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Why Benitez's revolution will take 18 months Oct 5 2004
By Mark Lawrenson, Daily Post
ONE THING was clear at Stamford Bridge - Liverpool never really posed a consistent threat to trouble Chelsea.
There was enough evidence, and most Liverpool supporters would agree, that several members of the squad are just not up to the job.
And enough to know that it will take approximately 18 months before Rafael Benitez (left) will be also to work with a squad of players he is comfortable with.
I'm sorry if that sounds all doom and gloom, and I agree there have been flashes of encouragement at Anfield, but it is an honest assessment of where Liverpool find themselves at the beginning of Benitez's reign.
Looking at the team at Stamford Bridge, only Jamie Carragher, Sami Hyypia and Chris Kirkland were of sufficient calibre as players to take the club forward.
Of the rest, the Spanish players are new and so are largely exempt from criticism at this stage as they make their way in England, while Djibril Cisse is in the same boat - even though he continues to frustrate in his lone striker role.
By and large the other players failed to do anything to convince me they are the right choices to drive the club on.
I'm not saying they are bad players, just that they are not going to strengthen Liverpool to the level they want to be at.
There is a world of difference between being a decent Premiership performer and being a major player in the British game.
At the head of that queue is Harry Kewell. You can say what you want about him - about his talent or his ability to run with the ball - but the simple fact is he has never done it for Liverpool.
It is not like he has not had the time or the opportunity to perform consistently, but for whatever reason he remains an enigma.
I am sure Benitez will be working hard to figure out just why a player who should be one of his major creative forces has failed to create a shot or chance in so many games.
Certainly the fact he has made so many changes shows he is unhappy with the application of the players at his disposal, as well as their sluggishness in adapting their style to his preferred tactical plan.
To me the last three matches have just underlined to me what a big job Benitez has on.
Undoubtedly he will want to make changes and bring in new players, but to begin with he cannot do that until January, and even then it is not clear how much money he will have to spend.
With the new stadium on the horizon to swallow up plenty of funding, that's why I believe it will be at least a year and a half before we see real change at Liverpool.
So, what must the manager do in the meantime?
Firstly he has to hope his best goalkeeper can stay fit and his best player can recover from injury as soon as possible. Kirkland will be a great player for Liverpool if he can stay on the pitch, while in Steven Gerrard, he has the type of personality and player who would drive the team on to better results than they are getting at present.
Secondly I also expect him to drop the split-striker system away from home, where Luis Garcia is too lightweight to make an impact. Playing Milan Baros and Cisse up front would at least give opposition defenders more to think about.
Finally I expect he will be working to try and improve the levels of some of his squad to what the expectation and history of the club demand they should be. For all the players, just doing enough to get by at Liverpool will no longer be tolerated.
ON THE face of it, Michael Owen's move to Real Madrid was a dream come true for him - how could a transfer to the biggest club in the world not be?
However since his arrival that rosy glow has slipped somewhat and he looks like a political pawn in the power games that affect Los Galacticos on and off the field.
Firstly it seems like no-one at Madrid has any idea why they bought Michael, which means he has no clear role at the club, other than as a back-up to Raul and Ronaldo. As has been made clear from several sources, if they are fit, they will always play, which leaves Michael as a spare part no matter how well he does.
Secondly the playing squad is so divided by monster egos and personal agendas that Michael must wonder just what he has got himself into. When you add the growing pressure for him to score his first goal, it turns a difficult situation into a near impossible one.
I have no doubt that Michael has the talent to succeed at Madrid if he is given the chance, which given the politics at the club is by no means certain.
If he does not get that chance, I would expect Liverpool to head the list of clubs looking to bring him back to Britain.
Mark Lawrenson was talking to NEIL MACDONALD
