Jump to content
Newcastle-Online

Rafa Benítez (now unemployed)

Greg

by Greg
in Football

 Share

Would you have Rafa back?   

463 members have voted

  1. 1. Would you have Rafa back?

    • Yes, as manager, immediately
      101
    • Yes, as manager, but at some point in the future (eg if relegated)
      97
    • Yes, in an advisory or DoF role
      74
    • No, not in any meaningful capacity
      132

This poll is closed to new votes


Recommended Posts

Guest Howaythetoon

Guest Howaythetoon

Posted
Posted

 

Canny read, I remember that game so well. Milan were brilliant in the first half, so so good and Liverpool looked like the kind of little team that fluked it to a final, but after the break they were immense and I won’t lie I cheered them on and enjoyed them winning it.

 

I had followed Rafa as Valencia manager and was gutted they ended up with him and us Souness, their former manager who ruined them far more than he did us.

 

They had just pipped us to 4th with us finishing 5th. Sir Bobby was our manager and Houlier theirs and although we kept Sir Bobby going into the season, it was always a matter of when and not if we would get rid of him. I just thought in Rafa they were appointing an up and coming manager who could take them further which we should have done. During the close season or when Sir Bobby was actually sacked.

 

The rest is history, but here he is today, manager of our club. It’s a funny old game as the cliche goes.

 

That was a funny old season for him at Liverpool actually with some strange results and early Cup exits with the football not being so great, iffy signings, and losing Owen was considered a kick in the teeth as well.

 

Winning the CL though basically won him the freedom of the City and the good will of every Liverpool fan as that’s a trophy they become synonymous with in their past and winning it 5 times was something Man Utd couldn’t put on a banner despite their title haul since Liverpool last won it. Had he not won it...

 

They then went onto win the FA Cup of course after that and challenged for the title, before they were sold and Rafa fell out with the new owners, opening fans’ eyes to the type of charlatans who had bought their club which further enhanced his standing at the club which today is as strong as it was when he was holding old big ears aloft. Helped of course by his involvement with the Hillsborough disaster and donating money to a Liverpool hospital since he left.

 

I work on Merseyside a lot and no-one in that county Red or Blue has a bad word to say about him, he’s idolised by Liverpool fans and respected by Everton fans. He’s a top man, our man.

 

Imagine what he could achieve under the right owner... perhaps a miracle of our own, winning a trophy!

Link to post
Share on other sites
Paully

Paully

Posted
Posted

 

Ha ha ha aye - I was looking before at the teams - absolutely incredible team!

 

 

AC Milan: Dida, Cafu, Maldini, Stam, Nesta, Gattuso (Rui Costa 112), Seedorf (Serginho 86), Pirlo, Kaka, Shevchenko, Crespo (Tomasson 85).

Subs Not Used: Abbiati, Kaladze, Costacurta, Dhorasoo.

 

Goals: Maldini 1, Crespo 39, 44.

 

Liverpool: Dudek, Finnan (Hamann 46), Traore, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Gerrard, Luis Garcia, Alonso, Kewell (Smicer 23), Baros (Cisse 85).

Subs Not Used: Carson, Josemi, Nunez, Biscan.

 

Booked: Carragher, Baros.

 

Goals: Gerrard 54, Smicer 56, Alonso 59.

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites
Wallsendmag

Wallsendmag

Posted
Posted

 

Ha ha ha aye - I was looking before at the teams - absolutely incredible team!

 

 

AC Milan: Dida, Cafu, Maldini, Stam, Nesta, Gattuso (Rui Costa 112), Seedorf (Serginho 86), Pirlo, Kaka, Shevchenko, Crespo (Tomasson 85).

Subs Not Used: Abbiati, Kaladze, Costacurta, Dhorasoo.

 

Goals: Maldini 1, Crespo 39, 44.

 

Liverpool: Dudek, Finnan (Hamann 46), Traore, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Gerrard, Luis Garcia, Alonso, Kewell (Smicer 23), Baros (Cisse 85).

Subs Not Used: Carson, Josemi, Nunez, Biscan.

 

Booked: Carragher, Baros.

 

Goals: Gerrard 54, Smicer 56, Alonso 59.

 

 

 

You look at those respective line ups and it defies all footballing logic that Liverpool won  :lol:

Link to post
Share on other sites
rgk_lfc

rgk_lfc

Posted
Posted

 

Ha ha ha aye - I was looking before at the teams - absolutely incredible team!

 

 

AC Milan: Dida, Cafu, Maldini, Stam, Nesta, Gattuso (Rui Costa 112), Seedorf (Serginho 86), Pirlo, Kaka, Shevchenko, Crespo (Tomasson 85).

Subs Not Used: Abbiati, Kaladze, Costacurta, Dhorasoo.

 

Goals: Maldini 1, Crespo 39, 44.

 

Liverpool: Dudek, Finnan (Hamann 46), Traore, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Gerrard, Luis Garcia, Alonso, Kewell (Smicer 23), Baros (Cisse 85).

Subs Not Used: Carson, Josemi, Nunez, Biscan.

 

Booked: Carragher, Baros.

 

Goals: Gerrard 54, Smicer 56, Alonso 59.

 

When talking about the 2005 Champions League, a lot of people just focus on the final due to the drama associated with it. But if you study our run, you will realize that the entire campaign was one of the greatest managerial performances of all time. For example, we played Juventus in the quarter final and defeated them 2-1 in the first leg. Compare the teams.

 

Carson, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore, Luis Garcia, Gerrard, Biscan, Riise, Le Tallec (Smicer 73), Baros (Nunez 66).

