Rafa Watch

[Reece]

why?

what's done is done, roy's our manger now, forget rafa.

i found it a bit tastless last night when fans were chanting rafa's name..talk about a vote of confidence for roy..

Why should I forget Rafa? Should I forget Shankly? Paisley? I'd still much rather he was our manager than not.

[SK]

Disagree, you dont win La Liga if your not good enough.

or you might if your predecessor assembles a team that goes to two CL finals, and then Real **** up a 12 point lead..

anyhow rafa's gone, roy is here.

[Alex]

Why should I forget Rafa? Should I forget Shankly? Paisley? I'd still much rather he was our manager than not.

[SK]

Why should I forget Rafa? Should I forget Shankly? Paisley? I'd still much rather he was our manager than not.

let the fact, he's no longer the manager of liverpool, go.

don't forget all the good things he's achieved, nor forget all the bickering, subborness etc.

he played a big part in getting the club to where it belongs, but he's no longer the manager, roy is

[Alex]

or you might if your predecessor assembles a team that goes to two CL finals, and then Real **** up a 12 point lead..

anyhow rafa's gone, roy is here.

Still won the thing though

[Shaggy]

Still won the thing though

Twice. Must've been two flukes.

[SK]

Still won the thing though

i wish he'd done it at liverpool aswell

[Shaggy]

I'd really like to smack this cunt in the mouth.


Liverpool were in terminal decline under Rafael Benítez, says Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho claims Roy Hodgson is battling to achieve success at Liverpool with a team that became “worse, worse and worse” with each passing season of Rafael Benítez’s six-year reign at Anfield.

By Mark Ogden
Published: 4:25PM BST 24 Aug 2010

Liverpool’s 3-0 capitulation against Manchester City at Eastlands on Monday brought into sharp focus the problems facing Hodgson on the pitch at a club whose off-field future remains paralysed by the increasingly fruitless search for new owners.

With co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett driving the club heavily into debt since their 2007 takeover, Mourinho insists that Hodgson is faced with the unenviable situation of working with a team who have been on a progressive decline.

Monday’s defeat against City highlighted the challenge that Hodgson has taken on at Anfield, but with Roberto Mancini’s expensively-assembled team likely to be a direct rival in Liverpool’s attempt to secure Champions League football, former Chelsea manager Mourinho believes that the odds are stacked against Liverpool this season.

Mourinho said: “It is very difficult work for Roy to do it with Liverpool as, over the last years, they have been getting worse, worse and worse.

“The Liverpool of 2004 was better than the Liverpool of 2005, 2005 was better than 2006 and 2006 better than 2007. And they arrive at a situation now where, but for Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard, Pepe Reina, Fernando Torres, if his head is there, it is very difficult for Roy to make Liverpool champions.

“He needs time and it’s not easy because I don’t think they went in the right direction.”

Despite their financial problems and failure to qualify for the Champions League this season, Liverpool have been able to retain the services of Torres and Gerrard.

Mourinho’s Real Madrid had courted the services of Gerrard, while Chelsea and Manchester City both made clear their interest in luring Spanish forward Torres from Anfield.

But while City were ultimately unable to land Torres, Mourinho admits that the Abu Dhabi-fuelled spending power at Eastlands is unmatchable and the Real coach backs Mr. Ferguson’s warning of “kamikaze” spending.

Mourinho said: “When Mr Ferguson spoke about kamikaze spending, if he was talking about (City) eating the market, I agree with him. But if they have the money, they can do it and, if they have the ambition to win the Premier League, they can do it.

“If someone wants to compete with them for a player it is very difficult because they are dominant in the market.

“The player they say they want is the player that they get. I was interested in [Aleksandar] Kolarov when I came here to Madrid, but I couldn’t compete with City as they went to values that I couldn’t.”

Mourinho, who won two league titles with Chelsea during his three years in charge at Stamford Bridge, admits that City’s financial muscle has propelled them into the race for this season’s title. But the Portuguese insists it will be a three-horse race, having dismissed Arsenal’s prospects of ending their five-year wait for silverware.

Mourinho said: “I don’t think Arsenal can win. Year after year it looks like they will but no. It’s always the same type of comment, ‘It’s a young team, it will be next season’.

“I remember we played them in a Carling Cup final [in 2007] with a team of young boys, but they are no longer a team of young boys. They are now a team of 25, 26, 27-year-olds.

“Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott, Gael Clichy, Alex Song, Bacary Sagna – they’re not a team of kids any more, they’re of an age to win things, but I don’t think they will do it.

“I believe Chelsea and Manchester United can win the title and, of course, Manchester City because they have a great squad. That’s it.”

Having arrived at Real this summer after guiding Inter Milan to the treble last season, Mourinho could not resist another dig at his Benítez, his fierce rival from the pair’s time in England, by warning the former Liverpool manager that he will be unable to repeat his success at the San Siro.

Mourinho said: “Inter is a dream job because he has three trophies (to defend). I don’t have that at Madrid. He is lucky, but I wish him well.

