"We can still win the title" - Who's Benitez kidding?

Just. No.

I’m a true optimist right, but I’m afraid on this occasion even Rafa’s got the better of me. Despite Liverpool’s dire start to the season, somehow, from somewhere, Mr. Benitez has conjured up the enthusiasm and confidence to say Liverpool can still win the Premier League. Is he mad?

It is early days, but not so early as predict the outcome of the rest of the season. This week is a crucial one for Benitez, probably for his career at Anfield. A Champions League tie on Tuesday is followed on Sunday by the visit of Manchester United and all their beachballs. Should Liverpool fail to secure points in both those matches, the door will swing wide open for Benitez to make his exit.

This time last season Liverpool were in a similar predicament. Benitez as well. A Champions League win, also against French opposition in the form of Marseille, kept Benitez his job in effect, after reports suggested he was on the way out. If ever there was a time for an encore, it’s now.

Those of you who read the papers will have probably picked up on the criticism of Benitez for not praising his players enough. Now I never read the articles about this, but I was told that he’s never praised Jamie Carragher or Steven Gerrard for a good performance? Surely that can’t be true. Is he losing the dressing room now as well?

He’s desperate to stay at Liverpool, that’s for sure, and who can blame him? He’s fallen in love with the club and it’s fans, and having spent 5 years there, it’s always going to be a hard thing to leave. He delivered a 5th Champions League trophy in his first full year in charge, as well as bringing Fernando Torres to the club, a signing that pretty much made him a legend. But all that seems long forgotten.

The recent past and the present is what Liverpool fans, and more importanly messrs. Hicks and Gillet are looking at right now. He’s not delivering the goods, and it’s time something was done about it. I’m sad to say that I want Benitez to leave. In my eyes he’s a legend, and a top Football Manager. Winning the European Cup was a big thing for me, and all other Liverpool fans. But I’m afraid now we want the Premier League. And I don’t believe Benitez is the man to deliver that particular trophy.

He’s too cautious as a Manager, in England anyway. The style of play that is needed in the PL is an attacking one. Take United and Arsenal for example. Free-flowing, passing Football, and plenty of goals. Liverpool, seldom set the League alite with a 5-0, 6-0 display, and far too often settle for 0-0 draws at Stamford Bridge. Not good enough.

Possible candidates for the hotseat?

Jose Mourinho has to be favourite for me. He’s always stated a desire to get back into managing in England, and despite not being on most Reds’ fan’s christmas card list, he’ll win silverware.

Jurgen Klinsmann was very close to taking over 12 months ago before that Marseille win, and who know, his name may pop up again.

Martin O’Neill? Claudio Ranieri? Who do you think?

Benitez keen to bring Heskey back

"I don't know what I'm doing wearing this shirt either, Stevie"

This doesn’t please me.

Apparently Benitez is keen on finishing 8th place as well. At least that’s what will happen if he continues to concentrate his interest on donkeys. Take note Lucas Leiva.

Emile Heskey is good for one thing, and one thing only. He’s a big guy, a strong guy. Therefore, long, aerial balls could potentially be very beneficial. Heskey’s strength allows him to win a lot of aerial battles, which ultimately makes him a useful target man.

He’d be an even better target man if he didn’t fall over every 20 seconds. The guy is huge. Man up.

He’s complimented Wayne Rooney in attack reasonably well for England of late, but for a striker, he has a woeful goalscoring record, target man or not target man. 7 goals in 57 England games? Please. Surely there’s someone better. Oh yes, there is: Jermain Defoe.

If you compare Heskey to other target men around the World, you’ll notice that he’s simply not as good.

Luca Toni – Italy – 16 goals, 47 games.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Sweden – 22 goals, 59 games.
Dimitar Berbatov – Bulgaria – 43 goals, 72 games.

You do the Math.

It is suggested that Rafa is interested in bringing Heskey back to Anfield for a second spell after finally recognising the need for a second striker to play alongside Fernando Torres. Back in the year 2000, Heskey moved from Leicester City to Liverpool for an astonishing £11m fee, and spent 4 unproductive years at the club. Now, nearly 10 years on, take £9.5m off that price and you’ve got what Heskey will supposedly re-join the Reds for.

