[quote author=Squiggles link=topic=42337.msg1201796#msg1201796 date=1287582274]
[quote author=ibromurph link=topic=42337.msg1201763#msg1201763 date=1287581214]
[quote author=the count link=topic=42337.msg1201759#msg1201759 date=1287580998]
[quote author=ibromurph link=topic=42337.msg1201757#msg1201757 date=1287580872]
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[quote author=Squiggles link=topic=42337.msg1201708#msg1201708 date=1287577780]
[quote author=ibromurph link=topic=42337.msg1201615#msg1201615 date=1287571631]
I like Rijkaard, admire his footballing philosophy and generally appreciate what he's done for Barca. However, I'd VERY concerned about appointing him NOW that we are in the relegation zone. His footballing ideals will take time to take effect, and that's time we don't have right now.
Rijkaard is the sort of manager that needs at least a full pre-season behind him with a team, so he can measure who will fit in where. Get Kenny in now till we've got 40+points and bring Rijkaard/(a young forward-thinking manager) in then.
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He took Barca from the relegation zone to second in his first season.
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lol pwned
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.. too soon.
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Barcelona (2003–2008)
Rijkaard was not out of a coaching role for long, and less than a year after leaving Sparta Rotterdam, he was appointed manager of Barcelona for the 2003–04 season. The season would prove to be a watershed for the club, but not without initial instability. Rijkaard arrived at the club as it entered a new phase, having elected a new President in Joan Laporta and a new managerial board, but with fans unhappy that Laporta had let English midfielder David Beckham snub the chance to join the club. For Rijkaard, the team he inherited, with the exception of new superstar signing Ronaldinho (who was the club's second choice after Beckham), also consisted of many underachieving players from the old guard and era that failed to meet the club and its fans' demands to match arch rival Real Madrid's success in the early 2000s, having not won a trophy since 1999.
Rijkaard had a disappointing start at Barcelona that saw some sections of the club's fans call for his resignation, and he drew flak from the media when the team lost to Real Madrid in December 2003.[3] Rijkaard's resilience won through and from 2004 onwards, he achieved a massive turnaround, as the team went from strength to strength. Barcelona finished runners-up in La Liga in 2003–04, having been close to the relegation zone at one point in the earlier stages of the season. Rijkaard then took Barcelona to the next level as he phased out the old guard and rebuilt a new-look side around Ronaldinho, with new players like Deco, Samuel Eto'o, Rafael Márquez and Ludovic Giuly, along with the latest promotion of some young players from the previous era trained in the club's youth teams (i.e. VÃctor Valdés, Carles Puyol, Xavi and Andrés Iniesta). He eventually succeeded in turning around the fortunes of the club, with the strong support of Laporta, and within the next couple of years finally managed to win La Liga both in 2004–05 and in 2005–06.
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*confused*?
Read my first post.
He took charge of Barca in the summer of 03. Not whilst they were actually in the relegation zone (i.e. us).
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Yes, but the point I was making is that turning a club around is nothing new to him, which is exactly what I said. In fact it's harder for an incumbent manager to oversee such a turnaround in fortunes than a boss coming in.
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Your first post didn't really contradict mine if that's what you meant. Don't know why you quoted me as he didn't take on Barca whilst they were in the relegation zone (our situation).
Moreover, I wouldn't be confident that he could turn us around if he came in NOW either (the summer would be fine).
Right now, he wouldn't have any money to spend (till Jan), and his footballing is based around fitting players into his own attacking system which lightyears away from what we've seen at Anfield for the last decade. The players wouldn't be capable of adapting IMO. Not without time. It would be a disaster before its begun.
And I like Rijkaard.
