Four Years On and Rafa Looks To Be Near Completion Of His Rebuilding Programme
On August 14th 2004, Rafael Benitez took charge of his first Premier League game for Liverpool against a Tottenham team starting out under their own newly acquired manager - Jaques Santini.
With Santini only lasting 13 games in English football, Rafael Benitez has reached an impressive 255 games for Liverpool and has taken the club to some incredible moments and milestones in their history.
This season has been the club's best ever start to a Premier League campaign and many outside of Liverpool have started to claim that this could finally be the season that rafa's team can maintain a decent challenge and possibly take the club to their first league title in 19 years.
Rafa's Hard Work
When Benitez took charge of the Spanish team Valencia in 2001 he was said to have inherited a very good squad that had seen losses in two Champions League finals in previous seasons, he only had to bring in a few new signings in order to make them La Liga champions twice and UEFA cup winners in his three years in charge.
Despite taking his newly aquired team to a Champions League victory in his first season in charge, it was clear to see the Liverpool squad was lacking in depth of quality and was nothing more than an over achieving UEFA cup team without the possibility of maintaining a consistent challenge for the Premier League title.
Four years on and Benitez has completely rebuilt the squad from his first season in charge with only three remaining members still playing for the club. The Red's trip to White Hart Lane this evening will see a Liverpool team that sits three points clear at the top of the table and being tipped to provide a decent title challenge against the favourites, Chelsea and Manchester United.
Liverpool Squad 2004:
Dudek, Josemi, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Finnan, Gerrard, Hamann, Kewell, Cisse, Baros Subs: Kirkland, Henchoz., Biscan, Sinama Pongolle, Warnock
Liverpool Squad 2008:
Reina, Arbeloa, Dossena, Agger, Carragher, Alonso, Mascherano, Riera, Kuyt, Gerrard, Keane. Subs: Cavalieri, Hyypia, Benayoun, Aurelio, Babel, Lucas, El Zhar.
The Squad Rebuilt
Many Liverpool supporters have been disappointed with previous seasons under the control of the Spaniard as they see United move within touching distance of their Top flight league title haul, but as Rafa nears completion of his rebuilding programme it is possibly starting to look like the long wait is finally paying off.
The Liverpool manager has been unable to spend like Chelsea, who managed to buy practically an entirely new title winning squad over the course of two years. Instead he has had to buy players to sell on for profit and gradually increase the quality of the first team as well as the subs bench and reserve team over the course of four years.
Many Believe that as Rafa nears completion of the squad he wants, 2008 could be the start of his campaign to make Liverpool a dominant force in English football once again.
