Benitez

In Feb 2008 Benitez made some wonderful statements (quoted in the Guardian Feb 23)

"I rotate because I want to win... we have to rotate because our squad is not as good as Arsenal, Chelsea or Manchester Utd."

So whose fault is that? Who buys the players? Who spends more - Liverpool or Arsenal?

"In England it is a different style of football and more difficult to influence what goes on. It is not as simple to influence the game with tactics in England the way it is elsewhere in Europe."

Now that is interesting. What he says is that he can do it tactically in Europe (where we must admit he managed to win the Euro Cup within once being ahead in the final). But he can't do it in the EPL.

So what should he do? Clearly resign - if it is all too complicated for him, and he is out of his depth, as he says, then surely that is the only honest thing to do. Keegan once admitted that he couldn't manage at international level and so walked out. Why does the Benitez character not do the same?

Well, actually, I have no idea, but I am rather glad he doesn't. In fact I have even written to the Liverpool Board to support him. Keep him there, tactically naive, blundering around, sinking the club further and further into debt.

Rafa Benítez launched his row with club owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, by blaming them for ruining Liverpool's title hopes. The Spaniard claims the approach to Jürgen Klinsmann destabilised the Reds: 'If I wanted, I have the perfect excuse.'

If you are looking for a man out of touch with his own reality, and that of the every day world, look no further than Rafa Benitez. After losing the Euro Cup final in 2006 Arsene Wenger said, "I believe in my players - we have a young team and they are growing together." After losing the Euro Cup final in 2007 Benitez said "We need to move quicker [on transfers] than Man U and Chelsea, and this is a crucial time... I have targets in mind and if we cannot make a major signing in the next week I will disappointed. If we miss out now, it might be a struggle to make the top four again next season."

Of course in one sense he was utterly right - in a season that saw his Weetabix team lose to Arsenal's reserve squad 3-6 at Anfield, and to the Arsenal first time 1-3, plus have a 3-0 drubbing at the Emirates, clearly anyone would realise that they had one hell of a problem.

But the problem is not that the owners won't give him loads of dosh - or at least it should not be. Because this is the man who spent £23 million on Sissoko, Bellamy, Crouch and Gonzalez in the two years since the Istanbul cup final, and yet did not put any of them in the starting 11 for the 2007 final.

Let's get that quite clear. He spent on that bunch of players alone more than Arsenal did on all players in 2 years, and yet was so disatisfied with the results of his own judgement he didn't use any of them to start the next Euro final.

In total this madman has spent £100m in four years and still can't muster a team to defeat Arsenal's very young, injury ravaged team over three games. Yes they did get a 4-1 win against Arsenal eventually, with the season's main issue (who gets into the Champions League) all done and dusted, and they deserve credit for that. But nothing takes away the overwhelming failure of his purchases thus far.

Just look at the expenditure for 2006/7

Chelsea £56m
Liverpool £29.5m
Tottenham £27.5m
Manchester Utd £18.6m
Wigan £17m
Newcastle £17m
Everton £14m
Bolton Wanderers £12m
Charlton £11.7m
Arsenal £11m
Middlesborough £10m

So there we have it - it is not just that he spent all that money year after year after year - but rather that he is saying in June 2007, "if you don't give me money you can't have a team that will compete."

Mr Benitez, manager of Liverpool did something quite extraordinary in January 2007. He led his team to defeat at home against Arsenal not just once but twice. What's more in the process his club let in nine goals. One of these defeats (in the league cup) involved the club letting in six at home for the first time in 90 years.

Just a couple of weeks later mr Benitez won the Premiership manager of the month award for January.

The justification for this was that the award only looked at at premiership games. But there was the issue of context. Following those defeats there was much contemplation of the manager and his style and approach, and generally it was agreed that in terms of putting together any sort of reserve team, he was a turnip. What's more in terms of picking the right team for the second occasion he was even more of a turnip - for by that time the club was out of the FA Cup, and out of contention for the Premiership. They also had a tough draw in Europe.

Mr Benitez said, "I didn't come here to win the league cup." Quite right as it turns out.

A couple of weeks later he managed to annoy just about everyone in the far north west by calling Everton a little team.

Last modified: February 23, 2008