The Blame Game

Who is responsible for Liverpool’s woes?

Liverpool FC is out of the FA CUP – the once “Mighty” Reds were beaten 2-1 by lowly Reading FC in extra-time of their replayed cup match. Now I know that Manchester United were also shown the exit door by Leeds United (remember them?) – but this loss has deeper consequences for the Reds. The Merseyside team is now effectively out of contention for any silverware in the Premiership this season. As it always happens after a Liverpool loss these days – there’s a lot of media speculation regarding coach Rafa Benitez’ future with the club.

Some fans booed the coach and the players as they took the walk of shame into the tunnel – but a greater proportion insists that Rafa is a victim of bad management – and they continue to chant “In Rafa We Trust” in a cult-like fashion. The IRWT group is adamant that the source of the decay is none other than the club’s American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, also known as The Lying Yanks on the club’s fan sites.

I agree with that reasoning to a certain extent. Rafa has had some success with half-decent Liverpool squads in the past– equaling and breaking records that were held by previous managers whose statues can be spotted all around Anfield. Was this all a stroke of luck? Has Benitez really run out of ideas or is he an easy target for the media? I ask that because Arsenal is also going through a dry spell but you never see the “WENGER MUST GO” headlines each time they lose a match or get kicked out of a competition.

Over the years the top teams in Europe have broken the bank buying quality players while Liverpool has had to rely on cheap and sometimes FREE transfers to bolster their squad. Yes, they have spent some money and acquired some quality players (pronounced Torres) – but even that sub-30 million pound transfer is not a huge deal compared to what the “big boys” spend. It’s almost a joke to see the fans fantasizing about signing players like David Villa, David Silva etc. If football deals were a hip-hop musical – the soundtrack for Liverpool FC would be 50-Cent’s “Window Shopper”.

The truth is half of the Liverpool starting eleven, if not more, would not even be allowed to sniff the Manchester United and Chelsea benches – they are just not on that level. To make matters worse, it is now expected that for a huge chunk of the season Rafa has to do without his world-class players, Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard due to injury – no wonder he looks so much older than he really is (his Bio says he’s 49).

Rafa is no saint – and like all managers he has his moments of “stupidity” – be it making dodgy substitutions, selections, transfers or just being downright stubborn. Does that convert him into a bad manager overnight or is he being let down by his bosses and his players? After enjoying such a good run in the Premiership last season- eventually finishing second – we all expected Liverpool to come out with all guns blazing this time around but it wasn’t to be. The players have looked sluggish since the opening match defeat at the hands of Spurs – no signs of the fighting spirit that was displayed by the class of 2004/2005 at Istanbul.

Liverpool FC is a club with a very rich history – so much so that despite not enjoying much success in the past two decades they remain the most successful club in English football. The fans have high expectations and in their minds Liverpool is one of the Top Four English teams by default. But football has changed a lot from the days of Shankly, Paisley and Dalglish – and unfortunately this prestigious club is struggling to keep up. I seriously doubt that any of the top managers would achieve better results with the current crop of players, the limited budget and the boardroom politics.

The Reds will have to work as a unit to get themselves out of this quicksand they are currently sinking into – until then the fans and the media will continue to point fingers.

Blame it on the coach – blame it on the players – blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-administration…

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