Rafa calls on fan support

By Simon Pearce On · 58 Comments · In LFC News

Rafa Benitez is keen to put yesterday’s debacle of a match behind him, and just look forward. Trying to move on from all the beach ball talk, and focus solely on the upcoming Champions League group match against Lyon.

To this end, he has re-iterated how important the European nights are at Anfield, and has called for the backing of us, the fans:

“Our fans know the Champions League is a special competition and for us it has been amazing.“The atmosphere in the Champions League has always been good for our team, especially when we are under pressure.

“Anfield will be a key factor for us. We need the fans behind us. They are the best in the world.”

We need the fans behind us. Wise words from the Spaniard, and one we would all do well to remember. Tuesday night is not a night to be on the terraces, calling for Rafa’s head. Or Lucas’s or anyone elses for that matter. We need to get behind the team – and the team includes the Gaffer.

Lyon will be tough opponents. While they deserve respect for all their acheivements in Ligue 1, and their recent Hillsborough tribute – we have to show them no mercy.

If we are to quickly put the Sunderland match behind us, the team needs a comprehensive victory over our French cousins, and we the fans need to put all our efforts into helping the team Tuesday night, and make it another of our world famous European nights. The roar of the crowd. The Kop sucking the ball into the opponents net. The opposing team almost frightened to actually come out and play!

Let us look to the future, not dwell on the past. Let us heed Rafa’s call, leave yesterday in the memory of matches we’d all rather forget, and look ahead to Tuesday night. Let us get behind the team, and back them for a decent result against Lyon.

And let us hope there’s no beach balls at Anfield this time!

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  • gg

    Oh!!!!!!!!Come on. our club needs us more than any time!!

  • gg

    Oh!!!!!!!!Come on. our club needs us more than any time!!

  • Samuel

    use you players like arsenal does

  • Samuel

    use you players like arsenal does

  • Carl

    we lack strength in depth and over the fied LFC only has a handfull of decent players, i think Reina, johnson, Carragher, skrtle, Agger, Mascherano, Gerrard & Torres are the only players in our team that would waltz into most other prem starting XI insua, benayoun,reira, & Kuyt i think are more then good enough squad players to be kept, Aquilani we have not seen yet so we can not judge him just yet.

    our youth system? what happened to players like redkanpp macateer, mcmanaman, fowler,owen, Gerrard, Carragher? really is Rafa doing enough to bring through our next stevie or carra? is Jay Spearing really the best of our youth system? (personally i feel for the lad for being thrown in at the deep end on saturday but still he has hardly set the world alight)

    when i notice we have players like nemeth and pacheco that are very talented and a forward players very good ones and there not given a chance because of there age? what a joke RAFA!

    Owen,Rooney,Torres,Milner,Casiallis,Messi,Bojan, are just some of the players off the top off my head i can think of that made a break through into there first teams at sort of 16,17,18 that are very good players and made big impacts.

    So instead Rafa opts to use fucking useless shite like voronin, babel, lucas, ngog, plessis.

    I’m not against Rafa and i do feel sorry for him not having the sort of funds you would have if you were to manage barca madrid chelski or citeh, but i’m not going to defend rafa when it comes to youth team players, you knwo bringing through our next generation of talent.

    I feel Rafa could do better in the trasnfer market if he wasnt so stubborn.

    i mean he must have known xabi wanted to leave parently xabi said that back in may june time, so if you know your main man is leaving why not grab gareth barry for 12 mil thats going to be fit fo august? so why go out and spend an extra 8mil on a player that is still yet to play for us? i feel really sorry for this aquilani becuase he is now going to be used as sort of our last hope its like every one is going to put so much pressure on our lad to save the season, cos in all honesty he is the only one that can save it now.

    he will be coming into a team thats is low on confidence in very poor form and far from its best!

    and to make things worse guys i think most of you are all being so blinded with our problems on the field, that the real problem and worst of them all is off it and they are far worse then most people realise.

    if rafa was to go is to go or gets sacked then the only man i think maybe capable for the time being would be to bring king kenny back.

    at least we’d see more english players playing in our team and have quailty young youth playres coming through the system again & King Kenny is the last man to bring a league tittle to anfield so why not make him the one to return it?

