Rafa Watch

[Craig_H]

No Milan is a one man team. Ibra totally dominates whatever they do in an attacking way. You just need to look at the latest game against Roma.

Ibra didn't deliver, Milan didn't win, lost 1-0.

If Ibra plays like he done in almost every game in the league then they will most probably win the league. If he gets injured or is off form then they don't have any back up plan at all.

Ibra and Eto'o. That is the two best players in the league by some distance.

Milan have built their tactics around one player, Ibra. Time will tell if that was the right thing to do.

Yeah but you cant say on one hand, that Milan have strengthened their squad, to the extent that it makes things hard for Inter - and then, on the other hand, say Milan are a one-man team

The two contradict each other.

[Arn]

Yeah but you cant say on one hand, that Milan have strengthened their squad, to the extent that it makes things hard for Inter - and then, on the other hand, say Milan are a one-man team

The two contradict each other.

Not if the player dominates the league in the way Ibra do. We are talking about a player that DOMINATE the games and the way the manager set up the team.

It would be like if we signed the world class creative midfielder we don't have and sacked Roy of course. Like if we signed someone like Xavi or Iniesta.

Players that could take a fourth fifth best club in the league and change it to title favourites. The problem starts when you build everything around that player and he then gets injured or don't deliver.

[Craig_H]

So then, they dont have a great squad, that Inter cant compete with then.

It's about one player.

[Arn]

So then, they dont have a great squad, that Inter cant compete with then.

It's about one player.

I have said that Juventus have the best balanced squad. I would say that Napoli is a close second.

Both Milan and Inter need to replace almost half of the starting XI the next couple of years.

[Craig_H]

Well in which case, there's no argument for implying that Milan's summer buying spree makes it impossible for Inter.

[Arn]

**** totally made up headline...

Rafa Benitez fights for Inter Milan job as he insists club haven't had it so good for 20 years!

Rafa Benitez has come out fighting for his job and claims he has made Inter Milan more entertaining than under Jose Mourinho's uber-successful regime.

The Spaniard, speaking from Liverpool where he is spending the Christmas holidays, dismissed reports that he had been sacked after publicly challenging club president Massimo Moratti to back him in the transfer market.

Sources told Sportsmail that Benitez would be axed this week, while Milan-based Gazzetta dello Sport echoed that the decision had already been taken, with thoughts turning to who would take over the hot seat.

However, Benitez told Spanish radio station Onda Cero: 'I have not been sacked. I am quite surprised by some of the headlines I read in the papers. In fact, many people called me to ask whether I was sacked, but it is not true.'

The former Liverpool boss has even been brave enough to repeat his call for new signings when the transfer window opens in January, though Moratti refused to respond to calls for 'three or four' additions at the weekend.

'My plan was to add a few more players useful for us, younger players for the future and in a couple of years reduce the mountain of salaries we pay currently,' explained Benitez. 'People told me that this was the best football they had seen Inter play for 20 years.

'We are like the Barcelona of Italy. But to continue to win and do well, you need to make important purchases.

'The injuries have affected us, and we don't want this to happen again. As the market will start soon, this was the right time to speak openly about buying.'

Moratti responded with a 'no comment' when leaving Abu Dhabi, where Inter won the Club World Cup on Saturday and followed it up with a statement to that effect on the Inter website today.

Former Roma coach Luciano Spalletti is the favourite for his job after leading Zenit St Petersburg to the Russian Premier League title and six wins out of six in their Europa League group. England boss Fabio Capello is also a candidate Moratti has tried to snare before.

Benitez said: 'I don't want to put the president under pressure, but I had spoken to him in the past about my project. Moratti, with whom I have a correct and respectful relationship, liked it.

'The president has to take a decision regarding the line we want to follow. While I am here (at Inter) I will work in the best possible way in order for the team to continue to win.'

Jose Mourinho won the European Cup along with an Italian League and Cup double, while Benitez's Inter are languishing seventh in Serie A and finished second in their Champions League group behind Tottenham.

