Benitez - the Grandmaster

[grahamlfc]

Last night's result and performance showed once again why manager Rafael Benitez is loved and hero worshipped by the vast majority of the Liverpool faithful. Inter Milan join a growing list of major scalps that Benitez has overturned during his Liverpool reign. They join Barcelona, AC Milan, Chelsea, Juventus, Marseille, Leverkusen amongst many others who have been tactically outmanouvered by Liverpool and Benitez in his near 4 year Anfield reign.

Benitez has already taken Liverpool to 2 Champions league finals in just THREE seasons, it is a record perennial European failure Ferguson at Manchester United who in 21 years has managed just one solitary European Cup final appearance, would give anything to have. Wenger, nearly 12 years at the helm at Arsenal has also just one losing final appearance.

 

Benitez's hobby at home is chess, and last night his team gave another grandmaster performance, and the question to be asked now is, does another Champions League final appearance in Moscow beckon?

[Ian Sea]

I wish he could do it domestically though.

[theRedHorse]

I wish he could do it domestically though.

 

Give him time....

 

It will come.

[coop]

Didi commented last night in the studio about how the European game suiting Liverpool because your allowed more time on the ball and you havent got teams going at you for the full 90 minutes.

[Brownie]

Didi commented last night in the studio about how the European game suiting Liverpool because your allowed more time on the ball and you havent got teams going at you for the full 90 minutes.

 

He also said that night follows day ;-)

 

It's obvious why we're much better in Europe really. Teams give us more time and space, and we have good players who will always perform better because of that.

 

In the league, you have yard-dogs kicking you all game and we still can't handle it.

 

That's why we can't break down Birmingham, Wigan, Barnsley etc but we can Inter, Porto, Besiktas etc.

[Faustus]

Give him time....

 

It will come.

 

I'm not sure it will though.

[El Rojo]

He also said that night follows day ;-)

 

It's obvious why we're much better in Europe really. Teams give us more time and space, and we have good players who will always perform better because of that.

 

In the league, you have yard-dogs kicking you all game and we still can't handle it.

 

That's why we can't break down Birmingham, Wigan, Barnsley etc but we can Inter, Porto, Besiktas etc.

 

I think there's more to it than having space and time though. Arsenal and United's players are even more comfortable on the ball, yet once Christmas passes they struggle in the knock-out stages of the Champions League.

 

Rafa is clearly more tactically adept in Europe than Ferguson or Wenger.

 

Completely different discplines, and Rafa's mastered one but still struggles with the other.

[Brownie]

I think there's more to it than having space and time though. Arsenal and United's players are even more comfortable on the ball, yet once Christmas passes they struggle in the knock-out stages of the Champions League.

 

Rafa is clearly more tactically adept in Europe than Ferguson or Wenger.

 

Completely different discplines, and Rafa's mastered one but still struggles with the other.

 

That's a fair point mate, you're right.

 

It's probably a combination of having more time and space and also tactical nouse.

 

Europe is much more tactical as teams try to exploit weaknesses in shape etc, and it's much more cat and mouse than the Prem. That's where Rafa comes into his own and the team are comfortable.

 

Rafa's an outstanding manager in Europe.

[coop]

Rafa has played that formation now against two very good sides in Chelsea and Inter Milan.

 

He should keep the formation and players for the next match as we have dominated both teams when he has played it and we have looked very good.

[Brownie]

Rafa has played that formation now against two very good sides in Chelsea and Inter Milan.

 

He should keep the formation and players for the next match as we have dominated both teams when he has played it and we have looked very good.

 

It's a cracking shape for the big games, but i'm not sure about against the likes of Boro.

 

May be worth a shout though as we look far more fluid that way. If he goes with that on Saturday, i'd go with Alonso instead of Lucas as he's more creative.

[coop]

It's a cracking shape for the big games, but i'm not sure about against the likes of Boro.

 

May be worth a shout though as we look far more fluid that way. If he goes with that on Saturday, i'd go with Alonso instead of Lucas as he's more creative.

 

Agree, Alonso for Lucas would be an option.

