The NewsNow Network is a fantastic piece of web software. It has been around now since the late 1990s and I was one of its initial users with a Liverpool website I had put up in 2000 or so. I periodically watch out for new entries in the Liverpool FC section and occasionally I stumble on poor articles, written by the same mischief makers with the sole intent of proposing slanderous attacks on the great institution which is Liverpool FC.
I had no intent of writing another column prior to the game against Fulham, but the article published on www.dexden.co.uk entitled Liverpool – Has Benitez put you back 5 years? must be heavily condemned as it portrays false statements, unbelievably poor pigeon arguments.
Now that all looks rosy at Anfield, those who never had Liverpool FC at heart are suddenly panic-driven and resorting to pitiful attempts to discredit a person who is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of Liverpool’s most loved ex-managers, Rafa Benitez. The majority of fans will always hold a special place in their heart for the Spaniard who threw us a life-line and dragged the club out of obscurity. He put us back on the map of Europe’s elite football clubs – instantly – by leading us to a fifth European Cup victory, an unforgettable event. He built up the spine of the team which is currently fighting it all out to rectify the damage brought about by three years of mis-management by the previous power brokers at the club. He was rarely given support by the former – his work could have never been shielded by that aura of hostility perpetrated by poor club management. Yet he is again denigrated by those who criticise with venom in their fangs.
What Benitez brought to the club doesn’t require too much explanation. He may have faltered, at times, in the transfer market, but as I once pointed out, all managers get a few transfers wrong; it’s part-and-parcel of the player-trading business. The columnist mentions two players in the LIST of flops bought by Benitez, Babel and Aquilani. Let us start with the latter. AA is a quality player who simply couldn’t adjust to life on Merseyside, and the story ends there. A pity, yes, but you can’t do much if a player prefers to plough his trade in another country. He has been exceptional and instrumental at Juventus this season. Babel was an exciting prospect but the project with the ex-Ajax player simply didn’t work out. Transfers involving players who play in a non-English league are always tricky and one can only hope that players adapt quickly to the style, speed and aggressiveness of the Premier League.
Benitez brought in the likes of Skrytel (a bargain transfer), Torres, Agger, Kuyt, Mascherano – a transfer which started off as a loan deal and then a permanent one after months of speculation and reluctance by the previous owners to cough up the £18m necessary – just to name a few. One can also add Lucas, who took his time to settle down, but is now proving to be a worthy nuisance to opponents in the midfield hot spot and Jonjo Shelvey who looks geared into being the future Gerrard.
Benitez’s influence was not team-wide. It was club-wide. He improved the academy and brought back Kenny Dalglish as a club ambassador – a move which holds tremendous weight and importance for the future of this football club. Kenny may have been out of football management for a number of years but those months spent at the club prior to his engagement as Liverpool’s manager have exposed him to club affairs, players and instilled in him that eagerness to get involved, again, in top-flight football management.
Liverpool do need one or two additions, but wholesome changes are not required. It is important to look ahead and make plans for the day when the likes of Carragher and Gerrard pack up, but Liverpool need not worry as foundations are already in place. Dalglish’s influence, barely two weeks after taking over has had a catalyst effect, turning a team previously in dormant state to one wanting to erupt in, and looking forward to every game.
See you next time.
Thanks, Karl. YWNA
I have to say i strongly disagree to the sentiment you show to benitez. As a life long liverpool fan born in liverpool and living in liverpool i thing i can talk for a huge chunk of scousers when i say thanks for the european cup but our current situation is down to you.
