Rafa, you're letting Liverpool fans down
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Benitez, accused of over-rotating his squad. Is he the new "Tinkerman"?
Jim Mansell, a fervent but despairing Liverpool fan, pens an open letter to his club's manager after their humiliating Champions League defeat to Marseille at Anfield: Dear Mr Benitez, I felt compelled to write to you following Liverpool's abject display against Marseille. I have a fear that you are blind to the one key element which is vital to any successful team - consistency.
In my view the Champions League defeat on Wednesday hardly matters a jot - though not to qualify for the knockout stages would be humiliating enough - but was a clear manifestation of the problems thrown up by your baffling rotation system.
Let's be frank. Your changes are infuriating Liverpool fans. I haven't spoken to one who thinks it's the right policy or that it will wn us the prize we most cherish - the Premier League. We've been waiting since 1990 for a sniff of the Holy Grail - and gritted our teeth as Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea have dominated. They have done it by moulding teams which play at a high level of consistency. Barring loss of form and injury, the manager has picked virtually the same players week in, week out. They became teams and a developed a pattern of play to suit.
Currently, this does not seem to apply to Liverpool. You made another bucketload of changes for the Marseille game from the team that scraped a 1-0 away win at Wigan. Not surprisingly, they played like strangers. As Robin van Persie said this week Arsenal benefit by having the same team because the players like it that way. How can Crouch be expected to perform if he's hardly given a look-in? How can Torres be the 20-goals-a-season striker the team desperately needs if he's not in the starting line-up for games against the likes of Portsmouth and Birmingham? How can the midfield develop an understanding if it's chopped and changed so much?
I heard you say in an interview recently that your policy was designed to ensure the players were in peak fitness for the run-in to the Champions League and the title. That's no good if the team are not in contention for either due to poor performances in the rest of the season.
Your summer buys gave us hope that the title would be a realistic target. The season started brightly. Don't let that flicker of hope be extinguished so quickly. On behalf of all title-starved Liverpool fans, pick a team to win the league and stick with it. You gave us a truly unbelievable triumph in Istanbul. And a memorably nerve-wracking FA Cup success. But, Mr Benitez, we're desperate to be the best team in the Premier League.
What we can't stomach is a rotation policy which will see the names of just United, Chelsea and Arsenal on the Premier League trophy for another 17 years! Yours in hope -
The month of October will be an important one for Benitez as Spurs, Everton, Arsenal and Besiktas lie in wait for Liverpool.
Reeling from what Rafa Benitez admitted what was the worst performance of his tenure, Liverpool are now facing up to a run of fixtures that will inevitably be billed as a 'make-or-break' period in their season.
The cacophony of boos that greeted the Reds' first-ever defeat to French opposition at Anfield will have been followed by the harsh sound of alarm bells ringing for Rafa Benitez. Unable to spare any of his players from criticism after Marseille's deserved victory, the Spaniard vowed to "analyse everything".
Yet it is Benitez's refusal to select a settled team - he included squad player Sebastian Leto and an off-form Mohamed Sissoko against the French side on Wednesday - that remains under closest scrutiny.
It would be remiss to suggest that Benitez's policy of rotation was the sole cause of the humiliating defeat, yet it must have been a contributing factor to a woeful performance that lacked purpose or cohesion. In attack, Fernando Torres and Peter Crouch, Liverpool's sixth different strike partnership in a campaign barely six weeks old, resembled two strangers speaking different languages. Which is probably what they really are.
Even without the benefit of hindsight, it is not difficult to paint the 'shock' defeat against a side fourth-bottom in the French first division as an accident waiting to happen. The Reds' last performance of positive note occurred over a month ago against whipping boys Derby. And no side in the Premiership has yet to enjoy anything but a positive result on home territory against Derby this season. Since then, stodgy draws with Portsmouth and Birmingham have stalled Liverpool's domestic momentum and a wretched display against Porto may have been the cause of Marseille's surprisingly adventurous outlook this week.
Tottenham are the next visitors to Anfield in a match that kicks-off what would be a daunting run for Liverpool even if Benitez's side were in the rudest of health. The post-international Premiership league resumption will then see Liverpool face their most challenging week of the year: a Merseyside derby with Everton on October 20, a trip to Besiktas on October 24, and then a date with Arsenal four days later. By the time of November 3's Premiership fixture at Ewood Park, Blackburn Rovers could be picking off a battered carcass unless Benitez's relentless tinkering finally produces a winning formula. -
I have to say the fan is right.. rafa seem to have overdone it this time.. you dun see much of a squad rotation at United, Arsenal and even chelsea..
If players are paid that much amount and are not able to withstand both domestic league and Champions league run ups.. they dun deserve their fat pay check in my opinion.. -
its too early of the season to rotate. want rotate maybe till christmas period. and the pool squad is not as good as barca or smth
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well, how come last season when he rotated and got liverpool to the European Cup finals, no one complains leh..
All soccer fans know that it is european success that is keeping him at liverpool..
even Newcastle Big Sam publicly state this..
So Even if he fails to win the English Title, but keep putting Liverpool in the finals, he won't be fired, right?? -
I think the liverpool fans wants the Premiere league title more than the champions league title this season.. given that they are the only ones out of the 'Big Four' that has not won a premiere league title yet..Originally posted by iceFatboy:well, how come last season when he rotated and got liverpool to the European Cup finals, no one complains leh..
All soccer fans know that it is european success that is keeping him at liverpool..
even Newcastle Big Sam publicly state this..
So Even if he fails to win the English Title, but keep putting Liverpool in the finals, he won't be fired, right??
well even if he doesn't win anything this year, i doubt he'll get fired anyway.. -
I think there is a logical explanation as regard to the present situation.
