The OFFICIAL Liverpool Supporters thread

[The Real Laoislad]

Have to be honest here and say I think Rafa made a bit of a fool of himself today.
If Wenger or Slur Alex had a similar outburst us Liverpool fans would be saying the same things that the fans of the other clubs on this board are now saying.
I can't see any reason for Rafa to do this as he is usually the one who always says he prefers to worry about his own club than anyone else's.

[Carmen Stateside]

All eyes will be on Fergie come Sunday. Including the refs! Maybe the media will follow it a little closer aswell. Anything less than a win tomorrow by the team will leave it all worthless!

[corn02]

All eyes will be on Fergie come Sunday. Including the refs! Maybe the media will follow it a little closer aswell. Anything less than a win tomorrow by the team will leave it all worthless!

Yes, he is taking a big gamble on the Stoke match.

[North Longford]

Just seen it now. Thought it was great. Anyone calling it a rant must lead a very subdued life!
Obvious he knew the question was coming and decided he'd have an answer ready.
Loved his advice to other teams to have their management zonal mark the united staff on the line and when he reckons fergie should do up the fixtures ...."simple" as he says himself

[Minder]

I know this being his first year in management perhaps the nerves are getting to him in his attempt to win his first trophy as a manager. All this talk of "mind games" is the biggest load of horse shit, if Liverpool do not win the league it will be, as i suspect, be because the players are simply not good enough. It will because of what Benitez does in the dressing room and on the training pitch & ultimately what the players do/dont do on the pitch. Anyone that thinks what Benitez said in a media interview today will have any bearing needs their head looked and have been watching too much Sky Sports News & reading too much of the Sun/Mirror. I found it a refreshing change from Benitez talking about "possibilities" and "having the quality".........

[GalwayBayBoy]

Just seen it now. Thought it was great. Anyone calling it a rant must lead a very subdued life!

Well yes it was hardly a rant a la Keegan. He rather calmly went through a few points he wanted to get off his chest.

Of course all the Sky Sports crew and the tabloids will inevitably portray it as "Fergie proves master of mind games once again".

[FermGael]

Just watched it there now.  Was expecting a Keegan esk sort of outburst.
Was nothing of the sort and was very much preplanned 'Mr Ferguson'.

All the talk in the press tommorrow will be about Rafa, Fergie and the mindgames.
Takes the focus of the players for the Stoke game.

[laceer]

He sounded like he was wrote at one point.Definitely a rant

[corn02]

He sounded like he was wrote at one point.Definitely a rant

How was it a rant? If that is the case Ferguson is on a rant at every press conference.

[GalwayBayBoy]

He sounded like he was wrote at one point.Definitely a rant

How was it a rant? If that is the case Ferguson is on a rant at every press conference.

Well he's usually had a few by then to be fair.

[Minus15]

What do make of Alex Ferguson's comments recently?

I was surprised, but I have to talk about facts because I think it is important.

I think that they are nervous because we are at the top of the table. But I want to be clear that I do not want to play mind games too early. I think that they want to start that so I have taken some facts so it will be easier to talk about this.

November 1 they played against Hull City and Mr Ferguson, their manager, was given a two-match touchline ban and fined £10,000 after confronting Mike Dean, the referee, for improper conduct.

We have started a Respect Campaign. And we started with the sending off of Javier Mascherano at Old Trafford from the referee, Mr Bennett. But that was also the referee when Manchester United played Wigan, and he couldn't see the handball from Rio Ferdinand. He didn't give a penalty and they won the title.

I think that will also be the same referee that they have in the game in hand against Wigan.

During this Respect Campaign, he was charged by the FA following comments made towards Martin Atkinson, but he was not punished. He is the only manager in the league who cannot be punished.

rafastoke


Two years ago we were playing a lot of early kick-offs on a Saturday morning away, while United were playing on a Sunday and no one was saying anything. Now he is complaining that everybody is against United.

They will play against all the teams in the top of the table in the second half of the season - I think that is a fantastic advantage. But I don't know why, at Christmas time, United played on the 29th December instead of the 28th, while we played against Newcastle away. He was not complaining this time. He was not thinking about this.

About his behaviour with referees, the Southampton manager knows how Mr Ferguson works. He was very clear the other day. It is a fact. I am not playing mind games. This is about facts.

If Mr Ferguson wants to talk about the fixtures, and we want to be on a level playing field here, there are two options: one is where is the same as in Spain. The first part of the league, all the teams know at this time they will play against this team on this weekend, or that weekend, and the second half of the league will be the opposite - you will play away. After that, Sky or Setanta who has the rights will choose the game and everybody will know when they are playing. That way it would be the same for everyone so Mr Ferguson will not be complaining about the fixtures.

Or maybe the other option would be Mr Ferguson organising the fixtures and everything in his office and sending them to us - then everybody will know and nobody can complain.

Talking about football, because I want to finish with this and the mind games. We know what happens when we go to Old Trafford. Mr Scolari maybe needs to know to use zonal marking against the staff of United because they are always using man to man with the referees when they go to the bench and especially at half-time when they are walking close to the referees and talking and talking and talking.

All the managers need to know, only Mr Ferguson can talk about the fixtures and the referees - nothing will happen. I think we need to know about this. We are talking about facts, we are not talking about my impression. Everybody can see this every single week.


Im delighted with these comments. Rafa has never been in a title race yet so hasn't had the chance to do anything like this yet but I expect much more from him from now to the end of the season if lpool stay up there. Rafas a shrewd man! whatever he says is for a reason. he won't get drawn into losing his temper or reacting to something without thinking! IN RAFA WE TRUST

[Norf Tyrone]

Marouane Fellaini has picked up his 10th booking of the season and he will now miss two matches for Everton v Liverpool.

Big loss for the Toffees, and why was he not subbed at 2-0?

[Stalin]

The Liverpool team in full: Reina, Carragher, Aurelio, Hyypia, Skrtel, Mascherano, Lucas, Benayoun, Riera, Gerrard, Kuyt. Subs: Cavalieri, Keane, Torres, Dossena, Babel, Plessis, El Zhar.

[The Real Laoislad]

The Liverpool team in full: Reina, Carragher, Aurelio, Hyypia, Skrtel, Mascherano, Lucas, Benayoun, Riera, Gerrard, Kuyt. Subs: Cavalieri, Keane, Torres, Dossena, Babel, Plessis, El Zhar.

I give up trying to second guess that man...

[Stalin]

 

why whats wrong with that?