30 Sept 2009

Yet another example of Rafa Benitez’s counter-productive man-management skills

Albert Riera has become the latest victim of Rafa Benitez’s regrettable habit of dropping players after they score goals. How long is this damaging trend going to continue?

After being stuck on the bench for most of the season, Riera started the 6-1 thrashing of Hull and had a fantastic game. He brought balance to the team on the left, scored one (deflected) goal and created another for Fernando Torres.

And how does Benitez show his appreciation? He drops Riera for the game against Fiorentina.

I’ve made this point over and over again, but how is this conducive to motivating the player?! What was the point? Why does Benitez insist on dropping players after they score?! Why not reward Riera’s great performance by giving him a start against Fiorentina?!

There was no pressing tactical reason for dropping Riera. He was not injured, and after spending so much time on the bench this season, it’s not as if he was tired or needed to be rested.

Steven Gerrard could have played alongside Lucas in the centre; Riera could have been part of the attacking front three, along with Dirk Kuyt and Yossi Benayoun.

Instead, Benitez changed the team around and played Fabio Aurelio in central midfield, a position that he has only played once before in a Liverpool shirt!

So – instead of sticking with a winning team/playing the strongest team available, Benitez decided it was better to play a weaker team with square pegs in round holes.

It really is beyond belief. What do players have to do in this team to be treated fairly?

Riera did not deserve to be dropped, and as a result of Benitez’s needless tinkering, Liverpool lost the game.

People criticise me for being so harsh in my criticism of Benitez, but how can this sort of treatment be justified?


97 comments:

  1. Give it a rest Jaimie. We can't play everyone all the time. Also Riera's "goal" was attributed to Babel, so technically he didn't score.

    I've noticed that you've been relatively quiet over the last couple of weeks while we've been winning because there has been nothing to moan about. We lose a game and suddenly you churn out 3 articles in one day claiming mismanagement, over confidence and not being genuine title contenders because we are only beating the lesser teams. You keep trying to tell people that you aren't negative or Liverpool bashing but this sort of thing doesn't do you any favours. There is being balanced and then there is being overly critical and negative, and the fact that you have written 3 fairly critical/negative articles since the Fiorentina game last night shows that you are not a crictical realist at all but full of negativity and pessimism.

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  2. Wait a second, while I agree Riera should have played, it's a bit rich complaining about Aurelio playing centre mid and being a square peg in a round whole when just 2 days ago you were advocating him playing in that very position!

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  3. I agrre with Jamie, benitez has a terrible man management style (highlighted by both Gerrard and Carragher in there autobiographys). Benitez is an amazing tactician, possibly the greatest there is, but he has no idea how to manage players effectively.

    Would someone please give me a reason as to why Lucas keeps getting a game, people will say that he is the scapegoat when we are defeated, this is because against lesser teams we have enough skill in the rest of the team, against good oposition all 11 players need to perform.  He is easily in the top 10 worst players to play for liverpool, and worst of all he is a continual starter.

    Shocking,

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  4. Wait a second, while I agree Riera should have played, it's a bit rich complaining about Aurelio playing centre mid and being a square peg in a round hole when just 2 days ago you were advocating him playing in that very position!

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  5. To be fair to Jaimie it wasn't him to wrote that article. However he didn't disregard the idea of it either.

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  6. are you serious Jaimie.. Riera is known for his fitness issues and thats why he rarely finishred 90 mins. so to play him away to a hard pressing fiorentina and then play him away at chelsea now that would be stupid man management.. we didnt play well that is all. the defence is still sorting itself out and i think we need more balance between defence and attack from the full backs as i noticed too much space being left during counterattacks from the other teams.. and everybodys gotta stop thinking they know more than benetiz its just ridiculous..

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  7. gary makes more sense than you jamie. your regurgetations of other media outlets are spun with an overwhelming sense of self importance. opinions are like arseholes, everyones got one. my god i wish someone would do the world a favour stitch yours up!

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  8. This seems like the ussual bash Rafa after a loss routine that is all to often rolled out, please find something orginal to write about and get behind our team and manager, in Rafa we trust.  It was a bad night so we move on.

    YNWA

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  9. Rafa could shit golden eggs out on Jaime's lawn every morning and he'd still complain that they weren't platinum.

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  10. Slimm Jimm....... why is Benitez so great.  He won the champions league and FA cup with Houllier squad, the squad he bought and took to the 2007 final lost.

    His so called 5 year plan has expired with us being no closer. Last year was great but many will argue that both Chelsea and United under performed.

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  11. Wow, what a load of garbage. One thing you have to realise here is that when it comes to playing away in Europe Liverpool have always been able to stay compact and tight stopping the opponents from scoring. This generally leads to the opposition pressing on to score and us hitting them on the break. Yesterday was doen to the fact that Fiorentina really wanted it and scored a quite early goal which completely threw our game plan out the window. I am glad Riera did not play as he will be a vital part of the team this Sunday if we are to beat those cockney gits and stay there or there abouts. Please also remeber we were missing Mascarano who is massive for us in away games as he plugs tha gap between the defense and midfield. I am as dissapointed as everybody about the result but when we beat Lyon home and away it will be forgotten. IN RAFA WE TRUST!

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  12. Whilst I agree with the point of it not doing wonders for morale and motivating players, I dispute the logic that he had........and I quote "a fantastic game"?!  I can't understand why he didn't figure in the first couple of games this season, but since he's been back around the squad - he's done precious little to say he should keep his place there.  And I actually quite like him as a player, I just think he's out of form.  Not enough end product from him either as a wide player or in a goalscoring sense.  I agree with Gary that you appear to be just using this as a 'stick' to beat Rafa with and being overly negative at the first oppportunity

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  13. oh my god, god forbid anyone scores past us, i cannot believe that Rafa would not have a stupid hand signal from the sidelines to cater for this situation :)

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  14. How can you say this after recent articles claiming Benayoun is being mistreated and should play every match, Babel the same and now Riera? Bearing in mind that our recent improvement has largely been down to the Gerrard-Torres partnership which involves Gerrard playing behind him, that only leaves two positions for the three mentioned above. Surely all your articles have proved is that you cannot please everyone. As for Lucas people seem to forget that he is still a Brazil international so he can't be that bad. Regarding Benitez' man management one need only look at the improvement that the majority of the players have experienced under him, including Torres, gerrard, Kuyt, Benayoun, Riera (now back in the international squads regularly), Mascherano, Agger, Reina, Carragher etc. Can't be argued with. Its because he doesn't kiss arse that these players continue to work at their games.

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  15. I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts.

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  16. Also forgot to add, you weren't slagging Aurelio off for his "one performance" in that position when he was instrumental in the 3-2 win over Portsmouth wre you? He played central mid for Valencia under Benitez, so Rafa obviously knows who can and can't play there.