  • Carl

    we lack strength in depth and over the fied LFC only has a handfull of decent players, i think Reina, johnson, Carragher, skrtle, Agger, Mascherano, Gerrard & Torres are the only players in our team that would waltz into most other prem starting XI insua, benayoun,reira, & Kuyt i think are more then good enough squad players to be kept, Aquilani we have not seen yet so we can not judge him just yet.

    our youth system? what happened to players like redkanpp macateer, mcmanaman, fowler,owen, Gerrard, Carragher? really is Rafa doing enough to bring through our next stevie or carra? is Jay Spearing really the best of our youth system? (personally i feel for the lad for being thrown in at the deep end on saturday but still he has hardly set the world alight)

    when i notice we have players like nemeth and pacheco that are very talented and a forward players very good ones and there not given a chance because of there age? what a joke RAFA!

    Owen,Rooney,Torres,Milner,Casiallis,Messi,Bojan, are just some of the players off the top off my head i can think of that made a break through into there first teams at sort of 16,17,18 that are very good players and made big impacts.

    So instead Rafa opts to use fucking useless shite like voronin, babel, lucas, ngog, plessis.

    I’m not against Rafa and i do feel sorry for him not having the sort of funds you would have if you were to manage barca madrid chelski or citeh, but i’m not going to defend rafa when it comes to youth team players, you knwo bringing through our next generation of talent.

    I feel Rafa could do better in the trasnfer market if he wasnt so stubborn.

    i mean he must have known xabi wanted to leave parently xabi said that back in may june time, so if you know your main man is leaving why not grab gareth barry for 12 mil thats going to be fit fo august? so why go out and spend an extra 8mil on a player that is still yet to play for us? i feel really sorry for this aquilani becuase he is now going to be used as sort of our last hope its like every one is going to put so much pressure on our lad to save the season, cos in all honesty he is the only one that can save it now.

    he will be coming into a team thats is low on confidence in very poor form and far from its best!

    and to make things worse guys i think most of you are all being so blinded with our problems on the field, that the real problem and worst of them all is off it and they are far worse then most people realise.

    if rafa was to go is to go or gets sacked then the only man i think maybe capable for the time being would be to bring king kenny back.

    at least we’d see more english players playing in our team and have quailty young youth playres coming through the system again & King Kenny is the last man to bring a league tittle to anfield so why not make him the one to return it?

  • scottishscouser

    “I detect a latent hostility towards foreign managers and players in English football world. Inferiority complex mixed with xenophobia…”

    It is strange the way ‘British’ or ‘English’ seems to be what what of the media long for in this country. It is no wonder we are hated by the rest of Europe probably just marginally less than the US (no offence meant).

    Pundits and journo laud the likes of Redknapp, Allardyce, Moyes, Ferguson and one or two others. Now I’d like to remind the pundits who made those managers what they are today; in the main ‘foreign’ players.

    Does anyone think the world would watch the Premier league full of English players? What a joke that would be. I’d also like to remind the journos/ pundits, that our nationality is British, England isn’t a country.

    I cringe when I hear people bleating on about English this and Bitish that. FFS, if it wasn’t for the likes of Wenger/ Houllier/ Benitez, our players would still be getting bladdered on a Friday before a game and eating shite.

    Back to the topic, lets hope the brat fans stay away tomorrow night.

    And if Benetez goes, what manager in the right mind would want his transfer kitty to include improved contracts? We would be lucky to get Allardyce if the manager’s position becomes vacent at the behest of some of our fans!

  • scottishscouser

    “I detect a latent hostility towards foreign managers and players in English football world. Inferiority complex mixed with xenophobia…”

    It is strange the way ‘British’ or ‘English’ seems to be what what of the media long for in this country. It is no wonder we are hated by the rest of Europe probably just marginally less than the US (no offence meant).

    Pundits and journo laud the likes of Redknapp, Allardyce, Moyes, Ferguson and one or two others. Now I’d like to remind the pundits who made those managers what they are today; in the main ‘foreign’ players.

    Does anyone think the world would watch the Premier league full of English players? What a joke that would be. I’d also like to remind the journos/ pundits, that our nationality is British, England isn’t a country.

    I cringe when I hear people bleating on about English this and Bitish that. FFS, if it wasn’t for the likes of Wenger/ Houllier/ Benitez, our players would still be getting bladdered on a Friday before a game and eating shite.

