Latchford Lark
Player Valuation: £500k
Judging by the glaring omission from the list of names on the poll above, Benitez was not even a consideration for our vacant manager post. I do not condone the actions of those leaving threatening and abusive messages, but I do understand their anger. Communication from the club has been appallingly non-existent throughout this entire saga. If it isn’t Benitez, they could have avoided all this ill feeling and halted the abuse aimed in his direction.
It does not bother me that Benitez was a red or even his belittling comment – that was made when he was RS manager, so perhaps somewhat expected. What does bother me is Benitez himself – his lack of success lately, his style of play. Would he ever make a disparaging remark about the RS in interviews? – I doubt it since he classes himself as a friend of the city and a club legend. He must know that if he does bring us success, he will anger the red fans and they will turn against him. If he does not bring us success, we will turn even more against him – he cannot please us both. Why would he be prepared to destroy his RS legacy and lose the adulation he is held in? If he wanted a challenge, he could go elsewhere. He loves the RS, he has no love or passion for our club so he has opted for a job (and it is just a job to him) that will no doubt pay him extremely well and is near to home.
I’m living in hope that the club will surprise us with a new manager – perhaps someone at the Euros, but if they are going ahead with this deeply divisive appointment, I will still go to the match, I will still cheer on our team as I have done for over 50 years, but it’s a step too far for me to cheer and welcome him as our new manager.
It does not bother me that Benitez was a red or even his belittling comment – that was made when he was RS manager, so perhaps somewhat expected. What does bother me is Benitez himself – his lack of success lately, his style of play. Would he ever make a disparaging remark about the RS in interviews? – I doubt it since he classes himself as a friend of the city and a club legend. He must know that if he does bring us success, he will anger the red fans and they will turn against him. If he does not bring us success, we will turn even more against him – he cannot please us both. Why would he be prepared to destroy his RS legacy and lose the adulation he is held in? If he wanted a challenge, he could go elsewhere. He loves the RS, he has no love or passion for our club so he has opted for a job (and it is just a job to him) that will no doubt pay him extremely well and is near to home.
I’m living in hope that the club will surprise us with a new manager – perhaps someone at the Euros, but if they are going ahead with this deeply divisive appointment, I will still go to the match, I will still cheer on our team as I have done for over 50 years, but it’s a step too far for me to cheer and welcome him as our new manager.
