A thread about a man named Xabi

[The 5th Benitel]

We do not know if selling xabi and replacing him will improve our title chances. We can predict, assume, bitch and whine but we have no idea. We also do not have a direct link into xabi or rafa's brain and have no idea at all as to what is going on.

 

Many of us are not masters of spin, managers, agents, players or politicians.

 

What you are saying is: i like xabi, i think he is a great player, if he leaves we will be weakened, and rafa will not get some one better - that is your opinion. You want the managers decisions checked because you dont agree with his opinion? Absolute madness.

 

Let the manager do what he wants and judge it in May.

 

Rafa broke his back trying to flush out the yanks and gaining control and now people want him to give that power back and throw that effort away? How can people now call for the manager to be monitored and undermined?

 

And i would also like to add it's June the 3rd and the season doesn't start for another 10 fucking weeks. There has been ONE major transfer so far.

[Antynwa]

So you seriously expect an apology?

 

No i expect him to say he got it wrong?

[Carra_is_legend]

So, give the control to Rafa and then have someone to stop him from selling players?

 

Nice one.

[INTORRESTING]

And i would also like to add it's June the 3rd and the season doesn't start for another 10 fucking weeks. There has been ONE major transfer so far.

 

24 hour news and analysis to the nth degree has sent the world mad.

[INTORRESTING]

No i expect him to say he got it wrong?

 

Rafa - I kept xabi and didn't buy barry, i was wrong to try and sell xabi.

 

Journo - You didn't win the league though? So why was keeping xabi right? Just because he was your 2nd best player doesn't mean it is good enough? It is all about the team isn't it not the individual? How do you know you wouldn't have won the league with Barry and no Xabi?

 

Rafa - Antynwa said so

[dirty_sanchez]

If Rafa had done this with Torres, would the same people be so forgiving?

 

I think I would shoot him in the face.

[Whelan]

If you read, which I am sure that you have, Carraghers book, its one of Rafa's biggest strengths the fact that he is quick to admit when he is wrong and sell players that he has bought quickly!

 

Not sure what you wanted him to say regarding Barry?

[INTORRESTING]

I think I would shoot him in the face.

 

city offer 150 million?

[DonaldDonaldson]

I dont get this. Why should a DOF get the final say instead of the manager. If the DOF is a better judge shouldnt he be manager? Who steps in when the DOF (or whoever) gets it wrong??

 

Well obviously you have a hierarchy of football experts, each with an increasing amount of clout within the Club, and decisions get passed up the hierarchy until the right decision is reached. :D

[Wor Horse]

Well obviously you have a hierarchy of football experts, each with an increasing amount of clout within the Club, and decisions get passed up the hierarchy until the right decision is reached. :D

 

And then by the time the decision is made, the player's gone to Real Madrid and won the Copa Del Rey.

 

:D :D :D

[INTORRESTING]

is thompson being consulted on the voronin and itandje sales?

[t1971]

You are serious!

 

Doesn't really matter what job title you give to him, you're suggesting that the manager has to have all his transfers vetted by someone like Phil Thompson.

 

Why? Why Thommo?

 

Imagine if Thommo had been handed the role you want him to have instead of leaving when GH left. I wonder if we'd have even signed Alonso.

 

I would also like to know what would happen if Thommo say agreed with Rafa to sell Xabi. Do we then need to get someone in to stop Thommo or whoever from selling players?

[dirty_sanchez]

You are serious!

 

Doesn't really matter what job title you give to him, you're suggesting that the manager has to have all his transfers vetted by someone like Phil Thompson.

 

Why? Why Thommo?

 

Imagine if Thommo had been handed the role you want him to have instead of leaving when GH left. I wonder if we'd have even signed Alonso.

 

Because when Thommo and Houllier were working together, they had a great track record in signing world class players like Cisse, Baros, Diao, Diouf and Cheyrou?

[RedinSweden]

Teams do sell important players and survive though. United sold Beckham and were fine, Arsenal sold Viera and... ok, scratch that, erm...Everton sold Rooney and were...fcuk this is hard.

[INTORRESTING]

Teams do sell important players and survive though. United sold Beckham and were fine, Arsenal sold Viera and... ok, scratch that, erm...Everton sold Rooney and were...fcuk this is hard.

 

horse face, rush, keegan

[Wor Horse]

I would also like to know what would happen if Thommo say agreed with Rafa to sell Xabi. Do we then need to get someone in to stop Thommo or whoever from selling players?

 

Charlie Nicholas and Paul Merson would rip the piss out of him

[INTORRESTING]

merson would call him a mug and say he done a mistake

[diego]

No i expect him to say he got it wrong?

 

You are the one who is wrong and I don't see you admitting it let alone apologising.

 

When this issue was raised last summer/autumn Rafa replied in words to the effect - you can say that I changed my mind (about Alonso) or Alonso changed his mind (about going) it doesn't really matter. The bottom line is he is our player and is under contract for four years.

 

The fact is, Antynwa, Rafa got it right. When Alonso tried to find another club, last year, Rafa fixed a price that would have paid for his replacement. When he did not get the price he refused to sell. The whole exercise resulted in Alonso bucking up his ideas and trying a lot harder. This year the situation is the same. Only this time Rafa will insist that Alonso put in writing any desire to move.

 

You also got it wrong about Keane. Rafa did not say 24 hours before he left that he would be staying. He said that he thought he would be staying. And that is exactly right. At that point Rafa's judgement was that Spurs would not pay the asking price. His brinkmanship resulted in Spurs ponying up the asking price the next day.

[diego]

Thompson was the main instigator in getting rid of Robbie Fowler. I think for that alone any idea of him being Rafa's supervisor is nonsensical.

[PaulMcC]

There's some cunts on here.

 

So Alonso wants to leave but it's not his fault? It's Rafa's fault for trying to sell an underperforming player last year?

 

Why can't Alonso just be professional and stay. It's not Rafa FC afterall.

[Glen C]

Where did I mention anything about the Yanks?

 

Rafa wants control, which I agreed he should have, but that was before I heard he was looking at selling one of his best performing players.

 

Whether it's King Kenny, Phil Thompson or someone with respectable clout at this club to essentially say 'Look Rafa, sort it out'.

 

So basically its ok for him to sell someone as long as you agree with his decision. That is ridiculous and you know it. Rafa wants liverpool to improve and if he thinks that selling alonso would do that then whether we like the decision or not if we have to back him. I've seen some greats go and i was gutted but that happens in football. Slur ginsoak, whinger and rafa are all managers that want to have total control of transfers and that's how it should be. We can't say its ok unless you want to sell x or y. He either has full control or he doesn't and i think he can only truely be judged when he has fully control as he does now.

[Brownie]

Last year Benitez wanted to sign Gareth Barry, this year he doesn't, time and events change

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

 

Fucking hell, that is some seriously deluded shit right there. Barry was the top target!

[goatboy59]

There was a great review of a Ramones album once;

 

"the final track fades after two minutes. Somewhere, maybe in a dank basement, you can imagine them still playing it. Forever."

 

This thread rules!

 

1-2-3-4!

[Durango]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

 

Fucking hell, that is some seriously deluded shit right there. Barry was the top target!

What's funny about that?

[Brownie]

What's funny about that?

 

It's funny how you come on here slagging all and sundry off, and then get something like that so totally wrong.

 

You must have your head well and truly inside Rafa Benitez's arse if you think he wasn't interested in Gareth Barry.