Liverpool is my home and I will come back

[NGONGE]

Norf, looks like I'll be able to talk about Lucas to my heart's content.

 

In other news:

 

[N.O.R.F]

^Thats can't be true ( I actually wouldn't mind). He is better than Woy.

 

Lucas? He is decent heh

[Legend of Zu]

Rafa, killed Inter.... from trible winners to the six position in Seria A and losing to Spuds in CL. Mourinho showed how better he is than Rafa. embarrassing stuff.

 

Liverpool are still suffering from Rafa's mismanagement.

[Legend of Zu]

BTW He was sacked he he he he!

[BOB]

This is the Inter and Moratti I know hiring & firing at will...Welcome Back Son.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peace, Love & Unity.

[NGONGE]

Legend of Zu;681865 wrote:

Rafa, killed Inter.... from trible winners to the six position in Seria A and losing to Spuds in CL. Mourinho showed how better he is than Rafa. embarrassing stuff.

 

Liverpool are still suffering from Rafa's mismanagement.

Rubbish. When Mourinho was given the job he was given money to go out and buy the players he needed. Rafa was promised money but got nothing. He even lost some of the players Mourinho had (see the boy that went to Man City?). He inherited an ageing and injury prone team (47 injuries since he took over). He actually did the right job by challanging Morati after winning the Club World Cup (saying "this is what I can win for you, now back me or sack me"). He was sacked but only on his terms.

 

Now lets hope the Liverpool American owners can see sense and re-hire one of the greatest football managers of recent times. It will certianly give red nose a heart attack.

 

Kubbada barta.

[Abuu2000]

Rafa to return, the joke of this christmas, or Liverpool could have joint managers like they did before. Apprently he is heading to Blackburn, that is a massive downgrade for him.

[N.O.R.F]

Ngonge, you keep believing his excuses. The man can't handle pressure. Simple as that.

[NGONGE]

N.O.R.F;682016 wrote:

Ngonge, you keep believing his excuses. The man can't handle pressure. Simple as that.

Nothing to do with believing any excuses. The man did not have many of his star players for the six months he was at Inter (FACT, as he would say if he were ranting). He was promised money by Morati but did not get it (FACT). He lost Balotelli before he even started(fact). And, finally, he lost his job because he dared question the owner (the same as his time with Liverpool).

 

Still, the man's record speaks for itself. He won La Liga with Valancia in a country where giants like Madrid and Barca play. He got Liverpool to TWO CL finals. He constantly made it to the CL and almost won the EPL (not to mention the impressive number of points he got that season). He had ONE bad season and people like you decided to forget all his history and ability and come up with rubbish about not handling pressure. War the man is in the top five managers in the world, if not the top. Bahasha baro.

[N.O.R.F]

LoL@he lost Ballotelli. Like he actually did anything last year. Waar he had 95% of the treble winning side available to him all season. He failed, yet again, to inspire his team when they need inspiring. His distant approach in training contributed to player discontent (again). He did well for us and I was fully behind him but when he blames everyone else and his uncle for his own short comings is where I draw the line. The man sold Alonso and tried to replace him Aquilani! Aar Rafaa ku waalay.

[NGONGE]

^^ Dee waxba lama socotid. Which 95% were these? Milito was injured for large parts of the season. Stankovic was out, Mota was out, Samuel was out even Sneijder is out (not to mention that Zenneti, Miacon and Ceaser were all in and out of the team with injuries throughout the season. When Rafa had players he was doing well, saaxib.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/9140414.stm (this article was only written in November).

[NGONGE]

N.O.R.F;682046 wrote:

LoL@he lost Ballotelli. Like he actually did anything last year. Waar he had 95% of the treble winning side available to him all season. He failed, yet again, to inspire his team when they need inspiring. His distant approach in training contributed to player discontent (again). He did well for us and I was fully behind him but when he blames everyone else and his uncle for his own short comings is where I draw the line. The man sold Alonso and tried to replace him Aquilani! Aar Rafaa ku waalay.

The Alonso story is well publicised. Go and read the reasons behind it and what went wrong. As for a man that can't inspire a team, look at this (FACT as Rafa would say):

 

2004-06

In his 1st home game in charge (Man City) Liverpool came from behind at half-time to win a game for the first time in more than 5 years.

 

At Fulham (October 2004) the Reds came from behind at half-time to win an away game for the 1st time in 13 years.

 

Liverpool became the 1st British club to ‘keep’ the European Cup following a 5th Final success.

 

Steven Gerrard became the 2nd youngest player to captain a European Cup winning team.

 

2005-06

 

Became only the 3rd team, and the 1st British side, to win the European Super Cup 3 times.

 

Steven Gerrard became the 1st Liverpool player in history to score in 5 successive European matches.

 

Kept clean sheets in each of their opening 4 league games for the 1st time in the club’s history.

 

Sami Hyypia played in a 56th consecutive European game – breaking the club record for an outfield player (he extended that record to 57).

 

Liverpool set a new club record of 11 consecutive clean sheets (Oct-Dec 2005).

 

Went 762 minutes without conceding a league goal (a post-war club record).

