Will the unknown Director, Benitez and Gerrard all just shut up!
At the weekend, Rafa and his Liverpool team answered their critics in the best possible way. Liverpool not only won convincingly at home, they did so against a Villa side that had been unbeaten and with three great goals. So will the “unknown” director who is getting on Rafa’s case please shut up!
I’m not a Liverpool fan, but I hate it when the management team, who are all supposed to be 100% behind the club allow themselves to be used to spread disorder and discontent within a club, and so undermine the very people they are supposed to be supporting.
I don’t know who the director is, but I have my suspicions. I suspect that the person involved has spoken out because many ex-players and ex-managers still have his ear, and they have been very publicly expressing their doubts, and maybe, in the privacy of their Boardroom, even Moores and Parry have raised questions about the team selection or the rotation policy, which is their right and duty to the club. So maybe he assumed he was doing everyone a favour by speaking out.
After all its the prerogative of every fan to question their team, their tactics or their manager. No one person is bigger than the club, and that’s the point, it IS a club, a gathering of a group of people who follow the same team. Fans, be they ex-players, ex-managers, or Joe Public are all allowed to have their say. On the terraces every week there are thousands upon thousands of fans having their say, and at home millions more discuss the merits or otherwise of the players, the team or the manager.
But when the Fan is also a member of the Board, or the staff of the club, then something else takes priority. Its called Teamwork, getting behind the club or the manager an all pulling in the same direction, regardless of whether you feel that the manager is always right or not. He’s the manager and so he’s the one who is employed to make those decisions. You can question him behind closed doors, but publicly you support him to the hilt… until you sack him of course!
Rafa and the team are facing enough of a storm without having this faceless idiot rocking the boat as well. But talking about putting yourself under pressure, two other members of the club are also putting the team under pressure. Rafa and Stevie G. Both have been have been telling the media that they are still in the title race, its not over yet and they are still in with a shout at the title.
While its true that mathematically anyone could still win it (even Sheffield United!), the fact is that the club has had an appalling start and is now way off the pace. Maybe Rafa and Gerrard are trying to play mind games with Chelsea and Man United, saying that they will slip up sooner or later, but really, the only people they are putting under pressure is themselves. In order to be challenging for the Premiership title they need to go out and put together the mother of all winning streaks.
Of course it can be done. Anything can be done, and Liverpool now have just won the first of two home games that could provide the impetus for that winning streak, but we all know that their problems do not lie at home. It is on their travels that Liverpool are showing their weaknesses, and the next away game is at Arsenal, hardly the best team to start a run of away wins against.
By speaking out and telling everyone that they are not just in with a shout, but that they are still confident of doing what they set out to do at the start of the season, then the only people they are putting under pressure is themselves.
So yes, it can be done, but is still needs to be done, so instead of talking about it, they need to shut up and start doing it, to string together a run of four or five wins that’ll have everyone looking over their shoulder …..because as we all know, actions speak far louder than words!
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18 opinions for Will the unknown Director, Benitez and Gerrard all just shut up!
Mr Man
Oct 30, 2006 at 12:20 pm
haha u tool, did u really have to say “I’m not a Liverpool fan”? Well..duh!
Sack the Juggler
Oct 30, 2006 at 12:26 pm
Hi Mr Man - looks like the debating skills of the average Liverpool fan have improved no end…..
Rich
Oct 30, 2006 at 1:23 pm
Mr Juggler - I’ll make a point if I may.
The director in question deserves nothing short of a very well placed slap. Perhaps with a wet fish - just to add to the effect.
You are right in what you’ve commented on in your above statement, on the whole. It doesn’t matter what kind of team or business you’re running, you all have to pull in the same direction and not start bitching about it when the going gets a little tough. As soon as you get one pillock coming out and having a pop at the manager you can see exactly who has the clubs true interests at heart, and who is just out for themselves.
I wasn’t convinced before the season started we were gonna put in as strong a challenge for the title as everyone in the media suddenly seemed to suggest over the summer. And this is the critical thing - it was the media that backed the team to do it. Yes the club also said they would challenge, as they do every year. And our last four to five months of last year would have won us the premiereship if it were judged on those months alone (I wish!). But our biggest problem has been the consistency, and this is yet another season where we’ve started badly.
