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.

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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.

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.

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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.

SPOTLIGHT: Rafael Benitez — A sea of perfect calm amidst the madness.

This man has been under the cosh more than too many times this season hasn’t he?

To anyone who thinks that Rafa has gone nuts more than erred, then he better think twice because whatever Rafa has been doing, he’s been methodically and systematically done them right.

From youth policies to first team selections, there isn’t really much fault, but it isn’t to say that it’s flawless all the way.

No matter the topic, no matter the occasion, no matter the result, there will never be a better, calmer, wiser tactician, manager and leader than Rafa at Liverpool.

Liverpool just opened the scoring over arch rivals Manchester United and Rafa barely bats an eyelid as he soaks it all in.

Liverpool goes 3 goals down in the first 30 minutes of a game and Rafa simply frowns, as he contemplate the changes.

The hungry press snips and bites at his managerial ability and he merely smiles and swats their criticisms  away like pesky houseflies, who know it all too well that the’ve overstayed their welcome.

Barely flinching at the slightest setback and rarely excitable, Rafa is a sea of perfect calm amidst the madness, infecting staffs and players, bringing about assurance and a sense of assertive confidence.

The perfect anecdote to an unnecessary chaotic scenario.

To the neutrals and his detractors, Rafa may be a forlorn nut case, a sacrificial lamb to the woeful run of results in recent weeks.

But to the ones who sits intently watching the Reds trot onto the field, to the ones who savour every inch perfect pass from the captain, Steven Gerrard, and to the ones who sings the club’s anthem and personifying its lyrics, we truly know what Rafa is all about.

Oh yes we do.

We know that he’s not a bad manager overnight, that he’s suddenly not a poor tactician, andthat he’s got a grand plan that will unveil itself, when the opportunity to do so presents itself.

Yes, we know it all.

It’s a red thing.

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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.