The arguement that he wasnt backed jus simply isn’t true. It is true that all managers fail from time to time in the transfer market but his was a role reversed. the list is endless of poor signings in a time when we were looking to improve he let us down badly. Forwards have never been replaced and crucial positions have never been replaced with quality
Riise for Dossena
Arbeloa for Johnson
Skrtl for Hyypia
Alonso for Aquilani
If you sell a player then he must be replaced with a player with equal or better quality and he failed miserably on so many counts and let me tell you that this wasn’t pennies my friend. He achieved success for which we will always be grateful but the man was a self publising egomaniac dictator who forgot he was simply an employee, who held our club to ransom for 6 million pound and played the fans at every opportunity. DO NOT FORGET IT
Did you not know the rules?? lol Rafa is at fault for everything and poor old Roy wasnt to blame. Its not as if Kenny has changed the atmosphere or made us attack more from the first game… (oh, he did) (this must be the last of Roys training sessions rubbing off really)
London press = Liverpool haters and Roy Lovers.
Match of the day is always fixed to make us look poor to the casual viewer too. This week, we appeared to have about 4 shots and Wolves a similar amount. They wouldnt want to make us look good, would they!
Spurs have about 5 shots in a game vs Newcastle and the highlights last twice as long as ours.
The anti Rafa agenda will always continue, he put us back on the right track, won us no 5, and brought back our beloved King. Rafa is a legend always in our hearts YNWA
One of the BEST and FAIR articles I’ve read thus far.
@Jamie
Speaking for a large chunk of scousers? Which side of merseyiside?
COuld you do a survey and show us the statistics to prove that there are in REALITY a large chunk of scousers who support your view?
What we are missing most at the moment is confidence, as well as a few positions that need filling (LB, LW especially). However, someone pointed out that 10 of the players that beat Real Madrid 4-0 appeared in the heavy defeat Blackburn (I may be slightly wrong there, but you get the idea).
I believe a manager should be judged not by the players they sign, but the results and performances in competitions. (Also the situation of the club should of course be taken into account). Rafa made us a real force in Europe and a very good league run (4 or the last 5 CL quarter finals in the last 20 years have been with him).
Only one PL manager who has finished 2nd hasn’t one it. Yes, you guessed it- Rafa. However, when the players (and some of the fans) lose confidence in you it’s time to go.
jamie the man utd supporter….pathetic argument against rafa
Karl, speak for yourself, you do not represent me or the majority of Liverpool fans IMO.
Fair enough Benitez was a nice guy and did a lot of charity work in merseyside but he was no great manager.
I was glad to see the back of the bloke TBH. Thankfully Hodgson wasn’t given the time and money to get us into a deeper mess.
Kenny (who you are too young to remember) will get us back to glory.
Jamie,
He is not an Idiot and anyone can look back and point out the crap buys, buy of course it was due to not being backed.
Ask any idiot on here to name some potentially good signings. You will get a list of top quality players as we all know who we would buy given backing. However, if you have to continually make do then its not your fault. Rafa didnt wake up one day and say mmmm lets sell some good players and buy several cheap ones to replace them.
UTD and Chelsea both wasted about £30m each on Veron and some other expensive signings. All of our crap signings have been enforced cheap ones.
I would like to endorse what Jamie says.
Benitez had a negative mindset and was not a great manager.
Just look what Kenny has done already.
Though I do agree Karl that the article you referred to was by a knocker – Manc? Bluesh*te? who knows but we are used to this.
TBH the man I hold responsible for the last 20 years is David Moores…
The manure fans were gutted when Benitez was sacked!
jamie i totally agree with your comment, i said in 2006 that man will single handedly cripple our great footall club and i wasnt far wrong, hopefully with the guidance and class of kk we can regain our status as a super club. i say regain as the spaniard let down our club on so many fronts, not just in the transfer market but he dragged the club through the gutter on many occasions and in my opinion totally lacked class.Whilst all lfc fans like myself will always be hugely greatful to the players, management and staff for unforgettable memories of istanbul (and the previous management and staff for that matter) in the years that followed im afraid the club hit lows that never have i witnessed before in my lifetime, already after just a few weeks in charge i feel we have regained much of the respect that has took decades to build and long may it continue!!!!
