The night Benitez dug his own grave

By Matt Ladson On · 24 Comments · In Opinion

Some might say the digging began a while ago, some may insist the shovels are out too early, but most now agree Rafa Benitez has got the shovels out himself and began digging his own grave as manager of Liverpool FC.

Last night’s draw at Wigan was our ninth of the season. Yes, ninth draw in 23 league games. The last three seasons the league winners have drawn just 6, 5 and 4 times.

All three of them seasons the league winners lost five times. The reason being they risked going for a win rather than going away with a draw. We’ve lost just once this season, we might even end the season with just one defeat, yet winning the league seems highly unlikely now. Given that United are now effectively six points clear due to their game-in-hand and their significantly better goal difference, plus the fact they are in-form and we’re showing form of a mid-table team – 2 wins in the last 7 games.

What somebody needs to explain to Benitez is some simple maths. Let’s just say, of the 9 drawn games, we won 5 of them and lost the other 4 – we’d be 6 points better off. Even the other way around and we’d lost more than we’d won and we’d still be 3 points better off.

The frustrating thing is, early in the season, when we were needing a goal to win it, Benitez was happy to take off a full-back and throw on an attacker or winger and get the job done – against Middlesbrough and Wigan. Since then his philosophy has changed so much that he takes off a forward and brings on a midfielder. Somehow, it seems Benitez thinks matches can be won without strikers on the pitch? It’s here that you can argue why Benitez is more suited to the European game and getting a draw is a good result if you sneak a win in the second leg etc.

What has really irritated me lately is his failure to learn from his mistakes, or to apply any logic to his decisions. Let me refer to the combination of Lucas and Mascherano in midfield; it failed miserably at home to Fulham, so what does he do against a similar side like Stoke? Play the two of them together again. Both drawn. Few weeks later at Wigan, similar match, same again. Same result – two more points dropped. It’s all well and good ‘resting’ Alonso for the Chelsea match but even if we win on Sunday, we’ve already dropped two points last night. You’d have thought Rafa with his incredible rotation policy could have factored Alonso’s tiredness and given him a rest against Preston rather than in an important league fixture we desperately needed to win to give a clear message that we can keep up with United.

A lot of players have been getting some stick lately but Benitez has to be accountable. His use, or mis-use, of Keane applies no logic and quite frankly stinks. Rested against Everton on Sunday, so he can play a cameo seven minutes last night? Pointless. Why not bring him on for Torres? No, we don’t need forwards on the pitch, we’ll hand the initiative to he opposition just as we did last Monday and ended up with another two points dropped.

I read a post on The Liverpool Way last night which summed up how I feel about Benitez – having always been a massive fan of him (and I still hope he somehow turns it around), here’s part of the post:

“My faith is gone because of that substitution. There was no logical, tactical reason for it what so ever. Rafa was sending out a message. Taking off the best player he’s got for a man he’s got no belief in. Rafa’s always been stubborn, but that was a huge “fuck you” to the fans and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was some sort of stupid gesture about the whole Keane fiasco, like him saying “there you go, have your precious Keane on the pitch, i’ll take off Gerrard”. Whatever his reason, he’s lost one fan at least tonight that always, always believed in and backed him regardless of whether i agreed with him.

There’s a lot of fans who will think it’s an over-reaction, but Benitez has handed United the title on a plate. The opportunity to make it 18 each. Those who argue it was he who got us in the position to be challenging are correct, but it is also he who is now undoing all the early season work with illogical decisions and his negative tactics. We might end up going the whole season with one league defeat, yet be fighting for third or fourth on the last day. It doesn’t take a genius to work out where we’ve blown it.

The worst thing is, we all anticipated a crazy decision or two last night, hoping Rafa wouldn’t throw one of his crazy team selections, while it wasn’t that crazy, it was hardly inspiring for the average fan – and im sure the players felt the same way. Imagine being a Wigan player and seeing Torres, and later Gerrard, being taken off. Imagine being a Liverpool player and seeing Torres being replaced by Riera with twenty minutes to go. Inspirational stuff.

