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Would Rafa 4.0 be an upgrade?

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Former LFC manager Rafael BenitezMAYBE I should be full of more joy then I am. We thrashed the weakened assortment of players put before us by the might of Swansea, then we schooled Zenit St Petersburg at Anfield; but I’m struggling to muster up any real joy.

The green shoots of slow recovery are there to be seen but life is short. The balance between patience and hair trigger reaction is a tricky one.

Liverpool FC have exited three cups with weakened teams.

Rodgers likes players he has worked with before to the extent he has bought players Joe Allen and Fabio Borini for inflated prices and wanted Gylfi Þór Sigurðsson (but the player chose to go elsewhere for the money). Now he is being heavily linked with Ashley Williams and Michael Vorm, and again, it’s for inflated prices.

In my opinion Rogers likes to buy those he knows; his preference for this is a little too heavy for my liking. Unless you count possibly spending £8.5million for a star with acknowledged pedigree – once called ‘the future of Inter Milan’ – it suggests to me that he doesn’t have an eye for a player, or at least a decent scouting set-up. Newcastle and Swansea have real scouts and/or managers with an eye for a player.

Under King Kenny we got to two finals, won one, just missed out on the FA Cup and finishing sixth in the league, and in my opinion we were better off. That wasn’t good enough. We were playing attacking football and Andy Carroll started to look like a real player – that wasn’t good enough. How does our current situation of less achievement and the same sort of attacking football differ?

Rodgers doesn’t feel like he’s cut from the Liverpool cloth. Rodgers defending of his old players and club whenever they are in trouble, be they wrong or right, even against Liverpool shows he’s not really one of us in my opinion. I just can’t get my head round that. Ashley Williams wanted to punch Suarez and Rodgers says I’m sure he didn’t mean it! No Rodgers, you say ‘how dare you’, and complain to the media and FA regarding a lack of professionalism.
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If the shoe was on the other foot and Suarez had declared interest in physically assaulting Mr Williams then he’d be paying a fine, serving a suspension, offering numerous apologies and you can bet Michael Laudrup would complain, not just say ‘he didn’t mean it’!

Rafael Benitez is showing he can work with crazy owners and had learned lessons. Unashamedly, I want Rafa back. This new, improved Rafa will still have off days against weaker opposition, but in my opinion not as many as Brendan Rodgers.

FSG, please listen. Rafa is Liverpool through and through. He should never have left. He has been overlooked twice but please don’t make it thrice. Bring back Rafa ASAP.

I see the argument to give Rodgers more time but life is short. Stevie G isn’t getting any younger! Those who work out nowadays tend to hit the ground running. Fergy did what he did at the beginning but no one else has had that sort of start and come good, at least no one in the Premiership era.

Rafa will be free to sign and is still one of the top managers in the world. He’s learnt from errors and is now Rafa 4.0. He will not have any contractual costs to pay existing employers.

Rafa 1.0 managed a promotion and relegation with Extremadura. He improved; Rafa 2.0 succeeded at Valencia. He again improved; Rafa 3.0 succeeded at Liverpool, but started to falter and ultimately failed at Inter Milan. After a few years he has emerged from his cocoon with Chelsea as the new and enhanced Rafa 4.0.

If Rafa 4.0 can work with Roman Abramovich then he can work with FSG and maybe, teach them how a football club should be run.

This is a strange rare time when looking back is the way forward.

Bring back Rafa – in Rafa we still trust!
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An armchair fan who loves the stadium experience but likes the bread and butter of replays, moronic pundits, a drink in a pub atmosphere. LFC is my religion.

Common sense is missing from football but the situation is always complicated so I endeavour to give opinion and encourage discussion and thought about LFC.

129 comments

  • Not an Idiot says:

    This is one of the worst articles on LFC I have ever read. I already moaned about it on twitter, so I lack the resolve to point out all it’s individual flaws. Suffice it to say if this site considers itself to be at all respectable it should not post such illogical drivel.

    • Jim Lynch says:

      So you like Rodgers then?

    • stevieG says:

      yes you are

    • Erin says:

      It makes perfect sense to have a man who give us the worst start of the season since….hmmm records began and the worst pl campaign ever with the transfer knowledge of a lower league manager. Just pure genius that is .

      • anteater says:

        What did you expect from a team that had the worst second half of a season since getting relegated way back?

    • Chan says:

      I am not so sure you are NOT AN IDIOT with your comment.

      Given a choice of having a Champions League Winning Manager over a Championship Manager, who would you pick?

      Just looking at BR’s transfer alone excluding other stuff like his tactical ineptitude is enough to make me sick.

      Rafa among others gave us Mash, Torres (in his prime), Alonso, Reina, Garcia, Kuyt just to name a few.

