Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

No, (well, no more than his customary £100k+ a week anyway) but like every right thinking scouser he wont be weeping into his pillow about what was a shocker of a backpass.:D

I wonder how many backpasses he makes over the course of a season? Im thinking its not that many...conspiracy theorists of the world unite...

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

Of course I wasn't suggesting there were any kickbacks for kick backs!:p

Let's hope he has a better season next year! This year wasn't his best.

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

Lets hope the turnaround starts BEFORE next season, given this summers events;)

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

So is Rafa staying? There's conflicting reports.

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

Delaying tactics, hedging his bets...

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

Thats the $6m question

With no funds from ownership he probably doesnt want to stay, but they cant afford to fire him.

With new ownership and funds he would probably want to stay, but they would probably take the loss and bring a new man in...

Right now I think he doesnt know!


Id say with the amount the ownership want, hes staying, but only cos Juve cant afford to buy out his contract either...

I have mixed feelings about the whole thing, there are probably not that many managers out there better tactically, but his buying record sucks, and we clearly need to buy!

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

Juventus balk at €30m fee for Liverpool boss Benitez; Roberto Mancini linked

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

I wonder if having Rafa in place is seen as an asset in terms of attracting new ownership, or whether they would be more likely to attract a buyer without him.

A year ago he was (I think) clearly an asset, but his stock has fallen a long way over one poor season. Do managers have a "best by" date and expire? SAF would appear to be an exception to that idea, but then few others ever get the opportunity to be in place for a long time (Wenger and ?????).

Liverpools glory years seem to coincide with managerial continuity... but is that chicken or egg I wonder.

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

Less of the Manure fans singing 'Arsene Wenger's a paedo', and other disgusting songs, and maybe other team's fans would stop singing about Munich.

Drogba would have been off-side if a Chelski player had passed the ball to him.

I was at Highbury when Gerrard gave the ball to Henry. Alledgedly, he's also done exactly the same for Henry in an England v France match.

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

I Know:) great wasn't it.
Remark above is in regards to Drogba's offside, Before you resume whining.

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

That was quite a title challenging season for Liverpool. I wonder how many of the decent players will abandon the sinking ship?

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

Hopefully they will have exactly the same team next year

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

At least keep that tender hot foot Carragher in their defense. He was remarkable to watch this season, he actually looked like he was going backwards some times.

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

Big loss to England since he retired from International football:rolleyes:

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

I don't sing them, and I don't repeat such remarks here. These are not the terraces. And I think they've been singing about Munich a lot longer than Wenger has been around!

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

Bollox. :p

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

And Flogger: No whining here m8! Just a request for a less derogatory tone. The Manure remarks SPECIFICALLY reference back to Munich and the death of Duncan Edwards.

And er.. what is your team?

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

:thumbsup: When he retired, the then England manager asked him to reconsider as Carra was an important part of the England team. Carra allegedly replied that if he'd been that important, he'd have been picked for matches.

The big problem is that until the managers, clubs and the FA show that they've identified the culprits and banned them from buying future tickets, there's no incentive for the minority of idiots to shut up. Where are Platini and Blatter? They usually like to stick their noses into the Premier League's business.

I don't agree with any so-called fan from any team singing songs deriding Munich, Hillsborough, paedophilia or other tasteless subjects. Respect is something sadly lacking from the stands these days.

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

What did that respect last exist?

I used to go to Goodison & elsewhere in 70s & early 80s, admittedly on the terraces though. Plenty of tasteless stuff bouncing around then.

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

I think in those days it was tolerated more.

Goodison? One ground I've never been to, yet. One day maybe. :thumbup:

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

Hurry. it's one of the few old style non-plasticky grounds still going in the top flight!


I'll never ever go to any future super dooper groundshare bowl in the city!

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

It does? I've always taken it as a play on ManU. Id have thought the vast majority of fans on the terraces were born long after Munich.

