In news that will bring a superior smirk to the faces of many a United fan, news has emerged that,
after six months in the job, Rafael Benitez has been sacked by Inter Milan, the same Inter
Milan...
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The road that led to the manager's position as it is currently understood – the man who is in
charge of practically everything – has been a difficult and tortuous one.
So domineering is the manager today that it is difficult to reconcile with the knowledge that it is
a position that was born of the need to put a buffer between the team and those who owned it, one
that was originally routinely carried out by the club secretary.
RUN OF PLAY INTERNAL MEMORANDUM • CONFIDENTIAL
RE: Rafa's return
The news that the unemployed Rafa Benítez has returned to his Liverpool home creates remarkable
artistic opportunities for the staff of The Run of Play. Our problem is to decide among the many
options.
The first thought that presents itself is a Shakespearean one: imagine an opening scene in a
half-darkened hall, with Lord Roy slumped to the side of his rather over-large throne; Captain
Gerrard enters quietly and whispers,
My Lord, ‘tis bruited all through Merseyside
That th' exiled prince hath crept back to his lair.
