Are Liverpool In Denial?
The Scousers are famed for their sense of humour. Not that there are many Liverpudlians of a red persuasion laughing at the moment after Barnsley’s impudent victory at Anfield last Saturday, a result which has condemned Rafa Benitez’s boys to be the butt of everyone’s jokes for the next few days.
It’s human nature – let alone football etiquette – to revel in the misfortune of the great and mighty. We were all sniggering at Arsenal’s mauling at Old Trafford and if Chelsea had been downed by Huddersfield at Stamford Bridge, we’d be wetting ourselves. The bigger they are, the more humorous the fall.
So what now for Rafa and his players? They’re not the first side to suffer the ignominy of losing to lower league opposition. A morale-boosting win over Inter Milan at Anfield in midweek went a long way to papering over the cracks and a respectable late rally in the Premier League, closing the chasm that currently exists between the top three and the Reds, would certainly not go amiss.
And yet the feeling persists that there are long-term, fundamental problems at the club.
There’s no argument that Rafa is a good manager. Liverpool have deep pockets and the fans are nothing if not loyal and vociferous. And yet Liverpool still feel like a club that, for nearly two decades now, have taken one step forward and two back.
In truth, the sense of inertia has hung over Anfield long before Rafa traded in the Spanish sun for Merseyside. The appointments of Graeme Souness, Roy Evans, Gerard Houllier and than Benitez were all hailed as the dawn of a new era and each time they’ve been false.
Now for me, Liverpool’s problems are essentially twofold. The first is the club’s disastrous transfer policy. The second is the crushing weight of history.
First, the transfers. Over the last decade, the Reds have made a succession of signings that have consistently failed to make the grade. Buying one or two flops could be considered unfortunate but to have spent millions over 10 years for so little reward is more than careless.
Think about it. Who could Liverpool fans point to in the last 10 years and say, hand on heart, proved to be the quality of player the club expects? The kind of player who would get in the best Man United, Arsenal or Chelsea teams? The kind of player who can actually win you titles?
Torres? Of course. Anyone else? Now I’m struggling…
There’s been plenty of good players. International players. Players who’ve enjoyed 10-match, maybe even season-long purple patches. But no-one to rival the impact made by the likes of Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo or Didier Drogba – all three of whom were instrumental in leading their team to the big prize.
Not convinced? Well I give you the likes of Diouf and Bellamy, Cisse and Voronin, Zenden and Biscan, Gonzalez and Cheyrou, Heggem and Traore, Baros and Diao, Kuyt and Garcia.
Why Liverpool have got it so spectacularly wrong eludes me. It’s not a case of not giving the manager money, it’s a case of consistently making the wrong moves in the transfer market.
So what of Liverpool’s long and illustrious history? It’s obviously a strength, a source of understandable pride but it is also increasingly proving to be the club’s Achilles Heel, especially when it comes to the managerial appointments.
Going back to 1990 and the club’s last league title, it’s easy to trace the story. Kenny Dalglish left in 1991 and in keeping with the Boot Room philosophy, they went for Souness. For the first time, bringing back a favourite son did not work out but rather than abandon the policy of keeping things in house, Evans was installed.
This was no more successful and reluctantly Liverpool ‘went foreign’ for the first time with Houllier. Six years later Rafa pitched up.
But even when the Reds broke with tradition and looked to the Continent, they couldn’t quite shake the belief the manager needed at least five years in the hot seat to sort things out. That’s why they stagnated under Houllier when all the signs were there he wasn’t the right man and that’s why many neutrals and – whisper this one – even some Liverpool fans are now thinking the same about Rafa.
Liverpool don’t want to demean themselves by chopping and changing managers. That’s what ‘lesser’ clubs do. The problem is not getting the wrong manager, it’s refusing to accept that you’ve made a mistake at all. The collective denial at Anfield goes on and until they let go of the glorious past, the barren years look set to continue.
Written by Ian Spragg of Sport Media Solutions, previously published at 4sportsake.com.
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Discussion - 27 Responses
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Sami Hyypia was a real find, and a great servant to he club. On his top form he’d have found a place in those teams.
There’s only so far that I can read in articles like this before I give up.
“Not convinced? Well I give you the likes of Diouf and Bellamy, Cisse and Voronin, Zenden and Biscan, Gonzalez and Cheyrou, Heggem and Traore, Baros and Diao, Kuyt and Garcia.”
