CL Semis Round 2

[cHodAX]

I guess you could look at Arsenal and say they have a similar sized squad and didn't rotate as much. At the end of the season they simply ran out of steam, and ended up in pretty much the same situation as us. They rested players against Liverpool in the premiership match and it put them out of the race.. I guess they only went for one cup as well?

Arsenal rotated because they needed to, they had alot of injuries to key personal. The fact is Liverpool left Torres on the bench almost every other game till Christmas even though it was obvious to the world and his dog that he is your best player and the only striker that looked capable of winning games. I will say it clearly, you dropped alot of points because Rafa was resting him for Europe. Arsenal never did that, everytime they were fit Adebayor and Eduardo played.

 

[leviathane]

and the fact african nations cup always hits us harder than most

 

[Golena]

I will say it clearly, you dropped alot of points because Rafa was resting him for Europe.

Want to remind me if Ronaldo started for you on Saturday? I could apply exactly the same reasoning to that. If ManU lose the league now can I leap in and say Ferguson was only interested in Europe and didn't care about the prem?

Torres was new to English football and so quite probably simply wouldn't of been able to keep up with playing every game. If we had played him every game and he had performed averagely because he wasn't fit or got injured, how would that of helped us? Our problem isn't the rotation, it's that the players we rotate in arn't good enough. ManU rotate just as much, they just rotate with more quality.

Arsenal rotated because they needed to, they had alot of injuries to key personal.

That's what happens when you play all your best players every game. They get injured at the wrong time. Something which you help avoid by rotation..

 

[cHodAX]

Want to remind me if Ronaldo started for you on Saturday? I could apply exactly the same reasoning to that. If ManU lose the league now can I leap in and say Ferguson was only interested in Europe and didn't care about the prem?

Torres was new to English football and so quite probably simply wouldn't of been able to keep up with playing every game. If we had played him every game and he had performed averagely because he wasn't fit or got injured, how would that of helped us? Our problem isn't the rotation, it's that the players we rotate in arn't good enough. ManU rotate just as much, they just rotate with more quality.



That's what happens when you play all your best players every game. They get injured at the wrong time. Something which you help avoid by rotation..

This is my opinion but Ronaldo was benched because of his attitude recently, his constant whining and lack of tracking back has been costing us points since Boro and probably the Pompey game. Some United fans won't like me saying that but it is the truth, he is spending too much time feeling sorry for himself and isn't working as hard as he was 2 months ago.

As for Torres, I am sorry but the lad was always ready. From the first time I saw him in a Liverpool shirt I could see he had the fitness and power to do well over here. Rafa rested him at the wrong time, he should have hammered those first 3 months before the weather got bad, stayed with the leaders and then gave him 2 weeks off at Christmas to go home to Spain and recover. It has cost Liverpool silverware this season, much as his rotation did last season. I know you Liverpool don't like to hear Rafa critiscised by Mancs and fair play to you for it but my honest opinion is that his blind focus on Europe stopped you making a real challenge for the league.

 

[Golena]

I know you Liverpool don't like to hear Rafa critiscised by Mancs and fair play to you for it but my honest opinion is that his blind focus on Europe stopped you making a real challenge for the league.

I think you were right first time, until we have a better all round squad we'll never be able to mount a proper realistic challenge.
We might of got closer doing things differently but hindsight is a wonderful thing. Either you need to be able to beat the relegation contenders without putting out your strongest 11 every time or your not going to compete over an entire season. Our issue wasn't a blind focus on europe, it was that when Torres didn't play we didn't win. If we are in a position that we need Torres to start every game then we are hosed already..

If we had instead ditched Europe by not resting him and concentrated only on the league, would we still be getting the "can only compete in one competition" soundbytes.. If anything i'd say we've not underperformed in the league, we've over performed in Europe given the players in the squad at the moment. Given what's gone on off the pitch this season then a CL spot for next year and a close semi-final are a result that I can't really get too upset about (I'd of prefered better ofc). Hopefully next year the pantomine will of fooked off and we can get back to underperforming again!

 

[Marc]

Up yours Benetiz. Thats what you get for not keeping your gob shut about opposing players.

 

[soze]

Like i said not a sore loser just karma win via dodgey penalty only to lose by one

And having Roisky Cesc Flamini and Helb injured plus Toure and Eboue at ACN is not rotating. I think we do need a better squad 3 games that hurt us Birmingham Wigan Middlesboro all draws with a Torres type striker they could have been wins and we would be 2 points clear.

