Topic: Why is Rafael Benitez so popular with Liverpool fans?

[Fontaine]

Because he didn't celebrate yesterday when we were battering Villa out of respect to his colleague Bryce Morrison who lost his his life so suddenly.  Something sly sports forgot about the second the minutes silence passed.

[Beninger]

He's always looking at how, and why, we didn't win every minute of every game.  Where did we go wrong, how could we have done better?  Even when we win 5-0, he's still looking at what could have been a weakness to lead to a possible goal, or even a chance at goal.  He's a perfectionist, and any player that can't deal with that needs to go and talk to Sammy, because Rafa is perfect just the way he is.

[gritsvanilla]

He's always looking at how, and why, we didn't win every minute of every game.  Where did we go wrong, how could we have done better?  Even when we win 5-0, he's still looking at what could have been a weakness to lead to a possible goal, or even a chance at goal.  He's a perfectionist, and any player that can't deal with that needs to go and talk to Sammy, because Rafa is perfect just the way he is.

And wasn't that always the way with Shanks/Paisley/Fagan and Kenny. Rafa is reminding me more and more of those legends, i absolutely loved the way he refused to get carried away today, so like that golden quartet, class, dignity and the desire to keep improving all the time or put more simply The Liverpool Way.

Reminds me a lot of Paisley in his tactical nous and Shanks in his wit and sheer determination.

[mazzapool]

We love him because he's gonna get us no.19!

[eparker]

Cos he sat down during the Chelsea pen shoot out so the supporters behind him could see...

hahaha can't agree more!

[zabadoh]

He's intelligent, funny, humble, and doesn't take sh*t from the likes of Fergie, Moan!nho, and Parry, and he does all of the above with class.

On top of all that he's a winner.  Multiple times over.

Can't think of a single human on the planet who can do that other than Rafa.  Nope, not one.

[barnseysleftpeg]

I'll see your brown suit and raise you Rafa in denim pre-season.

wins hands down!!!

[Camina Camina]

He's class
He's a perfectionist
He's slightly eccentric
He's got total belief in himself and his ability
He's upset the UK Media because he thinks most them are idiots
He's only worn Jeans at Wrexham
He's got a great line in Jazz beards
He's got a Missus that needs a new watch (or two) in May

[redders74]

And wasn't that always the way with Shanks/Paisley/Fagan and Kenny. Rafa is reminding me more and more of those legends, i absolutely loved the way he refused to get carried away today, so like that golden quartet, class, dignity and the desire to keep improving all the time or put more simply The Liverpool Way.

Reminds me a lot of Paisley in his tactical nous and Shanks in his wit and sheer determination.

Rafa reminds me of Shanks when Shanks talked about building Liverpool into a "bastion of invincibility" and that he would build Liverpool "up and up until everyone else will have to submit to us". His perfectionist attitude and constantly wanting us to keep improving will only stand us in good stead in the years to come... I think we will witness Anfield becoming a bastion of invincibility very very soon...

[GeeFJay]

It's all about the beard.

[robbie96]

OK....I'll admit that my fear of "starting new threads" cause me to shoehorn this in here but, I thought it was a great read ....and potentially could provide hours (yah, I have nothing better to do) of entertainment!
.................................

March 23, 2009
Cheer up Rafa Benitez: five ways to make the Liverpool manager smile
 

Ben Smith

Rafael Benitez is the ultimate perfectionist and as hard to please as any manager in football.

Even after yesterday's 5-0 victory over Aston Villa, Benitez looked about as happy as Cheryl Cole after she got that text while following Chris Moyles' backside up a mountain. "Don’t get me wrong, I am really happy," Benitez said. "The players are doing a fantastic job, but always can improve a little bit.”

In his autobiography, Steven Gerrard gave us an insight into the Benitez mindset. "If Liverpool win and I stick away a dead good hat-trick and do ninety-eight things right and two wrong, Rafa will pull me up sharpish. ‘Stevie, about those two mistakes,’ he will say. Nothing about the hat-trick or the ninety-eight good things ... My aim is still to get a ‘well done’ off Rafa before I retire. But then, if he gives me a ‘well done’, I might need treatment and a long lie-down."

So here's our shot at coming up with five things that will make Rafa come as close to smiling as he did when he passed that last kidney stone (and it wasn't easy... the list not the kidney stone)

1. The Kop to sing Lucas Leiva's name and hail him as their new hero as he is brought on at Anfield.

2. Benitez to be offered improved terms on yet another new contract in which he is given control of players' wages, staff wages, length and colour of players' hair, season ticket prices, appointment of Melwood cleaning staff, temperature in the stadium, the weather, ...

