Do you want Rafa back?

[Arn]

Agreed. Especially that Porto side he won the champions league with.

They had at that time the biggest budget by 100 miles or so in the Portuguese league. He could pick the best Brazilian youngsters and the best Portuguese ones.

[Drago]

First job he had, since then however.
No more of an achievement than Rafa winning it with us or winning La Liga with Valencia.

Never said it was a bigger achievement. I'd rank 05 higher tbh.

No surprise that a world class manager goes to clubs with big budgets.

They had at that time the biggest budget by 100 miles or so in the Portuguese league. He could pick the best Brazilian youngsters and the best Portuguese ones.

By this logic, Linfield should win the European cup. There budget compared to other Portuguese teams has nothing to do with the champions league.

[Arn]

Porto, Chelsea, Inter and Real Madrid.

All four had the biggest budgets in the league. All the clubs was favourites to win the league. I would even say that he failed a bit at Chelsea because he didn't win the CL with them and that was what he was hired to do, win the league AND the CL.

[Mattshark]

Never said it was a bigger achievement. I'd rank 05 higher tbh.

No surprise that a world class manager goes to clubs with big budgets.

But he has never done anything else but big sides.
And he still couldn't get Chelsea an EC (even Grant got further ) thanks to Rafa.

And he is still a scab on the face of football.

[Rowan]

They had at that time the biggest budget by 100 miles or so in the Portuguese league. He could pick the best Brazilian youngsters and the best Portuguese ones.

Aye, not the biggest budget in europe though. And apart from that cheating cunt Alberta (or whatever his name is) I can't remember too many top drawer Brazilians either.

Although had you said something like 'Aye, but he's a cunt so it doesn't count' I'd have happily agreed with you

[Mattshark]

Aye, not the biggest budget in europe though. And apart from that cheating cunt Alberta (or whatever his name is) I can't remember too many top drawer Brazilians either.

Although had you said something like 'Aye, but he's a cunt so it doesn't count' I'd have happily agreed with you

[Arn]

Never said it was a bigger achievement. I'd rank 05 higher tbh.

No surprise that a world class manager goes to clubs with big budgets.




By this logic, Linfield should win the European cup. There budget compared to other Portuguese teams has nothing to do with the champions league.

Porto could spend £20m £30m £40m on players. I doubt that Linfield could do that. To be able to spend that sort of money at that time in Portugal meant total domination in the transfer market.

[Drago]

Porto could spend £20m £30m £40m on players. I doubt that Linfield could do that. To be able to spend that sort of money at that time in Portugal meant total domination in the transfer market.

What's that got to do with his European competitors? They had a tiny budget compared to other sides in the champions league. That you can't argue with.

He may well be a cunt but he's the best manager about imo

[Rowan]

Porto could spend £20m £30m £40m on players. I doubt that Linfield could do that. To be able to spend that sort of money at that time in Portugal meant total domination in the transfer market.

Although net spend this year is currently -6 million euros. Do we not use net spend in arguments anymore

[Arn]

If Mourinho fail to win the CL this season then he has failed. To win the CL is what Real hired him to do.

Then it would be the second club he failed to do what he was signed to do.

Mourinho is a fantastic manager but he isn't perfect. He doesn't deliver all the time.

[Arn]

Although net spend this year is currently -6 million euros. Do we not use net spend in arguments anymore

In some cases we do but it isn't as good as it is to compare how much the squad cost to sign. Then time doesn't matter.

[Mattshark]

What's that got to do with his European competitors? They had a tiny budget compared to other sides in the champions league. That you can't argue with.

He may well be a cunt but he's the best manager about imo

He is without doubt a top class manager, however, he still has to do more to be truly stand out as the best. For a start he has only managed to EC finals so far, with his budget that is something he should do better at. He has also failed to build a great legacy at any team, it has all been very short termist.

[Rowan]

In some cases we do but it isn't as good as it is to compare how much the squad cost to sign. Then time doesn't matter.

Well, Carvalho, Baia, Deco, Costa and Postiga were already there. He didn't pay much for Ferreira and Maniche was free. The team he won it with was largely one he inherited.

If he wasn't such a horrible ******* I'd happily give him credit for wining the Champions League with Porto. Turning over the Mancs in the process too. as it I'm begrudgingly saying it was alrightish but having the ability to spend in comparison to your league neighbours shouldn't reflect on how well you do in Europe, otherwise Real would win it every year (or Chelsea)

[marcus50bucks]

Dave Prentice: Liverpool won’t ask Rafa Benitez to Play it Again, but they’ll always have Istanbul

Dec 24 2010 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo

IT’S that Casablanca time of year again folks, (tomorrow, five past one, Film4, movie pickers).

So Roy Hodgson could be forgiven for putting on his best Bogey impersonation this morning and drawling: “Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, he has to walk into mine.”

In case you missed it, Rafael Benitez was relieved of his duties as Inter Milan manager yesterday.

And he received the news at the place he now calls home, here on Merseyside.

Rafa’s return to his spiritual home – at a time when he’s suddenly on the jobs market again – has sent the conspiracy theorists into overtime.

A collection of banners were pinned to the railings at Anfield this week – (looking suspiciously like the work of one fan) calling for his reappointment.

Letters pages, message boards and phone ins have given healthy backing to the idea.
While one supporter has even launched a petition calling for “the reinstatement of Rafael Benitez as Liverpool FC manager.”

It’s a well meaning, but ultimately futile gesture.

Rafa has returned to Merseyside, but he will not be returning to Anfield any time soon.

Rafa has divided opinion amongst Reds fans in his absence almost as much as he did during his reign.

But while the faces in the Anfield boardroom have changed, boardroom policy towards the former Reds boss remains unchanged.

He won’t be coming back. Unlike the movie masterpiece which spawned one of the greatest misquotations in movie history.

Rick Blaine never actually asked Sam to “Play it again.” And the Anfield power brokers will not be asking Benitez to play it again either.

But there’s one final Casablanca link.

Bogart and Bergman were finally prised apart at the airport in one of the most poignant partings in movie history.

“We’ll always have Paris,” declared Bogart, recalling the euphoric zenith of their ultimately doomed love affair

Likewise, the Reds and Rafa “will always have Istanbul.” And perhaps it’s best to leave it that way.

ECHO

Looks like we'll have to nip this one in the bud unfortunately. It was never gonna happen to be fair.

[Vermilion]

Journo's can say what they like, untill Rafa is working somewhere else...and Bodger is sacked, the calls for Rafa will continue, imo.

And with the owners coming in off the back of statements like "we're here to listen to the fans", well....they will have to listen won't they, and maybe even feel they need give an answer one way or the other on the subject.