It has been a pretty disastrous three months for Liverpool in league so far, but on a game-by-game basis, how do this season's result compare to last season's?
Below is a side-by side comparison of all results from this season and last season:
NCF = No Corresponding Fixture

This Season

Last Season

Points +/1

Tottenham v LFC

L 2-1

L 2 -1

0

LFC v Stoke City

W 4-0

D 0-0

+ 2

LFC v Aston Villa

L 1-3

W 5-0

-3

Bolton v LFC

W 2-3

W 2 – 0

0

LFC v Burnley

W 4-0

NCF

-

West Ham v LFC

W 2-3

W 3 – 0

0

LFC v Hull City

W 6-1

D 2 – 2

+2

Chelsea v LFC

L 2-0

W 1 – 0

-3

Sunderland v LFC

L 1-0

W 0 – 1

-3

LFC v Man United

W 2-0

W 2-1

0

Fulham v LFC

L 3-1

W 1-0

-3

LFC v Birmingham

D 2-2

NCF

-

ANALYSIS

This season

Last season

Won

5

7

Lost

5

1

Draw

0

2

Goals Scored

21

19

Goals conceded

17

4

Points gained (total: W+D)

15

23

Points dropped (D+L)

15

7

Overall point differential

-8 ( i.

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Has Rafa Benitez lied over the fitness of Alberto Aquilani? Is it fair to label Liverpool's manager a liar over the regularly changing estimates about the Italian's return to fitness? That is the question being considered here.
Let's take a look at the evidence.
AUG 7th 2009: Statement on the official Liverpool FC website:
"Liverpool FC confirmed this evening that Alberto Aquilani has successfully completed a medical and agreed a 5-year contract with the club. Click to continue reading...

In an interview with 'The Times' today, Rafa Benitez once again laid the blame for Robbie Keane's failure at Liverpool at the feet of the player himself, claiming that he was sold because 'he was not playing at the level we knew he could play'. In my view, Benitez's mis-managment was the real reason Keane did not prosper at Anfield. Click to continue reading...

After trying his best to engineer a move away from Anfield in the summer, rumours are flying again that Javier Mascherano is on the verge of leaving Liverpool. So where's the problem? Why can't Liverpool just let him leave? There seems to be this idea that Mascherano is somehow irreplaceable and integral to Liverpool's success, but in my view, Liverpool could cope perfectly well without him. Click to continue reading...

There seems to be a lot of confusion over how much Liverpool paid/will eventually pay Roma for the services of Alberto Aquilani. Figures such as £20m, £17m and £5m (!) have been bandied about, but the truth is the total outlay could (potentially) turn out to be much more.
On the 8th August 2009, Roma released official details of Aquilani's transfer fee. Click to continue reading...

Why didn't Alberto Aquilani play any part of the Lyon game? Can someone please explain to me the logic behind keeping him on the bench for the full 90 minutes because I just don't get it.
Aquilani was on the bench against Lyon therefore he must be fit. He was even warming up at one stage. Click to continue reading...

It is widely believed that Liverpool acquired Jan Kromkamp for free as part of a player-exchange with Josemi. Every official source that has looked into Liverpool's transfer dealings has stated the same alleged fact. Well, after some research, that myth can now be debunked - Liverpool actually paid a surprisingly large transfer fee for the ineffective Krompkamp, the amount of which some may find surprising
According to Liverpool's annual report for 2005, Kromkamp cost the club £4. Click to continue reading...

Yesterday, I looked at the real cost of Jan Kromkamp's transfer to Liverpool. Today, I attempt to establish the true cost of Xabi Alonso and Luis Garcia, two of Rafa Benitez's most successful signings.
At the time of both transfers, the BBC reported that Garcia cost 6m, but in their report for Alonso's transfer, a fee was not specified. Click to continue reading...

It has been revealed that Xabi Alonso may have been prevented from writing an open-letter to Liverpool's fans when he left the club. Given the Spaniard's contribution to the club, I find this to be very disappointing.
Both John Arne Riise and Luis Garcia wrote open letters to Liverpool fans when they left the club, both of which were published on the official Liverpool FC website. Click to continue reading...

