As I watched Rafa’s press conference before the Stoke game on Saturday, I could not help but get up off my feet and give Rafa a round of applause. Someone needed to come out and ‘attack’ Ferguson and I am glad is was our own manager who took matters into his own hands. Ferguson has been getting away with a lot, especially when it comes to the referees. You get the feeling that officials respect Ferguson a bit too much. Yes he is the longest serving manager in the Premiership, yes he has been very successful and yes he is Sir Alex but that does not give him the right to think he is above everyone else and I guess that is what Rafa was pointing out on Friday. Hopefully now the league will pay attention to what Rafa has said and they will watch Sir Alex much closer and punish him for what he does wrong.
Many people are comparing Rafa’s attack on Ferguson to the famous Kevin Keegan “I would love it if we beat United” statement in 1995. We all know that after that attack Keegan was the one left with egg on his face as United went on to win the league. I hope Rafa’s attack will not come back to haunt us. But with the way the results went on the weekend with us drawing to Stoke and United beating Chelsea, we maybe in a bit of trouble. But still long way to go in the league and in the words of Kevin Keegan, “I would love it if we go to Old Trafford and beat United. Love it!”
Now Ferguson has come out and hit back at Rafa by saying Fergie said: “I think he was an angry man. He must have been disturbed for some reason. I think you have got to cut through the venom of it and hopefully he’ll reflect and understand that what he said was absolutely ridiculous.
“But I’m not going to get into that because at this moment in time we should concentrate on chasing the leaders, who are Liverpool. We have got games in hand, of course, so we want to try and catch them up.”
That’s right Sir Alex, who is top of the league now? And you better concentrate on trying to beat us!
Sorry Ron but i will have to disagree with you on this one. Rafa has a lot of support and respect by other managers players and a good majority of the English press because he has never been drawn into or started any so called “mind games”. He always maintained the policy of only talking about Liverpool and the game they just played and then the next one on the fixture list.
Fergie and a lot of other people have seen the outburst as Rafa starting to fell the pressure as he finds himself in a new position – top of the EPL at January. Why has he gave them this ammunition. Rafa got under Fergies skin more by never taking the bate that old blue nose hung out for him. His “facts” as they are now known are being compared to Kev Keegans rant when ManU put the squeeze on Newcastle and thats not a good thing.
Rafa then put the icing on his “mad weekend” by a terrible team selection away to Stoke. He showed them far too much respect by playing Kuyt upfront on his own leaving Torres and Keane on the bench at the start again. Carragher cannot play wide – does he not know this by now.
A midfield and forward formation of Riera, Gerrard, Masher, Kuyt, Torres and Keane would have put Stoke to the sword on Saturday without a doubt. Only playing one up front meant the Liverpool could not get a grip or hold of the ball in Stokes half yet we persisted to try for most of the mtch when the dogs on the street could see it wasn’t working.
WHATEVER DRUGS RAFA HAS BEEN PERSCRIBED SINCE HIS OP – PLEASE HAVE THEM CHANGED !!!
I hear where you coming from Dave. I think Rafa just had had enough of Sir Alex and how he is not being punished. Granted Rafa could have said nothing or just said a single sentence and left it. But atleast he has stood up to the ‘school bully’.
With regards to the team selection on Saturday, I agree with you, it did not look like Rafa was going out to win. I just hope he recalls both Keane and Torres for Everton and we really attack them.
Got to say I agree with TONKA as its always been the Liverpool way not to air our dirty laundry in public and to let our football do the talking……. unfortunately due to Rafa’s outburst on Friday , we had nothing to say on Saturday !