No, I’m not saying Rafa should be manager. I love Sir Dalglish much too much.
FSG must be making some plans to unveil KK as manager when the time is right. It will be bigger than the royal wedding in red households when it happens.
However, back to the point of this article: Is there a place at the LFC table for the 51 year old Rafael Benítez Maudes?
Let’s look at just one of the many positives of Rafa:
He loves the club, the people and the city. Enough said.
But there is a little more:
Rafa turns up at the memorial service for the 96 out of respect and not self-promotion. He splashes the cash he got from the H&G shite, by not wanting to take the money away from the club/community, and gave large sums of it back. Never once in 6 years did he disrespected the fans and always knew he had them on his side. Do you remember the marches and protests on his behalf? He decided to take more control of the now praised Academy so going against the traditions that had brought Carra, Stevie Owen and Fowler. More importantly, he brought back King Kenny. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Oh I forgot …..
Lest we forget, Rafa won the 5th big lady we´d all been waiting for in Istanbul and even had a play written about it. He stood up to Fergie with what the press called his ‘rant’, which he had written down calmly. He was in a no win situation with H&G and never abandoned ship or complained when they blatantly stealing the money he needed for the squad. He tried to keep the club as stable as he could so we could keep fighting on. He got us closer to the Scum than we had in donkey´s. We saw he had the stature to be compared with the great managers of our glorious past. The greatest servant of them all said this:
“My respect for Rafa will always run deep partly because he invited me back…. It took a strong man to allow a predecessor back in the building…so I admired Rafa for not worrying about the past and simply doing what he thought was best for the club.”
Read the last part again please, KK believes what Rafa did was in the interests of the club. This is the traditional Dalglish mantra. All of the positives mentioned above were in the best interests of LFC.
(I was now going to write some negatives to give a more balanced view but there are so few of them and those are tiny in comparison).
It is easy to see now that Rafa understood the values and challenges of turning the club round, but was fighting a losing battle with board and funds. He seemed to have a traditionally socialist view of his role and in my view always understood the club was not about the money or even the winning but the fans and they needed to be heard. He always stood for what he believed in and one of them was not being afraid to bring back someone who is now so central to the club´s past, present and shortly its future. Supporters all wanted KK back and it was done on Rafa´s shift. What courage, thank you once more
There is rumour of him moving to an English club. I would hate to see you in the opposition´s dugout, wouldn´t you. There must be something LFC can do he is just too valuable for our cause.
By Shaun Dowling
I’m certain that Rafa would appreciate and would want a role at the club (Ambassador, Academy) much more than trying to further his career as City’s manager.
I dare anyone, I included, to exceed that. Rafa the Red is a true LFC legend, a true servant (and savant) of the club and gentleman. He brought Kenny back and the King was given an ambassadorial role. Is it time the club looked for some reciprocity? Not unreasonable at all.
No no no!!! He had his chance, and supporters are split over him anyway – it’s been so great to have everyone united behind a manager for the first time in years. Yes he understands the club but he made some big, big errors during his time in charge taht people overlook because of Istanbul and their hatred of the Cowboys.
Don’t talk shit. The fans are not divided by him. There is a small minority of sit at home sunshiners who wanted him out, but the majority of match going fans understood that he had done far more for the club than league position and performances had shown. People criticize Rafa for how he handled the youth but he has completely turned the setup around and it is now bearing fruit. While he did make many mistakes it still only really boiled down to having one bad season, a season where he lost some very important squad players and wasn’t given the sufficient funds to replace them.
I really want Kenny to get the job but, when Kenny does finally leave I would be more than happy to see Rafa back at the club
How dare you accuse me of talking shit. There’s more than a small minority you narrow minded and forgetful fool. He did not have “one bad season” either – how many trophies did we win after 2006? This is Liverpool after all – since when was anything but winning trophies success??
Look at the job Hodgson was doing on similar funds as Benitez had. Think about the circumstance he worked in with players sold on and no funds back. Bear in mind the big money signings the likes of aquliani only ever cost the club£5m not the press price.
