Benitez digs his own grave

By Neale Graham On · 8 Comments · In Opinion

This is Anfield’s Neale Graham asks fans to look beyond the blind loyalty and see Benitez for the manager he believes he is.

Loyalty. It’s a word that often counts for little in football. Players come and go from clubs, as do managers, but it’s the fans who stick around, through thick or thin. As Liverpool fans, we have been through plenty of thick in comparison with many other fans of many other clubs. Only one other English side has fans who can claim to have seen their club crowned the champions of Europe in the last 25 years. In that time, five FA Cups have been won, five League Cups, two European Cups, a UEFA Cup and plus other finals in competitions the world over. This, by any measurement, is good going.

However, the one we all want, the one by which any club is judged, has remained elusive. Short of Liverpool going on an improbable run of wins, the title wait will go on until May 2009 at the earliest, 19 years after our last one. Liverpool fans are loyal to their manager. Not for them the swift reversion to boos and jeers within six months of a manager’s arrival a la Sam Allardyce at Newcastle. That gets a team nowhere. But at some point loyalty is stretched and I think we are reaching that time with Rafael Benitez. Loyalty is all well and good, but blind loyalty is dangerous and counter-productive. Football is a results game, not a marriage. Sticking it out in the hope it gets better is not necessarily the best way forward.

Liverpool fans who blindly back Benitez can be accused of not caring about the club every bit as much as those who criticise him. Saying that ‘œwe back our manager no matter what’ seems to some as being a sign of being a ‘˜true Red’ and a ‘˜proper fan’. But stand back from the bluster and what you have are fans saying that the manager is more important than the club. We were here under Gerard Houllier and Roy Evans before him. Neither convinced that they had the x factor that it takes the win the league, although in Evans’ case at least he had the team playing the pass-and-move of old. We have reached the same crossroads with Benitez and nothing he does suggests he knows how to win the Premier League. His league finishes of fifth, a strong third, a weak third and more than likely a distant fourth do not point to progress, while the football he has offered up is for the most part prosaic, pedestrian, predictable and overly defensive. His record against the other top-four teams is appalling and with trips to the Emirates, Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford to come before the season is out that shows no sign of getting any better.

I am not saying to turn on Benitez like Newcastle fans, but ask yourself if you do truly, honestly think that we are closer to winning the Premier League than we were when he joined the club four years ago? Ask the fans of Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea (certainly when Jose Mourinho was in charge) if they’d want Benitez as manager and they’d laugh at you. No chance. Why would they? Indeed, they all say Liverpool should keep Benitez because they know full well he poses them no threat. And deep down, if Liverpool fans are honest with themselves, they know those fans are right.

Questions have been asked about Benitez’s performance since the day he decided to rotate at Portsmouth, leaving Fernando Torres on the bench and the subsequent goalless draw saw Liverpool slip from top spot, never to regain it again. Preceding that, everything looked rosy with three wins from the first four matches. Since, it’s been the predictable game of catch-up, with Rafa and his team on the defensive. Not playing people in their best positions, trying to second-guess the opposition, waiting too long to make substitutions, and picking a weakened team in a bid to outsmart a rival manager tactically have become hallmarks of Benitez’s tenure. And while some of that is possibly unfair criticism, there is more than a grain of truth to it too. Benitez would help himself a little more if he didn’t do inexplicable things like playing 4-5-1 at home to Wigan, when his trait of over-analysing the gameplan of opponents to the detriment of his own side reared its familiarly ugly head again.