    Back to the topic, lets hope the brat fans stay away tomorrow night.

    And if Benetez goes, what manager in the right mind would want his transfer kitty to include improved contracts? We would be lucky to get Allardyce if the manager’s position becomes vacent at the behest of some of our fans!

  • mark gorlewski

    Relax all the nervous, despondent Nellies. We lost to the team that was at the top of the league then (Chelsea), then to Sunderland, a team that just tied Man U. at home, in strange circumstances (to the goal that wasn’t). We don’t have a deep team, and then, Rafa could not play Stevie G. and Torres, Mascherano and Insua, Agger was just coming back from an injury, Carragher already semiretired, Aurelio, Skrtel off form, Spearing starting in the team for the first time, Lucas still playing by default (Aquilani not ready yet), Benayoon and Kuyt were coming back from international matches. So let’s be honest, you expected us to run Sunderland off the pitch?
    The next three games may decide what kind of season it is going to be. If we lose them all then:
    1. We may not qualify to the next round of the Champions Cup, we will not get the 30 millions pounds or so, the league will be lost, we will be fighting for the 4th place at best . Positive aspect of this catastrophy, american evil twins, will have to sell our club at the market:
    a) short term bad news, no new players in January; long term great news new owners with deep pocket coming in, probably around February. Also, Rafa will be able to strengthen the team next summer;
    2. If we beat Fiorentina, we should be on the way out of the group, if we beat Man U. and Arsenal as well, we will be 4 point behind Man. U., not bad at all. In order to still be in contention we would have to stay healthy, so lets hope and pray.
    So that’s my synopsis of the current state of affairs.

    Now the criticism of Rafa:
    1. Bad tactics, rotation etc.:
    A lot of decision are forced upon Rafa by lack of second choices on the current team . Stevie G. gets worryingly broken down more and more often, Torres though much younger, has history of injuries. Remember last year, these two missed large chunks of the season so there is a trend. So Rafa, can not throw them on half fit and possibly risk long term injuries. Other injuries to Skrtel, Aurelio, Agger to name a few are adding to shortage of options. Now let me ask you, what to with Carra whose form has been poor since the end of the second half of last season, would many of you scream to hell, if he became the third choice behind Agger and Skrtel?. As much as I believe, we lost the race last year, because Rafa was showcasing Dossena for trade, we are losing points this year because Rafa had to play Carra with Agger and Skrtel injured.
    2. Bad trades & purchases:
    There were a few: Dossena, Keane, Babbel. But show me a manager with a 100% success ratio. Also Degen and Voronin came in as free agents, On the other hand, there were some good picks: Torres, Insua, Johnson, Kuyt, Riera, Benayoon. Do not forget that a lot of the players brought in were second choices, for every Dossena there was a Vidic that got away. The player that will underline Rafa’s eye for talent, on way or another is Aquilani. I hope he will make us forget Alonso.
    3. Alonso treatment:
    For all that forgot, Alonso was a moderate success in the begining, and then had a breakout season. We could sell him for 12M to Juve, the year before he went to Real Madrid. Rafa outlasted Real’s head honcho in negotiations and got 30M. Alonso did not leave because Rafa mistreated him, he left for more money and better chance of glory. It was a calculated, professional decision of a very smart man, and even if he was invited once a week to Rafa for dinner last season, he would still be gone.
    4. LFC Prospects for the future:
    It all depends on the length of american ownership. Gillette already blamed Rafa, Hicks publicly supports him. The divorce is being worked on. Considering Hicks personality and business record., I doubt that any smart business person would agree to purchase just 50% of shares. It will be all or nothing. I feel that Gillette and Prince Faisal agreed on price, now the ball is Hicks’s court.
    If there is no agreement, our club will continue its slide behind the old established clubs and the new challengers, Man City, Aston Villa and Tottenham. Brace yourselves for that.
    5. Be carefull what you wish:
    For all those who wish for Rafa’s departure, beware. Look at Newcastle, the owner can’t give his club away. I do not see Mourinho, O’Neil waiting in the wings for their chance to go there. Rafa’s departure would in quick order be followed by exit of Reina, Torres, Mascherano and other big names including Stevie G. You would be watching Jay Spearing for a while.
    6. How to support your club.
    The Game is always bigger, than any player, club or supporter. If you a true supporter of LFC, suggest, don’t demand. Treat players and the management people with respect. Appreciate and applaud their efforts. Rejoice in victories, respect their valiant play in less fortunate outcomes. After all we all stand behind Liverpool FC.

