Rafa Benitez remains optimistic that Liverpool will be challenging for all the major honours this season after a slow start to the European and Premier League campaigns.
“I have some experience in difficult situations, all managers do, but at this time we have lost four league games and people are talking about the quality, the depth of the squad. But again, like last year, the main thing is to be calm, work hard and find solutions to the problem.
“That is the only way in football. If you lose and don’t play, you think about it for a week, ten days, but this week we have an opportunity to change everything. It can change everything for the positive.
“Last year we were talking about draws and then we got 86 points. My obligation is to be positive because I think we have more quality than we are showing now.
“As soon as we play well twice, hopefully this week, people will start saying maybe I am right. If we win on Sunday, we will be four points behind and that is not bad.
“Last season, with the draws every week, it was as if you lose a game. At the end we were four points off, very close, so we have to have confidence in the team and players, keep working hard, and I am sure we will win games.
“Normally in the second half of the season we do well and, yes, we have to do something now and we want to get as close as possible. I am sure we will improve during the season.”
Benitez was then pushed by the press in to wondering if Alberto Aquilani was a bad signing given that he has missed 9 games of the Premier League season so far.
“We signed three players and we wanted four. We brought Voronin back and signed another centre back. A good signing could have been really important, but we have a good squad, we’re happy with the players we have got and they have quality.
“We knew that Aquilani could be out for a month, but after seeing the scans we realised it would be more. But we were signing the player for five years, not just for five games.”
David Silva anyone?
Is everybody still thinking the same way now???? Yesterday the squad showed the main thing that was missing – DESIRE!!!!!!!!!!!! As for the players, altough I still think that we are missing something, I hope that Aquilani will be the missing link!!!!!!! I used to watch Aquilani with Roma quite a bit, and when he is fit, he is some player!!!!! Do not forget that yesterday we were without some player called STEVEN GERRARD!!!!!! Also I think that all this talk about Lucas is way out of line now. I think that this season he improved a lot and yesterday was one of our best players together with Mascherano and Benayoun. Lets be positive, we lost 4 games, but all of the other contenders are within reach. I think that this season, all the teams will suffer unexpected defeats.
Also, let us see our team, when we will have a full squad or atleast an almost full squad. Lets remember that prior to yesterday, we were without Gerrard, Torres and Johnson.
Lets trust our manager and the team YNWA
We need to sack benitez and get quality players in and then we can start playing some real football and if we do not have enouth money for new players then sell some of our players that are not doing well for example babel,masherano,dossena,aurelio.
i think david silva would be a good signing but it will be hard to convince valencia to let him go….i dont think we even have enough money….
NOW he’s got real problems. Rafa Benitez won all the battles he needed to off the pitch last season but now he is facing up to the fact that he has not invested wisely in playing staff and he badly needs a cash injection of £100m.
I think it’s fair to say that after five years filled with some success and many, many problems off the field, Benitez and the club are now dealing with their biggest crisis yet. Nothing less than a major injection of resources will make up the gap between Liverpool and the best in Europe.
Last night against Lyon, a good European team, they were well beaten and had a young reservist on the pitch taking the heat.
Promising
Martin Kelly is a promising young player who handled himself well in difficult circumstances but it says a lot about the current state of the Liverpool squad that Benitez had to rely on Jay Spearing against Sunderland and lost, and then another young lad in a big Champions League fixture – potentially a make or break Champions League fixture.
To make the step up to Champions League level requires something special in a teenager. Mostly, it’s not a good idea to put so much pressure on young shoulders.
In Arsene Wenger’s case, he has a squad that have grown up together and have another season under the belts to lean on when the stakes are highest. Lads like Kelly and Spearing are plugging gaps, not just gaining experience from a position of strength.
Alex Ferguson regularly bloods young players in Champions League games if the pressure is off and he feels the opportunity is right, but very rarely has he been forced to throw someone in because he had no other choice.
Wenger pushed high quality and exceptional young players in to do a man’s job over the last few years and now they have the look of a team that might surprise us all and particularly with the Champions League in mind.