However, the club have suffered an injury crisis and Benitez has blamed the poor physical shape of his players.

Clicky

[Craig_H]

So anyway, has he been sacked then??

[Darth Marty]

More Twitter people/journos saying he was finally sacked in the early hours

[Craig_H]

Sounds likely, but i'm waiting on an official announcement.

[Shaggy]

From RAWK

There are very few people I would go to war for. Three in fact. I aspire to be like them I respect and trust them absolutely even though they are all misunderstood.

Funnily enough two are Spanish. One is my dying father.

I believe in passion. I believe in charisma. I believe, because otherwise I would despair, in the power of an individual to inspire. To gather an army up and ****ing fight with them. To care about the collective over self or image or anything ****ing else.

Charisma. That's what they have. I was a Liverpool Football Club supporter long before I had heard of Rafa but **** me I would follow that man anywhere. Integrity and absolute conviction while throwing aside personal image or gain is so rare these days. Incredibly rare.

And do you know what makes me really sad? This man actually fought for us. Fell on his sword in fact. Yet still there are people who tell me he spent a billion pounds on transfers and that zonal marking is a nasty foreign invention.

**** them all. To hell and back.

Why? Because that's a man I can believe in. For all of his faults I would run through a brick wall for him. Because he would for me and you.

Yet some of you would prefer the Sky Sports line of thinking and swallow all the lies and judge him on his final season with us. When he took his eye off the ball to fight for us and expose those horrible *******s for what they were did you appreciate what he was doing? Or were you slagging him off for not bringing on subs early enough or for taking off Torres.

If its the latter then shame on you.

Two seasons ago we saw what Rafa could do with a good squad but not the great one he could have had if backed in the transfer market. And we nearly bloody won it.

Some of you criticise him for buying badly. Don't you understand that he bought Pennant because he couldn't afford Alves? That he had to make do with what he could afford rather than what he wanted? That he had to buy players in order to make a profit on them so he could create his own funds despite making the club £100m through CL revenue.

This man fell on his ****ing sword for you. And some of you would prefer to repeat the Sky Sports lies about his spending and judge him on the Alonso saga (when the truth is he never wanted to sell Xabi) or moan about him not playing the media game? Well **** you. We said that you wouldn't know what you lost till it was gone but now you can see it with your own eyes.

Rafa was halfway through his project when the cancers bought the club and ****ed us over. It makes me sick that people don't want to give him the chance to complete that project. By dismissing him and demeaning him you are dismissing a man who cares about the club and the city as much as you do.

That's rare. Its invaluable. And its Liverpool Football Club all over. The man gets the club. He loves the club and the fans in particular. Please don't dismiss him on the basis of one bad season and the snide media lies. There's a perch we are about to fall off of. Let's back the bloke we know will pour his very soul into keeping us on there eh?

[Arn]

From RAWK

Just bring him back.

[RoadEnd]

I'll try again then (in a subtle manner):

Craig, with regards to your top 10 world managers...........just remembered, there's no point in asking is there as you didn't compile a list last season, silly me

definitely no list available

http://london.craigslist.co.uk/search/sss?query=top+ten+world+managers&srchType=A&minAsk=&maxAsk=

[red g]

still dont think it will happen. but the more i thhink about it the more i am warming upto it. I imagine Tomkins gave him a glowing reference to.

[badpiggy]

That's a very emotive and compelling bit of writing but it doesn't necessarily mean that bringing Rafa back would guarantee success.

[Buzzo]

Rafa gave Liverpool the best football playing team we have had since we last won the league. On a personal note the football we played 2 years ago was the most I have enjoyed watching us since the 80's, ergo the most I have enjoyed football since the 80's. He gave us the miracle that was Istanbul. He is still young, he loves the club and the city, more than that, he understands the club and the city. For these slightly selfish reasons I hope we see him back home.

That post above is top notch, particularly the reminder about how Rafa went to war with Hicks and Gillett.