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  17. Riera had a fantastic game?   Think we were watching different matches mate.  That man is going to become the new Luis garcia without the good bits e.g. scoring important Euro goals.  he gave the ball away all too frequently, his tracking back to assist in defending is laughabe.  He either gets shoved out of the way or gives away dangerous free-kicks.  All my Man City mates are still pissing themselves that we have him. He'a an absolute liabilty and the fact we have people lauding him shows that we have come to accept mediocrity. 

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  18. Tactics were not working they should have been fixed immediately before going 2-0 down. Aurellio, Yossi and Lucas was at times our central midfield whilst our genuine midfield powerhouse was upfront feeding off scraps.

    It does not take a rocket scientist to work these things out but then we do have a Manager who has taken 2 years to establish that the right footed Babel is not suited to the left flank as we now see the dramatic improvement in Babel playing on the right flank.

    Doh! Rafa wake up!

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  19. If rafa play riera, most prob aureiio would be playing as a left back. There would mean dropping the on form insua. Would that be poor man management as well?
    Against Hull, Riera's performance was good, but i don't think it is fantastic as you have said.

    <span style=" "> <span style=""><span style=""><span style="">A</span></span><span style=" ">s a result of Benitez’s needless tinkering, Liverpool lost the game.</span></span></span>
    What make you so sure that if riera play, liverpool would have won the game. Did liverpool lose the game because of rafa needles tinkering or is it because of the players not performing up to standard. Your previous article talk about liverpool players being overconfidence, praising each other as the problem why liverpool have lost. Now you are blaming it on rafa needles tinkering. So are you implying that whoever score goal should be playing the next game and players like gerrard and torres should shut up and stop prasing each other. 

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  20. if you looked at our starting lineup yesterday you would have said to yourself we can win with this team. Aurelio can def play centre mid and we had stevie and nando playing up top togther. Riera got left out... so what?? he hasn't been amazing this season to warrant a start in every game. Rafa obv wants to play with the 2 holding players away from home and this led to stevie being pushed up and riera being left out.. its obv and simple to understand. why has his man managment come into doubt?? he can't play riera just because he has to be nice to him and to keep him happy- team comes first

    although the 1st half was painful to watch yesterday and i hope we never play that bad again

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  21. I never thought I would swoop so low as to reply to your article, but I had to say, most of your articles are bollocks. You write to get a reaction, which you have done well, but my god you don't have talk a load of rubbish. You either a bitter or a manc. Which one is it?

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    <div class="js-singleCommentText"><span><span style=" ">“</span></span>I never thought I would swoop so low as to reply to your article, but I had to say, most of your articles are bollocks. You write to get a reaction, which you have done well, but my god you don't half talk a load of rubbish. You either a bitter or a manc. Which one is it?</div>
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    Rafa is quality. As is the players we have. Have faith.

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  23. I regret feeling the need to swoop so low as to feel I have to reply to this article. I've read articles from this website a few times, and my god you lads don't half talk a load of sh*te!! You obviously write articles to get reactions from fans, and you've certainly done that well on this article, but have faith. In rafa and the team

    Tell me though... be honest. You a bitter or a manc?!

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  24. Hey man You are absoolutely right. you have the same words as I have. I cant understand when the supporters gonna wake up. I am very frustrated and tired for this manager. I understand that we have a limited squad but I cant understand why when we have the players fit doesnt play them and doesnt play them in their POSITIONS. If we keep this manager we will gonna say goodbye to the trophies and especially the premership. we will continue our run of another season empty handed Im for sure. I was a great fan of Rafael Benitez when he arrived he did the impossible but after that champions league glory he lost his mind. and albert riera is the new victim.

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  25. I think that is an incredibly harsh assessment on Rieira.  I didn't make it to Anfield on Sat so i cant comment on that performance in particular.  But i think he is a far better player now than the one City had a couple of years ago.  His technique and quality on the ball is excellent, albeit not consistant.  I'm not saying he is a world beater and im fully aware of his limitations, but i think he is better that mediocre.  U useful option for us to have and would def be in my team for Sunday to stretch the pitch and expose Chelsea's diamond system.

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  26. This season so far:
    Tottenham-LFC 2-1, scorer Gerrard (started the next game)
    LFC-Stoke 4-0, scorers Torres, Johnson, Kuyt, Ngog (sub), all except Ngog    started the next game.
    LFC-Aston Villa 1-3, Torres, started the next game
    Bolton-LFC 2-3, Johnson, Torres, Gerrard, all started the next game,
    LFC-Burnley 4-0, Benayoun 3, Kuyt, both started the next game
    LFC-Debrecen 1-0, Kuyt, started the next game
    West Ham-LFC 2-3, Torres 2, Kuyt, didn't start the carling cup game
    Leeds-LFC 0-1, Ngog, didn't start the next game
    LFC-Hull 6-1, Torres 3, Gerrard, Babel 2, Babel didn't start the next game
    Fiorentina-LFC 0-2

    So apart from the carling cup game only Ngog and Babel has been dropped after scoring. That's not a surprise because they are used as subs anyway. Ngog has to do better than Torres to start and that's impossible right now, and Babel has never (in my opinion) played well when he has started a game. So you can't really call it a trend of dropping players after they've scored.

    Don't you feel it was important to give Aurelio a chance to play, and in my opinion Riera didn't play that well anyway against Hull. One of our biggest problems this season has been midfield (and defending of course). Aurelio has played a lot there, not in Liverpool of course, but last season when he did play there he did well. We need more options in midfield cause Aquilani is still injured.

    You can argue what you like but no manager can always use the same system and the same players. This season there has not been any real dropping so far, so what's the point?

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  27. This is a terrible article. Which match were you watching. Riera had a terrible first half against Hull. He gave the ball away several times in his own half and culminated the half by mis-cueing a clearance into the Kop trying to clear it from the six yard area. I am beginning to think you are making stories up just to generate a response.

    I expected better.

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  28. jaime?...back to this?...one defeat and you reckon you're a better manager  than Rafa...give it a rest...who should have been dropped...yossi (scorin) kuyt (scoring)...do you know the single most annoying thing about these posts...its not the content or the logic you've employed...its the self righteous tone in which you try to disguise opinion with fact...again do you have Alberts fitness tests, have you talked to him lately...did you take the training session? did riera score or was that babels heel it came off?

