11 Sep 2026 15:38:36
What do you think about Rafa as Director of Football for the reds? loves the club would jump at position and still lives in the area.
11 Sep 2026 16:22:07
Instead of going down the nostalgia route, why don't we just go out there and get a proper and proven director of football? Besides, do we really want Rafa to be in charge of all footballing matters, including what kind of players to buy? He didn't exactly have a stellar record when signing players when he was our manager and his style of football is as far removed from Iraola's as we can get.
Just get the best out there instead of clamouring for ex-players or ex-managers.
{Ed666's Note - I’d give Rafa a go. The man has no emotion he would be exactly what we need in a negotiation. He would stand for no nonsense and the contacts he has in world football are second to none. Speaks a few languages also
11 Sep 2026 16:36:29
Does not matter who comes in as DOF, if Andoni does not get the players he personally wants? then he will wave LFC goodbye when his 2 year contract finishes, Andoni stressed in his first interview he is not here for the money a four year contract can bring you! success and personal pride come before money to AI.
He knows perfectly well that people in suits cannot bring success to any Football Club, we have just a year back seen the full extent of "suits" buying players, it does not work and will never work. He coaches the players he 100% wants, not what "Saville Row" suits wants him to coach. If anyone had said to Shankly, Paisley, Fagan, Clough or Ferguson someone else signs the players, you would have been on Hospital Food for at least three months.
Quiz Question: what have all the above got in common, none of them ever had a DOF, Andoni Iraola included.
11 Sep 2026 16:13:34
As Ed001 said yesterday, love him to bits but he is not a DoF.
11 Sep 2026 17:15:07
You need to have a modern vision of the game to be a top director of football in today's game, it's not just about negotiations.
Also, 007, Iraola has famously repeated several times that he does not want to get too involved in transfers. I'm sure he has indicated preferences and the type of player he wants, but he's not going to be as hands on as you seem to expect. There's a reason why he wants to be a head coach and not a manager.
{Ed666's Note - hey when did I say Irola wants to be hands on with transfers?
11 Sep 2026 17:40:33
PB,
Andoni has already been hands on three times! to your none, whose wish list do you think was Munoz, Arajao, Barcola? a man in a suit? and oh a waistcoat as well. Barcola is his Plan B, if Wirtz does not work out, fail to prepare, prepare to fail? Andoni always provides himself with options when he signs his players, all three signings so far are interchangeable and hands on.
11 Sep 2026 17:59:25
Negotiators can be hired - that is the easy bit as long as they are given the red lines, usually by the CFO/owners.
It is the ability to sell a project to a player, agent, super agent and their family members while building a footballing identity and performance culture at the club that the modern day SD is expected to be accountable for.
Love Rafa but I think this might be out of his wheelhouse.
On the subject of negotiation - the issue we have is that we actively choose to do difficult, almost impossible, deals while also trying to get the valuations down. This is the recruitment model of choice currently. We shall if this model will continue as the ownership influence changes.
11 Sep 2026 18:15:01
Wouldn't really judge his sigings to much, if he got the players he actually wanted how different things could have been, but the club at that time would rather buy quantity over quality. As proved when they turned down the chance to sign Dani Alves as they thought the money was better spent on 3 players instead. David Silva, David Villa was roumered to be all agreed, Figo, Simao.
Going by style of players today surley that would be the scouts jobs to identify and rafa would be the one to negotiate for them, and if its all agreed between the manager scouts and DOF surley it only matters how good the person is at negotiating rather then spotting players.
As we've tried the DOF approach and we've been left with the most unbalanced squad we've had in many a years. Lots of good players only trouble being either don't suit the way we play now or under slot and all seem to play best in the same position. We have so many midfield players but no balance to the midfield and left wingers.
11 Sep 2026 18:15:05
How about Rafa, with Steve Nicol and Jason McAteer as his deputies.
11 Sep 2026 18:41:59
Aye Rafa as DOF, King Kenny as head coach and Fowler as his assistant. I mean if we are going to look to the past then why not go the whole hog?
11 Sep 2026 18:48:40
@PatrickBurger,
Can you also please phone up the Premier League which was started in 1992 and has had a Manager of the Month award, and a Manager of the Year award since 1992. And tell them your right and they're wrong there not Managers but coaches.
We have just had a coach and a manager has now come in to sort the mess out.
And if ye ever drive past the AXA training centre take ye screwdriver and change the Managers title of his door and replace it with Coach.
YNWA Andoni.
11 Sep 2026 18:01:58
Ed666 I asked ed001 the same question the other day his response was we need someone a bit more modern thinking or words to the effect. I was of the thinking of you Rafa only thinks of the club and not players even more so than Klopp but when I thought about what ed001 say that did make me think twice his football his far away from what we as fans want now he was a lot more pragmatic in his style of play so would he be looking at the wrong type for what Iraola would want.
But I know one think there would be no contracts for the type of money Gravenberch got given for what he has done.
I would definitely take Rafa over the likes of Hughes and Edwards or anyone else like them though.
