14 Aug 2018 09:02:30
Ok, thoughts for the day, if the current squad lined up against the squad that came 2nd in the league under Benitez, who would win?

Team and manager evaluations?

It's a tough one!


1.) 14 Aug 2018
14 Aug 2018 10:02:49
This one, don’t get everyone’s hang up with Benitez. Yes he’s good tactically and a nice bloke but let’s be honest he left us in a worse state than when he took over. For all the top signings he made he made 4/ 5 bad ones, despite spending a lot of money always moaned he wasn’t backed.
Don’t get me wrong I like the bloke it it was right to let him go and I’ve taken my blinkers off.


2.) 14 Aug 2018
14 Aug 2018 10:20:10
Whilst I too think this team would win, I have no idea where Pegleg is coming from😂.


3.) 14 Aug 2018
14 Aug 2018 10:23:16
Agree with the questionable signings, but he's a hero for more than just football in my book, plus he won us the only champions league I've ever seen and didn't deserve the treatment he recieved towards the end of his tenure. Man deserves a medal for what he's done with that Newcastle team as well 👍.


4.) 14 Aug 2018
14 Aug 2018 10:45:40
Don’t get me wrong I love Benitez as a bloke and is one of my favourite managers. But he also has his downfalls which people forget.


5.) 14 Aug 2018
14 Aug 2018 11:24:29
Alisson-A. Arnold-Lovren-VanDijk-Robertson-Fabinho-Henderson-Keita-Salah-Mane-Firmino > Reina-Arbeloa-Carragher-Agger-Aurelio-Alonso-Mascherano-Kuyt-Gerrard-Benayoun-Torres.

For me a match between them will end 4 (Salah, Mane, Salah, Firmino. ) -3 (Gerrard, Torres, Torres. )

Klopp Keeper is better
Rafa Defenders are better.
Rafa Middlefields are better.
Klopp Attackers are better.

Rafa was a great tactician and Klopp a great motivator.
Rafa played Counter-Attacking Football and Klopp Counter-Pressing Football.

Klopp has FSG and Rafa George and Gillet? (Dont remember)


6.) 14 Aug 2018
14 Aug 2018 11:31:50
Klopp has been given the money to sign the players he wants, a lot of Benitez's signings were replacements for his preferred signings that the board wouldn't buy so he didn't have it easy. Don't forget he'd agreed terms with David Silva and David villa before Hicks and Gillette pulled the plug on the deals, there may have been others that we don't know about so it's a bit harsh to say he signed so many flops when he wasn't given the backing klopp has been. Imagine the team we could have had if FSG was backing the cub then as they are now.

{Ed001's Note - that was not G&H that pulled the plug on those signings, it was Prick Parry.}


7.) 14 Aug 2018
14 Aug 2018 11:32:11
Doesn’t every manager have their downfalls, mistakes?
Don’t forget who owned the club when benitez was our manager.
I’ll never understand what went on with the Alonso situation, that is one thing that will stick in my mind during Benitez reign, but he won us champions league and we had a brilliant team, big difference for me between the team and mangers then and now is the style of play, I feel more confident when we play now if a good result, I’m not as nervous now, and I think we have a much better squad in general, but I can’t see how any one can say Benitez wasn’t on whole a good manager for us, he deserves the respect from us fans.

I’d have to say though that our current team and style of play is better now than then, but I also think football has changed massively since then.


8.) 14 Aug 2018
14 Aug 2018 11:37:53
Ah sorry Ed you are right it was Parry, got confused, but still stands that I believe Benitez's could have built just as exciting squad then if the backing was the same.

{Ed001's Note - but Klopp never had all his first choices either, Mo Salah ring a bell? The difference was he actually had back up options worth going for, rather than dross that he had never seen play like Rafa did. Klopp has had to earn the backing and prove he deserved it, plus he is only trying to buy 3 or 4 a season. Rafa wanted a whole new team every year, no club could afford to buy that many. He was a big part of the problem that the club suffered financially.}


9.) 14 Aug 2018
14 Aug 2018 11:48:44
Agree with most of what has been already said, less so with pegleg tbh but some valid points. But total respect for Rafa! For me he showed me how to believe and brought back big ears and passion.

