23 Nov 2009

Once again, Liverpool are sabotaged by RAFA BENITEZ'S ultra-cautious philosophy

On Friday, Rafa Benitez emphasised the importance of beating Manchester City when he described the encounter as a 'make-or-break game' for Liverpool's season. Given the club's horrific run of bad luck and bad results, it was Benitez's responsibility to make the kind of positive decisions that could enhance the team's chances of winning. Alas, Benitez (predictably) stayed in his comfort zone of safety and caution, and point blank refused to be progressive in any way.

Simplistic fans will inevitably accuse me of being anti-Benitez again, but the fact is he was too cautious during the City game, and no amount of spin or excuses can change that. Yes, the team was unlucky again with injuries but there was still enough quality on the pitch to win the game. Furthermore, City were there for the taking, and with the right changes and a more progressive approach, I truly believe the game could've been won.

Instead, when it came to the crunch, what we (predictably) got was typical Benitez caution.

Let's forget that we played with two holding midfielders at home (again); that Alberto Aquilani didn't start; that Dirk Kuyt continues to be undroppable (despite no goals and 1 measly assist in the last 12 games), the most frustrating example of Benitez's caution in this game was the introduction of Fabio Aurelio. If ever there was a subsitution that symbolised Benitez's pathological aversion to taking risks, this was it.

Why oh why was Aquilani not brought on instead? In a must-win game, surely you increase your chances of winning by bringing on an attacking player?! Not in Benitez's mind - he seems to believe that the best way to pull out all the stops to win a game is to replace an attacking player with a defender.

Like Benayoun, Aurelio was also returning from (yet another) injury, so he won't have been fully match fit either, but he was still chosen over 18m worth of attacking midfielder just itching to get on and make a difference.

So inevitable is Benitez's caution that I actually predicted the Aurelio change 10 minutes before it actually happened:


What possible negative consequences could've arisen from bringing on Aquilani?! There was only 6 minutes to go! Gerrard could've covered the left-wing, and the team would've retained its shape.

Do you think Man City trembled with fear at the sight of Aurelio coming on for Benayoun? Not at all. They might, however, have felt some nervousness at prospect of Aquilani - pretty much an unknown quantity - coming onto the field.

Benitez's kid-gloves treatment of Aquilani is becoming increasingly frustrating. The Italian didn't come here to sit on the bench; he came here to play, so let him play already!

And please don't give me lame excuses about injuries and/or Aquilani not being fit enough yet. If's he's on the bench, he's fit enough to play. End of story. Furthermore, Benitez used Benayoun and Aurelio, who have both been injured recently, so the fitness argument doesn't hold water.

In my view, Aquilani should've been introduced midway through the second half, or even at half time, with Lucas or Masch making way. A positive, progressive, direct, forward-thinking manager would've made that change.

Unfortunately, Benitez is none of those things, which is one of the main reasons the club is currently 13 points off the top of the table.

Liverpool now have another must-win game against Debrecen on Tuesday; a draw or a defeat could mean the end of our Champions League hopes for this season, along with the loss of much needed revenue.

What happens if Liverpool are in the same position with 10 minutes to go? Will Benitez finally stop being cautious and go all out for the win? Can we trust him to be progressive and do whatever it takes to win?

Not on this evidence.

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171 comments:

  1. Jamie, I know its fraustrating to watch. But , gerrard doesnt really stick to his own area now does he. Putting him to patrol the left is madness. He would go gung ho and leave insua without cover. If you do an honest assessment of our goals conceded, Insua has been the real culprit. We need a better left back there. Thats the first thing that needs fixing, imho. Pinning this on Rafa is not quite right. The injuries played their hand.We are still the walking wounded. I have already chalked up this season as the one that could have been. 

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  2. I wouldn't play gerrard on the left for an entire game but there was only 6 minutes left!  Surely the team could've handled it for 6 freaking minutes?!

    In that 6 minutes period (plus injury time), benitez should've thrown everything he had at City in order to win the game.  he didn't. which is the disappointing thing.

    A win would've been fantastic for confidence, which would then have a knock-on effect for future games.

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  3. If you don't remember, Jaimie, we could've won had Lucas scored in the last minute. The manager can do whatever he feels is right for the team to create chances, but he can't put the ball in, can he? Lucas had a free header in the box, and he glanced it away rather than get firm contact on it. If that had gone in, this story would've been completely irrelevant today.

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  4. What might have been is irrelevant.  Lucas's miss was as predictable as benitez's Aurelio substituion.  What if it had been Aquilani on the pitch instead of Lucas?  Perhaps he wouldn't have missed the header.  Who knows.  The fact that Lucas had a goalscoring chance right at the end does not excuse benitez's safety-first approach.

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  5. Were you similarly angry when Benitez brought on Hamman in Istanbul? We were top scorers in England last season you know, and this season we are scoring loads.

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  6. Oh god, what relevance does Istanbul have here?! Absolutely none.  And last season is last season - it has no bearing on this season.  We may be scoring goals this season by what does it matter?  How has this benefited us?  if you're happy with 1 win in 10 games just because we score a fari few goals then good luck to you.

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  7. What might have been is irrelevant for the points table, but not for analyzing the manager's performance. I remember you making the same criticism of Benitez for playing Dossena at left midfield last year in the Fulham game, and you talked about the principle of playing a defender at left mid. However, Dossena was very attakcing in that role, and created a number of chances. And there was nothing predictable about Lucas's miss, however you may feel. He's been one of the better players this season.

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  8. Istanbul is very relevant as a cautious manager would of more likely conceded delete and went for damage limitation. Jaimie your crack is lifting mate.

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  9. Bikram - I have been on Lucas' side all season.  There is not one shred of criticism against him from any writer on this site.  There's no correlation between Lucas' performances this season and the miss.  I made that comment because he never scores and has missed sitters before, thus it was predictable that he woud miss.  He's not a goalscorer, I think we can all agree on that.

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  10. Yes, in a Cl final, a manager is going to concede defeat at half time and go for damage limitation.  Are you listening to yourself?!  Istanbul is one game in 5 years of games.  It is irrlevant herre. And if Benitez's cauation v Man City was an isolated incident then it wouldn't be worth raising the issue.  Any person who does not worship at Benitez'a altar knows, however, that his reign has been charactarised by taking the safe option and not taking any kind of risk.  if you want to live in denial about this then that's your funeral.

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  11. I think you have been listening to Andy Gray to much mate. Secondly I Worship no one I am impartial to who runs the club, I support them through thick and thin. Now don't go and discredit my opinion because you disagree.  Sorry matey You need to calm down and take a look at your self as it seems as if it is you who is the one who is in denial, you have made your point clear enough and clearly a lot of people disagree, you are not going to suddenly turn people to your way of thinking so stop trying to have the last word on ever matter ;)
    <span></span>

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  12. This is a really bad article! I think Rafa did everything right. It was really unfortunate that two of our players had to be substituted so eary in the game. That changed everything! He surely would have brought Aquilani if that had not happen. But having just one substitution left in the second half and some players with problems like Benayoun or Kyrgiakos, he had to wait until the 80th minute. Bringing Aurelio was a very reasonable decision as he was our best left midfielder availible. Aurelio is a player who can change games. I don't think Aquliani would have changed the result. He didn't change anything against Arsenal, Birmingham or Lyon. He needs time and a game where he can play his game, not just being thrown into a game for last 10 minutes where the only tactics left is "bring the ball into the box".
    Who should have played instead of Kuyt? Maybe you don't know, but we have quite a few injured players at the moment.

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  13. The Anti-Benitez-pro G+H.com site living up to its ethos. There is a time and a place for taking risks. It is certainly not when you start a game with injuries which is compounded by 2 further ones during the game. Thank God you are not managing. You say if we won the game it would give us confidence. What would have happend if we lost another game which was likely against a side put together with Arab millions. Man City looked like they could have scored at least another one goal. Being risky for the sake of it is pure madness.   

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  14. I agree Jaimie, i have said for the last two seasons that we do not have to play with two holding midfielders at home especially againt the weaker tems.

    <span>Aquilani should have been on the pitch from the start for the last couple of matches, we were told he was going to play higher up the pitch than alonso did and could score goals which is exactly what we needed yesterday and its a puzzle to why he hasnt had more mins on the pitch.
    </span>
    Q

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  15. Yes, I think we can all agree on the fact that he's DEFINITELY not a natural goalscorer. However, my point still stands, and Lucas should have at least had a shot on goal, being a professional footballer. Anyway, we can agree to disagree.

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  16. OMG I can not belive you deleted my post ROFL. Sort ya self out mate.

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  17. Fully agree, I feel Benitez has finally lost the plot and its time many die hard supporters wake up and look at what the guy has done this season, taken the club backwards. Yes the Yanks have much to answer to, but Benitez has become a very self opinionated individual who has lost so many points this season due to his pigheaded defensive approach.
    Its time we moved on , he won the European Cup in 2005 with Houlliers Team, he has bought mediocre trash for our once great club, and like many Ive lost patience with his attitude. The Guy must go , he will never win the Holy Grail and we  are looking more like a mid table outfit than Championship Pretenders.
    He persisits with morons like Babel, Voronin, Leiva and will not blood these so called wonderkids we have in the reserves etc. Nemeth is one of the most exciting prospects Ive seen in years, and he is plying his trade in Greece , not in the Premier League where he belongs alongside Torres.Benitez has failed to secure cover for Torres in the last 2 years and blames other people fo the appalling squad cover he has assembled.
    Time to say Adios Mr Benitez and the sooner the better !!!!!!

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  18. Stick to debating the issues and your posts will not be deleted.

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  19. i totally agree with you there jamie.  what liverpool is lacking, and has been all season, is creativity.  sure we are one of the best in the league at knocking the ball around the midfield.  but that all goes for naught if you don't have a killer penetrating ball.  
     
    aquilani can provide us with that. i don't see why he has been riding the pine since coming back to fitness, meanwhile lucas (whom i thought was just cover) continues to be preferred.  aquilani is a box-to-box midfielder and he has a great range of passes.  play him rafa! before you turn him into another robbie keane!  
     
    jk - you take alot of flak on this blog because you dare to challange rafa's style.  i must commend you for sticking to your guns mate.  our current run of games is really proving alot of your points.   alot of the complaints thrown your way are really starting to sound silly. you have a point with dirk 'the goal machine' kuyt.  i have argued about him being in the team for years.  everyone tells me he scores important goals.  but personally i believe every goal is important, and frankly he isn't scoring enough of them. 
     
    now i'm not saying rafa is a bad manager by any means.  i just think he may have now run out of ideas at liverpool (his poor choice in subs is proving that, fulham game for example).  he has had a very commendable run, but maybe he's taken us as far as he can.  time to shake it up a bit and get some fresh ideas in there.

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  20. shocked at how much support benitez gets when he continues to make poor decisions IMO . lucas and masch will never work in centre especially against teams who sit back and defend. and rafa shows too much faith in kuyt-who is really struggling this season.surely aquilani is fit to play at least 30 min even if he isnt "match fit"?also cant understand why rafa didnt sign a striker in the summer when it was obvious we were in trouble if torres or gerrard got injured. it seems like rafa has no plan B and had presumed he could play his best 11 all year

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  21. the biggest danger to liverpool are fans who continue to see no wrong in a really bad manager, just read their replies everyone is to blame bar benitez,
    this man is steering the ship towards an iceberg while these fans form a guard of honour waving their flags cheering him on,while the more alert fans are screaming with frustration tryiing to point out an obvious danger,

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  22. I thought at the start we had avery attacking line up, kuyt, babel, ngo, gerrard. with carra. and insua getting forward with lucas also getting forward that makes seven players attacking, I can see how you would think that is negative. obviously if you where manager we would have 9 going forward. this just shows how little you know about football and how it should be played. aquilani is not the great saviour every body is expecting him to be. He is a very good player, like alonso was a very good player. Alonso did not get us second place last season, he made a good contribution but it was a team effort. 

    aquilani is just another player, it does not matter what he cost, all that matters is when the manager thinks its time for him to play, he will play. if he had come on and nothing changed, I wonder what you would have written about then? probably how benitez sent on a player who was not quite ready to play in a big game like this, should he have done x,y,z. 

    you have the easiest job in the world, being a critic is easy. have you managed a football team at any level? i dont think so, or you would know football from a managers perspective, not a fans.

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  23. <span>Once again, Liverpool are sabotaged by RAFA BENITEZ'S ultra-cautious philosophy


    Jaimie, the ultra-cautious philosophy is all part of Rafa's make up and it will NEVER change.
    I confess to being a Manchester United fan but a) I have no doubt that Liverpool DESERVED to win the title last season and b) I hate seeing what's happening at Anfield this year.
    While being very conscious of keeping my objectivity, I am convinced that the ultra-cautious philosophy of Rafa Benitez that you refer to is the ONLY reason that the title failed to end up at Anfield last season...and it seems to be happening again.
    Yes, Rafa took the leash off when things became desperate from March onwards and the results speak for themselves. Makes you wonder what might have been if.....
    Please have a read of what I wrote in late April BEFORE the title race was decided which will further express my thoughts.</span>

    http://aussiered.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/rafa-may-have-lost-a-golden-chance/#more-75

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  24. Yeah, we were lacking creativity when we scored 2 yesterday, weren't we?
    We've lacked creativity when we've scored 29 all season, haven't we? Face the facts rather than repeat media cliches - Liverpool have conceded 20 goals this year, and THAT ALONE has been our downfall.

