Home > Football > The Liverpool comedy-horror show continues with Rafa at the helm
The Liverpool comedy-horror show continues with Rafa at the helm
Maybe the board is playing a big joke on Anfield fans... but it's no laughing matter when the Premier League title seems as far away as ever.
by Larry Kwirirayi on 11 March 2008
Email this Article (26) Comments
The art of comic timing is something that has been practised by the best in the business so perfectly that we are likely to laugh any time that they intend us to – even if the topic under review is not so funny.
Of course, if you are a Liverpool fan for whom Anfield runs through blood and gut then you will find nothing amusing about Rafa Benitez’s performance as manager of late. Sure, Istanbul will be forever etched into your memory as one of the finest moments in your life – that and the first time you got your lines right in a class play – but patience has worn past thin now for even the most ardent Liverpool fan. So much so, that the legendary Bruce Grobbelaar even put his two cents in.
Now Benitez is not your conventional court jester. He actually takes his job more seriously than a negotiator in the Middle East and he is just about the only person both sides of this lifetime who believes that his charges can win the league title with him at the helm. He will point to Istanbul and the fact that he has lured class players like Fernando Torres to the club.
He will say that it is not his fault. He will say the Tom Hicks and George Gillett show has not exactly furnished him with the finest cuts. But Mr Rafa, do tell – how many of the players that have come to Liverpool have actually improved? Xabi Alonso is hardly recognisable as the player who was the star of your first season. Remember the finger-sucking Luis Garcia who came in with a blaze of glory before being farmed out to Atletico Madrid in the summer? How about the once mercurial Steven Gerrard who is not exactly pulling the team up by their bootstraps at the moment? In short, players will not improve under Benitez, which is the reason why he can’t seem to get it together.
Comments (26)
by karl taylor on March 11, 2008
If your gonna post a load of rubbish about Benitez and Liverpool at least get your facts right.. Leeds have never won the premier league....
by REDJ on March 11, 2008
We are in the top 4 mate, you should keep up with the latest news as your article looks as if you stopped reading the press weeks ago or maybe this is how behind you are in eastern europe
by Ken T on March 11, 2008
What nonsense is this article? Written by someone who knows nothing about football? Gosh!
by Butcher on March 11, 2008
What an absolute piece of rubbish article. Never read so much nonsense in my life. Players never improve under Benitez, u must be joking right? One word answer: Torres. Also babel, lucas, mascherano, agger, arbeloa, reina, crouch even are all better then when they first arrived. and who is the other top four team then? cop on mate
by mike t on March 11, 2008
possibly the worst article i've read on liverpool in a long time.
by Eddie David on March 11, 2008
Who writes this stuff? Is it just deliberately written to irritate Liverpool fans? The other guys all posted correctly, this guy has not got a clue when it comes to football and is typical of the slack (I won't call it journalism) reporting of the gutter press. Get your facts right before writing such rubbish!
by Graham May on March 11, 2008
The author of this article has blatently no idea what he's talking about, you may fancy a trip to the Liverpool FC acadamey before you want to talk about Rafa's lack of ability in developing players. How about the once mercurial Steven Gerrard who is not exactly pulling the team up by their bootstraps at the moment? That last line just sums you up pal, complete nonsense. Hope this isn't your day job, you'll be skint soon!!!
by Christovski L on March 11, 2008
by Andrew on March 11, 2008
Whats that rubbish about gerrard ? Isnt he pulling on Liverpools strings ey mate? 5 goals in CL, about 8-9 in the prem + numeral assists ? And look what he has done in the past couple of years? Winning them the FA cup on his own and playing fantastically in the CL.. You're a joke mate. Just another everton or Arse fan who hasn't got a clue about the game. u sod.
by freddie on March 11, 2008
Manc or Bitter? which one are you Larry? Your comparing a CL win to getting your lines right in a school play suggest the latter as only someone who has never experienced that joy could dismiss it so pitifully. Oh and how is 3rd place for the last 2 seasons not a top 4 team?
Haha, no man! Then they still havent won THE title, they have won A title which was a shit one, so bugger of .,
by Master Best on March 11, 2008
NOt woth commenting on the article is so rubbish.
by ChinangwA Chedu on March 11, 2008
Dude! Stop this rubbish. If you are going to post something for public consumption it has to make sense.
by Rob on March 11, 2008
"Forget the tinkering. Forget the lack of tactical nous. The man does not know how to develop talent. The fans aren’t having it." - firstly, who the f**k elected you to be the voice of Liverpool fans? Where are you getting this opinion from? I've been supporting Liverpool since before I was born, its a generation thing, and I can honestly say that I have far from 'had it' with Rafa Benitez. We've been going through a sticky patch, and I for one am sick to f**king death of every two-bit football 'expert' sticking their oar in. Yes we've not performed as well as we'd liked this year, but did anyone honestly think that we would win the league this year? I think the most we could hope for, while a new group of players gel and adapt to the English league, was a good run in the cups, and to be finishing within maybe 10 point of the leaders. This in my view would be an improvement. As for you comment about Rafa's "lack of tactical nous", what planet are you living on you cretin?
by renee on March 11, 2008
what a load of bollocks! stay off the dope larry lad
by nmhyu poiuy on March 11, 2008
this article is not worth the coverage it is getting, confine it to the trash bin
by JJ on March 11, 2008
they want their story back. P.S ANYONE USING NEWNOW - YOU CAN BLOCK BLOGS LIKE SPORTINGO APPEARING IN THE LIST OF NEWS STORIES.
by Red Rog on March 11, 2008
Ok everyone is entitled to an opinion, regardless of how ridiculous is and the article is so blatantly corrupt it's not worth arguing with. If you chose to write such utter rubbish then feel free, but don't for a second think your opinion reflect the views of the majority of the fans as you seem to suggest. So the fans aren't having it eh? I dare you to stand up on the kop and read your article aloud to see how many fans agree with you?...by the way the kop is the big stand behind the goal!
on March 12, 2008 on March 12, 2008
you're an idiot
by Macca WTF on March 12, 2008
OMG can somebody shoot this Mr Larry.. plz? Even my dog is vomitting while I'm reading this load of rubbish out loud.
by Dirty Dinglebotttom on March 12, 2008
If my name were Larry I'd take my head out of my ass.
by Nozz on March 12, 2008
I read up to the bit where it said Leeds have won the Premiership....unfortunately that was near the end. No offence Larry, but maybe you should concentrate more on sports you're used to, like ballet or trying to write your own name.
by Kenny Harper on March 12, 2008
Lafa Must stay Lafa Must stay hello hello
by javier frommadrid on March 13, 2008
There are two ways to turn into a perfect idiot: by hitting your head or going to an Academy of Idiocy. This guy fell in the staircase after receiving his diploma.
Name: This is simply to give the editors a general idea of what the article is about and will not appear on your published version.