Liverpool F.c.

[scousemouse]

I am a big huge admirer of Benitez and I think this is a particularly good piece by Paul Tomkins.Lazy minded T.V. egos like Redknapp open their mouths far too often before their minds click into gear.How do they get away with it so often?

Nice point oldgit , I reckon they get away with it 'cause there good for T.V !!!!

[scousemouse]

Well then , if Steven Gerrard is admiting it maybe its time for scousemouse to face the truth :

Nah, stay in denial like me Scouse. It's a much better feeling.

Denial , Liverpool are the best in the World .

That felt good .

[scousemouse]

Liverpool v Barnsley

Anfield

Saturday 16 February

Fifth Round

Kick-off: 1500 GMT

Referee: M Atkinson (Yorkshire)

Replay: Tues 26 February, 1945 GMT

Liverpool centre-back Martin Skrtel (calf) is out and Sami Hyypia may play, while Fabio Aurelio and Alvaro Arbeloa are available after injury.

Fernando Torres (hamstring) is fit but is set to be rested ahead of the Champions League tie at Inter Milan.

Barnsley's emergency goalkeeper signing Luke Steele will go straight into the side to replace the injured Heinz Muller and ineligible Tony Warner.

Lewin Nyatanga and Jon Macken are both out as they are cup-tied.

Liverpool (from): Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Riise, Aurelio, Arbeloa, Pennant, Mascherano, Gerrard, Babel, Benayoun, Kewell, Lucas, Torres, Crouch, Kuyt, San Jose, Itandje.

•

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez, whose team play Inter Milan on Tuesday:

"I need to consider both games.

"But I know it's important to progress in the FA Cup, so I will try to use a strong team.

"For Inter Fernando Torres will be OK, we will have to check before Barnsley."

•

Barnsley manager Simon Davey:

"This will be the pinnacle of some of the players' careers so far and they have to make sure they take the chance.

"I will be proud to lead the team out at Anfield but we are going there to try to win the game.

"We don't want the players to freeze and this opportunity to pass us by."

BIG-MATCH FACTS

The FA Cup provides Liverpool with their only realistic chance of a domestic honour this season.

Barnsley are aiming to pull off their biggest shock in the FA Cup since dismissing Manchester United at this fifth round stage in 1998, but the Tykes were a Premier League outfit at the time.

Liverpool are one of a mere six surviving Premier League clubs in the last 16, and could be one of four to fall to lower ranked opposition at this stage.

The League ladder

Liverpool are 29 places higher than Barnsley in the league standings.

FA CUP RECORDS AND BEST PERFORMANCES

LIVERPOOL

Current form

Lost one of the last 12 in league and cup.

Not lost in six at Anfield since Manchester United's 0-1 victory in the Premier League on 16 December.

Recent FA Cup performance

Scored five goals in each of their last two outings, but were taken to a replay by League One Luton in the third round, and sensationally trailed twice at Anfield to non-league minnows Havant and Waterlooville (123 places beneath them), in the last round.

Won the cup seven times, but only once in six years.

The Manager

Liverpool's victory on penalties over West Ham two years ago won for Rafa Benitez the only domestic Cup of his managerial career.

FA Cup fact

Last humiliated by Championship opposition in the third round on 18 January 2005, when a Djimi Traore own goal put Burnley through at Turf Moor, and manager Benitez was roundly criticised for fielding an under strength side in his first FA Cup tie in charge.

BARNSLEY

Current form

Won four and lost four of the last eight in all competitions.

Recent FA Cup performance

On their best run since reaching the quarter-finals as a Premier League club in 1999.

FA Cup fact

Not knocked out a top-flight side when a lower ranked club themselves since Southampton in the fifth round in 1985, winning 1-2 at the Dell with goals from Steve Agnew and Gordon Owen (penalty). They then met Liverpool in the last eight.

HEAD to HEAD

All competitions

Not met since both were Premier League clubs in 1997-98. There was a share of the spoils with both league fixtures being won by the club playing away from home.

