Rafael Benitez, the man who finds fault in the best of displays, is reportedly having trouble lifting the sombre mood at Liverpool.
As a manager, it is all very well concentrating on the negatives, on the one bad thing a player does in a game, say, rather than offering congratulations on a spectacular hat-trick.
That hard-line approach holds up if the team keep winning. Footballers will stomach their boss constantly nit-picking. They will overlook his aversion to pats on the back because spirit is good inside the camp. When the points are rolling in and confidence is high this relentless pursuit of perfection can be handled OK.
But that isn’t quite so easy when the tide turns, when performances dip and players lose form. All of a sudden, the gaffer’s continual carping doesn’t seem so quaint. The dressing room atmosphere gets a bit heavy, with more people than usual having a moan.
Some reckon that is happening at Liverpool following a couple of defeats on the spin. Rafael Benitez, the man who finds fault in the best of displays, is reportedly having trouble lifting the mood.
True or not, the Spaniard now faces an exacting week. After Saturday’s tricky trip to in-form Sunderland, Lyon visit Anfield on Tuesday for a Champions League tie that takes on added significance after that lame defeat to Fiorentina. And just to keep the tension going, Manchester United pitch up for a cracker next Sunday.
Not only that, Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres might miss the lot, having picked up injuries on international duty. All the best Rafa. Pick your way through that.
This might be a good time, then, to loosen up a bit, to start reminding his other charges of their strengths rather than weaknesses. Because over the next few days Benitez desperately needs everyone pulling in the same direction to stop Liverpool’s season from losing vital momentum.
As a manager, it is all very well concentrating on the negatives, on the one bad thing a player does in a game, say, rather than offering congratulations on a spectacular hat-trick.
That hard-line approach holds up if the team keep winning. Footballers will stomach their boss constantly nit-picking. They will overlook his aversion to pats on the back because spirit is good inside the camp. When the points are rolling in and confidence is high this relentless pursuit of perfection can be handled OK.
But that isn’t quite so easy when the tide turns, when performances dip and players lose form. All of a sudden, the gaffer’s continual carping doesn’t seem so quaint. The dressing room atmosphere gets a bit heavy, with more people than usual having a moan.
Some reckon that is happening at Liverpool following a couple of defeats on the spin. Rafael Benitez, the man who finds fault in the best of displays, is reportedly having trouble lifting the mood.
True or not, the Spaniard now faces an exacting week. After Saturday’s tricky trip to in-form Sunderland, Lyon visit Anfield on Tuesday for a Champions League tie that takes on added significance after that lame defeat to Fiorentina. And just to keep the tension going, Manchester United pitch up for a cracker next Sunday.
Not only that, Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres might miss the lot, having picked up injuries on international duty. All the best Rafa. Pick your way through that.
This might be a good time, then, to loosen up a bit, to start reminding his other charges of their strengths rather than weaknesses. Because over the next few days Benitez desperately needs everyone pulling in the same direction to stop Liverpool’s season from losing vital momentum.
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