Rafa Benitez - Coach - Pool (17 Viewers)
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Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez opens talks on his future
Benitez's future at Anfield has been the subject of much speculation
Liverpool have had the first in what they hope will be a series of meetings with manager Rafael Benitez amid speculation he could move to Juventus.
Benitez, 50, had reportedly cancelled two meetings with chairman Martin Broughton before they met on Thursday.
"The meeting was constructive," said a Liverpool spokesman.
"Views were exchanged on issues of concern to both the board and manager which were either addressed or to be picked up in forthcoming meetings."
Benitez, who has four years left on the contract he signed last summer, has endured a tough season on and off the pitch.
BBC
Benitez's future at Anfield has been the subject of much speculation
Liverpool have had the first in what they hope will be a series of meetings with manager Rafael Benitez amid speculation he could move to Juventus.
Benitez, 50, had reportedly cancelled two meetings with chairman Martin Broughton before they met on Thursday.
"The meeting was constructive," said a Liverpool spokesman.
"Views were exchanged on issues of concern to both the board and manager which were either addressed or to be picked up in forthcoming meetings."
Benitez, who has four years left on the contract he signed last summer, has endured a tough season on and off the pitch.
BBC
Blog: Winning at a cost
Rafa Benitez continues to be linked with Juventus, but Tom Barclay has some reservations over the Spanish tactician
Juventus fans be warned. Should Rafa Benitez be appointed Coach, the Bianconeri could well be back in the hunt for major honours, but at a cost. Rafa’s teams are not exciting to watch at the best of times.
Since Benitez took over at Liverpool, he has generally deployed his team in the most negative, 'we will not lose’ formation. Two defensive midfielders seem to play home and away no matter who the opposition is – a criticism that many pundits have aimed at the Spanish tactician. Last season it finally started to reap the benefits due to Xabi Alonso's abilities as a deep-lying playmaker but he was sold to Real Madrid in the summer, stifling the Reds creativity.
Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres are an undoubtedly world-class pairing who can unlock any defence with ease on a regular basis. But their support has been lacking over the years from deep – with the exception of Alonso – and particularly in wide areas. Benitez has signed a plethora of full-backs and wingers since 2004 and wasted an embarrassing amount of money trying to find the right formula.
Josemi, Jan Kromkamp, Andrea Dossena, Antonio Barragan, Jermaine Pennant, Antonio Nunez, Mark Gonzalez and Sebastien Leto are just some of the average-to-poor wide players Benitez has signed and promptly sold over the years. He looks to have finally got it right with Glen Johnson at right-back – although the Englishman has been finding it hard to keep fit – but the other wide positions leave much to be desired.
He spent £11.5m on Ryan Babel and he never plays him. Admittedly, when Babel does play he doesn't seem to make much of an impact but this could be down to lack of confidence or perhaps he just isn't that good – in that case, why sign him then?
Why buy players like Robbie Keane, who clearly don't fit into the 4-2-3-1 formation, for astronomical amounts? And then when you do sign him, why don't you play him? Alberto Aquilani, anyone? He's supposedly been injured for most of the campaign, but if that's the case, surely the Liverpool staff who conducted the medical should have warned Rafa off him. Surely.
So if he does become the Juve boss, be prepared for a shedload of money to be wasted. It's almost incomprehensible, really, that a manager will shell out around £20m on a player, knowing that the huge price tag will bring pressure to perform for both the player and the manager himself, and then not even pick him.
There's no way Sir Alex Ferguson or Jose Mourinho would sign a player for that kind of money and then not give them any chances to show what they can do. Think of when Andriy Shevchenko signed for Chelsea, reportedly not even Mourinho's signing, but Jose still played him – to the detriment of his side, arguably. Benitez just wouldn't.
There have also been rumours of relations between Benitez and Torres cooling to breaking point. Tabloid speculation it may be, but there's no denying Benitez's impersonal approach to management. Albert Riera, a player who seemingly performed well last year, is so desperate to leave Anfield he'll play anywhere, and it's all down to Benitez's frosty demeanour.
That said, Benitez does know what it takes to win football matches and titles. His record speaks for itself, despite the trophy famine of the last four years. Juventus are in desperate need of a character like that to sort their club out, and Rafa's certainly one way to go. He has his flaws though, that's for sure, so Juve supporters be ready to be infuriated at times if he takes over.
