by account deleted by request » Mon Mar 02, 2009 12:01 am
March 01, 2009
Benitez's weaknesses will cost Liverpool dearly
Matt Hughes
As Rafael Benítez seethed on the team coach on Liverpool’s return journey from Middlesbrough on Saturday night, he could have been forgiven for thinking he is in the wrong job. Knowing the Liverpool manager, he was probably plotting how to increase his influence at Anfield and thereby solve all their ills — applying for the vacant chief executive position, perhaps, or even buying the club outright — but a growing body of evidence suggests he would be better getting out altogether. And leaving club football entirely, for that matter.
As a strategist and tactician, Benítez has no equal, which he demonstrated again last week with Liverpool’s perfectly executed win over Real Madrid, but these qualities are more important at the highest level of knockout competitions rather than the daily grind of winning a league title. In other words, Benítez was born to be an international manager.
Benítez’s club credentials cannot be dismissed because he did win two championships with Valencia, but many of his biggest weaknesses are those that are most critical to sustained success in a title battle. The Spaniard’s record of buying players is, at best, patchy, shown by the revolving door transfer policy at Liverpool, while he often compromises the performance of the team by insisting on rotating his players in a similar manner. As his dysfunctional relationships with the various powers-that-be at Anfield indicate, Benítez’s dominant personality is also unsuited to working closely with others on a regular basis.
None of which matters as much in the international arena, where Benítez would be free to concentrate on what he does best, sitting alone in a darkened room dreaming up strategies and formations to win one-off matches against high-calibre opponents. His record in the biggest games against the other great tactician of his generation, José Mourinho, suggests Benítez is as good as it gets when it comes to selecting and preparing a team for knockout football, which is why the FA should have him high on its shortlist of candidates when it comes to replace Fabio Capello as England manager. If nothing else, Benítez would relish the scheming and politicking at Soho Square.
Hull City have not won in the Barclays Premier League since Phil Brown’s half-time tirade on the pitch at Manchester City on Boxing Day. And after collecting three points in as many months, Hull are only three away from the relegation zone. Brown is unlikely to confess to any regrets, but it could be a while before he gets a gig as a motivational speaker.
TIMES ONLINE
