Last week, Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez insisted that he would 'almost certainly return to manage Liverpool one day, a prospect that will delight the many fans who still revere the Spaniard. Given Benitez's propensity for mind games, it's probable that he knew exactly what he was doing when he made those comments, and ex-Red Jamie Redknapp has criticised the former Reds boss for undermining Brendan Rodgers.
In an interview with Spanish newspaper Marca recently, Benitez said:
"My idea is to keep coaching a competitive team.
"Why not in England? We have to wait and see. I will return to Liverpool one day almost certainly, I just don't know when"
In his column for Sky Sports this week, Redknapp hailed Benitez for doing a 'great job' at Anfield, but slammed the Spaniard for his comments about returning to the club. He said:
"I didn't approve of his [Benitez's] comments the other week about returning to Anfield. It was disrespectful to Brendan Rodgers, but I don't think Benitez would have said it if he didn't think it might happen, so maybe there's something in it"
Benitez later claimed that he was simply referring to his family, who still live on Merseyside, but that's barely believable IMO.
Redknapp suggests that there may be 'something' in the prediction, but I don't see how Benitez could have any inside info about a possible return to Anfield, especially with FSG in charge. Unless, of course, the group has changed its mind and now wants the Spaniard to return (unlikely).
One thing is for sure: Rodgers is no fan of Benitez. You only have to watch his responses to questions about the man to see that. For example, in Friday's press conference, reporters quizzed Rodgers about Benitez's return, and his frosty, terse responses and defensive body language told their own revealing story.
Given his lengthy response to Benitez's return claims this week, I suspect it's likely that Rodgers feels a little insecure. How could he not? The Spaniard is loved by the fans, and he'll be on the market again very soon.
Jaimie Kanwar
NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)
In an interview with Spanish newspaper Marca recently, Benitez said:
"My idea is to keep coaching a competitive team.
"Why not in England? We have to wait and see. I will return to Liverpool one day almost certainly, I just don't know when"
In his column for Sky Sports this week, Redknapp hailed Benitez for doing a 'great job' at Anfield, but slammed the Spaniard for his comments about returning to the club. He said:
"I didn't approve of his [Benitez's] comments the other week about returning to Anfield. It was disrespectful to Brendan Rodgers, but I don't think Benitez would have said it if he didn't think it might happen, so maybe there's something in it"
Benitez later claimed that he was simply referring to his family, who still live on Merseyside, but that's barely believable IMO.
Redknapp suggests that there may be 'something' in the prediction, but I don't see how Benitez could have any inside info about a possible return to Anfield, especially with FSG in charge. Unless, of course, the group has changed its mind and now wants the Spaniard to return (unlikely).
One thing is for sure: Rodgers is no fan of Benitez. You only have to watch his responses to questions about the man to see that. For example, in Friday's press conference, reporters quizzed Rodgers about Benitez's return, and his frosty, terse responses and defensive body language told their own revealing story.
Given his lengthy response to Benitez's return claims this week, I suspect it's likely that Rodgers feels a little insecure. How could he not? The Spaniard is loved by the fans, and he'll be on the market again very soon.
Jaimie Kanwar
NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)
Rafa Benitez legend! Would love to see him back !
ReplyDeleteNext season is Brendan's big test. If he fails rafa should get the job we have all had enough of managers. Hodgson etc. rafa done well with crap owners Iam sure he will be better than most. With new owners. And he deserves that chance.
ReplyDeleteLove Rafa? Yes, he won us the CL for goodness sale. Want him back? No, he is the past, we have moved on and I trust BR to continue moving us forward.
ReplyDeleteRafa was misquoted. He said he would return to liverpool the city, because his wife and daughter still live there. He also said he would like to manage in england.
ReplyDeleteI personally find it sad that people are talking about moving Rodgers on already on these boards, but tbh some numbties on here dont surprise me at all. If he was to go i wouldnt want Rafa to return at all, he's had his chance and i think some of his decision making as Chelsea manager shows his shortcomings as a manager. If we had to have another manager i would like Klopp, or Pellegrini. But Rodgers deserves time. That last transfer window was a good window and a few more like that would be great.
