Liverpool FC Forum

[Sir Roger]

The interesting thing was the amount of players in and out. I lost count but its a lot isnt it?
The silliest is your opinion of Aquilani
Very very silly

[Igor Zidane]

Got these facts of the rattle ,interesting stuff .



This is an extensive list of some of the achievements of Rafa Benítez and his players in the past five and a half years. Some of them won’t be remembered as highly significant, but many of them highlight the progress made since 2004.



August 2004 – January 2010
2004-05

In his 1st home game in charge (Man City) Liverpool came from behind at half-time to win a game for the first time in more than 5 years.

At Fulham (October 2004) the Reds came from behind at half-time to win an away game for the 1st time in 13 years.

Liverpool became the 1st British club to ‘keep’ the European Cup following a 5th Final success.

Steven Gerrard became the 2nd youngest player to captain a European Cup winning team.
2005-06

Became only the 3rd team, and the 1st British side, to win the European Super Cup 3 times.

Steven Gerrard became the 1st Liverpool player in history to score in 5 successive European matches.

Kept clean sheets in each of their opening 4 league games for the 1st time in the club’s history.

Sami Hyypia played in a 56th consecutive European game – breaking the club record for an outfield player (he extended that record to 57).

Liverpool set a new club record of 11 consecutive clean sheets (Oct-Dec 2005).

Went 762 minutes without conceding a league goal (a post-war club record).

Won 10 league games in a row for the 1st time in 15 years.

At Luton Liverpool scored 5 goals in an away F.A. Cup tie for the 1st time in 59 years.

Liverpool beat Manchester United for the 1st time in the F.A. Cup for 85 years.

Recorded their biggest ever away win in the F.A. Cup (7-0 at Birmingham) and the biggest by any team away from home in the Quarter-Finals for 106 years.

Conceded only 8 league goals at home – their 3rd best total ever.

Set a club record of 12 successive wins in all competitions (it was extended to 14 at the start of the following season).

By lifting the F.A. Cup became the 1st manager in the club’s history to win a trophy in each of his first 2 seasons in charge.

Set a club record of 21 goals scored by substitutes in a season – previous record was 12.

Achieved the 6th-highest accumulation of available league points in the club’s history, and at the time, the 2nd-highest ever number of wins (as a % of games played)
2006-07

Recorded his 50th league win in just 93 games – a record bettered by only 2 Liverpool managers of the previous 57 years, Dalglish and Shankly.

Went unbeaten in 30 successive home league games for only the 4th time in their history.

Scored 4 goals in the 1st half of an away league game (at Wigan) for the 1st time in 15 years.

Pepe Reina kept more clean sheets in his first 50 league games (28) than any other goalkeeper in the club’s history.

Jamie Carragher played in a club record 58th game in the European Cup.

Jamie Carragher made a club record 90th appearance in all European competition.

Conceded only 7 league goals at home – best total for 28 years.

Only second English side to win in Nou Camp (previous one was Liverpool in 1976).

Reached second Champions League final in three seasons. (If ‘lucky’ to win in 2005, the Reds were ‘unlucky’ to lose in 2007.)
2007-08

Beat Besiktas 8-0 to record the biggest ever Champions League victory.

Scored 4 goals in a game on 8 occasions before Christmas for only the 3rd time in club’s history.

Steven Gerrard scored his 23rd European goal – to break the club record.

Pepe Reina kept his 50th league clean sheet in his 92nd appearance – breaking club record of 95 held by Ray Clemence.

Steven Gerrard became the 1st Liverpool player ever to score in 5 successive European games in the same season.

Fernando Torres became the 1st Liverpool player in 62 years to a hat-trick in successive home league games.

Jamie Carragher became the 1st Liverpool player to play 100 European games for the club.

Fernando Torres became the 1st player in 12 years to score 20 league goals for the club.

Pepe Reina kept 54 clean sheets in his first 100 league games to break the club record held by Ray Clemence.

Steven Gerrard became the 1st Liverpool player to score in 4 successive home European games.

Fernando Torres became the 1st Liverpool player to score in 7 successive top-flight home league games.

Rafa Benitez won 81 of his first 150 league games in charge. Only Kenny Dalglish (87) won more as Liverpool manager.

Ryan Babel equalled the club record of most goals in a season scored by a substitute (7).

Liverpool had 6 players who scored 10 goals or more in a season. Only the 3rd time this had happened in the club’s history.

Fernando Torres equalled the club record by scoring in an 8th successive home league game (all divisions).

Fernando Torres scored 24 league goals – most by any Liverpool player in a debut season for 61 years.

Fernando Torres broke Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s record of most goals in a debut Premier league season by an overseas player.

Pepe Reina won the Golden Glove for the 3rd successive season.

Liverpool scored 119 goals in the season – more than any team in England.
2008-09

In 2008 recorded their highest points tally in a calendar year (81) for 18 years.

Liverpool won 9 successive home league games for the 1st time since November 1990.

Fernando Torres became the club’s 2nd highest ever scorer in his first 50 games (34 goals).

Ryan Babel became the club’s 2nd highest ever goalscoring substitute (with 8 goals).

Liverpool came from behind to defeat Manchester United in the league for the 1st time in 42 years.

End Chelsea’s 84-game unbeaten home record.

Became only the 2nd English team to win in the Bernabeu.

At Anfield inflicted upon Real Madrid their biggest ever Champions League defeat.

Steven Gerrard became only the 2nd Liverpool player to play 100 times for the club in Europe.

