Rafa Benitez Is The Top Contender For Aston Villa Manager
by Kirsten Schlewitz on Jun 8, 2011 5:55 PM BST
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Rafa Benitez, former coach of Liverpool and Inter Milan, is thought to be one of the favorites, if not the favorite, to be appointed as Aston Villa manager. Of course, we all thought Mark Hughes would be the next Villa manager, and look how that turned out. Then we were all convinced it was Steve McClaren, but the squish has been put on that name as well. So is it Rafa, or is it, once again, someone that Villa fans aren't even aware of yet?
Benitez seems as though he could be a legitimate contender. It's rumored that he'll be in Birmingham to hold talks with Randy Lerner, et al, later in the week -- a piece of gossip that has many Villa fans all a dither. But Rafa has a good track record, so what's with the tizzy? Two La Liga titles, plus the FA Cup with Liverpool, plus, oh, that little thing called the Champions League. Remember? He won it. In 2005. That's a lot more recently than 1982, folks.
But -- and I was talking to Aaron about this yesterday -- reservations remain about Benitez's abilities. Perhaps some of this feels all too familiar: grab a formerly great coach as his career seems a bit on the decline. But it's more than that. Yes, almost anyone would have had a tough time (and that's probably an understatement) replacing Jose Mourinho at Inter. But Rafa had more than a tough time. He took the treble winners and brought them down to seventh before he was sacked and replaced by Leonardo.
And it wasn't just that Benitez had difficulty with a side that had Mou's fingerprints all over it. Obviously it was going to be hard to change from such a defensive style to one better suited to Benitez's coaching abilities. One can try to say the nerazzurri struggled early in the season due to injury, but many believe that most of those injuries directly stemmed from Rafa's training program. Benitez also took Wesley Sneijder out of his role in midfield (where I think most can agree he is one of the best playmakers in the world) and attempted to turn him into a striker. This is just but a small sample of the complaints pinned on Benitez while at Inter.
While Benitez is certainly not the worst manager Villa could appoint, going through another season riddled with injuries and plucking players out of position...well, it makes for a bleak outlook. Then again, Rafa also talked about himself being a priest on a mountain of salt, so at least press conferences could be interesting.
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Sure, he's a bit mental
But he’s emphatically better, as a manager, than Hughes and McClaren. He’s more accomplished, he’s “bigger.” After this year, I’ve lost a lot of faith in the patience of Villa fans, but I still think he’s probably the best we can do (especially since Ancelotti’s out.)
Also:
It should go without saying, but if there’s a Villa fan out there that prefers Steve McClaren to Rafa Benitez, let me know, so I can fly out there and slap you in your stupid face.
by Gareth Simpson on Jun 8, 2011 6:04 PM BST up reply actions
Here comes a very long anti-Benitez screed
Rafael Benitez’s best success has come when he’s had some sort of director or board over him acquiring players (Valencia and Rick Parry’s tenure at Liverpool). And inspite of all the success (2 La Liga titles and a European Cup final at Valencia, a European Cup, another European final and an FA Cup at Liverpool) Benitez was constantly in conflict with people above him. He famously said (I asked for a sofa and they bought me a lamp).
And when he moved to Liverpool the same battles with Rick Parry continued. It should be pointed out that all the trophies that Benitez won in his time at Anfield came with a team he mostly inherited from Gerard Houllier. Eventually Benitez ran Parry out of the club and got complete control of transfers at Anfield. And what happened? Xavi Alonso out, Alberto Aquilani in and a host of other problems that led Liverpool to a 7th place finish.
When he went to Inter Milan Benitez undeniably had a tough job. Following in the footsteps of Jose Mourinho and a treble-winning side is always difficult. But what is the first thing Benitez did when he took over at the nerazzuri? Complain. About the squad, about the lack of money to change the squad. Now yes Inter has an aging squad that had some injuries at the start of the season. But to complain to the board that he didn’t receive the proper backing to change a squad that just won the treble. It’s not like he inherited a team that finished 5th or 6th in Serie A.
And of course if all of that wasn’t enough then there is manner that Benitez and Liverpool treated this club during its pursuit of Gareth Barry. To come out in the press and say something like “They have a problem, there captain wants to leave” is unconscionable behavior from a manager that Martin O’Neill rightly responded to in the harshest possible terms.
In sum, I judge Rafael Benitez to be a nasty, disagreeable, difficult (players that have played for Benitez will attest to this), overrated and dishonorable jerk. No person that treats Aston Villa in the manner he did should be manager of the club. He is a polarizing figure who will plunge this club into an era of disunity and infighting. If he has all the power this club will go nowhere.
I am just a bitter Wizards fan who clings to my bobbleheads and that 2005 playoff series victory!
by George Templeton on Jun 8, 2011 6:30 PM BST reply actions 1 recs
Sky Sports now saying no
Hilarious
by Aaron Campeau on Jun 8, 2011 7:42 PM BST via mobile reply actions
Seriously?
I think everyone except Frank Rijkaard has now been ruled out by some media source. This is a cluster f**k and I would honestly not be surprised to see someone who has already been ruled out appointed next week. Somehow I really feel that Mark Hughes will be the guy.
O Magnus....
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