After 5 and half years at Anfield, Rafa Benitez still has no idea how to manage Steven Gerrard effectively, something that was proven once again with his recent pubic comments about Liverpool's captain.
Can someone please explain to me the benefits of Benitez's supremely irritating recent PUBLIC comments about Gerrard, because I just don't see the positives. Click to continue reading...

Glen Johnson has made many costly defensive mistakes since he arrived at Liverpool, the most recent of which led directly to Liverpool losing against Arsenal and Portsmouth. With this in mind, how is swanning around a London nightclub in the early hours of Sunday morning a professional way to prepare for the next game? Click to continue reading...

Confidence and belief is in the gutter as Liverpool enter the Christmas period, but if previous years are anything to go by, the next few weeks could actually turn out to be rather fruitful for the club.
If there is one positive thing that has been a constant for Liverpool under Rafa Benitez, it is performing well in the league over the Christmas period:
2004-5
P4
W3
L1
2005-6
P4
W3
D1
2006-7
P4
W3
L1
2007-08
P4
W2
D2
2008/9
P3
W2
D1
5 YEAR TOTALS
P - 19
W - 13
D - 4
L – 2
Goals for - 40
Goals against - 13
As you can see, Liverpool has never had a bad Christmas period under Benitez. Click to continue reading...

On Boxing Day, Liverpool reach the halfway point in the season with a ‘make or break' game against Wolves. The club's fans have endured a torrid season so far with nothing but small victories to cheer, and great wins against Man United and Everton overshadowed by points subsequently being dropped . Click to continue reading...

On the 30th May 2004 (before Benitez was appointed), I wrote a post on ThisIsAnfield.com arguing that Martin O Neill should get the Manager's job ahead of Benitez and Jose Mourinho. Five and a half years later and my view has not change, and after yesterday's passionless display at Portsmouth, the need for a manager who is able to inspire and motivate is more pressing than ever. Click to continue reading...

A side-by side comparison of all results from this season and last season, up to and including the Portsmouth defeat on Saturday 19th December 2009.
NCF = No corresponding fixture
NPC = Newly promoted comparison
For games against newly promoted teams, there will be no corresponding fixture from last season. Click to continue reading...

According to Rafa Benitez, Javier Mascherano's red card was the catalyst for Liverpool's ignominious defeat to Portsmouth today. Well of course it was! It's not like Benitez is ever responsible for anything, is it? It's always something or someone else's fault. In reality though, Benitez is - as usual - the person most culpable for yet another capitulation. Click to continue reading...

As part of my bid to cut through the misinformation and present accurate FACTUAL data re Liverpool FC's finances, here is a breakdown of the club's turnover and profit over the last 10 years.
There are three tables below.
* Table 1 presents the annual turnover/profit figures for the last 10 years, including percentage increase/decreases per year. Click to continue reading...

On a game-by-game basis, how do league results from this season compare to last season? (We'll be tracking these figures for every league game this season).
Below is a side-by side comparison of all results from this season and last season, up to and including the Arsenal game on Sunday 13th December 2009:
NCF = No corresponding fixture

This Season

Last Season

Points +/1

1

Tottenham v LFC

L 2-1

L 2 -1

0

2

LFC v Stoke City

W 4-0

D 0-0

+ 2

3

LFC v Aston Villa

L 1-3

W 5-0

-3

4

Bolton v LFC

W 2-3

W 2 – 0

0

5

LFC v Burnley

W 4-0

NCF

-

6

West Ham v LFC

W 2-3

W 3–0

0

7

LFC v Hull City

W 6-1

D 2–2

+2

8

Chelsea v LFC

L 2-0

W 1–0

-3

9

Sunderland v LFC

L 1-0

W 0–1

-3

10

LFC v Man United

W 2-0

W 2-1

0

11

Fulham v LFC

L 3-1

W 1-0

-3

12

LFC v Birmingham

D 2-2

NCF

-

13

LFC v Man City

D 2-2

D 1-1

-

14

Everton v LFC

W 0-2

W 0-2

-

15

Blackburn v LFC

D 0-0

W 1-3

-2

16

LFC v Arsenal

L 1-2

D 4-4

-2

17

LFC v Wigan

W 2-0

W 3-2

-

Analysis

This season

Last season

+/-

Won

6

9

-3

Lost

6

1

+5

Draw

2

4

-2

Goals Scored

30

32

-2

Goals conceded

20

13

+7

Ave goals conceded per game

1.

