Thanks Rafa
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Good Luck Rafa ...
Thanks Rafa. You tried your best and that's all anybody can ask for.
All the best. To quote from facebook status earlier:
Facts (he was right, and it had nothing to do with us blowing it). Sitting on the pitch for the penalty shootout. Visiting Robben in the hospital. Reverse DX chop at Allardyce. Slagging off The Lying Rag. Trying not to celebrate vs olympiakos. A small club. Istanbul. YNWA.
Facts (he was right, and it had nothing to do with us blowing it). Sitting on the pitch for the penalty shootout. Visiting Robben in the hospital. Reverse DX chop at Allardyce. Slagging off The Lying Rag. Trying not to celebrate vs olympiakos. A small club. Istanbul. YNWA.
[quote author=SaintGeorge67 link=topic=40468.msg1112875#msg1112875 date=1275608596]
All the best. To quote from facebook status earlier:
Facts (he was right, and it had nothing to do with us blowing it). Sitting on the pitch for the penalty shootout. Visiting Robben in the hospital. Reverse DX chop at Allardyce. Slagging off The Lying Rag. Trying not to celebrate vs olympiakos. A small club. Istanbul. YNWA.
[/quote]
Reading that has actually got me a bit choked up. Best of luck Rafa, YNWA.
All the best. To quote from facebook status earlier:
Facts (he was right, and it had nothing to do with us blowing it). Sitting on the pitch for the penalty shootout. Visiting Robben in the hospital. Reverse DX chop at Allardyce. Slagging off The Lying Rag. Trying not to celebrate vs olympiakos. A small club. Istanbul. YNWA.
[/quote]
Reading that has actually got me a bit choked up. Best of luck Rafa, YNWA.
[quote author=localny link=topic=40468.msg1112859#msg1112859 date=1275607038]
Thanks Rafa, it may have been time to part company, but I won't forget how you took us from European also rans back into Europe's Elite. Wins galore, great European nights, and a heart of gold. YNWA.
[/quote]
This ^
Thanks Rafa, it may have been time to part company, but I won't forget how you took us from European also rans back into Europe's Elite. Wins galore, great European nights, and a heart of gold. YNWA.
[/quote]
This ^
[quote author=eecheerow link=topic=40468.msg1112918#msg1112918 date=1275615377]
[quote author=localny link=topic=40468.msg1112859#msg1112859 date=1275607038]
Thanks Rafa, it may have been time to part company, but I won't forget how you took us from European also rans back into Europe's Elite. Wins galore, great European nights, and a heart of gold. YNWA.
[/quote]
This ^
[/quote]
*2
[quote author=localny link=topic=40468.msg1112859#msg1112859 date=1275607038]
Thanks Rafa, it may have been time to part company, but I won't forget how you took us from European also rans back into Europe's Elite. Wins galore, great European nights, and a heart of gold. YNWA.
[/quote]
This ^
[/quote]
*2
Thanks Rafa..
i will always have some amazing memories and your love for the club and the fans wont be forgotten.
YNWA.
i will always have some amazing memories and your love for the club and the fans wont be forgotten.
YNWA.
I think it's fairly safe to say that a recognition and appreciation of what Rafa brought to our club has been entirely lost in the last 24 hours. It's definitnely been competely overshadowed by an endless queue of short-sighted posters only to glad to outdo one another in descirbing Rafa's apparent ineptitude as our Manager. Which is a fucking pity.
Like a jilted lover, I've gone through the ensuing denial, and am now ready too to flirt with other options. Unfortunately Roy Hodgson's neither the cocktease, nor the rebound lover I'm desperately in need of. In fact, the more the options get laid out - MON, McLeish, Hughes, etc- the more I miss what we've just lost. Like a fucking sucker, I just sat through thsoe rather shoddily produced youtube efforts in Skully's thread. And like a fucking 14 year old, I got emotional. It was pretty hard not to.