For the last few months, this site has attacked Liverpool FC fan's group ‘Spirit if Shankly' for its juvenile, counter-productive approach to ousting Liverpool FC's owners. After raising awareness, putting SOS under public pressure and showing how the majority of fans are against their ‘Yank Liars Out! Click to continue reading...

A few weeks ago I looked at the creative impact of Fernando Torres and Wayne Rooney over the last two complete seasons. Torres was streets ahead of Rooney in almost every way, but some people (i.e. Man U fans in denial) argued that it was an unfair comparison as they played in different positions. Well, since Torres and Rooney are both now playing the striker role, I've taken a look at the last 10 games to gauge how things are going this season. 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 years later and O'Neill is apparently one of the favourites to become the next Liverpool manager. Well, my opinion has not changed: For me, O'neill is the only man for the job. Click to continue reading...

Misinformation and agenda-driven exaggeration are the key factors at play when it comes to reporting the true level of Liverpool FC's debt and interest payments. The anti-Liverpool media and fan's group SOS exaggerate the figures in a bid to whip up anti-Owner sentiment. Well, Liverpool-Kop can now exclusively reveal the true state of the club's current debt/interest level under Tom Hicks and George Gillett. Click to continue reading...

There are no two ways about it: David N'gog deliberately deceived the referee to win a penalty. There was no contact, no hint of a foul and no reason to go down. It was cheating, pure and simple. I don't blame N'gog though; I blame (a)pathetic Liverpool fans who are happy to condone cheating if it gains the team an advantage. Click to continue reading...

Many Liverpool fans are distraught at the club's current predicament/failure to win any trophies for the last three years. After 1 win in 9 games, questions are rightly being asked about Rafa Benitez's future. However, The ‘Rafa can do no wrong' brigade come up with endless excuses/justifications for giving the manager more time, the most common of which is the ridiculous comparison between Benitez and Arsene Wenger. Click to continue reading...

Dirk Kuyt's supporters are always trying to convince everyone he deserves his place in the team because he's so 'hard-working', has 'endless stamina' and gives his all for the team. Well, that may be the case but as I will illustrate, Rafa Benitez's continued favouritism for the player has had - and is having - a negative impact on Liverpool FC's attacking effectiveness. Click to continue reading...

With his contract expiring next summer, Fabio Aurelio is free to sign a pre-contract agreement with another other club in January. Rafa Benitez reportedly wants Liverpool to renew Aurelio's contract, but what has the Brazilian actually done in his time at the club to deserve this?
The plain fact is this: Aurelio (aka Mr Glass) is injury prone. Click to continue reading...

According to England manager Fabio Capello, thug-in-a-shirt Wayne Rooney could have the same impact for England that Pele, Johann Cruyff, Michel Platini and Diego Maradona had for their respective countries. In my view, Rooney doesn't even deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as those players. Click to continue reading...

As we saw once again against Birmingham on Monday, Glen Johnson's best work this season continues to come when he's playing higher up the field. Should Liverpool capitalise on this and convert him into a permanent right-winger?
In my view, the Birmingham game illustrated once again the occasional defensive lapses to which Johnson is prone; his failure to push out quick enough meant Christian Benitez was onside when he scored the equalising goal. Click to continue reading...

Gerrard out. Johnson out. Aurelio out. Torres half-fit. Several other players doubtful. Two defeats in three CL games. Third in the CL group table. eight defeats since the start of the season. Liverpool have no chance of beating Lyon on their own ground, right? WRONG.
Liverpool thrive on being underdogs and if history has proven one thing about the club it's this: in times of adversity, and when everything looks hopeless, Liverpool can and will triumph. Click to continue reading...

Peter Beardsley! The more I watch Benayoun the more I'm convinced that he is the current Liverpool team's version of Beardsley.
Beardsley was an absolutely superb player for Liverpool, and anyone who had the privilege of watching him play during the Dalgish era will know what I'm talking about. Click to continue reading...

Despite the doom and gloom of the last few weeks - and amid the continued misplaced vitriol towards the owners - there are plenty of reasons for Liverpool fans to be positive at the moment.
As many people who visit this regularly will know, I take a critical, realist approach to LFC. Within that approach, I always try and be fair, and there is plenty of evidence for that on the site. Click to continue reading...

