Benitez and Houllier in the Premier League [Infographic]

I've been trying to come up with different ways to visually represent results. I like this one.




That both Benitez and Houllier were in charge for six seasons allows for a straightforward comparison, even if we don't count the first 12 games of 1998-99 because of the ill-fated Evans/Houllier managerial pairing. Houllier's win percentage was 50%, Benitez's 55%. Both finished 2nd once, 3rd twice, 4th once, 5th once, and 7th once.

I'd like to direct your attention to a couple of areas.

First, the lower portion of Houllier's – and, to a lesser extent, Benitez's – wheel. There's an argument for a winter break right there, especially the results from 2001-02 and 2002-03. From the 15th match of the season through the 23rd, 54 matches over Houllier's six years, Liverpool won just 19, losing 18 and drawing 17, a win percentage of 35% compared to Houllier's 50% overall. Benitez's record during the winter months is better, but there's still the greatest concentration of draws in that part, especially during the '08-09 campaign – draws which directly led to Liverpool failure to win the league.

However, both managers had an outstanding record during the run-in. Benitez's sides suffered just four losses in the last seven matches during his six campaigns: 28 wins, 10 draws, 4 losses – winning 67% of the matches, dropping just 32 of 126 points. And half of those losses came in 2006-07, when Liverpool used a weakened line-up in the league while focusing on the Champions League Final – something Neil Warnock still complains about.

Houllier's results during that frame weren't quite as impressive, especially in 1999-02 and 2003-04, but there are still far more wins than draws or losses from, say, nine o'clock to midnight. His record of 13 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss to close out 2001-02 is what led to Liverpool's second place finish that season, spoiled by the clutch of losses and draws during the winter when Liverpool dropped from 1st to 5th. But then Liverpool went out and bought Diouf, Diao, and Cheyrou, finished 5th the next season, and the rest is history.

Here's hoping Brendan Rodgers lasts six seasons (at least), and can replicate some of the heights hit by either of these managers.

A priest, with milk in a bottle, atop a mountain of sugar

As of June 2010, I thought I was finished writing overwrought apologias for Rafa Benitez. But the media's constant attempt to rewrite history, Hodgson's recent out-and-out lie, the day before an important match at Bolton no less, and Benitez's inevitable riposte (video here) rendered that thought moot.

If you're on this site, you're probably well aware of the lengths I went to defend Rafa while he was manager. If not, there are a whole host of posts tagged "Benitez" on the right sidebar. 38, in fact, as soon as I hit "publish post." I'm more than conscious that many will see this as biased. So be it. And yes, defending the manager of Inter Milan while criticizing Liverpool's isn't just unfamiliar territory, it feels almost wrong. I shouldn't have to write that I support Liverpool FC, not Rafa FC, to cut off the inescapable retorts. But here we are.

And, for another disclaimer, this isn't to argue that Benitez didn't make mistakes. Robbie Keane and Alberto Aquilani, among others, will top the list of transfer gaffes, and you could argue that almost every purchase since the summer of 2008 – the last window where Liverpool spent more than they made – backfired. Alonso's name will be inevitably and unfairly raised. There were the conservative tactics, especially away from Anfield, although those tactics look less conservative after what we've seen so far this season. Benitez was inflexible far past the point of stubbornness more often than not, as are most managers. And he was political animal all too willing to use the media to fight his battles, especially with the owners.

But when Liverpool's current manager uses one of the club's greatest legends to insult the former manager, ostensibly in an attempt to buy himself time and curry favor with a xenophobic media, it's distasteful in the extreme and deserving of a response, no matter the uncomfortable position it puts the club and the fans in.

Hodgson:

"When it was mooted the club wanted me for the job I made it clear to Kenny I wanted him on board and it wouldn't be like it was with Benitez where you are here in name but never allowed to set foot into Melwood and we don't want anything to do with you."

Paul Tomkins, who had multiple opportunities to visit with Benitez, called it a 'flagrant lie.' Given all we read about how Benitez was the one who brought Dalglish back, and how happy Dalglish was to be back, I absolutely believe that it's a flagrant lie. And it's an infuriating, self-serving, bush league lie. In keeping with almost everything that's exited Hodgson's mouth over the last three months.

I've made it crystal clear that I think Hodgson is the wrong man for the job, and I'd like him gone as soon as possible. His comments weren't the straw that broke the camel's back, as that back was broken long before. Two narrow wins over the mighty Blackburn and Bolton haven't changed that opinion. But that's not why I'm writing this screed.

It's also not written to promote Benitez as some sort of martyr, saint or savior, or to lobby for his return. For now, that chapter's been written. Abruptly and unfairly concluded too soon, but concluded nonetheless. But I won't stand for unfair revisionism – with the media still blaming Benitez for Liverpool's problems this season – or out-and-out lies. Yes, he made mistakes, but Benitez was the best manager Liverpool manager that I can remember – a list that also includes Souness, Evans, Houllier, and Hodgson. Not a murderous' row by any means, and certainly not comparable to the brilliance of Shankly, Paisley, Fagan, or Dalglish, but that's still an almost 20-year span. Benitez restored this club, if not to where it belongs – back on the "fucking perch" – than at least its pride. To deny or dismiss that is either agenda-driven or utterly lunacy. With Hodgson, or with the British media for that matter, it could be either or both. I'm sure it's a happy accident that the media took Hodgson's accusations at face value while Benitez's responses are labeled as "cryptic" or "rants."

Had Hodgson not made those unfortunate, ill-advised jabs, this wouldn't be the talking point. We'd be focusing on the marginal progress made on the pitch, looking forward to both Napoli and Chelsea, and Benitez wouldn't have suffered questions about Roy's comments in a Champions League press conference. But Liverpool's current manager would rather snipe at the former in an attempt to curry favor with the fans and buy himself more time. It's only fair that Benitez replied, to both set the record straight and protect his reputation. It would have been better for Liverpool, and certainly better for Hodgson, had Rafa not responded, but that can't be expected after what was said. And of course, those 90 seconds, and not the other 30 minutes about Inter Milan's upcoming match against Spurs, now dominate the national media.

After all we've heard this season, I can't say I'm surprised that Hodgson once again shoved his foot down his own throat, although trying to win over the fans and media by bashing his predecessor is a new low. And at the same time, I won't apologize for continuing to defend Benitez. Rafa fought for us – the first to sound a public warning about the owners' lies – and still fights for us even after his exit – see his Purslow comments from two weeks ago, which (coincidentally, I'm sure) came the day before Purslow resigned, in addition to yesterday's.

That's why I'll continue to defend the former manager, and continue to lobby for the exit of the current.

Roy Hodgson = Robbie Keane?

Buying Robbie Keane was arguably one of Benitez' biggest mistakes. It was the last major purchase that wasn't financed with outgoing sales (as when Alonso paid for Aquilani and Johnson), and it turned out to be a massive bust.

However, Rafa realized it in short order, and shipped Keane out at the first opportunity. Having paid £19m for the player, Liverpool recouped somewhere between £12-16m, depending on unannounced add-ons that may or may not have been reached. Granted, £3-7m is still a loss, and that the manager wasn't allowed to use those funds to replace the player still frustrates, but Liverpool knew when to cut its losses, and still came the closest to winning the league since the trophy was last lifted in 1990. Since then, Keane's barely featured for Spurs, and was loaned to Celtic last spring, who refused to pony up whatever Tottenham demanded for the player. Now, the former captain is behind Defoe, Crouch, and Paylyuchenko in the pecking order, and Spurs couldn't give him away during the summer transfer window. Had Liverpool kept Keane for the entirety of '08-09, who knows if they would have reaped the same results, and I highly doubt they would have reaped as much in the transfer fee.

Liverpool needs to do the same thing with Roy Hodgson.

I'm as afraid of the Newcastle parallels as anyone. Liverpool has rarely been a firing club. Souness and Evans were sacked mid-season (February and November, respectively), but more often than not, the manager's given multiple chances to come good. Which, of course, is why it was so frustrating to see Benitez sacked after one bad season.

And yes, it's only been seven league games (14 in all competitions), but I fear that Hodgson will never come good. His tactics are embarrassingly outdated, unsuited to the current squad, and he's shown little clue as to what managing Liverpool means.

Let's review the tactical problems first.

Refusal to press high up the pitch. This is one of the biggest changes from Benitez's style, along with the deep backline and man-marking on set plays (we'll get there). And it's hindering Liverpool in attack. Eto'o gave an interesting interview a week ago on the topic:

"With Mourinho we played on the counter-attack, with Benitez we press more and that's better for us forwards because we win back the ball higher up the pitch and create more chances."

It's no coincidence that while Eto'o is thriving under Benitez, Torres is struggling under Hodgson, almost completely starved of chances. Yes, he's been injured, but he's been injured off and on for three seasons now, and still scored 17 goals in '08-09 and 22 goals in '09-10. In 38 and 32 appearances respectively. But because Liverpool's not pressing as high up the pitch, Torres is receiving the ball in deeper positions, often with his back to goal. Players like Kuyt, Cole, and Gerrard aren't able to get behind the backline when Torres does hold play up because they're coming from deeper (if Gerrard comes forward at all). Nonetheless, if we're counting set plays won (specifically, the two against United), Torres has created four goals, the most assists in the squad so far this season. But he looks a disgruntled, off-form fish out of water, and that's massively frightening given the rumors that surrounded the player this summer.

