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Liverpool supporters have decided that Rafa Benitez was a better manager than Arne Slot, despite the Dutchman’s Premier League title win.
Benitez was hugely popular on Merseyside after winning a surprise Champions League title during his first season with the Reds in 2005.
However, the Spaniard only lifted one more trophy – the FA Cup in 2006 – during his further five years at Liverpool. But with Slot struggling to get fans on side following a difficult season, supporters on Rousing The Kop’s new TalkingPoints platform handed Benitez a landslide victory when asked to vote between the two.
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Photo Credit: Getty Images/Carl Recine 88% of fans pick Benitez over Slot
Slot has become incredibly unpopular with Liverpool fans this season who are disenchanted with his decision to play slow, control-based football.
And that showed clearly in the results of the RTK poll, with a whopping 88% choosing Benitez as the better manager.
Despite the huge margin of victory, though, supporters in the comments were more positive towards Slot.
“I think history will be kind to Slot even if he goes this summer,” said one fan. “But it’s still Rafa unless we win the Champions League this season.
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
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Another indicated that it was a ‘tough call’ but still chose Benitez because “even though players were like in a rotating door some weeks, he did bring the CL trophy home.”
“People will probably pick Rafa because of the current situation, but he never did win the PL,” said someone else. “That alone gives Slot a chance, but Rafa was here for six years and always challenged barring one poor year the end. Has to be him.”
“Rafa Benitez is the better Liverpool Manager than Slot,” one more fan commented, with one sole voice sticking up for the current boss: “I’d say Slot, maybe it’s recency bias but a title in the first season should be given the respect it deserves,” they said.
Slot has a better win percentage than Benitez
Despite fans overwhelmingly sided with Benitez on RTKs Facebook page in particular, it should be noted that, despite his struggles this season, Slot still holds a far superior win percentage as Liverpool manager.
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Current feelings for Slot aside, has he been better than Benitez?
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Gaspafotos/MB Media/PAUL ELLIS/AFP
The Dutchman has tasted victory in 61.8% of his matches in charge, while Benitez posted 55.4%.
It is true that it comes in a much smaller sample size – 102 games against 350 – but that is still something working in Slot’s favour.
The 47-year-old also still has a chance to collect two trophies with Liverpool this season – the two Benitez won in 2005 and 2006 – and if he can win even one of those, he will surely overtake his predecessor.
If the Reds end the campaign trophyless, however, and Slot leaves the club, it seems Benitez will always be held in higher regard.
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