Rafa: Expectations were too high

[YNWA12]

A quote from this article:

 

Rafael BenÃ*tez vows to fight on at Liverpool with some fresh 'facts' | Football | The Guardian

 

Rafael Benítez has vowed not to walk away from the pressures at Liverpool but believes the club cannot be expected to compete for the top prizes every season due to problems behind the scenes.

 

The Liverpool manager issued a defiant response to the latest crisis to engulf his Anfield reign yesterday, albeit one laced with a neat touch of self-deprecating humour. Almost a year to the day since his infamous "list of facts" argument against Sir Alex Ferguson, Benítez, whose side face Stoke City today, started his pre-match press conference by producing a piece of paper from his pocket and delivering a rehearsed message.

 

Instead of a bullish attack on Manchester United from a position of strength, however, this time it was an apology for a dreadful season that lurched to a new low on Wednesday when Liverpool were humbled at home in the FA Cup by Reading.

 

"Before we start, some facts," said the Liverpool manager, whose team were top of the Premier League before visiting the Britannia Stadium last January. "Facts: we are not playing well and we feel sorry for our fans. I have experience as a manager and we know every week that things can change in football, so we have confidence that we will improve. Stoke is the first option we have to improve. We have to be focused on Stoke and not concentrate too much on other things."

 

The "other things" to which Benítez referred concerned his position as Liverpool manager, which will be reviewed by the club hierarchy at the end of this season and will be influenced both by his attempt to achieve Champions League qualification and the co-owners' efforts to find new investment.

 

Liverpool are seventh in the table, five points behind Manchester City in fourth, and face Tony Pulis's side without the key injured trio of Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard and Yossi Benayoun. The goalkeeper José Reina is also struggling with a back problem while Ryan Babel tweeted to the world yesterday that he has been left out of the squad without explanation: "What happened after a good first season? Scoring 10 goals, being young talent of the year, and then this season don't play at all". The reason is Benítez's attempt to move on the Dutch international, with the Spaniard seeking a swap deal with Sunderland's Kenwyne Jones.

 

Liverpool's problems are not confined to the pitch, with debt, the divided ownership of Tom Hicks and George Gillett plus a stalled stadium project increasing uncertainty around the club. But Benítez is adamant he will not quit Liverpool to safeguard his reputation. "No," he said in answer to that question. "Clearly, I want to fight." The Liverpool manager is also only one year into a lucrative five and a half year contract signed last March and would miss out on a compensation fee were he to resign.

 

Benítez did accept that he is immersed in the most difficult period of his six-year Liverpool reign. "As a manager of 26 years I have had problems before," he said. "But in modern football it is different. You have agents, big money, TV, radios, newspapers, the internet. Everyone has an opinion. It is difficult." And though his latest "list of facts" was an attempt to ease tension around the club at his own expense – "It was to keep a sense of humour but I am quite serious about this. Everything can change in one week" – he again insisted that expectations at Anfield bear no relation to the financial reality.

 

"You can't always have good seasons. You cannot be consistent at the top of the table with the situation that we have. We know we have to do well every single year and we will do our best again. This year from the beginning was difficult. We are in a bad situation but we have to show character.

 

"Who has won the league in the last years? Who has won the Champions League? If you analyse who has won in the past then that is the reality. It is also a reality that Liverpool have won four trophies, been to seven finals, got 82 points and 86 points in the league; the highest in the club's history. I said before and I say now; we are progressing, but we are now in a bad moment.

 

"We have to improve but every club has problems. Sometimes the time they have the problem is long or short. We know the expectation from the start was too high but now we have to manage the situation. The fans are clever. They know that Bill Shankly, the most famous manager in the history of the club – he will be the most famous – went many years without winning. The proper fans they've known for years that this club is a massive club but has won and lost. They know."

 

Asked if the Anfield board shared that sense of perspective, Benítez replied: "If I talk too much about what is going on I will lose my focus on Stoke."

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

The expectations were to win the title after narrowly missing out last season. No way was that too high.

[YNWA12]

I just don't know how the team was supposed to fight and get motivated for the title this season if he already admitted defeat before it started.

 

We could have challenged for the title this season, I firmly believe that, especially when you consider what the other big 3 spent this summer.

