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Showing posts with label Rafael Benitez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rafael Benitez. Show all posts

Thursday, 23 September 2010

Liverpool Early Exit Highlights a Need For Change


Northampton fans will be singing and dancing all over the city for the next decade it seems, after shockingly dumping Liverpool FC out of the Carling Cup in the third round. It's a game that will live in the memories of the Cobblers for a long, long time to come, and will most certainly be a story told to grandchildren in front of a roaring fire.

However, footballing life goes on and Liverpool must now go about the task of reshaping and restructuring a new look squad, that so far hasn't really gelled, save for the game against Steua Bucharest, in which Liverpool hammered four in.

One big win against a Europa side however, simply isn't enough for the cup-hungry Anfield faithful. Already there are mutters of dissent over Rafael Benitez's departure and the appointment of his successor, Roy Hodgson.

Several comments were observed around Liverpool Forums during the Northampton game to the tune of: "hodgson won't last ten minutes" and "Should have given the job to King Kenny". Given Liverpool's poor start this season, such sentiment is almost understandable, however it is perhaps a little early to be judging a man who isn't used to dining at the top tables in Europe.

One thing is clear though, a change is needed, and a drastic one at that. Simply sitting 10 men behind a ball and playing cagey counter attacking football will no longer work in the top flight, as clubs spend more and more on outrageously overpriced players. The premiership has changed drastically over the last 5 years, with more mid-table teams than ever jostling for a place in Europe.

Money won't always be the deciding factor. Eventually, every club in the Premiership will have a foreign investor, and the likes of Chelsea and Man City will be averagely wealthy in the grand scheme of things.

In an exclusive interview with LFC TV, the club'f official TV channel, Christian Purslow confirmed that once Liverpool were eventually bought out, they would in fact be the most profitable club in the Premiership. He also said that current profits were being used to service debts loaded onto the club by it's American owners, and that he worked every single day towards one goal: ploughing those profits back into the pitch, the players and the facilities.

However rich a club is though, it needs a special person at the helm to make a difference, or indeed a very patient one who doesn't mind occasionally being used as a scapegoat. Avram Grant was a victim of such at Chelsea having lasted only a season before being sacked for failing to achieve the results desired by it's billionaire owner.

And so we swing back to Liverpool. If Liverpool are sold and are suddenly as cash rich as any other top flight club, will Roy be the man to take them forward? Or will he also face the axe (a 'la Rafa or Grant) for one bad season?

Or is Roy capable, or more more to the point, confident enough to ring the changes at Anfield and actually take some risks?

Saturday, 18 September 2010

Alex Ferguson - It's all Rafa's Fault

Sir Alex Ferguson has hit out at former Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez by claiming its the Spaniards fault that Liverpool are in the mess they are in now. This should probably be interpreted as a reference to the playing squad as the club have announced they have satisfied the Premier League's requirements to continue meeting their wage bills and other financial commitments.

This also ties in with the fact that Fergie is quoted as saying "I don't know if Liverpool's current situation is anything to do with the financial position".

"In the last regime they spent a lot of money on players, far more than Manchester United did. They had a huge squad of players, so I don't know if the financial position is anything to do with it.

"I really don't know because I'm not there. So I can't judge what the impact of these things is."

Given the fact that Benitez had to sell to buy most of the time, these comments may be interpreted as slightly unfair, and almost illogical. Benitez is seen by a lot of Liverpool fans as an idol, given the fact that he brought home "Ole Big Ears" (The Champions League Trophy), for the fifth time, an occasion which meant that Liverpool would retain the trophy permanently. He also gradually improved their league position and points tally tremendously, with the exception of the 2009-10 season in which he bizarrely lost a lot of ground.

However, it can't all be attributed to Rafael Benitez. There was a top playing squad beneath him, however it seemed that for the majority of last season, there was no 'team'.

Was it really Rafa's fault? Did he lose the dressing room? The only people who know the answers to that question are those still inside the walls of Melwood, as well as the man himself. For most, it's not an issue; the man who brought home number 5 will always be special at Anfield.