9T, anyone who quotes anything Riise says after the season he has had is really desperate. Will you be using Kuyt's title cry next! Maybe Veronin has some warrior words too, until he gets on the pitch.

What, so now your complaining because I am using a quote that you don't agree with? And who told you that Benitez was going in June, he has been our best manager for many a years. I would like to see you do a better job. If the Yanks sack Rafa, then the fans will be calling for their heads, he never looks to far ahead, is always looking for ways to improve the team, always looking for ways to help the American owners. Liverpool are the best team in the world, and making bad remarks about too many of our players is not a way to support us. Remember the banner from the Bolton game "We are always focused on supporting our manager." which you must follow as a Liverpool fan. Rightly or wrongly Rafa will be in a job by June, or the Yanks won't either. And using a quote that has been said by many people as well, just trying to show that the title race is not over, remember when Keegan had that amazing post-match interview in the season they were 12 points clear of the Scum, and didn't win the league? 3 of those 12 points can go with victory over west ham in our game in hand. And you never know when teams hit a bad patch, so don't you F***ing think about allowing the team that has already over-turned the odds from the half-time point in the Champions League group games, when we had 1 point, and we needed to win all our games, who backed us then, we did it, 2005 Champions League final at half-time, who backed us then. WE ARE LIVERPOOL AND WE CAN DO ANYTHING WE PUT OUR HEARTS TO!