A Critical Evaluation of Rafa

[Manofthebog]

Take your time....................

[Kenneth]

Yeah but in fairness we dropped a load of those points just because we started to focus purely on the champions league with a 1/4 of the season to go...

Next season, with some (hopefully) exciting new signings, no World Cup or Euro Championships to affect players & ensuring key players rested after 2 years of non-stop football, another season of experience under the belt for Rafa, & we've a decent start to the fixture list too for once - I think we'll have a real go....

We'd lost most of them away from home by Christmas.

[Yozza]

We'd lost most of them away from home by Christmas.

Weren't we only a few points behind the Mancs & Chavs though around this point?

We really fell away after losing to the Mancs at home...

[dww]

Yeah but in fairness we dropped a load of those points just because we started to focus purely on the champions league with a 1/4 of the season to go...

Next season, with some (hopefully) exciting new signings, no World Cup or Euro Championships to affect players & ensuring key players rested after 2 years of non-stop football, another season of experience under the belt for Rafa, & we've a decent start to the fixture list too for once - I think we'll have a real go....

We'd lost most of them away from home by Christmas.

I think the later point is more more valid. I think that it came from trying to integrate a lot of new players and existing players being in terrible form after the world cup.

We did drop some points concentrating on the CL - at least 6 or 7 but we were a ways behind by then so it really wasn't a big issue and Man United rested people right at the end so the difference is small.

[thekop]

What do people think to Rafa? Does he have what it takes to win No.19? Are his teams attacking enough, enough creativity?

Would like to see what people think

Rafa's defo the man who can bring home no 19 AND more

[Redlife]

He has what it takes to win 19 without a shadow of a doubt. I think the argument about his style of play doesn't wash. Mourinho doesn't like to play fast expansive football but Chelsea have done alright under him.

I do however dislike how there always seems to be rumours about him not being happy or wanting more money for players. I am begining to think that Rafa will never be happy no matter what club he goes to and I do think that he wont be around in 3 - 4 years time maybe less.

I agree with that.


However I try to put a positive spin on the notion that Rafa will never be happy whetever club he's at. It might well be true, but that's more a reflection of his perfectionism. It shows in the way he sets his teams up to play. It's not just enough for us to attack and defend well; he wants the opposition completely shut down and unable to play themselves.

Again, people see that as a reflection of overly defensive instincts; I just think it's ace.


It's not about playing too defensively or being unable to play attacking football; the problem is that we haven't got a squad of overall high enough quality to win the Premiership. It was shown in the CL final too. We shut Milan down but didn't have the quality of players to put them away.


If Rafa gets the funding though, we'll be more than fine.

[REDSCOUSER]

I dont think Rafa has assembled the squad that he really wants and craves which explains why he goes more on the defensive counter attacking formation than all out attack.
I believe that RAFA will win the league if he get the players he really wants.
The squad as we speak is not as strong as the 2 scums with only about 4-6 players worthy of starting week in week out.
Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Alonso, Gerrard & Kuyt are the only players in my opinion who we can class as "excellent" but we are still short of 4 players to finish off a strong 11. Not including Mascherano as I don't know if hes gonna be with us after next season, but he is very good.
Then we have to look at the rest of the squad. Do we have the players that can come in if there's injuries or tactical changes during a game/season ?
I would say yes. Players like Riise, Aurelio, Pennant, Crouch, Garcia & Voronin are good squadies but are they willing to contribute to cause ? Will they be happy sitting on the bench to get the odd game here and there ? That is a big challange for Rafa.
Bottom line, I think we are 4 players short(lb,lw,rw & st) of having a very very solid starting 11.
Once we have that we will see a MORE ADVENTUROUS Benitez & Liverpool.

WALK ON

[desertscouser]

Being a tactical genius gets you nowhere in the premiership. You just have to go back and look at Rafa's results against the top sides in the league. It's not very good. And that's not because he gets tacticaly out foxed but moreso because our players aren't as good as the opposition's. On top of that, Rafa's over cautiousness doesn't help and we have lost many points over the years as a result.

In conclusion, Rafa is a great manager but unless we sign better players and he comes out of his defensive shell we will never win no 19 with him at the helm.

[puredale]

Rafa plays with 6 defenders and four attackers (two DMs in a 442) and that system worked well for him in Spain but you need more points (on average over the last five years 8 more points) to win the league in England and that means he needs to play 5 defenders and 5 attackers (either 352/343 or one DM in a 442) - a system that is alien to him. Until he demonstrates a more adventurous strategy - 'must win' rather than 'do not lose' - I will have my doubts about his ability to win the league in this country.