There’s some stats flying around comparing this season to last season (Eg. Arsenal away, Chelsea home etc. substituting relegated teams for promoted teams) which show this season we are four points less off, 11 goals worse on goal difference, scored eight less and conceeded 3 more. Hardly makes good reading or signs of progress does it.

Sunday is a massive day for Liverpool and Rafa Benitez; anything but a win will realistically end our title ambitions, and give Benitez some tough questions when he meets his new best friend Tom Hicks.

  • About the author

    Matt Ladson

    Matt is the co-editor of This Is Anfield. He grew up on a diet of Roy Evans football and yearns for the glory days to return to Anfield. Follow Matt on Twitter: @mattladson.

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Newer Comments →
  • m15hun

    I thought it was explained in the post match press conference that he brought the players off due to fatigue, thinking the game was won.

    Rather than a big **** you to the fans it was more a little lack of foresight.

    There’s no questioning Benitez’ abilities, but when he’s forced to buy players at board level and not given control over his own transfers what can we expect of the man?

  • m15hun

    I thought it was explained in the post match press conference that he brought the players off due to fatigue, thinking the game was won.

    Rather than a big **** you to the fans it was more a little lack of foresight.

    There’s no questioning Benitez’ abilities, but when he’s forced to buy players at board level and not given control over his own transfers what can we expect of the man?

  • billp

    I am an American that loves Liverpool. You may think that the American owners are too involved. But they are not. If they were truly involved, Benitez would have lost his job three years ago. The owner mentality in America is Win or Die, You better win a championship for me and you better do it quick or your gone. I think it’s time for the American owners to start acting like Americans and get rid of this joker

  • billp

    I am an American that loves Liverpool. You may think that the American owners are too involved. But they are not. If they were truly involved, Benitez would have lost his job three years ago. The owner mentality in America is Win or Die, You better win a championship for me and you better do it quick or your gone. I think it’s time for the American owners to start acting like Americans and get rid of this joker

  • billp

    I am an American that loves Liverpool. You may think that the American owners are too involved. But they are not. If they were truly involved, Benitez would have lost his job three years ago. The owner mentality in America is Win or Die, You better win a championship for me and you better do it quick or your gone. I think it’s time for the American owners to start acting like Americans and get rid of this joker

  • Prof Utonium

    Well said, you need to send this post to Rafa. Just a thought about the Agger situation. Why can’t he play at left back? It’s a problem area and Agger is great on the ball, loves to get forward too. Rafa was desperate to get Heinze, a converted centre back to play a left back roll, so why can’t he just use Agger? Here’s my line up for the Reds: Torres, Keane, Benayoun (centre midfield behind front two), Riera, Alonso, Gerrard (on the right, sorry, he loses some of his super powers not playing in his favourite role, but putting him on the right solves a problem) Agger (left back) Hyypia, Skrtel, Carragher (right back). Rafa, that’s a blueprint for the title!

  • Prof Utonium

    Well said, you need to send this post to Rafa. Just a thought about the Agger situation. Why can’t he play at left back? It’s a problem area and Agger is great on the ball, loves to get forward too. Rafa was desperate to get Heinze, a converted centre back to play a left back roll, so why can’t he just use Agger? Here’s my line up for the Reds: Torres, Keane, Benayoun (centre midfield behind front two), Riera, Alonso, Gerrard (on the right, sorry, he loses some of his super powers not playing in his favourite role, but putting him on the right solves a problem) Agger (left back) Hyypia, Skrtel, Carragher (right back). Rafa, that’s a blueprint for the title!

  • Johnny The Fox

    Why don’t you and hoards of others stop being LIVERPOOL FANS and try being LIVERPOOL SUPPORTERS?

    Supporters are people who stick with it through thick and thin!

    The black and white facts are that we are 2 points off the top and over half way through the season, told that at the start you would have been rubbing your hands together!

    Yeah, so in your mind Rafa has made a few strange decisions, but this man has guided us to a bag of trophies and has a proven track record.

