Rafa’s the special one
The dust has settled on Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool era. Remember him? The man that guided an average Liverpool team to the promise land of European glory. The man that brought one of the best strikers in the world to Merseyside, and the only manager to find Steven Gerrard’s much debated ‘best position’. But 5 years after the Champions League win, the Spaniard couldn’t do a thing right.
Every Torres substitution, every free signing, and the increased quality of Premiership opposition was blamed on Rafa. Yes he made same bad buys. Yes he made some surprising team selections. And yes, the ’Rafa rant’ did him no favours. But can this add up to a bad manager? A manager that pundits and the media alike, slated day in day out for not winning every honour in football.
Previous to the Spanish armada anchoring at the Albert Dock, Gerard Houllier had won a six trophies with the Reds, a difficult manager to follow. I think you’ll agree Rafa’s first season eclipsed him. Big players arrived. Real Liverpool players. Alonso, Mascherano, Garcia, Torres, Reina. Houllier could never attract these players, and unfortunately current boss Roy Hodgson may not either.
Regarding Rafa’s ”unknown young signings”. There is a reason Rafa signed Lucas, and it’s not because he thinks he’s the best in the world. As a Liverpool fan, I would love to have seen him buy David Villa instead. One problem, money. Trust me, Rafa would have bought the best out there, if he could afford them. Give Rafa £5 million to spend, you get Lucas. Give him £30 million, you get Villa. Simple. Question the owners about cheap, second rate buys. And if you’re lucky enough to catch up with Americans answer to Pinky and the Brain, ask them about our new stadium too.
If nothing else, a man regularly courted by Real Madrid, Juventus and Inter Milan must be doing something right. Other managers have jumped ship when players were brought behind their back. Or if owners promise transfer money that never appears. Not to mention ask Jurgen Klinsmann (of all people!) to take over your job behind your back. Combine these with being wanted by Europe’s elite, and nobody could blame him for leaving. Not Rafa. Unquestioned loyalty and passion until the day he was forced out the exits of Anfield.
2009/2010 was disappointing for Liverpool and changes were needed. But let’s not forget Istanbul, beers with the fans in Leverkusen, and the textbook goatee. After all, “I am talkin’ about…facts, Mr Ferguson”.
Written By Rob Edwards
Football News 24/7
And I am Santa Claus…
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Rafa is the best… ynwa
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Totally agree. The problem it LFC is the ownership and lack of funds. The other problem is the simplstic morons who placed the blame on the managar. The same “Rafa out” brigade will be shouting “Roy out” preety soon. There were the idiots who believed the World and his wife would be beat a path to the door to manage LFC if Rafa went. The World didn’t. We got an average, mid-table manager who I hope succeeds, but can’t see it. Another point -= if the club was really anywhere near being sold, then I doubt if Roy Hodgson would have been given a contract. NO potential buyer will want to have to start paying soemone off straight away, but not buyer who means business would want him as a permanent manager.
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Thanks Rob-
I see the more time passes by and the lesser dusty it is, as the summer has passed, the type of players, brought in, how much they cost, the new owners or old but still in office owners, as we see those trusted to find a minority owners (100K) and those trusted to find new owners the more sober minded we become. We see more between the lines. We make the difference between the statements made by those brought in to do what. We see the blame put on some people by some and made us believe or wanted us to believe that who was to be blamed for what including the beach ball at Sunderland FC!!
I am glad that for this article as it is putting the issues that even Benitez highlighted many times:
1. Wining in Istanbul was great, the best ever
2. Winning the league when one has to sell 2 to 3 players to buy one excellent player is not possible when the top four and other were buying top shelf every year. To have managed with the best 11 to 4 points behind Man U without strengthening the team comprehensively was going to be a disaster. Thanks God we were not so much hit with the injuries that overwhelmed us the next season. If he were given proper support we would not had been at this stage.
For an 11 member team with little options, to have run a marathon, high intensity games both league and cups, with so much pressure from the expectations put by everyone on and off the pitch was too much to ask. Surely that must have been extremely exhausting both mentally and physically. To take a multi-million dollar Man U with all the depth in reserves to the wire was too much, in fact it was a major achievement with a team value not higher that fifth that year.
I am sure the reasons for all the injuries the next season was partly a result of the exhaustions in the previous season. Now to be writing the team off, to be blaming everything on the Manager for Alonso exit (even when Alonso denied that) and for the money which was not used by the Manager to reinforce the team?
I wonder how a ONE BAD SEASON could have made the Manager (alone) look so bad that LFC could not be associated with and that it was such a drastic issue to get rid of him as soon as possible?? How many years has Wenger remained at Arsenal without a trophy, despite all the money and talent? How many years did Sir Alex take before winning his first trophy or even the league? And yet Wenger is here, yet ManU believed in Sir Alex and now they are enjoying the fruits.
Thank you for putting it into such a good perspective. Thank you for those who never wavered and stood firm on the truth. This is really a refreshing article and we hope
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Agree. I was traumatised when they sacked Rafa. Obviously we will all get behind Roy now. But I wish Rafa was still the boss.
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I think Rafa will go down as one of the truly great managers of LFC alongside Shankly, Paisley and Fagan. The media can portray him anyway they like, but us true Liverpool fans KNOW he did a brilliantly job considering he was having to contend with all the “in fighting” behind the scenes at Anfield and all the broken promises of transfer funds etc. He provided LFC with very probably the greatest ever night in our illustrious history in Istanbul and the majority of fans with always think of Rafa with great affection and respect. I certainly wish he was still our manager because I believe he would have taken us to greater heights. Unfortunately our immediate concern is getting rid of the two slimy slugs who are currently dragging our fabulous club into the gutter. I just hope on October 6th we can finally rid ourselves of the slugs.
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