 

Won 10 league games in a row for the 1st time in 15 years.

 

At Luton Liverpool scored 5 goals in an away F.A. Cup tie for the 1st time in 59 years.

 

Liverpool beat Manchester United for the 1st time in the F.A. Cup for 85 years.

 

Recorded their biggest ever away win in the F.A. Cup (7-0 at Birmingham) and the biggest by any team away from home in the Quarter-Finals for 106 years.

 

Conceded only 8 league goals at home – their 3rd best total ever.

 

Set a club record of 12 successive wins in all competitions (it was extended to 14 at the start of the following season).

 

By lifting the F.A. Cup became the 1st manager in the club’s history to win a trophy in each of his first 2 seasons in charge.

 

Set a club record of 21 goals scored by substitutes in a season – previous record was 12.

 

Achieved the 6th-highest accumulation of available league points in the club’s history, and at the time, the 2nd-highest ever number of wins (as a % of games played)

 

2006-07

 

Recorded his 50th league win in just 93 games – a record bettered by only 2 Liverpool managers of the previous 57 years, Dalglish and Shankly.

 

Went unbeaten in 30 successive home league games for only the 4th time in their history.

 

Scored 4 goals in the 1st half of an away league game (at Wigan) for the 1st time in 15 years.

 

Pepe Reina kept more clean sheets in his first 50 league games (28) than any other goalkeeper in the club’s history.

 

Jamie Carragher played in a club record 58th game in the European Cup.

 

Jamie Carragher made a club record 90th appearance in all European competition.

 

Conceded only 7 league goals at home – best total for 28 years.

 

Only second English side to win in Nou Camp (previous one was Liverpool in 1976).

 

Reached second Champions League final in three seasons. (If ‘lucky’ to win in 2005, the Reds were ‘unlucky’ to lose in 2007.)

 

2007-08

 

Beat Besiktas 8-0 to record the biggest ever Champions League victory.

 

Scored 4 goals in a game on 8 occasions before Christmas for only the 3rd time in club’s history.

 

Steven Gerrard scored his 23rd European goal – to break the club record.

 

Pepe Reina kept his 50th league clean sheet in his 92nd appearance – breaking club record of 95 held by Ray Clemence.

 

Steven Gerrard became the 1st Liverpool player ever to score in 5 successive European games in the same season.

 

Fernando Torres became the 1st Liverpool player in 62 years to a hat-trick in successive home league games.

 

Jamie Carragher became the 1st Liverpool player to play 100 European games for the club.

 

Fernando Torres became the 1st player in 12 years to score 20 league goals for the club.

 

Pepe Reina kept 54 clean sheets in his first 100 league games to break the club record held by Ray Clemence.

 

Steven Gerrard became the 1st Liverpool player to score in 4 successive home European games.

 

Fernando Torres became the 1st Liverpool player to score in 7 successive top-flight home league games.

 

Rafa Benitez won 81 of his first 150 league games in charge. Only Kenny Dalglish (87) won more as Liverpool manager.

 

Ryan Babel equalled the club record of most goals in a season scored by a substitute (7).

 

Liverpool had 6 players who scored 10 goals or more in a season. Only the 3rd time this had happened in the club’s history.

 

Fernando Torres equalled the club record by scoring in an 8th successive home league game (all divisions).

 

Fernando Torres scored 24 league goals – most by any Liverpool player in a debut season for 61 years.

 

Fernando Torres broke Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s record of most goals in a debut Premier league season by an overseas player.

 

Pepe Reina won the Golden Glove for the 3rd successive season.

 

Liverpool scored 119 goals in the season – more than any team in England.

 

2008-09

 

In 2008 recorded their highest points tally in a calendar year (81) for 18 years.

 

Liverpool won 9 successive home league games for the 1st time since November 1990.

 

Fernando Torres became the club’s 2nd highest ever scorer in his first 50 games (34 goals).

 

Ryan Babel became the club’s 2nd highest ever goalscoring substitute (with 8 goals).

 

Liverpool came from behind to defeat Manchester United in the league for the 1st time in 42 years.

 

End Chelsea’s 84-game unbeaten home record.

 

Became only the 2nd English team to win in the Bernabeu.

 

At Anfield inflicted upon Real Madrid their biggest ever Champions League defeat.

 

Steven Gerrard became only the 2nd Liverpool player to play 100 times for the club in Europe.

 

Recorded their biggest win at Old Trafford for 72 years. It was also the 1st time 4 Liverpool players had scored at United in the same game.

 

Led the table for the 1st time ever in the Premiership with 2 games to play.

 

Broke Bill Shankly’s record of 65 European matches as Liverpool manager.

 

Broke Bob Paisley’s record of 40 European wins as Liverpool manager.

 

Recorded his 100th league win as manager in his 181st game. It was the 3rd quickest ever by a Liverpool manager and 50 games faster than Alex Ferguson.

 

Equalled club record set in 1904-05 by winning 13 away league games.

 

Amassed their highest points total ever in the Premier League (86) beating the 82 set in 2005-06. Their highest in the league since 1987-88.

 

Scored at least 3 goals in 6 successive games in all competitions for the 1st time in the club’s history.

