Rafa Benitez Leaves Liverpool

[Craig_H]

He was excellent in his first season, to be fair.

He's talented but seems to have an "i've made it" mentality, which leads to laziness and a poor attitude. Add to that a lack of footballing intelligence, and we get what we've seen from him in the last 2 seasons.

[dww]

He was excellent in his first season, to be fair.

I'm not sure he was. He showed a lot of promise but was most effective as an impact sub. It was impressive debut but I think it was one that indicated he needed to progress or he would be found out.

He's talented but seems to have an "i've made it" mentality, which leads to laziness and a poor attitude. Add to that a lack of footballing intelligence, and we get what we've seen from him in the last 2 seasons.

To some degree I would agree with that. However, just recently his attitude seems to really ave improved and I could believe that he might make the changes to his game that would allow him to be consistently effective.

In the end I guess this could come down to a discussion of what we would call 'top quality' which would not be particularly interesting.

[Craig_H]

I'm not sure his attitude's really improved, i just think he knew he had to do whatever he could to make the dutch WC squad. Next season will tell us more.

[The Birdman]

I'm not sure who is more over rated, Keane or Redknapp tbh.
Keane has had 6 moves in 13 seasons (8 if you count loan moves) which basically sums him up as someone who does well for a while then it all goes flat and his club ships him out.
Redknapp achieved nothing at West Ham (not even a cup) and he had the likes of Ferdinand, Lampard, Cole, Defoe all coming through or playing regularly plus others like Di Canio, he was in charge when Southampton went down, couldn't bring them back up then ruined Portsmouth with the money spent and has spent an absolute fortune in his 18 months or so at Spurs.

[Craig_H]

Harry Redknapp took West Ham to a 5th place finish.

That's a ****ing achievement.

[Fernandinho]

plus all those wham players weren't exactly estabilished stars at that time, they were very young and developing.

[Taxi]

People still blaming these 2 tards I see...

While they are indeed fools, Rafa and only Rafa ****ed up the team itself with his shocking signings and dreadful treatment of top quality footballers like Babel and Keane and Alonso.

I still think I'm dreaming when I see the name "Lucas" on the back of a red shirt.

Hmm, so with a squad of players who are the 5th most expensive collection in the league, with the 5th highest wage bill, Rafa took us to two European Cup finals, a Semi final, an FA Cup and and 2nd in the league, he fecked up in one season and thats it, he's to blame? The season we're speaking about here is one in which Torres was injured for most of it and Gerrard was in awful form.

As Citeh and Spurs move on spending loads and we fall backwards spending even less, how are we supposed to compete? He deserved at least one more season to turn things around, and deserved to be here when the new investors finally arrive (if they ever do).

He didn't even want Keane and anyway, Keane wasn't happy sat on the bench and are you saying that you would've been happy to break up the best scoring partnership in the league to make way for Keane?

He made a few mistakes along the way, Alonso being one of them, however, we got £30m for him, £20m profit which if made by Fergie or Wenger would be the work of genius.

If the new manager comes in and doesn't win the CL in the next 5 years whilst being outspent in the transfer market by 4 other clubs, and doesn't win the EPL, I suppose he's failed too.

You're deluded, completely deluded.

[dww]

I'm not sure his attitude's really improved, i just think he knew he had to do whatever he could to make the dutch WC squad. Next season will tell us more.

If you ask me knowing that something had to be done, and then doing it, was an attitude change. What it was that motivated it is a slightly different story but I think his pronouncements at least in interviews (as opposed to via twitter) have shown he has been maturing a bit for a year or so in my view. Only in the last six months or so did it manifest itself anywhere near a football pitch though.

[Kenneth]

Hmm, so with a squad of players who are the 5th most expensive collection in the league, with the 5th highest wage bill, Rafa took us to two European Cup finals, a Semi final, an FA Cup and and 2nd in the league, he fecked up in one season and thats it, he's to blame? The season we're speaking about here is one in which Torres was injured for most of it and Gerrard was in awful form.

