Did Rafa treat his first Merseyside derby with contempt?

[Benitez]

I seem to recall him actually giving far too much respect for Everton by going for brute force instead of skill, rather than showing any kinda contempt.

 

Expect Benitez to spring one derby day surprise

Mar 23 2006

 

DAVID MOYES always takes derby games deadly seriously, yet seldom does particularly well in them.

 

Rafael Benitez, a relative newcomer to these unneighbourly altercations, treated his first derby with some contemptand the under-valued Lee Carsley ensured that he lived to regret this disrespect for tradition.

 

Having got the message, Liverpool's Spanish coach now needs no reminders about the seriousness of this collision of cultures.

 

Since shoulder-shrugging his way out of Goodison Park last season, Benitez hungers to replicate the stranglehold over Everton that Gerard Houllier enjoyed.

 

Twin triumphs, the first of them with his team effectively reduced to nine fit players, the second a comfortable 3-1 victory on enemy soil, seem to signal that Benitez seldom makes the same mistake more than once.

 

Full article: ere

[Mike]

its len capeling

[fred milne]

The article was by Len Capeling. Enough said.

Edited March 23, 2006 by fred milne

[Stevie H]

"the under-valued Lee Carsley".

 

over-valued if anything. f***ing sunday parks player.

[mickdundee]

I dont think he treated it with contempt, he just sent out a solid team. Considering our away record last year and the way we were getting out fought in those games I thinkl that was fair enough.

 

We would have come away with a 0-0 if it wesnt for Kirkland doing an impression of a statue.

[Guest Sabre]

Didn't Diao play in the first game rather than Alonso?

[floyd]

If Kirkland didn't go down in stages, we wouldn't be talking about this

Edited March 23, 2006 by floyd

[Gomez]

Don't think he treated it with contempt, but it certainly caught him by suprise.

 

Same thing happened to Houllier. He just underestimated the ability of a very poor team to raise their game for this particular derby, and wasn't prepared for the referee to let as many things go as they tend to in this country.

 

They both caught on quickly and play accordingly.

[Nathan Explosion]

Didn't Diao play in the first game rather than Alonso?

 

Diao started, but was subbed for alonso

[Cooldude]

He did start Diao, so maybe there is an element of truth in it

 

Nah, he just went for the wrong approach first game, he thought he'd match Everton in the thuggery/kicking stakes instead of just handing our best team out there to play proper football

[Guest Sabre]

Alonso and Luis Garcia were quite new and he was easing them in. To be fair, LG would have been battered out there. Alonso could have handled himself. It's a shame that Diao was just so horribly poor.

[Guest StereoManics]

If Kirkland didn't go down in stages, we wouldn't be talking about this

 

He didn't dive! The ball went through a players legs he saw it late and it was past him. I makes me laugh how Kirkland got the blame for every goal we conceded. It was never a good free kick or a cruel deflection it was just Kirkland's crap.

[RP]

To be fair, LG would have been battered out there.

 

 

A popular misconception about Garcia that.

 

I seem to remember he battled pretty well against the bluesh*te at Anfield ??

[Guest Sabre]

He did and he's certainly no woos, but the first derby was very soon after his arrival if I remember correctly and it was probably the right decision to not risk him.

 

He's now turning into a right irritating opposing player. He really niggles at the opposition.

[sutty]

Hello hello

Blue and white s****.

 

 

 

I'm not going to get bored of writing that.

[Mike]

He didn't dive! The ball went through a players legs he saw it late and it was past him. I makes me laugh how Kirkland got the blame for every goal we conceded. It was never a good free kick or a cruel deflection it was just Kirkland's crap.

 

total s****. it was an easy save.

[Bailo]

Rafa treated his first Merseyside derby like a dog.

 

LIKE A DOG I SAY.

[allez les rouges]

he did not treat it with contempt, but gave everton to much respect.

 

alonso was not the pressing ball winning midfielder that he now is. Rafa was astute enough to know that the second ball from the strikers to on running midfields would be very telling tactically. for this reason he played a ball winning midfielder how would not be out muscled.

 

he was naive on the basis that if he had chosen his team to play the way we wanted ie with alonso, then maybe we would have got a better result. But also this is with hindsight, and without doubt he has learnt very quickly and is more experienced in the english league now.

[L19red]

i always treat the bitters with contempt. I hope Rafa does the same.

those mongrels are lower than a snakes belly.

[Guest ritchie_50]

He didn't treat it with contempt he just f*cked up badly with the team he picked and the subs he made.

[Poolfrog]

Don't think he treated it with contempt, but it certainly caught him by suprise.

 

Same thing happened to Houllier. He just underestimated the ability of a very poor team to raise their game for this particular derby, and wasn't prepared for the referee to let as many things go as they tend to in this country.

 

They both caught on quickly and play accordingly.

 

I don't think he underestimated them and nor did they raise their game. I remember clearly the match facts at the time. Their goal was their only shot on target in the whole 90 minutes. Kirkland was unsighted so let the weak shot in and we only failed to win because of poor finishing - Mellor's header from about 2 yards being the obvious example

[owenthomas]

1) A popular misconception about Garcia that.

 

2) I seem to remember he battled pretty well against the bluesh*te at Anfield ??

1) agreed..

2) not half.. he was injured too..

[Sara]

A popular misconception about Garcia that.

 

I seem to remember he battled pretty well against the bluesh*te at Anfield ??

 

 

He played on whilst injured as we'd used all the subs and Baros had got himself sent off

[Ombudsam]

He didn't treat it with contempt, he just picked Josemi which is worse.

 

I remember clearly the match facts at the time. Their goal was their only shot on target in the whole 90 minutes.

 

Cahill missed an unbelievable sitter

[stressederic]

He didn't treat it with contempt, he sent out a team he thought could match Everton's style of play.

 

Diao to be fair to him wasn't actually that bad during the game. Sissoko will play the Diao role, and is blessed with being much better then Salif.

 

I do think that Alonso and Garcia would have just been kicked mercilessly during that first game at Goodison.