If you say Babel is waste of money you need to take a look at other top teams that have players who costed more, and they are also sitting on the bench, providing cover for the first team but not being labeld as wasters. Even Tottenham has players who were worth 15 mil. or more on their bench.

Liverpool need to invest more in signings to be able to compete at the highest level. So far players were willing to come for less money becouse of CL and the clubs stature, but now is in danger of losing that plays and it will be even harder to get players. Owners need to find a way to invest now to prevent even bigger damage.

An utterly pathetic piece for a prat masquerading as a Liverpool ‘fan’ to write and if that’s the best you can do? Don’t bother supporting us – we’re better off with REAL fans who realise it doesn’t always come on a plate and has to sometimes be fought for by the people in charge AND the fans AND the players all together – which we’re patently not if we’ve fools like you writing bilge like this on the ‘net. Well guess what idiot? Moan ALL you like but YOU cannot make a difference, nope not one jot – nor can I or any other Reds fan – why? Because we’re not in charge and I doubt as such the owners will ever listen to us unless by some miracle we succeed them. So moan and cry ALL you like as the spoilt child you are but guess what? No one’s listening and to rubbish like THIS article? Nor should they…………………………….

While I agree with some of the points you raise, I actually think that Johnson was a great buy – and I think Aquilani will show his worth too. Although they still need to improve, Lucas and Insua are very promising players who can play a vital role in the Liverpool team in the future. As for Kuyt, I am a big fan of the hard-working Dutchman, who never gives up – although I would agree that he needs to be rested once in a while or give way to a different kind of player. From what I have seen so far, Pacheco, Kelly and Eccleston in particular (and Spearing, Ayala and Darby to a lesser extent) have the qualities to challenge strongly for the first team this season – and I hope Rafa gives them more opportunities to demonstrate their talent on the big stage.

Aside from the need for more funds for Rafa to be able to dip into the transfer market, I would argue that the problems faced by Liverpool are more on the injury and selection front – with knock-on effects on the self-confidence of players and the fighting spirit of the team as a collective unit. While I might not agree on the details, I would agree that Rafa has all too often chosen teams that lack bite, with Mascherano and Lucas providing insufficient linkage between midfield and attack.

I hope Rafa will draw the same lessons from the team’s performances and play a more balanced, offensive line-up in games, esp. against teams that like to sit back and wait for mistakes. At the same time, it is clear that Liverpool needs to improve in the defensive department, whether that means improvement in tactics, defensive skills of existing players or acquisition of new ones.

It is also clear we need reinforcements in our forward line. I like N’gog, but I cannot see us improving significantly with only two out-and-out strikers in the first team. Kuyt is an important team member, but he has not been convincing in this position; Eccleston is promising but still young; Nemeth is on loan and also not quite ready; and Babel has failed to convince when given the opportunity (I do not buy the argument that the latter’s failure to impress is due to poor management skills on the part of Benitez).

I trust Rafa to get us out of this mess, but it is clear that he will have to improve on team selection tactics and re-instil the team with the winning spirit of last season to do so.

Firstly, the obvious point that we are a defensive team (the 2 defensive midfielders, wingbacks as wingers). We were the top scoring team last season, and the fourth highest the season before. But in both seasons, we were the first to hit 100 goals in all competitions. This debunks the theory we are defensive. In fact, I think it was Mascherano’s interview early on, that he claimed Rafa’s strategy when he first came was to work on the defense, then the midfield, then the offence. This is clear to see as season after season we have improved attacking wise. This season is the exception.

Secondly, the 4-4-2 have been obsolete since Rafa and Mourinho came to the scene 5+ seasons ago. All the teams who want to nullify it has to do is change to a 4-5-1 system and squeeze out the midfield. ALL lower teams play this formation at Anfield against us

Thirdly, transfer market success? All the players that Rafa has been backed fully, have been successful bar Morientes. When you are talking about Babel, Keane etc you are talking about second or third or even fourth choices. What do you expect? If we could afford a budget that a team who is expected to win trophies, we would be sporting Villa, Silva and Mata by now instead of Voronin, Babel ang N’gog. Look at how many free transfers we have in our first team.

Fourthly, man management. All top managers aren’t buddies with players. Look at the real ones that win medals, ie the Capellos and the Hiddinks. They are professional to the hilt. Not your Harry Redknapps . The reason that Rafa isn’t a “father figure” to the players, unlike Wenger or Ferguson is because he is 40+ years old. The other two are 50-65. With only a 10+ year gap, you won’t see Rafa being a father figure to any of these players, neither will you see Sparky or any of the other 40+ year old managers

As for Kuyt, in the top leagues, he is the top scoring and assisting “winger” besides C Ronaldo, Messi and Silva. Thats saying alot. NO other fancy winger have been doing the business as well as him lately. He might not look fancy, but name any other “winger” who will score 10 goals a season?

