I have always been a supporter of Rafa Benitez, but at the moment, it is hard to see what good he is doing at Liverpool right now. Yes, granted, he has won them the Champions League, something that one of the greatest managers in the World - Arsene Wenger - has never managed, and for that he should be commended. He has taken Liverpool to two Champions League finals in three seasons and this has always been my defence for him, and probably what has kept him in his job for so long. Had he not done well in the Champions League, they would arguably be just like Newcastle are now, sacking and replacing managers almost every season.
The reality is that the results Liverpool pull off in the Premier League are not good enough. Drawing 1-1 at home to Wigan is poor, and 1-1 away at Luton is even worse. I have never been one to agree with changing around a winning team and resting players. If you find your best team, or a winning formula, then stick with it; don’t start resting players because you end up with results like at Luton and a congested fixture list with the replay that simply could have been avoided. If you are chasing the title, which realistically Liverpool aren't anymore, then you have to win FA Cup ties to avoid replays and wearing your players out any more than needed.
People have been saying to me recently that Benitez has pulled out a transfer coup in bringing Fernando Torres to Anfield. I'm sorry but since when was £26million a coup? £12million for a relatively unknown Thierry Henry is a coup, but going and spending the same amount of money that would completely buy out a Championship club on a World famous player who was reportedly being chased by Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, two of the most respected managers in the World, is not something to put on your C.V. Any manager could go to a club with almost unlimited money to spend and think, ok, I’ll go and buy Kaka for £40million. Everyone knows he is an excellent player, but it takes a good manager to in for a relatively unknown player, take a gamble and turn him into a World Class star - Cesc Fabregas. On the same note, do you spend all that money on a player to only play him in half of your games in a season?
I believe that, with a full strength team being put out every week, being given the chance to gel, Liverpool would be somewhere near the top of the League, and would be safely through to play Havant and Waterlooville or Swansea in the FA Cup Fourth round. Four wise four-lettered words of advice to you if you ever read this Rafa, PLAY YOUR BEST TEAM!
2 comments:
liverpool will make it. :)
Oh yeh, they'll make it, i'm just not sure to where, and to which position in the league. :P
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