Emile himself has stated that he’d consider a move back to Merseyside, and it’s hard to believe he’d turn it down should an offer come in. In the meantime, Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill has told Heskey to stop worrying about his England place for next year’s World Cup, and to start focussing on securing Villa a decent finish in the Premier League.

Chelsea v Liverpool: Battle of the Number 8's

Fans of Chelsea and Liverpool would have been scowering through the 2009/2010 fixtures list in mid-July, with the aim of pinpointing arguably their biggest games of the season. This contest certainly falls into that category.

In years gone by, matches between Chelsea and Liverpool have been displays of technical class, wonderful ability, and plenty of goals. One gets the feeling that this tussle will fail to disappoint.

There’s a lot at stake for both sides on Sunday. Chelsea lost their first League game of the season last weekend at the hands of a plucky Wigan, whilst Liverpool travelled to Italy in mid-week only to be outplayed by a very impressive Fiorentina side. Remarkably, that defeat at the DW Stadium prompted some people to start casting doubts over the future of Carlo Ancelotti. Now we know that in this day and age managers seldom get the rub of the green when results aren’t going their way, and usually it’s 10/15 matches into a season when they get the boot, but talk of Ancelotti going after just one defeat this season is completely ludicrous.

Many have touted the Italian as being the ‘next Scolari’, but so far there’s very little evidence of that. Yes, Chelsea lost to Wigan, and yes they can’t afford to be losing those kind of matches on a regular basis, but it’s just one blip out of 38 Premier League matches. I’m sure they’ll bounce back sooner or later.

As for Liverpool, Rafael Benitez is a manager under far more pressure than his Chelsea counterpart. A poor start to the season in all competitions has already dispelled some fans’ hopes of winning the League, or Champions League come next summer. The depth of the squad at Anfield, as well as the quality of players has constantly come under scrutiny, and there is no doubt that Sunday will be the Reds’ biggest test yet. Should they come through that with 3 points I’m sure all those doubts will disappear, for a day or two at least. However, should Liverpool fail to bag at least 1 point, more question marks, and more pressure will build on the Spaniard.

The key battles haven’t really changed from previous clashes. The main talking point will be the two no.8’s in the middle of the park. Messrs Lampard and Gerrard. Many say they can’t play together, but the spotlight will now be on the two battling against each other as they sought to regain some Premier League momentum for their teams.

Lampard is renowned for his ability to find space and pop up in the box unmarked, therefore scoring his fair share of goals. I would hope Javier Mascherano would be given the job of marking Lamps out the game, and therefore dispelling Chelsea’s main midfield threat. Gerrard on the other hand loves running with the ball, making those darting runs forward, and of course supplying Torres with pinpoint precision. Goals from Gerrard are guaranteed throughout a season, and he very often pops up at vital times. Michael Essien will probably be given the job of keeping Stevie quiet. A difficult task nonetheless.

The Torres – Terry contest also throws up some interesting talking points too. Torres has been in great form in the early season, and been rewarded with the Player of the Month for September. John Terry, England captain and one of the World’s best centre-halfs, will have his work cut out, but he’ll more than be up to the prospect of keeping Torres quiet.

Finally, Didier Drogba and the whole of the Liverpool backline will be a very interesting watch. Drogba’s physical, bullying presence will keep Jamie Carragher and the likes on their toes, and with Drogba’s reputation for going down a little too easily, they’ll have to be careful not to concede any silly free-kicks close to goal. Especially with the likes of Lampard and Ballack, two first-class free-kick specialists, amongst the Chelsea ranks.

Whenever Liverpool travel to Stamford Bridge Rafael Benitez always seems keen on employing a cautious, counter-attacking setup. This time however, having already conceded too many points for my liking this season, a more aggressive, ‘in-your-face’ approach would be very refreshing to see. Yes, we may concede a goal or two, but with Torres, Gerrard, Benayoun, and Kuyt all finding the net with consummate ease at the moment, the likelihood is we’d score a few too.

Chelsea play attacking Football wherever they go. They have great ability in the final third, as well as a solid defensive unit that deals with the counter-attacking threat. Where they are perhaps vulnerable is with a big striker up against Terry and Carvalho, something Liverpool don’t really possess although Torres does put himself about a bit, and down the wings. Bosingwa and Cole’s defensive ability leaves something to be desired.

