I always thought Rafa did a great job for Liverpool, it was just that season after you came 2nd in the league behind United which really did it for him. To win the CL in his first season is an immense achievement and fair play to him. As I've said, I love his passion for Liverpool - he's basically a supporter. Doesn't he still live there now?
Also I can remember his job was under scrutiny in 2009 and he had the toughest two games he could've asked for at that moment in time (Madrid then United), he certainly pulled it out the bag - 4-0 against Madrid and 4-1 at OT. Brilliant.
Fair play on the CL stuff. he had a bit of a knack for it. The league is the bread and butter though and for every step forward he made it soon became 200 steps back.
That was rafas problem. It often was about just 1 game and not the whole season. Thats why he failed in the league. Cups can be treated like that but leagues cant.
The arrogance to sum up a man you know nothing of with a career you know nothing of, to sum it all up quite clearly and precise in 2 and a fragemnt of short sentences. You just might have over valued your opinion there a little, a tad, a nodge, a smidgen. Therein resides the problem, Rafa was never and will never be a great man manager, tactically superior to Jose and Fergie, but they can manage players egos and attitudes far better. The players let him down in the season we came second, plenty of missed chances in front of goal to win games we drew, but you are a manc, why am I even explaining that to you? You support another club, yet you seem to believe to know more about Rafa and his management than you do actually do about your first language
You have to remember also, some of the payers he bought that turned out to be flops were on the form of their lives. Keane had probably his best season just before we bought him. Lucas was seen as a flop when he first came but at the time he was one of Brazil's finest up and coming youngsters adjusting to a new league, country and position and oh boy is it paying off. Granted, we should have done better in the league but during the 08/09 season we finished on a title winning 86 Pts, no team had finished 2nd on higher points since Utd in '95. Just sods law that Utd did better than us, again that was down to not finishing off winnable games.
Too be honest I think the onlyh reason any Liverpool fan would really want Rafa back is due to Rafa love of the club as he really does seem to have taken the club and the city to his heart. As a manager Liverpool should probaly always aim higher than Rafa as manager, as someone has already pointed out he isn't a great man manager. He seemed to lose it towards to end of his time at Anfield with strange selections and substitutions. The reason alot of Liverpool fans like Rafa is the same reason I dislike him - Rafas love of all things Liverpool.
Rafa went up against the best and got chewed up and spat out. hes still hurting from it imo. He was a terrible flop at inter and will struggle to get a job that big next time unless a clubs on a massive wind up. Saying that he would still do a job at a club looking to win the CL as a priority and the league was considered a bonus.
As usual you are a bit of a whacko lke the other two. You forget things you go on about when it suits due to your manic stages thoughout the day. Like Chelsea's moneybags you so often bemoaned. Or Jose hasn't done it without bags of cash is another. Yet not a valid argument for why Rafa was not successful. Granted I don't exect this pheglm UIR of a supporter to know anything and anything accurately posted by this yoke was just a bit of rare focus long enough to regurgitate something he read 2 minutes before. But.. Rafa had Jose's number head to head in the CL and ended up having Fergie's number too, since Rafa it is not a happy ground for them and we've done ok there compared. Jose had riches, something United fansd forget when it suits them btw, and Rafa stumped Jose in the CL and who broke their unbeaten HR, Who went to the Nou and won. Who scored 8 or was it 9 against RM and United. Fergie has been in the league for ages, Rafa managed in Spain. To be fair let Fergie go to Athletics Madrid and land the title year after year, thats what Rafa took on coming to England. I think he was better tactically, the other two are better at measuring the man and getting most out of him but also good tactically Rafa was better though. What do ye think, apart from it being the most stupid argument ever?
If Rafa feels like he's left a job undone and wants to finish it, I wouldn't complain. I thought the time was right for him to go when he did, but did I miss him when he went! I miss him now! He has a love affair with LFC that Hodgson could never claim to have. That's in his favour in my book. However... He'll have to sit down and think what he did wrong first time around, 'cos apart from the CL, the FA Cup win, other great stuff, and the 2nd place finish, there were down times, too, and we focused more on those than on the good times.
Didn't Jose do it with Porto without bags of money. Didn't Fergie do it with Aberdeen without bags of money. To suggest Rafa didn't have money is ridiculous - he just didn't spend it wisely. You seem to want to compare head to heads but beating United or Chelsea never won Rafa a premier league trophy.
Aberdeen.....theres your managing in a different country argument. He had Jose's number? Interesting......... I disagree. joses medal collection is the basis for me disagreeing. Anything else? Going to call me an idiot or something like that just like the other 4 or 5 idiots on the forum?
In fairness to Porto, have a look at their lineup, who needs bags of cash with players like that. Though he did well that team got fkn stripped like a car left parked in harlem in the 80s after he left because they were all quality, Deco was one of those. I am not saying no money, or anything else, just pointing out a flawed argument. My point is tactics alone will not win you titles UIR you are a knob, he replies to one post out of context and Game Set and Match for replying to points I was not making as I was pointing out your lack of making those points. Getting pointy around here
I know; but at the time it was hard to separate the two into distinct camps. We weren't a party to what was really going on behind the scenes, all we saw what was on the pitch. Rafa was treated like **** by those two.
Not in the prem no the CL when it came down to two games with plenty of time for prep. Jose's moneybags team as so called by yer lot Eric tbh. against our team of flops as again ye called em and still Rafa tactically got it right. Yoou saw Jose's tactics againjst Barca he did same with Chelse claiming the ref and the barca coach had a chat. Go Jose Eh? Fergie, scottish title, well done.
