rafa would have some muck old free transfer and not back spearing/ at least give him a go.... in fact i don't know that rafa would not buy poulsen either... voronin don't bloody make the guy out to be a saint cos half his signings were good. the rest were tosh and we are still getting rid of them.
I think you'll find that most managers will have a mixed record in the transfer market. Thing with Rafa's good signings is that they turned out to be world class. It's one thing spotting a decent player like Arbeloa, but finding players like Reina, Agger, Alonso, Mascherano and Torres is another.
And not to mention his hands were tied due to working under them two arseholes so he had to shop around and take gambles on players worth 4-6 million but lets not go down that road I have nothing but the upmost respect for Rafa, class man and manger. He had one bad season
Sometimes you're really quite harsh - Rafa was a very decent manager tactically, perhaps he lacked empathy, true, and that pissed off some players, like Alonso. But he did a decent job with precious little money after 2007-08. You don't care much for Voronin, but when he came to us, he was a 1 in 3 striker for Bayer Leverkusen and before that a 1 in 3 striker at FSV Mainz. He should have worked out, but he didn't. And I really don't think he'd have bought Poulsen having championed Lucas all that time - nah, he'd go with Spearing...
I backed Rafa, I think in 09 we were as close to "the machine" that we were all wanting from him from his Valencia days. I still blame the damn Goatee, and funny enough, it all went downhill after those two came in after our CL final.
Voronin also had a very productive loan at Hertha which probably kept him here liner than he should have been
If kenny was to step down at the end of his contract, and take on an ambassadorial role again. there is no one i would rather come in (at the moment) than rafa. he loves the club and is a tactical genius.....Feel that when he left, he was using a bucket with holes trying to stop the titanic from sinking..... very different kettle of fish now mind you with class owners and a good set up....rafa would have to agree to work with the like sof comolli though as i like the setup we have now....
He would be my no. 1 choice, but I think the owners have already declared that he will not be the manager of this club as long as they are in charge.
He wouldn't work well with Commoli and I think Commoli is central to FSG's plans (He came very highly recommended by Billy Beane) and I don't mind that, In fact in a few years time I think many more premier league clubs will bring in the DoF role, espiecally clubs with young managers who may not have the connections of older wiser managers. Kenny is like these younger managers as he hasn't got the connections around europe that say, Ancellotti or Wenger may have so Commoli is needed
If Rafa had the budget, we'd have Davids Villa and Silva, and Dani Alves in our team right now, and Xabi may have stayed too. His number 1 targets were all brilliant, but he regularly had to make do with his 4th or 5th choice, at best.
No offence lads but if Rafa was still here I'd still be going to Anfield and watching a team wholly built around one up front (Torres) a system which was so often negated by a deep sitting defence it became unbearable. I love him as a 100% genuine fella but there's a certain sense of the old rose tinted binoculars here...we were gash for a good while under him and the fact that he couldn't spot talent that wasn't top end of the market was his ultimate downfall (it's easy to say I want Villa, Silva and Xabi....anyone who knows anything about football would put them top of his list). Had he been able to deal in the transfer market during the hard times (Wenger, Moyes, Redknapp can do it etc) then he'd have won us many trophies I have no doubt. But in the end we suffered because his deputies for the often crocked Torres were Ngog, Babel and Voronin. I will forever be grateful for 2005 and the way he stood up to the yanks (even though it was all done way too publicly) but as for him returning as manager one day...no thanks.
