News is breaking that Rafa has declined the terms of his latest contract offer from the club. Here’s Tony Barrett’s piece on the Echo website:

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2009/01/16/no-deal-stunner-as-rafa-benitez-rejects-anfield-contract-offer-liverpool-fc-latest-100252-22708319/

Now… I can’t claim to have ever played poker to any kind of level (beyond squabbling for 2p pieces in the School common room), but anyone who’s played a high stakes game of this kind will be pulling their chair up for an interesting exchange of bluff, counter-bluff, and ongoing brinkmanship from one of the shrewdest political operators in the business.

Anyone who’s been in any doubt over Rafa’s motives in managing Liverpool Football Club should take note. It’s not the money that in question. It’s not the duration that’s in question. It’s the fact that an ambitious manager wants authority and empowerment to take decisive action when he needs to in the pursuit of his footballing vision.

It’s the long-term project that our manager cares about most, and it’s that more than anything else that we should count ourselves grateful for in a time when the motives and competence of other key stakeholders at the club have continually been called into question.

Rafa’s not scared of losing his job - he’s prepared to hold his ground and be brave to get what he needs, and by extension what we all need for this club in the long-term.

Interesting to see the mass media swallow the Ferguson mythology whole and somehow attribute him with Jedi powers… thankfully Rafa’s not so gullible.

 

Before the press feast on the supposed ‘losing the plotness’ of Rafa (stoked by our dismal frustration at Stoke) i’d like to point a couple of things.

Firstly as has been noted by a few commentators, Rafa was stating what most managers have wanted too for a long time mainly Fergie is a hypocritical manipulator of the press and the FA.

Now personally I would’ve waited til after this weekend cos the timing could’ve been better, we should’ve won at Stoke and irrespective of the Man Utd Chelsea victory, I can only imagine he wanted to remind the ref in that match about Fergie’s antics.

But his list and careful statement, passionate for Rafa, was miles away from a manager ‘losing it’ - witness the fantastically cruel ‘Mr’ Ferguson, the bullet points and calming fact that he’d written it.

So Man Utd beat Chelsea, and we drew to Stoke (utd nearly did btw), we’re still top and Rafa has made his points. Fergie, doubtless will be gloating at home at the percieved mind game victory, but I think Buddha Benitez has already let it go, and isn’t bothered by it anymore, he has landed his blows and has moved on. Anyway when you look at what he said, he was right.

So ignore the petty press and frenzied arse licking of Fergie, cos most reporters are still frightened of him. Fergie has no honour and no elegance at all. Look at his regular tapping up of players only to cry out loud when Ronaldo talks to Real… Rafa, well in mate.

He should’ve played Torres and Keane mind…

He is my favourite Liverpool manager, the one I grew up with. As much as I revere Shankly, Bob was the man for me, the manager of the Liverpool of my childhood.

What he won is a matter of record, but here it is:

Honours: 6 LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS 1975-76, 1976-77, 1978-79, 1979-80, 1981-82, 1982-83
3 EUROPEAN CUPS 1976-77, 1977-78, 1980-81
3 LEAGUE CUPS 1980-81, 1981-82, 1982-83
1 UEFA CUP 1975-76
1 EUROPEAN SUPER CUP 1976-77
5 CHARITY SHIELDS 1974, 1976, 1977 (shared), 1980, 1982
6 MANAGER OF THE YEAR AWARDS 1975-76, 1976-77, 1978-79, 1979-80, 1981-82, 1982-83

 but for me it was the fact that this unassuming, quiet but humourous man ran the greatest team in the world, for me, at their greatest times.

You can keep the Liverpool of the 80’s, you can keep your Fergie’s league lists, in an age when the words “sports science” would only be together because your teacher had forgotten the word “and” in between them (Hines is useless at sports and science), in an age where a win was only worth 2 points, so those teams who drew matches weren’t that far off, in an age where the tactics in England were typified by the type of game at the Baseball Ground: “Pass the ball, when it gets stuck in the sand, build a castle and then kick it in their goalie’s face”, Bob Paisley won the European Cup three times. Not once, and a failed final, not once and then was unlucky to get close to other teams, but 3 times. In the space of four years. He built a team that held the pace in England, but could play against the might of Europe.

St Etienne - one of the most famous night’s of Liverpool’s illustrious history? That was one of Bob’s.

“I’ve been in Rome twice, but last time it was in a tank” that was one of Bob’s.