 

vs

 

Buffon, Zebina (Montero 81), Cannavaro, Thuram, Zambrotta, Blasi (Pessotto 45), Emerson, Camoranesi, Nedved, Del Piero (Trezeguet 61), Ibrahimovic.

 

And then we knocked out Mourinho's record breaking Chelsea.

 

Before that we defeated the Champions league finalist from previous year, Monaco, Deportivo ( who were CL semi finalist previous year), and a very decent Olympiakos team which had Rivaldo. If you believe the press, it was all back to the wall defending but it was not.

 

For example, in the first 30 minutes in the home leg against Juve, we blitzed them. Once we got a two goal advantage, we sat back and frustrated them and attacked them on the counter. The second leg was 0-0 but we had the better chances to win. Without a doubt, among the top 10 greatest managerial performances in England.

 

And the best part is, he then took a team with Peter Crouch upfront and Pennant on the wings to another CL final two years later. He has a ridiculous record in Europe. I think in the 12 years he has participated in European competitions, he has reached the semi-finals or finals atleast 8 times. Which is a stunning record, as he often did not have the most expensive teams.

Link to post
Share on other sites
afar

afar

Posted
Posted

 

Ha ha ha aye - I was looking before at the teams - absolutely incredible team!

 

 

AC Milan: Dida, Cafu, Maldini, Stam, Nesta, Gattuso (Rui Costa 112), Seedorf (Serginho 86), Pirlo, Kaka, Shevchenko, Crespo (Tomasson 85).

Subs Not Used: Abbiati, Kaladze, Costacurta, Dhorasoo.

 

Goals: Maldini 1, Crespo 39, 44.

 

Liverpool: Dudek, Finnan (Hamann 46), Traore, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Gerrard, Luis Garcia, Alonso, Kewell (Smicer 23), Baros (Cisse 85).

Subs Not Used: Carson, Josemi, Nunez, Biscan.

 

Booked: Carragher, Baros.

 

Goals: Gerrard 54, Smicer 56, Alonso 59.

 

When talking about the 2005 Champions League, a lot of people just focus on the final due to the drama associated with it. But if you study our run, you will realize that the entire campaign was one of the greatest managerial performances of all time. For example, we played Juventus in the quarter final and defeated them 2-1 in the first leg. Compare the teams.

 

Carson, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore, Luis Garcia, Gerrard, Biscan, Riise, Le Tallec (Smicer 73), Baros (Nunez 66).

 

vs

 

Buffon, Zebina (Montero 81), Cannavaro, Thuram, Zambrotta, Blasi (Pessotto 45), Emerson, Camoranesi, Nedved, Del Piero (Trezeguet 61), Ibrahimovic.

 

And then we knocked out Mourinho's record breaking Chelsea.

 

Before that we defeated the Champions league finalist from previous year, Monaco, Deportivo ( who were CL semi finalist previous year), and a very decent Olympiakos team which had Rivaldo. If you believe the press, it was all back to the wall defending but it was not.

 

For example, in the first 30 minutes in the home leg against Juve, we blitzed them. Once we got a two goal advantage, we sat back and frustrated them and attacked them on the counter. The second leg was 0-0 but we had the better chances to win. Without a doubt, among the top 10 greatest managerial performances in England.

 

And the best part is, he then took a team with Peter Crouch upfront and Pennant on the wings to another CL final two years later. He has a ridiculous record in Europe. I think in the 12 years he has participated in European competitions, he has reached the semi-finals or finals atleast 8 times. Which is a stunning record, as he often did not have the most expensive teams.

 

It was a truly amazing run and to follow that up two years later with another final appearance, again with a average (in terms of top level european clubs) looking side was remarkable. This year's team has a little more quality certainly up front, but should still on paper be classed as underdogs.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest Howaythetoon

Guest Howaythetoon

Posted
Posted

If you look at his career and the teams he has managed and their various lineups and really, he has overachieved with all of them. Even with Chelsea given the circumstances. I firmly believe if he was given the kind of money the top 4 spend on their squads, he would win a PL title or go very very close.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Sho Time

Sho Time

Posted
Posted

If you look at his career and the teams he has managed and their various lineups and really, he has overachieved with all of them. Even with Chelsea given the circumstances. I firmly believe if he was given the kind of money the top 4 spend on their squads, he would win a PL title or go very very close.

 

While I agree to a certain extent, I think he's far better at playing the underdog and surprising people to get to those means.

 

We saw when we was at Madrid, when you get to that level there is a certain expectancy not just to win, but to do it in a particular style. Mourinho just finished second with Man U and is getting hammered way more than Klopp, Poch or anyone else. On top of that, to get those top level players to buy into a philosophy of grafting their arses off as a team is nigh on impossible, they want personal glory and to break records. The only time they're interested in playing as a team is when it comes to just dominating games, Rafa's style is more conservative and that's why he's so picky when it comes to bringing players in to play for him.

Link to post
Share on other sites
sixx

sixx

Posted
Posted

Rafa had no right to drag these two Liverpool sides to CL finals. Most of these players were bang-average and some outright minging. The Milan, Juve and Chelsea sides they defeated had proper world class in every department. You aren't supposed to take a team of Traore, Crouch, Biscan and Pennant to two CL finals. Absolute mastermind.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Happinesstan

Happinesstan

Posted
Posted

Rafa had no right to drag these two Liverpool sides to CL finals. Most of these players were bang-average and some outright minging. The Milan, Juve and Chelsea sides they defeated had proper world class in every department. You aren't supposed to take a team of Traore, Crouch, Biscan and Pennant to two CL finals. Absolute mastermind.

 

Rafa could do it with Joselu man.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...