SPOTLIGHT: The eulogy that never was — Rafa Benitez resigns by mutual consent after 5 years.

Actually it’s 6 years, but if you take out that single maiden year of bouquets of flowers, it’s really been 5 years of sticks and rocks.

Looking at sports news site around the web, I sincerely wished that it was April 1st all over again when mentions of ‘Rafa walks away after 6 years’ goes up.

But it isn’t April 1st and if those mentions are any true, I’ll bite the bullet as it is, and accept that the man-in-charge, whom so often never quite felt in charge until the end of last season, is no longer in charge.

So who is? Actually, it should be asked as which two persons are?

The cancerous dastardly duo/owners now have carte blance controls over the club — and that’s just disastrous — masterminded with the arrival of Martin Broughton.

How anyone failed to see that the arrival of Martin Broughton was never really to provide the shelter that Benitez so long seeked for, but rather a catalyst for his eventual departure, smooth-talked with a lusty compensation plan.

Then again one suspects that Benitez were never really after the compensation plan when he spoke of his 4 more years of contract, or he’d have stayed put and make them pay.

Rafa loved his players.

Rafa loved his fans.

Rafa loved his club, but he received none in return.

Perhaps Rafa wished that Broughton brought on (clever play of words and name here, ahem, back to serious..) a stand of approval, a show of support, or a morality ground to turn to when the going gets tough, and unfortunately for him, there was to be none.

He thought there was support from Broughton, but as we’ve blatantly found out today, he thought wrong.

It’s a no brainer that when your only pillar of strength fades, you lose the conviction to go on and after years of getting stick, sometimes you have to take into account personal interest, because there’s only so much that you can protect of your players.

Though it does matter when your players support you, but the integral support has to come from the top, and when the top doesn’t show their vote of confidence, you’re rendered useless in all sense of the word.

Need transfer money? Denied. Need more staffs? Denied. Need a few more tweaks? Denied.

It’s a dark and gloomy day to see Rafa walk away, not without grief nor contempt, and perhaps the only fighting antibody in the Liverpool eco-system left.

Rafa’s clause of having player transfer authority has been lifted and one can only suspect the exodus of massive names, all for the sake of moving towards black figures in the balance sheets, and in the process making the books that much more enticing for potential suitors of the club.

And guess who smiles when the club becames saleable? Clue: A certain American pair.

Will Gerrard move? Will Torres’s pricetag be exploited?

Well I know, and you know, and there’s no point in reiterating their imminent departure.

And who arrives?

Well if Roy Hodgson takes the helm, don’t be surprised if you start seeing Bobby Zamora in Red.

You could almost smell it, like a rainstorm that’s brewing in the distance.

When you walk
Through a storm
Hold your head, up high
And don’t be afraid, of the dark
‘Coz at the end of the storm
Is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song
Of the lark

Rafa walks away with his head held high, towards a brighter day and unafraid, and despite my hopes that it was the co-owners instead.

With no hopes held high, grievously I just don’t see the golden sky anywhere near Anfield.

Worse than losing to your bitter rivals, far more painful than getting dumped out of the Champions League and unimaginably disastrous than finishing 7th in the Premiere League, is to see Rafa Benitez, the Man that fought with his bare hands and feet, walking through the exit door.

And it wasn’t the easy way out for him either, having ingrained 6 years of Anfield-ness within, you wonder if there’s anyone else who’ll fight the same.

Okay, maybe Kenny Dalglish remains as that little speck of light, of hope, peeking through the gathering storm clouds.

In any case I hope all you detractors of Rafa are having a field day, and that’s just sad.

Benitez should stay on and finish what he has began, and this is a message to all you fairweather *sic* ‘fans’.

It fills me with great sadness and unwarranted anger that there are vocal fans out there who are calling for the immediate release of Benitez, among others, in search of the holy grail or the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Guess what? They’re both stuffs of legends and by that I’m not referring to neither American owners, who’ve just appointed British Airways chief Martin Broughton as chairman on Friday, in a bid to sell the club away.