Arsenal gave away a stupid late goal against Alkmaar but they are in a comfortable position in their group and can be relaxed enough about upcoming fixtures. Liverpool, on the other hand, are up against it in a big way and to add insult to injury, Manchester United are waiting around the corner after this stinging defeat by Lyon.
If Kelly and Spearing highlight the lack of depth in the Liverpool squad, Voronin really defines the problem for Benitez. Shipped out on loan last season to Hertha Berlin, he was surplus to requirements at Anfield.
He tried to find a club in the Bundesliga and a permanent move when the loan expired but couldn’t, so he came back to Liverpool where his wages were obviously better than anything available in Germany.
All of that points to a player Benitez doesn’t want, yet he’s still involved – and centrally – against Lyon. He replaced Benayoun, Liverpool’s most creative outlet, when the game was still level at 1-1 with Voronin. Some supersub. He brought nothing to the table.
There were boos when Voronin was switched for Benayoun and that’s not something you hear at Anfield very often.
They are a patient lot on the Kop and have backed Benitez to the hilt, but even his most committed supporters must be wondering why, after five years and plenty of money spent, they haven’t got a team that can win at home in a Champions League fixture against Lyon.
They know their football and must have finished last season in an optimistic frame of mind. A run at the title fell short but not by much and they knew that the addition of two or three quality players during the summer might just be enough to bridge the gap between Anfield and Old Trafford.
The natural thing for Benitez to do at that stage was strengthen the squad. Instead, they watched Xabi Alonso walk out the door on the heels of a string of players like Robbie Keane, Peter Crouch and even Craig Bellamy.
Injury problems for Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres have brought the whole thing to a head. Alonso’s absence dilutes Javier Mascherano’s effectiveness and Benitez has no viable alternative to Torres on his bench.
He never wanted Robbie Keane but I’d bet he would take him now and if anyone doubts that, think about Voronin. Bad decisions based on other bad decisions are piling up. Throughout the last five years, Bentiez had shipped players in and out and this is part of a process that began under Gerrard Houllier.
We’ve seen very few lads produced from within and that’s a big change for a club that used to be a conveyor belt for young talent. Maybe Kelly and Spearing will come good, maybe not.
But Benitez needs quality now and with Gerrard likely to be out for a while and Torres struggling, he must be getting a sinking feeling. Even if the rumoured Middle Eastern investment arrives, he can’t do anything until January and by them it just might be too late.
Some of the points made here are of substance and do make sense, but being totally honest half of you have not got a clue what your on about!
Rafa Benitez fielded a weakened side against Lyon due to injuries, I personally don’t think the team he put out would be capable of beating half the premier league sides. I’ve supported Rafa non stop through the poor signings and disappointing results, but also through the glory of winning the Champions League and FA Cup etc and right now am really starting to feel like he has took us as far as he possibly can…regardless of a new contract in the summer or not!
Going back to last nights team selection, I really think this showed us all how weak our squad really is, minus Gerrard our best player was Yossi who lets be honest isn’t a world beater and was only bought originally to warm the bench…
Dirk Kuyt gives 150% to the club every single week…but ask yourself is that good enough for LFC or do we need someone who can destroy defenders down that right wing, striking fear into our opponents or should we settle for somebody that will run round like a headless chicken all game?? We need MATCH WINNERS, maybe not 11 but at half the team need to be capable of pulling a result out the bag when it doesn’t look like its going are way?
Lucas & Ngog are not good enough to play for Liverpool and no matter how much time and development is put into them they will never reach the standards we have come to expect from our players!
WHHY DIDN’T RYAN BABEL PLAY?? this makes absolutely no sense, in the absence in Gerrard you bring on Aurelio? For me Babel has not been given a fair chance at Anfield, an I think he is going to go on and be a fantastic player, but more than likely at Arsenal or somewhere the manager will allow him to show off his talent and give him 100% support. I don’t think babel’s style of play suits Benitez’s tactics and this is why he does not play.
The only positive for me last night was Martin Kelly, a player who looks as if he is going to definately make the grade, Rafa would be a fool not to give this lad a chance this season to show his ability, could be a big player for us in coming seasons.
