Rafa Benítez (now unemployed)

[Guest firetotheworks]

I think that's the 'you'll know it when you see it' interview the Liverpool fan told us about.

[KaKa]

They've clearly just been angling to get him out of the club, once they saw that he was going to be his own person and stick to his guns over what he wanted.

 

Incredible really. Can you even imagine what goofball is going to be brought in over the summer. They will absolutely not want anyone that is going to be any kind of person with a backbone.

 

Scary situation really. Best case scenario would be Moyes, and that's not something to get excited over.

[r0cafella]

I still think it will be Pardew.

[KaKa]

I still think it will be Pardew.

 

Imagine that man

 

And people would actually still show up for Pardew.

 

You can just see them convincing themselves too ... "Well he did get us to 5th place, which was better than what Rafa ever did".

 

 

[r0cafella]

He's the number one bootlicker and Ashley loves going back to those who he's had around before.

 

And yes, I'd fully expect a play on the 5th place finish

[Odear]

It would be Allardyce I reckon. Pardew lost the plot in his last job. He’s a risk.

 

Ashley wants to protect his exposure to a relegation. That’s all he wanted from Benítez except the pesky Spaniard has more ambition than that.

 

Hippo Head will give him exactly what he wants.

[KaKa]

Allardyce is a good shout actually. Particularly as he loves mixing with all these agents and taking on players they suggest to him.

 

Ashley will love that as he wants someone to take on players off those French agents that schmoozed him in Monaco I think it was.

 

Just sign a number of young French players with potential and high resale values. Some will hit and some will miss, but in all a worthwhile approach for MA. Rafa wasn't having it. Didn't want so much youth, and so much lack of prem experience.

[geordiedean]

I think Rafa knows we are going down he will try his hardest to prevent it but theres a part of me that actually believes the hierarchy want us to go down and have been planning on it for 12 months gambling to become a yoyo club

 

Why else would deliberate sabotage of chances of competing seem prevalent

[nufcjb]

Would rather see him walk by Friday than at the end with relegation. He'll get all the blame from the shit but influential media pundits about how he should have signed an extension to the contract so that fat Mike would have trusted him with funds then. Or they'll be slating him for negative football even though he had fuck all to try and play a better positive way with.

 

If he plays his cards right, he'll leave as a hero in the eyes of the majority of the fans. Who knows what would happen next. Continued anger towards Ashley or a drop in attendance or a riot or anything that might significantly sway him to sell the club. Who knows Rafa might be back soon too.

 

Or we'll just get a returning Fat Sam or Pardew  and Ashley gives them unlimited funds ala Man City and decides to stay put forever....owh and Kinnear and Wise will be back too..

[Guest chopey]

I don't think any new manager will be getting a transfer budget Ashley's new policy is to take as much out as possible for his other ventures until we go down at which case he pumps in £30 million of his "own" money to increase both the debt to him and the price of the club

[Wilson]

 

If he plays his cards right, he'll leave as a hero in the eyes of the majority of the fans. Who knows what would happen next. Continued anger towards Ashley or a drop in attendance or a riot or anything that might significantly sway him to sell the club. Who knows Rafa might be back soon too.

 

Nothing. Nothing will happen.

 

A few murmurs of frustration from those who've just paid at least 600 quid to boo perez, a few hundred season ticket cancellations and fat Mike will carry on his reign, Crumpys ballsack explodes as Pardew does the mooonwalk whilst hauling Rondon off for Manquillo to defend a 1-0 defeat on the final day of the season.

[geordiedean]

Any manager worth his salt who has seen what has went on with Rafa will not touch us with anything. It will only be Ashleys puppet yes men who will be installed

 

Tim Sherwood is a fucking shoe in for the job for me

[Mattoon]

Rumours I've heard that Rafa gave them a list of names but they didn't fit in with the club's criteria (young, cheap, sell on value, etc..) they came back with a list of names for Rafa but he didn't want them and so there's been a Mexican stand off. He gets final say on transfers, but no actual say in who they are. You can't make this shit up!

[r0cafella]

Rumours I've heard that Rafa gave them a list of names but they didn't fit in with the club's criteria (young, cheap, sell on value, etc..) they came back with a list of names for Rafa but he didn't want them and so there's been a Mexican stand off. He gets final say on transfers, but no actual say in who they are. You can't make this s*** up!

 

Interesting stuff! Would love to hear more if you have anything else to share.

 

It does create an interesting question though, if the club has its own targets who is reccomending these players? Are we trying to so more favours for agents?

[Darth Crooks]

The chronicle for all their faults have said the same in their podcasts tbf. They just pull their punches massively - critical friend they reckon.

[Darth Crooks]

Cannot fathom how you watch this happen and fathom putting another penny in the mans pocket. There’s no strong argument for it.

[r0cafella]

Cannot fathom how you watch this happen and fathom putting another penny in the mans pocket. There’s no strong argument for it.

 

As witnessed all of the arguements are highly emotional and not ground in logic sadly.

 

And I don't mean any offense to those who still go when I say that but at the same time people who fund him are part of the problem unfortunately.

[Mattoon]

Cannot fathom how you watch this happen and fathom putting another penny in the mans pocket. There’s no strong argument for it.

 

As witnessed all of the arguements are highly emotional and not ground in logic sadly.

 

And I don't mean any offense to those who still go when I say that but at the same time people who fund him are part of the problem unfortunately.

 

there's nothing left to do but vote with feet, Ashley's not budging, he's taken the piss out of fans and out of a highly decorated manager. STOP GIVING HIM MONEY!

[LV]

Rumours I've heard that Rafa gave them a list of names but they didn't fit in with the club's criteria (young, cheap, sell on value, etc..) they came back with a list of names for Rafa but he didn't want them and so there's been a Mexican stand off. He gets final say on transfers, but no actual say in who they are. You can't make this shit up!

 

Who at the club is coming up with a list of players? Charnley? Justin fucking Barnes?

 

Oh fuck, it’s Wise isn’t it. Wise and his FM2019 save.

[Guest neesy111]

Just walk Rafa.

[4 stars out of 5]

I reckon its true he must get a big bonus off Ashley for keeping him on the gravy train, would explain why hes still here too. Maybe hes not the saint most people think?

 

I reckon a new deal with anoher nice bonus for keeping Ashley up on peanuts is round the corner too. What would people make of him if he stayed on in them circumstances?

[Guest neesy111]

You're worse than crumpy.

[Guest]

He won’t stay unless out of nowhere he’s given a realistic budget to compete with. Don’t think he’s arsed about the politics between owner and fans if he can compete. That won’t happen though so he’ll be gone at some point in the next 6 months.

[4 stars out of 5]

You're worse than crumpy.

 

It is a valid point though. He may well get a nice bonus for keeping Ashley up and that is likely why he is still here lets get real.

 

After that shambles at the weekend to add to cup surrenders at Oxford and Forest that is me done with him like, a nice path to Wembley opened up and he didn't even give it a go. That is criminal and i don't know how he gets away with it

[Tribesman]

I don't think he will resign, but he should and leave the club in the shit. At the very least I hope he doesn't enter any new contract talks with Ashley because he has met Ashley multiple times only to be back stabbed over and over again. Ever since that January transfer window during the promotion season he has done everything in his power to plan properly and offer the club a vision and all they done is spat on his face and insist their old, failed ways are the road to success. Benitez has made mistakes, but the absolute arrogance to recommend their own signings to Benitez and more or less say his are shite is astounding considering the failure of their transfer policy.