Is Benitez making a dog's dinner of Liverpool?

[Andy Mac]

Is Benitez making a dog's dinner of Liverpool?

 

Some valid points - some schite too

 

---------------------------

 

The canine theme continues apace on Merseyside. Because if Everton's no-nonsense outfit of the mid-90s had to suffer being branded as The Dogs Of War, then in all fairness and interests of balance, Liverpool's present side should henceforth be referred to as The Dog's Dinner.

 

What a terrible shambles the Rafalution is in danger of turning into. Is it knee-jerk to ask serious questions of Rafael Benitez, European Cup-winning Rafael Benitez, just because Liverpool performed so dismally at Old Trafford? So cluelessly at Bolton? So pathetically at Everton? And - forget the hard-luck stories, please - so helplessly out of their depth at Chelsea?

 

Well, possibly. That's only two months' worth of dreadful form after all, and anyone can suffer that. Just ask Arsene Wenger this time last year. But at least there was some sense then that Arsenal were making long-term progress: by the end of Benitez's third season, Liverpool Football Club will have edged no closer to ending their increasingly Manchester Unitedesque period in the league wilderness than they were under Souness, Evans or Houller. In neither style nor substance.

 

Ah, poor Ged Houller. Cup successes beyond supporters' wildest dreams, yet when it came to the competition Bill Shankly referred to as the club's "bread and butter", he couldn't push on. His defensive style was enough to land a brilliant European trophy - and with the likes of Roma and Barcelona in the way, the 2001 Uefa Cup was as impressive an achievement for the club as the 2005 Champions League - but his subsequent attempts to reach the Premiership summit playing a more proactive attacking game ended in laughable gaffe-strewn disaster.

 

This reminding you of anyone?

 

Like Ged, Rafa has shone in the cups. You can't knock a Champions League and an FA Cup in two seasons, but let's keep things in perspective. Here's Clichéd-but-Irrefutable Truth Of Football No4,873: a well-drilled defence and a soupcon of luck can take you a long way in knockout competitions, but winning league titles is a different proposition altogether. Imagine those two pots never happened - consider Gerrard's thriker against Olympiakos, Gudjohnsen's miss in the Anfield semi-final or Lionel Scaloni's hacked clearance at the Millennium Stadium, and that thin line between success and failure snaps sharply into focus. Imagine that, and Liverpool's lack of Premiership progression under Benitez is suddenly seen in stark relief: they're in the bottom half of the table after a quarter of the season, for goodness sake. But what's worse, they're a knotted mess.

 

Not one component of the team is functioning correctly. Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso look lost, the former detailed with different roles each week, the latter often asked to switch tack from playmaker to covering midfielder in the same game. The wingers - as much as Jermaine Pennant, Luis Garcia and Mark Gonzalez deserve to be described as such (especially if you compare them to Cristiano Ronaldo or Ryan Giggs) - meander aimlessly inside and without intent.

 

Up front, where goals are at a premium, Dirk Kuyt and Peter Crouch are frequently forced on futile lone patrol. (At Old Trafford, the busy Dutchman spent half the time chasing balls on the right wing from where he'd look up to cross, only to realise that the team's one penalty-box predator was chasing balls on the right wing and looking up to cross. Thus he'd find himself forced to turn tail and pass backwards.) Meanwhile a once well-drilled back line marshalled by Pepe the Performing Ape has lost all shape and unity, randomly sliding up and down the pitch like a graphic equaliser on a cheap hi-fi.

 

In comparison with dependable Chelsea, cinematic Arsenal and resurgent Manchester United, Liverpool are a total embarrassment. Actually, in comparison with Aston Villa, Everton, Bolton, Reading and Portsmouth, Liverpool are a total embarrassment. Benitez can't hide behind the European Cup forever - like Ged tried with his "five" trophies in a season shtick and that six-year "five-year plan" - and with Liverpool regressing at frightening pace, it's time he proved he can transfer his La Liga pedigree to England. Or was that "lucky manager" tag he was saddled with in Spain less unfair than it seemed at the time?

 

The crunch is coming. Does Benitez dump the progressive experiment (such as it is), sideline the wingers and go back to 2005's sturdy grind-em-out philosophy? If so, he ain't winning the league any time soon. Does he keep on with the current mix-and-match approach, in the hope that things will come good in "two months" (the Houllieresque wait-and-see timespan he demanded after the abject capitulation at the Reebok)? Well, good luck with that. Or does he give in to the ridiculous clamour to play Steven Gerrard in central midfield - where the captain simply never delivers - in which case Rafa should admit he's taken Liverpool as far as he can possibly take them, and step aside gracefully before everyone's reputation becomes irreversibly tarnished?

 

An end to the policy of constant rotation could be the simple answer; rotating the systems, that is. If Benitez sticks - in every league match - to the simple attacking 4-4-2 framework he often employs at Anfield, and quits trying to be too clever for his own good away from home, he can scribble whichever bloody players he likes in the regular spaces on each teamsheet. At least everyone might remember what they're supposed to be doing that way. And the strikers might have someone to pass to.