FA Cup

Liverpool have won all four previous ties against the south Yorkshire club, the most recent being 0-4 away in the quarter-finals in 1985.

[mrtoad]

Oh Dear.

Taxi for Benitez?

[spot]

Oh Dear.

Taxi for Benitez?

Didn't waste any time getting in there Mr Toad...

[mrtoad]

Oh Dear.

Taxi for Benitez?

Didn't waste any time getting in there Mr Toad...

Sorry Spot, my mate who's a Red has been sending texts throughout the game. To say he ain't happy is an understatement.

I can't beleive that they couldn't kill that game off, they had enough chances, but Steel had one of those inspired days. Great winner though.

[JacknDanny]

Oh Dear.

Taxi for Benitez?

Didn't waste any time getting in there Mr Toad...

Sorry Spot, my mate who's a Red has been sending texts throughout the game. To say he ain't happy is an understatement.

I can't beleive that they couldn't kill that game off, they had enough chances, but Steel had one of those inspired days. Great winner though.

They were absolute sh!te!!

How they can leave Gerard on the bench is beyond me. Even more puzzling was substituting Babel for Kewell

You Liverpool fans must be despairing of Benitez by now??

[mrtoad]

Oh Dear.

Taxi for Benitez?

Didn't waste any time getting in there Mr Toad...

Sorry Spot, my mate who's a Red has been sending texts throughout the game. To say he ain't happy is an understatement.

I can't beleive that they couldn't kill that game off, they had enough chances, but Steel had one of those inspired days. Great winner though.

They were absolute sh!te!!

How they can leave Gerard on the bench is beyond me. Even more puzzling was substituting Babel for Kewell

You Liverpool fans must be despairing of Benitez by now??

Yeah, they were poor, and I can't see this going on for much longer. Think the septics will make a move after the game in the week.

Hopefully Kopite or scousemouse can give a better opinion as Liverpool fans.

[kopite]

what in the same way you was for whiskey nose when he first took over?

the league will come with time. in the same way it took you lot 26 years, we will get there in the end under benitez.

18-5

forever in our shadow

[kopite]

love days like these when fickle reds come out with the radio phone ins etc...

do any of you realise that most reds couldnt give a <deleted> about today. only the mancs maybe. after all it wasnt that long ago they sold there soul as well

[JacknDanny]

what in the same way you was for whiskey nose when he first took over?

the league will come with time. in the same way it took you lot 26 years, we will get there in the end under benitez.

18-5

forever in our shadow

You seem to be in a minority, if what both Grobbelaar and McMahon were saying earlier.

I am not saying this as a way of baiting you or trying to take the p!ss, but to me the gap between Liverpool and the 'Big 3" seems to be getting wider. And considering Liverpool have, in my opinion, one of the best players in the world (Gerard), I lay the blame most definately at the door of Benitez

[mrtoad]

love days like these when fickle reds come out with the radio phone ins etc...

do any of you realise that most reds couldnt give a <deleted> about today. only the mancs maybe. after all it wasnt that long ago they sold there soul as well

Oi Calm down Kopite , I was only asking a question, i.e. Benitez, and what will happen? As for Whiskey nose, the situation back in the 1980's was very different to the one these days. Now money is king, and almost instant results are demanded. If you accept the results you have been getting over the last 2 years, then I'm slightly baffled.

Anyway, you may get your chance to take the Piss later.

[kopite]

what in the same way you was for whiskey nose when he first took over?

the league will come with time. in the same way it took you lot 26 years, we will get there in the end under benitez.

18-5

forever in our shadow

You seem to be in a minority, if what both Grobbelaar and McMahon were saying earlier.

