Benitez vows to knock United off their perch
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Benitez vows to knock United off their perch with Liverpool ready to end years in the title wilderness
Rafa Benitez has made it his mission to end Manchester United's title domination after sealing his Liverpool future. The Anfield boss signed a new five-year contract last night to end months of speculation over whether he would quit.
Liverpool have gone 19 years without winning the league and have watched arch rivals United rule during that period. But Benitez, whose new deal is worth £5million per season, is confident that they will eventually triumph.
'Clearly we have to improve everything still if we want to be contenders every year,' said the Spaniard. 'The target is to improve the squad and work in different ways to make sure we stay together. The target is to improve every year and I think now it will become easier to win trophies.'I have a lot of confidence because I have signed a deal like this. I want to win the title and I think we can do it. The main thing now is to work harder and try to do the right things.
'I am really excited at having the opportunity to improve and win things. When you have time it's easier. We have five years' experience so we can start improving things straight away.'Benitez has expressed his relief at finally signing the deal after his future was plunged into doubt during negotiations with co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks.
'They are pleased with the job we're doing,' he added. 'Everyone always wants to win more, but clearly they can see the progression. They can see the improvement of the squad, so I think they are really pleased - hopefully they'll be pleased at the end of the deal.
'We've been talking about things for a long time, so it's good that it's been finalised and we can finish with the talks. Now we can start working with everything sorted.
'This is important because the players want to know who the manager will be. The fans do also. But decisions in terms of players - it's really important to know who the manager will be, then you can start working.'
Benitez also offered an insight into how happy he is with his family on Merseyside.
'My daughters and my wife are really settled down here and I think they, particularly the little one, are more English than Spanish,' he said. -
I vow that wont be happening.
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Is he going to use that 5 years to TRY to knock United? What if he doesn't do it? Another 5 year extension to try?
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he can knock man utd, he can't knock chelsea
=.=
dream on
if manutd can't take tittle.. chelsea would just take it..
and if chelsea can't.. in 2 season time i can see a untouchable arsenal
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I think he forgot there is still Chelsea who I belief Roman will be spending big again for next season, and Arsenal, once all their injured players return will be a force and City... Who will probably bring in more super stars next year...
So, even if United have a bad season... Pool will not be the one to benefit... Most likely it could be Chelsea...
I feel Rafa is getting over-confident now... Pool seem to do well whenever they have the underdog tag... But do poorly once they become the favourite...
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With torres and gerrard. I have seen so many comebacks this season sparked off by torres, w/o this spaniard, die liao. Gerrard seems to be at his peak though. Well, let's wait and see. If Man U draws with fulham this sat, then i would say....."fucked already".
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Like this Atletico Madrid also going to knock Real Madrid off their perch liao lor...
Hmmm... Will Atletico Madrid win the La Liga within these next 5 years?
Maybe Barcelona will benefit from it... lol
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Benitez sign on for liverpool means liverpool is not gonna win the EPL for another 5 years as simple as that.
Well, this saturday is the time for united to pull away. They are playing fulham which i think would not cause united much problems. United is on fired-up mood now since that 4-1 thrashing by pool. They have rested for a week and is likely to resume business and to take out fulham is not gonna be much a problem.
Chelsea on the other hand is facing spurs away. Spurs fought well against villa last week and I can see them holding on to at least a draw against chelsea unless gus hiddink does his magic again.
Liverpool on the other hand does not play until sunday. They face the off form aston villa. Though its at anfield, expect villa to give pool a tough fight. Villa is desperate to stop their current slump and also given that arsenal is not ahead of them in 4th place, they know they cannot afford any slip ups. I take villa to draw liverpool. But do expect liverpool to win if gerard comes up with some magical moments again (but he would be tightly marked by gareth barry though).
In the end I still thing man utd would win the league. They are 4 points ahead and with a game in hand, that makes it a 7 point gap. They have already faced chelsea and liverpool twice. Thus, it is left with only arsenal, villa and everton capable of taking points of utd.
If liverpool is to win the league, they cannot afford to lose anymore points, starting from this week's game against villa. I think benitez would rather concentrate on CL rather than EPL.
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I think Pool, United and Arsenal could all win this week... Chelsea that one in the balance...
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this is one thing i dont like abt rafa
you just play your game lar, why disturb others -.- -
first step to even to try is to get consistency..
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Dun knock urself can already... Stay focus on ur job rather than talk so much la pls.
Wait slip up again and pray for others to drop points zzz
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I got a good feeling that David Villa will partner Torres next season...
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Originally posted by sg_forum:
I got a good feeling that David Villa will partner Torres next season...
No doubt Villa & Torres would be a good partnership.