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  25. you are the danger to liverpool, it takes time, and money to develop a winning team. you dont win the prem you buy it. Blackburn manu, and chelski have all bought it. we are not in that position to buy it. one bad start to a season, and its get rid of the manager. because the next man to come in will win us the prem in his first season, with no cash to spend and with the same "not good enough players we have know". you have got to just love the logic.

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  26. Jaimie,
    I see your point and I dont.  I was calling for Aqualani to come on for Lucas with about 15 minutes to go.  I also see why Rafa did what he did.  I think Yossi was struggling, he wasnt fit enough to play 60+ minutes. Before you say why was he on the bench it was becuase he was (as evidenced by his game) fit enough to play a good portion of the game  but not a full game.  Nobody could forsee that he would have needed to use 2 subs in the first 20 minutes. IMO I believe Rafa thought that he needed to get better service into the box from the LHS. Aurelio can usually deliver pin point crosses and deliver some creativity.  This time this was not the case.  I also believe that Rafa would have used Aqualani if he didnt have to use the two subs earlier in the game.  Just an honest opinion here Jaimie, I see both sides.  I wanted to see the aqua man in action against decent opposition with the withdrawal of Lucas but I can also see where Rafa was coming from.

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  27. I'm sorry Jamie, your showing yourself up, with your lack of footballing knowledge. I was there, the team were absolutely shattered, gerrard in particular( he was almost worn out with 20 mins to go but injuries in the first 15 minutes meant he had to stay on. im sure he was to make way for Aqui in the later stages)If he'd have gone tot he left there was now way he was tracking back to help out insua who was already struggling against an improving wright-phillips. Gerard didn't have it in him and we needed a left sided player to attack as well as defend( could you imagine if we were left exposed as we attacked with no cover) Aurelio was the right decision as his quality in set pieces almost earned us a win. Sorry mate but yuo wanna get down to anfield and see whats really goin on and as for your last post, Mascherano was phenominal!

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  28. Bikram - yes we have scored 29 goals.  however if you look at the distribution of those goals it is actually worrying.  in our first 9 games we scored 19 goals!! that was great.  we were all happy.  sure we had a couple of bad beats in there but i was content with no draws.  now if you look at our next 10 games we have only scored 10 goals.  i would say that is down to a lack of creativity.  also don't forget we scored 14 goals against 3 teams (stoke, burnley, hull).  all teams i feel as though we should be running up those kinds of scores against.

    i can't argue with you that our defence has been shakey at best.  i think that comes down to 2 main things.  1) our lack of height on set pieces and 2) we have been cycling our defenders more often than any other team in the league (mainly down to injuries and red cards).  it's hard to get a defensive partnership started when each week there's a new guy in there.

    i still say however that although rafa is a great manager, his time may be up at liverpool.  i still think about us thowing away the title with our run of horrible draws last year after his rant about fergie.  i am still crushed about that.

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  29. "We may be scoring goals this season by what does it matter?"

    Yes it does. It says something about alleged 'negative' Benitez's approach.

    Attacking is not our main problem - we score and create enough. Shaky defence is.


    Our goals scored(created) to goals conceded ratio suggest we are too 'positive' not too 'negative'.

    Introducing Aurelio could have a very good purpose: set pieces. It is quite common 'positive' tacticks to try to get something from set pieces isnt it? And we know Aurelio is good in it. And left mid is his natural position (as well as LB). And Gerrard couldnt run fast last game so putting him on left would be pointless.

    I find this Rafa's decision as acceptable.

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  30. Alonso is a huge loss. One player can lift the whole team and get the team playing to his tempo

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  31. Aurelio was brought on instead of Aquilani as Insua was getting roasted at left back. Anyone with a modicum of understanding about football would notice that.
    What you are suggesting is that we should have allowed that to continue and brought on a player whom you have constantly deemed not good enough, writing articles to prove this.
    You suggest that fans are simplistic for believing you have an anti Benitez agenda, when the vast majority of your articles back this up.

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  32. Get a grip jaimie, I have written a few times to you in good honest debate. This time you sound like someone who is loosing it. This season began to go wrong after just 20 mins of it's begining when Carra and Skrtle clashed at Spurs, and it has just carried on. I can not remember a start to a season where luck has had such a massive impact, somtimes this does happen. I could understand if you where saying Rafa had lost his luck, because I believe that to be the case. Please dont loose your bottle, we have to wait it will turn, it could be on Tuesday.   

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  33. <span>the king is nacked</span> - cant you see that??????
    thats not liverpool, thats not the right thinking, not the right players
    and up most important not a top quality manger!!!
    kuyt is perfect  example to benitez philosophy and what he wants from playrs - hard working , deciplane and no creativty!!! exactly the opposite from liverpool way of playing and playrs !!!

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  34. with kyrgiakos struggling and only 1 sub left, aurelio could slot in for benny or if need be slot in for carra at RB (with him moving to CB), therefore it was tactical,introducing aquilani with the game at such pace and intensity could have been counter productive and detrimental

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  35. sorry matt I have genuine long thoughtout constructive reasons for wanting benitez out, I've given it lots of thought analyzing the man as best I can, and after 6years decided he's not good enough , just like a player if their is somone better in his posistion you try and get him, so following the logic of benitez lovers, first of all it's early days lets wait until things get worse,(it's the worst run in over 50 yrs) secondly, you lead us to believe there is no one better on this planet than benitez, and if there is don't bother trying to get him because LFC have no ambition any more because we've don't have the money,so lets stick with benitez who has lost his way,become even more cautious than ever, funny we try to replace players when they stop performing if the player offers  reasons for this we as fans are not interested we demand the player performs or goes,and yet the manager is allowed to underperform, he gets the praise but never the blame,

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  36. Hey Lads we have a major problem throughout the club.
    Early season games with almost full a squad were rubbish.The players don't look fit and have no urgency or energy. We have nobody upfront who can hold the ball up and take a little pressure off the midfield and defence. Raffa has messed up big style and he will not change his ways for anybody. If we could just look a little interested and more lively we could easily catch up the top four, apart from Chelsea the league is rubbish. I for one will be stopping my SKY subscription.

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  37. does anybody think rafa has been over achieving and if we had a more attack minded manager we could be losing 4 3 every week. maybe his caution and methods have kept us in the top 4

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  38. I agree with a lot that is said in this article. Benitez keeps on with the same systems and confusing and, in my limited knowledge, illogical substitutions replacing players that seem to be doing well in the game and leaving on players who consistently underperform.I completely agree that Aquilani should have come on and I'm beginning to wonder whether he will start against Debrecen either, which would be a perfect easy game for his first start.

    However (it was inevitable) Aurelio does offer some attacking talent. His dead ball skills (bar his first free kick) are known to be exceptional and to be honest I would much rather have him taking corners than Gerrard, who seems to have found a bit of the football pitch he should stay away from. Was it Aurelio's corner that Lucas missed? (I can't remember) If it was then that change would have been tactical genius. 

    On a side note I am beginning to think a return to 4-4-2 would be good and would have liked to see Babel and N'gog up front together with Eccleston on the bench. Gerrard and Mascherano would give us an epic midfield and we would have more players upfield than a 20 year old just covering for Torres. I'm starting to get pissed off with getting up early on my weekends (I go to uni in the States) to watch a team consistently be terrible. I've stuck with Rafa this far but playing Masch and Lucas together at home gives us a negative goal threat, especially when there is an Italian stallion waiting to prove his price tag on the bench.

    Aquilani would have come on had the injuries not happened.

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  39. Well i was there too and the only player who looked most knackered was Kuyt. He of course can't ever be taken off. Benny could have lasted another 6 minutes easily...and if you thought Masch was phenomenal you're watching a different player to me. He was alright, nothing special so don't go over the top. Truth is Benitez is a cautious manager and always takes the safe option and he's been doing that 5 years. It's not good enough.

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  40. Rubbish. We had plenty of good luck last year with all those late goals didn't we? Don't make excuses. It's a lot more than luck..it's downright poor management from the manager.

    It's not bad luck when u lose 8 times by November and win 1 game in 10. It's a lot more than that.

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  41. Nonsense Jamie. Absolute nonsense as usual. Anyone who knows anything about football could see Insua was in trouble with Sean Wright Phillips and he needed a hand, also Benayoun was knackered having just come back from injury. It was a completely logical subsitution. With all the injuries on the day - Johnson before, Agger & Babel during, a point was not a bad result in THIS GAME. We all want to see Aquilani but I fully understand why we didn't on Saturday. And tell me this Jamie, if Rafa is so cautious how come we have scored 3 more goals than Manchester United (the most attacking team in world according to sky!). A blind man can see where our problems are this season - in defence. Once we get a solid back four FIT for a few games, this won't be an issue anymore. By the way - to suggest Fabio Aurelio is not an attacking player really shows your lack of knowledge  Jamie.

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  42. i agree with jamie,we were definitely too cautious yesterday.as soon as we scored we sat back and we could all sense what was going to happen.city were poor until then and we shouldve pressed for another.
    ive defended benitez many times and will continue to do so if i feel its right,but i think he got the tactics wrong this time.ive also defended kuyt before but he was poor yesterday as he has been for a while and so he should be dropped to the bench and made to prove himself once more...should do him good.
    one thing i will say which is slightly off topic (or relates to another post)is that masch was fantastic in the game...i really havent seen many better at breaking up the play and starting us off from the back...i do see him as world class jamie...do you still not see it?

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  43. I just wanted to suggest that it's likely Rafa had a specific tactic in mind when he made that substitution. I know, you see a player come on who is normally a wing back and it looks like a defensive tactic, but don't we all know by now that Rafa's decisions are much complicated than that? Right at the end of game we had the chances to win it so it's not like Liverpool went into a defensive mode. Perhaps Aquilani would have offered something different, that's the idea that we fans have, but that's not how Rafa works. He doesn't think in terms of "this player is more attacking so he'll be better in these 6 minutes". Instead he thinks "OK, I can see our best chance for scoring is with a certain tactic. I need to make a replacement that helps us use that tactic the best". So perhaps you can see that it's not quite as simple as you first thought. 
    We had a chance at the end to win it. It's not Rafa's fault that Lucas couldn't bury the ball in the net. He did everything he could in a tactical sense to give his players the chance to win. They had that chance, they just didn't take it. In my view that's not really something you can pin on Rafa. 

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  44. I think he over-achieved last year. We will never ever beat that total of points even if he's here for the next 10 years. He won leagues with Valencia with 75 and 77 points. So 86 is a career high for him and he'll never beat that. It's not his methods that have kept us in the top 4. that's where we should have been after being the 3rd highest spenders in the last 5 years. His methods have met with success in Europe where a draw is a great result and you have the option of penalties and away goals to win games but in the league he's not able to steal results like that. You have to actually play football aggressively in this league and that's beyond him.

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  45. Yes Jamie we had problems against City but most were not of Rafas making

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  46. Tired of watching a gutless manager try to run a mediocre team.  I am fed up with Rafa.  He has proven time and time again that he knows absolutely nothing about offense or defending set-pieces.  Lucas and Masch cannot play together; neither one offers any offensive threat.  One would think that Lucas could actually score a wide open sitter.  He has played nearly every Pool game this year and has not done a thing.  OH yeah. he scored for the opposition once at Anfield.  Aquilani has to be on the pitch, at least at Anfield.  He is creative.  Our defense stinks!!! They have been awful regardless of injuries.  A healthy Glen Johnson could have been the difference vs City, for Carragher has no offensive ability either.  I am sick of Skrtel and our injury-prone team.  We need Hiddink o r Redknapp and some real defenders who can cover set-pieces. Skrtel was beaten by Adebayor and Ireland. What a miserable season that just grows worse and worse. Our owners need to bite the bullet, pay off Rafa, and start anew. Ancelotti, Ferguson, Wenger, Redknapp, O'Neill, and Hughes would have gone with a more offensive approach.  Tired of the excuses, Rafa. Bench Lucas and play Aquilani. Finally, have the brain and toughness to bench non-productive players.

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  47. totally agree.

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  48. you are on to something! why keep aqualini on the bench? i thought he would play some part against man city. if he does not play on Tuesday for champions league rafa has screwed up huge this season! what a joke. selling alonoso yet the replacement does not play well into november! you got to be kidding with that! on other note i feel sorry for babel. you can tell he was really trying but poor dude got injured. 

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  49. 'He of course can't ever be taken off.'

    Tell me mate:who should take Kuyt place during last game? Let me just remind you: you have ONE substitution left.

    Whom do you substitute? I'll give you a hint: Benayoun is not fit to play more than one half - after that time injury risk grows geometrically.

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  50. I see what you're saying, Samsamire, but the question is did Benitez make the most attacking, positive change that he could?  Clearly, the answer is no.  Whatever way you slice it, Aurelio is a defensive player.  If you're desperate to win a game, you do not bring on a dedicated attacker.

