After looking again at the match from yesterday, is it me or did our team performance apart from the six goals remind them of Rafa's Valencia in a way from the passing, closing and attacking flair point of view not from the formation point of view. Hounded in packs as well more hungry than i ever seen a Liverpool team Like when Rafa's Valencia came to Anfield and faced Houllier's Reds, Aimar, Baraja, Vicente and Rufete ran riot on us that night, i think our team we have now would also destroy Houllier's Liverpool totally different style of play. There is a lot of similarities, Alonso and Mascherano reminded me of Albelda and Baraja in the middle and Babel and Pennant reminded me of Vicente and Rufete as for the Aimar like player in our side its hard to say from yesterday. What do you guys think??
Claudio Ranieri was the Manager then mate. the one and only time i witnessed Lpool being embarrassed was when they played Valencia away that Season......
I was positive Rafa was the manager when Valencia beat us 1-0 in anfield in chamions league some years back.
It was definately Benitez. Ranierie managed them before Cuper, Benitez replaced Cuper and it was the Mastella massacre thet alerted Parry and others to Benitez abilities. Ranieri went back for a second spell at Valencia later.....Where is my inhaler?
As good as the performance was on Saturday, I'd only start comparing us to that Valencia team when we produce that sort of performance against a better quality of opposition. Derby are just plain awful, and will be just making up the numbers by the end of November with no hope of staying up.
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/match/season/2002-2003/sep/302/teamsheet.htm http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/match/season/2002-2003/oct/306/teamsheet.htm according to these 2 Links Ranieri was Manager. that's what i was going by anyway
Maybe people are thinking of the pre season friendly we played against them in anfield not sure of the year but the definitely played us off the park that day ! and im sure rafa was the manager then !
According to this link, Ranieri was also manager of Chelsea when we played them, which was in between the above two Valencia games! http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/match/season/2002-2003/oct/261/teamsheet.htm
must have been rafa because he won the league twice in three seasons he was with us at the start of 04/05 season so he had to be at valenica for the 01/02 season
Rafa took over after Cuper left to join Inter after they lost the last 2 Champions League Finals, Valencia played well also against us in the Amsterdam tournament at the start of the 2001/02 season
Valencia never had a squad like we do now and there is more pace in our first team than there was at Valencia. I know what you mean by the player similarities but the backbone of their team Canizares, Ayala, Carboni, Albelda and Angulo were all in their prime. Look at our backbone and most of the players have 5 to 10 years left in their careers There will always be comparisons made between Valencia and Liverpool while Rafa is in charge but I believe this team will be Rafa's opus magnum!
Holy Latinisms Batman...well James underlying your suggestion we will have to believe omnia praesumuntur rite esse acta...