Benitez - "Chelsea gave me the title of interim manager, which is a massive mistake. I'm the manager".

[Guest MattP]

Yeah to be fair Rafa is the only manager in history to go to a Club after their success and not carry it on, how silly of him.

Bit of a difference between 'not being quite a success' and taking a side who won the Champions League, Serie A and Italian Cup to mditable within 6 months.

Let's be honest if it wasn't for a very lucky CL win at Liverpool he would have been considered a failure. His job there was to win the League. Valencia he was genuinely brilliant, he hasn't really done it anywhere else.

[Uncle Albert]

Bit of a difference between 'not being quite a success' and taking a side who won the Champions League, Serie A and Italian Cup to mditable within 6 months.

Let's be honest if it wasn't for a very lucky CL win at Liverpool he would have been considered a failure. His job there was to win the League. Valencia he was genuinely brilliant, he hasn't really done it anywhere else.

Lucky? Liverpool beat Leverkusen, Juventus and Chelsea over 6 games to reach that Final and beat a very good AC team in the Final. How's that luck?

Inter Milan players couldn't see past Mourinho when Benitez joined, they didn't like Rafa and his ways because they were used to Mourinho. It happens at most Clubs, Liverpool were in their Rafa ways when Hodgson came in, he brought in Konchesky and Poulsen! He messed up but he's now England manager. Same with Scolari at Chelsea and AVB..

That's Football. Rafa isn't a bad manager at all, far from it.

[Uncle Albert]

I'm not even going to go into detail about his success at Liverpool, be wasted on your narrow mind.

[Guest MattP]

Lucky? Liverpool beat Leverkusen, Juventus and Chelsea over 6 games to reach that Final and beat a very good AC team in the Final. How's that luck?

Inter Milan players couldn't see past Mourinho when Benitez joined, they didn't like Rafa and his ways because they were used to Mourinho. It happens at most Clubs, Liverpool were in their Rafa ways when Hodgson came in, he brought in Konchesky and Poulsen! He messed up but he's now England manager. Same with Scolari at Chelsea and AVB..

That's Football. Rafa isn't a bad manager at all, far from it.

You were lucky, last minutes goals to get through (one match being possibly investigation for corruption as well), back to wall defensive jobs, Milan completely outclassed you in the final and you somehow won it (wasn't it 35 shots to 5 or something?), it's a toss up out of you and Chelsea who were the worst CL winners. You had Traore in the team ffs. It was a joke. Why Milan took the foot off is a question no one will ever know. Let's not forget Stevie G's dive for the penalty or the fact the first goal was offside either, English club yeah?

The players didn't like Rafa after Jose because he was shit, they realised it and all motivation goes, pretty much the same appears to have happened at Chelsea.

He was great at Valencia so I'm not having a go at the guy for the sake of it. He's been average at best and appalling at worst in any other job.

I'm not even going to go into detail about his success at Liverpool, be wasted on your narrow mind.

Do so, tell me about all his League Championships and the plastic treble. Tell me about the money he spent to finish 7th and why he was sacked.

[Durnerz]

Benitez is a superb cup campaign manager but lacks the longevity skills to be a domestic success, for every Torres at Liverpool he signed there were five Nunez's, he tried to implement a system that was simply not going to work other than in the european competitions.

Doesn't surprise me that he's failed at Inter and now at Chelsea, despite inheriting a strong team each time, he's a man who only knows one way to play, too stubborn for his own good and this has cost him.

[Uncle Albert]

You were lucky, last minutes goals to get through (one match being possibly investigation for corruption as well), back to wall defensive jobs, Milan completely outclassed you in the final and you somehow won it (wasn't it 35 shots to 5 or something?), it's a toss up out of you and Chelsea who were the worst CL winners. You had Traore in the team ffs. It was a joke. Why Milan took the foot off is a question no one will ever know. Let's not forget Stevie G's dive for the penalty or the fact the first goal was offside either, English club yeah?

