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Rafa

richwilks

By richwilks
in Liverpool FC

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richwilks

richwilks

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From This is Anfield

 

WHETHER you love or hate Rafa Benitez, put yourself in the Spaniard’s shoes for a moment.

 

After a lifetime living and working in Spain, after guiding Valencia to the most successful period in their history with a first title in 31 years followed up by a La Liga and UEFA Cup double, you choose to leave your home country behind to come to England and manage Liverpool.

 

You make that decision despite other, more lucrative offers lying on the table back in June 2004 – from Spurs, Inter Milan and Besiktas.

 

But you plump for Liverpool, drawn by its standing and heritage, inheriting an underachieving, average squad which looked certain to lose two of its best players in Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard.

 

For five years you live and work in a foreign country, putting your heart and soul into the manager’s job at a football club where resources don’t match the expectations.

 

You master a new language, work up to 22-hour days, change players’ diets and training methods and even enjoy an infamous drink in Germany with Liverpool fans.

 

You left one job where directors refused to sign players you wanted and interfered with transfer dealings (sparking your infamous “I asked the club for a sofa and they bought me a lampshade” quote) and walked into another one with similar problems.

 

You were told by co-owner George Gillett you could sign “Snoogy Doogy” if that’s who you wanted – but then you were told you couldn’t sign Simao, Gareth Barry, Michael Dawson, David Villa, David Silva, Kenwyne Jones, Ryan Shawcross and countless others.

 

You had a club co-owner open talks with Jurgen Klinsmann about succeeding you as manager – and found out about it through the newspapers.

 

You signed Xabi Alonso, Fernando Torres, Pepe Reina, Javier Mascherano, Luis Garcia, Yossi Benayoun, Dirk Kuyt, Glen Johnson, Emiliano Inusa, Momo Sissoko, Alvaro Arbeloa, Daniel Agger and Peter Crouch – then people kept saying you have a terrible record in the transfer market.

 

In your first season, despite a poor squad, you won the Champions League in one of the most thrilling matches in football history. Key to the run to the final was your ability to squeeze out quality performances from limited players, most notably Igor Biscan.

 

You also reached the League Cup final in that first season, losing to Chelsea 3-2 after extra time, and finished fifth in the league.

 

The following season you won the FA Cup, beating Manchester United and Chelsea on the way to the final, when West Ham were edged out on penalties. In the league you guided Liverpool to third, missing out on the runners-up spot by just one point.

 

That FA Cup success in Cardiff made you the only manager in the history of Liverpool Football Club to win major trophies in both of the first two seasons at the club.

 

A year later you guided Liverpool to another Champions League final, again knocking out Chelsea on the way. This time it wasn’t to be, but you could be forgiven for thinking people may recognise that it is no mean feat to get that far – and no disgrace to lose to AC Milan.

 

In the league, you took us to third place again.

 

But 2007-8 was a poor year for you. You only reached the semi-finals of the Champions League and finished fourth in the league. Your job was offered to Klinsmann though, so maybe you could be forgiven for taking your eye off the ball.

 

And so to last season. Quarter-finals of the Champions League, runners-up in the league with 86 points. The only team in English top-flight history to lose so few games and not be crowned champions.

 

The best points total since 1988, but also the highest of any side in a 20-team league not to win the championship.

 

Fair to say, you were unlucky. You took us so close to the much-coveted number 19.

 

And let’s not forget, you’ve won 57 per cent of your games in charge of Liverpool, the same as Bob Paisley.

 

So with all that in mind, you deserve some respect, right? You’ve done a great job in trying circumstances. You’ve proved you are what they said you were when you arrived from Valencia – a world-class manager.

 

But it’s not enough. You’ve lost four games out of nine this season. You’ve sold a player, Xabi Alonso, who wanted to leave the club, for a huge profit to the biggest club in his home country.

 

You might think your excellent record buys you some time in the job at Anfield and some patience from the fans, just like it does for Arsene Wenger, trophyless with Arsenal since 2005.

 

Well not for some people. They’ve had enough. They want Jose Mourinho. A man in a job at Inter Milan, with a huge salary. A man who would cost a lot of money in compensation and in wages. Oh and we’d have to pay you off too, Rafa. But hang on, there’s no money…

 

What’s that Rafa? You’re resigning? You don’t feel appreciated? You’ve had enough of fickle fans on phone-ins and internet forums sniping and moaning? Had enough of media men calling you “cold”, slagging off your tactics, harping on about zonal marking and questioning the timing of your substitutions?

