The Benitez Thread

[OneMoSalah 8,776]

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.
  

The things I've put in bold, if he can recreate them stats to an extent here at Chelsea. Then he will have done a very very good job. Even half of the stats in bold, still a very good job.

[zolayes 14,489]

@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...

If you mean G G ex gooner and us ,,,,coached gooners with great success thats when they became Arse 1 nil ...

probably the best pundit on tv

[whats-the-mata 10]

[Ollie 4,400]

He got sacked from Liverpool and he messed up Inter. I'm sure he has had spells where he hasn't won for 5 games, anyway it's been an emotional day, my facebook has had lots of action too, been hectic so i'm going to bed. But not before i search RAWK with the thought in my mind of Benitez and Torres' Chelsea going to win at Anfield. We tried to take their players, Benayoun, Torres, Meireles... they failed so next we took their manager, the manager of that mega annoying night in Istanbul.

Gonna enjoy reading through these rats forums.

Ahh here we go guys.

ENJOY!!!

http://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?topic=300132.0

[Rubber bullets 1,183]

Hiring Rafa as Chelsea manager is like watching your daughter do porn movies.

[Muzchap 8,966]

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

Why would I share my opinions with Cunts?

Like I said MOST trophies in the past 9 years of any English Club!

That's called RESULTS!!!

RA is a business man, a very successful one too - you don't get like that trading on sentiment...

Which is what's happening here...

[Rmpr 8,977]

The things I've put in bold, if he can recreate them stats to an extent here at Chelsea. Then he will have done a very very good job. Even half of the stats in bold, still a very good job.

He can not make us score 119 goals and be an extremely good defense. He has 6 months and less than 30 games.

[Spike 12,049]

I think more of you liked RDM more as a personality than as a manager. And that is why you're upset, he has a lot of sentimental value. He is a pretty cool guy but he does make some strange tactical decisions.

[Muzchap 8,966]

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

Heh that's what I initially thought - but every time I thought it was shit, something good happened, so I think I owe RA at least the chance to prove me wrong this time...

I mean after Mourinho I really considered abandoning football but I'm glad I didn't - so that's where I'm at

Although part of me wonders if we could have dominated the world under JM....

[zolayes 14,489]

Why would I share my opinions with Cunts?

Like I said MOST trophies in the past 9 years of any English Club!

That's called RESULTS!!!

RA is a business man, a very successful one too - you don't get like that trading on sentiment...

Which is what's happening here...

saw the Adriano goal last night .....that was GREAT business ,,,,I STILL believe football is a sport and SENTIMENT is important

is important that is why we support our clubs ,,,,not just to win trophies ,,,,,I do honestly DETEST many of the things the Russian and his board are

doing

[Shogun 721]

I'm going to struggle rooting for you with this horrible, disrespectful cunt in charge. Hopefully he's gone by February.

[BlueSunshine 672]

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

Whatever happens he deserves what we give every manager as a goodbye too. A kick in the ass after 6-12 months...

[Laylabelle 9,351]

I think more of you liked RDM more as a personality than as a manager. And that is why you're upset, he has a lot of sentimental value. He is a pretty cool guy but he does make some strange tactical decisions.

as did Rafa.I remember Gerrards wtf face at some of them.he made such random subs

If he had been a sucess at Inter would be more confident. But he lasted 6 months and been free for 2 years. Hopefully prove me wrong and be a sucess but just seems a weird choice. And bog off if it is to help get the best of torres!he is older little chance of being back and staying at it

[Kostas 1,468]

After an initial outburst I came as much in terms with the events as I realistically could. The fact that it's a temporary appointment points to us still waiting for whoever it is we've been wanting to sign since firing AVB and if realistically Torres doesn't make a tremendous comeback into form maybe the club will finally realise that it's time to get rid of him or at least diminish his importance.

All those hopeful thoughts aside, I still don't' see the point of getting rid of one hugely popular caretaker for another one who is a PR disaster waiting to happen. An internal burst-up could explain much but for now we're in the dark and trying to be content with the most bizarre decision since Mou.