The players didn't like Rafa after Jose because he was shit, they realised it and all motivation goes, pretty much the same appears to have happened at Chelsea.

He was great at Valencia so I'm not having a go at the guy for the sake of it. He's been average at best and appalling at worst in any other job.

Do so, tell me about all his League Championships and the plastic treble. Tell me about the money he spent to finish 7th and why he was sacked.

In that run we didn't have one last minute goal to reach the Final? We needed 3 goals in the second half v Olympiacos, we did that with 10 minutes to spare. You need to get facts right before spouting rubbish. And please tell me what game is possibly going to be investigated?

We beat Bayer Leverkusen 6-2 on aggregate, Juventus (Italian Champions that Season) 2-1 on aggregate after going to Stadio Delle Alpi to defend a 2-1 lead, Juventus only needing 1 goal to progress we drew 0-0 and we beat Chelsea who cruised the Premier League that season 1-0 over two legs, we were the only team that season not to concede at Stamford Bridge in 90 minutes.

Oh yeah we were 3-0 down at HT to a pretty impressive AC Milan side, Gerrard wasn't offside for the first goal and it clearly wasn't a dive.

Please watch this video and take back what you have clearly imagined in your head. Offside?

Yeah we didn't have a great side but not many of the best teams in the World could have comeback from 3-0 down, so don't try and say it was luck. Benitez made a huge change at HT and brought Hammann on, completely numbed Kaka who tore Liverpool apart in that first 45 minutes, he Milans threat and he was gone. Steven Gerrard gave an amazing performance playing across 4 different positions in the game.

And now to your final point which is the funniest of all.. You say talk about Rafa's plastic treble? Liverpool won the League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup under Gerard Houllier and was 4 years before Benitez even came to Liverpool you absolute Helmet.

Benitez came 2nd with Liverpool in a Season we should of won the League, only lost 2 games and got 80 points no team had ever came 2nd with 80 points or more until United last season. Yeah he had seasons where the League were right offs but he was and still is a great manager.

I do suggest the next time you come on here to me trying to be all in the know and speak about events then you should really do a lot of research before so, so you don't look a complete doughnut.

[Guest MattP]

Fcuk me I thought it was him who won that treble So he didnt even win that? He was even worse than I thought he was then. What major trophies did he win? 1 CL and 1 FA Cup in about 6 years for about 350million?

That video doesn't show the whole lot, the ball had rebounded a few seconds before that cross and under the rules at the time should have been offside.

Why was he sacked?

[Uncle Albert]

Nice that you can't answer the start of my post where you clearly been proven wrong and you were making up complete and utter tosh. Good way of losing credibility.

How could Gerrard of been offside? The goal came because Riise tried putting a cross in but Cafu blocked the first attempt, so Gerrard was standing in an offside position but the ball didn't come in.. Yet when Riise again put his cross in Gerrard is clearly onside and scores. Yet again you have been proven wrong.

Rafa Benitez in winning the Champions League and FA Cup have won more in England than most managers will win in a lifetime, thats more than everyones favourite Harry Redknapp has won in England, more than Hodgson has won in England, more than Moyes, more than Wenger in Wengers last 8 years, more than AVB, shall I continue?

Rafa was sacked because of the Hicks and Gillett saga, everyone knows that, he left and later that Summer Hicks and Gillet left, Henry and Werner came in and appointed Hodgson.

Like I said you really need to start thinking about what you're saying before you just come on here and start making stories up that sound really good in your head.

You lost all respect in this argument that you didn't even know that Liverpool won the 'Plastic Treble' four years before Benitez even came to Liverpool, shows you don't really know much about Football (apart from your Club). I would stay quiet now.

[Kitchandro]

Rafa did well for Liverpool for while, winning the Champions League and the FA Cup was good, and they were close runners up to Man Utd one season.

Towards the end though he was doing a crap job, started to sign some really shit players for big money and they regressed.

