Rafa to finally pen 5 year deal next week?

[Carra_is_legend]

There's media coverage because of the public demand for it. So if there's no news or slow news they make it up. Before a big game there's always a big build up, including player interviews, which I'm pretty sure they'd rather not do. Quotes get picked out, tossed about, edited, to make a good quote, the more controversial/newsworthy then all the better.

 

Quotes get tossed about because we give them the quotes in the first place.

 

You can bet your house about reading something about Rafa's contract before every big game. I don't think this is a concidence.

[Carra_is_legend]

I'm sorry you have lost me, is that an actual snippet?

 

Its not. That is why I said "I guess" every press conferences are like this.

 

I read quotes from Carragher, Reina talking about Utd's riches before tomorrow's game.

 

I also read about Rafa talking about his contract.

 

Thats why I said I wish they will keep their gob shut.

[diego]

What has Uniteds' budget got to do with our dire performances and bad tactics against teams who have not spent as much as us, what has it got to do with wasting 20 million on the wrong player? nothing, it is just an excuse to deflect from Rafa's flaws.

 

Anyone wanting to grasp the obsessives of your personal hatred of Rafa, the poverty of your thought-processes and their illogicality should make a note of your post.

 

Neither Rafa nor the club wasted $20 million on the wrong player. If you are referring to Keane the fee was $18 million and the total cost could be as low as $2-5 million. Rafa has more than made up that potential "loss" with profitable trades of other players. Rafa's role in the Keane deal was to oppose the priority given to the purchase by his superiors, to oppose the purchase price and then work hard to recover as much of the money as he could while ensuring that Keane pouting presence did not undermine the spirit of a winnning team.

 

There have been no "dire performances or tactics". You must be thinking of another team and another manager. You just can't get beyond your pathetic campaign against a manager we are lucky to have despite all the attempts by you and those like you in this forum to undermine his reputation and the spirit of the club.

 

Nor are my words "blind faith" in Rafa. He has patiently taken on and replied to every criticism levelled against him - most of which are ill-informed.

[The 5th Benitel]

Where we drop or pick up points is irrelevant.

 

I keeep hearing on here that the reason people want the PL is because it is over 38 games.

 

& then they fail to judge over 38 games

 

Every team drops points in certain games but the PL is judged over 38 games.

 

No-one has ever won the PL from our budget position yet it is somehow to be expected?

 

Arsenal cant have been far away from our position and does that explain why we're usually out of it by the half way point and only managed to squeeze a few more weeks out of it this year? We've only played the two richer clubs once at that point. And i think you can only judge the league up to the point when someone has won it mathmaticaly. I fully expect, yet again, for the mancs to win it with 4 or 5 games to go by about 15points and then start resting their best players andplaying youth team players. We'll probably get within about 8 points and people will start saying we've progressed.

 

And of course it's relevant who we dropped points against. Anyone who has been to our games this season will tell you approaching our games, especially the ones at home, with a similar mentality to when we play the big teams has cost us points. You dont have to be a football expert to see that. You cant blame money for that, just bad team selections and tactics that effects the mentality of the team.

[redrosetints]

As someone who still believes in the manager's ability to win the title, I still think giving him 5 years would be the wrong way to go.

 

Considering the 16m we had to use to fuck Houllier off ( imagine what Rafa could have done with that) as well as his backroom staff, it would be very dangerous. I think even the most fanatical followers of Rafa would concede that there are sizeable questions against the man.

 

If he fails then we've once again shot ourselves in the foot and severly handicapped the next manager ( I'd imagine given the amount GH et al recieved that Rafa would command even more). It's the type of boardroom decision that would have serious ramifications for our future success.

 

W cant give a contract based on the basis they may fail, as has been mentiond its about trust. If they trust him they have to give him the extra 4 years.

 

But whoever comes in, we have this problem. Lets say we bin Rafa and Jose comes in, if he fails after 3 years and is sacked he'll cost us money, ditto Klinsman, Capello whoever.

[The Party Boy]

Why are we under performing against the same type of sides? Ones who are happy to settle for a point? I would say that we have the ability to beat all these teams and it is more down to tactics and team selection than anything else

 

But our problem used to be our record against the big teams, that's changed this season. Our main problem this season has been a lack of Torres.

[Kevin D]

Where we drop or pick up points is irrelevant.

 

I keeep hearing on here that the reason people want the PL is because it is over 38 games.

 

& then they fail to judge over 38 games

 

Every team drops points in certain games but the PL is judged over 38 games.

 

No-one has ever won the PL from our budget position yet it is somehow to be expected?

