Why Liverpool are actually punching above their weight.

Why Liverpool are actually punching above their weight, despite what the critics are saying

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/guillem-balague/Why-Liverpool-are-actually-punching-above-their-weight-despite-what-the-critics-are-saying-article260271.html

Even the most pro-Rafa Benitez fans are losing faith and perhaps, on the surface, any other reaction appears illogical.

But what are the real reasons behind Liverpool’s decline? Results are the consequence of a complex set of circumstances behind the scenes, but the majority cannot see beyond the surface and what they wrongly perceive as simple failings at managerial level.

Voices in the media have decided in unison that Benitez is to blame and the Liverpool fans are starting to repeat that mantra – despite spending months accusing the press of an anti-Liverpool bias. Aside from the odd exception, the media is not anti-Rafa, nor are they to blame for the difficulties at Anfield. But they can lead opinion and have Benitez in their sights.

I’m afraid I cannot agree with the majority. Primarily, it’s worth remembering that Liverpool has one of the top managers in the world at the helm.


The figure of £280million that gets repeatedly churned out is deliberately misleading – and the fact is, Rafa has spent an average of £16m net for every year in charge at the club. It is absurd to think that Pep Guardiola or Jose Mourinho would be able to compete for a Premier League title with that expenditure.

I know for a fact that Mourinho is very well informed about the financial situation at Anfield: he knows that in order for Liverpool to compete at the top in the wealthiest league in the world, new investment is needed but there is nothing on the horizon. Consequently, it is neither an attractive proposition nor an option for Jose.

Liverpool has no money for January transfers, so Rafa’s target is to get key players -  Gerrard, Torres and Aquilani – fit enough to contribute in a run of matches: allowing him to play his first choice team and notch up the four or five consecutive wins that will silence the critics.

If Liverpool were not called Liverpool, they’d be receiving praise for punching above their weight. The burden of history behind that name dictates the emotions of the fans and influences those who lead opinion. I would argue that, given the owners emphasis upon reducing the debt instead of improving the squad, this Liverpool side has been over-achieving rather than under-performing.

The manager has to work with inferior resources to every other club expected to win the title – lower even than some clubs expected to finish in the top six – and must therefore pull everything together to  follow a steady path toward long-term success.

Liverpool football club is at a crossroads and, disappointingly, the allure of instant gratification is persuading too many fans that there must be some magical shortcut preferable to the road of steady progress down which Rafa is trying to lead the club.

I cant disagree with the logic. personally i feel the team actually overperformed last season.  I have always said that thinking of changing the manager halfway through the seaon wouldnt help, but some players appear not to be playing/performing for him......... how is that going to be sorted?
We have reached a catch 22 crisis point where more funds are needed to buy some quality players to drag us out of this mess but as we all know nothing is available.  we have all enjoyed a lot of great times over the years, now is just one of those times to get behind the manager and the team and ride the storm.  YNWA

I'll be sending a few people to this thread.

I'll be sending a few people to this thread.

As you should, i have said it occasionally to some and they don't listen. Even after all that happened last year, i felt we were just lucky to have a team working like a well oiled machine, because we actually are only just, maybe, a top four squad. We certainly don't have a title winning squad unless we have no injuries and everyone is in top form.

Liverpool, at this current moment, is not a title winning squad. And that is on the owners, not Rafa. All those expecting constant success either grow up or get out. We are Liverpool fans and lovers, not glory hunters.

Good read that.

 That is a good honest appraisal of the situation at Anfield.I have said before that there is not another manager who would of achieved what RAFA has with the constraints and backstabbing that he has had to put up with.

Finally a calm measured analysis of the situation. This is a tough time to be a liverpool fan but maybe aswell as some of the players looking in the mirror and asking themselves are they good enough.. we the fans need to take out YNWA, read it, sing it and most importantly... believe it

the best thread ive read in months

Maybe we don't have a title winning squad no, but we definately have a title winning team.

Our first 11 is as good as anybodys in the league, if not the best. We showed that last season. Despite losing Alonso, we are still the same side, I've been saying it on here and trying to drum it into peoples thick skulls for weeks now.

Rafa has taken us from a team about 4th, maybe 5th best in the league, to being the very best or atleast able to challenge with the best. So many people on here are forgetting that.

Ok, so Rafa said 5 years and i'll win the league. And he hasn't delivered so far. HOWEVER, we have reached two european cup finals, winning one of them, we have reached the league cup final, the fa cup final and winning that. We have also gone out in the semi's in europe too. We finished second in the league last season and were very very unlucky not to win it. So are people on here actually saying Rafa hasn't done a good job?

