Spoilt under Rafa?

carrafan · March 16, 2011

The media and a sizable set of our supporters had been into overdrive about Rafa 'preferring' europe over the league. We havent been in the CL for two years now and is looks like there's atleast a year to add to that. Where are those idiot journalists now eh? f***ing t***.

It hurts seeing Chelsea and United in the CL and not having us there. Teams would be s***ting themselves if they drew us as we'd knock the best of them out as underdogs time and again. I want that feeling back.

Edited March 16, 2011 by carrafan

Epic Swindle · March 16, 2011

We were in the CL last season but failed to get out of the group stages, and we're not in it this season because we finished 7th in the league.

Edited March 16, 2011 by Epic Swindle

muleskinner · March 16, 2011

We were in it last season.

carrafan · March 16, 2011

Haha we were weren't we. Completely forgot about it and that our lack of ability to keep a clean sheet cost us.

@Swindle: Of course, league finishes and CL qualification are related. But my point is that we should (and hopefully did) enjoy such runs when they're happening and not crib about it.

Epic Swindle · March 16, 2011

We did. The CL experiences were brilliant, but I think there was a general feeling of frustration that we often couldn't apply that same hunger and mentality to the domestic season, which eventually cost us. Any blame lies with the yanks anyway so no point beating youirself up about it.

Ramón Benítez Hernández · March 16, 2011

If by 2016 we haven't had a serious title challenge, won a European Cup, an FA Cup and consistently reached the latter stages in Europe, we can look back and say that we were spoilt.

Antynwa · March 16, 2011

I wouldn't say we where spoilt. We had some magnificent moments over the past 5 or so years of that we have no doubt. To say we where spoilt would be to imply we didn't deserve it IMO. It's the wrong word. We deserved what we got in Europe, and we deserved what we got in the league as well.

But the weekend after one of this clubs created victories in the Bernabau....We go and lose to Middlesborough. I think we saw some magnificent nights littered with moments of absolutely awful, awful football.

3 years of piss poor management from top to bottom at this club has culminated to what we saw at the end of Hodgsons' reign. We now have our club back, and Kenny at the helm. The good-times are on there way back.

Edited March 16, 2011 by Antynwa

Ethan · March 16, 2011

Those times will come again and a decent run in the Europa this and next season will prepare Kenny for the Champions League where he will know his squad better.

We're pretty close to being a champions league side again - I fully expect top 4 position next season if we get the summer transfers right

Rory Fitzgerald · March 16, 2011

We were awesome under Rafa in Europe - obviously it wasnt 100% clean but as a package, we were awesome especially considering the personnel.

Even if he had a team of world beaters, his achievements were great but with the shoe string he operated on ?

Sion · March 17, 2011

We were spoilt, clearly.

Certain fans took CL runs for granted when evaluating Rafa's performance.

'oh another CL 1/4 final, sound'

Whereas look at Spurs' reaction. It was like they'd won the thing.

Knox_Harrington · March 17, 2011

On 16/03/2011 at 22:33, Antynwa said:
3 years of piss poor management from top to bottom at this club has culminated to what we saw at the end of Hodgsons' reign. We now have our club back, and Kenny at the helm. The good-times are on there way back.

3 years includes 08/09 and includes that win in Madrid. We had serious good times.

Edited March 17, 2011 by Knox_Harrington

carrafan · March 17, 2011

On 16/03/2011 at 22:33, Antynwa said:
I wouldn't say we where spoilt. We had some magnificent moments over the past 5 or so years of that we have no doubt. To say we where spoilt would be to imply we didn't deserve it IMO. It's the wrong word. We deserved what we got in Europe, and we deserved what we got in the league as well.

Would it? I'd say a lot of us took great individual CL runs by themselves, but in a set, for granted.

The media were saying stuff simply to spite the manager but many bought it. We consistently did well in the league with the squad we had but those CL runs were awesome and it wont happen too often in our future. I hope it does.

Cheesecake · March 17, 2011

On 17/03/2011 at 00:00, Sion said:
We were spoilt, clearly.
Certain fans took CL runs for granted when evaluating Rafa's performance.
'oh another CL 1/4 final, sound'
Whereas look at Spurs' reaction. It was like they'd won the thing.

to be fair, part of that could be laid at the door of 'weve already won it 4 times' as opposed to the Spurs door of 'CL? whats this, never been in it before and never even got within surface to air missile distance of winning it'

Sir Tokyo Sexwale · March 17, 2011

I don't think we were spoiled (at the time)

Rafa was a f***ing canny manager & brought in some real class for, while not cheap, certainly cost-effective money - Xabi, Arby, Crouch, Yossi etc

But the problem was we couldn't back the class we had up with a squad or even 75% stand-ins.

Benzo-13 · March 17, 2011

The by the numbers Boro loss was before the Real at home game.

Rory Fitzgerald · March 17, 2011

On 17/03/2011 at 01:15, Macca said:
I don't think we were spoiled (at the time)

Rafa was a f***ing canny manager & brought in some real class for, while not cheap, certainly cost-effective money - Xabi, Arby, Crouch, Yossi etc

But the problem was we couldn't back the class we had up with a squad or even 75% stand-ins.

In context;

Arsenal: We overtook them for much of Rafa's term when they transformed from 2005 onwards.

Utd: We challenged them in 2006 and 2009 in the league but their spending was miles ahead of us

Chelsea: We were never in their league with spending

City: New kids just on the block

In the Summer of 2005 we bought Crouch, Reina and Sissoko with Zenden on a free = Highest points total in Prem Lge for pool in May-06

In the Summer of 2006 we bought Pennant, Gonzalez , Bellamy and Kuyt = Champs League Final in May-07

I think we punched above our weight under Rafa considering the spending power of our challengers.

Sir Tokyo Sexwale · March 17, 2011

Possibly - but take the 07 team and forget 'having to' sell and then take the 09 team. If we'd still had Crouch/Bellamy in 09 to compliment Torres etc etc

07-09, we had a f***ing great team

Ramón Benítez Hernández · March 17, 2011

http://tomkinstimes.com/2010/06/some-rafa-benitez-facts-and-record/

League – Played 212, won 56.13% (2nd-highest % for any post-war Liverpool manager)

Europe - Reached as many European Cup finals in 3 years as Mr. Ferguson did in 30 years.

5InIstanbul · March 17, 2011

All these cockney loving media muppets fawning over how incredibly 'appy 'arry has done with Tottenham.

His squad is twice what Rafa had in the early years.

Puts Rafa's achievements on an even higher pedestal, not that those tw*ts would admit it.