“Keegan leaving? Get that young lad in, Kenny Daglish, he’ll be alright”. That was Bob.

or what about Hansen, or Souness? Bob signed em.

In 1978/79 we played 42 games. We let in 16 goals all season and scored 85. We lost four games all season. All season

Bob Paisley died Valentine’s day 1996. Many a heart was broken that day.

Bob, you were the best. RIP.

Came into the pub and had a drink with the fans..

Took us to the final of 3 cups

Won two of them, in the finest of styles, finals that will go down in everyone’s memories, not just Liverpool fans.

Made us smile as we watched our team play again

Brought the beard into fashion

Showed dignity in defeat

but most of all

understood our team.

Rafa, thanks for some of the best memories, the days when we know why we support football and love Liverpool.

right now I couldn’t give a flying yankee doodle dandyfuck what anyone thinks about you leaving your post, til you go, you’re our manager, and that’ll do me.

Just like a cold that you can’t shake off, it seems the situation at the club is still rumbling on, without the lemsip remedy of reconciliation from Rafa, having any effect.

Anyway just like that cold, it always hits you when you least need it. Here we are 24 hours from kicking off against the shower from down the East Lancs Rd, and it still seems to be kicking off behind the Shankly Gates.

However, if this is the case, the team shrugged off the uncertainity and had a great game v. Marseilles. But tomorrow is different. Never mind “It’s only 3 points”, Ferguson knows it isn’t, and anyone saying that sounds like they’re preparing a defeat speech.

Firstly, it’s about whether we’re genuinely fighting the top two teams, bugger Chelsea, - we held our own against Arsenal, and so it’s a great litmus test against the shower 33 miles away.

Secondly, it’s bragging rights, akin to the derby. I can’t stand their arrogance, their aloofness, and Ferguson’s trenchcoat mentality. He wouldn’t know maganimity if he chewed it for both halves.

well, in the words of a certain song, you can walk through a storm.

Here’s hoping we don’t walk through it, but ride it, like Red Riders on the Storm. And that the only doors being shown to anyone is those for the mancs’ title hopes.

Come on. I mean COME ON.

These comments were written on the 8th December, after the game, about our Liverpool manager:

“Support him whatever, because I’m convinced he will get it right for Liverpool and bring the Premier League to Anfield.” 

“Support him for the time being because, I feel we are progressing and we should give him a bit more time to see whether he can deliver the goods, although I am beginning to lose patience.”

“Have lost all confidence in him altogether and am prepared to put up with the consequences if he makes way for another manager.”

However it was the 8th December 2003 and it was about Gerard Houllier not Rafa. Yet scan the web fora today and you will fairly easily find any of the above comments readily available.

It seems some of us haven’t learnt from history, and yet again calling for the change to be made.

Well just to remind some newer fans to the club, the previous manager to be sacked, (prior to Houllier, who whatever people say, was sacked) was Don Welsh in 1956.

1956. That’s the same number as Man City have had managers in the last four seasons.

This isn’t a plea to those fed up with Rafa to pipe down, we’re all allowed our opinions and if you can’t voice them on the internet, then we’re all humped.

But it is a note to remind some of us with jerking knees, that

a) We’re not even in a crisis for god’s sake so why are you even mentioning the thought of changing him?

b) a.

c) And that goes for you two, too, Messers G n’ T.

d) a again.

What stays the same will be the simple fact that there are those of us who are happy to wait, and those of us who want change now. Well forget it. Read my lips: Rafa has brought us Reds red letter days (just not against Reading.) and those times have filled his goodwill balance account for a long long time to come.

Liverpool aren’t in a crisis, didn’t Man Utd draw to Reading a while back at Old Trafford. Or lose to Bolton away? So smaller clubs will get results against bigger ones. Didn’t Arsenal lose recently?

Sure our anger gets us wound up and frustration is a terrible burden on the soul but lets remember at Liverpool, a manager isn’t just for Christmas..

It was four years ago at a very similar stage of the season (give or take the odd game) that I decided that Gerard Houllier had to go for the future of the club. It was just a personal epiphany, not at all important in the grand scheme of things, but watching Houllier’s side that day against Newcastle crystallised for me the belief that the club was going backwards.

This is what I wrote after a long, brooding trip back:

“Au revoir Monsieur Houllier - that was a tactically naive, cowardly, abrogation of our tradition today. Haven’t been as furious after a game in years. A disgrace to the name of LFC. Go now Gerard while you retain the personal respect of many of us.

