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I've witnessed two acts of desperation in the last 48 hours. One was Freddie Star Live in Concert at Wimbledon Theatre. The other was much more sad and pitiful... Rafa ranting! I do generally feel sorry for the man, someone who is so deluded that he cannot celebrate his own club's victory, but instead chose to launch an all out attack on the opposition who had the chances to win the game.
Rafa used his hillarious sense of humour to suggest that Barcelona are thinking of copying Rovers style of play and that the model employed by Allardyce should be used by other teams. He also told us that Liverpool "try to do our talking on the pitch." Of course Rafa! Well there was certainly much yapping last week when your side produced 6 yellow cards at City. Me thinks Rafa is papering over cracks the size of tectonic faults at his own club.
Rafa Benitez at Blackburn
©Getty Images
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Rovers have suffered a fair share of criticism over recent years. The trend began with the ever reliable whinger that is Arsene Wenger. He became the darling of the London media by instigating the 'Bully Boy' tag on Hughes's Rovers. Like a thick dollop of mud, this term stuck even when the side started playing attractive, flowing football.
If Rafa cannot find something more original to charge Rovers with, then I for one have credited him with more intelligence than he has got. Everyone knows the Allardyce philosophy, and how his teams play. It's old news, like finding out Liverpool have just won the Championship
The whole post match verbals, have overshadowed a Rovers performance which showed guts and determination and for once, a desire to take the game to one of the'Big Four.' I longed to see the team play with freedom away from Ewood Park now we are probably safe and they answered the call. Let's hope this continues on the travels in the weeks to come.
I will leave you with the latest score this season...Rovers 2 (red cards) Liverpool 5 (red cards). Food for thought Rafa?
Comments
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Posted by Stephen Brown on 03/02/2010
Village idiot indeed! The more you listen to Benitez, the more it is obvious the pressure is getting to him. He must surely know he will be out if Liverpool fail to qualify for the Champions League.
Rovers' away form this season has been infuriating at times. We know the chances of getting a surprise result at one of the top four (or Liverpool) are limited with the current squad but it shouldn't prevent us from having a go. What a difference from last season's 0-4 when we played Samba up front and rested players in hope of beating Stoke the following week (then lost that too...) If we are really are going to start playing properly away from home now that we consider ourselves safe, it only shows the limitations Allardyce places on the team in a normal situation. I feel for our fans travelling up and down the country knowing full well that the team isn't setting out to try to win away games.
Anyway let's hope we can start to move up the table starting with Spurs in 10 days' time.
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Posted by Armchair Fan on 03/02/2010
Surely the 4 teams that have won the Premier League are the big 4.
I don't see Liverpool in that list ;)
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Posted by tyeo on 03/03/2010
winning the premier league doesn't count for much if you can't prove your credentials on the bigger stage (champions league). big clubs are those who can and have proven themselves in europe and worldwide.
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Posted by Kiwi Rover on 03/03/2010
Not sure if anybody else saw the Mersey Derby or the City v Liverpool game, 10 bookings and 1 red card in 2 games. Now who is the over physical side then. I for 1 have had enough of Rafa and Arsene having a whinge when any of their players cop a little bit of physical. Last time I checked it was a contact sport.So what Rovers tried to get stuck in to you rather than the meek surrender we saw last year. As it is, he is having a whinge to deflect attention away from another inept performance form the stuttering Reds. Taske a leaf out of Ancelotti's book and just keep quiet and keep your preaching for someone who cares.
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Posted by Jay on 03/03/2010
I'm a Liverpool fan but regularly find myself in agreement with these sort of articles. Rafa has long been an embarrassment to Liverpool FC, not just for the boring style of play he has chosen to employ on the pitch, and turned the club into the Premiership's new joke club now that Newcastle have disappeared.
The sooner he leaves, the better
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Posted by Diction on 03/03/2010
We put them under pressure for most of the game - especially the second half. Why can't we play like that more often against the so called big teams? In fairness though, Nzonzi and Chimbonda were lucky to stay on the pitch.
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Posted by Sean on 03/03/2010
What is this guy talking about. Everytime rafa opens his mouth its called a rant. Compare him to ferguson and wenger and he his very mild mannered. His problem is that he doesent mouth enough. The fact is ferguson mind games work, this is one reason why united are still in the title race and liverpool are not.
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Posted by Rovers 95 PREMIERSHIP WINNERS on 03/03/2010
The fact is that these arn't mind games with the top four but with a mid table side. For him to say Barcelona will be copying our side well at least we've won the league, and Barcelona wont be modelling themselves on Liverpool eitheir.
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Posted by Bob Wood on 03/03/2010
I think rafa must go if he doesn't lead liverpool to the champions league this season or even winning it. then we must bring in mourinho from san siro to anfield.
