Saturday, March 27, 2010

Media Article in Inspection: Rafael Benítez fudged the challenge against Manchester United by Louise Taylor



What Me Worry?: Fernando Torres opens the deadlock inside the first five minutes against United


The probability of better, or even good, journalism being shimmered regarding Liverpool's deranged (/ing - as the campaign is yet to end) season of 2009-10, is akin to finding a water storage tank amongst the sands of Sahara.

And Louise Taylor, the Guardian's north-east correspondent, has joined the swelling (yet annoying) list of babbling journalists - who prove their worth equivalent to 5-year-olds toying with (a new found device) keyboard.

It's not from sheer patriotic 'Red' zeal but reading a wall-writing twice gives a better picture.

With the boon of internet media, you can go over the writing for the 'gazillion'th time and no one's complaining.

Except when you have got a head over heels situation.

Like entering the second paragraph, after trying to grasp the situation of first - as if all are naive to the importance of a North-West derby - we are delivered a delusional and crocked Liverpool.

Hapless and bearings falling around, with their star-striker so disillusioned by the club's direction that he may bid adieu to Anfield and head to Eastlands.

Interesting. In it?

However, let's shed some light towards Fernando Torres' loyalty, shall we?

Or rather let's direct Mrs. Taylor to some classic journalism?

She need not go far but search the archives of her Guardian colleague, Sid Lowe, who had covered the success of Torres during his Premier League debut season with Liverpool.

As one line strikes perfect chord to Torres loyalty issues with his former club, Atlético Madrid.

Better still for Atlético fans, he was one of them - a rojiblanco born and bred, ever since his granddad introduced him to the Calderón - and had resisted the advances of the league's best clubs, sticking with his team through thick and thin.

Trouble was, it was mostly thin.



Torres stuck out with the lesser known ( and less glamorous) Madrid side because, well he was a fan of the club.

One of the reasons why Fernando has hit an analogous frequency with Liverpool and orbited to dizzying heights( as a world class striker ), is Rafael Benítez.

As Lowe's article points out:

Rafa Benítez's assumption that the rut into which he had run was Atlético themselves has proven justified. 


As Torres recently admitted to FourFourTwo, there were too many people at Atlético who hid behind him, too much responsibility laden onto his shoulders. 


The English game, he added, suits him. It is faster, looser, more direct, the defences are more open. He is not asked to play such a part in building moves, just be ready to finish them off; his physical presence suits the Premier League. 


It has enabled him to become a better player.


Torres loyalty to Benítez and Liverpool is unquestionable, if we are to go by history.

And history has a kind habit of repeating itself.

But the rut does not stop here, does it?

Benítez had pulled out a white flag ( God knows from where) with his team selection - considering that minus Maxi Rodríguez ( Albert Riera ), Glen Johnson ( Jamie Carragher on the right ), Emiliano Insúa ( Fábio Aurélio ) and Daniel Agger ( Sami Hyypiä ) from the line-up and spell the player names in brackets - voilà you have got the 4-1 winning team ( at Old Trafford ) against Manchester United.

Since, every payer ( with the exception of 21-year-old Insúa ) looked worthy enough to do a repeat of last season's scoreline.

But what Mrs. Taylor has failed to take note of, was Liverpool were well on course of a winning scoreline until Howard Webb's penalty decision.

Such was the frustration, that Torres even scuffed the penalty spot.

Summing up the series of decisions that have gone against Liverpool.

Tempo and confidence was lost, so was the game.

In the midst of such absolutely simple logic, the point of the self deception of the Champions League and Primera Division winning manager is quite paltry.

Daring? Well, you can't go all guns blazing.

Start of the season was totally morbid - One game 4-0 next game 1-3 or even worse.

The match against Aston Villa was a perfect example of shooting yourself in the foot.

Liverpool chasing the match spun into a real-attacking intent after Fernando Torres scored a 72nd minute goal.

But three minutes later, Steven Gerrard made one of the most uncharacteristic tackle to down Nigel Reo Corker in the box, only for Ashley Young to score from the penalty spot.

Game over.

With confidence and morale such fragile, it's quite sane to be cautious.

And Benítez's tactical judgement do go wrong, but as far as I can remember they have been plenty right.

The manager accepts blame for defeats and as far as I know, he isn't a small boy trying to hide in a 'Harry Potter Invisibility Cloak'.

Benítez is stubborn, that's why he's at Liverpool. His vision carried Liverpool to a 86-point haul last season, two Champions League finals, a Carling Cup final, an FA Cup, and the Champions League.

Against irritating odds, his vision and stubbornness is driving Liverpool.

And should Liverpool end up with the Europa League and a fourth place, that self-deceiving boy would be proven right.

Parlance or no parlance, on any day a Champions League winning manager will drive the club not a random piece of blab from a north-east correspondent.

That is what Rafael Benítez and Liverpool are all about, Mrs Taylor.

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