3. Mr. Ferguson to crack under the intense pressure of the title race and in an impassioned post-match interview with Sky Sports' Geoff Shreeves (scheduling permitting, of course) the Scot to say that "he would love it, just love it if he beat Liverpool."

4. Rick Parry left to carry his own personal effects through the Shankly Gates after negotiations with removal company collapse.

5. Liverpool to beat Jurgen Klinsmann's Bayern Munich in the semi-final of this season's Champions League

We'd love to hear your suggestions.


Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Cheer up Rafa Benitez: five ways to make the Liverpool manager smile :
Comments
1-Torres returns from international break uninjured.
2-Parry starts new job,toilet attendant at Melwood.
3-Keane scores hattrick at old trafford.
4-Fergusson gets 2mnth touchline ban for constant moaning.
5-Lucas scores 30yrd screamer to secure title!

Posted by: scousepete | 23 Mar 2009 14:43:23

To Make Rafa Smile:

1. 100% Ball Possession.
2. 90 goals in 90 minute.
3. Concede 0 goals.
4. No Players injured whole season.
5. If on July 11, 2010 1300 Rafa says
he wants to sign Kaka, on July 11,
2010 1301 Kaka signs for Liverpool.
**( Kaka is just an example )**

Posted by: diranoct3 | 23 Mar 2009 12:21:02

How about Manu losing the next 3-9 games? Its possile. Rafa may smile when they lose the next 3 !

Posted by: Boon | 23 Mar 2009 12:06:04


Source: The Times

http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2009/03/cheer-up-benite.html

[Portland1]

because he has the qwwaality and is putting together a sqwwwaad that will give us titles. He is the best manayer

[The Bill Hicks Appreciation Society]

The simple answer is because he's a 'Liverpool' manager

[Chiliking]

Rafa has put together a squad with no assholes!
Look at manu with Ronaldo, Rooney, Rio. I would have cringed if our players were like those cretins.
Chelseas Dogbreath, Terry, lampard, bunch of cockmunchers

[The Bill Hicks Appreciation Society]

Rafa has put together a squad with no assholes!
Look at manu with Ronaldo, Rooney, Rio. I would have cringed if our players were like those cretins.
Chelseas Dogbreath, Terry, lampard, bunch of cockmunchers

I'd say it's partly the club that does it. I genuinely don't think Ronaldo would have been the way he is now had he arrived at Anfield at 18.

[Scribble8]

I love the man. Can't see any other manager leading us atm because of my appreciation of Rafa.

One mainly reason because of hes loved is the way he tries to understand our history, making similary comments like Shankly and leading us to history title wins. I mean the games we have won latley its already classic. The fan who told Rafa to stay at anfield for 20 more years is spot on. Siempre es possible!

[wilber7]

Because he's pissed off.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/match_of_the_day/7958331.stm

like getting blood out of a stone(or the bells out of fergies hand)

[ABJ]

Bringing Fowler back
Being in tune with the city and the fans
Istanbul
Cardiff
Athens
Bringing Sammy Lee back
Going in the pub with the fans
Showing Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Barcelona how good he is, at their place, in front of their fans- not just over 2 legs
Showing Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Juventus, AC Milan, Barcelona the door in Europe.
In amongst all these other shithouse managers in the Premier League, one who acts with class and dignity.
The feeling that he is here to build us as a club- together with us as the fans, rather than use us as a chance to build his CV- with all this crap about the owners, you know that he has our best interests at heart.

And they are just side products of his tactical nous in Europe and his continuing development of our squad. Very proud to have him as manager. He will be the top manager that I tell the youngsters about when I grow up, like Paisley, Fagan and Shankly were described to me. I am sure of this.

Sums it up perfectly for me...

[SP]

Can't stand the bloke. Pink fucking tie on today ffs, have a word with your self.

Disgrace.

He was co-ordinating with Rick.

[Hyderabad Red]

Sums it up perfectly for me...

Perfect

[boots]

4. Rick Parry left to carry his own personal effects through the Shankly Gates after negotiations with removal company collapse.

That made me spill my tea...

[itsgunnabebarnes!]

Because he didn't celebrate yesterday when we were battering Villa out of respect to his colleague Bryce Morrison who lost his his life so suddenly.  Something sly sports forgot about the second the minutes silence passed.

great point.

[LFC when it suits]

Because he has brought back the European nights which made this club what it is.

