A modern top level football manager’s role is constantly evolving, with the consequences of success and failure no longer a foregone conclusion, the club’s custodian, the media, the players and fans all have a say as to whether he stays or picks up his P45. In Rafael Benitez’ 17-years in management, he has took the bumps and bruises, experienced the agony and ignominy of being shown the door on more than one occasion, and ecstasy and elation of Istanbul.
In public Rafa is a very methodical man who over the years has rubbed certain sections of the media and management up the wrong way.
He is also capable of admirable compassion as we saw when he donated £96,000 from his own pocket to the “Justice for the 96” campaign. He is a man who has been linked for every top job which is currently or reportedly soon to be, available. Will he need his passport, or AA map from his home in Heswall to reach his next destination?
Benitez has been strongly linked to Real Madrid and Chelsea. Both clubs are ego driven and rife with politics. I do think Rafa is strong and single minded enough to deal with the constant need for change in the midst of posturing presidential elections at Madrid. The candidate’s mandates usually include radical overhauls of the staff and first to go is often the manager.
Our previous gaffer is still revered in his native land after breaking the Barca-Real duopoly back in 2004 and their national press certainly have not forgotten “the miracle of Istanbul!” This should buy him time at a club where the previous incumbent and great rival has built a formidable side with questionable discipline. But will he want to follow Jose Mourinho into a job where he could leave as European and domestic champions? Of course we all remember that this happened at Internazionale, where the impatience of the notoriously trigger-happy owner Massimo Moretti lost patience after a few below par performances, which subsequently cost him his job before he had time to rebuild an old side who appeared to have lost their motivation after a historic treble year. With Mourinho in London this week “house shopping” as the official line goes, there may be an offer on the cards for Rafa.
History tells us that Benitez is not shy to air his grievances when he feels that he is not getting sufficient backing from the owners, as Rick Parry and the Texan mob will testify. Certain areas of the media have been touting the Spaniard as the next big name manager to get chewed up and spat out by the Chelsea regime. With Andre Villas Boas’ once glorious reputation as a managerial prodigy in tatters, Abramovich is reportedly on the lookout for fresh meat. From the outside the South London club looks like a mutiny waiting to happen. Where ego’s and bank balances meet there is seldom room for patience. A rebuilding job is desperately needed and the Champions League is desperately wanted – not in 3 years…NOW! The Istanbul mastermind has the tactical acumen to succeed but the bad blood his clashes with Mourinho have caused with the supporters may not make this the popular choice for all concerned.
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Rafa’s sides have always been drilled to fit into the team ethos, players have to fit around formation and strategy and not vice versa. This can be seen in his ruthless streak after he took apart the Champions League side of ’05 and built again, albeit this was an under-par Liverpool side bar the heroics of Istanbul. He has developed a rather unfair reputation of a purveyor of sterile football, defensive minded and chess like, but memories of the flowing, relentless attacking football produced by his Valencia side in 2002 which left the red men chasing shadows, culminating in one of the best goals I have seen in Europe, scored by Pablo Aimar, not to mention the unforgettable night at Anfield when his Liverpool side tore into a decent Madrid side and cut them to shreds. The performance which I think sums up Benitez at his best was at Old Trafford 08/09, having gone a goal behind we were patient and hit United on the break 3 times and scored a set-piece in a well drilled, accomplished performance which will live long in the memory, I won’t mention the goalscorers as Rafa wouldn’t either! A simple “well done” was all Steven Gerrard ever wanted from him but I’m sure the European Cup and an FA Cup were ample consolation!
Where next then? Will he come back to the Premiership to have a go at rebuilding an ailing club along the lines of Aston Villa or Bolton? Or perhaps the Spurs job when ‘Arry leaves? Could international management suit him or will it be too hard for him not to have day to day control of his squad? Or back to La Liga where most clubs would be delighted to have a man with his track record at the helm? Wherever he goes it will be on his own terms and that’s a FACT!
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He’ll be back at Anfield next season replacing Comolli who wouldn’t know a decent player if he tripped over him.
Well AVB has just been sacked….
We need him back at pool. Proper owners will back him all the way to the top.
With todays news of AVB’s dismissal, lets see how quick he gets linked with Chelsea. I do think he will be looking at king kenny’s relationship with the owners with a degree of envy Amit
KK should move upstairs himself without being forced and make way for Benitez. That’s if he doesn’t go to the Chavs. YNWA
You’re a band of patethic fools.
I wish all the best for Rafa, but Rafa had his chance and his time is gone at Liverpool.
We’ve just won a trophy at Wembley and I was there.
It was a magnificent victory which ended a six years trophies drought.
Kenny has definitely builded an interesting side with a bright future.
Where Rafa’s going it’s a personal affaire of Rafa.
What a bunch of idiots…
I would not have perhaps put it so bluntly, but it is correct Rafa’s Era has gone, we move on, support King Kenny.