What Rafa achieved for us, has been at best derided recently, at worst - utterly forgotten. How can someone who brought us back to the elite of European and World football be so badly farewelled? It's staggeringly embarassing for a club so proud of it's treatment of its own. If Houllier brought our pride back, Benitez gave us a taste of the glory. The single best nights of my life as a football fan are directly attributed to Benitez, and that's something for me at least to be thankful for. Olympiakos at home. That first half hour against a truly incredible Juventus side. Tactically suffocating them with Nunez and Baros in the side at the Olympic Stadium. That feeling at the final whistle after beating Chelsea in the semi-final. the YNWA from that game. Fuck me what a feeling. Istanbul. Fucking fucking Istanbul. The greatest night of my life as a Liverpool fan. Be careful what you wish for folks, cos we may not experience another Istanbul in our lifetime. Whalloping United at Old Trafford. Putting 6 past Villa, and it could have been 12. Gerrard's volley in the Cup Final. Destroying the mighty Real Madrid home and away. Managing the team at the World Club Final a day after his Father dies, and not saying one word about it. Every single great memory about Liverpool that I've experienced in the last 5 years, I'll still be talking and typing about in 50 years time, cos it was that damn good, and means that damn much.
Like the rest of you, I grew tired of the excuses, the sniping to the Press, him undermining the owners (was that really that unforgivable anyway?), and the increasingly common baffling on and off pitch decisions. But you take the rough with the smooth. If we were offered the chance to experience those highs 5 years ago, and kew that the caveat was a 7th place finish at the end you'd have taken it every day of the week. I would at least.
I'm grateful to the man, I'm upset he's gone. I genuinely do feel that he loved the club. He spoke fondly, often, about the city, the fans, the club, and it was clear to all the respect he had for where he was. That it's come to this is sad, and extremely disappointing. Simialr to Houllier, I'm sure it's as upsetting to him that he hasn't taken us to the ultimate glory. Doesn't mean we can't be grateful for what he did achieve, and the memories of those nights that we will never forget.
Cheers Rafa, YNWA.
Like a jilted lover, I've gone through the ensuing denial, and am now ready too to flirt with other options. Unfortunately Roy Hodgson's neither the cocktease, nor the rebound lover I'm desperately in need of. In fact, the more the options get laid out - MON, McLeish, Hughes, etc- the more I miss what we've just lost. Like a fucking sucker, I just sat through thsoe rather shoddily produced youtube efforts in Skully's thread. And like a fucking 14 year old, I got emotional. It was pretty hard not to.
What Rafa achieved for us, has been at best derided recently, at worst - utterly forgotten. How can someone who brought us back to the elite of European and World football be so badly farewelled? It's staggeringly embarassing for a club so proud of it's treatment of its own. If Houllier brought our pride back, Benitez gave us a taste of the glory. The single best nights of my life as a football fan are directly attributed to Benitez, and that's something for me at least to be thankful for. Olympiakos at home. That first half hour against a truly incredible Juventus side. Tactically suffocating them with Nunez and Baros in the side at the Olympic Stadium. That feeling at the final whistle after beating Chelsea in the semi-final. the YNWA from that game. Fuck me what a feeling. Istanbul. Fucking fucking Istanbul. The greatest night of my life as a Liverpool fan. Be careful what you wish for folks, cos we may not experience another Istanbul in our lifetime. Whalloping United at Old Trafford. Putting 6 past Villa, and it could have been 12. Gerrard's volley in the Cup Final. Destroying the mighty Real Madrid home and away. Managing the team at the World Club Final a day after his Father dies, and not saying one word about it. Every single great memory about Liverpool that I've experienced in the last 5 years, I'll still be talking and typing about in 50 years time, cos it was that damn good, and means that damn much.
Like the rest of you, I grew tired of the excuses, the sniping to the Press, him undermining the owners (was that really that unforgivable anyway?), and the increasingly common baffling on and off pitch decisions. But you take the rough with the smooth. If we were offered the chance to experience those highs 5 years ago, and kew that the caveat was a 7th place finish at the end you'd have taken it every day of the week. I would at least.
I'm grateful to the man, I'm upset he's gone. I genuinely do feel that he loved the club. He spoke fondly, often, about the city, the fans, the club, and it was clear to all the respect he had for where he was. That it's come to this is sad, and extremely disappointing. Simialr to Houllier, I'm sure it's as upsetting to him that he hasn't taken us to the ultimate glory. Doesn't mean we can't be grateful for what he did achieve, and the memories of those nights that we will never forget.
Cheers Rafa, YNWA.
Thanks for the part you played in the good memories Rafa.
i'm sad too, ryan. i don't think it's fully sunk in that there'll be no happy ending to his reign. and, as you say, when you look around for some rebound sex it gets even more depressing. in a less palsied fiscal state 🙂 i'd be much more excited by the change as rafa had glaring weaknesses, but it seems besides the point at the minute. we will now lose our CL status for good, imo.