    Try being more positive it won’t surprise me if there is still only a couple of points separating the top 3-4 come the start of May.. will you be still slating Rafa then? or will Liverpool have proved their worth challenging, regardless of whether we win it
    or not?

    There are many ‘˜ifs and buts’ that have passed and still many to come for ALL the teams involved!

    What would you think if the Liverpool Players were talking and feeling like you? saying ‘œoh well the title has been handed to United on a plate’’¦.? I tell you something they have not given up!

    BACK THE PLAYERS AND THE MANAGER – YNWA
    AN AVID SUPPORTER!

  • Johnny The Fox

    Why don’t you and hoards of others stop being LIVERPOOL FANS and try being LIVERPOOL SUPPORTERS?

    Supporters are people who stick with it through thick and thin!

    The black and white facts are that we are 2 points off the top and over half way through the season, told that at the start you would have been rubbing your hands together!

    Yeah, so in your mind Rafa has made a few strange decisions, but this man has guided us to a bag of trophies and has a proven track record.

    Try being more positive it won’t surprise me if there is still only a couple of points separating the top 3-4 come the start of May.. will you be still slating Rafa then? or will Liverpool have proved their worth challenging, regardless of whether we win it
    or not?

    There are many ‘˜ifs and buts’ that have passed and still many to come for ALL the teams involved!

    What would you think if the Liverpool Players were talking and feeling like you? saying ‘œoh well the title has been handed to United on a plate’’¦.? I tell you something they have not given up!

    BACK THE PLAYERS AND THE MANAGER – YNWA
    AN AVID SUPPORTER!

  • Fal

    Spot on Matt. I think last night confirmed what a lot of us have felt privately for a long while – Rafa is probably never going to win us the title. His tactics, team selections and subsitutions continue to baffle. It think Rafa for all his studious preperation, is over analysing and over complicating what is basically a very simple game. Play you best eleven in the knowledge that they are better than most teams we meet and allow them to express themselves. Apart from the great wins against Chelsea and Utd it’s difficult to remember a game that the fans were treated to expansive attacking football. I feel sorry for Stevie G who as usual has been a shining light in an otherwise drab season. The Torres factor has unboubtedly compounded this, but we should be able to field enough quality to get over this. I’m sorry to say that this may be indeed be the end on the line for Rafa. Thanks for Istanbul, but your five years are up.

  • Fal

    Spot on Matt. I think last night confirmed what a lot of us have felt privately for a long while – Rafa is probably never going to win us the title. His tactics, team selections and subsitutions continue to baffle. It think Rafa for all his studious preperation, is over analysing and over complicating what is basically a very simple game. Play you best eleven in the knowledge that they are better than most teams we meet and allow them to express themselves. Apart from the great wins against Chelsea and Utd it’s difficult to remember a game that the fans were treated to expansive attacking football. I feel sorry for Stevie G who as usual has been a shining light in an otherwise drab season. The Torres factor has unboubtedly compounded this, but we should be able to field enough quality to get over this. I’m sorry to say that this may be indeed be the end on the line for Rafa. Thanks for Istanbul, but your five years are up.

  • Fal

    Spot on Matt. I think last night confirmed what a lot of us have felt privately for a long while – Rafa is probably never going to win us the title. His tactics, team selections and subsitutions continue to baffle. It think Rafa for all his studious preperation, is over analysing and over complicating what is basically a very simple game. Play you best eleven in the knowledge that they are better than most teams we meet and allow them to express themselves. Apart from the great wins against Chelsea and Utd it’s difficult to remember a game that the fans were treated to expansive attacking football. I feel sorry for Stevie G who as usual has been a shining light in an otherwise drab season. The Torres factor has unboubtedly compounded this, but we should be able to field enough quality to get over this. I’m sorry to say that this may be indeed be the end on the line for Rafa. Thanks for Istanbul, but your five years are up.

  • stevo

    I suggest you get your facts right. After 23 games last season we had 40 points, this year we have 48 which is why we are “stil in the mix” which is what we supporters wanted us to be at this stage of the season. Any real supporters will be getting behind the team and Rafa, not sniping.