The dreadfully deep backline. I've highlighted this on multiple occasions, most notably in the average position comparison of the Sunderland matches. Liverpool's used to a high backline reliant on the offside trap, with attacking fullbacks who provide the width. Now, players like Johnson are being asked to defend at the edge of their penalty area, which leads to moments like the terrible penalty concession against Blackpool. They're basically inviting teams to attack, which Blackpool were glad to do on Sunday. Liverpool's happier hoofing the ball out of defense than playing it to the defensive midfielders and building from the back, and Agger – the most-creative center-back in the squad, has been ostracized for the bullying talents of Carragher, Skrtel, and Kyrgiakos. The Dane's played nine times this season. He's been a center-back twice, against Steaua and Northampton. He's been a left-back in all six of his league appearances, including thrice off the bench because Konchesky got injured.

Lack of width. Yes, width was a problem under Rafa as well. It has been since the days of Barnes and McManaman. But we rarely saw a central midfielder forced out to the right; it's diabolically baffling that Meireles continues to play there, and it's no surprise the Portuguese looked twice the player when moving centrally in the last 30 minutes against Blackpool. At the same time, Kuyt, Cole, and Jovanovic aren't 4-4-2 wingers. Benitez's 4-2-3-1 system (while pressing high up the pitch) played to Kuyt's strengths – as he did with Holland during the World Cup – but asking him to play as a typical out-and-out winger highlights his deficiencies on the ball and on the touchline. If he, or Cole, or Jovanovic come inside, the fullback's completely exposed because there's no one like Mascherano to cover. And Cole's had the same problems when deployed on the left (as has Jovanovic), leading to the incredibly narrow formation. This is the one difference to Hodgson's formation at Fulham, where he used "opposite wingers" like Duff and Davies (left-footers on the right, right-footers on the left, allowing players to cut in and shoot) to good effect.

Man-marking on set plays. Zonal marking was a stick used to unfairly beat Benitez throughout his tenure, but like pressing high up the pitch, it was a tactic suited to the players in the squad. Liverpool's not the tallest team, and aside from Hyypiä and Kyrgiakos, Liverpool hasn't had aerially-dominate center-backs. Zonal marking helped ameliorate that weakness by marking areas instead of creating one-on-one matches where the opposition were at an advantage. At the same time, Reina, at 6'2", isn't incredibly tall as goalkeepers go. Man-marking leads to crowds around the keeper when opponents pile men into the box, making it harder for Pepe to get space and claim balls into the box.

Leaving substitutions until late. Thankfully, this changed against Blackpool, but Hodgson waited until the 75th minute against Birmingham, the 81st against Utrecht, and at the beginning of extra time against Northampton. Liverpool were level in all three. Was Hodgson really happy with the team during those matches? Were ineffective draws the goal? And we thought the last manager was stubborn in his starting XI selections...

Poulsen. This isn't truly tactical. But I'm still flummoxed that Christian Poulsen – who can't jump, can't tackle, and plays even safer, less creative passes than Lucas – has marginalized the Brazilian. Every manager has favorites, but those favorites shouldn't be keeping better, younger players out of the squad.

Shipping out Aquilani and Insua, marginalizing Agger and Lucas. We don't know how much the board (read: Purslow) is to blame for the first two. But Hodgson could have fought those battles if he so desired. Now, Liverpool has a huge hole at left-back (despite buying Konchesky and re-signing Aurelio) and Aquilani's been increasingly excellent for Juventus – paired with the defensive Felipe Melo in central midfield, no less. Not as an out-and-out attacking midfielder as we thought he needed to be. At the same time, the likes of Lucas and Agger – both better than those who have replaced them – are relegated to the second-string. The fear that both will depart in the January window heightens with each match.

And then there are the embarrassing comments, making it that much harder to respect Hodgson, leading to the belief that he just doesn't get this club or its fans. He took five days to defend Torres from Ferguson's drunken rantings after the United match. He threw his "B-team" under the bus after the loss to Northampton. He was seemingly satisfied with underwhelming draws against Birmingham, Sunderland, and Utrecht, with Liverpool arguably outplayed in all three. He ham-handedly critiqued fan's protests against the owners. And there were the recent jaw-dropping quotes in the run-up to Sunday's match, where Hodgson referred to himself as 'one of the most-respected managers in Europe.'

I've become more vehement in my critiques, and in demanding his exit, for two reasons. One, because I'm increasingly convinced Hodgson can't and won't change. Some say he needs time to implement his system, but we're seeing his system. It's the same system he used at Fulham. Defend deep, 'keep the shape', hope to strangle the opposition, and hope to get something against the run of play. It actually worked for Fulham against Liverpool in both meetings last season. But it's a small-club mentality, and it's not working with the players Liverpool has. I doubt that it ever can.

Two, because of the international break, this seems as good an opportunity as any to get a new manager in. Admittedly, the majority of first-team players will be away with their countries, but it's still two more weeks for to get settled and work with those not on international duty. And if the new man is Dalglish, he'll hit the ground running because of his familiarity with the club and players. If Liverpool failing to get a result against Everton on the 17th (God forbid) leads to Hodgson getting the sack, there are only four days before the next match at Napoli. Because of the Europa League, Liverpool has two games a week almost every week until mid-December. That schedule will really hurt a new manager's chances of settling quickly. And by then, it really could be too late.

I don't want to see Dalglish's legacy tarnished by the ownership debacle, but I truly believe we can't wait until they're finally booted out. Multiple RBS deadlines have been mooted, whether it's the 1st, 6th, 11th, or 15th of this month, but that won't be the end of the fight by any means. And because of the situation, I think Dalglish is the best choice – a legitimately safe pair of hands, unlike the manager we got this summer. Other names mooted, like Pelligrini, Rijkaard, etc., actually are untenable until the off-field situation is resolved. Dalglish is different. It's not as if he's been away from the game, living in a cave, since his last managerial position.

To use a phrase our Texan tumor will understand, know when to hold them, and know when to fold them. It's time to fold this hand before the stakes are too high to buy back in.

Acta est Fabula, Plaudite!

Well, I hope you're all happy.

This isn't an obituary of Rafa's tenure, because I won't be able to do the man justice, and there will be enough of those anyway. But this rant might be an obituary for the club.

All the tactical nonsense, all the questions over whether Benitez was too conservative, or spent unwisely, or didn't hug the players enough, it's all insignificant. It's all insignificant because of the cancers who still own this club.

I'm sure some actually will be happy that Rafa's gone. I'm obviously not one of you. And given that there will be no long-term hire until the club is sold, I'll be stunned if any of the 'name' managers mooted would even interview, let alone accept this poisoned chalice. Dalglish as interim manager is the best possible situation, and seeing Kenny's legacy tarnished by the "custodians" is just as depressing as Benitez's exit.

Don't believe for one second that this is because of player power. That Torres or Gerrard or Carragher wanted Benitez gone. Each player's on record, multiple times, discussing how Benitez has improved their games – Torres especially. And even if it were true, you can't let the inmates run the asylum in the best of circumstances, but it's even dumber when there's a full-on riot in the yard.

Hicks and Gillett now hold every single card.

I'd bet any amount of money this leads to major players sales, which will pay down debt, so Hicks and Gillett will make a profit. Paying down the debt makes the club more attractive to vulture buyers, and it'll help ensure that Hicks and Gillett make a profit on this institution.

The club couldn't sell any player without Rafa's okay thanks to the contract signed last year. That barrier's gone. No more little Dutch boy with his finger in the dike. Be prepared for a tidal wave of excrement now that the dam's broken.

I am absolutely heartbroken on a personal and football level. Not for Rafa, who'll get a fantastic job somewhere (probably Inter), and not because he hasn't the third-highest winning percentage of any Liverpool manager this century (behind only Dalglish and Paisley). Not for me, whose predictions and analysis over the last few years has been proven wrong and meaningless. I am heartbroken over what's become of, and will continue to happen to, Liverpool FC. The most decorated club in English football. And it is only going to get worse.

I Hate Everything

Update 10:45am: Endgame. Official Statement from Liverpool FC on Benitez's exit. Eulogies to follow later. When I have some semblance of sanity.

---
Just when I thought I could ignore malignant Liverpool "news." Ha. Not with these cancers in control.

Not long after 8pm British time, the Internet exploded.

Liverpool offer Rafael Benitez a way out of Anfield

The "relevant" part:

Liverpool have attempted to pave the way for Rafael Benitez’s departure by offering their manager a compromise deal to leave the club this summer.

In what amounts to a vote of no confidence in Benitez, the Liverpool board approved a proposal to the Spaniard which would see him depart Anfield with a lucrative pay off worth in the region of £3 million up front.

According to the terms of the five-year contract he signed in March 2009, Benitez is entitled to a £16 million severance package but given their current financial predicament there is no possibility of Liverpool being able to come up with that kind of money, regardless of their desire to bring about a change of manager.

As such, the club’s hierarchy is hoping that Benitez will stand aside without demanding the windfall that he would otherwise due or else they will have no option but to allow him to continue in the role he has been in since the summer of 2004 in the knowledge that he is no longer wanted/

And it's by Tony Barrett. Needless to say, my heart still hasn't slowed down, and I'm working on my noose knots.

My first thought was the usual Benitez defense, of which there are countless on this site. We can do the "he's underrated and unfairly criticized" or the "Liverpool will lose star players and everything built since 2005" arguments. But I'm sick of those, you're sick of those, and it'll accomplish even less than usual. Now's not the time to debate Rafa's managerial merits.

