I think that had his team, and indeed the manger, shown some bottle then they would have won the league in 08/09... the fact that they didn't means they were 2nd best.
Benitez's greatest achievement at Liverpool
- Thread starter narnar
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I think that had his team, and indeed the manger, shown some bottle then they would have won the league in 08/09... the fact that they didn't means they were 2nd best.
Unfair.
Some very good teams were beaten on the way to those finals, and but for an unfortunate own goal in the semi it may have been 3 finals, one in which you lot if you're being honest were fortunate in the end to win (thanks to the big mans bottle going)
But at the end of the day, despite moderate trophy succcess, his 6 years will be classed overall as failure.
Realistically, probably that he signed the best #9 in the world.
If we're talking about the greatest achievement, then the CL win Vs Milan was okay, a better come back than ours... three nil down at half time... I closed my TV. I woke up voila he won it...
But that was probably it... the list of dumb things he did over there is infinity.
I just love the Gerrard stare when he took off Torres. Says it all really.
But that was probably it... the list of dumb things he did over there is infinity.
I just love the Gerrard stare when he took off Torres. Says it all really.
Probably ought to read at least the very first line of the thread before you post
So do you mean Liverpool deserved to win the league as they were the best team? Do you think we were robbed?
Did Liverpool bottle it at Old Trafford?
It was a conspiracy, obviously.
The FA were in on it and everything.
Giggs was offside. Or something.
And Ronaldo dove. I think.
Rise. Repeat. 37 times.
The FA were in on it and everything.
Giggs was offside. Or something.
And Ronaldo dove. I think.
Rise. Repeat. 37 times.
imo his biggest achievment was finding that Reina fella. Top keeper out off nowhere. Yeah i know he was bit of a clown in his first seasons but now he's a top keeper in Europe.
It's interesting to look back. On purely achievements you can't really class him as a failure - 6 years, 1 champions league win and an FA cup win is more than they'd done in the 6 years before (Champions League > League Cup and UEFA Cup for my money).
His transfer dealings and man management were poor, that goes without saying. He really lost the plot towards the end (really trying to flog Alonso for Gareth fecking Barry was the start).
His best achievement would really be that 08/09 team. If he (and his team) didn't bottle it post fahcts gate, or if they'd been up against a team that wasn't one of the best teams we've ever had, they would probably have won it. So yeah
is probably his best achievement. Unfortunately selling Alonso ripped the heart out of that team, not just playing wise but leadership wise aswell (go back to Marsh 2008 when Mascherano got sent off at OT, it was Alonso trying to tell him to calm down and hold him back, while Steven Gerrard stood off to the side a bit).
His transfer dealings and man management were poor, that goes without saying. He really lost the plot towards the end (really trying to flog Alonso for Gareth fecking Barry was the start).
His best achievement would really be that 08/09 team. If he (and his team) didn't bottle it post fahcts gate, or if they'd been up against a team that wasn't one of the best teams we've ever had, they would probably have won it. So yeah
Torres
Benayoun Gerrard Kuyt
Mascherano Alonso
Aurelio Carragher Hyypia/Skrtel Arbeloa
Reina
Benayoun Gerrard Kuyt
Mascherano Alonso
Aurelio Carragher Hyypia/Skrtel Arbeloa
Reina
is probably his best achievement. Unfortunately selling Alonso ripped the heart out of that team, not just playing wise but leadership wise aswell (go back to Marsh 2008 when Mascherano got sent off at OT, it was Alonso trying to tell him to calm down and hold him back, while Steven Gerrard stood off to the side a bit).
Spoken like a true Utd supporter!
On a Manchester United forum....fancy that.
If you want to drown in a pool of spunk over the greatness of dear old Rafa then i suggest you fly over to RAWK, their holding a minutes silence today to commemorate his memory....flowers are being left outside anfield with love poems...and doughnuts, his favourite i believe.
you're spot on about Alonso. One of the most underrated players - hes real value was apparent when he left the club and they crumbled. and imo he was the real leader of their team. Your example from the OT game just proves that.
This is a piss-easy question to answer. Winning the european cup. Nothing topped that.
jammy twats.
I'd agree with that behind the European Cup. I still can't fecking believe we didn't win the league. 87 fecking points and as many amazing games in a season as I can remember.
jammy twats.
Christ how did I forget Kuyt there... having a slow day!
I tried to be fair!
??
I tried to be fair!
Sorry, Sharky!
Just think Utd supporters hang too much on Rafa's press conference as being a catalyst for a poor run. It was merely co-incidence. That and having Riera in your side while ignoring Carragher as the lifeblood of that side as opposed to Alonso.
