We’ve seen other teams such as Arsenal, Man City and even Southampton blooding younger players who have outstanding ability in one or two areas. Only when they become first team members do they start to truly develop that ‘grit and drive’ that comes with age. Players such as Lindfield, Threlfall and even Spearing who are now in their 20’s were once the brightest stars in the team, but they never quite hit the heights and where quickly surpassed by their peers at other clubs. Now though, after years of investment in players like Raheem Sterling, Suso and Jonjo Shelvey, things are starting to look different.
There is a fresher, more technical approach to the academy and it’s players, dare we say ‘continental’, all brought in by Segura and his team. So it’s to Rafael Benitez who I think the credit should go. His work away from first team matters, including bringing Dalglish back to the club and therefore back into management contention, has rejuvenated and restructured the club to long term success. Despite the board room fall outs, intense pressure to keep the media at bay along with the interferring and egotism concerning Chris Purslow, Rafa built something that may one day be more important than the 2005 Champions League success.
So Kenny Dalglish, along with Rodolfo Borrell, Frank McParland, John Owens and Jose Segura, have the duty to carry the torch forward. We might have been left short in immediate squad depth, but the future is bright, and those who are doing outstanding work currently with the Liverpool youth set-up need only carry on their work to ensure Rafa’s legacy and vision is not in vain.
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INTRODUCING FIGHT NIGHT CHAMPION! . . .
IF IT WASNT FOR RAFA WE WOULDNT HAVE ANY OF THE UP AND COMING YOUNG PLAYERS AT THE CLUB.
GO AND GOOGLE AND YOU WILL SEE THAT IN FACT IT WAS RAFA WHO GOT THE TWO SPANISH COACHES FORM BARCA TO THE CLUB WHO KENNY HIMSLEF HAS SAID THAT THEY ARE BOTH DOING GREAT WORK….. RAFA WAS MORE , MUCH MORE THAN ISTANBUL,,, RAFA WAS GREAT FOR LIVERPOOL,,,,,
He’s one of the 3 cult figure of all time for Liverpoolfc and The Fans
LONG LIVE shank,paisley and rafa
red33 you idiot. How can you not have Kenny in there. Im a huge fan of what Rafa did for us but to call him a cult figure ahead of the King is just plain stupid
Excelent post chris,love it
never – we’ve been picking up ‘talented’ youngsters for years now. If they’re never given the opportunity to shine by the manager then they just inevitably stagnate and rot, regardless of how talented they may be.
Rafa can be credited for the coaching staff that he brought in, but players that come through years after he leaves are a whole different ball game and have little to nothing to do with him
I read an article similiar to this recently and I agree wholeheartly, Rafa had the guts to take the long term view that Heighway wasn’t doing what was required to get talent through, and although Piet Hamburg spell didn’t last long, one damning stat proved Rafa was right over Heighway despite all the naysayers. From when the Academy opened in 1998 to this season only one player has become anything like a Premier League regular, Stephan Warnock. If Heighway was anywhere as good as he claimed then either our youth scouting system was poor or kids saw no opportunity to break through at Liverpool. I dismiss the lack of break through opportunities as from 1990 onwards McManaman, Marsh, Harkness, Hutchinson, Redknapp, Fowler, Matteo, Owen, Thompson, Carragher and Warnock either were developed or were bought whilst teenagers with little or no reputation and spent a number of seasons in the top flight. So even if we believe the scouting system was rubbish (how could it be, it had discovered all that talent) Highway had to be in some way to blame. I believe that anyone who claims that ‘no one was better at coaching 17-18 year olds’ is extremely arrogant and better back it Heighway didn’t. Yet when he was sacked the Rafa haters slaughtered Rafa, yet now we see Kelly breaking into the 1st team, Pacheco sniffing around it and rave reviews over Suso, Coady, Robinson and Sterling. One last point has anyone hear either Rodolfo Borrell or Jose Segura claim no one is better at coaching 17-18 year olds? I haven’t and this guys were involved with best youth systems going
Rafa GO AWAY
Donn’t you ever come to Liverpool
looooooooser
Rafa is, and will always be an important figure for Liverpool. If one day he decides to come back as manager, i will welcome him with open arms. And legs for that matter