American rockers Green Day recently asked 'Do you know your enemy?' In Rafael Benitez's case, it is the media and their anti-Liverpool agenda.
Anyone who has been present at Melwood when the Spaniard holds court for pre-match press conferences knows the level of irritation the manager feels when asked lazy journalism questions, cleverly disguised as sensationalist probes.
Having been the subject of idle paper talk linking him with resigning from the Anfield hot seat should the Reds fail to secure Champions League qualification, a vindicated Benitez hit back on Tuesday night in his post-match interview at Villa Park.
He said: "I don't see any journalist making a mistake and resigning, so every time that you ask me the same, I will ask you the same."
Benitez has every reason to be upset.
The critics have been quick to attack Alberto Aquilani, just as they were Jamie Carragher earlier in the season, but the Italian has to be given time to find his feet in the Premier League and the signs have been there in the last two games that he is doing that.
Some sections of the press have also included Benitez in lists of the worst managers of the year, despite him steering Liverpool to a second-place finish in the Premier League last season, and anyone hoping that the media tide against Liverpool will finally turn in 2010 shouldn’t hold their breath if the previous 12 months are anything to go by.
With all the adversity flying in the face of the club, the manner in which the Reds snatched all three points was made all the sweeter. An equally pleasurable sight was seeing Villa boss Martin O’Neill looking inconsolable as Fernando Torres hit his 50th league goal, scored in a record 72 appearances, proving that form is temporary and class is still permanent.
The old adage of playing to the whistle was also given real meaning with several players looking strong against the top four pretenders, notably Carragher, Emiliano Insua and Lucas Leiva. Glen Johnson and Dirk Kuyt are still lacking in confidence but as we saw with Yossi Benayoun at the turn of the year, players of their ability will find that form.
Yesterday it was revealed that the club are planning to begin work on the proposed new stadium before the end of the first quarter of 2010 after George Gillett’s pledge of having “a shovel in the ground” within 60 days of the Americans’ takeover in 2007 failed to come to fruition. There will be a shovel in the ground on Stanley Park before the end of April but it is more likely to be that of Anfield Comprehensive students as part of an archaeological experiment rather than builders performing excavation work.
So what does the future hold for Liverpool Football Club at the dawn of a new decade? Crippling debts, non-existent transfer budgets and a lack of overall progress under the current ownership. This is the storm that Gerry Marsden once referenced and it looks set to be a lengthy one with Gillett and Hicks at the helm.
Anyone who has been present at Melwood when the Spaniard holds court for pre-match press conferences knows the level of irritation the manager feels when asked lazy journalism questions, cleverly disguised as sensationalist probes.
Having been the subject of idle paper talk linking him with resigning from the Anfield hot seat should the Reds fail to secure Champions League qualification, a vindicated Benitez hit back on Tuesday night in his post-match interview at Villa Park.
He said: "I don't see any journalist making a mistake and resigning, so every time that you ask me the same, I will ask you the same."
Benitez has every reason to be upset.
The critics have been quick to attack Alberto Aquilani, just as they were Jamie Carragher earlier in the season, but the Italian has to be given time to find his feet in the Premier League and the signs have been there in the last two games that he is doing that.
Some sections of the press have also included Benitez in lists of the worst managers of the year, despite him steering Liverpool to a second-place finish in the Premier League last season, and anyone hoping that the media tide against Liverpool will finally turn in 2010 shouldn’t hold their breath if the previous 12 months are anything to go by.
With all the adversity flying in the face of the club, the manner in which the Reds snatched all three points was made all the sweeter. An equally pleasurable sight was seeing Villa boss Martin O’Neill looking inconsolable as Fernando Torres hit his 50th league goal, scored in a record 72 appearances, proving that form is temporary and class is still permanent.
The old adage of playing to the whistle was also given real meaning with several players looking strong against the top four pretenders, notably Carragher, Emiliano Insua and Lucas Leiva. Glen Johnson and Dirk Kuyt are still lacking in confidence but as we saw with Yossi Benayoun at the turn of the year, players of their ability will find that form.
Yesterday it was revealed that the club are planning to begin work on the proposed new stadium before the end of the first quarter of 2010 after George Gillett’s pledge of having “a shovel in the ground” within 60 days of the Americans’ takeover in 2007 failed to come to fruition. There will be a shovel in the ground on Stanley Park before the end of April but it is more likely to be that of Anfield Comprehensive students as part of an archaeological experiment rather than builders performing excavation work.
So what does the future hold for Liverpool Football Club at the dawn of a new decade? Crippling debts, non-existent transfer budgets and a lack of overall progress under the current ownership. This is the storm that Gerry Marsden once referenced and it looks set to be a lengthy one with Gillett and Hicks at the helm.
1 comment:
Keep posting stuff like this i really like it
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