Re: Football Chat Thread : Sun Feb 27, 2011 8:37 pm  

El Pac Carnegie wrote:

Didn't Rafa the gaffer get knocked out by Barnsley at Anfield in the more important FA Cup? I also seem to remember Havant & Waterlooville giving Liverpool the scare of their lives. Going ahead twice and being level at half time.

Was hiring Woy a mistake? Probably. But lets be honest he took over a sinking ship. In my opinion he should have got longer but I can fully understand why Liverpool got rid, especially after a change of ownership.

He did, and he lost to Burnley in his first year, but there was some success too. It's par for the course IMO. Ferguson got a scare against Crawley, Exeter and Burton, and got knocked out by Leeds. It happens. It's not the cup defeat that lost Hodgson his job. It's just another name on a long list of disasters this season.

I'm not a big fan of firing managers, and to be fair Liverpool are far from the worst in this respect, and I think what Man Utd & Ferguson have done is admirable (even though I can't stand them), but getting rid of Hodgson was the right decision. I was sceptical when they appointed Kenny, I still am to a certain degree but for now I'm happy to say I've been proved wrong.

Re: Football Chat Thread : Sun Feb 27, 2011 9:10 pm  

Roofs wrote:

Tbf you're not in a position to laugh - Arsenal are a real club and are having a far more successful season.

Since Arsenal last won a trophy (and a true footballing feast that was) we've won two titles, three FA Cups and a FL Cup.

Six trophies since they last took a trophy by winning a penalty shoot out after a dire game.

Yeah, I'm in a position to laugh when they lose a cup final to the might of Birmingham City!!!

A Newcastle fan, a glory hunter who managed to find a club who returned absolutely no glory, is not in a position to laugh.

Middlesbrough, Birmingham City, Leicester City, Blackburn Rovers and Portsmouth have all won a cup in the last ten years. You've won nothing in 55 years.

Re: Football Chat Thread : Sun Feb 27, 2011 9:15 pm  

Paul HHZ wrote:

For a while, yes. Won the CL, the FA Cup, finished 2nd in the league and gave your men a massive hammering on their own patch. Not to mention a few good runs in Europe. I'd consider that a threat. Granted, he lost his way at the end.

to paraphrase, he lost his way after he tried getting clever with his rant. The PL was his to lose, and lose it he did, RAWK and the like seems to think the very name Rafa makes 'Mr Ferguson' quake in his boots, and United fans collectively sh\t themselves. Simply not the case.

Re: Football Chat Thread : Sun Feb 27, 2011 9:34 pm  

flipper wrote:

to paraphrase, he lost his way after he tried getting clever with his rant. The PL was his to lose, and lose it he did, RAWK and the like seems to think the very name Rafa makes 'Mr Ferguson' quake in his boots, and United fans collectively sh\t themselves. Simply not the case.

Can't really disagree with any of that but I don't think it was the rant that ruined Benitez. I think it was the more to do with the board-room politics & the Alonso/Barry saga.

It's a strange logic but in football the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about. The fact that he was disliked by Man U fans & Fergie and the fact that Fergie used his mind-games on him means he was doing something right IMO. Again, it's no coincidence that Fergie hardly mentioned Liverpool over the last couple of years.

Re: Football Chat Thread : Sun Feb 27, 2011 9:38 pm  

El Pac Carnegie wrote:

Didn't Rafa the gaffer get knocked out by Barnsley at Anfield in the more important FA Cup? I also seem to remember Havant & Waterlooville giving Liverpool the scare of their lives. Going ahead twice and being level at half time.

Was hiring Woy a mistake? Probably. But lets be honest he took over a sinking ship. In my opinion he should have got longer but I can fully understand why Liverpool got rid, especially after a change of ownership.

and Reading and Burnley.

Re: Football Chat Thread : Sun Feb 27, 2011 9:46 pm  

Laughed my balls off when Martins scored earlier. Easily the best way for Arsenal to lose it. What could have been better?

Re: Football Chat Thread : Sun Feb 27, 2011 9:46 pm  

Paul HHZ wrote:

Can't really disagree with any of that but I don't think it was the rant that ruined Benitez. I think it was the more to do with the board-room politics & the Alonso/Barry saga.

It's a strange logic but in football the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about. The fact that he was disliked by Man U fans & Fergie and the fact that Fergie used his mind-games on him means he was doing something right IMO. Again, it's no coincidence that Fergie hardly mentioned Liverpool over the last couple of years.

So Fergie used his mind games on him but didn't talk about him? I thought Fergies mind games were famous because he used the press to his advantage?

Re: Football Chat Thread : Sun Feb 27, 2011 9:55 pm  

Bang wrote:

Laughed my balls off when Martins scored earlier. Easily the best way for Arsenal to lose it. What could have been better?

I'm glad Birmingham won as the build up reminded me of our league cup win against Spurs in 2003,same as this weekend everybody saying then as they were with Arsenal that Spurs just had to turn up to win,the smugness of Tottenhams fans on 5live before the game saying they would win easily made it even sweeter when Andy Cole scored the winner.I'm sure the Birminghan fans are feeling the same now as I did then travelling back from Cardiff.

Re: Football Chat Thread : Sun Feb 27, 2011 10:02 pm  

Paul HHZ wrote:

Can't really disagree with any of that but I don't think it was the rant that ruined Benitez. I think it was the more to do with the board-room politics & the Alonso/Barry saga.

It's a strange logic but in football the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about. The fact that he was disliked by Man U fans & Fergie and the fact that Fergie used his mind-games on him means he was doing something right IMO. Again, it's no coincidence that Fergie hardly mentioned Liverpool over the last couple of years.

Well getting rid of Alonso was obviously a master stroke, that Aqulani fella did well, but i think the time of the rant was significant, and thinks started to go wrong after that.

Liverpool will be talked about, if they are doing well, or if they are doing badly, same with any of the big clubs, they sell papers, drive web traffic and rival fans take great delight in teams struggling.

Re: Football Chat Thread : Sun Feb 27, 2011 10:17 pm  

El Pac Carnegie wrote:

So Fergie used his mind games on him but didn't talk about him? I thought Fergies mind games were famous because he used the press to his advantage?

I'm not sure I follow. He did talk about Rafa & Liverpool in '09 when they were a threat to Man U. He hardly ever does anymore.