Has Riera hastened Rafa’s departure?

Being a football manager is not easy that’s for sure. Even at the lowly level I manage at Wilton Town, it is really difficult to keep a squad of eighteen players happy. If they are not playing, they are moaning and it is usually about the manager!

So it is against that fact that one must consider the words of Liverpool’s Albert Riera. Speaking to Spanish Radio Marca, he said,

“I would like to spend my whole career at Liverpool, but we players live to play. My aim is to go to the World Cup and for this I have to be playing. When the coach says nothing to you and you are well, with no physical problems and training well, you cannot help but think it must be something personal. If I’m doing something badly and you are my boss, and you value me, then you are going to come and tell me what I have to do to play again. This is what hurts me. You see that the team are not doing well and there are no changes. It’s a little frustrating because you see that you can help. I’ve been here two years and I know how Benitez is. He has never sorted out a situation with a player by talking with him. He thinks he’s in charge and everything else falls on deaf ears. His dialogue with the players is practically nil.”

That could easily be the ramblings of a player who just doesn’t cut the mustard and is not getting a game. However, back in August 2008 Rafa Benitez thought it was worth paying Espanyol £8 million to secure his services.

Despite that, he played just twenty-eight Premier League games last season and only twelve games so far this season. His only two appearances since January have been in European matches.

A trawl through Liverpool fans forums shows that Riera has much support,

“I like Riera and reckon he offers some flair and ability to take defenders on the outside when playing on the left. He does goes missing in games but it would be a shame to lose him as the lad does have talent and offers something different.”

“It’s widely known that Rafa does not communicate with players already. It was even in Carra’s book. It’s actually refreshing to see that a player agrees with what everyone in the world but Rafa can see: “You see that the team are not doing well and there are no changes.”

“Bad timing with two important games coming up, but yes it only reinforces what we know about Rafa’s man management skills, or lack of.”

“Yet another example of the disgraceful contempt Benitez shows everybody but himself, sooner we get rid the better, glad Riera’s spoken out”

Whilst there are some posts in support of Rafa Benitez, a majority are along the same lines as above.

It seems clear that the ‘In Rafa We Trust’ group is getting smaller and smaller. When players speak out, it means there is a problem. I remember Steve Gerrard saying that he hoped to one day get a ‘well done’ from Benitez. As one of the posters above mentioned, Jamie Carragher has also spoken about a lack of man management. It is not only those who aren’t getting picked.

Knocked out

Having been knocked out of the Champions League, the FA Cup and the Carling Cup, the Premier League was all that was left. Benitez has guaranteed a fourth placed finish but Tottenham, Manchester City and Aston Villa are threatening to stop that happening. That left the Europa League and as I wrote this before their second leg against Lille, they may or may not still be in that.

All in all it has been a poor season for Liverpool. If Benitez is beginning to lose the belief of the players then it is time for him to go. If he doesn’t make that decision it could be a slow and painful departure. Whilst that is happening, nothing good can happen to Liverpool.