Do think it would be close game but Klopp and current squad just edge it and I prefer current style and type of football, just more entertaining even if it was a draw.

Would also agree that football in general has changed, no one was winning the league with 100 points back in Rafa days or scoring the amount of goals, nor earning and spending the money that’s involved now days

But great question and interesting debate.


10.) 14 Aug 2018
14 Aug 2018 11:53:11
All managers have got their downfall who isn't? Even Fergie one of the Greatest manager of he's time always struggled in Europe.

I love klopp but let's not forget he still hasn't won anything.


11.) 14 Aug 2018
14 Aug 2018 11:55:26
Pegleg I think you need to read the question again. For me it's Rafa. This team hasn't come 2nd yet and to be honest where still miles of last season. Rafa came mighty close and plenty would argue that we should have won it really. 86 goals for and 27 against. No Liverpool team has come close to that and certainly not Klopps. Rafa was a master at setting up the whole team from back to front, Even with some average players. He knew how to get it done.


12.) 14 Aug 2018
14 Aug 2018 12:03:12
While i agree Rafa was decent, the fans forget over time that the football played under him wasnt very attractive at all. you can't really compare era's.
i am just happy to see the style of football that Klopps team plays. I don't think this team has to win anything to be admired its just a delight to watch.
long may it continue.


13.) 14 Aug 2018
14 Aug 2018 12:14:38
Hi Ed,

I know we ask you for a lot, but when you get an opportunity would you be able to write an article on Rick Parry and his shortcomings as a chief executive? As fans, we always hope for the best and always believe that things will take a turn for the better, which is probably why we love Klopp so much. But it is equally fascinating to read about where the club has made mistakes in the past in terms of its running, and particularly with regard to transfer dealings.

Apologies if one has already been written and available on the site already.

Thanks.

{Ed001's Note - I have added it to the to do list mate.}


14.) 14 Aug 2018
14 Aug 2018 13:14:23
I love Rafa for Instanbul of course it let’s be honest the football we played was boring. I remember being excited in the 2nd half of the 2008/ 2009 season when it was largely down to Gerrard and Torres being unplayable but aside from that Rafa’s teams would set up just as Mourinho sets up Utd now. Don’t lose first then hope for a win.
Klopp goes out to win. We are much more attractive and exciting these days I’d much rather us try to blow teams away even if it doesn’t always work.


15.) 14 Aug 2018
14 Aug 2018 13:21:24
What's all this "let's not be rude to rafa?! " The guy is a living legend. He won us the European cup. We have a really good team at the moment but it's too soon to know if they're great. I hate to break it to you guys but they haven't won anything yet. A fully fit torres would get in our team as would Gerrard and alonso and mach.

I get the excitement around our team. Keita looks brilliant, the front 3 as hungry as ever but until they win something they will never be written on the same page of history as the 04/ 05 team.


16.) 14 Aug 2018
14 Aug 2018 14:25:21
This team is the better team and it's as simple as that. We're very close to lifting trophies. Klopp will be a Liverpool legend and once we have that winning mentality, I'd like to see any team try to knock us off our perch, we have a hell of a lot to be excited about because the team we have now, is one of the best we've had for years.


17.) 14 Aug 2018
14 Aug 2018 15:02:46
It is very early to say on this one, but it certainly looks like this team has the potential to be the best Liverpool team of the Premiership era. The only way to prove it beyond doubt in my opinion is to go a step further than Rafa's team and be crowned champions at the end of the season but for now I will have to stick with Rafa's boys.


18.) 14 Aug 2018
14 Aug 2018 17:44:14
I love the debate. Personally I think Rafa had the better team, Alonso, Gerrard and Mascherano could dominate any midfield in the world. They could unlock a defence and Torres would finish.

