How can you criticise Benitez' reign at Liverpool? He put Liverpool back to where they belong, at the top in Europe.
Came in 2004, with a relatively poor squad, with one or 2 very good players, aka Gerrard and Owen. (Owen was sold at the right time, with 1 year left on his contract, and his value decreased when he went to Real, ending up in Newcastle). Signed Xabi Alonso for £10 million, Luis Garcia and some other squad players.
Got to the final of the League Cup, only to lose out to Chelsea. Won the champions league, beating the likes of Bayern Leverkuesen (German Champions), Juventus, Chelsea and AC Milan.
2005/2006. Finishes in the league with a points tally of 82, 1 point behind Manchester United. Wins the FA Cup.
2006/2007. Reaches the final of the champions league, and undeservedly beaten by AC Milan, finishing 3rd in the league.
2007/2008. Liverpool get new owners, sign Fernando Torres, for a bargain price of £20 million. Finish 4th in the league, Torres ending his first season on 24 league goals.
2008/2009. A season plagued by injures to some key players included Fernando Torres, who manages to get score 14 league goals, Gerrard finishing Liverpools highest scorer. Only losing 2 games all season, and beating Manchester United and Chelsea home and away. Finished 4 points off the top, to Manchester United. Would it have been different if they'd had thier top striker for the majority of the season?
2009/2010. The main headlines for this season was the loss of Xabi Alonso, who Benitez sold to Real Madrid for £30 million, when the season before, was on the brink of a £15 million move to Juventus. Benitez see's little of these funds and but spends his budget on Glen Johnson and Alberto Aquilani.
At this point I'll make it clear that Liverpool's owners have Liverpool in debt, with repayments of £40 million interest a year, money that could be used for transfers instead of having to sell players to buy.
A dissapointing season to say to least for Liverpool fans, finishing 7th in the league and being knocked out of the champions league. Only to progress to the semi finals of the Europa, to be beaten in the extra time, by the eventual winners, Atletico Madrid.
Benitez reign took Liverpool from a club struggling to get into Europe, with a relatively poor squad to European Champions and a team that everyone feared in Europe, not forgetting some memorable wins, including trashing Real Madrid at Anfield, beating Barcelona over 2 legs and in the Nou camp. Knocking Chelsea of the European Cup twice, 4-1 win at Old Trafford and of course the Champions league final against AC Milan, to name a few. In truth he was made to look a scapegoat by a media that fed off lies from Liverpools American owners. When in actual fact he was the only man to stand up to the owners. Not to mention the respect Liverpool fans had for him, contributing to many events in the city, getting close to numerous Charities and donating plenty of time and money to help these causes.
Sure Rafa made a few bad buys, but every manager does. Everyone seems to forget to players he bought that have suceeded, I'll remind you of a few.
Pepe Reina (£6million)
Arbeloa (Now at Real Madrid and in the Spanish side)
Daniel Agger (£5million, when fit, one of the best defenders in the premier league)
Aurelio (Free transfer, while he hasnt set the world alight, he was magnificent during the 2008/2009 campaign)
Xabi Alonso (Bought for around £10-14million, sold for £30 million)
Mascherano (Sat bench warming at West Ham, now plays for your beloved Barca and captain of the Argentina natiional side)
Fernando Torres(£20million seems cheap now doesnt it?)
Lucas Leiva(£5million, although seen in the media as a poor player, he is actually one of the most improved players Liverpool have over the past 3 years, and soon, the media will start to notice him)
Luis Garcia, Dirk Kuyt, Peter Crouch, Martin Skrtel, Glen Johnson.
These things seem to go unnoticed, as well as completely changing the clubs youth structure, bringing in some of the most talented youngster in Europe, and staff that have worked at Barcelona, bringing in some of the best talent in Europe through the ranks. People eat up this garbage the media write and think that it is all based on facts. It is not. Benitez didnt give much to the media, so they painted a picture that they wanted people to see him has, and the naive public, have accepted it. It's about time people showed this great manager some respect, and judge him on his achievements in the past. Inter Milan are lucky to have such a dignified, all be it, largely over weight manager.
J
Rafa destroys club's youth structures 
