Why We must Mock all Relegation Talk about Liverpool

No doubt the last few weeks have been quite entertaining (as a neutral observer), in terms of the off-the -field controversies, the high-court dramas, the stubborn owners, the protests, and what have you. But amidst all this, supporters and fans have forgotten about the on-field “problems” as well; choosing to turn a blind-ish eye towards the team’s dismal results on the pitch.

Note how I maintain them to be dismal “results”, and not “performances”. No doubt the more enlightened will tend to raise an unwavering finger here, and point out that performances reflect results. But in my opinion: do they really?

One look at the current scenario at the Kop will tell you the ground realities.

We have been seeing from before the season itself; that before every match, the Captain or the Manager, or other Icons at the LFC mention how one win will set the pace for the rest of the season. That the same tosh has been reiterated before almost every match has not been lost on the viewers and supporters, and hence the growing concern over the club’s downhill trend.

What are we now, seven games into one of the most competitive league in the world? And with one win to show from these, languishing in the relegation zone, with the imminent threat of administration at the club, which will further dock another 9 points, no doubt my sympathies are with the fans.

But let’s get things into perspective.

Firstly, Hodgson is as good a manager as he ever was: it’s only that the manager is as good as his players and vice versa that has placed him under so much fire. And to replace him with Dalglish? I mean, yes, it is the era of Texting and Twitter, but giving a manager around a dozen games to prove himself with a new squad before booting him out, seems quite ridiculous. And to replace him with Dalglish? I concede that Dalglish was a great player in his own rights, but look at his recent past – the man hasn’t coached or managed a team for close to ten years, since his unceremonious exit from Celtic. Whereas Hodgson has shown us some miracles with Fulham as recently as last season, leading them to the finals of a European tournament.

Moreover, the EPL is quite competitive as it is, it does not come as a surprise that a team not at it’s best goes down the pecking order. But if anything could be seen from Liverpool’s display against Manchester United or in the second half against Blackpool (both of which they lost), it is that they are actually a decent team in the making. Maybe the then ongoing off-field legal battles had taken the spring out of their step. Maybe the team was  still gelling together.

And from all the newspaper-rubble that I go through, also comes the unceasing attacks on Fernando Torres. Not that I will adjudge his present form a product of bad luck and injuries. But the fact that his best season for Liverpool came around two years ago, and yet despite his unconvincing performances since then, he has still managed to capture the terror and topics of defenders and columnists alike, says one thing about the man: that he definitely is still a force to be reckoned with, with soem fuel left in the tank.

All in all, a Premier League without Liverpool is simply unthinkable. One can only hope that the dreary era is behind us, and we can finally see some positive results.

Agent: Torres Could Leave Liverpool

Torres: Looking for greener pastures?

Spain and Liverpool striker Fernando Torres’ agent, Jose Anotonio Martin, has hinted that the player will leave Liverpool after the World Cup.

“It is very likely that Fernando Torres will stay in the Premier League, but I cannot say that it will be with Liverpool,” he told the Daily Mail.

“We are working on his future but right now you cannot guarantee that he will stay with the English club.”

Though how appealing the striker will be to top clubs, given his none-too impressive form in the ongoing World Cup, remains to be seen. Among Premier League clubs, Chelsea and Manchester City have been linked to the striker off and on, with other clubs backing down from the player’s wage demands of 100,000 pounds a week.

Liverpool, who underwent a managerial change earlier in the summer, are presently in a fix. Having finished seventh in the Premier League and out of Champions League competition this season, the fans vented out their anger at the former manager Rafa Benitez and the club owners. Eventually, Benitez moved on to the European champions Inter Milan, and Roy Hodgson was brought in to handle matters at the club.

Benitez has made no secret of the fact that he is very interested in getting Mascherano and Kuyt to his new club in Milan. Also, rumors have been ringing linking influential captain Steven Gerrard to Real Madrid, where Jose Mourinho will set about building a trophy-winning squad. Yossi Benayoun has already left for Chelsea.

Among the players left, only Agger, Torres and Reina are what pundits are considering to be world class material.

Torres had a forgettable season, plagued by injuries, and seemed unhappy with several decisions that Benitez made. He has also not exactly shown his attacking prowess so far at the World Cup. In fact, Spain looked a much better team once he was substituted for Cesc Fabregas.

With Hodgson intent on building a squad from the ground up, and bringing back some much needed team chemistry, Torres will have to resign himself to the fact that should he stay at Liverpool, he could be in for another season without silverware, especially considering that the Europa league also has Manchester City, who at present, look much better off on paper than Liverpool. And with Hodgson going to put more emphasis on the youth development of English players, it might be time for Torres to ply his trade elsewhere.

Roy Hodgson or Kenny Dalglish: The Next Top Kop?

