Rafa Watch

[Craig_H]

So? Im judging them on the quality of their play that I have seen


What't that got to do with anything? Whats west brom got to do with anything?

Like I said, they have a good enough first 11 to beat any team in Italy but whether they can challenge for the league depends on how they cope physically

The quality of play that you've seen has been over 9 games - far too early to conclude that they're title challengers - they'll fall away because they arent good enough over the course of a whole season.

West Brom will be 4th if they win tonight - after 10 games. But nobody thinks they'll finish there because 10 games means next to nothing.

[-V-]

Lazio wont even get a CL place, they're gash.

Ignorance is bliss

The quality of play that you've seen has been over 9 games - far too early to conclude that they're title challengers - they'll fall away because they arent good enough over the course of a whole season.
West Brom will be 4th if they win tonight - after 10 games. But nobody thinks they'll finish there because 10 games means next to nothing.

Your telling me its unfair to suggest that a team could continue to be the best performers in the league because its only been 9 games.
Yet its okay for you to suggest that they cannot possibly keep going all season. How does that work? Wheres your evidence?

I don't have a crystal ball so I can't tell you how the rest of the season will pan out but neither do you so your no more right than me, you have way of backing up your belief

[Chris]

Ignorance is bliss

And Mainz are a far better team than Bayern Munich.

[Craig_H]

Ignorance is bliss





Your telling me its unfair to suggest that a team could continue to be the best performers in the league because its only been 9 games.
Yet its okay for you to suggest that they cannot possibly keep going all season. How does that work? Wheres your evidence?

I don't have a crystal ball so I can't tell you how the rest of the season will pan out but neither do you so your no more right than me, you have way of backing up your belief

Ok, so by that same logic then, you think WBA could qualify for the CL? Or not?

[Arn]

Lazio wont even get a CL place, they're gash.

On Inter, Rafa is doing ok so far but they really need to strenghten the squad again, they're ravaged by injuries and weakened in the summer anyway by selling Balotelli. Moratti needs to get his wallett out otherwise they'll lose the position of strength they're in.

I doubt that Rafa will get big money to spend because they simply don't know if he will stay that long.

I wouldn't exactly give a manager big money if I knew that he could be off if a certain club(Liverpool) want him. If he stay beyond this season then he will probably get money to spend.

[Shaggy]

Aldo is beginning to **** me off


Forget 2005 - Benitez left Reds in ruin

RAFAEL BENITEZ has not taken too much of the blame for Liverpool's current plight in the relegation zone, but he is as guilty as anyone for the demise of our great club.

Benitez is set to take charge of his first game on English soil since he left Anfield last summer, as he prepares for a game against Tottenham in the Champions League, and I cannot believe how fortunate he is to be returning as Inter Milan boss.

Don't get me wrong, Benitez wasn't a total disaster at Liverpool and some of the football his team played during the middle part of his five years on Merseyside was fantastic, but he had to go last summer and all right-minded people knew it.

Bitter

A few supporters stayed loyal to Rafa to the bitter end, but they really needed to take their blinkers off because everyone could see he was plunging the team deeper into the mire. Being loyal is a great quality of Liverpool fans, but some took it too far with Benitez.

Although Rafa would receive a huge ovation from the supporters if he came back to Anfield in the opposition dugout, those who stood by him through thick and thin placed far too much stock in the fact that he was in charge on that incredible night when we won the Champions League in 2005.

Let's be honest, luck as much as judgement is required when a manager finds himself 3-0 down at half-time against AC Milan, but the history books will forever show that the miracle took place and Benitez takes some credit for it.

He also needed fortune on his side as a last-minute Steven Gerrard goal denied West Ham victory in the FA Cup Final, before Liverpool went on to win another penalty shootout and cement Rafa's place in the hearts of the fans.

Those successes stood him in good stead when he lost his way in horrible fashion last year, as some fans refused to hear a word of criticism against him and clung on to the memories of the two Cup wins with too much sentimentality.

If they took a step back and looked at the mess the team were in for most of last season, those supporters would have realised Benitez had become as big a problem at Anfield as hated owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

Shaky

I fully appreciate that the financial restrictions Benitez had to work under at Anfield made his job very complicated, but his record in the transfer market was shaky and the squad he has left behind is not a good legacy.

