Results tagged “rafa” from Liverpool Echo - Another Red Letter Day
LAST night, Liverpool FC surrendered limply to a side struggling at the wrong end of the Championship.
Not only we beaten, at supposed fortress Anfield, but we were outplayed.
The Reds were palpably second best in terms of fight, commitment, ideas, creativity and skill.
Now is not the time for delusional hopes, skewed statements of how we just need our luck to change, but for cold, hard, plain facts.
It's only facing up to the reality that will possibly drag us out of this sorry, sorry mess.
I ALWAYS have a sense of gloom when we get ready to play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
It's never been a happy hunting round for us, and Liverpool performances at their place often follow that samey path of lots of endeavour, but ultimately, a lack of real class that is necessary to topple the strongest squad in the Premiership.
OK, so we should add the name of Steven Gerrard into that mix, but we've naturally come to expect excellence from our skipper.
But there was some stand-out performances from supporting cast players on Wednesday night that has helped dispel some of the glooom surrounding our defeat to Spurs on the opening day.
All kinds of flaky rumours sprouting up today about Frenchman Frank Ribery possibly moving to Anfield.
Does, an article posted by www.goal.com add weight to a speculative story? It seems to have been generated by a welter of people lumping a tenner on the winger joining Liverpool, prompting Skybet to slash the odds on Frank playing in front of the Kop.
SO, £17m for a full back?
And one from Portsmouth who is hardly a regular full international with 30+ international caps under his belt?
It seems a hell of a lot of money to pay.
SINCERE, sincere apologies for using such a monstrous image at the top of this posting.
Yet it seems to perfectly sum up the devil incarnate who has decided to leave this fair shores for sleazier times in Spain.
Yes, the Greasy One has departed for loadsamoney Real Madrid.
IF EVER there was a recipe for a dire night in Europe, tonight was it.
Struggling to keep in touch with Man Utd in the Premiership, rumours about Rafa's job sweeping the city.
But then this is Liverpool. And a 1-0 win at the Bernabeu cauldron against a bang in form Real Madrid side, when the rest of the world is sniping, is pretty much par for the course for us.
THERE were two emotions uppermost in my mind moments after having watched Liverpool snatch an improbable victory from the jaws of defeat at Portsmouth.
Elation that we had managed to secure three crucial points in such dramatic, kamikaze circumstances.
But frustration and anger that loyal fans were being forced to try and understand the inexplicability of one of the most baffling Liverpool starting elevens, and its resulting formation, in years.
And so Robbie Keane moves back to Spurs to complete one of the most bizarre, frustrating and downright puzzling Anfield transfer sagas in a long time.
But has Benitez got this one right?
AS the clock ticked down towards 90 minutes on early Sunday evening, the knives were being sharpened to further puncture Liverpool's faltering title challenge.
But three mad-cap minutes changed all of that and breathed vital new life into the pursuit of Man Utd's at the top of the table.
Newcastle must be sick of the sight of us.
Come rain or shine, good or indifferent form, Anfield or St James Park, we always give the Toon boys a good whipping.
And with Chelsea being pegged back by Fulham, it's fantastic going into the New Year with a three point lead at the top of the Premiership.
ON ANY other day, securing a point at the Emirates against an Arsenal side who have already disposed of Man Utd and Chelsea would have been considered a good result.
Except this time, the 1-1 draw felt us wanting a whole lot more.
It was hard not to think that Sunday's point apiece was a chance lost to make a huge statement of intent on the Premiership race.
CAN WE play every game away from home please?
The relief was palpable at Saturday teatime after Liverpool finally notched up three points in a Premiership game to reaffirm our title credentials.
And after two consecutive, nervy and error-strewn performances at home to Fulham and West Ham, I'm bet the players were glad to get away from the frustrated Anfield arena for a weekend.
Still, it still wasn't exactly vintage Reds was it?
THEY always said Houllier had a stubborn struck in him.
As 90 minutes frustrating slipped by on Saturday, it was hard not to conclude that Benitez was displaying a similar trait.
OUT with the amateurs, in with the professionals.
After Wednesday nights dire showing, the proper employees at our club showed how to control and win a game of football.
What could have been an arkward trip up the M62 ended up a fairly comfortable afternoon for the first teamers.
Ah, it tastes sweet doesn't it?
All those years of undeserved defeats at the hands of the lucky Mancs momentarily evaporated on Saturday as we once again bossed them off the park at Anfield.
