I'm heading round now Nev. Not to help (despite running a construction company with access to gas repairs), just to laugh
You know what, **** it, I'm jumping aboard the delusional Rafa Benitez brigade. The bloke just has it. I was looking at his relationship with Gerrard following the recent links. The more you read the more you realise how canny he is. Gerrard was never more effective than under Rafa. He treat him in a certain way to drive him to be better, and also to ensure that the rest of the players understood it was a team, no preferential treatment. Even the decline at Liverpool, you realise it came against a backdrop of board level problems. The more I look into his managerial career, the more impressive it becomes. Gerrard talks in his book how he is friendly with all his former managers except Benitez. I'm not saying you have to be frosty with players (Klopp proves that), but clearly Rafa had a way of knowing what made Gerrard tick. He treat others differently so clearly knew it takes all kinds of different approaches.Gerrard even acknowledges it made him crave his approval and instilled a desire to make himself indispensable to Benitez. His record for winning is very clear: Real Madrid U-19s Spain U-19 League: 1992–93 Spain U-19 Cup: 1990–91, 1992–93 Extremadura Segunda División promotion: 1997–98 Tenerife Segunda División promotion: 2000–01 Valencia La Liga: 2001–02, 2003–04 UEFA Cup: 2003–04 Liverpool FA Cup: 2005–06 FA Community Shield: 2006 UEFA Champions League: 2004–05 UEFA Super Cup: 2005 Inter Milan Supercoppa Italiana: 2010 FIFA Club World Cup: 2010 Chelsea UEFA Europa League: 2012–13 Napoli Coppa Italia: 2013–14 Supercoppa Italiana: 2014 Individual awards La Liga Best Coach: 2002 UEFA Manager of the Year: 2003–04, 2004–05 LMA Special Merit Award: 2006 Premier League Manager of the Month (6): November 2005, December 2005, January 2007, October 2008, March 2009, April 2013 Football League Championship Manager of the Month (1): October 2016 We haven't had a manager this astute in many many years. We haven't had a man manager like this for many many years. His appointment combined with a massive shift in direction from the board has me hopeful again. I just hope they have the common sense to continue to back him. He will deliver. He might even deliver a trophy further down the line. He is fiercely loyal. He will fight for the club to be better in every department. We will get better off and on the pitch. The bloke is only 56, he is at the peak of his powers. I'm fully on board the train of delusion. Choo ****ing choo.
If the board get it right off the pitch and continue to back him then we may be on the verge of something fairly special. I see Rafa just needs one more win to beat Keegan's record. We may not be the entertainers this time, but what we do have is a rock solid foundation. We now have players that want to play for us and give their all. The similarities are striking. The difference is that this time we have a tactical genius in charge. I realise that we are only talking Championship here, but the signs were there last season after he took over. The deadwood is gone along with the negative, counter productive atmosphere around the club. The future really does promise something. Rafa could be the man to end our hunt for a trophy.
I saw that Benitez was at the u23's game yesterday too with some of the 1st team players and all of the coaches. Benitez was the only one there in shorts! He's a double hard bast ard! he doesn't moan about having no gas! He doesn't moan about it being cold! Benitez laughs at the cold!