Rafa Watch

[Arn]

Will be interesting to read Reades book. Will probably cry and shake my head doing it.

Rafa spoilt a lot of fans with his success. We was as feared in Europe as Barcelona is now. Nobody wanted to play us. To even make a CL final is incredible. He took us to two and won one. He took us to another two semifinals. Incredible results. No, it is more than incredible.

They took his success for granted. That we would make CL semifinals every season. Before we got in Rafa even a place in the last 16 was considered a success. A step in the right direction. Nobody could even dream that we would win it.

The most feared club in Europe, number one in Europe. I still can't understand how he could achieve that in such a short time.

[badpiggy]

I agree almost entirely with Arn, Pezzzer and Neil and, while obviously repeating myself, the only thing I'm really questioning is whether Rafa could have turned it around. It went wrong for him. Not many can come back from that. You guys seem to belive that he could. I'm not so sure. The manner in which we petered out in his last season makes me think he couldn't. Sadly. Anyway onwards and upwards and I wish Rafa every succes in his next non-PL club. Until we meet him in Europe.

[Neil Young]

Being equally responsible for the return of Kenny we accept your thanks

Nah, you can take no credit for it. :bird:

Yeah too right Chrono. Rafa = no KK. Neil and his RCDNWB h:

Neither can you. :bird:

I agree almost entirely with Arn, Pezzzer and Neil and, while obviously repeating myself, the only thing I'm really questioning is whether Rafa could have turned it around. It went wrong for him. Not many can come back from that. You guys seem to belive that he could. I'm not so sure. The manner in which we petered out in his last season makes me think he couldn't. Sadly. Anyway onwards and upwards and I wish Rafa every succes in his next non-PL club. Until we meet him in Europe.

I certainly think there's a good case for what you say. I do think though the time to make that judgement was when new owners came in. The last thing we needed was Bodge and that's what we got.

At least we wouldn't have wasted £7,000,000 paying off the useless piece of piss.

[Daniel 7]

Not to mention £5m signing him.

[kris90210]

I agree almost entirely with Arn, Pezzzer and Neil and, while obviously repeating myself, the only thing I'm really questioning is whether Rafa could have turned it around. It went wrong for him. Not many can come back from that. You guys seem to belive that he could. I'm not so sure. The manner in which we petered out in his last season makes me think he couldn't. Sadly. Anyway onwards and upwards and I wish Rafa every succes in his next non-PL club. Until we meet him in Europe.

He does have a history of coming back from a disappointing season. If you look at his 3 year spell in charge of Valencia, he won La Liga in the first year. **** second year (5th), and then came back to win it in the third year.

Every top manager has had bad spells. Look at Ferguson's early reign at Utd. Patience is a virtue in football. Rafa had one bad year in charge of Liverpool. One bad year. And what I'm sure me and the rest of the Rafa 'fanatics' argue, is that bearing in mind his record up to that point, he had earned the chance to at least try and put it right.

And Arn, I'm sure I read in a Benitez biography (the Paco Lloret one) that Rafa's self-confessed biggest weakness is identifying players. Could be wrong, but I'm sure I read that. I don't think he'd make a great technical director in the slightest. Rafa manager, with Kenny in that role would be a better fit in my opinion.

[badpiggy]

He does have a history of coming back from a disappointing season. If you look at his 3 year spell in charge of Valencia, he won La Liga in the first year. **** second year (5th), and then came back to win it in the third year.

Every top manager has had bad spells. Look at Ferguson's early reign at Utd. Patience is a virtue in football. Rafa had one bad year in charge of Liverpool. One bad year. And what I'm sure me and the rest of the Rafa 'fanatics' argue, is that bearing in mind his record up to that point, he had earned the chance to at least try and put it right.

And Arn, I'm sure I read in a Benitez biography (the Paco Lloret one) that Rafa's self-confessed biggest weakness is identifying players. Could be wrong, but I'm sure I read that. I don't think he'd make a great technical director in the slightest. Rafa manager, with Kenny in that role would be a better fit in my opinion.