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  29. <div id="jsid-1254326097-971" class="js-singleComment">
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    <div style="float: left;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="cursor: pointer;">Brendan</span><img src="http://js-kit.com/images/icon10-external-url.png"/></span> says:</div>
    <div class="js-singleCommentDate" style="float: right;">Today, 16:54:55</div>
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    <div class="js-singleCommentText"><span><span style=" ">“</span></span>jaime?...back to this?...one defeat and you reckon you're a better manager  than Rafa...give it a rest...who should have been dropped...yossi (scorin) kuyt (scoring)...do you know the single most annoying thing about these posts...its not the content or the logic you've employed...its the self righteous tone in which you try to pass opinion off as fact...again do you have Alberts fitness tests, have you talked to him lately...did you take the training session? did riera score or was that babels heel it came off? are you  a manc? is there anyway of getting this site barred through official club channels as it seemingly passes itself off as a genuine fan site whereas in reality it seems like a place for manc fans to vent their spleens in cloak and dagger fashion</div>
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  30. O deleting comments that point out what you truly are? a manc gobshite?

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  31. jaime?...back to this?...one defeat and you reckon you're a better manager  than Rafa...give it a rest...who should have been dropped...yossi (scorin) kuyt (scoring)...do you know the single most annoying thing about these posts...its not the content or the logic you've employed...its the self righteous tone in which you try to pass opinion off as fact...again do you have Alberts fitness tests, have you talked to him lately...did you take the training session? did riera score or was that babels heel it came off? are you  a manc? is there anyway of getting this site barred through official club channels as it seemingly passes itself off as a genuine fan site whereas in reality it seems like a place for manc fans to vent their spleens in cloak and dagger fashion

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  32. Casey - just because you perceive that Riera had a 'terrible first half' doesn't make it so.  People interpret things their own way, and in my view, Riera had a great game.  He brought balance to the team, scored one and created another; rarely gave the ball away (there are players who gave the ball away more). and let's not forget we won the game 6-1. 

    You see it one way, I see it another.

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  33. I've been qukiet over the last few weeks?!  I think you'll find that's not true at all.  I've been averaging 2-3 posts a day for ages.  I was on holiday last week and I still managed to post some articles.

    Whether you like it or not, the issues I've raised are valid issues worthy of discussion.  Just because they're not about how great Liverpool are doesn't mean they shouldn't be raised.

    And if you're going to paraphrase, do it accurately.  I did NOT say we were not genuine title contenders.  I suspect you're deliberately twisting my words.  I suggested that beating only the small teams is not PROOF that we're genuine title contenders.  There is a difference.

    And there has been overconfidence on the part of the players; there has been mismanagement of players by Benitez (IMO).  If I'm wrong, explain why instead of avoiding the issue and focusing on irrelevent things like how many articles I post a day.

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  34. That's right - I didn't write the article.  And just because I didn't explicitly disagree with the notion doesn't mean I agree with it.

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  35. Riera is 'known for his fitness issues'.  Please provide evidence for this as it pertains to his time at Liverpool.

    Riera played the full game against Hull.  There is NO fitness issue with the player.  Riera himself even publicly complained about being left on the bench earlier in the season: ---->>

    Riera is fit; he is rested, and he is an effective player to have.  benitez didn't play him because, for some reason, he's fallen out of favour.

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  36. Quite possibly ;)

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  37. Benyoun, Babel and Riera have been misused at various times.  This is, in my view, beyond dispute. We didn't need to play Aurelio yesterday; we could've stuck to a winning team, but Rafa just had to change it.

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  38. I am not slagging off Aurelio now!

    it doesn't make sense to play an injury-prone player as a defensive midfielder  - one of the most combative positions in the team - especially when:

    a) He's returning from injury
    b) We have a better option in Gerrard freely available

    I don't care whether he played there for Valencia.  That is the past!  The reality of the present is that Aurelio has played in central midfield ONCE for Liverpool, and the Fiorentina game demanded a more experienced, athletic and robust performer in that role.

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  39. Completely agree.  Riera is and has been a good player for Liverpool so far.  most importantly, he is left footed and a natural winger, something Liverpool (and every team0 needs.

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  40. No - Aurelio didn't need to replace Insua; he could've been on the bench and been introduced later in the game.  We should've stiuck with a winning team, not changed it. 

    And yes, in my view, if someone scores in one game, they should have a chance of starting the next game, especially if they started the previous game. This is not a radical idea (!), it is merely capitalising on a player's confidence after scoring.

    And yes again, Gerrard, Torres and everyone else should shut up and stop kissing each others' asses. Win something first, THEN bask in the glory.

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  41. As soon as I saw that Aurelio was in centre-mid, I was worried actually.  i argued in an article at the start of the season that until Aquilani was fit, Gerrard should play in central midfield.  he has done in a couple of games and has played excellently. 

    Whether Aurelio can or cannot play in central midfield is irrellevent - he is coming back from injury and has not played there in ages.  Would it not make more sense to have aces in their places instead of unsettling the team?

    Riera played well against Hull; he desrved to start against Fiorentina.  In any event, it is surely always better to keep a winning team together.  Where is the logic in continually tinkering with a winning team?

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  42. When i say trend for dropping players after scoring, I am not referring to this season alone; I am referring to Rafa's entire reign:

    Babel - dropped 10 times after scoring goals in his first season
    Keane - Dropped every time he scored a goal
    Benayon - Dropped after scoring many times in his time at Liverpool
    Crouch - Often dropped after scoring

    I've written about these things many times before.  Now it's Riera who's falling foul of this trend.

    I agree it's important to let Aurelio play, but on his first game back from injury, was it necessary to play him in an unfamiliar position, especialy when Gerrard has been playing further back recently to great effect.

    it makes no sense.  A Lucas/Aurelio midfield partnership isobviously lacking in strength, speed, agility and tackling ability!  In what dimension is this a credible midfield partnership?

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  43. There are two issues here. One is team selection for the match. On that I suspect that Rafa might have a case to answer but in reality everyone played poorly and I don't see that anyone can really argue that adding Riera to the mix would have made much of a difference. It was an overall poor team performance and while it's easy for you to blame this on Rafa's tinkering you don't have anything to back that up. He put out there a team of players more than capable of winning the game. By their own admission they simply didn't bring the proper application. On what basis do you discount what the players themselves admitted and instead blame it on what you consider "tinkering"? It's just another easy answer that has no basis in reality.
    The second issue is with Riera and how this is supposed to effect his confidence. So ... right ... when do we see any evidence of this? He's only sat on the bench for one game. If he turns up on in the starting line up at Stamford Bridge are we going to see you post an article where you admit you were wrong? Somehow I doubt it. At the very least wait until we see some negative impact on his game before you start mouthing off. 
    You've had a go at Rafa for doing this to Crouch, but Crouch's form NEVER suffered because of rotation and that's a fact. Similar story with Benayoun. He only got a consistent start when he proved himself. Playing limited time off the bench never hurt his form and now he's a regular starter. How is that poor man-management? It's also starting to look like a similar story with Babel. After his little whinge in the papers it's clear that he's had an attitude adjustment and his last two performances have been some of his best so far. Strange, I don't see an article from you attempting to re-analyse his recent form and his contribution to a win, just you re-linking to the same posts you made before as if they are some kind of gospel. 
    Did you see some of those quotes from Pennant over the weekend? Reminds me a lot of some of the stuff that you write on here. Also sounds a lot like a guy who simply has no clue what Rafa is actually trying to do. That's what you and he have in common: you don't actually understand what he's trying to do so you try to conclude that it's wrong and brainless. Pennant is so daft that he can't even recognise that Rafa's ideas on how to play on the right wing might just be valid. I think Kuyt's recent form and the team scoring record over the past 18 months more that justifies Rafa's tactical idea. Take a cue from how rediculous Pennant sounds and maybe contemplate the notion that just because you don't get it doesn't mean it makes no sense. 

