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Why Rafael Benítez is still the right man for Liverpool
5:31pm UK, Wednesday March 10, 2010
Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez
It is only natural for supporters to get frustrated when their club is going through a bad spell, and finger-pointing is always going to occur, especially when one of the top clubs in Europe is having such a torrid season.
But Liverpool fans shouldn’t be blaming their side’s poor form on Rafael Benítez, in fact if anyone’s the man to get the team out of this bad run, it’s him.
The defeat at Wigan Athletic on Monday night was the final straw for many Liverpool supporters. Despite sticking behind the manager through thick and thin over the last five years, a limp and lifeless performance against one of the League’s strugglers was a step too far for even some of the most staunch backers of the Spanish boss.
As with last season, many feel the bad result at the DW Stadium put an end to Liverpool’s domestic ambitions; last season it was finishing top, this season it is to finish a lowly fourth.
An ever-increasing percentage of Liverpool’s support is calling for the manager’s head, but it’s time for these fans to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.
Since Benítez’s arrival at Anfield in 2004 Liverpool have qualified for Europe’s top competition year-on-year, an accomplishment never achieved by any Liverpool manager before him. Up until this season, the earliest Liverpool were ever knocked out of the competition under Benítez was the first knockout round, to Benfica in 2006. Over the last five years the Spanish boss has taken his side to two Champions League finals, one semi-final, one quarter-final and one last-16 knockout round — a record most of the top managers in Europe would be proud of.
Whilst many Liverpool fans will suggest that the League should be the main target, the back-to-back qualifications for the Champions League demonstrate how much their domestic form has improved under Benítez, finishing in the top four in four of the five seasons. The only season Liverpool failed to finish in the top four was the one in which they won their fifth European Cup in Istanbul.
The quality of the team itself is another major issue at Anfield, which many say is lacking strength-in-depth and relies too heavily on two key players, Fernando Torres and captain Steven Gerrard. It should be evident to anyone who has any knowledge of the game that Liverpool do lack depth, but when the manager has been forced to sell in order to buy for most of the last three seasons, it is something of an inevitability. A prime example is the sale of Craig Bellamy to help fund the Fernando Torres deal. Despite the Spaniard being a much better player, Liverpool could now certainly do with Bellamy as a back-up.
The other major thorn in the side of Benítez is the club’s owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett. The two Americans have seemingly done everything in their power to hinder the manager’s attempts to improve the squad to challenge for the title in recent years. Whether that be not giving him the financial backing to bring in Gareth Barry, or going behind his back to discuss the manager’s position with Jürgen Klinsmann.
It would be fair to say that outside of Fratton Park, Benítez endures the worst working conditions of any manager in the Premier League. He has had his authority undermined on a number of occasions and has seen money from the sale of players being used to help finance the crippling debts placed on the club by its current owners.
Yes, Benítez can and does make mistakes and yes, it’s happened more often than usual this season. But the implications of him being removed from his post are unthinkable. Say what you like about the prestige of the Liverpool manager’s job, when you have no money to spend and are expected to win the League, no world-class manager would look twice at the position.
And that’s the problem Liverpool face. It would be close to impossible to find a manager with anywhere near Benítez’s vast experience who would go anywhere near the job.
Some of the short-term problems on the pitch may rightly be laid at the door of the manager, but if you want to find Liverpool’s long-term problem look no further than Tom Hicks and George Gillett.
thank you!!! at least someone with a bit of sense and can see the bigger picture!!
All n sundry think we are BIG spenders!! yes we have spent some money and big on several players…but always had to sell first which damages the depth of the squad! and over a 38 game ‘league’ season, plus other competitions…squad strength is exactly what we do need!! so is it any surprise we’re struggling?? Its only lower league teams that have to sell to buy so considering lack of funds and what we have actually spent…..we are overachieving!!! Add the total sums of our first 11 (considering our squad strength is so diminished!) and divide it by 11 and u will see just where we stand compared to other teams!! wake up and open ur eyes haters!!
The usual money rubbish from pro Rafa blind sheep. Strange we don’t beat the Wigans and Wolves home and away if it’s all about money.
He’s had six years and he never won the title. He hasn’t won a single thing in nearly four years. The team is playing some of the worst football all season long that has ever been seen in modern Anfield.
His time is up. Maybe he’ll do well somewhere else, for a year or two until they tire of his dour football, but he’s had his chance at Anfield and failed to win the title.
