Love him or hate him, no man divides opinion on Merseyside more than Rafa Benitez. He was ruthless, hard to please, tactically astute, made quite a few enemies for his style of management and conduct but I want to explore why to one person Benitez is considered one of Liverpool’s greatest managers and to another he is considered a failure. In his 6 years with the Anfield club Liverpool won a Champions League, an F.A. Cup, reached a further Champions League final, were Premier League runners up on one occasion and had a further four top-four finishes.
He presided over arguably Liverpool’s most successful period since the late eighties but in his final season Liverpool slumped to a disappointing 7th position – “and this is a fact”. So what do Liverpool Football Club owe this man, while many idolised him and would love to see him back at some point, he is vilified by others who were delighted to see the back of him in June 2010.
It’s fair to say that during Benitez’s tenure, inconsistency was a presiding theme as Liverpool had some fantastic highs and some baffling lows. In his first season Liverpool won the Champions League but in the league they finished in 5th place, behind city rivals Everton and lost in the League Cup final to Chelsea. In the 2005-06 season Liverpool’s league form improved, finishing in 3rd place and winning the FA cup, however their Champions League performance wasn’t what they had hoped and they were dumped out in the 1st Knockout Stage by Benfica.
The 2006-07 season saw the arrival of the calamity duo of Hicks and Gillett. Liverpool did reach another Champions League final and finished the season in 3rd once again, however they were 21 points off winners Manchester United.
Liverpool were even worse the next season, finishing in 4th and there were rumours that Benitez’s time was coming to an end as his relationship with the owners became strained. Benitez survived and the 2008-09 season saw them push Manchester United all the way, finishing in 2nd place just 4 points behind the winners, losing only 2 games all season. His final season saw Liverpool completely slump under the pressure of trying to mount a serious title challenge and they eventually finished in 7th place and dropped out of the Champions League at the group stages.
The result: Benitez had his contract terminated. So 2 major trophies, 4 top-four finishes and a further Champions League final… Oh and of course a famous Community Shield win in 2006, get in! I would argue that although his final season in charge was a complete flop, Liverpool made great strides forward in the League and 2 Champions League final appearances re-established them as a European Super-Power once more.
One of the key misconceptions of Benitez’s reign at Liverpool was that he was a bit dense when it came to the transfer market. In fairness, in six seasons he brought in around 80 players including a disproportionate amount of expensive flops which became a stick with which to beat Benitez with when things went badly. For every Reina, Mascherano, Alonso, Torres, Luis Garcia, Arbeloa and Kuyt he signed – there was a Robbie Keane, Kromkamp, Nunez (Legend!), Dossena, Bellamy, Morientes or Josemi. In total, Rafa Benitez spent £229.3m during his stint in charge, contributed too by the expensive signings of Aquilani (£17m), Johnson (£17.5m), Keane (£19m), Torres (£20m) and Mascherano (£19m).
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Even though Rafa had his faults at the end of the day he loved the club and did his best and i admire him.
Rafa made mistakes, all managers do. He made great strides in Europe and fought a valiant but somewhat unrealistic war with the other top 3 clubs.
His record was good, he installed some super staff and players in the youth set up – we are starting to see some reward already but i predict much more to come…
His spending was indeed slated in the transfer market & thankfully some people are finally looking at the ‘facts’ as Rafa loved to say – to see that his net spend wasn’t big. He brought in Reina, Agger, Alonso, Maschers, Torres, Kuyt & Arbelo to name but a few very good players. He then made them world class.
He did however bring in Keane, Josemi, Morientes, nunez and one or two other duffers. Keane aside thhough he sent them packing quickly usually with a profit to boot.
He was and is a legend in my book. Still adored by the Kop and that says it all really.
hows ryan giggs today
Rafa, YNWA, a true legend and one manager I will always remember fondly. Only xenophobes and those we listen to knowitall pundits didn’t appreciate him.
