Dear Rafa fans

[Whaddapie]

2 of 9 points, with a very concerning 2nd half capitulation in a derby the most recent memory. And he's already talking about the squad needing strengthening. Well, it doesn't, but it's already an excuse being used.

He was presented a poisoned chalice, no doubt. But the issue is NOT the quality of the players. That's my point, which is valid regardless of how long he's been there.

 

[Farkmaster]

The Chelsea squad does have problems, chiefly that it's still old, and its defense has never recovered really since carvalho left, nor its attack after drogba. Of course its still a good team, but if that were sufficient, Rafa wouldn't have the job in the first place.

Their form was dipping before Rafa's arrival. It's absurd that Abramovich decided to change things at this point, and incredibly disruptive that he did it now with an appointment which was never going to be embraced at Chelsea, on a short term contract that undermines the manager from the off.

Rafa took a big risk taking the job under these conditions and it's a testament to how eager he is to prove himself again at the top flight. If he does, it'll say more than if he doesn't. If he doesn't he'll be wishing he had taken any one of a number of lower profile jobs he could have got easily over the course of the last few years.

We'll know soon enough given the atmosphere at that shithole of a club, so I guess we'll wait for a little bit data before knitting it into our agenda, since we're reasonable people, right guys?

 

[Hansern]

2 weeks and 3 games is obviously not long enough time. But as I said earlier, he hasnt exactly set the world alight with his approach so far.

Worst start ever by a Chelsea manager while Roman has been there, and two of those games were against Fulham and WH.
1 goal in 3 games.

He better win the next game for his own sake

 

[LeTallecWiz]

It's not eagerness Farky, it's desperation to get out there again as it seems no big clubs have come to him since Inter.

As for agendas, ha!

 

[Farkmaster]

I don't really know how to read that ha! but if it's to mean I have some agenda regarding Rafa, I can assure you I do not, other than I don't like his accomplishments being denigrated, because they are our accomplishments, our clubs accomplishments, and some of my happiest times as a supporter. As to what those accomplishments prove for him, and what he did after leaving, I don't really care. I haven't followed his travels with some obsessive interest taking joy in his every loss, nor have I been hoping he proves the doubters wrong. Mainly because I don't have enough time or energy to follow his fortunes in other leagues or for other teams.

In fact this forum is the only place that he seems to come up as some great controversy for me. The hatred for him from Rosco is as obsessive and silly as his dipole in the idiots still worshipping at his shrine on RAWK. He doesn't need or deserve either extreme. In all my conversations with Liverpool supporters that I have in real life, there is a general acceptance that he was great at times and pretty flawed at the end. There's an acceptance that he's gone, that he's doing other things. Even the ones that didn't like him as much, or were more frustrated with him took a second when he left and thought, well fuck, that's unfortunate it turned out that way.

And the "well fuck, that's unfortunate" thing sort of continued where instead of living up to the considerable expectations he generated, instead we saw through a mixture of his own error, and the almost total financial destruction of the club, a steady decline in fortunes. The sad end to the whole tale, regardless of what you think of him, is him being at a club he never wanted to be at, as opposed to delivering what he and us wanted so badly, however you want to apportion his contributory negligence.

So, other than on here, that's what I think about it. I see him managing that shit club and think, ugh, that's unfortunate. It'll be unfortunate if he was successful there, and it'll be unfortunate if he is hounded out of the club by cunts.

I've moved on. Onward and remains to be seenward.

 

[Farkmaster]

It's not eagerness Farky, it's desperation to get out there again as it seems no big clubs have come to him since Inter.

As for agendas, ha!

It's absolutely desperation for a chance at that level.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

It's absolutely desperation for a chance at that level.

And I think most of us would have done the same thing ($, prestige, one big chance - may be his last, may not be) ... Oh well, I feel bad for him but happy for Chelsea.

 

[Rosco]

I don't hate Rafa btw, it's the bellends who think he's some magician that I can't stand.

 

[Ryan]

Fark completely owning this thread.

 

[Ryan]

I don't hate Rafa btw, it's the bellends who think he's some magician that I can't stand.

Who thinks he's a magician?

 

[Rosco]

The people who talk about the miracle in Istanbul that he's apparently responsible for. When the reality is we just got lucky.

Confusing luck for ability is a regular thing on here.

 

[mark1975]

The people who talk about the miracle in Istanbul that he's apparently responsible for. When the reality is we just got lucky.

Confusing luck for ability is a regular thing on here.

Ahhh.... the genius that failed to put a defensive midfielder on to quell the threat of the (then) best player in the World. Who then still wasn't going to put him on at half time until his hand was forced by Finnan getting injured and Gerrard reverting to right wing back.

Tactical brilliant right there.

 

[Gerry_A_Trick]

To say Rafa wasn't at least partly responsible for us winning the Champions League is stupid. We may have rode our luck at times through the competition, but you can't be just luck in beating that many teams and getting that many results. We most likely would not have won it that year, if we had Houllier in charge or most other managers.

