You're right Toblerone, we should completely dismiss the previous great 5 years under him and concentrate on his worst year for us, how bizarre.

I didn't say that you should dismiss his acheivements did I? It's just that all I ever see i fawning over his memory by a section of Reds, whilst they ignore the low points of his tenure.

Ahh sorry, shouldn't have realised you'd have a problem with that.

*should have realised*

I don't have any problem with it, I just think that some of your fanbase lack perspective when it comes to Benitez. It's interesting that a thread 'celebrating' him, has appeared the morning after a lacklustre display in BR's FIRST competitive game..........

Well it would appear you think that our entire fanbase lacks perspective full stop, so there's no real surprise there.

I'd also say you were being quite generous when saying a 'lacklustre display', bloody awful more like.

You like putting words in peoples mouths & lame sarcasm don't you lad?

Count to ten.

toblerone....Your missing the point, his project broke down Hicks and Gillette, debt the appointment of purslow, less control over transfers, less money etc

toblerone....Your missing the point
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As always

if Rafa had been given the money and backing we've seen spent over the last two years.....

Your missing the point, his project broke down Hicks and Gillette, debt the appointment of purslow, less control over transfers, less money etc
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I wasn't missing any point.

I was making the point, that some reds (seemingly you included) can't see any faults in the man.
The points you make above are a partial explanation, but I don't see how you can blame everyone else but the man himself & make him out to be some sort of victim. He made plenty of mistakes, that were no-ones doing but his own.

Rafa again... I he coming back?

Has he even been employed since inter?

I will never forget the memories, but he was on a power trip towards the end and fell out with absolutely everyone an split the fans towards the end!

Anyway I'm all about buck these days! Not the past!!

Toblerone, as a child, did you purposefully look for other children having a good time so you could go and ruin it for them?

all managers have faults and bad seasons

Rafa's weren't any worse than any other top manager

Jose destroyed a 95 point ranieri side and turned them into also rans with 4 cms and no attack.

Fergie won only on single, solitary major trophy over a 5 year stretch including being so bad one year they didn't even get Europa beacuse of their group finish in the CL. Then Ronaldo saved his bacon(face) and started winning him trophies again.

Wenger turned the invincibles into the invisibles with 60 odd points a season.



Rafa had a bad year. oooooo.

Toblerone, as a child, did you purposefully look for other children having a good time so you could go and ruin it for them?
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A rather odd analogy. What's up is my realism shattering a few of your armchair illusions?

It's just not British

if Rafa had been given the money and backing we've seen spent over the last two years

===========

if if if

Is this debate really centred around figure from transferleague? Those figures are from speculative figures reported in papers, and not the actual figures.

Rafa's gross expenditure was £289m, recouped £226m. Net of £63m.

These are the figures as per the club's year end accounts for the 6 years Rafa was in charge.

stop that FJM.

you and your inconvenient facts

Rafa's faults were not just highlighted in the bad year(s), they also blew the league when they should have won it with some of his weird substitutions and squad rotation.

Rafa is a quality manager, he has proved it in Spain and England, with a special skill in doing well in europe. But he is not without his flaws. Fans seem to lay the blame on the drying up of money, when if you looked at many teams, they have sold and spent little but still maintained standards.....LOFC sold Alonso, bough Aquilani & Johnson and went from 2nd to 7th.

United sold Ronaldo and replaced with Valencia from Wigan and have still maintaied standards.

Rafa spent a lot in his early days, adding to a good squad that were regulars in Europe.

he was responsible for Alonso leaving. Decided to spend £38m on Johnson & Aquilani when the squad was thin on quality backup.

While he had many many highs at LFC, he had his fair share of flaws which were particularly evident over the course of a league season.

>>While he had many many highs at LFC, he had his fair share of flaws

just like every other top manager

he was responsible for Alonso leaving. Decided to spend £38m on Johnson & Aquilani when the squad was thin on quality backup.
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Yes he was responsible for Alonso leaving, but Alonso had also had two pretty average seasons, no-one would pay £14m for him the previous summer.

Portsmouth owed us £10m from the Crouch sale and were about to go under, Johnson was the deal to claw back that money.

Rafa was told he could only buy from Roma by H&G, I forget the exact reasons for this but it's documented somewhere.

This isn't defending Rafa for no reason, he did do many things wrong, but no more than most other managers I think, these are just the facts I know of in these cases you've mentioned.