As Citeh and Spurs move on spending loads and we fall backwards spending even less, how are we supposed to compete? He deserved at least one more season to turn things around, and deserved to be here when the new investors finally arrive (if they ever do).

He didn't even want Keane and anyway, Keane wasn't happy sat on the bench and are you saying that you would've been happy to break up the best scoring partnership in the league to make way for Keane?

He made a few mistakes along the way, Alonso being one of them, however, we got £30m for him, £20m profit which if made by Fergie or Wenger would be the work of genius.

If the new manager comes in and doesn't win the CL in the next 5 years whilst being outspent in the transfer market by 4 other clubs, and doesn't win the EPL, I suppose he's failed too.

Your deluded, completely deluded.

Being pedantic, the first CL win was done with a squad that was probably the 3rd most expensive in the league at the time.

[Taxi]

Being pedantic, the first CL win was done with a squad that was probably the 3rd most expensive in the league at the time.

being even more pedantic, not the 3rd most expensive in the Champions League

[banditos]

Babel is a top quality player, we just didn't see enough of it at Liverpool for 2 reasons: Benitez destroyed his confidence. Benitez didn't give him enough freedom to express himself.

Very interested in Babel if Liverpool get an attack minded manager and Babel is still there.

Dear ValueFinder, may I introduce you to the Reverend Leroy Brown. You two have much in common, I think you'll get on like a house on fire.

[the rev leeroy brown]

Dear ValueFinder, may I introduce you to the Reverend Leroy Brown. You two have much in common, I think you'll get on like a house on fire.

finally found my soul mate ( other than babel of course )

[Craig_H]

If you ask me knowing that something had to be done, and then doing it, was an attitude change. What it was that motivated it is a slightly different story but I think his pronouncements at least in interviews (as opposed to via twitter) have shown he has been maturing a bit for a year or so in my view. Only in the last six months or so did it manifest itself anywhere near a football pitch though.

If and when he changes his attitude to the benefit of our club, as opposed to benefitting himself by making it to the world cup, then i will be pleased.

[the rev leeroy brown]

I suspect that we are hoping that Rafa will want to take some/all of his staff with him or that our new manager will be willing to work with most of them.

http://www.teamtalk.com/news/2483/61...ear-Inter-deal

Inter president Massimo Moratti has indicated a deal is imminent to make Rafael Benitez the Serie A club's new head coach.

The Spaniard, who left his post at Liverpool by mutual consent last Thursday, has been strongly linked with the post after Jose Mourinho's departure for Real Madrid.

And Moratti told reporters in Italy: "The next few hours could be decisive. But we must ask (technical director Marco) Branca."

Benitez appears set to take his Anfield assistant Mauricio Pellegrino, goalkeeping coach Xavi Valero and fitness coach Paco de Miguel with him to the San Siro, with Italian Amedeo Carboni - who played under Benitez as a midfielder at Valencia - also likely to be added to his backroom staff.

Reports in Italy suggest Benitez will sign a three-year deal worth five million euros per season.

Benitez earned a place in Anfield folklore by guiding Liverpool to 2005 Champions League glory in his first season.

He followed that with FA Cup success in 2006 and another Champions League final appearance 12 months later. After finishing runners-up in the Premier League in 2009, many expected a serious title tilt this year but it failed to materialise.

Early elimination from the Champions League was followed by a failure to finish in the top four and to re-qualify for Europe's elite event.

The 50-year-old had four years remaining on his contract but paid the price for that seventh-placed finish.

He had previously been linked with both Real and Juventus, who last month appointed former Sampdoria boss Luigi del Neri as Alberto Zaccheroni's successor.

.

[Fernandinho]

we shall see if his attitude changed for the world cup next season.. personally i hope he has a great worldcup and comes to the new season ready to roll!!