Im sick of the people slating his signings like Babel & Voronin etc too. What about the quality hes signed? - Reina, Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Insua, Aurelio, Kuyt, Mascherano, Torres.

I saw somebody on here say the other day that 'In my opinion, if a manger signs somebody and they turn out to be a failure then the manager is therefore a failure' F'ucks sake, get a grip. Not every player who puts on that red shirt will be a success. Some simply can't step up to the challenge or maybe they can't cope with english football. A good example of that is Garcia. Brilliant in europe and spain but in the premiership he was absolute dog s'hite.

Rafa has had to do a lot of swopping and changing around with players, but it takes time, and unfortunately it has taken him a bit longer than 5 years. He has made mistakes yes,  and he doesn't always get things right, but i certainly have faith in him and i will certainly be standing by him.

The ones on here who are calling for his head don't really have a clue about football to be honest. What good is that going to do us then, sacking the best manager we've had in twenty years? So were going through a bad time, so i know, lets blame everything on the manager, sack him, leave us without a manager when were half way through the season and then were bound to improve aren't we.

Never heard such a load of nonsense, look at the results, the way we are playing at the moment come January we will be close to the drop zone, it's never happened before, but if we don't do something drastic then we will be there and all your so called 'sensible' arguments will mean nothing and 'RedLFCBlood' you always make good 'sensible' arguments, but you have been doing it all season and this is just your latest one that attempts to convince all the fence sitters to back Rafa and believe it's not any of his fault, blame the evil 'Yanks' and i agree that the two Quislings should not have sold out,and in my business life i have dealt with 'Yanks' and i wouldn't trust them as far as i could throw them, but don't blame them for the negative teams he sends out, don't blame them for the players he plays out of position, don't blame them for selling two players who didn't want to leave, who were pushed out because they questioned his judgement, i have been supporting Liverpool since 1965 and for 25 years i had a season ticket, but i had to stop going to matches and i tell you this, wear your rose tinted glasses for much longer and you will be viewing games in the Championship through them, if i'm proved wrong and Rafa does turn it round then i will be made up and i will apologise to you all for being a doubter, but that's my opinion, i go on results and our results are dreadful.

^^^^ This ^^^^

Creating 2 or 3 clear chances on goal per game, putting defenders on the wing, playing the useless Kuyt, selling one of the best midfielders in the world (Alonso) and making defense and keeping possession of the ball in our own half the top priorities in games instead of focusing on aggression, flair and creating chances.

Yeah, hw dare anyone question Rafa.

Never heard such a load of nonsense, look at the results, the way we are playing at the moment come January we will be close to the drop zone, it's never happened before, but if we don't do something drastic then we will be there and all your so called 'sensible' arguments will mean nothing and 'RedLFCBlood' you always make good 'sensible' arguments, but you have been doing it all season and this is just your latest one that attempts to convince all the fence sitters to back Rafa and believe it's not any of his fault, blame the evil 'Yanks' and I agree that the two Quislings should not have sold out,and in my business life I have dealt with 'Yanks' and I wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them, but don't blame them for the negative teams he sends out, don't blame them for the players he plays out of position, don't blame them for selling two players who didn't want to leave, who were pushed out because they questioned his judgement, I have been supporting Liverpool since 1965 and for 25 years I had a season ticket, but I had to stop going to matches and I tell you this, wear your rose tinted glasses for much longer and you will be viewing games in the Championship through them, if I'm proved wrong and Rafa does turn it round then I will be made up and I will apologise to you all for being a doubter, but that's my opinion, I go on results and our results are dreadful.

Correct me if im wrong here but didnt alonso hand in a transfer request and wasnt arbeloa letting his contract run out.....
"I tell you this"
Who are you kevin keegan

I also believe it was Guillem Balague who wrote the article and not Daz.

Never heard such a load of nonsense, look at the results, the way we are playing at the moment come January we will be close to the drop zone, it's never happened before, but if we don't do something drastic then we will be there and all your so called 'sensible' arguments will mean nothing and 'RedLFCBlood' you always make good 'sensible' arguments, but you have been doing it all season and this is just your latest one that attempts to convince all the fence sitters to back Rafa.

Not my argument or opinion mate this is just an article I found from Guillem Ballague and like any other article I find whether that be pro Rafa, Anti Rafa, Pro Liverpool, anti Liverpool , I will post them for like  minded/ unlike minded fans of Liverpool FC for their viewing pleasure, consideration.

^^^^ This ^^^^

Creating 2 or 3 clear chances on goal per game, putting defenders on the wing, playing the useless Kuyt, selling one of the best midfielders in the world (Alonso) and making defense and keeping possession of the ball in our own half the top priorities in games instead of focusing on aggression, flair and creating chances.

Yeah, hw dare anyone question Rafa.

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