Yeah, Rafa’s negative tactics saw us be the top scorers in the league on year and the whole of Europe in another (with his crap squad)
We always had a healthy goal difference too.
And whilst I am on a Rafa defending rant… “ZONAL MARKING is shocking… look at this goal and that one.. blah blah blah” However when the same players use Man Marking under Roy and let in more goals and keep less clean sheets that we have for years, has anyone heard a single pundit mention how we defend??? no!
Most people wont remember or admit, but when we signed Torres, Rafa was abused for buying a player who only looked good in an average Athletico team and averaged about 12 goals a season, which was not going to work in UK (this is why Utd didnt want him apparantly)
Rafa could have signed Maradonna and Pele and been called an idiot. ROY probably would have signed them!! NOW! and been called canny.
GGGRRR I hate the press
*one year (not on)
What bemuses me is that Rafa brings in Torres and Dalglish (I repeat, the brilliant move of bringing KK at the time has cushioned the overwhelming effect of Dalglish returning to management) and yet, some look only at the few negatives in a tenure which saw Rafa struggle against owners, media and other managers.
Browny, it’s time we all looked forward – Benitez vs Hodgson isn’t relevant other than as a historical footnote.
Personally I will never forgive Benitez for “losing” Xabi.
It didn’t take him long to lose the Inter dressing room – bits are starting to come out on the real reason he was sacked.
Anyhow, we are at last playing the way we used to – neither Benitez nor Hodgson had the courage to let our players express themselves…
El rey es muerto – Long Live the King
@Jamie i’m also a lifelong Liverpool fan born and bred in the city and i think you speak for yourself not me or the majority of my mates and friends i go the game with because we look at the facts of what he had to put up with in the final 3 years of his tenure its Hicks and Gillett who tried to destroy the club Riise had to go he had become a liability Rafa was immense for us gave us our pride and identity back stood up to anyone who tried to slag our club didn’t care about other managers or the LMA only Liverpool football club instead of believing everything you read look at the facts his last season wasn’t good enough everyone knows that but with them Texan Thieves at the helm i’m not surprised we finished where we did
Jamie
You may think you speak for a few scousers… but don’t get on your high horse as though living in Liverpool and supporting them makes your views any more qualified than the next man..that’s a very weak way to start any argument you put forward (and before you ask…yes I was brought up in Liverpool and have supported them for 40 years and been a season ticket holder).
The replacement of players with quality comes down to available money and Benitez was having to work deals and get players cheap because the money wasn’t there (if you think otherwise then you are stupid…I don’t know any manager who buys on the cheap when he has the funds to do otherwise). Show me a Manager who has achieved the same with a squad of the same cost.
Billy,
I will give you that as when Stevie was sent off vs the Mancs, we still attacked and made positive subs..
I text my mate and joked that I didnt care if we lost 4-0 because finally we were thinking of how to attack rather than not concede
Where’s @Jamie??? U speak for your own “chunk” or “junk” may i say! For me the biggest contribution by Rafa besides the Champions League No.5 is bringing King Kenny back as an ambassador. This indirectly paved Kenny’s way to become Liverpool’s manager today. Rafa YNWA!
my dear friends, please wake up and don’t just read the press (particularly those from London). Check the fact yourselves: where were liverpoolfc in the ten years before Rafa?
(1) check our European results; We were so unarchieved that even GH was considered a overall success! (and fair enough, he’d pull us back a bit
(2) check our league positions (in time even without the sugar daddy of MC and Chelsea);
(3) the class of signings (who is up to the standards of Rafa’s except Hyypia?). Check the price of our sale (of “failure”) and you get a real sense of how were our players regarded by other professionals instead of the press.
We improved so much under Rafa. We are not better than MU is not his fault. Get real mates.