[quote author=Ryan link=topic=40468.msg1112961#msg1112961 date=1275626882]
Like the rest of you, I grew tired of the excuses, the sniping to the Press, him undermining the owners (was that really that unforgivable anyway?), and the increasingly common baffling on and off pitch decisions. But you take the rough with the smooth. If we were offered the chance to experience those highs 5 years ago, and kew that the caveat was a 7th place finish at the end you'd have taken it every day of the week. I would at least.
I'm grateful to the man, I'm upset he's gone. I genuinely do feel that he loved the club. He spoke fondly, often, about the city, the fans, the club, and it was clear to all the respect he had for where he was. That it's come to this is sad, and extremely disappointing. Simialr to Houllier, I'm sure it's as upsetting to him that he hasn't taken us to the ultimate glory. Doesn't mean we can't be grateful for what he did achieve, and the memories of those nights that we will never forget.
Cheers Rafa, YNWA.
[/quote]
Ryan, this sums it all up. Really well written. I'm usually jaded but tonight very sad - Rafa gave us a lot of good times, and II know it's only a game, but I feel a sense of loss. Call it a Diana moment, but Rafa made me believe again. Some Amazing results, he had us punching above our weight for years. We'd be lucky to find another as good, and as dedicated. One of a kind.
Like the rest of you, I grew tired of the excuses, the sniping to the Press, him undermining the owners (was that really that unforgivable anyway?), and the increasingly common baffling on and off pitch decisions. But you take the rough with the smooth. If we were offered the chance to experience those highs 5 years ago, and kew that the caveat was a 7th place finish at the end you'd have taken it every day of the week. I would at least.
I'm grateful to the man, I'm upset he's gone. I genuinely do feel that he loved the club. He spoke fondly, often, about the city, the fans, the club, and it was clear to all the respect he had for where he was. That it's come to this is sad, and extremely disappointing. Simialr to Houllier, I'm sure it's as upsetting to him that he hasn't taken us to the ultimate glory. Doesn't mean we can't be grateful for what he did achieve, and the memories of those nights that we will never forget.
Cheers Rafa, YNWA.
[/quote]
Ryan, this sums it all up. Really well written. I'm usually jaded but tonight very sad - Rafa gave us a lot of good times, and II know it's only a game, but I feel a sense of loss. Call it a Diana moment, but Rafa made me believe again. Some Amazing results, he had us punching above our weight for years. We'd be lucky to find another as good, and as dedicated. One of a kind.
What Ryan said
I'll miss you Rafa. Thank you. I wish we could keep you to manage us on European nights.
[quote author=Ryan link=topic=40468.msg1112961#msg1112961 date=1275626882]
I'm grateful to the man, I'm upset he's gone. I genuinely do feel that he loved the club. He spoke fondly, often, about the city, the fans, the club, and it was clear to all the respect he had for where he was. That it's come to this is sad, and extremely disappointing. Simialr to Houllier, I'm sure it's as upsetting to him that he hasn't taken us to the ultimate glory. Doesn't mean we can't be grateful for what he did achieve, and the memories of those nights that we will never forget.
Cheers Rafa, YNWA.
[/quote]
Great post Ryan.
I think ultimately he perhaps took us as far as he could. I think he had his limitations and they were often self imposed. There was something quite grand about Benitez, he seemed to only to be able to work at the high level of the game, by which I mean, throw him into a situation of win or bust and he'd put together a tactical plan to do it. Give him a good team and he'd show you some brilliance, but ask him to build one, or a squad as it were, and he'd fall short or show too many inconsistencies.
It was often the minor details, the basics, that he seemed to over-complicate at times and I feel that was his downfall.
That said, I agree wholeheartedly regarding his love for the City, his respect for our fans and our history and his genuine desire to do the best for us.
I'm glad there's a thread to balance out half the bile being thrown out by Terrier and the likes. It's good to see our best posters showing due respect.
Well done Rafa, I wish you the very, very best for the future and you'll always be a part of Anfield Folklore.