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  51. Aurelio is a player who can change games?!  The depth of some fans' denial is truly breathtaking.  Give me some examples of how Aurelio is a game-changing player.  if we're relying on aconstatnl injure defender to be our game changert then we're really scraping the barrel.

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  52. <span>"In my view, Aquilani should've been introduced midway through the second half, or even at half time, with Lucas or Masch making way. A positive, progressive, direct, forward-thinking manager would've made that change."</span>

    So, you would have used your 3rd and final substitute at half-time? And then when a player gets injured in the second 45 what do you do? There isn't a manager alive, not even a "positive, progressive, direct, forward-thinking manager" that would have made that change. A football novice, wannabe journalist sat behind a computer would have made that change.

    I do laugh at your, typically English, failure to understand football Jaimie. "How can bringing on a 'defensive' player make a teams attacking play improve? It's madness!"; something a simplistic, uneducated football fan would probably think.

    I don't believe you are anti-Rafa - even if you clearly do not agree that he should be in charge, that is a different thing - nor do i care (i am not necessarily pro-Rafa), you have gone out of your way in the past to offer balance, with articles in favour of Rafa, i simply think that you could do with patching up on your understanding of football before criticising. To be a critic you should at least have a standpoint of relative expertise.

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  53. Hi Polo - I completely agree with you about the lack of penetration; that's where Aquilani would come in handy.  Good points about the distribution of goals - some fans will just ignore those valid points though a they're so in denial.

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  54. If Aquilani had come on a nothing had changed then I wouldn't have written anything. I would've been content in the knowledge that benitez did everything he could to try and win the game.  That was the way it was after we lost to Sunderland a few weeks back - I wrote a positive article after the game because the loss was just one of those things.

    I only ever write critical articles when there is something to be critical about, and in this game there undoubtedly was, even if you're unwilling to admit that.

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  55. Good points.  I agree that there was a kinf of logic behind the Aurelio substitution, and i would've accepted it if it was made with 20 minutes to go, but there was only 6 minutes to go!  6 minutes left of a must-win game.  Surely that's the time to throw everything but the kitchen sink at the situation, especially if you really want to win?  I disagree that Benitez sent Aurelio on to win the game - in my view, he sent him on as extra defensive cover.

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  56. Don't patronise me, Roxy.  Your just another one of those 'superfans' who think that the only real fans are those that go to the games.  What a load of crap.  Just because you went to the game doesn't give you any greater insight.  And the players were shattered?!  Most of them had just had 12 days off.  They shouldn't be so tired, and if they are there's a serious problem somewhere.

    Gerrard could've managed for 6-7 minutes on the left without any problem at all.

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  57. If Insua was getting 'roasted' and he's not good enough, then whose fault is that?  If he really isn't good enough then he shouldn't be in the team.  After 5 years, you'd think we'd have a decent left back by now.  Instead, we have an 8m flop, an inconsistent youngster with suspect defensive abilities and a perpetually injured Aurelio.

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  58. I'd actually like to know what everyone's take is on Mascherano. I'm really betwixt on this guy. At one point he'll contribute a hard-nosed tackle that stops the momentum of our opponents. But the next moment he'll make a very poor pass that will stop our own momentum. In the end, if it weren't for Alonzo leaving, I would have opted for a good trade on the market for Masch. Love to hear what you folks have to say.

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  59. Rafa must take the blame if he keeps playing Lucas a player who has no creative force whatsoever and a mediocre defensive qualities.He'd play well (not brilliant) for one game in 2 years..even Titus Bramble can do better than that.

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  60. I waited so long to read an article about Rafa-Aquilani strange relation with rafa is very very cautious manager and Aquilani is not fit to play a full 90 minutes match.
    Really it drives me so so crazy about why aquilani is off the pitch instead of is Lucas still on.....I have one question Hopefully to get an answer "Is Lucas Our Permenant Medfield Player ?".
    From the last month we heard about aquilani back from injury and cannot kick the ball then he can kick the ball then Liverpool official site published pics from training then he played in arsenl game in Carling Cup then played another as all know.......All of that period Rafa talking about just one thing which is Aquilani Match Fitness as he was improving and said it more and more, and then one day Rafa said the best option is to play matchs to get match fitness, then he never use him from start.
    And Sure Aurelio for Benayoun for 6 mins instead of aquilani is really something that give evidence about one of two things 1st-that Rafa is really satisfied with the draw wanna 2 keep it, 2nd-Aquilani cant play football for liverpool after the last injury Or maybe Rafa is really became a very bad manager for liverpool.
    Lastly, Aquilani not match fit, Rafa not Liverpool fit.
    Rafa is really frustrating me with his aquilani problems, defence problems, zonal problems and Set-Pieces problems...They are really more and more problems now existing that really need some help from any another manager to solve....Hope to say you Out of Liverpool Rafa.

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  61. I agree - Benitez could make us look more attacking. But all manager decision making is about chances valuation.

    We have about 10 min. Benitez introduces Aurelio. Lets assume our chances look something like that:

    Win: 15%
    Draw:75%
    Lose: 10%

    What would you do if introducing Aquilani and throwing everything forward would lead to chances as follow:

    Win: 20%
    Draw:40%
    Lose: 40%

    We all know our chances to win the league are extremely slim... Quite probably we are playing a sixpointer fighting for top 4...

    What would you do?

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  62. scary observation - points wise, we are closer to the relegation zone than we are to the top of the table. 13 points from the top vs 9 fromt he drop zone.



    how can you all blindly stand behind rafa.  we've only won 1 in 10 games for god's sake!  he is under performing and as a result his job should be on the line.  this is just not good enough.

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  63. Yer totally right on Lucas, and the blame is squarely on Rafa. And "creative force" is an apt phrase. There is no creative force there. He played one good game, against united. It's astonishing how many counter attacks were squashed by his errant passing and/or stoopid infractions. The missed header this weekend was the last straw for me.

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  64. Outside of being stark, raving mad over Lucas, our defense, and Mascha's inability to place a shot anywhere near the net...I would like to submit a positive: I think Ngog (Egg Nogg), is really coming into his own. Any time he had possession this weekend, I felt like something good or at least something creative was going to come of it. He has a lot of confidence behind the ball now. We should be happy about that. It will be interesting to see his growth this season.

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  65. I agree with this article.
    I expected Aquilani to come on with 15-20 mins to go.

    Totally pissed off at seeing aurelio coming on for yossi.
     it was like rafa gave up.

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  66. No one mentions the fact that those dirty manchester gits almost took babel and Stevie out with a two footed studs showing challenge. In fact tht same tackle added to our injury worries with Ryan apparently not teavelling to mHungary. The commentators didnt even mention the crazy challenge at all.

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  67. ok well you pay him 4 million a year for another 4 years and then you can shout you mouth off and get your wish.

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  68. Why is Jamie Kanwar, the self-styled great pundit, not managing Liverpool? Oh yeah, cos he's too busy sitting around having nothing better to do than slag Rafa off at every opportunity. 
    Dude, you call your piece an objective dissection of the situation? Were you there to know as to why did Rafa not bring on Aquilani and brought on Aurelio.Do you have the confidence to say for sure that Aquilani would have been able to change anything, given that he's just returning from a major long term injury ( and hence better to risk Aurelio than him). And if you say Aurelio doesnt offer anything, then get your eye sight checked. I dont know why, and that cos I am not the manager of Liverpool. Sick of your pieces. I may not be liking the situation at Anfield any more than any of the fans out there, but your piece makes me wonder if you are a Liverpool fan or a self-deluded 'Liverpool fan'!

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  69. Defence, defence and defence again.
    I feel tired...
    Stop to blame our defenders!!!!
    Stop to blame Carra!!
    We've all dream of a team of Carraghers!!!
    Dear Steven, anyone Who play football knows that the performances of centre back are being linked to the midfield.
    If the players in the middle are not good enough to move and pass the ball, How can You make the difference and protect the centre - back?
    Our Players in the middle have not the skills to keep and play the ball so it's impossibile for the team to get in on the ground.
    Football is also a quality game, not only a quantity game, and You can't play well in the defence, if your middle players will not be good enough to move the ball forward!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  70. Interesting comments.  So if we had gone all out and lost, what column would we see? Lets not forget that man city were on top for while.  Bringing on Aquilani would have compltely changed our shape. we would have a knackered benni and either aquilani or gerrard out of position.  leaving an even bigger gap on our left.

    also, you pick on kuyt. have youseen our injury list lately? who would you play instead? he's playing because he is fit at the moment.

    Normally you talk some sense, but this article is poorly thought out and not reseaerched like normal, and shows some tactical deficiency on your behalf

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  71. I am so tired of your articles and i just gotta say that ur an idiot who just likes to be heard!  What the hell has Aqualani proved to you that justifies ur bitching!! Is he gerrard? Is he Torres? In hindsight everyones a genius who knows better. Please........SHUT UP!

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  72. Jaimie who did Aurelio replace? Benayoun. The same Benayoun who HAD to come on for the injured Babel after about 20 minutes of the match, the same Benayoun who was not started due to JUST having recovered from an injury. He was starting to look tired so Rafa replaced him with the only left sided player he had left on the bench able to play on the wing!

    You're so negative it's untrue, I think it showed that Rafa wanted to win the game as he RISKED Benayoun when he used him to replace Babel, if he was as negative as you suggest he is why not put Aurelio (defensive) on instead and save Benayoun (offensive) for Debrecen?

    You only see what you want to see Jaimie and you constantly look for the negatives in everything Benitez does.

    The 2nd goal was offside, it was quite clear. The 1st goal was due to PISS POOR marking by Skrtel it had nothing to do with zonal marking, Skrtel got himself out of position and gifted Adebayor a free header, was that Rafa's fault as well?


    Take off Lucas or Mascherano at half-time? What planet are you on Jaimie? Lucas and Mascherano were probably our best performers all match, Mascherano was our MOM! Did you watch the match Jaimie? Were you at Anfield?

    Replacing Benayoun with Aurelio was EXACTLY the right thing to do and you wouldn't have even focused on it if Lucas had buried his free header which came as a result of AURELIO! 

    We don't have the MONEY other teams do and ergo we don't have a huge squad with a veritable feast of £15m-£20m players sitting on the bench, a few injuries to key players was ALWAYS going to throw our season into turmoil. For someone who prides himself "REALISM" you really cannot see the wood for the trees can you?

    You slammed Rafa for signing an injury prone £20m midfielder and now you think he's going to be our saviour? Your delusions run deep Jaimie, very deep.

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  73. Benitez needed to cover the left side and brought on a left footed player who is also quite useful at set plays - in fact the only option from the bench.

    To move Gerrard wide and have Aquilani in the middle is hardly a more attacking option. You move our biggest goal threat out wide and bring on a player who has scored about 9 goals in seven years for Roma!

    If he had done that I'm sure you'd be writing an article critisizing benitez for such a poor decision.

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  74. Why do people still have a problem with Lucas? He's turning into a very good midfielder, "He's stoo defensive" MYTH, "He's not creative" MYTH.

    Lucas is getting better and better with each passing game, his statistics from Saturday as far as passing is concerned:

    50 attempted / 47 successful (94% SUCCESS RATE), 81% FORWARD PASSES, 62% OPPOSITION HALF.

    NO other Liverpool player over the course of the ENTIRE match had stats that could match Lucas, IMO he was our best player, second only to Mascherano who deserves MOM purely for being like a rabid terrier at the heels of any City player who dared to entire his midfield territory!

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  75. ive been reading these comments, especially yours Jaimie. you seem to have a lot to say about liverpool's chances: what's happening or what could have been. let's put it this way, could you, if you were in his shoes right at this messy situation he is in right now, do a better job in handling your injury woes, tactic management, boardroom pressures, 'expert' criticisms etc better than him all at once? coz im pretty sure if you can actually do those better than him rather than just sittin there typin your keyboard without seeing what they're dealin with every day, then you would most probably be the 'saviour' for liverpool now wouldn't you? but then again you're not. sayin all this negative criticism without even a single positive compliment on liverpool thus far and what we've accomplished before (yes it is relavant Jaimie, its what you call 'faith n motivation') isnt gonna help them any better. would you be so darn negative with your own son if he was doing what rafa is doin now for liverpool, were he the manager? all im sayin' is, be fair in your words my friend. and have faith in liverpool. we WILL go thru this predicament, together.

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  76. we are still a great club.

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  77. is this about the game or the fans.stop it.

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  78. be thanful that the baffler went for attacking flair with his aurelio substitution(i think not)his usual ploy is to swop full back for full back
    the atmosphere was strange on saturday it felt as though the fans
    have accepted that our season is all but over and looking at some
    of the players body language they have to  the team looks stale
    benitez has said he is happy with zonal marking and we will finish
    in the top four i am afraid he is living in dream land
    do the decent thing and walk give the fans a lift and more
    importantly give the team a much needed lift

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  79. its great goin the game.you should try and get there ,i think you would enjoy it.it might cheer you up.

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  80. Lets be honest for a moment ...Last season we were very lucky to win the amounts of games we did early in the season.Sunderland, Boro are a few examples.Even the Draws we came back to draw most of those games.

