Rafael Benítez on the brink of leaving Liverpool over Anfield rift

[Thants]

I miss Stouff.

[navbasi]

I didn't say Mourinho is great or that Rafa is shit in Europe.

 

I think Rafa is brilliant in Europe but I was just saying his 3 finals with us were not great - there were tactical errors all over the place and we could have easily lost all 3 instead of 1.

 

Any final we win is GREAT....

[Delmar]

I think Rafa is brilliant in Europe but I was just saying his 3 finals with us were not great - there were tactical errors all over the place and we could have easily lost all 3 instead of 1.

 

Turn it the other way round, Ancelotti must then be totally incompetent as a manager. 3-0 up and manages to lose a cup final. Massive tactical errors, or what?

 

We're criticizing here one of he best managers today. It is simply nitpicking to try to look for tactical errors in the finals we've been in and especially finals that we've won. If you managed to get Penelope Cruz to bed with you, would you bother too much about how it came about. I would just let myself enjoy it...

[AmerScouse]

You are allowed to have that opinion, its obviously wrong though.

 

if that's directed at me, then i do find you funny. unlike some people who get riled up at the mere sight of your posts, you really don't bother me.

 

i do find that your "argument" is severely lacking in substance, but otherwise fair play.

[Code]

if that's directed at me, then i do find you funny. unlike some people who get riled up at the mere sight of your posts, you really don't bother me.

 

i do find that your "argument" is severely lacking in substance, but otherwise fair play.

 

I could have added this ;)

 

But if you think Rafa is more tactical astute than Mourinho in Europe and in one off games then we will never agree anyway so it does not matter how I put my argument forward.

 

I`ve raised a few points already and another one could be that unlike Rafa, Mourinho actually know how to change his tactics and set up during a game based on what actually happens in the game.

 

And when you look into their records for year to year Mourinho comes out on top there as well.

[Liquid football]

I could have added this ;)

 

But if you think Rafa is more tactical astute than Mourinho in Europe and in one off games then we will never agree anyway so it does not matter how I put my argument forward.

 

Congrats Code, i think you have made a breakthrough!

 

I`ve raised a few points already and another one could be that unlike Rafa, Mourinho actually know how to change his tactics and set up during a game based on what actually happens in the game.

 

And when you look into their records for year to year Mourinho comes out on top there as well.

 

Oh wait, forget it.

[razor]

Spot on.

 

Rafa is great in Europe but out of the 3 finals with us, in the 1st final we were outplayed for the majority of the game, in the 2nd final West Ham nearly out did us only to see individual brilliance from Gerrard save the day and we lost the 3rd one when it was there for the taking.

 

Picture an Aston Villa / Spurs / Arsenal / Man City / Bluenose / fan looking through this thread, and indeed this board.

 

"They won a European Cup, an FA Cup, qualified for Europe every year, came second and also got to a second European Cup final, and they say they were all flukes, and they don't really count."

 

"They hate their manager. HATE him. They call him a cheat, a man who despises the club he works for, a "bastard", a "cunt", every vicious name under the sun, and spread lies about him."

 

In truth, it is unbelievable.

 

Even if I wanted Rafa to go, there's no way I could side with a group who show such hatred towards the manager of our club.

 

The truth is, the people who spout all this bile must ask themselves what the motivation for their hatred is. I doubt it's a love for Liverpool, the cloak they hide under. Ease up and have a look at yourselves. The stuff I've read on here the past few days is sickening.

 

ART, back up a bit; a bit of moderation please.

[Kennys_spell]

 

I`ve raised a few points already and another one could be that unlike Rafa, Mourinho actually know how to change his tactics and set up during a game based on what actually happens in the game.

 

 

ROBERT HUTH.

[JohnnyH]

Picture an Aston Villa / Spurs / Arsenal / Man City / Bluenose / fan looking through this thread, and indeed this board.

 

"They won a European Cup, an FA Cup, qualified for Europe every year, came second and also got to a second European Cup final, and they say they were all flukes, and they don't really count."

 

"They hate their manager. HATE him. They call him a cheat, a man who despises the club he works for, a "bastard", a "cunt", every vicious name under the sun, and spread lies about him."

 

In truth, it is unbelievable.

 

Even if I wanted Rafa to go, there's no way I could side with a group who show such hatred towards the manager of our club.

 

The truth is, the people who spout all this bile must ask themselves what the motivation for their hatred is. I doubt it's a love for Liverpool, the cloak they hide under. Ease up and have a look at yourselves. The stuff I've read on here the past few days is sickening.

 

ART, back up a bit; a bit of moderation please.

 

Yep. Criticism is fine. Pick at his record and have a go. But the stuff on here is quite amazing. But I think there's a little bit of one upsmanship by some as to who can be cool by giving the most amount of abuse they can, followed closely by "Neg away". It's all a bit sad.

 

As you say, some of the stuff said makes us a laughing stock among other fans, and lets be honest, there's enough to laugh at without the "fat fraud cunt" stuff.

[Original202]

ROBERT HUTH.

 

That was hardly his plan B though. More like his plan E.

