John Aldridge: Blame Rafa

One of Rafa's biggest critics, John Aldridge, has again gone all Rafa mad in his Irish Sunday column.

Interesting that he sanitises his view when on the radio in Liverpool isn't it?

I BLAME RAFA FOR KOP FLOP

Forget 2005 - Benitez left Reds in ruin

RAFAEL BENITEZ has not taken too much of the blame for Liverpool's current plight in the relegation zone, but he is as guilty as anyone for the demise of our great club.

Benitez is set to take charge of his first game on English soil since he left Anfield last summer, as he prepares for a game against
Tottenham in the Champions League, and I cannot believe how fortunate he is to be returning as Inter Milan boss.

Don't get me wrong, Benitez wasn't a total disaster at Liverpool and some of the football his team played during the middle part of his five years on Merseyside was fantastic, but he had to go last summer and all right-minded people knew it.

Bitter

A few supporters stayed loyal to Rafa to the bitter end, but they really needed to take their blinkers off because everyone could see he was plunging the team deeper into the mire. Being loyal is a great quality of Liverpool fans, but some took it too far with Benitez.

Although Rafa would receive a huge ovation from the supporters if he came back to Anfield in the opposition dugout, those who
stood by him through thick and thin placed far too much stock in the fact that he was in charge on that incredible night when we won
the Champions League in 2005.

Let's be honest, luck as much as judgement is required when a manager finds himself 3-0 down at half-time against AC Milan, but the history books will forever show that the miracle took place and Benitez takes some credit for it.

He also needed fortune on his side as a last-minute Steven Gerrard goal denied West Ham victory in the FA Cup Final, before Liverpool went on to win another penalty shootout and cement Rafa's place in the hearts of the fans.

Those successes stood him in good stead when he lost his way in horrible fashion last year, as some fans refused to hear a word of criticism against him and clung on to the memories of the two Cup wins with too much sentimentality.

If they took a step back and looked at the mess the team were in for most of last season, those supporters would have realised
Benitez had become as big a problem at Anfield as hated owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

Shaky

I fully appreciate that the financial restrictions Benitez had to work under at Anfield made his job very complicated, but his record in the transfer market was shaky and the squad he has left behind is not a good legacy.

Fernando Torres, Pepe Reina, Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano were good signings, but they don't really compensate fully for the rubbish he brought to the club - for quite a lot of money - down the years.

I don't need to remind you that I'm not a fan of Lucas and Ryan Babel, but the transfer that really set the alarm bells ringing for me
was Alberto Aquilani. He had a few quid to spend after selling Alonso to Real Madrid and he blew it all on a player who barely kicked a ball before he left Liverpool.

One of the main reasons why Rafa had such loyal backing was he said all the right things at the right time, with some fans enjoying his verbal sparring with Alex Ferguson and tributes to Bill Shankly.

I could see through those words because all managers have learned how to become good politicians these days. Fergie is a master
at it and the same goes for Arsene Wenger and even Roy Hodgson.

So when I hear Rafa saying he loves the history of Inter Milan and respects their fans, it confirms that he would say whatever was needed to keep people sweet.

For me, Benitez was always likely to walk away from Liverpool in the summer and when he was saying he didn't want to leave earlier this year, he was merely trying to get the best financial deal for himself.

He ended up walking away from Liverpool with a £6m pay-off and a job at Inter Milan that any manager would have relished.

Taking over the reigning European champions is not a bad gig to get at a time when your reputation is on the wane.

The reality is Rafa will never be short of work again because when you win the Champions League in the manner Liverpool did, employers will always come calling.

Benitez is on this elite list of managers who have won the biggest prize in club football and he has a reputation for being tactically astute in Europe, so the job offers will continue to roll in for him whatever he achieves at Inter Milan.

He will probably do okay at Inter because he inherited a top-class team from Jose Mourinho and it would be hard not to achieve success with players who proved their worth against the best last season.

Fright

However, I'm backing Tottenham to give Inter Milan a real game at White Hart Lane on Tuesday night because this will be treated like a Cup Final by Harry Redknapp's men and they have the pace and quality to give Inter a fright.

Spurs should not be thinking they have Inter on the ropes after their thrilling fightback from 4-0 down at the San Siro a couple of
weeks back, because the Italians had taken their foot off the pedal long before Gareth Bale's sensational second-half hat-trick.

This is the real test of Tottenham's Champions League credentials and I don't think it is beyond the realms of possibility that they will beat Inter and even go as far as the quarter-finals.

It's still very much a learning experience for Spurs in Europe and their naivety will catch them out at some point, but I hope they give Rafa a run for his money as he returns to the ground where it all started to go wrong for him last season.

Liverpool were on the back foot from the moment they lost against Spurs on the opening day of last season and I wonder if Benitez will relive a few nightmares when he returns to White Hart Lane.

http://www.sundayworld.com/sport/john-aldridge.php

Get stuffed Aldridge.

Another so called legend can suck my dick!