  • mark gorlewski

    Relax all the nervous, despondent Nellies. We lost to the team that was at the top of the league then (Chelsea), then to Sunderland, a team that just tied Man U. at home, in strange circumstances (to the goal that wasn’t). We don’t have a deep team, and then, Rafa could not play Stevie G. and Torres, Mascherano and Insua, Agger was just coming back from an injury, Carragher already semiretired, Aurelio, Skrtel off form, Spearing starting in the team for the first time, Lucas still playing by default (Aquilani not ready yet), Benayoon and Kuyt were coming back from international matches. So let’s be honest, you expected us to run Sunderland off the pitch?
    The next three games may decide what kind of season it is going to be. If we lose them all then:
    1. We may not qualify to the next round of the Champions Cup, we will not get the 30 millions pounds or so, the league will be lost, we will be fighting for the 4th place at best . Positive aspect of this catastrophy, american evil twins, will have to sell our club at the market:
    a) short term bad news, no new players in January; long term great news new owners with deep pocket coming in, probably around February. Also, Rafa will be able to strengthen the team next summer;
    2. If we beat Fiorentina, we should be on the way out of the group, if we beat Man U. and Arsenal as well, we will be 4 point behind Man. U., not bad at all. In order to still be in contention we would have to stay healthy, so lets hope and pray.
    So that’s my synopsis of the current state of affairs.

    Now the criticism of Rafa:
    1. Bad tactics, rotation etc.:
    A lot of decision are forced upon Rafa by lack of second choices on the current team . Stevie G. gets worryingly broken down more and more often, Torres though much younger, has history of injuries. Remember last year, these two missed large chunks of the season so there is a trend. So Rafa, can not throw them on half fit and possibly risk long term injuries. Other injuries to Skrtel, Aurelio, Agger to name a few are adding to shortage of options. Now let me ask you, what to with Carra whose form has been poor since the end of the second half of last season, would many of you scream to hell, if he became the third choice behind Agger and Skrtel?. As much as I believe, we lost the race last year, because Rafa was showcasing Dossena for trade, we are losing points this year because Rafa had to play Carra with Agger and Skrtel injured.
    2. Bad trades & purchases:
    There were a few: Dossena, Keane, Babbel. But show me a manager with a 100% success ratio. Also Degen and Voronin came in as free agents, On the other hand, there were some good picks: Torres, Insua, Johnson, Kuyt, Riera, Benayoon. Do not forget that a lot of the players brought in were second choices, for every Dossena there was a Vidic that got away. The player that will underline Rafa’s eye for talent, on way or another is Aquilani. I hope he will make us forget Alonso.
    3. Alonso treatment:
    For all that forgot, Alonso was a moderate success in the begining, and then had a breakout season. We could sell him for 12M to Juve, the year before he went to Real Madrid. Rafa outlasted Real’s head honcho in negotiations and got 30M. Alonso did not leave because Rafa mistreated him, he left for more money and better chance of glory. It was a calculated, professional decision of a very smart man, and even if he was invited once a week to Rafa for dinner last season, he would still be gone.
    4. LFC Prospects for the future:
    It all depends on the length of american ownership. Gillette already blamed Rafa, Hicks publicly supports him. The divorce is being worked on. Considering Hicks personality and business record., I doubt that any smart business person would agree to purchase just 50% of shares. It will be all or nothing. I feel that Gillette and Prince Faisal agreed on price, now the ball is Hicks’s court.
    If there is no agreement, our club will continue its slide behind the old established clubs and the new challengers, Man City, Aston Villa and Tottenham. Brace yourselves for that.
    5. Be carefull what you wish:
    For all those who wish for Rafa’s departure, beware. Look at Newcastle, the owner can’t give his club away. I do not see Mourinho, O’Neil waiting in the wings for their chance to go there. Rafa’s departure would in quick order be followed by exit of Reina, Torres, Mascherano and other big names including Stevie G. You would be watching Jay Spearing for a while.
    6. How to support your club.
    The Game is always bigger, than any player, club or supporter. If you a true supporter of LFC, suggest, don’t demand. Treat players and the management people with respect. Appreciate and applaud their efforts. Rejoice in victories, respect their valiant play in less fortunate outcomes. After all we all stand behind Liverpool FC.