 

Finished the campaign with a goal difference of + 50 – their best for 21 years when they amassed + 63 in 1987-88.

 

Lost just twice in the league – equalling the fewest they had lost in a league campaign for 105 years.

 

Fernando Torres scored 33 goals in his first 50 league games for the club – the best by any Liverpool player for 52 years.

 

Pepe Reina kept his 100th clean sheet in the fastest time in Liverpool history (197 games).

 

Won 75% of all available league points – 2nd highest in the club’s history.

 

The highest number of points by any team which failed to win the league (38 game seasons)

 

2009-10

 

Went unbeaten in 31 home league games – their 3rd longest ever run and best for 32 years.

 

Against Manchester United recorded his 114th league win in his 200th game. The 2nd best tally by any Liverpool manager in first 200 league games (Kenny Dalglish 120 wins).

 

Liverpool won a 3rd successive league game at Everton for only 3rd time in club’s history.

 

Yossi Benayoun scored a hat-trick against Burnley to become only the 5th player in the club’s history to score a hat-trick in 3 different competitions.

 

Pepe Reina set a new club record of most clean sheets (79) in first 150 league games.

 

Liverpool scored 22 goals in opening 7 league games – best tally for 114 years and 2nd best ever.

 

Broke club record by scoring in an 18th successive Premier League game at Anfield.

 

Fernando Torres broke the club record by scoring his 50th league goal for Liverpool in just his 72nd match.

 

Inspiration you say? Bah!

[NGONGE]

A little education for Norf on Rafa:

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/sid_lowe/09/06/rafa.benitez/index.html

 

The way he liked to play:

 

http://www.holdingmidfield.com/?p=47

 

Benítez was the conqueror of Europe, Jose Mourinho’s nemesis and Shankly’s heir, protector of the Liverpool way.

Anfield was a very different place, though. David Moores had sold the club for £218.9 million to Tom Hicks and George Gillett in February 2007, the new “custodians” vowing to take Liverpool to the Promised Land, the league title. The Americans, their promises and their wallets empty, would serve only to deepen the club’s purgatory.

They had scarcely been in charge for six months when details emerged of their conversations with Jurgen Klinsmann over the possibility ofhim succeeding Benítez, should he decide to go.

The Spaniard bit back, repeating the mantra that he was “focused on preparing and coaching his team”, the dismissive, arrogant phrase his absentee landlords had directed at him as they sharpened the knife to plunge in his back. In hindsight, that was the breaking point.

Since then, Benítez has found himself doing anything but focusing on preparing and coaching his team. To borrow one of the terms he deploys most to describe the players he tries to bring to his sides, the Spaniard was condemned to operate between the lines.

He has played politician, forging shifting alliances with Liverpool’s power-brokers and eventually learning to thrive amid the backbiting and infighting as the relationship between Hicks, Gillett and Rick Parry, the erstwhile chief executive, deteriorated.

And he played bank manager, too, as the debt mountain placed on the club by Hicks and Gillett soared, wheeling and dealing to balance the books. In Benítez’s own words, Liverpool have, for two years, been a company, not a football team.

He enjoyed only limited success in the role of the Spanish Harry Redknapp. Many of his buys have been ill-judged, his failure to leave Liverpool with a squad imbued with quality in depth the most damning indictment of his tenure.

That did not stop him mounting Liverpool’s first genuine title challenge for almost a decade, though, even as chaos threatened to engulf the club. That success, though, could never last in such a flawed environment.

Benítez’s magic touch deserted him, his five-year, £20 million contract signed in March 2009 – the final act in his struggle for power with Parry – left looking like a monument to the club’s folly. Liverpool, in the space of a few months, lost their Champions League status not twice, and found themselves cut adrift from the Premier League elite.

Anfield has been afforded a glimpse of the obscurity which awaits England’s most decorated club in any future in which Hicks and Gillett remain.

Whatever his faults, whatever his mistakes, whatever his spend, Benítez’s exit should not be seen as proof that he is the man to blame. Liverpool’s imperfect perfectionist is simply the first victim.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/7798818/Rafa-Benitez-conquered-Europe-with-Liverpool-but-is-now-victim-of-owners-reign.html

 

 

"

“I prefer not to talk too much about Liverpool because I feel really sorry for the fans. I was watching the fans [during the recent Merseyside derby] and I was really sad.

We have a saying in Spanish, which is: ‘White liquid in a bottle has to be milk’. What does this mean? It means that after 86 points and finishing second in the league (in 2009), what changed?

The Americans…they changed everything. At the beginning, they changed the managing director who was talking with some players, and they changed everything that we were doing in the past. If you want to ask again what was going on, it’s simple: they changed something and, at the end, they changed everything.

So, white liquid in a bottle: milk? You will know who is to blame. White liquid in a bottle. If I see John the milkman in the Wirral, where I was living [whilst in charge of Liverpool], with this bottle, I’d say, ‘It’s milk, sure’.”

Clear? As milk. "

[NGONGE]

Inter sack yet another manager. Rafa was right!

[N.O.R.F]

Have to admit I miss Rafa and his tactical nouse (before 09/10).