Now tell me how far do you think the man could have fought with one hand behind his back??
WHAT ARE YOU ON? Hodgson had a net spend of -£12million.
Roma released the break down of the Aquilani deal; by the 30th June 2011 we will have paid 20 million euros.
Dave you talk utter shit.
Fuck off – it’s my opinion and I’ll back it up all day long – take off the Istanbul tinted glasses and wake up
Sit at home fans my arse!
If Rafa EVER comes Back to Liverpool Football club, you can have first dabs on buying my season ticket off me!
Knobs like you Murph shouldn’t be aloud inside Anfield. Chump!
i agree with ya DAIRHI
He’s never set foot in it the clown, he one of the deluded media sheep who sat on his ass and done noting while the cowboys was pillaging us.
Love Benitez to bits but he wouldn’t want to play second fiddle.
And rightly so. He’s a world class manager. I wish him all the best in finding a new job.
One thing’s for sure – he’ll be employed next season.
But for now, let Kenny do his stuff.
Spot on Mate! But will always defend the man he is one of us even if not a born one….
Thanx rafa and you are still young in management, there will always be a chance after sir king kenny. Plus neva mind the negativity of a minority for they have never really got LFC and at their convenience will also turn on King Kenny
oh puleeze! here we go with the ‘real’ supporters thing again! (thought we were past all that nonsense) you must be a scouser! tell me this collins, did you support souness and hodgson blindly too?
No he just backed the man that is statistically one of our top 3 best ever managers, who fought for us against the cowboys.
Have you really forgotten already how divisive Benitez was?
He continually fell out with players and refused to play them again – even when we could have used them – eventually forcing them to leave.
Every club he managed, he left under a cloud having wither been relegated or falling out with the owners.
I stopped going to the match, even though I had a season ticket because of the crap tactics and performances under Benitez .
Oh and don’t give me the Champions League win nonsense. If he had actually picked the right line-up in the first place, we would not have been 3 – 0 down at half time and he wouldn’t have made the changes he did that won us the game!
No thanks
Exactly – nail on the head mate
Never let him back.
Still a knob
Spot on mate.
I really cannot understand the love in for him.
People forget the massive mistakes he made and the mess he left the club in with a very ordinary squad. The pro rafa’s don’t want to hear about his mistakes, only his success which he did bring in 05 but I have to agree with you, that he got his tactics wrong that day and only due to Kewells injury and Finans was his hand forced thus changing the game. Gerrard bailed him out on numerous occasions. His treatment of some players was outrageous and his transfer record was ordinary at best. We hadn’t won anything in years. He went to Inter and failed there and blamed everyone else for his failings. He actually needs to prove himself again and maybe that will be with a Blackburn or Villa but not with us. Do people not remember how boring we were to watch, negative football, tactical genius, please don’t make me laugh. I wish him well but do not ever want him back with us. The only thing is, NESV, if they were to take him back at sometime will never allow him the power he had before or put up with his constant bickering with the board and press. Good luck Rafa but please leave us alone to succeed with Kenny
Two types of Liverpool supporters the informed intelligent ones who have the intellect to look at the bigger picture and know what a fantastic job that Rafa did,and the other lot are the ignorant sky TV flock who listen to Andy Gray as there guru.
“not wanting to take the money away from the club/community” What are you on about he earnt nearly £30 million while at the club.
Rafa you were appreciated, You Will Never Walk Alone.
I totally agree with this article. Rafa is a gem like our beloved King Kenny, PLEASE SUPPORT HIM AND GIVE HIM A ROLE IN THE CLUB. HE IS A STRONG MAN AND LIKE KENNY SAID HE WAS NOT AFRAID TO BRING HIM BACK. WE OWE HIM FOR BRINGING OUR BELOVED KING KENNY BACK.
benitez had his time and its over so get over it, his defensive style of play was dreadful, his man mangement was dreadful and the team he left was dreadful. I am very grateful to rafa for winning the champions league but his last season was torture
King kenny is back so no more benitez bullshit
Would be exciting next season:
Rafa Vs. The King
Would be exciting next season:
Rafa Vs. The King
I hope it’s a tie :)
Rafa is one of the best manager in offensive football, let us not forget that in his era we’ve beat the devil 5-1 in the theater of whatever…
When king kenny came, he knows that the defensive line were not at their best. And he fixed it.