Are these ex players on woy's PR payroll or something ffs.

Absolute rubbish from Aldridge and I usually respect what he says but F**k me this takes the biscuit. We had more players at the World cup then any other club in the Premiership.

 He is also obviously unaware Aquilani has been one of the best players in Italy as well this season. Hodgson must have befriended him this week.

Everyone has their opinion, I like Aldridge views on players most of the time, but this opinion I strongly disagree with. Just because your a player doesn't mean you know who is a good manager and who isn't. All these former players ragging on Rafa really need to wake up and smell the coffee, because you can clearly see that Rafa knew what he was doing with the club and when someone like Hodgson takes over you can see he doesn't.

The Aquilani comment doesn't make sense because at the time Rafa clearly stated that he bought Alberto for 5 years and not 5 months. We were coming off a 2nd place finish and had high expectations. Alberto is a good player and anyone who says differently hasn't watched him play.

I just don't understand these ex players, why don't they just keep their gobs shut.

Respect Aldridge's points alot, possibly more than any of our ex-players, but this one has left me pretty baffled.

Do all these ex-players know something we don't with all this Rafa bashing?

Ya I'm starting to wonder what the F**k is going on with all the sniping at Rafa by ex-players was he a pr**k behind the scenes or something that we don't know because surely to F**k they don't really think Hodgson is a better manager.

RAFAEL BENITEZ has not taken too much of the blame for Liverpool's current plight in the relegation zone

He is the only person I've heard being blamed! The owners are largely let-off because they "spent a lot" and Hodgson is apparently immune from criticism.

Don't get me wrong, Benitez wasn't a total disaster at Liverpool

Winning the CL, getting to another final, semis; winning the FA cup; get our highest PL points total and finishing second?
Not a total disaster...ffs

those who
stood by him through thick and thin placed far too much stock in the fact that he was in charge on that incredible night when we won
the Champions League in 2005.

Let's be honest, luck as much as judgement is required when a manager finds himself 3-0 down at half-time against AC Milan, but the history books will forever show that the miracle took place and Benitez takes some credit for it.

Ignoring the fact that Benitez got that side to the final in the first place!

Those successes stood him in good stead when he lost his way in horrible fashion last year, as some fans refused to hear a word of criticism against him and clung on to the memories of the two Cup wins with too much sentimentality.

I agree with this though.

If they took a step back and looked at the mess the team were in for most of last season, those supporters would have realised
Benitez had become as big a problem at Anfield as hated owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

but this is toss.

I fully appreciate that the financial restrictions Benitez had to work under at Anfield made his job very complicated, but his record in the transfer market was shaky and the squad he has left behind is not a good legacy.

clearly he does not appreciate the financial restrictions...

Fernando Torres, Pepe Reina, Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano were good signings, but they don't really compensate fully for the rubbish he brought to the club - for quite a lot of money - down the years.

a) good??? they are the four best players in the world in their position!
b) that does make up for the dross he bought - largely due to financial problems.

One of the main reasons why Rafa had such loyal backing was he said all the right things at the right time, with some fans enjoying his verbal sparring with Alex Ferguson and tributes to Bill Shankly.

Rafa's actions and subsequent comments prove he was genuine.

I could see through those words because all managers have learned how to become good politicians these days. Fergie is a master
at it and the same goes for Arsene Wenger and even Roy Hodgson.

Could all the sniping be related to the possibility that NESV may re-instate rafa?

Just dont understand all these comical accusation towards rafa,why dont people have the balls to say facts to your face other than waiting for you to be 3000 miles away.

F***ing hope inter rips the sh*t out of spurs and rafa tears the british media and ex legends a new one.

Ya I'm starting to wonder what the F**k is going on with all the sniping at Rafa by ex-players was he a pr**k behind the scenes or something that we don't know because surely to F**k they don't really think Hodgson is a better manager.

Very valid points there 'bally.

It seems that all the Old Skool "legends/heroes" have decided to rally 'round Hodgson in his time of need. Admirable enough, one could say - but to do this at the expense of Benitez and current squad members leaves me cold.

I just can't see what Aldo hopes to achieve with this attack. Buy Roy some more time, maybe; but a more dignified, diplomatic, approach would have surely been equally as effective. More likely tho' that Aldo just hates Benitez and has decided to use his privileged position to launch a personal attack. Sad, if true.

I doubt it but maybe Aldo, genuinely, believes that Hodgson has the ability to scale the same heights as Benitez. Again, sad, if true.

"Envy" is the only thing that comes to mind regarding the ex legends,that we the fans hold rafa in a better light than them barring kenny.

What the F**k is up with the lad?
He was exactly the same when Rafa got the bullet, passing totally different comments on a daily basis, his views seem to change on this occasion when he gets off the plane at JLA and puts on his none media headset.
You've got to respect Aldo and his massive contribution to LFC but I wish to F**k he would synchronise his gob and his brain.

Respect Aldridge's points alot, possibly more than any of our ex-players, but this one has left me pretty baffled.

