Rafa Benitez' masterplan here

[NishC300 1,865]

Dammit, I expected some waiter jokes...

Uh....if Rafa's the FSW then Guardiola's TSW ? (even though Guardiola's gr8!) Happy? :D

[The only place to be 11,313]

On this occasion I will correct you because I think you are wrong and have been wrong in previous conversations we've had regarding him.

Status and experience are not pre-requisites for success but they are a good start. However knowing the internal workings of how a football club operates, how agents operate, how the dynamics of a football club operate, how tactical strategies make their way off a whiteboard and onto the field of play and how good players apply those instructions, how opposing strategies effect your own and how to counter them - experience at the highest level will greatly assist, whereas little experience will have you at a distinct disadvantage.

Having a degree in international relations won't help much either, sports sciences may in a way.

Now if you're really and honestly querying Begiristain qualifications with me, you really ought to think more before you type (and I'm trying not to sound too harsh), because all you've done is prove my argument to be wholly true. He has overseen the building of a team and tactics that are generally regarded as being the best in the world. He has done this by marshalling the majority of the team through the Barcelona system into the first team. He doesn't possess a Degree in International Relations and/or Sports Science or played for a fourth division English team or in fact coached a girls soccer team. What he did do was play at the highest level, experience at first hand some of the best managers in the world and know the art of football back to front. He probably learned the politics of football reasonably well too. No surprise a top team have taken him, I ask again who'll take Emenalo, I'll treat you to a night on the beer if he gets a job at a top four team in England, Italy, Spain or Germany - if he doesn't you can treat me, are we on?

Whilst that's tempting, I'm not sure he would get a job elsewhere. He doesn't have the football career that Begeristain had, he wasn't part of this club before joining it and I doubt he'll have many offers if/when he leaves.

But there are a few things regarding him that I find encouraging. Since he took over, I think our transfer record, our targets, the prices we've paid and even the wages paid (that we know of) have all been better than they were in the years preceding his appointment. Now how much of that was down to FFP, agents and our scouting network is up for debate but if he's going to get the blame for certain things, then he should get some of the credit.

The loans we have in place have garnered a lot of attention, but I think you could look at almost all of them (particular the more talented players like the Belgians, Kalas etc.) and say they're all very worthwhile. With Eddie monitoring them I expect that to continue, but I think it's realistic to expect maybe 5 of them to join the first-team squad next year. Even Bamford at MK and Kane's sojourn to Blackburn seemed to have worked out relatively well.

Then there's the Academy, which probably has many different people who can be attributed with it's success. Either way, as the bloke who oversees it he'll probably deserve some credit (although I can't stress enough how much other people deserve more) with the way it's going. It's fair to say it's one of the best in the world now and only on Wednesday we saw another graduate make his first-team debut.

He's also taken some pretty unpopular stands on certain issues, in particular the Lampard contract issue (although how much of that is him and how much is Roman is unclear). It would be the easiest thing in the world to give him a contract, have his photo taken with him signing it and let the people kiss his feet for a few days. But Lamps clearly doesn't fit into our team as well as someone earning that wedge might be expected to. Whether you agree with this or not, it's obviously not an easy decision to make.

Finally, we hear a lot about yes men and sycophants but here's a guy who has worked his way up through the club, kept his nose clean doing it and been one of the few areas of stability in the club. When you talk about the Fergusons and Wengers having this type of person above them, of course they wouldn't. THEY are the stabilising factor and that can be a good thing (Fergie) or it can be a destructive thing (Wenger - they simply can't sack him because he is so powerful and so entwined with the DNA of Cashburden). By the very nature of our club right now I think his role is a necessity.

And I think he might work well with Jose because he has no aspirations to be manager (that we know of). It's very easy to say we should get Hiddink in to do that job but the moment things get sticky then you'll see stories about Guus being ready to step in, and why wouldn't he? He's a threat to any manager because he's so good at their job. He's the proverbial Sword of Damocles hanging over them, whereas Emenalo is somewhat impotent.

So I get your point about him being over-promoted and under-qualified and I can see the merit in it. I just think that the results that fall under the remit of his job have actually been encouraging. The same goes for Gourlay.

