There is often much snobbery around when it comes to choosing newspapers, and I must admit to being guilty as charged in this respect. Many are the times when I have dismissed the scribings of the tabloid press as not being worth the paper they are printed on, preferring to get my daily diet of facts and news from the altogether more acceptable broadsheets.
Of course, of all the broadsheets none is more famous or prestigious as the Thunderer itself, The Times .
However, it seems that that the mighty Times can be as lax as the worst of the daily rags when it comes to the ubiquitous Fleet Street pastime of discrediting Rafa Benitez’s record as Liverpool manager. Under the headline ‘All is not lost for Liverpool’ this week’s Sunday Times is quoted thus:
“Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson might be under pressure despite the new owner’s (sic) vote of confidence, but the club’s dire start to the 2005-06 season should provide some comfort.”
Below this is printed a table showing ‘Points after 8 games’ and ‘Final League Position’for each season from the appointment of Benitez to the present:
2004-05 10 points 5th place
2005-06 7 points 3rd place
2006-07 10 points 3rd
2007-08 12 points 4th
2008-09 14 points 2nd
2009-10 12 points 7th
2010-11 6 points n/a
The obvious inference being that even during Rafa’s tenure there were a number of seasons in which Liverpool FC had not fared much better at the start of the campaign than Hodgson’s current side. All well and good, except for one thing. Every single points total printed for the Rafa years is incorrect and every one is short of the actual total.
The correct table is as follows:-
2004-05 13 points (Sunday Times 10pts)
2005-06 10 points (Sunday Times 7pts)
2006-07 11 points (Sunday Times 10pts)
2007-08 16 points (Sunday Times 12pts)
2008-09 20 points (Sunday Times 14 pts)
2009-10 15 points (Sunday Times 12pts)
2010-11 6 points n/a
Upon further checking, the points totals listed in the Sunday Times are the correct figures for the first SIX games of each corresponding season. It would appear that the table was drawn up two weeks ago but by the time they decided to print it they neglected to update it with games 7 and 8 for each campaign.
The two relatively poor starts under Rafa were in 2005-06 (10 points) and 2006-07 (11 points). In 2005-06 Liverpool drew four of their opening five games , including three goalless draws. It is safe to say that most of us were too busy singing “We won it five times” to start thinking of a crisis! The following season once again saw the reds stuttering during August and September losing the derby at Goodison 0-3, as well as going down to defeats at Old Trafford and Chelsea. Notwithstanding these setbacks the reds never dropped below 9th place in the table and finished October in 8th spot- a far cry from the relegation places.
It is more than a little disappointing that the newspaper which is widely regarded as the elite amongst its peers should be so wide of the mark. That it should be so careless is one thing, but when taken in the context of the overall media campaign to discredit Benitez’s legacy ( the Sky Sports regurgitation of Hicks’ ludicrous transfer spending figures without any attempt to present the true figures was a prime example) the suspicion lingers that it was not such an innocent error. If this was proved to be the case, the editor of the Sunday Times should hang his head in shame.
(Many thanks to Twitterer @RushianLFC whose original tweet brought the ST article to my attention, as well as providing the headline tag)
Follow Brian Durand on twitter @BrianDurand56.
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rafa was very arrogant but he cant be compared to hodgson,a lame duck who knows nothing.fire him pronto.rafa is better than him but that doesnt mean that he should come back.he was bad for us as well but better than roy.
Tee, I would say most successful managers are: the great Shankly, Mourinho, Ferguson, Wenger, the list goes on. Of the modern coaches, the only one I can think of who is the quieter sort is Vicente del Bosque…
The are so many wrong things said about Rafa. myself I think there was a campaign by some of the english managers (who are dont like liverpool)and hicks regime via media to force our manager leave,they succeded.
My view Rafa is one of the best if he get support
the manager should get. situation we are now shows the realy picture.
Lverpool enemeys are more than happy now.New Body should be more carefull about the media and managing director position
It’ll be no coincidence or oversight the figures given were wrong.
I’m so sick of the corrupt media where Rafa is concerned.
Good stuff Brian!
I can’t understand the people supporting Hodgson. He’s worse than useless, a very poor tactician and has never won so much as an egg cup.
Roy Woy or scratch me chin, whatever you prefer to be called do us a favour and Do One, now.
I do not care about Benitez, if you want to to carry on bleating about him go and support Inter. I am a Liverpool FC fan and I am showing RH some of the support you continue show a guy that is no longer involved in my/your(?) club! Grow up Benitez is history.
Agree with you my friend.
Instead of Moaning. Why don’t everybody get behind LFC Boss. Within Rafa Regime we came 5th and 8th. when we came 3rd Chelsea were about 20 pt above us.. rafa Only Challenged for the title when we came 2nd. Stop it and get behind Roy. all you do is Moan Moan Moan. He’s the current LFC manager. Stop Stabbing your own Self.
Don’t remember us coming 8th?
Who cares what you think mate? You are obviously clueless and not a true Liverpool fan. We Liverpool fans still support all of those people who gave their all for our club. Should we forget about Fowler, Rush and Shankly too? Muppet.
Great spot, it was a shocking mistake – As far as I am concerned Rafa will always be a legend for bringing home the Champions League again. Liverpool should be winning the ‘biggest’ competions – the Premier League and the Champions League and I am forever grateful to Rafa for allowing me to experience once such great triumph in my lifetime – because other than the odd UEFA and FA cup there really hasn’t been that much to shout about. The one thing Rafa was great at was getting a squad to overachieve he did it with Valencia and he did with us to some extent.
yes, tupman, rafa is history. but shouldnt we, lfc fans be supporting someone who contributed so much to the club, and the community. he deserves better than this and in fact he deserves the respect from all LFC fans, maybe not the self-provlaimed fans like you.