You might be taking it all a bit too seriously. I dont think anyone should be taking the piss out of Munich, Heysel, Hillsborough or any other footy related tragedy. Too many people take Shanklys infamous "more important than life or death" at face value. But there is nothing new about abusive and tasteless songs is there:)

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

Its a long treck from Tokyo anyway;)


I dont have any problem with a Liverpool groundshare, It works in Turin, It works in Rome, It makes a hell of a lot more sense than both teams spending £500+m on their own ground, you could have integrated public transport to a single ground, I just dont get why its so impossible for people to consider.

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

Yes and we have sat tv & the net so what the hell.

I can't explain why I'm so anti-groundshare, just doesn't feel right. Even from here.

Football is not meant to be solely about $s. Go on, shoot me down.

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

The real reason it wont fly is how would you decide on who gets what from the ground naming rights financial windfall;)
Liverpool would hold out for more than 50% as the more storied and world famous team, and Everton would never accept any less than 50:50

Plus where would they find a sponsor who would support both Blue and Red halfs of the city... incurring the never ending wrath of both!

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

Celtic & Rangers frequently have the same sponsor. I don't believe you'd have rivalry over a sponsor?!

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

The Liverpool Echo would do. Hang on, change that name!

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

Or The Sun? Sure the Everton fans wouldnt care, but some of the Liverpool ones might have a problem with that!.... groundshare, bound to cut down sponsorship opportunities. I suppose it could have different names depending who the home team is on any given day...

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

No, think even Evertonians would have a prob with The Scum.

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

Good idea...I think in the Canadian context it could be applied to building shares etc between the 2 main school boards, but that is a completely different kettle of fish and I know for many it is an unpopular idea.

Getting back to footie, I think that either Torres or Benitez will go over the summer and that Gerrard may be tempted as well.

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

The problem for Liverpool is the same one Leeds have faced. Unless its a flukey cup tie they'll never be able to fill the ground once they're in division one or two.

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

Smartass:p. While Leeds may not fill Elland Road I think you will find that they have managed to retain reasonable attendaces (20-30k) in the lower leagues, far in advance of what most teams in those leagues have to operate on.

Newcastle did the same.

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

Milan too.
Bristol Rovers had a temporary share with City. It wasn't liked but had circumstances meant it had to go for longer, people might have become accustomed to it.

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

Or rather better. Average home crowd this year was 43,400 at St. James's, the fourth highest in the country.*

*After Manure, Arsenal and Man City. Ahead of Liverpool & Chelsea and the rest of the rabble.

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

Torres appears to be on his way to Chelsea.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/050520...turn-blue.html

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

Because, apart from smoking tabs and drinking brown ale there's nought ought to do pet.

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

No, there's the wimin and the great food.

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

The article says Abramovich is 'convinced' that Torres is heading to Chelsea. It reads to me more like Torres's agent is putting his client in the open for the transfer window.

I don't believe Liverpool's problems this season are solely down to Benitez. Yes, he picked the teams, but he (hopefully picked those who did the best in training and those players did not do the business when it mattered. I'll admit I know very little about managing a football team, but I'd have lost patience with most of them long before now and would have fielded the reserve team for one match, just to show the regulars that they aren't beyond dropping.

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

Or citeh, or staying put, depends what you want to believe.

I think he, like rafa, will wait a while and see what happens with the ownership. The difference is that the new ownership would clearly want him to be there this time next year.

If you were the ownership would you sell him now, or wait till after the world cup when he may be worth even more (or perhaps less) depending on how things go...

Would Gerrard leave after all the chelsea related soul searching? Or would they give him a push to free up some wages? Interesting summer ahead...

Re: The Toon Army / EPL thread
 

In years gone by the Liverpool reserves would have held their own in the top division, but the lack of depth in the squad is now a big issue, and thats down to the manager, hes ultimately responsible for who come and goes at the club, and there are a lot of inexperienced make weights there, in part because he brings in players but never bloods them in the first team!