Fernando Torres, Pepe Reina, Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano were good signings, but they don't really compensate fully for the rubbish he brought to the club - for quite a lot of money - down the years.

I don't need to remind you that I'm not a fan of Lucas and Ryan Babel, but the transfer that really set the alarm bells ringing for me was Alberto Aquilani. He had a few quid to spend after selling Alonso to Real Madrid and he blew it all on a player who barely kicked a ball before he left Liverpool.

One of the main reasons why Rafa had such loyal backing was he said all the right things at the right time, with some fans enjoying his verbal sparring with Alex Ferguson and tributes to Bill Shankly.

I could see through those words because all managers have learned how to become good politicians these days. Fergie is a master at it and the same goes for Arsene Wenger and even Roy Hodgson.

So when I hear Rafa saying he loves the history of Inter Milan and respects their fans, it confirms that he would say whatever was needed to keep people sweet.

For me, Benitez was always likely to walk away from Liverpool in the summer and when he was saying he didn't want to leave earlier this year, he was merely trying to get the best financial deal for himself.

He ended up walking away from Liverpool with a £6m pay-off and a job at Inter Milan that any manager would have relished.

Taking over the reigning European champions is not a bad gig to get at a time when your reputation is on the wane.

The reality is Rafa will never be short of work again because when you win the Champions League in the manner Liverpool did, employers will always come calling.

Benitez is on this elite list of managers who have won the biggest prize in club football and he has a reputation for being tactically astute in Europe, so the job offers will continue to roll in for him whatever he achieves at Inter Milan.

He will probably do okay at Inter because he inherited a top-class team from Jose Mourinho and it would be hard not to achieve success with players who proved their worth against the best last season.

Fright

However, I'm backing Tottenham to give Inter Milan a real game at White Hart Lane on Tuesday night because this will be treated like a Cup Final by Harry Redknapp's men and they have the pace and quality to give Inter a fright.

Spurs should not be thinking they have Inter on the ropes after their thrilling fightback from 4-0 down at the San Siro a couple of weeks back, because the Italians had taken their foot off the pedal long before Gareth Bale's sensational second-half hat-trick.

This is the real test of Tottenham's Champions League credentials and I don't think it is beyond the realms of possibility that they will beat Inter and even go as far as the quarter-finals.

It's still very much a learning experience for Spurs in Europe and their naivety will catch them out at some point, but I hope they give Rafa a run for his money as he returns to the ground where it all started to go wrong for him last season.

Liverpool were on the back foot from the moment they lost against Spurs on the opening day of last season and I wonder if Benitez will relive a few nightmares when he returns to White Hart Lane.

http://www.sundayworld.com/sport/john-aldridge.php

[Vermilion]

He's so out of touch, i think people like him..ex players, talk to fans..give their opinion..and the fans mostly agree..as they would talking to an ex player..not going to argue are they, so he go's away thinking i'm right..all the fans i speak to agree with me.

[Rich]

I'd expect better from Aldo - it really gets my goat all this Rafa bashing, its pathetic and wrong.

All these "experts" give him a kicking and seem to pay little or no attention to the constraints he was under in terms of money. Profit after profit made in transfer windows and still he gets no credit.

[Arn]

Aldridge is thick as pig ****. He shows it clearly here - before anyone start with the "he's a legend" bollocks.

Rafa is and will forever be one of our great legends whatever any ex player or media say about it.

You don't take a team to the TOP in Europe and the most feared team out there if you don't are a fantastic manager.

Teams would rather play Barcelona, Inter, Man U, Chelsea etc...than us. That says a lot of how great manager Rafa is.

[Shaggy]

Has Rafa given a CL press conference today? He should've done?

Edit - just seen this

GerryCox Gerry Cox
Bad omen for #Inter. Rafa Benitez late for press conference at #Spurs as he is stuck in North London traffic
3 minutes ago

[Reece]

dionobanion Dion Fanning
'He needs to stop talking about flops and concentrate on his job' #lfc
31 seconds ago Favorite Retweet Reply
»
Dion Fanning
dionobanion Dion Fanning
Rafa-Hodgson talking about things he doesn't understand #lfc
1 minute ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[Shaggy]

[Reece]

dionobanion Dion Fanning
And this 'Some people can't see a priest in a mountain of sugar.' #lfc

[Rich]

Go Rafa!

[Fredo]

Rafa is a ****ing genius. That quote is wonderful.