Good article on Rafa's cautious approach...

[Zippy]

and how it tends to change towards the end of the season.

 

 

Daily Post North Wales - Sport News - Liverpool FC - Off the Fence: Why does Rafa Benitez wait until spring to go on the offensive?

 

 

Off the Fence: Why does Rafa Benitez wait until spring to go on the offensive?

Apr 2 2010 by Ben Thornley, Daily Post

 

FORGET new-born lambs and daffodils, nothing quite says spring like Rafa Benitez sending Liverpool FC out on the attack.

 

The Spanish manager would have you believe that the positive change that overcomes the Reds every March is his rotation policy paying dividends, rather than a shift in mentality on his part.

 

Or, in the case of this season, the return to fitness and form of key attacking players, like Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Glen Johnson.

 

Neither explanation suffices, though.

 

Liverpool have been strong finishers in each of Benitez’s five campaigns at the club.

 

With the exception of the two Champions League final campaigns in 2004/05 and 2006/07 – when the Reds took their foot off the gas – the Reds’ Premier League results improve dramatically along with the weather.

 

Last year, Benitez’s men scored half of all their goals for the term in their final 11 games, winning 10 on the way to their highest ever Premier League points total – averaging three goals a game in contrast to just 1.76 a game across the full 38 fixtures while securing a win ratio of 91% compared to 65% for the year.

 

The figures for 2007/08 (a win ratio of 77% in their games from March onwards and a goals-to-games ratio of 2.08 compared to 55% and 1.76 for the season) and 2005/06 (75% and 2.08 in contrast to 66% and 1.5) are similarly revealing.

 

Even in 2005 and 2007 when domestic performances dipped, Liverpool finished the Champions League campaign strongly, dispatching the likes of Barcelona, Juventus, Inter Milan andŠ Chelsea (twice) en-route to the final.

 

And the performances last month against Lille, Portsmouth and Sunderland, following the wretched back-to-back defeats to the French side and Wigan – spring arrived a little late this year – suggest this term will prove no different.

 

While the form and fitness of Gerrard and Torres have proved key in this mini revival, more significantŠ has been the yearly shift in approach by Benitez. The former Valencia boss had all three men available while overseeing some of the poorest performances of his reign, while he has lacked the numbers to tinker with line-ups in his usual frustrating manner to ensure freshness for the end-of-season run-in.

 

With the exception of the defeat at Old Trafford, Benitez abandoned his obsession with two holding midfielders – even Lucas was allowed off his leash against Lille at Anfield – while Alberto Aquilani was allowed to make an encouraging guest appearance against Pompey. The results speak for themselves.

 

Liverpool never look better than when they appear to be free of their manager’s tactical constraints.

 

Despite lacking squad depth, the Anfield outfit can field a starting XI superior to any of their fourth-place rivals.

 

So why does the Spaniard wait until spring each season to unleash his side’s attacking potential?

 

Is it that Benitez – who played for a draw against Wolves at Molineux in January – can only abandon his caution when he has no other choice, when the games are running out?

 

Could it be nature, that the shift in season triggers a biological response in Benitez in the same way it affects mating rabbits?

 

Or is the players themselves who take the decision to adopt a more cavalier approach, as Lucas hinted at when revealing that it was his captain rather than his manager who encouraged him to get forward against Lille? Jamie Carragher said as much following the 3-2 come-from-behind win at Eastlands last season.

 

Regardless, it appears this transformation has come too late to save Liverpool’s Champions League hopes.

 

Had it occurred earlier in the season, perhaps they would still be playing for more than just fourth place.

 

RESULTS IN GAMES FROM MARCH UNTIL THE END OF SEASON v TOTAL SEASON:

 

2008/09: MARCH ONWARDS: W 10 D1 L0 F34 Win percentage 91% Goals-to-games ratio 3 TOTAL SEASON: W25 D6 L4 F68 65% G 1.79

 

07/08: MARCH ONWARDS W: 10 D2 L1 F27 W 77% G 2.08 TOTAL: W21 D13 L4 F67 55% 1.76

 

06/07: MO: W: 4 D3 L 3 F13 W 40% G 1.3 TOTAL: W20 D8 L10 F57 53% 1.5

 

05/06: MO: W: 9 D:1 L: 1 F: 25 W 75% 2.08 TOTAL: W25 D7 L6 F57 66% 1.5

 

04/05: MO: W: 4 D: 3 L:4 F: 11 W 36% G1 total W17 D7 L13 F52 45% 1.37

[sir roger]

and how it tends to change towards the end of the season.

 

 

Daily Post North Wales - Sport News - Liverpool FC - Off the Fence: Why does Rafa Benitez wait until spring to go on the offensive?

 

 

Off the Fence: Why does Rafa Benitez wait until spring to go on the offensive?

Apr 2 2010 by Ben Thornley, Daily Post

 

FORGET new-born lambs and daffodils, nothing quite says spring like Rafa Benitez sending Liverpool FC out on the attack.

