Rafa Benitez not to blame for Liverpool FC's awful start

[That fella 0]

Rafael Benitez on Monday night launched another cryptic attack on the current regime at Liverpool, this time lambasting successor Roy Hodgson.

 

Inter Milan boss Benitez, back in England for Tuesday's Champions League game at Tottenham, was responding to accusations from Hodgson that he had banned club ambassador and scout Kenny Dalglish from Liverpool's Melwood training ground during his time in charge.

 

"I think that Mr Hodgson, he doesn't understand," Benitez said.

 

"Every single press conference is even worse than the last one. He's talking about things that he doesn't know. And some people cannot see a priest on a mountain of sugar.

 

"Maybe he hasn't been in Liverpool too long. We gave the fans their pride - again. We fought for the fans, we fought for the club and we fought for our players. So maybe he cannot understand this."

 

He added: "I brought back Kenny Dalglish to do a role in the club and Christian Purslow gave him another role. He (Hodgson) doesn't know but I will explain it to him.

 

"So, instead of talking about the flips or the flops, he has to concentrate on his players, try to do his best. He has a good job to do."

 

Once again defending his own record as Liverpool manager during a six-year reign that ended in the summer, Benitez said: "They've signed nine players.

 

"With £10million net spending, I left that squad with £300million value, 13 internationals.

 

"So, instead of talking about flips and flops, he has to concentrate on his job, try to do his best and not talk about the level of his players or the new players. Concentrate, try to do your best because it will be the best for the club and it will be the best for the fans."

 

 

The man talks sense.

[acks 0]

Rafa is funny as hell!

[Soup 3]

Haha nice Rafa.

[diego 0]

I don't agree. Both managers have had nothing but trouble to deal with within the club over the past 3 seasons. Benitez got 7th while his best players wanted away and one could argue that at least 4 managers above him had stronger clubs behind them with money to spend if asked.

Roy, a less talented manager (pretty much a fact) hasn't so far got to grips with the weakened squad that Rafa left him after having to make money for 3 windows. He's also had to deal with the boardroom mess going on behind him. Is said he should get more time if he got 6 points and now I'll stick to that.

 

There's no way you can blame the managers alone for the state of the team this season or last. Top managers weren't lining up to replace Rafa.

 

More patented TLW lies. Who were the best players who wanted away? Carragher undermined the squad and the manager because he wanted to stay and thought Rafa would give him only one more year. Gerrard signed a new 5 year contract from Rafa, as did five other of the leading players in 2009. Nobody wanted away except Mascherano who stayed last year only because Rafa asked him. The two others - Riera

and what's his name at Chelsea - were always moaning about not being picked. They were not leading players.

 

All the players, except Gerrard and Carragher, have said at one time or another that they missed Rafa, appreciated him, respected him, were shocked by his going. Torres first reaction to the news was that he respected him more than any other coach and had learned more from him than from anyone. Later he said that perhaps it was best for Rafa to go and that is what the press and certain sites like to quote.

Edited 1 Nov 2010, 21:26:16 by diego

[diego 0]

Some of the same people tut-tutting because Rafa answered back, lap up every childish comment Mourinho makes about Rafa and most other managers. They even seem to like Ferguson's attacks on the Liverpool manager (now ex-manager). Carragher thinks that Rafa had to go because he upset the British dinosaurs. Poor baby.

[fungus 616]

 

It's depressing to see what we had compared to what we now have.

[RSM 0]

Indeed he did. But then Purslow didn't see the point of paying Kenny just to be the tea boy.

 

Pretty classless from both grown men, frankly. They do seem to share a remarkable ability to always blame someone else for their own failings.

 

Mind you, I sure miss Rafa's cryptic press conferences: a masterclass, when done correctly (as he did for the early part of his Liverpool reign), in how to wind the media hacks up.

 

 

Sorry, was Rafa not supposed to respond to Roy's accusation that he Ostracised Kenny? It's total bollocks and Rafa has called him on it.

 

Rafa has been silent on the whole affair up until now; while Roy has been telling everyone and his wife it's all Rafa's fault that we were in the relegation zone for over a month.

[Abs 0]

Benitez v Hodgson - any way you look at it, a no-contest.

 

if you get fergie comming out and sticking up for roy, you should be really worried

[zackop10 0]

wow wow just when you thought the man could not get even more legendary !!!

 

Genius at work, every thing he said was a fact !!!

 

Everything we discussing, debating,disputing, on this and all other forums, it is the truth, and so eloquently delivered.

 

He needed to do this because everything about the guy and his achievement is being smeared and lies and half lies being made the truth because every1 is repeating it from our ex players, from our tv channel by sky, by the press, by LMA managers,by pundits,by radio, history is being re-written right infront of our eyes.

 

Any1 that says he did not have to do this is wrong to say it because of the complete dislike of the man !!!

 

Rafa, raphael, rafa, raphael, raphael, benitez !!!!

[Kennys_spell 0]

Withdrawn.

