Why I hope Rafa resigns soon

[Guest]

You never seen a journo make something up to then right an appology in small print on page 20.

Not coming from the Chief Editor of the BBC.

[sonsofthedesert]

Well, if Kaladze don't play for us in a month time or so then it's 100% confirmed problem.

Rafa have confirmed that he had a deal with him and that means that everything had been agreed, the fee with Milan and personal terms.

So the only ones who could have stopped the deal to go through is Gillett or Hicks.

Rafa never confirmed himself that this was the player, this was only what the press believed.

[Pacman]

This is what has suprised me mate as you normally are getting people to calm down, on thi though you seem to believe what you read.

I am believing this one.

I think the press write **** and I don't believe some of the **** that is being printed however there are to many people close to the club who are worried about this for it not to be serious.

[Neil Young]

I've seen what happened to Red Chilli and it's been out of order.

What?

[Guest]

What?

Que ?

[carheex]

I disagree.
Never quit, get sacked if thats what they want to do but at least then they wont have the easy out of saying he quit.
Force their hand and let them reap the consequences.

Exactly - because of if he quits he'll have to wait a full 6 weeks before he can sign on for unemployment benefit. If he gets sacked he can do it straight away.

[reddragon]

I hope Rafa falls on his sword in the near future.

Don't get me wrong, I love him as our manager. Sure he frustrates me at times what with his rotatation, his baffling substitutions and his over relaince on the Spanish market. But he's a top class manager, as good as any around in my book.

So why do I hope he resigns. Well I think his days at LFC are numbered. I think his rift with H&G/Parry is past the point of repair. He's a dead manager walking in my view, and he deseves so much better than that.

He deserves better than being reduced to making his point in bizarre press conferences. He deserves more than being forced to wear a track suit on the touchline to make his point. He deserves more than being reduced until mid December to find out if he stays or if he goes. He deserves more than the public dressing down from Hicks, sitting smugly 6000 miles away deciding that Rafa has overstepped his authority by sorting out transfer himself. Instaed of asking why he has resorted to this they castigate him like a headteacher berating an errant pupil. Rafa loves LFC far more than Hicks ever will, or ever could.

At the moment Rafa must feel like he's on death row, waiting for the deadly phonecall from America which will end his reign. He knows like we do that they are merely waiting for the excuse to sack him. It might be tomorrow if we don't beat Porto. Or next week if we don't beat Marseille. Or the week after if we don't beat Man U. They've got Rafa were they want him, like a cat toying with the mouse its caught, knowing that at any time the cat can kill the mouse. The mouse trying to cling on to life but at the cats mercy.

Even if Rafa does survive, he's been severely weakened. They've got him by the balls, H&G know it, Rafa knows it and we know it. One of the things that makes Rafa the great manager he is, is the fight of the man. He'll take on anybody if he believes he's right. He'll do it his way with an unshakable belief in his own ability. Give him the power and he'll deliver the goods. But thats gone now at LFC. He'll never have the control he craves and needs to make LFC the no.1 power at home & abroad. To do that he needs to control everything at LFC and that will never happen now. He'll always ahve one eye and ear on the USA. What will G&H do if I do this or that. Can I say this or will they sack me. He's fatally wounded at LFC now, no matter what happens.

So Rafa, leave on your own terms, leave with your dignity in tact. Don't let them 2 bit yanks decide when times up, don't give them that satisfaction. Walk out of the Anfiled via the front gates, not the side door. Don't accept their blood money to keep stum, tell us what really happened, you and we deserve that.

Rafa's an all time great LFC manager, he deserves to go with respect and thanks not at the whim of power/money hungry yanks who don't deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as him.

Thats why I hope Rafa falls on his sword and does it soon.

LFC RIP.

You're not French by any chance?

[Taffy]

My stance on all this is that Rafa was in the wrong to publicly say what he did, and I believe that is why Hicks replied as he did.

I'd be absolutely gutted if we lost Rafa as some point but I really don't think it'll happen sometime soon. All this 'rift' talk has been exaggerated by the press, who love a juicy story (and especially one about LFC), in my opinion, but I'm not naive enough to believe there's nothing at all in this.

Yes, there must have been a mis-understanding, but I'm sure it will be resolved once the parties meet next month. It is very unfortunate that our owners live half way around the world, but with the communication options around the world today it's surely only a slight hindrance. I'm sure both G & H are in regular contact with the club - didn't they also appoint someone to run the club when they arrived too, so I really don't think that the club go days, if not weeks, without regular imput from the Yanks.

Rafa has been known to be frustrated if he doesn't get his way (which drove him out of Valencia), but surely, by now, he realises that it's the way it is! He's had his supposed 'difficulties' at both his recent clubs so what's to say that it'll be any different at his next club if he decides to jump ship!? I love Rafa, and I hope he stays and continues what he's doing at LFC. G & H have 'given' him Torres at a record price for the club last summer and they'll probably deliver again soon.

