Who exactly has Rafa 'lost'

[Rashid]

well he has "lost" his main ally in the presss - James Lawton.

 

James Lawton: Flawed puppeteer Benitez loses grip of Anfield strings and hold of football reality

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

 

Something has to give at Liverpool. Indeed, there is some evidence that it has already happened and that it is Rafa Benitez's hold on some of football's most basic realities.

 

He is a good man with some impeccable, even brilliant qualities, but there are also flaws which make it increasingly improbable that even a convincing victory tonight over the aristocrats of Italian football, Internazionale, will do much more than prolong what is becoming an agony.

 

Certainly, Benitez should know better than most the folly of believing his Champions League triumph in Istanbul still bestows the job security of a senior civil servant. Yet still he clings to a remarkable but ageing victory, all the time failing to grasp that football, no more than any other competitive business, has never asked, "What did you do for me three years ago?"

 

No, the game will always be concerned with today and tomorrow, a truth the Liverpool manager ignored when he declared, on the day he lost to Barnsley: " I don't know too many managers who have won the European Cup."

 

As a Madrileno, he surely cannot have forgotten Vicente del Bosque, the taciturn man from Salamanca who won European club football's greatest prize not once but twice – yet still found himself sacked by Real Madrid just a year after his second triumph.

 

Perhaps Benitez, for the sake of his peace of mind, has indeed expunged from his memory that staggering piece of injustice inflicted on a manager who had also collected Real's 28th and 29th Spanish league titles.

 

The brutal truth is that Benitez, with ever diminishing success, appears to have been attempting to impose his own increasingly bizarre version of reality. The more emphatic he becomes in his self-belief, the further his team seems to slip away. But then let's be honest. It is not a team. It is an assortment, a series of options, none of which has encouraged the fundamental ambition of every great manager – a sense of growth.

 

Benitez's predecessor Bill Shankly never won a European Cup but he did lay down the principles of an empire which, at one point, gathered it in as though it was not a challenge but a right.

 

Shankly once climbed on to the table in his little office under the main stand, clenched his fists and said of emerging young players: "One day this team is going to go off like a bloody bomb in the sky."

 

Shankly signed players like St John and Yeats and Hughes and nurtured Tommy Smith and made them gods. Benitez doesn't make gods – he makes squad members and bench warmers to be deployed when the fancy takes him.

 

He has been trying to win while ignoring the most basic aspect of building a winning team. However many winners of Europe's top prize Benitez does know, he has clearly failed to see an instinct that links them all, from Sir Matt Busby and Jock Stein to Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson.

 

It is the drive to fashion a team rather than a collection of pieces that can be fitted, at will, into some kind of endless jigsaw puzzle. Benitez believes in the ever shifting jigsaw game. He has made rotation a personal creed, supported by nothing more substantial than a belief in his own powers to play the master puppeteer. The result was shocking against Barnsley. It ran far deeper than the unrest of the fans. The body language of the team announced dismay even before Jamie Carragher, a bulwark of central defence who was recently asked to play at right-back, went public with his belief that the team is just not good enough.

 

Hearing the comments of the zealous Carragher brought a specially biting sadness for anyone who was around on that Istanbul dawn when Benitez so impressively outlined his plans for Liverpool's future.

 

As Steven Gerrard paraded around the team hotel with his medal on his chest, Benitez said that this was merely a downpayment on future glory. There would be new players fitting into a grand plan.

 

Grand plan – or egotistical fragments? Benitez's ego is not expressed in his manner. Indeed, he can be a man of great charm and this was never more apparent than when he was knocking Mourinho out of the Champions League. Mourinho raged at the injustices of the world. Benitez talked coolly, and with great civility, about his hopes for the development of his team.

 

The problem is increasingly plain. There has been no development. Some tactical triumphs, no doubt. But no evolution. Benitez juggles his players without the merest acknowledgement of another school of thought, which points out that every great team has thrived on familiarity and mutual respect in the dressing room.

