Players letting Benitez down

Time to stop blaming Rafa Benitez for the bad run we have been having as a club. The line-up against Aston Villa should have finished off Villa. Today the line-up was good enough to put Havant and Waterloo to sleep in the first half. Good thing it ended 5 -2 in favour of the LFC. We had to have a rematch with Luton.

About time we cut the man Rafa Benitez some slack. He is not he one playing the games, the footballers are. The man is making the best of the crop of player available; and I for one still feel the Premiership run is not over, regardless of what Jamie Carragher and Rafa Benitez himself might have said about that.

For the bad run we have been having as a club. The line-up against Aston Villa should have finished off Villa. Today the line-up was good enough to put Havant and Waterloo to sleep in the first half. Good thing it ended 5 -2 in favour of the LFC. We had to have a rematch with Luton.

About time we cut the man Rafa Benitez some slack. He is not he one playing the games, the footballers are. The man is making the best of the crop of player available; and I for one still feel the Premiership run is not over, regardless of what Jamie Carragher and Rafa Benitez himself might have said about that.

Great shout.

Experienced players like JAR, Finnan, Momo, Dirk, Voro, Pennant, Kewell have all consistently let Rafa down badly this season... that is a lot of players in a squad having a very sub standard season.

With you all the way solodee,good call.I said on another thread if a player misses an open goal then you cant blame RAFA.as an example I give you Anelkas miss at Anfield for Bolton ,some people would blame Megson for that no doubt.Cheers.

With you all the way solodee,good call.I said on another thread if a player misses an open goal then you cant blame RAFA.as an example I give you Anelkas miss at Anfield for Bolton ,some people would blame Megson for that no doubt.Cheers.

I can recall that loss against Reading. much as the referee's calls were questionable, there was a particular ball Gerrard failed to clear properly in the 18 yard box that resulted in a goal. Surely cant blame Rafa Benitez for that.

I have noticed that when the players underperform Benitez gets the blame but when we win comfortably the players get praised, or the media state how poor the opposition is.

You can't have it both ways.

For me, Benitez is responsible for a) picking the side b) choosing the transfer targets (allegedly) and c) formation / tactics.

Once the players cross the line they bear the brunt of the responsibility. 

Our first half performance was symptomatic of our season - the players were unable to pass to another red shirt.  But they clearly have it in them because they managed it in the second half.

I think our biggest problem is that we do not have a team of winners - the likes of Pennant, Crouch, Kuyt are just not born winners - when you stand them next to the likes of Carragher and Gerrard for instance.

Some people in life will stop at nothing to be the best and even though we have some talented footballers - most of them are very lacksidasical in their professional life. 

The likes of Kewell, Crouch, Kuyt, Pennant etc will never be part of a succesful side for this very reason.

Too many passengers in the Anfield team.

JD our squad, with a few notable exceptions is mentally VERY WEAK.

Ive said this before, the biggest enemy of most our players is between their ears.

Most are very talented but have become liabilities with such low personal confidence levels...

One criticism I would direct Rafas way would be his non attention to the pyscological support the players, obviously, need post Pako exit... the vacuum in this department is clear for all to see.

I would be quite interested to know how many titles our players have between them as opposed to players from other Premiership teams.

I would be quite interested to know how many titles our players have between them as opposed to players from other Premiership teams.

Titles as in qualifications... dont think that many tbh... but then again the sport would have taken them away from an academic route...

I think our biggest problem is that we do not have a team of winners - the likes of Pennant, Crouch, Kuyt are just not born winners - when you stand them next to the likes of Carragher and Gerrard for instance.

The likes of Kewell, Crouch, Kuyt, Pennant etc will never be part of a succesful side for this very reason.

Too many passengers in the Anfield team.

I thought Kewell was doing well in 2004. Pennant would be a better right winger if he scored like Benayun,except with more frequency. I think the problem is not so much as the quality but in the frequent careless errors. this is the same team that ripped Marseille apart, the Turks-crushing, AC milan-defeating, average-of-4-goals-scoring LFC; truely, it think it has a lot more to do with the careless errors than with the quality of the players. We still have a good team.  

