Liverpool FC Forum

[Benny The Noon]

You cant say fact about something in the future

Wrong! he just did .... fact 

pi.ss off

To be fair mate I think even the most ardent Rafa supporters can see that time is running out. He shows some signs of his decision making becoming rational and the he reverts back to type.
I think most of those who are backing him are only doing so because theyre sh'it scared of what will happen when he goes. We have to be brave.
When Shankly retired it was the end. Then when Paisley retired it was the end. Then when Fagan retired it was the end etc etc.
Better managers than Rafa have gone and were still here

Not everyone thinks time is running out for him .

Im not going to ask for a sacking or for him to walk after one poor season

[jacdaniel]

Am i the only one that thinks Rafa has been decent in the transfer market, and if we didn't have a sell-to-buy policy, he'd have a good squad by now?  Think about when he took over.  Fergie and wenger had been in charge of their respective clubs for years and were winning titles. Chelsea had just been taken over by a billionaire and spending heaps of money on big players. 
Rafa had to try and rebuild our whole squad!  Its like Tomkins once said, if you need a home to live in and you have a dream home but cant afford it, you need to build up to it.  You still need a place to live, so you buy one home that will do for now and then move into a better home when you can... Eventually you will get your dream home.  (unless 2 Yanks continue to fail on promises).

But most of Rafa's 10 million + signings have been good or great.  Torres, Alonso, Mascherano, Kuyt. (jury still out on aqua and Johnson).
While only keane and Babel have really flopped.

Yossi, Garcia, Reina, Crouch, Agger, Skrtel were all good enough business.

Ok, Josemi, Voronin, Degen, Dossena, Nunez, Pennant, gonzalez were all Sh.ite but some were free etc.

Even the latest 3 big signings.  The Greek for 1.5 was good business.  Maxi was good business and the striker for free remains to be seen. 


By the way, i too would like to see Rafa gone IF i thought we could get a worthy replacement in.  But i feel he gets a hard time off some people in here.  he hasnt been that bad.  But last summer was so important for us to make the final step.  One or two more players would have made a huge difference.  but instead we lost Arbeloa, Alonso and Hypia and we could only afford to spend a miserable 12 million or so. 

To conclude, i think we need a new man.  but im not sure who can do too much better under these circumstances.

Rafa has been the hero long enough to see himself become the villain.

[Ben Patrick]

I am undecided for 2 reasons.

1. That 16 million payment will come get taken from somewhere and will hurt us most likely transferwise. Why? Cause now all expenses seem to be bundled up into one pot, where transfer budget, wages etc all comes from the same place.
And we know the owners would never pay for it themselves so the club will somehow take the hit.

2. I am not living in la la land(dreamland) where I think Mourinho or any other top class manager would even touch this club with a pitchfork since we are financially ****** and there is just no way there will be money to spend if the managers name is Rafa, Santa Claus or Mourinho.
And if/when City gets CL football and spend another 100 million this summer it won't matter if Saint Pete waving his magic finger is managing us.
And then we have the fact that it is the owners who appoint the manager....
Top of the list in their book is the managers marketing abilty and not tactical/coaching ability...

Thos 2 facts tells me that we are in deep ****. Klinsmann is still available I hear....

But you trust Rafa to spend the 16 million wisely ?

I dont.

Not really, but at least Rafa would have 16 million, compared to a new manager who gets the same starting point but without 16 million. And excuse me for having huge scepticism about who that new manager will be...

16 million to spend and Rafa at the helm or Rijkard(at best) with no money to spend. I don't like either prospect.


The lamest excuse for the owners not spending money must be:

"Well, Rafa wouldn't spend it well anyway so they shouldn't give him any money"

That is bull**** as that isn't the real issue, which is that the owners isn't investing in the squad. You really think a new manager would get more money just cause he isn't Rafa?

To me a new manager with no money would do a better job than Rafa with 16 million.

Thats the whole point of what most are saying.

It appears clear that whoever is manager this coming season will have virtually nothing to work with. So on that basis whoever is there needs to spend whatever small amount of money really well and get the best out of the players already here.
Its a horrible situation and thats not Rafa's fault.
Playing the wrong players and persisting with them is though.
And i dont think anyone can argue that Rafa hasnt done that this season.
So for me a new manager regardless of paying Rafa off is whats needed.

[Penguins]

And I believe next season will end just as bad if we just stand still with the squad and just watch our rivals invest,
Sell to buy policy is a one way ticket to middle table obscurity down the road no matter who is the manager.

I don't believe a new manager can just take this squad with no improvments, right the ship, and make us title challengers again.
If you stand still in football you will be overrun. A good enough squad 2008 to challenge is not even close to be good enough to challenge 2011. That is football for you....

[tonyeh]

And I believe next season will end just as bad if we just stand still with the squad and just watch our rivals invest,
Sell to buy policy is a one way ticket to middle table obscurity down the road no matter who is the manager.

