The perception of Rafa (bring popcorn)

[LeTallecWiz]

Newcastle fans are really really dim if they think Rafa going to them is 'bad' for them ... It's more a stain on him - a better club should be coming in for him, he's earned it with how he's managed the Chelsea mess.

Maybe it's his chance to go to Madrid.

 

[localny]

Honestly, This reminds me of my Leaving Certificate English exam. "Rafa Benitez is a man more sinned against than sinning"

Discuss.

And of course "How sharper than a serpents tooth, it is, to have a thankless child"

 

[Spionkop69]

I don't understand it, it's totally bizarre. Even the Chelsea hatred I don't really get. What did he actually do to them?? Mourinho beat us a few times and did the whole 'shush' thing yet most of us find him more or less tolerable - there certainly wouldn't be mass protests if he turned up as manager. I know people blame the media but is that really it? I remember until his last season the standard media line on us was that he was the one great asset we had to protect us from the H&G nonsense.

Dunno. It's just really weird.

Its quite simple. It was the comment he made when managing Liverpool when he said we didn't need free plastic flags to generate an atmosphere.

I will not support Mourinho if he were to manage us and indeed, I would feel obliged to fashion a crudely drawn placard or white sheet telling he's not welcome here. Why? He kept saying "ghost goal". The fucking whopper...

 

[Spionkop69]

Hang on - I came in here for an argument!

Is that just the five minute argument? Or the full half hour?

 

[localny]

Its quite simple. It was the comment he made when managing Liverpool when he said we didn't need free plastic flags to generate an atmosphere.

I will not support Mourinho if he were to manage us and indeed, I would feel obliged to fashion a crudely drawn placard or white sheet telling he's not welcome here. Why? He kept saying "ghost goal". The fucking whopper...

They are plastic fans. 100%. I hope he says a few dingers when he leaves too. As for Maureen, I concur

 

[peterhague]

Is that just the five minute argument? Or the full half hour?

I've told you once John.

 

[tony]

Its quite simple. It was the comment he made when managing Liverpool when he said we didn't need free plastic flags to generate an atmosphere.

I will not support Mourinho if he were to manage us and indeed, I would feel obliged to fashion a crudely drawn placard or white sheet telling he's not welcome here. Why? He kept saying "ghost goal". The fucking whopper...

He even mentioned the other week in his justification tirade with the spanish press - utter tosspot

 

[Spionkop69]

I've told you once John.

That's it, times up!

 

[Le Chacal]

As you said, your mates are intelligent people and know their footy.

 

[mark1975]

I think it's terrible the way other clubs fans think he's a bit of an overrated, stubborn, egotist.

 

[themn]

 

[Modo]

I remember when he was linked with Villa, they were quite positive.

 

[Buddha]

Rafa's an excellent manager with a record of consistent success.

*Waves banner*

 

[Oncy]

I think he would be great at a Newcastle or a Villa.
Hed win more than he loses and keep them stable.

 

[jexykrodic]

The perception of Benitez doesn't match the reality. A hatchet job has been done on him, a combination of winning too much too early, unsettling the status quo; and he himself being needlessly abrasive upsetting the wrong people.

The reality is that in England he improved us and won trophies and at Chelsea he has improved their league position, qualifying them for the CL, and may yet win a trophy before he leaves.

I doubt how he is perceived in England will change but he will continue to win things if he gets another job here.

In Europe his stock is high and he'll have a choice to make.

I personally admire the fact he has stayed strong and been able to focus in a job and at a club whose fans have been openly disrespectful and hostile to him. I don't think too many could cope as he has.

The very quality that makes him a good manager is also what makes him difficult to like.

 

[Asbo]

2004 UEFA Cup Final
2005 CL Final
2007 CL Final
2013 EL Final

Four European Finals in 10 Years, he's not very good is he? Who the fuck would want that?

 

[Modo]

Remember the whole rotation thing the media got everyone talking about.

 

[localny]

2004 UEFA Cup Final
2005 CL Final
2007 CL Final
2013 EL Final

Four European Finals in 10 Years, he's not very good is he? Who the fuck would want that?

Two La Liga titles too. Disgraceful record.

 

[gkmacca]

The real Rafa was assassinated in 2007 by the killer android that replaced Paul McCartney. Look at the cover of Abbey Road, the clues are all there:

• The 28IF number plate: the real Rafa's waist would have measured 28" had he been alive to complete the rigorous diet that he had started in 2004.
• George Harrison has a beard. Xabi Alonso has just grown a beard. Neither man is happy.
• "Paul McCartney" is pointing a fag straight down at the floor. It is no longer rotating. Rotation NEVER stops.
• Ringo Starr has no idea what he is doing. The fake Rafa has no idea what he is doing.
• John Lennon is wearing a white suit, symbolising the Spanish saying, 'If it looks white, and is on a black and white pattern, someone has spilled milk on Rafa's chessboard - and the real Rafa NEVER spilled milk on his chessboard.
• The Beatles were being destroyed by two Americans - Alan Klein and Phil Spector. LFC is being destroyed by two Americans - Hicks and Gillett.
• Play the album backwards and you can hear Lennon singing "Rarfa's Dead Rarfa's Dead Rarfa's Dead!"

