KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum rafa benitez apreciation thread

Thanks, BarLennon. I've had the same "debate" with Fazakerley and his friend StanleyPark several times now, and the tune doesn't change. "We" don't understand how bad Rafa was because we choose to ignore that he bought tens or hundreds of million pounds of complete chaff, used zonal marking, alienated every single player with his arrogance, and told everyone how bad the owners were for not giving him total control over spending.

It's funny really. He had no money because the owners were stealing it. I wonder how we found that out? Because Parry told us? Because Gillet revealed all in a moment of weakness? I wonder why the owners then refused to support him when his players stepped out of line? I wonder where this impression that he was the poison and not them came from? It's like everyone forgets the mail bombs and the picketing outside banks in order to save the club. That was obviously all Rafa's fault. Maybe if Rafa had said nothing we'd be back in the Championship, just another franchise destroyed by Hicks and Gillett.

As Rafarendum (and I) pointed out, but no one cared, when you're a high profile person trying to push the envelope you will inevitably tread on the toes of people around you. That doesn't make you "toxic" - it merely makes you ambitious. Some people don't like ambition in others. That's why they support managers like Roy Hodgson, inventing ridiculous comparisons (and unbelievable conclusions) between his record and those of Dalglish and Benitez in order to question our loyalty as supporters. Some people would refuse to allow such to manage their club, or be their boss. As though Randy Lerner is a footballing genius - do we really care what a mid-bottom table club owner thinks of a manager who won the Champion's League with the worst side and second youngest captain to ever do so, and in his first season with the club to boot? Do we really hold in high regard the opinion of the owner of Inter Milan, who changes managers about as often as he changes underwear? It's not that Rafa is misunderstood, it's that he's struggled a great deal with people of overvalued importance, struggles highlighted by a media delighted to pour more misery on the greatest club in the English game.

And some people here still listen to them...

i can't see faz coming back from that post...

Actually that's the one thing the record does not bear out. Why do you think the term "net spend" was practically invented for Rafa?



You're correct in what we lack, but that's just the point - with neither of those we're just another mid-table side. Rafa qualified for the CL in all but his last season, and no matter how this squad gels it's not likely to hit 86 points this season. So I have to disagree with this statement as well.



I agree absolutely that we're more positive all round, but I'm not sure we're playing "better" football. Maybe we look more flashy given that we hit the frame of the goal every 45 minutes or so and have shots on goal in the 20s each game. But we've kept only 3 clean sheets in the league and have only managed draws with 2 of the promoted clubs at home (scoring a total of one goal against them - if the Kop is worth a goal a game, then the side is worth -0.5 goals a game at home against the smaller clubs?). Right now I can't say we're "better", particularly since we're only clinging onto 6th.

I for one don't miss the sell-to-buy transfer policy, but hey, that wasn't Rafa's doing anyway.

(And for the record, not a great deal of Rafa supporters actually want him back, at least not right now.)

woahhh!!!! Dalglish's team is better than Houillers or Rafa's team who the hell thinks that? Thats the daftest thing I have ever heard in my life.

oh dear !!!!

Was about to say the same thing lol. Both Houiller and Rafa had attractive teams that actually knew how to win unlike todays crop of players.

Why let facts get in the way of a good opinion

I hated Rafa towards the end and was one of the many fans saying Out, however I was given a book, An Epic Swindle and after reading that I have new found respect for Rafa.

Towards the end his job was made impossible, I believe that if he was in charge now we would have a better squad and would be higher up the league, he could attract players form the continent something we currently cannot do.

Yes he did buy some really bad players, but he also wanted alot of the players that went to other clubs, I believe we were after Ronaldo but ended up with someone the club thought would be the better option.

He wanted Barry & Keane so that we had someone giving the balls to Keane but we ended up with Keane only and it failed miserably.

Then to have your current employers going behind you back trying to get someone else in is wrong.


Maybe if we finish out of Champions League qualification and Kenny steps down/is pushed Rafa can come back and finish what he started

oh so you read brian reade and benitez propoganda and you believe it , i despair . and as for ronaldo it was houllier and thompson who thought ronaldo was not good enough , and gareth barry better than xabi alonso ?

Why does that me nervy!