I don't believe a new manager can just take this squad with no improvments, right the ship, and make us title challengers again.
If you stand still in football you will be overrun. A good enough squad 2008 to challenge is not even close to be good enough to challenge 2011. That is football for you....

But, unfortunately, Benitez just cannot be trusted with funds Penguins. He has a proven track record in that area.

At least there is the possibility that a new manager might have the intelligence enough to be able to deal with the squad with have already. Which is a decent starting 11, assuming Aquiliani and Benayoon can get a look in and the deadwood like Lucas is gotten rid of.

Problem is Benitez is just too stupid to acknowledge the glaring error of his ways...and change them.

If Benitez stays, the only result will be more of the same...and I am not talking more of this year's football. This year is the nadir of the Benitez style of management (the rebound of his past mishandling, as it were). No, I am talking about the whole 6 seasons of generally boring, tedious, conservative, negative football, that has utterly deflated the team.

Liverpool are a terrible team. They're awful to watch. That is down to Raphael Benitez. His stamp on the has been woeful and for the next fella in, it's going to take some cleaning up.

But that step must be taken. It HAS to be taken.

Otherwise Benitez will continue to drag the team down into the mire, which will be harder to escape from as time goes on.


Oh...I'm "go" by the way. 

[Big Niall]

"Well, Rafa wouldn't spend it well anyway so they shouldn't give him any money"

That is bull**** as that isn't the real issue, which is that the owners isn't investing in the squad. You really think a new manager would get more money just cause he isn't Rafa?

It is bull. You are right. The amount Rafa has played with doesnt justify us being skint. I'll say now as I said at the start of the season. 17M on a fullback??

The money was there, and thats what it was spent on. Aquilani, injured yes, but the agreements for future fees are there.

Or are you really asking, why cant we have the ludicrous amounts Real Madrid have or Man City.

Blame the owners by all means, I totally disagree however. He has had the money. He has had the players. He has shown he cannot be trusted with either. Will a new manager get more money? no, probably not. But I can hazard a guess he will get the maximum out of whoever we sign for whatever fee.

But please do forget that Alonso and Arbeloa left....
And without them leaving there would had been 0 to spend.
He wasn't even allowed to spend the money from sales straight up either. More like 7 for Johnson and 5 for Aqualini.
I'll tell you where those other 25 million went!

I'll never give in to this point.
There is a HUGE difference to "sell to be able to buy" and just buy and don't worry about sales.

I am not expecting City like summers where the manager can spend 100 million without selling. But I do expect the manager to have around 20-30 million each summer without have to have a garage sale 1st!


Johnson is england international ffs and both Chelski and Man City matched our bid.
What do you expect. Shopping at bargain basement and still expect league title? Real world calling   

Johnson's defending is very poor though. He cost us a lot more money than the £7m some people try to spin, that was the cash payment, we gave up the 10m we were owed.

Johnson is decent but we paid waaaay too much for an okay defender.

[Big Niall]

I got a warning for saying what I think about him.

[Benny The Noon]

Proven track record in terms of transfers ?! Really ?! Proven by who ? Inwould suggest when he has had decent money to spend he has bought well bar the odd mistake - ie keane and dossena the main two . Most other buys have proved to be worthwhile

pepe
johnson
agger
skittles
Greek
aurelio
masher
momo
xabi
Garcia
torres
kuyt
even babel has had the odd impact on games but not enough

players that really bombed or didn't work out IMO

keane
dossena
pennant
morientis
that's the main four IMO

That's not including aqua who still need to judge and Lucas and ngog who are both young and still got time to succeed

[Benny The Noon]

Sorry forgot to add crouch into the list of good buys and bellamy who did pro IDE a few good moments .

[Penguins]

I agree Rafa has lost the plot a bit tactically but who will Gerald and Waldorf appoint?
I wouldn't put my money on an expensive top class manager if they could get a cheap one but with a good business acumen...
I don't agree that Rafa has been terrible with funds, neither good nor bad.


If Juve/Milan/RM etc comes in after him this summer and for some unexplainable reason the 2 make one good decision under their tenure(kinda like when Parry appointed Rafa) and appoint a decent enough manager I'll support him leaving.

[redmikey]

this is like banging my head against a wall ,i know it will be nice when it stops..................... we have no money, no big investors,no likelyhood of a massive bid due to greedy yanks are making us more unappealing everyday. there is no one out there to do a better job than rafa is doing( mistakes and all) wenger gets half the stick rafa does from the press and fans and they have dropped some right conkers and won feck all. we have out preformed them over the last five years.

please someone make a list and reasons why they won't come are shouldn't come then see who is left................. mark hughes..eeeeerrrrrrrrr no thanks

[Igor Zidane]

Stay for gods sake . Why ? This is Why ?