    So i think that this off season Rafa had to go out and really reinforce the Squad with more depth and Quality.

    The fact that he could not hold on to Alonso is a big reason we have taken a few steps back this season.How on earth he thought a Player like Lucas was going to fill the GAP Alonso would leave is mind boggling.

    I applaud him for getting us Johnson, but we needed to cover the fact that Sami had left, how he let that happen i don't know.Insua has been OK but his lack of pace and height are things that won't change, it was a glaring hole that needed to be filled in our squad.

    Kuyt has done well over the years for us but a league winning side needs a better option out wide , maybe Yossi deserves a run ahead of Dirk now , with Reira on the LW.

    Rafa has to cop most of the blame for our run, this is his squad and if there are injuries, his signed all these below average players that have no place wearing an LFC shirt.

    Voro, Doss, Degan,Kyri ....are not good enough !!!!!!

    Rafa can still fix this thou .... its time to drop Dirk and play with more freedom....give Kelly a shot @ LB or move Agger over , but Skrtel looks like he has totally lost the plot.

    I would get C.Cole in Jan , Van Der Vaart to play across midfield.

    Hiddink is available now thou ...?

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  81. If you're so 'tired' of the articles on this site then don't visit the site.  Don't come back - you and people like you who leave pointless comments will not be missed.

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  82. lucas is staying, masch may not be, thats why lucas plays.

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  83. Great attempt to divert attention away from the main point.  Strop twisting things:  the issue here is NOT that benayoun was subbed off - I have no problem with that; the issue is that Aurelio came on instead of Aquilani.

    This was a defensive-minded substition that smacked of Benitez settling for a draw.

    There were only 6 minutes left of the game.  We were at HOME.  We needed to win.  A manager who wants to win the game fields the most attcking line-up possible for those last 6 minutes.  End of story.

    Liverpool's most progressive line-p for the last 6 minutes would've been with Aquilani on the pitch, not Aurelio.

    And Benayoun could easily have lasted for another 6 minutes.  It's 6 minutes for christ's sake! We cold've had Yossi ANMD Aurelion on the pitch; Lucas/masch could've been removed, and our chances of winning the game would've increased even more.

    But no.  We take the safe route and end up drawing.

    Sometimes you have to take risks!  Benitez is unwilling to ake risks EVER, and that is the problem.

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  84. It is a more attacking option purely because you have more attacking players on the pitch!  And Gerrard would not be stuck on the wing; that would be his nominal starting position and he would drift around like he usually does.  benayoun does the same and he plays on the left, so I'm sure Gerrard can do it.

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  85. I think you all have a valid and sensible point. The writer Jaimie has taken the time to write his opinions based on being a fan of this great club and people who do not agree also have good valid points and again being fans of the club we have one common goal which is to see the team winning all the time.

    I think it is a case of looking at Rafa with an analytical eye. If you look at the starting formation of practically every single game then you have to concede that it is nothing sort of a defensive formation. However, as the game develops as in when we have the ball you have the two full backs pushing on almost like extra wingers which show Rafa is trying for width, hence buying GJ. If you have your right backs pushing up then the two DM do come in handy when the attack breaks down. With the ball more often than not we are very much an attacking side and without it we are usually a stubborn side to break down which is proved by the fact we consistently been the top three in highest scorers and also top three in goals against. That shows good balance.

    Moving on to this season no matter whether you are pro Rafa or against the fact that we have missed 5 first team players and then about 6 players who would normally take their place you would have to perhaps conceded that he is done the best out of what has been an increasingly tough situation.

    I was also at the game yesterday and yet still agree with Jaimie that it matters not where you watch the game from who can stil make a point. Rafa could have as Jaimie suggested brought on Aquilani or even El Zhar on the Right for on of the DM and pushed Kuyt up top but he did not. The reason why he did not is probably and more than likely due to the fact he lost one player to injury he would not have taken off in Agger and the lost Babel too early. I am convinced given no injuries in that game then Aquilani would have been on. This nonsense that he does not want to play him is silly as he is the one who bought him and put faith that he will come good after injury.

    I think on reflection the fact that a late chance was carved out vindicates Rafa's decision making. Had he gone more attacking albeit for another six minutes it could have spelled disaster. Going into the game I wanted a victory and after the way the game panned out I was satisfied with the point after injuries and Man City's second half display. Six minutes is a massive time in football as we know from Istanbul and it is not a case of saying only six minutes.

    We all want to be up there but be realistic what would Man Utd do without just Rooney and Fletcher, or Aresenal without Van Persie and Arsharvin (lost to Sunderland with lack of flair) and Chelsea without Terry, Lampard and Drogba and not for one game but for a good ten games. That is just a few from their starting line up nothing like our injury crisis and they have 'better' squads.

    Guys I am frustrated and annoyed at our results this season but lets just put things in perspective. If Rafa is not good in the league why is it that he has achieved our best league points total ever twice in three seasons 82 and 86 points. Had it not been for an incredible run by Utd 86 point was enough for the league. Also Arsenal are always praised but apart from the first season when have Arsenal finished above Liverpool in the league since Rafa has been here and what have they won since Rafa has been here. Rafa is the right man and shown through great European performances (not this season but even Utd finsihed last in their group not too long ago) and has first XI to compete with anyone. In 6 years he has had to spend on youth set up, reserves and first XI. It is not easy people and you will see if he ever gets his first choice consistently this season that he is a [...]

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  86. Bentiez could not have gotten onto the pitch and kicked every ball himself, but if his team don't do it, he gets lambasted. Unfortunately the team is really short on confidence, especially in defence, which makes going gung-ho against a team with genuine pace (Bellamy, Tevez, SWP) riskier than usual. Maybe if we were coming off the back of a run of no defeats in ten games we might have had the belief to go for the win, especially being at home, but it didn't happen. Again, injuries have made Aquilani suffer on the sidelines, and Benayoun wasn't in a condition to play the full match, which limited Benitezs options, especially with what we had on the bench. 

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  87. Going to the game makes a massive difference! As you can see the the play as a whole, who is working to close down space when the camera is following the ball at the other end of the pitch. Off the ball movement is just as important as the player with the ball andf injured players were trying to cover for one another when each other moved out of position. Thats why they were so tired and thats the stuff you cant see from your armchair!

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  88. We needed Aquilani on at the hour mark to get onto the ball and start dictating the play, we stopped passing the ball which let city into the game. Gerrard got tired and it would have been ideal to get Aquilani on, Kuyt is useless this season as you have said. When fit we need Kelly at full-back with Johnson right-wing and Kuyt on the bench, Kenny might have to take us to the end of the season , If thing's don't change.

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  89. Common sense is a wonderful thing!

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  90. Where did i say he wasn't good enough? He was having a hard time, it happens to all players. When Gerrard was subdued by Essien in the Anfield Champs League tie last year, did that mean he wasn't good enough?
    Your knee is perpetually jerking and whether you admit it or not, your arguments are flawed.
    He is a decent player who had a bad game, the manager saw this and rectified it thus giving us more control and an opportunity to win the game, which weren't taken by Lucas or Kyriakos (the Greek player who we could only afford as your favoured owners gave us £1.5million as a transfer fund).
    This site is a joke across the web, something others would be aware of if you didn't edit comments to within a inch of their lives.
    You should really try to get to a game at some point, it might open your eyes a bit.

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  91. For a manager who is 'unable to take risks ever' he has certainly worked some miracles in how many goals we have scored. You say your site is against blind faith fandom when you are purely towing the line that Gray et al do on Sky with no understanding of anything beyond your anti Rafa bias.
    Liverpool's best line up on the pitch for the last 6 minutes was one that afforded us a chance to win whilst mitigating against getting beat. A defeat would have been catastrophic.
    If Rafa's gameplan wasn't altered way beyond his control with the injuries, we would have certainly seen Aquaman play. Yet this doesn't fit with your anti Benitez sensibilities so therefore won't be recognised.
    In addition, you constantly berate and delete postings on here for being 'snide' yet you are the worst culprit of the lot with your condescending tone.
    Joke.

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  92. I think what all fans needed this weekend is a win in order for us to get the belief back.But that doesn't mean we can simply bashed the manager when the team is not doing well. What we need is to analyze the team as a whole. What we got currently is one of the best attacking team in the PL (if all first teamers are availble and fit) whereas we got nothing in reserves compared to Cheslski. So when there are injuries we simply cannot cope. As for me, I hope that Benitez can get all the injured fit and let them play at their attacking best. I believe Benitez is still the right man for this job, if youngster like martin kelly can play in RB to replace johnson. We need more youngsters to perform so that they can replace the first teamers. Liverpool still need at least another 2 years before they can become champions if the owners backed the manager that is. Lastly, as a fan we must believe the players can produce the goods that the managers have given them. Only they can change the game when the whistle blows. The manager can always plan but it is the players that have to perform. YNWA.

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  93. some of you guys just dont get it.!

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  94. Yo, Jaimie, another great article. It's still amazing how many IRWT bridgade fans still give lame excuses for Rafa's bad managerial ability.
    You know what makes it worse, if Liverpool were to win the next game, all of a sudden, Rafa is the 'best' manager in the world and IRWT bridgade will start slagging off all those who want him out at the end of the season. However, they're too blind to realise that win may make 2 wins in 11 games which is beyond pathetic, despite the circumstances.It's also amazing that Lucas has scored for the opponents before and missed an open header against Man Citeh, yet IRWT fans defend Lucas and give us useless stats about his passing completed etc. Yet when Robbie Keane also missed some sitters but scored goals, the IRWT fans say Rafa was right to mistreat him in the manner he did and sell him after six months. 6 MONTHS!!!

    I'm no hating on Lucas but he or mascherano would have been sensible options to come off for Aquaman (Benayoun can last 6 mins). And if not, Aquilani should have come on instead of Aurelio.

    Oh well, I suppose Rafa can do no wrong since this is RAFA BENITEZ FC not Liverpool FC.

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  95. I can't believe someone is blaming insua for anything. Ha managed to stop philips and had many smart moves. And Lucas is 80 percent of all Liverpool problems, he is retarded, week and ignorant. The worst player I have ver seen. And Raffa is pushing him again and again...amazing...)))

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  96. It's easy scoring goals with El Nino in the squad.
    He's a faboulous striker with fantastic skills and attitudes, but look at the lack of options of our attack.
    We have not any decent subs for the striker's role, and Who's responsible of this situation? The Owners? Simply ridicoulous slogans. The Only responsibile is the manager, Who sold an irish international as Robbie Keane after six months!!!
    And When You analyse your prolific attack, just at look at our scores: almost our goals are the result of individuals skills and abilities of champions such as Torres, Gerrard and Yossi Benayoun.

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  97. keane is a striker;lucas is not.

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  98. it was made with six minutes as a compromise between yossi's attacking threat, his risk of injury and giving aurelio enough game time to be ready for wednesday while keeping an eye on others who are still only just returning from injury!

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  99. Ok, guest fair enough. But is RAFA BENITEZ FC more important to you than Liverpool FC? Because i still can't believe that for all the happenings that have occured so far as well as previous seasons, people are still making excuses for Rafa. Hiddink, Wenger, Ferguson can all easily do better with the sqaud we have. Anyone but Rafa.

    I'm not saying we should sack Benitez now but we should sack him at the end of the season.
    Also when will enough be ENOUGH? 1win in 15 games, 1win in 20 games? This article highlights a typical mistake that Rafa constantly makes. Yet 4 the 5 years (soon 6) that Rafa has spent at our club, people can't wake and smell the coffee. It's because of mistakes like this that we won't win the PL under Rafa, as he constantly makes these mistakes and doesn't learn from them.

    If Liverpool FC is more important to you, then IRWT fans should stop defending Rafa & real fans may agree Rafa should be sacked at the end of the season b4 it's too late. But the way I see it, more so called fans, care more about RAFA BENITEZ FC than liverpool fc.

    All you IRWT fools, Arsenal, Manure, Chelski, Man Citeh, Spurs and Aston Villa also trust in Rafa for a good reason (to slowly ruin Liverpool). So whose side are you on: Liverpool or the Mancs (and other teams)?
    Who do you care more about Lverpool FC or RAFA BENITEZ FC?

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  100. what is lucas then? he could be kuyts and benitez s love child

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  101. Again this is a reactive article rather that pro active.

    Jamie the brigade that label you aint benitez have every right too.  you ARE anti rafa and it is clear as hell.  you've ALREADY made your judgement on bringing in Martin O'Neil at the end of the season.  And now through a 3rd rate website and articles full of lob side, agenda driven dribble you attempt to air your views.

    it's hypocritical considering all the stuff you've accused SOS of doing.

    we all have an agenda mate but yours seems to be not to support the side but to simply react to every minor detail, poor result or when things didn't pan out as they may.

    Would you have been on here praising benitez for dealing with 2 early injuries and coming from 2 - 1 down with 10 mins to go had we have scored via lucas late on? 

    OF COURSE YOU WOULDN'T.

    Stick your agenda up your arse la.

    i'll be at anfield every week supporting the team rather than posting crap every other day and trying to pass myself off as a fan.

