Topic: Rafa Benitez to PSG? No.

[Strummer77]

Torres to PSG in January? Big possibility if this is true.

In January Drogba will be off to African Cup of Nations and Anelka is leaving.
I'd imagine the summer if it's going to happen.

[1021]

3rd place in their CL group suggests otherwise.

I hardly think one season (the Club's first) in the CL is enough evidence to base that upon.
Besides Bayern and Napoli are no mugs, there is no arguments that they should escape the group but failing to do so doesn't make Mancini a shite tactician.
Naive perhaps, but he is a good manager and will continue to bring success to City, whether that be the ultimate prize of European football depends on a lot of things, Barcelona, managing the egos of the City squad, how long the Arab owners remain interested, and of course how they are managed.
Mancini may not be as tactically astute as Rafa, Pep, Mourinho, et al, but he isn't shite.

[Hazell]

Too late though as the talks will Beckham are way down the line.

Beckham beings revenue and PSG no matter how rich will want extra revenue.

Also Beckham could be his Dirk Kuyt. I don't think Rafa would be fussed if Beckham signed or not.

Do you have a source for that? Don't see how Beckham could be his Dirk either. If they want him, it'll be for revenue purposes, not because the team will benefit all too much.

You're right, Rafa may not be arsed but I highly doubt he'd sign him given the choice. And if the owners are making decisions like that, it's not a good sign IMO.

[Rattleduser]

they'll be the most feared soon

[Azi]

Manchester City's loss.

tbf mancini has did all thats been asked from him apart from in europe there on course to win the league and possibly the carling cup

[Coolie High]

It's not just City, it's Inter as well. Mancini is fine in the league because he can just unleash these players and they bulldoze everyone but as Rafa already showed, league football isn't as tactical as cup/European football.

Rafa is tactically a better manager than Mancini i don't think anyone will disagree with that, however City sooner or later will be a force in the Champions League that much is true, so not signing Rafa isn't really that much of a loss, if Grant and Ferguson could get United and Chelsea to the finals of Champions League then its possible for Mancini to as well.

[-Willo-]

they'll be the most feared soon

Too far

[please, I have my reasons for it but...]

They have a fine team so I wouldn't think he'd have a tough job in winning the league, adding Beckham and Balzaretti (Italian LB) in January won't be bad for them either. Would be fun watching him turn them into a dominant force in Europe, as I think that is exactly what he is brought for.

[koppitekop11]

For Rafa who, as much as we hate to admit, had a shite season with us towards the end and had a torrid time at Inter.

I know yeah, I mean winning two trophies in the space of a few months is just wretched 

[1021]

Too late though as the talks will Beckham are way down the line.

Beckham beings revenue and PSG no matter how rich will want extra revenue.

Also Beckham could be his Dirk Kuyt. I don't think Rafa would be fussed if Beckham signed or not.

Exactly, provided there isn't a mandate that they have to play him x amount of times a season, in a particular role, let him take free kicks or whatever, I don't think it'd be a stumbling block, particularly if he is there before Rafa is announced as manager.

[koppitekop11]

I hardly think one season (the Club's first) in the CL is enough evidence to base that upon.

The clubs first season yeah, but not the managers or half the players!

[-Willo-]

I know yeah, I mean winning two trophies in the space of a few months is just wretched 

I agree, it took a stroke of genius to win the world club championship against world renowned teams such as altealjezabel FC Utd of Zimbabwe, and also a one off Italian super cup final game...

[itsgunnabebarnes!]

seriously, people trying to have a go at mancini to pedal the rafa is best line. get real. 

[AriGold]

Good on him if true. Can see him doing well there.

[TimHocks]

This should keep him busy until he returns to manage Liverpool in five years or so!

[-Willo-]

seriously, people trying to have a go at mancini to pedal the rafa is best line. get real. 