 

Hypothetical, of course. But it could happen. And it would be a huge problem for Liverpool if it did.

 

Mourinho, Guus Hiddink, Fabio Capello…all top managers that trigger-happy fans have been mentioning as they debate Rafa’s replacement.

 

But why would any of them come to Anfield? No money to spend, owners that hate each other, sky-high expectations and a demand for immediate results…

 

Hardly the dream job is it?

 

When Benitez was trying to renegotiate his contract at Valencia in 2004 he said: “My ideal scenario was continue the work I had started at Valencia.

 

“But the managing director said to me, ‘If I give you two more years on your contract and then you lose three matches it is going to be my problem!” If that was how much respect my three years of work had earned, then it seemed obvious to me that they had little interest in me staying.”

 

He later said: “It appears that I’m valued more outside the club than I am at Valencia itself.”

 

Deja vu?

 

It’s clear he likes to be loved. And for his record at Liverpool, he deserves to be. But if people turn against him so quickly, whose to say he won’t pack it in? It’s not like he would struggle to get another job.

 

In the first post-Benitez year at Valencia, the club finished seventh, 26 points behind La Liga champions Barcelona.

 

If Benitez resigns, or, as unlikely as it is given the financial situation, is sacked, Liverpool could go backwards too.

 

I wonder what Alan Curbishley is doing these days…?

 

 

I personally wouldn't blame Rafa if he did quit, and contrary to the article I am sure that there are managers out there who would love the opportunity to take us on but realistically are we in any sort of position to pay compensation to take a top manager out of a job? No. If we did manage to get a top manager is he going to come in and revolutionise us with his big name signings? No.

 

There is a cancer in this club, something destroying the great name of Liverpool from the inside out and the cancer is called Hicks/Gillett.

 

I don't give a f*** what people in the media say about Rafa, what he has done at the club given the resources available is magnificent, last season we blew teams away with our attacking football and we were incredibly close to the league title. We were 1 or maybe 2 top players away from a dream team and Rafa was massively let down in the summer, not only by Gillett and Hicks but also by Alonso.

 

With the right investment in January this squad has the potential to kick on and still win something this season, even if it's only a cup. At the same time, with a lack of investment this club is a time bomb waiting to go off, if the Yanks are struggling to repay the loan at the moment it's going to be 10 times harder with no Champions League football and that's where we are heading.

 

Who's nexk is on the line? Who's the one person who will take the blame for the failure? Rafael Benitez. The man who turned this club from a side with no backbone into one of the top sides in the world again. The man who despite his incredible record at both Valencia and Liverpool has had to work on a net spend of £0 for the past two years while others around spent and spent.

 

Thanks Yanks.

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Bailo

Bailo

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I agree with this. I just don't think he has done magnificent.

So a CL win, a CL appearance, our best league position in years and a drastically better squad than when he took over aren't part of a magnificent job?

 

Seems like you're demanding the league from him, despite knowing the conditions he's working under.

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richwilks

richwilks

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So a CL win, a CL appearance, our best league position in years and a drastically better squad than when he took over aren't part of a magnificent job?

 

Winning the league is unrealistic under the financial restrictions imposed on Benitez.

 

We're competing against clubs who spend incredible amounts of money every single year.

 

Compare our net spend to that of Chelsea, Man City, Aston Villa, Spurs and even Sunderland for f*** sake.

 

We needed a striker, Sunderland needed a striker. Bruce was backed with around £15 million to go and sign a striker from Spurs. Benitez isn't backed, end of story.

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Mr. Biscan

Mr. Biscan

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So a CL win, a CL appearance, our best league position in years and a drastically better squad than when he took over aren't part of a magnificent job?

 

Seems like you're demanding the league from him, despite knowing the conditions he's working under.

 

 

Matter of expecation isn't it? For him to have done magnificent he IMO should have won something of note, F.A Cup or Champions League.

 

It's been 3 years without a trophy, I personally believe we can win the league, and I also believe we should have won the league last year. Benitez still has a team to manage, he still has ability at his disposal and he has been here 5 years. He may have less money than his rivals, but he hasn't been working on a shoe string.

 

If you believe he can't achieve given the current situation we find ourselves in, that is okay. But I believe regardless of anything else that the manager must do what he can with what he has, and the fact he hasn't won anything in 3 years is in my opinion, a failure.

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Chili Palmer

Chili Palmer

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Matter of expecation isn't it? For him to have done magnificent he IMO should have won something of note, F.A Cup or Champions League.

