Redray

If it is correct that Blackstone said no to Hicks in August what the hell was he doing it raising the issue to the board a few days before a huge match last week?

The FT article states that that fans were hoping for support but Blackstone decided not to proceed!

That's about the size of it.

Why is this s*** thread not locked?

Rafa still chooses to respond to his eartlier comments; Benitez has now hit back with a statement on the official Inter Milan website: "I am honestly surprised that an experienced and important manager like him said these things and spoke so much about me, considering I've been in Italy for three months. "I can only add that the Liverpool fans know the story and they know the truth. "They also know it's easy to judge when you've been in power for 24 years." http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11669_6386782,00.html

The contrary position might be that some supporters were possibly so determined to see Rafa ousted that anyone else would suffice. Even the hapless Roy. Now there is no option but to back him no matter how inept and incompetent he may be.

How? If you spotted a competent game plan that had even a remote chance of success please enlighten. I missed it.

Quite possibly. In a way my point. If you think he is a better player than Masch i'm sure you woud say as much. So better player? Yes?

Not Masch-esque. The lowering of expectation hereby complete.

Hence the many goals. The Mancs were s*** today

Although his signing makes that of Julian Dicks look a masterstroke, you can't put his blame him entirely today. Our manager thinks the full backs do not need to prevent crosses coming in and concentrates on dealing with them once they've been delivered. It is a recipe for disaster, We are going to concede many goals.

Unbelievable s**** that.

That's b******s and you know it is.

Early days. The man deserves a chance.

We could have signed Franco f***ing Baresi at his pomp and it still wouldn't have made no f***ing impression if you look at the way we were set up.

Spot on.

He's only had 5 games give him a chance. 10 more and you'll find out just how s*** he really is.

Good one. You mean tomorrow presumably? Do the business.

It's the dismantling of the model we were achieving with Rafa at his best that is the most galling. Not sure we will see many more performances like that home tie against Real Madrid and not just because we won't be playing them again anytime soon. If you glance over the Inter forums you can start to see the fans beginning to salivate over the way Rafa is trying to set them up there. Playing Eto up front instead of on the wing and the way he is asking them to hunt in packs and chase the opposition into their own defensive areas. Jose is already telling him not to change 'his' side.

And round and round it goes. This one is particularly good as Jose manages to get in a sideways shot at Guardiola as well. Mourinho queries Rafa's approach Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho has urged his successor at Internazionale, Rafa Benitez, to build on the foundations he himself laid at the San Siro.Mourinho and Benitez often exchanged words during their times in England and the Portuguese continues to torment his Spanish rival via the press. He told France Football: "Benitez can do what he wants, but I think that he should have the intelligence to profit from the work that I did before him, instead of wanting to change everything. "I have always done that every time I have arrived at a new club and it's what Pep Guardiola did when he took Frank Rijkaard's place. For me, this is being an intelligent coach." http://www.sport.co.uk/news/Football/43651/Mourinho_queries_Rafas_approach.aspx

Playing against 10 men and getting soft penalties doesn't hurt the cause.

There's nothing instant about Roy's 30 year record as a mediocre manager. Nothing that particularly instant about the way he is setting us so deep and inviting pressure in each and every game. No wait, all his inglorious past could just be an abberation. Give him time, his sixties could be his golden years and he could become the next living legend.

Who? Gerrard, Torres, Masch, Yossi? There is definetly a case to argue that selling these players with Rafa being allowed to spend the vast proportion of the circa 100 million received on replacements would have been a far better option as revealed by the sorry state we appear to be in now. It would have been the brave but correct thing to do.

Pointless signing.

Good point. Still think it's noteworthy that Forbes are saying value is crashing. They've been relying on their assessments previously when putting forward their ridiculous valuations.