 

When Sir Bobby Charlton and Nobby Stiles became the only Englishmen to win both the World Cup and European Cup (in the space of two years), they did it while playing more than 60 games a season, most often on pitches which the modern player would dismiss as so many ploughed fields. Shankly made a change in his team as a last resort rather than a first instinct. He won a title with 13 players.

 

Yes, we know times change, along with diets and scientific input and equipment, but some things are eternal.

 

One of them is the need of a professional footballer to feel secure in his role – and his ability. That can only be reinforced by seeing his name on the team sheet. Fighters fight and footballers play football, even if they are rich beyond most dreams.

 

Rafa Benitez doesn't even pay lip service to such a well established notion – or the trust in his players displayed by Busby when he poured himself a nip of pre-match Scotch and took his place in the stands and confided his feeling of unassailable confidence.

 

Liverpool now have to count the consequences. Most discouragingly, they include the breaking voice of Jamie Carragher and his manager's desperate belief that a great club once familiar with serial success can be sustained by not much more than an old deposit made in the bank of Istanbul.

 

[WaltonRed]

well he has "lost" his main ally in the presss - James Lawton.

 

Brilliant piece.

[rebel23]

Liverpool have no friends in the press. they're mostly all a bunch of backstabbers

[Rashid]

That's rubbish rebel23 - Lawton has been on a personal crusade to get Rafa respect. He always took Rafa's side against Mourinho too. This shit that we have no friends in the press is utter paranoid bullshit.

[rebel23]

it's not Rashid, these reporters will change their loyalties with the prevailing wind, they're fair weather friends (like a lot of fans). they're kneejerkers who react to the NOW and form a narative based on the NOW, they're never going to come out and say "well, Rafa's been in a final every year for the last 3 years even though he's not cracked the league, perhaps he needs a few more years", that's not going to sell papers or provide the editor with a story

[Moo]

It is a good piece by Lawton.

And there's no denying there is probably a very hefty chunk of reality in it.

 

To be fair though, I don't think many Rafa 'defenders' are questionning his ability to make mistakes.

I just think most have belief in him, given time and support, to make things right.

[GRADY]

That's rubbish rebel23 - Lawton has been on a personal crusade to get Rafa respect. He always took Rafa's side against Mourinho too. This shit that we have no friends in the press is utter paranoid bullshit.

 

Ive got to admit I think the press give us a hard time - not lawton but generally but perhaps I am being paranoid.

 

However maybe there is a lot of frustration about Liverpool?

 

How many times have we been supposedly been competing for the tital now.

[GRADY]

It is a good piece by Lawton.

And there's no denying there is probably a very hefty chunk of reality in it.

 

To be fair though, I don't think many Rafa 'defenders' are questionning his ability to make mistakes.

I just think most have belief in him, given time and support, to make things right.

 

Do you think if left in his position we will win the league under him?

[Moo]

Do you think if left in his position we will win the league under him?

 

If he can keep/get our players back on side, helped by a change of ownership, then I think he has as good a chance as any, especially under the possible moentary restraints.

 

I think in Europe he gives us a better chance than any.

[rebel23]

dont worry, should there be one in a few years time we'll endure similar long pieces of shite from people like Lawton on the next managers failings

 

it was the summer of 2009 and xxxx was sipping tea and describing how he could build a team to conquer Europe and so he failed, the Liverpool under the glorious Rafa Benitez, who had qualified every year beyond the group stages has now all but crumbled, the implications of which spread far across Merseyside, xxxx's reign promised so much but delivered so little and on and on and on

 

and if he lost a few games or failed to win the legue/CL in his first season like the glorious Benitez the ex-players will be out denouncing him

[Guest TK-421]

I'm not sure Castlemaine XXXX is the answer.

