Rafa Benitez Leaves Liverpool

[vlahka]

Because the only poor season we have had since the first season (which was under different circumstance) was happened when we had no transfer budget.

That may be but we went from a 2nd rated team to a 7th placed team with basically the same players. UTD didnt strengthen and lost their best player and still managed 2nd and only just missed out on first.

[Kenneth]

How does that work then? It's not realistic, but he's expected to do it?

Ok, well i expect you to climb aboard a camel and outrun a ferrari. It's not realistic, but i expect you to win the race.

If you dont, you're a failure.

Loving these analogies

[Craig_H]

You know what Craig there has been a marked change in your stance post Rafa

Maybe it's the difference between analysing while games are going on and emotions are high, and analysing when the games are finished and there's a clearer field of thought to use. I dunno.

I still think rafa was too cautious and too stubborn. But i do see that he was far too poorly equipped to take us to the top. Impossible task.

I still think the current squad should've finished in the top 4 without a massive struggle and that 7th was a dreadfully inaccurate reflection of the tools we had at our disposal, so i consider it clear that a certain level of mismanagement of the squad contributed heavily in our 7th place finish.

All in all, i still think a change was needed, but i dont think he should've gone before the owners did. And certainly not in the cowardly dirty way it was done.

[Mattshark]

That may be but we went from a 2nd rated team to a 7th placed team with basically the same players. UTD didnt strengthen and lost their best player and still managed 2nd and only just missed out on first.

We lost important players through injury early on, we lost Riera to being a tit and our defence was poor at the start of the season, when that we addressed we lost Torres and Gerrard was terrible all season. United also had Rooney on fire all season. The teams around us all spent a lot, lot more than we did.

[5europeancups]

So:

Keane was £19m of which we recouped £16m (which he never got back to spend -funny that).
Johnson was £17m, much of which we paid back with the Crouch debt & we'd not have seen anywas as Pompey went into admin.

By the way, Kuyt was £10m & not a failure.

What other managers have wasted big money?

Hmm, Fergus: Veron (27m), Berbatov (£32m), Nancy (£17m), Anderson (£17m). Wenger spent big money on Wiltord & Reyes & Chelsea have spent more on rightback than we have our entire team since Abramovitch.

Ill-informed retard ****s like you are as intergral part of the problem at our club than our parasite owners.

point is the three you referenced have all won the league...

[darkstar]

That may be but we went from a 2nd rated team to a 7th placed team with basically the same players. UTD didnt strengthen and lost their best player and still managed 2nd and only just missed out on first.

Does this say something about the squad? I feel that they were more than capable to perform to the standard of the previous season. This is not all Rafa's fault. The blame should also be shouldered on the professionals on the pitch, that did not perform to standard.

[Exiled_red]

We lost important players through injury early on, we lost Riera to being a tit and our defence was poor at the start of the season, when that we addressed we lost Torres and Gerrard was terrible all season. United also had Rooney on fire all season. The teams around us all spent a lot, lot more than we did.

United missed Rooney for about two weeks and it effectively ended their season, we were without Torres for half the season. IMO this alone shows the impact injuries (or lack of them) can have on the teams performance and where they end up come the end of the season.

[Kenneth]

The majority of posters were bloody frustrated last season, perhaps equally between Rafa's perplexing substitutions and line-ups and some of the inept performances from so-called superstars. I was one of these posters.

But it doesn't mean that it wasn't obvious that Rafa's been doing this job for at least the last 2 years with one hand tied behind his back, and we've had 5 good (sometimes spectacular) seasons with only last season being a stinker.

For him to leave now isn't about football. We're meant to be a football club with patience, had next season under Rafa gone the same way as the one just past then it would have been time to say good-bye. The main problem is that Rafa's left on non-footballing matters IMO, cloaked in poisonous claims from the shysters in charge of poor performance.

Rafa had made more mistakes last season than usual but to not give him the chance to rectify those mistakes is appalling.

It's true re non foolballing matters being the driver.

The bit about not being given the chance to rectify the problems I disagree with though. We were **** from the start of last season and Rafa did nothing to improve the situation for 40+ games. He appeared to have no expanation and no mitigation for our abject form. Another year was too big a risk for me. But it's each to their own in term s of opinions on this.

[dww]

That may be but we went from a 2nd rated team to a 7th placed team with basically the same players. UTD didnt strengthen and lost their best player and still managed 2nd and only just missed out on first.

That's true but they had the best part of a decades worth of youth development behind them meaning that they had a stronger squad which had acquired experience of success over a long period of time. A big problem for us was that we lacked experienced players and leaders as well as top quality when Gerrard and Torres were injured. Chelsea effectively bought that in with massive transfer fees and wages. Rafa/we did not have the luxury of either method and were left with an understrength squad.

It's arguable that we didn't spend the money raised in the summer that well but at the same time I think it is clear from the structures of the deals that we had less than completely free hands to use that money in the market.

[oldschool]

How does that work then? It's not realistic, but he's expected to do it?

Ok, well i expect you to climb aboard a camel and outrun a ferrari. It's not realistic, but i expect you to win the race.

If you dont, you're a failure.

Is it realistic for Real to expect their manager to win the CL and League every year? What are your expectation's for LFC?

Rafa inherited a squad, Rafa didn't see the squad as up to it and wanted to 'rebuild' it. He had 6 years to do so, he was given funds, he must have known that we weren't going to spend Chelsea type money thus had to work within the financial limitations, despite his constant cry's for more money. Do you think the squad is now better or worse than when Houllier left? I would say maybe slightly better, but not 6 years and almost 80M better.

Rafa always had funds made available bar last season, and the minimum he would need to achieve every season I am sure is 4th to survive.

[Craig_H]

Notable the attitude change. Craig in particular (not picking on you mate)


"Has he not been backed sufficiently to be finishing ahead of Spurs, Villa and Birmingham, without much bother?".

"We have the 3rd or 4th best team/squad IMO, yet we're 7th. It's the most obvious example of not doing what you should, with the tools available to you. "

I still stand by that - we should have finished in the top four with our squad. I'm not changing my viewpoint on that.

But when you open up the whole picture, it's clear that £13m per season is embarrassing and whilst the squad of last season should've finished 4th, we were never going to be able to maintain a top four finish without a massive (and not-forthcoming) change in levels of backing from the board.

By not finishing 4th last season, Rafa messed up IMO. He took on a task (finishing 4th) that should've been very achievable with the tools he had to work with, and failed to achieve the task.

I'm not convinced however, that this failure (when combined with the pathetic restrictions he's had to deal with) should have cost him his job.

And as for the manner that it was done in...well.

[Exiled_red]

point is the three you referenced have all won the league...

On the whole they spent more developing those title winning squads than we have spent...

[elrichio86]

Of course I do, but:

TRANSFERS: 2007/08
Total bought: £70.7m
Total sold: £36.7m
Net spend: £34m

Maybe had he won the league in 07/08 he would have had an increased transfer fund, maybe he was given 2 season's worth of transfer funds in 07/08.

One season out of six - nice selection to support your arguement.

And for the two seasons since then?

[Mattshark]

One season out of six - nice selection to support your arguement.

And for the two seasons since then?

See, bet he attends creationist argument classes.

[oldschool]

What a ridiculous question, that is beyond subjective. Did you get you arguing techniques from a creationist convention?
The misrepresentation and ridiculous question seminar?

I want to know how you think Rafa would spend 20M.

Would he spend 15M on a striker, like he has in the past and 5M on a lb like in the past? My point is, he has spent money like that and more and failed.