You can't kid the Kop, Rafa
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You can't kid the Kop, Rafa. Winning the Europa League may save your job, but nobody will believe it matters
Come in No 9: Benitez replaces Torres after his two-goal haul against Benfica
How many times have you woken up in the middle of the night, sweating and shaking, wondering if your football team is going to win the… Europa League? Nope, me neither.
Yet Rafa ‘I’m the Bizzo’ Benitez clearly does. Because last week he apparently decided it was more important than coming fourth in the Premier League and playing
in next season’s Champions League.Make no mistake, the moment he yanked Fernando Torres off in the 65th minute of the 1-1 draw against Birmingham, Benitez was showing us all where his priorities lie. And
they lie entirely with himself.The cunning Spaniard knows full well that the only way he’s going to buy himself another year at Liverpool is if he gets a trophy in the Anfield cabinet.
So he’s chasing the Europa League with the kind of desperate lust not seen since Phil Brown caught his own reflection in a mirror.
But The Kop aren’t stupid. They know that winning the Europa and failing to play in the REAL European League next season is like flirting with Beyonce and ending up with Heather Mills.
So do the players, which is why winners like Steven Gerrard looked so bemused and angry when Torres, the most predatory striker in the League, was removed from the fray against Birmingham before victory was secured. It was the most cretinous, incomprehensible substitution since Graham Taylor withdrew Gary Lineker in that infamous Euro 92 tie against Sweden, and I suspect will have the same consequences for the offending manager.
I tipped Liverpool to win the Premier League at the start of this season, but Torres was absolutely right in his analysis of why they won’t. They sold some brilliant players in the summer (Alonso, Arbeloa, Hyypia) and replaced them with lesser mortals. Add a few key injuries (to be fair, I did say that my prediction would come true only if Torres and Gerrard were fit for the whole campaign), and the closest they’ve been to the races is Aintree this week.
And for a man who has spent as much money as Benitez, at a club as big as Liverpool, this is just not good enough.
It doesn’t matter if they win the Europa League, because nobody cares. If they don’t qualify for the Champions League, then Benitez should be fired, and Senor Torres should come and play for the team he confesses that he loves to watch — Arsenal. I’m sure we can fit him in when Bendtner and Eduardo aren’t available.
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agreed.
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unless liverpool find a rich buyer next season they'll be challenging for 5th place.
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the fans wants CL not winning the europa league. europa league is the pauper's cousin of the CL.
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Did you watch the match against birmingham?
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What's this? Rafa head hunting again?
Yes, he's spent much, but he has recouped much as well. Again, we've seen how Real Madrid spent and yet success is never within their grasps, and I don't believe Rafa buys simply for the sake of buying, but rather in acquiring players who can gel with the team and who can work with him -- even when they're injured, because they cost less when they're not 100% fit.
Alonso, Arbeloa, Pennant, and now Rieira, to name a few, were players who found that they preferred to be working with another boss and club, and when the mind of a player changes, you don't really want them in your first 11 anymore, no matter how much digits goes into the cheque.
Contrary to popular beliefs, he hasn't lost his job. He's never worried about losing it anyway, and it's just the media and forum dwellers who go on an on about how he's losing it at the end of the season. Pure speculations.
Did anyone watch that game before Torres went off? Sure he's a world class player whom you want to be on the end of the final balls, but all Torres was getting is hacked down at every opportunity from the back -- so do you 1) save your player's fitness, 2) Give him a rest and get him hungrier for the next game, 3) continue playing a tired player and hope?
Against Birmingham, when Ngog came in, he created more space by running around, evident by the amount of chances that came his way, and of course, his finishing were woeful. He's young, 21yrs old but he'll come good. And Birmingham at home, this season, is simply formidable. That spirit of theirs is hard to crack when they have a form like that, and when faced against them, you don't want tired players on the field.
No I'm not defending Rafa, because I'd prefer to see Torres AND Ngog upfront instead, but Benitez's motto of "Don't lose" instead of "Go for Win" meant he'll pack 5 in midfield and not allow Birmingham to build, and allow his midfielders to chase and close down any space and try to win the ball.
We got 1 point from a tricky encounter, and got players who were fresh enough to kill off Benfica later on.
Tonight, it's Fulham's visit, and with both teams fresh from their European exploits (And the only English team left in Europe) I'm pretty sure it'll be a 4-4-2 and cagey game. I'm expecting more width with Rodriguez on the right, Babel on the left, with Kuyt and Torres upfront. Masch and Gerrard in the middle, while Aquilani sits again. Quite an attacking line-up but...
.. knowing Rafa, you really can't expect anything other than a "Don't lose" formation.
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Originally posted by Googooboyy:
Against Birmingham, when Ngog came in, he created more space by running around, evident by the amount of chances that came his way, and of course, his finishing were woeful. He's young, 21yrs old but he'll come good. And Birmingham at home, this season, is simply formidable. That spirit of theirs is hard to crack when they have a form like that, and when faced against them, you don't want tired players on the field.
My point exactly!
I'm not a master tactician or a qualified coach. I'm a normal liverpool fan who booed when I saw torres getting sub by n'gog.
But then I saw how n'gog came up with 3 chances and indirectly created another for babel & maxi - all in birmingham's 6 yard box.
And I remember how torres done nothing all day except an outside-penalty-box shot wide plus a through ball to benayoun.
Of course, if all you guys read are the match reviews from newspapers, it's easy to bash Rafa.
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is rafa style of safety first a throwback to the 70s and 80s of the all conquering liverpool side of attacking and scintillating football? rafa football is a betrayal to football philosophy of not only winning, but winning in style. is rafa style of football a pretty sight to watch? I leave it to the liverpool fans to comment.
wenger's changed the way arsenal play when he took over in 1996. he changed the way they play under graham era, from boring, bland and defensive football to passing and possession football. heck he even changed the players diet.
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I can convert half of Ngog's chances in the Birmingham game.
Aurelio is a much better LB than Insua. If Ah Ben cannot see that in a season, I do not know when will he.
Now since Maxi came, Benayoun has taken the back seat. Is it better? N O.
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the league table does not lie, period.
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Maxi was pathetic on the left, but he played well on the right.
Yossi is the creative blood for Liverpool as his vision is unmatched.
As for tonight, Ah Ben may go all out for attacking.
Fulham played well to survive in Europe and cannot be understimated.
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Originally posted by spike_jose:
Aurelio is a much better LB than Insua. If Ah Ben cannot see that in a season, I do not know when will he.
He's also injured much of this season. If you cannot see that in a season.... lol.
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That was what I felt too, Insua was never bette then Aurelio...but Rafael kept playing Insua :/
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Originally posted by Y_Shun:
That was what I felt too, Insua was never bette then Aurelio...but Rafael kept playing Insua :/
Sigh...
Fabio Aurelio Injury History
Injury Club Date Injury Reported Thigh Muscle Strain Liverpool Injuries 2010 February 28th Calf Muscle Strain Liverpool Injuries 2010 January 16th Calf/Shin Injury Liverpool Injuries 2009 October 25th Knee Injury Liverpool Injuries 2009 July 4th ETR - 11 April 2010 (doubtful)
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Maxi is not good even on the right. Kuyt is much better.
Ah Ben also destroyed Riera's career. At the beginning, he was playing Riera, and Riera was pushing for a Spain start, but after his injury it went downhill. So this is Liverpool's strongest line-up(with Lucas):
Torres
Benayoun Lucas Gerrard Mascherano Kuyt
Insua Agger Carragher Johnson
Reina