Leif

Rafa Benitez' achievements with Liverpool: August 2004 – January 2010 2004-05 Liverpool became the 1st British club to ‘keep’ the European Cup following a 5th Final success. 2005-06 Became only the 3rd team, and the 1st British side, to win the European Super Cup 3 times. Steven Gerrard became the 1st Liverpool player in history to score in 5 successive European matches. Kept clean sheets in each of their opening 4 league games for the 1st time in the club’s history. Liverpool set a new club record of 11 consecutive clean sheets (Oct-Dec 2005). Went 762 minutes without conceding a league goal (a post-war club record). Won 10 league games in a row for the 1st time in 15 years. At Luton Liverpool scored 5 goals in an away F.A. Cup tie for the 1st time in 59 years. Liverpool beat Manchester United for the 1st time in the F.A. Cup for 85 years. Recorded their biggest ever away win in the F.A. Cup (7-0 at Birmingham) and the biggest by any team away from home in the Quarter-Finals for 106 years. Conceded only 8 league goals at home – their 3rd best total ever. Set a club record of 12 successive wins in all competitions (it was extended to 14 at the start of the following season). By lifting the F.A. Cup became the 1st manager in the club’s history to win a trophy in each of his first 2 seasons in charge. Set a club record of 21 goals scored by substitutes in a season – previous record was 12. Achieved the 6th-highest accumulation of available league points in the club’s history, and at the time, the 2nd-highest ever number of wins (as a % of games played) 2006-07 Recorded his 50th league win in just 93 games – a record bettered by only 2 Liverpool managers of the previous 57 years, Dalglish and Shankly. Went unbeaten in 30 successive home league games for only the 4th time in their history. Scored 4 goals in the 1st half of an away league game (at Wigan) for the 1st time in 15 years. Pepe Reina kept more clean sheets in his first 50 league games (28) than any other goalkeeper in the club’s history. Conceded only 7 league goals at home – best total for 28 years. Only second English side to win in Nou Camp (previous one was Liverpool in 1976). Reached second Champions League final in three seasons. 2007-08 Beat Besiktas 8-0 to record the biggest ever Champions League victory. Scored 4 goals in a game on 8 occasions before Christmas for only the 3rd time in club’s history. Steven Gerrard scored his 23rd European goal – to break the club record. Pepe Reina kept his 50th league clean sheet in his 92nd appearance – breaking club record of 95 held by Ray Clemence. Steven Gerrard became the 1st Liverpool player ever to score in 5 successive European games in the same season. Fernando Torres became the 1st Liverpool player in 62 years to score a hat-trick in successive home league games. Rafa Benitez won 81 of his first 150 league games in charge. Only Kenny Dalglish (87) won more as Liverpool manager. Liverpool had 6 players who scored 10 goals or more in a season. Only the 3rd time this had happened in the club’s history. Fernando Torres equalled the club record by scoring in an 8th successive home league game (all divisions). Fernando Torres scored 24 league goals – most by any Liverpool player in a debut season for 61 years. Fernando Torres broke Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s record of most goals in a debut Premier league season by an overseas player. Pepe Reina won the Golden Glove for the 3rd successive season. Liverpool scored 119 goals in the season – more than any team in England. 2008-09 Liverpool won 9 successive home league games for the 1st time since November 1990. Ended Chelsea’s 84-game unbeaten home record. Became only the 2nd English team to win in the Bernabeu. At Anfield inflicted upon Real Madrid their biggest ever Champions League defeat. Recorded their biggest win at Old Trafford for 72 years. It was also the 1st time 4 Liverpool players had scored at United in the same game. Broke Bill Shankly’s record of 65 European matches as Liverpool manager. Broke Bob Paisley’s record of 40 European wins as Liverpool manager. Recorded his 100th league win as manager in his 181st game. It was the 3rd quickest ever by a Liverpool manager and 50 games faster than Alex Ferguson. Equalled club record set in 1904-05 by winning 13 away league games. Amassed their highest points total ever in the Premier League (86) beating the 82 set in 2005-06. Their highest in the league since 1987-88. Scored at least 3 goals in 6 successive games in all competitions for the 1st time in the club’s history. Finished the campaign with a goal difference of + 50 – their best for 21 years when they amassed + 63 in 1987-88. Lost just twice in the league – equalling the fewest they had lost in a league campaign for 105 years. Pepe Reina kept his 100th clean sheet in the fastest time in Liverpool history (197 games). Won 75% of all available league points – 2nd highest in the club’s history. The highest number of points by any team which failed to win the league (38 game seasons) 2009-10 Went unbeaten in 31 home league games – their 3rd longest ever run and best for 32 years. Against Manchester United recorded his 114th league win in his 200th game. The 2nd best tally by any Liverpool manager in first 200 league games (Kenny Dalglish 120 wins). Liverpool won a 3rd successive league game at Everton for only 3rd time in club’s history. Pepe Reina set a new club record of most clean sheets (79) in first 150 league games. Liverpool scored 22 goals in opening 7 league games – best tally for 114 years in the history of the Club and 2nd best ever in the Premiership. Broke club record by scoring in an 18th successive Premier League game at Anfield. Fernando Torres broke the club record by scoring his 50th league goal for Liverpool in just his 72nd match.