The manager’s decision to criticise the club’s owners on the financial front is understandable but unwise. It’s they who hold the purse strings and Benitez’s problem is that they do not have the fans’ blind loyalty; they can’t afford – literally – to be so emotional. Nor have they taken kindly to him asking for more money when he has not been playing those he bought in the summer. Ryan Babel, a self-proclaimed striker, must be wondering what he has to do to get a run up front given the limitations displayed by fallen idol Dirk Kuyt, the ineptitude of Andriy Voronin and the mystifying cold-shoulder treatment meted out to Peter Crouch. Babel has been overlooked, just as Torres was earlier in the season. The owners might not know all there is to know about football over here, but they know when they are not getting their money’s worth. Benitez could make his case that much stronger if he was getting consistently good results. That said, the £17 million purchase of Javier Mascherano is a no-brainer, in spite of the funding problems for the new stadium. Questions about how well Benitez has spent the club’s money over the last four years – not an inconsiderable sum – will always haunt him when he is not getting results. Arguments can be made for the relative wisdom of all his buys, but Fernando Torres has been the sole outright, no-questions-asked success – and that’s what £26 million should get you. However, trusting Benitez with similar large sums of money is not something the Americans seem to want to do and if they believe that another manager could spend their dollars better then that is what they will do.

How much Benitez has spent is not the overriding factor here, either. The word ‘˜genius’ is often bandied by Reds fans around when discussing his merits. If he can topple Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain he must be able to do it in England, where his resources compared to those he had at Valencia are greater? So far all the evidence is that he can’t. A genius to my mind is Arsene Wenger, who can let go arguably the planet’s best striker in the past 10 years – and make his team better. Not just better, but significantly so, the kind of step up over the off-season that Liverpool need to make if they are to close the chasm to the other three teams. Can this be done by giving Benitez, say, £100m over the summer? It would help, certainly, but I don’t see it moving us out of the also-rans category. Perhaps it would just take longer into the season before we get filed there. He’s blotted his copybook too many times to convince me, and a growing number of fans, otherwise.

Ultimately, the interests of the club are what is paramount. To say I don’t support the manager is not to say I don’t support the club. In many respects, I could claim that I ‘œsupport’ the club more than those blindly backing Benitez because I want the best for Liverpool, not making the manager feel loved. And I no longer believe the best for Liverpool is Benitez. A few months ago, I wrote an article on this website called Benitez’s decision making far from special in which I compared him to Mourinho. However you spin it, Benitez will always come off worse in that comparison. Mourinho has won everything Benitez has won (swap his domestic performance in Portugal for Benitez’s in Spain) plus the Premier League. He is available, without the American owners needing to pay a cent in compensation, and is surely the only realistic option for the job of leading Liverpool to the promised land.

Perhaps Mourinho will hit the same ceiling encountered by Benitez and Houllier, albeit at least a little higher. There is no question the club is financially handicapped by playing in a smaller stadium than their rivals’ and that their youth policy, for so long a strong point, has ground to a halt while Arsenal’s keeps churning out quality. Without taking a chance, though, we will never know. Success is never guaranteed, of course, but with Mourinho you’re inescapably backing a proven winner. Look beyond the admittedly irritating shushing and the ego-centric facade and see the true winner. Liverpool have become a club where fourth (or even fifth) best is now acceptable and having Benitez lead us there with the wholehearted backing of many of the match-going fans underlines this. In Mourinho Liverpool would not only have a charismatic winner in charge, they’d have a manager the other top-four sides fear, a manager whose ability to extract the maximum from his players is legendary and a manager who would play his strongest side all the time with the players in their rightful positions. And more than anything a manager who would rid the club of its inferiority complex and instill the winning ethic and belief that has been so glaringly missing in the last two decades. Title bids would last longer than the autumn. I can see Liverpool being exactly the sort of challenge he would relish and, at Porto, he proved exactly what he can do when money is tight.

The alternative is to stay as we are, maybe even get a little worse, and rather than aspire to be champions again, we can look to the example of Tottenham, whose glittering past is now so long ago that their recent mediocrity is now their overriding facet. But if we can’t prosper under Mourinho…

  • About the author

    Neale Graham

    A long term contributor to TIA, writing on current LFC affairs.