Good luck where ever he turns up but I really hope it is not Stamford Bridge.
Good article with lots of good inciteful points.
We supported KD, so what was our reward? A final in a mickey mouse cup which we nearly lost to a second div side, 75 mill on dudes, alienated seniors performing players and zero tactical awareness?
At any other club, KD would have been sack in less than half a season.
Kd’s time is up or should have. Come summer or even now, LFC need to sack KD.
I dont think Benitez is going to be a better option. He’s pigheaded, he ruined liverpool coupled wit d American owners bcos He lacks man managment…Sold Alonso,Riise,& i think Arbeloa. Brought in Insua(poor),Riera(not good enough), bought Keane&sold him when he couldn’t bring d best out of him. He kept benching Babel&Benayoun. We still struglin with d effects he left us with up till 2day. He went to Inter milan& left them in d same poor condition. He’s always using d 451 formation. Kenny would hav been d best had it been he has d eyes for pickin good players.but he doesnt so he’s failing.
Rafa can be hard headed but still miles ahead of KD. I was one of those that critizes him but looking back, that was a big mistake on. Like it or not, Rafa was our only world class manager in recent memory. Istanbul was no fluke. Rafa had no money, inherited a team from previous manager and basically have to work with he had. At half time he made an important sub and the rest they say is history. Compared that to KD, who many times had no clue what he is going to do untill its too late. The Arsenal and Cardiff game was prime recent examples. Let’s not kid ourselves, we were lucky at Wembley against a second division team.
KD was given 100 mill. Apart from Suarez (22 mill), Enrique (5 mill) and Bellamy (free), he blew 75 mill on complete dudes. Stand up please Henderson, Downing, Carroll. Can anyone of us imagine Rafa would do this? Having to deal with bickering cowboys and not much money, we nearly won the title in 08/09.
Rafa might not be perfect but he is still miles ahead compared to KD. Lets get real, RH made KD looks good.
We should sack KD now and bring back Rafa to finish a job we should had let him started a long time ago.
We had seen enough of KD and the future is bleak. This is the same KD who also alienated Kuyt, Maxi, Meireles, the same players who are/was performimg for us and have them replaced with complete dudes, at a very high price.
JH, sack KD, bring back Rafa, NOW.
Looking at the players rafa bought- Alonso, Masch, Torres, Agger, Reina,Skrtel, Kuyt,Johnson, Lucas, all top class players that took us up to whole new level (the no1 ranked team in europe) remember! The yanks wrecked the club and he was forced out! Compare with Kennys signings Carroll, Downing, adam, henderson etc… Not even close to the class of benitez. Ballague was right “we wont know what we had ’till he’s gone”.
Pointless Reply, Kenny never got the chance to manage a team with Alonso or a fully functional Torres, we do actually have a good side, with young players, what is required is TIME.
Oh and if benitez goes to Chelsea, be worried! He’ll get the money to get his first choice of player and what Torres fly!
Kenny Daglish time is up at Liverpool. Poor management skills, And bad buys as well as bad rep for lfc football club, Because of the Evra-gate scandal. Most of all poor results on field. Kenny is a relic.
Yes, relic, a perfect word to describe KD. What we don’t need if LFC harbours any ambition to move forward.
let rafa go to chjelsea and sure 100% he will spoil the team like what he did for liverpool….
SORRY FOR CHELSEA, see u in 1st divisyen..
Kenny Dalglish was a legendary player FACT. However, as a manager he is found wanting. People forget that when KD was manager of LFC in the 80s and early 90s he had inherited a great side built by Joe Fagan in the early 80s. KD simply let that great side grow old together without investing in youth.KD had a policy back then of investing in the best of British which is ok when you have players like Barnes and Beardsley around.But it is a global game now and KD’s best in British ie Adam, Carrol, Downing and Henderson simply are not good enough. Over £100m spent and we are still nowhere near to challenging for the title. Had Rafa Benitez, who is a tactical genius and world class manager been given that sort of money and backing we would’ve had the likes of Silva, Villa and Alves at our club FACT. Any LFC fan who thinks KD is the man for us and winning the mickey mouse cup is progress is deluded FACT.
cannot believe what I am reading! first off Benitez had around 250-300 million to spend, yes he bought players like Alonso but he also left because of Benitez. Tactical manager I dont think so defensive yes paranoid yes and used the americans for his own failings. I do have slight concerns over kk but would rather kk over benitez anyday if you were to move kk upstairs then i would want someone like Frank_Rijkaard
rafa kept on saying that he wants to go to a club that matches his ambitions …….. now that we have bredan rodgers … rafa here is now an impossibility …. how will we react if man u sign rafa as alex’s successor!!!!!!!!??
lets be honest… its gonna hurt us big time — footballing and otherwise