    • http://www.thisisanfield.com Matt Ladson

      I suggest you realise what was said; using same teams except promoted teams for relegated teams swapped. Not points after 23 games.

    • http://www.thisisanfield.com Matt Ladson

      I suggest you realise what was said; using same teams except promoted teams for relegated teams swapped. Not points after 23 games.

  • stevo

    I suggest you get your facts right. After 23 games last season we had 40 points, this year we have 48 which is why we are “stil in the mix” which is what we supporters wanted us to be at this stage of the season. Any real supporters will be getting behind the team and Rafa, not sniping.

    • http://www.thisisanfield.com Matt Ladson

      I suggest you realise what was said; using same teams except promoted teams for relegated teams swapped. Not points after 23 games.

  • najmul

    Have ben following this team for the last 35 years and regret to inform you why you guys have taken ages to find out that the Benitez of 5 years back is gone. now we have a self-centered, arrogant always right Benitez. He does not have the guts to acknowlege his mistakes. he does not have a pair of balls to change 3 players at half-time to change a game.Only ferguson and Mourinho cld do that. He has always been defensive minded. i wld prefer the American owners do not give him absolute power.
    He has not yet understood that Carra is no longer at ease at right back he has to play central. Lucas is good for Conference League.
    He is always praising Kuyt of being a very hard worker F*** man we need some one who cld deliver crosses who cld give width wld cld open a game not some one running after the ball for 90 mins and then completely exhausted.
    We have to accept we still lack the depth.
    am afraid if we do not beat Chelsea then bye 19.We wld need to slog for the fourth place.
    The famous “keep Faith in Rafa” is turning hollow mates.We are always coming us with the excuse the opposite team has parked the bus sow hat it’s up to Rafa to come up with a strategy to open the door. The classical answer wld be ” i do not have the fund to buy the fund to buy players i want”.
    In a nutshell the main problenm of Rafa is attitude, arrogance, unwillingness to acknowlege facts, stubborness, vanity. He needs to sortout these issues first then we wld get our Liverpool of the 70′s and 80′s back.

  • najmul

    Have ben following this team for the last 35 years and regret to inform you why you guys have taken ages to find out that the Benitez of 5 years back is gone. now we have a self-centered, arrogant always right Benitez. He does not have the guts to acknowlege his mistakes. he does not have a pair of balls to change 3 players at half-time to change a game.Only ferguson and Mourinho cld do that. He has always been defensive minded. i wld prefer the American owners do not give him absolute power.
    He has not yet understood that Carra is no longer at ease at right back he has to play central. Lucas is good for Conference League.
    He is always praising Kuyt of being a very hard worker F*** man we need some one who cld deliver crosses who cld give width wld cld open a game not some one running after the ball for 90 mins and then completely exhausted.
    We have to accept we still lack the depth.
    am afraid if we do not beat Chelsea then bye 19.We wld need to slog for the fourth place.
    The famous “keep Faith in Rafa” is turning hollow mates.We are always coming us with the excuse the opposite team has parked the bus sow hat it’s up to Rafa to come up with a strategy to open the door. The classical answer wld be ” i do not have the fund to buy the fund to buy players i want”.
    In a nutshell the main problenm of Rafa is attitude, arrogance, unwillingness to acknowlege facts, stubborness, vanity. He needs to sortout these issues first then we wld get our Liverpool of the 70′s and 80′s back.

  • norfolk_red

    I very much hope your right when you say:
    “There’s a lot of fans who will think it’s an over-reaction”
    Best position we’ve been in for years in the league & qualifying for the Champions league knock out stages was a breeze. And to this is how you thank our manager! He’s delivering on our aim for the season and you want him out! Are you Parry in disguise?
    I love this site – its one of the ones I visit every day, but if I want to read this anti Liverpool drivel then I’d be off to the Daily Mail etc.
    Come on lads keep your nerve, and stop believing all the crap you read in the tabloids etc

