ronnie38

Sighhhh, and don't we know it. Can anyone remember what Champions League nights were like:no

Rafa

TEACHER OF THE GAME The minority wanted him out of Anfield, but the majority will never forget him. "Veikkaaja" met with Rafael Benitez - a Liverpool legend with a burning desire to teach football. Q) You have not coached since December 2010. How have you spent your time since you left Inter? "I have a website, we wrote a book called 'Champions League Dreams' and created 'Global Coach', a program for football coaches. They can use it to prepare training sessions and to analyze games. I am also involved in my wife's foundation which helps local charities on Merseyside." Q) Does your move to Inter feel, now, like a mistake? "Maybe, if I had known then everything that I know about Inter know. I had to make a decision in that moment. Before we moved I talked with several Inter players about the way we can improve. It was perhaps the first time Inter did not sign any players during the summer for the coach. Why? Financial Fair Play - but they didn't say it to me beforehand. I was promised three players. Everything was agreed, but we didn't sign these players." Q) When you won FIFA Club World Cup, your second trophy with Inter, you criticised the management of the club. Did you want to get sacked? "If you promise something, you have to do it. It was very simple." Q) You also had some difficult times with management of Liverpool. Did your dream job ever make you unhappy? "I didn't have time to suffer or be unhappy because I was trying to fight for trophies and win. And at the same time we tried to defend the club. It was the main thing when the Americans put the dept on the Club. They then appointed a new Managing Director who was a... businessman." Q) Liverpool won amazing Champions League Final in Istanbul in 2005. How did Liverpool come back from 3-0 down against AC Milan? "We started with four at the back, so we were playing two against two in our defence as Milan played with a diamond formation. Our idea was to be better than them in the wide areas, have control in the middle and defend close. Plan was not working because Kaká was doing a great job. After half time we moved to a back three and put Dietmar Hamann on. From then on we were playing three against two in our defence and we controlled Kaká by playing Xabi Alonso and Hamann in front of our defence. We moved Steven Gerrard and Luis Garcia to play on both sides of Andrea Pirlo. In possession our centre backs had to be wide, and we got space in wide areas by switching the ball quickly." Q) How would you describe your football philosophy? "I like to play good football, but the problem is what people consider as good football! The answer is passing game of Barcelona and Spain. My team has always passed the ball and played short passes, but if there is space behind defender, you have to make a long pass. I like my team to play with high intensity, to press the opponent and to keep ball on the floor. Team has to be organized, but at the same time players need to be given freedom within the system." Q) How important is possession of the ball? "You have to have possession of the ball in the right places. And you need to do the right things with the ball with the right tempo. You can pass the ball and have a 85 percentage passing accuracy, but it doesn't matter. You need to have the ball in the final third." Q) Which is more important for you, winning or the process in itself? "You cannot say that winning is not the most important thing. Still, its also important how you approach the upcoming challenge and the game. And also how you approach the style you want your team to play. Balance is the key. You have to find a way to win, you need to find a way. You have to have a plan A, B and C." Q) You got more goals and assists out of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres than any other coach. Why? "I'm coming from the Academy of Real Madrid, I have a degree in Physical Education, I am a teacher. I coached them in a way I wanted and expected them to play in games." Q) How important are the automatization and the patters of attacking play? "As a coach your job is to prepare the training sessions that give players the answers they will need during a game. You have to give them patterns of play, solutions, ways to attack. I want to teach my players, but the player must also understand why he is being asked to do something. Asking questions is the right way to learn." Q) Your coaching colleague and countryman Juanma Lillo has said that "importance of the coach is limited". Do you agree? "If a player has talent, he will find a way - but not all the players have that kind of talent. These are the players that need to be conducted. Its the coaches job: You have to have answers when your players have questions. If you have the right answers, players will trust their coach and do things in a way he wants. Then you can change things during games. Its important to be close to the game and the players, but yet remain on the outside." Q) Are you misunderstood in England? "I think majority of the people understand now that we were trying to compete in Liverpool in difficult circumstances against top sides - with a smaller budget than they had. They know now - after having watched Liverpool during these past two seasons - how difficult it was to keep the team in Champions League every year. Maybe we even overachieved." Q) Does your former protege Sami Hyypia have the potential to develop into a top-class coach or manager? "He is very clever and a very good professional who is good at analyzing the game. Sami has all the potential to become a good coach. I offered to extend his contract for a year and a place in my backroom staff." Q) Did you consider selecting Hyypia to your starting eleven in his farewell game as a Liverpool player? "I think I put him on at the end of the game, no? I tried to give him a tribute from the fans at the end of the game, but the main thing was trying to win the game. I had to think about what was our best team for that game. If I can help somebody after that, I will do it." Q) What are the most important things for you when deciding your next project? "Ambition. Challenge. As you can now see face to face - I like to win. I want to go to a place were I can improve things and challenge." Q) You have said that being a coach is your life, your identity. What makes you happy? "Before I just wanted to be good at my job but now I'm spending more time with my daughters. I enjoy when they are doing well and my wife achieves something. You need to have a balance in life. I was just coming with the family London, but I still watched a game on our way back."

