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Headlines NEWS

Article: The Right Man for the Job

Published by Redneck on February 22, 2008

When Rafael Benitez joined Liverpool in June 2004, my immediate thought was: this guy is class. I am also sure many fans were excited at Benitez being in-charge of the team. After all, it was this particular man who had helped Valencia to the Spanish league title, which was no easy feat. It was also this man’s Valencia that outplayed Liverpool and gave them a lesson in passing and movement. Expectations were high and fans throughout the world were excited and awaiting the return of the league title as Rafa Benitez stepped into the hallowed grounds of Anfield and in so doing, became one of us.

In his first season in charge, Rafa failed to deliver the league title, if anything, for the team ended up 5th in the EPL, a lowly position that meant the team did not qualify for Europe. However, in a sensational run in Europe, the team got all the way to Istanbul, staged a comeback from being 3-0 down at half-time and eventually won the Champions League. It was a phenomenal achievement for Rafa’s first season in charge, especially considering the teams Liverpool faced en route to the final. Leverkusen, Juventus, Chelsea and finally Milan were all defeated, and Liverpool won their fifth ever European Cup. It was a tremendous night for all fans and players, and right then everyone hailed Rafa Benitez for bringing glory to Liverpool. Many believed he would be the right man for the job.

In his second season, the team performed much better in the EPL, amassing a total of 82 points but finishing in third place, just a point behind Manchester United. They faltered in the Champions League but still managed to win the FA Cup after a dramatic win over West Ham United in the final. At this point in time, fans still had faith and confidence in Rafa: two trophies in his first two seasons was a great achievement, and many genuinely believed that more would come.

In the 2006/2007 season, Rafa’s third season in charge, the team once more faltered in the EPL, finishing third but with only 68 points, with Chelsea ahead of them with a large gap of 15 points. Rafa almost brought European glory once more as Liverpool made it to the final after victories over Barcelona and Chelsea, and finally faced Milan once more, with AC coming out on top this time after winning 2-1. It was a poor season without any trophies being won apart from the Community Shield, and more importantly, the league title was still evading Liverpool.

Now, as the 2007/2008 season continues, fans are starting to lose faith in the manager. Some of the players have allegedly lost their faith in Rafa as well, and the two Americans who had taken over the club back in June felt similarly, even approaching Jurgen Klinnsman to take over the job in case they sacked Rafa. This was met with protests from fans, as some of them still believed the only way forward is with Rafa. Similarly, I feel that Rafael Benitez is the man to bring Liverpool to greater heights.

Ever since he took the reigns in June 2004, already three and a half years since, Rafa, as he is affectionately known by fans worldwide, has brought many things to Liverpool. Firstly, let’s take a look at some of his signings.

In the summer of 2004, Rafa sold Owen and Murphy, bringing in Djibril Cissé, Josemi, Antonio Nunez, Luis Garcia and Xabi Alonso. In the January transfer window, Mauricio Pellegrino and Fernando Morientes were acquired, while Stephane Henchoz was released.

Notable signings included Djibril Cissé, Luis Garcia, Xabi Alonso and Fernando Morientes. While Cissé and Morientes were largely regarded as flops, with the former being quick but not finishing on regular basis and constantly being caught offside, and the later being unable to adjust to life in the EPL. As such, both strikers did not score often enough, and did not help the problem Liverpool faced: a lack of world-class strikers up front. However, Luis Garcia, despite being erratic and occasionally giving the ball away too much, popped up with important goals and was capable of producing moments of magic for the team. Xabi Alonso fitted in seamlessly as he dictated play from the middle of the park with his tempo-setting play and with the magical long pass he seemed to possess.

In 2005, Jose Reina, Antonio Barragan, Mark Gonzalez, Boudjewin Zenden, Momo Sissoko and Peter Crouch were brought in while Igor Biscan, Vladimir Smicer, El Hadji Diouf, Mauricio Pellegrino and Antonio Nunez were sold.

More of the notable signings include Reina, Zenden, Sissoko and Crouch. Pepe Reina showed his class as he made the goalkeeper position his own, instilling the backline with confidence that they had a world-class player behind them. Zenden was mediocre at best, not an excellent player but one who could do his job at least decently. Sissoko, on the other hand, was an explosive talent: quick, strong and constantly harassing opponents, he was a ball winner all over the park and protected the back four even before the ball got to them. Crouch took a long time to settle and had a goal drought before the goals started flowing, but he was a menace to any defence and provided many assists with his link-up play.

In 2006, Rafa brought in Craig Bellamy, Jermaine Pennant, Mark Gonzalez and Daniel Agger, Fabio Aurelio, Dirk Kuyt, Alvaro Arbeloa, Javier Mascherano and Robbie Fowler.

