Bascombe scathing match report on Rafa

[RafaShanks]

By CHRIS BASCOMBE at Anfield

 

WE'VE seen the manager revolting at Anfield.

 

The fans have been marching more than a Salvation Army band.

 

But as Liverpool struggle to secure the minimum acceptable requirement of Champions League qualification, are the senior players next to join the protests?

 

The Reds may have received a much-needed boost in their top-four quest against lowly Sunderland but the warning signs remain.

 

In the case of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, boardroom politics are secondary to the fear the clock is ticking in their bid to complete their medal collection with the title that matters most.

 

Even in victory, there is an inescapable feeling they are losing faith in their manager's increasingly deluded belief he will deliver it.

 

And the 2,000 fans who stayed behind on the Kop echoed their heroes' sentiments.

 

Who would blame them? They were promised an end to being surrounded by dross when Gerard Houllier was shown the exit door.

 

Fast forward into the fourth year of Rafa Benitez's reign, and they are choking on the history which is repeating on them.

 

Carragher recently quit England and ignored the advances of Fabio Capello because he accepted he was behind world class centre-back rivals Rio Ferdinand and John Terry.

 

Although he played a key role in this win, one can scarcely imagine his despair last night to find himself being re-accommodated at full-back at Anfield to make way for...Martin Skrtel.

 

The £6.5million signing's debut against Havant and Waterlooville a week ago was a late entry for a BAFTA comedy award.

 

But he somehow forced Benitez to shift one of the two most reliable players he has into a position he now loathes.

 

The Spaniard will no doubt call it a masterstroke as Carragher's dazzling run and cross on 57 minutes helped Peter Crouch lift a dire game.

 

But as keeper Pepe Reina ran the length of the pitch to applaud the Scouse stalwart, Carragher's reaction said it all.

 

He shrugged it off with his head bowed, no doubt inwardly squirming at the prospect he had inadvertently helped justify Benitez's decision.

 

Alienating one of your only trusted lieutenants is the equivalent of negotiating the terms of your surrender.

 

Benitez is not just playing with fire — he is in danger of being charged with pathological arson.

 

That is why it is not a good idea to take a deep breath when walking around Anfield these days.

 

Regardless of how Sunderland were eventually shoved aside in a vastly improved second half, there is an ashen stench in the air of a club in decay.

 

Such are the fans' concerns that demos against the American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett were ordered to be delayed until full-time against the Black Cats in order to ensure no distractions or excuses for the poor, pampered millionaires.

 

For 45 minutes, at least, such charity was pointless. On the surface, this was a good time to meet a Sunderland side fighting relegation.

 

But even this could be no guarantee of Liverpool's first league win of 2008.

 

The opening exchanges summed up Benitez's recent problems. Plentiful possession was matched by a chronic lack of creativity.

 

For 38 minutes, Craig Gordon might as well have taken a seat with his away fans.

 

That is how long it took for the Sunderland keeper to be called into action and that was an easy save after Jermaine Pennant's (pictured right) trickery fed Fernando Torres, who headed tamely.

 

At least Gerrard has been spared the indignity of being shoved from one position to another this season.

 

His dynamism from the middle will have earned a knowing nod of approval from visiting boss Roy Keane.

 

Elsewhere sideways and backward passing — often inaccurate — was the norm as Sunderland achieved the impossible given their away form.

 

They looked good.

 

With the Kop's agitation growing, Liverpool began the second half with Steve Finnan replacing Fabio Aurelio.

 

They had a right-back at left-back, a centre-half at right-back and a central midfielder on the left wing.

 

As for the strikers, they were dropping so deep they should have been wearing snorkels — showing little signs of a cure to their recent allergic reaction to shooting.

 

Benitez had called on Crouch to justify calls for his inclusion.

 

So little has Crouch been seen at Anfield in the league recently, he is in danger of being given the nickname Gillett.

 

He has followed a rogues' gallery of Liverpool strikers who looked good when they arrived but deteriorate the more — or in his case the less — they play.

 

However, his goal ratio is impressive and after heading the hosts ahead, he could have completed a six minute hat-trick.

 

A scissor-kick was kept out by Gordon's legs and a header needed to be cleared off the line by Phil Bardsley.

 

Liverpool knew they still had to kill off their opponents to avoid the late backlashes inflicted by Aston Villa and Wigan here recently.

 

But Keano's men had shown little attacking intent.

 

And when Torres was sent clear by Crouch's flicked header in the 69th minute, Benitez finally had some respite.

 

Gerrard wrapped it up with a penalty late on after Nyron Nosworthy felled Jermaine Pennant.

 

There were signs the confidence was returning as the white flags which were scattered across the pitch for much of the game were now replaced by the more dominant image of the red ones on The Kop.

 

Despite this much-needed win, unfortunately for Rafa the zeal for change is not just centred on the boardroom

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Saw this on another forum and a few people heard earlier on 5 live that Bascombe is also running an exclusive tomorrow which will reveal shocking revelations.

[Cunny]

feck me thats scathing and worrying

 

I have heard from one of the ressies dad that Carra tore a strip off Rafa after the Wigan gamein the dressing room.

He had a right go about a lack of consistent selection, playing positions, tactics etc...

[allez les rouges]

I have heard from one of the ressies dad that Carra tore a strip off Rafa after the Wigan

 

 

how would they know what whent on in the dressing room?

[Guest Si]

Reads like its been written by one of the nutters on here.

 

Who the f*** is "Keano" Bascombe?

