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I'd think most top European clubs would embrace Rafa as Manager, Juve's gain would be our loss.
There are very few Managers in his league. I think it'd be tough to replace him given some of the implied financial constraints we often see aired in the Press.
Hopefully this is nothing more than a rumour.
[/quote]Im fairly sure we could find SOME other manager who could have us out of every competition by January and scrapping around in the top 7. I know I know, it's a huuuuge ask, but I'm positive that we can entice someone in to replicate what Rafa's doing. Play shit football, scrap for 4th..........anyone?
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Fucking hell a selective memory or what?
This is his one bad season since he joined but nevermind getting to two European Cup finals and the League Cup Finaland the FA Cup final, the Goldfish on here can't remember more than 5 minutes ago!
Lasts Seasons 2nd by 4 fucking points is totally forgotten?
Arsenals Season was over a month ago, and now there sitting on top of the League, if they can do it I'm damn sure we can get a run together too, after all on average WE have finished higeher than them in Rafa's reign, not to mention won more than them in that time too!!
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Speaking as a knobhead goldfish, i think listing down a list of 'finals' we've taken part in really shouldnt be a measure of our success.
As for this being his 'one bad season', in the 3 previous good seasons before this we've won nothing.
Last season's second by 4 points was good, but we flattered to deceive and I think by March everyone could see that we wouldn't do it...still, it was nice to see our yearly capitulation take place in March and not October.
This year, it seems normal service has resumed.
As for finishing higher than Arsenal and winning more than them, they've built a team that's stronger than ours for a LOT less money.
I agree that Rafa has done well overall in comparison with some others, but to talk about knobheads and goldfish is a bit excessive, Asb.
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What are you on about ?, we gave a lot of points away by March but started to also recover in March/April. Beating Utd 4-1 away was in April or end of March I think, the 4 points swing so close to being wiped if Villa could have held a 2-1 lead in the last 5 mins and we managed to beat Arsenal like we should have. Flattered to deceive??, think that's excessive to say the least. I really think we played the best football out of anyone last season and what about our points total against the top 4.
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What's he on about..?
The fact we were brilliant from late February onwards was rendered too little, too late due to our abysmal November - February performance... Many called it at the time, mate.
Our record against the top four doesn't win us the title, does it? And the fact that, despite last season's glorious defeat, we are, once again, out of the league by Christmas for the 5th time in Rafa's 6 seasons, suggests that Vlad might just know what he's talking about here.
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Every pundit and their weaseling mouth and many here said that unless we beat the top 4 we wont win the title. We did last season and they blamed it on Rafa for drawing games. So this season we stopped drawing but started losing and stopped winning consistently, well it is obvious we are in this present mess. Given we have a wafer thin squad, injuries certainly didn't help.
I need to ask some questions. All the injuries are Rafa's fault as well? Having no money is Raf's fault too?
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No. And no.
Now I have a few questions for you...
Is picking a poor team Rafa's fault? Are dodgy tactics and baffling substitutions Rafa's fault? Is refusing to put our strongest starting XI for whatever reason Rafa's fault?
And, make what ever excuses you wish, it was the draws against Stoke and Hull and Fulham and Wigan and Stoke and West Ham and Arsenal, etc... that cost us the title. And, in many of those games, Rafa's team / formations / tactics / substitutions were a large part of the reason we only drew.
Nobody (worth discussing the issue with) is claiming that Rafa's 100% of the problem. But the free pass and unyielding defense many others provide him here is equally tainted and unobjective.
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Agree that Rafa did some baffling team choice and substitutions. Defending against that is untenable. I am sure other top managers made equally baffling choices and substitutions too. Ah yes, but they win titles and cups in spite of it. So that is no defense for Rafa.
Whatever we say, I don't think Rafa will go until after this season is over, for whatever reason.
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Only two mangers have actually won the Premier League since Rafa arrived. Both of which has spent vast amounts of money. Rafa has in fact overachieved since he's been here, but lets sack him because we want miracles.
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Yes or No question: Were you satisfied with 2nd place last season? Not from a "would you take it at the start of the season" hypothetical perspective, but rather from a as-the-season-played-itself-out, looking back perspective.
Also, is still being in the title picture as the new year arrives is a miracle to you? It's not to me.
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Yes 2nd place was satisfying. No team has made the jump from 3/4th the previous season to winners. We also achieved our highest ever total in the Premiership era, so to be unsatisfied with that is plain greedy. Our football at the back end of last season was the best in Europe.
As for the title picture in the New Year, well we were last year and you're still unsatisfied, so go figure. In any case, the season isnt over yet. We can still achieve good things.
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Expecting to get more than 0 goals and 2 points Vs Stoke is greedy, is it? Or being frustrated because we lost the title against the likes of West Ham, Hull, Fulham, Stoke, Middlesboro etc... is greedy? Is it bollocks. We had it, and we pissed it away. Mostly, playing 'scared to lose' football rather than 'trying to win' football.
Our manager picked defnsive teams, used baffling tactics and made idiotic substitutions during that period, and it's a huge part of why we didn't win the league. Our glorious football at the end of the season is only a consolation prize, and I don't give a bollocks about consolation prizes when we had such a magnificent chance to bring home no. 19.
So, once in 6 years we've not been out of contention at Christmas... That's less than 20% of his tenure, mate. Forgive me for finding that unsatisfactory. We obviously have very different expectations for LFC.
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My expectations ine are based on logic and realism. Yours is based on the romantic historical view when we used to win titles for fun. You need to consider things realistically then you'll see your views are inappropriate. If you want to return to the glory days rapidly, look to the owners, not the Manager as it's all about money.
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Please explain to me how the fact that man u (who we beat home and away), chelsea (who we beat home and away) and man city (who we took 4 points off) have more money to spend than us has ANY bearing on our failure to beat Hull, Fulham, West Ham, Stoke, Middlesboro, Wigan, Stoke again, etc... last season.
And while you're at it, in a money contest between us and any of those teams who cost us the title last season, who wins?
My views are only inappropriate to somebody who accepts mediocrity for LFC.