Whether it's empty, half-baked ‘Spirit of Shankly' rhetoric or brainwashed fans jumping on the ‘Hicks and Gillett are the devil' bandwagon (without actually knowing WHY), there is a damaging and pointless agenda being peddled in the press at the moment by alleged Liverpool fans that needs to be highlighted. Click to continue reading...

Rafa Benitez has admitted that Fernando Torres is carrying a hernia injury. Given the consequences of aggravating that injury, should Torres be rested against Lyon to avoid a longer-term problem...or should Rafa take a risk and play him anyway?
Yesterday, Benitez had this to say about Torres' injury:
"We know Fernando has a [hernia] problem, and we have to manage it. Click to continue reading...

Football fans are regularly accused of being 'fickle' but, as Pepe Reina proves with his latest comments, it seems that footballers also fall into that category!
September 12th - Liverpool had lost 2 of the first 4 league games. Clearly down in the dumps, Reina stated the following:
"We all want to win the league but right now it's not a realistic objective. Click to continue reading...

Bill Shankly once said: "Aim for the sky and you'll reach the ceiling. Aim for the ceiling and you'll stay on the floor". Against Fulham on Saturday, Rafa Benitez didn't aim for the sky or the ceiling; he didn't even aim for the floor! With his cautious approach and maddeningly incomprehensible decisions, Benitez went against everything Liverpool FC stands for and committed the ultimate footballing sin: he gave up and conceded defeat. Click to continue reading...

...Liverpool beat Fulham today. Yes, the team is suffering from injuries but there is still enough quality in the squad to get a result.
Javier Mascherano summed it up perfectly during the week:
"The win [against United] is important, but it's only three points. We have to keep going. Click to continue reading...

Ahead of Liverpool's game with Manchester United later today, I answered a few questions for Scott over at 'The Republik of Mancunia'.
Here is the text of the interview, which was published on RoM yesterday:
Scott the Red: What do you make of the beachball fiasco at the Stadium of Light? Click to continue reading...

Scott the red over at 'The Republik of Mancunia' has kindly taken the time to answer some questions about - amongst other things - where it all went wrong for United at Anfield yesterday.
Jaimie Kanwar: What went wrong for United at Anfield?
Scott the Red: The first problem was the team selection. Click to continue reading...

Defeat against Man United on Sunday is unthinkable, and the decisions Rafa Benitez makes for that game could literally make or break Liverpool's season. Despite the doom and gloom hovering over the club at the moment, if Rafa keeps it simple and goes with aces in their places, I fully expect Liverpool to beat United. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool's defence has been poor at times this season, and with the Manchester United home game coming up, more defensive lapses could quite literally end our league season. United's defenders are not infallible though, and they're just as prone to making costly errors.
Rio Ferdinand in particular has come under fire for his mistakes recently. Click to continue reading...

Yesterday, I posted a list of eleven reasons why I believe Liverpool have struggled this season. Today, it's time to look to forward positively and come up with a way out of the current mess. Yes, things are bleak, but I do not think that the season is over. In fact, I actually think Liverpool can still put in a title challenge, but only if certain changes are made and previous mistakes are not repeated. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool's crushing defeats to Sunderland and Lyon are undoubtedly devastating blows to the club's trophy ambitions. Clearly, the recurring problems that have plagued Liverpool under Rafa Benitez are wreaking havoc once again. As such, if the club is to recover and salvage something from this campaign, it is imperative that important changes are made NOW. Click to continue reading...

After Liverpool's home defeat to Aston Villa on August the 25th, I argued that several changes needed to be made to the formation, the most important of which being Steven Gerrard moving to central midfield. Given the team's run of defeats since that time, and the absence of Fernando Torres, the need for playing 'aces in their places' is now more important than ever. Click to continue reading...

This post is a direct rebuttal to the spurious blind-faith and misrepresentation of the facts displayed in the 'Why Rafa Could Quit' article, posted on ThisIsAnfield yesterday.
Since the article was published, I've had people:
1. Emailing me telling me to read it and respond/slagging me off for not posting stuff along the same lines. Click to continue reading...