ReplyDeleteHe never said he'd return to LFC 'because' his wife and daughter were there. He said:
ReplyDelete“I will return to Liverpool one day, almost certainly, I just do not know when. My daughters and wife still live there"
Obviously he will return to Liverpool if his family live there. That goes without saying. Also, why would he say 'one day' or 'almost certainly'? There's no 'almost' about it, is there? It's his wife and children, he will *definitely* go home to them, no? Plus, it's not like he hasn't been back to Liverpool to visit his family in the 5 MONTHS he's been Chelsea manager, is it?
redknapp,is a complete waste of space he thinks hes the greatest player ever to wear the red shirt,rodgers should feel insecure if fsg are happy with the way this season as gone then were doomed,the fans will raise there voice for rafa tomorrow and they may be the odd wimper for rodgers
ReplyDeletenot quite - he was answering a question - not making a statement.
ReplyDeleteCome home Rafa but only if we are not in the top four next season.
ReplyDeleteObviously Rafa will get a good reception from us as fans but Rodgers has nothing to worry about, his got his players,management and fans behind him, he got his ideas, but it takes time to implement them in the team.
ReplyDelete"Didn't approve" does not equate to "slam"
ReplyDeleteOnly natural for BR to be nervous of RB return. The crowd will sing his name throughout to pay homage to a living legend.
Rafa WILL be Liverpool manager again some day. A nice 20 year stint would be lovely
rafa is wearing rogers like a cheap suit and rogers is buying it....its funny rogers disrespects English internationals like Carroll and downing and hendo even though he had no notable career but cant take it back...hopefully hell be gone in the summer
ReplyDeleteRafa has been in the market for far too long. nobody wants him. Not FSG for sure. He was not even on the shortlist to replace KK.
ReplyDeleteyou're right. We have moved on and to a bigger extent FOOTBALL has moved on. He had enough good players at Chelsea this year to continue what DI Matteo started (in the league) but instead he chose to do it HIS way, the same way HE chose to do it his way when replacing MOurinho. Massive tactical changes were not needed at Inter either but his desire to control matches can restrict and suffocate players. The English game is not tactical in the slightest. The trick in england is to buy quick, agile skillfull players and let them play (look at Man U). Although it didn't happen for Rafa at Inter it seems controlling matches using Rafas preferred tactics can only occur when the pace of the game is slow hence his immense success in Europe and our fantastic wins against some of the best teams in the world.
ReplyDeleteDurng the season we came second it seemed as though Rafa gave the players more freedom to play but then reverted to type when Alonso left.
Rafa should no way have been fired after one poor season but saying that I wouldn't take him back either.
agreed
ReplyDelete"Disrespects" English internationals like Carroll and downing and hendo? No he never, he told Carroll straight your not going to play that many games so Carroll wanted to go on loan Brendan let him. Also downing and hendo? They needed that kick up the backside, if players are playing poor the manager Is allowed to say it. Least downing and hendo,erinque are better under Rodgers than they were under daglish.
ReplyDeleteif Rodgers will be given a second season then then King Kenny should have been given a second chance
ReplyDeletei could buy that if he was like that with all the players he isnt ..so thats disrespect.....its funny why he hasnt kicked allen up the backside......jog on
ReplyDeleteRodgers tried many gimmicks like trying to change the colour of net at anfield, rebuking sterling during the movie at the heart of liverpool, praising suarez continuously, trying to get the esteem of carra etc yet results ZERO. He is now constantly trying all sorts of gymnastic to keep the job and positive results on the pitch are slipping away from us. He is fully aware of how much RAFA has done for us. Hope that the owners will eventually realise where the future and progress of our club is.
ReplyDeleteHere the thing Allen done his job to start attack and win the ball back and he also scored 2 goals, that's good for a first season.let him settle in he only 22, you tries to twist things to suit your point but it isn't a good point your making, even JT said Rodgers he a good guy who helped him when he went out the side, he makes players better. And "jog on" just shows you haven't got a valid point.:)
ReplyDeleteBenitez says silly thing when he feels sorry for himself.
ReplyDeleteFact is that next season he will be begging for a job again next season.
Rafa is living in la la land if he thinks FSG will bring him back to the club. If they wanted Rafa they bwould have appointed him when he was jobless and guess what, FSG didn't :-)
well if john terry the bastion of morality thinks he okay he must be....i take it all back rogers is a genius
ReplyDeletetime kenny never got
ReplyDeletelol
ReplyDeleteKenny might be coming back as our ambassador again so it doesn't seem like bridges have been burnt between the King and FSG. They obviously see the value he adds when it comes to a role model for the youngsters.
