I don't think it's Benitez who is the problem. We have a fair few distinctively average players who are playing nearly every week. Kuyt, Voronin, Riise, Benayoun, Hyypia etc... would you have any of those in your team?
On Holiday.
Football Fixtures 12-13th January **Spoilers**
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I don't think it's Benitez who is the problem. We have a fair few distinctively average players who are playing nearly every week. Kuyt, Voronin, Riise, Benayoun, Hyypia etc... would you have any of those in your team?
On Holiday.
No, but Benitez does, and that's my point.
Bit of a weird game, in the first half Manchester United were absolutely atrocious in terms of giving the ball away in their own third, I mean nearly all Newcastle's chances came from shoddy passing or Ronaldo daydreaming about what colour boots he will wear next week and getting caught in possession. Must have been at least half a dozen times they gifted the ball to the opposition and a better (dare I say more adventurous!) team may have punished them.
Newcastle created very little themselves and deserved to lose, they were outclassed by MU after the break. However I'm not sure if they deserved to lose by 6, given Owen's wrongly disallowed goal, a blatant dive by Ronaldo for his freekick and a questionable second goal by Tevez (didn't look fully over the line to me but I didn't get to see enough replays to be sure). Giggs should have had a penalty though.
Smith can count himself lucky his club don't have a proper manager, as getting sent off for backchat in injury time when you are 6-0 down wouldn't go down too well I suspect.
Newcastle created very little themselves and deserved to lose, they were outclassed by MU after the break. However I'm not sure if they deserved to lose by 6, given Owen's wrongly disallowed goal, a blatant dive by Ronaldo for his freekick and a questionable second goal by Tevez (didn't look fully over the line to me but I didn't get to see enough replays to be sure). Giggs should have had a penalty though.
Smith can count himself lucky his club don't have a proper manager, as getting sent off for backchat in injury time when you are 6-0 down wouldn't go down too well I suspect.
And Ronaldo.
And Ferdinand.
Three definite penalties. Ronaldo had his heel clipped by Smith, but it wasn't the clearest angle, you saw more watching online.
What you didn't see on Match of the Day were all 29 efforts we had, 16 of which were on target. Rooney accounted for around 10 of our shots too.
Until the Liverpool vs Everton game Clattenburg went a stupidly long time without red-carding anyone (I can't remember the number, but I remember it being mentioned by Sky) and now it seems he sends someone off every week. Scary.
You, dont know what you are talking about.
He's a striker, end of story he can just about play midfield if he has decent players around him, which i can assure you newcastle do not, so he struggles.
Newcastle are a joke, the Owner is a joke and some of the fans even more so.
Does he have a choice? We can't afford better.
He's the one who plays them. Hell, he's the one who bought most of them.
He's not a very good striker though that's why he ends up in midfield!
I'd disagree, Smith is a hell of a player. He wins the ball and lays it off to the player next to him. He's the perfect striking partner, which is why Rooney always played well with him (and now plays well with Tevez who does the same).
You can have him if you want him so bad.
I'd rather be rid of the fouling, back chatting, can't even pass a ball never mind earn a strikers position in our squad, useless waste of money.
Panzer
Imagine what Wenger or or any other manager could do with Liverpools supposed lack of funds.
I think Wenger much as i hate him could have built a side that would have pretty much been the dominant force in both domestic and european competition for the past 3 years.
You can have him if you want him so bad.
I'd rather be rid of the fouling, back chatting, can't even pass a ball never mind earn a strikers position in our squad, useless waste of money.
Panzer
I'd take him back today, and a lot of other United fans would as well.
I could do that!! He's just a real basic striker that you could replace easily and he has too many bad habits to warrant keeping.
He might score in League 1 but no thanks.
Kuyt, Voronin, Benayoun, Babel, Pennant, Arbeloa, sissoko, aurelio, crouch.....
All bought by Benitez, all not good enough.
By a long way.
There have been better players traded for the the money they cost over the time he has been there.
We couldn't afford better. They are the best we've got, so he's got to play them.
He's scored against big clubs, little clubs and played a MAJOR part in both FA cup, carling cup and league titles.
To be fair Man Utd's strength in depth is good in the midfield - but we only have two decent strikers, and our midfield doesnt work half as well if we use Ronaldo in the centre of attack, this is the major reason why so many points have been dropped so far this season - is when Rooney and Ronaldo havent played
We also have a dodgy reserve keeper, and only so-so backup defence (Simpson was great today, but he needs a lot more experience - Oshea is only ever going to be emergency /versatile player not really a first choice, and Pique/Brown arent any replacemnt for Rio or Vidic, Silvestre doesnt even deserve a mention)
I would NEVER have Smith back, glad we sold him - he never added much to the team. His completely pointless sending off today really showed a few home truths about his charachter (all negative)
We also have a dodgy reserve keeper, and only so-so backup defence (Simpson was great today, but he needs a lot more experience - Oshea is only ever going to be emergency /versatile player not really a first choice, and Pique/Brown arent any replacemnt for Rio or Vidic, Silvestre doesnt even deserve a mention)
I would NEVER have Smith back, glad we sold him - he never added much to the team. His completely pointless sending off today really showed a few home truths about his charachter (all negative)
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No they are not the best available for the money paid for them.
Kuyt, or Ashton for example?
The hapless Sven has done better assembling an entire team than Bonehead Benitez has done just shaking up liverpools side and he's done it in 4 months not three years.
Liverpool are no closer to winning the league now than when he took over.
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He has to take the flack for Kuyt because he cost decent money but the rest (Voronin and Benayoun of those named above) were more a case of what we could afford.
The best attacking players cost big money and we've not been in a position where we've been able to sign these players. Utd have either spent or have commited to spending over £10m on Rooney, Saha, Ronaldo, Nani, Anderson, Hargreaves, Carrick and Ferdinand plus Tevez if that goes through where as Rafa has been able to spend more than £10m on Torres, Babel and Alonso (Babel and Alonso barely £22m between them) and potentially Mascherano. Where you've been in a position where you can spend £17m on Nani who's been given a gradual introduction we've spent £6m on somebody like Pennant who's had to walk straight into our side.
He's had bad buys but he's either getting 2nd rate players who he hopes will make the step up or unproven youngsters but along with those he's also managed to build a strong spine to our side bringing in the likes of Reina, Agger, Alonso, Mascherano and Torres to add to Carra, Finnan and Gerrard and you have to remember that when Rafa came Carra wasn't a certain starter in the side let alone a regular CB and similar with Finnan, he looked a waste of money when Houllier signed him but has become an excellent rb although his age looks like its catching up with him.