 

Its not irrelevant , it's the main point. That we've beaten a Chelsea side with a bigger wage budget than ourselves twice , whilst failing to beat a poor Stoke side with a substantially lower budget is pertinent to the issue here.

 

The wage arguement would go down smoother if our title challenge had ended because we'd been beaten by teams within the top 4 or just outside it, and not because we can't break down teams who are facing certain relagation.

[Catch22]

Arsenal cant have been far away from our position and does that explain why we're usually out of it by the half way point and only managed to squeeze a few more weeks out of it this year? We've only played the two richer clubs once at that point. And i think you can only judge the league up to the point when someone has won it mathmaticaly. I fully expect, yet again, for the mancs to win it with 4 or 5 games to go by about 15points and then start resting their best players andplaying youth team players. We'll probably get within about 8 points and people will start saying we've progressed.

 

And of course it's relevant who we dropped points against. Anyone who has been to our games this season will tell you approaching our games, especially the ones at home, with a similar mentality to when we play the big teams has cost us points. You dont have to be a football expert to see that. You cant blame money for that, just bad team selections and tactics that effects the mentality of the team.

 

 

Arsenal have a slightly higher budget than us.

 

Yet they haven't come close to challenging either in the last few years & will finish below us for the 3rd year in 4...

 

They have an attacking style, yet still fell away last year in February with a series of draws which is depressingly familar!

 

Their board has accepted that they can't win the League & plan accordingly

Neither can we

[Barrington Womble]

I think fans like you are criticial of Rafa because a) they want us to win things, and b) don't think Rafa can do it. I'm sure if we got a) you'd be willing to hold your hands up about b).

 

Others would hide if we got a), because they would not hold their hands up about b).

 

Thankfully it isn't many.

 

Maybe then they're just not fans and are internet warriors. I'm sure some of the lads on here like Tom R, stringvest, Brownie, Walton Red and all the other fellas who have been critical of Rafa would be made up if we went and won against the cunts tomorrow and then somehow clawed our way back in and won it. We'd all be delighted and all be happy to say we were wrong. I just don't really see any proper red being any other way. The internet opens up our club to all kinds of mugs who only have a passing interest, but are bored in work. I don't really care what people like that have to say.

[lukem]

Don't know if this has been brought up yet and I know it probably isn't so relevant to the discussions taking place but I noticed this when reading the piece on ICLiverpool.com..

 

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has hinted he could walk away from Merseyside if stability is not brought to Anfield.

 

The Spaniard is yet to sign a new contract with the Reds despite having little more than a year to run on his current deal, and he insists he will decide where his future lies within the next fortnight.

 

"I must decide on my future in the next two weeks and I want a medium or long-term project," he told The Sun ahead of Saturday's crucial trip to face league leaders Manchester United

 

"I don't want to be working from day to day always hanging on the latest result. I will work where I feel I can develop a project."

 

Of course this isn't the case but a Merseyside based website should be a lot more careful.

[Whelan]

Its not. That is why I said "I guess" every press conferences are like this.

 

I read quotes from Carragher, Reina talking about Utd's riches before tomorrow's game.

 

I also read about Rafa talking about his contract.

 

Thats why I said I wish they will keep their gob shut.

 

Ah I see, sorry didn't mean to sound snotty but genuinely confused, and wandering how I was going to talk myself out of that one!!!!

 

Alternatively though, it could be something like this

 

Journalis: So any news on your contract

Rafa I prefer to concentrate upon the game on saturday

Journalist: Is it any nearer agreement

Rafa: I would prefer to concentrate upon the game

Journalist: But you are close to agreement?

 

And on and on...we can't always blame the people answering the questions.

[redrosetints]

This is becoming one of my pet hates. I understand people still back Benitez, in fact my Dad is one of them and he's sat and watched the same team as me, but there are some that will just defend him for everything. Yes, Keane was that 20m and we needed him cos we were obviously too reliant on two players to win us games and if either of them was out for a while we would be fucked. When he decided to let him go Torres had been in and out with injuries all season and it was painfully obviousl to everyone we were short of decent attackers. Now, while i think he deserved more of a chance to regain his form, i can understand if he thought Keane wasn't up to it. However, he was still clearly more of a goal threat than any of the other replacements for Torres and he still let him go knowing he wasn't bringing in a replacement. This is at a time when us fans were gearig up for our first title challenge in years.

 

I'm not sure how much money we'd have lost by sellig him in the summer but i'm sure i would have had sacrificed it to have had more attackign threat these last few months and maybe be within 5 point of the mancs. As it is we'll never know how close we would have been but, as i said before, no other team in the league would rather have Kuyt, Babel and N'gog than Keane when they're looking for goals.

