Is Benitez fit to manage Liverpool FC?
by Jon on May 30th, 2008
| 362 words |
There’s no doubt that Rafa Benitez is an astute manager. He’s won the Champions League and FA Cup since coming to Anfield, produced a run of decent Premiership campaigns on limited funds and proven himself to be an astute tactician, particularly in Europe.
But since the departure of Paco Ayesteran at the start of last season, Benitez has made a series of massive blunders. He rotated the squad too much early on in the season, fielded weakened sides in the domestic cups, played Andriy Veronin and only got his act together once it was clear European qualification was in doubt.
Now with midfield star Xabi Alonso, arguably Liverpool’s most creative player, being sold off to Juventus to fund the purchase of Villa’s Gareth Barry, Peter Crouch threatening to sit out the last year of his contract and then leave on a free, one wonders if Benitez hasn’t really caught too much summer sunshine. Is he losing the plot?
Most Liverpool fans would be sorry to see Crouch leave. He’s done a brilliant job when called upon over the last year and it’s understandable the lad’s angry having had a £15 million transfer fee slapped across his back.
But there’s no point unsettling the team because of the Crouchy situation.
Rafa needs to sort out what’s happening with Crouch quickly or he’s likely to have one very unhappy bunny casting a downer over the dressing room next season.
As for letting Xabi Alonso go, Benitez is borderline stupid. The Spanish midfielder is pure class and although he struggled with injury this season, when given his chance, he produced the kind of sublime creative passing that’s always been the Liverpool trademark. Would Gareth “pass the ball to the side” Barry really be a significant improvement on Alonso?
With Deggen having already agreed a deal with Liverpool, and Andrea Dossena set to sign, Reds fans won’t have been overly excited by Benitez’s dealings in the transfer market. In fact, the departure of Alonso would be bigger news than any incoming transfers thus far.
If you’re listening, Rafa, give us a sign that Liverpool are pushing forward? Why should we have confidence in your stuttering judgement?
We're giving you £10 FREE so show some bollocks and BET NOW!
Tagged Under: benitez, crouch, Liverpool FC, peter crouch, villa, Xabi Alonso
allpool - May 30th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Is Benitez fit to manage Liverpool FC?
well its quite clear the answer to that question your fit to write such fucking drivvel as this so heh
Beardy - May 30th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Why should we have confidence in your stuttering judgement?
The answer is in your opening lines you clown…………..
………There’s no doubt that Rafa Benitez is an astute manager. He’s won the Champions League and FA Cup since coming to Anfield, produced a run of decent Premiership campaigns on limited funds and proven himself to be an astute tactician, particularly in Europe.
satta - May 30th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
i reckon this is run by chelsea/united fans.
what kinda shyte is this? the alonso story is just speculation at the moment.
will - May 30th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
i think if he signed david guero, david silva, barry, jaoquin and kun aguero then i would say he is taking steps in the right direction
Dex - May 30th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Every top 4 team fielded weakened sides in the domestic cups you dick.
mr c - May 30th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
we are a completely different side to the Houllier era, we can realistically compete. if we’d beaten man utd home and away we’d be a heck of a lot closer, also just a wisker away from Champions League success.
andrew - May 30th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
im a liverpool fan.
and he is not good enough. too afraid and defensive.
CK - May 30th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
The question is not that, the question is are you fit enough to write. Answer. Yes. Fit enough to write shite
Redman - May 30th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
He has this season to prove whether he is the right man for the job. If we’re out of the title race again by christmas then it’s obvious we need a change of manager. 5 years without a title challenge would be terrible for a club the size of Liverpool and Benitez will be sacked if he doesn’t challenge til the end for the title.
He is a good manager, but whether he is good enough will be seen this season.
David - scouser - May 30th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
stuttering judgement?
benitez has signed mascherano skrtel and torres over the last year. 3 top class players
alonso is a top player, and i really do like him, especially watchin him at home he’s superb, but on those away days he can struggle not because he’s not a good player but liverpool have moved on from 2005 (when alonso was integral to liverpool) were alot quicker on the counter attack, and the game seems 2 pass him by. i think with barry he’s more combatitve and more suited to are style and the english game, you seen his defensive splitting pass to gerrard for england on wednesday. and his goal and assist tally is much better than alonso’s even with out the pens.
as for crouchie. oh well. here’s the thing, liverpools best formation has been two attacking wide men with torres and gerrard thru the middle. so were does crouch fit in? exactly no were but the bench, he’s not dynamic enough 2 play wide and two slow,
benitez is the best thing to happen to this club since fowler burst on the scene after those gloomy souness years,
were the closest we’ve been 2 the top in a long time, i dont think we’ll go on and win the league next season but im sure we’ll close the gap again
and as for the champions league? well rafa doesnt go 2 years without gettin to at least one european final, and wouldnt rome be special? a hat trick of finals there and 20 years after hillsborough.
justice for the 96!
kev j - May 30th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
i agree with you andrew he isnt good enough if we dont win the league next season then rafa is out YNWA LIVERPOOL 4 LIFE.