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  44. Re having nothing to back up the team selection argument.  Yes, it was a poor performance from everyone, but please answer these questions:

    1. Where is the logic in playing Aurelio - an injury prone player -  in central midfield on his first game back from injury?

    2. Given the fact Gerrard has been playing very effectively in central midfield recently ( coinciding with Liverpool's good run), would it not have made more sense to play him in central midfield instead of Aurelio, especially in an away game.

    3. How in the world is Aurelio/Lucas a credible central midfield partnership?

    4. Wouldn't it have made more sense to either i) play Aurelio at left back ii) have him on the bench and then introduce him later in the game.

    5. Why break apart a winning team?!  When it comes to consistency, being conmfortable playing together etc, isn't it better to keep a winning team together?

    6. How is the team that started yesterday stronger than the team that started against Hull?!  Against Hull, we had a dedicated left winger on the left and a proper central midfielder in the center.  Against Fiorentina, we had a left-back in central midfield, a right-sided player on the left and a left back on the bench!  it's ridiculous, and Liverpool paid the price.

    Re Riera and his confidence - perhaps you missed it but earlier this season, Riera was so frustrated at being dumped on the bench he spoke out about it public.  Article HERE --->>

    This is proof that Benitez's man-management (or lack thereof) was having an adverse impact on him.

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  45. His so called 5 year plan has expired with us being no closer. Last year was great but many will argue that both Chelsea and United under performed.
    <div id="TixyyLink" style="border: medium none; overflow: hidden; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
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    <div style="border: medium none; overflow: hidden; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">==============================</div>
    <div style="border: medium none; overflow: hidden; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">sooo....we regularly ended the season within four points of the prem in houllier's days, then?</div>
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    <div style="border: medium none; overflow: hidden; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">and how many times has a team finished with 86 points and NOT won the league?</div>
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    <div style="border: medium none; overflow: hidden; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">VERY SIMPLE FACTS bear out that you are quite simply clueless in your criticism. at least when Jamie moans, he picks something with a shred of truth to hang onto.....but you? we've not gotten closer?</div>
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    <div style="border: medium none; overflow: hidden; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">you need to lie down mate...
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  46. you know Jamie,

    you would've for once been onto something if you could've brought yourself to do some REAL analysis of the game, and suggest that maybe Aurelio should've come in for Insua, who played jovetic onside for his first, and got beaten far too easily by the attacker for jovetic's second....

    but surely it's because riera wasn't in the team and is being abused as an individual that Insua played a poor offside trap, or didn't defend well for the second goal....are you going to say that Insua was making a show of solidarity for his mistreated teammate?

    did you ever stop to think that Rafa was keeping him fresh for Chelsea at the weekend, and saw an opportunity to gamble on a formation that has actually worked not "ONLY ONCE IN A LIVERPOOL SHIRT" as you keep going on, but twice (against Leeds the other week and pompey last year, and i think there was one other time, but can't recall the game) at least - all of which resulted in wins?

    and in what game this season has riera pulled up trees warranting him being in the team every week? for me he has been middling to poor - mainly in NOT TAKING GILT-EDGED CHANCES....you know, the thing that prevented us from getting something out of the game last night, and hurt us through various times this season and last....

    i think you should consider finding another hobby, because as simple as it is to analyse football matches, you don't really seem to be up for it....

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  47. I dunno why everyone disses Riera! He certainly brings more to the team than Kuyt or Lucas... Playing Benayoun on the left (which renders him ineffective most of the times) and dropping Reira entirely is beyond any logic!

    Riera like Benny can get past defenders and create chances unlike Kuyt whose first touch is appalling to say the least! I sincerely hope Rafa gives Riera more chances. I still haven't forgiven Rafa for what he did to Keane... Funny how Rafa's apologists blame Keane for everything, How he was not good enough, he was a big fish in a small pond at Spurs, etc, But the undisputed fact is that Keane was/is a good striker (Certainly not one of the best) and would have complimented Torres very well...

    We really need someone like Frank Rijkaard as a coach, I'd rather lose like Barca or Arsenal than play like we did against Fiorentina (We lost anyway!), So, What's the point of playing compact, drab football when it doesn't even fetch you the results? We couldn't string together two passes... The scary part is, this season against decent teams (Spurs, Aston Villa and Forentina) we have lost horribly! Chelsea are up next and I would like to see Riera play... He has a cool head (remember his debut vs Man Utd?) and some good skills..

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  48. 1. Aurelio should've have come in for Insua.  Why should Insua be dropped?  He's been playing well.  Aurelio could've come on and replaced Insua though.  Whatever it is, Aurelio should not have been anywhere near central midfield, especially when we have Gerrard to play there.

    2. Rafa keeping Riera fresh for Chelsea?  Be serious.  Riera has been on the bench for most of the season, now all of a sudden, he needs to be rested for the Chelsea game?!  benitez's tactical masterplan suddenly revolves aorund Riera?! 

    3. The Aurelio-in-central midfield gamble has never worked.  Liverpool struggled against portsmouth and had to rely on a 90th minute winner from Torres to secure the win.

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  49. rafa has a very unique management style which i for one think is very good.

    just because you do the job your supposed to do one week, out of 5 does not give you the right to a claim to be playing the next game. riera's form has been very patch hence he was left out. most of the players who played against fiorentina have been consistent performers and benitez has trust in them.

    a big games the manager makes a judgment call, go with the players he trust or take a chance on someone who may or may not perform to the standard expected. that has nothing to do with man management you dont know if it was explained to the player why he will not be playing in this game, so to say the player has been treated unfairly is pure speculation. there on a very good wage nd its not like the wage is cut if you dont play or even if you play badly. is up to the individual to prove he should be picked every game. if you play consistently you will be trusted. it is down to the player to earn the trust of the manager, not for the manager to pander to the whim of player or supporters. as a manager if your going to fail best it be on your own judgment than on any body else's   

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  50. the fact is last night no one performed well in the first half. After winning 6-1 at the weekend I think a lot of players thought it would be a walk over and they would be worried. has it turns out, last night should be a wake up call. chelsea got theirs at the weekend, sh**t happens, no opposition should be taken lightly 

