Liverpool FC Forum

From skysports

Brendan Rodgers insists he is not worried by claims from Rafa Benitez that he will return to Liverpool one day.

Benitez is currently at Chelsea but will leave in the summer and he said he would like to continue coaching in England.

As Liverpool boss he won the Champions League in 2005 and he told Spanish newspaper Marca: "My idea is to keep coaching a competitive team. Why not in England?

"I will return to Liverpool one day almost certainly, I just don't know when. My daughters and wife are still living there."

Rodgers however points out that Liverpool's American owners could have brought Benitez back to Anfield in the summer when the Spaniard was out of work, but instead chose to recruit him from Swansea.

"I haven't seen the statements but I've heard plenty of people talk about it," Rodgers said.


"Rafa had a successful time here in the period he was here and I think he will join a list of probably many managers throughout the world who would love to manage a great club - especially having been here before."
Brendan Rodgers


"Rafa had a successful time here in the period he was here and I think he will join a list of probably many managers throughout the world who would love to manage a great club - especially having been here before.

"Obviously that opportunity was there in the summer if the owners wanted to go down that route as Rafa was unemployed and not working.

"But they felt it best to go in a different direction and develop the club in a different way.

"And from that the board, players, myself and the club have all become one in looking to move forward and build success for the future.

"It is understandable any manager wanting to manage the club because it is truly a world-class football club.

"It is not a hindrance to me. Before I came here I had seen comments about Rafa wanting to be manager and I've seen comments while I've been here.

"But it doesn't affect me in my work or my job. My relationship is very strong with the players, we work very closely together on improving our football.

"We are very stable in terms of our board and the manager connection and we have some of the best fans in the world.

"It is a pleasure for me to be here at a truly remarkable club that many managers would want to manage, not just Rafael Benitez."

"I will return to Liverpool one day almost certainly, I just don't know when"

Rafa seems pretty positive about a return, does he know something we don't ?

More likely he's just making it known he'd be available if the call came.

Rodgers has had a season to bed in. I don't know what FSG's expectations are for next season but I'm guessing that unless it's at the very least a real challenge for the top four they might just consider their managerial options.

A local journalist informed Benitez that Russian Liverpool fans are intending to attend the match at the Luzhniki Stadium – where Chelsea lost the 2008 Champions League final to Manchester United – and, asked about a return to Anfield, the Spaniard, wearing a wide smile, said: “I have my family in Liverpool so that is my home and I will come back to Liverpool any time. Just to clarify: I’m talking about my home, where my family is, not the team.”

The initial quote was taken out f context IMO and he was talking more about the city and not the club - media stirring things up

Benny The Noon » Thu Apr 11, 2013 3:04 pm wrote:
The initial quote was taken out f context IMO and he was talking more about the city and not the club - media stirring things up

, makes more sense, although I doubt if Rafa was fussed if anyone misinterpreted it   

Somewhat ironcally, Brendan Rodgers is on "Goals on Sunday" this morning.   

why the hell didn't the owners rehire Rafa last summer. Instead we are now lumbered with a manager who is utterly out of his depth and is learning as he goes. If as I suspect Suarez leaves in the summer then we are screwed until some billionaire takes pity on us.

heimdall » Mon Apr 15, 2013 1:46 pm wrote:why the hell didn't the owners rehire Rafa last summer. Instead we are now lumbered with a manager who is utterly out of his depth and is learning as he goes. If as I suspect Suarez leaves in the summer then we are screwed until some billionaire takes pity on us.

Do you mean the same Rafa you demanded was sacked when he was in charge of us ?

What next ? Demanding Kenny is also brought back.

Id prefer to see Rodgers given some more time and money.  We've battered quite a few teams and done well enough bar the first 10 or 12 games. 

This season is less successful than last season though and it is a results game.  Lets see we are this time next year before deciding on the manager though.

heimdall » Mon Apr 15, 2013 12:46 pm wrote:why the hell didn't the owners rehire Rafa last summer. Instead we are now lumbered with a manager who is utterly out of his depth and is learning as he goes. If as I suspect Suarez leaves in the summer then we are screwed until some billionaire takes pity on us.

Why would Suarez leave in the summer?

There will always be a chance of Suarez leaving if he wants to play in the CL and win titles.

Our midfield needs a serious injection of power and pace ,and the defence needs another leader .So until such time as Rodgers has procured
such additions it would be foolish to write the man off after just one season. If any of this proposed new blood possess the ability of Coutinho
or Sturridge then I believe we will be just fine under Rodgers tutelage.

I wont slag the owners off because i think they arent doing a bad job with us.

They do have a descion to make though. If they are serious about returning us to the glory days then if they are sure Brendan is the right man, Which i believe he is, then they will need to back him in the next transfer window quite considerably.

Not finishing top 4 next year and Suarez will be off. Finishing 6th or 7th and we could see a few others want to leave.


Looking at the first team and Squad we dont look as bad as our league position, Meaning Our squad and players are better than that of Evertons and As good as tottenhams and Arsenals. I would go as far as say our front line is probably only second to Man City.


The owners will need to give Brendans what he thinks he needs to progress the squad next year whether that be 20,50 or 100 million. Although the latter would be highly unbelievable

I'm not sure if its the manager letting us down or the players. The last 2 results with the plethora of wasted scoring opportunities suggests its more the players than the manager but looking more medium term the players we have are top 6 quality and not top 4 so one way or the other we have to move forward. I thought Everton or Spurs might crack on the final run in, I didn't expect us to crumble bearing in mind we had the best final 8 fixtures of the contenders.

LFC1990 » Mon Apr 15, 2013 4:26 pm wrote:...our front line is probably only second to Man City.

Rubbish, take out Suarez & we are the equivalent of Reading in goal scoring. Man City have Aguero, Tevez, Džeko, Silva, Touré all scoring goals.

Brendan's performance as Liverpool's manager this season is mid table performance at best. We'll finish 7th or 8th depending whether WBA can catch up with us. He was FSG's 2nd choice when Kenny was sacked, Martinez of Wigan was their first choice. Looks like the club have not learnt their lesson from recent past when they sacked Rafa for mid table Hodgson and last year they sacked Kenny for a good relegation dodger which was not successful but for a mid table manager BR which they eventually got. I am not having a good feeling about the future with BR in charge, the performance have been erratic and we cannot break down and beat teams that come and park a bus in front of their goal.

Nevertheless, I won't be calling for his resignation yet until one more season, if we finish 7th or below, it's definitely time for him to go. If this current form continues, Rafa's men will come to Anfield and show us how football is played.