Do all these ex-players know something we don't with all this Rafa bashing?

It could be, that they are being briefed by someone at the club. I don't know, it's just an idea in my head, but think about it logically. The club is in a pickle, they sack a well respected manager, then they appoint him with an average one. Surprise surprise, the new one doesn't do particularly well,  so how do they get out of the mess? They could do two things, they could be honest and admit they made a cock-up to the new owners, but how likely is that? So the other option is to try and justify their decision, by demonising the former manager, feeding all the ex-players with tit-bits of gossip, using all the anti-Rafa bits that thrive in the English media. It would hardly be hard, to do that with the sh*t that gets written about him, on a almost daily basis.

The interesting bit comes with Rafa, does he ignore it, or does he fight back? We shall see in the next couple of days.

One thing that really irritates me, is that old accusion about Rafa, always leaking stuff to the media, well isn't it funny, that despite him leaving the leaking still goes on. Something is rotten at the core of LFC still, in my opinion.  

I usually have total respect for Aldridge, but those comments are total dross. The comments that hack me off the most are about Aquilani. I cannot for the life of me understand why he was loaned back to Juventus, as LFC are crying out for the creativity that AA would have provided. As for Spurs giving Inter a match tomorrow night. They may well do
But Redknapp has had millions to spend in the transfer market, but there is always some excuse for their undoing. On Saturday Nani's cheating was used to cover up the fact that Spurs were never in the game. Why doesnt Aldridge stick that in his column

F***ing British xenophobia is all this is.

In their eyes Rafa is a fat Spanish waiter who will never be welcome or acknowledged no matter what he does.

I bet these ex players who have recently attacked rafa or backed roy are getting paid extra for these interviews. if they recall themselves a liverpool fan they should agree with the majority of what liverpool fans think.

another legend who can fack off

i think its racist tbh..

if rafa was british he would be considered as a god and if roy was spanish.. they would slaughter him and make comedy sketch comics in the papers everyday

Coming across very bitter there for some reason Aldridge!

if were playing teh blame game, I blame Houllier for the sh*te he left Rafa with, I blame Evans for the sh*te he left Houillier with, I blame Souness for teh sh*t he left Evans with and I blame Kenny for leaving Souness the greatest team in the world. 

I also Blame Coco and Moores for selling to to the Cowboty's but that goes without saying.

Why I don't buy any paper any more. 

Got to ask, did Rafa knock up his missus or something?

Absolute rubbish from Aldridge and I usually respect what he says but f**k me this takes the biscuit. We had more players at the World cup then any other club in the Premiership.

 He is also obviously unaware Aquilani has been one of the best players in Italy as well this season. Hodgson must have befriended him this week.

How many of those players are sh*te though?
Babel, Carragher( shouldnt have been there), Jovanovic(average so far at Lpool), Skrtel (i dont rate him), Poulsen...
There is no point in lying to ourselves.
Rafa did more good than bad for us but he obviously made mistakes. He has admitted that himself but I think its very harsh of Aldridge and even hansen recently.

It's not Rafa's fault we're in the relegation zone. I stopped reading when I read the first line, it seems the extremism really gets polarised at each end of the spectrum - why no middle ground?

F***ing British xenophobia is all this is.

In their eyes Rafa is a fat Spanish waiter who will never be welcome or acknowledged no matter what he does.

Aldo isn't British.

I bet these ex players who have recently attacked rafa or backed roy are getting paid extra for these interviews. if they recall themselves a liverpool fan they should agree with the majority of what liverpool fans think.

another legend who can fack off

That's all it's about-money, he makes the right noises for whatever media source and gets weighed in.
Of course the same comments would be entirely unacceptable to a more knowledgeable audience which is why he changes tack with the Liverpool postcode.
A very short sighted and naive code of practice from Aldo who surprisingly enough has not learned anything from previous similar experiences.

Aldo isn't British.

Aldridge was born in Liverpool in 1958.

The fact that he played for Rep of Ireland at a time when Jack Charlton was roping in anyone who had ever drank a pint of guinness or owned a red setter doesn't change that fact.

He probably had this ghost written, or he wants to get some air time with that pr**k eamon dunphy, so he has to say something controversial.

I'd love for someone to wave that article in his face next time he's gobbing off outside anfield.

I agree with a lot of posters, I think it is a form of underlying racism.

It seems to be a trend. Players shittalking the best manager the team has had in the last 20 years.

Starting to feel the same as RLB :

Its extremely biased mate, but to be honest I can not say I'm dissappointed as its what I've come to expect from our ex-players, sometime's I get the feeling none of them want us to do well and be succesfull again as they feel it may eclipse their own achievments in the clubs history.

Rafa left with a better team than what was left to him by Houllier, yet I didn't see many quotes by Rafa sniping at Gerard

Aldridge is a probably friends with Gerrard and Carra. He is just spreading the word like Murphy and co do. It also probably gets them in the door at Anfield.

Did Aldridge back Hodgson?