Valencia CF
2001–04 – Twice champions of Spain and UEFA Cup triumph

In 2001 Benítez was appointed coach of Valencia, replacing Hector Cuper. The club had previously approached Javier Irureta, Mané and Luis Aragonés and had been turned down by all three. However the club director Javier Subirats recognised the potential of Benítez and campaigned for his appointment. Despite the loss of Gaizka Mendieta, he inherited from Cuper a team brimming with potential. Santiago Cañizares, Roberto Ayala, Rubén Baraja, David Albelda, Vicente and Pablo Aimar provided the backbone of an already formidable side.

Valencia CF fans were soon won over by Benítez as he introduced a more attacking style of play. He also made good use of both Mista and Curro Torres and Mista went on to become top goalscorer for Valencia with 19 goals in the 2003–04 season and Curro Torres became an established international. In 2002, these tactics saw Benítez lead Valencia to their first La Liga title in thirty one years, winning it by a seven point margin over second placed Deportivo La Coruña.

However the following season 2002–03 was a disappointing one as the club failed to follow up on their title success, they finished only fifth in La Liga, eighteen points behind Champions Real Madrid. The season saw Benítez make his debut in the UEFA Champions League. Valencia CF reached the quarter-finals before losing to Internazionale.

The 2003–04 season was a different story. Valencia won La Liga with three games to go and beat Marseille 2–0 in the UEFA Cup final. Despite this success, Benítez fell out with Jesus Garcia Pitarch, the club's director of sport, over control of new signings and the club's failure to reinforce the squad with the players he wanted. These differences of opinion saw Benítez resign as Valencia coach in June 2004. He famously said "I asked for a table and they bought me a lampshade" in reference to the players he wanted the club to sign.
Liverpool FC
2004–05 champions of Europe

One of Benítez' first tasks at Liverpool was to convince club captain Gerrard not to move to rivals Chelsea.[3] He was unable, however, to convince Michael Owen to extend his contract, and he was sold to Real Madrid. Benítez signed several players from La Liga, most notably Luis García and Xabi Alonso, both of whom drew immediate admiration from Kopites. Benítez also gave new life to existing Liverpool players, transforming Jamie Carragher from a utility player to one of Europe's top centre backs[4] alongside Sami Hyypiä.

During his first season Benítez failed to improve the club's form in the Premiership. Key players missed much of the season through injury and Liverpool failed to challenge Chelsea and Arsenal for the league title, finishing fifth. However, Benítez did reach his first English domestic cup final, losing the Carling Cup final against Chelsea at the Millennium Stadium 3-2 after extra time.

In the UEFA Champions League it was very different, despite a poor start. Liverpool began their campaign with an unimpressive 2–1 aggregate win over Grazer in the qualifying rounds and were minutes away from going out of the competition in the group stages before an 87th minute goal by Gerrard defeated Olympiacos 3–1 and saw the club progress to the last sixteen on goal difference. Bayer Leverkusen were beaten 3–1 home and away followed by Juventus who were beaten 2–1 on aggregate after Benítez' bold selection of Anthony Le Tallec and Scott Carson in the home leg had, to some degree, worked.

In the semi-final Liverpool faced José Mourinho's Chelsea, who had beaten Liverpool twice in the Premiership as well as highly rated Barcelona in a previous round. After a goalless first leg at Stamford Bridge, a controversial early goal from Luis García saw Liverpool win 1–0 on aggregate and reach the final against Milan. In a classic final, Liverpool came from 3–0 down at half-time to level the score at 3–3 in the space of 6 minutes and eventually triumphed 3-2 on penalties, with the assistance of Jerzy Dudek. Benítez's calm methodical approach at half time was said to give the players the belief they could pull off an improbable comeback and win Liverpool an historic fifth European Cup.[5]

The Champions League win made him only the third manager, after Bob Paisley and Mourinho, to win the UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League in successive seasons and the second Liverpool manager (after Joe Fagan) to win the European Cup/UEFA Champions League in his first season in charge. Benítez' tactics were credited as a key factor in Liverpool reaching, and winning, the final, despite an unimpressive squad of players.[6]
2005–06 – FA Cup winners

For the 2005–06 season Benítez further reinforced the Liverpool squad by signing Peter Crouch, Mohamed Sissoko, Pepe Reina, Boudewijn Zenden and Daniel Agger, as well as former Liverpool player (and fan favourite) Robbie Fowler in the January transfer window.

It is notable that Dudek's heroics in the Champions league final were not enough for him to stay as first choice keeper, as Reina replaced him in goal right away. Benítez also quickly discarded unlikely heroes Vladimír Šmicer and Igor Biscan, who played key roles in the European success but seemingly did not figure in Benítez' long-term plans. Benítez also quickly sold two of his first signings in English football, Josemi and Antonio Núñez after they failed to establish themselves.