Jon Tile - May 30th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
i don’t like the idea of xabi ether but i would trust rafa to make any buy or sell … you only have to look at the team to see that happens when he’s given bigger amounts of money. rafa is pure class at spotting talent agger skertel reina alonso babel crouch (to a certain extent) macharano and it pointless talking about torres ….the problem is when dealing with smaller amount as the saying applies “you get what you pay for” let him sell alonso i would’nt but i i don’t 2nd guess rafa …who know’s who’ll he buy …
Jonno the biggo - May 30th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Boogie with stu is the actual question…. So lets Boogie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Shake it good shake it shake it!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woop woop hammer time….. I wonder if the question should be…. Should gazza still be alive?? G8 time!!!!!!
Gebreyesus - May 30th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Yes, there is no doubt that Alonso is best midfielder. I remember his role with Mascha in the 4-2-3-1 position. He is dependable and agressive.
Yet, Benetiz now needs not a player that plays in one position alone. The difference in Barry is that he can play in three positions and assist Geru in crossing ball. But, I do not think Barry get the the capacity quickly to play 90 minutes agressively as Alonso does at Liverpool. Hence, please understand the manager in this sense.
sam - May 30th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
your all sad bastards
Jon - May 30th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
I personally have faith in the man, as it happens. But part of the fun of writing on COS is the chance to question things and I sincerely think it’s worth questioning whether Benitez is the right man for the job. Especially when he seems to be on the verge of jettisoning the most gifted midfielder Liverpool have had since Big Jan.
My aim with writing this piece was to try and ascertain what the community of Reds fans on COS think about Rafa’s suitability. No more no less.
Now, david guero and david silva in Red shirts would make my weekend…
Billy - May 30th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
the Alonso story is concerning.
As for the cups, we went out to Chelsea on the Carling & CL & both LFC and Chelsea went out to the same team in the FA, and they had the foresight we didn’t as they went out a round later, so it’s not just LFC.
matt - May 30th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
the trouble is, everyone thinks they are a football expert. If he hand’t rotated at the start of the season would we have had such a strong end to the season? I prefer to trust the man who has all the facts at his fingertips and not listen to skysports drivel like above.
samuel charles - May 30th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
UNTILL WE GIVE RAFA MORE TOP CLASS PLAYERS LIKE TORRES, MASCHERANO, REINA, ALONSO, AGGER THEN HE JUST DOESNT HAVE A CHANCE TO CLOSE THE GAP,,,,,,,,, ALL THE FANS THAT THINK WE HAVE SPENT MONEY,,,,,,, THE FACT IS HE HASNT HE HAS RECOUPED NEARLY 87 .4 MILL ON PLAYERS SALES BUT UNTILL WE CAN STOP BUYING AND THEN SLLING AND THEN SO ON ,, UNTILL WE CAN MATCH MAN U OR CHELSEA THEN SO GOOD BYE TO THE LEAQUE,,,,,,,,,,, FANS HAVE TO GET REAL BUYING PEOPLE LIKE BEAYOUN AND PENNANT JUST ARENT GOING TO DO IT AND YES THAT HAS BEEN THE BUDGET RAFA HAS HAD,,, LOOK AT MASCGERANO AND TORRES ,,,,,,,,,,,,,YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR MOSTLY ALL THE TIME IN FOOTBALL…………..
CPMBAITS - May 30th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
ABSOLUTE BULL SHIT BENITEZ IS THE RIGHT MAN FOR THE JOB DONT FORGET HE IS LEARNING THE ENGLISH GAME AND HAS ROTATED WHEN HE MAYBE SHOULD OF STUCK WITH A SETTLED SIDE BUT TO BE HONEST IT TOOK HIM A CHANGE OF SYSTEM TO FIND A SETTLED SIDE AND LONG MAY IT CONTINUE WE ARE SLOWLY BUT SURELY TRANSFORMING THIS TEAM INTO POSSIBLE TITLE CONTENDERS
Jon - May 30th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
@ Samuel
Agree, money talks. And with Hicks and G at the helm, I’m concerned we won’t have the money to challenge for top players.