[Rex Banner]

Even if the expectations were lower they still haven't been met.

Also why shouldn't the expectations be high, we lost 1 important player I don't see how that justifies the team going into meltdown.

Also the mancs lost Ronaldo and Tevez.

[Hermes]

I didn't expect the title. I said before the season started that the best we could hope for was 3rd place, because we hadn't signed a forward.

 

However, I didn't expect a total capitulation in every competition before they were hardly started.

[The Golden Eel]

Swap deal with Kenwyne Jones would be nice all the same... But are Sunderland really that stupid? Doubt it

[Code]

I agree Rafa, to believe we would still be in the Carling Cup, still be in the FA Cup, still be in the CL and still be in with a shot at the title in early January were far too high expectations considering the shower of shite you have brought to this club, do the only decent thing, resign and let someone try to sort out this mess you have got us into.

 

The excuses are getting pathetic now, the Rafa spin machine is at full throttle.

[JohnnyH]

Yeah. That's exactly what he meant Code.

[StevieH]

By saying that expectations are too high, Rafa is giving himself and the players an excuse for failure.

 

The time to pass judgement as to whether expectations were too high or not, or to look for excuses should come at the end of his reign as Liverpool manager not during it. He should be looking to raise expectations and build people up.

[JimmyConway]

Exactly Code,not to mention the very least I expect from any Liverpool team is quality football,fluidity,movement and passion.

 

 

"The proper fans"

where does he get off with such nonsense,I have to say that's a heap of shit.If he thinks he's above critiscism for such a poor season he's on a slippery slope.

[William_Ulsterman]

i think he also needs to change "wee need to improve" to.. "I need to improve my tactics"

[Code]

Yeah. That's exactly what he meant Code.

 

Not at all, once again he is trying to spin things in his favour to save his job.

 

Maybe someone should ask him at his next press conference how its possible to spend almost £80M on transfers on 9 players in 1, 5 year and the same players have made only 33 PL starts between them this season, thats just fantastic use of resources.

 

The only way Rafa should be allowed to continue in his job is if was stripped for every responsibility when it came to transfers, because frankly he stinks at it.

[Guest PurpleNose]

Not at all, once again he is trying to spin things in his favour to save his job.

 

Maybe someone should ask him at his next press conference how its possible to spend almost £80M on transfers on 9 players in 1, 5 year and the same players have made only 33 PL starts between them this season, thats just fantastic use of resources.

 

The only way Rafa should be allowed to continue in his job is if was stripped for every responsibility when it came to transfers, because frankly he stinks at it.

 

Its a fucking disgrace you aren't our manager.

[chris71]

What's he trying to say? That we're basically a mid table side who should enjoy any decent cup run? For fucks sake we dont even have that to be cheerful about. We're in the shit and it's getting deeper.

 

 

 

Auto ticket announcement : All those entitled, we will be taking payment for the 1st round 1st leg of the inter shitty non league cup for the for see able future.Thank you for your cash. If we have been knocked out of this in the mean time we'll refund you less taxes and ad costs,ta.

[Chinandeler Bong]

The last sentence is very interesting too.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

Expectations by a lot of fans and the media where that we would push on to win the league. My expectation was that we would challenge again.

 

You don't go from challenging twice in 20 years to winning it without buying big to build on the foundations of the challenge of the previous years.

 

This could be argued with Chelsea not challenging for a billion years then finishing 3rd then winning it the year after, but they spent vast amounts of money. I also bring Blackburn into the equation and I would bet against City winning it next season or the season after.

 

That side last season was not a title winning side, as impressed as I was I believe it punched above it's weight, however that takes nothing away from the acheivement of running United close.

 

Now to task of taking the next step to actually bringing the title home is huge. How can any side, regardless of who is to blame, allow two of it's best performers and mainstays of the previous 3-5 years to go without stocking up the squad for cover AND replacing those two players.

 

Yes mistakes were made in the transfer market, as in the past their have been great signing's. I refuse to believe Robbie Keane would have took us to the title, and I also do not believe he would have played second fiddle to Torres quietly. Either way he would have gone.

 

This season has been nothing short of embarrassing. And I think we should write it off now, regroup now, not in the summer, look at offloading players who's time with the club has come to an end so when the summer comes there is no dilly and dallying just take what we can and get the right people in to evolve the team, whether that be squad players, first team or our big name players that go I don't care I want winners .