I like Rafa, but seriously some of the stuff that is used to get up his arse is silly, I mean using the fact he won 2 trophies at Inter to avoid saying his time there was shite is hilarious, a one off game and then 3 games against shite from Japan, South Africa etc... Is just funny, I could of coached Inter at the world club championship and won it for 'em

[Fordy]

Do you have a source for that? Don't see how Beckham could be his Dirk either. If they want him, it'll be for revenue purposes, not because the team will benefit all too much.

You're right, Rafa may not be arsed but I highly doubt he'd sign him given the choice. And if the owners are making decisions like that, it's not a good sign IMO.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/latest/2011/11/24/beckham-in-psg-talks-leonardo-115875-23584535/

[David H]

seriously, people trying to have a go at mancini to pedal the rafa is best line. get real. 

What do you expect on RAWK?

I love rafa but hes not the best manager, far from it.

[SpartanTree. No deccies or lights.]

But still, it's not their loss, you really think it's their loss for not sacking Mancini, who is top of the league by 5 points, into the semis of another cup and generally playing some of the best attacking football around... For Rafa who, as much as we hate to admit, had a shite season with us towards the end...

You might recall that Rafa was busy trying to save the club from the cancers and do his own job at the same time.

[1021]

The clubs first season yeah, but not the managers or half the players!

So what.
The CL is something the entire Club has to acclimitise to, the increased requirements regarding fixtures, the pressure of being in a prestigious competition, having half of the side adapt to it, building and shaping a side with a number of new players.
Mancini has traditionally struggled in the Champions League, albeit with an Inter side who prior to Mourinho's arrival had struggled in the CL for a long time, before he had got the job.

He is a young manager, with a lot to learn, he has achieved a lot of domestic success in Italy, is on course to do so with Manchester City, and European victory may or may not come but it doens't mean he is a shite tactician, it just means he might not be the best that European management has to offer.

[downtown]

I like Rafa, but seriously some of the stuff that is used to get up his arse is silly, I mean using the fact he won 2 trophies at Inter to avoid saying his time there was shite is hilarious, a one off game and then 3 games against shite from Japan, South Africa etc... Is just funny, I could of coached Inter at the world club championship and won it for 'em

Good to see you laughing. I thought you'd be depressed in your room crying over prospects of us in Europa League next season and Spurs buying WC players. You were sure it was gonna happen yesterday 

[Fiasco]

He will win the CL within three years if he goes there, I would bet anything I had on that.

[SMD]

seriously, people trying to have a go at mancini to pedal the rafa is best line. get real.

I've had my opinion on Mancini for ages, dude. Had the same discussion when he was at Inter. He's lucky he's had so much money to spend to be honest.

He should have done so much better in the league prior to this season and definitely better in Europe.

[Red Genius]

I like Rafa, but seriously some of the stuff that is used to get up his arse is silly, I mean using the fact he won 2 trophies at Inter to avoid saying his time there was shite is hilarious, a one off game and then 3 games against shite from Japan, South Africa etc... Is just funny, I could of coached Inter at the world club championship and won it for 'em

Equally as laughable as you writing down in history that his time there was 'shite'

He picked up two trophies, and we don't really know how he'd have finished the season had he have been allowed.

Inter and Rafa were never going to work in harmony as their board were not going to support his vision, despite employing him to the job.

Better managers have failed in the WCC and Super cup so to belittle those competitions is a little juvenile in judgement.

However the Mancini bashing is fucking epically pointless, what the hell has he got to do with this thread?

[Matt8Pie]

For Rafa who, as much as we hate to admit, had a shite season with us towards the end and had a torrid time at Inter.

Must...not...bite....

[Hazell]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/latest/2011/11/24/beckham-in-psg-talks-leonardo-115875-23584535/

Sound, thanks.

