i told you...Benitez is overated.

I will stay calm and will insult nodoby...but you Liverpool fans are total morons

I told you many times Liverpool wasn't in the good direction with Rafael Benitez.There is no doubt Liverpool have a better squad than with Houllier at the time but Benitez isn't good enough to win the league.I remember well Houllier when he first came at Liverpool after the WC 1998.At the beginning he had a plan and he needed 3 years to build his own team and to start to have great results.It was obvious Gh's team was improving year after year until this famous season when he bought Diouf and co in 2002.His team was amazing until december 2002 then they had a crisis during 15 games and it was the end of Gh's era at Liverpool.

That's why i always rated Houllier.because his team was IMPROVING year after year.It's true though after 2002 he clearly lacked imagination.He didn't know what to do...His last card was the combo Cisse-Owen but the Liverpool board decided to sack him.It was a difficult solution but surely the good one.GH was tired imo.

With Benitez it is a totally different story.As i said when he came at Liverpool Houllier gave him an amazing present:Cisse.Unfortunately he lost Owen but he had some good ideas for Liverpool.To buy Alonso and Garcia.These two players had no problem to adapt to the "amazing PL" and thanks to them and Cisse he won the CL.Almost all the players that won the Cl excepted Garcia+Alonso was bought during the GH era.

The rest is a well known story.He decided to build his own team and he made mistakes after mistakes...I will not start a list of the money he wasted...Josemi,Morinetes,Diouf,Cisse when he sold him and co...the list is endless.

As i said i have no doubt his actual team is better than GH's team(excepted for the forwards.Heskey+Pongolle+Baros+Owen >>>Crouch+Kuyp+Voronin+Torres)but the results are the same or even worst.And if his team is better in midfield and defence it's only cos he spent big money.
The spanish coach simply at the moment lacks imagination and doesn't know how to improve the Liverpool squad.We can debate 10 years about the fact Liverpool is technically not "yet" out of the CL but as far as i'm concerned Liverpool can't be in the top 2 in this group.It's finished.

I hope Liverpool fans will soon see the light...My friends you will not win the league this season despite real quality in this team.Benitez simply needs a rest.I told you his amazing results in Cl are due to a misunderstanding!

Liverpool are protected in group tage so they can only play against average teams like Marseille or besiktas then they can easily be qualified for the 1/8 and then they only have to win against 2 teams for being in CL final and you call Benitez a magician for that!! Nonsence...

This season you are en not good enough to be in 1/8...Say it all.

Benitez has no pedigree at building winning sides, the valencia team was basically handed to him on a plate by Hector Cuper.

The-Frank-Tavern wrote:Benitez has no pedigree at building winning sides, the valencia team was basically handed to him on a plate by Hector Cuper.

You are totally right Frank tavern mate!!! His Valencia team played 2 Cl finals before him!Hardly a sh!t team that he uilt of his own.

Benitez like a lot of coaches has some ideas when he takes a new team.But clearly after 2 or 3 seasons with the same team you can see his team isn't improving at all.I don't understand all the credit he has at the moment.He spent a ridiculous amount of money this summer and his team is even not good enough to qualify for the 1/8 in CL despite being protected.

He is tired.

Alex Ferguson and Wenger (even if i don't rate him) at least built 5 or even 6 different teams and always had results.

I don't think Benitez could do the same thing.He can only improve a team but can't build a new one.he doesn't know how to spend the money.When i see for £10m MU bought Ronaldo and when i see for £25m Liverpool bought..Torres i think this is a farce.

He's always been an over rated manager, however now even his tactical judgement looks poor.

Unless Pako was the brains behind the operation, I really can't explain how bad his teams have been the last 8-10 games.

They can't even hide behind the money excuse anymore either.

I've never been a fan of Benitez either tbh. Some of his decisions confound me greatly, the best example was when there was 10 minutes or so left in the CL final, they were a goal down, so what does he do? He takes off a right back and puts on a right back. Utterly pointless. The guy doesn't know how to chase a game. Then there's his transfer policy which is a total joke.

