Rafa Benitez - the science of winning

[Vermilion]

I just wonder who the **** we would have been able to afford to buy if Rafa hadn't prioritised the Champions league for his first couple of seasons.

[lfc1394]

What an irritating cunt you are. Rafa makes a mistake, youre right and he's wrong. Rafa gets something right, he's learned and you were right all along. **** off with that **** mate.

Listen, we have one of the best managers in the world in Rafa. He knows more about football than the lot of us on here put together, and most importantly he works with the players day in day out. How the **** are you in any way qualified to say who should be playing and who shouldnt?

Just have the grace to give Rafa his dues for what he's been doing this season and quit the whole 'I was right all along' bollocks. It makes you look like an absolute tit.

Bit harsh and uncalled for really.

It does come across as you say, but the facts are that we haven't rotated as much and we have played people in their positions (I'd now call RM Kuyts position). I myself have criticised Rafa in the past for this and I think quite rightly, he has changed his approach and it's great. I don't think Rage is suggesting it's because he told him to or anything.

[dww]

What an irritating cunt you are. Rafa makes a mistake, youre right and he's wrong. Rafa gets something right, he's learned and you were right all along. **** off with that **** mate.

Please leave out the personal abuse. It's just not necessary.

[kris90210]

i for one dont agree with players getting tired at 23 odd years of age. they are proper athletes getting paid **** loads of money.

i recon if you ask any player rafa has rested they will tell you they are fit to play and especially if they are after having a good game and ecen scored

You make it sound sooo easy dont you. Just play the same 11 every week. How could Rafa be so stupid not to realise what a handful of armchair generals on here know to be fact?

Rafa rotates for a reason. He's not stupid mate. We always seem to finish the season very strongly under Rafa and a lot of that is put down to rotation. And guess what, the teams we're playing against in the second half of the season are full of 23 years olds.

We've stopped rotating as much this season - who's to say we wont have a poor finish this year? Time will tell. I trust Rafa to get the balance right though.

I am sorry mate, I dont mean to come across as having a go, it just really ****s me off when people trivialise something they dont really have the first clue about. What I'm basically saying is that if it was as simple as picking the same 11 every week dont you think that someone of Rafa's intelligence would be doing it?

[pondus]

I just wonder who the **** we would have been able to afford to buy if Rafa hadn't prioritised the Champions league for his first couple of seasons.

Building a team requires money, and you get a lot of it from a good champions league run.

Benitez said he had a five year plan and we are finally beginning to see his team and formation. My God our squad was poor five years ago compared to now, and the fact that our youths show great promise is another testament to Rafa.

He's done a fantastic job, and if he thought resting players for whatever reason was right, then who are we to question him?

Also think that bringing back Sammy was a masterstroke, as man management perhaps isn't what Rafa does best?

[kris90210]

Bit harsh and uncalled for really.

It does come across as you say, but the facts are that we haven't rotated as much and we have played people in their positions (I'd now call RM Kuyts position). I myself have criticised Rafa in the past for this and I think quite rightly, he has changed his approach and it's great. I don't think Rage is suggesting it's because he told him to or anything.

Fair enough. Aplogies for the personal abuse. What can I say. It was the straw that broke the camels back from him.

I dont really agree with you though. How much has Rafa actually changed his approach? He hasnt changed his approach over Kuyt, he's stuck to his guns and he's been proved right. Its you who's changed your mind, not Rafa.

He's never changed his approach over zonal marking, even in the face of nation wide criticism from armchair generals everywhere! Proved right again.

And ok, this season we arent rotating as much, but the team has still chopped and changed through injury and yet our performance levels havent dropped.

When was the last time we played a player out of position anyway? Now that you've conceeded that he got it right with Dirk afterall. Gerrard? I can see Keane getting shifted around to accomodate Torres and Gerrard in a central role.

[Marky]

the man is a genius - he works 22 hours straight at times ?? for his own ego - dont think so.

rafa wants trophies and works hard to get them.

yes rage i agree some times when he rests certain players you have to think why - but we dont know why he does and **** me it can be frustrating. personally i think he is learning in this respect and maybe even sammy lee (whom is probably better dealing with the players) talks to him on the players views and rafa is slowly learning what exactly the players want.

he is the one employed to look after our great club and i for one feel he is getting very close to bringing us back to where we belong.

it is a fine line between the science and the passion of the game, one that is very hard to get right.

rafa will take us there - believe

Yep, the man is sheer class. So glad he's still manager of LFC.