Frank Rijkaard, Guus Hiddink or Laurent Blanc si vous plait.
We need a new start and getting rid of Benitez is part of it.
maybe it is or maybe it isnt time for rafa to go, everyone has different thoughts on it.
bottom line is if rafa did go we would have no one (of good quality) to replace him as long as the two tight as ducks arses owners are there.
if the owners went and the new owners gave rafa some cash and rafa still did poor then yes he should go,
untill then he has to stay
Lol Alan get your facts right, I believe we beat both Wigan and Wolves at home or did I just imagine those games?
And as for he’s not won the title in the 6 years he’s been here, well it took Alex Ferguson SEVEN years to win it and only once in the previous 6 years did they even come remotely close to winning it. Think he’s not done too badly since? Arsene Wenger hasnt won a single trophy since the 2005 FA Cup, dont hear anyone calling for him to be sacked? And before you go off saying “Oh but Arsenal play great football” SO WHAT! What’s the good of that if come May you’re trophyless?
If you ask me it’s the Rafa haters that are blind sheep, all yuo do is read articles by people who are so clearly anti all things LFC and then repeat their pathetic opinions as if they are your own! Read the article again and get real about your list of managers you want in! None of them would want to come here if the 2 fat Yanks tell them “oh and by the way you’ll have to sell before you can buy anyone”. After being told that they’d all say “Thanks, but no thanks”. Our net spend last summer was £10,000. Brighton – who are in the bottom 6 of League One – spent more than that. So if anything we should be in a relegation dogfight not a fight for 4th place!
The difference between pro-Rafa and no-Rafa is that the no-Rafa crowd sees that there is a problem and wanting to do something about it. The pro-Rafa blindfully follow singing Kumbaya, like lemmings off a cliff.
As far as the team goes, missing from the equation is Arbelo and Alonso. I feel Johnson is way better than Arbelo so really we’re only missing Alonso. Same team. 7th place.
A lot has happened this year which is why I have pulled back on my “Rafa-go-now” and am willing to carry it over to next season. However, if by Christmas we’re still in the same place he needs to go. If the League is not won as it should have been last year (but then again I forgot – it’s H/G’s fault) it’s probably time.
The irony with the -Pro-Rafa Crowd and the Holy Praise’ is that Rafa has less honors than Hulliet.
Rafa has 2 pieces of Silverware and Houlliet has 4 (not including Community Shields or Super Cups)
Houlliet
League Cup: 2001, 2003
FA Cup: 2001
UEFA Cup: 2001
*Super Cup: 2001
*Shield: 2001
Benitez:
CL: 2005
FA Cup: 2006
*Super Cup: 2005
*Shield: 2006
I also love how Hicks & Gillett get all the blame when, wasn’t it the Board that ok’d the sale to H/G knowing full well they planned on leveraging the debt? I am not a fan of leveraging at all. Maybe there is another entity to put blame on in this H/G v Rafa saga.
Something has to give next season.
paul – Good comment. Even in their worst spending period, mancs bought Berba for 30m. When we have spent relatively big, Rafa has bought very good players. We have one of the best keepers in the world in Pepe, one of the best ball winners in Masch, one of the best strikers in Torres. Add to that SG, one of the best midfielders in the world. Until not long ago, we also had one of the finest passers in Alonso. Not too many teams in the world can make that type of a claim. But around them the quality is poor. The question is that if Rafa could get the best for some positions, would he not get the best in other positions if the two stooges had given him the money? Does it make any sense to think otherwise? ?
Duh Robin! I said home AND AWAY. The day Benitez beats all the teams in the league home and AWAY who have a lower budget than him is the day I’ll listen to the money excuses. He can’t even do that.
Ferguson took 7 years blah blah blah. It actually took him 6 full seasons to win the title because he only got the job in November 1986 halfway through a season. Rafa got 6 full seasons and we’re fighting for 4th just like 6 years ago. In the end he looks like a glorified Houllier with the same negative tactics, the same excuses and the same blind sheep bleeting that he needs more time. What rubbish. At any other major European club he’d have been booted out long ago.
As for Arsenal; until Wenger actually wins something again then it hasn’t been proven that they’re right to keep him. They might have won something in the last 5 years if the sacked him.
Another funny thing about Benitez is he hides behind the excuse of money – BUT HE WASN’T SLOW TO GET PLENTY OF IT OUT OF THE YANKS IN HIS 5 YEAR DEAL WAS HE!!
