Moaning Media: Rafa just can’t win!

By Matt Ladson On · 107 Comments · In Opinion

After a season which has been hugely hampered by our leaky defence – conceding well over half as many as we conceded in the whole of last season (27, average of 0.7 goals per game) in just 13 games (20, average of 1.5 goals per game) – you’d expect a clean sheet in a Merseyside derby, and a second inside a week, would be greeted with praise.


Photo from fOTOGLIF

Not by all though, instead the good old media prefer to criticise Rafa Benitez for, as Mark Lawrenson put it on Match of the Day 2, “reverting to type”. Lawrenson moaned we had pretty much 7 defenders in the starting 11 today.

Let’s see, Liverpool have been conceding goals at a faster rate than at any other time under Rafa Benitez. Maybe Rafa’s rationale for deploying a defensive minded team has something to do with that fact? Maybe, just maybe, he is thinking to keep it tight, maybe get a goal at the other end and if not have plenty of creative players on the bench to win the game late on when Everton are tiring (our bench had Benayoun, Riera, Aquilani and El Zhar on it).

There’s a huge reason why Lawrenson and other pundits are exactly that, pundits, and not coaching themselves.

You honestly have to wonder if the likes of Lawrenson ever played the game, never mind played under some of the greatest managers Britain has ever seen.

Stick to the sofa Lawro (and others who will no doubt join you in the morning papers), and ill stick to trusting a manager with more tactical nous than you could ever dream of.

  • 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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  • Michael

    I think we as fans and supporters need to look at what Rafa and the players have achieved since he took over as Gaffer. Our expectations need to be realistic and whith what we had last year in terms of injuries and where we finished was fantastic. That does not automatically mean that we will finish 1st this season. It would be fantastic but it is a road that needs to be buitl and travelled.
    We have exceptional quality players and the likes of Mr Gerrard and Mr Torres are the start of these players but not the end. Rafa knows what is expected and the players seem confident with him so lets keep quite and let him do his job. Mr Torres flourished under his guidance as to has Mr Gerrard and those are only two, you have Mr Macherano , Mr Kuyt, Mr Agger, Mr Skirtel the list goes on to all of them putting their bodies and more importantly their hearts on the line week in and week out. I thank you the team for what you give me when I watch you guys out there fighting to the last second.
    Thank you!

  • RafaTonic

    Rafa’s the best thing that has happened to Liverpool FC since the glory days of 70s and 80s.All he needs is a transfer kitty worthy of Liverpool Football Club.Currenty he is being fed on scraps and is forced to bargain in the flea market (symbollically). Getting Johnson was good, but it should not stop there and it should not be by selling another.THIS SELL AND THEN BUY POLICY IS WHAT IS BRINGING ABOUT OUR DOWNFALL.

  • RafaTonic

    Rafa’s the best thing that has happened to Liverpool FC since the glory days of 70s and 80s.All he needs is a transfer kitty worthy of Liverpool Football Club.Currenty he is being fed on scraps and is forced to bargain in the flea market (symbollically). Getting Johnson was good, but it should not stop there and it should not be by selling another.THIS SELL AND THEN BUY POLICY IS WHAT IS BRINGING ABOUT OUR DOWNFALL.

  • Crimson flame(gg)

    ——->rick/ Martin O’neil???I thought you will respond a manager like Gus Hidding or some one like him.
    But i think no one can do better job for us with this owners!!!

  • Crimson flame(gg)

    ——->rick/ Martin O’neil???I thought you will respond a manager like Gus Hidding or some one like him.
    But i think no one can do better job for us with this owners!!!

  • marctick

    Those who think Liverpool are good enough, that Rafa is good enough are loyal but misguided. Rafa needs to be far less obstinate. His desire to play defensively, and to play hard-working but ineffective players is always going to hamper the team. Benitez spends alot of time scribbling notes but never seems to come to the same conclusion as the pundits. There certainly is reason why Lawrenson and the many other pundits who criticise Benitez are pundits rather than managers but the lack of certain attributes does not make their opinions invalid.
    Those who praise Lucas for his work ethic but fail to recognise his limitations as a creative force are frankly deluded.
    It is also frustrating that defenders of Rafa’s record start quoting figures like politicians. Lies, lies and damned statistics! I’ll those number-happy individuals a few figures; they relate to the number of games we have failed to win this season, the lack of goals scored, the number of high number of goals conceded and our current position in the league. We are seventh, as I have said before, because we are seventh best in England. We might get up to fourth by the end of the season, we might not get up to fourth, but how the mighty have fallen if that is your aspiration. Liverpool play like a team who are better than average but we will not win the league this year and we are no closer to winning it than we have been previously. Even last year’s second place was unconvincing and neither Arsenal or Chelsea fans were concerned about finishing below us for the simple reason that they know that with a little tweaking, they could be in contention the following year. Liverpool are a workman-like team who sometimes play very well. But even if Liverpool can occasionally pull off a good result, they are no more likely to win the league than Villa or Tottenham who also record high-scoring or surprising results.
    My aspiration is that Liverpool should win the League before Gerrard has to hang up his boots. In the meantime I would like to see some pleasing performances. Rafa is unlikely to produce. Like Lawrenson, Hansen and the many, many other pundits who have been critical of Liverpool’s performances and Rafa’s choices, I am not a manager, I do not possess the attributes to be a manager but I am a sentient human being with eyes in my head and a mind that is capable of critical analysis. You do not need to be manager of Liverpool to recognise key problematic areas.
    Liverpool need a fresh start. The excuse-mongers are achieving one very significant outcome: they are holding our great club back.

  • marctick

    Those who think Liverpool are good enough, that Rafa is good enough are loyal but misguided. Rafa needs to be far less obstinate. His desire to play defensively, and to play hard-working but ineffective players is always going to hamper the team. Benitez spends alot of time scribbling notes but never seems to come to the same conclusion as the pundits. There certainly is reason why Lawrenson and the many other pundits who criticise Benitez are pundits rather than managers but the lack of certain attributes does not make their opinions invalid.
    Those who praise Lucas for his work ethic but fail to recognise his limitations as a creative force are frankly deluded.
    It is also frustrating that defenders of Rafa’s record start quoting figures like politicians. Lies, lies and damned statistics! I’ll those number-happy individuals a few figures; they relate to the number of games we have failed to win this season, the lack of goals scored, the number of high number of goals conceded and our current position in the league. We are seventh, as I have said before, because we are seventh best in England. We might get up to fourth by the end of the season, we might not get up to fourth, but how the mighty have fallen if that is your aspiration. Liverpool play like a team who are better than average but we will not win the league this year and we are no closer to winning it than we have been previously. Even last year’s second place was unconvincing and neither Arsenal or Chelsea fans were concerned about finishing below us for the simple reason that they know that with a little tweaking, they could be in contention the following year. Liverpool are a workman-like team who sometimes play very well. But even if Liverpool can occasionally pull off a good result, they are no more likely to win the league than Villa or Tottenham who also record high-scoring or surprising results.
    My aspiration is that Liverpool should win the League before Gerrard has to hang up his boots. In the meantime I would like to see some pleasing performances. Rafa is unlikely to produce. Like Lawrenson, Hansen and the many, many other pundits who have been critical of Liverpool’s performances and Rafa’s choices, I am not a manager, I do not possess the attributes to be a manager but I am a sentient human being with eyes in my head and a mind that is capable of critical analysis. You do not need to be manager of Liverpool to recognise key problematic areas.
    Liverpool need a fresh start. The excuse-mongers are achieving one very significant outcome: they are holding our great club back.

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