 

And all managers do that, even Barcelona threw their centre backs up front against Inter in the semi finals a few weeks back.

[Torvald Utne]

"I was very surprised to read about this story (being offered the UAE coaching job) but it seems more and more as if they keep happening from somewhere," Benitez told the Liverpool Echo.

 

"I am very happy here in Liverpool. I have always been happy and I want to stay here for a long time - if it is possible."

 

There goes Rafa making up job offers again....oh.

[Kennys_spell]

That was hardly his plan B though. More like his plan E.

 

And all managers do that, even Barcelona threw their centre backs up front against Inter in the semi finals a few weeks back.

 

So what are you saying - Mourinho isn't the tactical genius that some are attempting to paint him as. Is he really just another manager that does some stuff that other managers do with better players that cost a lot more and therefore gets better results?

[Original202]

So what are you saying - Mourinho isn't the tactical genius that some are attempting to paint him as. Is he really just another manager that does some stuff that other managers do with better players that cost a lot more and therefore gets better results?

 

No, I was just saying that was hardly his plan B though. More like his plan E.

 

And all managers do that, even Barcelona threw their centre backs up front against Inter in the semi finals a few weeks back.

[Ted]

Kyrigakos was thrown up front for us not so long ago.

[Kennys_spell]

Kyrigakos was thrown up front for us not so long ago.

 

Rather agreeing with the point I made there Ted.

 

Thanks for your support.

[Ted]

What point were you even making? I just saw you write Robert Huth's name in bold and assumed you were deriding the fact that Mourinho desperatley threw a CB forward in a Champion's League semi.

[Kennys_spell]

No, I was just saying that was hardly his plan B though. More like his plan E.

 

And all managers do that, even Barcelona threw their centre backs up front against Inter in the semi finals a few weeks back.

 

I'm not arguing that all managers do it - I'm simply pointing out that Mourinho isn't the tactical genius that some are trying to make him out. He's just another manager with generally more expensive players he can use to get better results with.

[Torvald Utne]

nothing wrong with doing that once all other options have been exhausted, just don't do a fat sam and start games with your centre back up front.

[Kennys_spell]

What point were you even making? I just saw you write Robert Huth's name in bold and assumed you were deriding the fact that Mourinho desperatley threw a CB forward in a Champion's League semi.

 

You missed the point yet you were able to suggest Kyriagkos as another example of that point?

 

Go and argue with someone else Ted.

[Ted]

How exactly am I arguing?

[stringvest]

I remember Hansen being moved up front for us in the last few minutes of games. It never worked though. Having said that, he never could muster the heroic hairdo that Kyrgiakos has at his disposal.

[navbasi]

Looking back at the team line ups that night.. Chelsea being a goal up from the first leg should have comfortably been in the final...

 

Liverpool: Dudek, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore, Hamann (Kewell, 72 ) , Biscan, Luis Garcia (Nunez, 84 ) , Riise, Gerrard, Baros (Cisse, 59 )

Subs not used: Carson,Smicer,Warnock,Welsh,

 

Chelsea: Cech, Geremi ( Huth, 76 ) , Carvalho, Terry, Gallas, Tiago ( Kezman, 68 ) , Makelele, Lampard, Joe Cole ( Robben, 68 ) , Drogba, Gudjohnsen

Subs not used: Cudicini, Johnson, Forssell, Morais,

[navbasi]

I remember Hansen being moved up front for us in the last few minutes of games. It never worked though. Having said that, he never could muster the heroic hairdo that Kyrgiakos has at his disposal.

 

That was probably because he was probably the only one that hadn't scored during the game!!

[BolshieBastard]

I see the fat fraud is spouting politics again. 'I want to stay, if its possible'!

 

No one fucking wants you here (except a few deluded fools). The players dont want you, the owners dont want you. many fans dont want you. Just who the fuck do you think wants you here?

[AmerScouse]

I'm not arguing that all managers do it - I'm simply pointing out that Mourinho isn't the tactical genius that some are trying to make him out. He's just another manager with generally more expensive players he can use to get better results with.

 

think you are doing a disservice to mourinho with that comment. while i stick to my point made earlier about choosing rafa over mourinho if it were a one off game, i thought the way inter set up in the final was pretty ace.

 

using milito through the middle on the break to upset the centre back pairing with sneider always coming from a withdrawn position where he could easily lose van bommel or muller and then support from either wing when they would get forward.

 

also thought mourinho made a nice defensive adjustment to help curtail robben at the end of the first half, beginning of the 2nd half with how cambiasso and pandev helped track his runs. they left altintop alone of the left and compressed the space in the middle so cambiasso could slide over without having their central midfield compromised if bayern rotated the ball quickly. they basically said go ahead swing it to altintop and see if he can beat us.

 

but inter is extremely well organized defensively and bayern, despite a few good chances, weren't exactly carving them open.

 

that said, i hate robben, but he's in a good bit of form and having ribery would have made the game a bit different.

 

oh, and rafa is a cunt. just felt like that was obligatory for this thread, though i don't actually feel that way.