To finish this off, if we do not win against UTD on Sunday Liverpool are in trouble, not to poor doom and gloom over a bad start, but in terms of confidence belief and players capable of getting us out this rut, in order to move forward and keep Liverpool progressing at a pace that all the fans are happy with, we need a new Manager with new ideas and you may think this is controversial but Jose Mourinho is the man to do it!
Thats the end of my rant anyway…..Peace x
Lucas, Insua, Ngog, Voronin are 4 regular first team players who are simply not good enough for our team. Spearing and Kelly are promising prospects for tomorrow not today. We have no depth in our squad. Gerrard and Torres missing would weaken any side in the world but look who we have to stand in for them? A few other questions:
Is there any other Premier League club playing at home with 2 holding midfield players? Anyone else think that is a bit negative. Who are our creative players, Benayoun? Agger? Is Carra in his last season at the top of his game? Can we afford to change the manager? If Rafa is sacked (and i dont think he should be) look at the Spanish backroom team that has to go too, from Melwood to the Academy. We have no mooney for players let alone afford the compensation package to go with that lot.
An unlikely victory or credible draw against Utd at home (cant believe I’m saying that) on Sunday will only paper over the cracks. The only thing I do know is that we need to get behind the ‘red men’ as they need us now more than they have done since 1987 when we last lost 4 on the bounce!
we’ve suffered bad defeats before and we will suffer them again, i quite agree about Rafa’s substitutions they suck, when we beat the Mancs on Sunday we will be on a roll and we only need to win our three remaining games to qualify, i agree with Rafa, too many players are not playing to their full potential, they are the ones you should be criticizing, let’s face it lads we can’t win every game, we have to have our setbacks, lets get behind the club and take them onto glory not only in Europe but in the league, the club and the players need us to help, let’s do it.
play babel stop being so stubborn benitez
the liverpool team is not good enough at the moment defenetly not the fault of benitez but the hault of the yanks.
if you want to be able to tell if liverpool have a title winning squad you have to ask which of our players would get in the man utd starting 11 even cheelsa arsenal or man city the only players i could think of are gerrard torres glen johnson and macherano possibly dan agger remember i said starting 11
i also think jamie carragher is finished and should be a sub 4 us he is 2 slow
i also think letting kean bellamy and sissoko and alson was a huge mistake all quality players
Benitez makes mistake after mistake. Sapping the confidence out of players. What do players have to do? They score 2 goals, get fired up, only to find out they’re on the bench for the next game. It happened to Keane and recently happened to Babel.
Benitez is not a good manager he’s a lucky one…with a huge EGO. To still be in a job at Anfield is beyond me.
I can’t stand him… His only successes came with a squad which was 95% Gerrard Houllier’s. We can’t win the prem because he doesn’t have the quality.
Quick prediction: I don’t think we’ll beat utd on sunday, we’re going out of the champions league and if we dont get rid of Benitez ASAP, we won’t qualify for the champions league next season.
From: a p****d off Liverpool fan!
Oh and our losses have been away to Spurs (3rd) Chelsea (prob the hardest away fixture in the EPL) Sunderland who almost defeated Manure at Old Toilet and Aston Villa who have just beaten ‘unstoppable’ Chelsea!
Fiorentina’s coach said that his teams defeat of us was the best he has ever seen his side play and last night, well read above and defeat should not be a huge surprise!!
Cud most of u shut the F up please!
Crouch was offered an extension and turned it down!!
Degen? He is not on our team submitted to the champs league!
Sami hyypia ? Are you for real?
Carra is having a dip, Masch is totally not interested and must be sold asap, Agger just got back from a legthy inury and admitted he is not 100%, Stevie and The Kid are injured, Johnson is injured, Aurelio just got back from injury, Riera is injured, Ngog is 20 yrs old, Insua is 19 and Lucas is just average and as for Babbel, he is talent with no football intelligence and any manager would have gambled on him with his undoubted talent! Oh let’s not even get me started on the fact that we are without our last seasons best player Alonso and without his 20Mill replacement! We need stability, game pace, creativity and class in midfield most importantly and it will hopefully only arrive with Aqualani!
Stop blaming everything in hindsight and support the Team through this troubled time!!
In RAFA I trust!