I am not saying this as a way of baiting you or trying to take the p!ss, but to me the gap between Liverpool and the 'Big 3" seems to be getting wider. And considering Liverpool have, in my opinion, one of the best players in the world (Gerard), I lay the blame most definately at the door of Benitez

well you carry on. lay the blame where you want.

both of them ex-players are gobshites who can get to <deleted>.

the big 3? benitez? so what has benitez, wenger, and whiskey nose won since 2002. have a look

[Seapok]

Liverpool 1-2 Barnsley

Barnsley sent Liverpool crashing out of the FA Cup thanks to Brian Howard's dramatic injury-time winner at Anfield.

All I can say is hahahaha :D:D:D

[spot]

Grobbelaar and McMahon loved laying in to Benitez last night. McMahon was saying something about the performance being nothing to do with the owners, as Benitez didn't pick his best team. I turned it off in the end. I'm getting a bit sick of McMahon laying in to Benitez. Same as Souness, great players but sh*t managers. It's Ok spouting about it, but they have proved that they can't hack it as managers.

Lets get some perspective here: the goal came in the last seconds, and before that the Barnsley keep made save after save. So we can't say that the players Benitez put on were not creating chances in the second half - cos they were, lots of them! Nothing went in and that's football.

Good luck to Barnsley, you won!

Arsenal got thumped 4-0 and haven't yet won the Champions league, so why aren't people and pundits laying into Wenger?

I believe that Hicks and co have created so much instability in the last few months, and if we are knocked out of the champions league they will sack Benitez! Whatever those two do, they won't have the (real) supporters on their side.

[oldgit]

what in the same way you was for whiskey nose when he first took over?

the league will come with time. in the same way it took you lot 26 years, we will get there in the end under benitez.

18-5

forever in our shadow

You seem to be in a minority, if what both Grobbelaar and McMahon were saying earlier.

I am not saying this as a way of baiting you or trying to take the p!ss, but to me the gap between Liverpool and the 'Big 3" seems to be getting wider. And considering Liverpool have, in my opinion, one of the best players in the world (Gerard), I lay the blame most definately at the door of Benitez

What I really think about those two halfwits is unprintable but the backtracking by Steve" I do,I REALLY do" McMahon after the game was laughable.

Before the game-('Experts' analysis)

Scotch bloke who expects everybody to hang on to his every word;"Well Steve,what team do you think Rafa should put out today?"(took about 5 mins. to say that sentence).

Grob & Mac;"Can't rotate,blah,blah",....yawn

Scotch bloke;"Well,there's the team for today,what do you think?"

Mac;"I like it.Its shape is good.Crouch scores goals.Lucas is a future star.Yeah,I like it"

After the game.

Scotch bloke;"What a shock,Steve!"

Mac;"Can't rotate,blah,blah...I'm glad Bruce is hear to back me up...can't rotate."Now if our esteemed sages get it wrong,what chance have Rafa and the rest of us got?Incidently,this was exactly the same team that played Luton at Kenilworth Road but,for some reason, McMahon DIDN'T like the shape that day.

My conclusion is that its nothing to do with rotation and more to do with attitude.You've got a side packed full of internationals that couldn't give a rats arse about the F.A.Cup and a keeper that was inspired.Why weren't they?.Benitez has taken the flak for too long for these lily-livered,non triers tip toeing around the pitch desperate to keep their kit clean.

[scousemouse]

Aaaah well .

I for one did give a sh#te about this game and I'm Liverpool supporter ( ) and for us to get beat at home by Barnsley is unacceptable.

Does anyone seriously believe we would have got beat if Steven Gerrard was playing ???. And we could go on all day about how the players on the pitch should have been good enough to get the win but obviously they were not so if Gerrard is fully fit then why not start him .

Fair enough , we've got Inter Milan in the champions league at Anfield on Tuesday and Rafa had an eye on that game ( always thinking about the next match ..... what about today ) and that's why he rested Gerrard who he ended bringing on in the 75th minute anyway .

I remember it was a home defeat to Bristol ( but can't remember whether it was rovers or city ) in the F.A cup that got Souness the sack and Rafa is lucky he's got the Inter match so soon after with a quick chance to redeem himself , if we were to get beat however ..................... .

