Rafa Benitez Leaves Liverpool

[RichC]

As regards the rumours of King Kenny and Rush, why would we appoint a new assistant manager if we are going to have a caretaker? Surely Sammy Lee would stay, as someone like Kenny would surely want him, he's Liverpool through and through, he's a good coach and he knows the players.

If Rafa does go I would expect a knock on through the back room staff, this won't be just us losing Rafa.

[Exiled_red]

If Rafa does go I would expect a knock on through the back room staff, this won't be just us losing Rafa.

I can see the staff that came in with Rafa and some of his subsequent appointments leaving but Sammy Lee was brought in because he's a Liverpool man, he understands the club the history etc. He is Liverpool through and through, I'd imagine he would want to stay if the new man allows, rather than being part of Rafa's backroom staff.

[Exiled_red]

I'm not sure what Lee will do. I can see him walking out again. He might get the managers job if we are really that hard up.

I'd have thought that he would have stuck around particularly if we were to appoint someone like Kenny

[vlahka]

If he goes he can take the sodding physios with my blessing.

[Maxiedge]

I can't believe these cunts have the nerve to offer Rafa severance. Who the **** do they think they are? In fact who the **** are they? Everything was going well until these bunch of ****heads turned up.

Rafa would bleed for the club. They've got nothing on him, nothing.

[SERVO2]

(0)

03/06/2010

Rafa exit not a consequence of player power


Now it has become clear that the club no longer want Rafa Benitez at Anfield, there are a couple of issues that need clearing up...

Rafa decided last week to move the situation forward when he told me – for an article published in The Daily Mirror – that he wanted to stay. He put forward his reasons for lowering expectations and defended his good record at the club. However, the warning was there; that he would stay, “if he`s allowed”. He hasn`t been allowed, and the club feels the situation has stagnated.




Rafa told me he would love to stay but there were many obstacles. I have the impression that he had a clear idea that not everybody at the club backed him and many were happy to leave him out there in the firing line to take the blame for a disappointing and frustrating season – instead of them admitting that the team`s results were the consequence of a club that had the financial resources to enter the race in a family hatchback - but wanted the results of a Ferrari - But Rafa was NOT talking about the players at the club.




So, is player power behind all of this, as many are reporting? I think it is more a case of club power: people within the club hierarchy have decided there is no point in keeping the manager and he is the easy option to take the blame.



The reports of a complete breakdown in his relationship with key players are false. For example, Rafa called Steven Gerrard on the player`s birthday last Sunday and the pair chatted for 20 minutes.



If Gerrard is seriously thinking about a move it is not because of Rafa, but because there have been so many promises unfulfilled by the people running the club and the Liverpool captain may feel that he must go elsewhere in order to compete for titles. For an elite player, like Gerrard, titles define a career and he has given most of his professional life to Liverpool – understandably he is thinking about a move because the club is not moving in the right direction.



Gerrard has four offers from English clubs and there have been conversations with Real Madrid. Mourinho would love to work with either Lampard or Gerrard and if Mourinho convinces the Real Madrid president to fund a move, then an offer will be made for one of them. Gerrard has not conspired against Rafa even though it is quite likely that the long relationship between them had become professional. I have said before that, in my opinion, the intensive methods of Rafa, means that his squads need to be recycled regularly - every 2-3 years - for their full potential to be realised.




But reports of the distance between Rafa and his players have been grossly exaggerated – granted, he is not their best friend either, but that was not the ultimate reason for his departure. When Ryan Babel suffered an injury scare last week that threatened his place in the Dutch World Cup squad, Rafa was on the phone to him immediately to give him support.



It is true that certain players who do not feature regularly for the first team are not all entirely happy – but that is normal under any manager at any club – and it requires a huge leap of imagination to say that unhappiness brings conspiracies against the manager. The impression I am getting from key players is that they hate the idea of people thinking it was a player power versus Benitez – rather a frustration at a 7th placed finish and 4 years without a trophy and the growing sense that unless there are changes – at all levels – little will change.




