Our lovely national media, eh? “Those foreign bastards are taking all our jobs”, we’re in line for the next batch of “Council bans Christmas – Political Correctness gone mad” columns and now they’re after another “under fire boss” to fill their column inches up. Martin Jol has gone; Mourinho has gone back to sunnier climates whilst past targets Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger are now flavours of the months. This leaves only one man – our very own Rafa Benitez.
This isn’t an article asking for blind faith towards Benitez. He, like every manager I’ve ever known at any club has come under some justified criticism. But this isn’t the place for them. Because for the last three months it’s made my skin crawl every time I’ve picked a paper up or read a website.
We’ve got Stan Collymore (That sane and wonderful footballing minded person). We’ve got Paul Merson (Threw his career away with drugs, ale and gambling. Managerial record … erm, shite at Walsall). And, Brian Woolnough and various other national hacks. Each one is lining up to write the headline “KOP SAYS: RAFA OUT”.
The last time the media had it in for a manager of ours was Houllier circa 2004. And that was justified because the majority of fans did want him out. But they have started throwing in the words “rotation”, “Gerrard on the right”, and “The fans are getting impatient” at every fucking opportunity. It’s time to show these cu.nts that there is no better judge of when a manager’s time is up than us.
I’ve never seen us win a league in my match going life. Frustrating? Fu[]b[/b]cking right. It hurts to see teams win the league when we’re playing our last game with no real prestige in the game. But this is the feller who brought me, and so many others, OUR Rome 77. OUR St Etienne. I have been to see my team in two European Cup finals; something that had you asked me three years ago I’d have never thought possible in my life. It’s a phrase that THEY’VE used a lot lately. “Rafa has bought time with two European Cup finals in three years.” Bought time? Fuck me, is that the same way that Ian Rush probably bought time up front for us by scoring loads of goals.
I’m yet to meet a Red who wants Rafa out. A few will argue with his decisions at times, a few disagree with a few of his buys, which is all part of football. I disagree with some of his decisions; I disagree with some of his buys. But let’s face it; this man has brought us a fucking lot of happiness in his time here, especially with the s.*i*e he inherited. Constructive criticism? Yes. Wanting to rip your hair out in the heat of the moment? Yes. But it’s imperative our fans don’t follow the lead of other clubs and allow the press’ irrelevant views to cloud our judgement of our manager.
This isn’t intended to try and covert some of our own to start liking Rafa. That’s not needed. But what is needed to show the cu.nts in the nationals that we back Rafa and they can carry on with their witch hunt, they can carry on with their expert analysis (Even though the tw@ts have no fucking right to do so as they’ve done f.uck all in management) but it’s ultimately the FANS who decide.
And from what I can tell, and from what I’m certain, we believe Rafa is the one. Let’s show it, starting tonight.