I smile at his sarcastic answers to the intellectual giants such as Geoff Shreeves, I welcome his frown when he’s asked yet another inane question and I like the fact that he repeats certain words. More to the point, I like the fact that he’s become the nation’s whipping boy yet still wants to be Liverpool’s manager. Many would have Keeganed ages ago but it means something to him and he wants us to improve. I like that. He’s hurting as much as we are and isn’t running away.
Don’t get me wrong, he infuriates me most days. I could write an encyclopaedia of occasions when I’ve shrieked at the screen or across a pitch at him but he’s still my manager. I hated it when Houllier went although I would have gladly given him a lift to the airport at the time. Gerard is now seen as a failed Liverpool manager by most and Rafa’s heading the same way. Most managers have their legacies written during the bad times rather than good (see Kenny slumped against the Goodison dugout in 1991) so I want Rafa to get out of this. Whisper this but there were signs of it against Stoke.
In every film based in a school there’s a scene where the gang pick on the skinny/fat/weak/poor runt until he/she collapses in tears. At some point a more sensitive breed of hooligan watches from afar and declares to his peers that he’s had enough. There then follows an unusual friendship, a fight against the big boys and an epiphany before the final credits descend. Rafa must dread Monday mornings now and hopes he can get to work without making eye contact with journalists or ‘celebrity pundits’ lest they gob on him and steal his dinner money. Sky and lately ITV skulk around every corner. The FA coverage was nothing short of astonishing. Of course they have to hope for the story and bribe the public with this ‘magic of the Cup’ façade but to openly celebrate it stinks. When Leeds went off at half time at OT, Tyldelsey could barely bring himself to mumble the score. Don’t get me wrong, I gave up on impartial journalism year ago and now see Richard Keys as Nigel Bruce’s Watson to which ever breathing anus they’ve paired him with but how long is it before they start wearing replica shirts in the studio? Sky were at it again on Saturday. Following the game they ran an advert for the Spurs game with extreme close-ups of Rafa’s florid face and a comedy deep voice relating his 4th place promise. It’s funny, you see, Liverpool doing badly.
Sadly, Liverpool FC are a twelve month panto touring ensemble with Rafa as ringmaster whether he likes it or not. The loss of the out of form Torres, the out of form Gerrard and indifferent Yossi was greeted with belly laughs after the Reading result but something better came of it at Stoke. Liverpool fans, in the main, applaud the underdog and the opening YNWA that greeted the lads was more than support. Not all of them think Rafa can get us out of this but would rather have a cheese graters applied to their dangly bits before siding with those who prod and laugh at us. Rafael Benitez is Liverpool’s manager and even if you despise him, you get behind his team when they play. Put the first team and the fans together and we’ll ignore all brickbats. That was heartening and revealed a rare sense of pride ensued. Earlier this season Chelsea fans booed them at half time. Exactly.
We were terrible at Reading but at Stoke we played with so much heart and fight. The result was cruel. Wimbledon gave the 1988 side hell so we’ve got a history of struggling with Plan Towel sides. Kyrgiakos and the young Roger Daltrey in midfield were lions out there and, I’m pleased to say, gave them a few tasty challenges. We can fight too, y’know. When Sotty (I’m not typing that again) scored it should have been our second but Lee Mason is keen to enrol into the Phil Dowd Master Academy. These are the margins and tiny things like having a good referee or a myopic Brian Glover with the whistle can change your weekend. Still, seven points out of nine in the League…
Many doubt whether Rafa here next year and would welcome a newcomer but here’s a thought. Hicks and Gillet have a say in that decision. Rafa out?
Incidentally I’ve just typed ‘Benitez’ into Google and the first suggestion was ‘Benitez Sacked’. Sometimes winning, always losing…