Still trusting?!

Criticizing Liverpool is like shooting fish in a barrel at this stage, it's just all too easy. This season has been another one to forget for the 'Pool fans, as they seemingly trundle from one blunder to another. From beach balls to underperforming stars to many a lifeless limpness display, Liverpool fans have every reason to be disillusioned with this once great club.

Their season is now geared around finishing fourth and securing a Champions League place, for the proud Liverpool fan everywhere, this must be the ultimate insult having to scramble to secure a 4th place, (lets not even mention the Europa League) and a James Lawton points out the blame isn't far from the feet of a certain burly Spaniard - http://www.idependent.ie/sport/soccer/benitez-the-real-problem-at-liverpool-2107563.html.

Lawton makes some cracking points -

- If Benitez was one of those authors of the credit crunch, no doubt his situation would have long ago pronounced as obscene.

- Most extraordinary is the way so many of the Liverpool following have been prepared to accept Benitez's all-embracing alibi that he has been hopelessly compromised by the financial limitations placed upon him.

This defence wasn't operating with overpowering strength at Old Trafford last Sunday, when in his effort to turn around a game so vital to his chances of qualifying for next season's Champions League he sent on 3 subs of a combined value of close to £40m.

- Two of those, Alberto Aquilani and Ryan Babel, have for some time been shaping up as contenders for the unwanted title of the most unfortunate signings in the history of the Premier League.

- Unquestionably, even Fergie & Wenger would have been under severe pressure had they produced the performance of Liverpool's this season, with 1o defeats on par with newly promoted Birmingham & a Stoke team widely praised for coming to terms with the requirements of survival in the top flight.

- On top of the £40m worth of players, Benitez had resting on the bench at the start of Sunday's game, he also had roughly £85m on the field, plus the inherited Steven Gerrard.

- Has Benitez lost the dressing room?

Gerrard's near paralysed body language at Old Trafford suggested that he would rather have been anywhere other than in the middle of what used to be one of the key battles in English football.

The anger of Dirk Kuyt, one of Benitez's most loyal workers at being substituted at Old Trafford for the wholly ineffective Aquilani.

The imminent departure of Albert Riera to CSKA Moscow, for speaking out against Benitez.

- It's been 5 years since he won the Champions League. Five months, even five weeks, can be a long time on the football barricades, 5 years is history.

- The amount totalling £16m that Benitez will be paid if he is sacked is madness, (another £4m and you could have Robbie Keane to warm your bench for half a season).

- Lawton points out that one of Liverpool's most celebrated managers Bill Shankly's power was given by the people in response to his achievements. It was never written into a ridiculous & shaming contract.

I'll leave the rest to this chap, to sum up how I and possibly many others feel about Benitez - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/368025-in-rafa-they-trust-liverpool-manager-rafael-benitez-is-against-time

Alonso signing was impressive as was Torres, Reina and Mascherano. However Luis Garcia, Fernando Morientes, Danny Murphy, Michael Owen, Jermaine Pennant, Mark Gonzalez, Gabriel Palleta, Steven Warnock, Djibril Cisse, El Hadji Diouf, Itandje, Robbie Keane, Riera & Scott Carson 'among others I haven't mentioned' were all allowed to leave for free or sold at a loss.

Only Murphy, Owen, Warnock, Cisse and Diouf were not signed by Benitez. Most quality managers don't sell the players they buy a year or two after the purchase unless they never knew what they were looking at to begin with.

There is also £60m in blunders in the making, Babel, Dossena, Cavalieri, Aquilani, £60m!!!, what kind of manager can't get the best out of their players? Not a good one.

Rafa's time is up, Istanbul was 5 years ago & good managers don't spend the money he has and takes a team backwards.