Liverpool have gone backwards under Benitez... it's time for King Kenny to take the reins
By Mark Gobshite Lawrenson who is a twat of the highest order.

Published 22:45 30/04/10


Liverpool’s season has been a disaster and I fear the consequences will mean years outside the elite of the ­European and English games.

They are now just an ordinary team with a few extra-special players.

And without ­Champions League football to offer their biggest stars – Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard – or the prospect of investment to revive the challenge next season, vultures will soon be picking over the carcass of a ­desperately poor campaign.

Worse still, a Liverpool win against Chelsea this weekend could help Manchester United win their 19th title and ­overtake the Scousers’ record haul of championships.

I am sure they’ll be going all out for a win, but it would be no surprise if Liverpool looked demoralised after their Europa League semi-final defeat. However, there are bigger issues to worry about right now than losing records to United.

They are not going to finish fourth. Look ahead to this time next year and there is no ­guarantee Liverpool will be in the top four then either.

The other worst thing for Anfield fans to stomach will be if Manchester City finish fourth. City are building a team and paying the wages.

If City get fourth they could win the league within a couple of years. Man U and Chelsea will always be up there, and Arsenal are on the up too.

So how do Liverpool get back into it? That is why they are at such a crossroads. With no Champions League football what does Gerrard do? What does Torres do? They now have an excuse to leave.

They can afford it. If that happens you just think: “Oh my God.” It is inevitable City will try to buy the both of them.

Stevie G does not need an excuse. He has been Mr ­Liverpool for years and has been fantastic. In recent games you look at him and he is looking around shaking his head thinking: “What are we doing?”

Torres? People say he is loyal, but I have heard City will go seriously for both of them. So what happens next?

Rafa Benitez will go. He has his exit strategy ready. If Juventus want him Benitez should cut a deal with ­Liverpool.

When asked the question on Thursday night about what the future held why didn’t he say he was looking ahead to who he could bring in. Why on earth would you say the next two games are the future. That is dodging the issue.

It is down to the negotiations between Liverpool and Benitez. From what I believe Benitez’s contract is watertight in terms of the payment he would get if he was sacked.

Can a deal be done that says “Rafa, thanks but no thanks” and then the club can move forward?

They have to say it is not working. I have quite liked Benitez, but that is now six years and you have to ask whether they are any better off now than when he took over. No. Nowhere near.

What about new owners? We could have them in six months. But six months eats into next season and it misses the August transfer window.

Liverpool are fortunate Kenny Dalglish is around. He could take the reins for a few months and into next season.

The irony is that Roy Hodgson would be the perfect fit for Liverpool. He would make the team difficult to beat but he also understands the other end of the operation that wins you games. With Benitez the glass was half-empty but with Hodgson it is half-full.

This season has been ­disastrous. There have been so many poor decisions relating to the team. Take one: Glenn Johnson, good full-back, but £17-18million? You could have kept Alvaro Arbeloa, say to him “you are not going to Madrid, you are staying”, and go off and use the money to buy another striker.

If Torres is injured David Ngog should not be starting and leading the line in a one-up-front situation. That has been the most fundamental and basic mistake Benitez has made all season.

Dirk Kuyt is an honest hardworking player but he doesn’t run past anyone and Ngog is inexperienced.

People on Merseyside ask: do you throw more money at it? No. Benitez has wasted an awful lot. He has signed some poor players in the £10m-£11m category.

So I think Benitez will go. Who comes in? Who would be ­available with what little money there is to spend? With the Americans wanting out, how do you attract a new manager?

How would you go to Fulham and get Hodgson on those terms? That is where King Kenny comes in.

He would be a ­galvanising figure who has been there and done it. I would be surprised if he said no.

*YAWN*

Take what this Barry Gibb look-a-like cunt says with a pinch of salt!
Too many defensive headers have fucked his small pea size brain up!