[WaltonRed]

dont worry, should there be one in a few years time we'll endure similar long pieces of shite from people like Lawton on the next managers failings

 

it was the summer of 2009 and xxxx was sipping tea and describing how he could build a team to conquer Europe and so he failed, the Liverpool under the glorious Rafa Benitez, who had qualified every year beyond the group stages has now all but crumbled, the implications of which spread far across Merseyside, xxxx's reign promised so much but delivered so little and on and on and on

 

and if he lost a few games or failed to win the legue/CL in his first season like the glorious Benitez the ex-players will be out denouncing him

 

I do wish you would pack all this in you know. Rafa has had 4 years, a new man will be given time just as any one would be. All this going on about this is the beginning of the end, whoever comes in will get 5 minutes and then itll be moaning again.

[GRADY]

If he can keep/get our players back on side, helped by a change of ownership, then I think he has as good a chance as any, especially under the possible moentary restraints.

 

I think in Europe he gives us a better chance than any.

 

Its a bit of a cliche but surely you cant keep a manager based on performance in cup competitions alone. I think it warrants you more time but we need to see improvement in the league.

 

As for getting the players back on on side I think when you lose the players your fucked.

[PaulMcC]

All this really saddens me.

 

Some people seem to be loving it that Rafa is getting loads of shit and using articles by journalists to prove that their views on Benitez are right, and anyone that thinks he's still the best man for the job are wrong.

 

It's fucking sad.

[billybonzo]

The usual suspects will be getting wood !

[GRADY]

The whole thing is sad but you have to remember its football.

Rafa gets paid very well for doing his job and this is the downside of it. I dont think anyone would want Rafa to fail on this forum.

 

Its just sometimes you can get wrapped up in this bubble that everything will be ok and these young players will come through and we'll dominate again however our problems seem to be more deep rooted than that.

[Dicko]

I do wish you would pack all this in you know. Rafa has had 4 years, a new man will be given time just as any one would be. All this going on about this is the beginning of the end, whoever comes in will get 5 minutes and then itll be moaning again.

 

You're basing that on in the now. In reality a fair few fans have been bitching about Rafa for 18 months.

 

No one is going to be given any time. It's a fucking fallacy to think otherwise.

[rebel23]

the national press are reactionary knobheads, lose a game and it's crisis time, win a game and 'confidence is restored', it's all about the here and now, they have no long term vision (actually Martin Samuel oddly enough seems to appreciate it more than anyone)

 

it's a shame chairman and fans fall for it.

[WaltonRed]

All this really saddens me.

 

Some people seem to be loving it that Rafa is getting loads of shit and using articles by journalists to prove that their views on Benitez are right, and anyone that thinks he's still the best man for the job are wrong.

 

It's fucking sad.

 

I'm not happy about it, im fucking gutted about it. I think its the other way personally.

[theRedHorse]

Thats another shit article because its just doing what every other retarded* Liverpool fan is doing at the moment and Totally diregarding everything Rafa has done for us while at the same time totally disregarding the Huge impact of starting again with a whole new different manager who, if backed the same limited amount as benitez, will most likely never win us the League.

 

Not to mention the total disregard of the impact of the idiotic owners on Benitez.

 

The players need an arm around them?

Rafa never told theEcho, "You know, I'm looking at getting Reo Coker in to Replace Gerrard"

Yet when Rafa is publicly humiliated which of these Players Stood up for Benitez? THEIR MANAGER?! The Man that bought them a Champions League Medal? Who's giving Rafa an arm round the shoulder?

 

What the fuck is the point?

 

Bunch of cunts.

 

*(and when I say retarded, I mean because you want benitez out, you must be retarded)

[Moo]

Its a bit of a cliche but surely you cant keep a manager based on performance in cup competitions alone. I think it warrants you more time but we need to see improvement in the league.

 

As for getting the players back on on side I think when you lose the players your fucked.

 

If I thought Rafa could only do well for us in Europe than I wouldn't find that acceptable. As it is I think he can do as well as anyone else could in the league, given our current circumstances and those of the teams above us.

 

If we don't get new owners then I feel Rafa should go anyway. I don't think there could ever be a good enough working relationship between him and the Americans, I don't believe they could ever trust each other.

