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Has Rafa Lost His Legendary Status?

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RAFA Benitez’s decision to come to Chelsea’s aid and take the post of interim manager until the end of the current campaign has left a bitter taste for many Reds fans.

Whilst I understand the bitter feelings that people now have for Rafa, for me he goes to Stamford Bridge with my best wishes.

Many people seem to forget that he was sacked. It was never his choice to walk away from our club.

Rewind back to 25th May 2005 and this date alone is the reason that Rafa should be held in the highest regard by each and every Kopite. Regardless of what generation you are from, Istanbul will never be repeated, not by Liverpool and not by any other club in world football. That embarrassing feeling after 45 minutes where fans from every club across the nation gloated about how we were being given a footballing lesson, to the sheer ecstasy as Steven Gerrard lofted the most prized possession in European football into the air will never be repeated. Not even winning the Premiership title would compare to the mixed emotions and feelings that we all felt in a two hour period on that glorious evening.

In my opinion Rafa is too classy to manage Chelsea. We are talking about a guy who, despite being pushed out of the club by our previous owners still kept us close to his heart. This is the same Rafa Benitez who on the 22nd Hillsborough memorial service sat on the Kop shedding tears as relatives of the victims from the disaster addressed the people in front of them. Rafa also donated £96,000 to the Hillsborough families. Another sign of the kind of person he is and how he has took Liverpool, not just as a football club, but the city in general into his heart.
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When Rafa brings his Chelsea side to Anfield I’ll certainly be giving him a standing ovation and I’m more than confident that every other Liverpool fan will too. If Rafa had the choice he would be managing us again. After Roy Hodgson’s brief spell in charge, Rafa made no secret of his desire to come back to Liverpool, as he did when Dalglish’s reign ended. The current owners have never approached him and he has never been considered since his sacking in June 2010.

Rafa was not going to wait around forever for us to come calling. He made his feelings known about a return to a club that he undoubtedly loves. He is not getting any younger and he would have been foolish to turn down an opportunity to manage the current European Champions given that we are not going to be offering him any such position any time soon.

Brendan Rodgers has a bright future ahead of him at Anfield and as fans that is where our focus should be. Rafa is now just another Liverpool legend who wrote his name into Anfield folklore and has now took to pastures new. I will be forever grateful for the success and joy that Rafa brought to our club and I wish him all the luck for the future providing it is not at our expense. I hope he proves the already doubting Chelsea faithful wrong and that they one day realise just how much a class act Rafa Benitez is.

Follow me on Twitter for more views @richokop.
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32 comments

  • Ranners says:

    As a Chelsea fan I also hope Rafa will prove the stupid booing minority wrong, he is indeed a class act and has already achieved far more than Di Matteo will as a manager. The crass thing Abramovic did was to appoint RDM in the first place, he knew it was the wrong choice and still he did it. Maybe if Rafa had been there at the beginning of the season we would be in a better place now. Already we have kept the first clean sheet in 12 games – keep up the good work Rafa.

  • stan howard says:

    ERR NO – WHY NOT ASK MEANINGFUL QUESTIONS LIKE – WHY IS THE MAGNIFICENT TEXEIRA NOT IN THE FIRST TEAM OR SQUAD ?.

    • Andy Richardson says:

      Well I thought it was a pretty meaningful question considiring some peoples reaction to his appointment.

    • wesker says:

      erm… He hasnt even forced his way into the reserves starting 11 yet ! – He has only been sub so far

  • wesker says:

    NO – Lets welcome Rafa back as manager in the summer once the useless Rodgers is gone

  • NJRedsFan says:

    Having quite a laugh reading statements from deluded Chelsea fans who think they actually have some matter of control over how the team is run. I just hope this experience doesn’t hurt Rafa physically or mentally. I still have hope that Rafa will head our Youth system once he decides he doesn’t want to manage anymore.

    • wesker says:

      The same amount of control as we have , and i would rather have Roman that tight greedy yanks who want to milk us

      • Tim Williams says:

        of course people want a chap willing to throw millions at the team, of course.

        Your comment about the ‘yanks who want to milk us’ can you back that up in anyway?