QED. (Fake Rafa is actually Mama Cass with a stuck on goatee.)

 

[Leo]

What campus did you hear those rumours Macca?

 

[gkmacca]

The University of Balague.*









* Formerly the Pako Ayesteran Polytechnic of Physical Education.

 

[Holle]

In Europe his stock is high and he'll have a choice to make.

Is it?

The only rumour I read about in the last couple of weeks was that he was in the mix for the job at Schalke. Which he didn't get.

I don't believe he will have a lot to choose from.

 

[gkmacca]

How old is he now? 53? He needs to forget about waiting for a huge club to hand him a massive budget and then leave him alone. He made a rash choice going to Inter and tarnished his reputation. Then he faffed about for ages. Then he took a gamble of a short term gig at Chelski and it's paid off. Now he needs to choose a chairman, not a club. Go somewhere smaller but where a chairman will treat him like a god and encourage him all the time, and he can build something. If he's gone through that ordeal at Chelski only to either sit and wait for another long time or jump into another hellish mess it'll be a terrible waste.

 

[Dreambeliever]

He did a wonderful job with us and just fell short in the league. The reason everyone outside of our club in England don't rate him is because he won the CL with a team that on paper should never have and while we those same players performed heroics in Europe they were often utter wank in the league so most put it blindly down to a huge helping of luck. After the Fergie conference he's interviews became more and more redicoulous as he blamed a lack of money on not succeeding even though he spent more net than Utd and always had an excuse to blame someone bar himself when he failed. If he had bounced back in Italy it wouls have saved him but he crashed badly and to compound matter the special one went there and won it all. It just made Rafael sound and look like an excuse making idiot for his failings.
The last point is the fact he seems he'll bent on picking intelligent fully conditioned players while ignoring 1 of the most important factors in football. Confidence. How often have we seen him drop a player after they finally scored a goal or had a great game? I'll never forget when he did it to Keane. He's more concerned with fielding 11 pairs of fresh legs than 11 determined passionate players with confidence. And for even the average armchair fan this seems plan and simply idiotic.

 

[LarryHagman]

Most non-LFC fans that I’ve ever spoken to think Istanbul was a massive fluke. Seeing as the FA Cup was his other major triumph in 6 years, is it really that odd that most don’t think he is the tactic-wielding demi-God that some of our fans do?

 

[peterhague]

Most non-LFC fans that I’ve ever spoken to think Istanbul was a massive fluke. Seeing as the FA Cup was his other major triumph in 6 years, is it really that odd that most don’t think he is the tactic-wielding demi-God that some of our fans do?

But that isn't the question being asked. What's being asked is why he's seen as such an abject failure, and not why he is isn't deified.

Anyone can see, once his record at Valencia and us is actually examined, that he's a talented coach/manager. That almost nobody does is pretty odd.

 

[mark1975]

But that isn't the question being asked. What's being asked is why he's seen as such an abject failure, and not why he is isn't deified.

Anyone can see, once his record at Valencia and us is actually examined, that he's a talented coach/manager. That almost nobody does is pretty odd.

I don't think people do see him as an abject failure, I think the problem is that you can dissect his abilities all too easily, he'll give you an average of one in two seasons where you'll be an also ran, and he'll always deliver in knock out competition, more-so in Europe where much of the knock-out format is over two legs, which tactically he is brilliant at. You also know that his spending will be extravagantly hit and miss, but he's also capable of taking a ready built squad somewhere.

 

[peterhague]

I don't think people do see him as an abject failure, I think the problem is that you can dissect his abilities all too easily, he'll give you an average of one in two seasons where you'll be an also ran, and he'll always deliver in knock out competition, more-so in Europe where much of the knock-out format is over two legs, which tactically he is brilliant at. You also know that his spending will be extravagantly hit and miss, but he's also capable of taking a ready built squad somewhere.

If they don't see him as a bit of a clown why are so many fans of mediocre clubs appalled at the prospect of him being their manager?

 

[mark1975]

I guess that's the media perception that's been generated, that he "lost" to Fergie and Mourinho - he didn't, he rattled their cages and got one over on them in different respects in Europe, but anyway. Then when you add the rant, not the rationale behind it but the notion that it lead to our one crack at the title going tits up, it's all added to this idea that he's a bit of an egocentric. I think he is to a degree and I think his stubborn sheer bloodymindedness is too often his downfall, despite being what drives him. It's probably six of one, half a dozen of the other, over inflated self worth and a massively skewed picture painted by the media in defense of their "darlings" Fergie and Mourinho.

 

[tony]

Most non-LFC fans that I’ve ever spoken to think Istanbul was a massive fluke. Seeing as the FA Cup was his other major triumph in 6 years, is it really that odd that most don’t think he is the tactic-wielding demi-God that some of our fans do?

Yeah they overlook the fact we got to another final and also semi finals and were the number one rated team in europe, didn't see slur alex get to that many finals when Benitez was managing us. The "fact" of the matter is you do need a deep squad to compete in the league and in the cl, something we were never that well equipped with, and unless you are Chelsea or Man City and can afford loads of internationals who dont mind sitting on their wallets on the bench is something very difficult to achieve