Liverpool have gone backwards under Benitez... it's time for King Kenny to take the reins

So how is appointing a man who left management ages ago going forwards?

And i am not going into the whole net spend debate again to counter Lawros argument as it has been done to death.

But what I will say is, have arsenal gone backwards/stagnated under Wenger? They havent won anything in years or put up a sustained title challenge. Is his job under threat?

City spent over 100 million last summer and still finished fifth... thats what we are competing with now. Its not a simple case of rafa making mistakes, we know he has. Everyone does. But to simpy state its all an issue revolving around Liverpool with no external influences is ridiculous. And i have no doubt our european exploits drained us. how many times did we play on a wednesday immediately followed by a mid day saturday kick off. then europa league, sunday lunchtime after a thursday night. we have a thread bare squad as it is.

Truly I could pick this whole pile of shit Lawro has stated to death... but why bother... it is the insane ramblings of a fucking weirdo who should have been sedated and put back in his padded cell years ago.

He's totally losing the plot and gone right down in my estimation, even lower than Stan Doggin Collwobbles, who is a prize wanker and the biggest joke of a pundit around.

I don't see how anyone could disagree with anything he has said! He may be an oddball, but this is basic common sense.

Too many chips on too many shoulders on here; 'They don't like us, they never have liked us and they never will!'

He is spot on with this assessment and if Benitez stays we are in deep shit. I have never seen such a sly turnaround - the man should have been a politician. He has managed to turn the issue around from him being sacked for his failures to I may stay but only on my terms.

On a different note, interesting to see Crouchie score for Spurs and earn them C/L footy - a player we should never have sold (like Keane, Bellamy, Arbeloa and Alonso)

I can disagree with this part though matye:

Quote:

On a different note, interesting to see Crouchie score for Spurs and earn them C/L footy - a player we should never have sold (like Keane, Bellamy, Arbeloa and Alonso)

Crouchie WANTED to leave for regular first team football, known fact.
Bellamy was released due to the funding of Torres, give me 'Nando anyday!
Arbeloa was released to make way for Johnson also he wanted to return to Spain.
Alonso, ditto on that Arbeloa fact too.

Or So I hear on the grapevine!

MS, great post...

Walford, the same old tired arguments from you that you have received the answers for time and again... but hey lets make shit up rather than accept the actual facts... Suppose you would have liked us to have kept Couch until his contract ran down and he left on a free. The lad wanted away, he had the offer of a contract, but he wanted guaranteed 1st team footy, or double the salary offered. He got both a Pompey and Liverpool couldn't match this.

MS has answered all the other points, but I do know this. Rafa wasn't happy regarding again receiving promises when he went after Torres and Co and again being forced to offload... and to get Torres, who we paid £20m for and he is now wort 4 times as much, well I'd of let Bellamy and Garcia go to fund this... No argument, but Torres and Yossi are better players than these 2 and Crouch.

As for having other forwards... perhaps you keep missing the fact we had a forward lined up in the summer, yet the supposed money set aside for the deal was then used to offset our debts, throwing all Rafa's transfer plans into turmoil, as he had already signed Aquilani... but it was protacted negotiations by the selling Club that dragged the other deal out... and by the time things were agreed Rafa didn't have the money for signing him... but hey you and Lawro believe different.

In fact tell you what, sack Rafa tomorrow, install whoever you wish.... and then in 12 months time when all the same shit is happening, but we are even worse off... posters like you will have either fucked off, changed your USER IDs or will deny everything.

Keep it going Walford, but at least have a decent argument for why you want Rafa out... as I keep stating. I am not defending the man, merely just posting all the true facts which conteract everything that the likes of you and Lawro come out with... If the stuff ain't true, it ain't true no matter how you dress it up to support your argument and that's what fucking appalls me regarding Lawro... the man who is making it a personal mission to sack Rafa, but all the stuff he uses and twists and turns is all garbage when stacked up against the facts.... So lets stick with all the facts and truth eh???