Season Review 2009/10
I have been here before, trying to find the words to summarise a season in which we would all rather forget. So rather than trying to find the words, I think the season can best be summarised using a formula which is as follows:
S/X + 1x> = -2<. Every positive from the season equates twice the negative.
Last season, which we shall refer to as ‘Season X’ (S/X) saw every up (1x>) be accompanied by 2 downs (-2<) . It is without surprise then, that it was a rollercoaster affair that ultimately left us feeling disappointed far before it even came to an end.
However, regardless of what I may have said previously, I am going to take a look back as objectively as I possibly can. I will try, then, to make the next few paragraphs as enjoyable as possible. The only way to do this, is to start with the crap first and soldier on from there.
League Position
Season X was a season which nobody will want to remember, although they will probably find it difficult to forget. It was certainly memorable, unfortunately though, it was memorable for all the wrong reasons - 23 points adrift of the winner, 7 points off fourth and more disturbingly, only 2 points above our neighbours, Everton.
Our home form wasn’t actually that bad, it was our away travels that saw us press the self destruct button, time and time again. You can put it down to bad luck, mis fortune or injuries, but truth of the matter is we failed to build any momentum as we coasted through the season.
The Cupsets
Nobody on Earth, Venus or Mars would have been able to predict the cascading effect that our poor start to the champions league would have created. We began by scraping past Debrecen before losing both home and away to Fiorentina and Lyon, respectively.
The less than convincing win vs. Leeds would have done little for moral as we discovered Arsenal’s young boys awaited in the next round. It was here that the thread began to unravel and our season slowly began to fall apart.
Knocked out of the Carling cup and shrewdly kicked out of the champions league, our hopes rested on 3 main things. Fourth spot, the FA Cup and of course, the Europa League.
With Villa, Spurs and City hacking down the door for fourth, it became evident that the scenario of both a cup finish and champions league spot was unlikely at best.
And then there was two.
Plans for an FA Cup trophy were scuppered when Reading managed a 1 – 1 draw in the first leg, only to come to Anfield and cause the biggest Cupset of the competition.
So finally, we had to rest all of our hopes on the Europa League. We didn’t start well in any of our ties. In fact, we either scraped by or lost. However, in the second leg we always managed to turn up the heat and put in a performance. The tie vs. Benfica was the most notable fixture. They dived, they cheated, they threw things at the ref; but when they came to Anfield they were shown what for.
With all hopes pinned on the Europa League, we had to make a journey to Madrid. It would seem, that not rain, snow or volcanic ash would stop the first leg from being played. So then, the team made the mother of all journeys, just to be robbed out of an away goal. In the second leg, despite being the better team, we were conned by the away rule; which, in my opinion, should no longer count once it gets to extra time.
7th and trophyless.
Player of the Year
No-brainer; Pepe Reina was without a doubt our player of the season. It speaks volumes when a goalkeeper of a struggling team manages to finish level on clean-sheets with the golden glove winner, Petr Cech. – How he wasn’t awarded for this feat is ludicrous, he deserved to finish the season with some sort of accolade.
Pepe, truly loves this club and had it not been for him, many score lines could have easily become embarrassing. He is one of those few players who truly wears his heart, liver and kidney on his sleeve.
Should Gerrard make a likely bolt towards the exit door, nobody in the world could argue that our number 25 should become captain. Passionate, consistent and a true red, this legend in the making deserves the captains armband, whether it be tomorrow or in 2 seasons.
Most Disappointing
This was not an easy choice to have to make, partly because branding a Liverpool player feels slightly wrong – but mainly because when truth be told, there are a few candidates. Initially I would have chosen Insua or Kuyt, who have both had poor seasons, but could not be faulted due to their effort. Then I thought about picking Riera, due to his off-the-field behaviour, which saw him fall out with the manager and cost us a good natural left winger.
But when the chips are down and things aren’t looking good, you count on one man to lift the team. That man is our captain, Steven Gerrard.