Perhaps they’re trying to escape the onslaught of abuse from the much fabled loyal and staunch Liverpool fans.

Fans? Don’t fans of a club support it through thick and thin, because at this moment these vocal fans who ask for the axe sound more like disgruntled shareholders, except they don’t own any shares, but act like they do, of which they expect the club to abide by.

No, these aren’t fans, these are fairweather fans at best, and they’re the ones who’ll boast and gloat around when the sunny, happier days are around, and then play the blame game and starts casting the black sheeps away whenever the going gets tough.

I have seen too many of them already and I have growned weary of their tirades such as ‘Benitez has spent too much on too many lousy players!’ and ‘Why aren’t we playing some players week in and week out?’

I quote a counter argument from a fan who replied to such tirades in one of the forum which I happened to browse.

“Since Benitez has arrived we have qualified for the champions league 5 times in a row, and prior to his appointment we had qualified 3 times since 1992. Benitez’s net spending has equalled, since his arrival, an average of 20m pounds per season, and an average of 0 since 2007/2008. Pretty good for a team who are “supposed” to be challenging for the title according to some supporters. He turned steven gerrard from a 5-10 goal player a season into a 20+ a season player. He signed torres, probably the best striker in the world at the moment on the form of the last 3 years.”

I unquote with, so dear fairweather fans, how do you argue against that much weight?

Benitez has to stay, as he is the one of the main reason that Torres’ full potential is nearly unleashed, that Gerrard decided to stay when Chelsea courted him, and that the mere mention of ‘Liverpool’ in Europe meant a team that’s never to be discounted, even when you’re 3 goals up.

At this very moment, it’s only half time. Benitez has already passed his 5 year mark and has 5 more to go. Liverpool have over the years proven how strong they are when they go into the second half and especially when their backs are against the wall.

We had injuries, player sales, and even beach balls to condemn our performances in the first half, but I approach the second half with much hope. Yes there is hope for salvation, there always is if you’re optimistic and work towards it.

To all the fairweather fans who call for Benitez’s removal, shame on you for the lack of respect towards a man who’s given his all when he’s not being given much.

From the clubhouse and training grounds to the players that march into the pitch, Benitez has slowly gained much control than ever before, but as it stands, his work of 5 years is in dire potential of falling apart — not because of his handywork, but rather the unknown threat of a new owner, whom he’s never had the opportunity to work with.

Hopefully it’s nothing near a threat, and that the new owners, if they come in, will embrace Benitez not just on magazine covers, but financially as well.

We wouldn’t want another Barry-Keane-Alonso saga do we?

If you’re a true Liverpool fan, you’ll do this much and no, I’m not asking you to spread this blog around, but rather, I’ll just implore you to start supporting staunchly.

Not blindly though, but with plenty of faith, because what we have leading us is a man who’s kept plenty of faith himself.

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?

———-

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.

Something’s Wrong At Anfield, There’s A Dearth Of Criticism!

Is it just me or is has the well of criticism gone dry?

Only 1 or 2 weeks back, immediately after the draw against Stoke City, we were under attack from all angles, from all corners of the web.

It seemed inevitable that Rafa Benitez was heading towards Juventus, for a new lease of life and for, arguably, a decent amount of respect too.

But Benitez never walks away from a battle, he never backs out, and as his usual calm, assertive and witty self, speculations of his future are brushed off and forgotten.

He’s just signed a 5 year contract, overhauled his backroom staff, realigned the youth academy, and in stout belief of his players, so why would he head over to Turin, where even the finances are reportedly not better off than at Anfield?

Things are really looking to shape for the better as players return from injury with renewed vigour and the defensive lines are finally starting to harden and plug the holes that plagued their early season woes.

Everton though will attempt to crash Reds’ ascent as they visit Anfield next for a lip-smacking derby, as they’ll relish a Liverpool side without a certain Spanish striker, still recuperating from an operation in Barcelona.

This Saturday’s derby game is by no means a walk in the park, but it’s no lost cause either.

