Benitez Trademark

[ElRobbie]

No grudge against Rafa, just sayin, if everyone knew in Aug that Aquilani would only play second half of season might they have thought it not have been better to spend £20m on an attacking player instead of having Dirk Sunday League Kuyt on the right giving the ball away every other touch, no offence to anyone who plays in a Sunday league by the way. Now seen as he wants to stick with Lucas instead of giving Aquilani match time I dont see how he can justify that?

[Baracus]

i think it's *totally* possible that rafa is trying to groom lucas to be the next stevie g, with even more defensive ability in the iddle, and as well-rounded as possible.

stevie was a natural, no idea if you can actually groom a player to do the same. even when he can train with the real deal.

I agree with you to an extend, Rafa maybe working on the weaknesses that Lucas has and surpressing his strengths (I don't mean to take the pish here too). Rafa does work more on weaknesses then anything else in a player, before he allows them to play.

[little dave hedgehog]

roll on maxi on the right wing.

what was that quote about wearing the liverbird and ****ing off dirk kuyt?

[EwarWoo]

roll on maxi on the right wing.

what was that quote about wearing the liverbird and ****ing off dirk kuyt?

Personally I hope that was either taken out of context or a total media fabrication.

True or not it smacked of arrogance and isn't a good sign that he shows disrespect for his future team mates like that before he even joins.

But that's maybe just me.

[Chris]

It wasnt a real quote, some guy on RAWK added it into a dodgy translation from Marca and some bellend copied it. Asif Maxi is going to talk about the "Liver bird", come on!!

[EwarWoo]

Asif Maxi is going to talk about the "Liver bird", come on!!

He may well do if he's been staying in touch with Torres. But I agree, most likely massively incorrect.

[little dave hedgehog]

miss a was just saying exactly that, ewar, but i can't see where it's actually been attributed to him by any news agency.

still, the reaction it got from many fans is probably the telling part.

how hard can it really be to shift a guy who's having a mare and being played out of position--in your position?

i'm a fan of dirkules, but he is struggling a bit this year out there, and i really think maxi would improve us.

[Chris]

He may well do if he's been staying in touch with Torres. But I agree, most likely massively incorrect.

Most likely? It is!

It was made up by a poster on RAWK called Rocco and the woeful clickliverpool site copied it.

[Baracus]

It wasnt a real quote, some guy on RAWK added it into a dodgy translation from Marca and some bellend copied it. Asif Maxi is going to talk about the "Liver bird", come on!!

Asif Maxi? who's he then, is he like Sajilani?

[EwarWoo]

Most likely? It is!

It was made up by a poster on RAWK called Rocco and the woeful clickliverpool site copied it.

Ah, K, sorry I misunderstood. When you said dodgy translation I didn't realise you meant quite that dodgy

still, the reaction it got from many fans is probably the telling part.

Yeah, but we don't have to work with Kuyt without making it a hostile working environment which stops players being relaxed and providing their best (I know, they're not anyways, but 1 can dream.....)

Plus love or hate Kuyt, it must be admitted he works his arse off for the shirt, more than most, and he deserves respect even if he doesn't deserve a place on the team.

Irrelevant now anyways as it seems it was bull****

[Pablo]

Most likely? It is!

It was made up by a poster on RAWK called Rocco and the woeful clickliverpool site copied it.

I knew it!

[Mattshark]

Plus love or hate Kuyt, it must be admitted he works his arse off for the shirt, more than most, and he deserves respect even if he doesn't deserve a place on the team.

The abuse Kuyt gets is pathetic and very sad.

[little dave hedgehog]

Ah, K, sorry I misunderstood. When you said dodgy translation I didn't realise you meant quite that dodgy


Yeah, but we don't have to work with Kuyt without making it a hostile working environment which stops players being relaxed and providing their best (I know, they're not anyways, but 1 can dream.....)

Plus love or hate Kuyt, it must be admitted he works his arse off for the shirt, more than most, and he deserves respect even if he doesn't deserve a place on the team.

Irrelevant now anyways as it seems it was bull****

there is something kinda sexy (in a footballing, non-sexy way) about a guy who says stuff like "i'm gonna come play for your team, and not be a ****-up like your regular, other players."

i don't share that idea, and it *is irrelevant* but i think we are dying to see someone with that kind of crazy can-do attitude strutting around and killing other teams.

it is bull**** though.

very han solo, not at all luke if it were true.

absolutely says more about how much liverpool fans are wanting some audacity instead of mealy-mouthed "well we have to manage this, and perhaps someday when everyone's fit, we can do that."

which again, i respect. i adore rafa, but it's just depressing to hear all the time.

[EwarWoo]

there is something kinda sexy (in a footballing, non-sexy way) about a guy who says stuff like "i'm gonna come play for your team, and not be a ****-up like your regular, other players."

Yeah, but there's a difference between confidence and determination to come and play your socks of and become a regular first teamer, and picking on 1 player mouthing off about how they're going to displace 'em immediately upon arrival, without needing to work for it.

Just glad it was made up is all, otherwise I'd have an immediate dislike for the fella.

As it is I hope it does turn out to be true anyways. Not that he said it, but that it happens.

[MrMichael]

OK so when he said weeks he meant 16 weeks?

"When we were talking (to Roma) about Aquilani we knew he was recovering from an operation and would not be able to play for the first weeks of the season," admitted Benitez. "

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/8186102.stm

Bit misleading that, cause I thought weeks not months?

Is it not possible, even just slightly so, that Aquilani's injury turned out to be worse / more complicated than Benitez thought when signing him? Last think I knew Rafa wasn't a medical expert; if the club doctors & physios said he'd be fit in a few weeks when he came for his medical, why would Rafa have had any reason to disbelieve them? Once signed there wasn't a great deal could be done about it, footballers get injuries, some recover quicker than expected, some take far longer.

I very much doubt Rafa was intentionally misleading people about Aquilani's recovery, and I'm damn sure he was more pissed than anyone at the length of time it took to get the lad fit.