Rafael "Rafa" Benítez Maudes

My point on this earlier is that Rafa has nothing to lose by giving it his all at this time of his career…
EFC MMA FC are a rudderless boat ‘bobbing’ about in the football ocean. There may be fireworks along the way as you say ARD, but who is better equipped, or more qualified than Rafa at this moment in time to guide the Blueshite to the promised land of cup finals and silverware…!
It is the Director of Football and his ilk that need to be nervous over this appointment… Not the other way round!

1 Like

I think this is going to end in tears. Apparently Moshiri has bypassed everyone at the club and has pulled owners rank to get Rafa. This is going to put Rafa at an immediate disadvantage with the football staff who apparently wanted Nuno.

6 Likes

Might have something to do with Rafa being a tough taskmaster though

I think it’ll end in tears because Rafa won’t get the players he wants. Some just won’t go there even with Rafa at the helm and he’ll blame the recruitment team for not paying enough in fees/agents fees/wages to successfully complete it. Others who may go will just simply be out of their ability to buy or make the squad bloated beyond what can be used. We had massive squads under Rafa sometimes coming close to 3 full line ups and nearly all senior players and that’s too many under current rules.

2 Likes

Really?? We had nearly 3 full line ups??? Is that when David Ngog was our ‘El Niño’ replacement?

Please enlighten us more.

I also think you are under playing his influence over that Valencia team.

Also checked out the most expensive Inter Milan team statement - That squad had an average of 29. You’re a disingenuous little devil aren’t you?

3 Likes

Turned the Valencia team from nearly men to two time La Liga winners as well as UEFA Cup winners. Then took the shower of shite team we had into CL winners and Europe’s no. 1 team. All against the backdrop of incompetent owners firstly and those two lying Americans.

Fights for his teams and builds a real bond between himself and the fans.

Winning us trophies, making us feared again, giving us our respect back, his connection with the families of Hillsborough et al.

There is nothing he could do to lesson my admiration and affection for him. My only concern is that they don’t deserve him.

And at least we can be assured the days of them rolling over just to fuck us over are gone if he’s appointed.

14 Likes

I am so disappointed that Rafa is going there. I thought he was a true Red.
I thought he would eventually have gone back to LFC for a couple of seasons.

I wish him well except against us. I hope we run riot over Everton.

1 Like

First maybe he disagrees with you on Valencia as his stated reason was never being bought what he asked for, sofa and lamps he used as a metaphor didn’t he?

An average age of 29 isn’t that old, especially for the Italian League, are we ignoring how successful that side had been?

And they may not have all been good, we weren’t exactly a club flush with money, but yeah nearly 3 full 11s.

For instance he used 33 players in 06/07 can actually nearly make 3 starting 11s, one good, one crap and one awful and incomplete. But a lot of senior players on the books.

Reina; Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Riise; Alonso, Mascherano; Kuyt, Gerrard, Bellamy; Crouch.

Dudek; Arbeloa, Hyypia, Paletta, Aurelio; Sissoko, Guthrie; Pennant, Garcia, Zenden; Fowler.

And hard to make into an 11 but still some established senior players;

Padelli, Warnock, Kromkamp, Roque, Insua, Kewell, El Zhar, Gonzalez, Sinama-Pongolle,

Are you ignoring the success he had with Valencia then?

Secondly, that Inter Milan team had been successful of course, but it was at the end of the cycle and needed rebuilding. 29 is the average age of the squad not the team that Morinho won the Champions league with.

Finally, you are clutching at straws over the 3 teams comment. I’m not even wasting my time on this point.

3 Likes

He’s a legend for what he won with us and a great tactician I feel these arguments are pushing me to be too critical and disrespectful of him so I’m going to stop. I was only acknowledging why I believe he hasn’t been hired by a top club and why it’ll create issues very quickly at Everton and lead to a very short stay there.

One point though we can’t possibly fly this banner whilst he’s Everton boss, we just can’t. It’ll have to wait till he’s left;

Yes it can. 100%

4 Likes

Jose ran that team into the ground and left them knowing the squad needed revamping. No coincidence they didn’t win Serie A until this year.

4 Likes

Pushing the limits of senior players there! Kromkamp for example played something like 14 games for the club. El Zhar, Insua, Padelli!!

4 Likes

The problem with this type of analysis is that it misses the context. Its a bit like saying in 15 years time. Klopp had lots of options at centerback during the 2020/2021 season. He had VvD, Gomez, Matip, Williams, Davies, Kabak, Fabinho, Phillips, Koumetio. Without noting the context that three first team players were basically out for most of the season. Others were youngers, or didnt join the season till half way. No one would say Klopp had a wealth of options.

One problem is we tend to remember players at their prime and say, sure he had a great squad. But its easy to forget Agger was a 21 year old player, who prior to that season had played just 4 games. Mascherano was a player who was a flop at West ham, who joined on loan towards the end of the season in February .

Then there is the context of injuries. Kewell had an injury that basically had him out the entire season (46 minutes played in PL). We lost Sissoko through his serious eye injury. Garcia ruptured his Achilles Zenden had knee injuries that kept him out most of the season.

Then there is the context of actually being at the club at the same time. I mentioned Mascherano above. Players like Pongolle were out on loan (Recreativo) Roque (Oldham), Guthrie (Southampton), Padelli (Crotone), Kromkamp left the club in August, Arbeloa didnt arrive till January, the same time Warnock left.

14 Likes

As Montse famously remarked, Rafa was always clearing up Mourinho’s mess.

5 Likes

Totally agree.
Going Chelsea and winning something hurt more than going Everton and probably winning nothing.
Everton fans are going on like their club is a dream job and they are too good for him.
They’ve spent millions on mangers and won nothing since 95. Who the fuck do they think they are?
They love moyes - bar a few seasons was fighting relegation. Martinez was a disaster. Koeman, Silva and Ancelotti has cost the club millions and they have still been nowhere near any prizes, yet serial winner Rafa isn’t good enough.

They don’t deserve him. They’d be happier with fat Sam back which says it all.

6 Likes

Imagine the Kop singing his song during the derby while we are beating them by 3 goals. It would send the bitters into a tailspin.

In all seriousness though, his appointment shouldn’t affect his Liverpool legacy in the slightest. We wouldn’t be where we are had it not been for him.

17 Likes

Spot on. He’s made it abundantly clear he wanted to come back but we never asked. What’s he supposed to do, turn down a job that ensures he is living with his family in the family home in a city he’s done so much for and he loves??

15 Likes

Totally disagree on that. He has his place on that banner no matter what.

16 Likes