The great big Rafa debate

you won't see them signs anyway near anfield so f*uck em

you won't see them signs anyway near anfield so f*uck em

Got more chance of seeing H&G out IMO

14.5% of forum users think that Rafa isn't the right man for the job. That may be a minority on the forums but what about the numerous fickle fans that don't use a forum? i'd estimate that the percentage would be a lot larger in the "real" world away from fans who follow the team onto forums.

I do think that Rafa is the only man for the job but i wouldn't be suprised to see signs for Rafaout in the near future

Depends on the result of the games people watch, we lose and he's a fat Spanish waiter.................. .. we win and the man's flawed, but a genius.

And that also means 85.5% of forum users think Rafa is the right man for the job. And when one or two signs for Rafa Out start appearing, is when the game is going to be interesting to go to!!

Depends on the result of the games people watch, we lose and he's a fat Spanish waiter.................. .. we win and the man's flawed, but a genius.

And that also means 85.5% of forum users think Rafa is the right man for the job. And when one or two signs for Rafa Out start appearing, is when the game is going to be interesting to go to!!

Top post HR.Many times have I posted my support for Rafa, because he is an LFC manager who cares for the club, and as such deserves my loyalty.Pre season I expressed the view that this season he would be assesed on his squad building alone with no Parry to muddy the waters.However as we all know the promised transfer budget  apparently emerged, but somewhere along the line was made to include contract improvements, hence very little new signings money.Pre-season, many on this forum were quite rightly predicting the consequences of injuries to our key players, and they have been proven to be right.I'm conviced that Rafa's new contract would not have been signed with the knowledge of the transfer budget conditions later revealed.Our manager is doing a balancing act, trying to appease the fans and the Balance Sheet, we are demanding the PL trophy and the owners are demanding a long lucrative run in the CL,to bail them out on loan interest repayment.This is taking a toll on Rafa(as seen on his sweating brow on Saturday).For this reason I will give him my total support, and only judge him when the playing field is level,with the other real top 4 clubs.

Top post HR.Many times have I posted my support for Rafa, because he is an LFC manager who cares for the club, and as such deserves my loyalty.Pre season I expressed the view that this season he would be assesed on his squad building alone with no Parry to muddy the waters.However as we all know the promised transfer budget  apparently emerged, but somewhere along the line was made to include contract improvements, hence very little new signings money.Pre-season, many on this forum were quite rightly predicting the consequences of injuries to our key players, and they have been proven to be right.I'm conviced that Rafa's new contract would not have been signed with the knowledge of the transfer budget conditions later revealed.Our manager is doing a balancing act, trying to appease the fans and the Balance Sheet, we are demanding the PL trophy and the owners are demanding a long lucrative run in the CL,to bail them out on loan interest repayment.This is taking a toll on Rafa(as seen on his sweating brow on Saturday).For this reason I will give him my total support, and only judge him when the playing field is level,with the other real top 4 clubs.

Wouldn't read too much into that mate, seen him sweating like that a few times, the little fattie, BUT it was funny how the camera panned in on it then stayed focussing on it a little longer than normal, so everyone gets the picture Rafa's under pressure, snide tactic in my book, but that's the way they work.

Quality post anyway mate, I suppose in defending him from the Rafa Out crowd, I've forgotten to add that he's not above criticism, been plenty of times were i've moaned about the team he's put out or the sub's he's made, but I've never forgotten how he could have easily walked to Madrid over the last two years and been accepted with open arms by their President Perez, he's stayed, tried to deal with the bullshit served to him and us by the owners and got on with the job.

What really get's me is the way the media have gone after him not just in the last two years but his full five years in charge of us, maybe it's to do with not giving them lovely quotes like Jose or when he's not bullying them he joking with them - Ferguson, but lately some of their bullshit is being swallowed whole by some Reds fans.

We used to back our Team and Manager, especially when the press were swarming like vultures, whether it was Shanks after Watford 69, Paisley after Brighton at Anfield in 83 or even Dalglish in 1991 against Arsenal when he tried playing Venison as a defensive midfielder (the media thought Venables was a genius when he tried that one!)

Is this what 20 years without winning the title does to you? We're in danger of becoming what the mancs we're like during the 80s, certainties for the League, but not quite achieving it getting to the point were every manager that doesn't win the league is booed and slagged off.

And Houllier's five year plan has a lot to answer for as well! I've read various different websites and heard phone-ins were this has now been attributed to Rafa.

Sometimes we've got too much expectation because of our unrivalled history and also our built-up hatred of all things Man U. I'll be honest, when I saw our signings and the fact Voronin was coming back, that was a clear signal the owners were not going to be investing majorly in us. One or two singings alongside Johnson and Alberto would have re-inforced us significantly and has been shown once injuries kicked in, the back-up is not good enough, because that is the end of the market Rafa has had to deal in this summer.