Stop Chattin poney shite carl u dont even no what ur talkin about he might of got a 5th champions league and a few other cups but he wrote us off he had 1 of the best teams in the world a couple of mounths ago and hes wrote them off an you can keep goin on about your season ticket most REAL SCOUSERS arnt even at the mach what made you even think about writeing this has he even been gone a year yet?
John, calm down will you.
Karl, you talk of calming down – sorry, mate it was you who took the bait ;)
That article was written by a knocker – best just to ignore it…
It raised a divisive topic and you’ve added fuel and guess what?
We have a load of divided opinion here.
Look forward – they’re scared of what we can do with a real manager, playing the Liverpool way ;)
Scouse Billy, your last line wraps it all up…a real manager ushered back in at Liverpool by Rafa.
This is the first thing you have written that isn’t complete bullshit. I wouldn’t say Rafa is one of the most loved ex-Liverpool managers but ages 25 he did bring me the best night of my life as a Liverpool fan so fair play to him.
The best thing he did was bring back Kenny then lose his mind so he could take over!
StevieG1985, are you a resident critic? You can always join us in at EOTK and post your own articles and enlighten us further…
Well I’m a scouser born and bred and do not recognise anything jaimie says as being indicative of a wide held critical view of Benitez. Unless you’re actually jaimie carrragher! As well as winning the European cup he repeatedly over performed in Europe to the point where we were consistently high ranked, even number 1 in the UEFA rankings. He also gave us our highest ever epl points haul. So Jaime, you may be right in saying that he swapped riise for dossena but he also did the following:
List of benitez achievements at lfc
2004-05
In his 1st home game in charge (Man City) Liverpool came from behind at half-time to win a game for the first time in more than 5 years.
At Fulham (October 2004) the Reds came from behind at half-time to win an away game for the 1st time in 13 years.
Liverpool became the 1st British club to ‘keep’ the European Cup following a 5th Final success.
Steven Gerrard became the 2nd youngest player to captain a European Cup winning team.
2005-06
Became only the 3rd team, and the 1st British side, to win the European Super Cup 3 times.
Steven Gerrard became the 1st Liverpool player in history to score in 5 successive European matches.
Kept clean sheets in each of their opening 4 league games for the 1st time in the club’s history.
Sami Hyypia played in a 56th consecutive European game – breaking the club record for an outfield player (he extended that record to 57).
Liverpool set a new club record of 11 consecutive clean sheets (Oct-Dec 2005).
Went 762 minutes without conceding a league goal (a post-war club record).
Won 10 league games in a row for the 1st time in 15 years.
At Luton Liverpool scored 5 goals in an away F.A. Cup tie for the 1st time in 59 years.
Liverpool beat Manchester United for the 1st time in the F.A. Cup for 85 years.
Recorded their biggest ever away win in the F.A. Cup (7-0 at Birmingham) and the biggest by any team away from home in the Quarter-Finals for 106 years.
Conceded only 8 league goals at home – their 3rd best total ever.
Set a club record of 12 successive wins in all competitions (it was extended to 14 at the start of the following season).
By lifting the F.A. Cup became the 1st manager in the club’s history to win a trophy in each of his first 2 seasons in charge.
Set a club record of 21 goals scored by substitutes in a season – previous record was 12.
Achieved the 6th-highest accumulation of available league points in the club’s history, and at the time, the 2nd-highest ever number of wins (as a % of games played)
2006-07
Recorded his 50th league win in just 93 games – a record bettered by only 2 Liverpool managers of the previous 57 years, Dalglish and Shankly.
Went unbeaten in 30 successive home league games for only the 4th time in their history.
Scored 4 goals in the 1st half of an away league game (at Wigan) for the 1st time in 15 years.
Pepe Reina kept more clean sheets in his first 50 league games (28) than any other goalkeeper in the club’s history.
Jamie Carragher played in a club record 58th game in the European Cup.
Jamie Carragher made a club record 90th appearance in all European competition.
Conceded only 7 league goals at home – best total for 28 years.