I think it will be a good combination to both of them doing their own specialty.
I didn’t say that the king isn’t good at offensive but he has his own offensive style.
it makes me sad when I saw great liverpool legend like sammy hypia play for other club after what he had done for us.
I think rafa should join us, but still I’d let the king decide because he knows what is the best #YNWA
i was never a big fan of rafa and do not believe there is a role for him at our club now, however, having seen (at last!) the human and emotional side of benitez at the hillsborough memorial service, i do now hold him in higher esteem as he obviously loves our club but like i said, his time is over, long live the king!
Steve
You obviously had your head up your backside when Rafa was in charge. He did a lot for our club and has shown great passion for Liverpool both the city and the people of the city. He often showed his emotions when we played. There are many who would welcome him back at the club in a role of ambassador .just cos you don’t like him don’t feel you are speaking for the majority..your not
and your’s is still up your arse! rafa showed virtually NO emotion when in charge, he couldn’t celebrate a goal and could never praise a player. oh and by the way, where in my last post did i say i was talking for anyone other than myself? i was giving MY opinion if you’d care to read it again you clown! i also said that i now have a HIGHER opinion of rafa!
support sir KK and remember rafa with fondness. YNWA my red brothers
In all probability, when Kenny steps down, there could be a promotion with Steve Clarke taking his place. The players like Clarke, and his contribution since January has been magnificent even though mostly in the background.
Thank you Shawn for writing this article. I have been telling anyone who will listen that we should have Rafa back as Academy director.That was where he started his managerial career at R.Madrid, and due to the re-vamp he carried out it is now his baby.This would give him the control he craves(at youth level) while also removing the burden of buying players.This would allow him to tactically and technically develop the rough diamonds for Kenny to polish (eg Lucas)
I personally appreciate Rafa. I also want him rather to be in control of a first team then rather pulling the strings behind the curtain! He deserves much credit! Good luck Rafa whatever you decide to do! YNWA!!!!!!!!
I would love to see Rafa back in some capacity. He did so much for us under very difficult circumstances.
Here’s some of thr teams we beat under Rafa:
Inter Milan
AC Milan
Juventus
Man Utd
Arsenal
Chelsea
Real Madrid
Barcelona
Remember Olympiakos
Remember West Ham FA Cup
Remember 2008/09 season – 86 points in the league.
Look at the players in the youth team now – Sterling and Morgan scoring for fun.
Players breaking into the first team this season.
Even look at the money he spent:
A total net spend now of around £10million on Reina, Skrtel, Agger, Johnson, Lucas, Maxi, and not to mention the youth players, Aqua on loan, etc.
Benitez is a great man. We are blessed to have him and the King love our club.
GERRARD won the Olympiakos game and the west ham one for that matter. Spending £18 million on Johnson is not something to be proud of nor is signing Maxi.
How do you get to a £10 mil net spend?
Rafa is a legend and I would love to see him back one day when Kenny has had his fill. Maybe that will be the ironic twist, that Kenny brings Rafa back into the fold??
Some people of course only see negatives in Rafa’s reign and that is up to them if a 56% win ratio is not enough, the gradual decline in importance of domestic cups in favour of the big money associated with the CL and PL. An interesting fact to note is that Arsene Wenger finished BEHIND use in the league three times out of six while Rafa was here – but Wenger is still at Arsenal.
Then again, many people want instant gratification. Rafa built a title challenging side in 08-09 and wasn’t allowed to build any further being denied funds to buy back up for Torres especially (Jovetic).
He also left the club with players far better than Hodgson and the press had us believe. How did we ever put up with Hodgson’s signings? A sure sign, Meireles (A player Rafa had in his sights) aside that Hodgson had us down as a mid table side at best.