What I will repeat is this. I continue to believe that Rafa is the last line – the only line – of defense against the owners of this club. Purslow is the bank's yes man. Broughton is a Chelsea fan. The majority of the board is made up of Hicks' and Gillett's friends and families. If Rafa goes, then all those references to Leeds and Newcastle really could come true. Say goodbye to Torres, Gerrard, and Mascherano. Say goodbye to a worldwide scouting network that's brought the likes of Pacheco, Insua, etc. Say goodbye to stability, and any semblance of the Liverpool Way.

It's truly become Benitez versus the Tumors, and the owners know it. Which is why the story's come out like this. There are no quotes from Rafa or his agent, only reports of the Board's actions. And it's at 8pm, giving Benitez no time to respond but ensuring that the national media will have nothing but Rafa come morning. It is a power play. And it is yet another disgusting example of what Hicks and Gillett have done to this club.

Once again, we're airing our dirty laundry in public. Even if Benitez's isn't gone, this is the day Liverpool Way truly died. Shankly is rolling in his grave so hard the coffin might come out.

My only hope is that Benitez will tell to owners to sit and spin. He has no need to take £3m when owed £16m with years left on his contract. Hopefully he'll continue to be a bulwark against the criminal negligence of the custodians. But it doesn't look good. Fight. For the love of all that is holy, please Rafa, fight.

Being a sports fan creates such a feeling of impotence at times. It's especially hard when we're an ocean away. I know first-hand that Americans love this club and want to help. One of the few things we can do on this side of the pond is join with those who are doing something. Help Spirit of Shankly help us.

Just Because You Keep Repeating It Doesn’t Make It True

The anglophile and political junkie that I am, I watched the BBC’s streaming coverage of the UK election for more than a few hours last night. I can’t help these masochistic tendencies. And even knowing what I know about the media, I was still amazed to see a narrative fully created with less than a quarter of the results in.

With hours of airtime to fill, politician after politician was interviewed, and every one was forced into the cliché of ‘we’ll have to wait for the full numbers’ while the hacks fumbled for a storyline. David Dimbleby et al went with whether Gordon Brown “had the moral right” to form a government with a hung Parliament imminent and the Tories with more seats. Evidently, it’s still going on this morning, although I haven’t fully caught up on the “news.”

By midnight US time – seven hours after polls had closed – I was screaming at the computer for one of the random Labour stuffed suits to respond, “Look you nitwit, numbers don’t lie. If no party has a majority, we get first chance at a coalition. It's not rocket science.” Never happened. It didn’t fit with the “Tory wave” narrative that’s been lovingly built for more than a year. If there was any narrative, it should have been “A pox on all your houses, third parties never win, and all politics is local.” But that’s too stunningly simple. It’s evidently easier, and more fun, to fit the facts to the story rather than the story to the facts. As Liverpool fans, we should be used to that.

We’ve watched a narrative forced on Liverpool all season long, one in a long line of unfair criticisms of this club and manager. I hate drawing any parallel between Gordon Brown and Rafa Benitez, but the hacks have long been planning both men’s downfall (a downfall partly of each’s own making, but that’s another essay), and have been willing to mold the “news” – any news, even speculation – to make it fit. Speculation like what we’re frequently forced to rely on in football, and which the pundits had to rely on last night while waiting for winners to slowly arise.

We all succumb to the narratives around Liverpool, and I’m admittedly as reactionary as most. Neither Benitez nor Liverpool has said anything concrete about Juventus or buyouts, but every word from either is diagnosed in great detail for a clue. The recent club statement – or what was lacking in that statement – on the meeting between Benitez and Broughton (and Purslow!) has invited even more. That the Guardian’s article states Benitez won’t hold a press conference before the Hull match invites even more speculation that feeds into the frightening storyline.

It’s little use listing the misguided narratives and half-truths used to bash Benitez, but it makes me feel better: zonal marking, rotation, transfer spending, poor man management, too defensive, never plays young players, etc. Yes, there are truths in many of them, but a quick search of my archives hopefully demonstrates that there are arguments against those myths, as well as arguably more important reasons why he needs to stay.

I should apologize for the weeklong silence, but I’ve been hard-pressed to write anything about the club. Morale is still in the toilet after a long, disappointing season with zero light at the end of the tunnel. Off-field turmoil is as virulent as ever, unabated after the aforementioned meeting. I just haven’t had the stomach for it, and I’d rather wait for reality to play out instead of forcing a narrative into words for once. Otherwise, it’s shouting into the wind.

The preview of Sunday’s match, thankfully the last of the season, will be late tomorrow or early Saturday.

The Metamorphosis of Ryan Babel

I’m sorry, Ryan Babel.

I took a bit of steam out of this post in the comments of yesterday’s match review, but it’s a point worth reiterating. Not because it’s yet another example of how wrong I can be, but because the difference Babel’s made of late has been a near revelation. At the very least, he’s shedding the ‘do not open until the 70th minute’ label and impressing in starts.

I’ll begin by quoting what I wrote yesterday, a succinct summation of the subsequent 1000 words:

I need to apologize to Ryan Babel, who deserves a lot of credit for recent games. But I don't take back what I wrote pre-January.

The difference is in Babel's game, and I'm hopeful (and believe) that it's down to his discussions with Benitez during the transfer window.

Babel's been Babel in attack, if more consistent when starting. But the key - the reason he's been playing games - is that he's learned how to track back. It was even evident today. Sunderland offered next to nothing, but Babel always got back to defend, even taking up positions behind Insua when Sunderland's fullbacks rarely overlapped.

I cannot overemphasize how important that is. Important to Liverpool, and important to Babel's career.

I'm not much for turning points, especially this season, but this seemingly has been one. And maybe it'll help dispel the illusion of Rafa's poor man-management.

Babel’s started in six of the last nine games: 3-0 Sunderland, 3-0 Lille, 4-1 Pompey, 0-1 Lille, 3-1 Unirea, and 0-0 City, with City on 2/21 his first start since facing (and being injured against) the same side in November. A result is rarely down to one player, but four wins, a draw, and a loss certainly isn’t a bad record, with goals against Pompey and Unirea and an assist against Lille.

But as said above, more impressive has been the overall performance put in. Thanks to the wonders of technology, I’ve a couple of graphics that illustrate this point. Both compare yesterday’s match to the first of the season, a 1-2 loss at Spurs, where Babel surprisingly started (one of his three league starts prior to this recent run).




First, the Guardian’s Chalkboard, which show the passes Babel attempted in each game, demonstrating the positions he took up, what he looked to accomplish, and how successful he was.

The second is his Soccernet “heat map” for each match – Sunderland on the top and Spurs below. Yes, Babel had 25 more minutes in yesterday’s match, substituted in the 68th against Spurs, but look at how he utilizes more of the flank against Sunderland, including in his own half, despite Liverpool’s relative comfort.

For all the praise, Babel wasn’t the ne plus ultra yesterday, and probably was the third or fourth best player in the team at most. For all his good work, the final ball – whether it was a shot or cross – was often lacking, partly evidenced in the above Chalkboard. It’s a complaint that’s cropped up before. But it should be easier to add to his game than defense awareness; it's something that will come with playing time. And with Liverpool likely to keep it tight in Portugal this Thursday, I’m interested to see if Babel retains his place. It’ll help demonstrate if he’s truly back in plans or if I’m imagining things.

It’s a small sample size, but Insua’s also been better with Babel in front of him than Benayoun or Maxi this season (he and Riera linked up well early on, but we all know what happened to Albert). In the same vein as this post last year, Liverpool’s record is 3W-1D-6L with Benayoun/Insua, 1-1-2 with Maxi/Insua, 6-3-1 with Riera/Insua, and 4-1-3 with Babel/Insua. And two of those Babel/Insua losses came back in the fall, the aforementioned Spurs match and Arsenal in the Carling Cup. As of late, Babel’s “protected” Insua far, far better than Benayoun or Maxi.

Since Babel’s “reclaimed” a starting spot on the left, none of the goals conceded have started down that flank. Hazard scored a tremendous free kick from Liverpool’s right. Belhadj’s cross for Pompey’s consolation came from that side as well. Unirea’s lone goal was from a corner, and while it was a header over a static Insua, the move didn’t come down that wing.

Another boon has been how well Torres and Babel have linked up, although Torres can make anyone look good with the form he’s in. Both players like to cut in from the left onto their right (evidenced by Torres’ superlative first goal on Sunday, and watch Babel’s run on the replay), making it dangerous when the two play together, dragging defenders into uncomfortable positions and generally creating confusion. That’s a big weapon to have in the armory, and it’s one that wouldn’t work to the same effect if Babel played in his “preferred position” paired with Torres up top. Which necessitated him showing enough defensive aptitude and work ethic for Benitez to trust him with a midfield berth.

Yes, Babel’s chances were few and far between over the past year or so; inadvisable quotes in the media, a month-long injury, and a few frustrating and anonymous appearances somewhat led to that, which led me to believe the player was on his way out. There had to be a reason Benitez wasn’t using him – and it’s not a personal grudge – which is why I’ve focused on what he’s apparently added to his game.

I still think that Liverpool could do with improvement on the flanks. I’ve been beating that drum for well over a year now and a few good matches from Babel aren’t going to completely change that. But I’ve become far more convinced that he has a future at the club, through his own hard work once given the chance.

Well done. Keep it up.

