AS Sunday afternoon rolls around, a very popular figure will return to Anfield for the first time as an opposition manager since his acrimonious departure 3 years ago. It is likely that this will present a very awkward situation for both the home fans and the current manager.
I’ve made no secret of my feelings for Benitez over the years of writing for live4liverpool.com and know I’m not alone, which is why it’s going to be a difficult situation to predict.
Do the home fans cheer Benitez or do they not? It would be hard not to show some kind of appreciation for the man after what he did during his time here, on top of his connection to the city and fans.
But then, what kind of a situation does that put Brendan Rodgers in? He’s hardly won over the majority of Reds fans yet and given our enmity with Chelsea, it would be pretty bizarre to see our own fans cheering their manager even more than our own.
Some might feel that there’s no dilemma at all and that it would just be common courtesy to show our fondness for Benitez but that would be missing the point.
After Rafa mentioned last week that he feels he’ll manage Liverpool again, there was quite a positive response from our fans. Then, following Rodger’s ill-advised reply, many felt he’d let himself down with his thinly veiled dig at Benitez being over-looked in the summer – that isn’t the kind of conduct one expects of a Liverpool manager.
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The problem there being that the very man he made those comments about appears to be the only manager around (Kenny Dalglish aside) who genuinely understands what the club is all about; he couldn’t have picked a worse target, in all truth.
Following the comments from Rodgers – also last week – regarding his feelings about qualifying for the Europa League, it began to appear that he still just didn’t ‘get it’ and some of the signings he is apparently lining up are incredibly concerning (Ashley Williams, really, Brendan?). When you read things like that, it really is hard not to think ‘what would Rafa do?’ and the answer is: not sign players like Ashley Williams.
Which is why, come Sunday, it could well be a pivotal point for all involved. The fans won’t know how to conduct themselves; the managers will feel awkward, no doubt, given that the Chelsea manager will probably feel more at home and the result – let’s not forget that – could well decide a great deal of things for both managers and sides, in terms of European qualification, etc.
It’ll be a sad day on Sunday when the man who should still be managing this club will take his seat in the opposition dugout, but if the current Liverpool manager wants to be here for the long-haul then he could do a lot worse than take some pointers from his opposite number on both where he should be aiming his sights and what he should be looking to achieve, both long and short-term, as Liverpool manager.
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Rafa got rid of Alonso to in order to sign Barry. Says it all. Also made some terrible signings and good ones. But many on high high wages which some LFC bonehead fans fail to get into their thick skull. This is not then. We need to support Rogers for 2-3 mor seasons. He has less money then any previous manger. All these other clubs are loving the in house fighting with this club, like we’re loving seeing Chelski fans divided.
GET BEHIND YOUR * CLUB AND MANAGER OR * OFF TO EVERTON!!! Cos all your doing is dragging the club down you shallow *!!!
Fool. Uneducated fool
Blah blah blah…nonsense talk from a deluded fool
Rafa got rid of Alonso to in order to sign Barry. Says it all. Also made some terrible signings and good ones. But many on high high wages which some LFC bonehead fans fail to get into their thick skull. This is not then. We need to support Rogers for 2-3 mor seasons. He has less money then any previous manger. All these other clubs are loving the in house fighting with this club, like we’re loving seeing Chelski fans divided.
GET BEHIND YOUR CLUB AND MANAGER OR GO SUPPORT EVERTON!!! Cos all your doing is dragging the club down you shallow SO CALLED FANS!!!
Same fool rabbiting on under a different name , telling fans to support someone else . Grow up
You dont even have a clue what you are talkin about
Rodgers spent more than Kenny did NET , and 5 times as much as Hodgson did NET
The fans are waking up , we will not support a useless manager who is dragging our club down
Do you even know the NET spend you clown. Having you taking the wages into consideration when calculating that or hot your figures from the tabloids….just like I thought. Shallow immature unrealistic so called fan.
Blah blah blah.
Real…you are totally stupid
Lol. I can’t believe the rubbish you blurt out
David is correct.Rodgers spent mire than Kenny n Roy NET
Kop on kid. You look stupid when u come out with nonsense like that
Real stupid !!!
it is concerning , the players linked with LFC , BUT do we need to keep changing managers every year ,i too have my doubts over BR but lets give him at least another chance ,i would be delighted if we get players like eriksen , ben afra, michu ,and our very own alonso. hope the owners provide him with the funds. YNWA
I feel that nearly every time Rodgers opens his mouth – he lets himself and the club down .
We clearly will have the wrong manager in our dugout on sunday . Rafa is a great manager , Rodgers is a total disappointment in every way
Hopefully FSG will sack Rodgers at end of the season . Its been a disaster !
Lets hope the fans give Rafa a rousing welcome to let FSG know that the fans want him back
It would be good to see the arrogant Rodgers squirm .
Rodgers will never win over the fans . He will be sacked by xmas
there is only one top class successful manager on show on sunday…..and it’s certainly not liverpools
time for liverpools fans to start showing their dissatisfaction with the inept rodgers
Shocking to see how many clueless fans Liverpool have. Its no wonder the club is in disarray. When Rafa was here these same numskulls were calling for his head. He made some very terrible signings, like Acquman – liverpool’s costliest flop in recent history, then refused to give him a fair chance. Get over it, Rafa is gone for good. BR will take L4 to glory again. And you haters will squirm all the way.
Promised land! Very funny. In BR books, we would do fantastically if we stay up. In light if exceptionally difficult circumstances with goalkeeps performing miracles.
Hahaha . You thinkers complete twit who was sacked by reading will ever get top 4 ..
Hahaha. You are deluded
Only one or two clueless fans like yourself on here. Most have woken up and don’t believe all the bullsh Rodgers spouts
12 months maximum and the fool Rodgers will be history
all right, we sack rodgers , in few years time he manages a club like say bayern or madrid.. would you be saying get back rodgers? rodgers needs at least another season..rodgers is going to be a great manager ,i’m sure he’ll learn from his mistakes.
YNWA
Stop being silly. Rodgers will managing Exeter or someone like that
He is a cabbage if a manager. Even reading sacked him
Hopefully Rodgers is sacked ASAP
Rafa IN Bodgers OUT
It really is the only way forward .
2 draws and the SACK ROGERS brigade are out. Shallow fickle stupid fans. The beginning if the end for this club I see. Not because of the manager or the owners or the players. But a section of negative short sighted impatient immature fans. Whose negativity WILL be the end of the club.
Try actually listening to the words of YNWA when you sing it, not just sing like a hymn you idiots.
“Walk on, through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart”
If you think it’s stormy times, walk on with hope and be brave. Don’t be a wining moaning little girl. Be a soldier. A crowd of soldiers behind the team WILL overcome the odds eventually and make that success so much sweeter.
Do you think Man City players or fans felt anything near the same LFC fans would feel if we won the prem league, NO! Cos they bought that success. Do you think Chelsea felt anything like we felt at Istanbul, No! Cos they didn’t overcome adversity.
Be soldiers or leave. Better to have a few thousands MEN then a million wimps who are just a weight in the clubs back.
What a fool u are . It has nothing to do wit 2 draws.it has been our worst season in over 65 years..and Rodgers is our worst manager in 65 years
I’ve seen u comment a lot…it is obvious u are clueless about football
All u say is ….blah blah…go support someone else …well it’s apathetic docile fools like u who are ruining our club
You sit back and applaud while a rubbish manager is making us worse
We WILL get Rodgers out…and hopefully idiots like u will follow him back to Reading when he is sacked