Stevie has had an awful season, not just by his standards, but by any players standards in a premier league starting XI. Perhaps he could have been forgiven had he shown as much effort as both Kuyt and Insua, but there was just something about his body language that seemed detached from the rest of the team. Simply put, Gerrard looked fed up and un-interested. In previous seasons we could always look to Gerrard to stand up and be counted when spirits were low. He, single handedly, could lift the team.
Having heard from many sources lately, including a personal and largely reliable one, that Steven Gerrard will be on the move this summer, we would do well to brace ourselves for his departure.
Having given so much to this club throughout his career our skipper feels he has nothing left to offer as we enter yet another phase of rebuilding. Perhaps the clearest indicator of his departure yet is the feeling of acceptance and understanding around Merseyside that such a great servant to the club needs to move on if he is to fulfil his potential. After all, he’s not getting any younger and the next contract he signs may prove to be his last.
Most Improved Players
Lucas Leiva has wrongly been a figure of hate over the past few years, but with his performances during season X, nobody on the planet could fault him. The effort, desire and heart that the lad has shown has to be acknowledged. His performances this year have been very, very consistent.
Let’s not get too excited though, there are still areas that the Brazilian can improve in, but he has taken big steps in the right direction. All Liverpool fans should show Lucas a great deal of respect. Lord knows how it must have felt marching onto the pitch week in, week out to hear certain supporters jeering you. Yet, somehow, he managed to knuckle down and earn himself the award for ‘fans young player of the year’.
Another player who has undoubtedly improved is Ryan Babel. Perhaps his performances haven’t been as consistent or frequent as that of Lucas, but Ryan has come on leaps and bounds since almost leaving the club back in January.
After Twitter-gate we all thought this would be the final straw for the Dutchman as he held talks about his future with our notoriously anti-social, anti-anything other than football manager. Happily, however, the talks were positive and Ryan went on to mature in front of our very eyes.
With his attitude changed for the better, he was ready to do his talking on the pitch and it showed in some glittering performances. Many had previously criticised his lack of effort, his lack of hunger and determination, but something inside of him clicked and he made the transition from a boy into a man. His heart is in the right place now and for the second half of the season, he managed to hold down a regular starting place in the team.
Despite the fact that he once declined our friend request on twitter, we have to look at him and say; ‘OK, this lad wants to play, so let’s give him another season and let him prove himself fully’. – And don’t give me any jive about he has had his chances to prove himself, I am talking about a run of 10 – 15 games in the first team, then we will see what is what.
In and Outs
The departure of Alonso can be greatly contributed towards the events during season x. The departure, sad as it may have been, served as a reminder that it is still very possible to voluntarily turn your back on a club such as Liverpool.
It was the whole Gareth Barry saga that started this chain of events and in the end, we lost Alonso and failed to sign the England International. So then, with Alonso gone, Rafa had to turn his attention to finding a replacement. This replacement, came in the form of an injured Aquilani.
I clearly remember displaying my displeasure at the signing. It was a very risky move for the manager to make, one of which I didn’t believe would work out. So, then, without sounding like I enjoy saying ’I told you so’; But, I told you so.
It wasn’t so much that Aqua is a bad signing, far from it. In fact, when the Italian does play he brings a great deal of creativity to the team. There, though, is the problem; him playing. It seemed that Rafa had purchased a player to replace Alonso, only to sit on the bench for the majority of the season. Even when fit, Rafa seemed hesitant to play him.
The papers would have you believe that Aquilani will be sold in the summer, but any Tom, Dick or Parry, can see that he is a player who has a great deal to give. Remember, Alonso didn’t fit in straight away either.
Another departure saw Arbeloa follow his fellow countryman out the door. Again, I called this one as I saw it – another mistake. Arbeloa is being hailed as Real’s best signing. Inititially purchased as a squad member, he used his versatility to work his way into the team, frequently playing a role in their quest for the title. One can only wonder what would have been had we kept the duo, but that is irrelevant, they are gone, so we have to deal with it.
