Are Liverpool missing Pako?
This article is a submission for the Soccerlens Football Writing Competition; to participate, please read the details here.
Written by Ali Jechi.
Liverpool might have all eyes on the Premier League this season, but does that mean they should playing in the champions league in the manner they have been lately? I really don’t think it’s a matter of the Premier League being their sole priority; they just aren’t playing well, Period. As one fan puts it, “we haven’t played well since we beat Derby”.
Now, as a Liverpool supporter I am inclined to support the club no matter how good or bad the performance and results, but as a supporter I’m also inclined the right to criticize and axe the players when they don’t give their expected best. After all, they are getting paid big just to please us fans. But Liverpool has been a different team lacking in creativity and fire power and becoming far too predictable lately. They simply are not up to scratch, giving the ball away so cheaply and lacking the passion that comes along with putting on the red shirt. Something is definitely not right, and Rafa should get to the end of it and sort it out before it’s too late.
I checked out the message boards on the official Liverpool site (www.liverpoolfc.tv) and saw some interesting raised questions. One topic stated: “How much are we missing Xabi?” Now no one can deny how instrumental Alonso, with his slick passing and fluidity, has been to Liverpool in previous seasons. But that was before the arrival of Argentinean international Javier Mascherano, who has been on many occasions favored in the middle of the park alongside none other than Captain Steven Gerrard. Of course every game has a different approach to it and I’m not stating that Mascherano is any better than Alonso; I’m just making a point that we do have a qualified replacement, should Xabi get injured, as is the case now.
Is the reason for poor results then due to the Daniel Agger’s injury that put on hold a great partnership with Carragher, bringing back long but aging servant Sami Hyypia into the foray? Again, I believe the answer to be NO, for if injuries were to be used as an alibi for poor results, then only keeper Pepe Reina gets my vote (God forbid).
Rafael Benitez is today considered one of world’s best known and successful managers thanks to his European campaign results. But could the master plan that beat off the likes of Juventus, Chelsea, AC Milan and Barcelona all have come from one brain? Or was there more to Rafa Benitez than buying his wife a watch whenever he wins a final? Was his success depending on how much transfer money he received? But then we have to remember that he did win the Champions League with a more-or-less average squad in his debut season.
The way I see it then, is that Liverpool has been going downhill in terms of performance since Rafa’s right hand man, Pako, chose to leave the club. Again the same sentence rings in my mind, “we haven’t played well since we beat Derby” Is it a case of players believing the hype that was spouted after that game? Is overconfidence going to make us struggle to get results? Or are we missing something since Pako left?
Something just isn’t right, and I hope Rafa admits his wrong-doing and brings back his long-term side kick on board, whom it has becoming blatantly obvious he can’t do without, and hopefully then we shall see Liverpool FC flying sky high in every competition.
This article is a submission for the Soccerlens Football Writing Competition; to participate, please read the details here.
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Discussion - 21 Responses
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Too early to tell for me. The time to judge things is later on in the season. For me, the loss of Xabi and Daniel Agger is not helping things. Maybe we have lost some range of passing and also have some uncertainty about how high a defensive line to play.
Think about the games, two goalless draws against opposition who defended very deep with no inclination to win the game. We got a hard fought result against Wigan, but played poorly on Tuesday. We’re still in there, but need to buck our ideas up.
At least you didn’t mention the red herring - rotation, but I do think you take the view that things are easily said/done on paper, when at the end of the day it’s what happens on the pitch that matters.
Come on the reds, let’s have a backlash against Spurs!!!!!
Spurs (Home), Everton (Away), Arsenal (Home) and Blackburn away!! it would take a miracle to take 12 points from does games on the form we’re on. Pako indeed was a major help in Liverpools “reincarnation”. We need him back if he is going to stay in spain and not return to the business then i suggest Benitez move on and find a new right hand man.
Besiktas (away) is crammed right between does matches now surely that is too much pressure for one man
I have never liked Sissoko and he was desperate on Tuesday. For a professional player his passing is atrocious. He is a great athlete and a good destroyer but not a passer. He should be sold and that opinion is based on his full time at the club, not just Tuesday night. Gerrard clearly doesn’t trust him enough to get forward, why Mascherano wasn’t playing I don’t know.
Mikey says that rotation is a red herring and I agree to an extent but the players you rotate have to be of similar quality. Rafa should focus on 17-18 core players who should play the majority of games and the rest fill in when needed.
The likes of Sissoko, Leto and Aurelio should be last resorts and had we played Mascherano, Riise and Arbeloa we would have done much better. I’d even put Lucas ahead of Sissoko as he has looked an excellent user of the ball so far.
As for missing Pako. I hope not but suspect it may be the case. Several players have come out (Carragher and Gerrard) and said that it was a shock. Liverpool have always given 100% when I have watched them, even under Houllier, Evans, Sousness. Tuesday night display lacked the one fundamental in football, Effort.