Cisse, Biscan, Traore, Baros, Garcia (and technically Diao as a squad player) - all European Cup Winners. Can that be said of Ronaldo (spotty version) Henry or Drogba?
Bellamy, Zenden, Kuyt - all got a European Cup Runners Up medal, can Ronaldo or Drogba claim one of those even?
“Think about it. Who could Liverpool fans point to in the last 10 years and say, hand on heart, proved to be the quality of player the club expects?”
Hyypia, Henchoz (with his partnership with Hyypia) Reina, Finnan, Hamman, Riise (I think overall he’ll be viewed favourably even if it’s just for his goals against Man United and Chelsea), Mascherano and Leiva are well on the way, Alonso if he regains his form, you’d have thought Kuyt if he hadn’t encountered the dreaded 2nd season hoodoo, Crouch works tirelessly despite the barracking that he gets from those Ingerlund fans he’s top scored for in the last two years. Then you could mention Gary McAllister who’s swansong season with us in 2001 gave us so many great memories. I may even throw in Paddy Berger as he was a personal favourite of mine, a miss-played Jari Litmennan even.
“The kind of player who would get in the best Man United, Arsenal or Chelsea teams? The kind of player who can actually win you titles?”
There we go, where the whole article fails, it’s not who would get into whos team but how they play for the team they are in, see those supposedly rubbish players with European Cup winners medals (and even runners up medals) Football in real life is nothing like those Football Manager type of games everyone seems to base these types of articles on.
“For the first time, bringing back a favourite son did not work out but rather than abandon the policy of keeping things in house, Evans was installed”
He nearly won the league!!!! his team played some of the best football of the 90’s for God’s sake!!!! he was only eclipsed by what was a fantastic (urgh I feel sick) Manchester United!!!! had he of recieved the support financially that Ged did when he took sole control I think he would have got us that extra edge that would have brought the league title, do you know anything about football?
“The collective denial at Anfield goes on and until they let go of the glorious past, the barren years look set to continue.”
Love it.
2 European Cup Finals (1 Win 1 Loss), 1 Uefa Cup Final (1 Win), 1 World Club Championship Final (1 Loss, thanks Ref!), 2 Super Cup Finals (2 Wins), 2 FA Cups (2 Wins) 2 League Cups (1 Win, 1 Loss) 2 Charity Shields (2 Wins) am I missing something?
Could I just remind the author of ‘this’ article that Liverpool Football Club are the ONLY British team this century, this century!! to have won either the European Cup or the UEFA Cup, oh and they won both too!!!!
“Not convinced? Well I give you the likes of Diouf and Bellamy, Cisse and Voronin, Zenden and Biscan, Gonzalez and Cheyrou, Heggem and Traore, Baros and Diao, Kuyt and Garcia.”
Voronin - free transfer, 4th choice striker.
Zenden - free transter, utility midfielder.
Cisse - two horrendous leg breaks.
Biscan - wanted by Real Madrid and Juve at the time of his signing for Liverpool.
Garcia - Are you having a laugh? this player was no more frustrating and show boating as Ronaldo can be, got us into a European Cup Final, not seen Ronaldo do that, have you?
Diouf - African Player of the Year when he signed? just had a great World Cup alongside Diao?
Diao - See above.
Heggem - Low blow there author, devasted by injuries and if you went to matches or talked to the older fans you’d know how well thought of as a player and person that fella is, do better research.
Kuyt - cripes he’s having a difficult second season, started scoring and providing goals, never let his head go down even though his father has died, again shame on you.
Baros - needed better support players than he got, never really lit up the stage again like he did before the (was it World Cup or European Championships?) before we signed him.
Bellamy - mentalist, thanks for Barca and we MADE money on him, cheers 9-iron!
Gonzalez - 20 year old lad in a foreign country adapting to a new style etc, etc, hardly the flop of Veron at Manchester was he?
This article is becoming like a genocide mass grave, the more you look at it the more horrible, putrid detail you see!
OK Ollick look at this way. How many of these players would have made it into the Liverpool teams over the last decade:
Beckham, Giggs, Keane, Scholes, Ronaldo, Stam, Vidic, Schmeichel, Bergkamp, Viera, Overmars, Henry, Fabregas…..
