The Rafa Show in Dublin

[FoxForceFive]

I imagine hiring him to mow your lawn then him telling you he'll only do it when you hire the 30 odd people in his team that he's currently paying despite the fact they're doing fuck all would put anyone off.

Both because it's loads more cash & a sign of being completely mad.

 

[Richey]

Just say thanks for Istanbul and for building a great team., and one of the best nights in 20 years. Leave it at that. He brought us to heights, I thought we would never see again. We're a classier club that such comments (not just you, but others).

He didn't build a 'great team'. A great team wins things. What he did do was take a fairly average team that he inherited and somehow won the Champions League with it. That was obviously an impressive achievement and one that every single Liverpool fan surely will respect forever, but his achievements after that were pretty limited really

 

[rampage]

Winning the champions league was not the only highlight though, so were the matches where he made real madrid looks like swansea, barcelona like crystal palace. We're the opposite now.

 

[moron]

Winning the champions league was not the only highlight though, so were the matches where he made real madrid looks like swansea, barcelona like crystal palace. We're the opposite now.

Don't forget the 4-1 thumping of United at Old Toilet. There are more than the CL win - we were a challenge to everyone we played under him. Everyone wants to blame him for the decline but the truth that people are trying to ignore is that his relationship with the big bosses was the issue that led to our decline. All you have to do is think of your own situation at work - if your bosses boss starts to give him a hard time with budgets - it is more than likely it will affect the workforce - it ALWAYS does.

 

[gkmacca]

Rafa's beginning to seem like a managerial equivalent of Michael Owen, talking about how the hunger and ambition is still there whilst sitting around waiting until a big enough club invites him to resume his career. Okay, sure, Rafa's still in his prime, but that makes the disinclination to move on and take up a new challenge all the odder. After all, it's not as if it's likely these days that he'll stay for years and years wherever he goes - everything seems short term these days. So it's high time he went SOMEWHERE and got on with what's supposed to be a vocation.

 

[Hansern]

He should just take a job at a decent enough size club and get going again. This waiting game he's playing is just ridiculous. The top clubs wont hire him.

 

[rampage]

Don't forget the 4-1 thumping of United at Old Toilet. There are more than the CL win - we were a challenge to everyone we played under him. Everyone wants to blame him for the decline but the truth that people are trying to ignore is that his relationship with the big bosses was the issue that led to our decline. All you have to do is think of your own situation at work - if your bosses boss starts to give him a hard time with budgets - it is more than likely it will affect the workforce - it ALWAYS does.

I am not a fan of his league games though. For every 4-1 demolition of the scums, there were also countless frustration time against the likes of birmingham, stoke, wigan and etc.

But we were boss in most european games.

Some people were saying the champion league win was the only highlight of his time here, but not for me though, those wins against real madrid, chelsea and barcelona were also the highlights.

 

[Judge Jules]

He didn't build a 'great team'. A great team wins things. What he did do was take a fairly average team that he inherited and somehow won the Champions League with it. That was obviously an impressive achievement and one that every single Liverpool fan surely will respect forever, but his achievements after that were pretty limited really

Rafa did (briefly) build a great team later on, with *that* midfield behind Torres. Trouble was he made too many poor decisions along with the good ones, with the result that that team didn't last.

 

[Jack D Rips]

He got us within an ace of winning the league but blew it with his negativity.

IMO of course

 

[rampage]

He got us within an ace of winning the league but blew it with his negativity.

IMO of course

You're not the only one. He is his worst enemy.

 

[Silver Sean]

I'd have him back in a heartbeat.

 

[Judge Jules]

I wouldn't. Love the good stuff he did for us, but going back rarely if ever works. FSG wouldn't entertain the idea anyway.

 

[Fallon]

I remember thinking so many times in the year that we were 2nd, how if a gobshite like Mourinho/Ferguson had been in charge in that position (4-6 chances to go top and clear?), that they would have sealed the deal with tactics and motivation. That's the only thing I hold against him; we SHOULD have won the league under him.

 

[Hansern]

I'd have him back in a heartbeat.

I wouldnt. No good would come of it.

 

[localny]

He didn't build a 'great team'. A great team wins things. What he did do was take a fairly average team that he inherited and somehow won the Champions League with it. That was obviously an impressive achievement and one that every single Liverpool fan surely will respect forever, but his achievements after that were pretty limited really

Mate, not talking about 2005 team but thereafter. Torres, Alonso, Masher, Agger, Arbeloa, Reina, et al was a cracking squad

 

[localny]

I'd have him back in a heartbeat.