With Arsenal getting knocked out and the luck of the draw we've been having the F.A cup was a golden opportunity for us to win some silverware this season and now that's gone its sh#t or bust time for Rafa in the champions league.

Congratulations to Barnsley , the magic of the F.A cup continues , best cup competition in the world.

[scousemouse]

Aaaah well .

I for one did give a sh#te about this game and I'm Liverpool supporter ( ) and for us to get beat at home by Barnsley is unacceptable.

Does anyone seriously believe we would have got beat if Steven Gerrard was playing ???. And we could go on all day about how the players on the pitch should have been good enough to get the win but obviously they were not so if Gerrard is fully fit then why not start him .

Fair enough , we've got Inter Milan in the champions league at Anfield on Tuesday and Rafa had an eye on that game ( always thinking about the next match ..... what about today ) and that's why he rested Gerrard who he ended bringing on in the 75th minute anyway .

I remember it was a home defeat to Bristol ( but can't remember whether it was rovers or city ) in the F.A cup that got Souness the sack and Rafa is lucky he's got the Inter match so soon after with a quick chance to redeem himself , if we were to get beat however ..................... .

With Arsenal getting knocked out and the luck of the draw we've been having the F.A cup was a golden opportunity for us to win some silverware this season and now that's gone its sh#t or bust time for Rafa in the champions league.

Congratulations to Barnsley , the magic of the F.A cup continues , best cup competition in the world.

LFC 1-2 BARNSLEY: THE REPORT

Liverpool have crashed out of the FA Cup following an injury time stunner from Barnsley captain Brian Howard.

The 25-yard winner came after Stephen Foster levelled Dirk Kuyt's first-half opener.

Benitez's side now have just the Champions League in their sights if 2007-08 is to end in glory.

The Reds will now have to pick themselves up for the arrival of Italy's runaway leaders, Inter Milan - and they'll have to play better than they did against a team lying 14th in the English Championship.

Liverpool might still be in the FA Cup had numerous chances not once again gone begging.

A low drive from John Arne Riise, a tame chest and volley from Kuyt and a Peter Crouch header which dropped harmlessly wide - all within the first 12 minutes.

Next Dutch duo Ryan Babel and Kuyt combined well before teeing up Lucas for what turned out to be a blaze over.

Yossi Benayoun was taking up some great positions and it was his movement that created a decent chance for Crouch on 18 minutes. The big man controlled well after receiving the ball 10 yards from goal but his shot was palmed away well by Barnsley debutant Luke Steele.

Still the chances continued to be wasted. Babel was next to have a pop after beating his man in the box, but his effort was too close to the keeper.

Then, a scare at the other end when Hyypia lingered on the ball and allowed Daniel Nardiello through on goal. Thankfully, with 6,000 away fans glaring down at him from the Anfield Road, the Welshman had a rush of blood to the head.

Back at the Kop end Xabi Alonso, who required stitches during his 150th Liverpool appearance following a clash of heads with Lucas, forced a fine diving save out of Steele with a curler from 25 yards.

A lot has been said about the importance of scoring the first goal recently, and it finally came on 32 minutes after great wingplay down the left from Babel.

The number 18 left his man for dead before pulling back to Kuyt, who couldn't miss from close range after losing marker Stephen Foster. The striker's right-footed tap-in was his first goal since early December.

But if Anfield thought the floodgates would now open, they were wrong. Just one more chance of note came before the interval, Crouch getting on the end of a decent cross from the right before asking a question of the excellent Steele.

Babel set about causing more havoc down the left with a couple of weaving runs straight from the restart. The only damaged caused, however, was to Bobby Hassell's chances of becoming a father after a ferocious strike into the defender's crown jewels.

Fortunately for him, his teammates were about to deliver a perfect tonic. Slapdash defending allowed Anderson De Silva to swing in a wicked ball from the right, which Stephen Foster redirected beyond the despairing hands of Charles Itandje.