 

It's the ownership issue which I feel has possibly lost Rafa the players, I think everyone can agree that, for whatever reasons, his position has been completely undermined this season.

If new owners were to come in and get their weight firmly behind Rafa in every sense, then I think the players would be back on side soon enough.

 

It's no co-incidence to me, that the reason we have a fight for fourth this season, unlike the last two, is because of off-field problems and the immense pressure Rafa has been under. Pressure both contributes to and amplifies mistakes.

[GRADY]

Thats another shit article because its just doing what every other retarded* Liverpool fan is doing at the moment and Totally diregarding everything Rafa has done for us while at the same time totally disregarding the Huge impact of starting again with a whole new different manager who, if backed the same limited amount as benitez, will most likely never win us the League.

 

Not to mention the total disregard of the impact of the idiotic owners on Benitez.

 

The players need an arm around them?

Rafa never told theEcho, "You know, I'm looking at getting Reo Coker in to Replace Gerrard"

Yet when Rafa is publicly humiliated which of these Players Stood up for Benitez? THEIR MANAGER?! The Man that bought them a Champions League Medal? Who's giving Rafa an arm round the shoulder?

 

What the fuck is the point?

 

Bunch of cunts.

 

*(and when I say retarded, I mean because you want benitez out, you must be retarded)

 

Come off it. Your making it out like everything would have to change if a new manager came in?? some players would come and go but I dont think its half as dramatic as your saying.

If Rafa stays I think there will be numerous changes to personnel anyway!

 

As for the manager getting them the champs league medal surely the players had a bit to do with it themselves.

 

Your criticizing people for being pissed off with things. Its not knee jerk hes been in the job for the best part of 4 years and we are no closer in the league to what we were when he took over.

 

Nobody doubts we can perform in cup competitions in big games when it matters but our level of consistency is just not good enough

[GRADY]

If I thought Rafa could only do well for us in Europe than I wouldn't find that acceptable. As it is I think he can do as well as anyone else could in the league, given our current circumstances and those of the teams above us.

 

If we don't get new owners then I feel Rafa should go anyway. I don't think there could ever be a good enough working relationship between him and the Americans, I don't believe they could ever trust each other.

 

It's the ownership issue which I feel has possibly lost Rafa the players, I think everyone can agree that, for whatever reasons, his position has been completely undermined this season.

If new owners were to come in and get their weight firmly behind Rafa in every sense, then I think the players would be back on side soon enough.

 

It's no co-incidence to me, that the reason we have a fight for fourth this season, unlike the last two, is because of off-field problems and the immense pressure Rafa has been under. Pressure both contributes to and amplifies mistakes.

 

I agree he has been undermined and now the players probably expect him to lose his job which has obviously affected things.

I do think there is more to it than that though and I don't think the team is performing aswell as it could in the league.

 

Its strange coz I used to be adamant that I thought Benitez could win us the league at Liverpool. However now I dont think he will.

[Moo]

I agree he has been undermined and now the players probably expect him to lose his job which has obviously affected things.

I do think there is more to it than that though and I don't think the team is performing aswell as it could in the league.

 

Its strange coz I used to be adamant that I thought Benitez could win us the league at Liverpool. However now I dont think he will.

 

How did you feel at the season start? In October?

Then the first sentence of your post happened.

It's no co-incidence to me.

 

I'm not saying Rafa will win us the league ever, but I would say that about virtually no manager.

But I am saying that I am certain we'd be doing far better now if the off-field shit hadn't happened.

 

If the off-field stuff is sorted, i.e. a change of ownership which backs the manager, then I would expect us to again do much better.

[GRADY]

How did you feel at the season start? In October?

Then the first sentence of your post happened.

It's no co-incidence to me.

 

I'm not saying Rafa will win us the league ever, but I would say that about virtually no manager.

But I am saying that I am certain we'd be doing far better now if the off-field shit hadn't happened.

 

If the off-field stuff is sorted, i.e. a change of ownership which backs the manager, then I would expect us to again do much better.

 

I dont know what your on about mate. I am a bit rough from last night though.