What happened to Liverpool’s missing 5?

By Matt Ladson On · 175 Comments · In Opinion

Much of the attention following the debacle at Fulham on Saturday has focused on Rafa Benitez‘s withdrawal of Fernando Torres after an hour, with the score level at 1-1.

Fair enough, Torres isn’t fully fit and an £11m player should be able to come on and provide something up front, shame that player was Ryan Babel but that’s another story. I don’t see why Torres’ withdrawal has been made the total centre of debate.

For me, the bigger question should be why Yossi Benayoun, our most creative player on the pitch at 2-1 down, was withdrawn with 12 minutes remaining when fully fit.

Benayoun himself didn’t look impressed with the decision and it seemed to signal Benitez was happy to settle for a defeat and rest players ahead of the Champions League match at Lyon on Wednesday. It was throwing the towel in like at Reading a few years back.

Furthermore, what, exactly, happened to the five players who were seemingly fully fit and available on Friday, yet weren’t in the squad. Where they rested ahead of the Lyon match? If so it’s a huge gamble which has backfired on Benitez.

The players are sub keeper Diego Cavalieri – who was replaced by 19 year old Peter Gulacsi who has never been involved in the first team before – centre backs Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger – I’d have preferred either to Sotirios Kyrgiakos – left back Fabio Aurelio – a better option that Insua who looks tired and poor defensively – and forward David Ngog – a better option than Babel and arguably Voronin too.

The thing is, none of them are exactly key players so why would they be rested ahead of the Lyon match? I can see the logic in resting one of Agger or Skrtel but why both? I cannot see the logic in not including Ngog or Cavalieri, or Aurelio.

The question is, where they rested or has the Liverpool squad been hit with swine flu? Lucas Leiva was reported to have “flu” (not swine flu according to Benitez) and missed the Arsenal defeat, while Alberto Aquilani had “flu” (again Benitez said not swine flu) following the Arsenal match.

If the Reds squad has been hit with flu, nobody has confirmed it.

One thing is for sure ahead of the Lyon match, with Glen Johnson and Martin Kelly both injured, and Philipp Degen not in the Europe squad, Benitez has a huge problem at right back. Youngster Stephen Darby is the only fully fit and available option, unless Rafa opts to switch Carragher there.

It’s a massive week ahead and Liverpool fans should just hope some of the players out injured regain fitness, and fast.

  • 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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  • Walk On

    The argument that Liverpool’s squad is “not strong/good enough” to mount a viable challenge for the championship just doesn’t hold much(if any)water for me.It’s way too simple and narrow…and I don’t know whether to put it down to ignorance,plain stupidity or knee-jerkism.People,this is the very team which finished 2nd last season with a whopping 86 points(which,in my opinion,is an acceptable championship-winning tally)and,if my memory serves me well,scored more goals than any other side and suffered only 2 losses the entire campaign.There’s nothing wrong with our best eleven(and first 3 key subs).With the exception of Alonso,the team’s still the same(or even better now,with Glen and Aquaman’s acquisitions).The only difference is that,last season,luck was on our side in terms of injuries,fitness and suspensions.The majority of our key MVPs were constantly fit and regularly available.But,this season’s been a completely differnt story.Having to play some games(very difficult games)virtually without your first teamers will always be a challenge(take out Vidic,Evra,Rooney,Valencia,Carrick,Nani and Rio and see how the Mancs fare).I said before the start of the season that,if all our key players manage to stay injury and suspension free more often than not,we’ll be rampant.The main problem for me is the lack of depth(which wouldn’t be an issue if it was possible to constantly play the same players for more than 50 games a season and still achieve a high level of productivity.But we all know that that’s not practical).You may argue with me on this,but I’m telling you,if all our key players return to full fitness and manage to stay injury and/or suspension-free,we’ll rise to the occassion…and all this “poor quality”,”not good enough” talk will be a long distant history.Peace everybody.

  • Walk On

    The argument that Liverpool’s squad is “not strong/good enough” to mount a viable challenge for the championship just doesn’t hold much(if any)water for me.It’s way too simple and narrow…and I don’t know whether to put it down to ignorance,plain stupidity or knee-jerkism.People,this is the very team which finished 2nd last season with a whopping 86 points(which,in my opinion,is an acceptable championship-winning tally)and,if my memory serves me well,scored more goals than any other side and suffered only 2 losses the entire campaign.There’s nothing wrong with our best eleven(and first 3 key subs).With the exception of Alonso,the team’s still the same(or even better now,with Glen and Aquaman’s acquisitions).The only difference is that,last season,luck was on our side in terms of injuries,fitness and suspensions.The majority of our key MVPs were constantly fit and regularly available.But,this season’s been a completely differnt story.Having to play some games(very difficult games)virtually without your first teamers will always be a challenge(take out Vidic,Evra,Rooney,Valencia,Carrick,Nani and Rio and see how the Mancs fare).I said before the start of the season that,if all our key players manage to stay injury and suspension free more often than not,we’ll be rampant.The main problem for me is the lack of depth(which wouldn’t be an issue if it was possible to constantly play the same players for more than 50 games a season and still achieve a high level of productivity.But we all know that that’s not practical).You may argue with me on this,but I’m telling you,if all our key players return to full fitness and manage to stay injury and/or suspension-free,we’ll rise to the occassion…and all this “poor quality”,”not good enough” talk will be a long distant history.Peace everybody.

