escapepods

“I was born Spanish, I am no longer as thin (the anxiety doesn’t help), and yes, sometimes I help serving the dinner.” (Note: I’ve tidied up the English a little – but only a little.) This was Rafa Benítez in an email to me after I’d run a piece explaining that senior figures within the media referred to the Liverpool manager as “the fat Spanish waiter”. Just another example of a fine sense of self-deprecating humour, from a man portrayed as almost robotic by many critics. Following Rafa’s invite to meet him at Melwood last October, I maintained a dialogue with the Liverpool manager. Any help with stats or tactical advice, I was free to ask. And in turn, he’d occasionally drop me a line to thank me for an observation here and there. Now that he is sadly no longer manager, I see no harm in bringing this to light, as a way of paying my respects to a much misunderstood man, and manager. After that meeting in the autumn, I rushed home and wrote 5,000 words on the encounter. The article was circulated widely the day later, and this site melted a couple of times from the traffic. Word spread via Twitter, and a friend of Benítez’s family saw the positive reaction to the article. The next day, I was awoken early as my mobile phone rang. It was Rafa, thanking me for the article; we hadn’t met with one in mind, but I had been suitably inspired after four hours of chewing the fat on all things LFC. Word had got back to him, via that friend who’d seen it on Twitter, that there was still a lot of positive feeling towards him. Two days later the Reds deservedly beat Manchester United, 2-0, although the team never really escaped the pressure brought to bear by two defeats in the first three games. Half asleep that Friday morning, and with Rafa’s English harder to discern on an imperfect line, he also wanted to correct me on a small factual error. But he did so in a very polite manner; he just wanted to be clear on the matter. There’s no doubt he’s a perfectionist, but I saw that as one of those good things that, like almost anything positive in life, also comes with its drawbacks. Indeed, when people ask me what mistakes he made, or what his faults are, I find it hard, because, as with all managers, attributes are perceived as either strengths or weaknesses depending on recent results. Too distant with players? Well, isn’t that Fabio Capello’s style, and wasn’t being ‘pally’ seen as a fault of Steve McLaren? Not a good man manager? Well, Harry Redknapp’s famed skills are fine when they work, overlooked when it comes to insulting his own players (Darren Bent) or leaving expensive stars on the bench (Keane). Too negative? Well, was there anything more negative than Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan in Europe this season? Some call it negative, others call it tactical. Contrary to what some believed – such as Jamie Carragher, when he phoned to take exception to something I’d written (and which I put him clear on) – Rafa wasn’t feeding me criticisms of senior players. Frankly, I didn’t want them. That was one shitstorm I didn’t want to get in the middle of; I was always wary of how Houllier manipulated Chris Bascombe at the Echo, and in fairness to Rafa, he never tried to sway my opinions. That is not to say that he didn’t make observations. He noted how, after the Aston Villa game, he’d had ‘problems’ with Carragher and Gerrard; but he immediately added that he’d sat down with both and had productive conversations that had pleased him greatly. Mostly, when talking of players, he spoke of his charges’ strengths and weaknesses; but only stuff he’d have already made them aware of. The only player he expressed dissatisfaction with back in October was Albert Riera, whom he felt had let his Spain call-ups go to his head. Subsequent developments bore this out. But more than anything, Benítez was keen to pass on tactical insights: the deployment of subtly different midfield formations and roles, etc, in different games, when to the untrained eye it looked like the Reds were playing the same system; specific jobs at set-pieces; the united movements of the back four; and so on. Having said that, at times he did express frustration with how the club was being run (such as when Martin Broughton had been in charge for a week but not been in touch. ‘After one week, the new Chairman has not contacted with the Manager, in a Football Club is not normal’ said Rafa, via his personal email account). I got the impression he saw the writing on the wall back then. A lot of the stuff we spoke about in October was along the lines of what he ended up telling the Times’ Tony Evans a few weeks later. The problem I had (due to the fact that I’m not a trained journalist) was being unsure of what was confidential and off the record, and not wanting to cause any problems for Rafa – and his ability to get the best results – by divulging anything he’d said that he’d preferred remain private. In the end, Evans spilled many of those beans. Some of the other stuff Rafa told me I’ll continue to keep private (such as his views on certain other managers, some of which were fairly controversial, and one or two other subjects), but certain other things I’ve managed to gradually feed into my writing, such as transfer targets that got away. Indeed, even though it was a couple of years on, Rafa was still angry that young players like Walcott, Ramsey and Pato had all been approached well before they ended up moving to other big clubs, and that the two British teenagers had even been in his office for transfer talks. But much to Benítez’s chagrin, Rick Parry felt there were better players already at the Academy, and refused to sanction a bid of just £1.5m for Ramsey. A manager is judged on his transfer record, but time and time again Benítez wanted a top player (Simao, Alves), but had to make do with a cheap alternative (Pennant, Arbeloa). Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. One signing that remains controversial is the acquisition of Alberto Aquilani. In early March, Rafa explained his thinking on the Italian: “Aquilani wants to improve, but now it is difficult to give him games. Really it depends on him, he has vision for the pass and is dynamic, but still has to adapt to the pace in England, we will see in the next months.” And in the coming months, we did indeed get to see some of that vision and dynamism, but also that the stamina wasn’t yet what was required. And so, in the main, Rafa did what he’s known for – talking football, obsessively. For me, all the books sales and positive feedback I’ve had since 2005 pales compared to a double La Liga and European Cup-winning manager telling me that he respects my work, and that I have a good understanding of the game and, in particular, his methods. After all, that was what I saw my role to be: to try and explain the methods of an overseas manager whose English is not perfect, and whose approach to the game is often at odds with the old-fashioned ex-pros in the media. This sums up Benítez’s attitude to my work, and how I will continue to approach writing about Liverpool FC: “For me it is important that you defend your Manager, not Rafa Benítez.” Finally, in the past year I’ve spoken to a lot of people who know Rafa and his family on a personal level. They all speak very highly of the Benítezes, and of their great work in the community. These were not casual interlopers, but people who threw themselves into the local culture. Perhaps Rafa is not the easiest man to work for – his standards are exacting, and probably draining – but then again, plenty of the Valencia players thought Rafa’s successors were more warm and welcoming; unfortunately, none have yet been anywhere near as successful. Nunca Caminarás Solo, Rafa. Note: there is a space on the Tomkins Times reserved for Subscribers to post messages for Rafa, which I will forward on