While other posters were shouting about us winning the league, I refrained because I just did not feel that confident. That's nothing to do with Rafa's abilities, just the fact that if we wanted to go for Villa or Silva we'd get trumped by either Man U or Chelsea and then that doesn't include the European teams that can outbid us as well.

The point I'm making is that in the last year we've got closer to dethroning the mancs than we have for a long time and unfortunately in these times, how ever some of us Luddites protest about the obscene use of money, I fear it's the only way we're really going to able to challenge for the title. When the player's in the calibre of the Villa's and Silva's of this world become available, I would love Liverpool to be team they decide to come play for, that's the type of players Rafa can attract if given the right resources to allow him to do his job.

Until then he will continue to wheel and deal to bring in one star player and several maybe/maybe not players.

^

I said in an earlier post, no matter what season LFC have this year, I will be backing Benitez and I no many many other reds will be too. IMO, the fans calling for his head are only a minority. Im not actually saying you fall into this category but you certainly have your doubts mate.

If LFC ended up relegated this season I will still be backing Rafa and thats the god honest truth.

so at what point do you stop backing him?

The point I'm making is that in the last year we've got closer to dethroning the mancs than we have for a long time and unfortunately in these times, how ever some of us Luddites protest about the obscene use of money, I fear it's the only way we're really going to able to challenge for the title. When the player's in the calibre of the Villa's and Silva's of this world become available, I would love Liverpool to be team they decide to come play for, that's the type of players Rafa can attract if given the right resources to allow him to do his job.

Until then he will continue to wheel and deal to bring in one star player and several maybe/maybe not players.

Sums it up in a few sentences mate.

so at what point do you stop backing him?

I'll stop backing Rafa when he's no longer Liverpool manager when he's retired from football with another 18 league titles and another 5 European cups and even then he'll be remembered fondly by me

so at what point do you stop backing him?

When we fail to qualify for the CL and end up in the bottom half of the table, providing he has been given at least £20 million per year as a transfer budget (non of which is either used to enhance player contracts or repay loan interest repayments).

so at what point do you stop backing him?

When Rafa decides to pack it in because he feels he lost the fans, that'll be the day he walks and the day I stop backing him.

The same day I realise that some of our fans have dragged us down to the level of Evertonians.

Would we order him a taxi as well?

When we fail to qualify for the CL and end up in the bottom half of the table, providing he has been given at least £20 million per year as a transfer budget (non of which is either used to enhance player contracts or repay loan interest repayments).

If he fails to qualify this year he has to go.

I stop backing Rafa when I feel backing him will impact negatively on Liverpool Football Club.

I stop backing Rafa when I feel backing him will impact negatively on Liverpool Football Club.

The only people impacting negatively on Liverpool FC are Hicks & Gillet & the Fans calling for Rafa's head

I moved home and job so I could support my club,that's not an issue,but attacking my manager and players is.If Rafa was not the right man for the job,I would take him to the airport myself.If we fail to qualify this year,it's not entirely down to him,the gobsh*tes have to take their share of the responsibility.

The only people impacting negatively on Liverpool FC are Hicks & Gillet & the Fans calling for Rafa's head

Thats why I said "I feel". It is my opinion, yours is obviously the complete opposite. Nothing wrong with that. I envy your optimism, I personally have always been pessemistic, and probably worse off for it.

A week apart, a world of difference.

Not for true Reds though, we still love Rafa as he was a week ago, a year before, at Anfield, at Istanbul.

We are Liverpool, we know what's best for us.

For those of you who dun, you're as in love with us as the 2 yanks, jumping and waving when we beat the scums, but throwing the hammer at Rafa when we're down. Shame on you.

A lot of people say that he could walk to Perez and would be accepted with open arms.  But why would he do that?

I wouldn't want to go to a club where even winning the League isn't enough - Fabio Capello - you have to win with a certain style.
I wouldn't want to go to a club where you have very little say in the transfers because the president needs to make an impression on the fans - Perez.
I wouldn't want to go to a club where they change managers at a whim and interference is the watchword.

I'd sooner stay at Liverpool where no matter how bad the run of games, you are not allowed to be criticised.
I'd sooner stay at a club where it's never your fault because we have much bigger villains, who are to blame for every single wrong with the club.
I'd sooner stay at a club where 2 trophies in 5 (soon to be 6) years is acceptable because I am beyond reproach.


Walk to Real Madrid?  You'd have to drag me there, kicking and screaming.

