Rafa must loosen up

[Rory Fitzgerald]

Rafa Benítez must keep Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher on his side at Liverpool

 

By Henry Winter - Published: 7:30AM BST 06 Oct 2009

 

 

Linky

 

 

Ever since Rafael Benítez made his unwise criticism of “senior players’’ in the wake of the Aug 24 defeat to Aston Villa, resentment has lingered in certain quarters towards the Liverpool manager.

 

Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher have both spoken to Benítez about his controversial comments.

 

It needs stressing that no rift exists at Anfield, but the complicated Benítez must re-engage with his team’s heartbeat, the home-grown pair of Huyton’s Gerrard and Bootle’s Carragher, if Liverpool are to prevent another season disappearing down the boulevard of broken dreams.

 

Passionate for the team to succeed, these two highly committed players are intelligent individuals, with Carragher a particularly deep thinker about the game. Gerrard is away with England but Carragher will be at Melwood so Benítez must start there, discussing with his centre-half how Liverpool can improve and how Benítez himself can become a better manager.

 

When Gerrard returns from the vibrant England dressing room after next week’s conclusion of a triumphant World Cup qualifying campaign, Benítez must also meet his captain. Together, Liverpool have a chance.

 

For those gathered in the Anfield media room 20 minutes after that 3-1 defeat to Villa, Benitez’s unflattering verdict on the contributions of Gerrard and Carragher sounded disrespectful to characters who have held Liverpool together from Istanbul to Barcelona.

 

After questioning the marking that allowed Curtis Davies to score Villa’s second (and Carragher was undoubtedly slightly culpable), Benítez hardly backed Gerrard in the build-up to Villa’s third. “Gerrard gave the penalty away and it was a clear penalty.’’ Ouch.

 

Benítez’s conclusion that “it is up to the senior players to take the responsibility’’ triggered the inevitable negative headlines.

 

Well-paid professionals should not retreat into bruised shells just because a manager highlights mistakes, but Benítez’s decision to excoriate stalwarts in public was surprising. It’s not the Liverpool way. At a time when players like Lucas, a Benítez favourite, were patently struggling, the disparaging of two Kop idols was bound to be contentious.

 

These remarks felt far more significant than Benítez’s “and that’s a fact’’ outburst at Sir Alex Ferguson last season. However much that ill-timed rant raised eyebrows in the Anfield dressing room, it did not raise questions internally like the questioning of “senior players’’.

 

For those whose natural inclination it is to defend Gerrard and Carragher, it needs recording that legitimate tactical reasons have arisen this season as to why they are not their usual accomplished selves.

 

Gerrard does not enjoy the swift, precise service of Xabi Alonso, who eventually departed to Real Madrid after falling out with Benítez. Carragher must organise defensive fortifications inevitably weakened by Alonso’s exit and Glen Johnson’s frequent disappearances upfield.

 

Benítez now calls on his players “to keep improving’’ following Sunday’s damaging defeat at Chelsea. It is worth the coach himself considering how he can “keep improving’’ his relations with the dressing room.

 

Such a driven manager, who made himself one of the most respected tacticians in Europe through constant research and self-improvement, now needs to work on his man-management skills.

 

Unlike Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsène Wenger, Mark Hughes, Martin O’Neill, Harry Redknapp, Carlo Ancelotti and David Moyes, Benítez is an incredibly difficult person to warm to. Too detached, too cold. Everyone has heard the stories of Gerrard joking that he will retire in shock when he gets a “well done’’ off Benítez.

 

Everyone knows the tale of the Spanish perfectionist pulling merry players to one side at Liverpool’s 2005 Champions League-winning party to debate dodgy first-half marking against Kaka and Hernán Crespo.

 

Emerging more recently has been Fernando Torres’s account of joyfully entering the dressing room after the birth of his first child to be greeted with presents and plaudits from team-mates. Benítez’s reaction? A comment about the importance of the near-post run.

 

Does it matter that this footballing obsessive seems to show no interest in his players as human beings? After all, this is the manager who stayed on for the 2005 Club World Championship in Tokyo despite learning that his father had passed away back in Spain. In Benítez’s eyes, he was merely being professional, being devoted to his team’s pursuit of trophies.

 

Those who know Benítez speak of a personable soul. Anyone who has seen his wife celebrating victories at Anfield, even singing 'You’ll Never Walk Alone’ before kick-off, will appreciate that there must be some hinterland to Benítez’s character.

 

If Liverpool are to get a grip of their season, Benítez must loosen up.

 

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

 

I'm too tired to contradicate most of that.

 

Gerrard has said in public that Rafa was right to have ago whilst regarding Torres, he strangly came out and said he was a good husband in public - very unlike Rafa. Also, I would love to remember the circumstances around his fathers death because I am sure something came out to say how touched he was but because he was so far away it was better he continue where he was. I hope Winter researched that instead of taking the cheap shot.

 

We know Rafa can come across cold and detached but I will always remember his advice to Babel when he joined.

 

The media will ask you a question expecting answer A, so you think B and then answer C

 

He'll never let the media in. With the players, he obviously has taken the Capello-esque approach rather than the Keegan approach. Like zonal and man-to-man marking, both can work.

 

 

Ultimately, Winter has summed up by saying Rafa must loosen up. He is my favourite journalist (if thats not a contradiction in terms) but I have time for him. Is he seriously expecting Rafa to change his style ?

[Earl Hafler]

Rafa Benítez must keep Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher on his side at Liverpool

 

By Henry Winter - Published: 7:30AM BST 06 Oct 2009

[url="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/liverpool/6263287/Rafa-Benitez-must-keep-

Unlike Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsène Wenger, Mark Hughes, Martin O’Neill, Harry Redknapp, Carlo Ancelotti and David Moyes, Benítez is an incredibly difficult person to warm to. Too detached, too cold. Everyone has heard the stories of Gerrard joking that he will retire in shock when he gets a “well done’’ off Benítez.