 

The Spanish manager would have you believe that the positive change that overcomes the Reds every March is his rotation policy paying dividends, rather than a shift in mentality on his part.

 

Or, in the case of this season, the return to fitness and form of key attacking players, like Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Glen Johnson.

 

Neither explanation suffices, though.

 

Liverpool have been strong finishers in each of Benitez’s five campaigns at the club.

 

With the exception of the two Champions League final campaigns in 2004/05 and 2006/07 – when the Reds took their foot off the gas – the Reds’ Premier League results improve dramatically along with the weather.

 

Last year, Benitez’s men scored half of all their goals for the term in their final 11 games, winning 10 on the way to their highest ever Premier League points total – averaging three goals a game in contrast to just 1.76 a game across the full 38 fixtures while securing a win ratio of 91% compared to 65% for the year.

 

The figures for 2007/08 (a win ratio of 77% in their games from March onwards and a goals-to-games ratio of 2.08 compared to 55% and 1.76 for the season) and 2005/06 (75% and 2.08 in contrast to 66% and 1.5) are similarly revealing.

 

Even in 2005 and 2007 when domestic performances dipped, Liverpool finished the Champions League campaign strongly, dispatching the likes of Barcelona, Juventus, Inter Milan andŠ Chelsea (twice) en-route to the final.

 

And the performances last month against Lille, Portsmouth and Sunderland, following the wretched back-to-back defeats to the French side and Wigan – spring arrived a little late this year – suggest this term will prove no different.

 

While the form and fitness of Gerrard and Torres have proved key in this mini revival, more significantŠ has been the yearly shift in approach by Benitez. The former Valencia boss had all three men available while overseeing some of the poorest performances of his reign, while he has lacked the numbers to tinker with line-ups in his usual frustrating manner to ensure freshness for the end-of-season run-in.

 

With the exception of the defeat at Old Trafford, Benitez abandoned his obsession with two holding midfielders – even Lucas was allowed off his leash against Lille at Anfield – while Alberto Aquilani was allowed to make an encouraging guest appearance against Pompey. The results speak for themselves.

 

Liverpool never look better than when they appear to be free of their manager’s tactical constraints.

 

Despite lacking squad depth, the Anfield outfit can field a starting XI superior to any of their fourth-place rivals.

 

So why does the Spaniard wait until spring each season to unleash his side’s attacking potential?

 

Is it that Benitez – who played for a draw against Wolves at Molineux in January – can only abandon his caution when he has no other choice, when the games are running out?

 

Could it be nature, that the shift in season triggers a biological response in Benitez in the same way it affects mating rabbits?

 

Or is the players themselves who take the decision to adopt a more cavalier approach, as Lucas hinted at when revealing that it was his captain rather than his manager who encouraged him to get forward against Lille? Jamie Carragher said as much following the 3-2 come-from-behind win at Eastlands last season.

 

Regardless, it appears this transformation has come too late to save Liverpool’s Champions League hopes.

 

Had it occurred earlier in the season, perhaps they would still be playing for more than just fourth place.

 

RESULTS IN GAMES FROM MARCH UNTIL THE END OF SEASON v TOTAL SEASON:

 

2008/09: MARCH ONWARDS: W 10 D1 L0 F34 Win percentage 91% Goals-to-games ratio 3 TOTAL SEASON: W25 D6 L4 F68 65% G 1.79

 

07/08: MARCH ONWARDS W: 10 D2 L1 F27 W 77% G 2.08 TOTAL: W21 D13 L4 F67 55% 1.76

 

06/07: MO: W: 4 D3 L 3 F13 W 40% G 1.3 TOTAL: W20 D8 L10 F57 53% 1.5

 

05/06: MO: W: 9 D:1 L: 1 F: 25 W 75% 2.08 TOTAL: W25 D7 L6 F57 66% 1.5

 

04/05: MO: W: 4 D: 3 L:4 F: 11 W 36% G1 total W17 D7 L13 F52 45% 1.37

 

So basically, three out of five then !!!

[Trumo]

Last season we scored 77 goals in the league. That's an average of over 2 per game, not the quoted 1.76.

 

Code, ain't this your domain?

[Zippy]

So basically, three out of five then !!!

 

In fairness in his first season the team probably didn't have the ability to change emphasis from caution to attack with any great difference to results as the team was pretty poor. Whereas for the second final we were on a great Champions League run and were always going to qualify the year after so Benitez had no real reason for becoming more offensive.

 

It does interest me why he is so cautious at times and then not at others - in what for me seems an illogical way - he will go for the throat against Juvetus at home but be extremely defensive against Wolves away. That doesn't make sense to me but I am interested to see whether it makes sense to anybody else?

[BolshieBastard]

He's a poor manager who clearly doesnt learn. If you leave it too late in a race to put on a spurt, you wont win. Or, put another way if you play in such a way that to make up lost ground, you have to go gung ho, you still wont win.

 

Im just amazed he won 2 titles in Spain. I have to check the record books to see its in black and white because absolutely nothing tells me he's a manager with a title winning mentality.