        • wesker says:

          Oh shut up , You fool

        • Tim Williams says:

          thats a no then.

          if you are going to make a statement at least back it up! If the owners are milking the club then action needs to be taken, so how are they?

        • NJRedsFan says:

          Ooh, you got TW with that witty comeback!

        • Andy Richardson says:

          It’s not about throwing money around left, right and centre. It’s about trying to gain some stability and that is what has been missing at LFC since Rafa was given the boot. Hopefully now with abit of stability we can kick on and rebuild. We are looking stronger and stronger as the campiagn goes on.

  • charles says:

    He was kicked out of Liverpool so he is entitled to work wherever he so desires! Good luck to him…

  • vjm says:

    Rafa should be welcomed at anfield. No matter which club he manages. He has a place for liverpool in his heart, we must repay the same. We can forget what he has done for our team. Sterling, suso, jonjo all are his findings.

    • vjm says:

      Rafa should be welcomed at anfield. No matter which club he manages. He has a place for liverpool in his heart, we must repay the same. We can not forget what he has done for our team. Sterling, suso, jonjo all are his findings.

  • Fivelamps says:

    A true gentleman who understands the Scouse mentality and who has a lot left to give to football – hopefully with LFC once he gets his fat pay check out of Abramovich – YNWA Rafa good luck to you…

  • Bomber25 says:

    Yes, his legendary status has taken a severe dent. If he helps Chelsea beat Liverpool (Heaven forbid) if we ever meet, that would leave a very bitter taste in the mouths of many Liverpool supporters. I wish Rafa well, but not at Chelsea or Manure – should Fergie chosse to retire.

    • Andy Richardson says:

      But how has it taken a dent? If he left us for Chelsea (like Torres), then yes I would agree. You only have one life and one career. Rafa has held out for the Liverpool job since being sacked by Inter. The offer has never came. He now knows that Brendan Rodgers is here for the forseable future and that he will be given time.

  • Ross Armstrong says:

    Great article, particularly the reference to Rafa’s relationship with the Hillsborough families. Anyone that was in any doubt about his bond to LFC only needs to remember that and the emotion on display. Every man needs to work and every Red should be on their feet applauding him back to Anfield

  • atma says:

    Rafa is one of best Coaches, if ever those 2 foolish owner would have given him the money to buy, today we would have been challenging for 1st or 2nd top team in the premiership. This owner also is doing the same with Brendon. As per Bredon, he will not have enough money to do business in Jan

    Good Luck Rafa

    • NJRedsFan says:

      I missed the press release where Rodgers said he wasn’t getting enough funds, can you tell us where you saw that?

      • Hugh Yao says:

        it was reported yesterday that brendan said don’t expect lavish spending in january. i hope it was just a ploy to hoodwink the sellers otherwise they’d be jacking up prices in anticipation of liverpool going on a buying spree in january.

  • David Tyrer says:

    Well, all I can say is that I don’t begrudge him taking a job elsewhere. The only clubs he could’ve moved to that would’ve ruined his status for me would be the obvious.

    And, all being well he’ll come back to us in the summer and we’ll all live happily ever after.

  • Finn says:

    i will welcome him back , managing anyone except utd is fine by me . please come back rafa and save us from the worst manager in our history

  • Jack The Lad says:

    I would have excepted anyone but Manure and Chelsea. I was very disapointed and yes, for me, he gave up his club status when he joined them. It’s not that I hate him for it, but I just couldn’t see him in the same league alongside Shankly, Paisley, Fagan or Dalglish without insulting those legends.

  • lucky says:

    I dont care if he was a mass murderer , i d have him anyday over the hapless Rodgers .

  • kpax says:

    Agreed. The spoofer Rodgers needs to thrown out. God help us. Its like watching a really slow car crash with Stevie wonder aka brendan Rodgers driving

    • Forster says:

      LOL – ‘watching a really slow car crash’ – That describes Rodgers tenure totally , i just wish i could wake up and it was all over

  • Kingsley says:

    Ok now!

  • Matt IOM says:

    He will always be a legend to all LFC fans and I would have him back tomorrow!

Comments are closed.