      BR with the exeption of DS only knows the rubbish he had worked with such as Allen and Borini. We got away with Siggurdson but BR is not done yet as he is aiming for Wiliams, the same chap who wants to punch our best player.

      Everyone knows i am no big fan of KD, but i have to agree with the author, for all his faults, KD would defend to the hilt one of our own, just like AF or Wenger would do to one of theirs. BR on the other hand, does the exact opposite. He is not one of us and never would be.

      Never be ashame of calling back for Rafa, it would only be good for LFC compared to the rubbish BR who in his short time with us gave us all sort of wrong records.

      Chelski fans might not apptreciate Rafa, but a club no less than that of Real is looking up to him, so FSG you better act fast.

      • ‘Not an idiot’ thank you for your comments twit er seems perfect for you.

        Next time actually resolve to make a point when you comment. Thank you. V

  • stevieG says:

    Anything is better than Rodgers , absolutely anyone . Id have Rafa back no problem

    • Chan says:

      For those BR brigades who called for more time for their hero, just look at BR’s predecessor, he won the Lweague Cup less than a season in charge.

      The last i checked, BR had exactly 0 titles to his name.

  • joe allens mum says:

    not the best article ive read pretty poor. rafa 4.0 LOL – cmon he needs a job with stability and full backing rafa will come back once he has proven elsewhere sadly. BR will be good for us very good young progressive manager

    • Erin says:

      Problem with rafa is this. 1)Timing! Why take over at inter Milan? They achieved everything and couldn’t care less anymore. 2) speaks his mind. After 3 years and about 5 managers later, reality sank in for Morrati. Younger players are needed. In the meantime, rafa gets the blame for warning him 3 years ago.
      3) Chelsea fans. Recently, I received a message from a Chelsea supporting friend .it read ” going to watch the match and shout some abuse at Rafa.” Great choices of clubs to manage. Just great.
      Is have him over Rogers any day of the week . Twice the manager, weight and brain wise
      YNWA

      • anteater says:

        It usually is exactly the way you put it. Nothing is has ever been Rafa’s fault, it’s always the others. Oh dear.

        I don’t think the rot we are in is entirely down to Rafa, but he was here when it started.

    • Mac says:

      Only Joe Allen or Joe Allens mum would spout nonsense like that . After all , if it wasnt for Rodgers – Allen wouldn’t even get a premier league team

      • Erin says:

        There are a lot of mistakes made by rafa. Bought some cr@p players.But looking back, we great years under him. Not to mention some world class players.
        Left us with some great players also…you know, they still play for us! And a much improved academy.
        Rogers? Will leave Allen, Borrini, asaidi, oh, sturridge will become good, after spending 50 million so far. Yep, they don’t grow on trees. Whoever complains about owners not spending , needs his head examined.
        Now, back to Rafa. He had to work with Tom/hicky and RBS. We were still good until the last season.

  • leftbacky says:

    Whoever comes in for Rodgers, it will be the same story. FSG already wasted 100 million pounds and therefore any future transfer money will not be enough to bring in any top-class players. The club will be stuck with the same mediocre players. Rafa 4.0 or 10.0 can’t do much with those players. Rodgers certainly can’t.

    • Chan says:

      Rafa had proven with Valencia he can worked wonders by winning La Liga on a budget and won us the CL in his 1st season.

      At about the same time, BR was busy getting sacked by Reading

  • Mac says:

    Rafa would be great but shouldn’t be our first choice . Start at the top and try to get them in
    1st choice – Mourinho ( might not get him ,but worth a try )
    2nd choice – Hiddink
    3rd choice – Van Gaal
    4th choice – Rafa

    after that – Laudrup , Hyypia or Ancelotti

  • professor zem says:

    We finished the 2011-2012 season in eighth place not sixth.

  • Anto says:

    Yeeeeeess . Bring back Rafa . Rodgers should quit football and start a career as a politican , he is good at bullsh*t and telling people what they want to hear

    • anteater says:

      Rafa has told people sooo much they wanted to hear that they are still up his posterior to this day, years after he left his Liverpool post. And you blame Rodgers for bullsh1tting. Funny that.

  • Mr Sen says:

    No . Dont want Rafa back . But Rodgers MUST be sacked . The most average poor season in my lifetime and im 56 .

    I cringe everytime i think of some of Rodgers buys playing for Liverpool FC , and the man himself is an arrogant waffler . He is a stain on Liverpools history

  • LFC4LIFE says:

    Rafa is doing crap and he has a team full of “superstars” in Chelsea players, it’s never good to bring a own manager back it’s always worse, give Rodgers time, he only been in the job not even a year, he had two windows to improve Liverpool hardly anything in it, patience is needed. Rodgers has improved our player everyone scoring, downside? Our lack of contraction, it is really costing us points, which will be have to be sorted in the summer.

