Rafa or Gerard – who really deserves the credit for Liverpool’s success?

Rafa Benitez has yet again been compelled to defend his contribution to Liverpool’s 2005 Champions League triumph over AC Milan. His predecessor, Gerard Houllier, has previously attempted to exaggerate his involvement in the Anfield outfit’s victorious campaign and alleged that within moments of the final whistle, “virtually every player came up to me, gave me a hug and said, ‘This is your team, this is our team.’” So how accurate are Houllier’s assertions and was Benitez’s influence limited to the signing of two players?

A popular accusation levelled at Benitez implies that two-legged knock-out matches best portray his tactical aptitude, and Liverpool’s 5th place finish in the Premier League that season suggests some truth in the decree. Despite this, Liverpool qualified for the following season’s Champions League due to the holder’s rights to defend the trophy, but it is worth noting that Houllier guided the ‘same’ side to fourth in the League and only the 4th round of the UEFA Cup in his final season in charge.

The claim that the side Benitez selected in Istanbul consisted of a principally Houllier developed nucleus may hold up to an extent, but Rafa proved, in his previous post at Valencia, his capacity to mould an established squad of players in his image, supplemented by two significant signings. The Valencia side he inherited in 2001 had emerged from two consecutive Champions League Final appearances and contained the likes of Roberto Ayala, Santiago Canizares, Ruben Baraja and Pablo Aimar. Benitez procured two players, Mista and Francisco Rufete, introduced an offensive style of play and presided over a La Liga triumph in 2002 and a League and UEFA Cup double the season before he arrived on Merseyside.

What’s more, Benitez’s additions at Anfield, Luis Garcia and Xabi Alonso, played an extensive role in Liverpool’s successful European campaign, the former scoring the winning goal in the semi-final that booked their place at the Ataturk Stadium where the latter converted a dramatic equaliser to set Liverpool on their way to a fifth European Cup. The Spaniard developed the playing staff over the following two seasons and in 2007 guided a side devoid of all Houllier sentiment to a further Champions League Final. Even though Milan achieved retribution it could be argued that Liverpool’s display was more assured than in 2005, proving that Benitez’s reputation precedes him and that he retained the ability to direct teams towards cup finals long before displacing Houllier at Liverpool.

There is no doubting that Houllier’s tenure at Liverpool left an emotional imprint, not least due to the Frenchman’s unenviable medical condition, but if his influence at Anfield was so far-reaching why did the board decide to replace him with Rafa? The simple answer is that Houllier was afforded enough time, following the 2001 treble, to elevate the side to a trophy-winning standard and found in Benitez a manager who could deliver on such requirements. It is easy for Houllier to claim credit for the events of 2005, but it is considerably more difficult to achieve silverware, which is exactly what Benitez accomplished within 10 months, before securing FA Cup glory a year later.

It is clear that Houllier feels he departed during a progressive phase of his project and that he had unfinished business at the Anfield club, but in reality he is due minimal credit. Benitez led the club to two European Cup Finals in half the length of Houllier’s employment by Liverpool, and it is worth mentioning that the former Lyon manager is currently supervising an Aston Villa side approaching the final 8 games of the season just one point off the relegation zone, having finished in the top six for three consecutive seasons before he took the helm.

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