We will continue to be good in cup competitions with Rafa's style - because the emphasis is on 'not losing' rather than 'must win'.

Rafa needs another couple of years of being well supported in the transfer market before it is possible to know 'for sure' if he can deliver No.19.

[Reds08]

We will only ever finish third with rafa at the helm. He doesn't have what it takes to when the Premiership, three years have made that obvious enough. Sad fact. And before all the abuse starts coming my way, look at what Rafa HAS ACTUALLY DONE in the league, not what you want him to do. I can comprehensively prove the point, so don't start arguing.

[akjs123]

We will only ever finish third with rafa at the helm. He doesn't have what it takes to when the Premiership, three years have made that obvious enough. Sad fact. And before all the abuse starts coming my way, look at what Rafa HAS ACTUALLY DONE in the league, not what you want him to do. I can comprehensively prove the point, so don't start arguing.

Remind me again how many points we had in 05/06 season. And how many points did ManU have. And how many did Chelsea have in 06/07 season.
Hey I am only looking at what Rafa "HAS ACTUALLY DONE" in the league.

[redblood]

i think he's done excellent with the resources so far.

Now that everyones gotten over his rotation methods etc, I think we have a very good squad, and are probably only 2 or 3 players from having an excellent 22 man playing squad.

Lets look at this so far:

Team 1

--------------Reina-------------
---Finnan--Carra-Agger--Riise---
-Winger-Gerrard-Mascher-Kewell-
---------Kuyt-----Striker--------

Team 2

--------------Carson--------------
--Arbeloa-Hyypia-Defender-Aurelio--
-Pennant-Alonso--Sissoko-Winger--
---------Crouch--Voronin----------

Now i'm not saying it's a simple as two teams because obviously Rafa is going to mix and match, but assuming team 1 is our typical first choice team, you take nearly any of the players in the second team and wouldn't make us a great deal weaker.

The positions in bold are were I think we need to strengthen, and I think Rafa will get those buys right.

And thats leaving out Garcia, Leto, Paletta, Lucas.

but I think to have achieved what he has in the space of time he has and with the funds available, Rafa has built a very capable squad more than able to go all the way in any cup comp, and with those added quality players we'll hopefully get in I think we'll be on our way to 19 sooner rather than later

Well said mate I'm really surprised at what some people think about Rafa.
He has done wonders we were going seriously backwards under GH and Rafa has steadied the ship and brought us forward.
The next step is adding the final pieces of creativity.
People talk about him not playing the same as the Mancs but we don't need to be that cavalier to win the title or still play attractive passing football with a solid defensive base.
We have most of the sqaud and team to push forward 2-3 players are what we need to make that next step.

[Morph]

We will only ever finish third with rafa at the helm. He doesn't have what it takes to when the Premiership, three years have made that obvious enough. Sad fact. And before all the abuse starts coming my way, look at what Rafa HAS ACTUALLY DONE in the league, not what you want him to do. I can comprehensively prove the point, so don't start arguing.

Save me the time arguing with you then and comprehensively prove it as you say you can, i'll wager you can't

[Reds08]

Save me the time arguing with you then and comprehensively prove it as you say you can, i'll wager you can't

OK then. In three years we have come nowhere near winning the league with Rafa Benitez as manager. I don't care how many points we may have had blah blah, you only win the league by getting more points than anyone else, I really can't understand this point totals argument. I just don't understand why some people are so sure we are ready to do something that in three attempts at trying we haven't come close to doing.:bird:

[zinedine cheyrou]

OK then. In three years we have come nowhere near winning the league with Rafa Benitez as manager. I don't care how many points we may have had blah blah, you only win the league by getting more points than anyone else, I really can't understand this point totals argument. I just don't understand why some people are so sure we are ready to do something that in three attempts at trying we haven't come close to doing.:bird:

Rafa inherited a side that was seriously going backwards and was struggling to hang onto the coat-tails of the mancs, the chavs and even the arse - we had Smicer, Biscan, Traore, diouf, cisse on the books ! With an inferior manager I honestly think we could have been looking at a slide into the second/third tier of the premiership. The istanbul win (thanks largely to Rafa) gave us the finances to re-build, his purchases in the main have been good...xabi, luis, reina, agger, mascherano, crouch. Not all signings have been good but the bulk certainly have. Your argument that he has not achieved in the first three years mean he wont any time soon is flawed as you have to take into account what he inherited and the funds he had to start with. Whether he can push on and bring us no.19 is debateable but to indicate that he has not re-established the club from the mess he inherited is doing the man a dis-service