[SeB 1,281]

My thoughts on Benitez's appointment:

I'm quite disappointed to see Benitez coming in considering - and I won't lie - the Chelsea-Liverpool rivalry is one thing among others that made me supporting this club.

But we have to move on, I was critical enough about Robbie's tenure despite the respect I had for him. Things had to change, it was a mess most of the time and not only because of the sporting policy (selling Meireles, loaning Essien).

The possession football ersatz is a fiasco for one and a half season and we have to find something else, especially now with a reduced squad and the direct impact of playing twice in a week. I think Rafa will come back to more a more coherent approach than the one we used until now, that'll be more defensive than the one Robbie used ; considering it was difficult to adopt a more risky approach than the one we had (no pressing, exposed defence)

The system isn't an issue, a system is the position on the paper and what makes the difference is the playing animation. I do think Benitez'll keep the 4-2-3-1 but asking more work down the flanks and feature more players behind the ball during the attacking sequences. I do think we haven't enough players in midfield to play 4-3-3 (until January, if we can sign renforcements).

I've several questions about how the situation could turn: tracking back, pressing etc... is a matter of instructions but for 90% that's mentality to give one's best when the ball is lost.

Defensively Mata, Hazard, Sturridge aren't good enough (they don't position themselves as defenders, not any particular ease to regain the ball) and didn't put the sufficient effort to regain the ball or help in the process.

As AVB was more concerned by goals and results, thus why he could not change drastically the goalscorer Sturridge's instructions in the channel and RdM had probably to cope with the freshness of his squad ; we weren't able to produce a sufficiently good pressing. And when we actually did it this season, we were forced to give away 15 or 20mn thinking about the next game to rest the XI players that'll start 3 days after

So that's why I wonder if Bertrand and Azpilicueta won't have bigger game time, not only for rotation purposes but also as genuine tactical choices.

The consequence of such a change will be that the play will be more direct, meaning that there will be less passes in the build up of attacks (not especially 6ft+ striker, kick & rush, second balls & stuff). The movements will be more of run/service, especially through space. Probably more crosses as well, thus Bertrand/Azpilicueta's purpose

I was bemused by how many did think that Falcao would run into that team and score loads of goals considering we didn't feature neither width, exclusive service, crosses, space to run into... But with the gameplan I do think Benitez'll apply, that's different and bringing Falcao in makes more sense.

About the farce of the remarks about the defenders, coping better with transitions will magically improve the defenders' abilities to regain the ball. Or it will just prove that the bad defending is Hazard not tracking back leaving Luiz forced to come out or retreat and see the opponent exploit the defending and play in due manner (retreats: you can carry the ball / the defender comes out: you release the ball as he closes you down)

[Ollie 4,400]

Reading through this is awesome. If we think we're pissed off.... read through this, it's great. Now we have to win the league at Anfield.

http://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?topic=300132.0

[Slam Dunk 1,442]

I think more of you liked RDM more as a personality than as a manager.

Nail on the head.

[gr123 167]

He got sacked from Liverpool and he messed up Inter. I'm sure he has had spells where he hasn't won for 5 games, anyway it's been an emotional day, my facebook has had lots of action too, been hectic so i'm going to bed. But not before i search RAWK with the thought in my mind of Benitez and Torres' Chelsea going to win at Anfield. We tried to take their players, Benayoun, Torres, Meireles... they failed so next we took their manager, the manager of that mega annoying night in Istanbul.

Gonna enjoy reading through these rats forums.

Ahh here we go guys.

ENJOY!!!

http://www.redandwhi...?topic=300132.0

To be honest, RAWK is so bad that even 95% of Liverpool fans think its a piece of shit and full of deluded morons.. but still a good laugh to read.

I do find it funny reading comments from them like 'keep off our players' - yeah, cos their shitty little squad is full of world class players