As much as I don’t agree with Rafa Benitez’s inclusion of Lucas, the Brazilian is starting to prove his worth in the squad simply by being consistent.

He’s not flashy, strangely lacks flair for a Brazilian, could finish and pass better but like a rod of steel, he’s becoming the pillar in the middle of the park, even though he irks me alot by playing it too safe 9 out of 10 times.

And there’s the Greek centreback who raised plenty of eyebrows whenever he starts a game, but his aeriel ability and good reading of the game has calmed much nerves around him, so he’s got to be a useful member of the squad nevertheless.

So games are being won and drawn, and losses are being prevented lately, and it all leads towards a resurgent Liverpool side, whom more often than not gets through the second half of the season with a brick laid on the accelerator pedal.

With Torres, Benayoun, and Johnson still to come back, there’s much to salvage from a season that’s deemed to be so wrong.

The foundation for a future of greatness has finally been laid, and early criticisms have fanned the flames a little bit unfairly towards the man at the top.

Some of the so called experts and reporters, have had a field day attacking Rafa Benitez and his players at will early on, when poor results and injuries ravaged the Reds.

Strangely it’s been quiet lately.

Where’s the criticism now?

Football, A Game of Luck?

Mark Hughes received his termination letter and this after 2 league losses, a run of draws, and much laudable victories over Arsenal and Chelsea.

The highlight of it all has to be the humiliation of getting the boot immediately after winning the game against Sunderland 4-3, and I mention this with a hint of sarcasm.

When you think hard about it, you wonder if Rafa Benitez really wished the American owners had an inexhaustible wade of cash, because if they did, they certainly wouldn’t have to think twice about flying a certain German*koff-Klinsmann-koff* over to Anfield. Mind you, that it’s not just for another round of coffee or chess.

But thank goodness, in a way, that they didn’t because they would then be making the same mistake that the Man City owners just did.

Hughes has the potential to be a really good manager, but unlike Benitez, he hasn’t been given time, a luxury the Spaniard seemed to be bestowed with, especially after Liverpool’s 2-0 loss to Premiereship strugglers, Portsmouth.

A few days back it seemed as if the Reds’ midweek victory over Wigan was enough to distract the vultures circling Rafa’s office, but as expected, they’re back and more vociferous than ever.

Chants of  ’You’re getting the sack in the morning’ may seem lenient when you consider Mark Hughes’s luck, or should I say.. the lack of it?

And it does seem like Liverpool aren’t quite on friendly terms with lady luck this season — they’re conceding more ‘unlucky’ goals (the beach ball comes to mind), getting more red cards, facing more inuries and they’ve yet to unleash any youth as exciting as a Jack Wilshere, a Darren Gibson or a Daniel Sturridge..

If it’s not luck then Rafa may have just coined the phrase of the season with ‘The referee is perfect.’, commenting on the event surrounding Mascherano’s straight red, which he will know serve a four match ban.

If you’d ask me, it never warranted a straight red for the grinning, effervescent Argentinian, as a yellow would have sufficed — but he certainly has to learn to curb the intensity of his challenges.

No doubt that with Alonso’s departure, the Argentinian is given more responsibility in protecting the backline, but he would do well to study videos of how Didi Hamann does almost effortlessly during his time for Liverpool..

You might argue that having to chase the game, the Liverpool lads were forced to put in that extra few percent into their game, but when you’re out of luck, there’s really nothing much that you can do.

Like how on earth did Portsmouth scored twice, and both from almost improbable angles where 9 out of 10 times it will hit the roof of the stadium instead of the goal.

Good goals they were, and credit to Nadir and Piquione for even having the audacity to go for goal, a trait that is sorely lacking in Liverpool’s play this seson.

Anyway if luck seem to desert us during these time and also now that Christmas is drawing near, it will be heart warming to take a little bit of history lesson, which tends to show that Liverpool is a second half team, more than anything.

Thoughts of the 5-4 Uefa Cup victory over Alaves, the 3-3 comeback against AC Milan, the turnaround against West Ham in the FA cup final, all come to mind.