[1021]

I like Rafa, but seriously some of the stuff that is used to get up his arse is silly, I mean using the fact he won 2 trophies at Inter to avoid saying his time there was shite is hilarious, a one off game and then 3 games against shite from Japan, South Africa etc... Is just funny, I could of coached Inter at the world club championship and won it for 'em

Haha, yeah fucking hilarious, giving him a bit of support, whatever next?
He would have turned it around at Inter had he been given some support and Moratti hadn't have been so short sighted.
His biggest error was taking the job in the first place, he should have taken the time out then and recovered from all the shite he had to put up with in his final three years at Liverpool, but he rushed into it and bought the promises that Inter were probably never going to keep.

[Hazell]

For Rafa who, as much as we hate to admit, had a shite season with us towards the end and had a torrid time at Inter.

What do you expect on RAWK?

I love rafa but hes not the best manager, far from it.

I really hope this kind of stuff doesn't get out of hand and we can talk about Rafa potentially at PSG instead of the thread being locked.

[-Willo-]

Good to see you laughing. I thought you'd be depressed in your room crying over prospects of us in Europa League next season and Spurs buying WC players. You were sure it was gonna happen yesterday 

Makes no sense, has no base for a debate on what I said, except an attempt of a dig at me, a shite one albeit, but a dig nonetheless.

[Red Genius]

Must...not...bite....

Don't bite mate, just educate. He clearly hasn't all the information to hand if he has arrived at that judgement.

[itsgunnabebarnes!]

I've had my opinion on Mancini for ages, dude. Had the same discussion when he was at Inter. He's lucky he's had so much money to spend to be honest.

He should have done so much better in the league prior to this season and definitely better in Europe.

he is top of the league, yes he is that shit.

[Finn Solomon]

Can we leave the Mancini shit out of the thread please, thanks.

[-Willo-]

Must...not...bite....

I'm sorry but bite on what, he did a great job off the field fighting the battle with our owners but fact is we went from 2nd to 7th (8th if Everton won their final home game), meaning he didn't have a good season with us on the field end of story

[AriGold]

He will win the CL within three years if he goes there, I would bet anything I had on that.

Nah.

[Prelude no.5]

I can't fathom why this thread has bloody turned into a slanging match.

And why this thread has turned from wishing well a man who once our own to dissecting his past as well another managers record of which we have nothing to do with.

Beggars belief, it does.

[1021]

Must...not...bite....

Nah, I would bite.
Every, single conversation about that season should be prefaced with 'remember what a clusterfuck Liverpool FC was then, from the owners raping, pillaging, and asset stripping our great Club, to the Chelsea fan tasked with seeling us, to the managing director trying to play Championship Manager, to the supporters throwing their toys out of the pram, to half of the squad mentally taking the flight to South Africa in January....' and then you can say 'it was a poor season, Rafa made some crucial errors (though we were a whisper away from a European final), and our transfer buisness even amongst all that could have been better.

[SMD]

I regret ever mentioning Manchester City in this thread.

[Red Genius]

he is top of the league, yes he is that shit.

He's clearly a very good league manager, and over the course of the season remains consistent enough to pick up a decent points per game ratio to finish top of the pack. I do however have reservations over whether he is quite as shrewd in one off games, as demonstrated by track record in Europe at both Inter and now City. It may be that is a weakness and something he will develop on, i know i'd prefer Rafa in the European arena, however you can't really criticise Mancini in the league and keep a straight face.

[Matt8Pie]

Nah, I would bite.
Every, single conversation about that season should be prefaced with 'remember what a clusterfuck Liverpool FC was then, from the owners raping, pillaging, and asset stripping our great Club, to the Chelsea fan tasked with seeling us, to the managing director trying to play Championship Manager, to the supporters throwing their toys out of the pram, to half of the squad mentally taking the flight to South Africa in January....' and then you can say 'it was a poor season, Rafa made some crucial errors (though we were a whisper away from a European final), and our transfer buisness even amongst all that could have been better.

Pretty much and our transfer business could have been better if he had any funds to spend. Also, the injury crisis didn't help him in his final season with us and the same situation was his problem at Inter.

Anyway, this is about the potential of him moving to PSG which I would love to see.

[El Campeador]

I regret ever mentioning Manchester City in this thread.

DEATH TO SMD