Rafa Benitez Leaves Liverpool

[MrMichael]

Ged was sacked becuase people felt he couldn't take us further. Most people don't think that of Rafa, but I do. My sentements for both managers is pretty similar. Gave their all, had some great highs, but it was time, and things were on a downward slope.

I'm not convinced this is wrong either. I think the tide had turned and was rather inexorably flowing outwards. Whether that was entirely Rafa's fault is another matter but things did go very wrong on the pitch over the last season, and without the finances to change / improve personel I don't know if things would have improved had he stayed.

However the timing, means and method of this stinks, and I have no faith that anly likely replacement will do any better. I worry they'll do significantly worse. And the thing that concerns me the most is the instability. How many of the back room team will leave, will they be properly replaced, will the new youth setup be pushed forward, will anything be planned even for the medium term? The club was in enough of a mess before, now we could be looking at the spiral steepening swiftly.

[Kenneth]

I'm not convinced this is wrong either. I think the tide had turned and was rather inexorably flowing outwards. Whether that was entirely Rafa's fault is another matter but things did go very wrong on the pitch over the last season, and without the finances to change / improve personel I don't know if things would have improved had he stayed.

However the timing, means and method of this stinks, and I have no faith that anly likely replacement will do any better. I worry they'll do significantly worse. And the thing that concerns me the most is the instability. How many of the back room team will leave, will they be properly replaced, will the new youth setup be pushed forward, will anything be planned even for the medium term? The club was in enough of a mess before, now we could be looking at the spiral steepening swiftly.

Yeah, don't worry, it will all be fine

[Rowan]

I'm all over the shop with this one. Like everyone I'm disgusted at the way it's been handled. I love Rafa and know he's always had the clubs best interest at heart and I freely accept that had he not lifted the lid on what was going on at the club we'd be a lot less ignorant about the state of the club. I'll miss him and his bizzare ways immensely.

But that said I'm starting to think it was the right thing to do, even if it should have been done immediately after the Hull game. I'm ok with the fact that we don't have the financial muscle to compete with Chelsea and City but to not beat the likes of Hull home and away, to insist on playing two defensive midfielders against, well, just about everyone. Spending a ton on the academy yet using the youngsters in it so sparingly etc. I think there have been a number of frustrations that I knocked back under the covers last season while supporting our manager. I'd expect us to compete on the pitch with those with greater spending power but equally I'd expect us to thump those who's first teams have little on us. Something we have failed to do achieve convincingly for a few years now.

I'll miss Rafa. I truly will. I'll always remember Istanbul and he's given us some great, great memories. He deserves to do well given the circus he's worked in and I'll continue to support him whereever he goes. But last season should have been better. In the cold light of day a change isn't the worse thing in the world, as long as it's the right change. Something, if I'm being honest, I don't know if our owners are capable of managing but we'll not know that until next year.

[EwarWoo]

"If you compare the squads the one we have now is vastly superior! "

It's better, but there's not that much in it imo.

The one he (mostly) inherited won a CL.

This one didn't make it past the group stages.

On paper it's better, but it's results that matter.

[Fierce]

I'm all over the shop with this one. Like everyone I'm disgusted at the way it's been handled. I love Rafa and know he's always had the clubs best interest at heart and I freely accept that had he not lifted the lid on what was going on at the club we'd be a lot less ignorant about the state of the club. I'll miss him and his bizzare ways immensely.

But that said I'm starting to think it was the right thing to do, even if it should have been done immediately after the Hull game. I'm ok with the fact that we don't have the financial muscle to compete with Chelsea and City but to not beat the likes of Hull home and away, to insist on playing two defensive midfielders against, well, just about everyone. Spending a ton on the academy yet using the youngsters in it so sparingly etc. I think there have been a number of frustrations that I knocked back under the covers last season while supporting our manager. I'd expect us to compete on the pitch with those with greater spending power but equally I'd expect us to thump those who's first teams have little on us. Something we have failed to do achieve convincingly for a few years now.

I'll miss Rafa. I truly will. I'll always remember Istanbul and he's given us some great, great memories. He deserves to do well given the circus he's worked in and I'll continue to support him whereever he goes. But last season should have been better. In the cold light of day a change isn't the worse thing in the world, as long as it's the right change. Something, if I'm being honest, I don't know if our owners are capable of managing but we'll not know that until next year.