Titles as in qualifications... dont think that many tbh... but then again the sport would have taken them away from an academic route...

I think he might be talking about the trophies and medals in their various football careers.

I think he might be talking about the trophies and medals in their various football careers.

Of course of he is, titles literal translation to spanish is qualifications... apologies.

Well I dont think there are that many pre Liverpool medals within our ranks... in fact I cant think of any... apart from Rafas of course.

Maybe Kuyt & Babel won some silverware in Holland, and Skrtel just won the league in Russia, but beyond that I don't think anyone in our current squad has won anything with another club? I know Pennant was with Arsenal, but I'm certain he never played enough games to get a medal.

Maybe Kuyt & Babel won some silverware in Holland, and Skrtel just won the league in Russia, but beyond that I don't think anyone in our current squad has won anything with another club? I know Pennant was with Arsenal, but I'm certain he never played enough games to get a medal.

Thought pennant came to Liverpool from Birmingham

Yes but he was at Arsenal before that, and the question was what our players had won in their careers.

Yes but he was at Arsenal before that, and the question was what our players had won in their careers.

Didn't really notice his Arsenal days.

It was big news at the time he signed from Notts County, most expensive player of his age ever. Think it was £500,000 for a 15 year old, which was unheard of at the time.

Maybe Kuyt & Babel won some silverware in Holland, and Skrtel just won the league in Russia, but beyond that I don't think anyone in our current squad has won anything with another club? I know Pennant was with Arsenal, but I'm certain he never played enough games to get a medal.

Didnt Jamie help HMP Wandsworth win the inmates v officers title...

It was big news at the time he signed from Notts County, most expensive player of his age ever. Think it was £500,000 for a 15 year old, which was unheard of at the time.

Pity his mental age never progressed from that point...

Pity his mental age never progressed from that point...

C'mon Don! He was fantastic against AC Milan last year, also against Luton (2nd leg). Yes he might have peaked, but he is not that bad.

C'mon Don! He was fantastic against AC Milan last year, also against Luton (2nd leg). Yes he might have peaked, but he is not that bad.

He is a talented lad, no doubt on that one...

He did have a great game v AC Milan, but this season his form has been very poor, although his injury set him back too... one of the season non deliverers for me... one of too many though.

Its clear there needs to be changes in the summer l'd like to see Kuyt and Voronin go and either bring in David Villa or play Babel as a striker now that he would have gotten use to english football. Also I think it could be time for kewell to leave and if we have to then perhaps get rid of Yossi because he cant stay out wide and put crosses in, however he has been good when he comes in field and has scored 2 hat-tricks so thats why I cant decide whether he should stay or go. I think theres no doubt that rafa should go for Ricardo Quaresma because he has just as many skills as ronaldo and he is also brilliant at using them in the game, he stays out wide and puts in great crosses and he also scores some great goals. On top of that he is also a wicked free-kick player and with him and pennant on the wings then that could be brilliant.  I think he would also be interested in joining, alothough if not then there is also mancini who is jus like him. Left back is an area that has been letting us down and so signing a player like bridge could do wonders because he seems to offer something riise cant and that is defending well as well as attacking well. Also dani alves would be great for right back and have finnan as his cover when alves is injured or needs a rest, great crosses, strong, would give our defence more pace as we lack it, the perfect rigt back. Also has one hell of a shot on him

i think its a bit harsh pennant getting stick he must of only played about 10 games this season and he hasnt played bad at all.he is only young and im sure he will turn out to be a great player for us.the back end of last season he was one of our best performers and people were saying he deserved an england call up so he must be doing something right

i think that some of the current squad do not have the passion of our game in the uk , they take time to adapt to our style, they might be technically better on the ball but when it comes to a scrap we sometimes fall short,  or maybe some of the players cant adapt or do what rafa is actually telling them ?