[quote author=Wizardry link=topic=37778.msg1009693#msg1009693 date=1260335240]
[quote author=Red Mullet link=topic=37778.msg1009687#msg1009687 date=1260332092]
[quote author=Delinquent link=topic=37778.msg1009651#msg1009651 date=1260321138]
[quote author=Red Mullet link=topic=37778.msg1009625#msg1009625 date=1260317951]
Other than Lucas, who would Nani and Anderson replace? Mascher? Gerrard? Kuyt is having a poor season but Nani and Anderson are not RW so can they play there?
Rafa has improved in the league in that we're always qualify in the CL. Fact.
I believe it is his first major blip, as he has been building to a league winning team and only just missed out last season. This was meant to be the season Liverpool truly challenges for the top spot but a series of bad luck and a lot of injuries caused it to all go wrong.
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Anderson would replace Lucas and Nani can play left or right so would simply displace either since we've been dreadful on both sides this season.
Your last statement is also missing another fundamental reason for our failure. That is, we're desperately lacking in quality all over the pitch. Yes, we've been had a few injuries and a modicum of bad luck. But these are the sorts of challenges that top teams deal with. The fact of the matter is, injuries and bad luck have exacerbated the underlying problem, which is, we simply weren't well enough equipped in the first place.
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My original post said we had a problem in the strength of our squad. We simply don't have the cash and have resorted to bargain buckets. We haven't been a top team for 2 decades, we've been in the top four, granted but guess what - always in fourth position with the occasional blip to 3rd or even 2nd and those are rare.
Our glory days are truly over and it is a case of building. Rafa has done this, he's achieved consistent CL qualification and formed a basis of a very good first team that can beat, no thrash any team in the world. In every way we're similar to Arsenal, who also haven't many trophies lately.
Time is what is needed, just like Fergie had. Or a shit load of cash like Chelsea.
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I can't quite work out if your back pedalling or not Mullet. Your original post was focused on the fact that we are not a one man team; Torres out we beat the mancs, Gerrard out we beat them as well. Therefore we're not a one man team. Also that Rafa has improved us constantly and that this is the first blip (shortcoming?) he's had since he took over.
Now you're saying that we don't have the depth of squad that the mancs have but Rafa is still doing well and, somehow, wer'e similar to Arsenal in every way.
To start with, Rafa has spent a packet more than any other LFC manager but we've got Gerrard, Mascher, Torres and, a stretch, Agger. GH bought in Didi (easily Mascher's equal) and Sami (easily Aggers equal). We had Gerrard, Owen and Fowler. The point is that Rafa hasn't improved the quality much if at all in 5 years; the squad depth is, if anything, worse than it was.
Rafa is doing well because we consistently qualify top 4; well we've been doing that with one exception all decade. Rafa himself missed it in his first season though he well and truly compensated with a CL.
The comparison to Arsenal truly has me baffled; we certainly don't have the youth that they have, nothing like the playing style, we look well short on potential and they have immense depth in their squad.
There are plenty of reasons that Rafa should not be sacked and plenty of things that he's done well; why you seem to want to focus on the areas of question are mystifying.
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The comparison to Arsenal was purely based on trophies, they haven't won much lately and the same goes for us. Whenever they lose big players like Van Persie or Cesc they can suffer against the lesser teams as well. Their youth is better but we played some good football last season that easily equalled their playing style.
I'm not back pedaling, we aren't a one man team, more of a one team only. We don't have strength in depth, so when we essentially lose our first 11 then we play with dross. I say this because, Rafa essentially played the same team over the course of last season and we did well, whereas the seasons before he chopped and changed and the result was for us to see.
I've never said Rafa should not be sacked or not. I quite agree with you, there's no logical reason to sack him and he has his faults but he has improved the team and consistently qualifying for the CL is the example to prove that.