[Chili Palmer]

feck me thats scathing and worrying

 

I have heard from one of the ressies dad that Carra tore a strip off Rafa after the Wigan gamein the dressing room.

He had a right go about a lack of consistent selection, playing positions, tactics etc...

 

no wonder he ended up at right back then!!

 

seriously though Carra and Gerrards silence is beginning to be a worry.

[Cunny]

how would they know what whent on in the dressing room?

 

I assume from the players discussing what happened at training/socialising or whatever and then one of the players telling his dad.

Not difficult to understand. The player's father is sound and not a bs merchant. It could be chinese whispers I guess.

However, Bascombe's article (although overly critical) does suggest all is not well between Rafa and the players.

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

it was a lousy first half, but much better in the second. We won't go from mediocre to class over-night - at least he second half was a step in the right direction

[allez les rouges]

it was a lousy first half, but much better in the second. We won't go from mediocre to class over-night - at least he second half was a step in the right direction

that sums it up. today is the start of a long road to recovery. I hope!

[allez les rouges]

it was a lousy first half, but much better in the second. We won't go from mediocre to class over-night - at least he second half was a step in the right direction

that sums it up. today is the start of a long road to recovery. I hope!

[stressederic]

I don't much like the hatchet job on Skrtel.

[Guest Si]

I don't much like the hatchet job on Skrtel.

 

Nor me. Its a crass piece of journalism that should have stayed on the back of a fag packet.

[smicer07]

He really has moved to the dark side, hasn't he.

[Dan]

Don't understand his comments about the 2000 fans who protested at the end. Is he suggesting that they were protesting against Rafa?

[allez les rouges]

Nor me. Its a crass piece of journalism that should have stayed on the back of a fag packet.

especaily as he was one of our better players today.

 

a much improved performance from the lad.

[Bailo]

I don't much like the hatchet job on Skrtel.

Surreal, considering he was very good.

 

Sounds like his signing has put a few noses out of joint. Which is good.

[MFletcher]

Bascombe talking s**** as usual. He fails to acknowledge that Skrtel played very, very well today and that Carragher has been s*** for the past few games.

 

Anything to stick the boot into Rafa for not giving him the freedom of Anfield he enjoyed under Houllier.

 

c***.

[Falconhoof]

Don't understand his comments about the 2000 fans who protested at the end. Is he suggesting that they were protesting against Rafa?

 

He's allowed that interpretation to lie there.

[Rimbeux]

Don't understand his comments about the 2000 fans who protested at the end. Is he suggesting that they were protesting against Rafa?

 

No just that such are things on the pitch that they had to be after the game to keep distractions down=lack of faith in manager

 

But aye Graham

Edited February 2, 2008 by Rimbeux

[George Costanza]

Bascombe talking s**** as usual. He fails to acknowledge that Skrtel played very, very well today and that Carragher has been s*** for the past few games.

 

Skrtel had a steady game. Nothing more. He hardly had anything to do so how on earth you can say he played very, very well is beyond me.

 

Bascombe amy well have had a preconcieved agenda when writing the article but the whole context of it isn't far off the mark at all i'm afraid.

[gkmacca]

In his desperation to impress his new bosses, Bascombe promised all kinds of things a while ago, most notably the imminent sacking of Benitez, so I guess he finds the current situation an irritation. He now has to deliver eyecatching 'exclusives' every other week, so either the club has to be in a chronic state of crisis or Bascombe must get a bit 'inventive'. A bit sad, really. And this 'the Spaniard' stuff - rather Ian St John-like, and, by now, somewhat tiresome.

[MFletcher]

Skrtel had a steady game. Nothing more. He hardly had anything to do so how on earth you can say he played very, very well is beyond me.

 

Bascombe amy well have had a preconcieved agenda when writing the article but the whole context of it isn't far off the mark at all i'm afraid.

 

Skrtel had plenty of things to do. He had to make covering tackles, win the ball in the air, cover other players, play the ball out from the back etc. and he did it all very well indeed. He looked as though he'd been playing in the side for a lot longer than one and a half games.

 

So yes, he did very, very well considering he could have had his Havant performance on his mind.

[allez les rouges]

Skrtel had a steady game. Nothing more. He hardly had anything to do so how on earth you can say he played very, very well is beyond me.

 

Bascombe amy well have had a preconcieved agenda when writing the article but the whole context of it isn't far off the mark at all i'm afraid.

 

just watched 90 again on TV and skertle never stood out. however at the match, he had a very good game. first half especially.

[George Costanza]

just watched 90 again on TV and skertle never stood out. however at the match, he had a very good game. first half especially.

 

I was at the game too. He did everything he needed to do competently but lets face it, for a Premiership game it was hardly a stretch. Hobbs could have done a similar job.

 

I'm not knocking the lad. Today he showed he has a bit of pace and signs of why we bought him BUT jiust like last week, today isn't a game where you can make a proper judgement on him.

[scoose]

skrtel was fine - carra has been average all season and his distribution is worse than average. Bascombe conveniently ignores this. Funny thing is i'm surprised benitez never put carra left back and finan right as carra was much better at left back than right in the past.

 

Then again his cross was smart like

[allez les rouges]

I was at the game too. He did everything he needed to do competently but lets face it, for a Premiership game it was hardly a stretch. Hobbs could have done a similar job.

 

I'm not knocking the lad. Today he showed he has a bit of pace and signs of why we bought him BUT jiust like last week, today isn't a game where you can make a proper judgement on him.

 

I thought he was very good.