Click to continue reading...

In my previous post, I looked at Gerard gross/net spend figures whilst at Liverpool. Now it's time to look at Rafa Benitez's figures.
Before I get to the table, I just want to highlight an important point: My source at the club has confirmed once again what Christian Purslow has already publicly stated: Rafa Benitez spent 20m of the the club's summer 2009 transfer budget on extending the contracts of Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Dirk Kuyt, Yossi Benayoun and Daniel Agger. Click to continue reading...

In a bid to bring some clarity to the issue of Liverpool's gross/net spending, I have examined the club's financial reports for the last 20+ years in search of accurate, irrefutable figures. Although I will be looking at every manager's spending from Graeme Souness onwards, I'll start out of sequence with Gerard Houllier's figures. Click to continue reading...

In a bid to bring some clarity to the issue of Liverpool's gross/net spending, I have examined the club's financial reports for the last 20+ years in search of accurate, irrefutable figures. Although I will be looking at every manager's spending from Graeme Souness onwards, I'll start out of sequence with Gerard Houllier's figures. Click to continue reading...

In a bid to bring some clarity to the issue of Liverpool's gross/net spending, I have examined the club's financial reports for the last 20+ years in search of accurate, irrefutable figures. Although I will be looking at every manager's spending from Graeme Souness onwards, I'll start out of sequence with Gerard Houllier's figures. Click to continue reading...

On a game-by-game basis, how do league results from this season compare to last season? (We'll be tracking these figures for every league game this season).
Below is a side-by side comparison of all results from this season and last season, up to and including the Arsenal game on Sunday 13th December 2009:

This Season

Last Season

Points +/1

1

Tottenham v LFC

L 2-1

L 2 -1

0

2

LFC v Stoke City

W 4-0

D 0-0

+ 2

3

LFC v Aston Villa

L 1-3

W 5-0

-3

4

Bolton v LFC

W 2-3

W 2 – 0

0

5

LFC v Burnley

W 4-0

NCF

-

6

West Ham v LFC

W 2-3

W 3–0

0

7

LFC v Hull City

W 6-1

D 2–2

+2

8

Chelsea v LFC

L 2-0

W 1–0

-3

9

Sunderland v LFC

L 1-0

W 0–1

-3

10

LFC v Man United

W 2-0

W 2-1

0

11

Fulham v LFC

L 3-1

W 1-0

-3

12

LFC v Birmingham

D 2-2

NCF

-

13

LFC v Man City

D 2-2

D 1-1

-

14

Everton v LFC

W 0-2

W 0-2

-

15

Blackburn v LFC

D 0-0

W 1-3

-2

16

LFC v Arsenal

L 1-2

D 4-4

-2

Analysis

This season

Last season

Won

6

9

Lost

6

1

Draw

2

4

Goals Scored

28

29

Goals conceded

20

11

Ave goals conceded per game

1.

Click to continue reading...

Yet another HOME defeat for Liverpool. That's two in week now, and the same old problems that have plagued the club all season were very much in evidence at Anfield today.
The GOOD
Benitez played his favoured XI
Alberto Aquilani aside, Rafa Benitez was able to field what he considers to be his strongest team:
------------------ Reina
Johnson ----- Carra --- Agger --- Aurelio
Lucas ------------- Masch
Kuyt ------------ Gerrard ----------- Benayoun
------------------ Torres
Benitez can have no complaints; all his top players were fit, and even if everyone in the squad was fit and available, that is the team he probably would've chosen. Click to continue reading...