Only second English side to win in Nou Camp (previous one was Liverpool in 1976).
Reached second Champions League final in three seasons. (If ‘lucky’ to win in 2005, the Reds were ‘unlucky’ to lose in 2007.)
2007-08
Beat Beşiktaş 8-0 to record the biggest ever Champions League victory.
Scored 4 goals in a game on 8 occasions before Christmas for only the 3rd time in club’s history.
Steven Gerrard scored his 23rd European goal – to break the club record.
Pepe Reina kept his 50th league clean sheet in his 92nd appearance – breaking club record of 95 held by Ray Clemence.
Steven Gerrard became the 1st Liverpool player ever to score in 5 successive European games in the same season.
Fernando Torres became the 1st Liverpool player in 62 years to a hat-trick in successive home league games.
Jamie Carragher became the 1st Liverpool player to play 100 European games for the club.
Fernando Torres became the 1st player in 12 years to score 20 league goals for the club.
Pepe Reina kept 54 clean sheets in his first 100 league games to break the club record held by Ray Clemence.
Steven Gerrard became the 1st Liverpool player to score in 4 successive home European games.
Fernando Torres became the 1st Liverpool player to score in 7 successive top-flight home league games.
Rafa Benitez won 81 of his first 150 league games in charge. Only Kenny Dalglish (87) won more as Liverpool manager.
Ryan Babel equalled the club record of most goals in a season scored by a substitute (7).
Liverpool had 6 players who scored 10 goals or more in a season. Only the 3rd time this had happened in the club’s history.
Fernando Torres equalled the club record by scoring in an 8th successive home league game (all divisions).
Fernando Torres scored 24 league goals – most by any Liverpool player in a debut season for 61 years.
Fernando Torres broke Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s record of most goals in a debut Premier league season by an overseas player.
Pepe Reina won the Golden Glove for the 3rd successive season.
Liverpool scored 119 goals in the season – more than any team in England.
2008-09
In 2008 recorded their highest points tally in a calendar year (81) for 18 years.
Liverpool won 9 successive home league games for the 1st time since November 1990.
Fernando Torres became the club’s 2nd highest ever scorer in his first 50 games (34 goals).
Ryan Babel became the club’s 2nd highest ever goalscoring substitute (with 8 goals).
Liverpool came from behind to defeat Manchester United in the league for the 1st time in 42 years.
End Chelsea’s 84-game unbeaten home record.
Became only the 2nd English team to win in the Bernabeu.
At Anfield inflicted upon Real Madrid their biggest ever Champions League defeat.
Steven Gerrard became only the 2nd Liverpool player to play 100 times for the club in Europe.
Recorded their biggest win at Old Trafford for 72 years. It was also the 1st time 4 Liverpool players had scored at United in the same game.
Led the table for the 1st time ever in the Premiership with 2 games to play.
Broke Bill Shankly’s record of 65 European matches as Liverpool manager.
Broke Bob Paisley’s record of 40 European wins as Liverpool manager.
Recorded his 100th league win as manager in his 181st game. It was the 3rd quickest ever by a Liverpool manager and 50 games faster than Alex Ferguson.
Equalled club record set in 1904-05 by winning 13 away league games.
Amassed their highest points total ever in the Premier League (86) beating the 82 set in 2005-06. Their highest in the league since 1987-88.
Scored at least 3 goals in 6 successive games in all competitions for the 1st time in the club’s history.
Finished the campaign with a goal difference of + 50 – their best for 21 years when they amassed + 63 in 1987-88.
Lost just twice in the league – equalling the fewest they had lost in a league campaign for 105 years.
Fernando Torres scored 33 goals in his first 50 league games for the club – the best by any Liverpool player for 52 years.
Pepe Reina kept his 100th clean sheet in the fastest time in Liverpool history (197 games).
Won 75% of all available league points – 2nd highest in the club’s history.