I am absolutely fed up with you Benitez apologists! Go and support Valencia and/or Inter Milan then! How many Premierships did he win? ZERO!!! He won the Champions League with Houlier’s team plus Alonso and Garcia; Gerrrard won him the FA Cup. Benitez lost a Champions League final we should have won because he would not play Crouch and he then hawked Alonso around Europe after the player wanted to witness the birth of his first born! Grow up you IRWT brigade Benitez is history!! Thank God or would you rather my cub Liverpool FC have a procession of Dossenas, Degans, Josemis or perhaps we should buy more Alonsos, Bellameys, Crouchs, Keanes and sell them? Good riddence if he was here now, at my club, Gerrard would not be or is Gerrard a sell out too? Go and enjoy Seria A!
Well actually I would rather have Dossenas, Degans and Josemis as apposed to Koncheskys, Carlton Coles and Poulsens. As for supporting RH – for a Liverpool fan you are easily pleased.
Tupman, it seems your a happier man with Konchesky and Polson, what kind of red are you? Rafa over achieved and will miss him badly even if we get a new manager to replace Roy who’s only attribute that pleases the gutter press and our esteemed pundits is his nationality. Your no true red to belittle one of the best manager we have ever had. Rafa will never walk alone, not while there is a true kop.
We’re all fed up of you Tupman. Get back to your championship manager and watching Liverpool on teletext and give it a rest.
@Tupman
Rafa = legend. You don’t see your contradiction. Valencia, Inter = money available = titles/cups.
And as for Rafa winning the CL with Houlliers team = nonsense. Rafa coached for a year and chose the tactics and added Garcia and Alonso. Rafa inherited a MUCH weaker team than he left.
RAFA = LFC LEGEND. He won 56% of games. No one comes close, only Kenny.
Tupman, do us all a favour and go support Manc cause you’re not a true LFC supporter. Rafa won us our fifth Champions League, the European Super Cup, FA Cup, Community Shield, lead us to our highest ever Premier League point tally, beat Manu, Inter and Real Madrid away and got to the Champions League final again. And actually I would rather have Dossena and Degan than Poulsen and Konchesky. Rafa was treated unjustly and was forced to leave by the board and owners. He will be remembered forever as a LFC legend. I wish Rafa all the best in the future.
u know what, i wish him all the best at Inter and wherever he will be. i dont need no advice from a moron like you.
four points of difference…
wooooooooow…. In 2004-05 starts of the season Rafa was challenging for the title, with 10 points after eight games, four points more than Hodgson..
Unbelievable run….
The more Hodgson is not good enough, the more We should show some support for the man in charge because He needs support to fit in a level which overcome his experience.
Instead of split venom & point the finger, We should stick together behind the Manager, helping his life as a Liverpool’s manager.
Stick together, don’t point the finger against one Man alone, reflecting to what We can do like Fans for the Club: this is Liverpool’s way.
FACT. Too many so – called fans are asking for only One Man to resolve the problem.
A world class manager like Rafa last season struggled to reach 7th place in the table: a good manager like Hodgson Who has never had experience at this level, He should give a genuine & proper support by all LFC FANS, in order to make easy his life at Liverpool.
Is “You’ll never walk alone” becoming a statement of values, suitable only for our favourites & mighty managers? Will Roy be forced to walk alone?
I Say NO, it’s not right.
The more the Manager has not the experience, The more I should give the support from LFC Fans.
Liverpool’s way.
And stop talking about Rafa: He’s a legend but it’s all over now.
The Story is over.
Move on.
btw, why dont u go support Villa, seems to me you like Houllier so much.
Cal, if you feel so passionate about Benitez go and support himor Inter; he has nothing to do with LFC now what he did is history, get behind the cureent manager,
So by your logic we should all be watching Robbie Fowler in Australia rather than feel passionate about him as a Liverpool legend?
fair enough Rick. i just cannot stand those idiots, who on one hand, claim to be a ‘fan’ while on the other, discredit our manager, who was so mistreated by H&G and purslow.
tupman, i support whoever is in charge, but at the same time, i have the utmost respect to those who live and bleed LFC
You mean a guy that walks away with a payoff straight into another job!
That’s normally what happens when you’re sacked!
The thrust of my original article was not Anti-Hodgson nor particularly pro-Rafa, it was merely to highlight another example of the seeming agenda of misinformation decrying our former boss.
Cal 45 years plus supporting, first match LFC reserves 1966; LFC 25 years plus as aseason ticket holder What about you? San Siro?
for a man of so many years you sound very young in attitude, I mean like a little boy in the school playground, please show your age and start talking sense.
English press was allways against Rafa they stiil are. But the people who anoyed me the most are the ex liverpool players who never stoped talking against him. Well tupman man under Rafa Benitez we were never in relegation zone. You support Roy hodgson and good luck to you but i can’ t wait the day he gets the sack because with him in charge we will never win anything.We need a world class manager and he is not.
well said Bekim
nail on the head there lad
I think there are so many fans still singing Rafa’s praises for many reasons:
1) The way he was dismissed in close season so no chance to say Thanks and Goodbye.
2) He was Liverpool through & through and wouldn’t let anyone dare say anything about him or his team.
3) He outfoxed all the top managers to take our club to 2 European Finals and finally gave United a scare by chasing them all the way for the title.
4) He had his faults but he was a very clever manager with great tactical ability.
5) He never had us in the relegation zone.
6) He made sure we finished in the top 4 every season apart from one.
7) He brought some of the worlds best players to Anfield to replace the expensive dross that Houllier left behind.
8) He hated Man United and he hated Alex Ferguson.
9)All in all Rafa is an exceptional manager who will always be in the top league of managers across Europe and will always be wanted by the top clubs.
well said, Rafa will never walk alone