Here we go again, thought the home faithful. If only they knew.

Liverpool were immediately presented with a gilt-edged chance to restore their lead, but first Benayoun and then Crouch contrived to miss when it seemed easier to find the net.

Another inviting opportunity fell to Hyypia minutes later after Barnsley failed to deal with a well-flighted corner. The subsequent block prompted groans of frustration from the Kop.

A Lucas header tipped onto the bar, Benayoun firing a low shot wide after evading countless challenged. Fingernails were doubtless at a premium among the 4,000 Tykes watching on a big screen back at Oakwell.

The Yorkshiremen were being forced deeper and deeper, though the occasional counter-attack hinted at what was to come. Jamal Campbell-Ryce forced Itandje into hasty challenge which, on another day, could have resulted in an early bath.

Crouch skewed another golden opportunity while substitute Harry Kewell was unlucky to have a fine volley tipped over. Still the side that lost 3-0 to Plymouth on Tuesday hung on.

More heroics were around the corner as Hassell went from aching balls to golden balls with last-ditch tackle to deny Kuyt.

Then it happened. On 93 minutes. Barnsley got the winner through captain and top scorer Howard, who, after being denied a legitimate penalty, beat the unfortunate Itandje with a 25-yard volley.

Afterwards, visiting manager Simon Davey attributed the winner to a lack of discipline from his players, who he expected to hang on for a draw.

For a man who supported Liverpool as a boy, it was fairytale stuff. Only in the FA Cup...

Teams

Liverpool: Itandje, Riise, Hyypia, Carragher (captain), Finnan, Babel, Alonso, Leiva, Benayoun, Crouch, Kuyt. Subs - Gerrard, Kewell, Arbeloa, Pennant, Martin

Barnsley: Steele, Kozluk, Foster, Souza, Hassell, Leon, Howard (captain), De Silva, Devaney, Nardiello, Ferenczi. Subs - Togwell, Van Homoet, Coulson, Campbell-Ryce, Odejayi

Referee: Unknown

Conditions: Freezing

Attendance: Unknown

Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Sami Hyypia

[kopite]

Grobbelaar and McMahon loved laying in to Benitez last night. McMahon was saying something about the performance being nothing to do with the owners, as Benitez didn't pick his best team. I turned it off in the end. I'm getting a bit sick of McMahon laying in to Benitez. Same as Souness, great players but sh*t managers. It's Ok spouting about it, but they have proved that they can't hack it as managers.

Lets get some perspective here: the goal came in the last seconds, and before that the Barnsley keep made save after save. So we can't say that the players Benitez put on were not creating chances in the second half - cos they were, lots of them! Nothing went in and that's football.

Good luck to Barnsley, you won!

Arsenal got thumped 4-0 and haven't yet won the Champions league, so why aren't people and pundits laying into Wenger?

I believe that Hicks and co have created so much instability in the last few months, and if we are knocked out of the champions league they will sack Benitez! Whatever those two do, they won't have the (real) supporters on their side.

thats pretty much what i wanted to say but couldnt as i had been drinking whiskey with the in-laws since midday

[kopite]

add i think this is pretty much how most reds are feeling about rafa at the moment;

I was never a big fan of Gerrard Houllier. Sure I was excited and caught up by the success of the first few years but when you were brought up (spoiled) watching teams that won Championships and European Cups with the odd League and FA Cup thrown in for good measure, it was hard in the end to get excited by winning League cups instead of titles. Harder still to accept that depite a few cups the style of play would never win the league no matter how many people argued his defence. So when it all started to unravel in the 4th season, the house having been built on sand, and then finally collapse in the 5th I was one of those smart <deleted> who had seen it coming a long way off.

Now, in Rafa's 4th season its starting to have a horrible similar feel.