YNWA
I'm grateful to the man, I'm upset he's gone. I genuinely do feel that he loved the club. He spoke fondly, often, about the city, the fans, the club, and it was clear to all the respect he had for where he was. That it's come to this is sad, and extremely disappointing. Simialr to Houllier, I'm sure it's as upsetting to him that he hasn't taken us to the ultimate glory. Doesn't mean we can't be grateful for what he did achieve, and the memories of those nights that we will never forget.
Cheers Rafa, YNWA.
[/quote]
Great post Ryan.
I think ultimately he perhaps took us as far as he could. I think he had his limitations and they were often self imposed. There was something quite grand about Benitez, he seemed to only to be able to work at the high level of the game, by which I mean, throw him into a situation of win or bust and he'd put together a tactical plan to do it. Give him a good team and he'd show you some brilliance, but ask him to build one, or a squad as it were, and he'd fall short or show too many inconsistencies.
It was often the minor details, the basics, that he seemed to over-complicate at times and I feel that was his downfall.
That said, I agree wholeheartedly regarding his love for the City, his respect for our fans and our history and his genuine desire to do the best for us.
I'm glad there's a thread to balance out half the bile being thrown out by Terrier and the likes. It's good to see our best posters showing due respect.
Well done Rafa, I wish you the very, very best for the future and you'll always be a part of Anfield Folklore.
YNWA
Great post, Ryan.
I will always have room in my heart for Rafa, and I will alwyas look for the reults of whichever team he manages and hope he wins (unless it's agains us, and unless it's MU or Real...). Rafa will always be remembered as a Liverpool man. He's secured himself a honourable place in this club's history.
Such a shame it seems like that was as far as he could take us in the current circumstances. I hope we get someone better suited for us, but I somehow have my doubts.
YNWA Rafael Benitez!
Muchisimas Gracias por todo!
I will always have room in my heart for Rafa, and I will alwyas look for the reults of whichever team he manages and hope he wins (unless it's agains us, and unless it's MU or Real...). Rafa will always be remembered as a Liverpool man. He's secured himself a honourable place in this club's history.
Such a shame it seems like that was as far as he could take us in the current circumstances. I hope we get someone better suited for us, but I somehow have my doubts.
YNWA Rafael Benitez!
Muchisimas Gracias por todo!
Great post Ryan.
Like you I am extremely disappointed and only hope a takeover is now close. Will Torres, Gerrard et al want to stay with MoN or Woy in charge? I doubt it.
Unless there there are investors very close to buying into the club or a full takeover who have their own man ready, this is without one of the most doubt the most shambolic decisions the club has made since Dave decided to listen to Rick about his mates George & Tom. Cos they were much better.
I hate football today. It can fuck off.
Like you I am extremely disappointed and only hope a takeover is now close. Will Torres, Gerrard et al want to stay with MoN or Woy in charge? I doubt it.
Unless there there are investors very close to buying into the club or a full takeover who have their own man ready, this is without one of the most doubt the most shambolic decisions the club has made since Dave decided to listen to Rick about his mates George & Tom. Cos they were much better.
I hate football today. It can fuck off.
He has indeed been good for our club.
1st Season - CL winner, Carling Cup Final
2nd Season - FA Cup winner
3rd Season - CL Final
4th Season - A trophy-less but stable season. But this was the beginning of a phase of very poor transfer dealings that Benitez never recovered from.
5th Season - In with a chance (i would say in spite of several bad decisions by the management team and manager) to win the league in the last game of the season. Finished second with record points tally for the club
6th Season - A truly atrocious season -direct result of consecutive poor transfer dealings and the manager falling out unnecessarily with good squad players.
Looking back, i don't think he can have any complaints about getting the sack. He has been afforded more time than he would have got anywhere else in the world. At the same time, he can't be classified as a failure. He has had considerable success over time. But it appears the more control he had on things, the poorer the results on the pitch were. Perhaps Valencia was right to get him a Sofa when he wanted a lampshade.
1st Season - CL winner, Carling Cup Final
2nd Season - FA Cup winner
3rd Season - CL Final
4th Season - A trophy-less but stable season. But this was the beginning of a phase of very poor transfer dealings that Benitez never recovered from.
5th Season - In with a chance (i would say in spite of several bad decisions by the management team and manager) to win the league in the last game of the season. Finished second with record points tally for the club
6th Season - A truly atrocious season -direct result of consecutive poor transfer dealings and the manager falling out unnecessarily with good squad players.