Parks lives wrote:He's always been an over rated manager, however now even his tactical judgement looks poor.

Unless Pako was the brains behind the operation, I really can't explain how bad his teams have been the last 8-10 games.

They can't even hide behind the money excuse anymore either.

Yup Parks mate...

All the fans of PL teams were complaining about Chelsea but since 2 or 3 seasons Liverpool,Tottenham,Mu and Arsenal spent a lot of money too! It's unfair to use this excuse...

The thing is simple...Benitez simpy lacks imagination at the moment.He thinks his rotation thing is a good idea but this is bullshit! His Liverpool team is in crisis...They are still in the race in the league but almost out in CL.At the same time all the top teams are still in race for the 2 things!

Even if Puro and co think it's due to Gerrard playing MC and even if it's an interresting theory me i think it's maybe due to something else.
For me benitez doesn't know how to spend the money.Can't create a new team.Has strange taste about forwards and his tactics are too much prudent.Time to tell him the truth :Rafa mate you're an has been

Kimbo wrote:I've never been a fan of Benitez either tbh. Some of his decisions confound me greatly, the best example was when there was 10 minutes or so left in the CL final, they were a goal down, so what does he do? He takes off a right back and puts on a right back. Utterly pointless. The guy doesn't know how to chase a game. Then there's his transfer policy which is a total joke.

I remember that. Finnan for Arbeloa wasn't it?

Parks lives wrote:

Kimbo wrote:I've never been a fan of Benitez either tbh. Some of his decisions confound me greatly, the best example was when there was 10 minutes or so left in the CL final, they were a goal down, so what does he do? He takes off a right back and puts on a right back. Utterly pointless. The guy doesn't know how to chase a game. Then there's his transfer policy which is a total joke.

I remember that. Finnan for Arbeloa wasn't it?

Yup, Arbeloa was really going to change the game around for them wasn't he.

Kimbo wrote:I've never been a fan of Benitez either tbh. Some of his decisions confound me greatly, the best example was when there was 10 minutes or so left in the CL final, they were a goal down, so what does he do? He takes off a right back and puts on a right back. Utterly pointless. The guy doesn't know how to chase a game. Then there's his transfer policy which is a total joke.

Yo Kimbo mate! I started to critic Benitez after an article from Allardyce.Allardyce was saying 2 or 3 weeks ago that Benitez was doing nothing incredible.That he has average results in the league and he couldn't understand why the spanish hasn't been sacked yet.Allardyce was right.

I remember Benitez angrily answered to him saying Allardyce forgot his results in Cl but we all know why Benitez had great results in CL...Seeding

@ Arnaud

Marseille simply played Liverpool off the park at Anfield in match-day 2 , i could not understand. Expectation at the club has risen (and maybe rightfully so) as they want to win the Premiership but the short term problems must be eradicated.

He played Babel as a winger yesterday ..

tbh the yanks haven't invested all this dough for nothing, beni moaned he didn't have any money for years now he doesn't have that excuse any more, he's got nowhere to hide. If, as is v possible, they fail to win anything of note this season (EPL or ECL) then he could well be out of a job, and that may happen sooner than many think.

another prob imho is that he over analyses matches, look at his backroom set up and the notes on their website lots of people on analysis of lfc and other teams, he over complicates this aspect. wenger and saf at times don't do enough but he's much to much the other way.

Kimbo wrote:

Parks lives wrote:

Kimbo wrote:I've never been a fan of Benitez either tbh. Some of his decisions confound me greatly, the best example was when there was 10 minutes or so left in the CL final, they were a goal down, so what does he do? He takes off a right back and puts on a right back. Utterly pointless. The guy doesn't know how to chase a game. Then there's his transfer policy which is a total joke.

I remember that. Finnan for Arbeloa wasn't it?

Yup, Arbeloa was really going to change the game around for them wasn't he.

lol..Maybe thanks to that Kuyp scored after the corner..Who knows!!!!

Raifael wrote:@ Arnaud

Marseille simply played Liverpool off the park at Anfield in match-day 2 , i could not understand. Expectation at the club has risen (and maybe rightfully so) as they want to win the Premiership but the short term problems must be eradicated.