Rafa may have appeared divisive to some but only to the extent that he fought against complacency at Liverpool and for the degree of management control that all great football managers require to work their magic. Mourihno and Ferguson, for all their antagonistic relationship with Benitez, share the same approach to management – as have other great managers like Bill Shankly, Matt Busby, Arrigo Sacchi and Johan Cruyff. Rafa’s record at Liverpool speaks for itself, as he elevated the club back to the pinnacle of European football and to the bring of regaining the domestic league championship – and laid the foundations for a long-term revival through his work on the transfer front and the Academy. Critics point to his last season as proof of failure, but as one wise man (Aristotle) pointed out, one swallow does not make a summer – nor does one poor season (out of six) make a poor manager.
Well said Voland. It’s great to see more and more people speaking up for one of our own.
i agree. given that you’re using aristole’s point am i right in thinking that the name “Voland” is from Master and Margarita? Totally off topic, but great book
Forget his last season. The man was an absolute legend and a true gentleman who loved the bones of LFC. Who can forget the Hillsborough Anniversary this year and his £96k donation to the Family Support Group? Sure he wasn’t perfect and by his own addmission made mistakes, but he took on Muppets Staedler and Whaldorf and fought our cause. Unfortunately Mr Purslow wanted a yes man in-situ and the rest is history. Whatever he goes onto achieve Rafa will always be a legend to true Kopites…..YNWA
Unfortunately there are some amongst us who do not like Rafa regardless. Not because he struggled in his last season, but because of the man he is, where he comes from and because he’s different. They’re not prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt even after the great job he did for LFC. The fact he struggled with some mutinous players, members of the board (C Purslow) and owners the Pope couldn’t and wouldn’t work with.
Rafa bought into everything LFC, and I think there are some fans that are jealous of that as well. The man is a football genius and he brought us (the fans) a type of hope that make you truly believe. Under Rafa I always thought we were going to win even when we were up against the likes of AC Milan, Real Madrid, Barcelona or that shower up the road. Rafa wasn’t always without fault, and by god he frustrated the life out of me sometimes, but I always understood the method to some of his madness.
Those that want to vilify Rafa who paint black his tenure at LFC and refuse to believe he has done anything good for LFC. Sadly, they constantly pick up the sound bites from the radio and refer to the numerous different articles that are constantly peddled by the anti-Rafa red tops without doing the research for themselves. Even worse these so called LFC fans should know this garbage is propaganda and peddled for the weak minded, unfortunately they don’t see it they just buy into it. If you read and listen to rubbish enough, you will start talking and thinking rubbish.
The arguments against Rafa are the same on every page that you read on the internet. I’ve read them all and debated everyone one of them in some form or another, and I have come to the conclusion that when LFC sacked Rafa it was cataclysmic error. Yet the anti-Rafa brigade will debate it until they’re blue in the face. Then when we choose to disagree with them, because they can’t influence us into their way of thinking they become abusive and insulting. Disgustingly they then resort to abusing and insulting the man himself. Like I said unfortunately there are some right thiko’s amongst us.
Fortunately, we “seem” to have good new owners and KK is back in charge, but Rafa should always be welcome at LFC, and I would not be against him becoming our manager again one day in the future.
Without question he is, and always will be a LFC legend.
No disrespect for Rafa: He’s the biggest Liverpool’s friend and He’s a good man with the highest values, but anyway He did some mistakes (like every Man), and I can’t consider myself a true fan of Rafa’s management style, especially When We talk about human relationships in dressing room. SO many good Players publicy showed their disaffection for Rafa’s methods.
Meanwhile, He reached great achievements too and He puts the basis of a great youth set up.
Anyway, for me King Kenny embodies Liverpool’s way and He’s the Ideal Great Man to run Liverpool: no one in the planet to fill in the role like King Kenny and We are very lucky that Kenny loves Liverpool Football Club.
The future is bright and it’s time to move on: Rafa created a good youth system but it’s Kenny the right Man to bring the Club forward, not rafa.
For the first time since 1996-97 I feel very very optmistic about future.
Thanks for all your efforts Rafa, You’re just now in the history books but When comes the time to say good-bye, it’s time to say “good bye, and best whishes for the future”.