All of them?? And that’s without mentioning the really pricey players like Rio, Ruud and Rooney. These are all players that Liverpool could have afforded. You have to admit Liverpool don’t seem to find players like Hansen, Souness, Rush or Dalgeish any more. The article is making a good point.
Beckham,Giggs, Scholes all home grown so how could they have afforded them? United may have tapped up a young Beckham from West Ham but they were never in the open to buy, were they?
Keane cost a small fortune when he was signed as a young player from Notts Forest, it paid off but it was a heck of a signing at the time.
That’s why I left out Carragher, Gerrard, Owen and Fowler from my list in their prime how many of them would have got into the Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd first team, probably each team would have taken at least 2 or 3. Chelsea weren’t a real force in the league pre-Abramovich so you can’t even include them in the last 10 years that the author is talking about.
Vidic was pretty unimpressive in his first season, I think Ronaldo wasn’t on the form he is now in his first season too, but the author can critise Gonzalez, Voronin and Zenden, even Bellamy after one season, hmmmmmmmm too biased in my opinion.
Vidic and Ronaldo could have come to Liverpool but were trumped by better offers from United.
Rio is vastly over-rated and was vastly over-priced and for me wouldn’t get into a Liverpool team ahead of Carragher, Agger and Hyypia.
Stam wouldn’t have either ‘cos the partnership of Hyypia and Henchoz was better than the individual skill of Stam as a central defender.
Viera? mmm not sure, certainly wouldn’t get near the team and even looking back to ‘99 would have have displaced Hamann? not sure.
Rio, Rude and Rooney, that’s £80 million of talent there you would expect them to get into the Liverpool team!!! what a stupidly obvious example, it’s like saying Gerrard would or Torres would, they’re world class players (erm, bar Rio of course)
Rooney hasn’t been a £30million player has he? he’s not given the value this season that you’d expect has he? 3 times more expensive than Kuyt, do you think he’s been 3 times better???
“You have to admit Liverpool don’t seem to find players like Hansen, Souness, Rush or Dalgeish any more.”
I hate to repeat myself, Hyypia and again with the combination of Henchoz and Hyypia, Agger, Carragher, Gerrard, Mascherano, Alonso, Hamann, Fowler, Torres, Owen even as another no 7 Kewell before he got lazy and injured (mmm not sure about Kewell) McAllister was an inspired signing, which other top 4 club has done that? Man Utd with Larsson maybe? not as influential or successful though. (That’s obviously including the home-grown players as you included, Giggs et al in your list)
And even if they don’t look at what they’ve won without Rio (snigger) Rooney, Ronaldo, Giggs, Viera etc, etc.
“The article is making a good point.”
What?!?!
That Liverpool is going to continue it’s barren spell? 12 Finals, 9 wins, runner up in the League twice? arguably garnered two league points totals that could/should/would have won the league in other seasons.
Do me a favour go and look at the list of players that Arsenal and Man Utd have wasted money on players never seen again and farmed out at huge losses. The article makes out that Wenger and Ferguseon have 100% records in the transfer markets, far, far from the truth.
Wrong but nice try.
Good stuff Ollick. Lists of transfers are always biased, we could sit and list an equal number of Wenger/Ferguson/Mourinho flops (or even simply underachievers) as well if required (how about Jeffers, R Wright, Diawara, Van Bronckhorst, Taibi, Veron, Blanc, Cruyff, Poborsky, Tiago, Kezman, Shevchenko, Geremi for starters). It doesnt prove much, especially if these players enjoyed success with their clubs, which a lot of them did.
The fact is that whilst Liverpool havent threatened to win the league enough since 1990, they have won every other trophy and pretty much always been in the hunt for honours, not many other clubs can boast that, and not many others would have beaten Utd 99, Arsenal 02 or Chelsea 05 to the title…
If the players you list are/were so good, why didn’t they win the league? All the ones on my list did! And before you go on about 80 million spent on Rio etc, Ferguson won 7 league titles, 4 FA cups, a league cup, Champions League and Cup Winner Cup BEFORE buying them. That was a decade of success built on home grown talent plus cheap players like Sharpe, Kanchelskis, Irwin, Bruce, Cantona and an occasional big name purchase like Pallister, Keane and Cole over a 10 year span.