The improvements saw the club's Premiership form improve considerably. Liverpool finished third in the league, qualifying for the UEFA Champions League and only narrowly missed out on second place by one point. Liverpool also won the FA Cup beating both Manchester United and Chelsea, as well as a thrilling 5-3 win against Luton in the third round, on the way to the final against West Ham Utd. History repeated itself in the final as they then went on to lift the trophy after a penalty shoot-out, following a dramatic 3-3 draw. Liverpool came from 2–0 down and were losing 3–2 in stoppage time when Steven Gerrard scored a dramatic late equalizer. This time Pepe Reina saved three penalties during the shoot-out to secure the silverware.

In winning the FA Cup, Rafa became the only manager in the history of Liverpool Football Club to win major trophies in both of his first two seasons at the club.
2006–07 – Another Champions League Final

The English Press were predicting Liverpool would challenge Chelsea for the Premiership crown after Benítez addressed Liverpool's perceived weaknesses in the transfer window by signing strikers Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt as well as wingers Jermaine Pennant and Mark González, a belief reaffirmed after his side won the Community Shield with 2–1 victory over Chelsea.

Although Liverpool had qualified for the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League with two games to spare (a new record for the club), and then going on to win the group with one game still left, Benítez's future at the Liverpool was called into question after poor away results in the league: his agent was quoted as saying he would consider offers to manage in Italy.[7] Benítez swiftly issued a statement through the club's website re-affirming his desire to remain with Liverpool for the long term.[8]

Although the team's league results improved, their defence of the FA Cup lasted just one game as they were knocked out by Arsenal at Anfield; and four days later they were knocked out of the League Cup, also by Arsenal losing 6–3 at Anfield, Liverpool's heaviest home defeat since 1913. At the end of the league campaign, Liverpool were on 68 points, beating Arsenal to third place on goal difference but their poor away form had prevented the title challenge many were expecting - they did not win away in the League until December.

Liverpool's 2006–07 Champions League campaign proved more fruitful. They were then drawn against defending champions Barcelona in the first round of the knockout stages. Benítez's side did not have ideal preparations with a reported altercation between Liverpool players Craig Bellamy and John Arne Riise days before the winning the first leg 2–1 at Camp Nou.[9] This was seen as a major test of Benítez's man-management at the time and he subsequently fined both players.[10] Remarkably, Riise and Bellamy combined to score the second goal of a 2–1 victory in the first leg and Liverpool held Barca to just one goal in a 0–1 loss in the return at Anfield, thus progressing on the away goals rule.

After beating PSV 4–0 on aggregate in the quarter-finals, Liverpool draw Chelsea in the semi finals. In the first leg, Liverpool lost 1–0 at Chelsea, but won the return leg 1–0, and then ultimately winning 4–1 in a penalty shoot-out after extra time. After the game, Liverpool's new co-owner George Gillett said: "Rafa has been tremendous ... We knew of him but I don't think we realized how good he was, and not just as a coach. Not only was he a brilliant coach but he is a very sharp, savvy businessman. He knows what he wants and how to get it. The more we have seen of him the more impressed we have become."[11] During the penalty shoot out, Rafa was noted for sitting down cross-legged in his technical area. He later explained that it was because fans behind the dug-out were complaining that they could not see.

Liverpool contended with Milan for their sixth European Cup in Athens, Greece on 23 May 2007, in a repeat of the 2005 final but lost 2–1. Following the defeat Benítez insisted his club's new owners had to back him in the transfer market in order for Liverpool to progress.[12] It was reported Benítez did not feel he had the complete support of the new owners, a thought that was compounded by Liverpool's initial lack of activity in the transfer window, although the club played these rumours down.[13]
2007–08 – Cash flow and crisis
Benítez in 2007.

Benítez moved on several players in the summer, including fan-favourites Robbie Fowler, Luis García and Jerzy Dudek as well as Djibril Cissé and Craig Bellamy, who was notably phased out of the first team following his altercation with Riise. Benítez also lost his long-time right-hand man, Ayestarán, who quit after a reported disagreement, which Benitez admitted "hurt" him and arguably Liverpool's titles hopes.[14]

Liverpool's new owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett provided Benítez with transfer funds for the new season to attempt to bridge the gap to Premiership rivals Manchester United and Chelsea. Benítez broke Liverpool's transfer record when signing Spanish striker Fernando Torres from Atlético Madrid as well as signing young Dutch forward Ryan Babel, attacking midfielder Yossi Benayoun, Brazilian player of the year Lucas Leiva and Andriy Voronin. Benítez also had one eye on the future, investing in a number of young foreign players including Hungarian starlet Krisztian Nemeth and Dani Pacheco from Barcelona.

