‘Keep Rafa’ say Irish ‘pool fans

The majority of Irish Liverpool fans want Rafa Benitez to remain at the club’s helm after what has been one of their most disappointing seasons in decades, a new poll has suggested.

57.61 per cent of voters on fan site IrishKop.com voted in favour of Rafa keeping his job despite their trophy-less season and seventh-place league finish.

35.87 per cent say they want to see a new manager brought in while 6.52 per cent said they ‘didn’t know’.

Posters discussing the Spaniard’s position were also split on whether he should be given the boot. According to ‘Kingofthekop’, Benitez’s style of football and results are no longer good enough. “We need to start fresh [with a] good attacking manager,” he said. “Rafa had his chance.”

‘Randywatson’ agreed adding, “In an ideal world I’d have new owners and a new manager. I have a horrible feeling we won’t get the owners, but we still need a new manager.”

He continued, “just look at Spurs – when Redknapp took over last season… they where relegation favourites. They hadn’t won a game in their first 13 and now look at them – they took 4th. Anyone that says a manager won’t make a difference is deluded.

However, other posters came to Rafa’s defence. ‘Dubit10’ said, “Keeping Rafa is very important. He is the man keeping the club afloat.”

‘Kev03’ meanwhile said, “Sometimes devil you know is better, but Rafa needs to up his tactics if he stays.”

Benitez’s contract arrangement means Liverpool will be forced to pay a massive fee if they are replace him and his backroom staff during the summer. Some estimates have put the figure as high as £20 million.