Agreed. But it would be a quick fix. I like the idea right now, of going back to pass and move, having an actual philosophy.

 

[Richey]

Mate, not talking about 2005 team but thereafter. Torres, Alonso, Masher, Agger, Arbeloa, Reina, et al was a cracking squad

Oh I know you weren't. And I am totally with you on the achievement in 2005. The point is that although that later squad was good, ultimately it won nothing.

 

[Stulikesdrums]

Yeah, it was a painful experience from start to finish. From knobhead fans shouting out stuff, to the host asking such blatantly leading questions. It was all bad.

The bibs/zonal marking thing was a joke. I was watching that bit through my fingers. Then he got a mate of his to come on stage to tell a story about a bouncer in Istanbul who didn't recognise Rafa and wouldn't let him into the post CL win party. Shock! Horror!!

The Xabi Alonso's part annoyed me. He was saying that Xabi was available for 43% of the games in 07/08 and was the second best paid man in the squad. That is why he tried to move him on at first but could sell him for the asking price. As he is discussing this they display pictures of Xabi along with quotes From him saying how much he fancies Italy from 08. Other quotes about wanting to leave and not being happy with Rafa. I felt that was shit. Not a mention of Gareth Barry!

He also used buying & selling houses to explain the difference between net spend & gross spend. Tragic.

I did find one part interesting. He used technology to show the tactics used in Istanbul & Athens. Explained substitutions and things like that. That bit was pretty good.

He says he wIll stay in Liverpool as his daughters love it but he will only manage a club that can win trophies. Looks like he best settle in on the Wirral, he won't be busy any time soon.

 

[RedZeppelin III]

wait , he actually had a pre planned presentation to explain the sale of alonso and why it wasn't his fault alonso left . That's just bizarre if you ask me . I'd have much more respect for him if he just admitted he maybe got it wrong .

Did he lead the fans in a "rafa benitez" chant ?

 

[Richey]

I did find one part interesting. He used technology to show the tactics used in Istanbul & Athens. Explained substitutions and things like that. That bit was pretty good.

He did a presentation to explain the tactics used in a game we didn't even win? Great.

 

[Judge Jules]

We've done the Alonso thing to death on here and I don't want to kick the argument off again, but there was fault on *both* sides. What exactly is supposed to be wrong with Rafa putting up quotes from Alonso himself?

 

[Stulikesdrums]

The quotes were saying one thing and Rafa is sitting there talking.
The words coming out of his mouth do not match up. It was handled in a sly way IMO.

 

[Hansern]

He should just say he fucked up. Someone should ask him if he regrets listening to Macia. Apperantly he recommended loads of the joke signings we made.

 

[keniget]

He should just say he fucked up. Someone should ask him if he regrets listening to Macia. Apperantly he recommended loads of the joke signings we made.

If Rafa was more able to admit his mistakes he'd probably still be in a job.

 

[gkmacca]

He should have done Strictly Come Dancing.

 

[Tinto]

He didn't build a 'great team'. A great team wins things. What he did do was take a fairly average team that he inherited and somehow won the Champions League with it. That was obviously an impressive achievement and one that every single Liverpool fan surely will respect forever, but his achievements after that were pretty limited really

That is incredibly harsh!

I remember people moaning how boring the CL had become when drew Real Madrid (just before we thumped them). That Real Madrid had Robben, Schneider and Van der Vaart in their squad. It was boring for those people because we knew we had a better team than Real and that we would probably get through the tie.

We had a team that was feared all over Europe and was a favourite to win the CL. It's the only time we've had a team of that quality in the PL era.

I, personally, enjoyed the week and a half when we thrashed United, Real Madrid and Villa much more than last season's Carling Cup final. We were so spoilt by that team that we could dismiss the League Cup, the FA Cup and for some even the CL as trophies not worth focusing on.

It's wrong to judge a team based on it not winning the trophies that many of us couldn't care less about back then.

 

[Richey]

My issue was with the term 'great'. If someone describes a team as great then surely the logical thing to ask would be 'what did it win?' The answer in this case appears to be nothing at all. And yes, you can dismiss trophies that don't matter so much, but only if you win the ones that do matter!

I am not saying that Benitez's team was not a good team. It was. And it did have the foundations of what could have been a great team, but for one reason or another that did not happen, and we went backwards.