Craig Bellamy was not the world-class striker the club needed, but he did however offer a new dimension to Liverpool’s play, using his pace to run the channels. Also, Jermaine Pennant had a slow start to his Liverpool career, but towards the end of the season improved dramatically and put in spirited displays on the right wing, offering the team some much needed width. Mark Gonzalez never lived up to the hype, being too lightweight and thus failed to make much of an impact. Daniel Agger quickly settled in and took away Hyypia’s place, which spoke volumes about his ability. He was quick and comfortable on the ball, and soon became a world-class centre back. Fabio Aurelio, when fit, was a fantastic player, but he found himself injured far too often and thus failed to cement the left-back spot. Dirk Kuyt did well early on with his work ethic and goals, but eventually became a player who hardly scored. Alvaro Arbeloa fit in seamlessly as he made his debut against Lionel Messi, and quickly became a solid utility player along the backline. Javier Mascherano arrived in January, and also performed well with his harrying of opposition and his ball-winning ability. Robbie Fowler also came in during January and scored a few goals, plus he was a fan favourite and served the club well for the short while he was there.

In 2007, Rafa brought in Ryan Babel, Yossi Benayoun, Fernando Torres, Andriy Voronin and Lucas Leiva, plus a few youngsters to develop the youth team.

Ryan Babel was promising with his raw pace, power and an eye for goal, although so far he has only shown glimpses of his true talent. Yossi Benayoun has chipped in with his fair share of goals, while also being capable of unlocking tight defences on his day. Fernando Torres, by far one of Rafa’s most talented signings, made an immediate impact with his pace and power, scoring many goals and terrorizing defenses. Andriy Voronin scored a couple of goals early on, but they eventually dried up and he did not get much playing time after that. Lucas Leiva, the Brazilian Player of the Year, impressed in the middle of the park with his passing and composure.

As can be seen from Rafa’s signings, he has slowly bought players for each position and then replaced his own signings with players of more quality.

Goalkeepers:

Reina -> Reina

Defenders:

Aurelio -> Aurelio/Arbeloa
Agger -> Agger
Josemi -> Kromkamp -> Arbeloa

Midfielders:

Gonzalez/Zenden -> Babel/Benayoun
Alonso -> Alonso (potentially Lucas)
Sissoko -> Mascherano
Pennant -> Pennant

Strikers:

Morientes -> Kuyt/Voronin
Cissé -> Bellamy -> Torres/Babel (in the future)
Crouch -> Crouch

As can be seen, for the positions not strengthened the signings have already proven their quality, especially in Reina and Agger, who have been world-class players since arriving at Liverpool. As for Alonso, Pennant and Crouch, they have been solid enough and do their job well. The players who have been seemingly “upgraded” have all been a step up from what they were before, and that goes to show the work Rafa is doing here at Liverpool. He is slowly building the team into a world-class team with world-class players, and for that he needs time in order for the “Rafalution” to be complete.

Do not forget, also, that behind the scenes Rafa is also building up a youth team. Some of the youths had performed so well that they were even promoted to the reserves, and while these players are for the future, they represent what Rafa has done for the club so far – planned for the future. Starlets such as Dani Pacheco and Krisztian Nemeth have been brought in, and certainly they will star for Liverpool when the time is right. But for now? I think Rafa has already brought something here with him.

What, then, is this thing Rafa Benitez has brought to Liverpool? Is it just new players? So far, he has not brought the league title anywhere close, and that frustrates the owners as well as some of the fans. But what, then, has Rafa brought to this Liverpool team? The answer lies in Rafa’s style.

He has brought in a certain amount of Spanish flair into the team. Garcia, Alonso and Torres are all from Spain, and they all have their flair and flamboyancy. Just look at the way Garcia cheekily unlocks a defense, or how Alonso threads a seemingly impossible pass through the backline. Torres is amazingly skilful and quick, and even Reina has some flair of his own.

Rafa has also given the team some Italian resilience. While he has not signed any Italian players, he has, however, instilled in the team a tactical discipline that is so common in Italian teams. To quote Frank Rijkaard: “The style Liverpool have - quite physical and tactically disciplined - once you have seen a couple of their games you know how they play.”

Lastly, but definitely not least, Rafa has kept the English spirit in the Liverpool side under him. The never-say-die attitude, the willingness to crunch into a tackle and to sweat, cry and bleed for the team – all of them remain inside the Liverpool we love and support. Just look at the famous comebacks in Istanbul and against West Ham in the FA Cup final. They are testimonies to the spirit of Rafa’s side.

With these separate qualities that Rafa has brought to the side, combined with the gradual progress being made in the construction of a new and improved Liverpool side, can we say that Rafa is the right man for the job?

I certainly can.

By El Niño