QUOTE(hfi @ Feb 27 2009, 02:42 PM)
I can see your reasoning but its alittle flawed. You are comparing Jose success based on his multi million dollar Chelsea side, which was vastly superior to Rafa's squad and probably the best assembled squad in the world back then. Its a little skewed dont you think ? Winning the EPL these days simply requires quality team and depth, which Jose had. He inherited a solid and on the rise team. Then further strengthened the team with the likes of Drogba, Cole, Gallas, SWP, Robben, Carvalho, Makalele etc. Jose has a knack of choosing a well built team rather taking his chances with lesser teams that pose real challenge. Chelsea was a already strong team and Inter was a defending champion of Italy. Easy to assume he has this ability to instill a winning mentality he has the freedom and finanical power to built a winning team. IMO his success in England made possible because of A) The squad he's had B) Arsenal was in decline C) Man Utd and us were in progress of rebuilding. Even with his vastly superior Chelsea team, how many games did he go through scrapping 1-0 or 2-1 jammy wins with Lampard's deflections and Terry's dying minutes headers ? Our league record against them was bad during the first season, but we then managed to drew seasons after until the day he got the sack. We could have won that home game last season if it wasnt for that ridiculous ref error. We lost the Carling final (we could have won it had it not been Gerrard's OG), but beaten them twice in the CL and in Charity Shield. Overall, Rafa has done well against him. Last season, we saw the big 4 gotten their acts together and lo and behold he struggled. He started losing and drawing away games and couldnt get those scrappy jammy wins. His managerial ability was under scrutiny by the men in suits and even by his own players. IIRC he got the sacked because he lost the dressing room, if that were true then so much for the motivational skill he supposedly have.
Maybe i just want nothing to do with someone who had an affiliation with the blues. Maybe that bad mouth of his when he called us a small club still rings in my head. Maybe, just maybe he is simply overrated and i just dont fall for the hype.
firstly, i am not saying Jose is better than Rafa. Yes, Rafa has better a better head to head record. But winning all your matches against Chelsea doesnt guarantee you the league title. Its a whole season thingy. To do it in your first season AND to repeat it again, speaks something. Perhaps Arsenal were in decline and MU rebuilding. MU were struggling early this season and Arsenal never went into the high gear. Did Liverpool take any advantage to stretch their lead?
I thought Jose left because he wanted to proof a point against Abrahamovic? Because Roman tinkered with his team and went and buy players that he didnt really want? Did Jose really lost the support of his players? Surprising, if the bunch of players who just won 2 titles under him suddenly revolt?
Is Mourinho's Chelsea really that superior to Rafa's current Liverpool? I dont think so. In his Drogba, we have our Torres. In his Lampard, we have our Gerrard. In his Terry, we have a Carragher. Monster Masc is probably equal to Makele. So, i dont think the present Liverpool's squad is really miles away from Mourinho's team in his first 2 season. Its a bit unfair to the man to suggest that Liverpool will only do well under Mourinho if the chequebooks are splashed for him.
Yeah, i didnt like the shhhhhhsssss to the anfield crowd and calling us as a small club. Its all part of the job. But the man in still a winner, the last i checked his record. I am hoping Rafa will be one too for Liverpool, and not be replaced by one.