Anybody else reckon Benitez is beginning to sound a bit like Houllier was when he was under pressure a few years back?
From today’s guardain:
The Liverpool manager, Rafael Bentez, yesterday suggested that his side have not been given due respect for their achievements under his management at Anfield.
When the 2005 European champions last month became the first British club to qualify for the Champions League knock-out phase their achievement passed almost unnoticed. Instead, their season is perceived as one of failure thanks to a 16-point deficit to Premiership leaders, Manchester United, and despite the fact that they are only five points off third place, are in the Carling Cup quarter-finals and will finish top of Group C if they beat PSV Eindhoven at Anfield tonight.
“People are saying we had a terrible start to the season but we’re only a third of the way through and you have to look at other things,” said Bentez. "To have won four trophies in two years is something that not a lot of teams can say. The most important trophy in the world is the Champions League and we’ve won that. I know a lot of managers who don’t have the European Cup in their cabinet, and they’re managing very, very good teams. It’s not easy.
“But if you’ve won the trophies we have, you want to win the Premier League. If you appoint a new manager and in the first season you finish fourth, people would be really happy. If then you finish third in your second year, it’s usually great. But we started by winning the Champions League. That can create a big problem.”
PSV have not won in England for seven years but their coach, Ronald Koeman, was successful at Anfield with Benfica last season, and Liverpool, for whom Luis Garca may play after a hamstring injury, will be wary of an underrated side.
Agree Jack. Particularly when he mentions the four cups in two years. The Charity Shield and Super Cup do not count as trophies.
I mentioned before that I have never hated anyone in football as much as Houllier. He was a terrible manager who played terrible football and tried to spoof his way out of it. I don’t hate Benetiz. I genuinely think that he has taken the club forward from the days of Houllier. I think last season was his best. Liverpool finished with 83 points and won the FA Cup knocking United and Chelsea out along the way. We have discussed the previous season at length pre tfk and I still see it as a poor season despite the fact that we won the European Cup. I point to the 14 league defeats. Liverpool this season have the look of a team with no heart which can only be the fault of the manager. And coming out with the 4 trophies statement isnt going to increase my opinion of him. Liverpool need to win the League - it is as simple as that. And whatever manager does it is a legend in my eyes
Agree with most of that lads. I still think the European Cup is the ultimate barometer, certainly last night reinforced that for me, but the notion of 4 trophies is pathetic. No top team in the EPL should be using FA Cups to defend their reputation, never mind the other 2 meaningless efforts.
What do you make of Houllier’s success with Lyon farmer?
I agree with most of you 3 lads are saying here. I have time for Benitez and think he’s very astute tactically and this works a treat in 2 legged European affairs against high class opposition when you have to focus on the opposition at times and adapt your own set up based on them (although I suppose he got a bit lucky in Istanbul after starting Kewell) However, I still maintain that he concentrates too much on the opposition in the EPL. Liverpool should be going out and rolling over most of the teams in that league instead of being cagey and tactical; they don’t seem to play with any real freedom still. They always look a bit rigid to me and then there’s the Gerrard thing going on in the background. I think his demeanour and body language has been pretty poor this season and it’s almost as if he’s rebelling about playing on the right. The great Gilesy reckons it’s a battle of wills between Rafa and Stevie G and one or the other will leave in the summer.
Well said Bandage. Benetiz thinks too much - particularly in England. Some of his team selections are baffling. I have had this debate before and i still think that the league is the barometer of a team’s performance during the year. The European Cup is essentially a cup competition and the cream does not necessarily always rise to the top. That is not taking away from Celtic’s achievements last night mind you.
On the Houllier point, I think he inherited a good squad at Lyon from Le Guen and are much better than most of the opposition in France. He has done well in Europe - I havent seen enough of them to make a call on their quality of football but anyone with John Carew up front cannot play good football. He will always be soured in my eyes by his time at Liverpool
Thread hijack alert but what’s the story with Lyon?!
Houllier was proven to be a bit of a joker at Pool and now his Lyon side are doing great things. That’s all well and good says you but the ground work for this success was carried out by Paul Le Guen. Ah, Monsieur Le Guen who has been an unmitigated disaster at Rangers so what gives?
Liverpool’s biggest problem in the EPL this season is their shocking away form, perhaps Stevie G’s missus should be drafted in to help the squad as she alledgedly knows a thing or two about playing away from home.
Yeah I see what you’re saying there. I suppose it’s a question of the best teams might win their domestic leagues usually but for me anyway the best competition to win is the Champions League. I think back even to our Seville season when we outpeformed Rangers in the season by reaching the UEFA Cup final but came second in the league. Hurtful as that was I’ll remember the season for coming second in Seville, not the second place finish in the league.
Liverpool’s situation was a bit odd in that ye won the Champions League having gone so long without a league title. I think if you asked a Chelsea fan or even a United or Arsenal fan they’d probably prefer a Champions League win to a domestic title because that’s the ultimate and they’ve had recent success at home.
Would tend to agree with farmer that the league is much more important. If asked who the best team in England have been over the last 4 or 5 years I doubt very many would say Liverpool.
Benitez is a good manager but as already discussed is quite rigid and negative despite having a very strong squad that I would say would be capable of playing some free flowing, slick, high octane football if given the freedom to do so. The sooner Rafa realises this the better. I’m not sure he will but I think he deserves another couple of seasons to see how we progress.
Sacked at Madrid a matter of months ago who are now going to bring the title race into the final day and have reached a CL final. Now he’s set to bring Newcastle back to the Championship.