Kuyt or Maxi, Babel or Benayoun

In lieu of more macro-level wrist-slitting about the club and manager's prospects, I'd rather investigate one of the tactical areas that irritated me yesterday (yeah, there were more than just this, but I'd rather write about the wingers than the fullbacks or Gerrard).

For the fourth straight game against 'top-level' opposition, Maxi's started on the left. Admittedly, I didn't see a ton of him at Atletico or for Argentina, but when I have, he's been deployed on the right every time.

Maxi on the left: 1-2 United (a); 0-0 City (a); 0-1 Arsenal (a); 1-0 Everton (h)
Maxi on the right: 4-1 Pompey (h); 0-1 Wigan (a); 2-1 Blackburn (h); 0-0 Wolves (a)

If Maxi starting on the left when either Babel or Benayoun (or both) has been available isn't the perfect demonstration of Benitez's conservatism, I don't know what is. It's ostensibly "worked" in two of those matches, Everton and City (as both sides were clearly content with a draw at the Eastlands), and Liverpool could have eked at least a point out of United or Arsenal if other things went differently, but I can't remember Maxi making much impact in any of the four.

Despite Liverpool's record when Maxi's started on the right, that's where he's done the most, and it's led to Liverpool at least looking cohesive going forward. He was excellent against Pompey and good against Blackburn. The entire team was dire in the two losses, and Maxi's excusable for a poor game in his first start, at Wolves.

It's symptomatic of how Benitez uses the flanks, trying to control the game out wide as he does in midfield. There are multiple pros and cons to the 'keep it tight' method in certain matches; it's one of the ongoing endless debates about Rafa's tactics. It's led to some brilliant performances in Europe and the league in previous years, but few if any in this one. We can argue about how many ways this season's gone wrong; I've come up with multiple excuses over the past months. And I'll unashamedly admit to stretching for ways to defend Benitez, but I've at least come to the conclusion that his thinking about the wings has to change.

The flanks have been at or near the top of the list of Liverpool's weak spots since Rafa arrived, mainly manned by Nuñez, Luis Garcia, Kewell, Pennant, Gonzalez, or Zenden prior to this crop. Of course, the combined cost of those players not including Kewell (bought by Houllier) is less than £15m and almost all in the fees for Pennant and Garcia. The cliché of not buying championships in bargain bins yet again rings true. And money's yet again the root of all evil, but Rafa hasn't helped himself in prioritizing other areas. And to compare to Benitez's Valencia, set out in a similar formation, Liverpool's never had a Vicente (or even a Rufete), and for some reason, hasn't gone out and got one.

The point of this isn't to single out individual players (although I clearly am), bash Benitez, or again snipe at the owners for not having any money. But it's apparent, even to a sycophant like me, that Liverpool and Benitez need to stop undervaluing the flanks.

I've written countless words about how the fullbacks ideally provide the width in Liverpool's system, but this season's made clear we're not in an ideal world. Johnson and Insua are a whole different kettle of fish, but suffice it to say that fullbacks bombing forward have been problematic for multiple reasons.

I try not to let solitary games affect me, especially solitary games where I pretend to expect Liverpool to lose, but Valencia might have been what finally prompted this post. Having a player who can create that sort of threat from out wide, drawing defenders and pinning wingers, absolutely can change a game. And you have to pay the premium for that presence. At the same time, you need workhorses and piano-carriers – just like Kuyt (who I'll continue to defend until the singularity reemerges) – which is why I'm focusing on the left flank.

I'm also well aware that both Babel and Benayoun are right-footed players probably best in other positions. I still question whether either can be a full-time starter on the left, and that Benitez has used Maxi there against United, Arsenal, City, and Everton means he does as well. It's a pity Riera's napalmed his bridges, but it's not as if he's done much of anything this season either. Although, to be fair, the combination of the three did lead Liverpool to its highest points total in years last season.

At the least, we've seen some continued attacking cohesion when Babel and Benayoun have been on the left, as we have when Maxi's been on the right. Kuyt's obviously going to start most games, but Maxi has and should continue to spell him at times, especially against lesser opposition, as against Pompey and Blackburn.

Long story short, pick a flank and stay there, at least for the rest of the season. And in the off-season, no matter what turmoil goes on (and there assuredly will be some turmoil), this is again the position I most want to see addressed.

Tie the rope and find some razor blades

It's no better a day later. Nothing will happen until the end of the season, but I'm afraid nothing's going to change either.

The list of parties responsible for Liverpool's poor season is overwhelmingly long, and includes any of the scapegoats you'd imagine. The manager, the owners, nearly every player who's pulled on the shirt, referees, and general misfortune. I'm sure I could come up with a few more if I lingered on the thought.

Yes, I do include Benitez. And I'm well aware I'm the ultimate apologist for this regime.

I still believe what I've written during the course of this ghastly campaign, and it's been kick after kick to the crotch that's put Liverpool in this position. Yesterday's match was quite bad, but Liverpool's been bad before. I haven't lost faith in Benitez overnight, but I'm afraid the players might have. Professionals don't all forgot how to play at the same time. The movement was non-existent, everyone's touch was poor, and the passing was even worse. It's like lightning striking the same place in five successive storms.

No matter who's responsible, the manager's the figurehead, and that's the head laid on the chopping block. What makes this so difficult to acknowledge, and what makes this different from the end of Evans and Houllier's tenures, is sometimes it seems as if Benitez is the only one at the club who cares about Liverpool FC.

The owners, piling on debt in the vain attempt to profit on Liverpool's legacy right before the economy went south (while lying about their intentions the entire time), clearly don't care. The chief executive, who's done an okay job, is only in place because RBS wanted a closer eye on the idiot owners who owe them loads of money. Only three players – Reina, Mascherano, and Kyrgiakos – have been exempt from criticism this season. Gerrard's already packing for the World Cup. Carragher's sniping in the press. Torres has been frustrated for long stretches, kicked by every defense he's faced – it's no surprise he's struggled with injuries – and not one referee protects him. The rest have been a shadow of themselves, whether down to injury or poor form. And yes, I include both Lucas and Kuyt, the two I so often defend. At times, those two, along with Ngog, Maxi, and others, simply haven't been good enough.

I firmly believe Benitez has stayed at Liverpool this long because he truly loves the fans and the city. And I truly fear what would happen if the owners got their man as manager. They wanted to hire Klinsmann, solely because they met him at some function, for Christ's sake! No other manager would have signed a new deal despite being given a net spending of approximately nothing over the last two seasons. And I'm still struggling to think of any top managers who'll walk into this situation.

But the football has been dire this season. Yesterday saw at least eight players who had forgotten how to play the game or just couldn't be bothered. That Liverpool were just as bad after the interval made me question whether Rafa even gave a team talk. Don't trust anyone outside of the dressing room who claims Manager X has lost Team X's dressing room, but the body language of both the players and Benitez told a story, as did Rafa's post match remarks.

The whole club needs an overhaul, from top to bottom. I'd infinitely prefer the owners were the ones booted out, followed by a fair few players. But, despite the financial penalties, it's still far easier to sack Benitez. Sigh.

The sky really might be falling.

On Rafa Benitez: Part VI

The last part (don't look so excited) of Ed from Liverpool Offside and my conversation on Rafa Benitez's reign. Part VI is "Planning for the Future" – how Rafa's revamped the youth set-up. And as was the goal, Benitez is still Liverpool's manager by the time we finished this series.

Because the next match, at Wigan, is on Monday, I'll probably have the preview up early tomorrow instead of today. Maybe tonight, depending on the time of Rafa's presser, but we usually get info for Monday matches late.

Part VI: Planning for the Future
Intro | Managerial Record | Tactics | Man Management | Transfers | In the Media

Ed: While it's taken a little longer for this to wrap up, I think it's as good a time as any to talk about the groundwork Rafa is laying for his future at the club. I'm speaking, of course, about the much-lauded capture of Raheem Sterling from QPR. He's apparently quite the young talent, and at the tender age of 15, there's plenty of time to get him developed in the Academy. Or, as it's been put by some commenters on the Liverpool Way, plenty of time to coach out any natural ability he's got. Wait, what?

The development of the youth system under Rafa Benitez has been an area of heightened criticism for quite some time. Obviously everyone references Arsenal as though they constantly turn coal to diamonds with their young talent, and in many cases it's with good reason. But there's always a certain amount of gambling involved with younger players--they could go the way of Gerrard and Carragher, or they could go the way of...those guys we never heard of that never made it. And that happens at any club, not just Liverpool. Even Arsenal!

But of course with Rafa it's a production, and the major talking point for me is the "doesn't give young players enough of a chance." On the one hand this is something that makes a lot of sense and is pretty concerning. There's players like Nemeth and San Jose going out on loans and then, if you're to believe the media, working towards making those loans permanent. It's one thing to bring in plenty of young talent, it's completely another to bring in that young talent and never give them any time on the pitch.

Of course, the opposing point to that is that player development takes time--sometimes lots of it. There's always going to be a bit of settling in period for a new manager, and the first team responsibilities are the top priority. And we saw Rafa slowly but surely take control over the Academy, particularly with the overhaul at the end of last season, which saw him dismiss some major figures in the youth system (Gary Ablett, Hughie McAuley, Dave Shannon, and Piet Hamberg) in an effort to get more players from the Academy to the first team. Appointing Jose Segura, formerly the Barcelona youth director, further indicated Rafa's commitment to the Academy, and the return of Kenny Dalglish in a "senior role" seemed to cement it.

