The Weakest Link 622

I shouldn't have to repeat it again, but understand.......It's great that Liverpool got the rub of the green in the final and it said a hell of a lot for the players, but it was never sufficient grounds for deciding. as so many did, that this was enough evidence to prove that Raffa had the management skills to win the,far more difficult, English Prem. I don't knock the result, just the conclusions. I said at the time that he still has much to prove, seems he still has?

They had a very good late run, and I agree that many teams and their managers would be delighted with that season. But that isn't the point. We are talking about Liverpool, not Bolton, and the managers pre-season claims that he can take them to the title.

Correct, and there are plenty of stiff away games like these to come. But you cannot have it both ways. Doesn't the managers claim to be good enough to win the league take into account that we will have to get points from hard away matches? I didn't hear or read any codicile which suggested, "unless we start our first away game cold and seemingly uninterested, and dont lose at Everton or Bolton or fail to grab a vital point against 10 man Chelsea".

The claim that "ahh!.......but these were hard games" is fair when coming from a side with ambitions of a top 10 place, but they are a bit tame when used as an excuse by Benitez for his title winners.

This has to be a joke? How the hell do I put a positive spin on 1pt from a possible 12 away? How do you view the stats positively when Pool are already close to losing all the games they can afford to drop this season after just 7 games? Could be the past stats won't work this time, but, even if the title becomes a free- for- all scramble, others are already better placed to benefit from it.

The bad luck claims don't wash either. Pool could have got one against 10 men at Chelsea . but they didn't. Man U dropped early points where they missed enough chances to win. Arsenal should have got more from a couple of their early away games based on chances missed, and Chelsea would be 2 pts clear if they had taken just one of the many good scoring opportunities against Villa last week. It happens.....and believe it or not...not only to Liverpool.

We seem to argue from different views, You seem to feel the team is doing OK, and I dont disagree. if OK is enough? My views on Benitez are based on his own claims for the season. Do you honestly feel he has lived up to them? What did you think of his choices and tactics against defence minded Bolton? Hardly inspiring?

LC