Rafa is an excellent European Cup manager. He has outsmarted Mourinho in the past and I think he is more than capable of doing so again in the CL with Inter.
(And Mourinho did seem to have an easier ride in Italy with Juve and AC down and seemingly directionless. But I only follow Italian footie if its on terrestrial/freeview)
― xyzzzz__, Saturday, 10 July 2010 09:24 (7 hours ago) Bookmark
Pfft every time a manager's team beats another manager's team they're smarter now? Rafa's always managed his fair share of one-off wins- cup manager imo.
Mourinho's easy ride at Inter could be equated to Benitez having it very soft in only having a poor united to beat the season before last, tbh. He still got lauded for failing then.
― ,,,,,,eeeeleon (darraghmac), Saturday, 10 July 2010 16:52 (thirteen years ago) link
I had thought Spurs did well last season until now - hadn't really considered that maybe they only just stumbled into 4th in the weakest premiership field ever assembled
― Ismael Klata, Saturday, 10 July 2010 19:28 (thirteen years ago) link
Shit, I promised myself I wouldn't feed this thread ...
― Ismael Klata, Saturday, 10 July 2010 19:29 (thirteen years ago) link
weakest premier league ever assembled
rafa's liverpool finished 7th.
go on.
― ,,,,,,eeeeleon (darraghmac), Saturday, 10 July 2010 19:50 (thirteen years ago) link
Heh, don't change the subject. Just reading a piece saying Spurs have to pay an extra £7m if Keane plays a certain number of games - hadn't seen that before and it doesn't say how many games, but it'd explain why Harry's so keen to keep him out of harm's way
― Ismael Klata, Saturday, 10 July 2010 20:07 (thirteen years ago) link
fuck.
german goal btw
fuck playing keane another game in any situation, his attitude has been rank since his return bar all but two or three games.
we overpaid to take him back as is. let him off, if anyone will pay his wages. another thing to blame on rafa, the cunt's wages.
― ,,,,,,eeeeleon (darraghmac), Saturday, 10 July 2010 20:10 (thirteen years ago) link
last post totally on-subject btw
― ,,,,,,eeeeleon (darraghmac), Saturday, 10 July 2010 20:12 (thirteen years ago) link
Yossi Benayoun tells us where he stands on the topic:
http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_6255511,00.html
― Hey Jabulani! Pope of four four two. (aldo), Sunday, 11 July 2010 12:22 (thirteen years ago) link
Poor Yossi. My heart bleeds.
― The referee was perfect (Chris), Sunday, 11 July 2010 12:39 (thirteen years ago) link
Yossi Benayoun, July 2008: “I have very good chemistry with Benitez. He loves me. He bought me. I really enjoy being with him, moreover, I had an excellent season. I even surprised myself."
― The referee was perfect (Chris), Sunday, 11 July 2010 12:41 (thirteen years ago) link
hm, well I suppose you could argue that keeping your staff happy is an important part of any manager's job
― Ismael Klata, Sunday, 11 July 2010 12:48 (thirteen years ago) link
yossi otm. and chris, isn't his whole point that he didn't speak out negatively because he is a good pro. this doesn't surprise me at all, the lack of faith in creative players and wingers is rafa's biggest fault. he did "break" riera, managed to fuck the two closest things to wingers the club had, both of them.
― I see what this is (Local Garda), Sunday, 11 July 2010 13:06 (thirteen years ago) link
perhaps he had lack of faith in them for the reason. i'm more inclined to trust rafa than someone who was moaning after 3 games, 3 games!, that he wasn't playing enough.
― The referee was perfect (Chris), Sunday, 11 July 2010 13:15 (thirteen years ago) link
*a reason, not 'the' reason.
is yossi otm about albert riera? if someone's a disruptive influence then it makes sense to leave them out. xabi alonso - he was performing badly and rafa looked to replace him. xabi responded brilliantly, got his head down, and put in an awesome season for us before moving on. he still speaks highly of rafa, and didn't go crying to the NOTW.
― The referee was perfect (Chris), Sunday, 11 July 2010 13:21 (thirteen years ago) link
best this one is handled internally by the liverpool supporters imo.
― Everytime I hit 'submit post' the internet gets dumber (darraghmac), Sunday, 11 July 2010 13:22 (thirteen years ago) link
Yeah but both Rieira and Benayoun had pretty decent assist rates, didn't they? I am specifically thinking of the 2008-09 season ie the one where Liverpool nearly won the league.
