Favourite Rafa moments

[Sandman]

If we had of won the league nothing would have been made of it.

 

 

Perhaps, but i feel it's ridiculous to pin the blame for us not winning the league on to him making that speech.

 

He said what every one not affiliated with United has been thinking for years.

 

There's a whole lot of jingoism when it comes to how Rafa is treated and that pisses me off. Slur is Scottish for fucks sake and he doesn't give a fuck about England, yet the press can't get enough of his arse.

[RobbieOR]

Perhaps, but i feel it's ridiculous to pin the blame for us not winning the league on to him making that speech.

 

He said what every one not affiliated with United has been thinking for years.

 

There's a whole lot of jingoism when it comes to how Rafa is treated and that pisses me off. Slur is Scottish for fucks sake and he doesn't give a fuck about England, yet the press can't get enough of his arse.

 

It wasnt the reason we didnt win the league. That Stoke game was a hard game and the speech didnt affect it. United nearly dropped points there on Stephens Day but got a late winner. We didnt get the rub of the green when Stevie hit the post in the past minute.

 

He was dead right to say it and was the only one who had the bottle and speak out against Ferguson.

[kingkenny78]

Yeah, that one right there. Like a little Buddha in comedy socks.

[kopite1989]

When gerrard scored against olympiacos ( sorry about spelling) and the steward hugged rafa, and rafa patted his back lol makes me smile! :)

[Guest davelfc]

When gerrard scored against olympiacos ( sorry about spelling) and the steward hugged rafa, and rafa patted his back lol makes me smile! :)

 

[kopite1989]

 

:) yeah that right there, I'm not his biggest fan these days but, gonna feel strange not seeing him moody on the touchline... He's given us times to

smile too, nice thread to bring that into perspective

[Byrnie]

Istanbul, best day of my life.

His drinking with the fans in Germany, standing up to that drunken bully Taggart, the welcome he gave Rhys Jones parents on the pitch before the Toulouse game.

 

Basically everything that's been mentioned in this thread.

[Byrnie]

Edited May 2, 2010 by byrnie

[RobbieOR]

Byrnie, delete one of them videos you've fucked the thread up.

[Byrnie]

Byrnie, delete one of them videos you've fucked the thread up.

 

I don't know why it came up twice, even when I edited it it still came up twice.

[Section_31]

Apart from the winning of cups, two spring to mind:

 

1. The Chelsea CL semi in 2007 with Rafa watching the pens cross-legged from the touchline - he knew we were going to win that shootout.

 

 

That's my favourite.

[Pidge]

The Book of Carragher, Part II: Rafa

 

Today featured a lecture from the gaffer on a technical point of defending. Though Carragher believes the Liverpool reigns of Roy Evans and Gerard Houllier are underrated, Rafael Benitez is “the biggest influence on my career. Even this morning he took me aside after training. Robbie Keane was saying, ‘Jeez, he talked to you like you’re a YTS player . . .’ You get used to it. Rafa is always on your back. Some players can’t handle that. Me, I don’t like it but I’m the sort of person who responds. You’ve always got that thing in the back of your mind with Rafa, ‘Does he actually think I’m any good?’ You’re always wanting to prove yourself. He hasn’t got much good to say about anyone, Rafa. . . even other managers.”

 

He and his mentor had a false start. At Euro 2004 Benitez, newly appointed by Liverpool, visited the England camp to meet Carragher, Gerrard and Michael Owen. The trio thought it was nice he would go to such lengths. The ego-stroking they expected did not materialise. Benitez sketched out an XI that, to Carragher’s dismay, had him at right-back and told Gerrard he should stop running about so much “and said to Michael you’ve got to get back to the way you were in 2001!”

 

In his book, Carragher jokes that Benitez is like a pub bore. “I hope people understood I was being light-hearted,” he says. “I meant that he’s always got to have the last word. Whatever your opinion is, he always has a better one. He’s the person who always thinks he knows best for you – and is usually right. There are times you want to tell him to . . . but later you think, ‘That was good for me’.

 

“The job he’s done is sometimes overlooked. Don’t forget that within a week of walking in the door he lost Michael [Owen] and had just been given Djibril Cisse. He stayed with the team in Tokyo when his dad had just died, which was an unbelievable gesture towards the players and the club. He’s taken defence to another level. He goes into every detail, tiny little things like body positions, how to react when the opposition use different formations. Basically, he’s trying to copy the AC Milan of Franco Baresi. He can change systems five times in a game. In Robbie’s first match he ended up on the left wing because Rafa noticed something about Lazio which made him want three in the middle – and that was just a friendly.