Couldn’t agree more mate, wish people would stop this knee-jerk reaction s***e every time something goes wrong.
It all boils down to RAFA not playing players in their correct positions.
Rafa’s tactics are also questionable. Why play 4-4-1-1 when others paly 4-4-2 successfully? Whya mark zones when zones don’t score goals? Why play strikers as wingers? why don’t train strikers to strike with venomous power and placing? Why… why…?
Lyon was faster, sharper, and more deadly in attack. Liverpool was slow and their long passes were easily read by Lyon and intercepted many times. Moreover, Liverpool’s shooting was woeful, to say the least. They can’t seem to be able to strike the ball cleanly with power and accuracy. If they strike with power, they have no accuracy, and if they are accurate then they have no power. If they cannot improve on these things then the whole squad needs to be replaced. But for Benayoun the rest seem to be ordinary.
In my humble opinion, benitez cycle is over now. He has not been able to muster a team a such. His outcry rotation policy has left his down.
We cannot put the same old blame on the owerners only. Lets us be realistic. Every fan has diagnose that we need a strong stricker to partner torres. What was the result?
Do we need Dossena, babel (whom benited dubbed as the new thierry henry), Ngog, Azahr, reira, Mr. Lucas, to name but a few.
Since his reign at Anfield, Benitez brought 67 players. All he labelled as “match-winner mentality”. What has we seen last nignt????? How he can put the blame on only Torres & Gerrard for their absence.
The immediate solution:
(1) Sack Rafa the sooner possible
(2) Bring Dalglish as caretaker manager
(3) Bring AS SOON AS POSSIBLE Guss Hiddink!
And the problem is solve…..
You look at Liverpool today and you find that ‘the Liverpool way’ hasn’t been kept up with. The days which saw the likes of :
Robbie Fowler
Michael Owen
Jamie Carragher
Steven Gerrard
all come through the ranks at Liverpool. Rafa for me has some decent propsects coming through the side but at times like these he needs to show more faith in them. . The likes of:
Martin Kelly
the two young defenders who started early on in the season.
Damien Plessis
Spearing
Insua
Look at any winning team and you will find some players who have come through the other teams (reserve, Youth teams).
As for Lucas and Ngog I feel there not good enough to wear the shirt. Babbel I would like to be given the role behind the striker or a striker role but even so if he fails to make a impact he should be sold. Rafa has made some good and bad signing but he allowed too many good players to go in my opinion:
Crouch
Keane
Heskey
Garica
Alonso
Rafa has done a decent job over the years with cups and some final appearences but having lost four games he really needs to put things right now as if Liverpool lose two more games then he should be sacked.
It’s very simple, without Torres and/or Gerrard in th team, nobody can step in as a ‘leader’ for the reds. Carragher may wear his heart on his sleave but he is never going to change a game single handedly. Dirk Kuyt should really have tried to step into that role – he is the most experienced/influencial LFC player currntly out there now we have lost Alonso that could truely influence a game in the duo’s absence. As much as I am a massive fan of his, he has failed to do this in the last two….
Furthermore, lets not forget what Benitez has done for us so far – a win against Utd will not only close the gap to 4 points but will boost morale and send shivers across the rest of the premiership – FACT.
We have to wait and see how things pan out in the coming weeks – very important games coming up and possibly Rafa’s most testing time to date as Reds boss.
Huge mistake letting Sami go,we’d never have conceded so many goals from set pieces with him in the side/on the bench.Also letting Crouch go was really stupid.His obvious height advantage would drag defenders away from Torres (a la owen & Heskey) plus height advantage defending set pieces makes for a dreadfully idiotic piece of transfer business.Taking Yossi off this evening was the icing on the turd as he was the only player on the park that performed to the clubs slipping standards.I’m fully aware of injury woes and the bad luck we’ve suffered of late but you make your own luck and right now it seems to me as if Rafa doesn’t want the job.He’s a great man and a great manager,however there’s no trophy for bragging rights (see last seasons top 4 results) if a mediocre sunderland side can take 3 points from you ANYWHERE.
