Excellent piece on Rafa by Henry Winter.

[Kopite]

Enjoy.

Originally Posted by Henry Winter Benitez would have fitted in well in the Boot Room Watching Liverpool exuberantly set about Monaco on Wednesday evening, the eyes gradually focused on the uplifting sight that the players' match-night attire has changed from straitjacket to dinner jacket. Liberated by Rafael Benitez, Liverpool looked stylish and ready for action. One victory does not make a season, of course, and caution should be urged as Manchester United lie in wait on Monday. However, it cannot be denied that a calm wind of change blows in from Spain and breathes new hope into Anfield. Those who inhabit the Kop know their football and they keep singing Benitez's name. What is immediately striking about the newcomer from Valencia is how well he fits in. The surprise should be minimal. An unpretentious, friendly soul with a razor-sharp football mind, Benitez shares many traits with illustrious predecessors in the Liverpool dug-out. In between giving prescient advice to Djibril Cisse and company on how to break down Monaco, Benitez could have paused and flicked through a matchday programme containing a pictorial tribute to the Boot Room. The greatest compliment that can be paid Benitez is that he would not have been out of his depth, sitting on a laundry skip in this glorified cupboard near the dressing rooms, sipping tea and mulling over footballing quandaries with such revered thinkers as Bob Paisley, Bill Shankly, Joe Fagan, Ronnie Moran, Reuben Bennett, Roy Evans and Tom Saunders. Kenny Dalglish, who succeeded Fagan after Heysel, was always in awe of the Boot Room, confiding that as a player he never dared enter because he was "not clever enough". A brain-trust was convened within. It was 11 years ago, during Graeme Souness's reign, that the Boot Room was demolished and incorporated into media quarters. Yet the Boot Room has always been as much a creed as a location, as much about flesh and blood as bricks and mortar. Benitez continues the spirit by being such a formidable student of the game. His footballing nous is obvious. After the defeat of Monaco, Anfield's DJ spun every disc with lyrics containing the word "revolution", but Benitez has actually done little radical. He has merely loosened the reins which had become tightened under Gerard Houllier. He has just applied the little grey cells to the task in hand. Jamie Carragher has been moved to centre-half, his best position. Steve Finnan has responded well to his right-midfield role now that Josemi has arrived at full-back. John Arne Riise is flying again. That Australian tourist, Harry Kewell, has been reminded that his talents need employing regularly and the left-winger gave indications of his class against Monaco. Maybe the emergence of young Stephen Warnock, a promising force down the left, will focus Kewell's mind. Benitez also deserves praise simply for giving prospects like Warnock a chance. A new manager's reputation is more usually shaped by the quality of his signings and, so far, Benitez has excelled. Luis Garcia, Xabi Alonso and Josemi look like they have been on Merseyside for two years, let alone two months. Garcia, a one-man expressionist movement, is already a darling of the Kop. Alonso looks the truest class, though, with his smooth passing and move-building. Cisse, a Houllier legacy, will grow when he absorbs lessons about beating offside from Benitez. Echoes abound of Arsène Wenger's work with Nicolas Anelka and Thierry Henry, making them more dangerous strikers through learning how to channel their pace to avoid the linesman's flag. Benitez looks very much at home at Anfield, in tune with the club's philosophy of collective before individual. Asked to deliver a few eulogising words about Alonso, the Liverpool manager kept emphasising it was a team game. Invited to praise Cisse, Benitez focused on the range of attacking options. Benitez's post-match briefings are not going to fill many notebooks nor require overtime payments to quotes-of-the-year anthologists. Headlines will flow from deeds not words. The old Boot Room would approve.

[Paul]

How did your Rep Power go from 0 to 27 in a day??? There's been some crafty shenanigans going on there. Spill the beans. Have you been sleeping with Haje?

[MLB]

What the hell is rep power anyway?!

[Kopite]

Originally Posted by Paul How did your Rep Power go from 0 to 27 in a day??? There's been some crafty shenanigans going on there. Spill the beans. Have you been sleeping with Haje?

Well it's gone back to zero, maybe I wasn't that good after all.

[DT]

It says "Kopite is an unknown quantity at this point"...

[Big Noel]

Winter seems like a good bloke. Sometimes does summarising on Radio Merseyside and his comments are usually spot-on.

[Stu Monty]

He's a bit pompous sometimes, like when he got all "duty for your country" about the england silence, but he is usually pretty insightful and acurate with what he says.

[Paul]

Originally Posted by Big Noel Winter seems like a good bloke. Sometimes does summarising on Radio Merseyside and his comments are usually spot-on.

Agreed. He ghost-wrote Kenny's autobiography, which is what first made me warm to him. However, he's one of the few journalists who has consistently refused to slag us over the years, even when we were ripe for a slagging. He always seems to have a positive angle on Liverpool, whether it's in print or on the radio or TV on Jimmy Hill's journalists chat show. Oliver Holt of The Mirror, and formerly of The Times, is the same.

[MLB]

Yeah, Henry Winter seems alright from what I've read. One of the few journos who doesn't take every available opportunity to have a pop at us.

Not so sure about Oliver Holt though.

[howartj]

'Bob Paisley, Bill Shankly, Joe Fagan, Ronnie Moran, Reuben Bennett, Roy Evans and Tom Saunders. '

The piece was excellent if not just for that bit, and he mentioned Kenny..

[kup1]

I find Wilsons' article difficult to disagree with. We've been too long under a hopless spel.
For example I feel that in half a dozen games Benitez has given a chance to play to more players than had that chance during the whole of last season.
We can agree or disagree with the current manager and talk about his first eleven choice. With a midfield of the quality we have now we can approach different games with diferent players. If Benitez had what Houllier spent ..........my mind wanders.Pity that Owen he's not here to help Benitez and Gerrard (by the way Camacho is quiting Madrid after 3 liga games and 1 Champions) even Heskey would have enjoy playing under RB. I'm happy that Carra is enjoying playing in the middle. Finnan is on the right track.Hamman will play in games where he can help the team.I hope Riise keeps improving 'cos the potencial is there. Alonso (Basque not Spanish) is a true gem of a player.Gerrard it's going to benefit greatly of the Basques' precense and became the man that will accept the trophies that we are hungry for.
Forever RED

[DT]

I find it a little bit funny that when it's a positive angle on LFC then it's "excellent" whereas if it was critical it would be labelled "shite".

The truth is probably somewhere in between but we certainly can't expect the media to be up our arses all the time. This isn't a go at you Col btw, it's more a call for some sense to reenter the discussions. People are not talking about IF we are going to win the title under Benitez but WHEN and that's unfair to him and the players.

I do think we need to try and keep ourselves from getting carried away, and personally I think the bootroom comparisons are a little premature at this stage. We're putting far too much pressure on the manager and players already imho.

[Stu Monty]

Originally Posted by MLB What the hell is rep power anyway?!

You know, Johnny, played for Ajax and Holland, was into that total football lark!

[Nunavut Patrick]

Arie Haan- now that Dutchie could belt a ball. And Rene vandeKerkhoeve- now there was a 70's pornoperm special. Damn shame the Dutch never won the WC. Their team today is a disgraceful outfit of whinging cheaters and underachieving pretty boys.

I was in Holland in '78. Would have loved to been a part of the celebration.