[Archived] Rafa Benitez

[Amo]

I don't want the next manager who ever it may be, to follow in the citeh way of thinking, CASH, CASH, CASH! I'd rather build a well gelled team over the next 3 season than aim for instant success with a set over paid muppets.

They can think what they like, they won't get much from Venky's!

[chaddyrovers]

Ranieri wanting for Premier league job

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Ex-Chelsea-boss-Claudio-Ranieri-rejects-Spartak-Moscow-job-as-he-awaits-offers-from-Premier-League-clubs-this-summer-article730779.html

could he come here. would be in my top 3

Cheslea say no to Benitez taking charge of them

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1382524/Roman-Abramovich-says-Rafa-Benitez-Chelsea-manager.html

[BRFCfor83]

Chelsea is not the place for rafa, i think ranieri would struggle with the ageing team he would inheret.

[daveoftherovers]

I'd kill to have Martin O'Neil here.

With Hoilett & Olsson in our side, we're set-up for direct, counter-attacking football. And O'Neil proved at Leicester he can work on a budget.

EDIT: We'd also get less shafted on MOTD.

All Totally Valid Points TopMan, although a lot more "Fans" would hate us as MON is not that well liked amongst armchair dwellers (But who gives a toss about them anyway?)

What you could do is get Linekar in as his Asst as well, then the BBC and all the housewives would love us LOL

[daveoftherovers]

No, I don't want him to manage Rovers, it would be a pretty spectacular mismatch. Still, I've been through this before, and won't waste time arguing other than listing his merits.

Spanish La Liga: 2 wins (not managing Barcelona or Real Madrid, I might add)

Champions League: 1 win, 3 finals.

UEFA cup: 1 win.

Rafa Benitez is not a bad manager. Deal with it.

WAS a good manager, would I be reaching with you Commondore if asked you to agree that he did lose the plot in the end, he also lost his mind games with SAF, not a first I know, but it was Keegan like in the end, and the squad he left was garbage!

Between Kean and Benitez I would pick Benitez every time.

That said, I'd take Ronnie Mac-fecking-Donald over Kean right now.

PMSL, Brilliant Booth, I'm with you fella!

[Mattyblue]

Steve Bruce?

Do me a favour! Spent fortunes, earned millions and achieved nowt.

[tony gale's mic]

I can't believe some people would prefer MON over Benitez.

MON's net spend over the four years at Villa was at least as big if not bigger than Rafa's. But whereas Rafa had multiple top four finishes, finished four points off the title one season, one Champions' League final, one Champions' League runner up spot and one FA Cup win...MON had a good Villa side which finished top 6 regularly but never even threatened to break into the top four.

Not to mention twice beating Real and Barca to the La Liga title and winning the UEFA Cup with Valencia.

Plus a club like Rovers which would be percieved by anyone outside of our fanbase as being unfashionable needs a hook, we need something to attract good players to want to play for us. Under Hughes it was European football that did the trick, but Rafa is a name that would get a lot of players to sit up and take notice of us.

I'll be over the moon if these rumours are true. Usually I wouldnt put so much stock in the billy bulls**ters on here, but the fact the bookies seem to certain of it too makes me wonder...

[Majiball]

Don't forget MON is a hoofball merchant.

[greco]

benitez hasnt been impressive lately, ill give him his record, which is quite impressive. Wouldnt want him near our club, as he is the definition of a cheque-book manager. Often his buys are at a minimun questionable and at other times shocking. I cant comprehend anyone wanting benitez. Are we talking about the same "manager" who publically cried and said, that if his team inter was to compete, he would need money to invest in players.? the same squad that had won a couple of championships and the champions league previously. How long would it take for him to sulk or complain about the lack of funding here.?

of all big name managers, he would probably be the last i would choose.

oneill is kinda i the same boat, but just on a lower level, he also did good, but hasnt been that impressive lately. His spending, like the fat waiters, doenst seem logical.

personally i wouldnt want any of those 2.

[Mc Love]

I wouldnt like MON at Rovers! Bruce maybe - Should Venkys not be trying to Mourinho?

[tony gale's mic]

benitez hasnt been impressive lately, ill give him his record, which is quite impressive. Wouldnt want him near our club, as he is the definition of a cheque-book manager. Often his buys are at a minimun questionable and at other times shocking. I cant comprehend anyone wanting benitez. Are we talking about the same "manager" who publically cried and said, that if his team inter was to compete, he would need money to invest in players.? the same squad that had won a couple of championships and the champions league previously. How long would it take for him to sulk or complain about the lack of funding here.?

of all big name managers, he would probably be the last i would choose.

oneill is kinda i the same boat, but just on a lower level, he also did good, but hasnt been that impressive lately. His spending, like the fat waiters, doenst seem logical.

personally i wouldnt want any of those 2.

So who would you want over a manager who's reached two Champions League finals, two La Liga titles, an FA Cup, a Spanish Cup and a UEFA Cup?

Every manager who achieves what Rafa has achieved has spent a load of money. You can't achieve those things without that, so surely they'd all be cheque book managers?