As for the Champions League win, there was certainly an element of luck, if you can't see that then you are deluded. The goal in the semi final is still debated, for one. Milan were a much better side in the final and some of your players were just not very good for that level. I think if it wasn't for Gerrard you'd have lost 4 or 5 instead of winning that game. And in truth, you had about 10 minutes where you played well and Milan collapsed. They were a far superior side.

That team didn't even finish in the top 4 that season so much like Chelsea there had to be some luck involved. I don't think Rafa is a great manager, his record in the transfer market is dubious, and Liverpool were not very consistent in the league.

[Uncle Albert]

Rafa did well for Liverpool for while, winning the Champions League and the FA Cup was good, and they were close runners up to Man Utd one season.

Towards the end though he was doing a crap job, started to sign some really shit players for big money and they regressed.

As for the Champions League win, there was certainly an element of luck, if you can't see that then you are deluded. The goal in the semi final is still debated, for one. Milan were a much better side in the final and some of your players were just not very good for that level. I think if it wasn't for Gerrard you'd have lost 4 or 5 instead of winning that game. And in truth, you had about 10 minutes where you played well and Milan collapsed. They were a far superior side.

That team didn't even finish in the top 4 that season so much like Chelsea there had to be some luck involved.

That isn't luck though? After scoring the 3rd and equalising goal Liverpool played a further hour of Football against Milan that night and they didn't score.

I agree with what you said to begin with about his ending at Liverpool, it was coming to an end and Rafa knew that, the Hicks and Gillett trouble was the final straw.

[Guest MattP]

I'm not in for a Liverpool lovefest to be honest, it's a Leicester City forum so I'm not going to have a history of some Scouse wankers lodged in my brain, Redknapp is shit as well. Hodgson and Moyes have never had the sort of funding Rafa did. Wenger is ten times the manager Rafa is and always will be and AVB has been here less than 2 years.

Rafa is a big part of why that record you held so dear over the Mancs has now vanished.

Sacked over Hicks and Gillett?, nothing to do with finishing 7th then?

As for the Champions League win, there was certainly an element of luck, if you can't see that then you are deluded. The goal in the semi final is still debated, for one. Milan were a much better side in the final and some of your players were just not very

Proven fact it wasn't apparantly. (From a Liverpool fan of course)

[Uncle Albert]

I'm not in for a Liverpool lovefest to be honest, it's a Leicester City forum so I'm not going to have a history of some Scouse wankers lodged in my brain, Redknapp is shit as well. Hodgson and Moyes have never had the sort of funding Rafa did. Wenger is ten times the manager Rafa is and always will be and AVB has been here less than 2 years.

Rafa is a big part of why that record you held so dear over the Mancs has now vanished.

Sacked over Hicks and Gillett?, nothing to do with finishing 7th then?

Proven fact it wasn't apparantly. (From a Liverpool fan of course)

Well **** off out of General Football and Sport you bell end.

Haha please stop now, you're embarrassing yourself. You like most people on here can't reply in the areas you have been proven wrong so you move on to a new topic to try and make yourself look better.

Yeah the goal v Chelsea still shouldn't of been given but Chelsea were still in the same position with us scoring, 1 goal for Chelsea meant they went through on away goals. Tell me what Chelsea would of preferred as well the Liverpool goal or Cech being sent off for bringing Baros down and Liverpool having a penalty? Because that is what would of happened if the Ref didn't give the goal, he came out and said that afterwards.

You make your own luck in Football, Liverpool played AC Milan in that Final and got back from 3-0 down, is it Liverpools fault AC Milan crumbled for 10 minutes? No. Liverpool created the pressure after Gerrard made it 3-1. AC Milan had another hour to win that game and they couldn't, there have been so many cases in Football where teams don't play well but win on Penalties. Spain did it in Euro 2008 v Italy, Arsenal v Man United FA Cup Final 2005, Liverpool v Cardiff Carling Cup Final 2012, Liverpool v West Ham FA Cup Final 2006, AC Milan v Juventus Champions League Final 2003.. All games where the winners were poor in the Final and shouldn't have won but they did.

