Rafael Benitez

[Benwell Lad]

I heard that Mbemba's problem stemmed from his inability to speak decent English and probably more to the point not bothering his arse to do much about it. It came to a head with the manager and he hasn't really featured since.

[Figures 1-0 Football]

Rafa Benitez wins football matches and brings success. That's good enough for me.

 

I've said it once before but I think his standard of football will be very successful in the PL next year, especially away from home.

 

Couldn't give a toss if he gets rid of the likes of Mbemba if they're not pulling their weight or listening to him. The reason we've been in this mess is because we've had managers who have allowed players to dictate what happens and amble around like a pot of piss.

[TheDonis]

Agree with that. When you see us lose consecutive home games 0-3 and 0-6 you stop caring about the means. Fwiw Bellamy didn't dislike his methods. He actually said if he ever became a manager, Rafa's approach would be his template.

 

His autocratic, one-size approach was just obviously unsuited to a pretty unique and difficult player like Bellamy who needed someone with Bobby's flexible people skills to get the best out of him, that's all.

 

I think Rafa's changed a bit now though. I think as he's grown older and more experienced he's become a more avuncular, even father-like figure rather than the cold, aloof technocrat many spoke of. If he has learned to deal with players better, that is good news for you. He can and does fall out with players and can be brutal with it. See Xabi Alonso, which pretty much cost him his job with us in the end. I'm sure he learned from that just as he's learns from every mistake he makes.

 

Last week was a Rafa masterclass. Though he speaks otherwise, he definitely had Tuesday and Saturday in mind before your game v Bristol City. You can bet training for a few weeks also had those matches in mind. Rafa would never admit it but occasionally his eyes goes on bigger games, his player's naturally follows, and there follows the weird result. We lost to Boro then beat Real Madrid in the same week... I do wonder whether the repetition of the next game, the next game is as much for his own benefit as the teams.

 

I can't think of a better manager at setting a team up for a must win match.  It's his forte. It's why I always think he'd make a great international coach. But he'd hate it because he'd got piss bored in between.

[shintonsghost]

We've craved a manager that will, amongst other things, pin players to the floor and demand respect. I can handle this approach for now; we can deal with mindsets of flamboyant footballers once he's got us into the top 6.

 

where in the top 6

[Ronaldo]

Agree with that. When you see us lose consecutive home games 0-3 and 0-6 you stop caring about the means. Fwiw Bellamy didn't dislike his methods. He actually said if he ever became a manager, Rafa's approach would be his template.

 

His autocratic, one-size approach was just obviously unsuited to a pretty unique and difficult player like Bellamy who needed someone with Bobby's flexible people skills to get the best out of him, that's all.

 

I think Rafa's changed a bit now though. I think as he's grown older and more experienced he's become a more avuncular, even father-like figure rather than the cold, aloof technocrat many spoke of. If he has learned to deal with players better, that is good news for you. He can and does fall out with players and can be brutal with it. See Xabi Alonso, which pretty much cost him his job with us in the end. I'm sure he learned from that just as he's learns from every mistake he makes.

 

Last week was a Rafa masterclass. Though he speaks otherwise, he definitely had Tuesday and Saturday in mind before your game v Bristol City. You can bet training for a few weeks also had those matches in mind. Rafa would never admit it but occasionally his eyes goes on bigger games, his player's naturally follows, and there follows the weird result. We lost to Boro then beat Real Madrid in the same week... I do wonder whether the repetition of the next game, the next game is as much for his own benefit as the teams.

 

I can't think of a better manager at setting a team up for a must win match.  It's his forte. It's why I always think he'd make a great international coach. But he'd hate it because he'd got piss bored in between.

 

Brilliant post as always.   And yep, I do sense his approach to man-management has evolved since Liverpool.

 

I think international football would frustrate and get the better of him. His mantra is preparation and at the business end of tournaments you're obviously unsure of your next game. That and not being able to buy players who fit his functionally defined system.

[Shays Given Tim Flowers]

He will always have us 'in the game' in the Premier League. Can't see us being rolled over by too many teams at all.

[Yorkie]

We've craved a manager that will, amongst other things, pin players to the floor and demand respect. I can handle this approach for now; we can deal with mindsets of flamboyant footballers once he's got us into the top 6.

 

where in the top 6

 

1-6.

[STM]

I heard that Mbemba's problem stemmed from his inability to speak decent English and probably more to the point not bothering his arse to do much about it. It came to a head with the manager and he hasn't really featured since.

 

I was told that he disobeyed Rafa's instructions during the Wolves game. Something about where he was allowed to pass out from defence.

 

I can't remember how we conceded the goals but was told that he twice passed us into trouble when we conceded, hence why Rafa dropped him.

 

Fits in nicely with Rafa's importance on players listening to instructions.

[STM]

Just looked. He scored an own goal. Certainly the Wolves game was pivotal in Rafa's judgement on Mbemba.