{Ed666's Note - is Rafa in the frame for the job? If he is then maybe an ex manager is the ideal candidate. Listen Grino I’m the wrong person to ask because I’m so pro Rafa, I’d give him the job tommorow. I love that man so much I’d give him one of my kidneys. What he did for this club and the fans under the ownership of those tumours I for one will never forget...He was more politician than coach and no football manager should have had to endure the duress he did under that vile ownership. I still wished FSG would have given him some time to see what he could achieve in calmer waters. Irrespective of others feelings about him criticism of Rafa falls on deaf ears with me because he’s every bit as important to the fabric of our lore as Klopp is.
.
11 Sep 2026 20:16:03
Dracred, Rafa signed Torres, Alonso, Mascherano, Agger, Reina, Kuyt.
{Ed666's Note - didn’t he sign Momo Sisokko and Lucas Leiva also? What I wouldn’t give for either of those in our current midfield. Momo was on the way to world class before his unfortunate eye injury and wasn’t the same after that.
11 Sep 2026 19:55:26
I don't know if he is in line for the job Ed I asked ed001 on Wednesday night as I see him at the ground before the game.
For me Rafa's football at times was not best but I love him too for the fight he showed he never hides or backs away from the fight.
He loves the club and city so he has some great attributes and I suppose a few that are not so great.
But if he was happy with the role am sure he would work well with Iraola am not 100% on this statement Ed but from his era am sure he did a lot negotiations with players and Rafa was a workaholic the same vibe I get from Iraola so if we they both got on the same page should be a good combination. Am sure Rafa can spot a player better than a lot of these so called DF.
11 Sep 2026 20:26:48
Starseeker. he also wanted dani Alves, David villa and David silva but the club wouldn't get them for him.
11 Sep 2026 20:32:03
Yeah Rafa did make some poor signings but he made some great ones too and he was also blocked if I remember rightly from signing David Villa David Silva and Dani Alves.
Dani Alves Was £12m but the club blocked that and gave him Jermaine Pennant instead for £7m.
So don't blame Rafa for all them mistakes he was working under a tighter budget than he would be now.
11 Sep 2026 21:47:16
Great idea, Rafa back would be great in my opinion.
11 Sep 2026 21:48:28
Rafa's not a director. I'm not too well informed on suits but Simon Rolfes from Leverkusen would have been ideal, only had 2 years left on his deal back in Ausust but he's just signed an extension until '29, should have moved Dickie boy on back in may and gotten Rolfes in, but may have proven difficult anyway, as he has a very strong connection to the club.
Markus Krosche has done some very good business in recent years too and seems to have fallen out of favour at Eintrakt after entertaining a move to Milan.
12 Sep 2026 04:34:46
The DoF should, ideally, be working with the head coach on a medium to long term plan. Define the way you want to play and look for the sort of players needed to help setting up the way we want to play but also the medium to long term prospects who will fit into the squad once the way we want to play has been set up.
It seems to me that, having brought in AI and removed Hughes it would make sense to bring in a DoF whose views are aligned with AI's and you would hope that Iraola is consulted over potential candidate.
I fully understand that AI specifically asked for a two year contract and it seemed more precautionary than a sign that he's off after two years but medium to long term planning might require careful consideration because I'd hate to see the need for yet another transition at the end of next season with the next three transfer windows being a waste of effort if we need to start from scratch for the 28/29 season.
12 Sep 2026 00:08:39
I didn't think I could like Ed666 more, but gosh, what an excellent analysis of Rafa! Old school or not, give me a person who cares about our Club and city, and I'll take that any time any day over these arrogant mercenaries and charlatans! Then, sentiments aside, you actually take an objective look at his signing record in a difficult era for the Club, and then reflect on the players he was pining for as others have analyzed here, and you only have to imagine how much better he could be in the DoF role with a more mature and stable ownership group and with the modern tools available at his disposable now for player identification and stiff like that.
All hypothetical but I'd take Rafa over any of these smart alecs devoid of soul and with zero connections to our Club!
{Ed666's Note - Post of the century!!!!
12 Sep 2026 07:22:17
I said the other day that LFC should employ those who are of a special type of character. and Rafa fits that bill perfectly.
Its not just a footballing thing, its a Liverpool thing. The City, the people, the club, the culture.
12 Sep 2026 09:29:20
I don't think anyone questions Rafas character and personal attachments to the club and city but that doesn't make him the correct choice for a DoF. He has no experience in this role and the club needs to appoint the best available candidate, no different than appointing a manager or player. Rafa ain't the man for this role at all.
12 Sep 2026 09:30:59
Give me a person who is the best person for the job. If that is someone who has no previous connection to the club, so be it. I disagree with JLC's last paragraph. Half the people who go to games don't live in the city. Just my opinion, which no doubt many will disagree.
12 Sep 2026 09:43:10
The reason i asked the question what do you think of Raffa as DOF was because in my mind the positives out weighed the negatives. 1. Raffa is well respected around the world of football 2. he has managed at the very top level and won major trophies 3. Raffa is from the same country as Andoni and both speak the same language. 4. Raffa has said he would return as he has unfinished business at LFC and his heart is at the club.5. I am pretty sure when buying player Raffa would not have the wool pulled over his eyes unlike some DOFs Raffa would be a hard arse in negotiations for players.6.
Why bring in someone that knows nothing about the club possibly speaks a different language has to buy into the fans. I believe that Raffa would be a fantastic candidate and he would jump at the opportunity to return to LFC and I for one would welcome him with open arms.
Ps Also he know how Real Madrid work he has the inside information on how they go about their underhanded deals. YNWA.