Finally some refreshing honesty coming out of Liverpool
If this season hasn’t been frustrating enough as a Liverpool fan then the reasons, or should I say the excuses for it have been even worse and have boiled my blood. The reason the football club has struggled is simply down to the fact that the players have badly performed, while the manager has also been culpable at times.
This season we have heard it all, with blame directed at Hicks and Gillett, Rafa Benitez failure in the transfer market and the fact that Xabi Alonso is no longer in the Liverpool midfield. It is ridiculous to be honest and thankfully Carragher has finally come out and expressed what I for one have been feeling all season, especially about the loss of Alonso. It makes it sound like we were only a one man team last season, when the real problem is that nobody has performed consistently and been able to step up.
“I’ve heard the arguments about what would have happened had we kept Xabi Alonso this season,”
“He was here for five years and he was great for us, but we didn’t win the league during that time, did we?
“There’s no way you can say if he was here we’d win the league. There’s more to it than that.
“You can’t keep looking back like that. I wish Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush were still in the team too so you might as well be arguing we’d win the league if we still had them.” (NOTW)
My feelings exactly and I feel there has been too much feeling sorry for ourselves. Carragher is right that one man doesn’t make a team and for all that Alonso brought to the team, we didn’t win the title with him in it, although I accept we were stronger with him. The finger of blame in this instance was the failure of the club to target a replacement sooner, especially in light of the fact that he was always likely to leave this summer. Those who have stepped up have failed to perform and too many times in the big games the key players (JC and Stevie G included) have let us down. That is the long and short of it and only when we stop making excuses for the players and the manager, can we actually hope to move forward once again.
Has the loss of Alonso been as significant as some make out, or has it simply been the easy excuse to make, given our performance this season?
Written By Dan Lowe
Football News 24/7
A great truthful article, Benitez should be sacked for some dreadful buys and inability to motivate a group of players who collectively have not performed. However Benitez has had six years to produce a PL winning squad, he ahs squandered money and is a stubborn and talentless individual who is not capable of accepting his shortcomings which are plentiful. The sooner he Hicks and Gilet leave this once great club the better. His record is one of accepting 4th place mediocrity and dishing up a style of football that does not belong at Anfield.
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Terry, do you think you could lay the hyperbole on any thicker mate?
Yes, Rafa may not be perfect, but a “talentless individual”? A record of “accepting 4th place mediocrity “?
That would be why we’ve finished in the top 3, 60% of the time he’s been in charge?
I’ll bet you weren’t saying any of this at the end of last season.
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Finally jc has stood up and made a statement now please rafa and stevie do likewise please
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terry,
so winning 2 trophies and coming 2nd ahead of the likes of chelsea’s massive russian investment, and man uniteds decades of stability and foundation, is a nothing?
if anyones to blame its the players, not much has changed since last season, but the players have had a let down in attitude and eventually low morale set in, and it was a rut that was difficult to get out of.
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The problems off the pitch must have had a influence on the pitch. H&G should sell up to reduce the clubs debt, forget finding £100 – £125 million investment, no decent investor wants to buy a non-controlling stake in the club for that amount of investment. Rafa and his team need to search the globe for quality if not world class players and blood the youngsters, otherwise he should ship out.
We miss Alonso yes, but we also miss big Sami too, both in defence and scoring goals by heading in corners.
Has anybody heard anything more than about investment in the club. Two weeks ago, the press reported that two Indian businessmen were interested, but is all gone quiet?
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Exactly right! Alan Hansen hit the nail on the head on MOD after the Fulham game. Last year Liverpool had a strong spine. Reina, carragher maschy, alonso, gerard, torres. The surrounding players were playing with confidence I.e. Kuyt and benayoun. But then alonso left, maschy was unsettled, carragher was off the pace and torres and gerrard kept kept getting injured! The other players didn’t step up and be counted for! That is why we are in the position we are in.
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The british media is amazing….when Rio Ferdinand commited a foul for which he was suspended 4 games, hell broke out.
How come we didn’t read anything about the foul on Barry by Mascherano yesterday…which the ref didn’t see. Is the Fa going to look into it, or since it is a Liverpool players it’s as if nothing happen.
The FA acts on two weights two measures when it comes to video punishments!!
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Dennis go and throw your shy blue handbag around on another board. Nothing like keeping on topic and your post was exactly that….
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Dennis. Rio Ferdinand elbowed someone in the face! That’s assualt!
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I’d just like to address Terry… I can’t accept your view mate. It’s far too simplistic.
Just to point out one inconsistency – you say Rafa has had 6 years to build a title winning side. I think firstly, you’ll find his brief was to build a title challenging side. Second, has he not, year on year, improved the standing of the club in the premiership. Third, in 3 out of his 5 seasons so far, he has finished higher than Arsenal – but Wenger is supposed to be the better manager (answers on a postcard please!!).
ANY team would miss Yossi, Torres, Gerrard and Johnson from their starting line up for long periods – some people forget that and blame Rafa for not having ready made world class replacements on the bench.
Terry, you need some perspective or a prawn sandwich.
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