Rafa is known for playing an extra-deep back-line, no? If he's allowed to do that here, it'll be interesting to see how Luiz does. I get the feeling he's going to go with Mikel - Romeu to protect the back 4. Mikel acting as the Xabi Alonso (lol) while Romeu acts as Mascherano (lol). He likes to have a supporting midfielder for his loan striker. So either Oscar or Mata will have a slightly different role behind Torres with a lot less interchanging than they've become used to. Moses will probably be given a Kuyt role and yeah. Not good for the future, but probably good enough to see this season through!

If he dares to split up Mazacar I will rape him.

One more thing which'll make me seem even more Anti-Chelsea (which I'm not). You can't actually really disagree with most of the quotes he made about us while he was Liverpool manager, or even after his Liverpool days. We're not very passionate supports on the whole, we're not a model club, and we've not got a wealthy history filled with trophies, as he's said. I'm not saying any of those things are necessarily bad things, but it's ignorant to slate him for stating the truth while he managed one of our rivals.

People seem to be getting rather angry about this whole thing without actually giving any reasons. Is it because of his Liverpool ties? If that's the case, don't you dare support Torres, ever talk nicely of Joe Cole, ever contemplate the idea of us signing Suarez etc. Double standards are naughty. If it's because of his CV, you're deluded. A Champions League winner coming in on an interim deal? How on earth can you slate Roman for that. Here's a thought - Someone, right now, name one person more suited to taking the job until the end of the season who's available and willing to coach our players. Go.

How does Roman know 'what the fans want'? We take barely any banners to stadiums, have some of the quietest support in the league and he doesn't exactly browse these forums. He's doing what he believes is best for the club.

He's (Rafa) signed an 18-month deal apparently

IMPORTANT- All my earlier posts were me just trying to look for the positives in this appointment with a bit of delusion. I am in no way happy at Rafa being our manager. Hopefully it's short-term.

According to almost every reputable journalist, Rafa is now our manager. I assume he hasn't actually signed a contract yet, but who knows.

Another Spaniard for Mata to play with. This makes me happy.

Italian Job Robbie is already being linked with Napoli and taking over according to Italian media

Fucking hell. Louis Saha is implying (i think) on Twitter that we loaned out Lukaku, let go of Kalou, Drogba, Bosingwa etc. and 'banished' Malouda because of Terry's racism thing..

YOLO

Has anyone tried the "5:2" diet? Or, not 'diet', but lifestyle change in terms of eating? You eat whatever you want within your calories for 5 days of the week, then restrict yourself to around 800 or less calories for 2 (non-consecutive) days of the week. Apparently following this template can add literally 20 years to your life in some cases. It takes its inspiration from Ramadan and the fact that our ancestors a very long time ago didn't have 24/7 access to food like most of us do now. They put some mice on a similar eating regime and it increased their lifespan by 3 years on average. (They usually would only live 2 years; but on this, 5 years.) I think I'm going to try it for a month or two and just see how it works. Google "the 5:2 diet" if you want more indepth, accurate info than what I've provided.

I hope Robbie gets a nice little job in Italy. I can see him taking over at a club like Pescara personally.

If we sign Sven to take over I will cry. I'm also surprised to see that odds of Avram Grant taking over are 40/1!!!!

Rafa isn't a defensive manager. Inter had defensive players. So he used defensive tactics there. Liverpool had Torres. He knew how to get the best out of him. So he deployed counter-attacking tactics. At Valencia, he had possession-based attacking tactics, while deploying counter-attacking tactics when needed. I could compare what he had them doing on the pitch to what Real Madrid do now. He's been different at all the clubs he's managed. He did the "Spanish Job" with Valencia. Does anyone remember the player Aimar was under Rafa at Valencia? Imagine what he could potentially do with any 3 of our maestros. With the striker he made 'one of the best' at one point. (Well, in some people's eyes anyway.) With the financial power no other club he's been at could offer. There COULD be allot of positives to appointing Rafa. No need for all the pessimism.

BRING BACK MEIRELES! i miss his tattoos.

Is anyone else literally just spending their day refreshing this forum, Twitter, etc. and waiting for news of our new/interim manager popping up? I bet i'll waste my day away doing just that to find out it's Steve Holland or Terry as a player-manager (it's not exciting as it sounds).

YOLO

Oh by the way guys. As far as "stability brings success", which clubs has that actually worked for? Borussia Dortmund at the moment. Bayern Munich. Real Madrid in a sense. Barcelona (although their success hasn't been as stable as some assume.) Manchester United. Any other teams?

Aside from Pep, name one single available manager with a pedigree which matches Rafa's. Now throw his Premier League experience in with that. Now add his Torres experience onto that. I'm not saying I want him either, but blindly saying "FUCK RAFA WE DONT WANT U SO CALL ME MAYBE NOT XOXOX" is ignorant. I personally feel he's not got the right/positive attitude for our team, but as far as credentials go, there aren't too many, if any, available and realistic options for us at all who are 'on his level' in a sense.

RDM looked like a fly. AVB looked like a weasel. We need someone who looks like a mole next - Steve Kean?

I lol'd

@joeyb81, How many major honours have Liverpool won since the majority of us were inside or just exited the womb? I've never seen Liverpool win anything big before personally, apart from a fluke night in Turkey this one time.