http://www.guillembalague.com/blog_desp.php?titulo=On%20the%20Benitez%20golden%20age%20at%20Anfield&id=446I`m sure that some of you will have come across this excellent article published in the Irish Independent this Sunday – In six months, the Benitez era will seem like a golden age . If you haven`t, it is recommended reading for all Liverpool fans. It articulates very well the current and potential future situation at Anfield, however, I`d like to give my view on a couple of points raised that I don`t quite agree with.
For example, I don`t believe that Martin O`neill is the right manager for Liverpool, because of the players he signs and his style of football that typically lacks a plan B. For me, the best man to make the most of a difficult situation, someone who is used to working with limited funds, is Rafa Benitez. If Rafa goes, then how about Roy Hodgson to stabalize the situation or, perhaps, a young coach like Quique Sanchez Flores?
I also disagree with the suggestion that Manchester City, without Champions League qualification, may be the best option for Torres. He is seriously considering his future and Chelsea would be an interesting option, now that Barcelona have got David Villa wrapped up. But, aside from City, no other club has shown anything like the profound interest that Liverpool showed him when he left Atletico. Anything is possible.
We`ve been receiving tens of thousands of emails in support of Rafa Benitez as part of a well intentioned fans campaign to let the media know how they feel (apologies to anyone who has tried to get in touch with this site regarding another matter – the volume of emails in support of Rafa has brought down the email system on the website and also means we cannot accept comments on the site until we`ve tidied up our intray).
Benitez is aware of the campaign, although his critics have suggested he may even have had something to do with it. Whatever the case, the messages of support have reached the manager and, as the excellent Irish Independent article suggests, he is torn over his future.
In many ways, professionally, it makes sense to leave Anfield – just as the Independent article explains, on a financial footing, Liverpool are falling behind the country`s top clubs, and it might be impossible to introduce four new top players into the squad to freshen things up, as Rafa would like. Yet despite the pressure from Juventus and his agent to move on, personal matters make his decision very difficult: his family are settled in Merseyside, probably the very first time they have put roots in a place since Rafa and his wife Montse met.
