If I were Rafa...

...and the Sevilla job opened up, I'd probably make an inquiry and if their offer was substantial, I'd leave. Why? Well, first, the English press think they know football or at least they try to act like they do. The stupidity is rampant and the ignorance is a disease that frankly appears apocryphal. The relationship between the press and the gambling industry in England is suspicious at best, SkySports = SkyBet, comprende? Their motives are never for the best of anybody but their employers and their actions scream duplicity. Why would anyone want to put up with such insanity?

In Spain, the factions that have outside influence on the game are territorial and government-based, but at least at Sevilla the expectations would not be trumped up to a ridiculous level. Plus with the two main influences, the Madrilenians and the Catalans, constantly sabotaging one another in that power struggle, a team like Sevilla at least has a chance to sneak up and win La Liga like the way Valencia did twice when Benitez was at the helm.

It is difficult to tell who is controlling the English game these days, though I'm sure Abramovich is never far from influence and will probably regain that edge in due time. Hicks and Gillett just don't have the monetary means nor the underworld connections to compete with the Russian billionaire. Anyone who believes that the matches are completely played on the pitch is a victim of indoctrination by false premise and illogical notion. As Solzhenitsyn wrote, education doesn't make you smarter, the system wasn't created for such a task.

I feel sorry for Rafa since he is ultimately the victim of a smear campaign to downplay his winning tactics. Had the Champions League Final last year gone smoother and by no means am I talking about what transpired on the field (that clearly went over nicely for the Mafioso), UEFA would probably not have it in for us and we'd be sitting pretty atop our group. Unfortunately an organization run by unimaginative megalomaniacs have feelings that are easily crippled. Saying they have hearts and minds might be saying too much in itself.

As a Liverpool fan, I'd rather Rafa stick around, but wouldn't be surprised nor hurt if he left. Having to put up with all the brainless bullshit that he does is just ridiculous. I firmly believe we have enough talent to win the Premiership, but I wonder if Rafa feels too much pressure to stay within the bounds of non-experimental tatics, for instance, starting Babel up front. Maybe with Kewell coming back, we may see that. Then again, it would only be a matter of time before the 'Babel doesn't know how to head the ball' rubbish or the like would begin.

Ultimately, it may not matter what Rafa can do or does, with the greedy hands of Thaksin Shinawatra, Roman Abramovich, Björgólfur Guðmundsson, Arcadi Gaydamak, Harry Redknapp, Malcolm Glazer, George Gillett, Tom Hicks, Randy Lerner, Eggert Magnusson, and Rupert Murdoch, among many others, firmly entrenched in the game, the Premiership won't be won on the field for years to come. I love a great work of fiction, don't you?