Crisis at Anfield

[limbo]

What's wrong with the keepers at Anfield? First Westerveld did great, and before you know it he's out and now the same with Dudek, great season last year and now he seemed to have lost it???

Limbo

[bibblies]

Says check_bin_krap:

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Crisis at Anfield? Whining from spoilt supporters is more like it!

Take a trip to Elland Road where our overrated manager is doing his best to get us down.

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Ahem! You're joking, aren't you? Leeds supporters are the whiniest bunch of bastards in the League. They weren't more than a couple of weeks into the season before they started calling for the new manager's head! At least we give our manager a few seasons.. And the quasi-racist "We don't like Southerners" Leeds fans never gave Terry Venables, former manager of England and Barcelona and one of the most respected managers around, a chance from the start, simply because, I suspect, he talks in a 'strange' accent. Oh, his tricky London ways, eh! ::

 

Leeds are in trouble because they mistook temporary success for something more permanent and spent a load of money they didn't have trying to be keep up with the real big boys, which they aren't. Now they're paying for it, like a lot of clubs - Leicester, for example.

 

You're going to lose a lot of your best players but they were only really borrowed anyway. Get back in the pack, where you belong!

[check_bin_krap]

Bibblies, Venables still has a chance - he's not fired yet as far as I know. Hopefully it will change one of the first days.

 

But don't you agree that the whining from L'pool supporters is out of order? Why should you expect Houllier to win the league which its ages since you had? Even a small club as Leeds have won that more recent than you. It takes time to revive a sleeping club like L'pool has been.

 

What about a swap? You can have your respected Venables and we'll gladly take the Frenchman.

 

Cheers!

[bibblies]

You've won the league how many times in the last twenty years, compared to Liverpool? Once doesn't mean a thing. You're Blackburn. They don't complain as much. Where have you been lately? Nowhere compared to us. We've been second, third, around the top for the last few years, are regularly in the Champions League and have won cups in that time too. In other words, unlike Leeds, there's something to build on. We've also got backing behind us, are not in huge debt, so we expect more. But Leeds fans haven't even faced the reality that they're going to have to sell players yet.

 

There was a movement to get Venables out virtually as soon as he'd arrived. There was nothing like that at Liverpool. There's a different problem here, where we have some talented players that can play but Houllier seems to be making the wrong decisions with them. Don't tell me that Venables has got much of a choice at Leeds. If Leeds fans think that David Batty's the answer to all their problems, they're fucking idiots. Haven't seen many other Premiership managers showing interest in him..

 

I'd take Venables over Houllier any time, as long as there's a clause in the contract that forbids him from bringing in Barmby and Anderton.

[check_bin_krap]

Bibblies, it seems you agree that Houllier hasn't been doing that bad? As you are pointing to his achievements? Or are you referring to Evans or Souness? As I said, you were a sleeping club until Houllier came along. Its Houllier who got you into Champions league the last couple of years.

 

Yes, Leeds are a smaller club. But we expect more than being in a relegation battle, we have qulified for Europe every year for some time. For a longer period than L'pool actually. I would say we belong just below L'pool, based upon quality of the player material and achievements in recent years.

 

Venables mistakes are far more than not playing David Batty. He has also left Dacourt out of an injury hit team, Mills has been sidelined, Bridges has been fit a long time and has rarely been used. Players are quarreling among themself in the media (Viduka -Kewell), and also on the field.

 

Leeds were in reasonable shape at the start of the season, but its been going the opposite way of expected. Their form at the moment is the worst in the premiership. There is not much chance of improvement either - its been going on too long.

 

You are welcome to Venables. Make sure he does not get the chance to screw you over as he did with Portsmouth. Unfortunately its just on the business side he is banned another year though, not on working in the media. So expect him to be more involved with ITV than the club.

 

Cheers!

[bibblies]

Spot the differences:

 

1. Time

Houllier: has had lots of it.

Venables - a few weeks.

2. Money

Houllier: has spent £110 million!! (What has he got for that?).

Venables: nothing to spend. He's got his hands tied. He has to sell.

3. Recognition and treatment of talented players

Houllier: a) calls Ginola a "criminal, a murderer" for giving away the ball that led to France losing their place in the 1994 World Cup. Ginola never plays for France again. calls Jari Litmanen "a cancer that needs to be eradicated" when the poor guy, a lifelong Liverpool fan dying to play for the club, calls to be given a chance. Litmanen is soon sold.

Venables: nutured Gazza, McManaman and Anderton (when he was good!) in the same England team.

4. Inheritance

Houllier: Liverpool were hardly the worst team in the world when he inherited them. OK, he shored up the defence and made the Spice Boys more serious but it isn't that much better. And he's had the slight help of having Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard coming up from the ranks. (Notice that he didn't buy them. One wonders if he would have, if they'd come through at another club.)