 

As for all the other forwards he's signed, clearly he didn't think they were up to it or they would have featured more and would probably have stayed. Other teams have decent standard subs who dont fuck off the first chance they get to inferior teams. Maybe it's his man management? All i know for definate is we're at the end of his 5th year with a hunderd odd million spent and there's one quality attacker in our squad that he's signed. There is no real excuse for that. He cant blame money when it's been his decision to have £36m worth of defensice midfielders in the squad and he spent the summer trying to bring in an even more exspensive one.

 

 

Maybe thats right, but it doesnt escape from the fact that we've not been able to spend 20m on a player, have him fail and continue to spend 20m, as other clubs can. Thats the real issue here, IMHO.

[stringvest]

W cant give a contract based on the basis they may fail, as has been mentiond its about trust. If they trust him they have to give him the extra 4 years.

 

But whoever comes in, we have this problem. Lets say we bin Rafa and Jose comes in, if he fails after 3 years and is sacked he'll cost us money, ditto Klinsman, Capello whoever.

 

I agree. Whoever the manager is, you have to give them a sufficiently long contract to ensure stability if it goes well. This permeates to the players - they feel that the manager is going to be around at least as long as they are, so they either nail their colours to his mast or go play somewhere else. One of my gripes against Benitez has been his constant discussions in the press about his contract. It has without doubt caused disruption in the camp. If Benitez is to stay, at least he would have to shut the fuck up about his contract for 3 years. I would be grateful for such small mercies, frankly.

[WaltonRed]

Maybe then they're just not fans and are internet warriors. I'm sure some of the lads on here like Tom R, stringvest, Brownie, Walton Red and all the other fellas who have been critical of Rafa would be made up if we went and won against the cunts tomorrow and then somehow clawed our way back in and won it. We'd all be delighted and all be happy to say we were wrong. I just don't really see any proper red being any other way. The internet opens up our club to all kinds of mugs who only have a passing interest, but are bored in work. I don't really care what people like that have to say.

 

Thats the thing and I've said it on here and i've said it to my mates, I'd love nothing more for Rafa to win it all because it would mean the thing that we all hold dearest to our hearts, the club, would be flying high.

 

I support the club not its employees and when I see one being detrimental to the other I call it, end of.

[Catch22]

Its not irrelevant , it's the main point. That we've beaten a Chelsea side with a bigger wage budget than ourselves twice , whilst failing to beat a poor Stoke side with a substantially lower budget is pertinent to the issue here.

 

The wage arguement would go down smoother if our title challenge had ended because we'd been beaten by teams within the top 4 or just outside it, and not because we can't break down teams who are facing certain relagation.

 

 

The correlation works over the season.

 

The Mancs lost twice to Citeh last year but won the League

 

I keep hearing that the 38-game nature of a domestic competition is why people prefer it over a knock-out competition for the whole of Europe.

 

Then they look at a game in isolation!

[Plev]

Alternatively though, it could be something like this

 

Journalis: So any news on your contract

Rafa I prefer to concentrate upon the game on saturday

Journalist: Is it any nearer agreement

Rafa: I would prefer to concentrate upon the game

Journalist: But you are close to agreement?

 

And on and on...we can't always blame the people answering the questions.

 

That reads exactly how I've heard them. What happens in the off camera one with the written journo's, who knows. But I'm sure Benitez isn't the only manager who uses the press.

[redrosetints]

 

I assume this is a dig at me? You need to know the difference between not liking someone and wanting them gone. I realised Rafa was the bloke he was when he was playing footsie with Real Madrid the 1st time round before the 2 yanks were even on the scene. Now that doesn't stop him being a good manager, nor does it stop him being a manager who could win us the league, but it did show what type of a fella he is. I feel exactly the same about Steven Gerrard, however, Gerrard proves time and again what a great footballer he is and has learnt to keep his gob shut and not undermine the team (as he did back in December 2004 when he said we couldn't win the CL). Rafa on the other hand has failed to prove he can win the league and is continually rocking the boat and adding to the shite that's going on at Anfield. His fucked up personalty gets in the way of him doing his job - the fact I spotted his personality traits back in 2006 is hardly my fault. If Rafa shut his gob and got on with managing our team instead of attempting to sabbotage us continually for his own ends (see again another big game tomorrow and another Rafa story? I didn't notice him distracting everyone in the build up to a match against his beloved Madrid), then perhaps me and quite a few others would have a whole lot less to complain about.

 

No mate, not especially, Id marked today 'Bazza arguing free day'. Just making a general comment that while those who have supported and now question make me question Rafas credentials, some of those who seem to have always been critical make me wonder about theres. Just how it is mate, no dig at you.