I love Rafa Benitez, he has thus far in my view done a good job. He gave us all the best night of our lives and nearly repeated the feat in Athens and its hard to accept now (tonight) that he might not be the man to take us forward but there comes a point when the head rules the heart and that point for me is starting to approach.

Sure there are those that will support him to the bitter end and in a way I admire you for that, but those same people supported Houllier when it was clear to a blind man in the dark that he had to go. Stubborn loyalty does no one any good and singing a mans name in defiance doesnt make him a better manager.

You see the manager, at the end of the day, is just another employee. He is not the football club and so deciding he is not the man is not disloyal is it? I support the club, Liverpool Football Club and the 11 men on the pitch but away from the fray and on reflection you have to decide for yourself whats good for the club and if you decide the man in charge is not the man then you are doing whats best for the club in suggesting or even arguing that its time for a change.

I'm not there yet. I still beleive Rafa is the man for us but results like todays use up lots of the reserves of support. At the end of the day we failed to win because we had two strikers on the pitch who are not good goals scorers but the boss has signed both those players. If they are not good enough then he carries the can for signing them. If they are good enough then he carries the can for failing to get the best out of them. Which is it? I don't know.

So Rafa has my support, for now, but I'm not one of those that will support him to the bitter end because I love the club more than any manager or player and I only ever want whats best for the reds. It would break my heart to see him leave us but it would break my heart even more to see us stumble and fail and see Rafa, the man who has given us so much, suffer the humiliating ignomy of being sacked with the large majority of fans glad to see the back of him as was the case with Houllier. Benitez is a class above Gerrard Houllier but at the moment he is trapped in the same downward spiral.

taken from rawk

[TheAceFace]

Sick of all these statements from punits, players and manager.....blame the owners blah blah f#$king blah.

Bottom line is we are not good enough, there is no fight in the players and the manager has lost the plot big time. Seems they have life to easy at LFC now. Clear the dead wood and start again, new owners and new manager, F%&k some big time Charlies off and bring in players who want to play.

Feel for Babbel, he looks our biggest threat and always gets subbed....its beyond me.

Too many excuses for Rafa of late, its time to pack your sombrero and do one.

Angry Red.

[scousemouse]

Sick of all these statements from punits, players and manager.....blame the owners blah blah f#$king blah.

Bottom line is we are not good enough, there is no fight in the players and the manager has lost the plot big time. Seems they have life to easy at LFC now. Clear the dead wood and start again, new owners and new manager, F%&k some big time Charlies off and bring in players who want to play.

Feel for Babbel, he looks our biggest threat and always gets subbed....its beyond me.

Too many excuses for Rafa of late, its time to pack your sombrero and do one.

Angry Red.

Rafa will more than likely be getting told to pack his sombrero AceFace if we dont beat Inter milan on wednesday.

[scousemouse]

thats pretty much what i wanted to say but couldnt as i had been drinking whiskey with the in-laws since midday

Stick to the Leo Kopite mate

[mrbojangles]

Nice result last night boys. Thought the sending off was a bit harsh though.

[spot]

Nice result last night boys. Thought the sending off was a bit harsh though.

Maybe Mr BJ, but was levelled out by the ref missing the blatant handball by Vieira later on

Good win for us against the top side in Italy!

Inter are obviously not as good as the top side in Barnsley though...

[kopite]

class last night.

sending off was a bit harsh. we were bombarding them till the sending off. all they did then was put 10 man behind the ball, making it more difficult for us to score.

but we got there in the end. nice to see kuyt score and a great strike by stevie me.

mascherano was motm. great performance by him.

[scousemouse]

I did fancy us to win by a few goals ( honest ).

Call Rafa what you want , the man is probably the best champions league manager that there is.

Liverpool v Man U in the final then .

[kopite]

Liverpool v Man U in the final then .

no chance.

their only good at beating teams like wigan, bolton and...er us week in week out.