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  102. You make my point for me, you say we had plenty of luck last season with late goals going our way. Then this season we have had bad luck by the number of late goals against us, but it is not just late goals. We haven't been able to put out our best team yet, during the international break we lost Torres and Gerrard. Johnson has been our best player this season, but we have lost him now. Our defence has been bad so far because we can't get a settled CH partnership, don't forget after the first game of the season we did'nt have a fit CH. Yes Rafa has made some bad calls, but he has had some terrible luck to deal with. I am convinced our luck will turn.

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  103. anti rafa. so what? rafa is pathetic and should be fired.

    one win in 10 is not liverpool fc. it is wolves or wba or qpr or spurs even, but not liverpool. 

    any manager that cannot win more than 50% of the games he plays in a 10 game stretch at liverpool should be fired without hesitation.

    what world are you living in? you must be a bollocking and moronic man utd fan.

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  104. What a surprise, another Rafa bashing from Kanwar. Tell me what team WOULDN'T struggle with their 2 best players out, countless other injuries AND a bucket load of bad luck.
    Were you moaning at the back end of last season when we were brushing everyone aside with ease???, no doubt you'll say we can't do that this season without Alonso.
    I'm not Rafa's biggest fan, but doom mongerers like you make me sick.
    You forget that if Rafa does go, Tom & Jerry will still be here and do you really think they're capable of recruiting (or even identifying) a world class manager to take over? .....oh wait I hear a certain Mr Klinsmann is available, that should keep you happy.

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  105. well,well,well...It's not everyday that i have to agree with jamie here, but this time, you're spot on jamie.

    I was totally broken-hearted when benitez introduce aurelio to replave benny. another 6 minutes left, and you bring on a defender?? what a load of crap !!
    I'm a footballer myself, when you're already equalised, 6 minutes to go, you become so hype up with all the roar from the fans cheering you on, your heart pounding, your adrenalin rush is pumping in all your veins in your blood, you will forget about all the TIREDNESS & PAIN !!!
    But as we know, benites is not a good footballer himself, that's why he made that stupid decision. I CLEARLY believe benayoun can hang on for another 6 minutes, bring in Aquilani, take lucas out, masch play in front of the four, and we go ALL OUT! masch play a good game that day.

    With all the NEW ENERGY INJECTED in your body, you can play another 6 minutes, HELL maybe another 10!!

    Benitez is wrong...and liverpool already became a no-attack-minded team and maybe one day, I will woke up and watching our beloved team in Championship rather that Premier League...thanks benitez

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  106. I like Benitez and I believe that he has been more hamstrung than any other top four manager in recent years but I'm afraid he's starting to revert to type. Fear of the unknown. Liverpool must be the only club to have a limited squad, have a deluge of injury problems yet refuse to try out any youngsters! We could have won that game. One point is bollocks at this point. The only reason why I've not joined the Rafa Out brigade is because I can't see a candidate who can do more with less right now.

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  107. It seems as if Benitez is damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. I agree he is naturally defensive minded. But in almost every sport in the world (including football) championships are typically won on defense. 

    In terms of those 7 minutes - What if aqua comes on and does nothing? Or even worse gets injured again? Or if City score from play down the right because there is not enough cover there? Or if aurelio scores from a set piece? There are too many factors involved to criticize a single decision. Whilst you may not have blogged about the move if any of the above happened, someone would have. 

    Rafa is a very good (note not yet great) manager based on his track record. And very good managers don't become obsolete, incompetent, or 'lose it' in half a season. 

    Introducing Auqilani at half time or even after 60 minutes would have been reckless, bordering on negligent, considering 2 subs had already been used and we had players coming back from injuries and international duties. 

    I enjoy your thoughts Jaimie - they are always provocative. But perhaps people should take a look at the bigger picture rather than single out particular incidents. Take a holistic approach rather than a micro one! 

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  108. re: guest 14.24 - no i'm a season ticket hold for 20 years.  man u fan? sounds like you for calling rafa pathetic.  some fan you are then you silly tw*t

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  109. 2008/9
    Man u vs Liverpool     PL
    Chelsea vs Liverpool CL

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  110. Injuries plus lack of confidence account for the last 10 games

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  111. Jaimie, what is more predictable than Rafa's "predictable cautious approach", is that you will write a very similar article to this after a poor result.

    After Spurs defeat - why wasn't Yossi played or brought on earlier
    After Chelsea defeat - why wasn't Yossi on the pitch
    After Fiorentina defeat - Why didn't Riera play
    After Lyon draw - why wasn't Aquilani brought on
    After Man City draw - why wasn't Aquilani brought on

    The problem I have with this sort of articles is that they carry no substance whatsoever. They are purely subjective; they're your viewpoint and you use that viewpoint to chastise Rafa. There is absolutely no way of you knowing that if a certain player played or whether a player was brought on at a certain time that the result would have differed in any way. It's completely naive in my view.  If Riera had played against Fiorentina would we have won? Impossible to tell. If Aquiliani come on against Man City would we have won? Impossible to tell. It therefore makes your "anaylsis" absolutely irrelevant. I've said this to you before and you have no proper response for it; you can play the exact same team and formation in two different games like we did this season against Villa and West Ham. We didn't play that well in either but in one we lost and the other we won. Same team and formations in both cases. How does that happen I wonder? Could it be because of specific circumstances in the game? Could it be to do with confidence? Or the tactics of the other team? It could be because of all the above.

    With regards the Man City game, there are two very important things that you haven't taken into consideration whatsoever.

    Firstly is the team's complete lack of confidence. You can see it througout the team; particularly in defence. When a team lacks confidence, as a unit it is more nervous and more cautious. This was self evident throughout the game; sloppy play, lack of attacking drive, a cautious and defensive approach thoughtout the game even when 1-0 up. Any sports psychologist will tell you how important confidence is. And it is very clear that our team has none of it at the moment.

    Secondly and more importantly, is that you haven't taken into consideration that Man City were playing better than us and were the more attacking side in the second half. Even after our equaliser they had the better opportunities until the dying minutes when we had a couple of corners and Lucas' header. If anyone looked like winning after Yossi's goal it was actually Man City. And this is why your argument makes no sense. Had we brought on Aquilani who is a more attacking player and replaced a more defensive minded player there is every possibility that we could have let another goal in, thus losing the game. Is a point better than no points?

    Aurelio was brought on to make sure we didn't lose the game because to be honest we didn't really look like winning it. And this comes down to the confidence in the team. Our players haven't suddenly turned into bad players in the last couple of months. Add this to the fact that we have had so many injuries in the last few months and you can see why we are playing so badly at the moment.

    We need one game, and I hope it the Debrecen game on Tuesday, where it all comes together and we whip someone. That's what is needed at the moment.

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  112. he sent him on to help insua and break away and threaten the left at full speed - which is what he did - as for bedding giving Aquilani a run when the left side is being battered and gerrard and benayoun are running on empty - that's hope not wisdom

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  113. gareth barry was the link for keane and 1st priority to maximise keane's input - no barry - no point

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  114. "anyone Who play football knows that the performances of centre back are being linked to the midfield

    Anyone who watches Liverpool's games this season knows we conceade unaceptable number of goals from set pieces.
    The link between midfield play and goals conceaded from setpieces is weak at best.
    The truth is: our defence makes basic mistakes and Carra is one of main concerns.
    I love this guy and I believe he can find his form soon.

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  115. "Skrtel got himself out of position and gifted Adebayor a free header, was that Rafa's fault as well?"

    Yes it is Rafa's fault. Partially of course. Good defending is all about organisation and concentration. Our defence is not organised properly, and the players dont look like they know what they are doing. Sorry - in any job manager is responsible for team underperformance. And we are hugely underperforming at the moment.

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  116. Also when will enough be ENOUGH?

    For me? To be out of top 4 at the end of the season. Untill that he hes my full backing (which doesnt mean I will close my eyes on his mistakes. I will not.

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  117. You're talking rubbish mate. I'm not part of the IRWT brigade as you call it but at the same time Rafa is a part of the Liverpool team and I support the team. Would you boo a player? I suppose you're one idiots who gets on Lucas' back even when he's done nothing wrong, just like Saturday. So what if he missed a chance in the last couple of minutes. Better footballers than him have missed chances for us but you only pick on Lucas because he's an easy scapegoat. The same with Rafa. He can tell players what to do on the sidelines but he can't physically make a player do it. If Skrtel isn't marking Adebayor its Skrtel's fault. If Kryiakos gets done by SWP for the second goal and Ireland is unmarked in the middle of our box then it our defences' fault.

    If Aquliani had been brought on and we lost 3-2 you'd be moaning about Rafa again, saying he made the wrong substitution. If Aurelio went on to score a freekick in the 7 minutes he was on would you be on here today moaning about Rafa? No you wouldn't.  

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  118. Gary- But the fact was he didn't score did he? >:o I don't mind if Aurelio came on for 20-30 mins, there was time for him to settle in the game and make an impact. But this was not the case. There was SIX mins to go, so the best option would be to play your most fit attacking player possible, to have the greatest impact in the shortest time possible. Now, even you must not be dumb enough to know Aquilani is more attacking and fitter than Aurelio (just came back from injury). This is the point being made in the article. Aquilani WAS the BETTER OPTION.
    Substitutions are not always about getting them right all the time (no manager is perfect) but it's about positively trying to win the game for the team. If you win, well done. If you lose, then at least you tried. If Aquilani was brought on and we still drew or lost, I won't blame Benitez; at least he tried to be positive and win the game. But he didn't do this and I've explained above.

    If you are smart enough to read, you would have seen, in my post above urs, that I wasn't "getting on" Lucas' back, instead i stated clearly ("I'm not hating on Lucas"). He was just an example for one of my points.

    By your logic, so far no player is doing anything wrong, that makes them worthy of wearing the Liverpool shirt? FOOL! People like Gerrard, Torres, Ronaldo have made many mistakes on the pitch but it's what they do right that counts in the game. Ronaldo has had many bad games but he still scores goals. Alonso was not exactly perfect as well, he made mistakes too. But it was his contribution to the team getting forward as well as some goals that made him valued to our team.
    So, by your logic, if Rafa gets us relegated to League 1, you'll still support him because he's at liverpool? FOOL! It's fans like you and other IRWT fans that drag us down because no matter how many stupid mistakes they make (as well as refusing to learn from them) they will always be supported cos' they're at Liverpool.

    YOU, my friend, are an IDIOT.

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  119. by the way..aquilani never played against lyon or birminham..so toodles

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  120. "any manager that cannot win more than 50% of the games he plays in a 10 game stretch at liverpool should be fired without hesitation."

    Rubbish.

    Last season. Alex Ferguson won 40% from his first 10 competitive games. You would fired him without hestitation, wouldnt you?

    Thats exactly why I believe fans shouldnt own their club.

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  121. Livapul, I wasn't rude to you so I expect the same courtesy from you but then you don't seem intelligent enough to. (you see, you've brought me down to your level)

    Did you even watch the game? Even after Yossi scored we weren't playing well. Man City had the better chances were the more attacking team. It would have been stupid to take off a defensive player and put on a more attcaking player when the other team were in the ascendency. You are foolish to think that bringing on a player like that would suddenly change the game when the team itself were playing so badly. We were poor and we hardly deserved to get a draw.

    What is important at the moment is not to lose. Our team has absolutely no confidence at the moment. Losing the game would have made matters worse. Saving the game and drawing it is better than losing. So on that basis he did the right thing. Can you imagine how much shit Rafa and the team would be getting now if we'd lost at home. And to Man City who are the new pretenders to the top 4. The media would gave battered us again and our players would be even less confident going into the next game.

    Sometimes it not just about winning, it about not losing. But I don't know if you're intelligent enough to get that. You'll probably write back and call me a fool again.

    And I'm not saying you support Rafa no matter what? I said nothing of the sort. You can make up stuff to suit your argument if you want. I'm saying that just because they support Rafa doesn't make them IRWT brigade or that they are supporting RAFA BENITEZ FC. It means they are supporting their team and Rafa is a part of that team. It's idiots like you who give him a hard time which is making it harder for the rest of the team. It's idiots like you who will boo a player and don't realise that it affects the whole team. If Liverpool keep getting worse then Rafa should go but I'm not going to chastise him for a defensive substitution in a game we more likely to lose than win.

    No one can win with people like you around. If you support Rafa you're not necessarily in the IRWT brigade. You can ask Jaimie and he know's that I'm not.

    I take it then that if we win anything with Rafa in charge you won't be jumping upand down because according to you he's negative, he's inept and he's not good for liverpool. Or are you another idiot fickle fan who'll be there cheering at the end. A proper supporter gets behind the team in good times as well as bad. This is a bad time and I am getting behind my team. I'm not condoning all the decision he makes but at the same time I'm not going to sit there and moan about them all either or start shouting for Rafa to be sacked because that will get us nowehere either.

    You are the sort of fans that we can do without too as well as the IRWT brigade.

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  122. Firstly, was it just me, or did we start to create more opportunities once Aurelio was brought on?

