On the Ball (new Football Focus)

[Jah Lush]

Thank you Rhinestone. Credit where credit is due and all that.

[matthew123]

Hopefully that gives them the confidence for Sunday in the Cup final - should be a great Final assuming Spurs go for it!

[Jah Lush]

Oh we'll be going for it alright and I reckon we'll win too.

[Jah Lush]

For you Arsenal and Liverpool fans or anyone who fancies a bit of a giggle on a dull and grey Tuesday afternoon.

[Annasfield]

I don't think that "with open arms" was the correct term.

I'd hate to lose Rafa for Maureen but I'd accept it. Jose is a sore loser and his demeanour isn't always the Liverpool way.

[Jah Lush]

I wouldn't say Rafa's demeanour is always the Liverpool way either. Just witness his rant against Man Utd.

[Atila Reincarnate]

Was what Rafa said really a rant?? I thought he was cool, calm & collected, and not far wide of the mark, just foolish enough to say it at the wrong time as far as his club are concerned, but he had some fair points. He should have left it until the end of the season though, but there you go. You couldn't call it a rant as it was delivered in a venonomous, ranting way.

[Keef]

Sorry, but what the fuck is The Liverpool Way? I hate sayings like that, Liverpool fans like any other fans want to watch good footy and win stuff. Neither Rafa or Jose play particularly exciting football, but that would be quickly forgiven if a league title landed at Anfield. Frankly, I think the fans would soon forget loyalty to Rafa if Jose came and delivered a title.

[Jah Lush]

Fair enough but he did have that glint in his eyes and amounted pretty much to the same thing. It was a good moan about Alex Ferguson and Man Utd in general.

[matthew123]

Haha, long time since I seen that clip.. and remarkably some of the Liverpool actors actually did pass for John Barnes, Ronnie Whelan and Nicky Tanner

There is only one Liverpool way, and that is winning the title... everything else is a bonus... otherwise we'd have chugged along with Roy Evans for the last 15 years. I like Rafa, I think he is nice guy, hence why likes of Mourinho, Ferguson, Honest 'Arry and Big Sam have fallen out with him big time.

[Sandperson]

They fell out with him becasue he was a nice guy?

[Atila Reincarnate]

Honest 'Arry, a more inappropriate moniker I've yet to come across.:))

[Atila Reincarnate]

I wonder,.....what do you think the world and his wife would have said, and how would the media have eracted if Fergie ahd said exactly the same things. I think it would have been something like "good old fergie, still playing his mind games" but because it's not him, it's seen as someone losing the plot. Strange that, don't you think?

[Sandperson]

Not really. Fergie wouldn't have been reading from a list for a start. As has been discussed here before Fergie never uses the M word, Rafa did, which made everyone go on about it. Then his team (or possibly his selection policy) let him down so the rant/tirade/set of calm observations made him look like he was unstable. According to you lot Fergie is an unstable, ranting alcoholic already. :))

[Atila Reincarnate]

Uncle Alex, a nasty ranting alchollic, surely not? He is a greatly misunderstod philanthropist who should run for mayor of this parish.

[Jah Lush]

Oh come on now. Let's be fair. Love him or loath him his record speaks for itself. Probably the best football manager these isles have seen.

[matthew123]

Jah Lush Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Oh come on now. Let's be fair. Love him or loath

> him his record speaks for itself. Probably the

> best football manager these isles have seen.

Absolutely not!

[Jah Lush]

Jeez! You're so predictable. So you're gonna say Paisley or Shankly. OK....I'll go with Bob Paisley because he's won more European Cups than Fergie. Right!

[matthew123]

Well it's only predictable because I always look at the record books before I make big statements ;-)

Ferguson has been at Old Trafford something like 23 years - he has won 2 European Cups and 10 titles. Uncle Bob was in charge at Anfield for 9 years and won 3 European Cups and 6 titles. Bob also came out of retirement in 1985/86 and helped Kenny win the Double.

Bob's strike rate, whilst Manager, was 0.66 on Titles and 0.33 on European Cups - Ferguson has a 0.43 Title ratio and 0.087 hit on European Cups. In other words Bob's Title record is 50% better again than Ferguson, and in European Cups it's almost 4 times better.

[Jah Lush]

You've forgotten Ferguson's record in Scotland with the likes of St Mirren and Aberdeen.

[red devil]

Using your highly scientific logic that means Mourinho must be on a par with Paisley with 2 titles in 3 years = 66% win rate...mmmm

[red devil]

...quick, someone get on the phone to Jose and let him know that if he quits after winning the Scudetto this season he'll have a 100% record making him officially* the best football manager Italy has ever known - he truly is 'The Special One'!..

*according to the record books

[matthew123]

Mourinho is a great Manager, but I'd hardly say 1 season in Italy is worthy of such an accolade...

However a 66% strike rate truly is excellent, so I guess that puts him somewhere between Paisley and Ferguson (when you remember Bob has a better European Cup record)..

[Sandperson]

You also don't take into account that it's harder to win the European cup/Champions League these days. ;-) More games (both domestic and European), more travelling, more variation of teams styles and higher fitness levels.

Not that I am biased but I think the achievements of Fergie (cuddly uncle Fergie!) at Aberdeen was extraordinary and is worthy of admiration no matter what you think of him in later life. That puts him up there with the very, very best.

[matthew123]

Well Rafa has got 3 Champions League semi-finals in 4 seasons, and two of those he reached the final, but does that make him a better Manager than Paisley? Of course not. The Champions League may be more difficult but back in Paisley's day the domestic competition was harder than it is today.