People also complain he fell out with players. Did he? Really? Or was this a myth put out by the UK press and Sky sports? The truth is out there folks, and to rely on one media source is not the most objective way of looking at things.
Rafa Benitez, Liverpool legend. Welcome back anytime.
No you’re right Alonso had to be carried away kicking and screaming. IT’S ALL A CONSPIRACY.
maybe rafa could be a director at the reserves and academy?
we were ranked number 1in europe when he was in charge. the problem lie wid da brittish media, pundits and mangers who always picked on everything he said which was not much as his english was not da best
Yes Tonio, Clark could be next he is only a year older than Kenny. He is also Scottish and there are more Scottish managers in the EPL than English. So there might be something in the drinking water of people north of the border that bodes well in football management.
As also suggested in the comments, Rafa could come back after Kenny. I want Kenny however he is no spring chicken and that worries me for the long term future of the club. WE certainly need someone who understands what we are about and the Liverpool Way. Comolli might be looking outside for a young up and coming bright manager from abroad. I think Rafa did many things this way but could never use this term as he didn´t work at the bootroom. He could come back.
I´m surprised there is so much anger posted about Rafa on this site. The next post also comments about this. I´m sure there will always be some people whose emotional IQ cn cuase concern but maybe they could use a better tone. I think they have a point but don´t have to be so blunt.
He did make mistakes Dave I don´t disagree with you but they are minor I feel to what he has done over an almost impossible period. Anfield was always maintained as a fortress under him.
Murph. Did you stop going to the matches when the Cowboys took over or before? I can understand your sentiments if it was that last year of Rafa´s reign I couldn´t watch myself. I wish he had handled the Alsonso saga better but he didn´t fall out with many players.
I´m glad that so many appreciated Rafa. He wasn´t bad at all. Look what we got after him. Woy of West Brom!!! We played the Liverpool Woy lol. Not the Liverpool way. There is another article there.
I´m over the moon that KK is in control and am close to tears with joy everytime I see him celebrate a goal or passes on a word onto a player from the touchline. It is amazing!!!
But thank you Rafa for everything and it is heartwarming you and your family appreciate the people of Liverpool after the dignified way you faced things.
‘reciprocity? Not unreasonable at all’ Dead right Sam.
This was the point of the article
Sorry Shaun, but Steve Clarke is 48 next august. That makes him iver 14 years younger than Kenny!
just want to say Thank You…RAFA…i can feel for u you are our great manager…TQ,
This is how Rafa spent his last £80 million £7m Dossena; £3.5m Cavalieri; £1.5m N’gog; £19m Keane; £8m Riera; Free Degen;£17.5m Johnson; £17.1m Aquilani; £2m Kyrgiakos; £160,000 Ayala; £1.5m Maxi Rodriguez. Not one player has had a sustained positive impact on the 1st team. Johnson is the closest to being a success yet can’t defend, and while supposedly being amazing going forward is lucky if he reaches 3 goals and 3 assists a season.
Glen Johnson can’t defend = biggest myth in football
He’s at a push the 3rd best right back at the club behind Kelly and Flannagan. Played well at left back but for £18 mill should be a hell of alot better.
You had your time Rafa, go play somewhere may be come back later. I said may be! Was really gutted when he played second fiddle and failed to win the only to come second after looking the champipnship was going to be ours a few seasons ago!!! He sold players at the wrong time when he could have hung onto them for a little longer to see the season through and win the league, remember Crouch and Kean? Yes those two, he clearly and loudly announced that if things went wrong it would be his fault and for sure they did, he failed. Gerrard and Torres picked up injuries and the team slumped. He tried to build the team around two people only when a team is made up of 11 players plus subs. Do not forget so quickly!
Raga was an excellent manager for LFC. He did more than could have been reasonably expected with the comparative resources at his disposal. His efforts returned the club firmly to the top table of european football. Proper support from the inadequate hierarchy would I believe have enabled him to do the same in the domestic game. He is still a young man and has expressed his desire to return at some stage. The biggest obstacle in his way to achieving this when KK has had enough is the owners belief that he was central to the problems the club were in at the time of the takeover despite his obvious achievements. He may be able to persuade Henry and company over time particularly if he performs at a high level elsewhere but it will take time.