 

The thing i like about that formation even against weaker teams is that because of Mascherano staying infront of the defence it allows the other two midfielders to attack more.

 

Its a good formation but would be even better with two attacking full backs.

 

Finnan did well yesterday getting forward as did Aurellio but especially in Aureliios case he kept hitting the first defender.

[Spy Bee]

And yet we beat Chelsea in Europe.

[TheDrowningMan]

I agree with the notion that it will come - If given the chance. Ferguson didn't look like doing ANYTHING of note for Man Utd for his first four seasons, other than take them far, far, back from the consistent top 5 finishers they were with Ron Atkinson at the helm. Now look at them.

 

Besides, in a brutally pragmatic way prioritising and winning the CL over the Premiership will always make more sense if we ever want to hope to catch up with the likes of Man Utd & Chelsea financially.

[Anny Road]

I'd still rather win the league.

[Rashid]

Made me chucke when Didi "Liverpool are a passing side" - errm no.

[Plewggs]

Made me chucke when Didi "Liverpool are a passing side" - errm no.

 

Well done Radish.

You have quoted half of what he said for a cheap joke at Didi and the teams’ expense less than 24 hours after our best result of the season.

 

Why not celebrate with us…………..crawl into a hole and die, it would cheer so many.

[hamstrung]

I'd still rather win the league.

 

I would, but only because we haven't done it for so long. Get the monkey off the back.

 

If that wasn't the case, and we were winning the league every now and then, it'd be Champions league every time.

 

Its special-er.

[al daas]

Give him time....

 

It will come.

 

I Agree, some people should step back and look at the bigger picture.

 

The reserves top of their league by six points, with lots of promising young players, Rafas young players, for the not too distant future, reminds me of a certain team from up the Lancs a while ago.

Intigrate them with the established young first teamers already playing, I for one believe the future bodes well.

[EmilHamilton]

On one hand getting more Premiership players could improve us in the League, but on another hand, how many top quality players are there that we could pickup.

 

On hand for the positions we need, all I can see is Berbatov for up front and that's that.

[rebel23]

no matter what happens, Rafa deserve's time

 

you should see the inter forums, they want Mancini sacked because they're only winning the league and want the European cup so bad...

[hamstrung]

no matter what happens, Rafa deserve's time

 

you should see the inter forums, they want Mancini sacked because they're only winning the league and want the European cup so bad...

 

Really?

 

That's quite interesting.

[Rashid]

Mancini has no excuse for his cock ups in Europe though, Inter spend Chelsea money regularly.

[Rashid]

Bloody hell.

 

|Mancini Attacked By Inter Fans - Report

Roberto Mancini was verbally attacked by a herd of Inter fans at Liverpool Airport last night, and was almost involved in a physical confrontation, according to reports in Italy.

 

The Nerazzurri face an uphill task to qualify for the quarter finals of the Champions League after their 2-0 first leg last 16 loss to Liverpool at Anfield.

 

According to Tuttosport, Mancini was set upon by a group of angry Inter supporters, who hurled abuse at the coach, blaming him for the defeat.

 

Mancini did not stay quiet, and is said to have reacted angrily by retuning the insults back at the fans.

 

The situation became so serious that security staff entered the scene and were ready to intervene, fearing that a fully-blown physical confrontation was about to break out between Mancini and the supporters.

 

Eventually the ex-Lazio boss chose to walk away from the incident.

 

This is the second report of unrest among the Inter camp, following Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s angry comments about Marco Materazzi, in which he blamed the defender for Inter’s defeat.

 

Materazzi was harshly sent off after half-an-hour for two yellow cards, forcing the Nerazzurri to play two-thirds of the game with 10 men.

[hamstrung]

Mancini has no excuse for his cock ups in Europe though, Inter spend Chelsea money regularly.

 

Presumably the same must be true of us in the league then, if money is the key to it.

[Rashid]

Presumably the same must be true of us in the league then, if money is the key to it.

 

Which is why nobody expects Rafa to win the league but challenge for it, ie stretch away from the likes of Everton.