Firstly let me just put it out there that I despise G&H and what they've done at the club, and I think undermining Rafa like they did was disgraceful. I think I'd stick up for any manager who found himself in the same predicament as Rafa Benitez did. There is no doubt that since they've come in they've made life hell for the Spaniard, how is he supposed to work under those sort of conditions ?
Hicks has come out and said that they'll give him their full support and hope to try and build a bridge over this whole situation. Fact of the matter is the two Yanks and Rafa will never be in unison when it comes down to football and transfers alike. It wouldnt surprise me, and I wouldnt blame Rafa for holding a grudge against those two, and for that I just cannot see this matter being a good foundation to get Liverpool going again, they'll always be friction between the trio, then add Parry into the pot and there seems a recipe for disaster. I would like to see the Yanks go before Rafa does, but I cannot see this happening now.
Secondly and for purely footballing reasons now, I have to say that I've lost faith in Benitez somewhat. I cannot see him taking us any further than where we are currently situated in terms of league status. I'd hoped at the begining of this season he'd of put any doubts in my mind I had about him in the previous season, and erased them. For me he hasnt, hes just mirrored what he did from the season before and persisted with methods that just have not worked. So many people will tell me he wont change, and they're right he wont. So in my mind thats why I've lost faith in him. He doesnt seem willing to change and adapt his methods and thats costing us again this season.
I also think there is a lot of room for his man-management skills to be improved on, and I dont see him as a real motivator to his players. For me now in the way that we play and the lack of grit, determination and seemingly passion we're showind, he's becoming the equavilant of Sven Goran Erricksson during his tenure in charge of England. That may come accross as a tad harsh, but its the only comparrison I can make to try and get my point accross.
He hasnt got an assistant, he needs one as much as the players need one there clearly is a missing link there and its a void Rafa isnt able to fill. He hasnt brought anyone in to help him out, I dont know, he may not of worked with many people to know who are good coaches, he may of only worked with and handful of coaches, which possibly shows a shallow depth in his recruiting department. I maybe wrong and he may know many more able coaches to help him out, but if so why hasnt he got one in ?
Another gut feeling I get is that the players themselves dont have much hope in Rafa's methods anymore, didnt Carra say something along those sort of lines in an interview shortly or give that impression anyway ? If it is true and some of the players are feeling like this, Rafa's own chances of making us successful are slim to none, everything is stacking up against him now, and it might be better for him and us if he were to swallow his pride and move on.
There isnt any cohesiveness to our football anymore, there doesnt seem that kind of winning mentality and togetherness that all title winning sides need. Yes with whats gone on at the club will certainly of not done us any favours nor Rafa, but I feel this debacle has luckily for Rafa IMO turned our attention elsewhere, and as the football has become a distant second in most fans minds, its kind of made a valid excuse for poor performances, but even before all this it wasnt clear we were heading any further in the right direction.
This is a $hit time for the fans and the club I know, but I dont think it will get any better between Rafa and the board and between Rafa and our football.
