Liverpool FC Forum

I love Rafa Benitez, I really do. I think he has done a hell of a lot for this club, despite what the media have said about him the last five plus years since he’s been in the job. However I must admit I am finding that my affection for him is turning into more anger recently. I think this is mainly down to frustration, with the current season and the decisions Rafa has been making this season and the past.

I think it is important fans support the manager and team, especially at games, as that is what ‘supporters’ should do. By contrast I also think it is essential that fans, the ones who care deeply about the club and spend a hell lot of their time and money on it, are honest about their feelings and what they do and don’t like about what is happening at the club. There is no point in showing blind faith in managers, players or anyone involved at the club as that does no one any favours as we should all have the same goal – What is best for Liverpool Football Club.

I think there is no doubt that when Rafa has all his first eleven on the pitch we will give any team a ****** good game and if we could keep it fit for the majority of the season, challenge for the title - as we showed last season. However it is clear that there seems to be a big gap in certain parts of the squad between the first choice players and the backup. Now this can be argued that this is simply down to lack of money, however after spending 220+ million on players and having five+ years in the job I think a lot fans find this hard to swallow.

But this topic is not really about how well Benitez has (or hasn’t) invested into the club with the resources he has had available, we have enough of those topics on here. It is more down to the other aspect of Benitez’s job which money and resources aren’t a factor.

For example, I don’t think it is down to a lack of resources the fact we are out of the title, the Champions League and League Cup - before December. I also don’t think resources influence the fact Benitez:

- Will insist on playing Kuyt, every game, regardless of his form.

- Continue to play a Lucas / Mascherano combination, one which the majority of fans don’t think has enough quality on the ball.

- Is reluctant to make a substitution before 60 minutes.

- We are arguably the most vulnerable team at defending set plays and have been for the last two seasons.

- The team are extremely poor at attacking set plays, in particular corners, something we have been poor for over five years.

- The fact behind Torres, the options upfront are either poor (Voronin / Babel) or young (Ngog) and not good enough to be back up at Liverpool Football Club.

Now I could go on, but I don’t want to look like I am bashing Rafa for the sake of bashing him, as that is easy to do when we have had a poor start to the season. It is important we should not forget all the good Benitez has brought to the club:

- Signing Torres, Reina, Mascherano, Alonso, Agger and Joihnson. All top players.

- Winning the Champions League, The FA Cup, The Community Shield, The Super Cup and taking the team to their best challenge in Premier League history.

Given he has ‘tweedle dee’ and ‘tweedle dumb’ as owners and got little help from Parry along the way – these are superb achievements.
However let’s be honest I could probably write a similar list of poor signings, baffling decisions, odd substitutions, random team selections, playing players in the wrong position, zonal marking, poor league positions etc. Which suggests he hasn’t exactly been setting the world alight before this season and the current problems in the team and at the club aren’t exactly ’one-offs’ and down to a poor run of injuries.

My heart is currently saying I want to back Benitez to the full. He is the right man to do this job, as he loves the club and has done a lot for it. Yet my head is saying if I judge him overall I would say that he isn’t getting enough oiut of the current set of players and the club would be better off with some who picks the right teams, sorts out the set plays, players the players in the right position, signs another striker and picks players on form rather than reputation etc etc.

I am totally confused and I don’t like the fact that I am turning against Rafa. This happened with Houiller, where I would support him, yet by the end of his reign I was showing blind faith rather than believing in his methods and that he was the right man to take the club further.

Is anyone else feeling the way I do? As I can’t choose between my head and my heart. I guess I’ll just keep showing faith in Benitez until the end of the season and then judge him again. But It is hard to justify Benitez at times and see reasoning in his decisions and methods, but I’ll keep trying while he’s at the club, despite how hard he makes it at times.