End of the road: Rafael Benitez refused to commit his future to LiverpoolAt the end Liverpool’s players ambled around the field at Anfield for what could loosely be described as a lap of honour.
A disparate, ill-at-ease bunch they looked, too. As a metaphor for their season it was quite appropriate.
Nobody connected with this great club could fail to be embarrassed.
Nineteen defeats in all competitions, 11 of those in the Premier League. After their efforts in last season’s title race, this year’s contributions have been far from good enough.
It’s too much to ask, though, for their manager to take responsibility. Not while the Kop still sings his name. Not while he and the rest of Merseyside still have the club’s American owners to blame.
‘At this club it is normal for the manager to take responsibility,’ said Rafael Benitez with a hint of heavy Spanish sarcasm. ‘This is the way that it has been for the last two years.’
That Benitez has been working in difficult circumstances at Anfield over the last few years is not in dispute. But nor should be the fact that he has proved himself unable to cope.
He is very unlikely to be around much longer.
Before kick-off at a subdued Anfield yesterday, the suggestions were that his fate is all but sealed. Most people expect him to leave for Juventus in the summer, although the terms and manner of his departure are not clear.
If he does leave, he will be remembered fondly and that is only right. In taking Liverpool to two Champions League finals — and winning one — Benitez gave them back some of the self-respect slowly stripped away by years of Manchester United progress.
Lap of little honour: Steven Gerrard, at fault for the first goal, cannothide his disappointment as he waves goodbye to the Liverpool fansSubsequently, though, he has proved unable to move Liverpool forward. There have been poor decisions in the transfer market, some equally dubious public relations efforts and, importantly, some terribly moderate results. Ultimately, it all led to Sunday’s peculiar spectacle.
Bounced out of the Europa League last Thursday, all that was left of Liverpool’s season was for them to be bit-part players in a title race between two other teams that have hardly made huge strides themselves this season but still proved far too good for Benitez and his players.
It was a horrible day for Liverpool, a day when defeat would only underline their own limitations and victory would give United a leg-up in their bid to win a record 19th League title.
Jamie Carragher’s face spoke volumes as he followed Steven Gerrard from the players’ tunnel.
He looked embarrassed before the whole thing even began and who can blame him?
As it turned out, the game was barely a contest. The extra-time disappointment against Atletico Madrid had sucked the energy from Liverpool’s legs and, seemingly, the self-belief from their hearts.
Gerrard, who has had some rare old battles with Chelsea over the years, contributed the pass for Didier Drogba’s opening goal and then disappeared.
Carragher’s body gave up on him in the second half while Liverpool’s centre forward Fernando Torres looked on from the stand and perhaps wondered just why his team are so poor when he is not able to play.
Sliding home: Frank Lampard put in another man of the match performanceTorres’ future will also come in to sharp focus this summer.
Liverpool supporters may find it hard to stomach but this is what happens when clubs fall short of what is required.
Manchester City’s interest in Torres is real and hardening fast. What is more, they feel they have been offered private encouragement.
After the final whistle, Torres joined his team-mates on the field and — under instruction from coach Sammy Lee — they trudged clockwise around the perimeter of the field. At one stage, Carragher’s young son appeared to sing and gesture at the visiting Chelsea fans. At last, some resistance.
Benitez was there, too. He waved and smiled as the Liverpool fans sang his name. The respect and the affection is clearly mutual.
That terrific night in Istanbul in 2005 seems a long time ago now, though. Benitez has visibly aged in that time and afterwards in his post-match press conference he was once again unable to offer any assurances about his future.
Liverpool are seventh in the Premier League. That tells its own story and underlines just what needs to happen now.
source: dailymail
