Rafa Watch

[Craig_H]

Obviously it can't be utter balls if so many of our rival fans attack Rafa by calling him a fat spanish waiter, make fun of his rants and his goatee. That makes no difference to Liverpool fans because obviously we recognize most of his good qualities but you can't deny that image makes a difference to outsiders

Yes, and when football clubs are run by idiotic fans, you might have a point about why he hasnt been given a job yet. Did Niall Quinn worry about employing Steve Bruce because he's got 'a big fat head' ?

Til then though...

[Fivex]

FACT- Majority of people make judgements based on image and appearance and that has a massive effect on how people in top jobs are regarded by outsiders.

If your successful every season then obviously no-one will care but if your struggling then it will reflect badly. And its not just weight gain, its the overall image

How can you be sure that he wasn't wearing a thin-suit back then?

[Exiled_red]

True, but he has a few PL titles behind him, a reputation for beautiful football and for spotting undervalued players.

Rafa has a couple of Spanish titles and a Champions League win behind him. And despite the common idea that he was poor in the transfer market he has bought some very good players that have gone on to bring in large fees and has made a profit on a significant number of his transfers.

Also I would say that Wenger has been as guilty of Rafa for pissing people off and strange decisions but he hasn't got anywhere near the same amount of stick for it.

[Vermilion]

I dont think Rafa's perceived bickering with owners helps him much. Rumour had it he asked for £30m as a transfer budget and Villa said no.

Don't blame him either, why go to another club to be someones 'patsy', he said he would only take on a good project, and tbf, if Villa can't give their next supposedly long term managerial appointment a poxy 30mill then why bother, they won't compete for **** all on that basis.

[Craig_H]

^^ I wasnt saying i blame him. But his record of arguing with owners (not unjustifiably) and the combination of him wanting more of a budget than Villa would give, might suggest choppy waters further down the line, which Villa's owner wont fancy.

[Vermilion]

^^ I wasnt saying i blame him. But his record of arguing with owners (not unjustifiably) and the combination of him wanting more of a budget than Villa would give, might suggest choppy waters further down the line, which Villa's owner wont fancy.

No, never said you did blame him, just saying imo he was right to ask for certain conditions.

He was'nt pleading for the job and Villa knocked him back, which is how the story sounds from certain quarters, they contacted him...he said these are the circumstances under which i'm willing to manage this club, take it or leave it, or get a less experienced manager.

[Exiled_red]

I suspect he has been frank about discussions of transfer budgets probably based on his previous experience with us and Valencia, as on both occasions he has been messed about have had funds taken away from him or at least been mislead. I would imagine that given these experiences it's natural that he would ask these questions - I suspect that these are the questions Lerner won't want to give a straight answer to...

[Kenneth]

@Arn

[Baracus]

Its strange that when most Englishmen want to move away to Spain. Rafa and his family want to stay.

[Cormack74]

Rafa has a couple of Spanish titles and a Champions League win behind him. And despite the common idea that he was poor in the transfer market he has bought some very good players that have gone on to bring in large fees and has made a profit on a significant number of his transfers.

Good point.

Taking the £30m profit into account from Torres sale his net spend must have been comparatively low?

(Someone's bound to work it out for me).

[Exiled_red]

Good point.

Taking the £30m profit into account from Torres sale his net spend must have been comparatively low?

(Someone's bound to work it out for me).

The figures I recall put his total spending at ~£230m and total sales at ~£150m giving a net spend of ~£80m in his time here or about £13m (net spend) a season. But he left us with a squad including his signings such as Torres and Mascherano who when sold would wipe that spend out. So the idea that he did poorly in the transfer market is a myth.

[Lee]

The figures I recall put his total spending at ~£230m and total sales at ~£150m giving a net spend of ~£80m in his time here or about £13m (net spend) a season. But he left us with a squad including his signings such as Torres and Mascherano who when sold would wipe that spend out. So the idea that he did poorly in the transfer market is a myth.

It's a disgraceful myth. The press have ignored Rafa's net spend, his profit and the good players that he signed, and happy-clappy football fans have jumped aboard the bandwagon.

Cunts, the lot of them.

[dww]

^^ I wasnt saying i blame him. But his record of arguing with owners (not unjustifiably) and the combination of him wanting more of a budget than Villa would give, might suggest choppy waters further down the line, which Villa's owner wont fancy.

There is something in it but I really think in the case of Villa the story sounds like Rafa asked if they were serious about trying to win things and they said 'not really if it costs serious money'. I can't see Rafa going to a club where he couldn't compete to win things. I think he has a very focussed idea of what that would take in the PL.

He might also feel that the way that Villa allowed a promising academy setup to seemingly wither and die under O'Neill would indicate the sort of short termist thinking that blighted us under Hicks and Gillett.

[Neil Young]

There is something in it but I really think in the case of Villa the story sounds like Rafa asked if they were serious about trying to win things and they said 'not really if it costs serious money'. I can't see Rafa going to a club where he couldn't compete to win things. I think he has a very focussed idea of what that would take in the PL.

That's how I see it. I don't think it's a personality issue at all.

[Arn]

There is something in it but I really think in the case of Villa the story sounds like Rafa asked if they were serious about trying to win things and they said 'not really if it costs serious money'. I can't see Rafa going to a club where he couldn't compete to win things. I think he has a very focussed idea of what that would take in the PL.

He might also feel that the way that Villa allowed a promising academy setup to seemingly wither and die under O'Neill would indicate the sort of short termist thinking that blighted us under Hicks and Gillett.

If Lerner won't back the manager and that is the reason to why every target turns them down then if I was a Villa fan then I would be furious.

£30m net is almost nothing in the transfer market now. If he had asked for £70m net then it would be understandable if Lerner said no but not if it was £30m.