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The Season Ahead Part Eleven : Liverpool

Published by Ian John on September 8, 2009

Prospects for 2009 :
Well, we were told this was to be THE season when Liverpool finally broke 20 years of league title drought, however it has already unravelled somewhat. The ownership issue at the club still remains entirely unresolved with the Americans unwilling to invest in the club in the current economic climate. Benitez seems at odds with the owners (again) over transfer funds (or the perceived lack of them) and once again the “New Anfield” project has stalled, this time for the foreseeable future due to the “poor economic conditions”. Add into that the fact that Rafa’s got his knickers in a twist over not being able to buy a couple of extra players, the team lost two of its opening league games then you can see it hasn’t been quite the start Reds fans hoped. Of course they can recover but given their situation, compared to the likes of Chelsea, Man Utd or even Man City, can you see it?

2009 is a big season for :
Jamie Carragher. That may sound odd given that the likes of Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Javier Mascherano will all be out chasing World cup glory, and also that there is a £20m Italian midfielder yet to kick a ball in earnest since signing to replace Xabi Alonso, but for me the question marks over Carragher are increasing. His attitude, effort and skills cannot be questioned, however it does seem to me that he is losing a little of his pace and as such he needs to adapt to suit. Given Liverpool’s injury crisis in defence at the start of the season and the fact they have already conceded seven goals in just four games, one wonders if Benitez may need to consider a long term replacement for the talismanic defender.

Guaranteed to irritate in 2009 :
It’s certain that Rafa Benitez will irritate almost everyone at some point. The Spaniard has knack for the carefully chosen barbed sound bite which makes his feelings entirely clear to the fans and press, often to the chagrin of his board, an opposing manager or player or the F.A. Ryan Babel will no doubt frustrate many Liverpool fans, occasionally brilliant but mostly he resembles Bambi on ice and he needs to deliver a final punch that is more allied to his unquestionable natural ability to win many folks over.

Things they’ll moan about in 2009 :
Well, it seems certain Rafa will have a moan about something at some point. Last season it was his “fact” based rant about Sir Alex and Manchester United and the F.A that made the headlines. Already this season he is reportedly unhappy with the paltry sum he has had to spend compared to other teams. This doesn’t look likely to improve any given the current situation at the club. The fans will moan about the board and their lack of financial support for the club and the fact that Rafa’s rotation policy drives them nuts at times. To tell the truth, Liverpool fans will pretty much moan about anything unless they win the title at the end of the season.

Song that sums up their chances in 2009 : “Dream on” by Aerosmith
It may well have looked like the season when Liverpool would end their wait for the title, but it just doesn’t seem to me as if things are quite right yet. Had they had the off the field backing of their board in the way Man City or Chelsea have, then I think they would be strong favourites, however the fact remains that the awful off the field position the club finds itself in, will prove costly.

Image courtesy of ***Eamon Curry123*** at Flickr.com

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