    View all articles by Neale Graham.
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  • red star

    Look Neale, Rafa’s made mistakes but he will learn like fergie did years ago and WILL win the epl IF he stays, lets not bring someone in and start the process all over again, this guy is class and has won things la liga etc he just needs to overcome his stubborness and adjust his methods to the premiership, a good no2 to guide him in quality aquisitions would be good since that is 1 of his weak pts but the message is this STICK WITH RAFA STICK WITH RAFA !!!!!!! come on liverpool !

  • red star

    Look Neale, Rafa’s made mistakes but he will learn like fergie did years ago and WILL win the epl IF he stays, lets not bring someone in and start the process all over again, this guy is class and has won things la liga etc he just needs to overcome his stubborness and adjust his methods to the premiership, a good no2 to guide him in quality aquisitions would be good since that is 1 of his weak pts but the message is this STICK WITH RAFA STICK WITH RAFA !!!!!!! come on liverpool !

  • red star

    Look Neale, Rafa’s made mistakes but he will learn like fergie did years ago and WILL win the epl IF he stays, lets not bring someone in and start the process all over again, this guy is class and has won things la liga etc he just needs to overcome his stubborness and adjust his methods to the premiership, a good no2 to guide him in quality aquisitions would be good since that is 1 of his weak pts but the message is this STICK WITH RAFA STICK WITH RAFA !!!!!!! come on liverpool !

  • colso

    Neale,

    I think you are doing a lot of fans a disservice by claiming that they blindly back Benitez. It may be the case for some fans but I think the vast majority of fans who are in Benitez’ corner (myself included) are weighing up how much real progress we have made and also what the alternatives are. I agree with redstar – it took Ferguson and Wenger a long time to get to where they are today and I for one don’t want to start another 4 year building process just yet – especially not with Mourinho. Benitez has his faults – I personally feel that letting go of Pako without having a strong replacement lined up was one of the single biggest mistakes he has made and have had no small effect on the players. However, he is still the man for the job and will take us back to the top – of that I have no doubt. He would certainly win more people round by dropping/selling Kuyt and givign Crouch a run.

  • colso

    Neale,

    I think you are doing a lot of fans a disservice by claiming that they blindly back Benitez. It may be the case for some fans but I think the vast majority of fans who are in Benitez’ corner (myself included) are weighing up how much real progress we have made and also what the alternatives are. I agree with redstar – it took Ferguson and Wenger a long time to get to where they are today and I for one don’t want to start another 4 year building process just yet – especially not with Mourinho. Benitez has his faults – I personally feel that letting go of Pako without having a strong replacement lined up was one of the single biggest mistakes he has made and have had no small effect on the players. However, he is still the man for the job and will take us back to the top – of that I have no doubt. He would certainly win more people round by dropping/selling Kuyt and givign Crouch a run.

  • RedOutWest

    Neale

    Good article, mate. Extremely well written. But completely wrong. “Where, How”, you may ask? Don’t know where too start but gonna give it a whirl.

    Benitez inherited possibly the most dour Liverpool squad (including losing europes then elite goal-getter in Owen and inheriting a striker he clearly didn’t rate in Cisse) since Souness left and, due too financial constraints, has had his hands fundamentally tied since then. He has had too, until last summer at least and even then too a certain degree, shop at Lidl whilst the other big sides gorged on the produce of Marks and Sparks, discarding (without concern for cost) anything which may have offended their palates. We got Crouch, Pennant, an ageing (and stubborn in his unwillingness too adapt too the Premiership) Morientes, a hard-working (those less kind might say ‘Laborious’) Kuyt, a bevy of youngsters too reawaken a tired and stagnant youth and reserve set-up, etc…The other teams got Ronaldo, Robben, Schevchenko, Carrick, Essien, Drogba, Rosicky, Hleb, Mikel, etc…There’s a major difference there, methinks.