Looking back, i don't think he can have any complaints about getting the sack. He has been afforded more time than he would have got anywhere else in the world. At the same time, he can't be classified as a failure. He has had considerable success over time. But it appears the more control he had on things, the poorer the results on the pitch were. Perhaps Valencia was right to get him a Sofa when he wanted a lampshade.
[quote author=Ryan link=topic=40468.msg1112961#msg1112961 date=1275626882]
I think it's fairly safe to say that a recognition and appreciation of what Rafa brought to our club has been entirely lost in the last 24 hours. It's definitnely been competely overshadowed by an endless queue of short-sighted posters only to glad to outdo one another in descirbing Rafa's apparent ineptitude as our Manager. Which is a fucking pity.
Like a jilted lover, I've gone through the ensuing denial, and am now ready too to flirt with other options. Unfortunately Roy Hodgson's neither the cocktease, nor the rebound lover I'm desperately in need of. In fact, the more the options get laid out - MON, McLeish, Hughes, etc- the more I miss what we've just lost. Like a fucking sucker, I just sat through thsoe rather shoddily produced youtube efforts in Skully's thread. And like a fucking 14 year old, I got emotional. It was pretty hard not to.
What Rafa achieved for us, has been at best derided recently, at worst - utterly forgotten. How can someone who brought us back to the elite of European and World football be so badly farewelled? It's staggeringly embarassing for a club so proud of it's treatment of its own. If Houllier brought our pride back, Benitez gave us a taste of the glory. The single best nights of my life as a football fan are directly attributed to Benitez, and that's something for me at least to be thankful for. Olympiakos at home. That first half hour against a truly incredible Juventus side. Tactically suffocating them with Nunez and Baros in the side at the Olympic Stadium. That feeling at the final whistle after beating Chelsea in the semi-final. the YNWA from that game. Fuck me what a feeling. Istanbul. Fucking fucking Istanbul. The greatest night of my life as a Liverpool fan. Be careful what you wish for folks, cos we may not experience another Istanbul in our lifetime. Whalloping United at Old Trafford. Putting 6 past Villa, and it could have been 12. Gerrard's volley in the Cup Final. Destroying the mighty Real Madrid home and away. Managing the team at the World Club Final a day after his Father dies, and not saying one word about it. Every single great memory about Liverpool that I've experienced in the last 5 years, I'll still be talking and typing about in 50 years time, cos it was that damn good, and means that damn much.
Like the rest of you, I grew tired of the excuses, the sniping to the Press, him undermining the owners (was that really that unforgivable anyway?), and the increasingly common baffling on and off pitch decisions. But you take the rough with the smooth. If we were offered the chance to experience those highs 5 years ago, and kew that the caveat was a 7th place finish at the end you'd have taken it every day of the week. I would at least.
I'm grateful to the man, I'm upset he's gone. I genuinely do feel that he loved the club. He spoke fondly, often, about the city, the fans, the club, and it was clear to all the respect he had for where he was. That it's come to this is sad, and extremely disappointing. Simialr to Houllier, I'm sure it's as upsetting to him that he hasn't taken us to the ultimate glory. Doesn't mean we can't be grateful for what he did achieve, and the memories of those nights that we will never forget.
Cheers Rafa, YNWA.
[/quote]
His first three seasons were indeed great. His next three was more like a gradual decline with 2008/2009 standing out for some rare moments of brilliance, but more glaringly for failing to grasp a mega opportunity. He could not scale the heights he set himself in Europe. Even when chance presented to win the league, he let it slip through the hands. I really believe better decision making would have made him a league winner and immortal at least as far as liverpool fans go.
Still he lead us as far as he can. He always acted in the best interest of the club. YNWA.
YNWA Rafa.
I think it's fairly safe to say that a recognition and appreciation of what Rafa brought to our club has been entirely lost in the last 24 hours. It's definitnely been competely overshadowed by an endless queue of short-sighted posters only to glad to outdo one another in descirbing Rafa's apparent ineptitude as our Manager. Which is a fucking pity.
Like a jilted lover, I've gone through the ensuing denial, and am now ready too to flirt with other options. Unfortunately Roy Hodgson's neither the cocktease, nor the rebound lover I'm desperately in need of. In fact, the more the options get laid out - MON, McLeish, Hughes, etc- the more I miss what we've just lost. Like a fucking sucker, I just sat through thsoe rather shoddily produced youtube efforts in Skully's thread. And like a fucking 14 year old, I got emotional. It was pretty hard not to.