[LFC when it suits]

Rafa has put together a squad with no assholes!
Look at manu with Ronaldo, Rooney, Rio. I would have cringed if our players were like those cretins.
Chelseas Dogbreath, Terry, lampard, bunch of cockmunchers

Most non Liverpool fans think Gerrard and Carragher are twats

[Canada Loves Anfield]

Cos he sat down during the Chelsea pen shoot out so the supporters behind him could see...

So fucking class - sums him up to a tee and how much he cares about the city, the club and the fans - LEGEND

[Hyderabad Red]

Well,
1>Rafa brought down to The Kop End,the Euopean glory.

2>In Rafa's reigme,we've won the FA Cup.

3>In Rafa's reigme,we've conquored Stamford Bridge,Nou Camp,Bernabue,Old Trafford.

4>He looks smart

[TheLeftSide]

Love is a many splendid thing and among the most splendid is the way he shows the British media and the pundits for the cretins they are.

Also he's been great to my daughter's school by giving them a bus.

[LFCfan4Life]

Plus hes a great manager

(just that i cant remember anyone mentioning that)

[phil5times]

Bringing Fowler back
Being in tune with the city and the fans
Istanbul
Cardiff
Athens
Bringing Sammy Lee back
Going in the pub with the fans
Showing Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Barcelona how good he is, at their place, in front of their fans- not just over 2 legs
Showing Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Juventus, AC Milan, Barcelona the door in Europe.
In amongst all these other shithouse managers in the Premier League, one who acts with class and dignity.
The feeling that he is here to build us as a club- together with us as the fans, rather than use us as a chance to build his CV- with all this crap about the owners, you know that he has our best interests at heart.

And they are just side products of his tactical nous in Europe and his continuing development of our squad. Very proud to have him as manager. He will be the top manager that I tell the youngsters about when I grow up, like Paisley, Fagan and Shankly were described to me. I am sure of this.

Agree 110% for sure

[teganyavo]

Most non Liverpool fans think Gerrard and Carragher are twats

Nah, they're just jealous--Gerrard and Carragher had the unspeakably good fortune to be born Scouse.

[SamAteTheRedAcid]

For many of the reasons above, and the fact he's fucking boss. And also the fact that nobody else seems to see it - what he has done for us, and did for Valencia, and stil no-ome seems to give him the respect he deserves. And he just soldiers on. I wouldn't swap him for any other manager in the world. This is fact.

[elrojoyoda]

Dry sense of humour and whilst everybody around him are in hysteria you know he'll always remain calm to bring everyone back down to earth and when the reverse if we drop points!

Still love his take on cricket

[macca888]

Because he's ours.

[Ken-Obi]

He might look like a fat Spanish waiter, but he's our fat Spanish waiter.

[Crouchy]

So calm and collective.

[i6uuaq]

He might look like a fat Spanish waiter, but he's our fat Spanish waiter.

hmm. pardon my ignorance, i don't get down to the matches, but is there a song about the "fat spanish waiter" yet?

that one might make him smile.

[Rock-N-Red]

Because, like Poirot, the genius super sleuth, he’s a perfectionist who never gives up and is always at least one step of everyone else!



Oh and he’s also a pretty decent bloke too!

[Rafas3leggedtable]

Liverpudlians love Rafa Benitez so much because he has a sense of belonging, this is his city and these are his people, much the same as Shanks before him, he understands what this city is all about.

Absolutely agree 99.9% just tell this to the very very small minority that still persist in questioning him been the right man. Like the fella Sky interviewed opposite the kop I think on the friday before the man utd game? A strong scouse accent. And the woman, again a scouser I recall, in the supporters club before the Sunderland game saying stuff like 'I never have liked Rafa'.

I was at that Sunderland game with my family, got on the box at the club apparently, and spoke up for Rafa that night. A half day off work to travel down the M62 whilst its pissing it down with rain, spot of tea in the Cabbage and a few pints at the club and then Sandon. All for Sunderland in midweek on back of a defeat at middlesboro. Why? Cos I love Rafa and this club and I love mixing with the locals. And no amount of 1am's crawling into bed after a 12 hour round trip like this will ever put me off.

Liverpool and Rafa were made to be together just as Shankly was before. We have been blessed.

[Fine Shagger, Danny Agger]

Because his only consistent reaction to a goal is to look at his watch.

Oh, and because it's so obvious our Spanish lads learned all their English from him. The only things they keep saying in interviews are, "fahntasteek" and "is important, no?".

[axb96m]

Because when things go wrong, he doesn't blame the players, he simply says that we all have to work harder.

And when things go right, he doesn't take the glory, he simply says that we all have to work harder 

Compare and contrast to Redknapp, Allardyce, Moyes, Bruce...