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  51. OK, I'll give this a go ...
    1) Why does he being injury prone have anything to with it? Rafa sees him at training every day and he was obviously fit, he played 90 minutes. If you have any specific issues with how he played in that position then please elaborate but if all you've got is "he's injury prone" then surely even you can see that it's a very weak argument. 
    2) The tactic was to play two defensive mid-field players. Sounds fairly normal for an away game. With Mach out Rafa had to improvise with Aurelio. He then played Gerrard in the position he's been most effective in during the past 2 years: behind the striker. Sounds to me like he's just playing everyone in their best positions.
    3) With Aquilani and Mascherano unavailable it was, in fact, the best that we could come up with. Without sacrificing Gerrard's attacking position, there is no one else. Of course you don't agree but the tactic in an away match was to play two holding mid-fielders. It's still ultimately the players who failed to execute the plan.
    4) How did he play? Have you got any statistics or analysis beyond "we lost, it didn't work"? Unless you can actually point out how Aurelio played significantly worse than anyone else on the field we're still back to the real problem that the players just didn't turn up with the right attitude. All you're doing is tossing around labels to try and pigeon hole players so that it supports your argument. They're just vague ideas Jamie, not facts, not actual information. 
    5) I think Rafa proved last season that his team selection policy is just fine. We've got over 80 games to play this season including a big match on Sunday. Liverpool are still in a good position to qualify from this group and in fact a loss like this is probably a loss that we can comfortably take. Plenty of commentators are now saying it's an appropriate wake-up call, a good adjustment for the players to make sure they focus for the rest of the season. You simply can't play the same players every game for 80 games. It's absurd. Even you can see that. 
    6) Who said it was a stronger team? All I said was that it was a team that was capable of winning. Hull are hardly a useful benchmark. Their own manager slammed their mental disintegration after the 3rd goal. I assume you mean that we had a left WINGER on the bench. You can't even get your labels right. Benayoun is more than capable of playing on either wing, it's one of his strengths. The only oddity, really, was in playing Aurelio as a holding mid-fielder. Again, I'd prefer if you came up with something more than "he's an injury prone left-back". What I suspect is that you can't even see how hopelessly simplistic that is. 

    And this last bit, well this is pretty typical of you Jamie. That article is only proof that Rafa is having an effect. Is it adverse? The only true indication would be to see his performances on the pitch. You yourself declare that Riera had a great game against Hull despite not getting regular starts. For things to qualify as poor man-management we need to see Riera suffer as a PLAYER. As he said himself, the day he doesn't fire up for not being picked is the day he'll retire. This is a GOOD thing. It means he's motivated. His form is fine. Where is the actual problem?

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  52. Completely agree with you re Riera.  And agree also about playing Yossi on the left; it's ridiculous beyond belief and neuters his impact.  Benitez will never learn though; he will still keep playing weird formations and square pegs in round holes.

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  53. I know you are not talking of this season only. But as you can see this season no real dropping after scoring has been made cause Riera didn't score and he wasn't even that good. In my opinion Babel was far more effective in 20 minutes. Yes maybe it was a mistake to put Aurelio and Lucas pairing in midfield, but our midfield has not worked well this season in any game, at least against a decent side, so midfield partnership was not a problem in this game alone.

    What comes to dropping Babel, Benayoun, Keane and Crouch several times, all I can say is:

    Babel is much better coming from the bench. I'm not sure, if he's ever played well when he has started.

    Benayoun has been dropped before, yes. He has not been dropped anymore because he has been outstanding. So we can't complain about this one.

    Keane was dropped many times. Right. He never really fit into the team anyway. You can't deny that we played much better with Torres and Gerrard partnership. Managers often drop players they are about to sell next month.

    Crouch. Now he's in Tottenham and I don't think he's a regular starter there either. Maybe we should make a research if he starts every game there after scoring...lol

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  54. Kanwar you're rubbish.

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  55. I love point 3. So a few weeks ago when you were telling us that goals, assists and results are the most important stats ... where does that fit now? Aurelio had played two previous games in central midfield and on both occasions we won. Sounds pretty simple to me. You can't argue with results Jamie and the logic is indisputable. Prior to this game the results proved that Liverpool could win with Aurelio in mid-field. It is therefore irrefutable that the reason we lost was not because of that decision to play him there but rather, as was very clearly and repeatedly suggested by the players and the manager, because we were poor. 

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  56. How about some of your magic stats to back that up Jamie? How many games has Yossi played on the left and how has it rendered him useless?

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  57. Didn't yossi come out himself and say his preference was playing on the left? But surely Jamie knows the lad better than he knows himself....
    Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

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  58. " We can't play everyone all the time " what ? ...all the time !!..Riera is not getting enough time on field that he deserve.
    how does it make sense to play a defender in midfield dropping a midfielder who is used to play in that position ..and played last game very well ....
    Aurelio is very good player ..but he was completely lost in benitez new plan....

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  59. Mate, seriously, I think you've lost it on this one. Every time people come up with valid points you're just blasting back at them, repeating the same thing over and over again. There are a host of details here that you could try and understand, couldn't you at least stop and give that go?

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  60. Can you please substantiate this statement, primarily the bit in bold and underlined:
    "After being stuck on the bench for most of the season, Riera started the 6-1 thrashing of Hull and had <span style="text-decoration: underline;">a fantastic game</span>. He brought balance to the team on the left, scored one (deflected) goal and created another for Fernando Torres."

    If you look at the statistics, which is how WE MUST JUDGE outfield players, he has not scored nor has had a shot on goal (source soccernet).

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  61. http://www.liverpool-kop.com/2009/09/video-liverpool-6-1-hull-city.html

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  62. Very weak argument JK

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  63. I sent an e-mail to Rafa asking him to consult you regarding team selections and man management. He replied and asked about your experience in football management and sports psychology. I didn't know how to respond. Please list your credentials so that I can send them to Rafa.

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  64. Great video. Still doesn't show anything special from Riera. It's your own insistence that stats like assists and goals are all-important. You're blatantly ignoring that. Riera didn't get an assist for the first goal because it wasn't as assist. He played the ball centrally to a striker who created the goal for himself. The last goal was a freak deflection which was rightfully credited to Babel. No assist, no goal. It makes a bit of a mockery of your notion that a player is dropped after scoring. According the evidence so far Riera did nothing except play a normal role on the left against a sub-par Hull City who capitulated a freak goal in injury time. 

    Could you maybe, just this once, actually admit that you're wrong?

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  65. JK

    http://soccernet.espn.go.com/players/stats?id=11729&cc=5739

    Stop avoiding the issue and answer the question!

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  66. JK
    http://soccernet.espn.go.com/players/stats?id=11729&cc=5739

    The video does not answer the question, so pls dont duck it. BTW - I am not being facetious. I am only asking you to support your claim in the same way you ask others when they present an opinion that you dont agree with.