[Neil Young]

Please leave out the personal abuse. It's just not necessary.

I disagree. It's probably all some cunts can understand.

[kris90210]

Building a team requires money, and you get a lot of it from a good champions league run.

Benitez said he had a five year plan and we are finally beginning to see his team and formation. My God our squad was poor five years ago compared to now, and the fact that our youths show great promise is another testament to Rafa.

He's done a fantastic job, and if he thought resting players for whatever reason was right, then who are we to question him?

Also think that bringing back Sammy was a masterstroke, as man management perhaps isn't what Rafa does best?

Hate to contradict you mate, but I dont think Rafa has ever said anything about a 5 year plan. After all that ****e with Houllier Im sure he was careful not to repeat those infamous words.

[kris90210]

Fair enough. Aplogies for the personal abuse. What can I say. It was the straw that broke the camels back from him.

I dont really agree with you though. How much has Rafa actually changed his approach? He hasnt changed his approach over Kuyt, he's stuck to his guns and he's been proved right. Its you who's changed your mind, not Rafa.

He's never changed his approach over zonal marking, even in the face of nation wide criticism from armchair generals everywhere! Proved right again.

And ok, this season we arent rotating as much, but the team has still chopped and changed through injury and yet our performance levels havent dropped.

When was the last time we played a player out of position anyway? Now that you've conceeded that he got it right with Dirk afterall. Gerrard? I can see Keane getting shifted around to accomodate Torres and Gerrard in a central role.

Oh, and another thing he hasnt changed is his formation. We've generally played a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-4-2 under Benitez. So thats another myth. By the way, I realise it wasnt you who said that but everyones favourite poster, rage.

[Neil Young]

Bit harsh and uncalled for really.

It does come across as you say, but the facts are that we haven't rotated as much and we have played people in their positions (I'd now call RM Kuyts position). I myself have criticised Rafa in the past for this and I think quite rightly, he has changed his approach and it's great. I don't think Rage is suggesting it's because he told him to or anything.

The facts are also:

Riera has played
Keane has played
Dossena has played
Riise hasn't played
Rafa's a bit older
It's Autumn 2008
Gerrard had the summer off
We had a crap summer

So why choose lack of rotation?

Er, because it's your bugbear and now Rafa is rotating less then that HAS to be the reason. "Look, I was right all along..."

It's idiotically self-serving. To assume that "Rafa has learned" is incredibly patronising and intellectually arrogant.

Maybe he knew all along and, as dww has suggested, didn't have the starting-line up he wanted or the players weren't tactically strong enough.

[pondus]

Hate to contradict you mate, but I dont think Rafa has ever said anything about a 5 year plan. After all that ****e with Houllier Im sure he was careful not to repeat those infamous words.

He said it to me


yeah right, I may be wrong...

[kris90210]

The facts are also:

Riera has played
Keane has played
Dossena has played
Riise hasn't played
Rafa's a bit older
It's Autumn 2008
Gerrard had the summer off
We had a crap summer

So why choose lack of rotation?

Er, because it's your bugbear and now Rafa is rotating less then that HAS to be the reason. "Look, I was right all along..."

It's idiotically self-serving. To assume that "Rafa has learned" is incredibly patronising and intellectually arrogant.

Maybe he knew all along and, as dww has suggested, didn't have the starting-line up he wanted or the players weren't tactically strong enough.

amen brother

[kris90210]

He said it to me


yeah right, I may be wrong...

[pondus]

The facts are also:

Riera has played
Keane has played
Dossena has played
Riise hasn't played
Rafa's a bit older
It's Autumn 2008
Gerrard had the summer off
We had a crap summer

So why choose lack of rotation?

Er, because it's your bugbear and now Rafa is rotating less then that HAS to be the reason. "Look, I was right all along..."

It's idiotically self-serving. To assume that "Rafa has learned" is incredibly patronising and intellectually arrogant.

Maybe he knew all along and, as dww has suggested, didn't have the starting-line up he wanted or the players weren't tactically strong enough.

agree

It gets annoying when you hear it every day