Benitez and O’Neill unhappy for different reasons

Prior to Monday night’s game Aston Villa and Liverpool had both had less than impressive starts to their season. Villa had lost their opening league game at home to Wigan and then lost in Europe, whereas Liverpool had lost at Tottenham in their opening game before beating Stoke comfortably but not terribly impressively.

Disastrous

For Villa, who’s fans dream of a top four finish, their start had apparently been little short of disastrous and for Liverpool’s title hungry fans first day defeat was a kick in the teeth.

After the game, which Villa won 3-1 at Anfield, Liverpool have sunk into deep depression having already lost as many games as they did in the whole of last season, whereas Villa are back feeling confident and hopeful.

Despite the wide difference between the presumed feelings of the two managers, neither Rafael Benitez nor Martin O’Neill seemed to be happy.

Obvious

The reasons for Benitez’s unhappiness were pretty obvious to anyone who has watched his side play so far this season.

After the game he talked about missed chances and referees adding on too much injury-time. He talked about his side being careless in possession and lacking precision.

The fact is that Liverpool have not played well in at least two of their three games. The fact also is that they have really missed Xabi Alonso. Care in possession and precision are two things that describe the Spaniard pretty well. Benitez will never admit it but the sale of Alonso may yet cost him his best ever chance of winning the Premier League.

Moaner

Also on the pitch he has a problem with his two superstars. Steve Gerrard is not at his best and is probably as guilty of carelessness in possession as anyone else in the team and Fernando Torres seems to want to take on the mantle left by Cristiano Ronaldo as the biggest moaner and tumbler in the league.

So whilst it is ridiculous to judge any side on just three games, it is totally understandable why Rafa Benitez was so unhappy.

It is not immediately obvious why Martin O’Neill would be so downbeat after a storming win such as this. He certainly wasn’t angry with his players, saying,

“We have won at Anfield and the players were simply brilliant.”

His anger was directed at his own teams fans and sections of the media. He said that talk in the press prophesising a difficult season for him and his team after just two games was “staggering.”

He was most angry about the fact that sections of the Villa fans had booed and jeered his team from the field in their opening day defeat at home to Wigan.

“I said at the time if you are booed off at the end of the game when you have not played well and you deserve that then fine, but I was disconcerted by it at half-time against Wigan. I didn’t hear Liverpool being booed off at half-time when they were two goals down here.”

For Benitez this may well be the last season he is given to try to win the title. In many ways, both he and the Liverpool fans have a right to be less than pleased with the start they have made and to voice their displeasure if it carries on.

Divine right

Aston Villa have no divine right to be anywhere near the top four and in Martin O’Neill they have a manager who has performed miracles and would be welcomed with open arms by almost any club in the country. If the Villa fans know what is good for them, they would do well not to annoy their manager any more.