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  67. Riera directly contributed to two goals in the game, did he not?  The first goal is an assist.  How did Torroes receive the ball in such a dangerous area? Via Riera's clever cutback.  Riera flashed the ball right into Torres' feet, despite the presence of three defenders around him.  The sixth goal of the game may have been deflected off Babel but I see it as Riera's goal.  As I said, without Riera's contribution, those two goals wouldn't have been scored.  Riera had a specific, measurable, positive impact on the game, and the two goals are rewards for his overall excellent performance.

    Also: Soccernet is showing Benyoun with two assists for the game. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/players/gamelog?id=19091&cc=5739

    For Torres' second goal, Benayoun's pass is pretty similar to Riera's: played into feet in the penalty area.  However, as you can see from the video, Torres needs to do far more to score from Benayoun's pass than with Riera's pass.


    Riera pass: 2 touches then goal


    Benayoun pass: 3 touches then goal


    Using the logic of you and Fraggs, Benayoun shouldn't receive an assist credit either, but he does. Strange that.

    Finally, you're looking at the wrong soccernet page.  On the game-log page (showing Riera's individual stats, he is listed as providing 2 assists for the Hull game: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/players/gamelog?id=19091&cc=5739


    I rest my case.

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  68. Jaimie, you make some iinteresting points reagrding aspects of games and players but it is far too simplistic to blame the defeat at fiorentina on Aurelio playing centre mid and Riera being left out. It was a strange decision i must admit but the same team, including Aurelio, came out for the second half and could have snatched a draw with a far better performance. This suggest, as Rafa said, that it was the mentatlity of players that caused the 1st half performance. Regarding the Riera issue once again you say 'why break up a winning team' whilst also saying that players like Babel who score goals (in his case mostly from the bench) should then start the next game. As the players you mention all play in the same positions obviously one must miss out as four players do not fit into three positions. You might say we can drop Gerrard into midfield now but that has only been an option since Alonso left and before Aquilani arrives. Finally Benayoun can play on the left, he says he plays a lot of games for his country there and made a terrific impact against Spurs in that position when he came on for Babel.

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  69. Your silence on the matter speaks volume though as you normally are so vocal on such matters. If you didn't agree to Bikram's article I'm surprised you didn't say so as yormally have a riposte for any post you don't agree with.  

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  70. What I meant by that comment is that it is a squad game. You put out an XI and other players get dropped. There are certain players in our squad who fall into that category, particularly on the left hand side where we have players like Benayoun, Babel and Riera. You cant play all of them; you choose one, and too be fair out of those three players Benayoun is in the best form. Do you really believe that if Riera had played that game we would have won? I don't think we would have done because we played so badly as a team.

    The main problem i have with artciles such as this, is that people like you and Jaimie will comment about which ever player is dropped. If Benayoun was dropped and Riera played and we lost, you and Jaimie would then complain about Benayoun being dropped. If Babel played on the right instead of Kuyt and we lost you would have complained then too.

    Am I the only one who thought Aurelio played ok in that position. Four or five times he played great long balls; something we haven't had since Alonso left.

    We lost that game because the other team played well in the first half and we didn't. Having Riera on the pitch wouldn't have made a difference.  

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  71. If you're going to paraphrase me then please do it properly too. I said you had been relatively quiet, not quiet. The word relativity makes a big difference to what I am trying to say.

    Lets have a look at some of your article you've written in the last couple of weeks:

    How Carragher broke a 40 year record - an article about the Carragher own goalscoring record.
    Rafa Benitez's 5-a-side team
    Player who scored 17 hattricks

    All run of the mill stuff to be honest.

    Then you try to get into some of the nitty gritty but even then you don't have much

    Steven Gerrard should be banned from taking corners - something which i agreed it but hardly groundbreaking stuff. 
    Yossi Benayoun must play every game or it it is managerial negligence- Yossi had been playing quite regulalry so it became another sly dig at Rafa Bentitez, which is a constant regardless of how we play
    I'm sorry Rafa this bizarre reasoning makes no sense- another dig at Rafa, picking at a couple of things he said when there was no real need to.   

    In fact most of the more insightful, "critical realist" articles have come from your other writers over the last month or so.

    Liverpool lose a game and suddenly you churn out three highly critical articles within the space of 12 hours.

    Now had you said on Monday that the Liverpool players are over confident, massaging egos, then I would say that you are being a critical realist. You put across a valid point. Whether or not I agree is a different matter.

    Had you said on Monday that we seem to beating the inferior teams but its a worry with Fiorentina coming up that we havent beaten some of the better teams. Again, a valid point.

    However, you wrote all these articles after a Liverpool loss, which just makes you sound a bit bitter. Makes it look as though you're waiting to pounce on our mistakes. You probably aren't but that's the way it looks. And that's my point; relatively quiet for weeks and then 3 fairly critical articles in one day. And then you wonder why people think you are negative. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy you website, but you do sometimes come across as very negative. I mean do you really think Riera would have made that much difference in that game. You'll say yes, but think about it for a few minutes, think about how the whole team played and then decide whether Riera would have made any difference in that game. I would say no.

    You say that I avoid the issue, well why don't you look at the actual game and talk about what went wrong in that game, rather than say it had to do with players talking to the press or criticising Rafa because he didn't play Riera. It is actually you who misses the point and avoids the issue. Not every loss is down to managerial negligence, players not playing, bragging et al. Sometimes it is simply down to the fact that we didn't play well.

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    <div class="js-singleCommentText">Your silence on the matter speaks volumes though as you normally as so vocal on such matters. If you didn't agree with Bikram's articles I'm surprised you didn;t say so as you normally have a riposte for any post you don't agree with</div>
    <div class="js-singleCommentText">Your silence on the matter speaks volume though as you normally are so vocal on such matters. If you didn't agree to Bikram's article I'm surprised you didn't say so as yormally have a riposte for any post you don't agree with.</div>
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  73. Your silence on the matter speaks violums though as normally you are so vocal on such matters. If you didn't agree with Bikram's article I'm surprised you didn't say so as normally you have a riposte for any post you don't agree with

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  74. Your silence speaks volumes though as normally you as so vocal on such matters. If you didn't agree with Bikram's articles I'm surprised you didn't say so as normally you have a riposte for any post you don't agree with.

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  75. It's unbelieveable how many people have a paddy when Liverpool, and in particular Rafa are criticised. Just because I support Liverpool doesn't mean I am not going to critique their performances and come to negative conclusions when they play badly. It doesn't mean either that I have to like each player, or that the manager is the right man in charge. I support the club, irrespective of personnel.
    With that in mind though I can see why Rafa was trying Aurelio in midfield. He's defensive minded, can pick out a pass and I think Rafa is trying to mould him into an Alonso type player. I also see why Insua was kept in, as he's been good this season and doesn't deserve dropping. I agree with Jamie however that if you've just smashed a team 6-1 a few days before, then why change the team?
    On Rafa mismanaging players, I don't think anyone can argue that he hasn't got a questionable track record. Alonso left because of Rafa and so did Keane. If he hadn't done that, then we'd have 2 quality players still in our squad. It seems very much like he has his favourites and if you're not one, then you'd better watch your back.