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Posted by Bob Wood on 03/03/2010
Chelsea claim to be the best team worldwide but when it comes to champions league records and even English caps we can all attest to the fact that it is liverpool. they should hold on because coming summer is the summer for liverpool.
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Posted by saad on 03/03/2010
It could very well have been 4 red cards for the season had the numpty referee sent off Nzozi for man handling and pushing Leiva to the ground and then Chimbonda lashing out and kicking Rodriguez in the stomach.
You are right, everyone knows what to expect against sam's team. But unfortunately sam's team can't seem to handle their own style of football used against them and end up losing their own composure. That sort of behaviour can hardly be described as a 'performance which showed guts and determination' but rather common assault.
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Posted by SP The Ghost on 03/03/2010
If you watched that game and honestly believe what you just wrote, I feel sorry for you. Obviously you're deluded. Rovers should have had AT LEAST two people sent off. At least.
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Posted by Kevin on 03/03/2010
Awesome article.
Shame that you forget to mention a few relevant facts, for example fat sam's attack on liverpool a few days before the match. Benitez also didn't make these comments until he was severely pressed for them in the post match press conference. You also forget to mention the fact that these comments were fully deserved, the way blackburn played was embarrasing, they shouldn't have left the pitch with more then 9 men...
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Posted by mark on 03/03/2010
Physical football is what the EPL is all about - and was before the EPL too. However, can anyone not deny that there should have been 2 red cards for violent conduct shown to Blackburn players in that match?
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Posted by danny zane on 03/03/2010
this article is a steaming pile of ludicrous, first off the comparisons you are making are not related to the game anyone can bring up events from the past to make a baseless point, second 1 yellow compared to five, a slap in the face and a Jackie Chan kick in the chest is evidence enough of witch is the more physical side.
any manager has the right to complain about the kung foolery of another team especially given the injury problems Liverpool have had this season and considering what happened to arsenal i'm shocked at the one sidedness of this article.
taking one incident and labeling every other comment as a rant is the lazy mans way...shame i say shame on you!!!
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Posted by Ryan on 03/03/2010
This is not even worth posting. You admit that Rovers do play rough on purpose and told Rafa that he should've thought of a fresher insult. Terrible. These are the things you should think in your head, not the things you should post to an internationally-read website.
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Posted by Brownie on 03/03/2010
Rafa won't be back next year... The big concern for pool supporters is what happens to the team when they don't get Champions League money?... May end up similar to the fate of Leeds, and even as a supporter SA's boys, I'm not sure if I want to seee that happen. Interesting times for lfc.
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Posted by Carl on 03/03/2010
Yeah right. Blackburn were lucky not to have at least two reds in that game, c'mon. Allerdyce is hardly known for attractive football now is he?
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Posted by Jared on 03/03/2010
You Marcus, have no idea what you are talking about. If you were to remotely follow liverpool in recent times you would find that their diciplinary record far surpasses that of blackburn's. The past 5 seasons, this one excluding, liverpool have finished in the top 5 for discipline four times and at the top twice. Anyone who has seen liverpool this season will not argue they haven't been unlucky. I see you also forgot to include the fact that blackburn had 25 fouls and 5 yellows to liverpools 1 yellow and 11 fouls. Not to mention they were lucky beyond all belief to finish with 10 men after the disguisting attacks by Nzonzi and Chimbonda. If your truly that incapable of looking at the game from both sides then you deserve to have lost.
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Posted by southy on 03/03/2010
blackburn plays football the way bolton did under allardyce. like garbage. long ball from keeper to keeper bypassing the midfield. ugly 1970s football. if you call yourself a football fan you should be ashamed to support that rubbish
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Posted by mino on 03/04/2010
Nzonzi should have gotten a 3 or 4 match ban for his 'yellow card' on Lucas, and the tackle on Maxi, that man straight up kicked him in the chest!
Blackburn weren't playing 'aggressive' they were playing dirty, shame on them, and shame on Allardyce.
With regard to Rafa "launching all out attack" be fair here, Allardyce has only EVER instigated Rafa and to not acknowledge that is just sheer ignorance.
Blackburn could be a respectable club, first they have to fire Allardyce, then they have to fix that dirty style of play, and lacks of self control and professionalism in players like Nzonzi and Chimbonda.
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Posted by JP on 03/04/2010
Although I kind of see where the little brother chip on the shoulder mentality comes from, no one can deny the fact that Sam was the instigator in this ridiculous feud. The "disrespectful" whinge he had about Rafa's apparant game over signal was merely Rafa telling Xabi not to worry about an instruction he was trying to pass on, but got lost in the noise of the crowd. Typical that Alex ferguson comes on and sticks his nose in something that has nothing to do with him. Those two deserve each other.