The fact is the Liverpool managers of the 70s and 80s seemed to have a production line of players, a mix of home grown talent and transfers. Some were big money (Dalglish was a record transfer) some were inspired. This hasn’t happened for almost 2 decades. Owen was fantastic as a teenager, Fowler was very good when he was young, Gerard is now. But the players bought are just not good enough. Kewell was good at Leeds but is just crap now. He should have been shipped out long ago. Pennant 7M!! What a joke. Bellamy!! And to say some players ALMOST went to Liverpool simply shows that the management don’t understand the value of a player.
I agree with Neil. You can try and justify all the transfers but the fact remains Liverpool have not won the league for over a decade. Are you telling me every player has his own individual excuses, rubbish. Liverpool fans did not see the title of this article – denial.
Ollick why bother writing out all of those cups that mean nothing, and every other Liverpool fan knows they mean nothing, I mean all of the Super Cups, Charity Shields, International Club Championship…in truth to make you’re list look more realistic you won the Champions League once, the Uefa Cup once, the Carling Cup once and the Fa Cup twice; 0 Premier League titles. The Champions League is a good competition for your current team and manager, but you’re already out of the FA cup and you’ve never looked like winning the premiership, so you should admit that a lot of the people you bought weren’t great buys, which your management team noticed immediately and thats why they were sold on within a year e.g Mark Gonzalez and Bellamy. Comparing the last few years transfer records:
Liverpool
Reina - Success
Itandje - Failure(although judgement should probably be reserved until later)
Aurelio - Failure
Arbeloa - Unsure
Skrtle - Probable Success
Alonso - Success
Leto - Probably Failure
Leiva - Probable Success
Mascherano - Success
Benayoun - Unsure
Pennant - Failure
Kewell - Failure
Babel - Success
Voronin - Failure
Crouch - Rarely gets a game so although his goalscoring record is great; Failure(probably due to poor management)
Kuyt - Failure(hard worker, lacks quality)
Bellamy - Failure
Mark Gonzalez - Failure
Cisse - Failure
Fowler - Failure
Garcia - Failure
United
Van Der Saar - Success
Kuszczack - Unsure
Foster - Unsure (although probable success)
Pique - Success
Vidic - Success
Evra - Success
Heinze - Success
Carrick - Success
Hargreaves - Success
Park - Failure (hard worker, lacks quality, just like Kuyt)
Anderson - Success
Nani - Success
Ronaldo - Success
Saha - Unsure (Great when he play but injury prone)
Rooney - Success
Tevez - Success
Why do people care if Liverpool are only a good cup team? Why is that a problem? It seems to me that fans of the other big 4 are happy to let pool focus their energies on things other than the league, and Rafa is clearly happy to oblige. There’s no denying that Pool are able to win a whole load of competitions, but can’t scousers see that’s partly because Rafa is able to rest up key players for these games because he sacrifices the league? I mean, the best example I’ve seen is last years CL Semi between Milan and United. Ancelotti was able to sit his entire first XI, give or take, for 10 days before the second leg, whereas United had a bare bones squad fighting off Chelsa in the league. And shock of all shocks, Milan ran them off the pitch. Bottom line is that Rafa is in the cup business, and he’s damn good at it.
Or look at financials, which brings in more, finishing 3rd over 4th in the league or winning the FA Cup? Of course the latter, so it makes sense. I believe Rafa never thought his squad could go the 38 games and win the league, and so he prioritised accordingly. Which was the right thing to do.
I have no problem admitting all teams make transfer flops, what I can’t stand is the assertion that Rafa has been shrewd because he has so many outgoing sales. That’s only because he brought in so many that couldn’t even hack a season!
Of the current squad, I believe that Torres, Gerrard and maybe Reina would get into the other top 3 teams. That is it. Oh and Ollick, if you’re going to try and be objective, please don’t compare Gonzalez to Ronaldo, or claim that Rio is not a better defender than Hyypia. Either you don’t watch football, or you have such ridiculous red lenses in it’s not worth reading your posts.
my fellow scousers ignore this article its just a wind up
did any one here torres song? it rocks!!
(to the tune of ‘The Animals go in Two by Two’):
His armband proved he was a red - Torres, Torres
You’ll never walk alone it said - Torres, Torres
We bought the lad from sunny Spain
He gets the ball he scores again
Fer-nan-do Torres Liverpool’s number 9.