The reason some of us constantly slag Tomkins is because he offers nothing but Benitez backing. No matter what. He never mentions tactics, substitutions and general managerial style. Thats why i dont like him and ridicule his journalistic stance on Benitez

Yep, spot on. And all the protest will achieve is making Benitez think all the fans back him. I most certainly dont and i hope to fuck hardly anyone turns up

He hasnt been appointed anything yet

Post of the year. Bar none. Absoluetly spot on and fantastically written

Im sorry but do you agree with Benitez's tactics, selections and substitutions? If so then you are an idiot. Simple as that. Im judging him on his decisions, not transfer activity. He was too negative and he made horrible decisions. Taking off Torres for Ngog with 30 minutes left in a must win game at Birmingham? The final straw. Everyone knows Gerrard, Carra and Torres were fed up with it. You dont have to be a body language expert to see it

(As an aside, based on the Times’ Fink Tank column, Liverpool should have been getting 64 points each season based on recent wage bills. Therefore, last year the team under-performed by just one point; others, such as Spurs and Villa, over-performed. However, the season before, the Reds over-reached by a whopping 22 points.) I hate how this twat constantly goes on about where we should be finishing, based on what wages and transfer money we have. Hes such a cock. We are Liverpool FC and have top class players. Reina, Carra, Johnson, Gerrard, Masch, Benayoun, Torres. So a team with those players should be finishing 6th or 7th!? What a dick