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Posted by Larry on 03/04/2010
Now that Torres is back, 'Pool just might sneak into that 4th spot. But Rafa has been sweating all season and knows that his time is just about up. I'd be shocked if he wasn't in Spain or Italy later this season. I'm sure he'll be counting down the days. But so should the 'Pool supporters. They may have a sour relationship with the American owners, but Benitez has showed poor form for some time now- his 'legendary' rants toward Fergie and Big Sam in particular highlight a man who has lost the plot. Besides Torres, he has made a series of gaffes in the transfer market (Aquilani who?) and showed he can't even work with his own players (Keane and Babel spring to mind. As the season draws to a close, the pressure will continue to build and Rafa better hope that a certain Fernando Torres stays healthy.
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Posted by saad on 03/04/2010
Come to think of it, blackburn fans have spent just as much time criticising Sam Allardyce's style as the rest of the country when he was at Bolton. But now that he's their manager, he's turned into a genius and his style is suddenly all about gutso and passion and Arsene and Benitez are now a bunch of moaners. Right!
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Posted by Wurzel on 03/04/2010
Speaking as a neutral I've got to say I'm enjoying the robust nature of the football debate never mind the tactics on the pitch! Good to see the banter that makes football great is alive and well. Keep it up ESPN!
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Posted by Nick D on 03/04/2010
Ah well. At least our names on the trophy.
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Posted by MuzzaFC on 03/05/2010
Have a look at the FAIR PLAY league for the Premier League. I think you'll find Benitez is a Hypocrite.
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Posted by trevor gordon on 03/05/2010
rafa has taken liverpool as far as he can.liverpool will not make that top 4 spot.and it will probably cost him his job.good coaches are hard to find.were not producing them in england.if i'm a liverpool fan i would want mourinio.he would be the most popular liverpool manager since bill shankly.they would love him.also,he could bring world class players to anfield.your not going to win the e p l with benitez.
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Posted by adrian on 03/05/2010
the fact blackburn rovers have won apremiership is an embarrasment to the EPL and shows how far the league has come since. Big sam is nothing but a big bitter old fool
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Posted by Dan on 03/05/2010
Liverpool through and through as well... but sad to say that Rafa has lost the plot in the EPL AND Europe where he used to be the "master". Last season's "success" wasn't built upon, and he's bought way too many promising players who've turned out to be very average; players that someone like Arsene Wenger would msot likely be able to develop far better than Rafa. Regardless, it's certainly time for change. That European Cup winning season - and specifically the manner of it - has arguably bought him these extra years in charge.
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Posted by Gerald O Brien on 03/05/2010
Did anybody here even see the interview. Rafa had absolutely no intention of talking about the blackburn boss. It was the press that kept bothering him to make a comment about it. Get your facts right.
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Posted by Sam Wanjere on 03/05/2010
One more, Sam Allardyce won't once comment about the appaling behavior of Nzonzi (red card candidate for the flagrant foul on Lucas), Chimbonda (twice lucky for fouls to Maxi Rodriguez, but another red card candidate), and a deliberate handball by Olsson (possible red for insolent play), among other incidents. Let's be fair to Rafa please - I DO know that's asking too much from the "objective" media.
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Posted by Don John on 03/05/2010
Liverpool will forever be playing catch up..
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Posted by Tony Rai on 03/05/2010
Wow! There are still Blackburn fans who appreciate the playing style of this team.
What a shame to see Blackburn players kicked other players more often than kicking the ball. Next tranfer window, Sammy'll spend money buying trolls to play. (if he's still there)
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Posted by Ryan on 03/05/2010
Liverpool fans, who say shame shame shame. Please get off your high horse. The neutrals in the game, will see that, yes, rovers players were aggressive, more so than ryan shawcross or liam ridgewell over the weekend? No. You all, seem to forget, that while N'zonzi did literally chuck lucas to the ground, what was lucas doing? Holding onto N'zonzi that way? LONG after the ball had gone, he was still holding onto his arm... Did he want the shirt? Or what?
Chimbonda's studs into maxi, might have been preventable, did he lash out, no one knows, as a rovers fan, i believe he could have kept his studs in, but did not. But if you actually watch rovers play, any time that pascal chimbonda gets tackled, he takes a roll, not the first time, and certainly won't be the last.
The point of the article, was simple, not that we are a better club, but that rafa benitez is losing the plot. He and all you liverpool fans, desperately need 4th place... Or your rich history, will remain just that, history.
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Posted by Neil on 03/05/2010
Not a big Rafa fan myself but that game was a disgrace and so was the officiating.
Posted by Jeremy on 03/07/2010
Manners Southy. No one's calling your club rubbish, so you don't exactly have a right to brandish other clubs rubbish. If everyone supports only the winning clubs, then what's the point seriously? I've seen enough people jump ship after a different club wins a trophy.
That's not support, that's just being an aimless follower.
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