Rafael Benitez is set to leave his position as the interim manager of Chelsea at the end of the season which has led to speculation that the Spaniard could consider a return to Anfield.
As things stand in the Barclays Premier League, Liverpool are set to miss out on Champions League football yet again. This is indeed heart-breaking for the fans of a club that is the most successful side in England in terms of European silverware.
The last time the Reds won a European trophy was back in the 2004-2005 season when they beat AC Milan on penalties in what many people consider as one of the greatest finals in Champions League history. Since then however, the club has not been able to add to its European trophies.
When it comes to successful reigns in Merseyside in recent years, Rafael Benitez should be considered at the top. Apart from the achievements of Gerard Houllier, no manager has been this successful at the club in recent times.
Managing a club as historic as Liverpool is not an easy job. Kenny Dalglish, the last manager who led the club to domestic success all those years ago, could not make a repeat of his former antics in his second stint as the manager of Liverpool. Danglish’s contract was ultimately terminated after a disappointing position in the league.
Benitez’s prior success with the club makes him a popular choice among many people. During his time at Liverpool, Benitez took the club to the highest plateau of European football and also gave fans a big hope of once again matching Manchester United’s exploits in the Premier League.
During that time, fans had players they could be proud of. An industrious Xabi Alonso struck a glorious partnership with Steven Gerrard while Fernando Torres was terrorising opposition defences wherever he went on a regular basis. However, things changed amidst the final few months of the infamous ownership of George Gillett and Tom Hicks who finally sold the club to Fenway Sports Group.
Regardless of the fact that how well Liverpool fared during his reign, Benitez was to leave the club. Ridiculous sale of players like Alonso and alienating players coupled with a disappointing finish saw the Spaniard leave the club.
Since then, it has never been the same for Benitez. His spell at Inter Milan was a very unsuccessful one. After getting sacked by Massimo Moratti at Internazionale, Benitez was appointed the interim manager of Chelsea where he will never be able to command the respect of the London club’s fans.
Benitez who won so much praise during his time at Valencia and Liverpool, is not the same manager anymore. His Chelsea team has often been blamed of playing dull and slow football which basically means that letting him back into Anfield would be a big mistake.
In his first season, Brendan Rodgers has done a very decent job. Liverpool, who were often mocked by opposition clubs’ fans for playing a traditional English long ball-game, are now an exciting team to watch. Certainly they are coming in leaps and bounds but the current Liverpool side is pretty much safe in the hands of the former Swansea boss.
Currently the club is 7th in the league standings but that position in no way defines the credentials of Rodgers. Moreover, it should also be mentioned that the club is in transition and Rodgers needs time to take the club back to where it used to be all those years ago.
Calling for a Benitez return seems pretty illogical at the moment and if that happens, it would be suicidal to say the least. Rodgers has worked far too hard for the club to see all of it go to waste. Also considering the fact that Rodger’s does not seem to have the financial backing many of his predecessors did, he deserves to be given more time to prove himself.
The last time the Reds won a European trophy was back in the 2004-2005 season when they beat AC Milan on penalties in what many people consider as one of the greatest finals in Champions League history. Since then however, the club has not been able to add to its European trophies.
When it comes to successful reigns in Merseyside in recent years, Rafael Benitez should be considered at the top. Apart from the achievements of Gerard Houllier, no manager has been this successful at the club in recent times.
Managing a club as historic as Liverpool is not an easy job. Kenny Dalglish, the last manager who led the club to domestic success all those years ago, could not make a repeat of his former antics in his second stint as the manager of Liverpool. Danglish’s contract was ultimately terminated after a disappointing position in the league.
Benitez’s prior success with the club makes him a popular choice among many people. During his time at Liverpool, Benitez took the club to the highest plateau of European football and also gave fans a big hope of once again matching Manchester United’s exploits in the Premier League.
During that time, fans had players they could be proud of. An industrious Xabi Alonso struck a glorious partnership with Steven Gerrard while Fernando Torres was terrorising opposition defences wherever he went on a regular basis. However, things changed amidst the final few months of the infamous ownership of George Gillett and Tom Hicks who finally sold the club to Fenway Sports Group.
Regardless of the fact that how well Liverpool fared during his reign, Benitez was to leave the club. Ridiculous sale of players like Alonso and alienating players coupled with a disappointing finish saw the Spaniard leave the club.
Since then, it has never been the same for Benitez. His spell at Inter Milan was a very unsuccessful one. After getting sacked by Massimo Moratti at Internazionale, Benitez was appointed the interim manager of Chelsea where he will never be able to command the respect of the London club’s fans.
Benitez who won so much praise during his time at Valencia and Liverpool, is not the same manager anymore. His Chelsea team has often been blamed of playing dull and slow football which basically means that letting him back into Anfield would be a big mistake.
In his first season, Brendan Rodgers has done a very decent job. Liverpool, who were often mocked by opposition clubs’ fans for playing a traditional English long ball-game, are now an exciting team to watch. Certainly they are coming in leaps and bounds but the current Liverpool side is pretty much safe in the hands of the former Swansea boss.
Currently the club is 7th in the league standings but that position in no way defines the credentials of Rodgers. Moreover, it should also be mentioned that the club is in transition and Rodgers needs time to take the club back to where it used to be all those years ago.
Calling for a Benitez return seems pretty illogical at the moment and if that happens, it would be suicidal to say the least. Rodgers has worked far too hard for the club to see all of it go to waste. Also considering the fact that Rodger’s does not seem to have the financial backing many of his predecessors did, he deserves to be given more time to prove himself.