Whoever slags Rafa off has no right to call themselves a Liverpool fan as Rafa was an absolute legend who loved and gave his all for Liverpool. Rafa’s last season was poor and he made some misakes in the transfer market but that doesn’t change the fact that he was an absolute legend who gave everything for the club. Rafa did not have the support of Hicks and Gillett financially as they tried to get rid of him and did not have the backing of the board, notably that clown Purslow but still managed a tremendous record. He had to adopt a sell to buy policy in the transfer market and although he made some mistakes, he made some fantastic signings like Reina, Arbeloa, Skrtel, Agger, Aurelio, Alonso, Mascherano, Garcia, Kuyt, Benayoun, Torres etc. His overall record speaks for itself and achieved great things despite what wss going on behind the scenes. He won the Champions League in his first season, FA Cup in his second, Champions League final again in his third, Champions League semi-final in his fourth, second in the league with a record point tally in his fifth. He got us back onto the summit of European football, winning away at the Nou Camp, Bernabeu, San Siro etc. On the domestic front, he humiliated Manutd and wounded up Fergie. In terms of his youth policy, he’s blamed for not bringing through youth but how was he supposed to when the youth players were rubbish. He overhauled the academy and gave debuts to the likes of Kelly and Spearing and the young players we have now is all because of him as he also brought in the likes of Gulacsi, Mavinga, Shelvey, Pacheco etc. All in all, Rafa achieved excellent things with limited resources and I will never forget him for the memories he gave us. I sincerely wish Rafa Benitez all the best for the future and I hope one day he will come back and manage our great club again. YNWA
I want to make clear that I admire Rafa, and particularly after memoriale service, I will always retain a special plca in my heart for the Manager Who took us to lift CL’s trophy.
Anyway, my faulth is that I prefer King Kenny, and there’s no man in the heart more suitable to the role.
I whould never switch Kenny with any man in the earth.
This is my faulth: I have to admit it.
rafa gave us our confidence an respect back he made us the number 1 ranked team in europe for 2 years an for a few years he made all the tops sides in europe scared to be drawn against us in the champions league , if it wasnt for hicks an gillett rafa would probably have got us a premier title too , he deserves our respect for the nights he gave us beating the teams we did on there own grounds in the champions league .
No doubt that Rafa deserves respect, but no doubt that Rafa, like very man on the earth, made some wrong things.
For example this decision was a wrong decision, like Xabi Alonso explains today:
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6950932,00.html
I want to make clear that Rafa has my respect, and I retain a special place in my heart for all the big nights and moments Rafa gifted to very LFC Fans around the World and I also recognise Tom & George were a huge bad – feel factor under his reign.
Anyway, I prefer King Kenny and I Whould like to see King Kenny Liverpool’s manager for the life.
Rick
I can see you’re trying to be as careful as possible when referring to Rafa, but I sense you don’t like Rafa, and you are playing this political game as you know the vast majority of LFC fans now realise what Rafa had to deal with everyday behind the scenes at the club.
You have posted 3 times on this page and now you’re using sky sports to justify your argument, something a real LFC fan wouldn’t do (that is use sky sports as a reliable example). We all know why Xabi was sold, and some hopefully most of us understand that we had a sell to buy policy at LFC because we had no money. Rafa knew he could probably get megabucks for Xabi, which could be reinvested in the squad, and that’s what he did to the tune of almost £35 million. Unsurprisingly that money then disappeared into the clubs black hole.
Xabi knew this as he states in the article.
“At the end of that season, speaking to Rafa, he told me the situation and that he wanted to sign other players and I could be replaced,” he told LFC’s website.
“If an offer would have come, probably I would have been sold. That’s when I told myself that the situation had changed – from being a very important player to being one of those who can be sold to get funds to sign other players”.
Rafa is a consummate professional and he would have explained the situation clearly to Xabi and the reasons why. Nowhere have I seen Xabi slating Rafa for what he (Rafa) is supposed to have done to him, but that doesn’t stop so called fans like you sticking the boot in.
Even some fans that were critical of Rafa changed their tune after the Hillsborough memorial when they finally realized just how much this really affected him and also how much he truly cared.
It doubtful anyone else could have done what Rafa did to save this club. In my mind he was responsible for saving LFC and I will be eternally grateful for that.