Hungrier, determined, possessed men and look who’s on the bench? Liverpool 3 – Sunderland 0.

The last time Reds played like men possessed was.. gee, I can’t remember.

Liverpool 3 – Sunderland 0

And there were tens of thousands of happy souls at Anfield, and millions more echoed around the world.

To be fair to Sunderland, they played really well, but they were simply washed away by the incessant red tide, no tsunami!

Torres, Kuyt, Babel, Rodriguez, and Gerrard combined really well, with packets of really neat and tight little balls to each other, as if they were teasing around with the men in white.

Agger, Insua and Johnson were impeccable in going forward, and the ratio of chances created within the first half hour were probably more than the ratio of chances over the whole season.

Really, I can barely recall a game where almost every attack led to a shot at goal.

The Reds were hungrier, determined and ran around like men possessed.

Of the starting 11, I suppose only Carragher failed to attempt an attack on goal, while Reina played his part with the Torres assist, and what a sublime goal it was.

The ball floated unbelievably into Craig Gordon’s top right corner, as if on cue, bending in for the opening goal.

Wave after waves of attrition finally paid off as Glen Johnson connected sweetly with his left foot, and though it took a slight deflection off Michael Turner’s thigh, and left the Sunderland keeper off sighted and into the net.

And what a gleeful gem Torres gave us, with his well timed and slightly cheeky flick for the third?

Weeks after weeks of subdued performances, and finally the Captain, Steven Gerrard, put in an inspiring gut-busting, driving display, coupled with near endless supply of killer corners kicks.

I wonder if anyone is still egging for Rafa Benitez’s head after this game, but I wonder more on what he must have said that led to this impressive display from his charges.

It’s as if a brand new Liverpool team took to the field, unrecognised from the dreary, lazy of previous’ games.

But the manager is still the same, the players are still the same, the fans cheered on the same, and the American co-owners are still there, the same, so what was the difference?

Oh look, Lucas was left on the bench!

Good game Liverpool, really good game — and about time that you delivered too, so thank you.

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AUTHOR NOTES: Mar thinks that this has been Reds best performance in months, but despite the mesmerising football and showing just how fluent we can be, the chase for 4th place is realistically over. Let’s just perform as well as we can now.

When you don’t gamble and take risks, you become normal.

It’s very easy to understand my post’s title and tell me that it’s not right and I’ll gladly sing a different tune.

Gut-wrenchingly, right now I’m only hearing the tunes of “Glory, glory Man United”, after Reds latest loss against the Red Devils.

‘Machester United Parks at the top of the Premiere League Table, capitalising on Reds’ failure in risk management.’ would probably be my newspaper headliner if I owned a newspaper press.

But I’m not so this is the next best subject that I can think of, after watching RB’s boys being manhandled.

Indeed, after 3 losses in a row to Liverpool, the Red Devils were determined to regain their pride, especially on home soil, and they did it with much determination, and much harassment.

Torres gleefully directed a header for a deserving 6th minute opener, which was cancelled when Valencia was fouled inside the edge of Red’s penalty box.

Wait, aren’t fullbacks supposed to lead wingers away from the box and towards the corner flag?

I can’t fault Masch for attempting to foul the winger, but perhaps he should have made the decision to do so much earlier, and give away a freekick instead.

Although the obscene amount of space that the men in red received was atrocious. Almost every Red jersey-ed player was able to run into space, receive the ball, control it, run with it for a while and make another pass.

And you simply can’t give Manchester united such privilege, and despite the equaliser, Insua, again allowed a cross to come in from his side.

In the process of getting bamboozled by Neville’s run, instead of closing down on the crosser and blocking any passing attempts, Insua epitomised Reds’ performance.

Sure they ran hard, they tried tiny passes and weaved packets of creativity but on the whole, their hesitation in gambling with an extra overlapping run, or taking that extra gung-ho approach of attacking your marker, orchestrated their defeat.

Not even a Fernando Torres, who’s been scoring pretty regularly lately, could save the day.

Not even a lung-busting captain could inspire the uninspired.

Indeed, Reds’ have come off uninspired this whole season, where there really hasn’t been any major signings to galvanise the team.

In trying to play it safe, certain aspects of ‘winning a game of football’ is lost.

In trying to play it safe, a certain young Argentinian leftback, has ensured that bragging rights, and quite deservingly, goes back to the town of Manchester.

In trying to play it safe, Liverpool is in danger of becoming a normal footballing team.

That’s what you become when you don’t gamble and don’t take risks.

SPOTLIGHT: The Forgotten King

There’s been so much that has been said of Liverpool’s dramatic, and possibly a hyperbole of a situation, that it got me into an analytical momentum, and I simply had to find out several other factors that’s been the thorn in Liverpool’s form, or the lack of it.

Of course any Liverpool fans will need no introduction whenever the blame game points towards RB’s sale of Alonso, which created a dearth of creativity in the middle of the park, nor do we need any reminder of how a defensive and cautious mindset of RB failed to win us games by not playing offensively.