Spot on Nick.
I honestly don’t understand Liverpools fans who have anything less than total respect and admiration for Rafa and what he has done for the club. Some of the accusations against him are completely incorrect, or made with out context and have been repeatedly repudiated by Tomkins among others, with facts and data. Others are made by opposing fans or bigots who can’t stand the thought of a successful foreigner managing LFC.
What Rafa achieved on limited funds is amazing. He built a world class side from picking up mid-level unsung bargains and turning them in to world beaters. Remember Reina, Torres, Mascherano, Alonso, Arbeloa, Agger – remember Houllier’s Gerrard (10 goals a season) vs the Rafa’s Gerrard (20+ a season). The class of 2009 should have met Barcelona in the European Cup final – truly a match up of the two finest teams in Europe from that time.
Thank you Rafa. YNWA.
Pedro, why are you so negative? Yes rafa did buy some stinkers but your arguments are completly irrelevant to the stroy. Let’s just remeber rafa for what he did for the club and try to at least overlook some of his faults.
People trying to re write history is my problem I love Rafa just as he loved the club. But he was losing it in his final year, bad press conferences were damaging the clubs image. He wasted £80 million at the end!!!!!!!!! Am I wrong?
people keep talking about alonso but he would have left eventually anyway look at fabregas at arsenal. i remember alonso stated in an article once that wanted to return to spain eventually.he would not have done so and the end of his days because he would want to play in his home country at top of his game.was rafa wrong to try and get top dollar.dont forget he was terrible in the season rafa tried to ofload him. the next season he gave everything to try to get to madrid.fair play.the be all and end all is we missed him terribly.that happens sometimes in football.
tell me this if rafa did come back with another team to anfield do you think 99% of fans will be cheering or booing.and i bet any who are complaining on here will be cheering too. and why? because we are liverpool we respect anyone who loves our great club.rafa wont be back as an ambassador he wants to manage. but if he did want to come back i would be up for it.someone who loves the club is always welcome in my book.
a sever bitch culture has crept into our club.for all those bitter fans who dont recognise cycles in football go and hunt trophies with the mancs.shanks built a team 3 teams really that gave a platform.rafa was trying to get us back on track long term.i think it was only a matter of time before kenny came back but he might never have if rafa hadnt brought him.
that says a lot about the man that he brought back someone for the best of the club that he knew fans would want as manager eventually.part of me thinks rafa knew he was on borrowed time with the yanks and brought kenny back so he would keep the club in safe hands.a question i would love to ask him.
I didnt always agree with rafas decisions but i supported him wholeheartdely because scorched into my heart is a liverbird.he was my manager and for me that is a sacred position in my club. a general whos orders i follow, i stand with ever manager because i am a soldier of the great club, i follow it whereever it may go.
on another point it amazes me how most people think managing a club is easy. why arent you all managers?? if your ideas are so great take your coaching badges and earn your stripes like rafa did.bring a team from a lower league to its top division. win the spanish league with a team thats not real or barca.there is more to everything in the background.would you play a player who’s looked crap in training all week over someone who’s run their balls off.etc etc etc.
i think we are starting back to great things. the manc’s cycle is coming to an end.its up to us to grab it now.all lot of the youth set up is coming through now,foundations laid by rafa.he brought in the coaches.sacraficed transfer funds for a better youth academy. perhaps his greatest legacy will be youth playes that come through with liverpool in their blood.
bottom line respect the man for the good things he did.mistakes he made were just that, mistakes. everyone makes them, we forgive people everyday for them.Anything he did was an honest attempt for the good of the club.those who are trying to take the 5th old lady and the fa cup final away from him wise the fuck up.liverpool supporters my balls.
