Rafael Benitez

[Kanj]

MDD welcome lad. Great post.

[Mick]

I'm a Reds fan, and I registered here when Rafa signed with you guys. Well deserved point yesterday, and I can assure you the majority of Liverpool fans see you as the second club now (a small prickish minority are ungrateful armchair supporters who somehow don't like him, but that's their problem)! Seeing the opposition fans singing his name was very melancholy for us yesterday - delighted to see him loved but also sad that he's not ours anymore! I fear he may have arrived too late to fix the mess created by McClaren and his dogsbodies in the boardroom, but I hope he stays, and I have a feeling - what with the attachment and fondness he's shown towards the fans, and vice versa - that he may stay whatever happens. Certainly the last couple of weeks provides ample evidence to suggest to Rafa that this squad is good enough whatever happens from here on, and that whatever division they are playing in, there is plenty to build upon. I can't quite believe how much better they look as a team now, considering the last few jokers of managers at Newcastle Utd.

 

Also, I just think Rafa fits your club like hand in glove. It's only good for English football if Newcastle and their fanatic fanbase are big players again and it would be refreshing after the sterile prawn sandwich glory hunting plastics that congregate around a whole host of soulless clubs (such as that franchise Man Utd).

 

We still love him, we still wish him all the best and I love that you guys love him too. Take care of him! And please, it would just be poetic justice if Rafa relegates Allardyce and Sunderland!

Rafa will be treated like a God here, we have a reputation of getting on our managers back. The reputation is true to a certain extent but only if they are shit. Rafa will get very little stick, if any. He's a top manager and his in-game management has been as good as anything we've seen here in decades.  He's already doing things here which we then wonder what he's doing but they always work. We actually see him making the changes that are needed, that's basic stuff but is like rocket science to some of the shit we've employed.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

We have never really gave a manager stick, Pardew was a target of a concerted campaign by SP of course, but the majority of fans gave him nothing but good will. Same for all our managers. It's a myth that fans give managers stick. If anything they get an easy ride here, at most other clubs the shit that has been served up here would not be tolerated. Rafa is greeted with welcome arms because he is a professional, knows what he is doing and sees something in our beloved club all fans do which is a better future. If only the fucking owner did... Personally I love the bloke, he is a proper manager, in the mould of KK and Sir Bobby if not in style certainly in how he goes about his business and I'm amazed he joined us and has us in a position where we can actually stay up even though I think we are down! He's a top top fella!

[nemtizz]

Always nice to have another perspective. Great post, MDD.

[Robster]

Always nice to have another perspective. Great post, MDD.

[joeyt]

Probs Ron Gaggs but I love this

 

https://www.facebook.com/www.SportsJOE.co.uk/videos/1589014274723727/

[Guest chopey]

It looks like we are down.......... so its up to Ashley to convince Rafa to stay and if he can, we could have the league wrapped up by Christmas and then have a real go at the FA cup, after a year when we go straight back up we will be looking at top 8 and not just to avoid relegation

[Disco]

[Shays Given Tim Flowers]

[Ketsbaia]

I must say, we're getting some wonderful posts from Liverpool fans in here. I've learnt so much from their knowledge, so thanks

 

Also.... please stay, Rafa!

[Klaus]

I must say, we're getting some wonderful posts from Liverpool fans in here. I've learnt so much from their knowledge, so thanks

 

Also.... please stay, Rafa!

I hope they don't see the Liverpool thread in here 

[rgk_lfc]

Which one are you referrng to, Klaus 

[wacko]

Right this way, sir. Don't mind Parky. He's the village idiot. Not to be confused with Village Idiot.

[Darth Crooks]

Yeah, village idiot is some other complete wacko.

[Leazes_End_Mag]

It looks like we are down.......... so its up to Ashley to convince Rafa to stay and if he can, we could have the league wrapped up by Christmas and then have a real go at the FA cup, after a year when we go straight back up we will be looking at top 8 and not just to avoid relegation

[emoji23] [emoji23]

[TRon]

 

I'm a Reds fan, and I registered here when Rafa signed with you guys. Well deserved point yesterday, and I can assure you the majority of Liverpool fans see you as the second club now (a small prickish minority are ungrateful armchair supporters who somehow don't like him, but that's their problem)! Seeing the opposition fans singing his name was very melancholy for us yesterday - delighted to see him loved but also sad that he's not ours anymore! I fear he may have arrived too late to fix the mess created by McClaren and his dogsbodies in the boardroom, but I hope he stays, and I have a feeling - what with the attachment and fondness he's shown towards the fans, and vice versa - that he may stay whatever happens. Certainly the last couple of weeks provides ample evidence to suggest to Rafa that this squad is good enough whatever happens from here on, and that whatever division they are playing in, there is plenty to build upon. I can't quite believe how much better they look as a team now, considering the last few jokers of managers at Newcastle Utd.

