Why Rafa must stay: Newcastle away 2003/04 v Newcastle away 2007/08
It was four years ago at a very similar stage of the season (give or take the odd game) that I decided that Gerard Houllier had to go for the future of the club. It was just a personal epiphany, not at all important in the grand scheme of things, but watching Houllier’s side that day against Newcastle crystallised for me the belief that the club was going backwards.
This is what I wrote after a long, brooding trip back:
“Au revoir Monsieur Houllier - that was a tactically naive, cowardly, abrogation of our tradition today. Haven’t been as furious after a game in years. A disgrace to the name of LFC. Go now Gerard while you retain the personal respect of many of us.
He starts with one of the smallest strikers (Pongolle) in the league as a target man in a 4-1-4-1 formation playing Heskey as a left midfielder (or more accurately second fullback).
At various stages Diouf and Heskey swap defensive side positions (they’re not playing far enough forward to be classed as wide mdifielders). All through the first half (when we have one shot) GH and PT urge the players back from the touchline if they venture too far forward.
In the second half just after Pongolle had our best creative piece of work of the match (a vicious shot and cross for Gerrard’s volley wide) we see him dragged off for Smicer. For the next ten minutes we play 4-6-0 with GH still urging the lads not to go for it. Eventually we revert to a 4-5-1 with Smicer (!!) as the target man. In the hole behind 1 or 2 strikers YES. On the wing AT TIMES. As the target man? NEVER.
Our players are still being urged to stay back by the management such that when Smicer does wriggle free up front and hits his shot wide of the far post with the outside of his boot we see his nearest player is 30 yards behind with the next nearest another 20 yards back from that.
We went into the game looking for a draw with 23 games to go in the season. At this stage we should be looking to win every match. No movement forward. Poor movement off the ball. Siege mentality. Unacceptable.”
Compare and contrast that to yesterday’s performance against an equally average Newcastle. We had young exciting attacking players bursting forward at every opportunity. Making angles, moving off the ball. Attacking intent throughout.
Now we haven’t always played that well this season as injuries have interrupted our flow and new players been slow to settle in, but if we win our game in hand (at home to West Ham) and we go second above both Chelsea and Manchester United. We’ve also never reverted to putting up a Maginot line across the pitch against mediocre opposition as Houllier did.
We shouldn’t be looking to change the manager when there is clear, exciting, forward progress on the pitch.
On buying the club in February this year, Hicks and Gillett released this statement:
“Liverpool is a fantastic club with a remarkable history and a passionate fanbase. We fully acknowledge and appreciate the unique heritage and rich history of Liverpool and intend to respect this heritage in the future. The Hicks family and the Gillett family are extremely excited about continuing the club’s legacy and tradition.”
Part of the club’s unique heritage and rich history is that we, the passionate fanbase, have always been the ones to instinctively know when the time was right for a manager to go. Now it not that time.
The new owners should show some humility, swallow their pride and support the fans in supporting the manager. Our legacy and tradition deserves that.
All together:
Ra Ra Rafa Benitez …
November 25th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
Well said! It’s not looking good at the moment..I hope we don’t lose Rafa because we are finally progressing.
November 25th, 2007 at 7:21 pm
i am reading on another site that Rafa has walked. I hope that this is just an ugly rumour but fear the worst at the moment. rick parry needs to react now and bring about a peace accord before we lose a man who clearly loves our club the same as we do! our owners need to be left in no doubt that allowing Rafa to leave for the sake of proving whose boss is ‘bad for business’ something that they will understand better than any tradition which they would simply not get.
get it sorted fellas and get it sorted ASAP!
November 25th, 2007 at 7:50 pm
Why do papers constantly insist that we are no closer to winning the premiership the before. According to my calculations we are no worse of than ManU or Chelsea. Losing Rafa now would be devastating for the club, the moral and for the fans. Rafa must be shown from the fans that he is wanted and the owners shown that we stand behind Rafa. The man that WILL bring us the trophy if he only get the support he deserves.
November 25th, 2007 at 8:21 pm
Parry is part of the problem, he has been give the magic pen when comes who we sign or get rid, Thats the crouch of Rafa’s out burst with the yanks… Yes it Parry.
November 26th, 2007 at 12:13 am
I have supported Newcastle all my life. I lived amongst you lot for ten years while married to one of your lasses. I hoped that we may be able to at least compete with LFC some seasons ago but your board selected a gem in Benitez in 2004. He is generally a good judge of talent but is obviously a good coach, respected and loved by the players. How your new owners could consider getting rid of hime or even just failing to back him is bizarre. I’ve rarely seen a team come to Newcastle and do what LFC did yesterday.
Good luck to you all. If he does go, can you send him up here?