I do think we’re going to put together an awesome run, but like you say, it’ll need to be s**t hot to get us the title. As for Rafa and Stevie G talking up our chances - what else can they do? They’re being asked these questions and they’re hardly gonna say its all over so soon. As a fan it deflates me a little to hear it being said cos it doesn’t look good. So if the team themselves come out and say its over - what motivation will they have when they walk out onto the pitch?
My biggest frustration as a Liverpool fan is how we can play such fluid football one week, and not know our arse from our elbow the next! Yeah I know the best teams stop you from playing, but we seem to stop ourselves. There seems to be a distinct lack of interest from members of the team when the chips are down, an inability to paly to the last whistle. I think in recent years the best team to chase the game to its end was Man Utd. It doesn;t make me feel any better saying this, but Man Utd - especially towards the end of the 90’s - just wouldn’t give up. They would win games they shouldn’t have won so many times in the last 15 minutes through the team being hungry for it.
I guess I’d question how hungry some of our players are. But Stevie G isn’t one of them, and neither is Rafa.
Sack the Juggler
Oct 30, 2006 at 2:16 pm
Rich - I must admit, I was in two minds about Rafa and Stevie G’s comments. If the press is asking you again and again to admit that you’re out of the title race, especially at this stage of the season, then its only natural to say, hang on lads, we’ve only lost 4, and its only October, we’ve still got a chance. But on the other hand, listening to Rafa the other day was a bit gaulling even for a none Liverpool fan. I accept that he has acheived a lot in his short time at Liverpool, but to say that because of what he has acheived he sees no reason why he can’t win the League this season despite the poor start sounds like arrogance of Mourinho-like proportions. Maybe he didn’t mean it to come across like that but it did, at least to the neutrals amongst us.
Mark Hobbs
Oct 30, 2006 at 2:33 pm
For once I’m not going to slate you. That is overall a fair piece with some valid points. Having said that, I’m getting fed up with the amount of people ruling us out of the league just because of our results so far. Before the Villa game we had amassed only 2 points less than the same stage last year, yet we achieved our best points tally in years by the end of last season. Who knows what points total will win the league this year? While there are no easy away games, after Arsenal I don’t think there are any teams to fear on our travels and we are more than capable of going on a great run. Confidence breeds results and Rafa keeps the squad fresh so with all the ‘tricky’ away games out of the way and with awesome home form, we could easily get the same points total as last year which may be good enough. Saying we are out of it is like saying Reading won’t get relegated because they’ve had a good start. Sure, they may not get relegated and Liverpool may not win the league, but I wish everybody else would just shut up and lets us get on with trying!!!
BennyBoy
Oct 30, 2006 at 3:00 pm
Juggler, do you sense that there is something more to all of this than meets the eye ? I mean having researched as much as I can the Story you published last week regarding a certain player not wanting some sensitive pictures being published, I am left wondering where all of this is going? The public showing of unity, the strange comments on talking about his daughter in training it all seems a little contrived to me? I would appreciate your thoughts on whether you still believe the original story? I just find it hard to imagine that a Newspaper that is in the business of selling such stories would realistically sit on such a massive coup and run the risk of a rival stealing it from under their noses ? Have you heard anymore on the matter ?
Rich
Oct 30, 2006 at 3:06 pm
Mr Juggler - I think I know the incident you have in mind, I’m sure I heard a good chunk of said press conference on 5 live. If it is the same one, I think Rafa was getting more and more wound up by the continuing questioning of his rotation policy. At this stage I believe the pillock of a director had found one testicle to say what he did - but not the other to reveal himself, and I would guess this was winding him up further. Hence his argument about having won the titles he has. Anyone is in danger of sounding arrogant when mentioning their own achievements, but in this instance Rafa had to put his foot down and say ‘Look, I’m the boss here not you’. The topic has been regurgitated so many times its started to get boring, so he just wants to concentrate on getting the team performing again. Everyone has their own opinions about the rotation policy, and Stevie G on the wing, but at the end of the day he’s gotta go whith what he believes - and I for one would go with what he believes than a bunch of critics who’ve all jumped on the band wagon for an easy pop.