[RSM 0]

Riena = £23M (offer rejected from Arsenal)

Agger = £14M (Milan, Arsenal & Spurs interested)

The Greek = £2m

Skrtel = £7M

Johnson = £18M

Insua = £5M (offer from Fiorentina)

Kuyt = £12M (offer from Inter)

Lucas = £8M

Macherano = £24m (sold to Barca)

Babel = £9m (offered by Birmingham)

Aquilani = £17m

Bennynoon = £6m

Riera = £4m (sold)

Gerrard = £30m

Torres = £70m (offered by City in the summer)

N'gog = £4m

Pacheco = £3m

 

If Roy wants to re-build he can fucking start by selling the so called expensive failures. There's plenty of money there: despite what is propagated by the press.

[Tony Edwards 0]

if you get fergie comming out and sticking up for roy, you should be really worried

 

Couldn't care less what that pisshead or any of his cronies have to say. I'm happy in the knowledge that there's plenty of us who know the truth of the matter.

[Einch 376]

Nowt wrong with responding to your critics - especially ones who are not fit to wipe your arse with. £300M in the squad though? Doubt that but maybe he is right. Rafa is light years ahead of the dinosaur we have in charge. It sounds like Inter have got the Rafa of 2004 who was the best manager in the world at the time.

[Joey8FrogsLegs 781]

Rafa's time here was probably up, at least circumstances considered. But for me he'll go down as a real Liverpool manager. Hard working, dedicated to club and supporters and with a real winner's mentality. Yes he made mistakes, but at least to me he still had the class required to manage this club.

 

Hodgson is all about shit results, shit football, shit talk and a shit small time attitude. In any order you prefer.

[Trucker Paddy 309]

Riena = £23M (offer rejected from Arsenal)

Agger = £14M (Milan, Arsenal & Spurs interested)

The Greek = £2m

Skrtel = £7M

Johnson = £18M

Insua = £5M (offer from Fiorentina)

Kuyt = £12M (offer from Inter)

Lucas = £8M

Macherano = £24m (sold to Barca)

Babel = £9m (offered by Birmingham)

Aquilani = £17m

Bennynoon = £6m

Riera = £4m (sold)

Gerrard = £30m

Torres = £70m (offered by City in the summer)

N'gog = £4m

Pacheco = £3m

 

If Roy wants to re-build he can fucking start by selling the so called expensive failures. There's plenty of money there: despite what is propagated by the press.

 

Fuckin hell that has holes in it, we wouldn't get anything like £14m for Agger, £8m max he's average and always injured, who said Arsenal and Spurs are interseted caught offside.com?

we've agreed to sell Aqualani for £13m, Johnson isn't worth £18m, do you really believe we'd get £9m for babel now.Mascherano was sold for £17.5m according to LFC.net

And we'd do well to get £70m for Torres

[stringvest 12,832]

I've seen this argument at least one hundred times now, and it still doesn't wash with me. Sorry for singling you out gmac...

 

We all knew the state our club was in, so it's probably fair to say most coaches in and around Europe did too. Sacking Benitez this summer was imo the worst sporting move this club has done in my lifetime (36 years), and I think history will show this. I also think a lot of our fanbase understood that, as noone with the right credentials would come in and take over. The anti-Rafa people were a lot more vocal though, and along with the media (and probably some of the players) gave the board and the owners the excuse they needed to get rid of a critical voice.

 

I have maintained through the last year that the players were just as (even more if I'm completely honest) culpable as Rafa for last season, and imo it would have been better to ship out the ones most unhappy (Gerrard, Carra, Torres?) and keep our world class coach with a loyal group of players. I think a strong and knowledgeable board would have seen this, cause if you give the players the ability to choose their manager/coach you are truly f***ed.

 

 

 

I'd rather see this team playing for Benitez with the loyalty and work ethic of a Rafa side:

 

-------------------Reina----------------

Johnson Kyrgiakos Agger Aurelio

 

Maxi Lucas Aquilani Jovanovic

 

Kuyt N'gog

 

 

 

than a team of divas* that get to choose the manager and sulk around if things don't go their way managed by Roy Hodgson:

 

-------------------Reina.............................

Johnson Carra* Skrtel Konchesky

 

Meirelles Poulsen Lucas Cole

 

Gerrard

Torres*(he'll not play more than 25 games anyway)/

Kuyt

 

 

The first team would probably had a chance to get one or two decent signings as well, as Rafa wouldn't have pissed away 10 m on Konchesky/Poulsen/Jones (he might even have recouped some of the transfer money for Gerrard and Torres).

 

 

I know what's done is done, and there's little point in thinking of what could have been. It just pisses me off immensely when people say sacking Rafa was the right decision, it wasn't!!! If we had had new owners in the summer and a fantastic manager was available, ok, but those weren't the circumstances. It doesn't make it more right to say that Carra, Torres or Gerrard would have left if Rafa stayed. Fuck them then! A good board would have seen beyond what the media and the players told them, and seen what many of us saw. Rafael Benitez was the single best sporting resource we had, I think Inter (and Juventus/Real Madrids) courting of him tells us that much.

