Liverpool's losers signal Rafa's time is up...

4 defeats in a row, and, like I so hopefully predicted in my post after the Bolton game, we genuinely could end their season by Halloween. Here’s my take on the rather obvious elements that may have (or probably definitely have) contributed to their glorious and spine-tingling incredible downfall from last season’s potential. It’s still their year though, right?


A 2 man team? Nuff said really. An over-reliance on Torres and Gerrard has been a talking point for the last couple of seasons, but in fairness they did manage to counter those arguments with good performances and match-winning spells in their absence last season (including beating us at Anfield). Yet this time around, it hasn’t worked. In the last two games, they’ve been without Stevie Me in one – well, he wasn’t really there last night either – and El Nino (I like him, ok!?) for both, and the results have been shattering, yet inevitable. Without Gerrard – who as I said, was poor and a shadow of himself as he carried an injury last night – the team lose their soul and presence in the centre; there is little dominating, aggressive talent in that midfield (barring Mascherano, who’s yet to hit his irritating, antagonistic form). As for Voronin, Kuyt and Ngog? Not quite Torres are they? They might pop-up with goals, but the pace, turn and accuracy of their fellow striker is completely absent; and as a complement to Torres (an area of the transfer market they SHOULD have aimed to look at rather than being forced into replace Alonso), they again don’t have what it takes. When I wrote my bit on Torres vs Drogba, the one negative point I mentioned towards Torres’ game is that he seems to be a bit passive when the team – especially the midfield – aren’t performing or providing for him. Gerrard complements him well, simply because he can read his movement well and, in general, is good enough for him so that at times he doesn’t need to do as much work. When Gerrard is not about though, the midfield are not as capable to create fluid, passing moves that will provide for Torres; yet the more pressing issue is the necessity of a strike partner who can not only score (when Torres is out) but also create an imposing, constantly threatening and constantly active strike-force; something deficient of late for the Scousers.


The Alonso effect. I can’t claim to watch Liverpool’s midfield with a critical, analytical eye week-in-week-out, but it doesn’t take a Cantona (genius, get it?) to work out that they are powerfully missing an all important link in the centre of the park. We have lost flair and, arguably, that special something that made us unique champions, but we have in no way stumbled and fallen quite as hard as Liverpool have after the loss they suffered over the summer. Of course Alonso isn’t the sole reason for their lack of composure and performance; yet as team-player, his importance and reliability to that side easily equalled Ronaldo’s impact at United (minus the goals, of course). So naturally, as we have seen time and time again – especially at United – to shake-up the side or remove a vital component could prove to be a) genius or b) detrimental. Although Ronaldo and Tevez out for Valencia and Owen can’t quite be classified as a truly astute piece of business yet, clearly spending £20million on a player who has been out for the first quarter of the season and brought in to replace Alonso has done nothing to help Liverpool.


…Rafa. Has his time finally come? Needless to say, if the answer is yes, I will gladly see the back of his deluded promises, idyllic visions and of course, legendary rants. Yet, after Saturday’s hilarity at the Stadium of Light, I sat in the car on the way back form our match; patiently awaiting a post-match interview full of whinging gob-shite and complaints about the referees form and ability (reminiscent of Ferguson’s against the same team actually…). However, as much as the interviewer provoked the deflated fat bastard at the way Sunderland scored against them, he graciously and solemnly took defeat on the chin to the extent that I actually said the words ‘fair play, Rafa’. He had nothing bad to say about the manner of the goal, other than they deserved to lose and a goal would have eventually come anyway. I suppose my point is, he’ll always be a twat after last seasons constant gloating and refusal of the fact that United/Ferguson were better than them/him, yet when he knows he’s beat, he’ll admit it. And I feel those feelings he uttered towards the Sunderland game were perhaps his views on his current time at Liverpool; sometimes unlucky (taking a risk on Alonso/Aquillani which has clearly back-fired; as well as the horrifically disastrous ‘Benayoun-off, Voronin-on’ substitution last night, that will surely become an infamous representation of his tinkering style) yet generally, and honestly, not good enough. And so perhaps, with that, his time has come and his final errors in judgement will signify the end of his healthy reign on Merseyside.