ReplyDeleteWell it was time for younger manager and a overhaul of our academy to play the same brand of football, it had to be done. KD is coming back so it's no hard feelings! :)
ReplyDeleteAlot of former players of Rodgers have said how good he is with them not just JT.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what the culture is like in Europe in the sense of managers talking about other positions that are currently occupied. If it's something that's accepted socially or whatnot.
ReplyDeleteBut in America, managers/coaches of any sport do not talk about other clubs' positions, especially ones that are currently filled by someone else.
Even managers/coaches that aren't employed will not talk about positions that are currently filled by someone else.
It's disrespectful and just not something that's done.
In this case, I don't have a problem with Rodgers being unhappy with Rafa's comments. Obviously if Rafa comes back here, then that means that Rodgers is no longer here.
While I know some people here would like to see Rodgers leave today (cough cough Jason cough cough), the bottom line is that for Rafa to talk about another job that is currently occupied by another manager is disrespectful and shouldn't be done until said position is no longer occupied.
Two completely different situations. King Kenny's team was awful in the league the second half of the season.
ReplyDeleteRodgers' results have by and large gotten better as the season as progressed. Granted the team has hit a lull in the last few weeks, but overall the team has improved as the season has gone along.
i hope kenny tells them to shove there job
ReplyDeletemaybe for a couple of quid. But KK loves the club. .
ReplyDeleteBenitez brought Dalglish back to be an ambassador for the club,and also put him in at the academy.
ReplyDeleteHowever KK had other ideas did'n't he.He was never a manager! Let's hope he does the right thing if he comes back again and does'n't get TOO ambitious again?
That would'n't be a big loss to the club! Dalglish was a top player FULL STOP! by the way it is 'their' not 'there'.
ReplyDeleteBenitez made no reference to the job that Rodgers is doing ! He has 'merely' made it known that he would like the job again sometime in the future!
ReplyDeleteDalglish should never have been given the job a second time never mind a third time!
ReplyDeleteThank god!
ReplyDeleteanother english teacher
ReplyDeletePeople in glass houses should'n't throw stones ! I see lots of comments on this site (which,incidentally is one of the best.),that need not be made.
ReplyDeletenothing to do with glass house m8 i just find the people that come on here just to correct peoples grammar sad,not that i,am calling you sad;-)
ReplyDeleteRubbish! And frankly trying to paint the Americans as doyens of high morals and respect doesn't wash here in the real world where we see the results of your great land of the free. Free to go around shooting each other with guns anyone can keep in their bedside drawer! Stuff that kind of freedom, let the poor kids who get murdered in your schools live instead!
ReplyDeleteHigh morals? All I am saying is that in our culture, one manager doesn't talk about another job that is currently occupied out of respect to their profession.
ReplyDeleteHow do you turn that into a political gun rant!
Good grief!
But they do! End of! What, you think we don't see how Americans behave too? Basketball coaches are forever linked to different clubs and make statements about what they would do if.... In 'your' culture they don't show any more respect for each other than the rest of the world.
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying that managers never say things along the lines of "well I would have done this or that...".
ReplyDeleteI'm not even saying that it never happens when a manager/coach talks about taking over another job occupied by another manager/coach.
But what I am saying is that generally speaking, managers/coaches do not talk about taking over other jobs that are currently occupied... which is essentially what Rafa did in this instance when he said that he would one day return to LIverpool. By default, that means that Rodgers would no longer be at Liverpool.
Secondly, you're making it out as though I'm saying Americans are perfect. Since I live here (and you seemingly don't), I can assure you from first hand experience, they are not.
Thirdly, I'm using JUST ONE example of a professional courtesy. That's all it is. Why are you turning this into an indictment of American society as a whole.
You made a statement that 'In America we....' And that statement was a sweeping generalization that tried to paint Americans as being more respectful and I said 'no, they're not!' I am not American nor am I anti-American. I have spent over two years in America so I do have a pretty good understanding of your culture and so on, enough to know your comment was simply not true. I also know enough of America to know that there is no such thing as 'Americans' as an indigenous group, it is such a vast country and the people of one area are hugely different to those of another. I have a large number of American friends and I can't think of a single statement I could make that would apply to all of them except they are all lovely people who I appreciate greatly.
ReplyDeleteI used one example. That's not a "sweeping generalization".
ReplyDeleteIt's one example. And I further clarified the point that it is just one example.
Please... let's just move on.
Yes please LOL. By the way, I want the Prime Minister's job. I know we already have one in his job but at the risk of being rude and disrepsectful, I want him out and am happy to take his place :o)
ReplyDelete