[Ronaldo]

I could be wrong but I don't think he's played a minute in the league for us since. He'll be the first out in the summer.

[joeyt]

I could be wrong but I don't think he's played a minute in the league for us since. He'll be the first out in the summer.

 

He played in the Blackburn game at home where Rafa changed about half the team to give them a chance to prove themselves and we played really poorly.

[Ronaldo]

I could be wrong but I don't think he's played a minute in the league for us since. He'll be the first out in the summer.

 

He played in the Blackburn game at home where Rafa changed about half the team to give them a chance to prove themselves and we played really poorly.

 

Yep, of course he did.

[wacko]

Gerrard isn't as fond of Rafa as you would expect. I think it's largely because Gerrard is very much an individual type of player. Spontaneous.

 

Aye. That's 'cos Gerrard refused to use his head till his legs started giving out. Gerrard was the only player Rafa accommodated, tbh. His best season was out on the wing, imo (what a fucking season he had!) but Stevie G wanted to play central mid, so Stevie G got central mid.

 

I don't think Rafa would be that tolerant of a lesser player. Gerrard was irreplaceable at Liverpool.

[rgk_lfc]

Has anyone checked on Crumpy? Is he ok?

 

He's fine.  Said we'll be the worst team to ever win the championship if we win it which for him is quite upbeat.

 

I was shitting it in the last 20 or so then it cut to a shot of Rafa giving instructions to Yedlin (i think) when he was coming on and the guy just looked like calmness personified.  No panic, just an arm round the shoulder calmly telling him what he wants like everything happening on the pitch was going just the way he planned.  Saved me a pants change anyway, f***ing love the bloke.

 

This. Each time they cut to him on the sidelines I feel like pinching myself, he oozes calm, experience, intelligence.

 

2007 CL semifinal penalty shootout against Chelsea. Everyone is going crazy and mad with tension. Our manager:

 

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/multimedia/archive/00405/126223843_football_405759c.jpg

[Si]

Has anyone checked on Crumpy? Is he ok?

 

He's fine.  Said we'll be the worst team to ever win the championship if we win it which for him is quite upbeat.

 

I was shitting it in the last 20 or so then it cut to a shot of Rafa giving instructions to Yedlin (i think) when he was coming on and the guy just looked like calmness personified.  No panic, just an arm round the shoulder calmly telling him what he wants like everything happening on the pitch was going just the way he planned.  Saved me a pants change anyway, f***ing love the bloke.

 

This. Each time they cut to him on the sidelines I feel like pinching myself, he oozes calm, experience, intelligence.

 

2007 CL semifinal penalty shootout against Chelsea. Everyone is going crazy and mad with tension. Our manager:

 

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/multimedia/archive/00405/126223843_football_405759c.jpg

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Tell us more about how amazing Rafa is please.

 

Can't believe we've got him still.

[rgk_lfc]

I never knew that. Think it's a tad simplistic to say that's why he's been left out since as it's not as if the wingers were in loads of space so centre halves hoofing long diagonals isn't really a good plan. Surely even if they are instruction players still play whatever they feel is the best option.

 

I could understand if he was wandering out of position or he kept giving the ball away which it didn't seem like.

 

That was my point - Rafa doesn't tolerate players not doing exactly what he wants them to do. There's no wiggle room with regards to "he thought the short pass was a good option there". And the fact is that Rafa blames Mbemba for the midfield giving the ball away in that game, because even though his passes went to feet, they went to players who then turned it over and, in Rafa's plan, they should never have had it in the first place.

 

This was reported a few weeks ago, pretty sure in The Chronicle. It fits with what we know about Rafa, it fits with what we saw in that game. Rafa had a plan, Mbemba didn't follow it, we lost, Mbemba doesn't play again.

There's just no way in hell a manager that successful sees the game like that. It's a game of decisions based on the model you've been taught. Based being the key word.  Fair enough if you ignore the plan for large periods of the game and don't make the pass when its there but to say there's no wiggle room is crazy.

Don't ex-players all say similar as well - it's a very strict and disciplined approach from rafa and he's not afraid to drop someone who takes liberties. Saying there's absolutely no wiggle room though is probably a bit far but there's no question the margins are very fine with what he'll tolerate.

 

Bellamy on Rafa:

 

I did my medical stuff and then I went upstairs to see Rafa Benitez in his office. I sat down. He was business-like.

 

He produced a cutting from a newspaper. The page was dominated by a picture of me with a snarl on my face. Most of the time back then I’d have a snarl on my face. It was nothing unusual.

 

“Why are you looking like this?” he said. I told him I couldn’t remember.

 

“You can’t play like this,” he said. “This kind of aggression is not what you need as a player.”

 

I told him I understood. The memory of the game where the incident had happened started to come back to me. It was a match against Sunderland the previous season. Sunderland’s goalkeeper, Kelvin Davis, had shoved me in the back. I had a bad back anyway at that time. I didn’t take too kindly to being shoved in it.

