This thread is becoming rather silly. Let's just list a few facts, so we can understand this post (though it may turn into an essay - don't say I didn't warn you!):
1. Rafa divided the fans, which ultimately isn't desirable (compare with how Kenny has united everyone outside a few fringe cases who irrationally blame him for all the club's ills despite being our best ever player AND most successful manager)
2. Rafa set a significant number of positive records as manager of LFC (some we easily recall [points scored in a season, winning streaks, goals and scoring rate for a striker, clean sheets by a keeper, trophies including 5th CL, 8-0 win in CL] and some we don't appreciate [regularly winning games we were behind at half time, biggest defeat for Real in CL, 3+ goals in 6 consecutive games, game win ratio second only to the King, breaking Chelsea's 80 match unbeaten home run [currently they've lost only 5 at home in their last 120-odd, 2 of which are to LFC], re-established Fortress Anfield in 08/09)
3. Rafa re-established the Academy, and was directly responsible for getting Kenny back in the loop
4. Rafa is terrible in a sell-to-buy transfer market (a policy that directly prevents a manager from adding depth to his squad without a loss in quality), but despite this he still managed to generate a profit from player sales overall (and that excludes the sales of Torres and Mascherano)
5. Rafa's man-management leaves a lot to be desired in that he is unable to repair damaged relationships possibly due to his arrogance, and this is his greatest failing both as a manager and as a human being
6. Rafa's "rant" was neither a rant nor was any of its content false, though his motivation for it is questionable
7. Rafa left behind a completely capable squad, one aimed at playing attacking football but lacking in strategic width and squad depth - it is not the fault of Rafa that his immediate successor utterly failed to address this - and this point has simply been highlighted by Kenny's "dramatic" success with it (again, without further actual squad investment thanks to Rafa taking a striker no one really wanted because he was "wasteful" and turning him into one of the top 3 in the world)
8. At Inter, Rafa won two cups and they were placed less than 6 points off 3rd with 2 games in hand in Serie A, in a season where all his transfers in were vetoed despite promises of investment and all his transfers out accepted, as well as qualifying for the CL knockout stage with a game to spare for the first time for the club in several seasons - some people think that means he's a terrible manager with the "oldest squad in Europe", I'm not so easily convinced, knowing he was sacked more because of his failed relationship with the club owner and their league position is an easy excuse (imagine if he'd actually been allowed to replace the people he sold, eg Ballotelli)
9. Rafa protected himself in the media, for good or for bad, and this may have lead to "overprotection", but when one considers the heavily anti-Rafa media one might understand this is a natural recourse
10. Football is indeed a lie
Rafa is most certainly not the perfect manager; his inability to maintain relationships with his players and staff overshadows his tactical ability on the pitch. However his record with Valencia and LFC prior to his last season with us is impeccable, especially when one considers the continual struggles he had with the owners of both clubs, not just politically but monetarily as well. Too many people look at who he bought without understanding how he raised the money for the purchase, nor who he could have bought had he instead been offered investment. Those committed to hating him tend to forget the influence of the press on their thinking; look at how well they spun the Hodgson story, only for Kenny to reveal their lie without saying a word.
Would I have him back in 5 years? Yes, particularly if he can learn to swallow his pride a little between now and then, and learn to cultivate rather than destroy relationships. Do I want him in the post now instead of Kenny? Absolutely not.
