Six years was enough.
Roy gets blasted for his 'give me 10 games and then judge me', Rafa had a 'five-year plan' and after six we'd only challenged for the league title once. In his first year he made an astounding start giving me one of the best nights of my life as a Pool fan. But, I can't rest on those lurals forever and bring that up six years later as a reason to keep him here longer than the proposed 'five year plan'. He did have very difficult constraints to work under of that there is no doubt and this made life for him even more difficult. But we had Moores here prior to that when money was available albeit not in the same vain as Chelsea's at the time, but never the less that was why he was brought here in the first place, because at Valencia he out fought and outfoxed the money powerhouses of Barca and Madrid. Unforunately the English league proved a different beast altogether and it seemed to take him an eternity to come to terms with English football. He ws infact the next Claudio Raneri, the tinkerman who at one point hadn't playerd the same team in succession for over 90 odd games!
In his final year it was clear his players had lost faith in him, I had lost faith in him (not soley due to the last season but I was far from convinced he was the right man going on the previous seasons, the title challenge season gave me renewed hope in him and then when the next season kicked off that hope when running down the drain). It was clear the players weren't playing for their manager anymore, they were unhappy and perplexed and I think Rafa unfortunately got side tracked into politicking rather than coaching his side, his head ws turned and I think he lost focus. Some of the turgid football in that final season though became the ultimate nail in his coffin, we looked so average it was clear and new approach was needed, things had become stagnent under him and the owner situation didn't help his cause, it made it worse for him.
But when things are going as bad as they were, do you sack a whole team or do you get rid of the one manager? It's a no brainer.
I will remember Istanbul, the FA cup final and many many memorable CL nights and prem victories along the way but in the end it still wasn't enough to make me truly believe that he'd be the man to get us number 19. Perhaps when he's more experienced, happy in better working conditions with a few personalities out of the way he can come back and prove his worth again. I wouldn't say no in him returning one day, even though at the point in time I felt it was right LFC and he went there seperate ways.
Six years was ample time, it ultimately didn't work out as we'd have liked so a new chapter begins in his career and Liverpool's respectively.
« Last Edit: Nov 09, 2010 02:49:57 am by Rock N Redzer »
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