Anyone else think its hilarious how wound up RS get when you mention the fat **** waiter? Its just too easy.
Rubbish. He won a few titles in Spain and the CL a decade ago. He's done nothing since except go from one club to another making them significantly worse in some cases. Liverpool were a solid top 4 side when he arrived. They were a midtable team when he left, he almost destroyed inter. There was no Spanish duopoly in the early 2000. So he broke nhing bit the chair he sits on.
And what's amazing about diving and a wrongly allowed goal? Nothing. You probably think Chelsea's was also an 'amazing achievement'.
Firstly " winning a few titles " is not exactly easy in Spain when you are the manger of a team that is not Madrid/Barcelona. Madrid were extremely competitive at the time also winning CLs twice during rafa's time in Valencia. It takes more than the manager to cause the decline in fortunes that Inter and Liverpool have experienced in recent years, particularly at Inter where Rafa was at for less than one year. Also Van Gaal's achievements have come over a decade ago too bar a decent WC with Holland and he can do no wrong in your book.
He was at inter for a year because he turned them into a laughing stock. People are still laughing at Rafa's Liverpool too. Chelsea fans wanted him out before he was hired (not the best set of fans to use I know but still). The early 2000 Spanish football was great. So many sides competing. Rafa won the title with record low points tallies I believe, the dominance of the big two didn't exist at that time. Barcelona won a few titles just before (under van gaal) and Madrid were such a circus, they sacked CL winning managers..... The year they won it. He's just not very good, has no man management skills, little tactical ability (never under stood why they thought changing your team for every single game made him a tactician...). As for van Gaal. When was Rafa winning doubles and almost trebles in the last 5 years? Or taking the Holland team you see today to 3rd place at a world cup (they probably won't qualify for the next euros....). Rafa's last league title was on 2001. Van Gaals on 2010. He's won 2 since Rafa's last and he's taken several breaks from the game as well as had a few years as national team manager......
#meltdown When has a Van Gaal team ever exceded expectations? They typically just get slightly less than what you expect given the money/players available.
It was a long time ago but he won the CL with a very young Ajax team, some of whom had come through the ranks. More recently he won the Dutch league with AZ. It was their first title in 28 years and only the second in their history. He took the Dutch to third in the world cup. 15 months later the Dutch team finished 4th in their European Championship qualifying group. As for the rest, I'm not sure that winning league titles can be considered worse than what was expected. That is if course unless you are Celtic in the current SPL or perhaps Bayern in the current Bundesliga. So in short, a classic Astro post. We should start calling you Manuel.
And when Stan, who has a very different opinion to me on van Gaal has to tell you, you know it's time to give it up. Ajax was ages ago though tbf, not Liverpool's last title 'ages' but close. Van Gaals been more successful than Liverpool in the past 25 years. Significantly so. And he's takes about 6 years off during that time
Stan answered it already but I would just like to add, Bayern were a bit of a mess when van Gaal took over. Klinsmann had ruined them and the likes of Bremen were winning the title. So even in Germany, in his first year, he exceeded expectations. 1 game short of a treble. Then last season everyone was writing us off for top 4, especially you, Astro, so that would be another time he exceeded expectations.
I think he would be happy with CL qualification, the state Liverpool are in at the minute. Does make you wonder what Benitez would have achieved at LFC if they hadn't even been in the CL in his first year.