[Mattyblue]

Some Rovers fans need a reality check, we are seen as small fry (the Sky generation percieve Chelsea as a 'big club' not an institution like BRFC), Venky's have heaped untold ridicule on us.

Rafa would be a MASSIVE coup for us, something that meant the owners meant business, meant Barry White and Anderson would be keeping their oats our and it would mean we could be attracting top players again.

It would be the biggest appointment since Dalglish.

[vyeo]

Don't know why we're getting excited. Hughes, Benitez, Ranieri or MON would all be good for us. But I think that if we survive, Venky's will probably say "we've always had faith that steve kean would get the job done... it is very important to let steve have this season to show what he can do... steve is the best manager for us and he has a job for life..." yadda yadda yadda. We're stuck with egghead. Wake up guys.

[Mattyblue]

Sounds about right to me vyeo

[Exiled in Toronto]

I can't believe some people would prefer MON over Benitez.

MON's net spend over the four years at Villa was at least as big if not bigger than Rafa's. But whereas Rafa had multiple top four finishes, finished four points off the title one season, one Champions' League final, one Champions' League runner up spot and one FA Cup win...MON had a good Villa side which finished top 6 regularly but never even threatened to break into the top four.

Not to mention twice beating Real and Barca to the La Liga title and winning the UEFA Cup with Valencia.

Plus a club like Rovers which would be percieved by anyone outside of our fanbase as being unfashionable needs a hook, we need something to attract good players to want to play for us. Under Hughes it was European football that did the trick, but Rafa is a name that would get a lot of players to sit up and take notice of us.

I'll be over the moon if these rumours are true. Usually I wouldnt put so much stock in the billy bulls**ters on here, but the fact the bookies seem to certain of it too makes me wonder...

Not often we agree, but 100% on this one. I'd also be over the moon - if they'd made this kind of appointment in Jan this board, and the league table, would look very different.

[MeanGreenMachine]

Are people talking about the same Rafa who squandered millions and millions at Liverpool to make them into nearly men? Talk about champions league wins all you like, that had sod all to do with rafa, that was all down to Gerrard, and last time i checked we have nobody of that quality to drag us out the ###### like that.

[Amo]

I wouldnt like MON at Rovers! Bruce maybe - Should Venkys not be trying to Mourinho?

Eh...

So you wouldn't want O'Neill, who spent money at Villa and got them 6th three years running (and a cup final).

But you'd consider Bruce, who's spent a bomb at Sunderland and achieveeeeeeed......whut exactly?

[Mc Love]

Ohh 6th three years running and a cup final (did they win??) and besides whether you finish 6th or 16th it only matters in terms of money and there isnt that much difference.

[Amo]

Ohh 6th three years running and a cup final (did they win??) and besides whether you finish 6th or 16th it only matters in terms of money and there isnt that much difference.

I'm still waiting for some logic here.

[67splitscreen]

Some top manager looking for posts in the summer, Benitez, Ranieri, Van Gall, Allardyce, why bother with the likes of O'Neil and stumpy nose.

[gumboots]

Ohh 6th three years running and a cup final (did they win??) and besides whether you finish 6th or 16th it only matters in terms of money and there isnt that much difference.

Actually there is. Some years 6th would get you European football. At the very least it signals that you are the best of the rest. If footballers are looking to come to a club, they look at things like "oh, yes they finished top 10 and they seem to be keen to add good players. Maybe if I go ther and play well a top team might look at me or I might be on of the signings that lifts them just that bit higher." Who wants to come to a team whose ambitions are 16th? I want Rovers to win the league. That's the ambition I have for the club. I don't expect it in the foreseeable future, but i sure as anything don't want or necessarily expect to see us scraping around in 16th again.

[cn174]

Ohh 6th three years running and a cup final (did they win??) and besides whether you finish 6th or 16th it only matters in terms of money and there isnt that much difference.

The difference between 6th and 16th is near enough £5million - that's quite a lot of money to a team like Rovers!!

[tony gale's mic]

The difference between 6th and 16th is near enough £5million - that's quite a lot of money to a team like Rovers!!

True. But conversely if we realistically want to finish 6th these days, we'll need to spend enough money that £5 million won't seem like that big an amount.

[chris]

To me 6th and 7th unless europe is involved is the first of the loser

Top 4 is the dream, 5th quite sexy after that doesnt matter

[gumboots]

To me 6th and 7th unless europe is involved is the first of the loser

Top 4 is the dream, 5th quite sexy after that doesnt matter

Without a massive influx of cash however, we are not going to get to 4th or 5th. Therefore we have to work in small stages, gradually moving up the table. To finish 6th would mean that we finished above some pretty big teams and that too would be nice. As i say 1st is the ambition, top half would be good and 6th would represent excellence for a club like ours. And to finish top 6 you would have to spend, but also youd have to be well managed, and be able to arttract the calibre of players who could get you there, which brings us back to Benitez. I can't stand him but he just might be able to do it and therefore I'd take him as manager, but wouldn't watch his press conferences just as I never watched Allardyce's and don't currently watch Kean's.