 

Telling his full-backs to get up and down a bit more might help too, but whatever he decides, something has to change. And quick. Because if there's not a notable improvement in Liverpool's consistency over the next three to four months, serious questions about Benitez's suitability for the task in hand should be legitimately asked. Turgid, clever-clever tactics will only get you so far and no further - as the Houllier era proved. It's the league Liverpool really want. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss? Say it ain't so, Rafa.

[meepins]

I'm appalled.

[Guest Jack Bauer]

I'm hungry.

[Joshytoohotty]

Total crap to be honest.

 

Not even gonna waste my time picking that to bits.

[DaveLFC]

Is Benitez making a dog's dinner of Liverpool?

. Imagine those two pots never happened - consider Gerrard's thriker against Olympiakos, Gudjohnsen's miss in the Anfield semi-final or Lionel Scaloni's hacked clearance at the Millennium Stadium, and that thin line between success and failure snaps sharply into focus. Imagine that, and Liverpool's lack of Premiership progression under Benitez is suddenly seen in stark relief: they're in the bottom half of the table after a quarter of the season, for goodness sake. But what's worse, they're a knotted mess.

 

Imagine the ref had seen the two fouls before the first two goals at goodison, imagine one of the shots at Bolton went in and the linesman never gifted them the first goal. Imagine that utd missed those two chances... ah feck it I'm bored.

 

FACT we won the FA Cup and the Champions league. We did both in some style. It would be too easy to go over any teams path to a cup final and pick out some lucky moments along the way. you tend to make your own luck in football and all good teams have a fair amount of it from time to time. I'm not suprised that some t*** of a hack wants to reduce what Rafa has achieved to a little bit of luck.

 

I wondered how long it would be before they got their teeth firmly into rafa and this prick has just wasted 5 or so minutes of my life that I will never get back.

Edited October 23, 2006 by DaveLFC

[Joshytoohotty]

FACT we won the FA Cup and the Champions league. We did both in some style. It would be too easy to go over any teams path to a cup final and pick out some lucky moments along the way. you tend to make your own luck in football and all good teams have a fair amount of it from time to time. I'm not suprised that some t*** of a hack wants to reduce what Rafa has achieved to a little bit of luck.

 

Precisely.

 

It's a stupid argument saying, "take away this cup and that cup and what have they done?", the fact is we DID win those cups, therefore we have done something. Still a stupid argument anyway because we got our highest premiership total last season anyway, so to say we are no closer to winning the league is void as well. This season has been abymal, no arguments there, but I still think we are in a significantly better position now than we were before Rafa arrived, and as long as I continue to believe that's the case then I see no reason to question his suitability. I am perplexed about that has happened so far, because I believe the general consensus to be that we have a better team than we did in May. What's gone wrong? I have no idea. One thing to point out though is that the two main areas to focus on this season was to make a good start and to get results against our rivals, none of which has happened, and barring a fantastic run, an Istanbul style comeback, we aren't gonna win the league.

 

However, regardless of my opinions on the matter, the bottom line is that if this form continues for another season after this, there will be tremendous pressure on Rafa and it will probably go the way of Houllier. I am not saying that is right or wrong, but that is the way it will go under the current climate. So many fans demand success and have become accustombed to it over the last two years. The two fantastic cup wins will give him time, probably more time than Houllier bearing in mind one is a European Cup, but it's not a life position. This club demands success, hence Souness, Evans and Ged going. We HAVE to challenge for the title or the manager will be out.

 

I personally love Rafa to bits and have every confidence in him to turn this round, after all it's only been a couple months. BUT, worst case scenario, say this time next season we have finished 5th, won nothing and look like doing the same again, I guarentee the knives will be out. The Houllier era is far too fresh in my memory for me to forget how quickly legends can become hate figures.

[Guest Portly]

I wondered how long it would be before they got their teeth firmly into rafa and this prick has just wasted 5 or so minutes of my life that I will never get back.

 

It's not surprising they have got their teeth into Rafa. This season he has had the strong squad he wanted, and what is the result? One penalty from all our away Premiership games this season. The clueless performance from the whole team at Old Trafford showed us that there is something seriously wrong.

 

As the writer of the article says, if we played 4-4-2 consistently, the players would be more aware of what they were supposed to be doing, and the system would accommodate the rotation that Rafa is so keen on. Whenever we play one up front we are hopeless.

[Nebraska Red]

other than the ridiculous "what if" scenarios that pressmen are so fond of, most of the article rings true.

 

our play this season has been pedestrian for the main part other than a few decent spells in a few games. our goal scoring record is abysmal, we are not creating chances, and we are not defending well either.

 

we are not a team to be feared. a manager who knows some half decent tactics can stifle our play, and our own manger is doing a similar job by playing people out of position, making strange selections and changing the players too often.