I think that's a very reasonable argument but I would still maintain that the nature of the way things went wrong at LFC was such that he very likely may not have.

This wasn't just a case of players underperforming or new signings not working out or extensive injuries or just plain bad luck etc - this was enormous emotional upheaval and fighting a vicious battle off the field causing Rafa to take his eye off the ball or just not being psychologically/physically capable of making the right decisions football-wise and losing the players confidence - irretrievably IMO - because of this.

It's all speculation anyway and it's very interesting speculation but my head keeps on coming down on the side of it being over and that a new start was needed.

And that's what we know have - a 20-year old fresh start with a former manager and club legend but

[kris90210]

I think that's a very reasonable argument but I would still maintain that the nature of the way things went wrong at LFC was such that he very likely may not have.

This wasn't just a case of players underperforming or new signings not working out or extensive injuries or just plain bad luck etc - this was enormous emotional upheaval and fighting a vicious battle off the field causing Rafa to take his eye off the ball or just not being psychologically/physically capable of making the right decisions football-wise and losing the players confidence - irretrievably IMO - because of this.

It's all speculation anyway and it's very interesting speculation but my head keeps on coming down on the side of it being over and that a new start was needed.

And that's what we know have - a 20-year old fresh start with a former manager and club legend but

Yeah, we'll never know if he would have turned it round. As you said, it's all speculation. When it comes to Rafa, I'm a glass half full kindof guy

[Neil Young]

I think that's a very reasonable argument but I would still maintain that the nature of the way things went wrong at LFC was such that he very likely may not have.

This wasn't just a case of players underperforming or new signings not working out or extensive injuries or just plain bad luck etc - this was enormous emotional upheaval and fighting a vicious battle off the field causing Rafa to take his eye off the ball or just not being psychologically/physically capable of making the right decisions football-wise and losing the players confidence - irretrievably IMO - because of this.

It's all speculation anyway and it's very interesting speculation but my head keeps on coming down on the side of it being over and that a new start was needed.

And that's what we know have - a 20-year old fresh start with a former manager and club legend but

We'd have been better giving him the chance and if it didn't work out after, say, 20 league games, then we could have sacked him at that point and brought in Dalglish.

Instead Hodgson came in and we were ****e and spent twenty million or more on ****e players and his payoff.

It made no sense not supporting him in the summer, no matter what speculative suggestions you can come up with.

:bird:

[Arn]

If you consider his health problems then it was probably good for him that he was sacked and moved to Inter.

I think that the main reason to why he left Inter was that he felt that he needed a break and that he knew he didn't had a fair chance because of some of the players still supporting Mourinho. He just didn't had the strength to fight another battle.

A tired and beaten man that needed a break. He will come back even stronger IMO.

[Fredo]

At least we wouldn't have wasted £7,000,000 paying off the useless piece of piss.

[badpiggy]

We'd have been better giving him the chance and if it didn't work out after, say, 20 league games, then we could have sacked him at that point and brought in Dalglish.

Instead Hodgson came in and we were ****e and spent twenty million or more on ****e players and his payoff.

It made no sense not supporting him in the summer, no matter what speculative suggestions you can come up with.

:bird:

Jesus! All that's missing from this "argument" is calling me an assbag and saying cock custard a couple of times and voila - it's like Nicey never left to

[Roboklopp]

I love having KK back, but have to admit it is opening up old wounds reading the Reade book.

It infuriates me Rafa has his reputation tarninshed so much with us, even if he is never coming back (& I dont believe he will).

[Chrono]

I think that the main reason to why he left Inter was that he felt that he needed a break...

FLMAO! Yeah, it was probably that

[Kenneth]

FLMAO! Yeah, it was probably that

[Glenn Hysen]

FLMAO! Yeah, it was probably that