― Matt DC, Sunday, 11 July 2010 13:25 (thirteen years ago) link
You can't defend Rafa on this imo - his job is to get his playing staff playing together to the best of their ability. Alienating them and making them unhappy is only going to do that with very rare individuals, much better to keep them happy and ticking over. He seems to have so little interest in doing that, from what we know, that it's kind of bewildering how he did so well.
The book I'm reading has a piece on Anelka's move to Real Madrid - when he arrived there no-one introduced him to the other players, no-one showed him around, they didn't even clear out a locker for him. The point is that sure, he might still be a sulky dick as an individual, but he'd've done a lot better if he was a sulky dick who thought people put in a bit of effort for him. Why wouldn't you do that?
― Ismael Klata, Sunday, 11 July 2010 13:31 (thirteen years ago) link
every manager falls out with players. lovely fluffy roy hodgson fell out with roberto carlos at inter. sir alec kicked a boot at david beckham's head. shit happens. some footballers think they know best, they can't understand why they don't start week in week out. if it were that simple then i'd be a football manager. i'd like to think that a manager knows his players better than anyone else. yossi loses all credibility when he spouts shit like "he deliberately tried to break me". really yossi? ok. have fun picking splinters out of your arse at chelsea.
re. anelka, if you're suggesting liverpool don't employ people to look after new players and help them relocate then i know for a fact that they do.
― The referee was perfect (Chris), Sunday, 11 July 2010 13:41 (thirteen years ago) link
it appears that a lot of you have lapped up the shite that the press have served up about evil, cold, alienating rafa.
― The referee was perfect (Chris), Sunday, 11 July 2010 13:44 (thirteen years ago) link
He's OBVIOUSLY a terrible man manager. You can see it in the way the players played when they were given a chance. When fringe players get their chance to play in the first team at Man United they seize the opportuntity and really go for it - they're not getting a game but they're still motivated.
When Rieira got back in the team last season he looked like a player with no confidence. And Rieira and Benayoun are certainly not any worse than, say, Park Ji-Sung or Darron Gibson.
― Matt DC, Sunday, 11 July 2010 13:51 (thirteen years ago) link
he's OBVIOUSLY a terrible man manager because when ryan babel had a moan on twitter (twitter ffs), he supported him and got him playing out of his skin for the 2nd half of the season.
he's OBVIOUSLY a terrible man manager because he stuck by lucas when he was getting pelted by the press and the fans and then publically praised the lad for his hard work and effort and for proving people wrong.
he's OBVIOUSLY a terrible man manager because torres, reina and mascherano have thanked him publically for turning them into the world class players they've become.
said it a million times, riera's attitude stank/stunk/stinks. that's not rafa's fault, that's just how albert is. simples.
can't be bothered with this any more. have fun!
― The referee was perfect (Chris), Sunday, 11 July 2010 14:03 (thirteen years ago) link
Chris: Fucking hell. This is not Carlos (supreme dickhead by all accounts) and Beckham (wanted out, under performing in the eyes of everyone, thought he was bigger than the manager). Benny Noon never spoke out in the press and was treated like shit for what was seen by everyone bar Benitez as good performances.
Babel playing out of skin? You the only person to notice this?
Umm... also didn't Torres head the Gerrard/TORRES/Carragher player movement to get Benitez out and has obviously been mystified by his actions for his career, especially this season?
Also quoting a meerkat is hella lame.
― fuque santa cruz (a hoy hoy), Sunday, 11 July 2010 16:28 (thirteen years ago) link
lol was wondering how the benayoun interview would play out.
chris, he is, obviously, a terrible man manager. come on.
― Everytime I hit 'submit post' the internet gets dumber (darraghmac), Tuesday, 13 July 2010 11:32 (thirteen years ago) link
Torres and Mascherano were world class players before they went to Liverpool. Think Reina would have made it at most clubs as well, it's not like there was some magical stardust that Rafa sprinkled over them. It's his failure to get the best out of less talented members of the squad that was the problem.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 13 July 2010 11:53 (thirteen years ago) link
There will be dispute over whether west ham's mascherano and perennial failure at atletico torres were world class before they went to benitez.
the dispute will be incorrect, but it will exist nonetheless.
― Everytime I hit 'submit post' the internet gets dumber (darraghmac), Tuesday, 13 July 2010 12:01 (thirteen years ago) link
perennial failure at atletico
How so?
― R. Stornoway (Tom D.), Tuesday, 13 July 2010 12:02 (thirteen years ago) link
six goals a season etc etc
― Everytime I hit 'submit post' the internet gets dumber (darraghmac), Tuesday, 13 July 2010 12:04 (thirteen years ago) link
(not my line, just to be clear- but i've heard it offered along with gerrard's goal rate and mascherano coming from hammers bench as examples that benitez develops players/his man management is up to standard)
― Everytime I hit 'submit post' the internet gets dumber (darraghmac), Tuesday, 13 July 2010 12:05 (thirteen years ago) link
82 goals in 214 games? Club captain at 19?
