Liverpool FC Forum

[Dundalk]

I just heard he has quit being our manager.......he is going to be the new player manager, he is center back tonight with Carra.....FACT!!

Great rotation from rafa.. LOL he would look funny though running up and down the pitch wobbling his fat all over the place.. 

Its true

[Bad Bob]

It's official, Dalglish is now installed as interim manager and has been given the go ahead to speak to West Ham about Scotty Parker.  Spread the word.

Link

[Dundalk]

It's official, Dalglish is now installed as interim manager and has been given the go ahead to speak to West Ham about Scotty Parker.  Spread the word.

Link

   

[Madmax]

    top pic DD

[heimdall]

So what are you saying

My point (not very well made granted) was that perhaps it was all in my imagination that Rafa is slightly softening his relationships with the players, or if he is it's by the tiniest of degrees.

It's somethign which all managers are increasingly having to get used to though. Rightly or wrongly the players hold the balance of power, and be it an "arm around the shoulder" or a bit of ego boosting now and then, all the most successful managers have to do it in this day and age, even Rafa.

BM The best managers in the world are able to communicate what they want in a clear and direct manner and are capable of being friendly and approachable but also strict and tough.
Man-management is Rafa's major failing as a manager,plus the bizarre belief that players like Lucas, Dossena, Babel and N'Gog are anywhere near good enough for Liverpool. 

Both Ferguson and Clough are neither friendly nor approachable

How do you know? Are you judging them from the image they portray on TV?
I tell you what though they didn't go slagging off their players and exposing their weaknesses to the world now did they?

[GYBS]

So what are you saying

My point (not very well made granted) was that perhaps it was all in my imagination that Rafa is slightly softening his relationships with the players, or if he is it's by the tiniest of degrees.

It's somethign which all managers are increasingly having to get used to though. Rightly or wrongly the players hold the balance of power, and be it an "arm around the shoulder" or a bit of ego boosting now and then, all the most successful managers have to do it in this day and age, even Rafa.

BM The best managers in the world are able to communicate what they want in a clear and direct manner and are capable of being friendly and approachable but also strict and tough.
Man-management is Rafa's major failing as a manager,plus the bizarre belief that players like Lucas, Dossena, Babel and N'Gog are anywhere near good enough for Liverpool. 

Both Ferguson and Clough are neither friendly nor approachable

How do you know? Are you judging them from the image they portray on TV?
I tell you what though they didn't go slagging off their players and exposing their weaknesses to the world now did they?

Did you watch english/scottish football during the 80s ??

Who the hell is slagging off players and exposing their weekness

[Sabre]

Had Rafa called Torres "Fernandito", he would have scored 3 today. He's killed the lad's confidence.

[JoeTerp]

Had Rafa called Torres "Fernandito", he would have scored 3 today. He's killed the lad's confidence.

what about if he started calling him "Mijo" ? 

[Sabre]

Had Rafa called Torres "Fernandito", he would have scored 3 today. He's killed the lad's confidence.

what about if he started calling him "Mijo" ? 

Mijo, as in "Ultra Deep inner Spain" version of Mi hijo (My son)?

No that would be too warm for Rafa, I don't remember a manager so warm to say Mijo from the times of David Vidal

what a legend that coach.

On a serious note, some fellow reds have commented, I don't know exactly whether it was in this thread or another about Rafa's criticism towards Torres.

Torres wasn't fantastic today, but there's no doubt that the best answers from him must come with goals like today.

[Bad Bob]

More "awesome" examples of man-mangement... This time publicly issuing torres a "wake-up" call. Gosh....Benitez blames everyone except himself.

In the interests of balance, I thought I might post an excerpt from Rafa's post-match comments tonight--where he adopts a clear arm-around-the-shoulder approach with Lucas.

----

Rafa Benitez claims Glen Johnson showed exactly why Liverpool signed him during the 4-0 victory over Stoke City on Wednesday.
Click here to watch Johnson's superb goal>>

The defender scored one and created countless other chances as further goals from Fernando Torres, Dirk Kuyt and David Ngog gave the Reds their first win of 2009-10.

Benitez said: "I think we were looking for a player with quality going forward. He created a lot of chances, was a threat and also scored a goal. Our idea was to improve and have more quality in the wide areas and he showed that tonight.

"The first goal was important and the second was a big difference because they had to go forward, we had more space. We were patient, played well on the ball and took our chances."

Benitez also reserved words of praise for Lucas, who put in another commanding performance in the centre of midfield.

The boss said: "Lucas is a player with experience but he's still young. I think you could see today, including the experts on TV, that he's a very good player. Hopefully now they won't see him as a target because he's a very good lad, a good professional and a very good player."

Nineteen-year-old defender Daniel Ayala made his full competitive debut against the Potters - and Benitez believes he will become a better player as a result of 90 minutes alongside Jamie Carragher.

"Ayala is young and it was more or less his first official game," he said. "He was a little bit nervous but in the end he was very good. He has to work, have more games and experience."

One sour note was the stitches needed by Torres following a clash of heads with Ryan Shawcross.

This after Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel required similar treatment at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

Benitez quipped: "We are at the top of the table now with 23 stitches. Carra, Torres and Skrtel. I haven't seen how many Torres has but I can guarantee you it's 10 or more."

.tv Link

----

According to Soccernet, Rafa also had this to say about Lucas:

"I was also pleased with Lucas Leiva, he has taken a lot of unfair criticism from the pundits which is not fair. He is a fine professional and a very good player, our best in pre-season.''

Soccernet Link

[redbeergoggles]

Benitez quipped: "We are at the top of the table now with 23 stitches. Carra, Torres and Skrtel. I haven't seen how many Torres has but I can guarantee you it's 10 or more."

Benitez on form
Now thats f*cking funny

[Sabre]

Not exactly about "changes" in Rafa's man management, but I found interesting a response of Ayala to a Marca newspaper I've read in the paper edition.

What did Rafa tell you? asked the journo

Ayala answered (translated) : He told me not to be nervous, because if I made a mistake he'd take the responsabity, he'd take the blame for it, not me. After the match he congratulated me and told me to keep playing that way.

[bigmick]

Not exactly about "changes" in Rafa's man management, but I found interesting a response of Ayala to a Marca newspaper I've read in the paper edition.

What did Rafa tell you? asked the journo

Ayala answered (translated) : He told me not to be nervous, because if I made a mistake he'd take the responsabity, he'd take the blame for it, not me. After the match he congratulated me and told me to keep playing that way.

Nice touch. Reminds me of when Chris Woods was drafted in against Liverpool for Forest in the Milk Cup final. Apparently Cloughie said moments before they went out "This is Chris Woods and he's going to be playing in goal today. He's a very good goalkeeper, and if he makes any mistakes it's you lots fault, so look after him". He had a stormer of course.

Ayala didn't have a stormer but I thought the kid did well. I'd like to see him when he's about 23 to see if he's made a cente half. My one worry on his first appearance in a word would be pace, but that was judging by only two situations. He could just as easily be a whippet who just got caught flatfooted.