It has been a season to forget for Liverpool. As other teams constantly try to push into the top 4, the Reds have had a frightfully bad time on the pitch. There have been no fight-backs this time around. iSport’s Pulasta Dhar gives the Shady View on what went wrong for a great team...
Liverpool’s history is laden in glory days. It looked like they would continue well into the 2nd millennium but then came another Red team on a crusade led by Alex Ferguson. It is remarkable how United have gone on to equal a supposedly undisputed record of 18 league title in one of the most competitive league in the world. What is more remarkable is that Liverpool have gone from everything in Europe to a mere name on the lips on Anfield, which is gradually becoming less noisier and loud.
Gerrard Houlier could have kept Michael Owen and not gone on to buy really bad players. He did great work with Steven Gerrard and there is no doubt about that. Then came the heart attack which paved the way for a certain Rafael Benitez to enter the hot seat which has seen so many wonderful managers. Rafa had managed to win the title with Valencia, a squad which was a no frills one and it was not surprising to see him move to a bigger club. But sometimes this is what makes it all go wrong. The man was never good in the transfer market and he had never undergone so much pressure and shouldered so many expectations. From a Spanish team who have maybe 1/4th the amount of fans that the Merseysider’s have, it was too big a step.
All the skepticism soon went to the drains as Liverpool did something unthinkable in the 2005 Champions League final, winning from 3-0 down against an extremely strong AC Milan side, who at that time had all their current oldies in their prime. At the same time, they were never near the Chelsea or United team in the domestic league. But well, Anfield was happy even though their team was blamed for being too Champions League oriented. They had some great games in it and it is very unusual how they make heads turn in Europe, something which was not present at all when it came to beating much low rating teams in England itself.
The story this season is an absolute horror. Liverpool have been kicked out of the Champions League all but mathematically and they are nowhere in the league. Benitez has finally reached the road where luck no more wins games, but tactics and teamwork do. The most unbelievable decisions he made would include the sales of Bellamy, Crouch and Robbie Keane. And who is he left with now? N’Gog!! Torres is perennially injured and why not? He is burned out every week. Imagine yourself being the only target man every match in and out. And what is it with the 4-5-1? When you know you are not winning matches with that formation, and you have been the coach with Real Madrid’s youth team, a league winning manager at Valencia and a Champions League winner but still you persist that your team play that style, I have nothing to say apart from the fact that maybe he has lost his wits.
It works well against United, granted! But if you beat them and you lose to those teams who you are expected to beat with ease, then you are not thinking well! I have always maintained my stand that managers should not be sacked for poor performances of the squad on matchday. But this time I make an exception and would love to see him go. Well, that is not happening, not with the 5 year contract Benitez signed with Liverpool last season, which at 5 million pounds a year comes out to at least a 15-20 million pound pay-off on sacking. Business wise, the Spaniard is A-one! But tactics and football wise, he is ruining a team which can be capable of great things. And one more thing, sell Lucas!!!
What has went wrong is the addition of a creative midfielder a couple of seasons ago. And now when you have Aquilani, then why not play him? He was supposed to be the replacement for Alonso right? Let us take into consideration what he should do if 4-5-1 is how he wants it to be. Here’s what: Insua at left back and Johnson at right back. Carragher can partner either Agger or Skrtel in the center. The problematic part can be solved by playing Mascherano between defense and midfield (Anchorman role) and Babel/Riera or Benayoun/Kuyt on the flanks. The sparky Aquilani should play just behind Torres and Gerrard should be given a free midfielder’s role (Roaming Playmaker).Teams have won and lost and the key to winning continuously is to break the monotony and experiment. The risk has to be taken and a change in style brought in. This will be the way Liverpool will advance in the table. Aquilani has been tipped for great success and will certainly add flavor to the a midfield currently contains too many defensive players. Lucas can do nothing but tackle! How does he make it into the team again and again is a mystery to me!
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Asif Khan
said:
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... The situation Liverpool makes it very difficult to pin down the blame on an individual, is it all Rafa's fault? is it way the club is being run? Is it just a passing phase and the injury crisis that is to blame? A lot of these things combine together to make the club, but the manager is the easiest one to blame! Rafa has made his mistakes but doubting whether he can win anything is not fair, he is a winner and his wins were not fluke. |
Pulasta Dhar
said:
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... The manager in this case has done nothing to prove his critics wrong, has not tried to exercise experiment. Liverpool have become a rut. They are annoying now and how they were slapped left and right in the champions league by Lyon and Fiorentina is proof enough, because they have dominated that competition since the last 4-5 years. In the league, well they have no chance. They're close to becoming a teams "that was" |
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