He played Babel as a winger yesterday ..

Raifael mate...

Marseille are a very average team.Believe it or not but the guy who scored at Anfield was a unknown for everyone in France!
To be outplayed by Marseille is something very surprising! Benitez was claiming it was their worst performance since he is the Liverpool coach.

Being 3rd in the league with all the money he spent isn't something acceptable.liverpool aren't even ying decent football at the moment.He is simply doing mistakes after mistakes.

Me and particularly my brother are babel admirer.I though he was good the 4 or 5 times i've seen him since season.Particularly vs toulouse...Where do you think is his best position ? just behind the forward ?

seen marseille on extended highlights on setanta and they don't look the same team as that night at anfield, but despite that liverpool were goddamn awful, and its not like its a one off, again last night p¡ss poor no imagination, no idea how to create chances.

Benitez infuriates me tactically, defensively his tactics are sound, even if you agree or diasgree with his zonal marking tactics, we very rarely conceed because of this, but there are obvious weaknesses in this system.

Our attacking tactics really piss me off, a great example was last night, when Crouch came on with only 10 minutes to go, he is our most prolific champions league striker of the current crop, and comes on with almost no time to make an impact, his immediate introduction resulted in a goal.

His transfer policy has been poor in our attacking department.

Morientes, Pennant, Gonzales, Bellamy, Voronin and Kuyt, have not cut the mustart yet.

Babel is a prospect but needs to play upfront or off the striker IMO.

He oftens puts more weight on the risk involved to attacking, than the benefit of it (scoring and winning games)

But the biggest problem i have with all the above, is his unwillingness to accept any of the above is a problem and they are a direct result of his management.

Good managers try things, if they don't work, try something different.

You'd never see SAF waiting untill the last ten minutes before changing things upfront in a must win game.

He's too cautious, and he's hamstrung by the power that Stevie me has.

I'm with Frank about Valencia, Cuper laid that team on a plate for him, all Benitez did was put the mentality there for them to win. It wasn't like Valencia came out of nowhere to win with Rafa in charge.

Sir Les Jurgen of Ginola wrote:He's too cautious, and he's hamstrung by the power that Stevie me has.

I'm with Frank about Valencia, Cuper laid that team on a plate for him, all Benitez did was put the mentality there for them to win. It wasn't like Valencia came out of nowhere to win with Rafa in charge.

I tried explaining this to COTR and Obipso last year, but they bit my head off and labled my claims as herecy, proclaiming 'our Rafa' is God he won the CL.

The biggest reason for Benitez's success in the CL is that he is excellent at stopping superior opposition from playing well. But in the league where 75% of the teams arent as good as Liverpool and wont play against them so his biggest strength becomes redundant and his biggest weakness becomes prominant.

His biggest weakness in the league is that he doesnt know how to play attacking football, he doesnt know how to create, but only destroy. He is too pragmatic and controlling; he doesnt let his attacking players run riot against inferior teams, the way Wenger, SAF and even Mourinho used to (when they won the league). He rarely buys the right (good) attacking players or how to utilise them effectively if he has them. Dropping Torres in a middle of goal scoring streak and playing Babel as a left winger are good examples of this.

I remember watching the Villa v Liverp0-0l game last season and he had Mascherano, Momo and Riise in midfield (united went their this season with 6 attacking players and not one DM or CM). I couldnt believe he had picked such a negative team and they drew 0-0 in the most boring game I saw all year.

Thats why I have written many times that Benitez will never win the premiership; as cautious football wins games in Europe, but attacking football wins you games in England and thats why he hasnt challanged for the premiership.

The difference between Benitez and Houlier isnt as big as many think, they both won a European competition, a domestic cup, played agricultural football and never looked like they would win the league.

I think pool fans are slowly realising, like they did with Houlier, that he probably isnt the one to end the league drought. I think they should get Sammy Lee

Amazing how people turn, thse opinions never came to the fore prior to all this, Benitez is still tactically a genius his selection and transfer policy need work though.

robert wrote:Amazing how people turn, thse opinions never came to the fore prior to all this, Benitez is still tactically a genius his selection and transfer policy need work though.