But seriosuly, we were scoring pretty freely in the early stage of the season (and especially towards the end of last season), before we had to resort to horse placenta treatments due to injuries to key players, but defensive and cautious is only apt when you’re deprived of quality players, and living on a shoe-string budget.

Okay, so perhaps RB could have better spent his 20Million on 3-4 good players instead of splurging onthe future of an injured Italians — Well that’s fodder for another day.

So in recent games, we’ve been lacking the belief and the potency upfront, and since we’re not scoring then results really should have been draws, but that’s simply not the case is it?

As it turns out, the team’s defensive performance is just abyssmal.

Seasons ago, when opponents have been really tough to break down, our defence have held out magnificiently and thus, we received plenty of draws and that means more points, instead of losing games — even then we weren’t even happy with draws eh?

And so, RB goes on a spree and brings in attacking defensive players, Aurelio, Dossena, Johnson, Agger, Degen and then just when you thought it’d materialise, English’s best attacking defensive player eluded him. It could have possibly been the final piece in his football blueprint puzzle. An Irishman came instead, and the Englishman eventually don the Blue jersey of Manchester. One wonders just how steady his presence in the middle of Anfield would be.

But Barry isn’t the forgotten king here. Who is?

Check out this latest Castrol Ranking for Top 10 players.

You see ^ this fellla here? (pssst, no.10 on the list..)

Yes, our beloved Sami Hyppia. Simply, wow.

If Liverpool was a fish in a stormy sea, the big Fin, pun intended, stabilised everyone around him.

He was the calming factor, the one who steadied the ship and had a leadership quality that is now sorely missed at the back.

His steely gaze before the start of the game puts his compatriots in focus and inadvertently allows his attacking players to lose all worry of any defensive frailties, and the value of having confidence in Football, is worth more than money can buy — and these days, Liverpool simply can’t buy.

Was it a concidence that his departure before the start of the 09/10 season was to be one of the factors for a leaky defence?

With the promising Daniel Agger frequently sent to the treatment table, there wasn’t anyone who’s as cool headed and as calming as the big Fin, and certainly there wasn’t anyone to provide that defensive confidence.

Is it a coincidence now that that same man is ranked so highly as seen above, and that his team is currently third best defensively in the German league, and currently third in the league as well?

Only last season and its previous’, Leverkusen was only as good as a mid-table team. They finished 9th and 7th respectively.

So where is our Reds in the league right now?

Okay, maybe I’m reading too much into Hyppia’s departure from the team and a little bit exaggerating by labeling him ‘the forgotten king’, but his presence, or should I say presents, were a gift to a team that was simply rock solid at the back and clinical upfront then.

Go ahead, continue blaming RB, the co-owners, the captain and his comrades, and even beach balls, but there’s no denying that Sami Hyppia, imho, was a greater loss for the team this season, than anyone or any other results.

Sami Hyppia, you rulez.

EXTRA: Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez (after Hyppia’s final game against Tottenham on 24/05/2009):
“I was trying to keep Sami [Hyppia] on the bench until the last minute but I couldn’t because the fans were pushing me. Working with Sami for five years I know he is a fantastic professional and hopefully he will do the same in Germany and then come back to us.

Clearly he will have a position with us in two or three years if we’re still here. But it’s a little bit emotional and a little bit sad today.”

I sincerely await the return of the forgotten king.

———-

AUTHOR NOTES: Mar thinks that everyone keeps looking into the immediate picture too much, and that when we step out and analyse the surrounding, we realise that the canvas is much more colourful and tells a much more informed, if not complete story.

SPOTLIGHT: Rafa Benitez, March 2010. The LRA Campaign.

Leave. Rafa. Alone.

It’s so easy to start flaming and burn things down that we forget how much work was put into building it.

Nevermind that he has never performed better than ever in the history of his managerial career at a football club.

Nevermind that the ratio of Liverpool’s league games won is bettered only by Kenny Dalglish.

Nevermind the fact that that same man, Kenny Dalglish, has since recently been appointed with a senior role within the academy, in recognition of the former Liverpool gaffer’s talents, within a much revamped working environment.

It’s so much easier being a fairweather fans these days, one who’ll readily abandon ship whenever the sea gets rough. Don’t they know that a crew that stays tight and support each other will steer the ship successfully out of the storm?

I’m quite mad at the amount of ‘Sack Rafa Benitez’ statements that are echoed by keyboard warriors around the internet, and as much as I’d like to silent them, I do know that they are very much entitled to their opinions.

And so am I to my own opinions, that Rafa should stay. Thus, my “Leave Rafa Alone” campaign (LRA Campaign), and I know that I’m not alone.

Nevermind that the club faces millions of interest in payments due to a staggering debt, which spells limited transfer funds, which means mediocre players at best.[READ]

Nevermind that foregoing his squad rotation policy now, to appease the growing discontent of it even though it yielded the Champions League and the FA Cup titles in back to back years, led to a lengthy injury list and poor run of results.

Nevermind that rumours of Rafa’s exits belittle his players performance, preventing them from reaching their peak levels, as they’re more concerned of who their next manager could be instead of how their next goal should come by.

