David Harding
brodierussell
Cain LynchLiverpool FC - Big four or Big Flop?
February 19th 2008 03:12
There is little doubt that Liverpool owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks have an awful lot to learn about running a football club and their handling of the whole Jurgen Klinsmann affair was worse than when the FA appointed 'First Choice' McClaren, mere days after being blown out publicly by Scolari. The manner in which they went about it was wrong, but I can certainly see their reasoning and the further we get towards the end of the season the more we can see that Liverpool under Benitez are going backwards, and quickly. Why shouldn't the owners have a right to pre-empt a decline in results? Is that not what a good owner/chairman does?
The vocal fans who stand behind Benitez and worship what he has brought to the club are, for me, a touch short sighted. Okay, yes, Liverpool won perhaps the biggest cash cow in club football, the European Champions League, but failed to automatically qualify the very same year. Liverpool completely deserved to win that competition in 2005 because they obviously did what they had to in order to get their name on the trophy. But were they the best club in Europe that same year? Of course they weren't. They weren't even in the top four. The fans were so busy celebrating and putting five fingers up to their counterparts at Old Trafford that they just couldn't see the woods for the trees.
The truth is that Liverpool, with all their history, money and global appeal, should be challenging for the Premier League title every year. They don't have to win it every year, but they should be there or thereabouts. They should be on a par with Manchester United and considering what has gone before slightly ahead of Chelsea and Arsenal. They're not on a par and this season they're not even close to being the best in the country. They're not even close to being the best in Merseyside.
If you look at the Liverpool team there's a decent nucleus but the peripheral players and squad members are distinctly average. Beintez has been there now for nearly four years, which in football could be considered a lifetime and a half. In that time, and for all his belly aching about lack of funds, there is only Chelsea who have spent more money than him. Telling, isn't it.
They are currently residing fifth in the league, three points behind Everton and on the same points as Man City and Villa. The three teams mentioned there have undoubtedly improved this season, but Liverpool's decline is the largest contributing factor to the Big Four now being the Big Three. They have just been knocked out of the FA Cup by Barnsley at Anfield and now the manager is under real pressure.
Going on TV and acting like a victim will only work so far with the Liverpool fans and if the next couple of results don't go their way, expect those cheering for him earlier this season to suddenly turn and, believe me, it won't be pretty for the wounded puppy.
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