The highest number of points by any team which failed to win the league (38 game seasons)
2009-10
Went unbeaten in 31 home league games – their 3rd longest ever run and best for 32 years.
Against Manchester United recorded his 114th league win in his 200th game. The 2nd best tally by any Liverpool manager in first 200 league games (Kenny Dalglish 120 wins).
Liverpool won a 3rd successive league game at Everton for only 3rd time in club’s history.
Yossi Benayoun scored a hat-trick against Burnley to become only the 5th player in the club’s history to score a hat-trick in 3 different competitions.
Pepe Reina set a new club record of most clean sheets (79) in first 150 league games.
Liverpool scored 22 goals in opening 7 league games – best tally for 114 years and 2nd best ever.
Broke club record by scoring in an 18th successive Premier League game at Anfield.
Fernando Torres broke the club record by scoring his 50th league goal for Liverpool in just his 72nd match.
(Correct up to January 23rd 2010)
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
In addition, here are some statistics relating to the eight Liverpool managers over the past 50 years.
Win %
Rafa Benítez
League – Played 212, won 56.13% (currently 2nd-highest % for any post-war Liverpool manager)
Europe – Played 77, won 55.84% (currently 3rd-highest % for any Liverpool manager)
Gerard Houllier
League – Played 216, won 50.00%
Europe – Played 52 , won 50.00%
Roy Evans
League – Played 172, won 48.26%
Europe – Played 16 8, won 50.00%
Graeme Sounes
League – Played 115, won 40.87%
Europe – Played 12 6, won 50.00%
Kenny Dalglish
League – Played 224, won 60.71%
Joe Fagan
League – Played 84, won 52.38%
Europe – Played 19 , won 68.42%
Bob Paisley
League – Played 378, won 56.08%
Europe – Played 61 , won 63.93%
Bill Shankly
League – Played 609, won 52.38%
Europe – Played 65 , won 52.31%
Progress From Predecessor?
Although it never appeared in the book, for Dynasty I compared the league records of all eight managers since 1959, with the first season’s points removed from their average tally. This first season total was removed because some managers inherited successful sides, and others inherited struggling sides; as such, I wanted a less-skewed figure for their performance.
Once Liverpool were struggling from 1991 onwards, the worst points tally posted by each of Evans (60), Houllier (54) and Benítez (58) was in their first season. By contrast, Joe Fagan, by inheriting a world-class team, had his best total in his inaugural season. The same applies to Graeme Souness (I’ve also excluded incomplete seasons if the manager left before the end).
So, when removing the first season – giving each man a season’s grace, if you will – the following figures are their average league points tallies; where a predecessor is listed in brackets it means they improved on the man before them. Currently Benítez has the greatest improvement by any Liverpool manager, but that will drop slightly if Liverpool do not reach 78 points in this campaign.
1 Paisley av. 83 (predecessor av. 77)
2 Dalglish av. 81 (predecessor av. 77)
3 Benítez av. 78 (predecessor av. 68)
4 Shankly av. 77
5 Fagan av. 77
5 Evans av. 70 (predecessor av. 61)
7 Houllier av. 68
8 Souness av. 61
So anyone who says that the club has gone backwards since the days of Houllier (that includes you, Danny Murphy) is wrong; the facts suggest a big improvement.
(All tallies adjusted to 3 points for a win system, which was introduced in 1981.)
haha would love to mate ;O)
Note: I should have said that the above list and stats were written by Paul Tomkins.
Good or bad, what’s done cannot be undone. Rafa is the past. Look forward and speak to current needs and goals. The only season that counts is this one and the only game that counts is the next one.
I did not read the article, just the heading. Roy’s game was not for us and he had to go….Rafa, in my view, ran out of ideas, even after a turnover of dozens of players of which only a handful really were worthy of wearing the Liverpool shirt.
Antoine. Can I ask why my comment has been removed?
Oooppsss I take it back!!!! Sorry!