There is little doubt that the pinnacle of European club football is the hallowed Champions League trophy and winning this is, for some, the be all and end all. Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona and even AC Milan all relish this competition with increasing vigour and it would be fair to suggest that one day these new and passionate continental rivalries might eclipse those being fought on English soil. But we're not there yet.
Even Alex Ferguson, who we all know places the Champions League above all else, realises that the Premier League is still his bread and butter. It's still the competition that you contest on a weekly basis and the one that brings in the vast majority of supporters and consequently the bumper gate receipts. It's also the competition that actually allows you entry into the elite Champions League. Ignore the domestic league at your peril.
These should be sentiments being passed on to Liverpool's hapless manager, Rafael 'Rafa' Benitez, by the clubs hierarchy. Rafa has been with the club for five years and in what was quite an acheievement (only matched at Liverpool by Joe Fagan) impressively picked up the Champions League title in his first full season. But is the shine of that famous night in Istanbul beginning to dull? Well, after four topsy turvy years, I should think so.
Liverpool are the most decorated English club of all time, and they demand success. Even the most hardened Kopites must be a little embarrassed to hold up five fingers to their Manchester United rivals (a gesture that highlights Liverpool's superior record in Europe's top competition), when it is clear for everyone to see that United have been far superior to Liverpool for many many years. It's like Todd Hamilton taunting Tiger Woods because he won The 2004 Open... I can't see Tiger losing too much sleep over it, can you?
Don't get me wrong, it would be hard to argue that Rafa has taken the club backwards, but in a league with Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Everton and of course, Manchester United, to stand still is to go backwards. Teams have to constantly update and improve in order to keep up with their rivals and this is what Liverpool have dramatically failed to do.
Rafa was the driving force in Liverpool signing one of the best strikers in the world, the immensely talented Fernando Torres, and for this he should be commended. But what happens when he and the home grown stalwart, Steven Gerrard pick up knocks, as they are both prone to doing? I'll tell you what happens, Liverpool trot out a side that is barely an improvement on a run of the mill, mid-table Premier League outfit - with repsect, a Fulham or a Sunderland or a Wigan. Not only do they not look like Champions League contenders, they don't look like they could qualify for the nuisance that is the UEFA Cup.
Rafa Benitez must be made accountable. He can point the finger at his American owners all he wants but his poor signings and, at times, his tactical failings are there for all to see. The once fiercely loyal Liverpool supporters are suddenly starting to ask serious questions of their leader and one can certainly not accuse them of jumping the gun. Apart from the Champions League trophy, Liverpool have only won one other competition during Rafa's reign - the 2006 FA Cup. This is a stark return for a club who sees itself as one of the biggest in the world.
If Liverpool manage to keep Gerrard and Torres injury free then I have no doubt they will be in the Champions League spots come next May - the two of them are just that good. However, if they continue to pick up niggling injuries that keep them off the park, then Liverpool will struggle to keep up with the top four, whoever that may be. A lack of depth and a squad of bit-part players won't win you the English Premier League and this season it won't win them the Champions League either.
It's only October and I'm already willing to stake my reputation on them not winning either and I think Liverpool have to ask themselves - is that good enough?
Sadly all too true but it may be a bit hard on him as he has not been given anywhere near the financial support that the other top clubs are receiving. With the exception of Fernando TORRES he has had to fund all new players through the sale of others. The American owners are the worst thing to happen to Liverpool in a long time.
ReplyDeleteJimbo
I suspect I am being a tad harsh, but it still remains that Liverpool's team look extremely average apart from two exceptional stars and Rafa has been there for five years. Even with limited funds you would think he would have picked up one or two decent players.
ReplyDeleteBenitez signing Fernando Alonso! Ha ha, I wouldn't be surprised. I don't think you're being a tad harsh at all Woodsy, Benitez has been dining out on Instanbul for over four years now. Admittedly his record in Europe since has been fairly good but he's had the luxury of being able to rest his players before vital champions league games, due to not being in a title challenge- last season being the exception and look what happened there. Now though with the emergence of genuine contenders to the top four, his time could well be up. After all he may no longer be able to take a top four place for granted and let's face it, one title challenge in five years is pretty woeful for any top four club.
ReplyDeleteIt's suprising to me that Benitez is constantly under fire, yet Wenger who hasn't won a trophy for the same amount of time and has had worse league placings, seems to dance under the radar.
ReplyDeleteWe all know Wenger's team play lovely silky football, but so what if you end up dropping points against vastly inferior opposition as they always do? His stubborness in the transfer market was admirable at first, but now he just looks like he's cutting his nose off to spite his face.
Please allow me to say this isn't a defence of Benitez but rather a critique of Wenger.