Getting Harry K off the payroll will help, mind you.
Colie - May 30th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Liverpool are rated as the number 1 team in europe over the last five years and you’re talking about getting rid of the manager, lock him up please,spastic mentalist.
JJ - May 30th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Its school half term again isnt it ?
professoroffooty - May 30th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
IMHO Rafa is the man for the job. Who else are you going to get? Jose ‘ give me 300 million and I’ll give the league’ Morinho?
The blunt, basic fact is that as we try to strengthen each season, so, too, do Manure and Chelski etc. Those 2 clubs, in particular, could afford to write out huge cheques for Rooney, Ferdinand etc etc, while we simply couldn’t. Torres and Mascherano are our 2 biggest buys so far, totalling around £40 mill. Didn’t Fergie splash out @ £50 mill on Nani, Anderson and Hargreaves?
It’s all about money, innit! That’s the bottom line. Sure, you need a half decent manager to make sure the money is spent well, but nowadays the Top 4 is the be all and end all, and Rafa has got us there. That’s the yardstick now, as we head towards the inevitable European Premier League in the coming years.
Please don’t try to tell me that it hasn’t got anything to do with the Finance and Marketing Departments of these top clubs (with help from the banks!).
Liverpool need to spend big to catch them up. If Rafa can’t get his hands on the cash, then forget it. It’s down to the Top 4 ‘mini-league’ now, and we were miles behind Manure when we played them last season. Putting 6 passed Derby is meaningless.
I very much doubt that any other manager could improve on what Rafa has achieved so far.
The Chosen one - May 30th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
mmm no comment I like a more intellectual question ……..zzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
xavi010789 - May 30th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
xavi alonso bye bye coming Kranjcar, Ribery and Silva.
123 - May 30th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
The club has no money. Benitez has to sell to buy. Simple.
Bo Locks - May 30th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
See the infant asylum is still going strong.
blah blah blah (have a wank, you sad bastards)
LAR - May 30th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
i think just sell Alonso, Crouch, Riise, Voronin, Pennant
then buy such worldclass liked …………
Quaresma for Winger / Attacking Mid.
(much better than spend £19 m for Albert Riera)
Villa or Silva to play with Torres
That’s it !!! we can challenge for title.
you goon - May 30th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
el retardo - thats what they should call you. you’ve not even spelt 2 of the players names right. quality journalism. do your research bellend.
LAR - May 30th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
my next season dream team ………….
Reina
Finnan / Degen Skrtel / Carragher Agger / Hyypia Aurelio / Dossena
Mascherano Barry / Leiva
Quaresma / Benayoun Gerrard Villa or Silva / Babel
Torres / Kuyt
LAR - May 30th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
my next season dream team ………….
————————————————-Reina
Finnan / Degen —– Skrtel / Carragher —– Agger / Hyypia —– Aurelio / Dossena
——————————-Mascherano ———- Barry / Leiva
Quaresma / Benayoun ————— Gerrard —————– Villa or Silva / Babel
——————————————- Torres / Kuyt
we need cash - May 30th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
it isnt is rafa good enough for reds but without the cash clout of cfc , utd it will always be a case of trying for top 4 finish sorry but that is a fact if utd can layout 30 to 60 million and dont play them all the time hargreaves, nani, anderson what chance we reallistically got ,take out torres and gerrard and basically we are just a good prem team if carrager is injured we,re shaky at the back mascherano a great player but he his a defensive midfield player ,without a real injection of cash i fear that we will become an arsenal nearly team
Jonski - May 30th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Alonso our most creative player. Don’t think so. If we get £16mil it’s a great deal. Truth is I think Alonso has been brilliant but to say Rafa is stupid to get rid is nuts, for the service we have had plus a £6mil profit that seems very astute(as you say) to me. Better than our previous regime who bought players for over inflated prices that Rafa had to sell for way lower (Heskey, Cisse, Diouf) but to name a few.
ant - May 30th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
rafa is not good enough to win the prem but as a euro man he does the biss but is that good enough for liverpool. the truth is he isnt astute enough on the english game and if he isnt after 4years is there any point in giving him a5th.I dont think so it is a good move getting sammy lee involved as the guy is liverpool through and through and a good coach.