Liverpool made a good start to the new league season and topped the Premier League table for the first time under Benítez after a comprehensive 6–0 win over Derby County. Despite this, poor results in the Champions League and a disagreement over future transfers lead to a public falling-out with the club's owners, played out in the media at the end of November. It was suggested that Benítez's position was now under serious threat. The resulting coverage resulted in an overwhelming show of support by fans in support of Benítez which culminated in a fans' march in support of Benítez ahead of the critical Champions League home tie with Porto, which they won 4–1.[15] It has since emerged that at the time Jürgen Klinsmann was offered the Liverpool job, before accepting the post of Bayern Munich manager. Such a revelation damaged Benítez' relations with the Americans and he was constantly linked to Real Madrid.[16] However, Benitez insisted his future was at Liverpool and signalled his long-term intentions by appointing Sammy Lee as his new assistant.[17]

Benítez was unable to win any trophies, Liverpool's domestic campaign faltering in the winter months - including a shock FA Cup exit at home to Barnsley - and his side this time lost to Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals. Despite the lack of silverware, the main talking points were off the pitch, with Benítez in the middle of a power struggle between the Liverpool board[18]
2008–09 – League runner-up

Benítez was reportedly close to quitting Liverpool in the summer of 2008 over the Liverpool board's failure to back him in his bid to purchase Gareth Barry from Aston Villa.[19] Benítez had reportedly intended to sell Xabi Alonso to fund the purchase of Barry, a decision that did not meet with unanimous approval from The Kop.[20] Benítez did however address what were seen as the weak areas of Liverpool's squad through the purchases of Robbie Keane, Andrea Dossena and Albert Riera, amongst others. Liverpool made an impressive start to the 2008–09 season including Benítez' first ever league win against Manchester United at Anfield on the 13 September and ending Chelsea's 86 match unbeaten run in the league at Stamford Bridge.

Liverpool's early season form won Benítez the Barclays Premier League Manager of the Month award. Benítez also broke Bill Shankly's record of 65 European matches as Liverpool manager and matched Bob Paisley's European record of 39 wins after a win over Marseille.[21] Liverpool finished the calendar year top of the Premier League for the first time since 1996, despite Benítez requiring an operation to remove kidney stones in December. Benítez was not present at the Emirates Stadium for Liverpool's 1–1 draw with Arsenal, although he did pass instructions over the phone to assistant Sammy Lee, who also took charge for the next two matches, with Benítez watching from the stands.

Poor results on the pitch in the New Year, including losing in the FA Cup to local rivals Everton, and an attack on Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson in the media lead some pundits and opposition supporters to suggest Benítez was "cracking up" under the pressure of a title bid. Benítez still appeared to be at odds with Liverpool's owners, publicly turning down a contract extension and demanding more control over transfers. It is believed that Benítez prioritised the signing of Barry over Keane during the Summer, but Liverpool Chief Executive Rick Parry instead chose to first pay £20 million for Keane and then pulled the plug on the Barry deal, causing tension between the two.[22] In the January transfer window, Robbie Keane was sold back to Tottenham with some analysts claiming he was a "pawn in a power struggle" between Benítez and the club's owners.[23].

In March it was announced that Parry would stand down at the end of the season, although he insisted this was not related to any disputes with Benítez.[24]

Nevertheless, on 18 March 2009 Benítez signed a new five-year deal with the club. Benitez said "My heart is with Liverpool, so I'm delighted to sign this new deal, I love the club, the fans and the city and with a club and supporters like this, I could never say no to staying."[25] Prior to this, at one point rumours of Benítez quitting or possibly being sacked became so great that bookmakers had to suspend betting on the subject.[26]

A fine end of season run included a 5-0 aggregate win over Real Madrid in the Champions League First Knockout Round and a first league win at Old Trafford for Benítez, beating Manchester United 4-1, during which Liverpool fans ironically chanted that Rafa was "cracking up", in reference to Manchester United chants earlier in the season. Liverpool were also involved in two successive 4-4 draws, first against Chelsea in the Champions League Quarter Final, losing 7-5 on aggregate, and then against Arsenal in the League. These high-scoring games late in the season were in contrast to a succession of low-scoring draws at home to lesser teams earlier in the season that Benítez admitted cost his side the chance of the title[27]. With 10 wins in their last 11 games, Liverpool finished the season on a high, finishing second in the league for the first time under Benítez, four points off champions Manchester United.

[SouthCoastShankly]

Proven track record in terms of transfers ?! Really ?! Proven by who ? Inwould suggest when he has had decent money to spend he has bought well bar the odd mistake - ie keane and dossena the main two . Most other buys have proved to be worthwhile

pepe
johnson
agger
skittles
Greek
aurelio
masher
momo
xabi
Garcia
torres
kuyt
even babel has had the odd impact on games but not enough

players that really bombed or didn't work out IMO

keane
dossena
pennant
morientis
that's the main four IMO

That's not including aqua who still need to judge and Lucas and ngog who are both young and still got time to succeed

I think your missing the point. IMO Rafa's failing has been the players he has sold.