 

One major issue some players have is that he is cold, but this should not be a criticism as that accusation applies only with the egomaniacs in football. As much a hero as Stevie G was, this was something that many of us entirely agreed with Rafa on. It only takes a read of Gerrard's latest autobiography to show how wound up in his own ego he is when he slates Rafa on some occasions. To read Red and White Kop, most supporters were appalled at this. I could go on and on with a list of rebuttals to contradict Gerrard's view on Rafa and, inevitably, his cold relationship with the Spaniard proved to be destructive to the club. Let's just say this - Gerrard (and Carragher) was quite happy to see the back of Rafa. The fact that he had turned Liverpool into formidable challengers again, turned Gerrard into a world class player (his form before and after Rafa didn't compare) and had won a European Cup and FA Cup was neither here nor there - and so such narrow mindedness from Gerrard prove fateful as Gerrard was adamant on his support for Roy f***ing Hodgson to become the boss. And that bit of egomania and disrespect for Rafa partly led us to the doledrums.

 

That said, more often than not, players who need help and a bit of belief go on to greatly appreciate Rafa. Lucas, Mascherano, Torres, Alonso, Kuyt, etc all had the humility to praise him to the heavens as they saw their careers go from strength to strength under his tutelage.

 

I just think Rafa fits your club like hand in glove. It's only good for English football if Newcastle and their fanatic fanbase are big players again and it would be refreshing after the sterile prawn sandwich glory hunting plastics that congregate around a whole host of soulless clubs (such as that franchise Man Utd).

 

We still love him, we still wish him all the best and I love that you guys love him too. Take care of him! And please, it would just be poetic justice if Rafa relegates Allardyce and Sunderland!

 

Great post, almost makes me feel bad for having a dig at Liverpool over the years. I see you mentioned Carragher as one of those big time charlies who didn't take to Rafa and it shows. I was wondering why he had such a cold attitude to his appointment at Newcastle when he was asked what he would bring as a manager to Newcastle's fight against the drop.

[Holloway]

Sounds like Rafa is a right cunt if you are a soppy cunt of a footballer, hallelujah  to the fucking queen.

[wacko]

Great post, almost makes me feel bad for having a dig at Liverpool over the years. I see you mentioned Carragher as one of those big time charlies who didn't take to Rafa and it shows. I was wondering why he had such a cold attitude to his appointment at Newcastle when he was asked what he would bring as a manager to Newcastle's fight against the drop.

 

That's not what he said. Carra isn't an egomaniac like Gerrard. The criticisms he aimed at Rafa were based on things Rafa did that Carra didn't think were in the best interests of the club, like publicly picking a fight with the owners.

 

[Dom2]

Great post, almost makes me feel bad for having a dig at Liverpool over the years. I see you mentioned Carragher as one of those big time charlies who didn't take to Rafa and it shows. I was wondering why he had such a cold attitude to his appointment at Newcastle when he was asked what he would bring as a manager to Newcastle's fight against the drop.

 

That's not what he said. Carra isn't an egomaniac like Gerrard. The criticisms he aimed at Rafa were based on things Rafa did that Carra didn't think were in the best interests of the club, like publicly picking a fight with the owners.

Fighting with the fans against that pair is how I'd see it Wacko.  Rafa alerted us (the fans) to quite a few things that they were up to, and though I love Carra and Gerrard, I'll not forgive them for not speaking out when other players did.  Let's be honest here, Carra didn't like foreign players, he wanted mostly local players here, didn't matter that many of them weren't good enough.  Oh, and let's not forget his refusal to play full back when we were going for the title, a match we lost btw.

 

[Cronky]

Interesting stuff. The bloke strikes me as a reserved, perhaps even shy man. It's hard to imagine him joining in any laddish dressing room banter, so maybe he doesn't have the kind of people skills that other managers might have and can use with certain players.

 

At the same time, he seems to be very objective in his thinking. He is strong as a tactician and makes judgements on what he sees in front of him, not on what he thinks he's going to see, or what others think is right. He's managed to sort out his best team and best tactics quite quickly.

[Lush Vlad]

Every weekend, I seem to start liking this man a little more. 

 

I know he keeps brushing it off, as he doesn't want to talk about going down.  But if the club and Rafa, were to release a statement before the end of the season.  Stating that he will remain at the club, regardless of which league we are in.  Then I honestly don't think I'd care too much about going down. 

 

Getting relegated and then appointing someone like Nigel Pearson, would be a massive kick in the bollocks. 

[Benwell Lad]

 

I'm a Reds fan, and I registered here when Rafa signed with you guys. Well deserved point yesterday, and I can assure you the majority of Liverpool fans see you as the second club now (a small prickish minority are ungrateful armchair supporters who somehow don't like him, but that's their problem)! Seeing the opposition fans singing his name was very melancholy for us yesterday - delighted to see him loved but also sad that he's not ours anymore! I fear he may have arrived too late to fix the mess created by McClaren and his dogsbodies in the boardroom, but I hope he stays, and I have a feeling - what with the attachment and fondness he's shown towards the fans, and vice versa - that he may stay whatever happens. Certainly the last couple of weeks provides ample evidence to suggest to Rafa that this squad is good enough whatever happens from here on, and that whatever division they are playing in, there is plenty to build upon. I can't quite believe how much better they look as a team now, considering the last few jokers of managers at Newcastle Utd.