My views of course and I guess I shouldn't discount yours because you support Utd. Well, clearly I should but I won't..
yeah, 1 in 3 against 10 men
That team of ours wasn't one of the best teams we have ever had, arguably last season's team was one of the worse team's we have had that have won the league. Relied heavily on our defence to bail us out and we would often play poor football. Not sure if we were a better side than Liverpool, would say we were mentally better as we had been there and done it and that proved to be the difference.
Pointwise it was definitely one of the best. You've only ever finished with more points once in your history.
Of course this just proves the fact Liverpool fans have always cheerfully accepted and your lot tend to more grudgingly accept: A great defence is the best foundation for a great team.
I would say the pointwise factor was more down to the weakness of other teams. Far less surprise results last year compared to this one and majority of the time we had won the match before it started through a snarl from Vidic.
Not sure I completely agree with the last point. Many United fans (down to being spoilt really) would be hard pressed to remember much about last season in a few years time. Completely different to the title side a couple years beforehand.
Maximum points thing can be a fallacy. Several times we have won the league well in advance and then proceeded to go couple of gears down and lose points.
2006/7 for example we finished with 89 points. Could have been even more if we had not won the league with 2 games to go since we went on to only take one point off those two.
Both our 2006/7 and 2007/8 teams were better than the 2008/9 one. And the first two were well honed attacking wise as well.
There were reasons why ended up relying too much on our defense in 2008/9. Ronaldo was out and took half a season to get in full flow, Tevez losing confidence due to Berba, Berba being Berba, lack of development from Nani and Anderson.
2006/7 for example we finished with 89 points. Could have been even more if we had not won the league with 2 games to go since we went on to only take one point off those two.
Both our 2006/7 and 2007/8 teams were better than the 2008/9 one. And the first two were well honed attacking wise as well.
There were reasons why ended up relying too much on our defense in 2008/9. Ronaldo was out and took half a season to get in full flow, Tevez losing confidence due to Berba, Berba being Berba, lack of development from Nani and Anderson.
Yeah both 2006/7 and 2007/8 season will be remembered more fondly.
A champions league and three league trophies (league cup, club world cup etc) say that you're clutching at straws. It wasn't our best ever by any means but it's up there
Surely this observation entirely agrees with my point?!?
Most Liverpool fans who can remember it would probably say that the 78/79 side was the best liverpool side ever, in large part due to the fact that they only conceded 16 goals in 42 games, the best defensive record in the history of the league (if you count goals conceded per game ratio. Chelsea only conceded 15 in 38 in 05).
You win a league with your second-best point total ever thanks to a great defence, probably the best you've ever had, and it's 'forgettable' season compared to previous ones.
Well, that's a given. Everything is always relative.
Clutching at straws? Just because I think we have had greater sides than last year? We got outclassed in the Champions League against the first really good side we played so not sure it is that good. The Club World Cup is a joke of a competition and frankly most sides in the Premiership would have won that especially as we were playing an Ecuadorian side rather than a Brazillian.
Last season's team were a good side don't get me wrong but only rank but the two seasons before it contained a greater side in my view.
I meant the 2006 - 2009 side, not specifically the iteration of that side we had last year. (three league trophies referred to the three Premier League titles won in that time).
I wasn't disagreeing with your point about the mentality of Liverpool or United's fans. I admit you have a good point there. Rather the point about the best foundation for a great side is a rock solid defence. United's best ever season under Ferguson in 1999 contained a bit of a creaky defence compared to other seasons under United.
I sort of skimmed your points particularly when I said I was clutching at straws! I thought it was obvious I was talking about last year's side in the context of last year alone because only an idiot would say the last few years were an from an average side.
Deserve has little to do with it. They were in pole position. Then Benitez had his rant and they embarked on a really poor run, wins turned into draws, results the type to cost championships... and that's what happened. You can argue about whether or not the rant led to this poor run (i tend to think it had more to do with Rafa's poor handling of Robbie Keane... had he had experienced back up for Torres when the Spanish striker was injured or playing at not 100%, perhaps one or two of those draws may have become a win). But clearly when you shoot your mouth off then produce a series of results like they did, your ass is on the line.
And perhaps they put too much emphasis on the 1-4 result at OT... (yes I know we'd all be giddy like that as well) but had the team put that much effort into all their away matches say if they had gotten results at Stoke, Wigan and Middlesbrough they would have been champions and Rafa would still have a job (and probably the keys to the city)
That's the thing, the Championship is a 10 month struggle and Rafa took a month off