Benitaur

Yes, thank God we have higher standards than the scum. They recently had a manager who finished 11th twice in his first 6 years. We would have sacked someone like that years before this useless shit brought the club to ruins.

Van Gaal, Hiddink and even Capello have all said their current team is the last team they will manage before retirement, so there is no hope on any of them Besides, what makes anyone think that tax evading Hiddink will come to England with the taxes as it currently is? The only reason he took the Chelsea job was because Roman was his paymaster for Russia too at the same time. He probably got no pay in Chelsea while getting bonus payments in Russia. BTW I voted Villas-Boas because he is exciting and everyone is hoping he is Maurinho II However, to be consistent with my posts about only hiring managers who have won something in major leagues (French league isn't one of them), I should move my vote over to Rijkaard.

Great post. Thats exactly what Aquilani was brought for, and I agree, Lucas and Mereiles and Pacheco would be perfect for such a system. Gerrard in front with Torres would probably work well with that too People who criticise Rafa's style have probably never watched Valencia in their Rafa heyday, this is possession football. This is pass and move. This is a fine example of it eventually coming together, and another season might have given us the finished article.

Really? Roy won MORE than 2 trophies during his Inter days? I suppose if thats the case you were right. Rafa ONLY won 2 trophies in 6 months in Inter. A pretty shite accomplishment by your standards

But but but you are missing the point! With Roy's 35 years of experience, surely he would get us playing like the best team he has ever managed: Fulham that finished beneath us. 11th is the realistic goal!

Ah fuck it. If not Rafa or Kenny back, how about Mourinho's assistant for many years now managing at Porto: Villas-Boas And get Pako back as his assistant Hopefully we get the best of Rafa and Mourinho with this combi

They were both brought to play Rafa's style of football, meaning high up to the halfway line defense, with Reina playing the sweeper behind them. They are both not as good in backs to the wall or counter attacking football, because they are sitting too deep for their natural passing game. They are the type who would try to pass or play their way out of trouble. Thats not a good idea when you are just in front of your keeper For the current counter attacking system, we probably need more of the Carra type, last minute tackle, throw yourself at the ball type defenders like Carra or Henchoz was for us. Someone like Richard Dunne type player.

YNWA

LOL, you really are brainwashed by the media aren't you? Don't seem to have any original opinions I see As far as I have seen, Rafa surrounded himself with the best in their jobs, be it goalie coaches, to medical experts (finally) to youth coaches. Name me ONE yes men that can be proven. Replacing Alonso with a crock. Thats a calculated risk and you know it. You should know very well too that there was supposed to be more in the budget for Silva. Aquilani has been showing that he isn't a waste of money, that he actually is a good player. Its the medical team that let us down last season, as Gerrard, Torres, and even Johnson was crocked quite a bit last season. Followed him to Inter? How has he failed actually? He said back me or sack me. And Inter sacked him. Even after winning 2 trophies in 6 months. Shows the intention of Inter from the start more than anything. You mean Pako would have advised Rafa to dicktuck with the 2 cunts, or with Inter? You seriously think so? As for being good in the market, doesn't seem to hit you that since then Rafa has had a NEGATIVE budget then? That plays NO role whatsoever to our transfers the last 2 years under Rafa? I will admit that buying Keane and Barry was bullshit, as was buying Johnson. I would imagine that has something to do with the local quota, and perhaps to please the xenophobic fans, wouldn't you? But then again, I have never advocated buying British players from other teams unless they are good enough, not simply to fill a quota

Yes, but with Pako, he overworked the players. Every season with him, we started slowly and finished well. Needed to rotate alot due to overtraining Without Pako, we started strong and ended strong, and were pretty damn good most of the season. Didn't need to rotate that much too. So whether or not having a tough task master is a good thing is up for debate BTW, We played our best ever under Rafa WITHOUT Pako towards the end of 08/09.

Boy, standards are low these days If the French league was our standard, might as well get Houllier who have won it more times, or Le Guen

Ah, and a bloody Champions League and FA Cup is not superior then? Finishing second by 7th place in the 6th season is worse than Fergie's Rafa improved 5 seasons in a row before slipping in his 6th season. And BTW, Rafa's slump of 7th isn't as bad as Fergie's 11th position in 88/89. And Fergie's record: 86/87 - 11th 87/88 - 2nd 88/89 - 11th 89-90 - 13th 90/91 - 6th 91/92 - 2nd 92/93 - 1st Seriously, I wouldn't compare Fergie's early record to Rafa's. Rafa is younger at the same time too. Yep, I'm clueless huh? Ah, you gave the reasons that Rafa or any other manager won't succeed, and still admit its unacceptable. Which magical manager would turn all our players to supermen then? So far you are talking out of your ass

