Liverpool and Rafa Saga..

A few days ago, Rafa Benitez has condemned each and every player on the 2 - 0 lost Liverpool suffered to Fiorentina in the group stage of the Champions League match. He even pointed out that both Torres and skipper Gerrard are performing below par. He stated that the loss to Fiorentina is the worst Liverpool performance he have ever witnessed. Well get this Rafa, if your team is not performing up to expectations. The one person to be blame is you. No good managers will criticize their players in public, even if they underperform especially after one match of down fall. It is unnecessary to thrown criticism at your players after one match of football. It won’t do your team any good. It will jeopardize the confident of your players and affected the mood in the changing room.Evidently, managers the l ike of Arsene Wenger or Sir Alex Ferguson never accused of their players for such losses in public. There will always be other factors. The referee, the fans, conditions of the pitch, the weather, you name it. But never to criticize their own players, let alone pointed out names. Look what happen to Roy Keane during his time at Sunderland, his fault was being too honest. By blaming himself and his players to the media for not winning games. The tactics are wrong, the players are not doing their job and so forth. Sunderland conditions are worsening each week. Eventually Roy got the axe.

What have gotten the neutrals even more interested are two things. The way Rafa's tries to get into Alex Ferguson’s mind and for me personally, the failure to sign Gareth Barry. After Wenger and Ferguson have finally made peace, it doesn’t occur to me that there will be anymore mind games between premier league club managers. But besides all people, Rafa is the last one I expected to starts a row with Alex Ferguson. The man that have been behind the mind games for all this while. Gratefully, some of the needless comments that have been thrown by Benitez have fall to deaf ears of Ferguson. He may have thought that he is have gotten too old to be concerned by this or Arsene is the only worthy adversary to have an argument with.

Rafa’s reaction after failing signing Barry is a disgrace by accusing the England midfielder of being greedy. The logic explanation is this, buy only what you can afford. Barry is still a quality player and a world class passer of the ball. His value is justified for every penny. At first, Rafa tries to sell out Spanish ace, Xabi Alonso to Juventus to finance the acquisition of Barry. But that deal has somehow failed. Largely due to failure of setting the correct price for Alonso. Therefore, Barry is not signed and Alonso demotivated because he may thinks that he is no longer in Rafa’s plan. After the end of last season, Alonso relentlessly requested for a transfer. Real Madrid is interested and signed him for £30 million in August. Manchester City managed to capture the signature of Barry just after the season ended. Rafa has loss the two most inarguably world class midfielders resulting from poor management skills.

Rafa promises a new Liverpool for the Chelsea game. A loss against the Blues will certainly push out the Reds farther and farther away out the title race. For you Reds faithful, all that remain is hope that Rafa will get this one right.