The Reds Dilemma

06.03.2005                     <<< Previous           Next >>>

Liverpool has tried very hard to get away from the shadows of former manager, Gerard Houllier this season.   Houllier brought about radical changes to the face of Liverpool FC, which is beyond recognition from the team in the 80s. Though he had been successful in winning 5 Cups at Liverpool within a short span but Houllier would be remembered more as the manager who failed to bring the Club forward and instead, his team played with much negativity and less creativity.

   Houllier (out) - failed to bring Liverpool forward

Then along came Rafael Benitez.  He inherited Houllier's french legion and threw in some spanish flavours in the likes of Sanz Luis Garcia, Fernando Morientes, Xabi Alonso, Gonzelez Josemi and Antonio Nunez. And the result is really a pot of "Rojak" (fruit-vegetable salads found in Singapore).

  Benitez (in)- but can he delivers..

Successive appointments of 2 foreign managers in the last 6 years has caused Liverpool to rely more on foreigners than the British lads to bring in the honours. Their obsessive pursue for the coveted Champions League Cup and the common belief that the Continental style is the way to bring the Cup home, has made Liverpool forget how to play English Football. The British bulldog tenacity is lost from the Liverpool team of late.

We have to note that having a team of all-British top players may be a hard thing to come by. But it would take the local lads which grew up supporting Liverpool, who know that "You Will Never Walk Alone" at Anfield to bring passion and pride into the team. This trend was not helped when Liverpool sold Emile Heskey to Birmingham City end of Season 03/04 and the icon, Michael Owen to Real Madrid beginning of this season. I have always hated Heskey's defensive-minded play at Liverpool but it might had happened only because he had no confidence with Liverpool's resolute in their game. Along with the departure of Owen, the British players in Liverpool lost their icons and much is left to the shoulders of Steven Gerrard, who is having a bad form at the moment.

  Gerrard - toils to glorify Liverpool

Whether or not Benitez is the right manager to guide Liverpool to success should be judged only at the end of next season. For no man, however great his abilities are, could perform the miracles in just one season. Unless, his name is Jose Mourinho, backed by a certain Russian Billionaire.

Soaring Magpies

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