Rafael Benitez

[Kanj]

Boro sounds like Flint Michigan sans General Motors , like, ever happening.

[John P]

I think between-city rivalries are more heated. In Liverpool, for example, the reds and blues have to walk past eachother in the street every day, see each other in shops, work together etc.

 

You don't really get that with Newcastle/Sunderland, add to that that it's miles to the next nearest club of note.

 

Saying that, the next nearest club is middlesborough and they seem to carry a chip almost as big as the mackems about us. I don't know why, no one here really gives a flying f*** about them.

 

Any excuse.

 

 

What the actual f***.

 

First time I've seen that, what the hell? Is there a shout of 'PHIL STAMP!' right at the end there?

[TRon]

I think between-city rivalries are more heated. In Liverpool, for example, the reds and blues have to walk past eachother in the street every day, see each other in shops, work together etc.

 

You don't really get that with Newcastle/Sunderland, add to that that it's miles to the next nearest club of note.

 

Saying that, the next nearest club is middlesborough and they seem to carry a chip almost as big as the mackems about us. I don't know why, no one here really gives a flying f*** about them.

 

Any excuse.

 

 

First time I've seen this.  :lol:

 

 

It's like I said, you wouldn't have seen it because no one here gives a flying fuck about them. Like 99% of the rest of the world tbf.

[cp40]

I thought all that had been dismissed, the main rivalry came from the shipbuilding on each others rivers.

 

The hatred between the football clubs is only a very recent creation.

 

Yes,  the Civil War thing is a makem myth.

The way they tell it, the brave folk of Sunderland defeated the cruel oppressors of Newcastle at the Battle of Boldon Hill. This was mentioned on Sky before one of the derby games a couple of years ago, they did a big feature on it with film taken just along the road from me.

 

In reality,  their town,  which was no more than a small port at the time, was used as a landing place for the invading Scots army, who fought the English forces, who were barracked at Newcastle, on Boldon Hill. The result according to all sources, apart from the one that apparently all makems use on the subject was an indeterminate draw. It was a week later that the Scots took Newcastle. Nowt to do with makems at all, in fact they'd have been hard pushed to raise a division of soldiers from Sunderland in those days,  seeing that their population was less than 1000.

 

only less than a thousand cos of the sea, and the dead ones, and what about massive lads fans in the land in between?

[peder]

Imagine what this awesome man could have done with Hatem Ben Arfa  :'( :'( :drool:

[Kaizero]

Imagine what this awesome man could have done with Hatem Ben Arfa  :'( :'( :drool:

 

Ben Arfa really isn't a Benitez type of player though, so I'm not sure it'd have been as sexy as we'd like to think.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Liverpool had Luis Garcia under Rafa didn't they? Not exactly the same kind of player as HBA, but he was a bit of a maverick type talent with the ability to look a world beater or bang average when the mood suited him.

[Ronaldo]

Luis Garcia was nothing like Ben Arfa, man.

[Guest neesy111]

Luis Garcia was nothing like Ben Arfa, man.

 

This, he was a decent player but nothing like HBA.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Luis Garcia was nothing like Ben Arfa, man.

 

Of course he was, didn't you read my post...

[Ronaldo]

[Guest neesy111]

Luis Garcia was nothing like a maverick type player.

[Guest firetotheworks]

Luis Garcia was almost exclusively very good in the Champions League and not very good in the Premier League iirc. I don't remember him being a maverick at all though, Benitez simply didn't have any players like that. The nearest would be Babel and he didn't suit the style of play that they had at all.

[STM]

Luis Garcia also worked very hard for the team (not that I'm propping up the Ben Arfa myth).

[Guest Howaythetoon]

LFC mate of mine said he could be a lazy so and so and was very inconsistent but Rafa liked him because he could produce some magic (copyright Pardew). He wasn't a regular though IIRC. Anyway my point wasn't that they were identical players and therefore Rafa would have no issue with someone like HBA, but that Rafa isn't exactly dead set against someone who is inconsistent, isn't a grafter if you like, and can be hit and miss. After all, he did sign Cisse didn't he? HBA is a fantastic footballer, Rafa prefers good players over shit players. I actually think someone like HBA would run through walls for someone like Rafa.

[BONTEMPI]

Luis Garcia was nothing like Ben Arfa, man.

 

Of course he was, didn't you read my post...

 

http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/small/45971335.jpg

 

 

Wrrrrronnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggggggggggggg!

[Dom2]

LFC mate of mine said he could be a lazy so and so and was very inconsistent but Rafa liked him because he could produce some magic (copyright Pardew). He wasn't a regular though IIRC. Anyway my point wasn't that they were identical players and therefore Rafa would have no issue with someone like HBA, but that Rafa isn't exactly dead set against someone who is inconsistent, isn't a grafter if you like, and can be hit and miss. After all, he did sign Cisse didn't he? HBA is a fantastic footballer, Rafa prefers good players over s*** players. I actually think someone like HBA would run through walls for someone like Rafa.

 

I wouldn't have said Garcia was lazy at all, but he was inconsistent.  A fantastic little player who could produce sheer breathtaking brilliance at times, scored some stunning goals on the way to Istanbul. He was always a team player and in one derby he played the last half hour with an injury because all subs had been used.  Rafa must have thought a lot of him because he bought him twice, even though Luis went off piste at times.  He and Alonso were the first two players Rafa brought to Anfield and they were great players, but also appeared to be great people, very popular with the other players and the fans.

 

Rafa didn't buy Cisse, Houllier did.  Rafa wouldn't have bought him but, unfortunately, Liverpool felt they couldn't go back on the deal.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Cheers for the info  Dom2, especially RE Cisse. Anyway, Its all a moot point, but I don't think Rafa would Pardew HBA. I think he'd find a use for him no doubt.

[Kanj]

The Hatem of say 5 years ago may not have ran through a wall for him; but the Hatem of today likely would. The player today is far different and seems much more thankful he's still playing brilliantly.

[henke]

Jerzy Dudeks on fantasy football now, talking a bit about Rafa.

 

Rafas system for saving penaltys is decent. Divide the goal up in six sections numbered 1-6 and remember the number every player is likely to hit. ?

[Mattoon]

The Hatem of say 5 years ago may not have ran through a wall for him; but the Hatem of today likely would. The player today is far different and seems much more thankful he's still playing brilliantly.

The train wreck that was Pardew and NUFC obviously made him reevaluate his career and have a new found appreciation for the game.

[khay]

Jerzy Dudeks on fantasy football now, talking a bit about Rafa.

 

Rafas system for saving penaltys is decent. Divide the goal up in six sections numbered 1-6 and remember the number every player is likely to hit. ?

 

I'm sure I read somewhere that Torres had someone telling him each week which side to go for when he got a chance on goal as well.

 

 

[khay]

http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/fernando-torres-how-rafa-made-me-great#:fhZ5cEQWKOmjWA

[newsted]

http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/fernando-torres-how-rafa-made-me-great#:fhZ5cEQWKOmjWA

 

That's really interesting, the details, man, I'm pinning my hopes on that. Goddamn, this guy seems to be something else.

[Beren]

Well done for making a fist of it, no one could have done much better and I hope you stay on - but you made a right fucking hash of today Rafa.