Rafa Watch

[Craig_H]

It's odd that he jumps to that conclusion. Has he not considered other possibilities? Apart from the obvious one - he's a buffoon who promotes terrible football - there are plenty of other things that could have caused it.

This sort of assumption is a window into the mind of the person making it - it's a projection of the self. The fact he immediately imagines he has been undone by a scheming backbiter pouring poison into someone's ear screams to me that he himself is a scheming backbiter who pours poison into people's ears.

[Kenneth]

It's odd that he jumps to that conclusion. Has he not considered other possibilities? Apart from the obvious one - he's a buffoon who promotes terrible football - there are plenty of other things that could have caused it.

This sort of assumption is a window into the mind of the person making it - it's a projection of the self. The fact he immediately imagines he has been undone by a scheming backbiter pouring poison into someone's ear screams to me that he himself is a scheming backbiter who pours poison into people's ears.

Or hints at paranoia.

[Vermilion]

Don't think he's that desperate despite being a footbalaholic. He always goes on and on about not having enough money to spend to get his 1st choice players and with the alleged 5million that Fat Sam was offered to take Blackburn to 5th or 6th position that'd be a bit too much for Rafa's liking too

Only in relation to club and media expectations, at Blackburn expectations would be lower, so would the class of player they can attract, Rafa only mentioned money in the context of what our rivals spend, one £20-30million player after another, players he wanted to sign going to his and our rivals, but all the while lfc are expected to win the same trophies as they are, that's the context he mentions money in, and not in some moaning for the sake of it way.

All he want's is a level playing field, or if that's not possible then to be judged accordingly, and expect the odd bad season, but expect to be the No1 rated side in europe for years ? I'm not sure i would have, but we were.

Myself, i'm in no doubt that when those two ****s took over, the club went sour and rotten.

[sitoca]

ROME - Rafael Benitez paid the price for his failure to meet impossible expectations on Thursday when he was fired as coach of Inter Milan after less than six months in the hot seat.

Two trophies and qualification for the second round of the Champions League simply weren't enough to keep his demanding boss Massimo Moratti -- the Inter president -- happy.

And filling the boots left by Jose Mourinho simply proved beyond the Spaniard's capabilities as his unhappy tenure in Italy suffered a quick death.

Whether or not Moratti and Inter have taken the right decision remains to be seen but the feeling amongst many people is that Benitez had accepted a poisoned chalice.

Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal intimated as much ahead of his team's visit to Roma in late November when he said that part of Mourinho's reason for leaving the Italians after just two years in charge was because he would never be able to emulate his early achievements.

Mourinho won Serie A in his first season and followed that up with the first ever treble in Italian football in his second year, landing the Italian league, Cup and Champions League.

It was the greatest season in Inter's proud history and their first success in Europe's premier club competition in 45 years.

Mourinho had achieved everything he was brought to the club to do and he walked out as the Messiah, an eternal hero to Inter fans whose place could never be taken.

Benitez, who enjoyed great success with Valencia and then followed that up with an achievement of sorts at Liverpool, walked into the great void vacated by Mourinho with a near impossible task ahead of him.

In a way it was tantamount to the task facing the man who one day replaces the incomparable Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United -- although Mourinho has already made it clear that he would relish such a challenge.

And that task was made all the more complicated by the fact that he did so in a post-World Cup year, when most of Inter's players would be suffering not only a success hangover but also from the effects of an extended summer's work.

That Benitez failed, in a way, is more indicative of the unforgiving nature of football management, especially in Italy, than his own shortcomings.

Not only were his players fatigued from their previous exertions but Benitez was also soon faced with an injury crisis that would have challenged any coach at any team.

And whereas Mourinho was unequivocally backed in his transfer dealings, Benitez was given nothing.

Mourinho asked for a defensive midfielder and two wide players when he arrived at Inter in 2008, being given Muntari Sulley, Ricardo Quaresma and Mancini.

And even though his wide men proved to be flops while Muntari had lost his starting berth by Mourinho's second season in charge, so he requested further reinforcements and was given Diego Milito, Samuel Eto'o (in exchange for the departed Zlatan Ibrahimovic), Thiago Motta, Lucio and then also Goran Pandev.

Milito, Motta and Pandev spent much of Benitez's time in the treatment room, as did Walter Samuel, Esteban Cambiasso and Julio Cesar, while Mario Balotelli was sold and not replaced.

Even indestructible captain Javer Zanetti spent his first period in years on the sidelines.

Inter's form was patchy at best despite winning both the Italian Supercup and Club World Cup, ending the year in seventh in Serie A and finishing second to Tottenham in their Champions League group.

But by then Moratti had become used to success and the man who fired Roberto Mancini after three straight Serie A titles lost patience with Benitez.

His successor's task will be no easier but at least he won't be burdened by having to follow Mourinho, instead he'll be following the perceived flop that was Benitez.

- AFP/ir

[Roboklopp]

Or hints at paranoia.

Fat Sham's mental state since Rafa folded his arms so cruely that time.

[Darkon]

would it be so unlikely that he ends up at blackburn considering they have new owners with a bit of cash, there are no available top jobs in football right now and I can't help but think that Rafa's third consecutive public fall out with his employeers gives clubs a bit of reservation towards hiring him - don't know if they do, but at least it would be a concern to me.

[Craig_H]

would it be so unlikely that he ends up at blackburn considering they have new owners with a bit of cash, there are no available top jobs in football right now and I can't help but think that Rafa's third consecutive public fall out with his employeers gives clubs a bit of reservation towards hiring him - don't know if they do, but at least it would be a concern to me.

Literally 'a bit' - didnt they say their transfer budget would be £5m, and that they expect to be top 4 or 5 off the back of that outlay?

[Leyton388]

Rafa will never go to Blackburn FFS.

[Rich]

I think the owners of Blackburn will bring a lot of mirth to the Premiership and at last we have a rival to Mike Ashley.

[lickedlollipop]

guys, it's official. leonardo is now manager of inter.

[Neil Young]

Cowabunga!

[Vermilion]

Literally 'a bit' - didnt they say their transfer budget would be £5m, and that they expect to be top 4 or 5 off the back of that outlay?

Could just be they think January is a bad time to buy, and come summer they'll hand someone a half decent budget, for Blackburn, obviously it won't be a title challenging budget, but maybe it'll be more than we expect, why shout about what your going to spend are the 'buzz words' here, as we know all to well, it's been said on here about us often enough.

I hear good things and bad things about these owners, obviously the chicken jokes are coming thick and fast, but in India they do a lot of good apparantly, giving food and shelter to thousands of people that are poor, and are known to be quite benevolent, who knows, maybe they'll turn out to be very genuine people.

Their football know how is the worry, or lack of it, but like all new owners from foreign lands unskilled in the ways of the game, they'll hire the football knowledge, what quality that knowledge comes with is another thing, but that go's for all clubs under 'new to football' ownership.

They can't be all bad, after all..they put Fat Sam out on his arse.

[BigChief]

Cowabunga!

For the record, that turtle doesn't say cowabunga.

[Darkon]

Literally 'a bit' - didnt they say their transfer budget would be £5m, and that they expect to be top 4 or 5 off the back of that outlay?

true then

[Neil Young]

For the record, that turtle doesn't say cowabunga.

Thanks for the correction.