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  76. Gary - let me clarify a few things:

    1. I don't care if people think I'm negative.  If people make the accusation, I will duly explain why I'm not, but if people want to think that, let them get on with it.  it's like me going to someone who always praises the team 'You're too positive!  Stop being so positive!  Whenever Liverpool win a game, all you do is praise them! 

    2. i don't write stuff trying to be 'groundbreaking' or 'insightful'.  I write what I think and have no higher goal than merely stating my views and possibley engaging other fans/non-fans in discussion. As such, I couldn't care less whether people think I'm not insightful etc. 

    if you think that, you're more than welcome to just read the other writers on the site and ignore my stuff.  That's what I would do.

    3. This site is all about being critical.  Telling the truth; being unbiased'; not being afraid to point out Liverpool mistakes; holding playres and staf accountable for their actions both on and off the pitch. This is what sets it apart from every other Liverpool site. If people don't like it, they don't have to read, but coming here, reading, then spending ages moaning about how critical the site is, is utterly pointless.

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  77. Fraggs and Hmmm.  Any response?

    BTW - I am not being facetious. I am only asking you to support your claim in the same way you ask others when they present an opinion that you dont agree with. ;-)

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  78. Regarding Nicks comments i wouldn't call the Alonso saga mismanagement as such. The previous season, maybe two, had been comparatively poor for Xabi where he was no where near the same level as in his first season. With the changes to the quota system in the champions lge requiring a certain number of English players Rafa was simply trying to boost our ranks with a versatile quality performer in Barry. Unfortunately he needed to sell before he could buy and due to Xabis poor form he was deemed expendable. Even then no one wanted him for more than 12 mil. This acted as a kick up the backside that saw a return to form for Xabi. Although no one can argue that he was treated poorly given his service a honestly think had Real Madrid come knocking he would have left anyway considering the opportunity, regardless of what had happened previously. Keane was also given plenty of opportunities to succeed and failed, 18 starts before the new year is not bad. Had he scored plenty of goals things may have been different. He was also a victim of our preferred system, which does beg the question as to why he was signed.

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  79. Being critical is fine, that's why i read the website. But claiming managerial negligence or porr man management when one player isn't played is not being critical. Explain to me why we would have won with Riera in the team and I might agree. Saying that this is another example of poor management or managerial negligence isn't valid. Is Riera unhappy about being on the bench? Has Rafa explained to him why he was on the bench? Has he handled that situation well and is Riera happy with the decision? Will being on the bench spur Riera on to playing better in the next game? These are all valid questions that you don't have the answer to so how do you know how Rafa has man managed this situation. Basing your argument of poor management without this evidence is inconclusive and just seems like another dig at Rafa.

    Another thing is that being critical doesn't necessarily mean pointing out the mistakes or just looking at the negatives. A film or food critic will tell you when the film or food is good as well as bad. However you constantly pick at the bad.

    To only pick on the bad times and the mistakes is completely unbalanced in my view. Without that balance you critical realism about the errors and mistakes doesn't hold the gravitas it sometimes deserves because the reader thinks "it Jaimie have his normal moan" even when its a fairly valid point.

    One thing you need to get over is that not every loss is down to managerial negligence, poor man management, squad rotation etc. Sometimes you just play badly and you lose. That's what has happened in our three losses this year. And whilst that is slightly worrying, I don't believe it has to do with poor management, managerial negligence etc, just poor play. Take for example that we played the exact same teams against Villa and West Ham. We lose one and win one. Rafa hasn't changed the team. The difference was that we played badly in one and played well enough in the other to get a win. Does managerial negligence come into it? Poor man management, player bragging etc etc. No. Just that we played better in one game than the other. Sometimes it is as simple as that.

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  80. Jaimie - I'm sure Pavlov would have recruited u for his experiments if u and this site were around at the time. At least in the article point out some passages of play or key moments where the introduction of Aurelio really contributed to the malaise that the team as a whole was in. Was it Aurelio's faule that our passing was poor, or that Gerrard, playing in his favored position had a poor first touch for much of the half? Is the Aurelio introduction to blame for the lack of ball retention similar to what plagued us earlier in the season like against Tottenham etc.? how do you account for a much better team performance in the second half as opposed to the first with virtually the same 11 playing the first 27 minutes of the second half?

    We were poor  all over the pitch and as a result we lost, plain and simple. how much of that is on the players or on the manager is unknown but they each have to take some responsibility for it.

    I have one question though that i would appreciate an answer on - after Hull, did u publish an article praising the manager for his exceptional man management and tactical acumen?

    Nick - by all means we all disagree with the manager from time to time and even the players but what I think ppl want is that u at least have good reason supporting ur view. Too many times Jaimie, IMO, just leaps out with Rafa bashing and his reasoning is often shaky at best, IMO.

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  81. I have not stated thet Aurelio was to blame for the loss.  I've argued:

    a) Why change a winning team? 
    b) Why play a left sided player in central-mid ahead of Gerrard?

    re Hull - I wasn't aware it took 'exceptional man-management and tactical acumen' to beat one of the worst teams in the league. At home.

    Why should I praise Rafa for beating a team we *should* be beating?  His job is to win games; the players' job is to beat the smaller teams and try and beat comparable teams.

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  82. I sent an e-mail to Rafa and asked him to consult you on team selection and man management issues. He replied and asked if you had previous managerial experience and a degree in sports psychology. Please post your qualifications so that I can forward them to Rafa.

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  83. It wasn't funny the first time you posted it, Billy.  Post it again and I'll ban you from commenting.  Thanks. JK

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  84. Was the point not valid? I think it was. You are criticising the team selection and man management capabilities of someone who has achieved more than most and who is in a far better position to assess the team. Criticism goes both ways.

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  85. No, the point was not valid. First, it's against the comment policy (see bottom of the page). Second, the idea that you have to have direcxt experience of something before commenting upon it is absolute nonsense.  if that was the case, we could never have an opinion about anything outside our own sphere of experience.

    Football is not rocket science; the idea that people like Benitez have some magic inside knowledge that can only be obtained from playing the game is a complete myth.

    Football is 11 people kicking a ball around trying to score goals.  That's it.  tactocs/formation/the offside rule etc are not difficult concepts to understand, but people like you put managers on pedestals and make it sound like they're the only people on the earth capable of understanding the difference between 451 and 442.

    Why don't you lay out exactly how football management is so complex that only those who've played the game can understand it.

