Does Rafa need anymore proof?

Rafa doesn’t play Torres-Liverpool has 3 draws.

Rafa plays Torres, Torres scores 3 goals and they win 4-2.

I’m not a manager by any sense of the word.  But I like to believe that I know my football.  I understand the rotation system I do.  As I have expressed over the past month, when it works, Rafa looks like a genius, and when it doesn’t he looks like a complete ass.  And when your top striker is worth 26.5 million pounds, and you don’t play him.  You really look like an ass.

Rafa came out last week and said that Liverpool’s goal was to win the Premiership this season.  How can you say that when you start Voronin over Torres against Birmingham and then you procede to start Torres in a Carling Cup game.  Does anyone care about the Carling Cup anymore?  NO!

What people care about is the Premiership.  That is what brings home the bacon.  Rafa has demonstrated that he knows how to coach in Europe, taking Liverpool to the finals last season.

What he hasn’t shown is the CONSISTENCY in the Premiership.  That is, the ability to coach well and to win points when you should, ie against Birmingham at Anfield.  There is no reason to drop 2 points at Anfield.  No reason at all.

Hopefully this will settle the Torres ‘rotation problem’ once and for all, and we all can get on with our lives.

But why am I certain that this isn’t the last of it…

La Liga Para Todos Sept 10th–Robben training, Aragonés Loves me not, Rijkaard takes it like a man

–Arjen Robben took to the training ground today for the first time with his Real Madrid teammates. Robben, who came over to Madrid for 36 Million Euro in the offseason, has had a knee injury that has kept him out of the lineup thus far. Madrid had a 2.5 hour training session today with all of the players that are remaining in Spain after the calls to international duty, which aren’t many.

—Luis Aragonés aka the oldest coach ever, kept his love-hate relationship with Fernando Torres going strong after subbing out El Niño in the 59th minute in place of Iniesta. It just so happens that ‘el viejo’ finally got something right and Iniesta managed to put in the tying goal on 85 minutes to give spain a draw with Iceland. Torres is the leading scorer for Spain under Aragones, with 13 goals, but is goalless in over a year, with his last tally coming on September 2 2006 vs Lichtenstein. As I simply mentioned before, Aragonés just needs to go, period.

— Frank Rijkaard is taking his part of the blame for Barcleona’s dismal last season.

I’ve always said, when something doesn’t work, I’m the first person to look in the mirror

Rijkaard’s Barça had a sub-par past season, being knocked out in the Champions League by Liverpool, being beat 4-1 by Getafe to be knocked out of the Copa del Rey, and finishing second behind Real Madrid for the La Liga title. He came under fire from president Joan Laporta and some were calling for Rijkaard’s departure in the offseason. Having a stud like Giovani Dos Santos or an offseason signing in TH14, can’t hurt his chances to save some face in La Liga this season.

–Speaking of Dos Santos, he’s played in ONE La Liga game,but the moneybags in the Premiership are looking to cash in on the 18 year old. I’m personally not sold yet, sure he won the Bronze ball in this years U-20 world cup and the silver ball in the 2005 U-17 World Championship, but you have to let the kid show a bit of talent against some veteran competition first. But Manchester United will sign a 9 year old kid to play, so 18 is surely not too young for Man Yoo.

La Palabra del día

Una vaselina–a vaselina is a cheeky chip over a keeper to score.

Vaya vaselina de Messi, joe tío, que crack.