If only Rafael Benitez was as attack minded in the technical area as he is in the Press room.
After overseeing Liverpool’s worst – and perhaps most negative – performance of the season at relegation-threatened Stoke City, Benitez resumed his offensive against Sir Alex Ferguson, suggesting the Manchester United manager is “scared” of the Anfield outfit.
This, however, was certainly not a display that will have struck fear into Liverpool’s title rivals. Or anyone else in the division, for that matter.
Benitez’s bravado off the pitch was in stark contrast to the caution he continues to display on it.
While the towering Sami Hyypia and Martin Skrtel were both astute choices at centre-back, given the aerial bombardment Tony Pullis’ men subject sides to, the decision to play just one up front at the Britannia Stadium was less inspired.
The 4-2-3-1 system has been Benitez’s formation of choice ever since his La Liga-winning days at Valencia, but his devotion to it is far too dogmatic.
Its merits are clear, allowing the Spanish manager to field all of his outstanding performers along the spine of the side, while giving Steven Gerrard the licence to roam.
Like any system, however, its success is dependant on the suitability of candidates available for the different roles.
And when the spearhead of the formation is Dirk Kuyt rather than Fernando Torres, who has perfected the position, it’s time to think again.
Kuyt, for all his qualities, simply can not function in this role – there are few strikers in Europe who can. He has neither the touch, strength, pace nor aerial ability to lead the line and bring others into play.
The result is that Gerrard struggles to exert his influence on the game, as attack after attack breaks down at the feet or head of the former Feyenoord favourite.
Against teams like Stoke City, Kuyt is always at his worst, the kind of contest in which a moment of inspiration rather than 90 minutes of perspiration is required. The Dutchman’s industry may unnerve the very finest defences in European football but rugged stoppers like Abdoulay Faye and Ryan Shawcross would happily face such a limited forward each week.
The manager is right to be patient with Torres’s reintroduction to action following his spate of hamstring injuries, but the bench also contained two other strikers with a combined value of over £31m in Ryan Babel and Robbie Keane.
Both men have proved to be questionable signings, not because they lack talent, rather because of how Benitez has chosen to utilise them. Or not, as the case may be.
In the absence of both Xabi Alonso and Torres, Benitez should have played to the strength of his personnel, dropping Gerrard back into his favoured role alongside Javier Mascherano in a 4-4-2 line-up. What was it about the Potters’ midfield that troubled Benitez enough to play two anchormen? Salif Diao, maybe? The Senegalese flop was only denied a reunion with his former side by an injury in the warm-up.
In the centre, Liverpool badly missed the inspiration of Alonso, for whom the wretched Lucas is no replacement.
An encouraging performance against PSV and a delightful assist against Newcastle United led to some observers believing the young Brazilian had begun to realise his potential.
This woeful showing, however, was far more familiar.
Lucas, however, was not alone in the paucity of his performance. Alongside him Mascherano continued to fall short of his own high standards in front of his watching national manager Diego Maradona, while even Liverpool’s most consistent performer, Pepe Reina, was uncharacteristically flustered by Stoke’s direct approach.
Rather than concern himself with combating Ferguson’s mind games, Benitez should concentrate on outwitting opponents where it matters – on the field, where Stoke manager Pulis for the second time this season got the better of the Liverpool manager.
The greatest damage Benitez could have inflicted on Ferguson’s Premier League hopes would have been to claim a victory – something that, until Gerrard struck the bar, they never looked capable of.
True, the same system with largely the same group of players beat Newcastle 5-1 in the club’s previous league outing. The difference was, however, unlike the St James’ Park outfit, Stoke never allowed Liverpool time in possession.
Ultimately, it is not how a team lines up that determines their attacking intent, rather the mentality of the manager and the players he selects.
Yet, while Benitez favours a patient approach to football, he will soon discover that the tolerance of the club’s supporters will be severely tested should his side produce many more performances like this.
After overseeing Liverpool’s worst – and perhaps most negative – performance of the season at relegation-threatened Stoke City, Benitez resumed his offensive against Sir Alex Ferguson, suggesting the Manchester United manager is “scared” of the Anfield outfit.
This, however, was certainly not a display that will have struck fear into Liverpool’s title rivals. Or anyone else in the division, for that matter.
Benitez’s bravado off the pitch was in stark contrast to the caution he continues to display on it.
While the towering Sami Hyypia and Martin Skrtel were both astute choices at centre-back, given the aerial bombardment Tony Pullis’ men subject sides to, the decision to play just one up front at the Britannia Stadium was less inspired.
The 4-2-3-1 system has been Benitez’s formation of choice ever since his La Liga-winning days at Valencia, but his devotion to it is far too dogmatic.
Its merits are clear, allowing the Spanish manager to field all of his outstanding performers along the spine of the side, while giving Steven Gerrard the licence to roam.
Like any system, however, its success is dependant on the suitability of candidates available for the different roles.
And when the spearhead of the formation is Dirk Kuyt rather than Fernando Torres, who has perfected the position, it’s time to think again.
Kuyt, for all his qualities, simply can not function in this role – there are few strikers in Europe who can. He has neither the touch, strength, pace nor aerial ability to lead the line and bring others into play.
The result is that Gerrard struggles to exert his influence on the game, as attack after attack breaks down at the feet or head of the former Feyenoord favourite.
Against teams like Stoke City, Kuyt is always at his worst, the kind of contest in which a moment of inspiration rather than 90 minutes of perspiration is required. The Dutchman’s industry may unnerve the very finest defences in European football but rugged stoppers like Abdoulay Faye and Ryan Shawcross would happily face such a limited forward each week.
The manager is right to be patient with Torres’s reintroduction to action following his spate of hamstring injuries, but the bench also contained two other strikers with a combined value of over £31m in Ryan Babel and Robbie Keane.
Both men have proved to be questionable signings, not because they lack talent, rather because of how Benitez has chosen to utilise them. Or not, as the case may be.
In the absence of both Xabi Alonso and Torres, Benitez should have played to the strength of his personnel, dropping Gerrard back into his favoured role alongside Javier Mascherano in a 4-4-2 line-up. What was it about the Potters’ midfield that troubled Benitez enough to play two anchormen? Salif Diao, maybe? The Senegalese flop was only denied a reunion with his former side by an injury in the warm-up.
In the centre, Liverpool badly missed the inspiration of Alonso, for whom the wretched Lucas is no replacement.
An encouraging performance against PSV and a delightful assist against Newcastle United led to some observers believing the young Brazilian had begun to realise his potential.
This woeful showing, however, was far more familiar.
Lucas, however, was not alone in the paucity of his performance. Alongside him Mascherano continued to fall short of his own high standards in front of his watching national manager Diego Maradona, while even Liverpool’s most consistent performer, Pepe Reina, was uncharacteristically flustered by Stoke’s direct approach.
Rather than concern himself with combating Ferguson’s mind games, Benitez should concentrate on outwitting opponents where it matters – on the field, where Stoke manager Pulis for the second time this season got the better of the Liverpool manager.
The greatest damage Benitez could have inflicted on Ferguson’s Premier League hopes would have been to claim a victory – something that, until Gerrard struck the bar, they never looked capable of.
True, the same system with largely the same group of players beat Newcastle 5-1 in the club’s previous league outing. The difference was, however, unlike the St James’ Park outfit, Stoke never allowed Liverpool time in possession.
Ultimately, it is not how a team lines up that determines their attacking intent, rather the mentality of the manager and the players he selects.
Yet, while Benitez favours a patient approach to football, he will soon discover that the tolerance of the club’s supporters will be severely tested should his side produce many more performances like this.
No comments:
Post a Comment