I used to think that ambivalence was another word for indifference. Instead, I now understand that it is more of a simultaneous pulling and pushing. Therefore, ambivalence sums up how I feel about Rafa Benítez’s inevitable leaving of Liverpool. Rather than not caring either way, I care both ways. On the one hand, I believe him to be one of the very best managers in the world. On the other, the situation at Anfield was clearly not healthy, and the more blame that was ludicrously pinned solely on the manager then the harder it would be for him to do his job, and for the players to trust him. So it is leaves me incredibly sad, angry and frustrated; but also, in part, relieved. Much of the part of me that pulled in the direction of change came back to the unending bullshit that surrounds Rafa, and his methods. I’m not sure I could have stood another season or two of Andy Gray and Richard Keys’ desire to belittle him and point-blank refuse to show stats that show anything in his favour, or the endless, excessive attacks from hacks who know precious little about the sport by comparison. From a purely selfish point of view, I was tired of it all. They weren’t going to stop until they had their quarry. I’ve said it before, but as soon as people criticised Benítez for blowing the title in 2008/09, despite finishing with 86 points and just two defeats (and top scorers), then in many people’s eyes he was always going to be a failure, no matter how well his team did. His critics pointed to some drawn games, as if no top side ever dropped points here and there mid-season. Therefore, I didn’t necessarily foresee a rosy future with Rafa at the helm; I just felt he deserved better after one bad season. In Shankly’s era, even after seven seasons without a trophy and an average league position similar to recent years (and one campaign where a measly 42 goals were scored), the manager would have been backed and the finances given to reinvigorate the squad. But when funds are tight, the easy way out is to sack the manager, cross the fingers and hope for the best. It’s even easier when a scapegoat is being sought by greedy owners. No matter whose fault it is, a situation can get to a stage where the only point of return is via serious compromise. And once people start compromising, their ideas get diluted. I had no desire to see Benítez remains as a lame duck manager, as many would have seen him. After four transfer windows where he’s had to trade for a profit, the cost of the squad was diminishing all the time, while the ‘free’ stars he inherited – Gerrard and Carragher – were getting older. Either he was supported to do the job – which I believe he should have been – or he wasn’t. Anything in between suggests a mess. Of course, perhaps the way the club is heading has got to the stage where nothing but a mess can be expected, regardless. I envisaged the media’s frenzied clusterfuck after a draw on the opening day of next season, and the whole debate going into overdrive once more. Let’s be clear: some players may have had a valid beef with Benítez. Relationships between managers and players fail all the time, and every manager makes mistakes with how he handles his charges (Alex Ferguson launching a boot at David Beckham’s face?). Not everyone can be happy at once: when Babel was out, he was pissed off; when he came in and played at the end of the season, Benayoun was pissed off. Other players may simply follow the crowd, and try to obscure their own lacklustre displays behind a supposedly failing manager. That’s what some footballers are like. A new manager can give players a clean slate, whether or not they deserve one. But a new manager almost always needs his own budget, to do things his way. And in this case, a new manager will inherit the one side of things that, given it was not dependent on megabucks, was heading in the right direction: the Academy. Last summer, Benítez finally got his men in place, with two key appointments from the famed Barcelona academy. Will this development endanger that? Will those Spaniards remain? I honestly had little desire to meet Rafa before he invited me, out of the blue, to Melwood last autumn. I always felt it best to keep my distance, rather than push for a meeting through my column on the official site (which, incidentally, I’ve not given up, but for which I feel utterly unmotivated to write right now, given that the core problem – Gillett and Hicks – is something I cannot really broach). Of course, the invite, when it came, was too good to turn down, and I wouldn’t change that. But it did leave me feeling slightly compromised; knowing the manager to be a decent human being, and not wanting to be disloyal in an age of fickleness, made my job harder (but simultaneously, with the connection made, far more interesting). I also didn’t want to see Benítez’s reputation disappear down the drain on the back of a club now existing simply to pay off debt. He deserves better. And a number of Europe’s top clubs will see past the nonsense he’s had to deal with, and recognise a major talent. If Benítez deserves better, so do Liverpool fans; even the deluded ones (well, most of them). We deserve a club that isn’t haemorrhaging money at a dangerous and alarming rate. In the face of that, arguments about tactics and formations start to seem utterly redundant. Despite the financial mess, expectations will remain rooted in the 1980s (when the Reds were as rich as anyone). But as my recent pieces have shown, the club is simply unable to be perennial title challengers; if anything, 2008/09 spoiled us. It made us dream again. (As did Istanbul.) I’d be genuinely shocked if Liverpool are in a position to post an 86-point season anytime soon, and that’s not the fault of Rafa Benítez. Or, for that matter, make it to one, let alone three Champions League semi-finals, two of which were won, in quick succession. (As an aside, based on the Times’ Fink Tank column, Liverpool should have been getting 64 points each season based on recent wage bills. Therefore, last year the team under-performed by just one point; others, such as Spurs and Villa, over-performed. However, the season before, the Reds over-reached by a whopping 22 points.) So where will this leave Liverpool? With a temporary manager, hoping that the club is sold in 2010, if we’re lucky? With players not knowing where they stand, and neither the money nor stability to attract the really special talent in the summer window? Maybe someone good will end up in the job; it’s still “Liverpool FC” after all. But the underlying problems will remain. This season, Benítez ended up like a juggler performing on an earthquake. Maybe someone else can keep the balls in the air while the ground beneath them crumbles; but it’s unfair to expect it. Maybe Kenny Dalglish will step in and give the place a lift. But he won’t be at a club run as well or as used to success as the one he last managed between 1985 and 1991, nor one as rich as Blackburn, with whom he enjoyed his last success, some 15 years ago. If anything, he probably has more to lose than gain (see Kevin Keegan and Howard Kendall for disastrous returns; I’d hate to see Dalglish sully his reputation in that way). Finally, I’d like to thank Rafa for his hospitality last year; for getting us closer to a title than at any time since I was a teenager; for an FA Cup success that involved beating several Premier League teams along the way, including Manchester United and Chelsea; but most of all, for Istanbul, the one thing that will last with us forever – the best day of our lives.

