Are you kidding me?

Benayoun's patience runs low

"If Yossi won't be involved enough we will think of moving to a medium-sized team," Benayoun's agent, Ronen Katzav, said in a radio interview in Israel. "When we first met with Rafa Benítez, he asked for a lot of patience since there is a huge squad at Liverpool.

"We don't analyse each match. Yossi has patience and motivation and he will get his chance. When you are taking a decision to move to Liverpool, you are prepared for all possibilities and Yossi decided to follow his heart. The target was to try and integrate in the team and I'm sure he will play a lot. Naturally, Yossi wants to be in the squad and knows he has a lot of work to do but if he won't play for a long period we will think again."

It has been 3 games. Three. Yossi started one against Toulouse, although I am a bit surprised he hasn’t made the bench for either Premier League game.

If Benayoun didn’t know what he was getting in to, that’s his own fault. Liverpool has been known for its rotation under Benitez, for better or worse, and that was always going to continue after the improvements made to the squad over the summer.

Yossi will get matches. Everyone in the Liverpool squad will have some part to play. Much like his start against Toulouse, I have to believe more of Benayoun’s opportunities will come in Europe. But those opportunities will come.

Benayoun always looked likely to be a squad player. To assume he’d be an ever-present starter is a fantasy. And now, a little over a month after Benayoun signed, his agent is in the news with this?

I laughed off Crouch’s supposed complaints, as it seemed out of character and Crouch knows how the team operates. But it’s hard to deny this as an actual temper-tantrum. And it’s maddening.

If I know Benitez and Liverpool, I doubt it will influence the manager very much. If anything, he’ll be more hesitant to use Benayoun, and in time, Yossi will get his wish to go. Rafa’s nothing if not ruthless, especially this year, with the debut of Evil Rafa and his goatee. I still believe Benayoun could be a boon to the squad, and has the talent to play regularly in this side, giving Liverpool more possibilities throughout midfield.

But the team comes first. And you have to earn your playing time, especially in this team. You don’t get on the field through your agent’s rants and threats in the papers.