For me, the team that wins will be the team that gambles the most. Risks will have to be taken, but calculated risks. Sitting back and waiting to counter is a dangerous tactic and probably one that should be abandoned for this match. Aggressive, attacking, inventive play will be the winner on Sunday.

A fascinating contest lies ahead then. I’d be very interested to hear some predictions from readers – Preferably in Liverpool’s favour.

My Prediction: 2-3

Pressure mounts on Benitez as Liverpool fall to 3-1 defeat at the hands of Villa

I'll keep this short and simple.

Liverpool only lost twice in the entirety of last season, but with only 3 games gone in the 09/10 season, Rafa's boys already find themselves with 2 defeats against their name.

Villa turned up at Anfield today having lost their first and only PL game of the season, a home tie v Wigan, but they showed no signs of that against a sloppy Liverpool side. An open first half ended with Villa 2-0 up, after Lucas slotted one past his own 'keeper, before Curtis Davies headed home just before the whistle. Fernando Torres netted for the Reds with 20 minutes to go, but hopes of a comeback were short lived as Steven Gerrard brought down Nigel Reo-Coker in the box, allowing Ashley Young to slot home from the spot.

The match ended with boos from the Liverpool fans, clearly frustrated at another defeat in a game that they really should have won. Pressure continues to grow on Rafa Benitez who has failed to bring home the PL trophy in the 5 years he's been at Anfield. A squad that lacks depth, unstable owners, and a whole lot of question marks surround the Spaniard, and if the team don't start winning soon, the door could well be open for Rafa to pack his bags and leave.

Kyrgiakos to join Liverpool

Samaras look-a-like?

Good luck pronouncing this one.

Liverpool have completed the signing of Greece International centre-back Sotirios Kyrgiakos - that's Sot-ear-rios Ker-jee-akos for the Graham Taylor's out there. The deal comes subject to a medical, and the fee is believed to be around the £1.5m mark.

With such a low price tag, Kyrgiakos is either a big gamble on Benitez's part, or a bargain from AEK Athens. At 30 years of age, Kyrgiakos should be at the top of his game, so perhaps it's the latter.

Rafael Benitez seemed positive about the new signing. "He is a player with experience who will hopefully help us in defence". I don't like the use of the word 'hopefully'. It gives an air of the unconvincing. Rafa went on to say: "He has experience in British Football with Rangers. After that with Frankfurt and the National team. He's a good player in the air, strong and aggressive. We were looking for a player with experience".

Does this spell the end for Daniel Agger? With Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel now regulars in the side, and the arrival of Kyrgiakos whom I'm sure will be next in line seeing as Agger's injured, the Danish International may just find himself out in the cold. Unless Rafa has plans to play either a 5-3-2, or play Agger at left-back. But that'd mean the end for Fabio Aurelio. AC Milan have recently shown big interest in Agger, and with the transfer window deadline still two weeks away, there's still plenty of time for them to come calling again.

It'll be interesting to see how Kyrgy fits in to Rafa's plans. He'll be arriving before the weekend, so the Kop may get a first glimpse of him during Monday night's home match against Villa.

From where I was sitting, I saw nothing!

Who would be a manager, eh? Not only do they have to control a group of mischievous, binge drinking, gambling addicted idiots but from what we gather from post-match interviews, they have a severe case of missing the most crucial incidents and decisions, UNLESS they go against their team. It’s usually because a steward was standing in their way, or they were on the phone to the Mrs, or some other really valid excuse.

However, as if we didn’t know already, Mr. Arsene Wenger of Arsenal FC has admitted that he faked it all. Well I never. I’m not being funny, but Arsene didn’t really need to ‘admit’ that for us all to believe. It was as clear as daylight.

Speaking ahead of his side’s League opener against Everton at the weekend, Wenger stated that loyalty to his players is far more important than answering questions from the media. (I’m sure a few media personnel will have a word or two to say about that).

Asked whether Wenger had ever been economical with the truth, the Frenchman replied: “Yes, because you are thinking ‘why has he (the player) done that?’ and you know you cannot explain”. So why not just say he’s a cheat then? We can all see it, we all know what’s happened – the hundreds of camera angles take care of that.

