Breffni there is not always medals for finishing above Liverpool,and united havent finished above them for the last twenty years,so with your smart comments the point i was making was Benitez is a world class manager behind only Ferguson and Wenger in the premiership and still only 49.

DABLACKSPOT (Westmeath) - Posts: 551 - 02/03/2010 12:33:42    576855

Liverpool - forever in UNITEDS shadow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

nacellabeaga (Offaly) - Posts: 700 - 02/03/2010 12:36:59    576862

eh, yea they do ya .... Champions league = money. are you a normal boy?

Well that would depend on what society deems as normal

weered92 (Derry) - Posts: 296 - 02/03/2010 16:57:48    577230

brendtheredhand
County: Tyrone
Posts: 1575


---------------------------
More than just a little bit ironic yes, and as a Liverpool fan of many years I admit I would sooner turn over the TV and watch Eastenders or whatever, than suffer through one of their games at the moment. Whatever became of "pass and move", now its "lump & hope"?


your obviously a dedicated and very loyal fan of liverpool fc if when things are not quite going right for them and you'd watch eastenders before a match. i bet you didnt mind watching them last season when liverpool were pushing for the league....

frankthetank (Meath) - Posts: 134 - 02/03/2010 18:21:31    577357

nacellabeaga
County: Offaly
Posts: 176

576862 Liverpool - forever in UNITEDS shadow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In fairness now thats not true!

laflour (Cavan) - Posts: 528 - 02/03/2010 18:27:32    577366

DABLACKSPOT
County: Westmeath
Posts: 392

576855 Breffni there is not always medals for finishing above Liverpool,and united havent finished above them for the last twenty years,so with your smart comments the point i was making was Benitez is a world class manager behind only Ferguson and Wenger in the premiership and still only 49.

I agree that Benitez is a top manager but you asked as question and I gave an answer!!

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12400 - 02/03/2010 18:28:35    577368

Its getting like ground hog day but I'll say it again HE HAS GOT TO GO NOW!!!!!!!

It has gone beyond a joke lads, no champions league football next year and Rafa's pay off won't mean anything. They have to move him on to give themselves a chance of 4th place. I think City will get it to be honest Villa will be close but the squad isn't strong enough. They will fall away towards the end like last year.

Mancirish (UK) - Posts: 2200 - 09/03/2010 19:58:59    583623

Seems to be a theme in a few threads so wanted to bring it all together here. Would anyone disagree that the club most affected by what happened in Heysel and the subsequent ban on English clubs in Europe for the best part of the 80', was Everton?
They had a mighty team then and would have been in two European cups and would have had a huge chance. And who knows where they would be now had they won a EC. The ban hit them really hard and they went into rapid decline. Only really emerging from it nowadays.
Man United were not in Everton's class at the time. Everton and Liverpool were worst hit, but with Liverpool being the cause of this ban, I think its fair to say, the Ban on English Football Clubs hurt Everton more than anyone. And it still lingers today. Hence the nasty atmosphere at the used to be friendly Merseyside Derby

Mikeynora (Limerick) - Posts: 888 - 09/04/2010 14:39:13    612856

Adios muchacho

NavyNBlue (Dublin) - Posts: 1357 - 03/06/2010 10:08:44    666247

Looks like he's on his way out. I don't understand why though. If they are only offering him a 3milllion pay off why would he settle for that if he could wait and when he gets sacked he is entitled to 16 million. Maybe he has another offer on the table.

maigh_eo (Mayo) - Posts: 1346 - 03/06/2010 10:28:25    666270

That would be my guess maigh_eo. I think there's a lot more going on here then whats being reported.
No way would he walk away for 3 when he could get 16 if he's forced out. Perhaps potential investors will only come in without him in charge? Maybe there's some performance release clause in his contract...who knows. I can't help but think that there's someone waiting to take him but they'll only take him if he was unemployed or something like that.
Kenny is the name that is being floated about as his replacement. Its a bad sign for Pool as there are no big names lining up to take over

NavyNBlue (Dublin) - Posts: 1357 - 03/06/2010 11:12:18    666334

if King Kenny takes over Liverpool will slip further and further down the league. Leave Rafa where he is

Rhodejim (Offaly) - Posts: 2888 - 03/06/2010 11:25:58    666346

Bad bad manager with a bad club.

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 03/06/2010 21:57:05    667170

Thanks for the memories Rafa. May 2005 will never be forgotten!!

MARNELL (Westmeath) - Posts: 728 - 04/06/2010 10:00:43    667226

Looks like Inter were waiting for Rafa. My guess is that it would have cost them a ton of money to take Rafa had he still been employed at Liverpool. Pool wanted him gone but didn't want to pay 16 million to let him go. The 6m release was the easiest way for Rafa to leave with some form of compensation and to walk in to another job.
The biggest winner out of all this is Rafa. He's able to keep the moral high ground, start a new job at a top club and have 6 million in his back pocket

NavyNBlue (Dublin) - Posts: 1357 - 08/06/2010 10:22:26    670426

Thanks for the memories Rafa...One of the best managers around and one who was papering over the cracks at liverpool the last six years. Best of luck at Inter...

mayonews (Mayo) - Posts: 254 - 09/06/2010 12:25:03    671829

Would those be the cracks he created with his signing policies and team selections mayonews?

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 09/06/2010 14:09:37    672010

On about financial cracks and internal struggles Master. The club simply cannot compete with a stadium smaller than Sunderlands. 7th is about right for where liverpool should be right now and only Rafas managerial ability has kept the club competing at the top in europe and in england over the course of his tenure. I'd agree with ya that he signed some duds but then again what manager doesnt. I dont buy into this myth about his team selections policy, all the clubs fighting on a few fronts have to continually freshen up their teams but for some reason sky sports decided they didnt like it when rafa made changes and coined the phrase rafas rotation policy. The same sky sports who drool over (the admittedly brilliant) Jose Mourinho and yet could he get the better of Rafa when it really mattered over four games in the '05 and '07 champions league semi finals..? No. And this is the same Jose who masterminded the demise of the greatest club side since the Ac Milan '89-'90 side in this seasons semi.
Actually on a far more simpler point, i just like the man, he takes no bull.

mayonews (Mayo) - Posts: 254 - 09/06/2010 17:35:51    672376

I liked Benitez and still rate him, but he should have left Liverpool one way or the other during the last season. He became too entrenched in his views and was stubborn (in a bad way), unprofessional and just plain daft in some of his selections/substitutions

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12400 - 09/06/2010 17:43:58    672397

I didn't like Benitez but it would be hard to argue, pound for pound, that he hasn't been the best manager in England in the last 6 years.

Look at what he was working with compared to Chelsea and Man United? And he won one, lost one and was in another semi.

Unbelievable with a club with Liverpool's resources. The only man to compete with him in the last few years is Mourinho as he won with Porto and Inter, but even Inter are better off than Liverpool.

Benitez's achievements are massive.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 09/06/2010 21:38:17    672699