Crisis at Liverpool For Rafael Benitez: One Month To Save His Job?

(Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Following their loss at Anfield to Lyon in the Champions League, most Liverpool fans meandered away scratching their heads wondering where it has all gone wrong. A fourth defeat in four games leaves the club on their worst run for years, and manager Rafael Benitez's job in severe doubt.

So far this season we have seen a Liverpool team who have really struggled to overcome good opposition. Beaten by Spurs, Aston Villa, Chelsea, and Sunderland in the league, Liverpool entertain Manchester United this coming weekend.

The freakish nature of their defeat to Sunderland thanks to a deflection from a beach ball only served to highlight the manner of the shock performance against the Black Cats where they were played off the pitch completely.

Worrying Trend Developing at Liverpool, Inability to Beat Good Teams

And following their defeat to Lyon in the group stages of European football's elite trophy they now stare down the barrel of a gun and could go out of the competition at such an early stage.

The added distraction that the Liverpool faithful are beginning to show their displeasure by booing their manager after his decision to take Yossi Benayoun, their best player against Lyon, off with six minutes to go at 1-1 to rest him for Saturday, show that the cracks have finally begun to show between the manager and the supporters.

As far as the Champions League is concerned, the Anfield giants must win in Lyon on November 4th. If they fail to come away with all three points the remaining fixtures will be carved up between Fiorentina and Lyon and they will exit the competition.

On the pitch the team look a shambles of the side who pushed Manchester United to the limit last season.

And that is with only one real change to the starting team following Xabi Alonso's transfer to Real Madrid for £30 million.

On paper it is only one change, Alonso for Lucas.

But in reality the change has had a catastrophic effect on Liverpool as an attacking entity.

When Alonso was in the side, he acted as a link between defence and attack, starting many attacks with his pinpoint passing. His style brought out the best in Javier Mascherano, who was happy to sit in midfield closing down spaces the opposition would dare wander into.

As a forward going player, the Argentinian offers no ambition whatsoever, so when Alonso moved on to pastures new, and was replaced by young Brazilian Lucas the dynamic of the team changed completely as Lucas is closer in style to Mascherano than Alonso.

This simple change meant that Liverpool's most potent attacking player, Steven Gerrard, was forced to come deeper, effectively neutralising him against good opposition who happily shepherded him into less dangerous positions.

Of course, Benitez is the architect of his midfield's demise in more ways than one.

For a start, it was he who forced Alonso out of the team after he made it known he was chasing Manchester City's Gareth Barry as the Spaniard's replacement. When the deal with Barry's old team, Aston Villa, collapsed he was forced to make do with Alonso for at least one more season.

Alonso Transfer Piles Pressure on Benitez to Produce or Else...

And when Alonso went looking for a transfer from the club last summer, Steven Gerrard approached his manager to try and talk him out of letting Alonso leave, to no avail. Because Benitez had his replacement already lined up.

This is where the first and second major mistakes entwine as new signing Alberto Aquilani was injured and unavailable for the first three months of the season.

Elsewhere, other problems have come into focus, namely Liverpool's now shaky defense and complete lack of squad depth.

As far as the defense concerned, Liverpool have made two big changes in the fullback positions, where both Glen Johnson and Emiliano Insua have come in. Both are effectively better players than any of Liverpool's fullbacks last year, but they are significantly different in one important area.

They are both attacking fullbacks, whereas last year they were defenders first.

With both players bombing on, spaces have been left behind and Liverpool's slow centre halves have been caught out and isolated by teams with good strikers.

Jamie Carragher's form has seen many column inches donated in the debate over whether he is finished at this level or not. But in all reality he is the same player as last year except this time around he is being exposed by the gaps his full backs are leaving on the side but also the gaps that Lucas is not covering through the centre.

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