On the old premier league manager I used to start off in the third division of the English league with some poxy team but I'd also run a top premier league team too. I'd use the premier league team to buy all of my players for crazy money and sell them all the best players for peanuts creating a super power in the third division. The game caught on as it developed and created boards that would scupper such moves but great while it lasted. Anyway I hope Rafa is going in as a sleeper agent and will announce Lovren, Balotelli and Borini as his top signings while Cisco, Varane, Mordic and Bale go the other way.
His success with us on around 10m net a season was amazing. His treatment at the end from some of our own was disgusting. I hope he has the success he deserves at Madrid.
On the football manager thing. You utter disgraceful cheat! On the sleeper agent thing, Rafa is a boyhood Madrid fan, with an affection for Liverpool. I think if push came to shove he'd choose Real Madrid of Liverpool 9 times out of 10. It'd be like you going to manage Madrid and coming to like/love them, and then get the Liverpool job, would you sign Madrid's rubbish then just because you like/love them?
The introduction of boards to oversee everything at the club was a very harsh lesson in reality for me. I turned over a new leaf that day, honest Yeah you're right about Benitez, I was being a bit facetious but I do really hope it goes well for him at Real. Was a big fan of his and I think a lot of fans that grew to hate him (I think it did get that far too) did so because there was no realisation of how bad things had actually gotten at the club back then.
CL football every year he was here bar 1, some great days on the march across Europe with Rafa's army. Roy fcukin Hodgson.
It was a different time in the PL back then. No City in the mix so we only had to perform to our own level and finish above Spurs, Everton and whoever was the surprise package that year. His ability to set up for cup football really was quite incredible. It was probably a period of success in Europe that we'll never see for an extended period again.
Ha, Ha between one of you naming the porn star and the other one naming a porn website, I think you've both given the game away here (obviously I'm assuming both of you are accurate with the names you've mentioned, as I'd have absolutely no idea about any of this kinda stuff )
coming 4th wasnt that hard tbh when he was in charge.....who else was there? there was 4 teams....us chelsea utd arsenal......no city back then. Rafa could do so well in europe because our season was over in march most seasons with no fear of losing 4th spot, and he was able to rest of players for the champions league...................over all hes still a great manager. still find it hard to believe real he got the real job? finishing 5th and landing that job? bit wired
We came very close to winning it tho in 08/09 and should have really that year. Agree that city didnt have the cash they have now but still tho you still have to do the job and we had cl every year bar his last. To get to two cl finals, league cup and fa cup finals, world club final and throw in a lash of cl quater and semi finals says how good he was i think. Ok he bought some poor players but every manager does in their time at clubs, we would probably have a much stronger squad if he had the cash that rodgers had the last two seasons. Think he will do well to get two years at Madrid.
In relative terms he definitely had the money that Rodgers has had to spend plus he was in a position to compete on wages. But he more than delivered what he should have given the resources he had.
I think if you look at the first eleven Rafa had put together, coupled with his tactical ability, he'd still be well in the Top4 now... infact possibly challenging for first given his record against Mourinho.
Bingo. It's not just that we qualified for Cl football it's what we did when we got there that is impressive.
He wanted Alves and Simao and the club could not get the deals done. You put those two into the 08/09 team and they win the league. I don't agree that it was easier to get into the top four back then. The Premier League as a whole was a lot tougher back then with the standard so much higher across the whole league. The fact that Premier League clubs regularly got to CL final and semi says it all. The Premier League in the last three years have been the weakest since the 90s. An average United won it in 2013, two players almost won it on their own last season for LFC and this year Chelsea had it wrapped up by xmas. The LFC 08/09 team would finish 1st or 2nd in the last three Premier Leagues Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Hyppia/Skrtel, Aurelio, Masherano, Alonso, Gerrard, Kuyt, Benayoun, Torres
With the sale of sterling, I make it Liverpool have made a profit of £20 ish million on players rafa bought/sold, as things stand BR's singings have cost the club almost £250 m, it'll be closer to £300 m if/when benteke arrives.
Much better in the transfer market than he was given credit for. Who was the last manager we had who wasn't criticised for being poor in the transfer market?
Rafas signings go back to 2004 only took 11 years of inflation to get there. Give Rodgers signings the same time and see what happens. Sent from my G7-L01 using Tapatalk
The inflation point is a good one. I saw lists of other players we bought down the years with their prices adjusted for inflation. Dean Saunders 33m,Paul Stewart 26m,Mark Wright 25m,Neil Ruddock 24m,Julian Dicks 19m. It was interesting to say the least.