 

It's been 3 years without a trophy, I personally believe we can win the league, and I also believe we should have won the league last year. Benitez still has a team to manage, he still has ability at his disposal and he has been here 5 years. He may have less money than his rivals, but he hasn't been working on a shoe string.

 

If you believe he can't achieve given the current situation we find ourselves in, that is okay. But I believe regardless of anything else that the manager must do what he can with what he has, and the fact he hasn't won anything in 3 years is in my opinion, a failure.

 

 

Rafa won something in his first 2 years, then the yanks came along. coincidence?

 

Expectations have to be considered.

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Mr. Biscan

Mr. Biscan

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I think considering the conditions he has worked under from 2007, he has done just that.

 

 

Given that he has Argentina's Captain, Fernando Torres, Gerrard, Pepe Reina, Agger, Johnson, Carra, Skrtel, Riera, Yossi, Babel amongst others at his disposal I think he has failed in his duty to deliver a trophy.

 

I don't deny Benitez has been financially restricted but he hasn't worked on a shoe string, nor has he been starved of talent. Yes it's unfair to demand the league, but given what he has, is it unfair to demand at least some silverware? I don't think so.

 

I don't like this 'Poor old Benitez' attitude because it simply isn't the case.

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Marvin

Marvin

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Matter of expecation isn't it? For him to have done magnificent he IMO should have won something of note, F.A Cup or Champions League.

 

It's been 3 years without a trophy, I personally believe we can win the league, and I also believe we should have won the league last year. Benitez still has a team to manage, he still has ability at his disposal and he has been here 5 years. He may have less money than his rivals, but he hasn't been working on a shoe string.

 

If you believe he can't achieve given the current situation we find ourselves in, that is okay. But I believe regardless of anything else that the manager must do what he can with what he has, and the fact he hasn't won anything in 3 years is in my opinion, a failure.

 

 

 

So what your are saying is that it is benitez's fault that we didn't win the league last year. That would mean you believe that we have the best team/squad in the league but the manager failed to get the best out of them. The only logical extension of that is that he should be replaced with someone who can.

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Mr. Biscan

Mr. Biscan

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Net spend over 2 years = £0. That isn't a shoe string you're right, we can't afford a shoe string.

 

 

What does Net Spend have to do with what he currently has at his disposal? Rather than discuss what Benitez hasn't, lets see what he has got. What he has got is amongst the best talent in the world.

 

To demand the league is un-realistic for any team

 

To demand silverware given the current crop of players we have, isn't un-realistic at all.

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Stevie H

Stevie H

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What does Net Spend have to do with what he currently has at his disposal? Rather than discuss what Benitez hasn't, lets see what he has got. What he has got is amongst the best talent in the world.

 

To demand the league is un-realistic for any team

 

To demand silverware given the current crop of players we have, isn't un-realistic at all.

to 'demand silverware' is the sort of uninformed sh*te trotted out by nouveau fans and insane chairmen. a football fan's default state should be optimism, not expectation.

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Mr. Biscan

Mr. Biscan

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So what your are saying is that it is benitez's fault that we didn't win the league last year. That would mean you believe that we have the best team/squad in the league but the manager failed to get the best out of them. The only logical extension of that is that he should be replaced with someone who can.

 

Well consider that Benitez signed a 5 year deal at the end of last season, it really doesn't matter what I think or anyone thinks for that matter.

 

I don't want Benitez to be sacked, I did call for it last January because I felt we simply threw the league away, and then we came back and looked close to winning it. If he didn't have a contract I would say that if we didn't challenge for the league and win something or at least come close to winning something, then yes I would want him to be sacked. I believe Rafa can achieve, whether he can or not is a different matter.

 

And if we had new owners who would replace the manager I would take that in heartbeat.

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Dan

Dan

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Matter of expecation isn't it? For him to have done magnificent he IMO should have won something of note, F.A Cup or Champions League.

 

It's been 3 years without a trophy, I personally believe we can win the league, and I also believe we should have won the league last year. Benitez still has a team to manage, he still has ability at his disposal and he has been here 5 years. He may have less money than his rivals, but he hasn't been working on a shoe string.

 

If you believe he can't achieve given the current situation we find ourselves in, that is okay. But I believe regardless of anything else that the manager must do what he can with what he has, and the fact he hasn't won anything in 3 years is in my opinion, a failure.

 

You wouldn't be saying this if Arsene Wenger was our manager.

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