Liverpool FC - The Masters of European Football

[kopite]

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/02/...vindicated.html

Benitez: Veni, vidi, vindicated

The victory over Inter provides further evidence that Rafael Benitez is steering Liverpool in the right direction

Paul Doyle

February 19, 2008 9:07 PM

The first instinct is to hail Franck De Bleeckere as the most benevolent referee to visit Anfield since Jose Maria Garcia-Aranda, the Spaniard who awarded Roma a penalty in the 2001 Uefa Cup and then, after ardent requests from Liverpool, pretended he'd done no such thing and waved play on. But the fact is the unjustified dismissal of Marco Materazzi in the 30th minute of tonight's game made a Liverpool victory even more unlikely: for from that point on Inter, who hadn't begun particularly ambitiously in the first place, decided a draw would be a fine result and piled sandbags around their box.

Few teams would have managed to pick their way through such a defence, but Liverpool created a couple of chances. The best was in the 44th minute following marvellous interplay between Fernando Torres, Ryan Babel and Steve Gerrard; if Dirk Kuyt had anticipated Gerrard's cut-back, rather than dawdle dumbly behind his marker at the back post, Liverpool would have taken the lead. Unless, of course, Kuyt had scooped the ball over the bar from two yards, which, admittedly, can never be ruled out.

It was staggering that Kuyt started the match and plain bizarre that, after another wretched display, he remained on the pitch when Babel was withdrawn and Yossi Benayoun sat idle on the bench. It was tempting to deduce that the Dutchman's continued presence in the team was designed to prove Rafa Benìtez's fallibility, in much the same way that deliberate flaws in Persian rugs are designed to proof that only god is perfect. And then, incredibly, Kuyt scored! And then Jermain Pennant, surprisingly introduced instead of Benyaoun, set up Gerrard for a second. Just as we were preparing to blast Benìtez for failing to exploit Liverpool's numerical supremacy, he basked in glorious vindication.

Guess that means there'll be no more hysterical headlines calling for the Spaniard's head tomorrow. Oh yes, like skinny jeans and those mass produced "tribal" tattoos that ovine women insist on getting at the base of their backs, badmouthing Benìtez is all the rage these days. But though it's true the Spaniard has committed errors of judgement during his three-and a-half-years at Anfield, it must also be acknowledged that he's made many inspired decisions too. And it's plain wrong to say that overall he's underachieved.

Tonight was just another step in his already-legendary European odysseys. As for the Premier League, only a wizard or a criminal could have connived to get Liverpool closer to Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal in that time. Those clubs are far richer, as, indeed, are Inter. It's unreasonable to expect Liverpool to rival them on the pitch if they can't match them in the market.

United and Chelsea have, over the last few seasons, forked out colossal fees and wages that Liverpool can't afford. Arsenal may have been more prudent in terms of players - because they were busy splurging over £400m on a brand spanking new 60,000-seater stadium - but they've still had the luxury of speculating to the tune of £10m on Theo Walcott. Furthermore, Arsène Wenger has been able to augment his purchases with a stream of youngsters schooled at the club - they constitute the fruit of many years' cultivation. Liverpool's youth academy lapsed into decrepitude under Gérard Houllier - the club has brought through no young players through since Steve Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Michael Owen ten years ago. Benitez has begun to revamp the facility but, even though the youngsters are now top of their reserve league, it will take time for the senior team to reap the rewards.

Liverpool fans' insistence on competing with teams who've far greater resources is perhaps the last relic of the days when they were kings. When David Moores began his chairmanship in 1991 Liverpool were unquestionably the finest club in the land. The reign quickly unravelled amid negligence and nonsensical decisions. That was the context in which Benìtez arrived in 2004. His astonishing feat of winning the Champions League in his first season (just two years and nine months ago) perhaps convinced fans that the unfeasible leap into a new era had been completed. In reality, what that victory, the run to the final in 2007 and tonight's win show was that in cup competitions, where the disparity wrought by superior resources is not as stark as in 38-game seasons, Benitez can make a little go a long, long way.