    Wenger, never a big spender (and when he has spent big has, at best, a 50% hit rate) has been allowed that rarest of commodities in football management – Time. A wonderful spotter and developer of talent, that has always been his forte. As far as Henry leaving is concerned, that happened one year too late in the same way that allowing Vieira too leave happened one season too early. Henry had become a nuisance and, because of marital problems, had taken his eye off the ball and probably fell out of love with the whole English thing. The “world’s best striker in the last decade” has hardly lit up the nou camp, has he. What on earth have the gunners won in the last 2-3 years, including this one? Bupkiss, mate.

    Questioning the loyalty displayed toward Benitez by many fans and disguising your obvious criticism of him by stating that you have the best interset of the club at heart smacks of spin: The best interest of Liverpool Football Club have always been maintained in it’s traditions, one of which is too show complete support too our manager. Particularly the good ones. Benitez has been too 2 ECL finals in 3 seasons. I turned 33 last month so may have a different perspective than many who post on this site, in their late teens or early too late 20′s, but rest assured, the wait between Heysel and 2005 was long and harsh. 2005 and the lesser (but still glorious)2007 can sometimes make you forget this. Add an FA Cup as meat too that sandwich and that’s a decent meal. Hearty? maybe not. But well decent in the circumstances.

    Too believe that Rafa has spent badly is non-sensical. Most managers do. it’s the purchase of a stonewall success that disguises this fact. Benitez has been spending on the lower end of the scale and, inevitably, has taken the greater risk. But let’s not forget Crouch (I’ll get too him before the end – promise!). Also, i for one think that Jermaine still has more too offer.

    Too his credit, El Jefe has moved out those who didn’t cut the mustard and, completely out of the tradition of LFC, got decent or more money for those stiffs.

    I agree that some of his selections have been at odds with what the fans have expected. But as the manager, he has to be allowed his foibles and the inevitable disasters that stem from these character traits. Does his caution hold us back? At times, but he’s capable of unleashing us at need. If he wasn’t we’d most likely still only have 4 european cups (Too the pedantic: I know we still do, one being the champions league, and all!). Is he more cautious than Jose Mourinho (gonna get to him, too)? The most expensive team ever assembled, built on 1-0 and 2-1 wins, home and away. Yeah, they once made Barca look daft at the bridge, rafa made them look daft in the Nou camp, with a side that me and my brother could have afforded! (I actually have no brother. But between me and him we both know and own everything!)

    I also agree, too an extent, on the treatment of Crouch and other subsequent team selections. It has sometimes (never moreso than the last ECL final) struck me as strange why rafa has, at times seemed reluctant too use the big man. Once again, I’m sure he has his reasons, whether we are privy too them or not, but I will say that Peter hardly covered himself in glory with his early season attitude and comments too the media (who absolutely and have always loved this club, Britains most succesful by the way). Good players, like Sami Hyppia (re: The signing of Agger last january), don’t bitch about competition. they knuckle down and earn their recalls. As for Babel playing as an out and out striker in his first season for? Frankly, the thought fills me with dread. Undoubtedly talented, fast, strong and semi-skillful: clinical, he ain’t. He needs time too settle and the wings are the best place for him too do that. Voronin cost nothing, had nothing expected of him and hasn’t dissapointed (scored 5-6 goals, though), Lucas is special and Yossi speaks for himself (albeit, in a high-pitched tone, bless him!).

    I get the impression that you believe that Jose is the man for the job, which leads me to believe that your article was written in the light of our last three results (though we patently deserved too win the 2 prior too Luton. Luck plays a big factor. Remember Gudjohnssen’s shot at the death at anfield in the ECL semi of 2005? lie too us all and tell me that you didn’t think that was it for us!). These things also tend too balance themselves out. If we had beaten Citeh and Wigan I guarantee we would have went out too the hatters. Mourinho would neither take or be welcome at this club. He wouldn’t understand it and it wouldn’t understand him. And if ever a manager failed, whist having money too spend, it was him. you forget that 7-9 of that Premiership winning chelski team was Ranieri’s and judging by the progress Claudio had made in the previous 2 years, the rebuilding going on at united, never knowing what too expect from the gunners (who once again surprised us all by going untainted all season – now who the f*ck saw that coming…and then going just as soon!) and us in free fall (As per)with Houllier losing the plot after his illness (Diouf is a ‘winner’ and Bruno the ‘new Zizu’!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) who would say that those toffs from west london wouldn’t have taken the title under the affiable italian?