I've recently started thinking that Buck's job may well need reviewing because he's been here since Day One and overseen many of the bad decisions that have got us to this point in time. I admire the stance he took on JT's trial but you can't overlook what has gone on under his watch.

Ultimately the buck does stop with Roman though. It's very hard to criticise a man who has given us so much, and nigh-on impossible to call for his head but he was the guy up there in Munich - the buck does stop with him and this club has suffered due to his pursuit of Pep. It's why we needed an interim coach, why we appointed Robbie as permanent manager, why we tried to cut costs this year and why we pursued the transfer policy we did. Hopefully the failure to get him will make Roman see things slightly differently going forward and appoint the guy we all want.

FYI I don't think you sounded harsh at all. You put your point across well and we're all grown-ups here.

[Peace. 4,352]

The standard I'd hold him to would be to look at the same or very similar roles at similarly sized or clubs of the standard/level we believe we're at or would like to be. Therefore for example:

• Leonardo @ Paris St Germain
• Zinedine Zidane @ Real Madrid
• Mattias Sammer @ Bayern Munich
• Fernando Hierro @ Malaga
• Txiki Begiristain @ Man City

Now if we are to have one of these DOF's then status and experience within football at a high level seems to be the modus-operandi of the larger/largest clubs.

That's part of what I mean by over-promoted. We've got a bloke who's played, for not very long for Notts County and managed a girls football team, in that 'soccer' hub the good 'ole US of A!!

My friend, I want to correct you on one thing : Zizou.

He is no longer DOF at Madrid, and this since the start of this season (I'd say around July/August). He is passing his coach degree in France, as far as I can remember. And he is not the better example to back-up your opinion — his appointment was more a PR move than anything else, I think. To my understanding, it was Mou who wanted him, and, before that he was Perez's advisor... So you know, it has more to do with the fact that his name is ZIDANE than with his abilities.

[MHL 47 378]

My friend, I want to correct you on one thing : Zizou.

He is no longer DOF at Madrid, and this since the start of this season (I'd say around July/August). He is passing his coach degree in France, as far as I can remember. And he is not the better example to back-up your opinion his appointment was more a PR move than anything else, I think. To my understanding, it was Mou who wanted him, and, before that he was Perez's advisor... So you know, it has more to do with the fact that his name is ZIDANE than with his abilities.

As I understand it, his position and title is still DOF at Real Madrid. You are absolutely correct that he's doing his coaching badges currently and then returns full time to Madrid to act as a coach to some of the younger age groups. According to reports he was scouting Bale on Monday night this week.

Again I'd agree that his appointment was as much of a PR exercise and gaining Jose some merits with the Madrista's as it was about a DOF role. If I'd have been pulled up on Zidane, It would have been more difficult to argue my stance.

[Peace. 4,352]

As I understand it, his position and title is still DOF at Real Madrid. You are absolutely correct that he's doing his coaching badges currently and then returns full time to Madrid to act as a coach to some of the younger age groups. According to reports he was scouting Bale on Monday night this week.

Again I'd agree that his appointment was as much of a PR exercise and gaining Jose some merits with the Madrista's as it was about a DOF role. If I'd have been pulled up on Zidane, It would have been more difficult to argue my stance.

Ah ! You might be right ! Actually, I've said that he wasn't DoF anymore because I recalled that Mourinho said so at the start of the season. So I've searched through the internet, but I couldn't find anything confirming either he wasn't anymore or he still was...

The only things I could found on the matter are :

"He isn't DOF anymore. He wants to be happy in his work. He has chosen to become a coach. [...]" Mourinho, the 28th (?) of September 2012

"I am still working at Madrid, with the reserve, with the youth. I'll try and pass my coach degree [...]" Zizou, the 30th of September.

I don't really know anymore...!

[Amblève. 4,995]

Uh....if Rafa's the FSW then Guardiola's TSW ? (even though Guardiola's gr8!) Happy? :D

What does TSW stand for?

[gary gordon 1,777]

This forum is turning to shit....

[NishC300 1,865]

What does TSW stand for?

Thin Spanish Waiter