My hope for this section is that we'll look at two major things: what Rafa's done thus far, and what it is that he seems to be gearing the club for. So to address the first part, how do you think he's done? What more could/should he have done as it relates to the club's younger talent?

nate: The best thing about Raheem Sterling's capture – outside of the obvious fact he's a highly-lauded English prospect – was pointed out in by a commenter on my blog (Hi Georger!). He'll have the best nickname in history. "Sideshow Raheem" will never be topped.

But seriously, it's still hard to gauge Rafa's capacity for planning for the future even after almost six seasons. It takes that long for these players to develop, and such was the state of the Academy when Benitez arrived.

We're just now seeing sown seeds reaped with the likes of Insua, Pacheco, Kelly, Spearing, and Ayala. Kelly and Spearing both came from the Academy, graduating in 2007, the same summer Pacheco and Ayala came from Spain at 17. Insua came to Liverpool having just turned 18 in January 2007. And the likes of Nemeth and San Jose, also signed around the same time, don't seem far away. Benitez's first crop of youngsters – Barragan, Roque, Hobbs, Antwi, and Anderson – didn't have the hoped-for success stories, but the next crop seems much more promising, and are just starting to get their chances.

I wish I saw more of the reserves and Academy; yet another pitfall of being on the other side of the ocean. But there are rumblings – good rumblings – about players in each of the age groups after Pacheco/Kelly/Spearing/etc. Gulasci, Mavinga, Dalla Valle, and Bruna in the reserves; Ince, Pepper, Coady, Ngoo, Wisdom, Suso, and Sterling in the Academy. And it's a healthy mix of English and European players as well. But it'll be years until we know how successful they truly are.

I don't want this to turn into another Houllier-bashing session. Houllier was great for  rebuilding Melwood and the Academy. He may not have been able to develop the young players, but he knew what kind of facilities and programs were needed. However, the quality of Academy products, whether English or foreign, dwindled to a trickle under Gerard. Liverpool's just now recovering, whether it's in young foreigners (Insua, Pacheco) or local products (Spearing, Kelly).

Kenny coming back can only be good news for the local production line. Liverpool has been losing too much Merseyside talent to the lot across Stanley Park – Rodwell and Baxter immediately spring to mind, and there are rumors Pepper may join them. Both Carra and Gerrard wrote glowingly about Dalglish and his influence on them when they were Academy products in their autobiographies, even if Heighway was more important to their development. Even kids today still remember Dalglish's exploits as manager – nearly 20 years after the fact – if not as a player. That's the kind of legacy King Kenny has, and that alone should help Liverpool recruit better talent.

Before we get ahead of ourselves, I feel duty-bound to note that young player development isn't entirely Rafa's department. Don't get me wrong, the manager identifies targets, hires staff like Segura, Shannon, and Ablett, and promotes players to Melwood. But he's not their hands-on manager, and thus, can't truly be blamed if starlets fail to pan out.

I don't know what more he can/could have done. Scouting youth talent is like throwing at a dartboard from 40 yards away. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you even hit the bullseye, but there are just as many, if not more, misses. At the least, Rafa has been diligent about revitalizing and broadening the scouting network, signing talent, and giving young players chances, even if we'd like to see some thrown in the deep end sooner. But, like with many things Benitez, conservatism usually rules the day.

Liverpool needs to get back to producing homegrown talent, at least one or two per generation, no matter whether they were born in L4, London, or Madrid. So far, little by little, it looks like we might be reaching that goal.

Ed: And as for the goal of making sense of Rafa Benitez, I think I've gone about as far as I can go in the effort. In one way or another, I feel like we have nearly touched on it all. And that which we haven't touched on was noted in comments, but had we tried to address those this would have accompanied the 2010-2011 season preview. Looking back, though, I'm not sure any sense was made, certainly not for lack of effort.

I'd usually be more unsettled ending this way, without any sort of definitive conclusions, but this was always going to be a fool's errand. As long as Rafa is at the club, it seems like there will be some sort of unanswered questions, disconnections between he and the media, and questions about what he could have or should have done. Even the six sections we used, in hindsight, weren't nearly enough. Sure, we touched on it all, but without any more than a casual/bordering on obsessive understanding of the way Liverpool operates from an ocean away, Rafa's going to be a mystery.

But more than anything, I think this provided some much needed perspective. Particularly on my end, it's easy to jump to conclusions about the way Rafa has handled his role as manager in the past five and a half seasons. The "what have you done for me lately" mentality is easy to come by, and I have been no different when it comes to Rafa. But going through this, taking a step back and looking at the "facts," has me questioning the knee-jerk reactions I've previously made.

It doesn't leave me convinced, though, and if anything I might be more confused. I'm convinced he's too stubborn and set in his ways at times, but then he pulls off some of the most magical bullshit-seeming tactics and leads the side to stunning victories. He's alienated players and underused others, but he's helped players like Pepe Reina and Fernando Torres flourish to ridiculous heights. He cuts a stoic figure on the touchline and in the pressroom, but then he can cut it loose and serve up members of the press and Alex Ferguson. I quit.

So it's been a long haul, and I'm greatly appreciative of your willingness to take part. Hopefully it's been more worthwhile than it has been confusing for you and your readers.

nate: Isn't this the fun of having blogs? Of watching countless matches and writing countless words? To second guess paid professionals for a "hobby?"

There were never going to be any definite conclusions or resolutions, especially mid-season. We're never going to understand everything Benitez does. He does this for a living and he's privy to so much more information than we'll ever be. But the game is in trying to explain it, and my rationalizations – wrongheaded or not – are an attempt at some sort of sanity in the often overblown world of Liverpool/soccer/sports.

Because, at the end of the day, this is supposed to be fun. Even if this season's results have made that much less likely.

However, this back-and-forth has been a blast, and I appreciate both the opportunity and your willingness to direct this farce. Lord knows had I been responsible for starting conversations and providing paths for discussion, this would never have been finished.

I hope, at the least, it's provided some food for thought. But who am I kidding? At the least, I hope it got read.

On Rafa Benitez: Part V

The continuing series between Ed from Liverpool Offside and I on Rafa Benitez's reign. Part V is on media relations – how Rafa deals with and is portrayed by the media.

Part V: In the Press
Intro | Managerial Record | Tactics | Man Management | Transfers

Ed: I'm always hesitant to give much weight to clubs, players, managers, whoever when they talk about the unfair treatment they receive from the media. My default position on these types of things has usually been "you asked for it, you got it;" it simply comes with the territory of being a professional athlete. They find themselves as the story on a daily basis whether it relates to sport or not, and while at times it's likely a bit of a burden (slight understatement), I think they also gain a tremendous amount of validation and power that comes from the constant attention.

As supporters we do the same thing, just without the pressure or power. I know that I'm prone to calling immediate bullshit on anything negative written about Liverpool, or at least anything negative that doesn't line up with any negative feelings I already had. I'm especially likely to push the spoon away if I feel like I'm being force-fed a blatant literary agenda---I'm my own man dammit, and I'll form my own opinions. But how long do you stave off the narrative that's being written (to borrow your phrase) before it almost insidiously creeps into your psyche and starts to shape your view?

With Rafa Benitez it's tough to tell what's created and what's real, and the unfortunate thing for us is that we'll never really know fact from fiction. But I think we (speaking of supporters in general) should at least try to do so on both ends of the spectrum---smart enough to call bullshit on the good and bad press and not accepting of a perception that's being created for us.

Obviously the first thing that many people will think of with this topic is Facts, Rafa's one-man drama in January of 2009. Talking to the media largely about Sir Alex Ferguson and the preferential treatment United receive, it was...f***ing awesome. At least that's what my first thought was after seeing it. Sure, I thought it was brash, ballsy, and slightly bizarre, but what more could you want? He was never out of control, he threw his hat in the media game, and actually made some valid points.

But then comes the aftershocks. "Disturbed." "Crazy." "Astonishing." "Heading for a Keegan-style breakdown." And in the time since, that has become one of the defining moments in Rafa's time at Liverpool, and it can't be defined as anything but failure. It's parody at this point. Shit, the guy even parodied himself earlier this season. Although I can't help but think that it wasn't that big of a deal, not that crazy, not that astonishing. What we read afterward certainly was, as we were able to see Sir Alex striking the stupefied victim the rest of the season, vindicated by United's ability to win yet another title. Really showed Rafa. Made him eat his words. Just "looking after his family." Played Rafa perfectly.

All of that, though, is if we're to believe that the intent of Facts was a manipulative act by a man who was seizing on the brink of madness, desperate to play old Red-Nose's game. In that light, you can't help but view it as failure. But I think about my initial reaction vs. where I stand on it, even now. Was it that crazy? Am I completely incapable of original thought? Or is it just that I have original thoughts, but they're so fragile that they can be shaped by the press an ocean away?

I don't intend for Facts to be the sole focus of our discussion here, but as I mentioned, it can't help but be the first thing that people think of. And as you brought up earlier, there's much more to this than one press conference. So I'm interested in your take on this, but also the role that media's played in Rafa's time at the club.

nate: For once, I might not know my history well enough. And this conversation is one where being on the opposite side of the ocean makes it harder to fully comprehend. But it seems like Liverpool's been both target and scapegoat since Thatcher's days. It's near impossible to relate to as an outsider, but I wouldn't trust a media that claimed Liverpudlians pissed on and robbed from their own dead either. Whether an anti-LFC bias is due to consistent and comprehensive Liverpool successes in the 70s and 80s or Thatcher's persecution of the industrial north is debatable. But I don't think it's simply imagined.