Right, nevermind all that and keep blaming Rafa for his incompetence, which results in Liverpool’s current plight — dreaming of a 4th place finish, and longing for a buyer who’ll bring the club out of the financial abyss that it’s now in.

It’s all Rafa’s fault right?

I don’t think so.

Indeed, he has erred in some of his substitutions, tactics and even man managing, but which managers have ever managed to dodge this disease?

Really, it’s no good pondering in what might have been, but rather to look forward to what really could become now.

Let’s see. One of the best goalkeeper in the EPL, checked. One of the best and polished English midfielder, checked. One of the best striker in the world, checked. One of the most promising English rightback, checked. One of the most terrifying defensive midfielder and Captain of Argentina’s national team, checked.

Reina, Agger, Carragher, Johnson, Mascherano, Gerrard, Aquilani, Babel, Benayoun, Kuyt and Torres. The dream team that never got the chance to be on the pitch at once, perhaps due to injuries, suspensions, and largely to Benitez’ resistance against an open formation.

Nevermind that players like Torres ends up on the treatment table more often than the players who knocks him down from behind gets yellow cards.

Nevermind that players like Babel who more often twits about wanting more playing time and considering other options than actually starting games.

Really nevermind?

Okay I’ll admit that at times I do feel like waving a stick at Rafa’s direction, but his methodical ways tells me that there is much more to expect from this current Liverpool team and from the gaffer himself. That he has repeatedly expressed his utmost desire to stay and fight for the club that he loves, makes me wonder if there’s anyone else that’ll readily put his neck out there.

Sure he’s made some mistakes and suffered much criticisms, but at times like these one has got to stand tight and fight the storm together. A straw breaks easily on its own, but a bunch of ‘em, when tied and tight, is seemingly unbreakable.

For a start, I’ll put my neck out there in support of the gaffer, and carry the torch of support.

(Image Link: http://i44.tinypic.com/mj935l.jpg or click here)

The Leave Rafa Alone (LRA) campaign has begun, but which flame will you carry?

One that burns things down or one that lights the gloom?

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Author notes: It sucks whenever things don’t go your way, but the true measure of a man is how he copes with it, and not running away from a fight means there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Here’s to hoping that that light isn’t the train’s. Grab your Leave Rafa Alone campaign badge with this link http://i44.tinypic.com/mj935l.jpg. And if you’d like to, you can leave a personal message to the author, Mar, on his blog too.

Once In A While You Need To Let Off Your Steam.

Rafa Benitez has every right to be fuming at his players’ performance, or should I say the lack of it?

If you’ve followed my posts, you’d almost have it figured out that I’m a staunch and solid supporter of Liverpool Football Club, but today, you’ll also find that I don’t just follow blindly.

Yes, when the team’s performance is appalling, sometimes you need to bring out the stick, instead of the usual carrots.

There’s a saying which goes like this: Spare the stick (or rod) and spoil the child.

Benitez has defended his players staunchly and at most, directed his criticisms towards his Captain, but last night was perhaps the right time, he felt, to launch a wake up call towards his players.

As a footballer myself, when results don’t go our way, I’d hope for the coach to be lenient and forgiving, but sometimes, the hair-dryer treatment is required to ‘jumpstart’ the idling engines in me.

Perhaps that’s why Ferguson’s steed has cultivated this do or die mentality with every game, because they certainly don’t want any ‘hairdryer’ treatment vouchers at the end of the game.

I don’t fault Benitez, and I admire this recent touch of his, it shows that he can be strong and aggressive, when required — a character trait which should keep his players on their toes from now onwards.

A dreadful performance from players who are earning collectively millions and millions of pound per week, and the response that they give to their loyal fans is a meekly, uninspired, and lazy one.

0 Shots on Target.

To mention unbelievable is an understatement, especially this from a side that not only visited the Holy Grail of European football finals, but won it against all odds, and funny that it all seems so distant now.

Credit does go to Wigan’s players work ethics and strengths as they stiffled the ordinary midfield combination of Liverpool’s, so take nothing for their deserving 3 points. Truly deserving indeed.

Where I’ve so often defended the state of Liverpool’s plight, I find myself helpless against any criticism of the side, especially on account of last night’s performance.

Was Lille’s presence on their fragile minds?

No matter what, there’s a level of expectation to be met as professionals, and last night squeaked of amateurisms.

Vultures circling the Anfield saga will probably be having a blast of a time and perhaps for once, this time round, I’ll bear no grudge or animosity against them.

This time round, it was torturous for me, as a fan, and all I can ask for this time round, is to start performing as a team.

Let’s just forget 4th place, because unless Manchester City and Aston Villa implode inexplicably, we can merely imagine occupying it.

Last night’s loss sealed the team’s fate psychologically and now there’s an impossible mountain to be climbed.

Men with big hearts will climb such mountains with ease, but I guess there’s not a lot of them going around Anfield these days.

———-

AUTHOR BIO: I’m Mar and I’m a big fan of watching paint dry. Ever since last night’s game that is. Here’s to hoping for a revival in our performance this Thursday, against Lille. Meanwhile, catch Mar at his personal blog.mar.sg and drop him a message or two.