Love him or hate him, there is no denying that we had some good times at Liverpool under Rafa Benitez. I will never forget that night in Istanbul for starters and the road to that final with the games against Juventus and Chelsea sticking out. Added to that, the FA Cup final against West Ham was also memorable. Although we lost in Rafa’s second Champions League final, it was just great getting to the final again. Things seemed to go downhill from there but Rafa guided us to second place in the Premier League as we were a whisker away from winning it. That was probably the last great moment we had with Rafa as last season was just a bad season to forget which ultimately led to Rafa leaving Liverpool.
In a recent interview with CNN, Rafa was asked several questions about Liverpool now that he has taken over at Inter Milan, and in typical Rafa style he avoided making too many comments about Liverpool. “I still have a lot of respect for Liverpool and Liverpool Football Club, so I don’t really want to talk about them.” was one of his statements. At the end of it all, Rafa said one thing that really touched me, “I am a Liverpool Football Club fan and I support this big club.”
Thank you for the great times you bought to us Rafa. I came across a Rafa Thank you video by YouTube user ElAlonso which relived the highs and lows under Rafa.
I was a huge fan of Rafa and still am to be fair. I feel given the right backing by the right owners he would have gone on to be one of our most succesful managers. Rafa those days I will never forget.
I wish Rafa was still here so he could work with the new owners. There is no better tactician in the game today than Rafa, who can forget him putting Arbeloa on to make his debut at left back to mark Messi out of the game!
Rafa may not have been the best man manager but I believe he is better than Roy.
Thank You Rafa
YNWA
I wish people wouold stop looking back at the Rafa era, I think our supporters are blind, Rafa lost the plot. Some of his bizzare rants in public were bordeing on petty and immature. He had the choice to sign a striker, a winger or a decent replacement for Alonso but didnt and bought Glen Johnson for 17 mil, Aqua for 20 then didnt play him. He bored and frustrated the fans to death with his negative tactics.
Give Roy a chance, stop booing players and move on.
Totally agree with you Daz. rafa made some terrible signings and he lost it after his rant at fergie. that was the beginning of the end.
The rant at fergie was the beginning of the end?
In the next 3 months Liverpool went on to play some of the best football of the last 20 years, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Man Utd all nailed to a post during that spell.
As for the summer of Johnson and Aquillani, there was a 3rd player that Rafa had a deal for that was pulled from under him in Stefan Jovetic (the guy who knocked us out of the Champions league).
The issue with people looking back at Rafa reign will not be sorted until the fans have someone they truely believe and trust in.
no wonder people like Reina want to leave with the truly blind supporters like DAZ and SCH….
when Reina has gone it will be ‘oh he wasn’t that good anyway….lol
it’s not a question of being blind more a case of being plain dumb!
In Five years, 2 European cup finals 2 Domestic cup finals and more premier league points than any Liverpool manager!
1 bad season and you start stabbing him in the back…
we finished ahead of Arsenal every season except rafa last and I don’t hear them fans wanting weenier out!
who enemies with supporters like you!
now go and keep following media trash!
well said, some have really bad and short memories, Rafa was one our very best managers and he achieved much under the shadow of the two clowns that nearly ruined our club. If it wasn’t for him, we may well have been ruined by now. Rafa YNWA
Yes one bad season doesnt make a bad manager but the truth is he has gone, and too many Liverpool fans are still moaning about what he could have done if this that or the other was right but you have to take into consideration the rumour of player un-rest also.
Gerrard & Torres looked pretty pissed off last year!
No-one is stabbing Rafa in the back, but moaning about the past and failing to get behind the new manager and the team is a dis-service to the club and the sooner people move on the better for the good of the club.
Bravery is believing in your self,and that thing is what nobody can teach you. Thank you for your inspirational word in instanbu.
well said daz…
I too am for moving on but honestly mate RH is a massive step backwards… his away record is disastrous at best!
so it’s hard not to look back at our last manager and think we missed a trick…
now the Reina who signed a massive 6yr contract wants out after getting new owners in…
you have to ask why??
I think it’s because of the manager we haveno and if he does leave it won’t be a surprise if Torres follows…
we have the right vehicle just the wrong manman at the wheel!
don’t be surprised if we change manager and Eeina has a change of heart…
it want long ago Agger gave a statement in Denmark saying he refused to play the Bolton style long game that RH wanted him to play!
ok the Reina story was just another media attempt throw off our players…
scrap my Reina comment I was foolish to believe that BS!!
still I’m prepared to give RH until Jan and if we are not in a bad position and there’s ovcious inprovement then he’s earnt a whole season…
but we should also prepare for the scenario where there’s no obvious improvement and look to secure a manager for the summer and put in Kenny mean while .