    Secondly, who are you to judge players' fitness levels? If Benitez didn't think Aquilani was fit to play from the start then that's good enough for me. I accept that the manager knows better on this matter, as he sees him in training and consults the physios on players' fitness. However, if know better and somehow have some inside knowledge, then please share it with the rest of us...

    Thirdly, perhaps Aquilani would have come on had we not suffered 2 quick-fire injuries in the first half, leaving us with a half-fit benayoun on the pitch and only 1 remaining sub available.

    Lastly, why push your most influential player out to the left, a position he does not favour, when you're trying to bag a winning goal? It makes no sense...

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  123. You are spot on Jamie! Lucas not good enough, let Ireland run through for 2nd goal.I also believe he is an unlucky footballer! Everyone in the stadium wanted to see Aquialini introduced  after 2-1.Kuyt offers very little creatively ,poor first touch and loads of light weight passing, he can only be indulged in a full strengthed side. A shaky midfield  without a natural leader like Alonso creates poor confidence at the back. Insua goes missing up the wing and lacks pace to get back , I could go on.....

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  124. Your spot on Jamie. You,ll never and I mean never win anything with a Lucas and Kuyt  combo in this side. Two very limited average footballers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  125. Gary mate
                   I think what we need at the minute is a Gus Hiddink!

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  126. Rubbish he could easily last another 5 minutes stop being so melodramatic. You treat players like babies it's no wonder they're so weak minded. Stick Gerrard on the right for the last 5 mins and take Kuyt off. Benny could easily have lasted that game out but i suppose wimps like you and the manager think alike.

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  127. We find ourselves in a pretty difficult situation at the moment what with injuries and players coming back from injury players take time to get 100% match fit. At the moment players like Carra,Skirtel,Insua,Lucas,Mash,Kuyt and Ngog are getting the nod because they are 100% fit. Hopefully the injuries are mostly behind us now, Torres,Riera,Kelly and Babel 1 week? All other players have travelled.
    Liverpool fans stick together, don't listen to Jamie, if Rafa had played Gerrard on the left, Jamies article would have read ; WHAT IS RAFA DOING, PLAYING OUR MOST CREATIVE PLAYER ON THE LEFT!
    Address the real problem at the club, the owners. Rafa has overacheived he has brought and sold very well, but you can't always pull rabbits out of a hat.
    Look at our first team squad (23 players) Voronin,Aureilio,Degen and El Zhar all free, Kyrgiakos,Insua,Cavalieri and Ngog all for less than £2m each. This gives us a weak squad. Remember Rafa's targets who were willing to come, Simao,Alves,Aguero,Silva,Barry,Upson,Villa and others. But our board, current and previous, just did not have the money like Chealsea,Man Utd and Man City. The big worry for us is, Tottenham,A.Villa and Sunderland seem to have bigger transfer budgets than us as well.         

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  128. Well it's all a game of luck then eh..why are you watching then? Johnson played in plenty of our defeats too and all other clubs have injuries too. It's woeful, one excuse after another and luck is only used when it's bad. I bet last year people like you were saying it's all down to Rafa's skill and management and our ability..you make your own luck etc. The double-standards here are laughable.

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  129. Score 2 and we are cautious?

    I didnt bother reading your article as they usually are as good as our defence...

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  130. Unfortunately, that is just your opinion. I am certain that Gerrard scores less when out on the left. You would have to provide evidence that Gerrard remains a prolific goalscorer when on the left for me to agree with your point.

    For me, Gerrard staying in the middle is the most attacking option.

    If you let Gerrard wonder then Insua would be exposed. I think Insua is developing into a great player but is far from being able to control the whole left side on his own!......even for 6 minutes.....and with only one player on the left we would not keep our shape and this could have resulted in defeat. When Benayoun scored City were by far in the ascendancy and Rafa realised that the Benayoun chance was one of very few we had created in the game. I believe it was understandable to sure up with Aurelio. Rafa then crosses his fingers and hopes that Gerrard gets him out of trouble. It has happened so many times in the past ....and much to our delight. If he had another credible option and didn't chose it (i.e. a fit Babel) then you could criticise.

    On a personal note, I would rather had seen Lucas put on the left and Aquilani brought on.......but that's another story....and one that could have ended in misery!!

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  131. Rubbish.

    For the starters: it was 10 minutes to go not 5 (6 regular time and 4 extra).

    Gerrad would be useless on either wing - he is injured and he doesnt run fast at the moment. He still can pass well so we need to keep him where he was.

    Bennayoun was injured and every minute on the pitch for an injured player is a massive risk. Hamstring injury should be nursed for 4 weeks minimum. (Jaimie slated Rafa for pushing Alonso after 42 days of treatment after hamstring injury.)

    "Benny could easily have lasted that game"

    Any evidence? No? Just your word? Thats exactly what I expected. You dont have a clou what was Yossi condition but you put your so self confident comments...

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  132. Ive been folloowing the stories on this site for a while now and i do find them a bit anti Rafa.
    That said is anyone else concerned about the 18 man squad for tomorrow nites game.  A must win match and Rafa brings 8 defenders, not the most positive squad is it?

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  133. It really amazes me, the Pro Rafa's they really are so loyal and for what. I've supported LFC for 25 years and its so obvious that Rafa's time is up. 1 win in 10 folks, wake up!!!!! This is unacceptable and the blame lies with Rafa and no-one else. The Yanks haven't helped but he has been given money, he bought 76 players!!! How many of them are any use. Torres, Mash(shit this season) Reina Alonso Yossi and possibly Johnson. Who else has been a big success. His persistence in Lucas is amazing, what does he offer. All the talk of he's young improving, how where??? One good match (Man U) doesn't mean he's getting better it just shows he's inconsistent. The facts are there to be seen. Rafa has assembled a mediocre at best squad who are being found out big time this year. His over reliance on Torres and Gerrard is coming undone and we are in serious trouble of not making the top 6 let alone 4. People keep thinking this is just a blip, a bad run of luck, WAKE UP!!! 1 win in 10, out of the CL and the PL in November. Some people actually think the league isn't over, what planet do these poeple live on!!! " The other teams will drop points"" so what, so will we!!! This is a serious situation, Rafa needs to be let go A.S.A.P. Time will tell that the anti Rafa's out there are correct this time. Remember its Liverpool not Rafa we support!!

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  134. Exactly mate.. spot on.. Hiddink is someone i rate very highly.. imho he is way better than rafa and shud be able to do a much better job.. but no idea how he wud fare in the transfer window ;)

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  135. when exactly did Aguero, Silva and Villa agree to come to Liverpool... sorry i nvr knew dat !!! In fact, Chelsea r the only club i ve hrd of gettin linked heavily wd Kun..

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  136. well spotted.. dint know dat :D predictable though !!

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  137. I really do worry about some of the comments left here and I wonder which way some of the seats are facing of people that go to the match; if they go!
    The excuses made for for Benitez are wearing very thin. It seems universally accepted that he is a stubborn man, that can be a positive attribute but like all traits it can also be a negative one. Benitez will NOT change and it is his way or no way and we are suffering. It is like the story of the Emporer's new clothes, not many people are prepared to to say he is bollicko!
    One comment posted mentioned the deployment of Hamann in Istanbul, that was not Benitez' choice/decision, he was forced to make that choice because Finnen was not fit, Traore was in the showers and had to be called out - read Carra's book - a Benitez a myth.
    Benitez won a CL final that we should have lost and through his team selection two years later we lost a CL final we should have won. He played Zenden ahead of Crouch despite AC and the Italian press indicating they did not know how to deal with him -stubborn man!
    Zonal marking is a joke, at corners we have 11 players in the penalty box and no-one up front. Stubborn man.
    He will not give Sami a 2 year deal only a 1 year deal, so he leaves on a free, he sells Jack Hobbs after he has been out on loan to gain experience for £400,000 then the next week he pays £1.5m for a 31 Greek! Idiot.
    He has paid £7 for a left back that, if I am being kind is not a EPL player, if I am not then a player that is useless and is just picking up the money.
    Babel takes a lot of stick, some of it justified, but the guy is being played out of position and is often only given 10 minutes to save a game.
    Saturday Ngog up front, not good enough not commited enough and a cheat.
    Kuyt, a Dutch goal machine when he arrived, now an average at best work-horse that appears to be devoid of a forward pass.
    He gets a Swiss sick note right-back, on a free, despite the captain of the successful academy and reserve side being a right back Stephen Darby - never given a chance.
    Adam Hammill sent out on loan, to gain experienc, to Dunfermline and Barnsley the star of Dunfermline's Scottish Cup Final appearence, Celtic were intersted, sold to Barnsley - never given a chance, gave Neville a torrid time when they played ManUre in the Carling Cup.
    Paul Anderson sent out on loan to gain experience, to Swansea and Notting Forest; the player of trhe season at Swansea - sold to Notting Forest never given a chance at Liverpool.
    I may be being paranoid but it looks like if ypou were part of the Stevie Heighway set-up you have no chance.
    Nemeth out on loan in Greece and the cover for Torres is apparently Vorondinho!!
    Don't forget the strange case of the dismal/resignation Paco, the sacking of the complete back-room staff, the determination of Benitez to take-over the academy.
    Benitez may believe taht he is in asecure position with a 5 year deal, but I believe unless he has a complete 180 degree change philosophy he will be on very thin ice.

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  138. A manger takes u  2 second place inn the EPL the previous season and has a team thats injury riddled, goes 1 win in 10 and the LFC way is to fire the manager. That is the LFC way right Jer. What a load of rubbish.

    As for JK.......as usual very poor analysis. A team in the ascendancy and u would take off a defensive player and replace him with a plyer thats more offensive minded and very green in terms of EPL experience. Thats very smart and astute managing on ur part. U would leave on Benayoun who clearly wasn't fit enough to finish the entire game and risk further injury. Very astute managing on ur part.

    What we are not sure of is what effect Aquilani would have had if he came on - pure speculation on ur part. What we DO know is that with the Aurelio substitution we had a free kick that he should have done better with (chance 1) and Lucas had a free header that he should have put on target (Chance 2). 

    U go on about 6 minutes when we haven't been able to hold a lead let alone a draw at the end of games. We had a chance to nick it at the end and we didn't. With the way the defence has been operating this season we were lucky we didn't concede at the end.

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  139. Aquillini is supposed to be the awnser to your problems, he is an average player at best. how can you presume that he could make an impact to a game when you have only seen him play for 15mins,

    He is not a good player

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  140. Aquilani did play against Birmingham. He came on as a substitute for Lucas in the 82nd minute or so!

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  141. So if Liverpool scrape into 4th position at the end of the season you'll be happy for Rafa to remain in charge so we go through yet another season of mediocrity and excuses? That is the problem right there - too may fans willing to accept mediocrity; too many fans putting their love of benitez over what's best for the club.

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  142. Gary - all the things you list above were valid points, whether you choose to accept it or not.  benitez persistently makes the wrong decisions, whether it's formation, tactics or substitutions, and the proof of these mistakes is the horrible season the club has endured so far. And yes, i point out these mistakes becaus they NEED to be pointed out.

    I don't quite see your point about subjective viewpoints - that is a complete non-issue.  EVERY footballing viewpoint is subjective; there is no objectivity in football when it comes to analysis or interpetation of games.  Such an argument basically amounts to a gigantic cop-out.

    if the team has no confidence whose fault is that?!  When are you going to accept that Benitez has to take the bulk of the responsibility for that?!  It is his job to motivate the team, but he cannot do that, which is why confidence is in the gutter and will stay there for the foreseeable future.  When the chips are down, we need a manager who can instill fight and confidence into the team, and benitez is not that man.

    And re Aquilani, you state:

    Had we brought on Aquilani who is a more attacking player and replaced a more defensive minded player there is every possibility that we could have let another goal in, thus losing the game.

    First of all, bringing Aquilani on for benayoun would have been a like for like swap; it would NOT have been an attacker replacing a defender.

    And with all due respect gary, can't you see how you're starting to assimilate Benitez's ultra-cautious philosophy?! Your comment displays a fear of losing, just like Benitez. 'here is every possibility that we could have let another goal in, thus losing the game'

    This kind of thinking is cancerous to the winning mentality of a team.  We need a manager who will be BOLD and instill the opposite in the team. instead of thinking 'Oh no, let's bring on a defender because City might score', we need a manager who thinks 'Right - let's hit City with everything we've got for the last 6 minutes of the game; let's really try and win this game.' A manager who truly has the courage of that conviction will galvanise his team into action and breed confidence.

    Benitez breeds fear and defeatism.

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  143. No, Neil - I would not have said that about Benitez at all if he'd played Gerrard on the left.  You're forgetting that there were only 6 minutes remaining in the game; Gerrard can handle it on the left for 6 minutes.  And if we had drawn/lost after bringing on Aquilani, I would have PRAISED benitez for having the balls to go all out and win the game.  That's what it's all about - when your season is literally on the line, you need to take risks.  Fortune favours the brave.  And if you still lose despite taking risks, you lose with honour.

    Did Benitez do everything in his power to create a situation where Liverpool could win the game?  NO.

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  144. And I am devastated about that, believe me...

