Rafa Watch

[Alex]

By revsionist I probably mean ignoring the problems that were there in his last season, couldn't see them being address the next either under H+G.

To say we could have won the league by now cant be right IMO.

You know Im a massive Rafa fan. Just being realistic.

[Shaggy]

Aye I know. There's only one season we could've won it in - last season. And with the upheaval that might have been ambitious. But this season certainly. ****ing rubbish league.

It's such a huge shame all that asset stripping went on - if we could've kept the majority of that team together and kept the manager, I'm certain we'd have won the title.

[Rich]

Personally, I don't think we'd have won it this year with Rafa still manager - last summer would still have been a rebuilding exercise for him too.

Next season would have been it though.

[dww]

Personally, I don't think we'd have won it this year with Rafa still manager - last summer would still have been a rebuilding exercise for him too.

Next season would have been it though.

I think whether or not we could have won anything this year under any manager was determined by what happened two summers ago. We did nothing to redress problems in the spine of the team and we are paying for it now. Kenny tried things (Adam in particular) that haven't worked but I think any manager needs two windows at least to have a good chance of getting things really right.

[Alex]

By Windows, do you mean summers? Because Kenny has had 3 windows so far

[dww]

By Windows, do you mean summers? Because Kenny has had 3 windows so far

Yeah, in my original effort it said 'summer windows' - editing fail I'm afraid.

[Rich]

By Windows, do you mean summers? Because Kenny has had 3 windows so far

One more window then show him the door and he's got himself a house!

[MrMichael]

Rafa unearthed world class players - Alonso, Reina, Mascherano, Agger, Lucas & Torres.

Great players and fabulous buys, no doubt.

However, I think its a bit of an overstatement to use the word "unearthed" for most of those. Mascherano and Torres especially were widely regarded as huge talents, but Alonso and Reina were also well known, especially in Spain (perhaps on the level of a Martinez now) and Lucas had just won the South American player of the year. Absolutely Rafa still took a chance on them etc, but "unearthing" should really be reserved for the likes of Arbeloa imo

[baitman]

Great players and fabulous buys, no doubt.

However, I think its a bit of an overstatement to use the word "unearthed" for most of those.

so true. managers love to slap their own backs if a signing pays off. really all they are doing is collecting players as they are on the way up, or almost at the top of their game. if they manage to get the prospect as an almost unknown [eg; ox-chamberlain at southampton] then they are hailed as a genius, no.

[Nick77]

Great players and fabulous buys, no doubt.

However, I think its a bit of an overstatement to use the word "unearthed" for most of those. Mascherano and Torres especially were widely regarded as huge talents, but Alonso and Reina were also well known, especially in Spain (perhaps on the level of a Martinez now) and Lucas had just won the South American player of the year. Absolutely Rafa still took a chance on them etc, but "unearthing" should really be reserved for the likes of Arbeloa imo

They weren't world class however until they played under Rafa - they might have been good prospects but were never world class...

[Fredo]

Great players and fabulous buys, no doubt.

However, I think its a bit of an overstatement to use the word "unearthed" for most of those. Mascherano and Torres especially were widely regarded as huge talents, but Alonso and Reina were also well known, especially in Spain (perhaps on the level of a Martinez now) and Lucas had just won the South American player of the year. Absolutely Rafa still took a chance on them etc, but "unearthing" should really be reserved for the likes of Arbeloa imo

That's revisionist. "Took a chance"

Rafa built a great squad and a great team. We fell short because of the bickering fights in the boardroom and the rot got down to the players in the end. That's all there is to it.

All the rest is bollocks and revisionist crap.

[cream]

That's revisionist. "Took a chance"

Rafa built a great squad and a great team. We fell short because of the bickering fights in the boardroom and the rot got down to the players in the end. That's all there is to it.

All the rest is bollocks and revisionist crap.

Rafa built a great team but unfortunately didn't have enough money to build a great squad.

Gerrard
Torres
Alonso
Masch
Reina
Agger
Lucas
Carra

We had an awesome team

[ashey]

Rafa built a great team but unfortunately didn't have enough money to build a great squad.

Gerrard
Torres
Alonso
Masch
Reina
Agger
Lucas
Carra

We had an awesome team

[Mostar]

Rafa vs Rafa


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBoT1rUsO8s"]Darren Farley Rafa V Rafa.mov - YouTube[/ame]

[Mostar]

Some great memories


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X12Tz9z0fN8&feature=player_embedded"]Rafael Benitez - He Made Us Dream *HD* - YouTube[/ame]