Rafaaaaa in Istanbuuuuuuul?

[Uncle Travelling Matt]

I know the last thing you all want is another Rafa thread/debate....but....as the Rafa love/hate split has grown significantly amongst our fanbase over the last 18 months, I'd love to know if the split is impacted in anyway by Istanbul, with those who were there loving him despite his faults and those weren't disliking him despite his achievements.

 

Honest answers only please!

[Skidfingers McGonical]

Good to see you UTM, but get your tin hat on. It's gonna be a rough ride.

[Rorschach08]

This'll end well !!

 

Actually could be interesting though. I was there, it was the best day of my life, I still love Rafa. In fact of the 15 or so people I went with that day I think all of them wanted Benitez to stay.

[Markmywords]

What do you actually mean by rafa fan.

 

a. loved him gutted he's gone

 

or

 

b. respected what he did in his time here and would be honoured to meet thim in the street but not gutted he's gone

 

???

[goatboy59]

Beyond silly now.

[castle_red]

What do you actually mean by rafa fan.

 

a. loved him gutted he's gone

 

or

 

b. respected what he did in his time here and would be honoured to meet thim in the street but not gutted he's gone

 

???

 

Both of those would make you a Rafa fan.

[Markmywords]

yes, well spotted, but one assumes you were such a fan that you'd still want him managing the club, one doesn't.

[Jonny83]

What do you actually mean by rafa fan.

 

a. loved him gutted he's gone

 

or

 

b. respected what he did in his time here and would be honoured to meet thim in the street but not gutted he's gone

 

???

 

or

 

c. respected what he did, was gutted he was replaced by Hodgson, still have a lot of time for him, but couldn't give a fuck (regarding the job) now Kenny's back?

 

I wasn't physically in Istanbul, but even for those who couldn't make it, it was still a fucking great night, probably the best for those of us not old enough to remember the 80s and earlier.

[Joe Le Taxi]

Went and ticked the wrong box...

 

RiS up

[waiting game]

Right, UTM, you have pulled the pin and chucked it, i suggest that you run.

 

This is not going to end well.

 

Personally i voted, the second one. I like Rafa, and i wasn't in Istanbul unfortunately. I can see that it was time for Rafa to move on and i'm extremely happy we have got the King back, but i still wish Rafa all the best, hes a nice man and a good manager. He has his flaws but who doesn't?

(other than the King)

[Tom R]

not enough options. I was a huge fan of Rafa right up until around the time of Athens a year later when my doubts crept in.

I reaslied during 08/09 season that he clearly he wasn't the man to take us forward and was staggered at the way which he seemingly deliberately went out of his way to destroy what good work he'd done.

 

I was unfortunate to miss out on Istanbul as you well know and constantly remind me.

 

So I'd be in the Loved rafa at the time of Istanbul, and loved him dearly for a while after that. Until i realised he was a fucking mental control freak and now see him for the tit that he is, but am eternally grateful for what he gave us Istanbul.

 

I don't really know what the purpose of this poll is, but if it's to see if those who were at Istanbul are stupidly blinding to everything he did wrong, then I'd say there's no real pattern.

I know loads who were there who still love him and I know loads who were there who think he's a dick.

 

Those who are in teh latter camp are always the sane ones though... ;-)

[Biscao]

Rafa who?

 

The King is here to stay, stop this nonsense.

[JohnnyH]

Oddly enough, the season after Istanbul I was probably at my most “anti-Rafa”. I was annoyed that he didn’t seem to be learning about how to handle the league. I was over the moon with the greatest day I will ever have in my life in Istanbul, but I did not buy into the “In Rafa we trust” stuff. It took me a few years to start really believing in him. Athens in 2007 helped but I felt the loss that day really set us back. The title challenge in 2008-2009 was where I really believed that Rafa with the proper support could be a long term multi-title winning manager. Sadly the support for the manager from the senior management, along with Rafa becoming a politician and all the other shite going on meant it was never to be.

 

I’d love it to be 2008-2009 season now, with FSG in charge and Rafa in charge. I think we’d have pushed on. But we’ll never know.

[Uncle Travelling Matt]

Don't read too much into it, being a fan does not mean you want him back or want his babies and not being a fan does not mean you wish him an injury....do you like him or not? Where you in Istanbul or not? Simples!

 

Personally, I am a fan, he made mistakes for sure but his desire to be successful, to set the highest targets and defend the club against anyone were key attributes that will always be needed in a Liverpool manager and that were obviously lacking in his successor. Kenny was the only man I felt could replace Rafa and I am more than happy he is back. This poll was just to see if there was any relation to Istanbul in the apparent love/hate split, so far it seems not but it also seems those who are not a fan are in the minority.....the loud minority mind.

[Wor Horse]

I wouldn't.

 

We're going places under the King.

[satansmutt]

I never thought we would ever get to a european cup final again in my lifetime but he got us there and he got our reputation and pride back despite our american owners so for that i will always love him but it was time for him to go

[GJM]

I think the poll is flawed. If you want to understand whether or not being in Istanbul makes you more or less likely to have Benitezophile tendencies, then the comparison should the % of those who were there who are B'tezophiles, compared with the % of those who weren't there who are of the same mind.

 

Sorry, bit pedantic, but these things matter, you know.

 

I was in Istanbul, and I'm a Rafagnostic. I'm sure that helps immensely

[redsoxs]

He brought back respect to the team, club & fans, for that I'm greatful.... although his time was up, in years to come he'll still regarded as great manager for Liverpool regardless of the morons say.

[WrongIslander]

At the time I was a Rafa fan and I went to Istanbul. I remember being overjoyed at us landing a top coach although I'd put Mourinho forward as the coach I wanted before Rafa joined the argument, I think after Porto a lot of us had.

 

Towards the end I come to resent Rafa for his overly cautious tactics in the league and his reluctance to let any area of the club run without him being involved.

 

Overall? I remain a fan of Rafa Benitez despite some harsh words I had about him in the past and despite some of his less than acceptable (to me at least) antics when he lost the plot.

 

So I guess that makes me "Rafa fan in Istanbul".

[grazywalker]

Sorry. I answered as if I was in Instanbul .

I was not

Me bad

[Captain]

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