FI
Rafa Benitez continues to be linked with Juventus, but Tom Barclay has some reservations over the Spanish tactician
Juventus fans be warned. Should Rafa Benitez be appointed Coach, the Bianconeri could well be back in the hunt for major honours, but at a cost. Rafa’s teams are not exciting to watch at the best of times.
Since Benitez took over at Liverpool, he has generally deployed his team in the most negative, 'we will not lose’ formation. Two defensive midfielders seem to play home and away no matter who the opposition is – a criticism that many pundits have aimed at the Spanish tactician. Last season it finally started to reap the benefits due to Xabi Alonso's abilities as a deep-lying playmaker but he was sold to Real Madrid in the summer, stifling the Reds creativity.
Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres are an undoubtedly world-class pairing who can unlock any defence with ease on a regular basis. But their support has been lacking over the years from deep – with the exception of Alonso – and particularly in wide areas. Benitez has signed a plethora of full-backs and wingers since 2004 and wasted an embarrassing amount of money trying to find the right formula.
Josemi, Jan Kromkamp, Andrea Dossena, Antonio Barragan, Jermaine Pennant, Antonio Nunez, Mark Gonzalez and Sebastien Leto are just some of the average-to-poor wide players Benitez has signed and promptly sold over the years. He looks to have finally got it right with Glen Johnson at right-back – although the Englishman has been finding it hard to keep fit – but the other wide positions leave much to be desired.
He spent £11.5m on Ryan Babel and he never plays him. Admittedly, when Babel does play he doesn't seem to make much of an impact but this could be down to lack of confidence or perhaps he just isn't that good – in that case, why sign him then?
Why buy players like Robbie Keane, who clearly don't fit into the 4-2-3-1 formation, for astronomical amounts? And then when you do sign him, why don't you play him? Alberto Aquilani, anyone? He's supposedly been injured for most of the campaign, but if that's the case, surely the Liverpool staff who conducted the medical should have warned Rafa off him. Surely.
So if he does become the Juve boss, be prepared for a shedload of money to be wasted. It's almost incomprehensible, really, that a manager will shell out around £20m on a player, knowing that the huge price tag will bring pressure to perform for both the player and the manager himself, and then not even pick him.
There's no way Sir Alex Ferguson or Jose Mourinho would sign a player for that kind of money and then not give them any chances to show what they can do. Think of when Andriy Shevchenko signed for Chelsea, reportedly not even Mourinho's signing, but Jose still played him – to the detriment of his side, arguably. Benitez just wouldn't.
There have also been rumours of relations between Benitez and Torres cooling to breaking point. Tabloid speculation it may be, but there's no denying Benitez's impersonal approach to management. Albert Riera, a player who seemingly performed well last year, is so desperate to leave Anfield he'll play anywhere, and it's all down to Benitez's frosty demeanour.
That said, Benitez does know what it takes to win football matches and titles. His record speaks for itself, despite the trophy famine of the last four years. Juventus are in desperate need of a character like that to sort their club out, and Rafa's certainly one way to go. He has his flaws though, that's for sure, so Juve supporters be ready to be infuriated at times if he takes over.
FI
Liverpool post £54.9m loss as debts continue to rise
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/8668320.stm
I can't see Rafa wanting to stay unless he is given funds, and given the ever increasing debt at the club that seems unlikely.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/8668320.stm
I can't see Rafa wanting to stay unless he is given funds, and given the ever increasing debt at the club that seems unlikely.
on one hand he is at a club of great stature who have badly underperformed,need massive investment,a squad revamp but are lacking the cash that comes from Champions league qualification and the lure that brings to signing players....
on the other hand he is being tempted by a club of great stature who have badly underperformed,need massive investment,a squad revamp but are lacking the cash that comes from Champions league qualification and the lure that brings to signing players....
he is obviously waiting to see who will give him most cash to spend and the most freedomw to sign who he wants
on the other hand he is being tempted by a club of great stature who have badly underperformed,need massive investment,a squad revamp but are lacking the cash that comes from Champions league qualification and the lure that brings to signing players....
he is obviously waiting to see who will give him most cash to spend and the most freedomw to sign who he wants
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