Think it could be a case we see the RM and Chelsea managers switch teams. Rafa needs to be back in that league.
Di Matteo did well for you, there's no doubt about that. But in the long term - and this is just my opinion - I think he'd have faded out. The reason I say that is because I don't see any kind of style with Di Matteo. What does a Di Matteo team look like? When AVB left, Di Matteo re-introduced Lampard and Cole, who were somewhat marginalised earlier in the season. In doing so he then marginalised Sturridge, who had been arguably your best player under AVB. It just seemed that he went safe with returning to the old guard and letting them do their thing, which is winning games. Rafa may well have a poor record this season, but he's the last manager not in charge of Barca or Madrid to win La Liga, which he did twice, and sustained a high level with Valencia. He also won the UEFA Cup with them. Di Matteo had half a season of success with Chelsea; one he didn't look like repeating. He had a lower win % than AVB, and guided you to your lowest finish in the Abramovich era. The CL and FA Cup wins, much like our own LC win, put a gloss on what was quite a mediocre domestic campaign. To compare Rafa and Di Matteo solely through their Chelsea tenures is to warp the picture greatly. The former has a long-term record of success in Europe. The second he had a blip with us he was out, and to my mind he still hasn't quite recovered from it.
It takes mental strength and experience to overturn a first leg 3-1 deficit against the Napoli of last season, just as it does to comeback with 10 men from 2-0 at the Nou Camp and draw 2-2 and just as it does to comeback from 1-0 away to Bayern Munich in the Champions League final, having conceded with 7 minutes to go and then win it at the end via a penalty comeback. Lionel Messi missed the penalty because he isn't the best penalty taker, didn't have the bottle to take advantage and was probably put off by the keeper and also the knowledge that he had yet to score against us. If they bottled their chances whilst we took ours it means they didn't have enough experience to match their quality in order to compose themselves in a match of such intensity and importance, but we did.
I'm saying that you have a very blinkered view of RDM's abilities as a manager. I'm saying that your booing should have been directed at your BOD as Rafa had no involvement in RDM's removal. I'm also saying that Rafa was right to point out that continued booing is doing nothing for team moral Finally I'm saying that you supporters have been very happy to 'sup with the devil' but are now crying when the bill has to be paid. Without the Russian money you would have remained the no hope club that you always were. So now you have to accept the Russian's decisions like it or not!
Chelsea fans showing their class. Hope rafa stays til the match at Anfield when he can reveal his true intent and lead his 'team' out in his full Liverpool kit.
Chelsea FC: all fur coat & no knickers. Being Chelsea manager is better than being an MP. At least an MP has to pretend to work for 5 years before getting a lifetime pension. Roll up roll up to the Russian circus!
Things that have made me laugh out load on this thread; - Liverpool fans talking about a lucky C.L win Liverpool fans getting on their high horse about booing a manager (hodgson anyone?) Liverpool fans talking about 'class'
Things that make me laugh out loud on this thread: Making yourself look like an idiot now. We didn't boo him when he first arrived, you ****ing dumb moron. We didn't boo him before his team had their first game, or on his first match at home. We booed him when he played ****e football, lost games, had us in 17th position in the league and criticised both the team and fans in public whilst nodding away to his best pal SAF. We didn't want him, but he got a chance. And you talk about us having no class What chance did Rafa have? Like it or not, he was your manager - appointed by Roman. You have to support at least your team, but spending 90mins each game, from the first minute he was announced, booing him endlessly is the most ******ed thing to do. I can really see your team getting fired up to play football for Chavski with an atmosphere like that! No wonder your results flagged.
Bang on mate. The thick chavs can't see through the Rafa hate to realise how stupid and plastic they look to all other fans. That said, they were stupid and plastic long before Rafa got to the **** hole.
Things that have made me laugh out load on this thread; - Liverpool fans talking about a lucky C.L win Liverpool fans getting on their high horse about booing a manager (hodgson anyone?) Liverpool fans talking about 'class' Spearings Mannshaft getting his little knickers in a twist and frothing at the mouth of any suggestion of Liverpool not being as perfect as they think they are.
We supported Hodgson from the off but as a result of poor performances, worse results, shambolic interviews, we did start to boo. Whereas CFC fans booed Rafa before he even took the job.
things that made me laugh about this comment made by a Chelsea fan with the user name "Chelsea over 100 years of history" who are you ****ing kidding. 10 years of history nothing more, and all brought and paid for.
And probably the only manager in our history to receive such treatment so this probably suggests the results element was irrelevant..no?!?!? Just imagine tomorrow Fergie takes up a post at Anfield, would you be chanting his name at the weekend?...thought not.
The CL win awas even more amazin,as Rafa did it with a team that was nowhere near the best in Europe, but moulded them in2 a team Hodgson was given 3/4 months b4 fans turned, he wasnt f**in booed on the 1st day, the worst position Rafas been in his 4th, Woy had us in 19th
You're making yourself look even more stupid now...feeling kinda sorry for you. What does you making up ideas that I think Liverpool are perfect, have anything to do with my counter arguement? We're talking about Chavski here, not liverpool, nor me. Typical comment from a clueless kid; arguing against the individual rather than the point in hand.
