Liverpool's reign under Rafa Benitez finally came to a close after suffering from an unforgiven 7th place finish last season. Comparing to the season before last season when Liverpool gained 2nd place in a tight title race with Manchester United, last season result is simply too hard to accept as the team also lost out the Champion League spot.The following is the summary of major Rafa's weaknesses and failure as LFC manager.
1) The Loss of Xabi Alonso: Xabi Alonso is the chief midfield general in the heart of LFC's midfield. Rafa should be blamed for provoking Xabi 2 seasons ago when he tried to sell Alonso in that summer. After his best LFC season in 2008/2009, Alonso decided to leave the team and join Real Madrid. Rafa had spend 20M on Italian CMF Aquilani as replacement for Alonso, but the Italian is simply a different type of player and has also been sidelined for majority of season with long-term injury. Without Alonso, Rafa's favorite formation 4-2-3-1 can not function effectively. Yet, Benitez insisted on using 4-2-3-1 in almost every game. Eventually, Rafa started 2 DMF Mascherano and Lucas together but this arrangement quickly proved to be the major downfall of the team. Lucas and Mascherano are both hard-working players without good passing ability. Opponents can focus on trapping the ball from LFC's own half, as neither Lucas nor Masherano can distribute the ball to up-field to Gerrard and Torres to initial attack.
2) Forcing players to fit his system: 4-2-3-1 was adopted even without Alonso: In truth, Benitez should have switched the formation to 4-4-2 with either Mascherano or Lucas partner Gerrard in the CMF. However, Rafa refused to change and keep forcing players to play out of their natural positions. (e.g. Babel is a wing forward but was forced to play as a natural wing)
3) One dimensional approach: The tactics of Benitez is pushing his whole team to press all-over oppoents for the whole match. Once the team wins the ball, their priority is always to pass the ball quickly to Gerrard and Torres. There isn't any passing-movement and attacking tactics. Opponents can easily block the passing path to G8 &T9 and assign more players tightly mark them out of the game. The simple attacking tactics is too "one-dimensional" and relying too heavily on G8 and T9. No wonder whenever either or both injured, the team simply has no alternatives in attack. There is simply no Plan B in Benitez's mind! All he can do is blaming their injury and complained about no money given by owner to him to buy more stars. Why the hell do people called Rafa's as Tactical Master! It must be a joke!
4) Ignore the flair factor; too much emphasis on hard-work and efficiency: Rafa loves hard-workers even if playing too many of them at a time can reduce the skills-level, flair and creativity of the side. This is why Lucas, Mascherano and Kuyt are always his favorite. Yet, playing together too much also means less attacking flair. During his LFC career, Rafa never spend more than 8M on a natural winger; yet, he was willing to spend 16M on DMF Mascherano.
5) Rafa's tactics is too conservative: 4-2-3-1 is a good formation in Cup games or away games especially against quality opponents. However, at home, LFC should try to get more victories even if it means increasing the risk of goal concede. LFC has lost uncountable points only because Rafa refused to play more forwards to support Torres up-front at home. Too much pressure and responsbility has been assigned to Torres as he was always left alone in lone striker role in way too many games. It's not a surprise Torres has been suffering from horrible injury one after next way too often!
6) Rafa's football philosophy fits Spain/Italy & Cup Competitions, but not England & League Competitions: The clear evidence is he never understands why LFC always concede free-kicks, corners kicks and headers. It's all becuase of his insisting on Zone Defense. Zone Defense is an effective defensive tactics in European football, but never works well in England. Rafa's negative football "lone striker+defensive oriented+counter attack" are perfect for Cup competitions, but it will never work for league competitions. It's seems Rafa still could not understand! Rafa's direction in getting more South American players to compete in Englsih league is also wrong. Players like Mascherano,Lucas,Insua are simply too short for defending headers.
7) Buying too many average players: Although Rafa signed good players like Reina, Agger,Skrtel,Masherano,Kuyt,Torres, most of his signings have been over-priced failure. For so much $ he spend on the youth, there wasn't many obvious rising talents came through the ranks. Although he complained about owners not providing enough transfer funds, he has made too many mistakes in transfer. But he will never admit!
8) How can Rafa sell Crouch and Keane? Yet, Rafa still had Babel, Voronin and N'Gog last season. Torres simply had no help in forward position as Kuyt was gradually transformed as a WG and slowly losing his confidence in finishing.
9) Rafa seems to be a Perfectionist... he never praises his players... Nothing wrong about he demands so much from his player as a way to strive for improvement, but he is a hard person to get along... an opposite of "player's coach"....
10) Final but not least....Don't give full credit to Rafa for 2005 Champion League Victory....only Alonso and Luis Garcia out of the CL champion squad were bought by Rafa with the whole team bought in by Houllier.... yet, after the Champion League glory in 2005, Rafa quickly destruct majority of the team winning heros... In between the 2005 Champion League win up until last season, all Rafa achieved are a FA Cup, Champion League runners-up in 2007 and 2008/2009 Premier League runners-up... Rafa is a "Total" Failure!
Enough is enough... Kick the stubborn, disgusting Rafa out of here! Here comes new manager Roy Hodgson.....a true Players' coach... a new era for Liverpool... and possible new ownership this September... As a die-hard, life-long LFC fan.... there is finally brightness at the end of the tunnel !!!!!!!
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