Beachryan, I don’t think Bentiez actually tries to focus on everything but the league, at least not before Xmas anyway. After that he has no choice!
I think “management for the league” is different from “management for cups”. Ferguson is a master of getting the best out of his squad over a whole season. He also knows the pressure of the “run in”, in April and May and how to keep players motivated. He knows how to rotate players to keep others on their toes. He used to rest Beckham for a few games around January and tell us it will help his form later on. Nani hasn’t had many games this season but he starting to get more now. Giggs and Scholes are rested a lot now but I bet they are back if we get to the Champions League semi final or final. And he now seems to have 2 midfield pairings (Carrick & Fletcher and Hargreaves & Anderson) to rotate. It’s that type of stuff which wins the league. The occasional mistake like against Bolton when Ronaldo was rested is OK for the league. Benitez seems to rotate randomly and cause confusion.
Benitez is good with tactics on one game. He seems to know exactly how to play against the big teams, how to stop Kaka or Ronaldinho, and he communicates this to the players. The thing is you only have to do this 5 or 6 times to win the CL, less for the FA cup. And of course, if Liverpool are playing Inter or Barca they will be the underdogs and they will put that extra effort in the raise their game, just like Barnsley did!!
Ollick your whole argument on the quality of Liverpool players centres around their success in Europe. It is ludicrous to compare Bellamy, Kuyt and Zenden to Ronaldo or Henry.
Liverpool’s success in Europe is not due to the quality of their players, rather it is due to Benitez’s ability to mastermind tactical victories over teams with vastly superior players.
Over the course of a season Liverpool’s weaker squad takes it toll explaining why they are so far behind the top 3.
Man U do have more money which helps but they also have a much better transfer record. There have been flops but these have been outweighed by the successes. I will discount the big money signings to even the playing field as Liverpool rarely spend more than 20 million on a player:
Ronaldo 15 million….now one of the best players in the world and scored more than the Liverpool front line put together, even though he is a winger
Vidic 8 million…one half of the best central defensive partnership in the world
Evra 5 million….one of the best left backs in the world
Ronaldo more than the Liverpool front line?
Torres 21
Kuyt 10
Crouch 8
Voronin 4
I hardly think that Ronaldo has 43 goals this season
I think the problem is summed up by a discussion I was having with a mate watching the Aston Villa game at the weekend. We were saying what a good team Villa were and asking how you would improve them.
The fact is that they look a bloody good team. Like Liverpool they are full of good players, but just not quite good enough to win the league.
The only way to make the next step up is to find a Ronaldo or a Drogba or an Henry. Liverpool aren’t far away with Torres, but despite being a hell of a team they are just not quite as good as the other three at the top.
Liverpool_Fan fair enough your whole stricking force scored 2 more goal then Ronaldo in the EPL. I am sure it’s big achievment for a small club like Liverpool.
I think conor got it spot on, really. Liverpool won the Champions League, and that was a fantastic achievement, well done.
But you haven’t looked like challenging for the title for a very, very long time, and surely most fans wouldn’t accept that. If I had to choose between United winning the premiership or the champions league this season, I’d say europe, but only because we won the league last season, and it would be a very close call. Winning the league proves you’re the best team in your country over a season.
To me, the problem is Benitez and to a lesser extent, the fans that back him unconditionally because of his success in Europe. He was given big money over summer to spend, and he bought Torres who’s great, and Lucas, who’s promising. Torres was neccessary, Liverpool really needed a class striker. But to not buy a quality winger was foolish. Liverpool have five or six very good central midfielders, but no really good wingers. Babel is natural striker, Benayoun is inconsistent and selfish, Kewell hasn’t looked the same since injury and Pennant is flat-out bollocks (Champions League final excepted, he was your best player then).
When you consider that Mancini was publicly unhappy at Roma, that Nani was available and that Rafa was probably aware of a few more good wingers than I am, to not buy one was stupid. And scousers can say what they want, but Rio is better than Carragher. I know that from a Utd fan that’s meaningless, but Rio ismuch more comfortable on the ball and just as good defensively. The tackle against Owen on Saturday, for example.
I think all the scousers shouting Ian down for this article just proves his point: you’re in denial.