Pako seems to have been the go to man for the players, the conduit between the squad and the manager. Rafa has never been familiar with the players and may need to change his approach, for I fear Pako will never be back.
How many Premiership winning managers have had bizaree goatees?
Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
liverpool r shit
Mikey, sure we had a hard fought game at wigan,portsmouth and birmingham defended deep,but it’s us winning ugly that i’m not enjoying, some people took it positively that we can now win ugly.A team of our calibre especially the additions over the summer shouldn’t have a problem what so ever with such kind of opponents( no disrespect).
Mark to tell you the truth i liked sissoko more last season,and was very impressed with the progress he made in preseason in terms of passing,but after preseason he went back to being worse than before.And leto in the champions league???And thanks for supporting my point “Pako seems to have been the go to man for the players”
Well there’s a difference between we started losing after Pako left and we started losing BECAUSE Pako left. I’m not saying you’re not right, I’m just saying you need a lot more evidence to support your point than the results since he quit. You may be right, but I hope for ‘Pool’s sake that you’re wrong because I doubt he’ll be back.
i hate to say this but if Benitez doesnt bring the FA cup, Premiership or the Fa cup in this season i can see see him being replaced with probably a manager that has won the title before?
Jose Murinho is the only available one i can think of?
Jose mourinho is the last person on earth i could think of..the way he thinks?his arrogance? it’s not the liverpool style..it never will be.i disagree with you liverpool_fan.i think i should be manager:P
To poster number 8 - Maureen-ho, no way. The fans would not want it. And as for Rafa having to win the premiership this year - I don’t think he has to. FA cup is the third priority, good if you win it but nothing to really shout about, not like the CL or PL.
I think some people just want champagne football week in week out - just like the old days? I tell you what, you dig out your old videos from the 70’s and 80’s (I recently did) and it was NOT always a bed of roses, there was still a fair share of shocking results, bad performances and many dips in form.
At the end of the day, winning is what matters. All the better if you can win with some great football but you can’t always do that with 10 men of the opposition behind the ball. Winning ugly is part and parcel of the game, if you can’t do it, you ain’t gonna win nothing.
Personally, I like the pressing game we play most of the time, definitely a progression on the counter attacking style of a few years previously.
Let’s get behind the team and make some noise instead of moaning! Come on the reds!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree a hundred and ten percent!! i love u liver pool!! u r like my dream come true!! ali jishi u go lad …show them that liver pool is the future!!!! nd it is the bet there is the best there was and the best there evr will be!!!!!
Sam Adriance, am not basing my evidence on results but on performances,i did make it clear in the article when i said “Liverpool has been going downhill in terms of PERFORMANCE since Rafa’s right hand man, Pako, chose to leave the club.” The results have been there sometimes like vs. Wigan, but yet again not a convincing win and performance.I just sense something missing in the players since Pako left.Like Mark earlier said, Pako was the go to man for players.
lol ralpallah, am not rly sure you read my article.
Okay, well I meant both performance and results. I wasn’t really criticizing the article; it’s entirely possible you’re right and it’s really not reasonable to expect you to have access to the kind of evidence that would reveal that Pako leaving really is the cause. I just think there’s a tendency to jump to conclusions like “Chelsea signed Ballack and lost the Prem, so it must have been Ballack’s fault.” “Pako left, we started playing badly” does not equal “we started playing badly because Pako left”
And this is just the sort of article that puts the idea in people’s heads. It’s like saying we lose a match every time Gerrard breaks a shoe lace…… there may be a relationship but you can’t prove it with any real evidence. Snap judgements based on a handful of games are foolhardy and usually made by fairweather fans.
Agree with Mikey - there were some torrid times in the 70’s and 80’s…… and the 90’s for that matter.
Don’t write off your team just yet, true supporters realise there will be ups and downs through a season.
Football is more than attacking and Defending Xabi was the man to stay in space and always be the quick Agil spare option but without him it has to be Gerrard because sissoko is awful. Gerrard (and carragher) has been mr reliable throughout this generation and playing him in that roll is not wat is best for the team plz Benitez play mascherano!
[…] Are Liverpool missing Pako? […]
Another disappointing show and again in anfield where it’s supposed to be the red fortress!!what the hell is going on ppl???no passion wat so ever only in the last few minutes,surely that’s not good enough
TBH Tottenham got a little lucky with the two goals that knocked the wind out of the Pool. Maybe lacking a bit of grunt?
[…] Guest Authors wrote a fantastic post today on “Are Liverpool missing Pako?”Here’s ONLY a quick extractSomething just isn’t right, and I hope Rafa admits his wrong-doing and brings back his long-term side kick on board, whom it has becoming blatantly obvious he can’t do without, and hopefully then we shall see Liverpool FC flying sky … […]
Liverpool need to stop rotating to make the players familirize with each other!..what’s rafa thinking?
i m not a fan of liverpool, so yeah..i don care!..they can get relegated, for all i care!
go home and suck’em wife’s vagina!