Liverpool FC Forum

[stmichael]

Just found thi article on the bbc website. All I'll say is about bl#ody time. Benitez has finally come out with what the majority of fans have been saying all season.


Benitez rounds on Liverpool flops 
 

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has launched a stinging public attack on his players in the aftermath of the disappointing defeat at Birmingham.

Benitez's side lost the chance to make ground on Everton in the fight for a Champions League place in a 2-0 defeat.

And he told the Liverpool Echo: "I have come here to work hard and I expect everyone else to do the same.

"We must accept the Birmingham game was bad and not the kind of performance we want in future."

Benitez added: "I don't want to spend time here without trophies. It's not enough for me to see my side play well in one or two games. I want consistency and that means everyone working harder.

"I told the players this week that when I decided to join this club I took it on as a challenge. I have not come to Liverpool to earn money.

"We all have to accept responsibility and do everything we possibly can to make a strong team, not only in the future but from now."

Benitez added: "After the Birmingham game I felt very disappointed and it was the same the day after. I watched the video of the match and analysed what happened.

"On Monday we spoke to the players and told them we must change our mentality. You can't have a team which always plays good sometimes and bad others.

I don't want to spend time here without trophies

"What makes it worse is we went into the Birmingham game knowing Everton had lost earlier, so we had a chance to close the gap."

Benitez also insists players cannot use midweek internationals as an excuse for lack-lustre performances.

He said: "When the players go to their national teams, I think a lot of them lose their concentration.

"We have seen this before with the breaks. When they come back, we lose a game and I think it's a dangerous time for us.

"It shouldn't be like this. If you want to win trophies and play for a big club, you have to play important games all the time. Whether it's for the national team or Champions League, you have to reach a level and stay at it.

"We have accepted it was bad last weekend and now we must try to be positive about the future.

"There are eleven games left, five of which are at home against teams around us and fighting for fourth and fifth."


In my opinion, too many managers these days stick up for their players to the extreme, even when they have been sh#te, blaming too many games, tiredness etc. Sometimes you just have to be brutally honest.

Maybe this will give our players a kick up the backside. The next two games are going to define our season.

[Ciggy]

Yes he has to be no more Mr nice guy, the team have got away with it for far to long. Carrying players on dirty big wages, buck up and play well, they need some fighting spirit, they wouldnt get away with it with Fergie, or Mourinho, so why should us fans put up with it.
We shall see next tuesday and hopefully the consistancy will start and never stop.

[Big Niall]

The first time I read it I didn't spot the end of the quotes, I was happy to see he was talking about shi*te players. A bit disappointed now.

[stmichael]

all i'll say is that you won't half see who really wants to play for the manager now and who is just concerned about picking up their wage packet every week.

you wouldn't have heard anything like this from houllier in a million years. we would have got a load of bullsh#t excuses.

[Redtribe]

I think everyone in our squad needs to realise how desperate we need to be to get 4th place now!
We had the perfect opportunity to get within a hairs breath of Everton!
I thought after the last 2 games we were finally getting our concentration right and getting ourselves in a strong position to push on for the end of the season. Yet again we have had to go back to square one and now have to try build again!
I did belive that this would be a rebuilding and learning year as much for Rafa as the team, but i think rafa now knows what is required and what he wants to do on the pitch to be succesful in the EPL! Yet his players are not matching his standars and these remarks are a sign of frustration!
I think many more players will disappear from the books in the summer and a few more candidates with the correct mentality will be brought in!
Unfortunately it seems the quality of these players will be determined by some of the underacheivers we have now!

[hawkmoon269]

About fu(king time the manager came out and said it as it is - we have players underperforming, free wheeling, and collecting the money at the end of the month (some geting 120-200K).

[The Canadian Red Army]

good to hear him say this, we need a dog to get at some of their heels (sorry i would type more, but i only have 1 arm for a min 6 weeks)

[stmichael]

good to hear him say this, we need a dog to get at some of their heels (sorry i would type more, but i only have 1 arm for a min 6 weeks)

head up mountie  

[hawkmoon269]

good to hear him say this, we need a dog to get at some of their heels (sorry i would type more, but i only have 1 arm for a min 6 weeks)

That's what you get for surfing all those porn sites
Think of all those trees you'll save from not flushing wads of toilet roll down the toilet!!    

[The Canadian Red Army]

good to hear him say this, we need a dog to get at some of their heels (sorry i would type more, but i only have 1 arm for a min 6 weeks)

head up mountie  

thx mikey but yesterday wasnt fun lol

[hawkmoon269]

Only joking... hope everything heels ok.

[stmichael]

I think many more players will disappear from the books in the summer and a few more candidates with the correct mentality will be brought in!

Well looking at it objectively, who would you say is safe from the Rafa axe this summer? i'd say the following.

safe: Carra, Gerrard, Alonso, Cisse, Morientes, Garcia, Riise, Finnan, Pongo, Carson, Kewell

got something to prove: Hyppia, Josemi, Nunez, Traore, Hamann, Dudek, Kirkland, Pellegrino, Le Tallec,

looking for a new club: Mellor, Biscan, Diao, Cheyrou, Diouf,

Lifelines: Vignal, Diarra, Smicer

[hawkmoon269]

I think many more players will disappear from the books in the summer and a few more candidates with the correct mentality will be brought in!

Well looking at it objectively, who would you say is safe from the Rafa axe this summer? i'd say the following.

safe: Carra, Gerrard, Alonso, Cisse, Morientes, Garcia, Riise, Finnan, Pongo, Carson, Kewell

got something to prove: Hyppia, Josemi, Nunez, Traore, Hamann, Dudek, Kirkland, Pellegrino, Le Tallec,

looking for a new club: Mellor, Biscan, Diao, Cheyrou, Diouf,

Lifelines: Vignal, Diarra, Smicer

I think Hyypia and Hamann are starting to show their ages now.  We need to think about a speedy CB to partner Carra, and someone to cover for Gerrard (I remain optimistic!!) and Alonso.  I don't think Hamann suits Rafa's style of play.

[Xabi Alonso2005]

I Think that Liverpool are a very good team but I think They’re performance against Birmingham was very poor. Despite that Birmingham is in the 12th place in the table and Liverpool in the 5th place that means that waz a very poor performance. The is something funny about Liverpool because almost every time they play with a poor team the seem to Straggle but if They’re with a top team they're

[Xabi Alonso2005]

I Think that Liverpool are a very good team but I think They’re performance against Birmingham was very poor. Despite that Birmingham is in the 12th place in the table and Liverpool in the 5th place that means that waz a very poor performance. The is something funny about Liverpool because almost every time they play with a poor team the seem to Straggle but if They’re with a top team they're okey.