Rafa Benitez has been linked with a move back to the Premier League with Villa and Blackburn muted as possible destinations. As the protracted mumblings about Harry Redknapp destined to become the next England manager, he could actually turn up at White Hart Lane.
However given his 6 year reign at Anfield and the drama that came with it, does anybody want the fat Spanish waiter back in English football? I for one haven’t missed his painfully boring interviews, negative tactics and annoying arrogance. Perhaps these need to be investigated further. Here’s five reasons the Premier League doesn’t need Rafa Benitez.
Boring Interviews
“The team is working hard” “The team is trying different things”, any of these sound familiar? Snore! Rafa Benitez rarely inspired to tell anything other than his team was working hard. I should hope they are given the wages the players get paid. His failure to give a direct answer to questions posed to him is another frustrating characteristic.
As a Liverpool fan I would often wonder why I bothered to wait for the post match interviews only to be given the same answers week in week out. Obviously there are times when you don’t put your own team down, but sometimes as a fan you want your manger to come out and say yes we were poor, I cannot remember many times when this was the case.
Arrogance
While I am not a football genius who has the answer to every question, I am quite prepared to give an opinion. If that opinion is proved wrong I will quite happily put my hands up. This is something I can never remember the Spaniard doing. There were times when I found myself screaming at the television in frustration at why Liverpool had not made any substitutions while being on the wrong on of the score board until the 80th minute.
I cannot remember a time when Rafa would put his hands and admitted he got things wrong on the day either. One final note would be for Rafa to never make any promises, predicting 4th and finishing 7th is some failure.
Over Cautious Tactics
Benitez would often criticise opposition teams for deploying defensive tactics when they arrived at Anfield. However I have never been able to agree with this. If you are the home team it is your responsibility to break down the opposition. If a team’s strength is their defence then they are entitled to rely on that. Time and time again I saw Liverpool’s lack of guile to creative anything frustrate fans alike.
Even in Liverpool’s most promising season in years, 2008/09, finishing 2nd in the Premier League, had they won 3 and lost 3 of the six games they drew at Anfield they would have won the league. Benitez would rarely go for the win settling for a draw, a key example of this was at the Emirates early on in that season, at 1-1 Arsenal went down to 10 men yet Liverpool never looked to go for victory. While many see the 08/09 season as a great achievement, I see it as an opportunity missed and that we should be disappointed we didn’t win the league that year.
Transfers
Unlike many fans I am aware that Benitez managed the books well at Anfield and if you look at net spend under Benitez reign it is around £78 million over his six year reign. That equals to £13 million a season Rafa had to spend without selling. However given this lack of money, you should be more careful than as to what you spend it on. Selling Alonso for £30 mil and replacing him with £24 mil crippled Aquiliani was a mistake.
Dossena was bought for £7 mil and flopped. Morientes £6.5 mil – and flopped. When Real Madrid came for Michael Owen, Liverpool got a petty £8 mil and Antonio Nunez. Ryan Babel was bought for £13 mil and never rose to his potential. Robbie Keane was bought for £19 million only for Rafa to move him on 6 months later back to his former club. Every manager makes mistakes but with less money you can’t afford it.
I wondered why Liverpool never went for Defoe when he went to Portsmouth or got Owen back on a free. David Moyes has been able to find Cahill for £3.5 mil, Jagielka for £4 mil, Seamus Coleman for £65,000 and he could possibly be the signing of the season. I accept a manger cannot always get it right and Benitez is earmarked more than most on his failed transfer dealings, however it does not help when you constantly comment in the media that a lack of funds is the reason your team is having a poor season.
No More Fawlty Towers
The BBC has confirmed that they will not be making another series of Fawlty Towers.