Xabi has stated in interviews that he left because of the tax changes in the UK. Furthermore both Rafa AND Barry have said in quotable interviews that the intent was to play him in the left side of midfield, not the centre. So Barry to replace Alonso is all paper talk, period. Using this to critisize Rafa is as good as making up stories

As for Babel. Yes, all the talent in the world. But there are tons of players out there with talent who went nowhere. He wasn’t exactly a hit in Ajax either. Same inconsistency, same frustration.

As for the comment above, unfortunately the truth is that the Bootroom days are over and obsolete. Yes we destroyed teams in our hayday. But we also had the pick of the crop on the best players available. Our training was nothing more than 5 a sides and letting the team express themselves.

Guess what? That is exactly what Souness, Keegan etc have been critisized for. No real tactical imput. In fact, none of our former players have gone and made a name for themselves as top managers since Dalglish retired.

Short term or long term replacement, no top manager will come without being given a large enough budget to make changes. The fact that we have had less to spend than Villa and Spurs will put off many top managers.

This is no different in lots of other businesses, the manager is often the foundation for success. I could not and would not suggest Rafa is not a quality tactically based coached, and in other countries this would make if the top manager, in the EPL we have a different situation, I’m not suggesting better but certainly harder then other leagues and this requires a strong and determined will, the willpower to succeed, this needs a great deal of inner strength, a willingness to look inside and change yourself, a belief in your team and a drive so strong the manager becomes the first wall of your fortress.

This would be my only issue, i do not see inner strength with Rafa, the inner strength needed to win the EPL and then win it every year! Can he become that strength for LFC, yes but that would need him to accept rotation in the EPL is more about natural rotation (injury etc…) you must always play your best 11 in there best positions, this gels players and builds a healthy competition between all the players. For me Rafa either needs to have a good look inside and adopt some changes to his approach/tactics or let someone else…
Does Rafa have the quality to take LFC back to the top, yes he does, does he have the willpower and determination to accept change to his tactics are needed to achieve the EPL title, thats a question for Rafa, but please no more play ground excuses about money ..it doesn’t stick anymore, we have a quality team and should be a top 2 team, each and every year, not just once in 5 …
Some suggest he needs time, this is his 6th year and I’m still hearing the same excuses, please, as a fan for over 40 years I understand loyalty and I’m pleased we are a team that doesn’t change our manager eaver couple of years, but this seems to be groundhog day again. For those who suggest we support Rafa, please consider the risk .. if we don’t achieve 4th, we might lose players, and if some of those were the spine of the team the club would be in a very difficult situation for the next few seasons, so the board, Rafa, the players and us the supporters have a difficult few months ahead. I just hope those in a position to make a good call, make it for all the right reasons not for personal pride or blind loyalty …

I believe in my team and hope they can find that inner strength needed to move them up the table and in the summer, i hope Rafa has a really good look at himself, the league he manages in and the man-management tactics he adopts … to be a successful manager in this league he will need to become the boss of the team, the first line of defence, the first line of attack, the wall surrounding the fortress, the fortress known as “ANFIELD” then the players will know they have a leader and become his warriors …

RR

To pick up on a couple of things, “act in haste, repent in leisure” – sacking Rafa for the sake of an investment is obviously wrong, keeping him when performances are so bad is equally questionable. He was once a great tactician of the “one off European” game, but even that has now deserted him. In simple tones, Rafa has the quality of player at his disposal yet fails to realise their potential.

Yes players need to perform on the pitch, they also need to be coached to perform, otherwise why bother with a coaching staff, Liverpool’s coaching staff simply is not good enough to yield results from some of the best players in the world. The maths don’t add up, we need a coaching staff that can work players to produce their best. Any less than their best simply isn’t good enough.

I have no problem with Liverpool playing a predictable game – as long as that game is a predictable win, we just don’t do that anymore, Liverpool haven’t become inconsistent in one season, we have had season after season of predictable play, stringing good wins together then the inevitable “bad patch” which throws us once again out of contention. Inconsistency has been our byword for far too long.

Want to learn from history?Look at the championships we reeled in when we played simple 4-4-2 football, 2 wingers… solid defense, play coming through the midfield, goal scoring options from any one of a number of players.

As for management change, we may need two options. A short term change (from our current coach?) that will bring simple good football back to Anfield and a longer term option to build on this. We need to stop looking to Europe to set our standards and look to home based/focused football.