Here's a question for anyone who still thinks Benitez should be ousted: if Benitez were to be sacked tomorrow, who could take Liverpool higher? The American owners' flirtation with Jurgen Klinsmann doesn't suggest they know the answer to that question. One obvious candidate is David Moyes, whose Everton side currently sit above Liverpool in the Premier League. You could argue, if you were looking for a contrived point in his favour, that Moyes's superiority in the transfer market is neatly summed up by the fact that it is he, not Benitez, who has recruited the best Spanish midfielder currently on Merseyside (and it's true that Mikel Arteta was an excellent signing, especially for just £2m). Though that would be to ignore the millions squandered on the likes of Per Kroldrup and James Beattie.

Also, solid as Everton have been this season, it remains to be seen whether Moyes can sustain such form over a longer period or instead lurch into another battle against relegation as per their one-terrific-season-followed-by-one-terrible-season model. And, of course, you might also question whether it's worth Everton qualifying for the Champions League bearing in mind their farcical venture into it in 2005/06.

Andriy Voronin is no genius (but what do you expect from a free signing? He's not worse than Steve Sidwell or Claudio Pizarro at Chelsea) but in general Benìtez bought very well in 2007; his one marquee signing, Fernando Torres, has been an outstanding success. Lucas Leiva, Javier Mascherano and Alvaro Arbeloa are effective and Benayoun and Babel have contributed goals and - crucially, given that some detractors liken him to Houllier - unpredictability, the precious quality that Houllier feared in his players. So his most recent signings have suggested he's headed in the right direction, even if many of those that preceded it didn't.

Having said all that, it's true that Liverpool have produced some dreadful performances this season. Perhaps Liverpool do need to bring in a new man. But not to replace Benìtez, rather to assist him. The disjointed displays at home to the likes of Marseille, Wigan and Birmingham and away to Beşiktaş and Boro, along with recent rumblings of discontent from Liverpool's dressing room, indicate that the club is missing Pako Ayesteran more than Benìtez would have hoped. Benitez's former No2, who left Anfield last August, was the players' friend, the cuddly man-manager who helped ensure the team and Benìtez, whose personality is more remote, were on the same wavelength. Benìtez hasn't replaced Ayesteran - and allegedly vetoed a proposal to install Paul Jewell in that role before Jewell went to Derby County.

Perhaps after a perceived betrayal by his long-time partner he's finding it difficult to trust another man? He needs to get over that and commit to a new relationship. Or maybe tonight's result over the run-away leaders of Serie A will foster new togetherness and cohesion between team and manager. And fans and owners.

[scousemouse]

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/02/...vindicated.html

Benitez: Veni, vidi, vindicated

The victory over Inter provides further evidence that Rafael Benitez is steering Liverpool in the right direction

Paul Doyle

February 19, 2008 9:07 PM

Having said all that, it's true that Liverpool have produced some dreadful performances this season. Perhaps Liverpool do need to bring in a new man. But not to replace Benìtez, rather to assist him. The disjointed displays at home to the likes of Marseille, Wigan and Birmingham and away to Beşiktaş and Boro, along with recent rumblings of discontent from Liverpool's dressing room, indicate that the club is missing Pako Ayesteran more than Benìtez would have hoped. Benitez's former No2, who left Anfield last August, was the players' friend, the cuddly man-manager who helped ensure the team and Benìtez, whose personality is more remote, were on the same wavelength. Benìtez hasn't replaced Ayesteran - and allegedly vetoed a proposal to install Paul Jewell in that role before Jewell went to Derby County.

Perhaps after a perceived betrayal by his long-time partner he's finding it difficult to trust another man? He needs to get over that and commit to a new relationship. Or maybe tonight's result over the run-away leaders of Serie A will foster new togetherness and cohesion between team and manager. And fans and owners.

A good read kopite .

The point on Pako is the one that needs sorting out the most. I was quite suprised to hear that Paul Jewell had been rumored to be the new number 2 but not suprised that Rafa shot it down.