  • norfolk_red

    I very much hope your right when you say:
    “There’s a lot of fans who will think it’s an over-reaction”
    Best position we’ve been in for years in the league & qualifying for the Champions league knock out stages was a breeze. And to this is how you thank our manager! He’s delivering on our aim for the season and you want him out! Are you Parry in disguise?
    I love this site – its one of the ones I visit every day, but if I want to read this anti Liverpool drivel then I’d be off to the Daily Mail etc.
    Come on lads keep your nerve, and stop believing all the crap you read in the tabloids etc

  • susiered

    Please dont lose hope or faith in the players or manager or the club or even other supporters who are getting scared and doubting our chances. I still believe, I have to, otherwise whats the use?
    Maybe things dont happen the way we think they should, but I do believe there’s a reason, maybe he’s trying to take all the flack on himself to save his players keep getting stick? I dont know its only guess work. But we haven’t changed the way we’re playing we’ve not had a good season, even though we got top spot, had lots of luck on our side I guess.
    But the lads seem to lose confidence in themselves after the spurs game because they did play well, How do you figure that one out? we play not well and win and then play well and lose? We’ve not had our A team all season through injuries and country games, I think you can count on one hand the games, so when they do get into full flow then we may stand a chance and yes Rafa will have to do some changes we’ve lots of important games coming up.
    So please everyone we need to lighten the mood at the games, to try to help lift the pressure off the lads and our supporters otherwise we’re playing into the other clubs hands, I dont know how else to help them through this, any other Ideas? We all know we’ve got class players, but they just need our help out of this slump, not bitching at, thats not very productive, yes some try to hard and make a mess or some get so frustrated and these lead to lack of concentration, they want to win the title themselves for the cup and medals and the fame to listen to some fans its as if they dont want to win. please help show you believe.
    I’m so proud of every single one of them, they have there own strenghs and weaknesses which only improve with constant matches but thts not always possible for those some call fringe players.
    As for keane he’d had a knock, only slightly maybe and was rested for safty, why take the risk with injury problems we’d had some have been saying Rafa’s been messing about with him, to be honest my jury is still out on him till he’s done the season, you cant possibly judge, but he plays similar role to Stevie and we’d all prefer stevie to play but he cant always.
    I wont give up on them till we’re down to last game and cant win otherwise its still game on. Dont be quitters Anfield faithful, thats not the liverpool way is it? Good luck everyone

  • susiered

    Please dont lose hope or faith in the players or manager or the club or even other supporters who are getting scared and doubting our chances. I still believe, I have to, otherwise whats the use?
    Maybe things dont happen the way we think they should, but I do believe there’s a reason, maybe he’s trying to take all the flack on himself to save his players keep getting stick? I dont know its only guess work. But we haven’t changed the way we’re playing we’ve not had a good season, even though we got top spot, had lots of luck on our side I guess.
    But the lads seem to lose confidence in themselves after the spurs game because they did play well, How do you figure that one out? we play not well and win and then play well and lose? We’ve not had our A team all season through injuries and country games, I think you can count on one hand the games, so when they do get into full flow then we may stand a chance and yes Rafa will have to do some changes we’ve lots of important games coming up.
    So please everyone we need to lighten the mood at the games, to try to help lift the pressure off the lads and our supporters otherwise we’re playing into the other clubs hands, I dont know how else to help them through this, any other Ideas? We all know we’ve got class players, but they just need our help out of this slump, not bitching at, thats not very productive, yes some try to hard and make a mess or some get so frustrated and these lead to lack of concentration, they want to win the title themselves for the cup and medals and the fame to listen to some fans its as if they dont want to win. please help show you believe.
    I’m so proud of every single one of them, they have there own strenghs and weaknesses which only improve with constant matches but thts not always possible for those some call fringe players.
    As for keane he’d had a knock, only slightly maybe and was rested for safty, why take the risk with injury problems we’d had some have been saying Rafa’s been messing about with him, to be honest my jury is still out on him till he’s done the season, you cant possibly judge, but he plays similar role to Stevie and we’d all prefer stevie to play but he cant always.
    I wont give up on them till we’re down to last game and cant win otherwise its still game on. Dont be quitters Anfield faithful, thats not the liverpool way is it? Good luck everyone

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