Was reading the English press commenting on Liverpool's poor performance.
It seems like Ah Ben is pretty cold towards his players.
(I guess he know his players through paper, not in person)
Paco seem to be the man that know the players better.
So, assuming that the players are not close to the manager, would they play well for the club ?
Taking into consideration that the recent defeat was partly caused by the team selection of Ah Ben.
But , strange enough, Ah Ben put the BLAME of the defeat fully on the players, and not a single bit on his silly rotation tactics.
If you are a Liverpool player, how would you feel ???
If it is really the unfortunate case for Liverpool, then it is time to sack Ah Ben and get Jose.
With Ah Ben, we will never have the heart of the players and the EPL title. -
rafa is juz an average manager for me... i think jose is alot better den him...
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i dont think he is a good manager, at least not in the EPL.
gerrard should get the credit for the FA cup and CL win, not RB. -
that is if the board is interested only in the revenue.Originally posted by iceFatboy:well, how come last season when he rotated and got liverpool to the European Cup finals, no one complains leh..
All soccer fans know that it is european success that is keeping him at liverpool..
even Newcastle Big Sam publicly state this..
So Even if he fails to win the English Title, but keep putting Liverpool in the finals, he won't be fired, right?? -
Rafa rotational policy and attacking tatics not that good for the club
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Maybe we have Rafa just manage the team for one more year and then bring in Jose Mourinho.
Damn. I definitely prefer boring but effective and winning football rather than boring, inept, painful to watch and sleep-inducing football.
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i feel that liverpool should go for mourihno too.Originally posted by CoolMyth:Maybe we have Rafa just manage the team for one more year and then bring in Jose Mourinho.
Damn. I definitely prefer boring but effective and winning football rather than boring, inept, painful to watch and sleep-inducing football. -
If he finished below the 4th rank in EPL and won nothing. I doubt he will not be sacked. Btw,he he has asked for financial support for strengthening of player this season. After much money is spend,result must showed. Winning nothing major is unthinkable!Originally posted by 4getmenot:well even if he doesn't win anything this year, i doubt he'll get fired anyway.. -
no thks,man..Originally posted by dragg:i feel that liverpool should go for mourihno too.
i hate his mouth..
even though he's gd..
but RB is gd as well le..
n he will make Pool a public enemy to all..
i wana support Pool as a peaceful club.. -
If the rotation is not showing the desired results... then something is not right about it.
Wakie Wakie Rafa -
Ah Ben is not good enough.
Liverpool dun have a settled line-up.
Liverpool is ineffective at the moment.
Liverpool is not playing well despite having so much talents.
Liverpool is not even playing well as a team cos the understanding of the players on the pitch is never established.
Ah Ben cannot bring out the best of the players that he have. Babel - left or right ? next Henry ?
So, this should be his last season in Liverpool cos he is too stubborn to listen to advice.
By the way, who is the best partner for Torres ???
I bet he dun even know that. -
It takes time for a new player to be integrated into a team and a new league in my opinion, lets not push a button and demend that the likes of Torres (hes a world class) show some impact immediately, although hes already shown them..Originally posted by CannyOng:If he finished below the 4th rank in EPL and won nothing. I doubt he will not be sacked. Btw,he he has asked for financial support for strengthening of player this season. After much money is spend,result must showed. Winning nothing major is unthinkable!
Rafa should realise that his rotational system is doing more harm than good at the moment, but maybe hes probably thinking that his team does not have enuff depth to cover as the other big 3's if major injuries happen to some key players..
rafa'll get one more season at the least to fully gel his squad this season..not winning anything may not be becuz they are not playing well, but probably becuz other teams are playing even better..however, to be ranked outside the top 4 this season for liverpool would really leave a bitter taste on the fans and the board..
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U must remember,rich businessman has no patient for success.. It can be a double edge sword if u spend a huge load of money on players..Originally posted by 4getmenot:It takes time for a new player to be integrated into a team and a new league in my opinion, lets not push a button and demend that the likes of Torres (hes a world class) show some impact immediately, although hes already shown them..
Rafa should realise that his rotational system is doing more harm than good at the moment, but maybe hes probably thinking that his team does not have enuff depth to cover as the other big 3's if major injuries happen to some key players..
rafa'll get one more season at the least to fully gel his squad this season..not winning anything may not be becuz they are not playing well, but probably becuz other teams are playing even better..however, to be ranked outside the top 4 this season for liverpool would really leave a bitter taste on the fans and the board.. -
Rafa Style of Football Is much more boring than Mourinho
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villa's owner seem to be very patient.Originally posted by CannyOng:U must remember,rich businessman has no patient for success.. It can be a double edge sword if u spend a huge load of money on players..
o neil is doing a great job, building slowly and sensibly. -
Ashley Young and Agbolahor seems to be coming goodOriginally posted by dragg:villa's owner seem to be very patient.
o neil is doing a great job, building slowly and sensibly.
And they have the likes of Gareth Barry and Reo Coker too.. -
this is the best comment that I have seen...Originally posted by ghimpheng:Rafa Style of Football Is much more boring than Mourinho
POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK.. -
true, the way Liverpool is structured over the years has always been different from others.Originally posted by a-Lost-9uY:no thks,man..
i hate his mouth..
even though he's gd..
but RB is gd as well le..
n he will make Pool a public enemy to all..
i wana support Pool as a peaceful club..
they firmly put themselves behind the "you'll never walk alone"..
so Mourinho is out.. -
Liverpool has spent alot, it is just that they have the luxury of hiding in the shadows of headlines hugging chelsea and MUFC...Originally posted by CannyOng:U must remember,rich businessman has no patient for success.. It can be a double edge sword if u spend a huge load of money on players..
if not for these two clubs, the spotlight will be much worse on RB..