Crouch - Ludicrous sale IMO, did nothing wrong and we sold to fund the Keane deal that didn't work out.
Keane - Given no real chance, why?
Bellamy - See above.
Alonso - Lucas is an adequate replacement isn't he?
Riise - Have him over Insua and Aurelio any day.

You try telling me with those players we wouldn't be stronger right now.

[zarababe]

Oi Bentiez will stay - out stay all of you ( on this forum that is) - he is the man to lead us ... get rid of the stiflers who have made it impossible for him to operate.. and hang parry and Moores - Judas' numero ono's

BACK THE MANAGER AND THE TEAM- IS YA HAVE A SPINE

[Sir Roger]

Stay for gods sake . Why ? This is Why ?


Valencia CF
2001–04 – Twice champions of Spain and UEFA Cup triumph

In 2001 Benítez was appointed coach of Valencia, replacing Hector Cuper. The club had previously approached Javier Irureta, Mané and Luis Aragonés and had been turned down by all three. However the club director Javier Subirats recognised the potential of Benítez and campaigned for his appointment. Despite the loss of Gaizka Mendieta, he inherited from Cuper a team brimming with potential. Santiago Cañizares, Roberto Ayala, Rubén Baraja, David Albelda, Vicente and Pablo Aimar provided the backbone of an already formidable side.

Valencia CF fans were soon won over by Benítez as he introduced a more attacking style of play. He also made good use of both Mista and Curro Torres and Mista went on to become top goalscorer for Valencia with 19 goals in the 2003–04 season and Curro Torres became an established international. In 2002, these tactics saw Benítez lead Valencia to their first La Liga title in thirty one years, winning it by a seven point margin over second placed Deportivo La Coruña.

However the following season 2002–03 was a disappointing one as the club failed to follow up on their title success, they finished only fifth in La Liga, eighteen points behind Champions Real Madrid. The season saw Benítez make his debut in the UEFA Champions League. Valencia CF reached the quarter-finals before losing to Internazionale.

The 2003–04 season was a different story. Valencia won La Liga with three games to go and beat Marseille 2–0 in the UEFA Cup final. Despite this success, Benítez fell out with Jesus Garcia Pitarch, the club's director of sport, over control of new signings and the club's failure to reinforce the squad with the players he wanted. These differences of opinion saw Benítez resign as Valencia coach in June 2004. He famously said "I asked for a table and they bought me a lampshade" in reference to the players he wanted the club to sign.
Liverpool FC
2004–05 champions of Europe

One of Benítez' first tasks at Liverpool was to convince club captain Gerrard not to move to rivals Chelsea.[3] He was unable, however, to convince Michael Owen to extend his contract, and he was sold to Real Madrid. Benítez signed several players from La Liga, most notably Luis García and Xabi Alonso, both of whom drew immediate admiration from Kopites. Benítez also gave new life to existing Liverpool players, transforming Jamie Carragher from a utility player to one of Europe's top centre backs[4] alongside Sami Hyypiä.

During his first season Benítez failed to improve the club's form in the Premiership. Key players missed much of the season through injury and Liverpool failed to challenge Chelsea and Arsenal for the league title, finishing fifth. However, Benítez did reach his first English domestic cup final, losing the Carling Cup final against Chelsea at the Millennium Stadium 3-2 after extra time.

In the UEFA Champions League it was very different, despite a poor start. Liverpool began their campaign with an unimpressive 2–1 aggregate win over Grazer in the qualifying rounds and were minutes away from going out of the competition in the group stages before an 87th minute goal by Gerrard defeated Olympiacos 3–1 and saw the club progress to the last sixteen on goal difference. Bayer Leverkusen were beaten 3–1 home and away followed by Juventus who were beaten 2–1 on aggregate after Benítez' bold selection of Anthony Le Tallec and Scott Carson in the home leg had, to some degree, worked.

In the semi-final Liverpool faced José Mourinho's Chelsea, who had beaten Liverpool twice in the Premiership as well as highly rated Barcelona in a previous round. After a goalless first leg at Stamford Bridge, a controversial early goal from Luis García saw Liverpool win 1–0 on aggregate and reach the final against Milan. In a classic final, Liverpool came from 3–0 down at half-time to level the score at 3–3 in the space of 6 minutes and eventually triumphed 3-2 on penalties, with the assistance of Jerzy Dudek. Benítez's calm methodical approach at half time was said to give the players the belief they could pull off an improbable comeback and win Liverpool an historic fifth European Cup.[5]

The Champions League win made him only the third manager, after Bob Paisley and Mourinho, to win the UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League in successive seasons and the second Liverpool manager (after Joe Fagan) to win the European Cup/UEFA Champions League in his first season in charge. Benítez' tactics were credited as a key factor in Liverpool reaching, and winning, the final, despite an unimpressive squad of players.[6]
2005–06 – FA Cup winners

For the 2005–06 season Benítez further reinforced the Liverpool squad by signing Peter Crouch, Mohamed Sissoko, Pepe Reina, Boudewijn Zenden and Daniel Agger, as well as former Liverpool player (and fan favourite) Robbie Fowler in the January transfer window.

