Hows that awfully overpriced James Milner doing btw?

He shouldn't have done his shopping at Bernard Matthews then.

Being a Utd fan I never liked Rafa, especially after the FACTS rant



However to just walk into the office and hand over a £96k cheque shows the feeling he had for the club and the fans and deserves credit.

I think Benitez deserves huge credit for 2 CL finals and a win. I think he deserves credit for his achievements at Valencia.

Don't think he deserves credit over a cheap shot using the 96 soon after his sacking though. I've no doubt the J96 army will be getting off over it and love him more, but if he felt so much for the cause he'd have donated a lot more money and a lot earlier.

Didn't he assemble those turkeys? Have to agree with LGJM, if he felt so much for the J96 cause surely he would of handed over some money while still at Liverpool. Just trying to score some points against the owners.

New job with good pay and a payout of 6 million? it's a kindhearted gesture for a cause close to his heart just shouldn't be tossed over as it's easy to do with his money. like me throwing a pound in the collection at maccys.

With this man in the team, anything is possible.

When we sold him for £12m, he wasn't a £12m player. He's progressed very well in a new role under a good manager, something he only experienced a couple of times during his time with Newcastle. Is he really worth the £25m+ that is being reported? I wouldn't say so.

Maybe not, but he's defintely worth more than 12 million in today's market.

I agree with that, but I wouldn't say a massive amount more than £15m. We wouldn't have got any more than we did had he stayed with us for another 6/12 months though; he wouldn't have improved under Joe Kinnear.

How do you know he hasn't donated money to the cause in the past?

Not much more though, £15 million max I would say. That's the problem he has had one excellent season and all of sudden people are quoting him as a £25 million player, ridiculous.

Maybe he has. But even if he has, it doesn't negate the fact he's used the 96 people who lost their lives at Hillsborough as a points-scoring exercise now.

Very true. I agree and I agree with the point you made earlier it does stink of trying to score points on his way out but that lot across the park will lap it up, we all know what they are like. It works too, many people I know who wanted him out for many months are now putting stuff like 'what a guy Rafa, YNWA' on Facebook.

Well I would ask why he has decided to make this particular donation public?

Has he?

I haven't heard anything from him, not even about his new job, the only comment I have read about the donation came from the group itself.

He hasn't I don't think, as I said in my last post people mentioning how fantastic he is on Facebook is where I learnt of it. I don't he has said anything about it.

Well I would assume that any previous donations haven't been made in person. On this particular occasion Rafa chose to stroll into the offices and hand over a cheque, or so I've read. Don't get me wrong, it's a fine gesture by the bloke. Just the timing of it stinks of petty points scoring IMO.

He's going to Milan next week so it had to be now. And the £96,000 was just what he had in his savings account. No way was this a publicity stunt, not at all.

Publicity stunt or not. The bloke has handed over a cheque for £96k to a charity.

The bloke handed over a £96k cheque to a campaign group, not a charity.

My apologies.

I'm a cynic at the best of times, but can't people just give the guy a break for once? It's a fine gesture and should be applauded, not criticised.

I've given him a break over the fact I defend his record while manager of Liverpool.

I'm not going to praise him for a cheap shot publicity stunt after he's been sacked though.

I think he's an excellent manager, but also a bit of a prick. This is a good example of what a prick he is.

I agree. Some people will stoop low, but to say he'd use something so hurtful towards the fans to score points is pathetic. He's gone, he's left pretty admirably and he gave back a little of what the club and supporters had gave him. I'm all for theories, but accusing him of point scoring here is pretty disgusting, I just think he was ending what was a fantastic relationship with most supporters on a more positive, thankful note.