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  145. I kind of agree with you, Benitez can be stubborn but his ways do work most of the time, which, in the PL is good enough really. Theres lots of quality this season. But if you look at Man U, if they had the same injuries as weve had this season, i bet they would be in the same shit creek too. Most Unt fans dont like Nani, thinbk theres lack of Qlty in MF and all want an additional striker to be bought. I know its irrelevant, we should only worry about our own, but my point is that nobodys perfect, even fergie, but rafa is doing ok for the squad injuries hes had. united dont get through the CL every year and we have finished above arsenal 3 seasons now

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  146. True. We were very poor pre-season.
    Everyday i was on the net waiting to see who we would sign. really wanted a striker who likes to have a pop and shoot, even tho i do like the wing back play, we didnt need johnson if we went for a partner for Nando. In relation to the article, im personaly getting sick of zonal marking, imo, carra agga and skr are all defenders that like to attack the ball old skool style and clear. espec carra and skr, i think they get lost in the 'zone' as does aurelio, jesus he gets lost. man marking for me with this set of players everytime.

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  147. I agree. '05 we had a decision against chelski, could have went either way imo. then the final was the same for gerrards pen decision, either way. taking nothing away from the win, just saying, with what referreing weve seen this season in the PL, that night could have been different. I think rafa is not the complete article as a manager...

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  148. "That is the problem right there - too may fans willing to accept mediocrity;"

    I tolerate 4th - I'm not happy with. I'm not happy with any season we don't win a major trophy. I might be content with a trophyless season - never happy.

    But untill this season Rafa was taking us forward and - resourcewise - has been overachiving. Its his first season with us he is underachiving. I can tolerate it onece a six seasons as long as I can see signs he is back on track (sorting out our defence for example. Defence problems is reall Rafa's fault - other accusations dont have strong foundation in my opinion).

    "too many fans putting their love of benitez over what's best for the club."

    I dont give a **** about Benitez if keeping him would damage our club. I just believe he is the man for the job.

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  149. yup, garvin nurse is right. we had the chance to nick it at the end. But WE DIDN'T RIGHT???? Thanks to Shitful LUCAS LEIVA?? he's improving? yes he is? he improving his ratio of how the fans hate him now!! 1 win in 10 games?? better bring GROBBELAAR as the new manager. At least he can "arrange" some games. Cheers

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  150. Damn right Jamie, this superior attitude to people who can't make it to every home game and maybe go once a year if they are lucky enough to afford it is ridiculous. Fans forget that without the fans from other countries there would be no LFC, Man U etc. These fans buy the merchandise and create demand for TV rights. It pisses me off to hear fans being so stuck up thinking because they live in Chester and can go week in week out that they have some inside knowledge on the game and the club. We all have eyes and can watch a game even if its on telly and our opinion is as just as theirs. P.S Rafa out

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  151. You need to make up your mind Jaimie- I thought you didn't like playing square pegs in round holes. But you would want Aquilani to come on for Benayoun. A central midfielder on for a left sided player? Or you'd move Gerrard on to the left? Our best attacking player on the pitch who's best position is just behind the striker or in central midfield you want to move to the left? So square pegs in round holes is ok if you say it is but when Rafa does it it another example of his negliegence.

    You don't seem to be grasping my point out subjectivity; I am aware that most views in football are subjective. But then you can't really use that view to chastise a manager. Just because you didn't think a certain substitution was correct or a certain player should have played does not make you correct. How arrogant do you sound when you say someone has to point our Rafa's mistakes? You have absolutely no way of telling whether a player or a substitution would have had any affect on the result which is why I think your analysis is irrelevant. It would be different if you talked about tactics but saying a player wasn't on the pitch is too simplistic a view. I make this point again and again and you refuse to answer it. Explain how you can play the exact same team and formation in two different games and have differing results. You're not able to give me an answer to that because your analysis of games comes down to who was on the bench, or which substitution should have been made and not much more. Why don't you look at the mistakes that he team are making? Or is this all Rafa's fault too? Don't the players get any of the blame? At the end of the day i know you have an anti-Rafa agenda so I shouldn't really expect much better but you seem like an intelligent bloke so I expect better than the reoccuring pattern about how a certain player should have been player, or a certain subtitution should have been made every time we lose or draw a game.

    I am not starting to assimilate Benitez's cautious view. If you had been actually watching the game properly rather than typing away at your computer at the same time, you would have noticed that we were pretty awful in that game. Yes we went one up , but then we were still awful. Even after the equaliser we were awful. We just about deserved to get a draw out of that game, which is why I think bringing on Aquliani would have been a mistake. It was important not to lose that game. A loss to Man City would have been horrible for the manager and players and they wouldn't have heard the end of it. At least with a draw it pretty much forgotten about after a few days. I want to win every game but I also understand the importance of not losing. At the end of the season that point could get us into the Champion League.

    Yes Rafa is supposed to instill confidence into the team but to say that he has failed because our team still lacks confidence is a complete lack of understanding of the psychology involved in sport. Again you have a very simplictic view on things; our team lacks confidence therefore its Rafa's fault therefore he has failed as a manager. Rubbish. Confidence is created by winning games and by the team playing well. Rafa can try to change the mindset of players and motivate them but confidence is a personal issue and it is clear to all that our team are lacking it, especially our defence, which is why they keep making mistakes. Losing a game will cause even less confidence so sometimes it may be better to get a draw when you team is not playing well. And that's the crux of the matter; we didn't play well on Saturday. Man City were the better team so getting a draw was actually a good result for us. Bringing on Aquliani may have changed it but then again it may also have not [...]

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  152. Gary - with 6 minutes to go in a must-win game, the square-peg round hole argument is moot.  You get as many attacking players on the pitch as possible and batter the Man City goal with as many shots/attacks as possible.  And give Aquilani's renowned talent for long-range shooting, having him on the piutch could've yielded something for Liverpool.



    It is not arrogance at all to say that Benitez's mistakes need to be pointed out; football is not rocket science; it is not some mystical art that only a selcte few can understand.  Football is easy, and it is easy to see mistakes.  it is every fan's duty to see the mistakes and highlight them, not ignore the prblems and gloss over them through some misguided allegiance to the manager.



    And I completely understand your view on subjectivity, but the argument you are making is tenuous at best: 'you can't use a subjective view to criticise the manager'.  I don't think I've heard a more ridiculous argument on this thread.



    Every argument presented by anyone that criticises a manager/player etc is subjective.  There is no such thing as an objective opinion about football.  And your argument veers off into pointless territory with your contention that 'Just because you didn't think a certain substitution was correct or a certain player should have played does not make you correct". Gee, really?  Thanks for pointing that out!  I didn't say my opinion was absolute; it is just that: AN OPINION.  Why interpret it as anything else?



    You ask 'How can you play the same team/formation in two different games and get different results' - what exactly is your point?  That if you do that and get two different results then the manager is blameless?!  What about motivation? Instilling confidence? Making the right substutions at the right time?  These things matter in a game.

    Say what you want Gary but Benitez has brainwashed you with his cautious approach.  Getting a draw is a good result?!  No it wasn't - a win was needed.  Settling for a draw is what Benitez did by bringing on Aurelio, and that's what you're doing now.

    I can't wait to her your excuses for Benitez if we faile to qualify fotr the second stage of the CL tonight.

    ReplyDelete
  153. Jammie I wish we had more fans like U ... I bleed Liverpool been a fan since 1985 I think ... & How people can not see Rafa's mistakes baffles me. I could write a book on things he has done wrong or He will always get wrong. Why he prefers Kuyt, Lucas, Aurelio & (just like he did with) Arbeloa is shoking!!! I don't want Rafa to be fired but let's not make him some god who can not be touched that is why he makes such idiotic decisions. By the way He won those trophies with Houllier's squard & even if he had that ManU or Chelse squard I'm sure He'd blunt them too

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  154. After reading the article and everyones comment, I have to say the article makes sense where you're not blaming either Rafa or the owners. Both in my eyes have misled us, remember this IRWT brigade that it takes two to tango and Rafa is no angel or faultless. I think credit should be given where credit is due but its does not mean you cannot criticise him. Why is he untouchable? is he bigger than LFC?

    I will start with Rafa Benitez first and look at his signings, recent ones in particular, Andrea Dossena has to be the worst, if you know you have a emerging left back in Emiliano Insua why buy another, now we have three left backs and one right back. Dossena cost 8 million pounds and sitting on the bench earning 35-40k a week, 8 million wasted in my eyes, Ryan Babel cost us 11.5 million a player with a huge potential but lost his way in Liverpool, who to blame the manager? Why? Simply because Babel needed a mentor or a year in the reserves. Albert Riera 8 million pounds a good player in my eyes but can only play 60-70 minutes per game. That adds up to 26.5 million... all three left sided players and have failed to live up to expectations, from that you can clearly see Rafa strengthend one side of the field while leaving the right side with Dirk Kuyt and Glen Johnson, I'm not going to throw names and say Rafa should of bought this player instead of that, but it does question you why is there six left sided players and 2 right sided ones?? Yossi Benayoun's versatility helps again he is not a winger, play him off the striker and you'll see the benefits. What really baffles me is when Rafa said " We wanted to play Barry on the left so he can feed the ball to Keane" That would of given us seven left sided players, if that was the case instead of trying to flog Alonso why didn't Rafa try and flog one of the left mids or left backs? Again questions needs to be asked. Which comes back to the Keane saga, was Keane Rafa's signing or Parry's? The IRWT brigade talk about the strength in depth within our squad, just imagine we kept Cisse, Crouch, Bellamy and Keane but none of these strikers fitted Rafa's plans or wanted to play second fiddle to Torres... So a back up for Torres would cost around 10-15 million pounds in hindsight, now tell me which player would sit in the bench if you paid that sort of money again if you can find a striker I would give you the money myself. Now lets move onto Alberto Aquilani, who signed him? Rafa? Cristian Purslow? I'm confused why pay 18 million for a crocked player when he is suppose to be a immediate replacement for Alonso? In my eyes Aquilani, quality as he maybe nothing but a panic buy. So all in all yes Rafa's had to sell to buy but money was there a clever manager would of looked at the situation and used the money very carefully.

    Now lets look at on the pitch matters for e.g. training, team selections and actual matches. Rafa is a perfectionist and a total football minded freak, however when things are going tough he is not the manager to give you hope, confidence or a kick up the backside. Zonal marking has never been a problem in the last 4 years so why now? remember a certain finn Sami Hyppia his leadership and commanding approach helped. We are conceding from set pieces more than scoring from set pieces. We've become predictable its almost like from every set piece we give away, you start biting your nails. Now who do you blame for the on the field matters, you may look at it and say well we've had injuries left right centre... I blame poor management, luck and injuries. You cannot blame the owners for the constant poor team displays this season. I mean come on the player snd the manager have to take some responsibilities.
    I get slated for criticisting Rafa but I just ignore it, unless [...]

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  155. Jamie,

    First time on this site and I see comments from you which are very strange:

    1.  "Your just another one of those 'superfans' who think that the only real fans are those that go to the games.  What a load of crap."
      >  As with all forms of human ties, there are obviously degrees of fanship' - a hierarchy of 'worshippers' if you like.  E.g. I would suggest that those fans who spend their hard earned money and valuable time (who has enough these days?) to regularly support their team in person are
    higher up in the hierarchy than those who choose not to.  They are not the only fans but they are more 'real' to use your term.  I won't go on as I would have thought that this is pretty obvious.  See Mark 12:43-44 for Jesus' views on hierarchy in relationships when discussing the poor woman at the temple.  I'm not a christian but I was told the story at school and have often heard it since.  I find it perfectly reasonable.  Jamie - be at peace with the fact that there are people out there who do more for LFC than you do.  LFC may even mean more to some than it does to you.
     (Mark 12:43-44)

    2.  "Just because you went to the game doesn't give you any greater insight."
      >  Being at the game gives you the best chance of seeing the whole picture.  Obviously your perception is influenced by the crowd, your own outlook, footballing beliefs, prejudices etc but at least your eyes are seeing "the whole thing".  That's got to give you a better insight than watching the game on the telly or listening to it on the radio and having the likes of Andy Gray and Alan Green spouting rubbish every 5 seconds.  Of course greater analysis of the match stats are very useful and may be informative but such analysis will obviously be more beneficial to the fan who was at the game.  (He or she can also watch the full recording of the game when they get home.)  Therefore being at the game will always give you a better opportunity for a greater insight.  Many - especially our knowledgeable gfans - will take advantage of that opportunity.

    Such comments mean that I won't be rushing to visit this site again.

