Favourite Rafa Benitez Moments: No 1 - 'Rafa the Merciless' stuns Gerrard (2007)

Regular visitors to this site will know that I have always been one of Rafa Benitez's biggest critics. The Spaniard's cult rabid fans would never accept any criticism of the man, but every point I ever made about his managerial effectiveness was arguably valid, and often backed up with persuasive evidence/examples. Criticism, however, does not equal personal dislike, a ridiculous conclusion that so many people have drawn over the years. I've never attacked Benitez in a personal manner, nor would I. Contrary to popular belief, I actually have great respect for the man, and in this new series, I'll show that by highlighting my favourite Rafa moments from his time at Liverpool FC.

I'll start off with my absolute favourite Benitez moment: His decision to substitute Steven Gerrard in the October 2007 Merseyside Derby.

At the time, Gerrard was at the height of his powers for Liverpool, but irrespective of that, with the game delicately poised at 1-1, Benitez surprisingly yanked the Captain out of the game in the 72nd minute, and replaced him with Lucas Leiva, a barely known 20-year old midfielder from Brazil.

To quote Sam 'Ace' Rothstein in the Martin Scorsese movie 'Casino':

"What balls on this f***in' guy!".

Despite his inexperience, Lucas - making his Premier League debut - provided a much-needed alternative to Gerrard's 100 MPH balls-to-the-wall approach. Under intense pressure (he'd just replaced the club's most popular player!), Lucas produced a 20 minute masterclass in football intelligence, during which he calmed things down; kept the ball; promoted pass and move, stretched the play, and got in the box when it mattered.

And it worked! Liverpool scored as a *direct result* of Rafa's substitution: Ryan Babel passed to Jermain Pennant, who crossed for Lucas, who hammered the ball into the net. Well, almost. It would've been a debut goal for the Brazilian had Phil Neville not pulled a Luis Suarez and cheated by deliberately handballing on the line to stop a certain goal. Mark Clattenburg correctly sent off Neville, Dirk Kuyt scored the resulting penalty, and Liverpool went on to win the game.

This did not appease the masses though, and the knives came out for Benitez. For millions of Liverpool fans, Gerrard was - and still is - untouchable and beyond criticism, and there are few traitorous acts more severe than substituting the home-grown club captain against arch-rivals Everton. The sniping Press peddled the ‘Liverpool won, but it was still the wrong decision’ angle and Gerrard - clearly unhappy with Benitez’s judgement - publicly whined:

"I'll be speaking to the manager about it to find out why I was substituted".

The Spaniard further infuriated Gerrard’s huge fan base by suggesting that the Liverpool skipper needed to play more intelligently. When asked after the game about the decision, he observed:

"We needed to play with our brains and not with our heart. We needed to pass the ball better. You can have too much passion.

Fans and pundits alike responded to this withering retort with venom, unable to comprehend the logic behind removing Gerrard and leaving Momo Sissoko on the field, a player not renowned for incisive passing. A few years later, Benitez provided a more in depth explanation for the Lucas decision:

"I had Lucas [Leiva] on the bench and I could explain to him what I wanted. I couldn't explain to the players on the pitch with the temperature at 180 degrees. I wanted less passion and more calm. Someone that could analyse the game and say 'we are not in a hurry. If you play 15 minutes with calm and you have possession you will have four or five chances"

Prior to the Everton game, Liverpool had drawn five of their previous ten games and were playing dull, uninspiring football. Gerrard had contributed just one measly goal in those ten games, and his form, by his own admission, was nowhere near up to scratch. Blame it on injuries, blame it on England, blame it on whatever – the club's 'talisman' was not playing well at all, and the club’s turgid form reflected this.

Rafa the Merciless changed all that - his inspired decision wrenched Gerrard out of his comfort zone and simultaneously delivered a compelling symbolic message: Deliver the goods or you’re OUT. The embarrassment of being subbed against Everton shocked the Skipper into action, and over the next two months, he grabbed 8 goals and 6 assists in 9 games.

Gerrard may have been humiliated, but the means definitely justified the end, and Liverpool’s form after the Everton game (and Gerrard’s contribution to it) emphatically vindicated Benitez's decision.

At the time, I supported Rafa 100%, arguing that Liverpool fans should rejoice at the good fortune of having a single-minded manager with the balls to make tough choices, and the strength to deflect the twin critical assault of misguided, sheep-like fans and clichéd, agenda driven media.

Benitez deserves infinite credit for having the guts and the sheer chutzpah to make such an unpopular decision in a vital, high-pressure game. Lesser Managers wouldn't have had the nerve, and that is what separates good managers from the true legends of the game (i.e. the likes of Shankly, Clough, Happel, Michels, Sacchi, Ferguson et al). The true greats are not afraid to take risks; don't pander to egos or status, and do what needs to be done, irrespective of the pressure and abuse that may arise.

It’s no understatement to suggest that the substitution of Gerrard against Everton is possibly one of Rafa’s most unpopular player decisions, but in my view, it is also the bravest and most brilliant footballing decision of his whole Anfield career.

Bravo, Rafa!

Jaimie Kanwar