It is notable that Dudek's heroics in the Champions league final were not enough for him to stay as first choice keeper, as Reina replaced him in goal right away. Benítez also quickly discarded unlikely heroes Vladimír Šmicer and Igor Biscan, who played key roles in the European success but seemingly did not figure in Benítez' long-term plans. Benítez also quickly sold two of his first signings in English football, Josemi and Antonio Núñez after they failed to establish themselves.

The improvements saw the club's Premiership form improve considerably. Liverpool finished third in the league, qualifying for the UEFA Champions League and only narrowly missed out on second place by one point. Liverpool also won the FA Cup beating both Manchester United and Chelsea, as well as a thrilling 5-3 win against Luton in the third round, on the way to the final against West Ham Utd. History repeated itself in the final as they then went on to lift the trophy after a penalty shoot-out, following a dramatic 3-3 draw. Liverpool came from 2–0 down and were losing 3–2 in stoppage time when Steven Gerrard scored a dramatic late equalizer. This time Pepe Reina saved three penalties during the shoot-out to secure the silverware.

In winning the FA Cup, Rafa became the only manager in the history of Liverpool Football Club to win major trophies in both of his first two seasons at the club.
2006–07 – Another Champions League Final

The English Press were predicting Liverpool would challenge Chelsea for the Premiership crown after Benítez addressed Liverpool's perceived weaknesses in the transfer window by signing strikers Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt as well as wingers Jermaine Pennant and Mark González, a belief reaffirmed after his side won the Community Shield with 2–1 victory over Chelsea.

Although Liverpool had qualified for the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League with two games to spare (a new record for the club), and then going on to win the group with one game still left, Benítez's future at the Liverpool was called into question after poor away results in the league: his agent was quoted as saying he would consider offers to manage in Italy.[7] Benítez swiftly issued a statement through the club's website re-affirming his desire to remain with Liverpool for the long term.[8]

Although the team's league results improved, their defence of the FA Cup lasted just one game as they were knocked out by Arsenal at Anfield; and four days later they were knocked out of the League Cup, also by Arsenal losing 6–3 at Anfield, Liverpool's heaviest home defeat since 1913. At the end of the league campaign, Liverpool were on 68 points, beating Arsenal to third place on goal difference but their poor away form had prevented the title challenge many were expecting - they did not win away in the League until December.

Liverpool's 2006–07 Champions League campaign proved more fruitful. They were then drawn against defending champions Barcelona in the first round of the knockout stages. Benítez's side did not have ideal preparations with a reported altercation between Liverpool players Craig Bellamy and John Arne Riise days before the winning the first leg 2–1 at Camp Nou.[9] This was seen as a major test of Benítez's man-management at the time and he subsequently fined both players.[10] Remarkably, Riise and Bellamy combined to score the second goal of a 2–1 victory in the first leg and Liverpool held Barca to just one goal in a 0–1 loss in the return at Anfield, thus progressing on the away goals rule.

After beating PSV 4–0 on aggregate in the quarter-finals, Liverpool draw Chelsea in the semi finals. In the first leg, Liverpool lost 1–0 at Chelsea, but won the return leg 1–0, and then ultimately winning 4–1 in a penalty shoot-out after extra time. After the game, Liverpool's new co-owner George Gillett said: "Rafa has been tremendous ... We knew of him but I don't think we realized how good he was, and not just as a coach. Not only was he a brilliant coach but he is a very sharp, savvy businessman. He knows what he wants and how to get it. The more we have seen of him the more impressed we have become."[11] During the penalty shoot out, Rafa was noted for sitting down cross-legged in his technical area. He later explained that it was because fans behind the dug-out were complaining that they could not see.

Liverpool contended with Milan for their sixth European Cup in Athens, Greece on 23 May 2007, in a repeat of the 2005 final but lost 2–1. Following the defeat Benítez insisted his club's new owners had to back him in the transfer market in order for Liverpool to progress.[12] It was reported Benítez did not feel he had the complete support of the new owners, a thought that was compounded by Liverpool's initial lack of activity in the transfer window, although the club played these rumours down.[13]
2007–08 – Cash flow and crisis
Benítez in 2007.

Benítez moved on several players in the summer, including fan-favourites Robbie Fowler, Luis García and Jerzy Dudek as well as Djibril Cissé and Craig Bellamy, who was notably phased out of the first team following his altercation with Riise. Benítez also lost his long-time right-hand man, Ayestarán, who quit after a reported disagreement, which Benitez admitted "hurt" him and arguably Liverpool's titles hopes.[14]

Liverpool's new owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett provided Benítez with transfer funds for the new season to attempt to bridge the gap to Premiership rivals Manchester United and Chelsea. Benítez broke Liverpool's transfer record when signing Spanish striker Fernando Torres from Atlético Madrid as well as signing young Dutch forward Ryan Babel, attacking midfielder Yossi Benayoun, Brazilian player of the year Lucas Leiva and Andriy Voronin. Benítez also had one eye on the future, investing in a number of young foreign players including Hungarian starlet Krisztian Nemeth and Dani Pacheco from Barcelona.