Ali - May 30th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
Just who are these writers? What pot stirring shite, don’t you have anything better to do than splatter this tripe? Get a life! Rafa is a magnifcient manager, his record speaks for himself. All real Liverpool fans are solidly behind our manager and his decisions. In Rafa we trust!
REDMASCH - May 30th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
WHAT A LOAD OF FUCKING DRIVEL THIS ARTICLE IS! And to all those arm chair fans on here questioning Rafa i say to you who the fuck else would of been capable of :
1 Turning the team around after Houllier left
2 Bringing no.5 HOME
3 Making us UEFAS no.1 ranked team in Europe next season
4 Building a stronger team with each new season
DON’T TELL ME FUCKIN JOSE SPECIAL AT FUCK ALL MOUREEENIO!!!!
Rafa is getting there it’s a shame we have a pair of American twats in charge who promised the world and came up with fuck all apart from an embarrising on going soap opera, If he was able to compete pound for pound with the mancs and the chavs hey anything would be possible but as he carn’t he’s doing a fookin sterling job with what he has got to play with!
Adrian - May 31st, 2008 at 1:10 am
Benitez is absolutely the right man to lead Liverpool. Always the issue of transfer money. But compared to other top 4 clubs the overall is not significant. There has always had to be sales against buy in. and the number of players bought at average price is significantly less per player than Chelsea or united. How can we demand and disrespect so much a manager who has taken us to two ECC finals on so little. Give him some time, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
AussieRed - May 31st, 2008 at 1:13 am
andrew on May 30th, 2008 1:19 pm im a liverpool fan.
and he is not good enough. too afraid and defensive.
Too defensive? 119 goals in the season is too defensive? 119 goals is more than any other English team this season. So that’s just bollocks. Rafa is the man to get us our first Premiership. Some people look at places and compare that way as to if we are improving or not. Last year we were 3rd, this year 4th. I think points are a better way of judging. Last year we were 21 points behind the champs, this year 11. And as far as the guy who created this thread goes, why isn’t Degen or Dossena exciting prospects? Because you’ve never heard of them? Had you ever heard of Agger or Skrtel? I bet not. Rafa and his scouts know what they are doing. And that shite you spurted about Paca leaving and having an adverse affect on our form, what the main reason for our loss of form was was the injuries to Agger and Alonso, before they went to the internationals, we were top of the league, they got injured, we didn’t win games as regularly, but at the same time, we weren’t losing games, we only lost a league game in December, the first one of the season. I think once we turn even half of the amount of draws we got this season into wins, then we will be pushing right until the last day.
Sean - May 31st, 2008 at 1:34 am
There is no doubt in my mind that Benitez is the right man for the job. I think some people are stuck in a time warp and automatically expect that just because LFC won so many titles so many years ago, that they should be challenging every year. While I wish that were true, I am not blind to reality. Benitez has had the tough task of having to take the squad that Houllier left, and start rebuilding the team to one day challenge again for the title. In the same period, the likes of Chelsea and Man U, who already had stronger squads, have been able to keep adding big names to their already strong line ups. Rafa did not have that luxury. He had to buy players all over the park for a fraction of the price. And when you look at the squad we have now, you can see he’s done an amazing job. To sign players like Reina, Agger, and Skrtel for those prices was incredible. And he also found a bargain in Alonso, whose first season was nothing short of superb. However, as much as I like Xabi, he’s never managed to duplicate that form from the first season, and at this point, I’m not sure that he will anytime soon. I wish we had the luxury to keep him and still have the money to buy another big midfielder (even though I’m unsure of Barry) but the fact is Rafa doesn’t have that luxury, and has to take risks to strengthen the team. In addition to this, Rafa obviously has a very specific formation for the team in mind, and knows exactly what kind of players he needs to fit each role. Xabi, and Crouch for that matter, simply does not fit into this formation. I’ll miss Xabi, but I understand why he must go, just as I understand why Crouch must go. There is still some way to go before we are genuine title contenders again, but no one can dispute that we are a hell of a lot closer than we were when Rafa took over, and with him in charge, we will continue to get closer and eventually lift no. 19!
LFC - May 31st, 2008 at 2:46 am
what is wrong with all the fickle fans on here??
we are not manchester united, we are not chelsea. we are Liverpool FC and we support our team and manager all the way. Im not even very old but ive learnt what Liverpool stands for and the principles we have. And now there are coming on all these new fucking fans going on about how we need to blow off loads of money that we dont have to spend, and if we dont our manager who has done a fantastic job in just keeping up with man utd should be sacked. Fucking incredible. Liverpool is built on faith and belief, and at times Rafa gives me food for thought with some of his decisions but i would never question his position at the club.