  • rouman says:

    love rafa back…with the backing he never had before…he would be superb…the owners need to relise,,he,s streets a head of brendon…plus his heart is in liverpool…thats were he will be at his best…never did understand the owners not giving kenny another year…i think he would of done good this year….better than brendon..

    • david says:

      Kenny bought downing , henderson and caroll, and we are still suffering for it. i doubt we would have been in a better position. Manager needs 2-3 years to build his team and be allowed to make mistakes on the way, but not £100 million mistakes

  • Freddie says:

    Its a no-brainer . Rodgers is our worst manager ever , Benitez is proven quality , loves liverpool and will defo be available , so wont cost much

  • Luger says:

    F*** Rafa, what a mess he left behind, Reina, Agger, Lucas all vastly overrated. Messed up Inter and now bottling every trophy while in charge of Chelsea. Nooooooo way. I’D RATHER BRING BACK KING KENNY. DALGLISH DALGLISH DALGLISH

    • kapz says:

      Lucas overrated!! mate shows how much you know about liverpool.

    • Chan says:

      You must somehow be related to KD, that would be the only reason you could defend a man with such horrible record with us.

      • Luger says:

        1 trophy in 18 months? You obviously don’t value silverware, another “money is god” modern day ‘fan’.

        • keith says:

          I would have Kenny back… But let’s be realistic ..it’s not gonna happen .

          Who comes in ? I don’t mind …but Rodgers must go

        • KD should never have left! But I’d still pluck for RB. BRs not doing it and isn’t suggesting he ever will.

        • Chan says:

          Wow, 100 mil plus for 1 mickey mouse cup. I am truly impress.

          How much did Rafa spent winning CL, FA Cup and finishing 2nd ?

  • stey says:

    If/when Rodgers goes we whould look to Sami Hyppia or Michael Laudrup.

  • DaveWestAus says:

    “YEEEEESSS” WE WILL HAVE RAFA BACK !!! AND THE SOONER THE BETTER !

  • mesmeric says:

    Brendan Rodgers –
    He came
    He waffles
    He failed

    Get him out

  • Paul says:

    Bring back the man who stood infront of the best player we’ve had in years (alonso) and told him your going to juventus to fund 2nd rate barry coming in

    NO THANK YOU

    • In the back drop of financial pressure he figured Barry could do a job n the spare change from the alonso deal would strengthen other areas of the team. It made sense but didn’t work out. If the owners had been decent he wouldn’t have been forced to try the gamble. He worked under conditions others would have walked. He did that cos he cared for LFC n knew the owners didn’t. Owners who tried to put us in ADMINISTRATION!

  • Shirley says:

    Rafa made many mistakes , Rodgers has made even more .. its time for someone new … i dont know why we cant get Jose , we are still one of the worlds great clubs …. either way , Rodgers needs to go

  • Joe says:

    There wasn’t a scouting department in place in Summer, when we brought in Allen and Borini.

    Allen was excellent when he 1st joined btw – if Sturridge looses his form will LFC fans turn on him, forgetting what skills he’s displaying at the moment?

    Borini could well yet become good. Look at Hendo. Fiorentina don’t link themselves with £10m moves for just anybody.

    We need to strengthen massively in the Summer, then most of these fickle fans will be eating their words. No doubt the same fans that wanted Lucas out a few years back.

    Either SUPPORT the team, or go be a glory boy for Munure.

    YNWA

    • redrum says:

      Allen was never excellent , or since when was 5 yard backward passes an achievement .

      Who cares about as scouting network ? Thats a ridiculous point ..
      1. Liverpool HAD a scouting network in place , they weren’t sacked when Kenny was
      2. Rodgers had his scouting network at swansea , he knew who was out there
      3. You dont need a scouting network to see what Brittish based players are around , and he STILL signed rubbish

      If you think Fiorentina are interested in Borini for 10m – lol , your having a laugh … they are broke , they want him for 2 or 3m

      ALL your points are wrong , You should go support Manure , Liverpool doesn’t need fans as unintelligent as you

    • Luger says:

      So the manager has no say in transfers? Blame the scouting? Are u Rodgers lovechild?

    • red scouser says:

      Really really dumb argument Joe . Total nonsense

  • Bellers says:

    Look , i dont care if Rafa returns , i dont care as long as someone comes in , Hyypia , Carra , Ancelotti , whoever , just get Rodgers OUT

  • leonard says:

    You are all *, including †?? author of this article. You are clueless. What was †?? our last league position under “almighty” king kenny? Do I hear you $?????? 6th? Get a breath dude A??????D????? get behind your manager. What would you $?????? then when other supporters try †?? undermine our manager, back them up? Get a life please

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