The Benitez Thread

[Spike 12,049]

Rafa did a good job at Valencia. That's a fact.

Rafa just couldn't cut it at Liverpool. That's a fact.

Rafa was terrible at Inter. That's a fact.

Rafa is the new manager of CFC. That's a fact.

[Laylabelle 9,381]

Whose asst manager or that not been decided?

[Leif 6,006]

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!

[Muzchap 8,966]

Rafa did a good job at Valencia. That's a fact.

Rafa just couldn't cut it at Liverpool. That's a fact.

Rafa was terrible at Inter. That's a fact.

Rafa is the new manager of CFC. That's a fact.

Like - fucks sake ran out of like again! Can I have my like quota increased please????

[manpe 10,861]

Bingo.

We really have some youngsters on this forum. Go Watch Fawlty Towers lads!!

9.0 on IMDb? Will do :tophat:

[Tomo 21,733]

Can't believe some of the stuff i am reading, i have never really wanted Benitez at Chelsea but whether we like it or not he is Chelsea manager and we must get behind him, when he walks out of the tunnel on Sunday give him a decent welcome, im not saying create banners and profess our love for him, but give him a good welcome.

Yes he may have been Liverpool manager in the past which has led to animosity but did we love Ashley Cole when he was at Arsenal? Frank Lampard when he was at West Ham? You never know Rafa might just surprise us.

But whatever happens he deserves what we give every manager as a minimum a chance.

[BlueSanti 290]

Rafa did a good job at Valencia. That's a fact.

Rafa just couldn't cut it at Liverpool. That's a fact.

Rafa was terrible at Inter. That's a fact.

Rafa is the new manager of CFC. That's a fact.

Rafa is a cunt. That's a fact.

Even worse I have to support him now, just because Abramovic smoked too much weed and do not care about supporters opinion at all.

Great job Roman, you do not respect Chelsea legends and you bring guys we hate.

[zolayes 14,489]

Alright, the rage has cooled down a bit. Time to think what his major issues are (in order)...

1. Clattenburg misunderstanding has to be resolved imediately. We either prove it or drop it.

2. Make the players commit to your cause. Gather everyone and make them believe you have a decent strategy, spot the leaders and let them have voice to inflate the rest of the squad.

3. Stick with the formation you are used to and dont create some stupid lineup. Great coaches have a system (Wenger`s 4-3-3, Carlo`s midfield diamond, Pep`s false 9, etc).

4. Start by defense, it is always easier to make them obey and then free the players then to do the other way around. We just cant concede that many goals. We have CWC ahead.

5. Train setpieces (we have been horrible defensively), finishing and get us some width.

6. Make SB a fortress again, we cant go far in the league without a strong home record.

7. Get Torres back (impossible).

8. Lastly, after everything is sorted out, make us play a competitive beautiful football.

Only then, you will get the fans on your side.

bring in George Graham possibly the most pragmatic coach ,,OK managed the Gooners but one of the best football brains currently not

working ....might not be pretty but would organise ,,,let Rafa do the Press interviews

[Muzchap 8,966]

Can't believe some of the stuff i am reading, i have never really wanted Benitez at Chelsea but whether we like it or not he is Chelsea manager and we must get behind him, when he walks out of the tunnel on Sunday give him a decent welcome, im not saying create banners and profess our love for him, but give him a good welcome.

Yes he may have been Liverpool manager in the past which has led to animosity but did we love Ashley Cole when he was at Arsenal? Frank Lampard when he was at West Ham? You never know Rafa might just surprise us.

But whatever happens he deserves what we give every manager as a minimum a chance.

Like!

Great post

That's the spirit... None of us have a crystal ball to predict the future...

But we're on the Rollercoaster now, so lets see what happens next

Glass half full, rather than half empty approach....

[Henrique 9,133]

I used to support the sackings. Scolari, Carlo and AVB, all of them deserved the axe, because they are not good enough.

Right now its a madness. I really dont know if RDM was the right man for the long term run, but whats the point of sacking the guy right now.

Its November, if Guardiola is really the top 1 target, RDM could easily be the man to lead us to the end of the season.

Ending with 10 points in this group is not that bad, and our current position in PL is no that bad as well, we are benind 2 clubs that have a much better squad.

We are in a transition period, what can Benitez do to add to development of the team? The board really believe Benitez can turn this squad into a PL champion right now? This is not like previous seasons, where we already had a team, and the manager "only" had to keep that team working.

Right now there is no team, RDM was building one.

Perhaps Benitez got a short term deal, and then if Guardiola goes somewhere else, Benitez will know the club and will have a better chance to succeed in the long term.

[Tomo 21,733]

Whose asst manager or that not been decided?

Im hearing from some Eddie and Steve have been kept on but im hearing from others they haven't, hopefully they have.

[Leif 6,006]

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.
  

[OneMoSalah 8,785]

Wonder if Rafa will ditch his more defensive mentality and go for the three floating 10s but with a high pressing game unlike Robbie. Hes apparently a "strong tactician" so maybe he can solve the problems we are having by tweaking with Robbie's system. I'm sure he'd love to keep Mazacar in the team allowing them to interchange but if they cannot be positioned well defensively then we are fucked. If he drops Luiz for a while or straightens him out and makes us concede less then maybe we will win games more regularly rather than over committing at 1-0 and getting countered.

[Rmpr 8,977]

@Leif, he is not shit. His problem at Loserpool was he is a power egomaniac and he does not know how to buy.

@zolayes, I dont know him. Will do some research and see some videos. I come back with a answer soon...

[GoranZg 56]

How exactly is he doing something wrong?

Maybe you would love to discuss that on Liverpool's forum. They could give you an explanation or two

[klopfzeichen 78]

Can't believe some of the stuff i am reading, i have never really wanted Benitez at Chelsea but whether we like it or not he is Chelsea manager and we must get behind him, when he walks out of the tunnel on Sunday give him a decent welcome, im not saying create banners and profess our love for him, but give him a good welcome.

Yes he may have been Liverpool manager in the past which has led to animosity but did we love Ashley Cole when he was at Arsenal? Frank Lampard when he was at West Ham? You never know Rafa might just surprise us.

But whatever happens he deserves what we give every manager as a minimum a chance.

Here here.

RAFA BENITEZ BLUE AND WHITE ARMY, there I said it. :blue scalf:

[Laylabelle 9,381]

And yet they won only 3 trophies 2 of which on pens and were poor majority of the time in the league..

Not now gana get behing him cause gota deal just didnt do wonders at Inter and a risk in a way.just hope it pays off

[zolayes 14,489]

Like!

Great post

That's the spirit... None of us have a crystal ball to predict the future...

But we're on the Rollercoaster now, so lets see what happens next

Glass half full, rather than half empty approach....

Im sorry but Ive taken about as much as I can from the Russian ,,,,his appointments are his whims ,,,they will have to earn my respect and support.

no blind support any longer