 

One major issue some players have is that he is cold, but this should not be a criticism as that accusation applies only with the egomaniacs in football. As much a hero as Stevie G was, this was something that many of us entirely agreed with Rafa on. It only takes a read of Gerrard's latest autobiography to show how wound up in his own ego he is when he slates Rafa on some occasions. To read Red and White Kop, most supporters were appalled at this. I could go on and on with a list of rebuttals to contradict Gerrard's view on Rafa and, inevitably, his cold relationship with the Spaniard proved to be destructive to the club. Let's just say this - Gerrard (and Carragher) was quite happy to see the back of Rafa. The fact that he had turned Liverpool into formidable challengers again, turned Gerrard into a world class player (his form before and after Rafa didn't compare) and had won a European Cup and FA Cup was neither here nor there - and so such narrow mindedness from Gerrard prove fateful as Gerrard was adamant on his support for Roy f***ing Hodgson to become the boss. And that bit of egomania and disrespect for Rafa partly led us to the doledrums.

 

That said, more often than not, players who need help and a bit of belief go on to greatly appreciate Rafa. Lucas, Mascherano, Torres, Alonso, Kuyt, etc all had the humility to praise him to the heavens as they saw their careers go from strength to strength under his tutelage.

 

I just think Rafa fits your club like hand in glove. It's only good for English football if Newcastle and their fanatic fanbase are big players again and it would be refreshing after the sterile prawn sandwich glory hunting plastics that congregate around a whole host of soulless clubs (such as that franchise Man Utd).

 

We still love him, we still wish him all the best and I love that you guys love him too. Take care of him! And please, it would just be poetic justice if Rafa relegates Allardyce and Sunderland!

 

That really is a very good post and refreshingly honest in it's criticism of a local legend.

I see parallels with a period in our recent history reading Shearer, Bobby Robson and Souness for Gerrard, Benitez and Hodgson.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I think we could do with someone who is a bit 'cold' TBH. Just assess the squad and drop the shite, that's what he has done so far. Last thing we need is for the manager to be trying to be mates with everyone as well.

[Guest MDD]

Great post, almost makes me feel bad for having a dig at Liverpool over the years. I see you mentioned Carragher as one of those big time charlies who didn't take to Rafa and it shows. I was wondering why he had such a cold attitude to his appointment at Newcastle when he was asked what he would bring as a manager to Newcastle's fight against the drop.

 

That's not what he said. Carra isn't an egomaniac like Gerrard. The criticisms he aimed at Rafa were based on things Rafa did that Carra didn't think were in the best interests of the club, like publicly picking a fight with the owners.

 

Weren't in the best interests of the club? I love Carragher but that is utter bullsh*t. Perhaps he should have taken a seat on the Kop back then to realise what the fans thought were in the best interest of the club.

 

Again, likewise with Gerrard, it is very rare you will find Liverpool supporters who agree with Carragher's view. It was only with Rafa hanging dirty linen out in public that fans were able to get a true sense of the scale of mismanagement at the club. Without it, the scale of protest and the pressure on the owners would not have been what it was - and it was a protest that led to a large petition being handed over to RBS, which influenced them in refusing a loan to Hick and Gillett, which began the process of their exit from Anfield.

 

Rafa was a crucial catalyst in all of this. Without him, we would have been in the dark as to what scale of discontent was present at the club. If he'd been a weak yes man and had turned his back on the fanbase and local community that had built the club up in the first place (just like ex-Newcastle managers have done, in addition to that vile champagne socialist Alex Ferguson), then he may have just propped up the owners until the inevitable destruction of the club.

 

Carragher and Gerrard are icons, but Rafa's legendary status goes beyond his achievements at the club. Choosing between them is hard but I suspect that if push comes to shove, that most Liverpool fans loyalty lie mostly with Rafa. He offered endearing human qualities and a great deal of professionalism and objectivity (that is obviously lacking in Gerrard and Carragher - pray to god neither become Liverpool manager then) that WERE in the best interests of the club. When you see the diatribe against one of our greatest ever players in Gerrard for his views on Rafa when he released his autobiography at the end of last year, then that's clear to see that Rafa is arguably respected most of all.

[wacko]

Fighting with the fans against that pair is how I'd see it Wacko.  Rafa alerted us (the fans) to quite a few things that they were up to, and though I love Carra and Gerrard, I'll not forgive them for not speaking out when other players did.  Let's be honest here, Carra didn't like foreign players, he wanted mostly local players here, didn't matter that many of them weren't good enough.  Oh, and let's not forget his refusal to play full back when we were going for the title, a match we lost btw.

 

Weren't in the best interests of the club? I love Carragher but that is utter bullsh*t. Perhaps he should have taken a seat on the Kop back then to realise what the fans thought were in the best interest of the club.

 

I said Carra didn't think were in the best interests of the club. Big difference between reality and some of the things Carra thinks. As much as I love Carra and Gerrard, it isn't for their insight and brainpower.