  • Kevin

    Spot on, walk on ;)

  • Kevin

    Spot on, walk on ;)

  • Kevin

    Spot on, walk on ;)

  • Luke Sinclair

    id like to agree with ‘shambeko’.

    everyone has thier opinions and we all know that there are certian players who are not worthy and make shakly do sommersaults in his grave. but we are still liverpool and we must walk on!! is it not at these times when we dig in deeper than anyone else and support our team? or will we just on the Istabul bandwagon and expect to win everything ? The fact is Rafa will be here to end of the season, we cant afoord to sack him, so let’s hope it is a repeat of 2005- poor in the league, poor in the group stages- scrape through and win the Chamipns League. there is no doubt are team is much better than 05 despite the wasters. things can only get better and rafa knows how to win in europe(or draw shud that be) so all we can do is hope chelski win the lague and not united, and that we win the Champions League and the FA Cup until we can bring in someone who knows how to land the prem, like martin o neill or jamie carrager perhaps.

  • Luke Sinclair

    id like to agree with ‘shambeko’.

    everyone has thier opinions and we all know that there are certian players who are not worthy and make shakly do sommersaults in his grave. but we are still liverpool and we must walk on!! is it not at these times when we dig in deeper than anyone else and support our team? or will we just on the Istabul bandwagon and expect to win everything ? The fact is Rafa will be here to end of the season, we cant afoord to sack him, so let’s hope it is a repeat of 2005- poor in the league, poor in the group stages- scrape through and win the Chamipns League. there is no doubt are team is much better than 05 despite the wasters. things can only get better and rafa knows how to win in europe(or draw shud that be) so all we can do is hope chelski win the lague and not united, and that we win the Champions League and the FA Cup until we can bring in someone who knows how to land the prem, like martin o neill or jamie carrager perhaps.

  • Laughable

    “and forward David N’Gog – a better option than Babel and arguably Voronin too.”

    If you think both ngogand Voronin iare better players than Babel then you have very little knowledge of football

  • Laughable

    “and forward David N’Gog – a better option than Babel and arguably Voronin too.”

    If you think both ngogand Voronin iare better players than Babel then you have very little knowledge of football

  • Laughable

    “and forward David N’Gog – a better option than Babel and arguably Voronin too.”

    If you think both ngogand Voronin iare better players than Babel then you have very little knowledge of football

  • goran

    ALl good points great article, the more i watch this great team play the more i think raffa is loosing it.

  • goran

    ALl good points great article, the more i watch this great team play the more i think raffa is loosing it.

  • goran

    ALl good points great article, the more i watch this great team play the more i think raffa is loosing it.

  • Mr. Khan Mauritius

    i AGREE that the co-owners t to blame. but wen a manager said that winning trophies is NOT IMPORTANCE, it means time has come to sack Mr. Benitez.

    replace him by Dalglish till we obtain Guss Hiddink on a permanent basis.

  • Mr. Khan Mauritius

    i AGREE that the co-owners t to blame. but wen a manager said that winning trophies is NOT IMPORTANCE, it means time has come to sack Mr. Benitez.

    replace him by Dalglish till we obtain Guss Hiddink on a permanent basis.

  • Mr. Khan Mauritius

    i AGREE that the co-owners t to blame. but wen a manager said that winning trophies is NOT IMPORTANCE, it means time has come to sack Mr. Benitez.

    replace him by Dalglish till we obtain Guss Hiddink on a permanent basis.

  • http://www.thisisanfield.com Matt

    Laughable, re “If you think both ngogand Voronin iare better players than Babel then you have very little knowledge of football”.

    Yes, Babel has been brilliant lately hasn’t he. My bad.

  • http://www.thisisanfield.com Matt

    Laughable, re “If you think both ngogand Voronin iare better players than Babel then you have very little knowledge of football”.

    Yes, Babel has been brilliant lately hasn’t he. My bad.

  • paul

    If only fans knew what goes on behind closed doors . Most football clubs are more secretive than area 51 when it comes to decision making , cock-ups and who will carry the can . Nobody wants the finger pointed at them so they trot out the ‘spin’ to divide opinion whilst those responsible hope for a quick fix .Lets hope we get it tomorrow . Up the reds .

  • paul

    If only fans knew what goes on behind closed doors . Most football clubs are more secretive than area 51 when it comes to decision making , cock-ups and who will carry the can . Nobody wants the finger pointed at them so they trot out the ‘spin’ to divide opinion whilst those responsible hope for a quick fix .Lets hope we get it tomorrow . Up the reds .

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