Put simply I miss Rafa.
It does get to me though. I really got used to the Rafa way of doing things. He was like a poker play on the bench. Yes he didn’t go nuts when we scored, but nor did he pull his hair out when we lost a goal. Just stayed calm and thought about what he could do or say to change things.
We went one goal down yesterday, the camera went to the bench and Roy was sitting their rubbing his face and getting pissed about something. That really got to me. I mean it just seemed so negative, we’re only one goal down and our keeper hasn’t even had to make a proper save. Go out into the technical area, calm the players down, let them know that you still have belief in them and tell them to get the ball to Torres more. The position plan has not worked, realise that and change it. Just tell Steven. Even a crap team can score against you from a corner. As a player, if I looked to the bench for some guidance a saw that form the manager, I would be demoralised. As a fan, let’s just say my language was colourful.
At 2-2, camera pans onto the ManU bench, tomato face is just chewing his gum like a mad man. His team have just lost a two goal advantage at home, there is not long to go. He’s pissed, you can tell, his players can tell, but he’s still calm. He’s thinking about what changes he can make. The change he makes contributes to them winning the match.
We take off Meireles, one of our best players in the second half, and Konchesky with 10 minutes to go for two more defensive minded players. You just knew we would lose it. Fair enough, if you are winning 0-1 and trying to preserve that lead, then bringing on a defensive player may be a good choice. If you’ve just got back into the game, you know they are going for the win so you can hit them on the counter, then why to it. The Konchesky sub I can understand because the boy was getting the run around from the first minute, but why take off one of you best player in position and one off you best passers with 10 minutes to go. Not to mention for a guy who just put his head down and runs.
Then there is the talking to the press. You’re Liverpool manager FFS. If you don’t piss some people off, you are not doing your job correctly. And I don’t mean just piss of the odd TV punter, I mean other managers. Whisky face, Mourinho, Wenger, Rafa. They don’t go around begging to be liked, sugar coating their words.
Whisky face must have been rubbing his hands together for this clash. He had our manager in his pocket. Backed Roy for league manager of the year, something that contributed to him getting the Liverpool position, along with having a pre match full of the words ‘good friend’. Didn’t even have say anything to get the upper hand, except maybe do one over the Liverpool players by sagging off Rafa, the persons who built the team you are about to play, bar a few players.
You’re so called friend then comes out after the match and pisses on you team to the press. ‘We should have scored 10’, ‘Torres is a cheat’, and ‘They needed dead ball situations’. To which Roy says nothing, like a good little friend should.
I still hope Roy does well though. However I refuse to believe the job is as difficult as is being made out. The team, with the additions that have been made over the summer, is not far from the title challenging team from a few seasons back. The first team is still very strong. Now I’m not saying that we should win the title, far from it. CL is our priority. However I do think that whoever the manager is, he should be optimistic at the start of the season. Don’t label your targets, bemoan that the team is not good enough to challenge, tell everyone that you have not assessed the team as you would have liked before the season and that it is far too big. Go about that business quietly. I refuse to believe it takes 4 months to access a team. The team is low in confidence after last season, that’s the biggest job on Roy’s hands. Sort that out and he is more than half way there.
It may have been time for Rafa to leave. But Chelsea has proved that a good manager can do well with good players. Massive changes are not needed. However if you start to lose the players then you might as well pack your bags and go home. If what Agger says it true, then it is really depressing because he is not utilising his strengths and losing him as a player. He is one of our best defenders, a centre half who can play good football. In a top team you have to fight for you team, i.e. back you players/team to the death and expect your players to do the same. If you don’t and the results are not going your way you will lose the supporters and players. Then we are really up shit creek.