Also require stream, no sopcast as at work, cheers in advance.

He took to the Social Networking site Twitter under the name EveNewtonJobs to once again state his totally inaccurate views despite the clear evidence that proved him totally wrong. These views were not only incorrect but also show severe lack of empathy and respect for the families of the victims. I strongly advise nobody to look at his twitter as I did to see if it was him. Guy needs ruining.

No we were shite

Absolutely fantastic post, but why so many words when CODE is a CUNT is all thats required.

Out of interest who do you think is better at that role in Prem?

Love these threads

:D:D

Probably stupid, but do you think Rafa might have had anything to do with this. Seem to think he rated Martinez.

Code do you spend anytime on the MF? Seems there's a lot more Like minded people on there for you to play with.

O_o

I to feel that Rafa has the overwhelming support from the fans. Online polls, Phone in's, Newspaper polls he seems to have pissed them all. Fans singing his name at the races in front of Ayre (I know that one isn't really a measure of level of support). But after all these things how can we suggest it's not the majority of supporters there is no evidence to suggest otherwise. For what it's worth I don't think were getting him back yet the reason being and it is only my opinion is that I have a horrible feeling that FSG want a yes man and the only reason I can think of that is that they are possibly not gonna support us as much as we hoped, so don't want anyone making waves. I will hold back on slagging FSG off at the moment and whoever they appoint will get my support, they claim to have a plan and I like everybody else will have to sit back and watch it play out. FSG have shown that they will not be dictated to even by the fans otherwise Kenny would still be here and if not Rafa would all ready be hired. It could well be a bumpy road strap up and enjoy the ride.

Brownie what do you mean by this? I would of thought it was the largest section of our support unless you mean people in third world countrys who can't afford it.

I'm offended by the bollocks you have just spouted & I'm black.

So basically Al is a racist & lied his arse off about Rafa but we should be simpathetic because in real life he's a wonderful warm caring character who was one of the first to out the owners. Where was all your sympathys Code, Juan with Rafa when he was the first person to out the owners and has also given more to the HJC as well as other charity's around Liverpool. Just face facts your mate is a bad liar and a moron & your making yourselfs look stupid & hypocritical defending him hense why the only people who seem to agree with you are the ART. Oh yea & the person who stitched him is clearly a grassing cunt either out for revenge or has something to gain from this. Never mind Al what goes around comes around.

Wasn't it ATK who also made up that Barry had had a medical and was getting signed just to rally the troops against Rafa because people were fuming that Rafa was after Barry because they thought he was a replacement for Alonso.

A drunken tongue speaks a sober minds thoughts.

:( How easy would it be to swap Rafa with ....Except for the own agenda obviously.

Ah one of the empty vessels we spoke of earlier in the thread. Thanks for the neg i'm building up quite a collection and for some strange reason they all seem to be from anti Rafa's.

Any idea why ATK has told FSG to fuck off on his twitter?

http://www.thisisanfield.com/2012/05/liverpool-approach-martinez-villas-boas-and-rafa-benitez/ Intermediaries acting on behalf of Liverpool for Fenway Sports Group have made approaches to Roberto Martinez, Andre Villas-Boas and former Reds boss Rafa Benitez, according to reports. All three could potentially be interviewed next week. Fenway Sports Group are keen to make a quick appointment, of a manager who will be given time and money to play with and are to fly over their top candidates for talks in Boston early next week. Today it was reported that Villas-Boas, the Portuguese former Chelsea boss, has been approached and Wigan chairman Dave Whelan confirmed that he has given Liverpool permission to speak to Martinez. Developments this evening suggest that ex-Reds manager Benitez is also on that list of managers approached. Benitez was sacked by the club’s former owners in 2010, with many feeling the Spaniard wasn’t given the chance to finish the job he started. Benitez is currently out of work and living on the Wirral. Swansea’s Brendan Rodgers is also being considered for the role. Martinez is the current favourite for the role. Watch this space. Rafaaaa?

Fucking hell don't know if it's good or bad but FSG are clearly trying to make us massive in the states.

What the fuck is going on? I only know the guy from twitter and thought he was just a bit of a no mark. Anyone know anything about him?