Yep, Slur was given 6 years of winning nothing before he won his first title. If we used the same yardstick as Rafa is measured, he would be fired long time before even winning anything. Wenger has won less than Rafa in the same time period competing against the same competition. His team is lauded to high heaven but irrelevant in terms of winning anything. Like I said, Hiddink and Van Gaal are admittedly on their last job Mourinho was hired for his CL win, not his league win. Nice try. Besides, although he is a fan, he said himself he would never come here (I suspect because of budgetary reasons) Never had the consistency to win the league? Yep, 08/09 wasn't good enough by 4 points. By the same measure where does that put Arsene in that same time period? And Mourinho was fired way before Rafa for falling off the pace too. Just failed at a big european club? You mean winning everything in front of him so far (Italian cup and Club world cup) isn't good enough? Its a 100% trophy record by anyone's standards. He just said back me or sack me. And they sacked him, showing they never intended to back him. Twisting it more than that just shows an agenda on your part to try to prove he is a bad manager who doesn't win anything. LOL at your lies

Besides not being the right manager for the club one thing is VERY obvious Roy is not a fan! He doesn't talk like a fan, nor does he seem to understand why we the fans behave and think the way we do. He just isn't one of us It is clear that even our foreign coaches, Houllier and Rafa, were both fans of the club. They both still have intense love for our club, and it can clearly be seen even in their interviews at their other clubs, they still talk about us with love. For Roy, this is simply another stepping stone, another name on his long list of clubs in his "illustrious" journeyman 35 year career. He would be just as happy taking on the United job after Fergie, or the Chelsea job. All he wants is more big names to put on his resume. This is clear for all to see. I don't blame him. Just that it proves again he isn't the right man for the club even on a personal level, let alone professionally

And there you have it. Admittedly anti-Rafa Admittedly anti-Shankly What wonderful Liverpool fans we have these days.

Enjoy Roy, then Coyle, then Deschamps, then whatever. Look back at the old posts, these are the same posters who craved for Roy. Anyone but Rafa.

Because when we let Houllier go, we got the best manager in Spain, the OTHER best league in the world Now, we are linked with managers who have only won in minor leagues (Deschamps) or managers who have won nothing at all (Coyle) Although what Deschamps is doing is decent, but Le Guen and Houllier won that league pretty comfortably and look how they have done here Other managers who might have done ok are all getting too old like Capello, Hiddink, Van Gaal etc and have publically stated their current job would be their last. Rijkaard may have been exciting, but to be honest, his Galatasaray attempt has proven that at Barcalona, its the system, not the manager that made them a success. And this suspicion would follow Guodiola too if some reason he is available. So since no one has brought up anyone exciting, I do hope no one brings up Carra for manager! The scum would win 25 league titles before we reach 19 with this being the case. BTW if you think Rafa is bad with other players, what do you think of Carra as manager? He has already publically lashed out at Alonso, Arbeloa etc on the field. Mourinho has said he will NEVER take over our club, although he is a long time fan. I suspect he will change his mind if he gets fantasy football money, but I doubt it will happen under the current regime. I am 50/50 about Kenny. I would hate to see him come and fail, and see the "fans" criticise him So unless you don't want to win stuff, and are satisfied being the club of yesteryear, here we have a manager who clearly loves us, has a great history in our club, AND already won 2 trophies with Inter (Italian Cup and Club World Cup). But of course, those deluded here will go for the next hot manager that has won nothing, and we will go through Roy, then Coyle, then Deschamps, then Rijkaard etc. Newcastle here we come

I agree to a certain point A club that fully backs a great manager will have more advantages than a club that doesn't. A Rafa Benitez fully backed years ago would have seen us getting Eto'o, Alves, Ramos etc too. Hell even Simao would have been good on the wings for several years. Right now we are back to rejects from other teams. The bloody media and "fans" blogging seem to be linking us to SWP, Carlton Cole and Zemora. If we are Liverpool of the 80s, we would be linked to Carroll and Adam Johnson at least.