What Rafa achieved for us, has been at best derided recently, at worst - utterly forgotten. How can someone who brought us back to the elite of European and World football be so badly farewelled? It's staggeringly embarassing for a club so proud of it's treatment of its own. If Houllier brought our pride back, Benitez gave us a taste of the glory. The single best nights of my life as a football fan are directly attributed to Benitez, and that's something for me at least to be thankful for. Olympiakos at home. That first half hour against a truly incredible Juventus side. Tactically suffocating them with Nunez and Baros in the side at the Olympic Stadium. That feeling at the final whistle after beating Chelsea in the semi-final. the YNWA from that game. Fuck me what a feeling. Istanbul. Fucking fucking Istanbul. The greatest night of my life as a Liverpool fan. Be careful what you wish for folks, cos we may not experience another Istanbul in our lifetime. Whalloping United at Old Trafford. Putting 6 past Villa, and it could have been 12. Gerrard's volley in the Cup Final. Destroying the mighty Real Madrid home and away. Managing the team at the World Club Final a day after his Father dies, and not saying one word about it. Every single great memory about Liverpool that I've experienced in the last 5 years, I'll still be talking and typing about in 50 years time, cos it was that damn good, and means that damn much.
Like the rest of you, I grew tired of the excuses, the sniping to the Press, him undermining the owners (was that really that unforgivable anyway?), and the increasingly common baffling on and off pitch decisions. But you take the rough with the smooth. If we were offered the chance to experience those highs 5 years ago, and kew that the caveat was a 7th place finish at the end you'd have taken it every day of the week. I would at least.
I'm grateful to the man, I'm upset he's gone. I genuinely do feel that he loved the club. He spoke fondly, often, about the city, the fans, the club, and it was clear to all the respect he had for where he was. That it's come to this is sad, and extremely disappointing. Simialr to Houllier, I'm sure it's as upsetting to him that he hasn't taken us to the ultimate glory. Doesn't mean we can't be grateful for what he did achieve, and the memories of those nights that we will never forget.
Cheers Rafa, YNWA.
[/quote]
His first three seasons were indeed great. His next three was more like a gradual decline with 2008/2009 standing out for some rare moments of brilliance, but more glaringly for failing to grasp a mega opportunity. He could not scale the heights he set himself in Europe. Even when chance presented to win the league, he let it slip through the hands. I really believe better decision making would have made him a league winner and immortal at least as far as liverpool fans go.
Still he lead us as far as he can. He always acted in the best interest of the club. YNWA.
YNWA Rafa.
[quote author=mark1975 link=topic=40468.msg1112993#msg1112993 date=1275636445]
[quote author=Ryan link=topic=40468.msg1112961#msg1112961 date=1275626882]
I'm grateful to the man, I'm upset he's gone. I genuinely do feel that he loved the club. He spoke fondly, often, about the city, the fans, the club, and it was clear to all the respect he had for where he was. That it's come to this is sad, and extremely disappointing. Simialr to Houllier, I'm sure it's as upsetting to him that he hasn't taken us to the ultimate glory. Doesn't mean we can't be grateful for what he did achieve, and the memories of those nights that we will never forget.
Cheers Rafa, YNWA.
[/quote]
Great post Ryan.
I think ultimately he perhaps took us as far as he could. I think he had his limitations and they were often self imposed. There was something quite grand about Benitez, he seemed to only to be able to work at the high level of the game, by which I mean, throw him into a situation of win or bust and he'd put together a tactical plan to do it. Give him a good team and he'd show you some brilliance, but ask him to build one, or a squad as it were, and he'd fall short or show too many inconsistencies.
It was often the minor details, the basics, that he seemed to over-complicate at times and I feel that was his downfall.
That said, I agree wholeheartedly regarding his love for the City, his respect for our fans and our history and his genuine desire to do the best for us.
I'm glad there's a thread to balance out half the bile being thrown out by Terrier and the likes. It's good to see our best posters showing due respect.
Well done Rafa, I wish you the very, very best for the future and you'll always be a part of Anfield Folklore.
YNWA
[/quote]
This.
Whilst I'm regarded as a 'Rafa-hater', (without merit if I may) ; I'm saddened at his departure.