 

I don't care who stays as long as the players who WANT to stay and fight to drag this club back to the top. For too many years since we last won it, we have carried players who's heart go after a period of uncertainty or a run of bad form or even the manager not putting an arm around them.

 

I was looking back at Arsenal and United since we last won it, and one thing is very apparant besides the support for the manager from board level and fan level. The life cycle of a team is always addressed by both managers and tough decisions are made and players who come to their point of life with Liverpool move on. It's evolution and to keep chopping and changing a manager every few years, in my eyes will not solve the slump.

 

It's time for people to stand up be counted and commit to dragging Liverpool Football Club to the place where we belong, the very summit of football both Domestic and Continental. If any player does not want to stand up and fight and hide then go and earn your money elsewhere, your not wanted here.

 

We have to live within our means which have been forced upon us by our 'great custodians'.

[Iantn]

Expectations by a lot of fans and the media where that we would push on to win the league. My expectation was that we would challenge again.

 

You don't go from challenging twice in 20 years to winning it without buying big to build on the foundations of the challenge of the previous years.

 

This could be argued with Chelsea not challenging for a billion years then finishing 3rd then winning it the year after, but they spent vast amounts of money. I also bring Blackburn into the equation and I would bet against City winning it next season or the season after.

 

That side last season was not a title winning side, as impressed as I was I believe it punched above it's weight, however that takes nothing away from the acheivement of running United close.

 

Now to task of taking the next step to actually bringing the title home is huge. How can any side, regardless of who is to blame, allow two of it's best performers and mainstays of the previous 3-5 years to go without stocking up the squad for cover AND replacing those two players.

 

Yes mistakes were made in the transfer market, as in the past their have been great signing's. I refuse to believe Robbie Keane would have took us to the title, and I also do not believe he would have played second fiddle to Torres quietly. Either way he would have gone.

 

This season has been nothing short of embarrassing. And I think we should write it off now, regroup now, not in the summer, look at offloading players who's time with the club has come to an end so when the summer comes there is no dilly and dallying just take what we can and get the right people in to evolve the team, whether that be squad players, first team or our big name players that go I don't care I want winners .

 

I don't care who stays as long as the players who WANT to stay and fight to drag this club back to the top. For too many years since we last won it, we have carried players who's heart go after a period of uncertainty or a run of bad form or even the manager not putting an arm around them.

 

I was looking back at Arsenal and United since we last won it, and one thing is very apparant besides the support for the manager from board level and fan level. The life cycle of a team is always addressed by both managers and tough decisions are made and players who come to their point of life with Liverpool move on. It's evolution and to keep chopping and changing a manager every few years, in my eyes will not solve the slump.

 

It's time for people to stand up be counted and commit to dragging Liverpool Football Club to the place where we belong, the very summit of football both Domestic and Continental. If any player does not want to stand up and fight and hide then go and earn your money elsewhere, your not wanted here.

 

We have to live within our means which have been forced upon us by our 'great custodians'.

 

Top post that.

[Code]

Good post, personally I expected around 76 points and that was obviously too high looking back, but I did not see our inability at defending set pieces becoming such a problem.

[Barrington Womble]

Houllier all over again.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

Good post, personally I expected around 76 points and that was obviously too high looking back, but I did not see our inability at defending set pieces becoming such a problem.

 

You're not on your own there.

[Section_31]

The expectations were to win the title after narrowly missing out last season. No way was that too high.

 

I personally didn't expect us to win the title, I hoped we would, but not doing so wouldn't have been enough to piss me off, I just wanted to see us maintain the level we'd reached, the attacking football especially, instead we've probably regressed to pre-2005.

[RedKnight]

I expect a top four finish, Rafa. You're making a pigs ear of that so I don't think you're in any position to start talking about high expectations, what exactly does he expect? We're Liverpool.

[rage]

he should go and manage a club with lower expectations then.

[djb1980]

Not the fickle glory seeking fans who jumped on the 2005 bandwagon. Get brain washed by sky's media whores.

[JimmyConway]

"proper fans" what does he mean by that?

 

Exactly,mentioned it in my post. It smacks of arrogance.