Liverpool made a good start to the new league season and topped the Premier League table for the first time under Benítez after a comprehensive 6–0 win over Derby County. Despite this, poor results in the Champions League and a disagreement over future transfers lead to a public falling-out with the club's owners, played out in the media at the end of November. It was suggested that Benítez's position was now under serious threat. The resulting coverage resulted in an overwhelming show of support by fans in support of Benítez which culminated in a fans' march in support of Benítez ahead of the critical Champions League home tie with Porto, which they won 4–1.[15] It has since emerged that at the time Jürgen Klinsmann was offered the Liverpool job, before accepting the post of Bayern Munich manager. Such a revelation damaged Benítez' relations with the Americans and he was constantly linked to Real Madrid.[16] However, Benitez insisted his future was at Liverpool and signalled his long-term intentions by appointing Sammy Lee as his new assistant.[17]

Benítez was unable to win any trophies, Liverpool's domestic campaign faltering in the winter months - including a shock FA Cup exit at home to Barnsley - and his side this time lost to Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals. Despite the lack of silverware, the main talking points were off the pitch, with Benítez in the middle of a power struggle between the Liverpool board[18]
2008–09 – League runner-up

Benítez was reportedly close to quitting Liverpool in the summer of 2008 over the Liverpool board's failure to back him in his bid to purchase Gareth Barry from Aston Villa.[19] Benítez had reportedly intended to sell Xabi Alonso to fund the purchase of Barry, a decision that did not meet with unanimous approval from The Kop.[20] Benítez did however address what were seen as the weak areas of Liverpool's squad through the purchases of Robbie Keane, Andrea Dossena and Albert Riera, amongst others. Liverpool made an impressive start to the 2008–09 season including Benítez' first ever league win against Manchester United at Anfield on the 13 September and ending Chelsea's 86 match unbeaten run in the league at Stamford Bridge.

Liverpool's early season form won Benítez the Barclays Premier League Manager of the Month award. Benítez also broke Bill Shankly's record of 65 European matches as Liverpool manager and matched Bob Paisley's European record of 39 wins after a win over Marseille.[21] Liverpool finished the calendar year top of the Premier League for the first time since 1996, despite Benítez requiring an operation to remove kidney stones in December. Benítez was not present at the Emirates Stadium for Liverpool's 1–1 draw with Arsenal, although he did pass instructions over the phone to assistant Sammy Lee, who also took charge for the next two matches, with Benítez watching from the stands.

Poor results on the pitch in the New Year, including losing in the FA Cup to local rivals Everton, and an attack on Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson in the media lead some pundits and opposition supporters to suggest Benítez was "cracking up" under the pressure of a title bid. Benítez still appeared to be at odds with Liverpool's owners, publicly turning down a contract extension and demanding more control over transfers. It is believed that Benítez prioritised the signing of Barry over Keane during the Summer, but Liverpool Chief Executive Rick Parry instead chose to first pay £20 million for Keane and then pulled the plug on the Barry deal, causing tension between the two.[22] In the January transfer window, Robbie Keane was sold back to Tottenham with some analysts claiming he was a "pawn in a power struggle" between Benítez and the club's owners.[23].

In March it was announced that Parry would stand down at the end of the season, although he insisted this was not related to any disputes with Benítez.[24]

Nevertheless, on 18 March 2009 Benítez signed a new five-year deal with the club. Benitez said "My heart is with Liverpool, so I'm delighted to sign this new deal, I love the club, the fans and the city and with a club and supporters like this, I could never say no to staying."[25] Prior to this, at one point rumours of Benítez quitting or possibly being sacked became so great that bookmakers had to suspend betting on the subject.[26]

A fine end of season run included a 5-0 aggregate win over Real Madrid in the Champions League First Knockout Round and a first league win at Old Trafford for Benítez, beating Manchester United 4-1, during which Liverpool fans ironically chanted that Rafa was "cracking up", in reference to Manchester United chants earlier in the season. Liverpool were also involved in two successive 4-4 draws, first against Chelsea in the Champions League Quarter Final, losing 7-5 on aggregate, and then against Arsenal in the League. These high-scoring games late in the season were in contrast to a succession of low-scoring draws at home to lesser teams earlier in the season that Benítez admitted cost his side the chance of the title[27]. With 10 wins in their last 11 games, Liverpool finished the season on a high, finishing second in the league for the first time under Benítez, four points off champions Manchester United.

Thats changed my mind now
Rafa in