Ranting Rafa

[cmonurz]

The problem with that post AF1, wherever it came from, is that the 'facts' it presents are no more factual than Benitez's original comments.

Examples:

Fact 1 - Benitez might have meant that Liverpool did not complain to the FA. The rest of his statement is evidently true.

Fact 2 - Is Benitez not referring to his tenure at Liverpool? What about opposition players sent off at OT last season?

Fact 3 - Whilst everyone has to play everyone twice, it would have to be considered to be a good thing to be playing all your rivals at home in the second half of the season. Advantage? No. Good for United? Certainly.

Fact 4 - So Liverpool did play 2 days later, and United did play 3 days later, then.

Fact 5 - Not quite sure what Benitez means here, tbh. Does he mean that all TV matches etc are known earlier in Spain? Maybe he just prefers the scheduling there.

Fact 6 - An exaggeration, maybe. But Ferguson is the most high profile manager to be getting away with this sort of stuff.

[chilipepper91]

[Harry Carry]

Except Phil hasn't got in a war or words with Fergie....

[chilipepper91]

Except, was his name captioned on the picture, with a green tick?

Or is it just an amusing photograph?

Fail.

[papereyes]

Except Phil hasn't got in a war or words with Fergie....

May he should win more games. That seems to work.

[rabidbee]

<pedantic>

FICTION 1: "Two years ago we were playing a lot of early kick-offs away on Saturdays when United were playing on Sundays. And we didn't say anything."

FACT 1: Rafael Benitez, September 2007: "We will be talking to the Premier League about this because it is not fair."

These two statements don't actually contradict each other.

FICTION 2: "You can see every single week how they put (referees) under pressure, we know this. We have seen it before. We have seen players sent off at Old Trafford and we do not see our opponents sent off."

FACT 2: Opposition players sent off at Old Trafford in the league this season - none. Stoke's Andy Wilkinson is the only player to be sent off against United in the Premier League this season. Opposition players sent off against Liverpool this season - five, including Nemanja Vidic of Manchester United.

Did he limit his comments to this season? He might have been referring to the course of his entire tenure in england (which might still be factually wrong, of course).

FICTION 3: "Now he is complaining about everything, that everybody is against United. But the second half of the season will see them playing at home against all the teams at the top of the table, it is a fantastic advantage."

FACT 3: Last time ED checked everyone had to play everyone else twice - surely the order in which you play your games is irrelevant. And it's not like United covered themselves in glory in their away games against the top four - one point out of nine hardly represents a fantastic advantage.

To be fair, it's a point enough pundits and journalists have made.

FICTION 5: "There are two options if we don't want more problems with fixtures. One is the same as in Spain, the draw for the first part of the league is known, everyone knows which weekend. In the second-half everyone plays the opposite, so you all know."

I really don't see what he's getting at here.

FICTION 6: "During the Respect campaign - and this is a fact - Mr Ferguson was charged by the FA for improper conduct after comments made about Martin Atkinson and Keith Hackett. He was not punished. He is the only manager in the league that cannot be punished for these things."

FACT 6: Harry Redknapp can also get away with it, having got off scot-free for this pop at Steve Tanner: "He's a poor referee and I've seen him make a mess of so many games. I couldn't even put into words what I thought of his performance. I walked into the referee's room before the game and saw who was refereeing and I knew what was coming. I expected that sort of performance. I've had him before many times and I know what he's like. He's really not good enough."

Which neatly side-steps what one assumes was Rafa's main point, that Fergie can make comments about match officials and - during a period when the League is supposedly pushing for greater discipline in this area - not get punished.

Sorry, not really trying to defend Rafa greatly, I was just struck by the laziness of the journalism (quelle surprise).

</pedantic>

[Scylla]

If Liverpool win at Stoke he's a genius, if they don't and Man U beat Chelsea...

Legend.

Thankyou but I'm no more than mythological.

[TheMaraudingDog]

[TheMaraudingDog]

Fact

[Dr Hfuhruhurr]

<pedantic>
Sorry, not really trying to defend Rafa greatly, I was just struck by the laziness of the journalism (quelle surprise).
</pedantic>

Id go further. The piece is rubbish. Im guessing its not journalism though, but a fan piece. The bit that gives it away is the 'It wont Stop United playing the Big Four at home in the second half of the season', which implicitly says that United are fixtured to play themselves. I also like that the fact that United played a day later after christmas, is disputed by quoting Hull played on the 30th, and the fact that United played more on a Sunday last season is disputed by quoting that Rafa complained. Youd have to be a fanatic simpleton like Spacecruiser to believe they were good counterarguments. To summarise, it seems to be a 50 line press release stating merely that Ferguson once has a two match ban.

And Im not especially on Rafa's side. HE always seems to be complaining about Liverpool's home fixtures.

[boy1985]

Benitez turns down contract offer

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 827052.stm

Don't know if this is connected, could be why he threw his toys out of the pram so easily the other day.

[Rex]

It's being mooted that he wants more control over the tranfers in / out of the club.

[boy1985]

And more control over fixtures maybe..

[Rex]

And more control over fixtures maybe..

Over his Fergie fixation maybe.

[The whole year inn]

Fact

Pretty much agreed on the worst photoshop, ever

It doesn't even make sense?

[TheMaraudingDog]

It doesn't even make sense?

Fat Spannish Waitor handing a League Winners medal to Fergie as Ronaldo and Ronney laugh at him.

Simple really, but then being a simpleton I wouldn't expect you to understand

[soggy biscuit]

It doesn't even make sense?

Fat Spannish Waitor handing a League Winners medal to Fergie as Ronaldo and Ronney laugh at him.

Simple really, but then being a simpleton I wouldn't expect you to understand

What is the 'waiter' bit a reference to?

[Baines]

It doesn't even make sense?

Fat Spannish Waitor handing a League Winners medal to Fergie as Ronaldo and Ronney laugh at him.

Simple really, but then being a simpleton I wouldn't expect you to understand

What is the 'waiter' bit a reference to?

Surely you're aware that all Spaniards, when not abusing donkeys or celebrating fascism, are fat waitors (sic).

[Scylla]

It doesn't even make sense?

Fat Spannish Waitor handing a League Winners medal to Fergie as Ronaldo and Ronney laugh at him.

Simple really, but then being a simpleton I wouldn't expect you to understand

Rafa (knowingly) "Tastes like the chef pissed in it? That is indeed most amusing Senor Rooney"

[TheMaraudingDog]

Fergie 4 Rafa 0