    And finally, what of Agger’s foot, which just will not heal? Sami looks shattered, especially at Luton, but has had too just dig in, good pro that he is. Daniel is one of those players who are not just noticable when they are playing, you really notice them when thet are not. Without him, we play 10-15 yards further back than usual and that makes a difference. Remember what we did too Chelski last season (at Anfield)without Terry or Carvalho? We beat them like we were their daddies! Also remember how agger treated drogba in the ECL semi at home: Yes, like he was his daddy.

    Not getting adequate cover in defence was a glaring mistake. However, rafa can’t be blamed for this. No offece too an obviously good man, but Rick parry is far too slow out of the traps. in everything he does it seems.

    Something isn’t right at anfield, but too blame a manager who in 3 and 1/2 years has brought in 2 ECL finals (1 win), a league cup final, an FA cup win, European Super Cup win and our highest ever points tally in the Premiership and, this year saw us unbeaten in the league till early-december (!!!!!!!) and rescue a sunken european campaign (though, lets face it, that was a given: I guess Rafa just wanted too make it interseting!). When’s the last time we were 9 points behind in january with the top team still too visit 2 more of the big 4, play us at home and deal with the african cup of nations (along with chelski)?

    But most significantly: what realistic liverpool fan thought we were going too win the league this year? Especially after the incumbents spent 60 million without recouping a penny.

    honestly!

    Some people.

  • RedOutWest

    Neale

    Good article, mate. Extremely well written. But completely wrong. “Where, How”, you may ask? Don’t know where too start but gonna give it a whirl.

    Benitez inherited possibly the most dour Liverpool squad (including losing europes then elite goal-getter in Owen and inheriting a striker he clearly didn’t rate in Cisse) since Souness left and, due too financial constraints, has had his hands fundamentally tied since then. He has had too, until last summer at least and even then too a certain degree, shop at Lidl whilst the other big sides gorged on the produce of Marks and Sparks, discarding (without concern for cost) anything which may have offended their palates. We got Crouch, Pennant, an ageing (and stubborn in his unwillingness too adapt too the Premiership) Morientes, a hard-working (those less kind might say ‘Laborious’) Kuyt, a bevy of youngsters too reawaken a tired and stagnant youth and reserve set-up, etc…The other teams got Ronaldo, Robben, Schevchenko, Carrick, Essien, Drogba, Rosicky, Hleb, Mikel, etc…There’s a major difference there, methinks.

    Wenger, never a big spender (and when he has spent big has, at best, a 50% hit rate) has been allowed that rarest of commodities in football management – Time. A wonderful spotter and developer of talent, that has always been his forte. As far as Henry leaving is concerned, that happened one year too late in the same way that allowing Vieira too leave happened one season too early. Henry had become a nuisance and, because of marital problems, had taken his eye off the ball and probably fell out of love with the whole English thing. The “world’s best striker in the last decade” has hardly lit up the nou camp, has he. What on earth have the gunners won in the last 2-3 years, including this one? Bupkiss, mate.

    Questioning the loyalty displayed toward Benitez by many fans and disguising your obvious criticism of him by stating that you have the best interset of the club at heart smacks of spin: The best interest of Liverpool Football Club have always been maintained in it’s traditions, one of which is too show complete support too our manager. Particularly the good ones. Benitez has been too 2 ECL finals in 3 seasons. I turned 33 last month so may have a different perspective than many who post on this site, in their late teens or early too late 20′s, but rest assured, the wait between Heysel and 2005 was long and harsh. 2005 and the lesser (but still glorious)2007 can sometimes make you forget this. Add an FA Cup as meat too that sandwich and that’s a decent meal. Hearty? maybe not. But well decent in the circumstances.