With more players returning from injury, Liverpool’s season may finally get the kickstart that has frustratingly (for the supporters especially) long evaded us.

There’s only so much that luck can offer, and one suspects that Rafa may need to spend wiser than ever, thriftier than ever and swiftier than ever during the January transfer window.

But one can’t help thinking where lady luck has gone to eh?

———-

AUTHOR BIO: Mar is a passionate, understanding and tolerable Reds fan through and through. Until he gets to visit Anfield and experience the KOP end, he’s not quite the perfect Kopites as yet, but he’s getting there, nevertheless. Catch him at his personal blog.mar.sg and say hi.

SPOTLIGHT: What Rafa Benitez Will Never Say.

It strucked me like a Gilardino Rocket as I slowly digested what was going on within Rafa Benitez’s (RB) head whenever he spewed consolatory remarks at the end of every game.

You see there’s is something that RB doesn’t want us to know and I sort of figured it out.

It’s got to do with the players at his disposal and you will see it too when I explain about it.

But first, something about Gerrard’s average run of form in this season and how his average performances is related to what I’m about to reveal.

Indeed, it has been a frustrating season for us Reds as we kept conceding goals after goals after goals after goals.

I mean who wants to see their team lose week in and week out, but that was just what we witnessed as our failure to create or convert chances, coupled with the leaky defence, proposed a Liverpool side that was on the freefall.

With key players like Gerrard and Torres out of the team, it was harrowingly difficult to watch our approach play in the hands of the subdued Lucas, while Mascherano’s potential passing range wasn’t helped by the lack of flair within the flanks.

And when games ended with a loss or a draw, the familiar words of RB are spewed at journalists and cameraman as his heartfelt consolatory comments carved more enthusiasm and hope than there really was.

“It was a really good performance.” He would say.

“We created plenty of chances so it’s not too bad.”

“It’s unfortunate that we have key players out and there’s lack of cover.”

And then there are occasions when he will single out the captain like, “Gerrard’s performance was a let down. The team deserves more.”

RB will pick on Gerrard and only Gerrard because he knows that the only one capable of facing the music, taking the criticism and shouldering the burden is our dear Steven Gerrard himself.

RB knows that there’s only 1 player in his squad who is capable of taking criticism and improve, because the rest of the team’s self-esteem can be paper thin.

He cannot criticise the team too much, or else the players will lose confidence and add that to the gravy of disappointment from the fans, there really isn’t anything else for RB to say.

The truth is that he knows that his current crop of players are simply not good enough, apart from Reina, Carragher, Gerrard and Torres.

There’s a hunch that he understands the lack of flair and quality with his players that he feels compelled to stroke their ego instead of going the ‘reverse psychology’ method that he often utilises onto the Captain.

And it’s quite a sad sight to see a manager of RB’s quality, a captain of Gerrard’s quality, a complete striker of Torres’ quality, and a keeper of Reina’s quality, to all be playing alongside sub-world class standard footballers.

Week in, week out we see Gerrard struggle to form a deadly partnership with anyone in the team, other than Torres. It seems that there is a dearth of world class understanding between the Captain and his team.

Even Stan Collymore echoed that Gerrard needs to leave Liverpool and find a team that’s on par with his standards, as a player of his immense abilities aren’t winning enough trophies with the current squad.

No matter what, I have a feeling that RB knows this, and he’s trynig as hard as he can to resist moaning about the situation, and not say anything about it.

Anyway, like he said, he just signed for 5 more years — it’s an ongoing project he says.

Well I hope that RB receives the proper backing ($$$) as much as Steven Gerrard will come to appreciate the strengths of Aquilani’s game, and hopefully more World Class players to come.

‘Cos it’ll be the begining of a funeral march if Gerrard leaves. Heh.

———-

AUTHOR BIO: Mar is a passionate, understanding and tolerable Reds fan through and through. His views on the current situation at Anfield does not reflect his subject’s opinions, but strangely it seems close enough. Catch him at his personal blog.mar.sg and say hi.