I'm in complete agreement with how you saw 'Rafa's rant.' I thought it was brilliant, and more importantly, necessary. Every single word was true. Granted, I'm clearly biased, but United always seems to get preferential treatment, whether it's in the amount of injury time added, soft penalties, or whatnot.

Rafa is never out of control. His press conferences have become far more revealing and entertaining as his grasp of English has improved (being able to understand his Spanish interviews made 10 years of taking the language in school worthwhile), but he's always known exactly what he's saying. That's why the coverage of the "rant" seemed to disproportionate to me. Nothing was ranted. And nothing was wrong. When Ferguson or Mourinho do it, it's mind games. When it's Benitez, he's disturbed.

'Rafa's rant' never reached the comedic heights of Keegan's ‘I’D LOVE IT!’ speech. But the media made out as if he came into the briefing room foaming at the mouth and lifted his leg on the press corps. That Liverpool went into their usual mid-Winter slump starting with the next fixture only fed into the "he's cracking up" narrative that Fleet Street was so eager to promote. And United being United, getting to the top of the table and just staying there, evidently proved Benitez's blistering insanity. Or something. You know what? The season turns out exactly the same if Rafa never ranted. United was (gulp) deeper and more experienced.

The zonal marking debate is another of my favorites played out in the media. Benitez handled it perfectly prior to the Derby, making me wish he'd made the statement years earlier. Zonal marking and Liverpool's susceptibility on set plays has been a stick frequently used to beat Benitez. I've argued in the past that it's down to the players more than the system – zonal marking and set plays were far less of a problem with Hyypia in the team – but the media seem convinced it's the system's fault. Andy Gray and his Sky Sports brethren love bringing it up. Benitez's response in reference to Tim Cahill will probably silence that criticism for a while, though. You might not know it from reading the papers, but he can actually be witty sometimes.

Prior to "zonal marking," it was "rotation." Remember when Rafa went 99 games without using the same line-up in consecutive games? It’s still being mocked. The same newspaper has repeatedly lauded Ferguson’s United for the exact same tactics.

I realize that what many see as "media bias" is just the media's self-interest in selling as many papers as possible. Both controversy and Liverpool sell papers. Liverpool controversy seems to sell even more. Plus, there's a bit of South Park's take on The Lottery in it; build them up to bring them down, and kick them on their way down.

Because if it's not that, my only conclusion is there's some sort of xenophobia involved. I know that's a reach – Rafa's not the only foreign manager in England – but he certainly seems to court more criticism that the likes of Ferguson, Redknapp, O'Neill, or even Hughes. I'm still stunned how quickly pundits lined up to suggest Benitez should be sacked earlier this season. Hughes got an easier ride when City were drawing almost every match, and now he's the one out of a job.

So is it just paranoia or are they really out to get us?

Ed: One of the things you touch on, particularly in relation to "the rant," is a lack of cause and effect when it comes to press conferences and pitch results. I think it flatters managers, whether it's Rafa, Ferguson, Mourinho, whoever, to say that their words on a Thursday or Friday will have a direct impact on Saturday or Sunday's result. For me, that's as clear a case of media manipulation as any--the "posterboard material" that spurs a team onto victory. And in many cases, it's also wrongly applied to the course of the season. Nevermind that after Rafa foamed at the mouth Liverpool went on arguably one of the finest runs in recent memory, including a 4-1 humbling of Ferguson's United at Old Trafford. But Rafa had already cursed the season back in January, right? No matter that Liverpool had started to slip in November, first drawing with Fulham, then West Ham, then Hull, as well as Arsenal at the Emirates. If anything, his rant had...no impact.

I'm in agreement that the thrust of the media's intent can be lost in the Trans-Atlantic shuffle--I'm lost as to how Rafa can be roundly criticized for that, while stateside we watch Denny Green blow a gasket, Mike Gundy preach about manhood, or Bobby Cox break his own record for number of times getting tossed from a game and then forget about it the next day. Chalk it up to being American. But I do think there's something about Liverpool in the post Spice-Boys era that makes the club easy to mock. Decades of success combined with pomp and no follow-through makes for an easy target, and while the Houllier and Benitez years have been a stark shift from those days, I think there's a residual resentment that could only be refuted with a championship. Liverpool are the easy target for their failure to win league since 1990 in the same way that it's easy to say Chelsea are as green as they are blue, or that Arsenal play lovely football but can't finish. Of course, both those mentioned have more recent titles to assuage any faltering self-esteem.

And with Rafa it's taken the next logical step given his early success. You brought up the idea that he's a victim of his own success in an earlier section, and I think it's just as applicable here. He won the Champions League and FA Cup in his first two years and was the darling of Merseyside. But whether it was a lack of mastery of the English language or a reluctance to assert himself in the press, he was as anonymous as a manager of Liverpool can be in the media. This might be my relative inexperience as a Liverpool fan, but I'm hard-pressed to identify any memorable press conferences, good or bad, from Rafa prior to January of 2009.

One of the things that's easy to lose sight of, at least for me, is that there's always a counter to what we read in the press, but you'll never read it on a large scale. Zonal marking is a perfect example--that link you provided is something that few outside of eseason subscribers will have seen, and it might have gotten an inch or two in the papers. What we never hear is that whether it's man marking or zonal marking, men are still responsible for the execution, and it's men who are largely at fault for gaps in either system. Completely without supporting evidence, I'd be comfortable in asserting that the breakdown in the system wasn't necessarily due to a faulty system, but faulty execution. It's always going to come down to the figurehead, and rightfully so in some cases. But the responsibility can only go so far beyond the touchline.

So is it xenophobia? It's not something I feel qualified to comment on, given how removed I am from the climate and culture. But there is a "different-ness" that managers like Benitez and Wenger have that ruffles some sort of feathers. Fergie is lovably British, Ol' 'Arry has endless anecdotes, and there's a familiarity with O'Neill that's comforting. That doesn't really exist with Benitez, and when it comes along with a failure to win league, a lack of positive results, occasional lapses in tactics or performances, it's almost hard not to find fault.

nate: I think you hit the nail on the head with the line: "Decades of success combined with pomp and no follow-through makes for an easy target, and while the Houllier and Benitez years have been a stark shift from those days, I think there's a residual resentment that could only be refuted with a championship." It's something I should have been clearer about in the last section. Liverpool are an easy target for mutually dependent reasons: one, because the club used to win titles religiously, and two, because they haven't won the league in going on two decades. It's not quite pre-2004 Red Sox, but there are parallels.

And simply having Benitez as manager increases that pressure because of the reasons we've elucidated. He's not a media darling, nor is he eminently quotable, and that he's a foreign manager feeds into some of the British media's stereotypes. I like that you compared Benitez to Wenger; the two managers have been defending the other in public recently, both before and after the Liverpool/Arsenal match. Both foreign managers, both under increasing pressure to end the trophy drought. Football makes strange bedfellows.

You say that there have been few memorable press conferences, but since when are press conferences supposed to be memorable? To continue with American sports references, they can't all be Jim Mora's "PLAYOFFS???!?!" The sole purpose is to feed the beast prior to kickoff. And maybe that's the problem. Mourinho fed the beast. Ferguson, when he's not avoiding post-match interviews so he can start drinking sooner, feeds the beast. Redknapp assuredly feeds the beast, and with a lovable Cockney accent to boot. Benitez, on the other hand, wasn't fluent in English for the first few years and doesn't suffer fools. And when the beast isn't fed, it writes its own headlines. And we get to read about how Rafa ranted Liverpool out of the title race.

On Rafa Benitez: Part IV

The continuing series between Ed from Liverpool Offside and I on Rafa Benitez's reign. Just three more parts to go (counting this one), which means there are probably less than 5000 words left to read. Cherish every single one of them.

Part IV: Transfers
Intro | Managerial Record | Tactics | Man Management

Ed: So after a relatively active January transfer window, and players traveling both ways, we have a more up-to-date picture of Rafa's transfer dealings with the club. You can't really have this type of discussion without mentioning finances, but I'd love to try, mostly because I'm not patient/intelligent enough to dig very deep into it. But it's also a slippery slope---you start with the "what if's" pertaining to financing for the transfer market, and next thing you know Liverpool have a four man midfield with everyone making £150,000 per week.

Plus, I don't really think he's done that poorly. In the past I've written some harsh things about Rafa in the transfer market, but on the whole it's not a complete disaster. High praise, I know, but there's been times when my frustration with things on the whole have bled into other areas, and it seems like the transfer dealings, for whatever reason, are an easy enough target. But given the funding he's had (first funding reference!), he's brought in a level of talent that's arguably comparable with the other big clubs.