 Rafa Benitez on the rack: Future of Liverpool boss hinges on next three matches

Rafa Benitez on the rack: Future of Liverpool boss hinges on next three matches

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1224587/Rafa-Benitez-rack-Future-Liverpool-boss-hinges-matches.html#ixzz0Vh0d5Mvg

Rafa Benitez's future at Liverpool will be determined over their next three games amid growing concern from potential investors.
Liverpool's defeat at Fulham on Saturday was the sixth in their last seven matches - the worst sequence of results for more than 50 years.

And Benitez takes his crisis-hit squad to Lyon on Wednesday knowing defeat could finish their Champions League campaign.
A failure to win there will put more pressure on their unpopular American owners to find new investment with the financial blow of an early European exit costing as much as £15million for a club already £250m in debt.
The desperate situation would present Benitez with a challenge as daunting as any since he left Valencia for Merseyside in the summer of 2004.
And although the contract he signed earlier this year would guarantee him a £20m pay-off - a seemingly prohibitive figure in the current circumstances - pressure could be put on partners Tom Hicks and George Gillett for change from potential investors eager to take the club forward.

Red mist: Jamie Carragher looks stunned as referee Lee Mason shows him the red card.

The Americans and managing director Christian Purslow will take a very close look at the next three matches against Lyon, Birmingham and Manchester City before making what could be a very big decision.

Asked about his future, Benitez would only reply: 'My future is against Lyon.'

The manager will meet his staff today for an inquest into the 3-1 defeat at Fulham, when Liverpool finished with nine men after Philipp Degen and Jamie Carragher were sent off.

Carragher said: 'These are tough times - and it hurts. We made up for a few things last week by beating Manchester United and then we have had two defeats since and we have just got to turn it around.

'We have got to sort this out with the management and get back on the training pitch because Lyon is another massive game.'
Better news for Liverpool came last night when top scorer Fernando Torres indicated he would be fit for Lyon, though he will be carefully monitored in training.

Full back Glen Johnson also faces a late fitness check, but captain Steven Gerrard has no real chance of overcoming his groin injury before Wednesday.

And the vultures start circling Anfield looking to scavenge off the carcass of a club in "Crisis"

Time for some certain reds to stand up and be counted and repay their massive wages to the club and restore some pride.

Ronnie Whelan put his poison pen to paper and tells of Rafa binning the Prem cos of his overwhelming obscession to win the Euro cup??? and the reason for the priority I hear you ask - Mr Whelan is convinced it is part of Rafas' plan to eventually secure a top job in Europe ,F***ing crank you couldn't make it up.

Ronnie Whelan put his poison pen to paper and tells of Rafa binning the Prem cos of his overwhelming obscession to win the Euro cup??? and the reason for the priority I hear you ask - Mr Whelan is convinced it is part of Rafas' plan to eventually secure a top job in Europe ,f**king crank you couldn't make it up.

Noticed that this morning mate, I also noticed as a former red who was involved in Hillsborough, he has put his pen to paper for that red top thats not fit to wipe your arse on, well in Ronnie you have disrespected 96 souls that at one point hero worshipped you and lost their lives to show you their support.

I moved home and job so I could support my club,that's not an issue,but attacking my manager and players is.If Rafa was not the right man for the job,I would take him to the airport myself.If we fail to qualify this year,it's not entirely down to him,the gobsh*tes have to take their share of the responsibility.

Excellent post.

 Rafa Benitez on the rack: Future of Liverpool boss hinges on next three matches

The way the media play it, every match is Rafa's last. They f*cking love it but I wouldn't want it any other way any more.

Don't want the Devil on our side. Unless Tony Barrett wrote it.

Excellent post.

The way the media play it, every match is Rafa's last. They f*cking love it but I wouldn't want it any other way any more.

Don't want the Devil on our side. Unless Tony Barrett wrote it.

Bit of Topic but I've just realised your on my ps3 as a buddy CRK

Know what your saying though CRK, Tont Barret gives a honest insightful opinion, whilst the rest of the media will not be happy until they see Benitez back off to Spain where is no longer a threat to Man Utd.

Rafa is my right man for the job.

I trust Rafa and I love him, the same love when he took made us finish 2nd last season, the same love when he brought us to Athens and the same love when he brought us to Istanbul.

Rafa may have made mistakes in his substitutions and tactics but every manager does. It's just a matter of whether it works out or not. When Rafa rings the changes and we don't win, everyone is calling for Rafa's head.

Take example of  last season. Where were you when Rafa took off out full backs and played 3 in defence in order for us to push on for a win against Wigan? Where were you when he started Kuyt, Torres and Alonso on the bench against Portsmouth?

Like I said, it's just a matter of whether it turns out or not. Sadly so far, we've been unlucky.

*Note : The 'You' in this post doesn't refer to anyone in particular but to the 'fans' calling for Rafa's head.