[Carra_is_legend]

Ah I see, sorry didn't mean to sound snotty but genuinely confused, and wandering how I was going to talk myself out of that one!!!!

 

Alternatively though, it could be something like this

 

Journalis: So any news on your contract

Rafa I prefer to concentrate upon the game on saturday

Journalist: Is it any nearer agreement

Rafa: I would prefer to concentrate upon the game

Journalist: But you are close to agreement?

 

And on and on...we can't always blame the people answering the questions.

 

Sure. But if Rafa said the 2nd time or 3rd time or the 4th time "Listen lads, we are talking. Lawyers are meeting and I hope the contract will be sorted at some point. In the mean time, we have some important games coming on so we will concentrate on that. If something should happen regarding my contract, you will be the first to know. Until then, let us talk only about football (just like 'As always, I prefer to talk about my team and coaching my team' rant)".

 

Instead of that it is like "Let us finish the official press conference first and then let us have a chat over a coffee when I will explain about why Gillett is a cunt". After that, he finishes with his trademark dialogue "I always prefer to worry about the next game" knowing full well that he has loaded the journalists' guns with enough ammunition.

[Kevin D]

W cant give a contract based on the basis they may fail, as has been mentiond its about trust. If they trust him they have to give him the extra 4 years.

 

But whoever comes in, we have this problem. Lets say we bin Rafa and Jose comes in, if he fails after 3 years and is sacked he'll cost us money, ditto Klinsman, Capello whoever.

 

I think in the 5 years Rafa has been here, there have been too many issues raised for the board to give him a 5 year contract. I'd be all for an 18 month extension but something like 5 years would serve to severly weaken us in the transfer market should it not work out with Rafa.

 

Of course it will cost us money but I'd like for us not to lose unneccasary money, IMO, giving him a 5-year deal would be to risk precisely that.

[redrosetints]

First off, with 5 years behind him he'll start fucking about again I reckon in all honesty.

 

As for this the last part sums it up, we dont need Barry, we didnt need him in the summer and we dont need him now.

 

He'll blow whatever money he gets on players we dont need I can see it now.

 

I'd rather sell a few and then bring in one than a few out, few in or blowing it all on a player we dont need.

 

So you dont think we could do with some goals and assists from midfield then ?

[The 5th Benitel]

Maybe thats right, but it doesnt escape from the fact that we've not been able to spend 20m on a player, have him fail and continue to spend 20m, as other clubs can. Thats the real issue here, IMHO.

 

Well no but that doesn't mean he's therefore got no chance. He could have taken the 15m he got, sold one of the weak players in our squad and spent the 20m to give us a real shot at the title.

 

And it's relevant that he was also happy to finish the season with £36m worth of defensive midifielder and £32m worth of forwards. He chose to spend the money like that.

 

And all of that ignores the fact he was brought here cos he did it for Valencia against the financial might of Barca and Real.

[WaltonRed]

So you dont think we could do with some goals and assists from midfield then ?

 

Its clear we do but I dont think Barry is the answer, he's like a half way house because Rafa doesnt trust the type of player we need.

[Barrington Womble]

Arsenal have a slightly higher budget than us.

 

Yet they haven't come close to challenging either in the last few years & will finish below us for the 3rd year in 4...

 

They have an attacking style, yet still fell away last year in February with a series of draws which is depressingly familar!

 

Their board has accepted that they can't win the League & plan accordingly

Neither can we

 

 

Despite Arsenals tail off and I agree it wasn't much of a challenge, I am pretty sure mathmatically they could still win it with 2 games to go in a league that was active till the final game. Rafa hasn't got near that yet, so talking down arsenal as some sort of vindication for our performances under Rafa doesn't really wash with me.

[The 5th Benitel]

So you dont think we could do with some goals and assists from midfield then ?

 

If you take away Barry's penalites he will score 4 or 5 goals a season. If we'd signed him he'd have been alongside Mascherano and would rarely have got within 30 yards of their goal line like all of our other defensive midfielder.

 

It's crazy to think we'd score more with another player in that position than with an £18m attacking player.

[JMARKH]

But our problem used to be our record against the big teams, that's changed this season. Our main problem this season has been a lack of Torres.

 

I wouldn't just say it was that though as we were top without him and I think that is why United were worried at one point as we had him still to come back from injury while we were clear of them. I think it is not too hard for managers to takes points away from Anfield now by just sticking ten men behind the ball, even with Torres against Stoke, Man city, Fulham , Everton we have struggled against these sides and it is something Rafa needs to sort out but I am not confident he will identify the right player which can help unlock these defences. I hope next year Anfield is a ground where we can feel confident against some of these sides instead of wondering are we going to draw today.