[dww]

I don't fully understand it though. Maths and science are beyond my area of competence.

I'm not convinced this is a natural forum for geek humour, though I'd give it a try anyway.

[Fernandinho]

hey i know its a big ask but do one of the more statisticly skilled guys want to create a post which shows the value of the squad which rafa started with in his first season, not what houllier finished with but what rafa actually started with. and then show a value of the current squad, also with the first season squad throuw in the average age... then we could see what rafa had to work with, because the first squad might have had value and age so selling on was difficult, because i have noticed that a tonne of players walked away on free transfers early in rafas time... anyway if someone has the time and can comprehend this jibberish i would love to see the post!

[Roboklopp]

I'm all over the shop with this one. Like everyone I'm disgusted at the way it's been handled. I love Rafa and know he's always had the clubs best interest at heart and I freely accept that had he not lifted the lid on what was going on at the club we'd be a lot less ignorant about the state of the club. I'll miss him and his bizzare ways immensely.

But that said I'm starting to think it was the right thing to do, even if it should have been done immediately after the Hull game. I'm ok with the fact that we don't have the financial muscle to compete with Chelsea and City but to not beat the likes of Hull home and away, to insist on playing two defensive midfielders against, well, just about everyone. Spending a ton on the academy yet using the youngsters in it so sparingly etc. I think there have been a number of frustrations that I knocked back under the covers last season while supporting our manager. I'd expect us to compete on the pitch with those with greater spending power but equally I'd expect us to thump those who's first teams have little on us. Something we have failed to do achieve convincingly for a few years now.

I'll miss Rafa. I truly will. I'll always remember Istanbul and he's given us some great, great memories. He deserves to do well given the circus he's worked in and I'll continue to support him whereever he goes. But last season should have been better. In the cold light of day a change isn't the worse thing in the world, as long as it's the right change. Something, if I'm being honest, I don't know if our owners are capable of managing but we'll not know that until next year.

I think we all had our reservations about Rafa last season- not sure you can level the youth one at him tho. He'd only just sorted out the academy (as he saw fit) the year before, so it was too early to judge that. Plus he got slated for playing Insua, Ngog etc- cant have it both ways.

I still think he did enough before last season to merit another year, & regardless, most agree the motivation for his sacking was politics, not results- and that the manner was completely unacceptable.

Anyways:

http://www.clickliverpool.com/sport/liverpool-fc/129361-why-politics-not-player-power-forced-benitez-out-of-liverpool-fc.html

[Taxi]

I spent much of last season critising Rafa. I didn't agree with the substitutions, I didn't agree with the formation and two defensive midfielders, I didn't like our displays against the leagues cannonfodder and most of all I didn't like losing. As the evil Chelsea and Man Utd marched on, with the pretenders Arsenal hanging on to their coat tails, we dropped further and further back and I wished that the league would end at Christmas, for all it meant to us.

On the 15th April I sat watching the Hillsborough coverage and the football instantly became insignificant, being a fan of this great club is something special. We've been through so many highs and extreme lows that we have a bond that very few other teams have. Unfortunately, it tends to be trajedy that brings this togetherness, but all the same we have something very special. That day Rafa sung YNWA with the fans in his slightly broken english, he looked a little awkward singing it but he did it. He looked in pain throughout the ceremony, he is one of us of that there is no doubt.

I look back on his time with us with sadness and happyness, I think of him sitting crossed-legged to not obstruct the view of the fans, I think of him drinking in the pub with fellow reds in some irish bar in Cologne and I think about Istanbul. When I look back to my moaning last season, I realise that it was in the same way that I moan about my wife. I will moan about her in one way or another until the day I die, but would I change her? No, never. Whilst that may be a long time in football, I believe that at the very least, our man deserved another season. 1 bad season and he's been kicked out, 1 bad season...it beggars belief. 2 Champions league finals, and FA Cup and second the season before last. In 6 years he's achieved more than most will in a lifetime with less financial backing and we've sent him packing. Its madness and sadness rolled into one.

I'm finding it hard to look in the mirror at the moment, I cannot help but think that my complaints last season and those of many otherss may have assisted with his departure and there will be a little emptyness here unless he one day returns to finish his work and walks on by his own accord, job completed. He may return one day, this is a possibility, no?