Venables: inherited a rag-tag, disillusioned bunch. A ton of forwards but only one left back, etc. (What the hell was O'Leary doing?) OK, there's some talent in there but Kewell, Viduka and Dacourt for example(!) haven't got the best reputations for being good influences when the going gets tough. They're troublemakers and it looks like they all wanted out before Venables even arrived. He knows he has to sell so he has to build for the future.

 

Considering the guy's only had a few weeks there's an incredible amount of antipathy towards him that can only be northern prejudice. To bring up Portsmouth while ignoring what he did at Barcelona (led them to the European Cup final after Maradona had been sold for a huge fee), building up Crystal Palace and QPR from nothing into exciting teams and giving Spurs and England fans more hope than they'd seen in years is just tosh. Remember, this is a man whom the England players wanted back as manager when Keegan resigned. I'd have him at Liverpool over Houllier any day.

[sayjann]

bringing up Pompey is indeed a crime.

venables did a good job there.

bought the club for £1 and left with a pay off of £1,000,000.

best bit of business he ever did.

 

and i know,living in Pompey for the last 35 years.

[Long Gun]

Well, if you're talking about crises, how about the sorry state of affairs up north at the Stadium of Light? Which, coincidentally, is precisely where Liverpool's next league game will be televised from on Sunday. I wonder how many Fantasy League managers will have 3 Liverpool players, with one as captain, in their starting line-up?!?!

 

While I'm here, can I just offer my personal apologies to anyone who was unlucky enough to watch the game tonight! City were fairly poor, but were still well worth their 3-0 win!

 

LG

[check_bin_krap]

It seems we can be going on forever Bibblies, without agreeing on anything here. To take your points:

 

1. Venables has dragged Leeds into a relegation battle. When appointed, he made it clear that the squad was good enough to fight for trophies. Houllier has had the time because of his achivements.

 

2. Is that £110 million net spending Bibblies? In that case you have a point.

 

3. Recognition of players:

 

http://msn.skysports.com/skysports/article/0,,1-1072772,00.html

 

Speaks for itself. Dacourt was picked for France at the same time as sent on the stands by Venables? A team performing as Leeds do can't afford that.

 

Do you blame Ginola's failure to achieve anything on Houllier? Look how he has been going on at Villa, what happened at Spurs etc. Ginola has never got along with others than the fans and the modelling business!

 

4. Inheritence. I would say Houllier has brought L'pool a level up. He got them their first European trophy for ages. He won more in England during 1 season than Venables has done his whole career! But you lot suffer from delusion of grandeour. Be careful, look where that has gotten Leeds!

 

Venables took over a team which as I said have regulary qulified for Europe over a longer period than your lot has. Its not that long a go since they were in the Champions league semi final. Give the bloke some time, thats fair enough. I did not expect them to get along the top 5 or so this season.

 

But on current form they will be bottom of the table pretty soon. They have won 1 of their last 11 matches. Bolton, Fulham, Sunderland, Sheffield United are a few of the teams who have beat them recently. There is no sign of improvement, the worst match has always been the last.

 

You mentioned Kewell as a trouble maker? He is a model professional, and I am quite surprised that you label him that way. He has the flair which you seem to appreciate in other players, and is probably the best player at Leeds for a very long time. The recent media trouble with Viduka lies more with Viduka than him, and is more a sign of frustration within the team.

 

Venables achievements have been questioned a lot in the media. 1 FA cup in English football is what he has to show for. He was fired at Spurs with an exuse that is was for his business dealings, the truth was that it was on merit.

 

Even if his track record is excellent, which I doubt that does not help a manager. If it did Wilkinson would still be at Leeds etc.

 

To finish this never ending discussion on my side, I would like to see L'pool do well this season. I am tired of the 2 team domination in the premier league which has been going on too long. I have always respected your team, a decent lot with supporters who never have been hateful to anyone. One difference compared with Leeds is that you have always had sense within the board, it has kept L'pool as a force in England. Good luck Bibblies.

 

Cheers!

[phiketpete]

LG

Sunderland were plying a lot better when you were out here.

coincidence i think not.

They obviously do not like playing in front of you.

I knew that you made the ladies nervous i did not realise that it extended to Sunderland footballers as well.

 

thank you for your condolences however I managed to miss the game. Well it was on but I was fast alseep in front of the TV having just come in from a good night out with another board member. My brain obviously knew what was to come.

 

By the way i had to think twice when i eventually did wake up as to where i was. The TV of course still on and the remains of a curry by my side.

Heck and tonights a quiz night. good job it is a public holiday in LOS today