Features

What's wrong with Liverpool?

Author: Sir David Smith
Date: 31/08/2009
Football betting

The Premier League season may be just a handful of games old but already there are suggestions that Liverpool's title challenge has fallen by the wayside.

After losing two of their opening three games, the knives are out for the Reds and manager Rafael Benitez.

Already this season Tottenham and Aston Villa have inflicted as many defeats on the Anfield club as they suffered in a full 38-game last Premier League campaign.

Those two defeats ultimately proved to be costly as Liverpool lost the league title to Manchester United by four points.

It's fair to suggest then that this hasn't been the most auspicious of starts from a side predicted by the sportsbooks to have a better chance of winning the title this year than they did 12 months ago.

So after their nightmare start to the new season, what's wrong with Liverpool?

Most fingers are pointing at Benitez and specifically the speculation surrounding the Spaniard's future.

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Reports on Merseyside are suggesting that Benitez is becoming increasingly disillusioned with life at Anfield following the latest in a long line of disputes with the club's American owners.

Such was the widespread nature of the rumours that one bookmaker even suspended betting on the possibility of Benitez walking out before last week's 4-0 win over Stoke City.

Benitez was reported to be deeply unhappy at a lack of transfer funds made available by Tom Hicks and George Gillett this summer.

He subsequently denied suggestions that his five-year reign was close to ending, saying: "I remain 100 per cent committed to the club, the fans and players."

However, the rumours which continue to persist can only unsettle a squad which has, almost to a man, been recruited by Benitez.

The other obvious reason for the Reds' poor start to the campaign has been the personnel changes which have occurred during the close season.

On face value the departure of one midfielder and a couple of fringe defenders appears to be no big issue.

But when you consider that Liverpool currently have a defensive injury crisis and the midfielder was Xabi Alonso, it is perhaps easy to see why they are struggling.

The likes of the departed Sami Hyypia and Alvaro Arbeloa could both plug holes in the backline created by early-season injuries to Martin Skrtel, Daniel Agger and Fabio Aurelio.

However, the biggest hole to fill is surely that of Alonso in the middle of the pitch where the Spaniard has been imperious in recent seasons.

His vision and precision passing are obvious traits, but former Reds midfielder turned pundit Jan Molby believes his influence was greater than that.

"Alonso was the one who directed the tempo of play," he explained. "That ability to spot a pass, to give Gerrard a split-second extra on the ball before doing his stuff will be a big loss to Steven.

"Although Fernando Torres and Steven are Liverpool's two key players, Alonso was just behind them.

"The team will miss him a lot. He was a crucial part of Liverpool's directional play."

It appears that Molby has a point and the fact that Alonso's replacement, £20million Italian Alberto Aquilani, will be sidelined by injury until September is a major concern.

These are worrying times for Liverpool fans and they will be hoping their title challenge doesn't further unfold as the weeks progress.

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