Rafa Benitez, what makes him irreplaceable?

[Skidfingers McGonical]

I've only just come into the thread so apologies for not reading anyones posts yet.

 

I don't believe any manager is irreplacble, our history only proves this however, that doesn't mean I don't think Rafa is not the man to take us forward. I'm very much in the pro Rafa camp, however I hope I am not stupid enough to be blinded by Istanbul and think he is the Messiah, just yet.

 

I believe Rafa is the man to take us up to the next level until the right man at the right place at the right time is available. I believe he is laying foundations for the very long term and revolutionizing the way our club should looking forward. I know some of his decisions have not done him any favours, but I admire that he is man who has belief in himself and what he is trying to do.

 

We needed a complete overhaul on how we as a club had been underperforming on and most certainly off it.

 

As much as I admire Heighway and the fantastic work he and the rest of his staff have done over the years is irreplaceable. However I believe that as much as a true to heart Red Heighway was, I believe it was the right time for him to go onto somewhere new or the golf course. We had to make massive changes at all levels but The one area that should not have been impacted upon, in my opinion anyway, is the academy.

 

I'm not happy the way that was handled by all parties involved. That being said I am excited by the plans I have seen and heard that Rafa has. I know many people will share that idea, but in a few years I firmly believe that we will be producing some good talent, whether they are good enough for our first team, but they can be developed as a player at an Academy that works with the squad as opposed to being a pawn in a political game of pointless chess.

 

Rafa is replacable no doubt, but not at this moment in time. The next man who comes in has to be ready to put the roof on the house that is being rebuilt.

 

For all his faults he want's to finish the job and he wants to do it right, it will show stubborness and mud to be flung at him, but I have to admire than in a person, to stand up for what you believe, and to not give up on your beliefs.

 

He's no Shanks, Paisley or King Kenny, but if he is allowed to finish his job, he could be three quarters of the way there.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

 

He's no Shanks, Paisley or King Kenny, but if he is allowed to finish his job, he could be three quarters of the way there.

 

Given the money to get in his first choice players, I think he could be up with them. If not surpass some of them.

[Catch22]

Not irreplaceable.

 

However there are very few managerial feats in the last decade where a club significantly over-achieved vs its budget in La Liga,PL or the CL.

 

The PL was won once by a team not paying top 2 wages when Arse did it in '03-'04 with the 3rd.

La Liga was won 3 times: twice by Valencia under Rafa & once by Coruna

The CL was only won twice by a team outside the very highest payers in Europe, us in '05 & Jose's Porto a year before.

 

So, of the 6 extraordinary managerial victories in the last decade, Rafa has 3 of them.

Noone else has more than 1.

 

No-one has anything like his success this decade given the inputs available so any move we make must be down.

 

So why do it?

[Delmar]

Not irreplaceable.

 

However there are very few managerial feats in the last decade where a club significantly over-achieved vs its budget in La Liga,PL or the CL.

 

The PL was won once by a team not paying top 2 wages when Arse did it in '03-'04 with the 3rd.

La Liga was won 3 times: twice by Valencia under Rafa & once by Coruna

The CL was only won twice by a team outside the very highest payers in Europe, us in '05 & Jose's Porto a year before.

 

So, of the 6 extraordinary managerial victories in the last decade, Rafa has 3 of them.

Noone else has more than 1.

 

No-one has anything like his success this decade given the inputs available so any move we make must be down.

 

So why do it?

 

I agree. It's odd that so many people refuse to see the correlation between money and success on the field.

 

It is not by accident that the biggest capitalists in the world have regulated their sports with salary caps. There are two main reasons for this, first to keep the sports interesting (thus having a steady audience, and second, of course, to guarantee that the owners make money.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Erm, no. Here is the post, should you ever want to come back to it.

 

http://www.liverpoolway.co.uk/forum/ff-football-forum/83334-rafa-benitez-what-makes-him-irreplaceable.html#post1893757

 

Code? No?

[Guest Ulysses Everett McGill]

Code? No?

 

You really expect a coherent reply?

 

No doubt he'll produce some excel spreadsheet to prove that black is indeed white.

 

On Codes argument, the best passer in the league statisically in the late 90's would be Phil Babb

[ratcatcher]

Sorry but I dont think even if benitez had a lot more money he'd win the PL.

 

He had our best chance in years and decided to put a poor team out at Stoke. He took his eye off the ball with the infamous rant when we then dropped some important points.

 

He essentially had an almost similar set of circumstances as when he won the title in Spain ie his nearest competitors were not in as strong a position as they had been ie disarray with new manager (chavs) unable to spend significant sums on new players (arse) and filth away in tokyo yet didnt capitalise on it.

 

I think he's probably the best manager we could have at the moment but its more in hope rather than belief he'll win us the title.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

You really expect a coherent reply?

 

I'm just hoping he comes back in. Twice he has done this to me now.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Sorry but I dont think even if benitez had a lot more money he'd win the PL.

 

If he had a 'lot more money' we'd have had those first choices that are now at other clubs: Vidic, Alves, Villa (maybe), Silva, Simao and others. That's without getting onto players that he'd have bought that we'll never even know about.

 

Selling to the Yanks instead of to DIC has been what has stitched us. Rafa is a proven exceptional manager who is spending less than his rivals, or at least had a very disadvantaged starting point.