KENNY DALGLISH!!!
he would take the job, every LFC fan would welcome the news and he is highly respected by just abouts everyone in the football world! and his record as manager aint all bad either… rafa the gaffa is dead, long live the KING!
Some people just don’t give up do they? Those who have been blindly supporting Rafa can not bring themselves to admit that they have been WRONG. They hold on to whatever excuse they could find for him, Guys, ADMIT that you have been wrong all along.
Alan,
Firstly let me explain! we beat Wigan and Wolves at home mand its not our home form that’s the problem, its our away form.
Alex Ferguson had six years before he won the title with the F.A. cup being his saving grace. Benitez has won much more in the same time span! So let chuck that limp theory out once and for all. And yes we bare playing, how did you put it “the worst football all season longthat has ever been seen in modern Anfield”!!! Think you meant to say some of the worst football ever seen at Anfield period!!! Whichh I would have to agree .
However to say his time is up is a little nieve! Although I like the idea of Laurent Blanc the chances of him coming to Liverpool under the current regime with the cast iron certaintly of having no money to buy players is little to non! What manager in their right mind would join a club with unreal aspirations (win the league LOL) would do that. Liverpool in its present state is a career breaker and talks of a PL league title by deluded fans like yoiurself isd a pipe dream (Spurs, City, United, Chelsea,Arsenal and possibly now Birmingham are all bigger spender than Liverpool and have greater stability.
We need new owners first, getting rid of Benitez is not an option! We, the fans can’t afford it and the owners can’t afford it.
Chris,
Arbelo Alonso and Hyppia are all being missed and none have been replaced (Johnson not settled yet).
I Like your thinking and patient approach however, if your going to dictate statistics in your arguement and imply you have a deep knowledge then at least get the name of the person your informing us all about right! The name is Houllier not Hulliet.
We’ll be lucky that Rafa doesn’ leave us this year for a club with real aspirations!
There is none so blind as those who will not see. The same excuses were out at the end of Houllier’s regime and of course all those wise men hid under the carpet when we won the Champions League the next season.
Liverpool’s best 11 is better than everyone in the league’s besides Chelsea and Man Utd. I believe we’re a much better team than Arsenal. But our players are so tired of our negative manager it’s obvious they struggle to play for him anymore.
Frank Rijkaard is at f$ckin Galatasary. Don’t tell me he wouldn’t run to Anfield as would Guus Hiddink. Rafa the Gafa is on 4m a season don’t forget, minus bonuses. So our manager is one of the best paid managers in world club football .Don’t tell me people wouldn’t take the Liverpool job.
It’s one of the biggest in the world and there aren’t many other top clubs available so they’d snap it up.
And by the way Rafa the red, Benitez hasn’t won much more – he won less than Houllier in the same period. And Ferguson also won the Cup winners cup in 1991 so he won 2 trophies like Benitez inside 5 years. Forgetting the mickey mouse charity shield and super cup.
“And that’s the problem Liverpool face. It would be close to impossible to find a manager with anywhere near Benítez’s vast experience who would go anywhere near the job.”
How much experience do you need to know you shouldn’t spend over 35 million on a full back who can’t defend and a permanently crocked Italian midfielder?
If you don’t know how to buy players then it doesn’t matter how much money the owners provide.
I have followed Liverpool for nearly 40 years and i can honestly say this squad has no fire in its belly theres to many foreigners and theres no young scouse talent given the chance to come through because the accadamy is full of foreign youngsters. Shankley did it and Ferguson followed his foot steps for utd Benitez is … well just not the right man
Rafa has been given money but spent nearly 40m on Johnson and Aquilani, when all the fans were crying out for a winger or 2nd striker. Fergie buys Valencia as a winger and he is giving Utd fine performances.
All the LFC fans I know say Babel has the great potential but just needs a good manager. Why does he not play Babel on the right wing instead of that tortoise Kyut or as a striker instead of that toe dancer Ngog? Babel is right footed but if he is lucky gets 15 minutes occasionaly on the left wing. Just don’t get Rafa the gafa!!!
if i were the two stupid americans, i will sack rafa and dont pay him a single cents! rafa is destroying liverpool! he’s a man utd fans! wake up liverpool fans, kick out rafa and the two stupid assjole americans!
Rafa the Red, I don’t appreciate your sarcasm. R and T are together. Its called a typ0 (or is it typo?).