Seriously you can't comment on why he was sacked as you clearly know nothing about Football, Rafa went because of Hicks and Gillett and the fact they had tried to get Klinsmann in as manager and had talks with him. The League position didn't help but if Rafa had stayed and FSG had come in then they would of stuck with him.

[Guest MattP]

Another big man throwing insults over the internet. Why don't you fcuk off to a Liverpool forum instead and you can wank over Rafa all you want, decide what victimhood you have been subjected to and organise who your next vigil will be for? And why the fcuk have you got a Man Utd legend on your profile? Viva Ronaldo?

I've not mentioned Chelsea v Liverpool, no idea why you did.

Yep sure his sacking was nothing to do with football, I'm sure had he won the League that year he would have been dismissed, bullshit. I'm out of this thread. Gone far too off course.

[Uncle Albert]

Bell end an insult? You've lead a sheltered life.

I do go on Liverpool forums but on here I like the General Football and Sport thread. That 'Viva Ronaldo' thing has been there for years, I have always loved Cristiano Ronaldo, always will.

It went off course because you did that you tool. You made up lies trying to out down Benitez's Champions League success. If you read my first post on the topic you would see it was on topic, then you got involved.

[Guest MattP]

Bell end an insult? You've lead a sheltered life.

I wish I had sometimes.

[oxford blue]

Best quote regarding Rafa is Phil Mcnulty's on BBC website: "Chelsea's managers are all effectively "interim" - subject to the whims of owner Roman Abramovich".

Can't argue with that...

[Jaspa]

Best quote regarding Rafa is Phil Mcnulty's on BBC website: "Chelsea's managers are all effectively "interim" - subject to the whims of owner Roman Abramovich".

Can't argue with that...

Didnt Benitez effectively state simular something along the lines of 'All the players are interim because they will be replaced in time, but why only me with this title' last night in his interview?

[HEGGSY]

MattP and Albert.... lol lol

[Tielemans63]

Why don't Chelsea have done with it and appoint JT? He seems to have more influence than any manager who pitches up at the Bridge.

Abramovich has a let him and a handful of other players dictate things at Chelsea and its costing them.

[Langston]

@ Rafa being a better manager than Wenger.

[Raj]

Why has Uncle Alberts got 7000 odd posts on a Leicester forum when he is clearly in love with w@nkpool???

[Uncle Albert]

Why has Uncle Alberts got 7000 odd posts on a Leicester forum when he is clearly in love with w@nkpool???

I didn't know I had to justify my reasoning for being on here? Do I come into the Leicester City forum slating your team? No.

I post in General Football and Sport as I find it interesting.

@ Rafa being a better manager than Wenger.

Not at one point did I say that.

[Uncle Albert]

Funny thing is I've never once portrayed I'm a Leicester fan on this forum, went to a lot of the games with Friends on here but that was it, always posted in here. Another funny thing is that I've been posting on here for 5 years or so and some of the people questioning me about being a Liverpool fan have met me in person at FoxesTalk Football matches and never said anything to my face or asked me why I post on here?

These people must have pretty shit social skills because they have all the words in the World on a forum.

[Kitchandro]

Funny thing is I've never once portrayed I'm a Leicester fan on this forum, went to a lot of the games with Friends on here but that was it, always posted in here. Another funny thing is that I've been posting on here for 5 years or so and some of the people questioning me about being a Liverpool fan have met me in person at FoxesTalk Football matches and never said anything to my face or asked me why I post on here?

These people must have pretty shit social skills because they have all the words in the World on a forum.

[Charl91]

Funny thing is I've never once portrayed I'm a Leicester fan on this forum, went to a lot of the games with Friends on here but that was it, always posted in here. Another funny thing is that I've been posting on here for 5 years or so and some of the people questioning me about being a Liverpool fan have met me in person at FoxesTalk Football matches and never said anything to my face or asked me why I post on here?

These people must have pretty shit social skills because they have all the words in the World on a forum.

Do you have anger problems, by any chance?