 

IMO his style is more suited to end of season relegation scraps.

[straight_red]

He seems scared to lose. And people who are scared to lose seldom win as they overestimate their oposition, focus on their own weaknesses and don't look at the positives. Ah well, he'll be gone come summer.

[Guest PurpleNose]

He's a poor manager.

 

He won 2 titles in Spain.

 

Stupidity has reached new levels.

[Hermes]

 

IMO his style is more suited to end of season relegation scraps.

 

If he sees out his contract he may prove you right.

[BolshieBastard]

Stupidity has reached new levels.............

 

......................when you take sentences out of their rightful context. And you aptly demonstrated both. Well done.

 

Keep clinging to your vain hope he'll ever win another national title though if it floats your boat.

[Guest PurpleNose]

......................when you take sentences out of their rightful context. And you aptly demonstrated both. Well done.

 

Keep clinging to your vain hope he'll ever win another national title though if it floats your boat.

 

You've called him a poor manager. He's won two titles in Spain.

 

Both are facts.

 

You're a spastic.

[BolshieBastard]

You've called him a poor manager. He's won two titles in Spain.

 

Both are facts.

 

You're a spastic.

 

He is a poor manager. He did win two titles in Spain (years ago now). He wont win another national title as long as he has a hole in his arse. You're clueless.

 

All these are facts.

 

So, when you do think Benitez will win another national title? How much do you think he'd have to spend to achieve that?

[sir roger]

Stronger squad depth will usually tell over a season as the mid-lower teams get wearier and a lot of them have nothing to play for ( see Sunderland last week ) so I would usually expect to see the better teams' records be more impressive in the second half of the season.

 

I get the feeling that Rafa sees the season as a bit like that sprint event in the cycling, not feeling we have the squad quality & strength to complete a full season of 'going for it' from day one , so he tries to jostles for a favourable position in as many competitions as possible and hope to win the final sprint.

 

Pro & Cons for this approach.

 

Last season he wasn't far from ( to my mind ) the best tactical win of a premier league since its inception.

 

This season early setbacks have thrown us off course & he has seemed at times like a rabbit in the headlights & hasn't been able to react with any positivity to the situation.

[AmerScouse]

i don't think the article is accurate. i don't have the stats but i believe our goals scored record at the beginning of this season was actually very good per game. it was our defensive record that was shite. and that was the reason for our results as well.

 

rafa still does go conservative, but its usually away from home where he always tries to nick results after 75 minutes.

[Guest PurpleNose]

He is a poor manager. He did win two titles in Spain (years ago now). He wont win another national title as long as he has a hole in his arse. You're clueless.

 

All these are facts.

 

So, when you do think Benitez will win another national title? How much do you think he'd have to spend to achieve that?

 

No. One of them is a fact. The other three are opinions. Hope I've cleared that up for you.

 

I think he'll win the title next season. For Juventus.

[05 Milan]

He's not a poor manager. Anyone claiming so is clearly an idiot.

[Hermes]

 

I think he'll win the title next season. For Juventus.

 

He may well do that, if he gets the Inter job.

[piscinin]

Sorry, that's a crap article.

[BolshieBastard]

No. One of them is a fact. The other three are opinions. Hope I've cleared that up for you.

 

I think he'll win the title next season. For Juventus.

 

No, he is a poor manager. The majority of his signing prove this. His lack of man management prove this. 16 defeats proves this as fact also. Its also a fact he hasnt won another national title for years.

 

I'm feeling generous so I'll give you the one about him not winning another title while he has a hole in his arse as an opinion. Although it will become fact.

[ottawa_lfc]

No, he is a poor manager. The majority of his signing prove this. His lack of man management prove this. 16 defeats proves this as fact also. Its also a fact he hasnt won another national title for years.

 

I'm feeling generous so I'll give you the one about him not winning another title while he has a hole in his arse as an opinion. Although it will become fact.

 

Give it a fucking rest

[BolshieBastard]

Give it a fucking rest

 

I will. When people give it 'a fucking rest' about saying what a brilliant manager he is.

[Guest TK-421]

I will. When people give it 'a fucking rest' about saying what a brilliant manager he is.

 

You're really stinking this place out at the moment.

[ottawa_lfc]

You're really stinking this place out at the moment.

 

410 posts - all saying the same thing. Yawn.

[halewood pete]

I will. When people give it 'a fucking rest' about saying what a brilliant manager he is.

 

OK,we get it.

[llego]

Has anyone given any thought to the idea that maybe Rafa just needs a strong motivator at his side? Let's assume he's a strong tactician and a good long-term strategist. If his team is properly motivated, his system clicks and he gets the results. This would explain why the final stretch of every campaign features great performances. It would also explain his excellent record in European cup competitions, where motivation usually takes care of itself.

 

Basically he needs a stronger #2 to get the troops going.

[Guest PurpleNose]

He may well do that, if he gets the Inter job.

 

Absolutely hilarious.