Good luck Rafa.

[Kenneth]

I spent much of last season critising Rafa. I didn't agree with the substitutions, I didn't agree with the formation and two defensive midfielders, I didn't like our displays against the leagues cannonfodder and most of all I didn't like losing. As the evil Chelsea and Man Utd marched on, with the pretenders Arsenal hanging on to their coat tails, we dropped further and further back and I wished that the league would end at Christmas, for all it meant to us.

On the 15th April I sat watching the Hillsborough coverage and the football instantly became insignificant, being a fan of this great club is something special. We've been through so many highs and extreme lows that we have a bond that very few other teams have. Unfortunately, it tends to be trajedy that brings this togetherness, but all the same we have something very special. That day Rafa sung YNWA with the fans in his slightly broken english, he looked a little awkward singing it but he did it. He looked in pain throughout the ceremony, he is one of us of that there is no doubt.

I look back on his time with us with sadness and happyness, I think of him sitting crossed-legged to not obstruct the view of the fans, I think of him drinking in the pub with fellow reds in some irish bar in Cologne and I think about Istanbul. When I look back to my moaning last season, I realise that it was in the same way that I moan about my wife. I will moan about her in one way or another until the day I die, but would I change her? No, never. Whilst that may be a long time in football, I believe that at the very least, our man deserved another season. 1 bad season and he's been kicked out, 1 bad season...it beggars belief. 2 Champions league finals, and FA Cup and second the season before last. In 6 years he's achieved more than most will in a lifetime with less financial backing and we've sent him packing. Its madness and sadness rolled into one.

I'm finding it hard to look in the mirror at the moment, I cannot help but think that my complaints last season and those of many otherss may have assisted with his departure and there will be a little emptyness here unless he one day returns to finish his work and walks on by his own accord, job completed. He may return one day, this is a possibility, no?

Good luck Rafa.

You need to get over your guilt, man up and dump the wife.

[Taxi]

You need to get over your guilt, man up and dump the wife.

[Exiled_red]

You need to get over your guilt, man up and dump the wife.

[Qantaga]

Bad times ahead. The yanks aren't going anywhere soon, this is really not good for our future. Rafa being pushed out like this is totally disgusting, he's done so much for the club and losing him is a big loss.

[Roboklopp]

****ing hell taxi, you've made me all emotional at the tram stop.

[IN_RAFA_WE_TRUST]

I spent much of last season critising Rafa. I didn't agree with the substitutions, I didn't agree with the formation and two defensive midfielders, I didn't like our displays against the leagues cannonfodder and most of all I didn't like losing. As the evil Chelsea and Man Utd marched on, with the pretenders Arsenal hanging on to their coat tails, we dropped further and further back and I wished that the league would end at Christmas, for all it meant to us.

On the 15th April I sat watching the Hillsborough coverage and the football instantly became insignificant, being a fan of this great club is something special. We've been through so many highs and extreme lows that we have a bond that very few other teams have. Unfortunately, it tends to be trajedy that brings this togetherness, but all the same we have something very special. That day Rafa sung YNWA with the fans in his slightly broken english, he looked a little awkward singing it but he did it. He looked in pain throughout the ceremony, he is one of us of that there is no doubt.

I look back on his time with us with sadness and happyness, I think of him sitting crossed-legged to not obstruct the view of the fans, I think of him drinking in the pub with fellow reds in some irish bar in Cologne and I think about Istanbul. When I look back to my moaning last season, I realise that it was in the same way that I moan about my wife. I will moan about her in one way or another until the day I die, but would I change her? No, never. Whilst that may be a long time in football, I believe that at the very least, our man deserved another season. 1 bad season and he's been kicked out, 1 bad season...it beggars belief. 2 Champions league finals, and FA Cup and second the season before last. In 6 years he's achieved more than most will in a lifetime with less financial backing and we've sent him packing. Its madness and sadness rolled into one.

I'm finding it hard to look in the mirror at the moment, I cannot help but think that my complaints last season and those of many otherss may have assisted with his departure and there will be a little emptyness here unless he one day returns to finish his work and walks on by his own accord, job completed. He may return one day, this is a possibility, no?

Good luck Rafa.

I like this post.He will return one day.Hopefully as soon as new owners take over.