“From where I was sitting, I couldn’t see it” is now code for “yes, he dived – he’s a cheat”. However, you can understand where Arsene is coming from – it’s his duty to protect his players from criticism and such like – but for years now the FA and all other major governing bodies have been trying to clamp down on foul play such as diving and manipulating the referee into making decisions. Surely these acts of protection and denial give encouragement to players to continue doing such things, as they know that they will get the backing of their gaffer.

It’s a different story when the bad refereeing decision, or a dodgy offside flag goes up AGAINST Wenger’s team – he’ll give it some after the match, claiming the referee is biased or not fit to officiate a PL match, or the linesman wasn’t doing his job properly – but when the rub of the green is going his way, he’ll keep quiet and act innocent. I think it’s wrong that they are allowed to behave in this way. We know that in Football, and in Sport in general there are going to be some bad decisions, and it’s tough to accept them, especially in such high-pressure arenas and situations like you get in the PL. But berating officials when they get something wrong against you, and then turning a blind eye to something that happened for your team isn’t the way to go about it.

Sir Alex Ferguson is arguably the King (it pains me to use the word ‘King’ in the same sentence as Fergie) at manipulating referees to such an extent that they are influenced during the match. Then when the rare occasion of a bad decision goes against United, you see him parading onto the pitch post-match and giving Howard Webb, Mike Riley, Steve Bennett a complete earful. It’s not fair on officials to be treated like that, and it’s not fair on opposing teams who have to be on the receiving end of a Ferguson tantrum – they ultimately affect a referees thinking.

Rafa Benitez received a lot of criticism when he spoke out against Ferguson’s influencing tactics, but none of that criticism was justified. He was 100% right in what he said, and I was so glad to hear about it – it was about time someone stood up and said something, and stopped letting Fergie get away with it. Benitez is a good one for staying quiet on the subject of criticising match officials. Seldom do you hear the Spaniard ranting Kevin Keegan style on TV after a bad match, and seldom do you hear about him getting involved in pre-match disputes about the men in the black.

The FA keep claiming they’re putting measures in place to give the referees more protection, but from where I’m sitting, I can’t see anything happening. Or perhaps that steward just got in my way. But seriously, last season a ‘rule’ came into place which allowed only the Captain of the team the right to speak to, challenge, whatever you want to call it, the referee, but on more than one occasion, much more than one occasion, did we see a mass of players aggressively approaching a referee. Chelsea are the main culprits – an Old Trafford Tie of the Avram Grant era springs to mind, when John Obi Mikel was sent off for a late lunge on a Utd player (prizes for naming that player). I’m looking forward to seeing if the FA’s latest attempt to give the referees some protection will actually work – I’m not 100% sure what they’ve actually changed, but we’ll see I guess.

It’s time that Wenger & Ferguson get a grip on their emotions, and be real here. It’s Football – you’re going to get done out of a few decisions – but deal with it. There are 20 teams in the PL all experiencing the same referees/linesman/officials – the World is not against YOU. I’m fed up of the words “I didn’t see anything”. I want managers to clamp down on cheats, and not protect them, and I want them to stop moaning about ‘bad’ referees.

Bring on tomorrow.

Rafa's shopping list

Carlos Tevez - Somewhat of a long shot with Manchester City and Chelsea showing keen interest, but the prospect of a Torres, Tevez partnership is one that Liverpool fans will be drooling over.

Aaron Lennon - Very pacey and tricky, and causes problems for all full backs. His crossing ability needs improving but working alongside players such as Gerrard and Torres would surely improve his game. If Liverpool are to win trophies next season, they need a world class winger or two.

Glen Johnson - Signed by Rafa for near £18,000,000. Attacking full back will create chances from wide and support the likes of Babel/Benayoun - whoever is playing on the right wing. One question mark is his defensive ability and will he be able to cope with the attacking threats of Nani/Malouda next season?

David Silva - Would certainly get in the team ahead of Albert Riera. Provides width, pace, accurate crossing and 10+ goals a season. Liverpool will be hoping he can adapt to the premiership as soon as possible.

David Villa - Scores plenty of goals and would be a fantastic partner for Fernando Torres. Liverpool would have a great chance of winning the Premier League should Villa arrive at Anfield.