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First up was Friday’s press conference ahead of the Sunderland game. You seemed fed up with journalists, frustrated by the failure of the club to secure Gareth Barry’s signature and on a collision course with Rick Parry, the club’s chief executive officer. Yet again.

Saturday morning, us Liverpool fans woke to reports that you had been / were on the verge of quitting the club because owners Hicks and Gillett had vetoed the signing of Barry.

This was, thank God, denied via a statement on The Offish site.

But then when I opened a copy of The Scum, it said that Xabi Alonso, tired of being undervalued by the Reds, had demanded to be sold.

Somewhat nervously I set off to watch you and the boys avoid the banana skin that was Sunderland.

But after winning 1-0, the headlines didn’t commend Liverpool for putting a difficult week behind them with a hard-fought victory. No, Liverpool were again savaged in the press for being mediocre, over-reliant on Fernando Torres and on the brink of internally imploding. You were reportedly ready to walk away, demand the head of Rick Parry on a stick and throw in the towel at the club you have repeatedly claimed you love / are 100% committed to / blah blah blah.

I think it has to be said that a lot of the crap thrown about in the media after Saturday’s game had to do with the team’s poor performance on the pitch, but quite a lot of it had to do with your post match press-conference. Why on earth did you allow the subject of Parry and Barry to come up again?

Where’s the cool, calm, collected Rafa of three seasons ago?

Although I suspect the London-based media is simply looking for a tasty story at the start of the season, and kicking Liverpool has become something of their pastime in recent seasons, the question needs to be asked whether or not you’re losing the plot?

Was Sami Hyypia really the right choice for central defence on Saturday, given that both Agger and Skrtel were fit? Sure, the experienced Finn has shown himself to be a classy, dependable performer, but the summer holiday hasn’t done anything to improve his speed and, at times in the first half, he was caught out of position simply because he couldn’t move quickly enough.

With the introduction of Xabi Alonso after the break, Liverpool looked much more threatening going forward, the Spaniard bringing some much-needed creative passing to the team. It came as no surprise that Torress goal came from a piece of trademark Alonso passing. Sure, Nando did the business, and all credit to him. But it was Alonso’s vision that split the Villa defence to create the initial space for the Liverpool striker.

With Barry cup-tied having played for Villa in Europe earlier in the week, and Alonso again showing that he’s capable of sublime skill, despite recovering from a dead-leg sustained against Standard Liege on Wednesday night in the Champions League, it would have been nice, Mr Benitez, if you had come right out and said: We’re sticking with Alonso, and drawn a line under the whole Barry-saga.

Let’s face it, do Liverpool really need Barry when Masch and Lucas are back from the Olympics and with a confident, fit Alonso in the side?

Instead, your post-match comments only served to fuel the division at the club, what with your criticism of Prick Parry for his inability to sort out a deal for Barry, siding (mysteriously) with one of the club’s owners and further implying that Alonso is still for sale.

As a lifelong Liverpool supporter, how I long for the glory days of Paisley, Fagin and Dalglish. Under your leadership, Mr Benitez, the Reds’ fortunes have undoubtedly revived; but quite frankly, two days into the new season I’m beginning to wonder if the wheels aren’t about to fall off this year’s title campaign before we’ve already got going because you seem hell bent on playing club politics in the public eye.

No matter that Parry doesn’t seem up to the the chief-exec job. Please stop entering into public spats with the club hierarchy. Do us a favour and distance yourself from the transfer-merry-go-round and concentrate on coaching the best out of the squad you’ve assembled, not whinge on about potential new signings.

After all, it could be a lot worse. You could be Kevin Keegan.

Very best wishes, as ever,
Jon

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