“One thing is certain, Benítez won’t do better than me at Inter. Another thing is also true that, should he lift the Intercontinental Cup, he will have only won two games compared to my 13. Therefore it will be my trophy and not his.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/7962131/Liverpool-were-in-terminal-decline-under-Rafael-Benitez-says-Jose-Mourinho.html

[CJ]

if Rafa is soo crap why is the special one soo worried by him?

he didnt worry about spending when he was chavs boss.

This is why i dont want him anywhere near our club. Classless

[Vermilion]

Rafa will be loving this, Maureen has been talking about him constantly, which proves that more than any other manager in Maureens career... Rafa got to him, he can't stand the thought of Rafa getting any credit from anyone... must be eating away at him good style. I bet every time he hears Maureen moaning about him Rafa does a shortened version of that little jig he did on stage for the Istanbul play....followed by a little jump and a click of his heels..... i can just see him now...

[MrShawnMichaels]

Rafa and watch

[Zapater]

or you might if your predecessor assembles a team that goes to two CL finals, and then Real **** up a 12 point lead..

anyhow rafa's gone, roy is here.

What, the squad that Cuper had? Is this the same one that they flogged Farinos, Claudio Lopez, Kily Gonzalez and Mendieta to Italy? Then also sold Gerard (alas 1 season prior) to BARCELONA - one of their rivals.

So basically he was given a squad with THE ENTIRE midfield (including Mendieta who was probably the best midfielder in the world at that point in time) sold and the best striker in the world at the time. He transformed Baraja and Albelda into a great midfield combination even though Albelda is (and was) an extremely limited player. Helped Vicente develop into a world class player and achieved despite limitations in the squad, quality of player, arguements with sporting directors (Canobbio the lampshade) and the president.

Then to replicate it 2 years later. I think you're really selling him short on his achievements there. Perhaps Cuper played a part, but Rafa's work there shouldn't be underestimated. I'm not saying that him staying would guarantee us winning the title in the near future, but I must say I'd feel a lot better regarding this seaosn if he was in charge.

[Exiled_red]

Rafa will be loving this, Maureen has been talking about him constantly, which proves that more than any other manager in Maureens career... Rafa got to him, he can't stand the thought of Rafa getting any credit from anyone... must be eating away at him good style. I bet every time he hears Maureen moaning about him Rafa does a shortened version of that little jig he did on stage for the Istanbul play....followed by a little jump and a click of his heels..... i can just see him now...

[Alex]

What, the squad that Cuper had? Is this the same one that they flogged Farinos, Claudio Lopez, Kily Gonzalez and Mendieta to Italy? Then also sold Gerard (alas 1 season prior) to BARCELONA - one of their rivals.

So basically he was given a squad with THE ENTIRE midfield (including Mendieta who was probably the best midfielder in the world at that point in time) sold and the best striker in the world at the time. He transformed Baraja and Albelda into a great midfield combination even though Albelda is (and was) an extremely limited player. Helped Vicente develop into a world class player and achieved despite limitations in the squad, quality of player, arguements with sporting directors (Canobbio the lampshade) and the president.

Then to replicate it 2 years later. I think you're really selling him short on his achievements there. Perhaps Cuper played a part, but Rafa's work there shouldn't be underestimated. I'm not saying that him staying would guarantee us winning the title in the near future, but I must say I'd feel a lot better regarding this seaosn if he was in charge.

I wish i was bright enough to write a response like this.

[SK]

What, the squad that Cuper had? Is this the same one that they flogged Farinos, Claudio Lopez, Kily Gonzalez and Mendieta to Italy? Then also sold Gerard (alas 1 season prior) to BARCELONA - one of their rivals.

So basically he was given a squad with THE ENTIRE midfield (including Mendieta who was probably the best midfielder in the world at that point in time) sold and the best striker in the world at the time. He transformed Baraja and Albelda into a great midfield combination even though Albelda is (and was) an extremely limited player. Helped Vicente develop into a world class player and achieved despite limitations in the squad, quality of player, arguements with sporting directors (Canobbio the lampshade) and the president.

Then to replicate it 2 years later. I think you're really selling him short on his achievements there. Perhaps Cuper played a part, but Rafa's work there shouldn't be underestimated. I'm not saying that him staying would guarantee us winning the title in the near future, but I must say I'd feel a lot better regarding this seaosn if he was in charge.

he had inherited a fantastic backbone to the team in Canizares, Baraja, Ayala, Albelda, Aimar, Vicente...

Kily, Claudio Lopez and Mendieta were no doubt amongst the best players in the world at that time, but they faded seriously after they left Valencia, and failed to make a significant impact at their new clubs. Still he had the money from the sales and used it wisely to buy new ones, who made a good impact at Valencia.

As you pointed out he had a falling out with the clubs hierarchy(see any patterns there?), which imo is a serious problem with Rafa, sometimes you just need to get on with it, and the fact that after his first title the next season his Valencia finished only 5th in the league(see any patterns there?) points to some inconsistencies in his team's performances.

He's a legend for what he achieved at Liverpool, and i'll remeber him fondly for the special moments in his stay at the club, but i refuse to idolise him in a manner of some on here, who at every oppurtunity use him as a way to get at Hodgson.