Issue 71, Winter 2005
By Steve Kelly
Lets’ not even go there, right? Apologies only count when there’s a significant desire to change your ways, and after too many winters spent waiting for the next TTW&R I’m sure you don’t want to read all that mewling drivel. I am sorry though, and wouldn’t you just know that even with that incredible delay I have to go to print just as two of the bigger stories (Neville’s idiocy and God’s return) are breaking. C’est la guerre.
At least the Autumn editorial carried on the noble tradition of talking rubbish! I did the same for Houllier in 1999, claiming his year in charge had changed nothing – cue a long run of victories that changed the landscape. Would you believe me if I said I was thinking partly along those lines, that I could claim clairvoyance if Rafa kept on ‘struggling’ and pretend it was a ‘reverse jinx’ if I was wrong? Okay, suit yourself! There was a similarity to the way Gerard and Rafa’s seasons improved. As in 1999 we hit on a series of fixtures that would have been annoying had we lost. Houllier’s time? Bradford West Ham Derby Wednesday Coventry and relegation-bound Wimbledon at home – a nice, cosy 18 points squirreled away with minimum fuss. At least then we could see how a return to fitness for Henchoz and Hamann, integral figures in Le Ex-Boss’ overall strategy, had influenced matters.
But 2005? I was honestly scratching my head trying to detect what if anything had changed. I’m not big on tactics frankly but it was clear the players were beginning to get to grips with the Benitez way of defending. Gerrard bit the bullet by playing in certain positions to help ease Rafa’s selection posers. Sissoko, without really being much of a footballer, got through a lot of work while Alonso and the captain played to their strengths.
Have we seen the last of Rafa’s preoccupation with one up front? Possibly not, since if
we have a weakness at the moment it’s in the quality of our strikers. A word here about the diary with regard to Cisse and Chris Bascombe. After a telephone conversation (with the latter!) we agreed to differ over his comments in numerous match reports. There isn’t a gulf between our assessments of the player’s skill and temperament (I’ve tried to defend him but after Old Trafford and this stuff about hitting his wife even I’ve had just about enough now) but I just felt the coverage was a little too jaundiced. Despite a friendly (ish) phone call I still feel I’d be negligent in omitting how I felt about the situation at the time. I always hope any comments I make about Chris are not seen as a condemnation of his overall talent – a return to the dark days of Ric George would be too hideous to contemplate. Maybe I should have edited the comment about Cisse hitting that Arsenal fan as well, but I’ve left it alone. It’s what I thought then and too many writers are wise after too many events.
Though the diary ends prematurely by early January, little has happened since to change my/our feelings of guarded optimism. 21st century football being the foot-stamping “I want it and I want it yesterday” shriekathon that it is, slow but sure progress is still seen by some as not enough. Well, the message to such fans is quite simple: GROW UP WILL YOU. Red historians will tell you that no manager in our history has ever achieved what Chelsea are currently doing. Adjusted for 3-point wins and 38-game seasons, I think Paisley was the best by getting 89 points in 1978/79 – six less than Chelsea got last season and possibly 10 less than the Chavs will get this time around.
It’s become increasingly clear that the current Anfield hierarchy will never be able to give Benitez the funds he really needs to at least make a serious attempt at ousting Chelsea (hence the Fowler smokescreen?). They should either step aside for someone that can or we concentrate on making the current leisurely progression. Moores for all his faults has at least been consistent: no Liverpool manager will be sacked if he is taking the club forward, he’ll even get a ‘blip’ season. We’re almost certain to improve on our (admittedly dismal) points tally last season, and stand a good chance of improving the league position too.
But with Arsenal looking shaky and even United being written off (they’re not finished while that astonishing luck holds out) there has been an impatient, desperate attempt to make us The Main Threat To Chelsea. In the current state of affairs that is a fairly thankless task with almost no reward. Let’s keep our eye on the main prize, that of making Liverpool FC better. That’s all that counts right now, and only a fool would deny that Benitez is keeping his side of the bargain.
Is the club keeping their side of it though? It’s all very well the likes of myself continuing to point out that LFC never bought their way to the top, and all of Houllier’s greatest moments were inspired by previous Academy work (Owen Carragher Gerrard) and transfer canniness (Hyypia Henchoz Babbel McAllister Finnan Riise etc) – but as clever as Rafa may be we’re up against an extremely formidable opponent. Even without such eye-popping resources, Mourinho could probably hold his own in the Premiership. Looking down from on high I’m sure Shankly and Paisley would relish the challenge – but even they would admit that they never had to face anything as daunting as this. Could it just be that Benitez will find greener grass in his own country? It’s a thought that should send shudders through the boardroom but I sometimes think they wouldn’t notice an earthquake in there.
Of course if their sugar daddy gets bored or takes a bullet the situation changes, but in a strange way Roman Abramovich provides perfect camouflage for Benitez. That’s if all those who love the Reds don’t get carried away with what after all was only a dozen-game sequence (albeit with 34 points from them). There’s a long way to go yet.
Or is that too supportive and optimistic for a TTW&R editorial? I keep forgetting. Okay, take two: we’ve been lucky, Rafa still doesn’t know what he’s doing in England, I told you Crouch was shit, just watch us implode now, what’s he bought Fowler for etc etc
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