Wow, another smashing of a quality opponent. Stevie G with the hat-trick, add in Riera's blast and Kuyt's typical johnny-on-the-spot heroics and you have a 5-0 thrashing of Villa at Anfield. Villa put on some pressure early and I have to give credit where credit is due. Pepe Reina is not my favorite keeper by any means but he made some quality stops when the game was still in doubt and his assist on Riera's goal was something to behold. He's actually a very effective distributor of the ball which I feel is an underrated quality in a goalie. Great game all around but especially by the man between the posts.
Milan, well, that was a different story. Very frustrating game against Napoli who were very spirited at home. The Rossoneri were actually lucky to escape with a point.
In more good news though my picks continue to improve. I was 5 out of 10 for the EPL and 4 out of 5 for Serie A. I got a couple exactly and even my upset pick of Tottenham over Chelsea was spot on. Maybe someday soon I'll match myself up against a real journalist and see who does better.
International games coming up very soon, can't wait!
Showing posts with label Steven Gerrard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steven Gerrard. Show all posts
Monday, March 23, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Rafa Benitez
There has been a lot of uncertainty lately regarding the future of Liverpool's manager, Rafael "Rafa" Benitez and I thought I take a few minutes to think out loud about the coach and the situation.
I'll say right off of the bat that I do like the guy. He's ok with the media, doesn't usually get too into it with other managers, and seems an honest enough guy. He's brought a lot of talent to Liverpool, much of it Spanish. During his tenure Liverpool have won some major trophies like the Champions League in 2005, in that unbelievable final versus Milan, and the FA Cup in 2006, with Steven Gerrard the likely hero once again. Both matches ended in penalties. So they have shown great skill and mental toughness through the course of 2 somewhat grueling tournaments. Why then, can't they win the coveted league title?
This is basically why the pressure is on Benitez now. The club has enjoyed wonderful success while he's been in charge. His rotating wheel of players and lineups I will admit I could do without. It just doesn't seem to let some players get into a rhythm as I think was the case with Keane. Sure you could say that's just the system the striker needs to fit but I think in this case it drove away a player they could really be using now and its made for some dicey matches. His recent lineup away to Portsmouth was quite baffling with the likes of Torres and Xabi Alonso on the bench. His blushes were spared. But beyond that his overall record and collection of other trophies wouldn't suggest he should be considered unfit for the job. But why can't he win it? No one knows for sure. Injuries have certainly been a nuisance and not just this season. Rafa might argue that he has not been given the control over transfers that he would like. But there's another fairly simple answer that it is pretty hard for a Liverpool fan to admit.
Look who they have to play! As good of a form as Liverpool have maintained for the last couple of years, United's has been just a bit better. Since 2004 when Benitez took over at Liverpool, United have won two Premier League Titles, two League Cups, and have Champions League and FA Cup trophies of their own. They look to be heading towards another. You might argue that another manager might be up to their challenge but so far few other managers have been.
So in conclusion I think Rafa should stay. They should give him one more year and a little bit more control over the transfers. That way when we get to arguing about this next year he will have no excuses and neither will I. But as long as he's the manager he's got my support, whatever that's worth. (Hint: nothing)
I'll say right off of the bat that I do like the guy. He's ok with the media, doesn't usually get too into it with other managers, and seems an honest enough guy. He's brought a lot of talent to Liverpool, much of it Spanish. During his tenure Liverpool have won some major trophies like the Champions League in 2005, in that unbelievable final versus Milan, and the FA Cup in 2006, with Steven Gerrard the likely hero once again. Both matches ended in penalties. So they have shown great skill and mental toughness through the course of 2 somewhat grueling tournaments. Why then, can't they win the coveted league title?
This is basically why the pressure is on Benitez now. The club has enjoyed wonderful success while he's been in charge. His rotating wheel of players and lineups I will admit I could do without. It just doesn't seem to let some players get into a rhythm as I think was the case with Keane. Sure you could say that's just the system the striker needs to fit but I think in this case it drove away a player they could really be using now and its made for some dicey matches. His recent lineup away to Portsmouth was quite baffling with the likes of Torres and Xabi Alonso on the bench. His blushes were spared. But beyond that his overall record and collection of other trophies wouldn't suggest he should be considered unfit for the job. But why can't he win it? No one knows for sure. Injuries have certainly been a nuisance and not just this season. Rafa might argue that he has not been given the control over transfers that he would like. But there's another fairly simple answer that it is pretty hard for a Liverpool fan to admit.
Look who they have to play! As good of a form as Liverpool have maintained for the last couple of years, United's has been just a bit better. Since 2004 when Benitez took over at Liverpool, United have won two Premier League Titles, two League Cups, and have Champions League and FA Cup trophies of their own. They look to be heading towards another. You might argue that another manager might be up to their challenge but so far few other managers have been.
So in conclusion I think Rafa should stay. They should give him one more year and a little bit more control over the transfers. That way when we get to arguing about this next year he will have no excuses and neither will I. But as long as he's the manager he's got my support, whatever that's worth. (Hint: nothing)
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