    Too believe that Rafa has spent badly is non-sensical. Most managers do. it’s the purchase of a stonewall success that disguises this fact. Benitez has been spending on the lower end of the scale and, inevitably, has taken the greater risk. But let’s not forget Crouch (I’ll get too him before the end – promise!). Also, i for one think that Jermaine still has more too offer.

    Too his credit, El Jefe has moved out those who didn’t cut the mustard and, completely out of the tradition of LFC, got decent or more money for those stiffs.

    I agree that some of his selections have been at odds with what the fans have expected. But as the manager, he has to be allowed his foibles and the inevitable disasters that stem from these character traits. Does his caution hold us back? At times, but he’s capable of unleashing us at need. If he wasn’t we’d most likely still only have 4 european cups (Too the pedantic: I know we still do, one being the champions league, and all!). Is he more cautious than Jose Mourinho (gonna get to him, too)? The most expensive team ever assembled, built on 1-0 and 2-1 wins, home and away. Yeah, they once made Barca look daft at the bridge, rafa made them look daft in the Nou camp, with a side that me and my brother could have afforded! (I actually have no brother. But between me and him we both know and own everything!)

    I also agree, too an extent, on the treatment of Crouch and other subsequent team selections. It has sometimes (never moreso than the last ECL final) struck me as strange why rafa has, at times seemed reluctant too use the big man. Once again, I’m sure he has his reasons, whether we are privy too them or not, but I will say that Peter hardly covered himself in glory with his early season attitude and comments too the media (who absolutely and have always loved this club, Britains most succesful by the way). Good players, like Sami Hyppia (re: The signing of Agger last january), don’t bitch about competition. they knuckle down and earn their recalls. As for Babel playing as an out and out striker in his first season for? Frankly, the thought fills me with dread. Undoubtedly talented, fast, strong and semi-skillful: clinical, he ain’t. He needs time too settle and the wings are the best place for him too do that. Voronin cost nothing, had nothing expected of him and hasn’t dissapointed (scored 5-6 goals, though), Lucas is special and Yossi speaks for himself (albeit, in a high-pitched tone, bless him!).

    I get the impression that you believe that Jose is the man for the job, which leads me to believe that your article was written in the light of our last three results (though we patently deserved too win the 2 prior too Luton. Luck plays a big factor. Remember Gudjohnssen’s shot at the death at anfield in the ECL semi of 2005? lie too us all and tell me that you didn’t think that was it for us!). These things also tend too balance themselves out. If we had beaten Citeh and Wigan I guarantee we would have went out too the hatters. Mourinho would neither take or be welcome at this club. He wouldn’t understand it and it wouldn’t understand him. And if ever a manager failed, whist having money too spend, it was him. you forget that 7-9 of that Premiership winning chelski team was Ranieri’s and judging by the progress Claudio had made in the previous 2 years, the rebuilding going on at united, never knowing what too expect from the gunners (who once again surprised us all by going untainted all season – now who the f*ck saw that coming…and then going just as soon!) and us in free fall (As per)with Houllier losing the plot after his illness (Diouf is a ‘winner’ and Bruno the ‘new Zizu’!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) who would say that those toffs from west london wouldn’t have taken the title under the affiable italian?

    And finally, what of Agger’s foot, which just will not heal? Sami looks shattered, especially at Luton, but has had too just dig in, good pro that he is. Daniel is one of those players who are not just noticable when they are playing, you really notice them when thet are not. Without him, we play 10-15 yards further back than usual and that makes a difference. Remember what we did too Chelski last season (at Anfield)without Terry or Carvalho? We beat them like we were their daddies! Also remember how agger treated drogba in the ECL semi at home: Yes, like he was his daddy.