His rotation policy will have reached its 100th match on Tuesday. In that time he’s won the FA Cup and put on a blistering run from christmas. The only thing that’s changed is our results. Last season Stevie G on the wing was a revelation, yet another position this guy can play at the highest level. Now? He himself has admitted a dip in form. Maybe he’d have a little more luck playing in the middle, but its his form is what’s lacking right now.
Fair enough questions are gonna be asked when things are not right - I just don’t think the right questions are being asked.
Sack the Juggler
Oct 30, 2006 at 3:34 pm
Benny - the story has been running behind the scenes for a while and a couple of papers have been involved. I just don’t know what is going on at the moment. The story was that the NOTW was going to release it on Sunday, but by Friday it was clear that there was no teaser campaign on this so it was unlikely to happen. I must admit I don’t buy the NOTW or its sister paper the SUN nor do I visit their websites, so I don’t know if they are lining up any interviews with SG or any of the Liverpool playing staff. If they do then maybe that will explain why the original issue has been hushed up. This is purely guesswork on my part, trying to make sense of what is happening behind the scenes, as you say, why sit on such a story?
OleOle
Oct 30, 2006 at 8:20 pm
Hello! We liked your blog, but couldn’t find an email address, so i’m just going to drop this in the comments bit. We’re running a contest to send football bloggers to Tokyo as press for the Club World Cup this December. Just visit the website at http://www.oleole.com and click on the blue contest banner if you’re interested.
Sack the Juggler
Oct 30, 2006 at 9:20 pm
Hi OleOle, happy to give your site a plug, and there are one or two guys who visit here who’d make excellent bloggers for you, but while I’m also happy to enter your competition I will actaully be sailing around the Carribean for two weeks in December so would miss the club world cup final anyway!
Andy
Oct 31, 2006 at 11:43 am
A very good article which, almost unbelievably i agree with… it makes me so mad that a board member spoke out. The commentator on the MOTD game said it all… “all this pressure is quite rediculous, Champions league 1st season FA cup last season” as long as we do well this season then i will be happy. we wont win, but top 4 and champions league next season is a job well done… people expect too much at the moment. maybe in 1-2 seasons time we MIGHT be ready for a title shot… but we can only hope the board stay sensible and keep rafa…
Sack Sack The Juggler
Oct 31, 2006 at 5:05 pm
You’ll go the way of Oldham, Juggler ;)
Sack the Juggler
Oct 31, 2006 at 6:18 pm
nah - I’d get lost on the motorway….. ;)
Rich
Nov 1, 2006 at 9:10 am
Mr Juggler - I think you’d agree a few of the points you made were answered last night. What a bloody good evening it was for us all round!
We won 3-0. We played good fluid football. The team looked hungry even after one or two goals. Stevie G had a few chances, and then scored after breaking down the middle. Rafa named an unchanged side. And the unknown director made himself known by resigning. Everything we could have wanted, and everything that should have happened, happened!
I wonder what approach Rafa will take towards our next game? Will he stick or twist the team I mean?
Whatever he chooses - well done Liverpool. Bloody good results all round!
Sack Sack The Juggler
Nov 2, 2006 at 1:50 pm
Hey Rich
You may have hit the nail on the head.
If we keep winning, Juggler will have nothing to write about us!
Sack the Juggler
Nov 2, 2006 at 4:58 pm
Hi Rich - good result all round, I suspect Rafa will stick for the game against Reading but will twist for the Birmingham game, which is a shame as its the Arsenal game after that so he should give the lads as long as possible playing together before then. We’ll see……
Rich
Nov 3, 2006 at 10:04 am
What are the chances of arsenal missing the same kinda chances against liverpool next week at the emirates?
I gotta say I’m so chuffed at how good Kuyt is turning out to be. If I’m honest I certainly wasn’t sure about him before he started, but boy oh boy is he showing his quality! If he continues his current form he’ll be well on the way to being the best signing we’ve made in ages. Well chuffed!
Sack Sack The Juggler
Nov 6, 2006 at 3:40 pm
CHUFF CHUFF
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