Benitez’s departure to Internazionale has prompted a flurry of activity among former players and management, and fans around the world are waiting eagerly as to who will eventually be named in the hot-seat.

Kop legend Dalglish, Fulham manager Hodgson, Mark Hughes and Italy coach Lippi have emerged the top names for the seat. Lippi has denied that he will be involved with the club after the World Cup, so we will look at the other two contenders.

1. Kenny Dalglish:

Benitez himself has given the thumbs-up to Dalglish throwing his hat in the ring. Dalglish, a Liverpool legend, has received support for his decision from many of the former players as well.

After Rafa Benitez left Liverpool last week, the club issued a statement saying that Dalglish would lead the search for a new manager alongside managing director Christian Purslow.

Dalglish, who quit as Liverpool boss in 1991 before going on to manage Blackburn and Newcastle, has taken one look at the shortlist of candidates and decided he could do a better job than those who have so far been identified. Dalglish, 59, won three league titles as Reds’ boss between 1985 and 1991.

Turning to Dalglish also saves any compensation claim, such as the 2.5 million pounds it would need to grab Roy Hodgson from Fulham.

Dalglish’s son, meanwhile, has claimed his father only wants to succeed Benitez at Anfield owing to an absence of credible alternatives.

Paul Dalglish, now head coach of Tampa Bay Rowdies, revealed: “It’s not as though Jose Mourinho is going to come and do the job.

“It’s not as though Fabio Capello’s going to leave England to become the next manager of Liverpool.

“My dad wants to do the job and he feels he is the best person available to do the job.

“If Jose Mourinho was available and he wanted to do the job, my dad wouldn’t have any interest in it because all my dad ever does is act in the best interests of Liverpool Football Club.”

Roy Hodgson - In deep thought

2. Roy Hodgson:

Fulham boss Hodgson was the toast of the last season, leading Fulham to the Europa League finals only two  seasons after they were threatened with relegation.

Liverpool are not keen on appointing Kenny Dalglish, but with support growing for the Scot, the club are keen to appoint someone else quickly to avoid being pressured into a decision.

Talks between Hodgson and the club have been scheduled to take place, with Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill also on the shortlist of candidates to replace Rafael Benitez.

Hodgson’s appointment though could be subject to whether he believes the current financial turmoil surrounding the club will affect his ability to manage.

The former Blackburn and Switzerland manager has a £2.5m buy-out clause in his current one-year Fulham contract, but the west London club are said to be doing their best to tie him down further.

The Sun reports that owner Mohamed Al Fayed is prepared to double Hodgson’s £1m-a-year deal, while Fulham are also hoping that the 62-year-old will stay in the hope that he will become the next England manager.

“Leaving Fulham to take over at England would be seen as the pinnacle of Roy’s career,” an insider told the paper.

“And everyone thinks that’s what he would love to do. He could miss out on that if he gets tempted by Liverpool and then the England job comes up not long after.”

Hodgson has been more of a certainty than Dalglish, with calls for an English manager to take up the job coming in.

Whoever take over the job, though, has a lot of issues to take care of immediately, not least the club being up for sale, and also that Torres, Gerrard and Benayoun being in other clubs’ crosshairs for quite a while now. Transfers have been postponed till the new manager  is announced. Even Benitez is planning to try and buy Mascherano and Kuyt as his fist signings at Inter Milan.

However, like former captain Mark Wright suggests, any manager who brings success to the club after such a dismal season will be viewd as a ‘God’. Both Wright, and present England defender Carragher have urged the club to finalize the decision quickly.

The Truth behind Benitez

The man who dared the Reds to dream, and showed them a nightmare instead. The man who worked incredible bargains, and produced major flops alongside. The man who coupld win the European Champion’s League, but only one of his last nine fixtures.

With Benitez now at the helm of Inter Milan, the time has come to analyze how many of his crtitc’s statements are true. No doubt there were many – but how many of them stand ground?

Just what has Benitez done for Liverpool?

1. The Glory:

Rafa Benitez is a good tactician and there is no doubt about it

Benitez managed Liverpool through an incredible Champions Leaguye campaign in 2005 that saw them win the finals in Istanbul against AC Milan in spite of being 0 – 3 down after the first half.  He led them to an FA Cup triumph the year later. Another Champions League finals a year after that. All the while finishing fifth, third third, and later second in the Premiership. Considering what Liverpool were like under Houllier, no doubt Benitez brought back the glory days back to the Kop.

Despite a European Cup success and an FA Cup success, both won since Arsene Wenger last delivered a trophy to Arsenal’s trophy cabinet, the 50-year-old Spaniard has faced a torrent of inexplicable pressure from the media, ex-players and other ‘expert’ commentators on his contribution to the Merseyside giants.

2. The Bargains:

When he took over, Benitez considered Liverpool (as did many of the supporters), to be at least nine players short of championship material. But with the arrival of Pepe Reina, Torres, Agger, Alonso, Mascherano and Kuyt, Benitez transformed the core of the team into a force to be reckoned with.