 

I didn’t mention any of that to Rafa. I could sense it probably wasn’t the right time.

 

Then he got a board out and started quizzing me about footballing systems. What did I think about this formation or that formation, the positives, the negatives, the benefits of playing between the lines.

 

Where would I run if a teammate had the ball in a certain position. He asked me about every scenario under the sun. And every answer I gave, even if it was correct, was twisted into another answer.

 

“When you play up top,” he said, “if this player has it, where would you go?” It was like a multiple choice test. “I’d run to the left,” I said. “Yeah, but run right first, then go left,” he said. The other players told me later that was just typical Rafa.

 

I was a bit taken aback by his attitude. It was like being in the presence of an unsmiling headmaster. The next day, I met Pako Ayestaran, Rafa’s assistant and the fitness coach. The fitness routines were not that imaginative.

 

It was army style, really. Long, plodding runs mainly. It was very professional with heart monitors and fitness belts but there was no camaraderie while they took place. It was all double sessions, tactical work, standing in position, walk-throughs of tactical play. Rafa oversaw it all.

 

A lot of Rafa’s tactical work was very, very good. He was impressively astute and I learned a lot from him in that area. But he could not come to terms with the idea that some players need an element of freedom and that we express ourselves on the pitch in different ways. He was very rigid.He worked on specific moves over and over again. It was a bit like American Football in that respect.

 

Rafa wanted people running designated routes when the ball was in a certain place, just as he had been explaining the first time I spoke to him in his office. The winger comes inside, the full-back overlaps, the forward has to run near post every time. There was no allowance for the fact that your marker might have worked out what you are doing after a few attempts. You had to keep doing it because it might make space for someone else. I felt like a decoy runner half the time. But I did learn a lot. Defensively, Rafa was exceptional. He was very good on the opposition and how to nullify their threat and stifle their forward players.

[wacko]

He used to have a 3-5-2 just for you guys. I don't think he ever started that formation against anyone else. But he liked to line up that way against NUFC. Fucking worked, as well

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mXpAOr7mJH8/UF2Lii7UA3I/AAAAAAAADGw/ZzQTg3KjKdc/s1600/rafa-benitez-magic.gif

 

[Dave]

Tell us more about how amazing Rafa is please.

 

Can't believe we've got him still.

 

Absolutely this.

[Dinho lad]

Has anyone checked on Crumpy? Is he ok?

 

He's fine.  Said we'll be the worst team to ever win the championship if we win it which for him is quite upbeat.

 

I was shitting it in the last 20 or so then it cut to a shot of Rafa giving instructions to Yedlin (i think) when he was coming on and the guy just looked like calmness personified.  No panic, just an arm round the shoulder calmly telling him what he wants like everything happening on the pitch was going just the way he planned.  Saved me a pants change anyway, f***ing love the bloke.

 

This. Each time they cut to him on the sidelines I feel like pinching myself, he oozes calm, experience, intelligence.

 

2007 CL semifinal penalty shootout against Chelsea. Everyone is going crazy and mad with tension. Our manager:

 

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/multimedia/archive/00405/126223843_football_405759c.jpg

 

Nope, sorry, he's our manager.

[wacko]

Defensively, Rafa was exceptional. He was very good on the opposition and how to nullify their threat and stifle their forward players.

 

LFC under Rafa was the only time I didn't shit myself when they had the ball near our goal. I was always sure we'd clear it. (After Traore had left, natch.)

 

[Dinho lad]

He used to have a 3-5-2 just for you guys. I don't think he ever started that formation against anyone else. But he liked to line up that way against NUFC. Fucking worked, as well

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mXpAOr7mJH8/UF2Lii7UA3I/AAAAAAAADGw/ZzQTg3KjKdc/s1600/rafa-benitez-magic.gif

 

 

Our manager.

[wacko]

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[Mick]

He used to have a 3-5-2 just for you guys. I don't think he ever started that formation against anyone else. But he liked to line up that way against NUFC. f***ing worked, as well

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mXpAOr7mJH8/UF2Lii7UA3I/AAAAAAAADGw/ZzQTg3KjKdc/s1600/rafa-benitez-magic.gif

 

 

Only Rafa could have got the timing that perfect.

[Tiresias]

We're never going to be flamboyant, but the discipline has given us solidity and we're scoring enough for this division. Will need mroe creativity next season, but he has given us a ruthlessness and a toughness we lacked completely. No way our 'let them have the ball' huddersfield strat would have worked any time in the previous 4 seasons against any opposition before. We have also ground out results even when playing poorly, we did not have that mentality at all previously.

 

I agree with a lot of the criticisms of Rafa, he will not let us play super free flowing football but quite frankly I'll start demanding that when we are comfortable in the premier league. I also don't think he is negative like we've had previously though it is disciplined. The only thing that does concern me is liverpool fan at work talking about his mad transfer strategy the longer he was there, the trying to swap alonso for gareth barry being the nadir.