Some fans here think that we have over £50mil to burn this summer, which isnt true. Rumour is that Rafa is being given around £20mil by the yanks and the rest he will have to make from sales. If Xabi can bring us £16mil, then so be it. If Crouchy can get us anything over £10mil, then so be it. I will be sad to see either leave but if its the only way to move forwards, i trust Rafa’s transfer plans all the way.
So stop fucking complaining at every slip Rafa has, do you lot want us to become like chelsea?
marty - May 31st, 2008 at 3:47 am
he’s a nice guy but think he’ll never win the league, he rotates to much. doesnt work. think need new manager and DIC to come in. martin o neill would be the man. specially if he relises aston villa cant keep there star players.
john - May 31st, 2008 at 3:49 am
i agree with marty. we need a manager like martin o neill gets the best out of every player.
Sam - May 31st, 2008 at 9:07 am
stuttering judgement my arse!
rafa is one the best we’ve had in a long time. fine, his made he’s mistakes as every manager does, but he will learn from them. last season (just gone) was probably his toughest year in charge but he’s still planning and arranging for next season. rebuilding his team, buying new players and getting rid of the old.
Upcoming season, we’ll be a force to be reckoned with, we’ll give the Mancs a run for their and make a powerful challenge for no. 19.
YNWA
pkpol - May 31st, 2008 at 9:49 am
Deludeds!
Like Spurs fans you think ur gonna win again. Quite simply, Rafa is one of teh best managers in the world - probably top 10 at a push. But he hasnt got what it takes to win the league. If Geraqrd wants a League medal, he should go to Chelsea. Even Ars proved thay dont have the guts just yet.
Now, either continue the childish insults and dreaming or answer in honesty!
pol
Anon - May 31st, 2008 at 10:02 am
Rafa is the man for Liverpool FC
Liverpool don’t sack managers if they finish runners up in League, Champions League, league cup… like some clubs.
We try to build on what we’ve got… come next may… the likes of Real, Barca etc will be trying to lure our manager away ….
Mark those words
allahs boot - June 1st, 2008 at 8:42 am
Give rafa the same amount of money to spend as man u and chelsea have given their managers and then get back to us.Money changes everything.
Tref the Red - June 1st, 2008 at 11:52 am
If people were to look in a little more depth at the league table they would see that we are not as far off the league title as our 4th place finish and Man Ure would like to think.They lost more games than us ,our problems lay in drawing to many games.A goal in 6 of these draws would of bagged us title 19.Sure we need to strenghten with ‘proven’ talent but lets have the mancs think that they are untouchable and that we are a million miles away when in fact Rafa has got us closer than everyone thinks
john - June 1st, 2008 at 4:07 pm
why are people so blind rafa will not bring the prem to anfield. EVER!!!!!!! we need a new coach.
keith - June 2nd, 2008 at 2:14 am
what a load of crap. Give him the funds that slap ass face and the special chook were given and he would have us sitting 10 points clear at the top by seasons end.
Donavan Ried - June 25th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
It seems clear to me that Rafa has no idea what win the P.L means to Liverpool fans, he seems only intrested in the C.L..We had our bestever start to the season and by fielding weaken sides against Pompey,Birmingham and Reading he shoot us in the foot, and leaving us in the C.L needing to win all three matches. You might say we won all three matches in a convincing manner, but i for one question the manager skills in putting us in such a sitations in the first place. Take the Reading game. 4-1 the week before, he chages the formation, plays both Mach’and Siso’ in midfield we go 2-0 down both he still plays them both until 68 min finally subbing Siso’ by this stage he brings on Garrard. claims he was trying to save him for the C.L game mid-week. as most football fans will tell you ,you have more chance of a player getting injured by bring them on late in a game trying to chace a game than play them from the outset mof a game. Plus if he wanted to save players start them go 2 or 3 goals up then rest them. when Reading when 2 goals up he seemed deviod of ideas and to allmost exspect the lost of that game, like many a game liverpool has played. You have no idea how much this hurts me to say, When we (Liverpool) won the C.L it was like winning the F.A. cup in a way, The luckest team that year wins it (The Draw) Man Utd winning the P.L. the best in England and then winning the C.L can truely call themselfs the best in Europe. Rafa you need to buy quialty not Barry, not Milner.