Completly agree on that shout about Crouch he’s brilliant
i agree with most points here however for some reason id like to see voronin given a few straight games. torres is equiped to play 4-5-1 and fair play. but team needs to be changed in his absence. play agger, aurelio, carra, skrtle, kuyt, gerrard, masch, benny, then with voronin and either ngog/babel and see if the 4-4-2 switch can fit these players. voronin has shown to have a good eye for a pass at times and babel has the pace for them to combine well
babels hit an miss more miss than hit. he can’t play the lone striker as he doesn’t have the work rate in him that torres or even n’gog have in closing down defenders when they have the ball.
steve, do you really think rafa had nothing to do with signing keane. so did parry buy torres. i personally know rafa told the players before he came he was coming. rafa has never said he didnt buy him. myth. rafa had the same problem at valencia, bought too many bad players, the chairman took this out of his hands and that is why he left. quote. I asked for a table
and got a lamp or some stupid quote like that.
I think Keane has egg on his face. A non performer.
A team with one striker can win nothing…
Barcelona is using 3 strikers while we stick to Torres!
Who said that Torres is better than Messi? Henry? Ibrahimovic?
Another question, What will Carragher do when he faces such quality players? I bet he will get dizzy…
Please Rafa Switch Kuyt upfront and play either Benayoun or babel in his place
YNWA
agree to a certain extent
I think rafa was do wrong about the selection his player.if u see all the game of liverpool, u will know what function with LUCAS LEIVA??? very slow man and always make fouls near penalty box.
i think babel can play a role of striker..but rafa always not giving a chance for him.
For me, if gerrard and torres injured, rafa can use ngog/voronin/babel playing a long side with kuyt.
Why not giving a chance for pleasis playing in the middle…
spearing play well..he is very young and can get more better than now.
for winger, bennayoun is the first choice for left winger and shy not put glen johnson playing position for right winger and for the right back can put carragger or degen….
I can’t understand why people keep insisting that Babel should be given a chance. He’s already been given hundreds of chances. I saw him against Sunderland. He can’t even control the ball and can’t beat players. Really crappy player! By far one of the worst players bought by Rafa. Should get rid of him asap.
The honest truth is that only Torres and Gerard are really world class. The others are just average or slightly better than average. It would be high to start bringing great and confirmed talents. Not to-be talents.
Should of never of sold Crouch …………..
very true!
very, VERY, true!
And Keane and Alonso (even if the latter wanted to go) how we could do with just one of those three back now !!!!!!!!!!
Give Babel a chance I say
He’s had 100 chances.
In a position he doesn’t want to play in. How about we give the guy a chance up front with Torres or Gerrard and see how he fair’s. He’s only a young un and hasn’t been given a consistant run in the team to be judged, one game every six isn’t fair for any Liverpool fan to start judging the guy.
A proper chance – NOT 10 mins here and there. Give him five starts in his favoured position up front and he’ll change your opinion of him.
For God’s sake we have David N’gog up front tonight – he is shite. He goes on about being happy with the players he’s got – play them! Babel is a forward, Voronin is a forward. I’m not saying these guys are world beaters but they are all we have at the minute with Torres out. Take a chance Rafa go 4-4-2!
You’ll be out of a job soon.
Was thinking at 1-1 on tuesday night that the french defense looked slow to react and babel would have at least posed a threat against them.
Sure he’ll make mistakes ( he’s young ) but i really believe that he has shown on occasion a natural ability with the ball and good finishing too and when he’s confident his energy can frighten defenses so if we put him up front more regular maybe he could offer something ?
It’s worth a try and lets be honest what have we got to loose the way were playing at the moment ?
Totally agree
Is he regret or blaming parry and the american owners? trust me guys the will be a day comes when torres leave us like alonso did just bcoz of poor handeling of this crazy manager of ours..
Yeah..I truely believe that Lucas & Babel are LFC greatest liability todate. These 2 just don’t click into the system at all!! They are a one man show…poor ball control, poor passing/assist, poor goal vision!! Its just sucks!! Definitely they’ve got to GO!!
Johnson overlap too much & dribble without thoughtfulness!! Skrtel too undecisive!!