[Dougie Do'ins]

If he had a 'lot more money' we'd have had those first choices that are now at other clubs: Vidic, Alves, Villa (maybe), Silva, Simao and others. That's without getting onto players that he'd have bought that we'll never even know about.

 

Selling to the Yanks instead of to DIC has been what has stitched us. Rafa is a proven exceptional manager who is spending less than his rivals, or at least had a very disadvantaged starting point.

In seasons previous to this he's had plenty of money. He's been guilty of wasting large amounts of that money on shite and creating a revolving door transfer policy.

[Torvald Utne]

AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

In seasons previous to this he's had plenty of money.

 

No' date=' he didn't. He had considerably less to spend on individuals than his rivals. By that, I mean that he couldn't drop 25-30m on a defender, then go out and drop another 30 on an attacker. Chelsea and United have that type of power.

 

 

He's been guilty of wasting large amounts of that money on shite and creating a revolving door transfer policy.

 

Wasting? On who? Freebies and low cost targets to fill gaps in the squad? He rarely spends large amounts and makes a mistake. He has had to sell to raise funds. Only now are we in a position, as United have been for decades, to buy one top player for big money, instead of having to gradually improve positions.

 

13m net a season. That's just not enough.

[Ted]

So he needs loadsa money to win the league? Like Mourinho?

[Guest Ulysses Everett McGill]

So he needs loadsa money to win the league? Like Mourinho?

 

Not quite that much, no

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

So he needs loadsa money to win the league? Like Mourinho?

 

No, but is it fair to expect him to win the league without being on a level playing field financially. Without the ability to go for the fair share of top players, and we are at the stage where only top players are actually going to improve us, then how can he realistically be asked to win the league.

 

He has come pretty close, really close, but he is up against some spending powerhouses. Spending isn't just about how much you spend; you have to put things into perspective, in my opinion. You need to judge on the ability to spend on one or two additions; spending 35m on one player is a whole different kettle of crackers to spending it on five or six. Firstly, it means your squad is strong enough in all of the other areas, something United and Chelsea could boast when Rafa took over. Secondly, it (the spreading thin of money) indicates that we have far more areas to improve and have to raise our own funds to get the players in. It has been a slow, step-by-step process for Rafa.

 

You do bring up a vital point, though. Mourinho did have loads of money and go the title with it. Rafa was up against that, but with vastly less funds and an inferior base from which to build.

[Ted]

So by 'level playing field' you mean the same money as Mourinho?

 

Ergo, he can only win the league if he spends loads and loads of money.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

So by 'level playing field' you mean the same money as Mourinho?

 

No, Ted 'Theodore' Logan, you're not getting what I'm saying. It is financial, but It is also more than money. It is about having the same base from which to spend money and, thanks do some bargains and some wheeling and dealing, we are just about there. What we need now is, as with United, Chelsea, Barca, Madrid and others, is the ability to bring in very top players that are the managers first choice. How often has that happened? Especially with the very expensive attacking talent, it has been all too rare.

 

I think it is fair to say that the squad has changed dramatically for the better since Rafa joined and, aside from winning the European and FA Cups, we are heading in the right direction with the team, despite clear financial restraints this summer.

 

I'm not suggesting for a second that he is perfect, nor infallible, I just think he has done a remarkable job. Even more so when you consider he has been restricted in areas that his rivals have not.

 

Ergo

 

I don't speak German. Seriously though, are you expecting him to win without being on the same footing?

[Ted]

No, Ted 'Theodore' Logan, you're not getting what I'm saying. It is financial, but It is also more than money. It is about having the same base from which to spend money and, thanks do some bargains and some wheeling and dealing, we are just about there. What we need now is, as with United, Chelsea, Barca, Madrid and others, is the ability to bring in very top players that are the managers first choice. How often has that happened? Especially with the very expensive attacking talent, it has been all too rare.

 

I think it is fair to say that the squad has changed dramatically for the better since Rafa joined and, aside from winning the European and FA Cups, we are heading in the right direction with the team, despite clear financial restraints this summer.

 

I'm not suggesting for a second that he is perfect, nor infallible, I just think he has done a remarkable job. Even more so when you consider he has been restricted in areas that his rivals have not.

 

 

 

I don't speak German. Seriously though, are you expecting him to win without being on the same footing?

 

He's had money. He's the one who's chosen to spend it how he has.

 

This has been done to death though, so fuck it.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

He's had money.

 

So has Phil Brown.

 

He's the one who's chosen to spend it how he has.

 

Sure. Torres, Agger, Alonso, Reina, Mascherano, Skrtel, Garcia, Johnson, Kuyt and others. They all cost money. Unless you're seriously expecting every player he buys to be top class, then I don't really get why that is an insult?

[Ted]

So has Phil Brown.

 

 

 

Sure. Torres, Agger, Alonso, Reina, Mascherano, Skrtel, Garcia, Johnson, Kuyt and others. They all cost money. Unless you're seriously expecting every player he buys to be top class, then I don't really get why that is an insult?

 

Yeah, I am expecting every player he buys to be top class. We are Liverpool aren't we? Shouldn't we expect the best?

 

Who?

[Guest TK-421]

Thants S. Preston, esquire.

[Ted]

So has Phil Brown.

 

Yeah but Phil Brown didn't spend nearly £9m on Dossena.

[Dicko]

Yeah but Phil Brown didn't spend nearly £9m on Dossena.

Neither did Rafa.

[Ted]

Who did then?

[Brownie]

Who did then?

 

Think it was £7M mate.