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he brought in the coaches.sacraficed transfer funds for a better youth academy
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Spot on mate…
“he brought back someone for the best of the club that he knew fans would want as manager eventually.part of me thinks rafa knew he was on borrowed time with the yanks” he was on borrowed time?????????? He was on a 4 year contract which would of been honoured had he not promised 4th and failed to deliver.
if you read my response you should have picked up that i was talking about long term – borrowed time in the fact that when they took over he knew eventually that something was going to give either him or them.rafa wanted to stay as manager for 20-25 years like fergie did at utd but there was only so much he could do in his fight against them.the real blame lies elsewhere with those who sold to h&g in the first place.when a manager is forced to spend 20 million on a player he doesnt want he knows its only a matter of time before he is out.
i can see your point short term but when a manager evaluates how long he has at a club it drives what he does.think jose the mercenary.why i respect rafa is that despite how long he thought he had he always had the best long term interests of the club at heart.i was not saying he was a god but that we should respect what he achieved, what he tried to acomplish and most importantly how much he loved our club.
still sad of rafa’s departure, the best by far, bring back rafa, rafa the great, come back rafa. kenny not gonna finish next season
Fact: Rafa Benitez is not the past
Fact: Roy Hodgson was evidently a mistake
Fact: Kenny Dalglish is the present and the immediate future
Fact: Roy Hodgson has done a little miracle at WBA
Fact: Rafa Benitez will manage another PL team next season
Fact: Kenny Dalglish will do well, the players love him, the fans adore him
LIVE WITH IT!
A gd article. Rafa is a technician for the game.. he proved this on many occassions by killing man utd, kicking chelsea, beating barca also real madrid, quite comfortably on an occassion.. sadly he ran out of luck n money all thanks to gil n hicks n wasnt able to build up the squad … v hav today lucas, reina, kuyt n others thnks to him. i know its tym to move on but pls a true red will never accuse Rafa… every mngr makes mistakes n the ones he made r all but forgotten wen u c wat he did for lfc..
The comments on this thread prove why he should never be brought back to Liverpool.
I loved him, and thought he was exactly what we needed. I also think he may have won the league with David Moores still in charge; at least he would have got 20 mil a year to spend.
However, it’s over, and you lot should all get over it.
The King is back. Long Live The King!
Rafa swindled the club for £7 million. Only a fool would welcome him back in any capacity. The £96000 he gave the Liverpool Hillsborough victims is a con, so don’t fall for it!
Rafa is a Liverpool LEGEND. Nuff said.
In this day where most players and managers are mercenaries, Rafa’s love and commitment to LFC is amazing. To have a manager who truly loves the club he is managing is very rare, just look at most of the top managers across Europe, they are all mercenaries just interested in a mega salary. How can a manager truly say to his players go out there and play for the fans and the shirt when they know next season the same manager will be saying the same thing in a different dressing room.
I love Rafa for his commitment to LFC and the City of Liverpool, but for the failed American businessmen and Purslow I am certain Rafa’s reign would have flourished.
However we now have Kenny at the helm and Rafa’s position at the club is over, just maybe in the future he may return in some capacity.
You are right. Damn right. Please, when we discuss about Rafa, lets be objective and not emotional.
What he has done during his tenure, while dealing with all the negativity that surrounded the club then, is truly exceptional and he should be lauded for it.
Imagine what he could have done if he does not have to deal with all the money issues.
So what if you anti rafa people judging rafa by the flop players that he had spent. How about man city or arsenal, spent so much but at the end, no trophies. At least rafa win a CL. & i don’t care if rafa in that time using houllier squad, it is still rafa’s tactic to win the CL. Also thanks to the spirit of the reds player, they keep fighting till winning.
YNWA. LFC from brunei
Yes your right Tonio I should have written Rafa when I posted
Silvared, you sure your a real liverpool supporter? The compensation was more like £3-£4 million, so half of what you say. It was Hogdson that was given around £7m compensation for just 6 months work, not bad if you can get it! (although thats a disgrace) also would you have thought of Mr Benitez in a better light if he hadn’t given £96,000 to the Hillsbrough Fund/families? Boggles the mind.