 

"To be honest, British players find that [flexibility] more difficult than foreign ones and maybe that’s why some he’s bought did not do so well. But another strength is he recognises his transfer mistakes. Every manager makes them and there’s nothing worse than the manager playing players to justify himself. That’s disrespectful to the rest of the squad. When Rafa picks you, it’s because you’re in the best XI to play that game.”

Jamie Carragher's club passion | Liverpool - Times Online

 

Not overwhelmingly positive, and some would say it mentions many of his failings, but an honest and an enjoyable read.

[Flying Pig]

I love Rafa and I desperately want him to stay. Everyone of the videos showing our successes by the team and Rafa show what this man can do for our club with the correct backing. He is the best thing to happen to this club since Kenny was in charge, yet people insult him after a terrible season. The anti-Rafa sheep forget the positives he can bring and want him out, but what then? Nothing, no guaranteed better manager, no backing from the yanks. Hopefully if he goes I will be wrong, but I can see him being forced out and mid table managers being given their chance and failing badly because they do not have the strength of character that Rafa has. This season has been awful but without Rafa we are the new Leeds.

 

Those videos will always give me immense pleasure. He's the reason for them.

[Seanleonardart]

Bringing in 3 of the finest players we have ever seen at the club

 

Fernando Torres

Javier Mascherano

Pepe Reina

 

[YOUTUBE]

[Redshadow]

sleonard0 It was FOUR players - You forgot Xabi Alonso.

[Coro]

the welcome he gave Rhys Jones parents on the pitch before the Toulouse game.

 

^

[Seanleonardart]

sleonard0 It was FOUR players - You forgot Xabi Alonso.

 

Who ?? :)

 

true, i should have added xabi..just kept it to our current players

[1892-LFCWasBorn]

Look at him in the last clip, back when he was a passionate track suit manager, now he's in a suit every single game, looks tired, jaded and a shadow of his former self, he looks 20 years younger, he should take a break from football, but he won't.

 

I said the same to a mate the other day.

 

He's seemingly taken the fun part out of everything and lost his sense of humour during the process.

 

I actually find it sad by the type of person he's become now. Self obsessed and a complete control freak. Always with a battle to fight.

 

I used to love him as he was very infectious and now I don't any more.

[Unrighteous]

Istanbul. Never had as much joy, in regards to football... and I had no one to share it with.

[Pool518]

Istanbul.

 

And when he leaves us.

[Sandman]

Istanbul. Never had as much joy, in regards to football... and I had no one to share it with.

 

In a way that's kinda cool. The moment just becomes yours.

[hamstrung]

The Alonso goal against Arsenal, with the little wink and thumbs up. Cool as fuck.

[Brownie]

I love Rafa and I desperately want him to stay. Everyone of the videos showing our successes by the team and Rafa show what this man can do for our club with the correct backing. He is the best thing to happen to this club since Kenny was in charge, yet people insult him after a terrible season. The anti-Rafa sheep forget the positives he can bring and want him out, but what then? Nothing, no guaranteed better manager, no backing from the yanks. Hopefully if he goes I will be wrong, but I can see him being forced out and mid table managers being given their chance and failing badly because they do not have the strength of character that Rafa has. This season has been awful but without Rafa we are the new Leeds.

 

Those videos will always give me immense pleasure. He's the reason for them.

 

Fair play to you for sticking to your guns. Goes without saying that I disagree with you but as I said, fair play...

[Flying Pig]

Fair play to you for sticking to your guns. Goes without saying that I disagree with you but as I said, fair play...

 

My interest in Rafa staying is not because he is a nice guy etc, its because we have seen,with stability within the club, what this man is capable of. If a better man can replace him and improve us under the same circumstance then I would have no problem with him going. However, this man has yet to be found or wants to come here. That is my point, its not blind love its common sense.

[FortressAnfield]

Taking Robbie off a minute before the end in his last match so he can get a standing ovation from the crowd.

(Possibly slightly spoiled by the penalty we got in front of the Kop 30 seconds later which would have been taken by Robbie - don't blame Rafa for that!)

 

Sending Cisse on in the 2006 semi against Chelsea to hold up the ball and run down the clock. Cisse gets the ball, takes it to the corner, crosses it, Chesea get it launch an attack. We win anyway - everybody celebrates, except Rafa who makes a beeline for Cisse.....