Mine did.

Rez wrote:

Sir Les Jurgen of Ginola wrote:He's too cautious, and he's hamstrung by the power that Stevie me has.

I'm with Frank about Valencia, Cuper laid that team on a plate for him, all Benitez did was put the mentality there for them to win. It wasn't like Valencia came out of nowhere to win with Rafa in charge.

I tried explaining this to COTR and Obipso last year, but they bit my head off and labled my claims as herecy, proclaiming 'our Rafa' is God he won the CL.

The biggest reason for Benitez's success in the CL is that he is excellent at stopping superior opposition from playing well. But in the league where 75% of the teams arent as good as Liverpool and wont play against them so his biggest strength becomes redundant and his biggest weakness becomes prominant.

His biggest weakness in the league is that he doesnt know how to play attacking football, he doesnt know how to create, but only destroy. He is too pragmatic and controlling; he doesnt let his attacking players run riot against inferior teams, the way Wenger, SAF and even Mourinho used to (when they won the league). He rarely buys the right (good) attacking players or how to utilise them effectively if he has them. Dropping Torres in a middle of goal scoring streak and playing Babel as a left winger are good examples of this.

I remember watching the Villa v Liverp0-0l game last season and he had Mascherano, Momo and Riise in midfield (united went their this season with 6 attacking players and not one DM or CM). I couldnt believe he had picked such a negative team and they drew 0-0 in the most boring game I saw all year.

Thats why I have written many times that Benitez will never win the premiership; as cautious football wins games in Europe, but attacking football wins you games in England and thats why he hasnt challanged for the premiership.

The difference between Benitez and Houlier isnt as big as many think, they both won a European competition, a domestic cup, played agricultural football and never looked like they would win the league.

I think pool fans are slowly realising, like they did with Houlier, that he probably isnt the one to end the league drought. I think they should get Sammy Lee

Still controlling and defensive football can win you the league ala Chelsea.

But he must purchase more clinical attacking players, and definately take the game to weaker teams, with an emphasis on attacking home or away.

Football Genius wrote:But he must purchase more clinical attacking players, and definately take the game to weaker teams, with an emphasis on attacking home or away.

this is huge imho, when you beat villa i thought prhaps he'd finally realised 1 point away from home ain't good enough to win the league but then rverted to type v pompey for example.

The only criticism of Benitez I have at the moment is the 13 million purchase of Babel, not because I think babel is a complete failure, I think Babel will need time and he can bea quality player in the future I'm sure. It's because that money should have been spent on a Simao or someone of that nature, someone who can make things happen, Babel can't really do that at the moment and so we're pretty easy to defend against when Torres doesn't play

He is overated, but i don't believe he is as bad as some of you are making out here. Some of his unorthodox stuff i am a fan of, the subs work a lot of the time. Bringing on strikers does not always get a goal even if it appears your giving it a go. So he does other things to change the game, the right back thing in the final was probably simply he had the team on the pitch he thought could get the goals, but one right back puts a better ball in the box than the other so he brought him on.

I am not a fan of his style anyway far to defensive and boring for my liking. Eventually as the team has more money to spend the fans demand better football and this is where he comes unstuck. Liverpool had a great defensive record in recent years, but Liverpool didn't have a great defence...... So if you try and change from being defensive to being less so, then the likes of Carragher will get exposed for tha talentless hoofers they really are

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/7061820.stm

rafa gets the dreaded vote of confidence.

"We back Rafa - he's the right manager," said Hicks.

"Rafa's rotation has been his policy for three years - his inability to coach and manage in the Champions League should be unquestioned."

United come so close to the final but fall at the last hurdle to AC Milan!!! what a shame! Ferguson fails again

And you call me kneejerk lrd

we will be absolutely fine this season. mark my words

Arnaud is beautiful wrote:I will stay calm and will insult nodoby...but you Liverpool fans are total morons

COTR wrote:And you call me kneejerk lrd

we will be absolutely fine this season. mark my words

How's the sand down there?