  • Kaleb

    Stop whining you say. Mark unless you are an OSTRICH, there is no reason to have your head in the sand. I respect Rafas achievement of the champ league 2005, and 07, but that is where it ends. I dont think he has the game plan to deliver the goods. You and all your “in rafa we trust” stooges can keep the hope, but as I sated b4, hope must be based on a tangible evidence that things are going to get better. I think aqua will be gr8 when fit, but as 4 the prem, I cant see based on our style of play, which seems to be (when gerrard and torres dont play) kick the ball up field and hope our forwards are there, will ever win anything. The man has had 5 years and what I saw on sat, was league 2 quality at best.

  • Kaleb

    Stop whining you say. Mark unless you are an OSTRICH, there is no reason to have your head in the sand. I respect Rafas achievement of the champ league 2005, and 07, but that is where it ends. I dont think he has the game plan to deliver the goods. You and all your “in rafa we trust” stooges can keep the hope, but as I sated b4, hope must be based on a tangible evidence that things are going to get better. I think aqua will be gr8 when fit, but as 4 the prem, I cant see based on our style of play, which seems to be (when gerrard and torres dont play) kick the ball up field and hope our forwards are there, will ever win anything. The man has had 5 years and what I saw on sat, was league 2 quality at best.

  • Kaleb

    Mark your 4:57 was pretty good. However, the problem as I see is not the players he has availiable, its the way he has them play and in what posistion he plays them. Remeber last year stoke and hull drew with us, and yet not one of their players would make out 1st squad. Rafa has our team playing awful to watch football. His constant selection of Lucas is a source of discouragement for the team and fans a like. This was highly evident by Carras frustration at the midfields lack of movement and creativity. It was so frustrating that they ended up bypassing them alltogether and just booting the ball upfield. That showed to me a team defeated. Hopefully this will change with aqua. If it doesn’t then rafa must go, as a lot other teams will be far above us that it will be years before we recover.

  • Kaleb

    Mark your 4:57 was pretty good. However, the problem as I see is not the players he has availiable, its the way he has them play and in what posistion he plays them. Remeber last year stoke and hull drew with us, and yet not one of their players would make out 1st squad. Rafa has our team playing awful to watch football. His constant selection of Lucas is a source of discouragement for the team and fans a like. This was highly evident by Carras frustration at the midfields lack of movement and creativity. It was so frustrating that they ended up bypassing them alltogether and just booting the ball upfield. That showed to me a team defeated. Hopefully this will change with aqua. If it doesn’t then rafa must go, as a lot other teams will be far above us that it will be years before we recover.

  • scottishscouser

    Kaleb,
    If you think Maurine or Hiddink or anyone of that ilk are going to come to Liverpool and win the premier league with the restraints on funds, then you are very naive.

    Do you expect Kenny Dalglish to rescue us? He’d be more brassed off with the owners that Benitez!

    Shall we get the whiney O’Neil that sticks his head in the sand when the going gets tough. Or maybe you’d like Fat Sam, Redknapp.

    You say if things don’t improve then he should go but you give nothing after that, no plan, no thinking. It’s like stamping your feet!

    If Benitez walks or is sacked, then it won’t be a trophy-less 3 years you need to worry about; try 10 or more!

  • scottishscouser

    Kaleb,
    If you think Maurine or Hiddink or anyone of that ilk are going to come to Liverpool and win the premier league with the restraints on funds, then you are very naive.

    Do you expect Kenny Dalglish to rescue us? He’d be more brassed off with the owners that Benitez!

    Shall we get the whiney O’Neil that sticks his head in the sand when the going gets tough. Or maybe you’d like Fat Sam, Redknapp.

    You say if things don’t improve then he should go but you give nothing after that, no plan, no thinking. It’s like stamping your feet!

    If Benitez walks or is sacked, then it won’t be a trophy-less 3 years you need to worry about; try 10 or more!

  • Mark G

    Could not say it any better!

  • Mark G

    Could not say it any better!

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