So after looking for a source that had a list of the signings that wasn't nearly five screens long, I'm just highlighting some of the "bigger" signings since Benitez came to Liverpool. Granted, not entirely comprehensive, and missing some vital information about the funding (number two!), but still a decent list of who's come in:

2004: Josemi, Antonio Nunez, Xabi Alonso, Luis Garcia

2005: Fernando Morientes, Bolo Zenden, Scott Carson, Peter Crouch, Momo Sissoko, Mauricio Pellegrino, Pepe Reina

2006: Robbie Fowler, Mark Gonzalez, Jan Kromkamp, Fabio Aurelio, Gabriel Paletta, Daniel Agger, Dirk Kuyt, Nabil El Zhar, Craig Bellamy

2007: Fernando Torres, Alvaro Arbeloa, Dani Pacheco, Andriy Voronin, Sebastian Leto, Javier Mascherano, Jermaine Pennant, Yossi Benayoun, Lucas, Ryan Babel, Krisztian Nemeth, Damien Plessis, Mikel San Jose, Lauri Dalla Valle, Charles Itandje

2008: Martin Skrtel, Andrea Dossena, Phillipp Degen, David Ngog, Robbie Keane, Diego Cavalieri, Albert Riera

2009: Glen Johnson, Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Alberto Aquilani

2010: Maxi Rodriguez

Obviously some highs, some lows, and plenty in between.

Couple of questions---what do you make of the transfer business since Rafa's been with the club? And is it even possible to evaluate all of this given the backroom turmoil?

nate: Surprise, surprise, I think Benitez deserves more credit than he’s given in the transfer market, but I can’t argue that multiple players on your list aren’t “Liverpool quality.” It’s evident in how many are still with the club: none from 2004, one from 2005, and four from 2006. But starting in 2007, you can see Rafa’s side taking some shape, with 10 out of 15 (2007), 5 out of 7 (2008), and 3 out of 3 (2009) players still at Liverpool.

The axiom ‘Benitez has mostly succeeded with the bigger purchases, had decent success with mid-range buys, and has been hit-and-miss with free transfers and low-cost deals’ basically works. A breakdown of transfers you listed, but only counting players with at least one first XI start (no Pacheco, Nemeth, San Jose or Dalla Valle):

Big purchases (>£10m): Xabi Alonso, Torres, Mascherano, Babel, Keane, Johnson, and Aquilani

Mid-range (£3-10m): Luis Garcia, Morientes, Crouch, Sissoko, Reina, Agger, Kuyt, Bellamy, Pennant, Benayoun, Lucas, Skrtel, Dossena, Cavalieri, and Riera

Low-cost: (free-£3m): Josemi, Nunez, Zenden, Carson, Pellegrino, Fowler, Gonzalez, Kromkamp, Aurelio, Paletta, El Zhar, Arbeloa, Voronin, Leto, Plessis, Itandje, Degen, Ngog, Kyrgiakos, and Maxi

That’s seven “big” purchases, 15 “mid-range,” and 20 “low-cost” or free transfers. Five big and eight mid-range players are still with the club, while only seven of the low cost are (four of whom were signed within the last two seasons). The percentages are 71%, 53% and 35% respectively, and that’s probably an above-average record.

I’m fairly sure both Chelsea and United have purchased more than seven £10m+ players since summer 2004. Even if you buy the argument that Liverpool’s spent more than United recently (as Ferguson drunkenly claimed last season), Liverpool doesn’t have anywhere near the means to spend a combined £17m on the off-chance Tosic and Ljajic might one day become Premiership players, just as one example.

There’s no two ways about it – Liverpool are the poor relations in the “big four,” and it’s finally come to bear this season. The team needed a much greater overhaul when Rafa arrived than United or Arsenal thanks to their respective successes. Chelsea got their needed overhaul thanks to Roman’s millions, and have spent comparatively less in the last couple of seasons, although they can still pay £18m on the likes of Zhirkov (who’s started less games than Aquilani). It’s no surprise fourth place is under threat from the nouveau riche Manchester City and relatively free-spending Tottenham.

Two things have impressed me in Benitez’s dealings: a ruthlessness that Houllier desperately lacked if players aren’t working out and making money on players sold. You rarely saw a player leave after six months or a year under Houllier, but Benitez is never afraid to cut ties. And more often than not, Liverpool makes money when he sells players. Alonso, Crouch, Bellamy, Sissoko, Carson, Arbeloa, and Voronin – among others – all brought a profit.

Admittedly, Keane stands out like a sore thumb: the only out-and-out failure as big purchases go (Babel’s still here…). I still don’t know why Benitez bought him without a deal also in place for Barry. But even then, Liverpool only lost £3m or so. Spurs bought Keane back for £16m only to loan him to Celtic – for free – exactly a year later.

I wish Liverpool had more money, and I blame the fact Benitez doesn’t on the debt laden on the club by two lying owners who happen to share my nationality. Purse strings have clearly tightened since 2008, although the worldwide recession and subsequent inability to build the new stadium obviously factors into that.

But at least 15 clubs operate under similar financial restraints, and most have fewer resources than Liverpool. Of course, it’s little coincidence that coincides with Liverpool’s current league position.

Ed: Dividing the transfers up in that way (big, mid-range, low-cost) is something that makes a world of sense, but for whatever reason I wouldn't have ended up there in ten thousand words on my own. Either I haven't read it or you haven't shared it, but thinking about what Liverpool have bought in the transfer market, nothing could be closer to the truth. The only hiccup, as you mention, is Robbie Keane, and given recent events, his failure at Liverpool might not have had anything to do with Rafa.

Looking at the "mid-range" buys, I think you can make the argument that this is now "Liverpool quality," like it or not. Reina, Kuyt, Riera, Lucas, Agger, and Skrtel are all regular first-teamers, and rightly so, and of the mid-range buys that have departed, Garcia, Crouch, Sissoko, and Bellamy figured on a consistent basis during their time at the club, and made significant impacts in their own right. The only real gems in the "low-cost" bracket, at least proven, are Arbeloa and Aurelio, with Ngog, Kyrgiakos, and Degen recently coming good.

And the idea of Rafa's ruthlessness rings true. We discussed his tendency to stick with his plan tactically in a previous section, and the same works here. It was never clearer than with Keane---came in for big money, didn't perform, sold him 6 months after arriving. That takes cantaloupes. He's done it with players of every stripe---Peter Crouch, Craig Bellamy, Xabi Alonso, Jermaine Pennant. Granted, some have asked to leave, but I think Rafa could have had some flex if he wanted them to stay. You get the feeling that sentimentality doesn't have much bearing for Rafa in the transfer market, and it likely shouldn't.

I know in my initial piece I pleaded for the chance to avoid the "what-if" scenarios, but now I'm compelled to move in that direction. I know you can't go by rumors, because God knows there've been literally thousands of players linked with the club since Rafa arrived. But it is interesting to think about where and how Benitez could have done better given the circumstances.

Has he settled with the buys he's made? Even with those who have gone on to have success at the club, could he have done better? The simple answer is yes, every bought player would ideally succeed. But I think it's a much more interesting question to think about the constraints he's operated under, and how it affected the players he "chose" to purchase.

nate: The “what if” game will drive us crazy. We’ll never know for certain, but I’d hazard a guess you could make one hell of an XI from players who got away.

And nearly every "what if" player can’t be blamed on Benitez. Dani Alves? Made it as far as an airport runway before Sevilla hiked the price by £2m, £2m that Liverpool were unable to pay or Rick Parry dithered on. And we got a £6.7m Jermaine Pennant instead. David Villa or Silva? Nope, the owners are out of money. Wouldn’t pay the extra money Villa were demanding for Barry either.

And those are just three, three recent ones no less. Who knows how many more we never heard about or which went further than idle media speculation? Frankly, it’s best not thinking about it.

But Benitez didn’t “settle” for many of the mid-range buys you list as “Liverpool quality.” Kuyt, Lucas, Agger, Skrtel, Reina, Garcia, etc. were identified and – avoiding the usual debates over the first two named – have done well at the club.

The constraints Liverpool operate under – first under Moores and Parry, now under Statler and Waldorf – rule the day. As much as we’d like better players, Liverpool simply can't afford it. And given the needs from 2004 up until last year at best, Benitez had to buy quantity over quality to replace the deadwood in the squad and nonexistent Academy. And until that changes, we’ll continue to rue missed opportunities and debate "Liverpool quality.”

On Rafa Benitez: Part III

The continuing series between Ed from Liverpool Offside and I on Rafa Benitez's reign. Update: Fixed the links. I'm sorry; I'm a moron.

Part III: Man Management
Intro | Part I | Part II

nate: Before getting waist-deep in man management, I want to reply to a couple of the points about Gerrard you brought up in the last edition. Sadly, I think they can be addressed just as well here, although Saturday’s match against Bolton took some of the steam out of my complaints.

It’s not that Gerrard just hasn’t done it in the free role, with or without Torres. He hasn’t set the world afire from central midfield either; the early season victories over Hull and Burnley with Gerrard and Lucas “holding” in the 4-2-3-1 came at home with almost everyone fit. The last thing I want to do is scapegoat Steven Gerrard after all he’s done for this club – I’ve tried to make it clear I think it’s a club-wide chain reaction – but he is the captain and he sets the tone. And as you said, it’s inevitable given his CV.

He’s absolutely had a heavy weight on his shoulders, and it’s been both on and off the pitch. Not only has he faced increasing responsibility in light of departures and injuries while injured himself, but he’s the face of Liverpool’s failure to reclaim the league, almost 30 and seemingly no closer to the title. In a World Cup year. It’s obviously going to plague the player.

Gerrard’s relationship with Rafa has always been speculated upon. “Professional” seems the best, and nicest, way to describe it. More than most, it appears Gerrard needs to be encouraged when he’s struggling, and that’s evidently not Benitez’s style. Given his symbiotic relationship with the club, it’s little surprise the team as a whole suffers when Gerrard’s off-form and vice versa. But there’s also no arguing that Gerrard’s added more to his game since Benitez became manager.