LFC need BIGGGGGGGG overhaulin’…….YNWA
If Babel wasn’t in our squad then Nabil El Zahr would have played right mid, remember him? the guy who couldn’t take Pennants place? yeah we need Babel he scares opponents he needs to get his heads down have the backing of all reds and he’ll produce the Dutch are notorious for being late bloomers.
Looking back at the weekend and mentioning the squad quality.
Well it was not a good day, young Jamie Sp struggled and still needs time. However I hope time helps him, as it has NOT helped Babel!
For me, he is our main liability.
As a footballer he reminds me of Frank Bruno and all the promise that was talked about him in boxing. Physique and talent with a punch bag, or a football being juggled solo is no promise of success. He does NOT have a great football brain, period IMHO
Babel MUST go at Xmas
reina, johnson, agger, insua, gerrard, kuyt, torres, benayoun, mascherano, skrtel, aurelio, reira, are the only players that we have that are of any salt and gerrard and torres get injuried alot nowadays… add to this aurelio, with his injury record, add the fact mascherano is behaving like a prick,, and out of form, then take the facts about hyypia going, and alonso gone, aquilani still missing.
think its fair to say that the sqaud should have been invested in dont you? where was silva, etc.. its a fucking joke these fucking owners
The American owners r 2 b blamed for the problem they have the typical American capitalist mentality they don’t care about winning titles with Liverpool, they r thinking of LFC as purely business, they care nothing about the football!!
Neil quoted: “I think that releasing of Keane has left egg on RAFA’s face.”
this is an unsubstantiated piece of garbage perpetuated by the press.
Parry bought Keane, not Rafa.
Keane was given a fair chance, but missed loads of sitters, esp in drawn games. Scoring 5 in 19 is not good enough, given the chances he had.
Rafa sold him at end of Jan to cut clubs losses.
Liverpool then improved significantly:
Facts:
LFC Aug – Jan
Played 23 Won 13, Drawn 9, Lost 1. Avge Points 2.08 per game
LFC Feb – May:
Played 15, Won 12, Drawn 2, Lost 1. Avge Points 2.53 per game
I cant see any egg….wipe your glasses Neil!
well in, he should’ve gone specsavers
Our problem, I believe is the loss of Alvaro arbeloa and Aurelio and the our continued gun hoe tactics regarding our use of Johnson and Insua. In the quest to try and win games and be more attacking we have opened up our limitations, notably of Carra and Skrtel. Now let me be clear, these guys haven’t lost anything (carra is defo not past it), but they like to have their fullbacks alongside them at all times so they are not exposed to pace or being pulled out of position. In my opinion only the Ferdinand/Vidic partnership is capable of going two-on-two at the back. We have to change our philosophy slightly or risk having a very inconsistent season.
Had Gareth Barry not been such a money grabbing rat after courting Rafa’s intention for just over a season, even going so far as giving a 2 page interview to the NOTW, stating how much he wanted to join the Reds, things would probably be different. As it stands, things can be turned around providing the first 11 can be kept fit and in-form for the remainder of the season but that is a massive IF. The 30 league draws which have plagued us for the last 2 seasons have yet to rear their ugly heads and if we can kick start our PL campaign on Sunday with a massive win, we will in effect be killing 3 birds with 1 stone, (I’ll let you work that one out). The way things are going at the moment, (Chelsea losing twice in three games, Utd failing to really impress and Arsenal again looking vulnerable) I feel this will be the freak ‘once in a blue moon’ season, given a bit of belief and discipline from all concerned with LFC, that anything is possible. 4 defeats, but 0 draws. In Rafa We Trust.
What a pile of old s**t. We knew he would be out for about this long. When we signed him the Sunderland game just passed was the target, and he has only just missed that.
But obviously he is a failure- in much the same way the journalists who asked these questions are failures for exclusively writing easy, obvious and reactionary drivvel every time they hand in a piece of work.
David SILVA!
Was there not reports just after the transfer window that we just failed to sign Simao? Would deff ratehr have silva though but I think he is a signing now that we will never get!
I think that releasing of Keane has left egg on RAFA’s face.
Maybe Rafa is right, we have quality but his team selection for the start of the Sunderland game leaves a lot to be desired. You are missing your top two players and then you still play a defensive strategy.