 

You've got to be f***ing kidding ?!

 

Not his best by a long chalk.

[D.Boon]

Winter is and always has been full of s***. Pompous idiot with an over inflated opinion of himself.

Edited October 6, 2009 by D.Boon

[Sion]

Unlike Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsène Wenger, Mark Hughes, Martin O’Neill, Harry Redknapp, Carlo Ancelotti and David Moyes, Benítez is an incredibly difficult person to warm to.

 

 

Is that a joke? That's basically saying 'unlike these massive t***s who everyone hates(even the fans of their own clubs in some cases)...Benítez is an incredibly difficult person to warm to'

[Swipe]

Utter s**** from Winter there.

 

Would he have written anything if it was a non-English senior player Rafa "criticised"?

 

Would he f***. Its just more s*** stirring too.

 

He does realise its not Rafa's job to be mates with the media and even the players doesn't he?

 

And anyone expecting us to believe Ferguson is easy to warm to is a f***ing idiot.

 

Be interesting to see if this is picked up by other journos and run with.

 

If so, it'll be received wisdowm in a bout a week.

[Rory Fitzgerald]

Rafa criticises players.

 

Goes on run of 6 consecutive wins.

 

Streak over.

 

Refer back to August for the reason. Bring in fathers death with cheap comment to support.

[D.Boon]

Winter loves those anglo saxon English boys. Oh ya!

 

[MFletcher]

Lamentable.

[Rimbeux]

He's lost it.

[lfc003]

Utter s**** from Winter there.

 

Would he have written anything if it was a non-English senior player Rafa "criticised"?

 

Nail on head

[Benzo-13]

Poisonous article.

[Coyler]

Haha, what a load of bollix. That is terrible.

[Billy Dane]

Rafa Benítez must keep Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher on his side at Liverpool

 

Benítez hardly backed Gerrard in the build-up to Villa’s third. “Gerrard gave the penalty away and it was a clear penalty.’’ Ouch.

 

An accurate assessment, clearly a ridiculous penalty to give away with schoolboy defending. wtf is the "ouch" for? Would he rather Rafa had followed Wenger and claimed he couldn't see it or accuse the ref of not being fit? Buffoon going for space filler shocker.

[Romario]

Wow football writers really have to dig deep to find an angle these days. I can imagine Winter suckling the sweat out of the innards of one of Carraghers 6 week old shin pads just looking for a hit of inspiration. Sad b*****d. Thing is he thinks he's a somebody.

[yellow jumper]

the players at valencia all thought he was a pain in the a*** too, until he left.

[lawrie]

the players at valencia all thought he was a pain in the a*** too, until he left.

 

Gerrard obviously hated Rafa at one point but then seemed to mellow towards him - I hope he hasnt changed his mind again and gone sniping to Winter

[nashman]

Disgustingly s*** article. Did Winter forget the fact that Rafa came out in support of Carra a week ago.

 

Also this

 

"Does it matter that this footballing obsessive seems to show no interest in his players as human beings? After all, this is the manager who stayed on for the 2005 Club World Championship in Tokyo despite learning that his father had passed away back in Spain. In Benítez’s eyes, he was merely being professional, being devoted to his team’s pursuit of trophies."

 

That must be the lowest I have ever seen a journalist go. The mans father died. Different people have different ways of grieving when faced with extreme grief. The decent thing to do is not to dissect the actions of a man in grief. He stayed and managed, so what. Maybe he just wanted to do something which he liked to get over the pain. Just because he does not kiss his finger and point to the sky every time liverpool score a goal, does not mean he put his profession over his family or anything. If he was that cold, I dont think Montse would be with him.

[passater]

I would hope that that is the end of Liverpool players ever talking to Winter. That is pure, unbridled character assasination and the comment on his father's death is way, way beyond the pale.

[Clay Davis]

What is this horrible bulls***.

Ridiculous article, it must be f***ing hard for Rafa to keep going sometimes. The press CONSTANTLY on his back and even ex-players. Imagine being repeatedly told you're unlikeable and s*** at your job despite all evidence. AS WELL as having to put up with the f***ing Yanks. Thank God he has the fans on his side or he'd have walked, i'm sure of that.

[Stevie H]

keep an eye on winter's articles between now and the world cup, they'll be relentlessly pro-england players. he's after securing a comfy berth and unrestricted access at the world cup.

[Rimbeux]

keep an eye on winter's articles between now and the world cup, they'll be relentlessly pro-england players. he's after securing a comfy berth and unrestricted access at the world cup.

 

 

The likely truth.

[David Hodgson]

It's always the same angle when we have a set back - Rafa's losing the dressing room, Rafa's a bit autistic and a poor man manager.

 

They are recurring themes, and although Rafa's personel skills may not be his strong suit, the perspective theses analyses never really apply is that the man has a track record - an incredible one on Spain, and a more than respectable one in England. Therefore : he must be doing something right. All managers (human beings) have their faults and it's childishly simplistic to to lay blame at those faults simply on the back of one setback.

[Leo No.8]

I generally like Winter but that article is utter garbage.

 

What does he want Rafa to do, invite Carragher and Gerrard round for a game of stratego and toasted marshmellows?

[fred milne]

Henry Winter has always been a very poor writer. Just because he occasionally has nice things to say about the club doesn't change that.

[MFletcher]

The character assassination begins again in earnest after another defeat.

 

It's like f***ing clockwork.