    Not getting adequate cover in defence was a glaring mistake. However, rafa can’t be blamed for this. No offece too an obviously good man, but Rick parry is far too slow out of the traps. in everything he does it seems.

    Something isn’t right at anfield, but too blame a manager who in 3 and 1/2 years has brought in 2 ECL finals (1 win), a league cup final, an FA cup win, European Super Cup win and our highest ever points tally in the Premiership and, this year saw us unbeaten in the league till early-december (!!!!!!!) and rescue a sunken european campaign (though, lets face it, that was a given: I guess Rafa just wanted too make it interseting!). When’s the last time we were 9 points behind in january with the top team still too visit 2 more of the big 4, play us at home and deal with the african cup of nations (along with chelski)?

    But most significantly: what realistic liverpool fan thought we were going too win the league this year? Especially after the incumbents spent 60 million without recouping a penny.

    honestly!

    Some people.

  • RedOutWest

    Neale

    Good article, mate. Extremely well written. But completely wrong. “Where, How”, you may ask? Don’t know where too start but gonna give it a whirl.

    Benitez inherited possibly the most dour Liverpool squad (including losing europes then elite goal-getter in Owen and inheriting a striker he clearly didn’t rate in Cisse) since Souness left and, due too financial constraints, has had his hands fundamentally tied since then. He has had too, until last summer at least and even then too a certain degree, shop at Lidl whilst the other big sides gorged on the produce of Marks and Sparks, discarding (without concern for cost) anything which may have offended their palates. We got Crouch, Pennant, an ageing (and stubborn in his unwillingness too adapt too the Premiership) Morientes, a hard-working (those less kind might say ‘Laborious’) Kuyt, a bevy of youngsters too reawaken a tired and stagnant youth and reserve set-up, etc…The other teams got Ronaldo, Robben, Schevchenko, Carrick, Essien, Drogba, Rosicky, Hleb, Mikel, etc…There’s a major difference there, methinks.

    Wenger, never a big spender (and when he has spent big has, at best, a 50% hit rate) has been allowed that rarest of commodities in football management – Time. A wonderful spotter and developer of talent, that has always been his forte. As far as Henry leaving is concerned, that happened one year too late in the same way that allowing Vieira too leave happened one season too early. Henry had become a nuisance and, because of marital problems, had taken his eye off the ball and probably fell out of love with the whole English thing. The “world’s best striker in the last decade” has hardly lit up the nou camp, has he. What on earth have the gunners won in the last 2-3 years, including this one? Bupkiss, mate.

    Questioning the loyalty displayed toward Benitez by many fans and disguising your obvious criticism of him by stating that you have the best interset of the club at heart smacks of spin: The best interest of Liverpool Football Club have always been maintained in it’s traditions, one of which is too show complete support too our manager. Particularly the good ones. Benitez has been too 2 ECL finals in 3 seasons. I turned 33 last month so may have a different perspective than many who post on this site, in their late teens or early too late 20′s, but rest assured, the wait between Heysel and 2005 was long and harsh. 2005 and the lesser (but still glorious)2007 can sometimes make you forget this. Add an FA Cup as meat too that sandwich and that’s a decent meal. Hearty? maybe not. But well decent in the circumstances.

    Too believe that Rafa has spent badly is non-sensical. Most managers do. it’s the purchase of a stonewall success that disguises this fact. Benitez has been spending on the lower end of the scale and, inevitably, has taken the greater risk. But let’s not forget Crouch (I’ll get too him before the end – promise!). Also, i for one think that Jermaine still has more too offer.

    Too his credit, El Jefe has moved out those who didn’t cut the mustard and, completely out of the tradition of LFC, got decent or more money for those stiffs.