Where Did Benitez Fail?

1. The Boardroom:

That Rafa had frequent run-ins with the management of the company is no big secret. More than football, politics in the upper echelons of the management might ave foreced rafa out of Merseyside.

2. Man-Management:

Separately, Torres, Gerrard and Carragher have all said that they struggle to think of conversations with Benitez that weren’t about football. It suggests he is only interested in footballers as players, rather than as people. Alonso’s departure last year can certainly be attributed to Benitez’s attitude during his attempts to sell his fellow Spaniard the previous summer.

It was a complaint voiced by Pennant, who said he was frustrated by his manager’s continual presence on the touchline, forever conveying orders. Benitez could respond that his attention to detail has been responsible for some of his tactical triumphs and that tinkering with his players’ positions has had benefits.

Benitez will have more finances at Inter

3. The Transfer Window:

Say what you want about lack of finances at the Kop – but Benitez has had tough luck when it comes to choosing a good player. More players have flopped at Liverpool under him than he would like to think. Craig Bellamy produced better form in two months at Eastlands than his two years under Benitez. Strikers such as Crouch and Keane left as soon as the Torres-Gerrard partnership flourished and threatened to plac ethem on the bench. Morientes, Voronin, Babel, Keane, Dossena, Penant, Luis Garcia…. it has been quite a list.

Is it fair to axe a man for one bad season after five successful ones? We will never really know. Can he do better with the resources he is given at Inter? Only time will tell. But one thing is for sure – Rafa Benitez has left a legacy behind him

Should Steven Gerrard Leave Liverpool?

A controversial topic indeed. One that has invited howls and cheers from all quarters alike. Writers will generally tend to stay away from controversy - but this author wanted to stir some new flames.



Mr. Dependable. A Liverpool man through and through. Mr. Red. No matter how many tags he has been called, or how many aspirations he has borne. No matter whether he has pledged his career for the club, or if he has several amazing memories with his hometown club.



Every time there are the words "transfer'  and 'bid' associated with Gerrard, Liverpool fans all over the world shift to the edge of their seats with furrowed brows. They do not want their talisman to leave, for obvious reasons. He has been their hopes, their dreams, and their savior for several years now.



This season has been pretty damaging for Liverpool - ousted of all their competitions without so much as a whiff of a finals anywhere. Except maybe the Europa league, that is. What with the club owners stirring up a storm about the club's debts, a board member slanging the club's fans, the club going up for sale, the managers future in debt, and so on and so forth..... No one would really blame Gerrard if he does decided to leave.



Gerrard turns 30 this May, and while his twelve year loyalty to the first team is undeniable, pundits across the world have been unconvinced with his form of late. While his class is unquestionable, there is one match he cannot win - that against age. Over the years, several clubs have been linked to the man. He almost left Liverpool for Chelsea twice. More recently, he has been linked to Manchester City, Inter Milan and Real Madrid. While Inter Milan and Real Madrid have the lure of the Champions League with them, Manchester City can only boast of their petropounds. Should Gerrard consider a switch?



It will, without doubt, be a better move for his career. At this stage, he needs fresh challenges, new goals. He needs a team to back him up, and more importantly, a title or a Cup in sight. No doubt his leaving the club will generate enormous funds, some much-needed green. Maybe that will be his parting gift for the club he loves above all else.



Has Gerrard achieved everything he wanted? Has he achieved the glory that his stature deserves? Quite obviously not.



Several players, both current and former, have tipped him to leave. Manchester United winger Nani, who had a terrific season, has challenged Gerrard to be more ambitious in quest for titles and leave the club. Nani, 23, already has a bagful of trophies that Gerrard can be envious of. Even former Reds' star, Jason McAteer, said he wouldn't be surprised if Real Madrid convinced the Liverpool captain to switch loyalties. He went so far to claim that the senior players  in the Liverpool dressing room ,including Gerrard, were unsettled under Benitez, and wanted a change in the managerial department. And if Gerrard does leave the club, he wouldn't ever play for another Premier League club. Which leaves Real Madrid or Inter as the logical options.



But this is exactly the author feels why he shouldn't leave. Gerrard joined Liverpool FC as a nine year old. He has lived there his whole life. At every match, he reaches out to the fans and tries to give them what he thinks they deserve. LFC is his second home. Gerrard, though a great player, should not leave the club, instead, he should help rebuild it. Whether or not Benitez will stay next season, Gerrard must assume a role-position by making a statement, that he has no intention of leaving. His next targets must be to bring back Liverpool into the top-four mold, maybe even attempt to win the premiership. This will not only be another feather in his cap, but make a larger-than-life persona. And that's exactly for Gerrard is, and the sort of glory that he deserves.