Why it failed to mask the real problem for Rafa Benitez

Football FanCast columnist Lewis Doe reflects on Liverpool's opening defeat.

Well done Rafa, you're team did not play that well yesterday but instead of magnifying the problems and dealing with them, it turns out that it was all the referee's fault. Liverpool were very sloppy yesterday and it was not the performance that many of us expected. 

Fernando Torres looked hardly a threat and Steven Gerrard needed the ball on a spot from twelve yards in order to score. There is clearly work to do. However, this was not to stop Benitez once again having a go at the referee for his own team's inability to break down what looked like a dramatically improved Tottenham Hotspur side. 

Fair enough Liverpool did have good shouts for a second penalty with a dodgy challenge on Andriy Voronin and a handball in the closing stages, but they were not given. Nothing that can be said after the match will change the outcome or the fact Liverpool didn't take away the points. If they had been in blistering form then they'd have played Spurs off the park, it's quite simple.  

Rafa said in The Times: "I think everyone could see that it was a penalty on Voronin. It was so clear. The other one you can excuse by saying that it was ball to hand, that could be. But the other one was so clear that it was unbelievable." 

"We had a meeting the other day where we were told that we could not talk about the referee as a person and his decisions but I think everyone could see today. The fourth official is a young referee and maybe he needs to calm down a little bit. I don't know why Sammy was sent off. The fourth official was too young. I don't know how old he is, but I think he is too young." 

So what is the next step for Liverpool? They may be missing one or two bodies but whether or not Benitez has the time and funds to improve his squad again are debateable. One thing that is sure is the respect that he needs to get his time into some form and confidence. They looked very rusty yesterday, which was personified by the point when Jamie Carragher launched a full header into Martin Skrtel's jaw when the pair both had enough time to get out of the way. 

We all love Rafa because he is an entertaining personality in the game we love but sometimes he does come out with some highly contentious statements. Fair enough it may well have been a penalty but the problem with yesterday's defeat ran a little deeper than just a couple of contentious decisions.