    I agree that some of his selections have been at odds with what the fans have expected. But as the manager, he has to be allowed his foibles and the inevitable disasters that stem from these character traits. Does his caution hold us back? At times, but he’s capable of unleashing us at need. If he wasn’t we’d most likely still only have 4 european cups (Too the pedantic: I know we still do, one being the champions league, and all!). Is he more cautious than Jose Mourinho (gonna get to him, too)? The most expensive team ever assembled, built on 1-0 and 2-1 wins, home and away. Yeah, they once made Barca look daft at the bridge, rafa made them look daft in the Nou camp, with a side that me and my brother could have afforded! (I actually have no brother. But between me and him we both know and own everything!)

    I also agree, too an extent, on the treatment of Crouch and other subsequent team selections. It has sometimes (never moreso than the last ECL final) struck me as strange why rafa has, at times seemed reluctant too use the big man. Once again, I’m sure he has his reasons, whether we are privy too them or not, but I will say that Peter hardly covered himself in glory with his early season attitude and comments too the media (who absolutely and have always loved this club, Britains most succesful by the way). Good players, like Sami Hyppia (re: The signing of Agger last january), don’t bitch about competition. they knuckle down and earn their recalls. As for Babel playing as an out and out striker in his first season for? Frankly, the thought fills me with dread. Undoubtedly talented, fast, strong and semi-skillful: clinical, he ain’t. He needs time too settle and the wings are the best place for him too do that. Voronin cost nothing, had nothing expected of him and hasn’t dissapointed (scored 5-6 goals, though), Lucas is special and Yossi speaks for himself (albeit, in a high-pitched tone, bless him!).

    I get the impression that you believe that Jose is the man for the job, which leads me to believe that your article was written in the light of our last three results (though we patently deserved too win the 2 prior too Luton. Luck plays a big factor. Remember Gudjohnssen’s shot at the death at anfield in the ECL semi of 2005? lie too us all and tell me that you didn’t think that was it for us!). These things also tend too balance themselves out. If we had beaten Citeh and Wigan I guarantee we would have went out too the hatters. Mourinho would neither take or be welcome at this club. He wouldn’t understand it and it wouldn’t understand him. And if ever a manager failed, whist having money too spend, it was him. you forget that 7-9 of that Premiership winning chelski team was Ranieri’s and judging by the progress Claudio had made in the previous 2 years, the rebuilding going on at united, never knowing what too expect from the gunners (who once again surprised us all by going untainted all season – now who the f*ck saw that coming…and then going just as soon!) and us in free fall (As per)with Houllier losing the plot after his illness (Diouf is a ‘winner’ and Bruno the ‘new Zizu’!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) who would say that those toffs from west london wouldn’t have taken the title under the affiable italian?

    And finally, what of Agger’s foot, which just will not heal? Sami looks shattered, especially at Luton, but has had too just dig in, good pro that he is. Daniel is one of those players who are not just noticable when they are playing, you really notice them when thet are not. Without him, we play 10-15 yards further back than usual and that makes a difference. Remember what we did too Chelski last season (at Anfield)without Terry or Carvalho? We beat them like we were their daddies! Also remember how agger treated drogba in the ECL semi at home: Yes, like he was his daddy.

    Not getting adequate cover in defence was a glaring mistake. However, rafa can’t be blamed for this. No offece too an obviously good man, but Rick parry is far too slow out of the traps. in everything he does it seems.

    Something isn’t right at anfield, but too blame a manager who in 3 and 1/2 years has brought in 2 ECL finals (1 win), a league cup final, an FA cup win, European Super Cup win and our highest ever points tally in the Premiership and, this year saw us unbeaten in the league till early-december (!!!!!!!) and rescue a sunken european campaign (though, lets face it, that was a given: I guess Rafa just wanted too make it interseting!). When’s the last time we were 9 points behind in january with the top team still too visit 2 more of the big 4, play us at home and deal with the african cup of nations (along with chelski)?

    But most significantly: what realistic liverpool fan thought we were going too win the league this year? Especially after the incumbents spent 60 million without recouping a penny.

    honestly!

    Some people.