― R. Stornoway (Tom D.), Tuesday, 13 July 2010 12:06 (thirteen years ago) link
lol rafa develops players.
― fuque santa cruz (a hoy hoy), Tuesday, 13 July 2010 12:07 (thirteen years ago) link
jeez tom i'm tellin you it's not my ridiculous point, mayne!
― Everytime I hit 'submit post' the internet gets dumber (darraghmac), Tuesday, 13 July 2010 12:20 (thirteen years ago) link
You come out with so many it's hard to tell sometimes
― R. Stornoway (Tom D.), Tuesday, 13 July 2010 12:27 (thirteen years ago) link
weak zing imo
― Everytime I hit 'submit post' the internet gets dumber (darraghmac), Tuesday, 13 July 2010 12:59 (thirteen years ago) link
*holds hand up*
― R. Stornoway (Tom D.), Tuesday, 13 July 2010 13:01 (thirteen years ago) link
Not exactly what I said, but he is hardly a one-off in CL. Wouldn't surprise me if he won it again with Inter (or got close but still beat Mourinho along the way).
― xyzzzz__, Tuesday, 13 July 2010 15:38 (thirteen years ago) link
yeah i'd give him a year or two winning things with mourinho's team alright
― Everytime I hit 'submit post' the internet gets dumber (darraghmac), Tuesday, 13 July 2010 15:39 (thirteen years ago) link
Earth-shattering LOLs at the gullible press-believing football "fans" on this thread.
Yeah, Rafa's an evil machinating cold-eyed dictator who's not even fit to breathe the same air as the "arm round the shoulder" man management genii of the Premier League like "Big" "Sam", 'Appy 'Arry and Taggart Ferguson.
Chris has played a blinder on here.
― Venga, Tuesday, 13 July 2010 15:55 (thirteen years ago) link
yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
― Everytime I hit 'submit post' the internet gets dumber (darraghmac), Tuesday, 13 July 2010 15:56 (thirteen years ago) link
Sure that's what Mourinho would say, d.
― xyzzzz__, Tuesday, 13 July 2010 15:56 (thirteen years ago) link
heh well it's true mourinho is a cert to throw a similar type-jab back behind him over the next while. no love lost between those two.
― Everytime I hit 'submit post' the internet gets dumber (darraghmac), Tuesday, 13 July 2010 15:57 (thirteen years ago) link
darragh u are such a troll itt i fuckin <3 u
― 156, Tuesday, 13 July 2010 19:02 (thirteen years ago) link
ha seriously i can't help it, i just hate benitez so much. i blame my lfc supporting mates, who have broken my heart on emails this past 4 years.
but it's all love, guys. just a fun debate imo.
― Everytime I hit 'submit post' the internet gets dumber (darraghmac), Wednesday, 14 July 2010 12:14 (thirteen years ago) link
Can I say how much I fucking hate this 'if you say something the press also happen to say you must have no opinions of your own' bullshit. How about that they may have actually been correct once in a while?
― one man meme-denier (a hoy hoy), Friday, 16 July 2010 14:12 (thirteen years ago) link
well yeah i've called that a few times. how bout we all accept we're arguing our own opinions, and not that of the sun on one side or the LFC propaganda office on the other.
― Everytime I hit 'submit post' the internet gets dumber (darraghmac), Friday, 16 July 2010 14:20 (thirteen years ago) link
Get a life the lot of you :)
― I see what this is (Local Garda), Friday, 16 July 2010 15:33 (thirteen years ago) link
ha you read it all and you know you did
― Everytime I hit 'submit post' the internet gets dumber (darraghmac), Friday, 16 July 2010 15:34 (thirteen years ago) link
didn't at all...posted the above while i was waiting for a file to digitise...as opposed to eg ripping a fingernail off or making faces at my colleague through the blinds of the edit suite.
― I see what this is (Local Garda), Friday, 16 July 2010 21:26 (thirteen years ago) link
Has anyone ever thought of Rafa as an international manager? It seems like the major failings he's accused of - bad transfers, poor player development - wouldn't be factors, while his great strengths would be?
― Gravel Puzzleworth, Thursday, 5 August 2010 15:55 (thirteen years ago) link
The delays/limited time to work on tactics would eliminate maybe his greatest strength though?
― "It's far from 'lol' you were reared, boy" (darraghmac), Thursday, 5 August 2010 15:56 (thirteen years ago) link