Don’t be a jackass. That was uncalled for. And your atitood (or is it attitude?) stinks. Have some intelligense befour opening yor mouth
Rafa must go!!! He’s destroying us with his negative, counter productive, boring…list goes on, football. He is just not right for Liverpool. Pleaseeee go Rafa!!!!!
Maybe I shouldn’t have been so Gung Ho on my reply to Rafa the Red. I just found it very untasteful. My apologies.
Alan’s quote:
“As for Arsenal; until Wenger actually wins something again then it hasn’t been proven that they’re right to keep him. They might have won something in the last 5 years if the sacked him.”
How pathetic. Why is it some people think they’re an expert, given the benefit of hindsight…
Here’s one:
“If my Auntie Joan had balls, she’d be my Uncle Bob.”
Brilliant.
fuck off rafa! fuck off the 2 stupid bastard fool American! Americans are all liar!
Rafa go i stay! rafa saty, i go to man utd!
While the club goes through another year of gloom, it may not be fair to point the finger solely at Rafa, since today’s scenarios demands something special to keep up with the likes of Chelsea and Man C. Having said that ,there are a few points to ponder about Rafa
1) Why were Crouch, Bellamy and Keane allowed to leave w/o a replacement? Why is Fernando Torres the sole striker w/o a credible back up? ( Whle Ngog may be a good potential, he’s just that… a potential).
2) Why was Alonso ( Central Midfielder who’s the brain of the team) allowed to leave with the replacement being Aqualani who a) has cost 20 mn and physically not strong, yet is untested to the physical nature of the league and b) is some where in between Alonso and Gerrard in terms of playing style and hence doesnt exactly fit in Alonso’s role
What a great article!
I bet half of you last yr were kissing rafas arse… And now you want him out?
The squad was thin last yr..it was only because our injury list is far worse this yr, that its had an obvious affect on us and shown how far behind we are.
Get rid of these thieving owners and we may half a chance….
Its all about the bigger picture… Unfortunately we have some dim supporters who cant see past results!
we will not be on the top 8th this season with Rafa ..time is up..
Break it down,
What have LFC got
Torres, Gerard, Beniyuan, Johnson, Babel, Masc, Skyrtel, Agger and possibly carragher (who owes us nothing and can do a job at right back) – Johnson has got all the talent for a winger, Lucus is definitly improving but not played together with Masc – only backup
Where are our weaknesses
Insua – too slow, Kyut – too stupid, no skill, Ngog – not good enough yet for second striker
Maxi Rod. who knows, Aqualani is a great player but is he injury prone, who knows.
What do we need – Pacy left back, Backup for central defence (don’t think Kir. is long term fix) and a half decent striker.
How much would it cost – 40m
Are the tight arse Americans going pay – no
Sould rafa go – I have nothing against him, he still has left us with a decent spine of a team, but it is probably time for him to move on. However, I cant understand how he stick with num nuts kyut and doesn’t play talent like babel. The only problem is if he goes will those american pricks have a fire sale in his absense.
Surely this is not about being ProRafa or against Rafa. Rafa is the manager but during the Wigan game it was the players who lacked the passion to play. The other thing which I think people seem to ignore is that what would happen if we replaced Rafa? He has spent the last few years fighting for more control over transfers and the academy etc and has now got it. He has changed things to fit into his “Masterplan” from the academy etc, thru to the reserves and 1st team. He has brought in people he trusts to do the job he wants etc and a lot of this has been done with our current financial constraints in mind.
So what would happen if he was replaced in the summer? If we could find a good enough manager to take over without a decent transfer kitty how would this affect things at the club?? There are not many quality managers out there willing to risk their reputations for the challenge of transforming a club without a decent transfer kitty. So anyone who did come in would also want to look at the youth development etc – this would likely lead to them changing things and personnel and in the process cause new upheaval. This would mean straight away that the first season or two would be a transititional period.
Personally I do have faith in Rafa’s abilities and now that he has got the control he wanted I think we should get behind him and give him another full season to prove his worth. We are already seeing the results of his academy/reserves work in Insua, Kelly & Pacheco and there is plenty of other young talent coming through. I would rather give him another season to prove his new system works than face another 2yrs of transitition with a new manager and the uncertainty that would come with that.
The Problem is that Rafa is not a Man Manager.
He doesn’t seem to be able to get the best out of the players he bought.
Unless he learns to be more flexible in dealing with Players instead of alienating them he will not win the premier league.