Despite having Fabrice Muamba as a shadow on Saturday, he looked a lot better, both fitter and more interested. I know it’s one game; Bolton weren’t exceptionally imposing opposition, and knowing this season, it could be an illusion. But seeing improvement three days after Wolves leads me to think it’s more fitness than anything else, and that’d be a massive relief. Of course, I still worry.

Let me throw out a disclaimer now. I don’t pretend to have any insights into the Liverpool dressing room. I also don’t often believe those that don’t come from players, staff, or a few in the media with an actual knowledge of the team (read: Tony Barrett). So I’m frequently skeptical of claims that Rafa isn’t a good “man manager.” But it’s always been one of the sticks most frequently used to beat Benitez.

He’s cold. Dispassionate. Treats his players like chess pieces. Won’t throw an arm around the shoulder and have a cuddle like Harry Redknapp or jump up and down the touchline like Martin O’Neill.

Admittedly, Benitez could be closer with his players – although out of date at this point, Guillem Balague's "A Season on the Brink" (among other books/reports/interviews) demonstrates this – but that’s not necessarily a good thing. There’s a thin line between being a players’ manager and letting the inmates run the asylum, especially with the wages this generation’s on. At the same time, Benitez’s ability to “rally the troops,” a la Ferguson’s renowned hair dryer treatment or the way Arsenal was a completely different side in the second half at Anfield in October, is rightfully questioned.

But Liverpool’s certainly seen a few come-from-behind victories and backs-against-the-wall wins. And we’ve seen the likes of Carragher, Gerrard, Torres, Mascherano, Alonso, and Reina – among multiple others – improve under Rafa.

I think how players get on with Benitez says more about their character than his. Compare what players like Torres (cover article in this month’s FourFourTwo: 'How Rafa Made Me The Best In The World') and Reina say about him compared to Robbie Keane and Babel. Problem children like Jermaine Pennant haven’t flourished under him, yet Bellamy had nothing but nice things to say.

Alonso can’t be avoided when discussing Benitez’s man management. It was clear there was tension at the end, whether down to Rafa’s being angry that Xabi missed Inter for the birth of his first son or the attempted sale to Juventus or because of Gareth Barry. Alonso 'blamed' Barry a few weeks back, but I’m still suspicious. The merits of selling Alonso and/or buying Barry have been endlessly debated, but once Real made their intent known, Xabi wanted to leave. I doubt any relationship with the manager could have prevented it. Although maybe changing English tax laws could have.

So, while I've certainly wished Benitez was more of an imposing, pro-active, and reassuring manager when Liverpool's in situations like this season's sprung, I'm tempted to think he's undervalued in this regard (in every regard!), and part of it's down to media and public perception. The taciturn, unapproachable foreigner (taking over for Wenger), in comparison to Sir Alex, Happy Harry, or O'Neill (no clever nickname for him).

But I'm a relentless Benitez apologist. What do normal people actually think?

Ed: Sadly "normal" is not a concept that people are tripping over each other to apply to me.

Working through your first point, the Gerrard we saw against Bolton is the one I've been clamoring for--sort of a rudimentary way to describe it, but there was a friskiness to his play that we haven't witnessed in awhile. Pounced on loose balls, freed himself from some admirable marking by Muamba, and thrust a couple of shots goalwards that have been greatly missed. On at least two occasions, maybe more, a Gerrard effort was parried by Jaaskelainen and nearly led to a goal. Granted, Jaaskelainen isn't Iker Casillas or Gigi Buffon, but he's not exactly a mannequin. It's hard to say whether this performance was down to growing fitness, the presence of Aquilani to buttress the attack, or new found inspiration, but I know that I want more. Much, much more.

As it relates to Rafa, and it's kind of something you touch on, I think there's some sort of conflict about Gerrard's role as the "face" of the club. This is and has been Steven Gerrard's Liverpool, and will continue to be until he either retires or plies his trade overseas (there's no way he goes to another club in England at this point). It's never really been Rafa's club, despite his work to bring in players that will fit the system he wants to run. Taking Gerrard off for Lucas in the Merseyside derby was about as close as Rafa's come to asserting his clout when it comes to the captain. But I just don't believe that Gerrard is a prototypical "Benitez" player, which is to say that he's more action than he is cerebral, at least in terms of playing style. Maybe more comfortable playing unhinged and unencumbered by tactics or direction, and it just so happens that he's the hometown boy at his hometown club, fighting desperately to earn them the title they so desperately long for. Whether this is major conflict, minor conflict, or non-existent, we'll never know---as you mention, it's tough to have insight on the inner workings of the club. But it's sort of fun, isn't it?

But I do think it puts Benitez in a strange spot, because a passionate fight for a long-awaited title is not exactly how you would define Rafa's reign at Liverpool, even when they were racking up the points last season. It's almost as though his style of interaction with his players is entirely goal-focused, on both a micro (in-game) and macro (over the course of a season) level. You play football to win, this is how you go about it, little room for pomp or circumstance. There's a controlled nature to the tenure of Rafa Benitez, so much so that when you see bursts of hand movements or scuffles with other managers on the touchline that it's almost uncomfortable, placing you squarely in the throes of cognitive dissonance. What you know, or what you've been fed by the media, about the man does not play out before your eyes. But there's usually no smoke without fire.

You brought up some of the catch phrases that are most typically used to describe Benitez (e.g., "cold," "dispassionate"), and I think there's both truth and hyperbole in their use. For some reason I can't shake the picture of Benitez on the touchline during the penalty shootout against Chelsea in the 2007 Champions League semifinals. The entire Liverpool world was shaking, trembling, hoping, and waiting, and there sat Rafa Benitez, legs crossed, checking his watch as he so often does, shaking his coat sleeve off the watch face in an almost rehearsed manner. It was just so bizarrely methodical, although with hindsight it's about what you expect.

So how does this play out in the way he deals with his players? I think "professional," which you use to describe his relationship with Gerrard, is about as dead-on as it gets. He's not quite Robo-Cop, but he's not Uncle Rafa with the goofy stories, sneaking you beer after training and telling you stories about chasing ladies. There's such an upside/downside when you're dealing with human beings---some players absolutely require instruction in great detail, others find it an inconvenience. There's never really a "perfect" manager, and Rafa's no different. He clearly has a highly developed understanding of the game, its tactics, and the technical necessities of player performance.

I think it's why players like Torres, Reina, Insua, Mascherano and Gerrard have developed technically under Rafa. But it does also feel like there's something missing with Rafa, and maybe it's something the club needs more of. The word "chemistry" is overused in sports, but I think that might be as close as I can get to describing what's missing. Players can certainly create it between one another---among the departed, I think Arbeloa and Riise were fantastic in this sense. Reina's a constant here, and recently we've had Kyrgiakos setting a new tone, and Carra and Gerrard bear much of the responsibility for the club. But I think some of it needs to come from the top, and that's where Rafa might be falling a bit short.

I think the failings were clearest with Xabi Alonso, and here's where I think the "chess piece" metaphor might be apt. Rafa identified someone he wanted and went after him, perhaps without regard for the effect that it could have on what he currently had. It's as though the thought that it wouldn't work out never occurred to him. But we know that when it didn't, and if we take Xabi Alonso's word that it changed his mind, we witnessed a season-long 7.0 on the Simmons Vengeance Scale. If we get really wild with this idea, Rafa should have proposed a firesale in August of 2008 and Liverpool would have set a league record in points.

But Rafa's not an asshole, he's not a man to sell-out his players, and he's never going to make a show of imposing discipline or order. The latter likely occurs behind-the-scenes, while the former two likely never occur. I think that's why players like Craig Bellamy have nice things to say after leaving, it's why players sing his praises about the improvements they've made, and why it's tough to get too high on anti-Rafa emotions. It's almost like the approach he espouses bleeds into the perception I have---I shouldn't jump to conclusions with him, because that would be out of control, and the last thing I want to do is be out of control.

So all of this is a long way of saying that I think Rafa will never be short of finding technical justification for the way he handles his players, but it's not just a case of having empirical evidence, or the footballing equivalent, as grounding for dealing with human beings. Football's much more complex than that, and I think this year has provided plenty of evidence for that.

nate: Chemistry’s the most intangible of intangibles, and while the manager sets the tone and the environment, it’s more down to the players to actually get along. This is where I fear Gerrard fails as a captain, even if his other qualities often override that.

It’s always about striking the balance between the intellectual and the instinctive. As fans, we want to see blood and guts, Gerry Byrne breaking his collarbone in the 3rd minute of the FA Cup final. It’s why rampaging Gerrard is the icon that he is.

But Liverpool will never rely on the instinctive under Benitez. It’s just not his character. And I often see that cold, dispassionate strategizing as a positive. Penalties against Chelsea were the perfect example. Seeing Benitez cool enough to invoke Buddha on the touchline was massively reassuring. You knew Liverpool were going to win with Rafa that confident. But I derive pleasure from every goal where Benitez just shrugs and looks at his watch, whereas grown children like Ferguson and O’Neill jump up and down the touchline like they’ve won the lottery. Different strokes for different folks.

There are positives and negatives with each manager. When things are this tough, the grass will always be greener on the neighbor’s lawn. It’d be nice to see Benitez publicly rally the troops and the media, but it’s not the way he manages.

But, I still think the positives outweigh the negatives, and I’m still incredibly skeptical of the media’s ‘Benitez has no personality and no one likes him in the dressing room’ narrative.