 

wow. there's deluded, there's plain wrong, and there's this. Another level.

[JMARKH 1]

 

It's depressing to see what we had compared to what we now have.

 

not really

[stringvest 12,832]

Rafael Benitez on Monday night launched another cryptic attack on the current regime at Liverpool, this time lambasting successor Roy Hodgson.

 

Inter Milan boss Benitez, back in England for Tuesday's Champions League game at Tottenham, was responding to accusations from Hodgson that he had banned club ambassador and scout Kenny Dalglish from Liverpool's Melwood training ground during his time in charge.

 

"I think that Mr Hodgson, he doesn't understand," Benitez said.

 

"Every single press conference is even worse than the last one. He's talking about things that he doesn't know. And some people cannot see a priest on a mountain of sugar.

 

"Maybe he hasn't been in Liverpool too long. We gave the fans their pride - again. We fought for the fans, we fought for the club and we fought for our players. So maybe he cannot understand this."

 

He added: "I brought back Kenny Dalglish to do a role in the club and Christian Purslow gave him another role. He (Hodgson) doesn't know but I will explain it to him.

 

"So, instead of talking about the flips or the flops, he has to concentrate on his players, try to do his best. He has a good job to do."

 

Once again defending his own record as Liverpool manager during a six-year reign that ended in the summer, Benitez said: "They've signed nine players.

 

"With £10million net spending, I left that squad with £300million value, 13 internationals.

 

"So, instead of talking about flips and flops, he has to concentrate on his job, try to do his best and not talk about the level of his players or the new players. Concentrate, try to do your best because it will be the best for the club and it will be the best for the fans."

.

 

Benitez insulting fans' intelligence again. The terrible thing is, some mongs actually fall for it. It's a bigger pile of shit than all Hodgson's lunatic outpourings this season put together. He's embarrassing himself, and embarrassing the club. Everyone with an ounce of common sense is pointing and laughing at him. What a sad sack.

[Guest davelfc]

Benitez insulting fans' intelligence again. The terrible thing is, some mongs actually fall for it. It's a bigger pile of shit than all Hodgson's lunatic outpourings this season put together. He's embarrassing himself, and embarrassing the club. Everyone with an ounce of common sense is pointing and laughing at him. What a sad sack.

 

 

Stringvest insulting fans' intelligence again. The terrible thing is, some mongs actually fall for it. It's a bigger pile of shit than all Hodgson's lunatic outpourings this season put together. He's embarrassing himself, and embarrassing the club. Everyone with an ounce of common sense is pointing and laughing at him. What a sad sack.

[stringvest 12,832]

Fuckin hell that has holes in it, we wouldn't get anything like £14m for Agger, £8m max he's average and always injured, who said Arsenal and Spurs are interseted caught offside.com?

we've agreed to sell Aqualani for £13m, Johnson isn't worth £18m, do you really believe we'd get £9m for babel now.Mascherano was sold for £17.5m according to LFC.net

And we'd do well to get £70m for Torres

 

Holes? It's complete shit. No-one apart from an idiot with a story to write offered 70 million for Torres. And yet some lap it up. That's why they write shit - because they know people will.

 

* shakes head *

[stringvest 12,832]

Stringvest insulting fans' intelligence again. The terrible thing is, some mongs actually fall for it. It's a bigger pile of shit than all Hodgson's lunatic outpourings this season put together. He's embarrassing himself, and embarrassing the club. Everyone with an ounce of common sense is pointing and laughing at him. What a sad sack.

 

I see what you did there, davelfc. Lap it up, go on, there's a good boy.

[Guest davelfc]

I see what you did there, davelfc. Lap it up, go on, there's a good boy.

 

You need a good hour or so in a dark room, just calm down.

 

 

Oh and the 'revenge neg' classy.

[KevieG 372]

Did John Terry's bus stop off in this thread or what?

 

Go support Inter lads.

[Trucker Paddy 309]

Nowt wrong with responding to your critics - especially ones who are not fit to wipe your arse with. £300M in the squad though? Doubt that but maybe he is right. Rafa is light years ahead of the dinosaur we have in charge. It sounds like Inter have got the Rafa of 2004 who was the best manager in the world at the time.

 

His strength is coaching not buying he left us with a worst squad than he inherited. He's now taken over the best team in Europe and hasn't signed a single player himself in fact the entire team that played spurs were there before him,so he has nothing to worry about stick to concentrating on coaching his team and move on

[Trumo 14,184]

He's putting together quite a cake. He started with a list almost 2 years ago. He discussed milk a few weeks back, and now he's talking about sugar. On the next 3 occasions he discusses Liverpool with the media, look out for mentions of eggs, flour and vanilla extract. When he next slags off Whiskeynose, I'll consider that the icing.