I think he ultimately failed, but I know he did his best.
[quote author=Ryan link=topic=40468.msg1112961#msg1112961 date=1275626882]
I'm grateful to the man, I'm upset he's gone. I genuinely do feel that he loved the club. He spoke fondly, often, about the city, the fans, the club, and it was clear to all the respect he had for where he was. That it's come to this is sad, and extremely disappointing. Simialr to Houllier, I'm sure it's as upsetting to him that he hasn't taken us to the ultimate glory. Doesn't mean we can't be grateful for what he did achieve, and the memories of those nights that we will never forget.
Cheers Rafa, YNWA.
[/quote]
Great post Ryan.
I think ultimately he perhaps took us as far as he could. I think he had his limitations and they were often self imposed. There was something quite grand about Benitez, he seemed to only to be able to work at the high level of the game, by which I mean, throw him into a situation of win or bust and he'd put together a tactical plan to do it. Give him a good team and he'd show you some brilliance, but ask him to build one, or a squad as it were, and he'd fall short or show too many inconsistencies.
It was often the minor details, the basics, that he seemed to over-complicate at times and I feel that was his downfall.
That said, I agree wholeheartedly regarding his love for the City, his respect for our fans and our history and his genuine desire to do the best for us.
I'm glad there's a thread to balance out half the bile being thrown out by Terrier and the likes. It's good to see our best posters showing due respect.
Well done Rafa, I wish you the very, very best for the future and you'll always be a part of Anfield Folklore.
YNWA
[/quote]
This.
Whilst I'm regarded as a 'Rafa-hater', (without merit if I may) ; I'm saddened at his departure.
I think he ultimately failed, but I know he did his best.
Monty and the kids will be lost...
Rafa.. take a few years off.. you deserve it.
Rafa.. take a few years off.. you deserve it.
[quote author=Ryan link=topic=40468.msg1112961#msg1112961 date=1275626882]
I think it's fairly safe to say that a recognition and appreciation of what Rafa brought to our club has been entirely lost in the last 24 hours. It's definitnely been competely overshadowed by an endless queue of short-sighted posters only to glad to outdo one another in descirbing Rafa's apparent ineptitude as our Manager. Which is a fucking pity.
Like a jilted lover, I've gone through the ensuing denial, and am now ready too to flirt with other options. Unfortunately Roy Hodgson's neither the cocktease, nor the rebound lover I'm desperately in need of. In fact, the more the options get laid out - MON, McLeish, Hughes, etc- the more I miss what we've just lost. Like a fucking sucker, I just sat through thsoe rather shoddily produced youtube efforts in Skully's thread. And like a fucking 14 year old, I got emotional. It was pretty hard not to.
What Rafa achieved for us, has been at best derided recently, at worst - utterly forgotten. How can someone who brought us back to the elite of European and World football be so badly farewelled? It's staggeringly embarassing for a club so proud of it's treatment of its own. If Houllier brought our pride back, Benitez gave us a taste of the glory. The single best nights of my life as a football fan are directly attributed to Benitez, and that's something for me at least to be thankful for. Olympiakos at home. That first half hour against a truly incredible Juventus side. Tactically suffocating them with Nunez and Baros in the side at the Olympic Stadium. That feeling at the final whistle after beating Chelsea in the semi-final. the YNWA from that game. Fuck me what a feeling. Istanbul. Fucking fucking Istanbul. The greatest night of my life as a Liverpool fan. Be careful what you wish for folks, cos we may not experience another Istanbul in our lifetime. Whalloping United at Old Trafford. Putting 6 past Villa, and it could have been 12. Gerrard's volley in the Cup Final. Destroying the mighty Real Madrid home and away. Managing the team at the World Club Final a day after his Father dies, and not saying one word about it. Every single great memory about Liverpool that I've experienced in the last 5 years, I'll still be talking and typing about in 50 years time, cos it was that damn good, and means that damn much.
Like the rest of you, I grew tired of the excuses, the sniping to the Press, him undermining the owners (was that really that unforgivable anyway?), and the increasingly common baffling on and off pitch decisions. But you take the rough with the smooth. If we were offered the chance to experience those highs 5 years ago, and kew that the caveat was a 7th place finish at the end you'd have taken it every day of the week. I would at least.