But that would probably mean Gerrard has to play on the right wing again?
I feel he plays best in the hole behind the main striker.
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Originally posted by omgukilledkenny:
No doubt Villa & Torres would be a good partnership.
But that would probably mean Gerrard has to play on the right wing again?
I feel he plays best in the hole behind the main striker.
His best role is in central midfield I think...but gotta sacrifice Alonso liao loh if like that...cos most probably Mascherano will partner Gerrard in midfield. But Gerrard scored the most goals when he was on the right, I think 3 seasons ago? Gerrard supply Torres and Villa, unthinkable...lolOr can play 4-3-1-2 (to put Gerrard in more advance role), Also don't know where to put Alonso...
Arbeloa/Carragher - Carragher/Hyppia - Skrtel/Agger - Insua/Aurelio/Dossena
Riera/Aurelio/Dossena - Mascherano/Alonso - Kuyt/Babel
Gerrard
Torres - Villa
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I just wonder will Gerrard and Carragher ever win a Premier League winner's medal in their lifetime career at Pool?
Will it happen? If its going to it has to be soon as they don't have much time left...
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benitez won't knock them off
man utd will fall by themselves eventually
no football legacy lasts forever.
i'm just waiting for ferguson to retire
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Originally posted by zocoss:
I just wonder will Gerrard and Carragher ever win a Premier League winner's medal in their lifetime career at Pool?
Will it happen? If its going to it has to be soon as they don't have much time left...
Gerrard has 3 more years to go lah...he is in his prime at the moment...but if he can't win it in the next 2 seasons then I'll doubt he will ever win it.But for Carragher, time really not in his favour...he is 32 now...
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Originally posted by sg_forum:
His best role is in central midfield I think...but gotta sacrifice Alonso liao loh if like that...cos most probably Mascherano will partner Gerrard in midfield. But Gerrard scored the most goals when he was on the right, I think 3 seasons ago? Gerrard supply Torres and Villa, unthinkable...lolOr can play 4-3-1-2 (to put Gerrard in more advance role), Also don't know where to put Alonso...
Arbeloa/Carragher - Carragher/Hyppia - Skrtel/Agger - Insua/Aurelio/Dossena
Riera/Aurelio/Dossena - Mascherano/Alonso - Kuyt/Babel
Gerrard
Torres - Villa
oo..4-3-1-2, machiam like Chelsea's midfield diamond liao.
Mhmm, looks like Alonso will lose out if Villa comes.
But Alonso might already be leaving too. I rmb alot of transfer stories bout him in pre season lol.
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Originally posted by zocoss:
I just wonder will Gerrard and Carragher ever win a Premier League winner's medal in their lifetime career at Pool?
Will it happen? If its going to it has to be soon as they don't have much time left...
If that's the case, steven gerrard's name will go down as one of the greatest players never to have won a league title lol
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Originally posted by Trump_Card:
If that's the case, steven gerrard's name will go down as one of the greatest players never to have won a league title lol
Not really, I belief in time he will be forgotten... Ian Rush will still continue to be their hero after winning all those titles for them...Gerrard, unfortunately, could be remembered as the Pool star player who wanted to join Chelsea and handed in a transfer request and didn't got it and will be forgotten in time as he never bring them a league title in his whole playing career at Pool...
Unfortunately, history only remember the winners just like the England team of 66, they are still mentoned more than any other squad of other times even though some are already dead...
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Originally posted by Trump_Card:
If that's the case, steven gerrard's name will go down as one of the greatest players never to have won a league title lol
don't worry, liverpool won a league title while gerrard was there... the reserves league title..
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Originally posted by Trump_Card:
If that's the case, steven gerrard's name will go down as one of the greatest players never to have won a league title lol
Thats great! We'll keep that record safe for Gerrard =) -
Carragher is OG specialist
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This is getting very interesting.
When fergie first manage manu in Nov'86 he put up a statement to knock Liverpool off from being the King of England (title labeled by the Press and Media) and only won his first silverware 4years later (FA Cup – 1990) and won his first ELP title in 1993 – only after 7years in Old Trafford.
And of today after 23years from his release statement, the long serving Manager have yet to achieve his wishing target which force him out of retirement.
I sincerely looking forward for him to win the title again this year though he may not knock Liverpool off it's record, well at least he manage to stand level (18 titles each) after more then 2 decade of hairdrying.
Now this will be a challenge to Rafa. Will he need 7 long years to win his first ELP like furgy or he needs a longer period. Rafa may have won the CL on his very first year and lifting a total of 4 silverware in his first 3years in-charge, compare to furgy....a big fat zero.
With Rafa's latest statement....I would love to see if he could ever beat furgy's 7 long years of wait for the first EPL.