Football Focus

[SeanMacGabhann]

from everything I read over the weekend it sounds like the releationship between Rafa and Milan was untenable and this was coming. But I couldn't find a link to the news either

[Keef]

He does seem to have a habit of p!ssing people off to be honest.

[Annasfield]

I'm friends with his Mrs on facebook. Apparently they've been very unhappy over there.

From what I can gather (and not from Montse), he was promised quite a bit and yet again it wasn't delivered. Can't blame him really. I just hope he has a rest now.

[Keef]

Well he can definitely afford to!

Shame though, I thought he'd do well there.

A return to Anfield in the summer???

[Mick Mac]

La Gazzetta dello Sport has claimed that Massimo Moratti has decided to sack Rafael Benitez only two days after lifting the FIFA Club World Cup.

The paper ran with the headline of ?Benitez e' fuori!? which translates as "Benitez is out!" The Spaniard has struggled to produce results this season and the Nerazzurri lie 13 points off the top of the table, a situation made worse as top spot is occupied by fierce city rivals Milan.

[Jah Lush]

Hmm... Italian press speculation. Not sacked yet. I think he'll either quit if not backed or he'll be sacked within the next week.

Morrati quiet on Benitez future.

[Emerson Crane]

Italian and Spanish clubs seem to change their managers the way us mere mortals change clothing. Speaking of Spanish clubs, watched both Barca and Real at the weekend, Barca are very scary. Real very lucky to have won.

[Jah Lush]

"Barca are very scary." You've every right to be afraid seeing as you've got them next in the Champions League. I'd be more than a little worried If I were an Arsenal supporter.

[Emerson Crane]

Well you have to beat whoever gets put in front of you, and if we don't beat them somebody will have to in order to win it. Every team left in the CMPL should fear them. Having said that, Espanyol proved that if you have a go at them the defence is suspect, especially Abidal and Puyol. But the rest of the team have got the work ethic down to a tee, they press, defend, and attack as a group. There is no other team in world football that does that as well as they do. But we have 10 weeks to go and things MAY chnage. Who knows.

[Annasfield]

It's amazing how differently things are reported by the British press

http://english.gazzetta.it/Football/19-12-2010/inter-rules-the-world-so-what-next-712203655900.shtml

[Emerson Crane]

The British Tabloid press not reporting accurately or truthfully?? Say it ain't so Anna!! ;-)

[Jah Lush]

Yes, struggling Inter Milan beat the mighty TP Mazembe Englebert from the Congo.

[Emerson Crane]

In fairness to Inter, at least they were in a position to beat the mighty Englebert Humperdink, which is more than can be said for any English team.

[Emerson Crane]

Not sure how much credence or importance to attach to this but according to the purveyors of truth, talksport, Rafa is holidaying in Liverpool. Is the end of Woys' brief reign? Poor fella, the job has effected him so badly he's joined Wengers school of Basil Fawlty imitators with his face washing routine.

[Annasfield]

Rafa still has a house on the Wirral. His wife came back last week for Christmas and Rafa is back with her for the La Liga Xmas break. Montse is supposed to be very unhappy in Milan and she is moving back to Caldy permanently with the kids.

[Sandperson]

Annasfield Wrote:

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> Rafa still has a house on the Wirral. His wife

> came back last week for Christmas and Rafa is back

> with her for the La Liga Xmas break. Montse is

> supposed to be very unhappy in Milan and she is

> moving back to Caldy permanently with the kids.

And people questioned his sanity? ;)

[Emerson Crane]

Annasfield Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> It's amazing how differently things are reported

> by the British press

>

> http://english.gazzetta.it/Football/19-12-2010/int

> er-rules-the-world-so-what-next-712203655900.shtml

Anna you must have more idea than us about the goings on behind the scenes at Liverpool, what do you reckon is going on with Rafa and Woy?

[matthew123]

Sky say Benitez sacked

[Annasfield]

Remember where you heard it first!

[pablogrande]

I am one of many who want Rafa back 'home' one thing I would like to see though. He got a good payoff from us and will get the same from Inter, would like him to work his first year for free and use what money that would have cost to add to transfers.

[ruffers]

That's the only way I'd trust him with a transfer budget ie it was his money not mine.

Is there genuinely a serious movement to get him back?

[pablogrande]

Seems to be but who wouldn't want a manager who got you to be the no1 ranked team in Europe

Have to say his transfers up until last year had many more positives than negatives, reina, Torres, alonso, mascherano, Garcia, sissoko, crouch, agger all quality in my eyes his real problem was he didnt have funds to go straight out and buy proven class was always trading up year on year eg Bellamy sold to fund Torres where as we should have held onto him. He tried to sell Alonso to fund Barry which never happened and it came back and bit his arse 12 months later.

I'll be the first to admit he's bought some stinkers eg babel but who hasn't? Veron for 28m springs to mind. his man management may need tweaking but I can't help thinking if he didn't have the two cowboys trying every underhand way of replacing him behind his back last year would have been a whole lot different.

[ruffers]

And here we go again...:))

['bout now]

Veron for 28m springs to mind

And how many titles, Champions leagues? Fa cups?

Just saying.

[Annasfield]

'bout now Wrote:

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> Veron for 28m springs to mind

>

> And how many titles, Champions leagues? Fa cups?

>

> Just saying.

How many years before he won a trophy?