Rafa Benitez Leaves Liverpool

[el matador]

shssss.

what ?

[Kenneth]

want 50 quid on that

Not really, no. But it's still what I think.

[Nicey]

Not really, no. But it's still what I think.

:bird:

[Assassin]

Closing statement from Rafa in the Inter interview. Speaks volumes on the two cunts


"I left Liverpool and then started talking with Inter. If I am here I think it's because it shows I am intelligent."

[DannyMan2006]

It's not a dream ticket, it's a hiding to nothing, just like the LFc job at the moment.

At Inter he will have to win the league minimum, fail to do so and he will have failed big time. Win it and he is merely meeting expectations. They are unlikely to have any chance of winning the cL again. They were lucky to win it this year with the quality they have.

[Guest]

It's not a dream ticket, it's a hiding to nothing, just like the LFc job at the moment.

At Inter he will have to win the league minimum, fail to do so and he will have failed big time. Win it and he is merely meeting expectations. They are unlikely to have any chance of winning the cL again. They were lucky to win it this year with the quality they have.

Unless he applies the total defensive philosophy that Mourihno prefers, he'll have a strong base to 'defend' it.

[Exiled_red]

It's not a dream ticket, it's a hiding to nothing, just like the LFc job at the moment.

At Inter he will have to win the league minimum, fail to do so and he will have failed big time. Win it and he is merely meeting expectations. They are unlikely to have any chance of winning the cL again. They were lucky to win it this year with the quality they have.

[Shaggy]

Pinched from Rawk:

A Spanish radio show interviewed Rafa Benitez last night. For those who understand Spanish, the interview is here http://www.ivoox.com/quinta-parte-en..._307615_1.html for those who don't, here is a very basic, very quick translation of the questions and answers that relate to LFC.


I (interviewer) - First of all, how are you... because you are not just changing teams, you are changing your entire life. It's not the same for those who change teams every season, you've been there for five years!

RB (Rafa) - Yes... it's true. After six years... to change countries, cultures... it's quite something, it's a challenge but we hope to do OK.

I - And your daughters, Montse, what are they saying? What did they say when you came home and said 'pack your bags, we're leaving'?

RB - Well... initially there were tears but little by little we've taken it all in. We still have the love and gratitude of the people of Liverpool so, sometimes, this still makes us shed a few tears but slowly, slowly... they are mentally preparing themselves to leave.

I - The love and fondness of those people... you are not going to be able to forget it easily. I've heard that when you got home from holidays you found scarves tied to your fence that signified the supporters' respect and admiration.

RB - Yes, a couple of scarves and many, many letters on top of all the things that have been written on forums, etc. Many, many letters, very emotive letters because people are thanking us for Istanbul, for the FA Cup final, for the victory at the Bernabeu, at San Siro, at Old Trafford and for having placed Liverpool back where it belongs, to have given it back its prestige in Europe and recognition.

I - And now... now that time has passed and you've had time to think, was this due or is this a premature departure?

RB - I really wanted to improve a few things at Liverpool but it can't be and you just have to consider yourself lucky because you've got a job

I - It might be really painful to see that, whoever comes and replaces you, gets given everything you haven't been given. These things happen very often in football.

RB - Experience in football teaches you that you always have to look forward. You are, of course, left with that feeling of leaving something behind but, granted, the challenge is to look forward, to a very important team that has won many titles this season and to try to keep that winning mentality going.

It then moves on to talk, very briefly, about Inter but the interviewer, near the end, says:

I - Are you going to buy any LFC players?

RB - It isn't my role to buy at Inter, there's another person who takes care of that. On arrival I was told that there are already 3/4 things done. I wish Liverpool all the best but I have to concentrate on Inter, can't use up any energy on things I can't influence.

I - We spoke to Pepe Reina the night your departure was confirmed and he was absolutely devastated, broken.

RB - Pepe is fantastic, a crack on and off the pitch. We have a very good relationship, I brought him here (LFC) and the truth is that he was a great keeper and has become an even better keeper with the experience gained at Liverpool, working with Xavi Valero and for him, of course, it is hard to lose the people he was close to. We've spoken and he's told me he hopes Xavi stays because he is very happy with him but, under normal circumstances and all going well, Xavi will come with me.

[Shaggy]

[Vermilion]

Oh ffs. When o' lord will you rid this club of the scummy back stabbing leeches who are preying on it's very life blood, soon; please! Amen.

[IN_RAFA_WE_TRUST]

All the best Rafa.I don't think I'm wrong in saying he made many grown men cry/get emotional etc.

[G]

Bad news if Valero leaves I reckon.

Pepe has improved year on year and some of that has to be down to Valero

[dww]

Bad news if Valero leaves I reckon.

Pepe has improved year on year and some of that has to be down to Valero

It's this sort of thing that I worry about with someone like Hodgson coming in. I know that he along with Venables and Robson were keen to stress that the coaching culture they were bought up in was not the one that has produced two decades of ****e coaches and managers in this country. Nonetheless, I wonder how many of the best practice methods and best practitioners he will have had access too in recent years.

Obviously similar criticism would be at least as pointed against Dalglish but you would have expected him to lean on the likes of Lee who have that experience.

[Taxi]

I still wake up every morning feeling a bit down and empty.

[Neil Young]

I still wake up every morning feeling a bit down and empty.

It happens to me pretty much every time I think about football. With the World Cup on it's more than a drag.