Thomson Mouse Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 I’ve told the story a few times but a Liverpool supporting mate invited me to a Carragher talk in here in Perth years ago. He basically said that Benitez’ tactics and understanding were amazing, he just didn’t have the big connection to the players. Houllier took over and the the tactics fell off a bit but he was a people person. As far as his players etc go then I don’t think he’s any worse than most top managers and certainly when he was here he made do with what he could get. Perfect, no. A plan for the future and connection to the city/region, absolutely. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Edgar Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Houllier was Rafa's predecessor. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chopey Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 https://www.instagram.com/p/CAFlfZ3JUIG/?igshid=96cwq1fnhvhw Don. What the hell are those Chinese fellas doing to his portly figure, I base my whole look on a similar shape. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
duo Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Gouffran was absolutely terrible Truly awful Really bad Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomson Mouse Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Houllier was Rafa's predecessor. Must’ve remembered the order wrong then but the message is still the same Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeyt Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 I think there was something from Steven Gerrard saying that Rafa wasn't very personal and always called him 'Gerrard' rather than his first name or a nickname. I went to a talk by Martin Hardy a few years ago and he said he did an interview with Matt Ritchie, which Ritchie had to stress to Hardy that everbody calls him 'Ritchie' around the training ground and it wasn't Rafa being impersonal. I think the Gerrard stuff affected Rafa and made a real effort to be more personal Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NUFCDoog Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 I’ve been listening to back episodes of ‘That Peter Crouch Podcast’ and Rafa comes up a few time’s when they’re talking about various bits from when Crouch was at Liverpool, you can tell Crouch isn’t really a fan but the other two set him right. Anyway, Crouch tellls a couple of stories that used to frustrate me with Rafa here but still shows the detail he goes onto, he said in relation to tactics it didn’t matter if it was Man Utd at Anfield or Watford, he was meticulous with his planning and tactics set up,basis even when they played a team bottom of the league he’d focus so much on it and plan how they need to set up and play and it was frustrating to the players but he just loved to plan everything. Remember we were that way In the Championship where we’d set up ‘defensive’ and organised even at home to the likes of Burton but that’s Rafa. When the players used to share a hotel room also Rafa used to pair them up with who they’d be playing with, so the two centre backs would be together, two central mids and your strikers all in separate rooms, Crouch couldn’t get his round it but Rafa assumes and hoped they would spend all the night in there talking about the game so they’d be more in tune the next day, they didn’t but That’s exactly what Rafa would do so he assumed they would, he’s obsessed with football. Crouch didn’t follow Rafa instructions for a few games and he started scoring goals, Rafa had a word and said why aren’t you doing what I tell you, Crouch thought it was fine as he was scoring goals but then Rafa dropped him for the next few games. Ballsy that. There’s a funny bit as well where Crouch complains that Rafa for some reason played him on the left, said it was an awful decision and he played terrible...then goes on to say they won the game though and he scored 2 goals! Host says wel it worked then and you scored and won so Rafa was right, felt like a lightbulb moment for him to recognise the genius. Really interesting tidbits that keep popping up on him like, obsessed with football. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pandamninator Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Houllier was Rafa's predecessor. Must’ve remembered the order wrong then but the message is still the same Could've been talking about Roy Hodgson who came in after Rafa at Liverpool. I have no doubt Woy is a smashing bloke - no one seems to have a bad word against him, but inept in modern football when it comes to gameplans and tactics. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Carrick18 Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 I’ve told the story a few times but a Liverpool supporting mate invited me to a Carragher talk in here in Perth years ago. He basically said that Benitez’ tactics and understanding were amazing, he just didn’t have the big connection to the players. Houllier took over and the the tactics fell off a bit but he was a people person. As far as his players etc go then I don’t think he’s any worse than most top managers and certainly when he was here he made do with what he could get. Perfect, no. A plan for the future and connection to the city/region, absolutely. In essence, this is what held him back at Real Madrid. I remember him telling Modric to refrain from outside of the boot passes as they weren't always as accurate. As for Gouffran, he was an unfortunate case reminiscent of Henri Saivet. He arrived as a last-minute buy, a consequence of Graham Carr's French obsession, and then played under a series of awful managers that didn't fancy him as a striker but didn't know how to effectively incorporate a wide-forward. He was on a decent run before he arrived at us, and we sucked all of the momenta out of his career. I'd wager Rafa liked him because he was dependable, industrious, and knew how to do a job in several positions. That's the prototypical Benitez player. I think had he stayed he would most likely have been a bit-part player for cup games or the last 15-20 minutes of games. Rafa always wanted a squad with depth because he knew his approach was physically taxing. Saying all that, I got a distinct feeling he was sick of the club by the end. A combination of the owner being a t*** and fans turning on him meant it was probably for the best. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
r0cafella Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Exactly, he was cheap and could follow instruction. Giving him a new contract wouldn’t dictate he was going to be a starter. It’s more a case of this is someone who I wouldn’t prioritise replacing as he can follow instruction and perform a desired task. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happinesstan Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 I think Gouf had some [limited] talent, but he hid a lot under Pardew and virtually disappeard under McClaren, he'd just run up and down a very long channel from left back to left wing, and never really get involved. Rafa got the best we've seen out of him (albeit in the championship) and I would have trusted him as a back-up, in the Prem, under Rafa. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ_NUFC Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Gouff was a monster in the Champo, some of those goals. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Butcher Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 5 goals Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
duo Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Scored a class goal against Derby Ah man I miss football so much Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
triggs Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 In one of the years he was here he started 35 games and did not get a goal or assist Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest reefatoon Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Was he not a forward originally too? We just decided to sign him and never play him there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Scored a class goal against Derby Ah man I miss football so much Was that Sels in goal? Forgot how shit he was Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
xLiaaamx Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 McClaren pretty much never used him at all. Benitez clearly didn't plan to either, he tried Anita on the wing first Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeletor Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Scored a class goal against Derby Ah man I miss football so much Colback ruining the video at the end. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deuce Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Atsu was effective enough on the break because of his pace and had some useful displays first season back, as rubbish as he is. Gouffran was no use at the top level. Got to question Rafa a bit if he genuinely wanted to keep him around.h/] It makes sense if Rafa had no faith in being given funds for a replacement. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeyt Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 McClaren pretty much never used him at all. Benitez clearly didn't plan to either, he tried Anita on the wing first Yeah I don't think he was involved until the Reading game. Aarons was ahead of him too. But we seemed to win more games with Gouffran in the side than when Atsu and Ritchie both played from what I remember Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Icarus Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Underappreciated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Spaceman Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Scored a class goal against Derby Ah man I miss football so much Was that Sels in goal? Forgot how shit he was That shot straight at him and he punches it into the middle of the box, man Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaydnNUFC Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 Man, those first few months of that Championship season were fun. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 Man, those first few months of that Championship season were fun. After the first week! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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