Panic Buying, Wise Spending or Tactical Error?
In my honest opinion, you simply cannot complain about having no money to spend, only to go and waste nigh on £40M on a right-back and an injured midfielder, it’s insane. Dont get me wrong, Johnson has been a great signing, but it has been goals that has seen us fail so often, not defence. The money, in my opinion, should have been used to buy a striker who could not only partner Torres, but score plenty when he is injured.
Alonso and Arbeloa out, Aquilani and Johnson in. The most worrying thing, is that we never seem to build our team, only replace what leaves. That, then, is something to think about.
Best Signings
Take it to the Maxi! – The Argentine came to Liverpool in the January window, though perhaps things didn’t get off to a perfect start for him. Sat at the Reading game and watching on, he must have wondered what he had signed up for.
Undeterred by the frightful spectacle, though, Maxi soon took to the field with a number of cameo appearances. Many had hoped that he would hit the ground running, but as many foreign players discover, the premiership is unlike any other league on the planet.
After ironing out the creases and regaining fitness, Maxi soon forced his way into the starting XI. Whether this was down to injuries, or good old fashioned hard work, he managed it. Maxi certainly brings another dimension to a team distinctly deprived of creativity. He isn’t so much an out and out winger, more so a clever wide man who allows the likes of Johnson to over lap while he cuts inside and supports the striker.
Bargain.
Being a free transfer, everybody prayed that the player didn’t turn out to be another Voronin. This was not to be the case as he soon proved that Rafa still has the capability of pulling rabbits out of the hat in the transfer window.
Another great signing, yet not so immediately obvious, is the capture of the young English starlet Jonjo Shelvey.
Such is my support for the signing of this lad that I actually called into talksport and gave Adrian Durham a piece of my evidently more knowledgeable mind. He argued that Jonjo was effectively retiring from football by joining Liverpool as he’d never make it to play in the first team. I argued that if he failed it would be through a lack of quality, not a lack of good education. Here we offer a lower league player the opportunity to come and train at a top class club and make a name for himself alongside his idols, but Mr Durham thinks he’d be better off at a struggling League One club. Needless to say I left the ginger whinger tongue-tied as he struggled to find a flaw in my argument. So what is it exactly that pleases me about this particular transfer?
I have, for far too long, had to put up with hearing how we’ve signed the new Maradona, Zidane or Henry. And it has, inevitably, turned out to be nothing but media hype as the player turns out to be more like the next Salif Diao. This time, though, I think we’ve really landed a gem.
With the ageing Steven Gerrard’s head turned, we need to think seriously about his long term replacement. I dread the thought of any of our current English academy products taking up this slot as plainly, they just aren’t good enough. Now I don’t wish to put all my eggs in one basket, but I have such confidence that with the right training, and I cannot stress how important that is with a manager like Rafa, Jonjo can be a star.
Best Performance
We can sit here and argue forever about the best performance; was it against Portsmouth? Perhaps the game against United? Maybe it was when we played Sunderland or even a coin flip between Hull and Burnley. But looking back, there is only one performance that really stands out in my mind. That performance was the incredibly pleasing Europa League tie vs. Benfica.
It has been said that playing by the rules never gets you anywhere in life. However, the game chosen for best performance was an exception as Benfica failed to prosper by cheating. They kicked us, dived and even hurled fireworks onto the pitch. In the end, though, the better football team won.
Things started off very well when Daniel Agger coolly backheeled a Steven Gerrard free-kick into the net. After that point, though, things seemed to go from bad to worse when Ryan Babel was sent off after confronting Luisao over his challenge on Torres. Having seen the replay umpteen times I have to say that it was an embarrassing decision to send someone off for what was clearly nothing more than handbags.
The referee in the first leg had a shocker; awarding Benfica anything and everything they appealed for. Down to ten men for two-thirds of the game and playing against a seemingly clueless referee, we did well to deny Benfica what could have been a rout, with them only managing to score two goals from penalties.