    The only aspect of management that requires previous experience of the game is the management of players, i.e. managing egos.  And basically, the more renowned you are in football, the more likely it is that players will listen to and respect you.  No name managers have a tougher time, but this is all about ego, not the detail of managing, i.e. tactics, formation etc.

    Fans have every right to analyse and criticise footballers and managers.  We are the ones who make the club possible; every fan, even in their own small way, contributes something that keeps the club afloat, whether it's money, game-going support, worldwide merchandising or whatever.

    If players and managers (or detractors) like you can't hack that, tough luck!

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  86. A) At the end of the last season the team was on a winning streak and their were changes in the squad for a couple of games. Not because the team is winning u don't change it. Aurelio is fit and has to be brought up to match fitness. the manager figured it was a good opportunity to do such. Its not as if its the first time Aurelio has played their for LFC nor is it the first time the manager has deployed him in such a position.

    b) In the early games this season EPL teams were copying Chelsea's tactics and assigning a man to mark Gerrard out of the game. Withthis in mind Gerrard was pulled back deeper into midfield to leave the space for Benayoun, Kyut etc to exploit with their movement to great effect. An adjustment.  Clearly Rafa felt that Fiorentina would not employ such tactics and set up the squad differently. Now looking at our earlier games where Gerrard was further up the pitch we struggled with Mascerano and Lucas (neither a left sided player) in central mid. With that in mind do u reall think it was the fact that Aurelio was left sided and playing central mid that caused the problems when we had the SAME problems when Lucas and Masch were the centrals mids? U could do better than that Jaimie.

    While its their job to win games it is not expected that they would win every game they play or even beat the teams they're supposed to beat in such an emphatice manner. Ur propensity to heap endless blame on the manager when losses occur and begrudging praise when he does get it right lends credence to the claim that you're anti-Rafa. Attack with full force when he goes wrong but praise with full force when he goes right as well

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  87. Are u trying to say tactics and how to play certain systems are not important. the same way that not anyone could be a basketball coach or cricket coach, not everyone could be a football coach. Some of these guys innovate the movements of the basic systems that are played, help players improve on their techniques, training regimens etc. I now have an understanding for ur anti Rafa stance. U don't place much value in the abilities of the football manager......lol.......I suppose the great Bill Shankly was just a good man manager. I suppose Dunga is the same as well as Trappatoni and Rinus Michels etc.

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  88. No, I'm not saying that. Tactics, formation etc are very important, but they're not mystical concepts that only a select few can understand. Tactics and formation are easy to understand, even for those that have not played professional football.  To suggest otherwise is ridiculous in my opinion.

    Things like ability to motivate players/manage egos etc are far more important and are individualities that only a few people can succesfully pull off.

    When it comes to why someone was substiuted in the 80th minute or why we played 442 though, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out.

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  89. 1. I have been a reader of your site for months now and your comments policy is not consistent. Go back though previous articles and you will see, don't ask me to do it as I don't have the will or the time. It appears that controversial posts are accepted on the site depending on your mood at the time or possibly the number of responses you receive to an article.

    2. Yes, football is not rocket science but the modern game is fast becoming a science with sports science dictating training methods and schedules and through this rotation and team selection. No one is in the position to see what Rafa sees in training day in day out yet people are quick to criticise team selection and tactics.

    3. If you think that managing a football team is merely managing players egos then what else can be said? Lets just go out and buy average players with no egos and win the title, the CL, FA Cup and League cup. One thing's for sure the Yanks will be happy coz they'll have saved a bundle.

    4. Your comments regarding team selection and tactics, like every other website and TV pundit, tend to come after games with the benefit of hindsight. Why don't you post how you would approach a game before the game is played? Start with Chelsea. Choose your team, the formation and the tactics you would use and inform your readers before the game. How would you have your defenders cope with Drogba? How would you try to suppress their midfield? What weaknesses have you spotted in Chelsea that you can exploit? Where is their team stronger and how will you counteract it? Do this and then you can see whether the manager was correct in his approach.

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  90. 1. The comments policy is not inconsistent at all.  Sniping posts that have nothing to do with the issues at hand are deleted, and that's the way it's been since day one.  i don't want debate being derailed by pointless posts.

    2. Modern football is not a science at all.  Player preparation is more complex; tactics, formation, substitutions etc is not. 

    3. Motivating players is much harder than understanding tactics. Getting your point across to players and bringing the best out of them on the pitch is, in my view, a manager's hardest job, no deciding which formation to play or which player to bring on in the 80th miunute.

    4. All the things you mention in point 4 are simple things - it is not difficult to tell defenders how to cope with Drgoba; he's not invisible, is he!? All the things you mention need to be addressed but to suggest that the only people capable of having a valid opinion on such things must be managers is nonsense.

    And I will choose my team/tactics for Chelsea tomorrow when I post something about it.  I don't do that every game because, quite frnakly,  I can't be bothered.

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  91. Here we go on another team/manager bashing session!  Has anyone ever noticed tha the word SUPPORTER contains the word SUPPORT?

    Jamie you seem so qualified to pass judgement that when Rafa leaves, or is sacked or retires, I hope you are going to apply for the job???  Why not send in your CV now!

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  92. Please explain how it is 'team/manager bashing'.  That's the problem with narrow-minded people like you - all criticism is 'bashing'. It's not; criticism is necessary to bring balance to analysis of anything, whether it's football religion, politics, science or whatever.

    The points I make are valid - just because you and others can't hack criticism of your idols doesn't make the points less valid.

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  93. First thing you've been right about jamie - criticism is not bashing....unless of course it is incessant and never backed by quantifiable evidence, or at least supported by an opinion based on logic - which I think most on here would say (and this is by virtue of the lack of substance in many of your points, and your inability to further develop the few points that might garner consideration) categorizes your stance perfectly....
    Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

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  94. First thing you've been right about jamie - criticism is not bashing....unless of course it is incessant and never backed by quantifiable evidence, or at least supported by an opinion based on logic - which I think most on here would say (and this is by virtue of the lack of substance in many of your points, and your inability to further develop the few points that might garner consideration) categorizes your stance perfectly....
    Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

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  95. yea i feel that riera shouldnt haf been dropped.aurelio playing midfield was a rather questionable descision,hes a leftback...but no worries!losing 1 game in champions league isnt too bad,hope that benitez makes better descisions in future.

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  96. What a load of nonsense. Clearly Rafa rested Riera because he always intended him to start today against Chelsea, in a more important game. Riera struggles to complete 90 minutes and has not enjoyed the best of pre-seasons so it was only logical to rest him midweek in preparation for a crucial Premier League tie. Fiorentina was a less important game and I'm sure Albert felt more than motivated knowing he was being saved for one of the biggest games of the season today.

    The main problem with this original post was that it failed to look at the bigger picture and as such now just looks extremely daft.

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