 

[leviathane]

well we have RVP but he's always bloody injured

 

[cHodAX]

If we had instead ditched Europe by not resting him and concentrated only on the league, would we still be getting the "can only compete in one competition" soundbytes.. If anything i'd say we've not underperformed in the league, we've over performed in Europe given the players in the squad at the moment. Given what's gone on off the pitch this season then a CL spot for next year and a close semi-final are a result that I can't really get too upset about (I'd of prefered better ofc). Hopefully next year the pantomine will of fooked off and we can get back to underperforming again!

I have to disagree, I don't think you would have suffered in the CL by playing Torres more in the league at the start. To the contrary infact he would have established himself in the side quicker and got on a scoring run quicker, what you would have gained was traction and momentum much earlier in the season instead of spinning your wheels for 3 months. Seriously it was a mistake and I don't care what anyone says it badly damaged your title chances.

Yes your squad isn't quite as strong as ours but if you had been 2nd in the league and 2 points off the top in January you could have always padded it out a bit. Realitisically you were out of the race by then though, United Arsenal and Chelsea all had the advantage and the momentum. Stevie G said it himself, he is sick of being out of the title picture 3 months before the season ends, a couple of my mates are die-hard Liverpool fans and it utterly kills them to have not made a proper challenge for the league in nearly 20 years. They don't see it changing under Rafa either, from the day he came to the club he had a plan to win European Cups and it is a plan that has worked amazingly well but everytime it is to the detriment of the league title challenge. How much longer the fans and the board will allow that to continue for I do no know.

 

[soze]

well we have RVP but he's always bloody injured

I think RVP is great but if im honest i think we need to sell him last 3 years we have not had a full season. I think we need a shit hot 28 year old striker to bridge the gap for 2 or 3 years while Eduardo heals and Theo Vela and our other young strikers mature. Or keep Theo and Vela on the wings and buy Villa

 

[Marc]

Soze, I see one of Arsenals main men, who was dead set against foreign investment has left the club. Hmm, interesting.

 

[soze]

Soze, I see one of Arsenals main men, who was dead set against foreign investment has left the club. Hmm, interesting.

Kieth is a good bloke but he is not one of the main guys he joined in 2000 for the stadium project its a shame hes leaving but with the sales lockdown still in place i hope this does not mean we are going to sell

Im going to go live in my imaginary everything is OK world just in case

 

[Marc]

Kieth is a good bloke but he is not one of the main guys he joined in 2000 for the stadium project its a shame hes leaving but with the sales lockdown still in place i hope this does not mean we are going to sell

Im going to go live in my imaginary everything is OK world just in case

TBH, Arse have held out this far, I guess I cant really see them letting that foreign dude takeover

 

[Vladamir]

BBC SPORT | Football | Ranieri has warning for Grant

Cheeky dig at Roman from Ranieri here?

 

[cHodAX]

Arsenal are insane if they let anyone take over, they have the goose that lays the golden eggs long term there, why would you take short term profits over longer term but much bigger profits?

 

[Golena]

I have to disagree, I don't think you would have suffered in the CL by playing Torres more in the league at the start. To the contrary infact he would have established himself in the side quicker and got on a scoring run quicker, what you would have gained was traction and momentum much earlier in the season instead of spinning your wheels for 3 months. Seriously it was a mistake and I don't care what anyone says it badly damaged your title chances.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.. We could all be world class managers if we got to manage after the games finished..

He stopped rotating nearly as much towards the end of the season. Hopefully that will continue into the start of next season (fingers crossed). The important thing in your statement is that you started it with "I think" tho. That's part of the point, we'll simply never know, and you have much less information to base it on than the people that actually made the descisions. Maybe it was a mistake, but you only learn by making them.. and bringing in a new manager every time a mistake is made is the best way to ensure you never learn..

 

[Wonk]

Zenit - Bayern 4-0

Lol.

 

[Lethul]

Zenit - Bayern 4-0

Lol.

park motm!?

 

[Wonk]

park motm!?

whut? I dont get it.

 

[cHodAX]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.. We could all be world class managers if we got to manage after the games finished..

Aha! I am a world class manager though, 6 back to back league titles and 4 European cups in 6 years playing Football Manager 2008!

 

[Golena]

Aha! I am a world class manager though, 6 back to back league titles and 4 European cups in 6 years playing Football Manager 2008!

Aha!!! Are you playing as Liverpool or ManU?

If even the crafty Computer can't beat a novice amateur like yourself despite choosing the scores itself, then what chance did Rafa have of beating Fergie!!

Beat that logic!!