I'm grateful to the man, I'm upset he's gone. I genuinely do feel that he loved the club. He spoke fondly, often, about the city, the fans, the club, and it was clear to all the respect he had for where he was. That it's come to this is sad, and extremely disappointing. Simialr to Houllier, I'm sure it's as upsetting to him that he hasn't taken us to the ultimate glory. Doesn't mean we can't be grateful for what he did achieve, and the memories of those nights that we will never forget.
Cheers Rafa, YNWA.
[/quote]
Says it better than I could.
I especially liked
As much as I've been an outspoken critic of the man, it's undoubtable that he's given us some fantastic memories and demands respect, though I fear for some he might go the way of Ged and people will let their frustrations of this last season cloud their overall view of his tenure. I think at his worst Rafa suffered from a lack of judgement and a touch of stubbornness, but these are not things to denigrate his character or his achievements.
Yes, he was frustrating at times, but then also capable of inspiring great things.
Well done Rafa, you did your best and brought us some great times along the way.
YNWA
I think it's fairly safe to say that a recognition and appreciation of what Rafa brought to our club has been entirely lost in the last 24 hours. It's definitnely been competely overshadowed by an endless queue of short-sighted posters only to glad to outdo one another in descirbing Rafa's apparent ineptitude as our Manager. Which is a fucking pity.
Like a jilted lover, I've gone through the ensuing denial, and am now ready too to flirt with other options. Unfortunately Roy Hodgson's neither the cocktease, nor the rebound lover I'm desperately in need of. In fact, the more the options get laid out - MON, McLeish, Hughes, etc- the more I miss what we've just lost. Like a fucking sucker, I just sat through thsoe rather shoddily produced youtube efforts in Skully's thread. And like a fucking 14 year old, I got emotional. It was pretty hard not to.
What Rafa achieved for us, has been at best derided recently, at worst - utterly forgotten. How can someone who brought us back to the elite of European and World football be so badly farewelled? It's staggeringly embarassing for a club so proud of it's treatment of its own. If Houllier brought our pride back, Benitez gave us a taste of the glory. The single best nights of my life as a football fan are directly attributed to Benitez, and that's something for me at least to be thankful for. Olympiakos at home. That first half hour against a truly incredible Juventus side. Tactically suffocating them with Nunez and Baros in the side at the Olympic Stadium. That feeling at the final whistle after beating Chelsea in the semi-final. the YNWA from that game. Fuck me what a feeling. Istanbul. Fucking fucking Istanbul. The greatest night of my life as a Liverpool fan. Be careful what you wish for folks, cos we may not experience another Istanbul in our lifetime. Whalloping United at Old Trafford. Putting 6 past Villa, and it could have been 12. Gerrard's volley in the Cup Final. Destroying the mighty Real Madrid home and away. Managing the team at the World Club Final a day after his Father dies, and not saying one word about it. Every single great memory about Liverpool that I've experienced in the last 5 years, I'll still be talking and typing about in 50 years time, cos it was that damn good, and means that damn much.
Like the rest of you, I grew tired of the excuses, the sniping to the Press, him undermining the owners (was that really that unforgivable anyway?), and the increasingly common baffling on and off pitch decisions. But you take the rough with the smooth. If we were offered the chance to experience those highs 5 years ago, and kew that the caveat was a 7th place finish at the end you'd have taken it every day of the week. I would at least.
I'm grateful to the man, I'm upset he's gone. I genuinely do feel that he loved the club. He spoke fondly, often, about the city, the fans, the club, and it was clear to all the respect he had for where he was. That it's come to this is sad, and extremely disappointing. Simialr to Houllier, I'm sure it's as upsetting to him that he hasn't taken us to the ultimate glory. Doesn't mean we can't be grateful for what he did achieve, and the memories of those nights that we will never forget.
Cheers Rafa, YNWA.
[/quote]
Says it better than I could.
I especially liked
As much as I've been an outspoken critic of the man, it's undoubtable that he's given us some fantastic memories and demands respect, though I fear for some he might go the way of Ged and people will let their frustrations of this last season cloud their overall view of his tenure. I think at his worst Rafa suffered from a lack of judgement and a touch of stubbornness, but these are not things to denigrate his character or his achievements.
Yes, he was frustrating at times, but then also capable of inspiring great things.
Well done Rafa, you did your best and brought us some great times along the way.
YNWA
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