Yep, thanks for the good memories! In the end he just wasnt the man or the manager to bring more success. Say what you will about the money situation and of course its a valid point, but it was his constant negativity and attitude that fucked things up more than matters above his head

I hate these threads. Why dont you shut the fuck up and grow up ya saddo

Benitez being sacked is the best thing to happen this summer so far. He's lost the dressing room due to his negativity and cold attitude. The next thing now is to get the club sold and get in a new manager who will allow the team to attack

Well if those quotes from Benitez were about the likes of Gerrard, Torres etc then yes, but Fabio Aurelio!? Fuck me! :eek:

Yep, bye bye. Distinctly average player who will not be missed imho. Never fit, and when he was he was too inconsistent. And it was hilarious seeing Benitez's comments on it. 'Amazing person, fantastic player. It was an honour working with him' etc etc :whatever:

Benayoun while playing behind the forward(s) is an exceptional player.. and the fact he rarely ever gets played there, means he's no loss. Thats the managers fault. Remember he scored a hat trick in that role? He was then left out the next game, and when he does play its on the left side. What a waste of talent.

I wish i had your faith. We are lightyears away from winning the league

Im sure Colin Murray is a sound bloke, i just cant stand him coz of the accent! Im from about 15 miles away from Belfast and to say i hate hearing our accent is an understatement! Its fucking horrible.. Also, his presenting on Channel 5 is awful John Bishop aswell is annoying.. Where the fuck did he get that accent!?

Same here! Torres and Mascherano showed they hate United. More players (and especially a born and bred Liverpool captain) should be doing the same.

I predict: Liverpool Fixtures: Sunderland (h) 2-1 Birmingham (a) 1-1 Fulham (h) 1-0 West Ham (h) 3-0 Burnley (a) 1-2 Chelsea (h) 1-1 Hull (a) 0-1 Man City Fixtures: Everton (h) 2-1 Wigan (h) 3-0 Burnley (a) 1-1 Birmingham (h) 2-0 Man Utd (h) 1-1 Arsenal (a) 2-0 (Arsenal) Aston Villa (h) 2-2 Tottenham (h) 1-0 West Ham (a) 0-0 Spurs Fixtures: Portsmouth (a) 1-2 Sunderland (a) 1-1 Arsenal (h) 2-2 Chelsea (h) 1-1 Man Utd (a) 2-0 (Scum) Bolton (h) 3-0 Man City (a) 1-0 (City) Burnley (a) 0-1 Villa Fixtures: Chelsea(a) 3-1 (Chelsea) Bolton Wanderers(a) 1-1 Everton(H) 2-0 Portsmouth(a) 1-2 Birmingham City(H) 2-1 Manchester City (a) 2-2 Blackburn Rovers(H) 2-0

Good post actually. I whole heartedly agree with a captain change. And for people who say 'he'd deffo wanna leave then!' so what, fuck him! Nobody is bigger than Liverpool FC

Mate, this thread isnt full of people saying hes off in the summer, so i dont know where you are getting that from.. and Gerrard is only being singled out due to the fact hes our captain and should at the very least be trying his best and leading my example. He didnt and hasnt been. And thats why its unacceptable

Grow some balls ffs! Im sick of people constantly having a go at certain players and refusing to criticise the untouchables (Gerrard, Carra, Masch etc etc). Hes been dire and he doesnt seem to care. Thats unacceptable no matter what.. and hes the captain ffs! Nobody is questioning what hes done for the team in the past.. but the team needs him right now and hes bottling it.

Absoluetly spot on. What you said there about the World Cup was exactly what myself and my brother were saying yesterday after the match.

So true. Its the captain issue which bothers me most tbh. A captain should be driving the team forward, sorting out the players, and being vocal on the pitch.. we only have one captain and thats Jamie Carragher. As much as you can tell hes hurting right now (as is Gerrard), he still gives 100% and rollocks players around him. I personally believe 4th place is well and truly gone, so thats why im off the opinion that we should give players a deserving spot and approach games with a 'fuck it, lets go for it' attitude.

Are you refusing to read posts or what? Have a read back and see

My thoughts exactly mate