From there, all roads led to Anfield. Hell hath no fury like a Kopite scorned and the goalfest that ensued did well to fuel the hunger the fans had for retribution.
The highlight of the game should have been Lucas’ goal, but instead he had to take second place to a brilliant piece of counter attacking football which saw us score our third goal of the night. Free flowing football – something we hadn’t witnessed that season, until that point. Pleasing though it was, there was an underlying taste of bitter-sweet as our minds wandered with thoughts of what might have been had we produced this form earlier in the season.
Goal of the Season
I live in regret. I so sorely wish I could sit here and choose this:
But unfortunately the ball didn’t strike the back of the net. Luckily though, this means we are able to choose Fernando’s goal against the ‘in-form’ Craig Gordon, vs. Sunderland.
Manager Summary
Oh Mr Benitez. When did you change from a fresh faced, twinkle-toothed young giant killer into the pale, portly shadow of a man we see today. I appreciate that working under tweedle dee and tweedle dum can’t be easy, but you have to understand that you are the manager of this club and the one who people turn to for comfort and advice. The manner in which you conduct yourself has a big influence on your players, this negativity has to stop.
Before I get shot down by someone who has Rafa Benitez pyjamas, let me just say that I am by no means calling for his head. I appreciate the incredible things Rafa has done here, not least finishing 4 points behind the champions last season on a relative shoestring compared to the other challengers. If he can do it once, he can do it again. Unfortunately, he just didn’t do it this time and in this game you don’t get too many second chances.
I have absolutely no doubt that given the funds of the other title challengers Rafa would have given us number 19 by now. Anyone who argues otherwise is a complete and utter Adrian Durham. Unfortunately, however, we don’t have that kind of money and the lack of trophies is continuing to play on the minds of fans and players alike. For the first time there is a real sense of doubt around Rafa’s future. His shortcomings as a person, namely his distanced relationships with his players, may be excused if he was bringing in the silverware. However, when he is alienating his players as well as failing to succeed, you have to start to wonder what he’s there for.
You can see it written all over a players face when Rafa makes one of his wacky decisions. Steven Gerrard’s face when Fernando Torres was infamously substituted springs to mind – it was painful to watch. Here, I think, is where Benitez needs to learn to respect the wishes of his players if he is to keep them onside. I’m not saying let the players rule you, Rafa, just be a human being and listen to them. At least pretend you care for their opinion, even if you don’t!
If Rafa stays this season, I can see Gerrard leaving. I think our skipper wants to play under a manager like Jose Mourinho who couples that Houllier-like father figure with the success that he so desperately craves. I can see them both to being at Madrid next season. Unless, of course, Mourinho comes here.
Whatever happens in the future, though, is to be discussed in the future. Now is the time to focus on how Benitez has done this season, and how he can improve on it if he is still here for the next.
To put it bluntly, if Rafa was still at school he’d be getting a "must try harder". He’d also probably be getting a "needs to learn to socialise with others". If the dream scenario pans out and we do get big money to spend next season, I would totally trust Rafa with it. The only worry I would have is whether the players could stomach his management when they actually did arrive. So come on Rafa, chill out just a little bit would you? Put on a Hawaiian shirt, tell a joke, just pat someone on the back for christ’s sake! I would infinitely love to see you lift the Premier League trophy because, if truth be told, I’ve grown to quite like you and there are so many people out there who love to watch you fail. Let’s stick it to them all, shall we?
Season in Two Words – Hope & Fail.
Failing to hope. Hoping only to fail. Failing after hoping. – Failed hope. No matter what combination used, these two words still summarise our season.
Friedrich Nietzsche once said that ‘Hope is the worst of all evils, for it prolongs the torment of man’. Sums it up in one sentence, that does.
Summer Transfer Preview 2010.
So, then, that concludes the season review 2009/10. Time to look ahead to next season as we’ll talk you through all the transfer targets and possible signings. That, though, is not for today, we will save that one for another time.
Till then…