 

yet again we are too far back to offer a realistic challenge to the title favorites.

 

the one thing that many on here feared would happen, has happened. we are having a terrible start to the season in the league and we are most likely out of the hunt before the end of October.

 

do we need fewer games? is progress through the CL hampering our performances? would being out of the CL help us?

 

the catch is that without CL football, the club loses status in the eyes of potential signings, but is the style of play we adopt in Europe affecting our ability to play in the PL.

 

our players, unlike those of Arsenal, Chavski and Man U seem to have difficulty changing from European play midweek to PL play at the weekend.

Edited October 24, 2006 by nebraska red

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

seen similar written about the munsters in recent seasons, at similar stages of the season.

 

We're gonna come tearing back & finish 2nd to Arsenal

[Red_Polo]

I stopped taking it seriously at 'hopelessly out of their depth at Chelsea'

 

Obviously it's written by just one of the many d****eads who write about us having never seen half the f****** games. So easy for them to just have a pop at any and everything they can think of. Completely uninsightful.

Edited October 24, 2006 by Red_Polo

[Stevie H]

we're easy meat for the press and the moment and will be as long as we keep playing like a bunch of pansies.

[DonRafa]

Who gives a feck what an internet blog says?

Fecin madness

[Figaro]

The Guardian have been anti-benítez since his arrival.

 

They are also anti-LFC.

[Guest HarrowRed]

But both the Man U and Chelsea games came after euro away fixtures. I remember a few years back Mourinho made a comment about this maybe it rings true ???

 

Anyway in comparison to last seasons corresponding fixtures we are 4 points down, we can make that up. In addition, I am sure we were more points behind the leaders at this stage

[Bigal]

if united hadnt won the FA cup or the cup winners cup ferguson would have been sacked..........would it have been the same?

 

If chelsea didnt have abramovich would they be so "dependable"?

 

If I had a hammer, would I hammer in the morning? or just break his arms?

[RedMarauder]

I can take most articles with a pinch of salt, but the writer clearly only saw the 5 minute highlights against Chelsea and Bolton, as his appraisal is way off the mark and negates any lack of constructiveness to the whole piece. Very poor.

[Andy @ Allerton]

Journalists are generally scum

 

Guardian sports journalists are as low as you can get.

 

You've probably got about 1 in 100 of them that has been to more than one match in their lives judging on their articles.

[Bootle Buck]

I find it very strange that at the beginning of this season and partcularly the Charity Shield we were being touted as Chelsea's big competition this season by the media. Once again they had written off Slur Alex and his tremendous record and Wenger and his boys were finished after last season's poor form.

 

This drive-by media mentality of having to have a new scapegoat or story every five minutes is getting way out of hand.

 

Chelsea after having won the league the last few seasons went out and bought Shevchenko and Ballack two of the best in Europe along with some other pretty good re-inforcements. Man Utd felt comfortable in even being able to let RVN go despite having supposedly a weak squad. Wenger as usual picked up a couple of quality players in Gallas and Rosicky(both players we should have signed IMO) to continue building his fine young squad. There was nothing to suggest from any of this that either of these teams was going to give up the fight and hand the league to us on a plate. After all we signed players in bulk if not neccesarily in quality. Pennant couldn't make it at Arsenal, Bellamy had a stop/start career, Kuyt was unproven outside of Holland and Aurellio and Gonzalez were hard to predict.

 

Nothing there to suggest we should automatically overhaul Chelsea or the other two this season. Coupled with the fact that we can't win a point off any of them away from home year after year I can't see were all the optimism came from and this concept that the league should automatically be winnable. In the past 3/4 years the team that wins the league loses at worst 2/3 games. We are miles away from being anywhere near that consistant. Cup competitions give everyone an opportunity winning in the league week in week out is completely different.

Edited October 24, 2006 by Bootle Buck

[Guest Anders Honoré]

The Guardian have been anti-benítez since his arrival.

 

They are also anti-LFC.

 

they also backed us to win the title in the summer.

[Guest RedRedRed]

I read this in work today and emailed them, just saying how poor and ill-informed this piece of 'journalism' was.

There was also another article on there headed 'Benitez fears Reds commitment'.

Nowhere in it did Rafa say anything of the sort.

 

Poor, poor journalism (almost as bad as my posting ability), but then again it is open season on LFC at the moment, so what did I expect?

Edited October 24, 2006 by RedRedRed

[pjwy]

Total crap to be honest.

 

Not even gonna waste my time picking that to bits.

 

Mostly crap but NOT total crap! The author was absolutely right about Kuyt needing to get on the end of his own cross..out there on the right the cross comes in and nobody whatsoever in any position to utilise it! Kuyt had an thankless task on his hands at OT imho!

[John am Rhein]

We're gonna come tearing back & finish 2nd to Arsenal

 

In the race for 4th?