In a way you are right but for the wrong reasons. We have spent a lot of transfer money but we’ve spent it on squad players. We now have great strength in depth compared to other teams, but depth doesn’t win you the league (but it can win you some Cups).
Other teams have strength in depth AND more importantly those game breaking players that can win you a game when all else fails. Rooney, Ronaldo, Nani, Scholes, Giggs, Tevez, Anelka, Van Persie, Fabregas, Drogba, Cole, Lampard, SWP, Adebayor, Fabregas, all these players can or have in the past made the difference.
Chelsea earned a draw and Man U a win when it looked as if Liverpool should walk away with the win. Liverpool continue to struggle against teams that battle hard and defend deep, often wasting chances and running out of options to score. The simple fact is that we haven’t brought in enough of these game breaking players, we’ve got Gerrard and Torres (Babel may be one for the future) but little else, Kewell is never going to recapture his best form, Benayoun is a great player but will rarely win a game on his own.
The next step for Liverpool is to bring in these players. We’re always linked with them but now it’s time to start spending the cash each and every season, If Man U can poach the best players from other teams Liverpool should be looking to do the same.
Mintox, I think you are dead right about spending on squad players. During last week’s CL games I noticed that out of the 18 players (11+7 subs) available only Gerrard and Carragher came through the Liverpool ranks.
The Man Utd 18 included Scholes, Giggs, Brown, Fletcher, O’Shea. Just behind these are Simpson, Eagles and Welbeck (who occasionally get a game) and of course Gary Neville if he ever comes back. A year ago it could have included Richardson and Rossi (who were sold for 12 million between them).
Now, Fletcher, Brown and O’Shea may be pretty average (all internationals though) but we would probably have to pay 15 million for all 3 if we had to buy them. Add that to the 12 million for the other 2 and you have enough money for a Rooney or Torres. The policy at Man Utd seems to be to buy the world class players and develop the squad players for next to nothing.
I suppose Benitez hasn’t had long enough yet to bring through youth players but it seems that the Liverpool transfer funds are spread thinly on 20-odd 5 million pound players.
By the way, Michael, I didn’t write the article. I’m just agreeing with it!!
Seriously, Liverpool fans, are you satisfied with not winning the league title for nearly two decades, letting Manchester United run riot in your backyard? The ones who knocked Liverpool off their fucking perch and gained dominance on English soil?
I guess pride doesn’t mean squat, when you are winning the odd champions league title and other mickey mouse cups.
Sorry about that Ian, but a guy called Ian Spragg wrote the article so you can see why I got confused
Good article, points well made.
You only have to read Ollick’s response to understand where half the problem is.
Delusional!
You’re right though Ollick, Liverpool have been outstanding and terrific over the last decade, leaving all in their wake. It is understandable, as a fan, that you would be ecstatic with this. Well done!
Carry on!
mintox that is how i feel. Squad Players. Ive discovered that Benitez is trying to get this big squad of his own players all his time at Liverpool. Hes finally done it. Hes got 22 players 2 for each position and now he wants to buy in big players.
Mr Hicks and Gillet cant afford this so we will have to pray that DIC rescues us.
‘Until they let go of their glorious past’. Well, a european cup win in the last few seasons is hardly a long time ago. The barren years only pertain to the leauge and nothing else. Let that disperse myths that Liverpool have not won anything of real significance since their last title win in 1990.
Rafa will get it right, given more time and more money. If DIC were to take over as a majority shareholder than it wouldn’t be surprising if they were to substantially back the manager this summer. With a little common sense they’ll come to realise that changing the manager will only led to increased instablilty which in both the short and long terms will not do LFC any favours. When Rafa has had ‘big’ money to spend he has shown that he is vary capable of getting it right. Torres, Alonso, Mascherano, Babel(potentially) anyone? Forget the bad signing hes made. Analyse the good players hes brought in. Reina, Agger, Arbeloa, Mascherano, Alonso, Crouch, Torres have all done very well for the club. It can be argued that some of those players are world class in their respective positions. Where Liverpool need to improve is in the wide areas, which shouldn’t be particularly earth shattering news to the fans. Two top wingers and two top full backs would really push Liverpool forward. There is also an argument to be made that the team does not, I repeat ‘not have to buy another forward to play alongside Torres. One who can match his quality in other words. Lest we forget there is a certain Ryan Babel waiting in the wings. As a second striker playing consistently week in week out we may well indeed see him realise his burgeoning potential next season.