We went into the game looking for a draw with 23 games to go in the season. At this stage we should be looking to win every match. No movement forward. Poor movement off the ball. Siege mentality. Unacceptable.”

Compare and contrast that to yesterday’s performance against an equally average Newcastle. We had young exciting attacking players bursting forward at every opportunity. Making angles, moving off the ball. Attacking intent throughout.

Now we haven’t always played that well this season as injuries have interrupted our flow and new players been slow to settle in, but if we win our game in hand (at home to West Ham) and we go second above both Chelsea and Manchester United. We’ve also never reverted to putting up a Maginot line across the pitch against mediocre opposition as Houllier did.

We shouldn’t be looking to change the manager when there is clear, exciting, forward progress on the pitch.

On buying the club in February this year, Hicks and Gillett released this statement:

“Liverpool is a fantastic club with a remarkable history and a passionate fanbase. We fully acknowledge and appreciate the unique heritage and rich history of Liverpool and intend to respect this heritage in the future. The Hicks family and the Gillett family are extremely excited about continuing the club’s legacy and tradition.”

Part of the club’s unique heritage and rich history is that we, the passionate fanbase, have always been the ones to instinctively know when the time was right for a manager to go. Now it not that time.

The new owners should show some humility, swallow their pride and support the fans in supporting the manager. Our legacy and tradition deserves that.

All together:

Ra Ra Rafa Benitez …

Reading the tributes to Shanks over the last couple of days, it’s been heartening that so many fans seem to have gleaned a little of how we on the Kop all felt for Bill Shankly back in those heady days of the great man’s reign. So many of those writing never witnessed the man nor followed the club under his leadership. In many cases, had not even begun to generate a glint in their father’s eye. So how can mere words ever convey how we did all feel back then?

The devotion I - and I’m sure many thousands like myself - felt for Bill Shankly was unlike anything I certainly have ever felt before or since. Looking back now – and even after so many decades of marriage, parenthood and more recently grandparenthood not to mention the superlative trappings that accompany a Liverpudlian fandom – the intensity of how we all felt for Shanks still resonates as powerfully as ever in this particular heart. This was a man who literally was a messiah to the multitudes of Reds.

As I pore over the epitaphs, the archive photographs and video footage the immense fondness I felt for the man becomes overwhelming.

To say ours became a devotion indivisible from that we all felt for the club is probably gravely understating the strength of the bond Shanks had forged with us. And we with him. So much so that when Shanks retired it actually felt like the club had folded up and died. As if we’d all been abandoned by our father and guardian.

But life goes on, of course. And that sense of loss probably lasted only until the first highspot of the ensuing season; the first surging move; the opening Keegan goal. We were flesh and blood football fans after all. The game and its primeval urges were bound to prevail.

And yet 32 years on from his retirement and now 25 years since he finally left us for good, the feelings for the man remain as strong as ever. At 56 I love the man as dearly today as I ever did back then.

There was - and only ever could be - one Bill Shankly. He was touted universally as a unique specimen. Yet only we at Anfield knew just how truly unique he really was. Others may have experienced him vicariously. They may have celebrated his shafts of wit and his vibrancy. He did when all’s said and done also belong to the game he championed so stoutly. But in the end it was his flock on Merseyside who were chosen by him to be as one with him. We were the ones who shared his consummation with our club and our lives. Together as one incredible, indefatigable entity transcending anything else football has ever spawned.

No fans were ever granted anything to surpass such an honour and privilege as that. And no fans ever will be again.

Shanks may well have passed away that September day twenty five years ago but the power of his spirit can never really leave us. While it is embedded so deep within the hearts and psyche of every Liverpudlian and within every fabric of the bastion he forged, Shanks will forever be amongst us.

After reading Takeshi’s Castle he felt the need to reiterate its main points in today’s Echo:

“We have a lot of people with high expectations this season, who want us to achieve big things, but we played the most important game with some of our best players short of a month’s preparation due to the World Cup.

“Now there are two qualifiers at the start of the season. It’s crazy. This is not just a problem for Liverpool, but all the big clubs.

“I saw the Liverpool fans in Kiev, and I want to thank them, but it’s wrong we could not prepare properly for such an important game because our World Cup players did not have the same level of pre-season training. It was very dangerous for us.

“The supporters spend a lot of money to travel to watch us play and expect us to be in the Champions League, and it’s crazy if we are not able to have the play-ers at the right level because of so many international games.”