Recorded their biggest win at Old Trafford for 72 years. It was also the 1st time 4 Liverpool players had scored at United in the same game.

Led the table for the 1st time ever in the Premiership with 2 games to play.

Broke Bill Shankly’s record of 65 European matches as Liverpool manager.

Broke Bob Paisley’s record of 40 European wins as Liverpool manager.

Recorded his 100th league win as manager in his 181st game. It was the 3rd quickest ever by a Liverpool manager and 50 games faster than Alex Ferguson.

Equalled club record set in 1904-05 by winning 13 away league games.

Amassed their highest points total ever in the Premier League (86) beating the 82 set in 2005-06. Their highest in the league since 1987-88.

Scored at least 3 goals in 6 successive games in all competitions for the 1st time in the club’s history.

Finished the campaign with a goal difference of + 50 – their best for 21 years when they amassed + 63 in 1987-88.

Lost just twice in the league – equalling the fewest they had lost in a league campaign for 105 years.

Fernando Torres scored 33 goals in his first 50 league games for the club – the best by any Liverpool player for 52 years.

Pepe Reina kept his 100th clean sheet in the fastest time in Liverpool history (197 games).

Won 75% of all available league points – 2nd highest in the club’s history.

The highest number of points by any team which failed to win the league (38 game seasons)
2009-10

Went unbeaten in 31 home league games – their 3rd longest ever run and best for 32 years.

Against Manchester United recorded his 114th league win in his 200th game. The 2nd best tally by any Liverpool manager in first 200 league games (Kenny Dalglish 120 wins).

Liverpool won a 3rd successive league game at Everton for only 3rd time in club’s history.

Yossi Benayoun scored a hat-trick against Burnley to become only the 5th player in the club’s history to score a hat-trick in 3 different competitions.

Pepe Reina set a new club record of most clean sheets (79) in first 150 league games.

Liverpool scored 22 goals in opening 7 league games – best tally for 114 years and 2nd best ever.

Broke club record by scoring in an 18th successive Premier League game at Anfield.

Fernando Torres broke the club record by scoring his 50th league goal for Liverpool in just his 72nd match.

(Correct up to January 23rd 2010)

[dawson99]

so we did all that and we still havent won a trophy in x years or won the league in xx years?

[bunglemark2]

so we did all that and we still havent won a trophy in x years or won the league in xx years?

Perfectly valid response....We've won squat in years. And that is just not good enough...

[Igor Zidane]

so we did all that and we still havent won a trophy in x years or won the league in xx years?

Well yeh  your right daws . The post was more to show the progress we have made under Rafa . But yes we haven't won nowt for years and years.

[dawson99]

we have made loads of progress, the question we're all asking now is can we continue to progress under Rafa or will someone else take over?

[shawnk]

Welcome to "Inconsistency FC"

[Igor Zidane]

we have made loads of progress, the question we're all asking now is can we continue to progress under Rafa or will someone else take over?

Well that's the big question mate . I just can't see how bringing in a new man now ,( cos that's what alot of people are asking for )will change anything . Will a new man win us the league now , will he have money to spend , will he do a better job , will he want to change the whole club ethos again and have another 5 year plan . Will the supporters give him 5 years . All questions that can be left until the end of the season imo .

[dawson99]

we have made loads of progress, the question we're all asking now is can we continue to progress under Rafa or will someone else take over?

Well that's the big question mate . I just can't see how bringing in a new man now ,( cos that's what alot of people are asking for )will change anything . Will a new man win us the league now , will he have money to spend , will he do a better job , will he want to change the whole club ethos again and have another 5 year plan . Will the supporters give him 5 years . All questions that can be left until the end of the season imo .

True, I'd wait and see to be honest. Whoever took over now if they did would be walking into a complete mess. but by the same stadards i would not give Rafa any money to spend over January, if we were just gonna replace him in the summer. Its a weird one

[Igor Zidane]

Don't think they've got any money to give him anyway daws .

[dawson99]

lol..true dat!

One thing tho, we'd all love Rafa to completely turn it around, do real well for us and stay. anyone who calls him that name (SW) ain't a fan. But its just getting frustrating and the 'anti's' and 'pros' are having to move further and further to the prospective sides to make points.

[stmichael]

indifferent, but then you could say that about almost any manager. in the last two years united spent £80m on hargreaves, berbatov, nani and anderson for example, all of whom have huge question marks looming over them. the difference being, due to his success, ferguson's bad buys get nowhere near the same scrutiny as any bad buy we make.

what does my head in is that the media just use rafa's bad buys as a stick to beat him with. they fail to mention him signing one of the top 3 keepers in europe, signing alonso for £10m and selling him for £30m, signing torres and mascherano who are the best in the world in their respective positions. and that's not to mention the likes of johnson, agger, garcia and benayoun.

[Zidane]

I think he's the same as any manager, the only manager I believe has a transfer record that is consistently good is you know who.  Everyone else is just about on the same level.  Simple really.

[Penguins]

Problem is Rafa is not allowed to be "normal"

While wiskeynose can spend  £80m on hargreaves, berbatov, nani and anderson it won't matter cause he has a great spine to work from and more cash to waste. Every buy Rafa makes has to be a success cause he  is always been playing catchup and there will not be more cash to throw at new players if a purchase fails.

[mrt]

It's easier to sign the very best players when you're regularly winning trophies.  Utd have also had the advantage of PL and UCL funnelling more cash towards the top, than back in the day, making it easier to replenish their squad with (for example) 30 million pound subs.