On My B’s reign its a hard one to fuilly judge, because he was at times dealing with a limited fund (yes he spent a bit of money but also got a lot back, please read tomkins article about this) he spent a lot of energy trying to deal with the owners. A person who is never mentioned but has a lot of answer for is Rick Parry who received £4.2 million for choosing Hicks and Gillet over anyotehr parties. he admitted that he made a mistake although later came back to say that he picked the right choice.
Anyway with benitez he is perhaps the most knowlegable and hard working manager in the league and one of the tactically best, but where he falls down is that he doesn’t fully understand the premiership and whats required. Against teams of better quality or similar quality being tactically astute is important as matches like this can hinge on small moments, but against middling and lower placed teams, you literally have to pulverise them into submission, decimate them with pace, energy, power, passing abiliy, movement, skill and technique.
As a a manager he likes an equal balance between defence, midfield and attack (although at Inter he seemed to be more attach minded, although im not sure if it suits that league)
he bought a lot of good players but players perhaps that are not suited to being an out and out premiership player thats why he did better in Europe as you require a different type of player to do well, or at least players with added abilities. In central areas of the pitch he got the players spot on but on the flip side the players on the wide areas he got most of the time wrong, good players but not premiership players. For exmaple Dalglish bought Carrol, not a european type of player but definately a premiserhship player (although funds of course had a bearing on this, although we’ll never know, the type of players he would’ve bought)
I do love the guy, but he did have to go in the end as the players lost confidence in him and we needed a fresh approach Also the youth policy is starting to bare fruition, thought i’d finish with a positive note.
I’ll give him 7/10!
Well said brothers. Opinions will alwayz be diffrnt otherwise we r no more humans. buh my opinion? Rafa was fantastic in his liverpool dayz, never forget that.
Just been reading through these comments. For me rafa was a legend. He may not have brought us as much success as we had wanted after 2006. But in my opinion he gave it his all when the club was going through a hard time, he showed respect to the club and the fans and still does, as was shown at the hilsborough memorial service. He may have made mistakes with some tactics and some players but who doesnt make mistakes. I have no doubt that like many of us he loves lfc. For me he is a legend and i wish him all the best in the future, wherever he ends up. Rafa YNWA!
Rafa who?
Funny how theres loads on here cursing Rafa like he ruined the club, yet they ignore the words written above by the guy they all laud as our messiah. Kenny has had nothing but good things to say about Rafa and has actually backed up those who still love Rafa by agreeing that he was let down by the yanks and constantly fought for the club. The thing that sticks out most for me is Kenny saying Rafa had brought him back for no other reason other than the clubs benefit. If Rafa had had anything other than the utmost respect and the best interests of this club at heart he wouldn’t still live in Liverpool, wouldn’t have given large amounts of money to different places that ONLY benefit the city of Liverpool and certainly wouldn’t have brought Kenny back knowing how much of a legend he is, Rafa would have known that if Kenny didn’t see eye to eye with him, that as far as the fans are concerned, they would have sided with Kenny 100%. This shows what an extremely brave move it was to bring him back. Rafa had his bad side, everyone, Kenny included, does, but i’d question the loyalty of every single one of you that seems to dislike him on here. Souness was probably the worst manager we’ve had in 50 years but i still love him for the things he did for this club as a player and also the FA cup win. Same with Rafa, i’m not stupid enough to believe like a lot of you, that a few draws at Christmas are what cost us the title, that title was decided by the ref giving Man u a pen while 2-0 down inside 25mins v’s Spurs, man u had lost 2 on the bounce, been thumped by Liverpool (who were thumping all comers) and we’re going through a genuine collapse, as soon as the ref gave that pen when no contact was made, the momentum swung back to man u as the win gave them the confidence back and they went on unbeaten till the end of the season. Do you honestly believe the same would have happened if man u had got no pen? They would have been 2 down, getting out played and didn’t look like scoring, that would have been 3 loses on the bounce which would tell you they’d have been likely to drop more points by the seasons end…