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Opinion

Liverpool fans arguing about whether Rafa Benitez should replace Jurgen Klopp

6 years ago
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Interesting what Liverpool fans are having to say about their current position.

By the time it gets to October, Jurgen Klopp will have been at the club for two years and there is now a debate about where the club is, or isn’t, heading under the Liverpool manager.

Klopp has been backed with serious money for transfers but whilst Liverpool fans have enjoyed a lot of his attacking style of football, questions are being asked about other aspects, particularly the defending.

This season Liverpool have already conceded 16 goals in all competitions and the last four matches have produced these results: Manchester City 5 Liverpool 0, Liverpool 2 Sevilla 2, Liverpool 1 Burnley 1 and last night, Leicester City 2 Liverpool 0.

Rafa Benitez remains a very popular figure on Merseyside and now some Liverpool fans think he could be the answer once again…

Obviously Rafa is going anywhere and staying at Newcastle but interesting to see the two side of the argument being put up on Merseyside.

Comments from top Liverpool fans message board Liverpool FC Forum:

‘We need a shrewd tactician at the helm

Klopp really needs to develop this part of his game plan, being able to protect his side from conceding easy goals.

Playing pressing football if you don’t have top/world class players at cb and intelligent players in midfield to protect the defence, we are always going to get into trouble. a midfield that always presses forward without seeing the danger defensively when to protect our back four, we need to have incredible defenders but we don’t.

We need to change and fast, personally Benitez would be the right man to take us back to being a class team.

Benitez never had the owners to enable him to create the team he wanted, with FSG who for all the moaning that they do get do support our managers well (at least in comparison to hicks and gillett) he would be able to do more than Klopp seems capable of.’

‘Whilst I don’t believe that Klopp is a master tactician, why Benitez is considered the first port of call is beyond me.

His time has been and gone at this club.’

‘It seems none of them can coach and drill a team on the basic art of defending.’

‘How can Klopp be considered top class? No team in history sustained success with a poor defence.’

‘That’s a fair and valid question…unfortunately becoming fairer by the week.’

‘I have got a distinct feel of unfinished business with Rafa Benitez.

The man was left in shreds after what Hicks and Gillett did to the club they made his job impossible.’

‘Rafa’s ship has sailed. No chance.

Yes defensively he can tighten things up but sometimes his brand of football got boring.’

‘Only because we had a poor forward line.

Benitez’s defensive know how with Mane Firmino and Salah we would be balanced and lethal.’

‘Who had 19th September in the first “Klopp out, Rafa in” thread sweepstake?!’

‘You have to very careful about wanting Klopp out.

I’m frustrated as anybody with Klopp right now, thinking Hendo can be our cdm and captain fills me with fury, not buying any defenders etc. But if Klopp goes, we genuinely could end up with some tramp like Eddie Howe.

Another thing that I find uncomfortable is going from Klopp football (when it works) to a more pragmatic style. I can only accept pragmatic football if it wins games.’

‘Why do certain fans have a default position that when we go through a bad run, call for the return of Rafa?

Yes he was good while he was here, but he left 7 years ago. Time to move on.

This is not a slight on the man, but we need to keep looking forward. Klopp is the man for now anyway.’

‘This is just Kevin Keegan all over again.

His (Klopp’s) teams are good going fwd but at the back terrible. I think Klopp has made this job even harder for himself with some truly awful decisions that has thrown the plans overboard.

Would like to think he will learn from this but am not convinced he will.’

‘There’s no coaching Klavan or Lovren. Rafa or whoever wouldn’t make one bit of difference.’

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