That said, ask the question at the end of this season and see how it looks then.


19.) 14 Aug 2018
14 Aug 2018 18:43:42
Irish Rover, "This team has never gotten 2nd before". What on earth does that even mean? What does coming second get you exactly? I know, it gets you first place in LoserLand. Rafa bottled the PL that season like BR after him, plain and simple. We were ahead at Christmas with Chelsea, Arsenal and to a lesser extent, Utd as a non factor. What happened next? He started hyping himself up and getting into public rants about the owners and airing our dirty laundry. Then, we started drawing games cos Rafa would make strange subs, saving players for the next CL game instead of securing the win and then the game would end in a draw. Remember that?

Also, you say we got 86 points with 27 goals against. You conveniently forgot to mention that tho we only lost twice that season, we drew ELEVEN times that season which eventually cost us the PL cos Rafa often played not to lose with his tactics and would rather draw a game than lose it. Rafa was also useless in the transfer market and Ed has alluded to that as well.

IMO, Klopp's team currently, would wipe the floor with Rafa's team of '09 cos that team does not have the legs to match this team and that front 2 of SG/ Nando are NOT even in the same league as the front 3 we have now, the deadliest front 3 in all of Europe n arguably better than City's in the PL. Rafa won things with us and credit to him BUT the revisionist history of his tenure is becoming pathetic as people seem to act as if the rest of us have short memories. WE DON'T! As Ed01 eloquently said, Rafa was a HUGE part of the problem and even I knew that back then.


20.) 14 Aug 2018
14 Aug 2018 19:43:39
BRover I think you need to read the question again instead of posting out of your backside. I will help you tho, QUESTION! "Ok, thoughts for the day, if the current squad lined up against the squad that came 2nd in the league under Benitez, who would win? "


21.) 14 Aug 2018
14 Aug 2018 19:48:00
So you are slating Rafa for not losing? How many times did Klopp lose last year? How many goals did his exciting team score compared to Race's, how many did they concede? More importantly, how many trophies has Klopp won with his team? Loserland! Your words not mine! 😉.


22.) 14 Aug 2018
14 Aug 2018 22:00:47
Rafa may not have won much, but sometimes the best teams don’t win! His team at their peak won nothing but we’re easily better than the team which won the CL in 05. Rafas team in the late 00’s was one of the best in the world, probs top 5 along with the Spanish, Utd and Chelsea at that time. We were brilliant. Now the team we have now is looking good, but they haven’t been consistent enough yet. Maybe by the end of this season i’ll have a different opinion.


23.) 15 Aug 2018
15 Aug 2018 12:33:25
08/ 09 is the best Liverpool team I've seen, this team will have to play well this season to get close to them.


24.) 17 Aug 2018
17 Aug 2018 20:55:03
Irish, I addressed who would win so don't know what you are on about there. Also, goals being conceded and scored, is a subject you brought up, I did not. Maybe cos they are pointless arguments.
I saw your post and your revisionist history of Rafa'a time is what is pathetic. Stay on topic, pls. Rafa was the reason we lost the PL that season, just like BR was in 2014, plain and simple. And YES,

I'm blaming Rafa for not losing. Why? Cos if you play not to lose, you will rarely ever win. How do we know that? Rafa had ELEVEN draws that season despite just losing only twice. Had he gone for the win in those games esp. with the so called "great team we had", pretty sure we would have turned some of those 11 draws into wins. I see you did not address any of that in your reply. Unlike you, I am not blind neither do I have a short memory. Rafa's team had NO depth, no balance and had only 13 good players in it after pending a fortune on transfers.

Rafa essentially had a two man (Gerrard and Torres) team and spent loads of cash on dross, end o story. Klopp's team is not the finished article yet and as things stand now, he has the better all round, more balanced team (VVD alone, is better than all his CB's bar Hyppia, for instance) and I stand by my prediction. Klopp's team will wipe the floor with Rafa's team. Peace!