Never mind a stray black cat, the luck he is having Rafa Benitez must have run down an entire cattery on his way to work at Melwood. As if losing to a comedy blow-up goal was not enough to make him think the world was conspiring against him, last night’s game against Lyon would surely have had him considering a lifetime membership of the Paranoid Society (mission statement: “You talkin’ to me?”).
Already without the substantial presence of Fernando Torres for a vital Champions League game against Lyon, he lost Glen Johnson in the warm up and - worse - Steven Gerrard, the player he would most want alongside him in a crisis, after just 20 minutes. Cue a fourth straight defeat and the very real possibility of elimination from Europe’s lucrative high table. The consequence is, here is his club heading towards an engagement with the smirking forces of Manchester United with morale plummeting to a point not experienced about the club since the days of Graeme Souness.
The trouble with bad luck, however, is that it tends to exacerbate existing weakness. If, for instance, Benitez had a second string striker of any note, the loss of Torres would not be so profoundly felt and he could afford to break a couple of mirrors about the place. But last night, the manager was obliged to parade David N’Gog, a player who looks too lightweight to be effective at this level and Andriy Voronin, a player considered not good enough last season when he was farmed out on loan.
Thus have the club that once boasted the ruthless finishing skills of Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen been reduced to fielding players in European competition who would not have been given the time of day in the era of Bob Paisley or Bill Shankly. Sure, not everyone can be Kenny Dalglish, but in truth N’Gog and Voronin aren’t even David Fairclough.
Quite how the club has been allowed to arrive at a position of such threadbare resource it is hard to fathom. Benitez blames the American co-owners for their parsimony; one of the American co-owners blames Benitez for his poor buying. Either way, while Manchester City boast four international class strikers from whom to choose, Liverpool have just the one. He may be the best of all, but right now he is not available.
Liverpool fans will argue that they beat United last season at Anfield without either Torres or Gerrard starting. And they can do it again on Sunday when both are likely to be absent. Except last season they were also able to call on the most effective central midfield partnership in the league. While pushing Manchester United all the way in the league, Benitez built his side around Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano. They were both outstanding and provided the opportunity for Gerrard to maraud forward. When he was out, they at least ensured the team did not lose.
Now, for whatever reason, Alonso has gone and, for whatever reason, Mascherano has entered a lengthy sulk. Actually, the reason may be because he is obliged to line up alongside Lucas, a player so ineffectual the beach ball got more significant touches than him at the Stadium of Light last Saturday. Maybe Alberto Aquilani will prove to be the midfielder of Benitez’s dreams. But it will be a while before we find out.
So shambolic did Liverpool look at times against Sunderland, there were many observing who reached the conclusion not only would they fail to win the league for yet another year, but at the rate they are going would not even make the Champions League next season, an outcome which would send their already precarious financial position into a tailspin. Many managers would be looking over their shoulder at such an outcome.
In a sense Benitez does have this piece of luck going for him: with Liverpool’s ownership as it is, his job is utterly safe. Such is the Laurel and Hardy nature of the ruling pair’s relationship, they would never agree on anything as significant as his dismissal. These two are so disputatious, if Hicks pointed out it was about time Joe Calzaghe was turfed off Strictly Come Dancing, given that he had all the rhythmic application of a wardrobe, Gillet would declare the boxer the Welsh Nureyev. So if Gillet said Benitez should go, Hicks would immediately offer him a contract extension.
Thus he will stay. And he will be obliged to sort out things sharpish or his season could end before it has really begun. Reminding himself that Dirk Kuyt was once a pretty useful striker before he transformed him into a midfield dray horse might be a useful place to start. He had better get something together before Sunday: another league defeat then and things really do begin to look bleak. Five losses in 10 starts is not the way the old Liverpool went about colonising the title.
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