For me, patience is the key, although yes of course it can be frustrating in the game we're involved in. I just hope all this is forgotten soon and that we'll see a lovely photo of Rafa between both G & H receiving a big hug form them both!

[AFII]

Rafa Benitez: Let’s Kop it to Porto
Nov 28 2007
by Tony Barrett, Liverpool Echo

RAFA BENITEZ today urged Liverpool fans to recreate the atmosphere of Chelsea in 2005 at tonight’s crunch Champions League match with Porto – and to support the team, not him.

The Reds boss does not want any distractions from the job in hand as Liverpool go in search of the win which will take them to within one more victory of guaranteeing qualification for the knockout stages.

And he believes the Anfield crowd can power his team to victory against the Portuguese champions, just as they did against Chelsea in the Champions League semi-final two and a half years ago.

He said: “It is all about the club and the fans.

“We would like to hear the same noise that was made in the semi-final against Chelsea in 2005 and the one last season because that was fantastic.

“When we play at Anfield it is always easier for the players because they just have to go to the pitch and hear the supporters and it is enough to motivate them.

“I'm sure that the players will play at the maximum level because when you have the supporters behind you, you cannot do anything else.”

An online petition calling on Benitez to stay as Reds boss was up to 22,500 signatures this morning. The petition was launched on Sunday when the war of words between Benitez and the club’s American owners was at its height.

Since then Benitez has adopted a more placatory stance, but a demonstration in support of the beleaguered boss is due to take place at Anfield tonight.

Foster Gillett is due to attend the match, while owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks will watch the game live on satellite in the USA.

Benitez's planning for the game suffered a blow when Daniel Agger was again ruled out having not fully recovered from the metatarsal injury he suffered in early September.

But the Reds boss is confident his team can absorb that blow, especially with Saturday's resounding 3-0 win over Newcastle still fresh in the memory.

He said: "Newcastle was one of the best away games that we have played because we had control of everything.

"The players really enjoyed the game because they were very comfortable with the ball. We need to keep this confidence.

"We are creating chances and scoring goals, but we are also keeping clean sheets which is really important."

When the two sides last met in Portugal in the first game of the group stages, Liverpool came away with a creditable 1-1 draw, despite having to play most of the second half with ten men following the sending off of Jermaine Pennant.

Benitez is looking for a better all round performance from his team than on that night and he believes playing at Anfield will make all the difference.

He said: "In Porto we started really badly but managed to get a point which was a good result, especially as we played part of the game with ten players.

Now we are playing at Anfield, we know we have to make sure we don't make mistakes because they have quality."

http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0...name_page.html

[Elvis]

I partly blame Rafa, I partly blame the media, and I partly blame the panic merchants who should get a life. You all need to have a word with yourselves.

Roll on Porto, and roll them over Redmen.

You don't partly blame the owners? Are you on their payroll?

[desertscouser]

I've read many of Niall's post and I can fairly say that he's not the most sensible poster in here.

Since the old days, he's always been one of the best

[tomasjj]

Nah, I hope he stays.
He deserves this season and the next.
If then no success - bye bye.

Right or wrong, I suspect you want Rafa out for other reasons and are just spinning this to suit your agenda.

[Dhav]

Well we will agree to disagree.

Normally I'm not a knee jerk guy I don't believe what I read in the press however on this occasion I firmly believe that those 3 cunts want him out.

It's a sad day for these boards when Pacman becomes the voice of reason

[sonsofthedesert]

Not coming from the Chief Editor of the BBC.

Did you not hear about the senior person at the BBC who had to go because he said the Queen walked away from a painter in a strop, turned out the picture had been edited t look like that to drum up publicity and they had to apologise.

[Flake]

I am increasing disillusioned by all this.

I felt a tinge of regret at moores selling the club, and the realisiation that my support seams almost arbitrary.

People talk about how the amount the players are paid removes them from the supporters, but its not true.
What removes clubs from the supporters is the feeling that the owners are interested in profit, not glory.

If rafa is sacked or his positioin made untenable, my support will be damaged.
Is there a better man for the job? Maybe, maybe not, but I increasingly realise that what I believed to be the 'Liverpool way' no longer holds true.

I don't wish to be melodramatic, but the very culture of our club is undermined by this spat.
Do you think Shankly would have put up with it? Or even had to deal with it?

Perhaps he dealt with things a different way, but in these circumstances I imagine he would have told the owners to get tae ****.

In the old days mind, we didn't have access to such information.
The media have been heaping pressure on Benitez all season, and you know what'd happen if he was sacked? They'd be heaping pressure on G+H for letting the best liverpool manager of modern times go.

In these circumstances I may just have to ignore the media and just watch the games... with the sound of.