My own view is that, in hindsight, if Benitez had focused all of his resources on winning the Premier League instead of trying to challenge for the cup competitions as well, maybe his story at Liverpool would have been different: delivering a league title at Anfield given the circumstances and resources of the club at the moment would have given him a huge amount of credit with the club, fans and media.



However, as he admitted to me in his last interview as Liverpool manager, during his six years at Liverpool, Manchester have United averaged 83 points a season, Chelsea 77.8 and Arsenal 77 - and in two of those seasons Liverpool have broken their all time record points tally - 82 points in 2006 and 86 in 2009. Yet even that appears to have not been enough.




So what`s next?
Reaching a severance agreement will not be easy. Rafa will remain in holiday in Sardinia while the lawyers do the talking - and the £3 million being offered might not be enough…




Benitez` best option was Juventus: he did consider it, but was never entirely convinced because he felt there was a chance to stay and finish the job at Anfield. Inter Milan is the most likely option, but taking on the job of managing a club with an ageing squad that has just won everything is not a challenge many would relish.

Ballague's website

[RichC]

I can see the staff that came in with Rafa and some of his subsequent appointments leaving but Sammy Lee was brought in because he's a Liverpool man, he understands the club the history etc. He is Liverpool through and through, I'd imagine he would want to stay if the new man allows, rather than being part of Rafa's backroom staff.

I dunno about this because of Sammy being a LFC man might see him leave until these parasites are gone.

Nobody from the old days of LFC will be happy with how things are at the moment.

I hope I am wrong and Sammy et al will stay but these guys have morals (nothing the parasites understand) and this might lead to an exodus

[kris90210]

After Rafa subbed Torres in the league with Ngog coming on when we needed a win both Gerrard and Torres reacted with disbelief, I think both of them were becoming too frustrated with Rafa's decisions. I love Rafa but to be fair Rafa has managed to alienate many players like Xabi, Riera and Benni to name but few.

I'm a bit torn on the Rafa staying or leaving issue but I think the handling of the matter by the owner is appalling and Rafa deserves anything but this treatment.

In fact the nature of the sacking leads me to think they are having to force him out because he is fighting for the good of the club not for himself. He could leave and take a good job in Italy or even Spain soon, with more backing and an easier ride.

Rafa said Torres had a problem with his knee and was trying to protect him. I dont know why Torres looked so ****ing confused to be honest. How many more games did he manage after that one?

[Roboklopp]

Aye, Id thought the player power thing was just a disguise from Purslow, Yanks etc.

[Kenneth]

Purslow, Rafa's mate , etc etc. I don't believe any of the PR **** that is being put out there at the moment tbh.

[kris90210]

All about opinions but IMO it is best for LFC is Rafa goes, he is not the man to take us there thats for sure.

Welcome to the site mate

meet your new best friend - Craig H

[RichC]

Purslow, Rafa's mate , etc etc. I don't believe any of the PR **** that is being put out there at the moment tbh.

Agreed with this, agenda from the start with him was to get rid of Rafa - from a PR point of view expect talk of under acheiving, attitude and that he was backed to the hilt etc......

All bull**** of course but I woudl expect this to go into overdrive in the next few days.

[CJ]

However, as he admitted to me in his last interview as Liverpool manager, during his six years at Liverpool

interesting words unfortunately

[Rowan]

Unless the owners come down from the clouds Dalglish could be in charge for years

I love Kenny to bits but to be honest I would dread to see him come back with such restrictions on finances and then completely tarnish his legend

People tend to forget the amount of wonga Kenny spent in assembling his great side. He broke the British transfer record twice in two consecutive seasons

And how many times at Blackburn? Shearer, Sutton and Flowers (wasn't he a record for a goaly). I can remember his last season with us being a bit shaky too. Sure we got beat off all other teams in the top 3 and bought David Speedie. That said we did spank the Mancs 4 - 0 (or was that the season of the ridonculous Glenn Hysen handball?).

But I love the guy and would like to see him come in and steady the ship.

[Rich]

But I love the guy and would like to see him come in and steady the ship.

More like sinking ship!