Rafa’s style is very distant rarely praises but its quick to blame his team.
I think as I said the beginning of the season after the Tottenham defeat that we should wait unti the end of the season.
The only blessing if we don’t finish in the Top Four is those leeches H&G will be keener to sell.
Great article… The facts are most of us only have the newspapers to go by.. I remember the Sun saying ‘Iraq has WMD’!! Personally I think Fergie’s writing for all the newspapers.. I know he would luv 2 see the back of him!! He can see what’s on the horizon!!
If you take a look at the other top four clubs, two have managers that have been at their clubs 4ever, the other have been able to throw Mega money at their problems. Without checking the money spent by Cheski in the 1st 2 seasons of the Abramovich era would amount to how much Bennie has spent in his reign. Then there’s L’pool cos we’ve got the name we deserve to be there. NO.. The manager has done a great job fighting to keep up with the other 3 some seasons coming on top of on or two of them while in the background assembling some of the best young talent around. Everything points to the future and longevity. So except a season like this one when injuries have highlighted how well we’ve done in previous seasons. Torres, Gerrard, Agger, Skrtel haven’t played a game for us this season and that’s the spine. It takes a while to play yourself in at that level..
PS. Ppl keep rattling on abt Zabi Alonso departure being the catalyst for our current position.. Personally I think Big Sami & Arbeloa have been missed as much if not more.
Bennie will turn it around of that I have no doubt!!!
Boy some of you need to be realistic! Our net spend last summer was £10,000, one of the lowest in the Premier League, even clubs in League One had a larger net spend! But of course we SHOULD be winning the Premier League, and according to Alan winning that isnt good enough, he also DEMANDS that we beat every team home “AND AWAY!”. WOW 38 wins out of 38 is now the target he’s setting! Think that is just a tad unrealistic mate!
And as for this myth that Fergie didnt have 7 full seasons, yeah he took over in November but he still had 3/4′s of a season. If he’s really the “greatest football manager of all-time” no reason why he couldnt turn them into title contenders that year! Also how many of those 1st 6 years did they finish in the top 4? Very few! Also, quoting the 1991 Cup Winners Cup? Who won that cup last year? What’s that…it doesnt exsist anymore? Cant have been that much of a “major European trophy” if UEFA scrapped it!
Alan,
It doesnt matter what manager we have…if we dont have any money to spend on new players how is any manager going to improve the team…
rafa is not the right man to liverpool
THE RIGHT MAN IS TIGISTU YOSEF
A nice article.
I for one am not a blind sheep. Just being sensible. Rafa is certainly not a bad manager. He’s made mistakes, but he’s also done a lot of good.
The Liverpool i support and believe in does not involve slagging your manager off in public. Have a bit of dignity.
Since when did we pay 20M for Aquilani?? As far the reports i have come across, we have only paid 4M so far.
if robin thinks rafa is another sir alex in the making then god help him , as a utd supporter i can only offer the f.s.w. my full support . long may he reign.
Why people like you persist in living in the past is beyond me. Football is about results and the manner in which you obtain these results. Benitez in my opinion only has himself to blame purely because he knows better than anybody else. Persisting with mediocre players like Insua, Lucas, Kuyt, Riera and then claiming that these players will come good is not acceptable. Paying £20 million for a player who was supposed to replace Alonso, who was recovering from a serious ankle operation is not acceptable. Playing 2 defensive midfielders every single game is not acceptable, especially at home when he persists with a lone striker is not acceptable. The fact that with every single defeat we suffer his answer to why we suffered these defeats is either because the other team were lucky or the referee missed a penalty incident. And with every single defeat there’s always a “we were the better team” or “i was happy with the teams performance”. For once i’d just like him to say yes we were well beaten, the tactics were wrong, it was my fault but lets face it you’ve got more chance of Fergie saying he’s a secret Liverpool Fan. Like i said earlier football is about results and the manner in which you obtain these results and sadly for these reasons i think Liverpool have no choice but to get rid.
its time 4us to see and feel the changes as liverpool fans cant u see or feel the people. we realli need result we beleive u rafa so try nd do something pls cuz it been the waste season in my life
pls this goes to all the pleyers especially tores and gerrard dt listen to this noicy city we love u here and let us all walk together to go through this dificulty nd yu rafa pls try nd show our pleayer to play better football u football is d wast to watch at d moment watching stok is more lifely than watchin lfc we need better futbal pls