How many teams that have had such a barren spell in the leauge win a Champions Leauge final and appear in another, a UEFA Cup, 3 Leauge Cups and 3 FA Cups in the interim…..?
The answer is not many. Certainly Inter went through such a barren spell themselves in Serie A. Did they win a champions leauge or let alone get to a final during their so called ‘barren years’????
NO
I think I would be right in saying that Liverpool fans don’t necessarily expect the manager to win the leauge, but they certainly expect him and his playing staff to ‘compete’ at the very least. Unfortunatley, despite his vehment defiance that he oversaw Liverpool accumulate their highest points tally of 82 in the 2005-06 season since the Premier Leauge’s inception, that simply masked over the fact that the team did not ‘actually’ compete in that very season.
As Liverpool fans we’ve waited long enough for the holy grail. Surely we can wait ‘just’ that little bit longer?
There are certain things that, as a red, make me giggle.
The funniest of which is that ‘We aren’t Champions of England so we can’t be among the best in Europe’. Everyone forgets that AC Milan were over 20 points behind Inter in the Scudetto last season when they won the European Cup, even without the point deduction, no-one seems to mention that. (Also the fact that Milan beat an ‘understrength’ United side in the semis. Piss off, United played awfully and were resoundly beaten, end of.)
The next is basically us reds doing our best to defend the manager and the squad. Liverpool are moving in the right direction but the squad that Rafa has assembled is not yet good enough.
The list of signings above made me think. Are half of those players good enough? The answer is no, they’re not. Granted with decent coaching and management the likes of Lucas and Skrtel will be decent players for this football club. But beyond the immediate first team…
Reina
Finnan Carra Agger Riise
Masch Alonso
Benayoun/Kuyt Gerrard Babel
Torres
…there isn’t very much quality there, and us reds do our best to love the players we have but sometimes we have to hold our hands up and admit the squad isn’t good enough.
I’m about to use two horrible words now; next season. Next season could be good if Rafa improves were he has to with quality, not some cheap foreign knock-offs. We need a decent right winger, a decent left winger, a decent foil for Torres and a decent full back. Then it will be an achievement if Benitez keeps out of the title race it really would.
The basis of a squad is there, its just locked away in a shrewd Spanish head. Hopefully he finds the key soon other the Yanks - or the Arabs for that matter - won’t waste time.
Also, Evans and Houllier at one time did challenge for a title. Evans finished 3rd in 95-96, with Liverpool’s title race ending in late April. Houllier finished 2nd in the 01-02, with the title charge losing pace around March-April (funnily enough around the time he returned after heart surgery).
Quote 1 from Shaun Daley:
“The funniest of which is that ‘We aren’t Champions of England so we can’t be among the best in Europe’. Everyone forgets that AC Milan were over 20 points behind Inter in the Scudetto last season when they won the European Cup, even without the point deduction, no-one seems to mention that.”
You can (and did) win the CL without being among the top 8 sides in Europe (so did Porto). It depends on where you draw the line in terms of ‘best in Europe’
You did note that the year Liverpool won it they finished 5th in the PL. Your point about Milan last year is also well noted. Both finalists last year had nothing else to play for and could rest players in league matches during the latter stages of the season ensuring that they were fit and rested for Europe. Other clubs (Man Utd/ Chelsea) had no such luxury as they were in a dogfight for the PL and the FA Cup. This has become a real factor in the CL in recent years. With teams finishing 3rd and 4th in their leagues being given access it is happenning more and more that teams who are out of contention in domestic competitions have an advantage. Not one you’ll want to acknowledge of course, but there you go.
Quote 2 from Shaun Daley:
(Also the fact that Milan beat an ‘understrength’ United side in the semis. Piss off, United played awfully and were resoundly beaten, end of.)”
United’s success last season (and this) is underwritten by an outstanding defence. The first choice defence is:
Neville Ferdinand Vidic Evra
Home leg against Milan the defence was:
O’Shea Brown Heinze Evra (and Heinze wasn’t match fit)
Away leg the defence was:
O’Shea Brown Vidic Heinze (Vidic was rushed back from injury and not fully fit.)
Yes, Milan played very well and United didn’t but if you think the defensive injuries United had had no bearing on the contest then you’re deluding yourself.