    ReplyDelete
  156. Jamie,

    First time on this site and I see comments from you which are very strange:

    1.  "Your just another one of those 'superfans' who think that the only real fans are those that go to the games.  What a load of crap."
      >  As with all forms of human ties, there are obviously degrees of fanship' - a hierarchy of 'worshippers' if you like.  E.g. I would suggest that those fans who spend their hard earned money and valuable time (who has enough these days?) to regularly support their team in person are
    higher up in the hierarchy than those who choose not to.  They are not the only fans but they are more 'real' to use your term.  I won't go on as I would have thought that this is pretty obvious.  See Mark 12:43-44 for Jesus' views on hierarchy in relationships when discussing the poor woman at the temple.  I'm not a christian but I was told the story at school and have often heard it since.  I find it perfectly reasonable.  Jamie - be at peace with the fact that there are people out there who do more for LFC than you do.  LFC may even mean more to some than it does to you.
     (Mark 12:43-44)

    2.  "Just because you went to the game doesn't give you any greater insight."
      >  Being at the game gives you the best chance of seeing the whole picture.  Obviously your perception is influenced by the crowd, your own outlook, footballing beliefs, prejudices etc but at least your eyes are seeing "the whole thing".  That's got to give you a better insight than watching the game on the telly or listening to it on the radio and having the likes of Andy Gray and Alan Green spouting rubbish every 5 seconds.  Of course greater analysis of the match stats are very useful and may be informative but such analysis will obviously be more beneficial to the fan who was at the game.  (He or she can also watch the full recording of the game when they get home.)  Therefore being at the game will always give you a better opportunity for a greater insight.  Many - especially our knowledgeable gfans - will take advantage of that opportunity.

    Such comments mean that I won't be rushing to visit this site again.

    ReplyDelete
  157. Jamie,


    First time on this site and I see comments from you which are very strange:


    1.  "Your just another one of those 'superfans' who think that the only real fans are those that go to the games.  What a load of crap."
      >  As with all forms of human ties, there are obviously degrees of fanship' - a hierarchy of 'worshippers' if you like.  E.g. I would suggest that those fans who spend their hard earned money and valuable time (who has enough these days?) to regularly support their team in person are
    higher up in the hierarchy than those who choose not to.  They are not the only fans but they are more 'real' to use your term.  I won't go on as I would have thought that this is pretty obvious.  See Mark 12:43-44 for Jesus' views on hierarchy in relationships when discussing the poor woman at the temple.  I'm not a christian but I was told the story at school and have often heard it since.  I find it perfectly reasonable.  Jamie - be at peace with the fact that there are people out there who do more for LFC than you do.  LFC may even mean more to some than it does to you.

    2.  "Just because you went to the game doesn't give you any greater insight."
      >  Being at the game gives you the best chance of seeing the whole picture.  Obviously your perception is influenced by the crowd, your own outlook, footballing beliefs, prejudices etc but at least your eyes are seeing "the whole thing".  That's got to give you a better insight than watching the game on the telly or listening to it on the radio and having the likes of Andy Gray and Alan Green spouting rubbish every 5 seconds.  Of course greater analysis of the match stats are very useful and may be informative but such analysis will obviously be more beneficial to the fan who was at the game.  (He or she can also watch the full recording of the game when they get home.)  Therefore being at the game will always give you a better opportunity for a greater insight.  Many - especially our knowledgeable gfans - will take advantage of that opportunity.


    Such comments mean that I won't be rushing to visit this site again.

    ReplyDelete
  158.  
     
    First time on this site and I see comments from you which are very strange:  
     
     
    1.  "Your just another one of those 'superfans' who think that the only real fans are those that go to the games.  What a load of crap."  
      >  As with all forms of human ties, there are obviously degrees of fanship' - a hierarchy of 'worshippers' if you like.  E.g. I would suggest that those fans who spend their hard earned money and valuable time (who has enough these days?) to regularly support their team in person are higher up in the hierarchy than those who choose not to.  They are not the only fans but they are more 'real' to use your term.  I won't go on as I would have thought that this is pretty obvious.  See Mark 12:43-44 for  Jesus' views on hierarchy in relationships when discussing the poor woman at the temple.  I'm not a christian but I was told the story at school and have often heard it since.  I find it perfectly reasonable.  Jamie - be at peace with the fact that there are people out there who do more for LFC than you do.  LFC may even mean more to some than it does to you.  
     
    2.  "Just because you went to the game doesn't give you any greater insight."  
      >  Being at the game gives you the best chance of seeing the whole picture.  Obviously your perception is influenced by the crowd, your own outlook, footballing beliefs, prejudices etc but at least your eyes are seeing "the whole thing".  That's got to give you a better insight than watching the game on the telly or listening to it on the radio and having the likes of Andy Gray and Alan Green spouting rubbish every 5 seconds.  Of course greater analysis of the match stats are very useful and may be informative but such analysis will obviously be more beneficial to the fan who was at the game.  (He or she can also watch the full recording of the game when they get home.)  Therefore being at the game will always give you a better opportunity for a greater insight.  Many - especially our knowledgeable fans - will take advantage of that opportunity.  
     
     
    Such comments mean that I won't be rushing to visit this site again.

    ReplyDelete
  159. <p><span>So it is every fan’s duty to see the mistakes and highlight them, but if I stand up for Rafa I have a misguided allegiance to the manager and I have been brainwashed by his cautious approach. Thank you for making that clear to me Jaimie. All this time, I have been under his spell. Have a word with yourself mate. </span><span> </span>
    </p><p><span>Maybe I didn’t word my post was well as I could have done but let me try again. The problem I have with these post game analyses is that you attach your opinion to some sort of grandiose statement about managerial negligence or sabotaging the club. How you opinion equates to proof that Rafa is negligent, inept or a bad manager. And what do you base his on? This player should have played, this player should have been brought on. Forget the intricacies of the game, or the circumstances involved in the game. No for you it is simple. If Aquilani had been brought on we could have won that game. Yes it that’s easy and if Rafa doesn’t get that then he is rubbish, inept, negligent, a saboteur. Why didn’t I become a football manager? It’s easy this football malarkey. All I have to do is bring an attacking player on and we’ll win the game. Simples. </span>
    </p><p><span></span>
    <span>The title of your article is "once again </span><span>Liverpool</span><span> is sabotaged by Rafa's caution". Prove it. Prove to me how bringing on Aquilani would have changed the game for the better in those particular circumstances. Saying that Aquilani has a good shot isn’t enough. Tell me how bringing him on those circumstances when Man City were in the ascendancy, where Man City had the better of the chances, when Man City were looking the more likely to score would Aquilani have made a difference. If you can come up with something valid then I might agree with you but saying something as simplistic as Aquilani is a more attacking player and had a good shot therefore we may have won the game if he was on the pitch is not valid because he may have had a shot. What we get, and its becoming very tiresome, is Riera should have played, Yossi should have played, Aquilani should have played and because they didn’t I can prove that Rafa is negligent, a saboteur. </span>
    </p><p><span> </span>
    <span><span> </span>A draw was a good result against </span><span>Man</span><span> </span><span>City</span><span>. Yes a win is what we all wanted and it would have been brilliant but I really do have to question whether or not you actually paid proper attention to the game. At </span><span>2.27pm</span><span> you were typing away at the computer to Bikram talking about defenders, Cafu and Carlos I believe. Why I don't know but you were. On the other hand i was intently watching the game, not distracting myself with writing on some pointless thread about the substitutions he might make. If you paid proper attention you would have noticed that we were crap. Crap going forward, crap in defence. There are many reasons for this; injuries; lack of confidence, having to make two early substitutions.  </span><span>Man</span><span> </span><span>City</span><span> were playing better than us: they were the team more likely to go on and win the game. Anybody who was actually watching that game properly could see that. Therefore getting a point from it was a good result: not the most desirable result but a good result considering the [...]

    ReplyDelete
  160. <span>Every week I want </span><span>Liverpool</span><span> to win but I also want them to not lose. I can take a draw especially when you're playing a good team like </span><span>Man</span><span> </span><span>City</span><span>. There is importance in not losing. When Arsenal went through 2003-04 without losing, they were called “invincibles”; they had the confidence to go through a whole season without losing but do you know how many games they drew that season; 12! They drew six more games than </span><span>Chelsea</span><span>. The swagger and confidence came from the fact that they didn't lose. This is what I'm talking about when I talk about the importance of not losing. Sometimes to get that little bit of confidence you just want to make sure you don't lose. You then take that confidence into the next game and build on it. </span>
    <span> </span>
    <span>And my point about how the same team and formation can get differing results is still valid but you shrug it off as irrelevant. You constantly criticise that certain players weren’t playing and that had they played it could have been a different result. And this is my point. You can play the same team in two different games and get different results, because football isn’t black and white, it not predictable. It depends on how the other team plays and sets themselves up; it depends on how decisions go for and against you; it depends on mistakes, deflections, injuries and so on. It is not as simple as this player should have played, this substitution should have been made and therefore Rafa is negligent, a saboteur. That is complete rubbish</span>

    ReplyDelete
  161. Jamie,

    First time on this site and I see comments from you which are very strange:
       
    1.  "Your just another one of those 'superfans' who think that the only real fans are those that go to the games.  What a load of crap."    
      >  As with all forms of human ties, there are obviously degrees of fanship' - a hierarchy of 'worshippers' if you like.  E.g. I would suggest that those fans who spend their hard earned money and valuable time (who has enough these days?) to regularly support their team in person are higher up in the hierarchy than those who choose not to.  They are not the only fans but they are more 'real' to use your term.  I won't go on as I would have thought that this is pretty obvious.  See Mark 12:43-44 for  Jesus' views on hierarchy in relationships when discussing the poor woman at the temple.  I'm not a christian but I was told the story at school and have often heard it since.  I find it perfectly reasonable.  Jamie - be at peace with the fact that there are people out there who do more for LFC than you do.  LFC may even mean more to some than it does to you.    
       
    2.  "Just because you went to the game doesn't give you any greater insight."    
      >  Being at the game gives you the best chance of seeing the whole picture.  Obviously your perception is influenced by the crowd, your own outlook, footballing beliefs, prejudices etc but at least your eyes are seeing "the whole thing".  That's got to give you a better insight than watching the game on the telly or listening to it on the radio and having the likes of Andy Gray and Alan Green spouting rubbish every 5 seconds.  Of course greater analysis of the match stats are very useful and may be informative but such analysis will obviously be more beneficial to the fan who was at the game.  (He or she can also watch the full recording of the game when they get home.)  Therefore being at the game will always give you a better opportunity for a greater insight.  Many - especially our knowledgeable fans - will take advantage of that opportunity.    
       
    Such comments mean that I won't be rushing to visit this site again.

    ReplyDelete
  162. Dear Jamie, I think you'd agree that most managers subscribe to the philosophy of easing in new players/players returning from injury, delete as appropriate, or not as in this case he fits both criteria. The game was going at 100mph and with a player like deJong on the pitch, I would just love to have seen your comments had Aquilani been scythed down through his newly-healed ankle and out for the rest of the season. The game was still there for the winning, if we'd been 2-0 up at that stage, you could bet on Aquilani getting the rest of the game and then starting the following one. Who have you managed again? Exactly. The only thing you manage is rubbing people up the wrong way on a regular basis, your raison d'etre as it were.

    ReplyDelete
  163. Hi chaps
    Every purchased player and substitution is a roll of the dice and I don't think that we are always in the best position to make the call. I remember the 2nd CL final against AC Milan when I was shouting at the TV for Rafa to send on Crouch in the 2nd half. When he Finally did and took off Masch, we lost control of the game because that is what Masch is there for. When you add one thing with a sub, it can take away something else and that is why Rafa does not do the things which seem obvious to us. This is not fantasy football people!
    We call the 2 midfielders 'Defensive' but they are really the Dominators who control the games for us. Alonzo and Masch were the perfect pair and Barry as a backup and tactical alternative would have been great. All we needed was the people upstairs to allow the manager to be the one to make the decision but it did not happen. Now Rafa is the one having to take the blame. Rough deal I say.
    I have to say that I don't support the 'Benitez Out' campaign because I don't belive that anybody could work well in the current climate at the club. Rafa has been give money sometimes, then at other times nothing. He has handed in his list of desired players only to see them join other clubs who went in and did the deals quickly. He identifies the 2 centre midfielders as the most important positions so wants quality backup. The answer from upstairs is No and the money is spent on a player that he does not want. He is told to sell if he wants money and now the player that he tried to sell has gone, and the player he wanted to buy is somewhere else.
    There is no top class manager who would want to work in this situation much less thrive. I honestly don't think that getting rid of Benitez at this stage will be a positive move for the club. We need to get our house in order first so that we can attract good personnel on and off the pitch and so that we can buy a roll of toilet paper without having to get a loan from the bank.

    ReplyDelete
  164. Guardian chalkboards Samsamire.

    ReplyDelete
  165. SPOT ON GARY, AN EXCELLENT POST.

    JAIMIE KANWAAR IS THE SAME NUMPTY WHO THOUGHT THE SIDE BENITEZ INHERITED WAS AS STRONG IF NOT BETTER THAN THE ARESENAL INVINCIBLES SQUAD!

    A DESPERATE MAN WHO'S HATE FUELLED AGENDA AGAINST BENITEZ CLOUDS EVEN HIS MOST BASIC OF JUDGEMENTS!

    HE WILL LITERALLY CONVICE HIMSELF THAT OUR SQUAD IN 2004 WAS AS GOOD IF NOT BETTER THAN THE ARSENAL SQUAD THAT WENT UNBEATEN ALL SEASON, JUST TO FURTHER CRITIC RAFA'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

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  166. The relevance, half-wit, is that Hamann was a DEFENSIVE player, not an attacking player. That allowed Gerrard to bomb forward, forsaking his defensive duties.


    Understand now?

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