Well it is very clear where this is going isn't it? Rafa IMO is the last great manager of Liverpool FC. A legend that the club put up there with Shankly, Paisley, Fagan and Dalglish. And this season will be looked at the same as the way we looked back when Dalglish needed a break from the tragedy and wanted back not long after. I said this when we lost Rafa, and I warned against "Britain's best coach". But still the anti-Rafa brigade had their "anyone but Rafa" knives out. And now its Deschamps or Coyle or whatever the next new hot manager is. And we probably will follow down that path and become the next newcastle. Many of us so called pro-Rafa cultists remember how long it has been since we felt we could be proud to be one of the challengers. Now all these so called fans think its so easy. Under Souness, Evans we were jokes. Under Houllier we seemed to be grateful to just have a few victories over the Scum and delude outselves to think we were on par. Under Rafa was the first time in a long time I felt we could challenge, even though we had the weakest squad and lowest budget as compared to the leaders of that time ie Scum and Chelsea. With the crappiest budget and the crappiest support from the board and owners, Rafa survived and thrived competing against the best manager the Scum ever had, the best manager/s Chelsea ever had and the best manager Arsenal ever had, and saw off the challenges of lesser managers who have won in Italy, France, Scotland etc. All top managers who in another time may have been welcome with open arms to our club but failed badly in our league. He thrived competing against Chelsea and City with a crappy budget, wheeling and dealing and trading up to the players of the calibre he eventually wanted. But of course this is held against him as well. And his transfer record is criticised. Yep, criticised. A manager who brought in a keeper statistically better than Clemence and a striker statistically better than Rush and made players like Gerrard and Carra world class. And now in this climate of this competition, deluded posters seem to think Deschamps who has only won 1 French title (Houllier won 2 with no effort after us), and Coyle who has won nothing. Truly winning is nothing to these posters And some will even agree, posting that they want to see pretty football and are not bothered with us winning at all. Harking back to the Roy Evans days pretty much And lastly Rafa. It will probably go two ways for him. Either he will find a club finally willing to support him, like City, allowing him the budget for top players, and allowing his vision for the long run to build a Barcelona from the youth up. Or he may get cynical and go pure defensive, just to win trophies and move to the next job, like Capello or Mourinho, never again to bother being a builder. Either way, he will win a hell of a lot more trophies than us in the same period, if at all we will win any more trophies from here on.

Gerrard may have done decently for Houllier, but he truly came to his own under Rafa Carra was shifted everywhere under Houllier. Under Rafa, he made him his defensive captain in the centre. Played him in a zonal marking system, where his weaknesses could be hidden better Mascherano only became captain after he played for Rafa. Wasting on the bench at West Ham, he would never have become captain under Maradona. Reina and Torres were not fully realised until they played for Rafa Now, post Rafa, on current form, all of them would struggle to get into their national teams if not for their name value.

Yes, he scored the winning goal. But Villa was the star of that tournament until he was unavailable for the finals, wasn't he? Torres wasn't on fire in that tournament either, though that was a good goal at the end Messi is another excellent example of a system and team strategy getting the most out of a talented player. Playing under a counter attacking coach may actually affect him negatively. Torres won't be shit but will never hit the same heights again unless he plays for another manager like Rafa. Yep, Rafa the great motivator :)

Of course not. Thats why in a Spanish team brimming with talent, the European and World champions, Torres is inconsistent to say the least too. I suppose in your opinion, the Spanish team is full of shit players, like here at our club eh?

Yep. For all the criticism of Rafa, they fail to realise: 1) We would have comfortably got through the group stage of the Champions league if we kept more clean sheets. We had no issues scoring (no more than anyone else) 2) Our first 10 matches where we lost so much ground last season, we were scoring a fair amount of goals. The problem is we were conceding like mad too So for all the criticisms of Rafa that he was too defending, we would have done alot better last season if we DID defend better, but our defenders were out in the first part of the season (Agger, Skrtel and Carra was injured, and Hyypia was allowed to leave) I personally believe that Rafa wouldn't have fallen so badly if he was MORE stubborn, and didn't listen to the fans and media. If so maybe he won't have bought and attempted to buy expensive British garbage like Keane, Johnson and Barry and instead get the best from Spain or wherever. He also maybe wouldn't have tried that hybrid man to man plus zonal marking last season.

You mean with nearly all the same players bar 2 that trashed the Scum, and Real 4 goals? You simply refuse to admit that Rafa is the cause they were better, right? Even though I have given so many world class players as proof of this? But again, all you headline readers will always believe Rafa is a defensive manager. So actual facts will destroy your world view won't it? Funny that Eto'o claims Rafa is an attacking manager. Maybe he knows more about attacking than you eh?

Some. But a manager who has brought us so much belief and constant improvement deserves one off season, don't you think? Instead here we have posters wanting unproven managers like Coyle, or Deschamps or still defending Roy. If Rafa, who has done wonders for us is not allowed ONE bad season, I suppose any other manager should be fired too for not winning anything in their first season, or getting top 4 eh?