I know some people are unhappy with Benitez after last night but I think it's worth remembering how far we have come under his reign. I found this post on The Guardian Sports Blog that sums up how much he has done for us.
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As a Liverpool fan I am going to be biased, but I shall try to be balanced to.
First of all I do not think Liverpool will win the Premier League next year, not because of Mr Benitez being a failure, but for the simple fact Mr Abramovich has spent £364m (approx) on new players since June 2003 whereas Liverpool in the same period have spent £174 (approx). This is not a slight at Chelsea but a fact. Manchester United have also spent big, £182m (approx - and I include the Tevez deal, though not the Ferdinand transfer) which also reflects the immense wealth and advantage Chelsea have in challenging for the league title and other cups simultaneously.
So what I shall write here is information which I believe shows Mr Benitez to be a better manager than what he is given credit for. I feel Mr Houllier left Liverpool in a worse position than when he started. Liverpool in 1998 were the third best team in the country, when he left they were a distant fourth. Mr Houllier also left Liverpool with a poor squad: Dudek, Kirkland, Finnan, Ostemobor, Hyypia, Medjani, Henchoz, Traore, Riise, Vignal, Diouf, Smicer, Biscan, Diao, Hamann, Diarra, Kewell, Cheyrou, Cisse, Pongolle, Baros, Le Tallec (I have excluded Carragher, Murphy, Gerrard and Owen because they were at Liverpool before Houllier).
This meant Mr Benitez had to rebuild Liverpool much like Abramovich rebuilt the Chelsea squad that finished the 2002-2003 season (Cudicni, Melchiot, Desailly, Gallas, Babayaro, Gronkjaer, Lampard, Petit, Le Saux, Hasselbaink, Gudjohnson were the first XI, other squad members were de Goey, Ferrer, Huth, Terry, Zended, Stanic, Morris, De Lucas, Zola and Cole). The problem for Mr Benitez is he could cancel contracts, remove players and spend hundreds of millions on new players; Liverpool had financial constraints like every other football team.
Well what has Mr Benitez done, to begin with I shall mention the league. If Liverpool were to draw the last two league games they would finish with 72 points, meaning Liverpool have averaged 70 points over the last 4 seasons; good or bad? Liverpool have re-emerged on the European stage, Champions league winners 2005, Champions league finalists 2007, Champions league semi-finalist 2008; good or bad? In domestic cup competitions Liverpool have won the FA Cup in 2006 and were finalists in 2005, good or bad? Also Liverpool have won the Community Shield and Super Cup, good, bad, or don't care?
Mr Benitez has also re-invested in the youth team (which like Mr Wenger, and Mr Ferguson, would acknowledge takes a few years "to bear fruit") as well as improving the Liverpool first XI with players of the caliber of Reina, Skrtel, Agger, Alonso, Mascherano, Babel and Torres; decent squad players like Arbeloa, Aurelio, Kuyt, Leiva, Crouch, Pennant and Benayoun. Football fans may question some transfers e.g. the forward Kuyt at £10m, but was Jeffer's worth £8m, Wiltord £13m, Shevchenko £30.8m, Saha £12.8m and Owen £16.5m? Also manager's make mistakes, 1 manager brought these players: Shaaban, Manniger, Vivas, Luzhny, Grondin, Stepanovs, Cygan, Grimandi, Boa Morte, Wreh, Diawara as well as spending £7.5m on Gio, £10.5m on Reyes, £6m on Wright, £6.5m on Edu etc. Patience is a virtue!
In conculsion, has Mr Benitez improved Liverpool's league points/position; yes, in my view. Have Liverpool had success in domestic cup competitions; satisfactory success, ditto for Arsenal and Manchester United. Have Liverpool improved their European form, unquestionably! Is the Liverpool squad stronger now than when Mr Benitez took charge, I would say resolutely yes. Would Mr Benitez have won the Premier League with Abramovich's millions, yes.
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As a Liverpool fan I am going to be biased, but I shall try to be balanced to.
First of all I do not think Liverpool will win the Premier League next year, not because of Mr Benitez being a failure, but for the simple fact Mr Abramovich has spent £364m (approx) on new players since June 2003 whereas Liverpool in the same period have spent £174 (approx). This is not a slight at Chelsea but a fact. Manchester United have also spent big, £182m (approx - and I include the Tevez deal, though not the Ferdinand transfer) which also reflects the immense wealth and advantage Chelsea have in challenging for the league title and other cups simultaneously.
So what I shall write here is information which I believe shows Mr Benitez to be a better manager than what he is given credit for. I feel Mr Houllier left Liverpool in a worse position than when he started. Liverpool in 1998 were the third best team in the country, when he left they were a distant fourth. Mr Houllier also left Liverpool with a poor squad: Dudek, Kirkland, Finnan, Ostemobor, Hyypia, Medjani, Henchoz, Traore, Riise, Vignal, Diouf, Smicer, Biscan, Diao, Hamann, Diarra, Kewell, Cheyrou, Cisse, Pongolle, Baros, Le Tallec (I have excluded Carragher, Murphy, Gerrard and Owen because they were at Liverpool before Houllier).
This meant Mr Benitez had to rebuild Liverpool much like Abramovich rebuilt the Chelsea squad that finished the 2002-2003 season (Cudicni, Melchiot, Desailly, Gallas, Babayaro, Gronkjaer, Lampard, Petit, Le Saux, Hasselbaink, Gudjohnson were the first XI, other squad members were de Goey, Ferrer, Huth, Terry, Zended, Stanic, Morris, De Lucas, Zola and Cole). The problem for Mr Benitez is he could cancel contracts, remove players and spend hundreds of millions on new players; Liverpool had financial constraints like every other football team.
Well what has Mr Benitez done, to begin with I shall mention the league. If Liverpool were to draw the last two league games they would finish with 72 points, meaning Liverpool have averaged 70 points over the last 4 seasons; good or bad? Liverpool have re-emerged on the European stage, Champions league winners 2005, Champions league finalists 2007, Champions league semi-finalist 2008; good or bad? In domestic cup competitions Liverpool have won the FA Cup in 2006 and were finalists in 2005, good or bad? Also Liverpool have won the Community Shield and Super Cup, good, bad, or don't care?
Mr Benitez has also re-invested in the youth team (which like Mr Wenger, and Mr Ferguson, would acknowledge takes a few years "to bear fruit") as well as improving the Liverpool first XI with players of the caliber of Reina, Skrtel, Agger, Alonso, Mascherano, Babel and Torres; decent squad players like Arbeloa, Aurelio, Kuyt, Leiva, Crouch, Pennant and Benayoun. Football fans may question some transfers e.g. the forward Kuyt at £10m, but was Jeffer's worth £8m, Wiltord £13m, Shevchenko £30.8m, Saha £12.8m and Owen £16.5m? Also manager's make mistakes, 1 manager brought these players: Shaaban, Manniger, Vivas, Luzhny, Grondin, Stepanovs, Cygan, Grimandi, Boa Morte, Wreh, Diawara as well as spending £7.5m on Gio, £10.5m on Reyes, £6m on Wright, £6.5m on Edu etc. Patience is a virtue!
In conculsion, has Mr Benitez improved Liverpool's league points/position; yes, in my view. Have Liverpool had success in domestic cup competitions; satisfactory success, ditto for Arsenal and Manchester United. Have Liverpool improved their European form, unquestionably! Is the Liverpool squad stronger now than when Mr Benitez took charge, I would say resolutely yes. Would Mr Benitez have won the Premier League with Abramovich's millions, yes.
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