 

[the count]

Ahhh.... the genius that failed to put a defensive midfielder on to quell the threat of the (then) best player in the World. Who then still wasn't going to put him on at half time until his hand was forced by Finnan getting injured and Gerrard reverting to right wing back.

Tactical brilliant right there.

To correct you there Mark, Didi was always coming on at half time, but he was meant to replace Traore.
Finnan was injured so he came off and Traore stayed on with magical results😉

 

[FoxForceFive]

He also went on to assemble THE best Liverpool side I've ever witnessed in reality (as opposed to on video). He then unfortunately disassembled that side through ego, slight madness & sheer bloody mindedness.

That combined with those blood sacking leeches we had as owners has led us down this path we are now on.

 

[Aidan O' Neill]

If he turns things round at Chelsea he'll be alright, but if he turns European champions into also rans at a third successive club he's fucked.

Who was the first one?

 

[themn]

Who was the first one?

Errrrm....us ?

*shrug*

 

[Judge Jules]

Fark completely owning this thread.

Yep.

 

[El Pistolero]

The people who talk about the miracle in Istanbul that he's apparently responsible for. When the reality is we just got lucky.

Confusing luck for ability is a regular thing on here.

Yep we were really lucky home and away against Juve.

I'm sorry to comeback from 3-0 down is not called luck mate. It took some belief and hard fucking work. Yes we rode our luck at some points in the game, but the whole campaign was not based on luck. That game in Turin we totally out thought Juve tactically which lies at the managers door for credit.

You like a dog with a bone when it comes to rafa. I'm not his biggest fan mate but some of your statements are ridiculous.

 

[Sunny]

Yeh, winning the European cup for the 5th time after being 3-0 down was shit. What a fucking downer it was. I'll never forget how ultimately rubbish that night was. I blame two people. Rafa Benitez and Luis Suarez. The latter who we should sell.

 

[Pesam]

I can't believe some posters are decrying Rafa's legacy because we got "lucky" against AC Milan! Even if it was true that Finnan's injury forced Rafa's hand and led us to a winning formula on the night it completely overlooks the fact that under Rafa we beat Inter Milan Home & Away, won in Barcelona, thumped Real madrid and Man Utd 4-1 in the same week, beat Chelsea in 2 CL semi-finals and a host of other great CL performances. The fact that he couldn't quite replicate the success in the league and that his last season was awful should never take away from the fact that Rafa made us one of Europe's top teams during his tenure.

I still hope he fails miserably at Chelsea.

 

[Rosco]

Yeh, winning the European cup for the 5th time after being 3-0 down was shit. What a fucking downer it was. I'll never forget how ultimately rubbish that night was. I blame two people. Rafa Benitez and Luis Suarez. The latter who we should sell.

Your the shittest troll ever.

I never said it was shit or a downer, but we were lucky.

 

[Judge Jules]

To correct you there Mark, Didi was always coming on at half time, but he was meant to replace Traore.
Finnan was injured so he came off and Traore stayed on with magical results😉

Whatever else he did (or, more to the point, didn't do) during his Liverpool career, Djimi made one crucial block on the line in that last frantic period of the 90 minutes when Milan were coming at us like flies on a dog turd. He was one of a number of players whose Liverpool careers as a whole were pretty undistinguished but who did at least one thing that night which helped us to victory.

 

[Jack D Rips]

He needs to win his next game. We dont want him to get sacked before mission is accomplished.

By the way we may have had some luck in extra time in Istanbul but to suggest our win was lucky, and to overlook the performances that got us through the tournament , is very shortsighted indeed.

 

[Woland]

I think the worst thing about Rafa getting all the credit for Istanbul is that I got absolutely none. I sacrificed one of my bollocks to Satan at half time. Where's my movie?

 

[gkmacca]

I think the worst thing about Rafa getting all the credit for Istanbul is that I got absolutely none. I sacrificed one of my bollocks to Satan at half time. Where's my movie?

Patience, man!! Dave Kirby's writing as fast as he can! You're in a queue of 41,000 due a haiku and spin-off am-dram one-act play at the Everyman next June.

 

[Sunny]

Your the shittest troll ever.

I never said it was shit or a downer, but we were lucky.

I'd hate to be as good a troll as you are Ross.

 

[Judge Jules]

Woland: in that case I'm surprised we didn't lose by 7 when Old Nick realised what he'd got.

Besides, everybody knows it was Old Faithful wot won it for us. I watched the first half downstairs, then the old warhorse went into action.

 

[Rosco]

He needs to win his next game. We dont want him to get sacked before mission is accomplished.

By the way we may have had some luck in extra time in Istanbul but to suggest our win was lucky, and to overlook the performances that got us through the tournament , is very shortsighted indeed.

Yup Rafa did a great job ensuring Gudjohnsen missed that volley in the semi

 

[themn]

Your the shittest troll ever.

I never said it was shit or a downer, but we were lucky.

Seriously, Ross...."you're".

*biggest tut ever*