Rafa Benitez and Liverpool: Why This Was a Great Season

There are a still a small pocket of Liverpool supporters who are unhappy with how this season has panned out, and they seem intent on pushing the idea that Rafa Benitez should be sacked immediately.

Thankfully, there is still a large quantity of followers who understand the meaning of support and, more importantly, the bigger picture that is unfolding at the club. It is all about progression and it is clear to a great many loyal fans that this group of players—and the backroom staff that help shape them—are moving in the right direction.

Thanks must, of course, go to everyone at the football club for an exciting and high-filled season that has brought a great many positives for both players and fans alike.

I'm sure we are aching to get next season underway and continue progressing down the road that will eventually lead us back to the top of the table. But whilst we await the new campaign, we can spend our summer looking back at the reasons why 2008-09 was a lot more successful than a few would have you believe.

Some supporters will still claim that the team came away without a single trophy, therefore the season was a failure. But as the rest of us understand, the bigger picture of progression clearly shows that winning trophies is just around the corner, belief and pride have finally been restored, and this season will always be remembered throughout the club's history.

Points totals and Records

With a final tally of 86 points, Liverpool have recorded the highest ever finish in their Premier League history. This is also the highest number of points in the top-flight since the title-winning side of 1987-88. The club's previous record for the Premier League was in the 2005-06 season when they finished third with 82 points—the highest ever total by a third-place team in the league.

This season's points total is seven more points than the 79 we achieved in the 1989-90 season, which is when we last won the league title. From the start of February onward, Liverpool recorded 38 points from the 45 on offer, as they finished their last 15 league games of the season with 12 wins, two draws, and just one loss.

Liverpool completed the season with a 2.26 points per game average which is the second-best ever average in thier 94 seasons in the top-flight. The best points per game average is 2.33 and it came in the 1978-79 campaign when the league played 42 games per season.

Liverpool were crowned "Top-Four" mini-league winners with a total of 14 points against Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United. The club had finished bottom of the mini-league in every season since Rafa's arrival and the 14 points amassed during this campaign was the total for all three of the previous seasons put together.

Goals Scored and Conceded

Despite the belief by many that Liverpool lack the depth in goalscorers with only Fernando Torres being considered the recognised striker worth mentioning for most, Liverpool finished ahead of Manchester United and Chelsea to end the season as the league's top scorers managing to put away 77 goals in 38 games. Our best since 1990-91 when we also finished second in the league with 77 goals.

Liverpool had an impressive 16 players registering on the scoresheet during this campaign, which is just one short of the club record of 17 set in the 1911-12 season: Gerrard-24, Torres-17, Kuyt-15, Benayoun-9, Keane-7, Alonso-5, Reira-5, Babel-4, Aurelio-3, Lucas-3, Ngog-3, Agger-2, Dossenna-2, Hypia-2, Arbeloa-1, Plessis-1.

Despite missing some parts of the season through injury, Steven Gerrard finished as the best goal-scoring Englishman in the league with 16 and also finished the campaign with the best goals tally of his career, previously standing at 23 in the 2005-06 season.

The team scored three goals in five straight games for the first time since 1987. The impressive goalscoring run came in the form of a 4-0 win over Blackburn, the 4-4 home draw with Arsenal, a 3-1 win against Hull City, and 3-0 victories over both Newcastle United and West Ham.

This run of league games also contributed to a first for the club, with a six-game streak in which we scored at least three goals. This is the only time this has happened in the club's history with a 4-4 Champions League draw along with the five games in the league.

Liverpool end the season being able to boast the highest goals-per-game average of any team in all four English divisions with 1.93. They will continue to hold this record unless Manchester United score nine in the Champions League Final or Chelsea score six in the F.A. Cup Final.

The team's attacking and defending heroics led to a very impressive goal-difference of +50. Ths is not only the best in the league this season, but also the best total for the club in 21 years, with the previous highest coming in the 1987-88 season when we amassed a total of +63.

Wins and Losses Records

The team managed to go the entire league campaign without defeat at Anfield. This was only the 10th time this has happened in the club's history, with the last time this happened coming during the title winning 1987-88 season.

Going unbeaten at Anfield all season means we extend our unbeaten run of games at home to an impressive 30 matches. This is the best run for 28 years and equals our fourth-best run in the club's history.

After 13 victories on the road, Liverpool have equalled the club record for away-game wins originally set in the 1904-05 season. Those 13 away wins have meant Liverpool have recorded their highest ever points total for away victories, as they notched up 43 points on the road. This was second only to Chelsea in the league who managed 44 points away from Stamford Bridge.

With the only two losses in the league coming against Spurs and Middlesbrough, it meant Liverpool managed their best league-losses record since the 1987-88 campaign. That was the season the club drew 12 games but still won the league nine points ahead of Manchester United in second place.

Liverpool became the first team in history to finish the season with two losses and failing to win the league title. Chelsea in 2006-07 and 2007-08 with Nottingham Forest in 1978-79 all finishing as runners-up having lost three times. Liverpool have lost only six league games over the last two seasons compared to Chelsea (8), Manchester United (9), and Arsenal (9).

Noteable Benchmarks

Liverpool ended Chelsea's incredible record-holding 86-game unbeaten run at home in all competitions, with a Xabi Alonso goal in the 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge. With the 2-0 win at Anfield, the club also managed their first league-double over Chelsea for 19 years.

A Yossi Benayoun goal in the 1-0 victory over Real Madrid meant Liverpool became only the second English team to win at The Bernabeu. The return leg at Anfield saw Liverpool register Madrid's biggest ever Champions League defeat with an impressive 4-0 triumph. This was also the Spanish club's heaviest two-legged loss in the competition in 20 years.

This season's 4-1 victory over Manchester United was the club's biggest ever win at Old Trafford in an amazing 72 years. It was also the very first time four separate Liverpool players scored in the same game against the current Premier League holders.

Rafael Benitez moved ahead of Bill Shankly's 65 European games in charge benchmark and also broke Bob Paisley's 40 European games won record. Rafa also recorded his 100th victory as a Liverpool manager in just 181 games. This moves Rafa past Bill Shankly into third place and behind only Bob Paisley and Kenny Dalglish in the clubs history.

(all information taken from the offical Liverpool website LFC.TV)

Congratulations goes to David Gore, as he scoops the very first Anonymous Article Competition trophy with his winning piece on The January Transfer Window debate. Click Here to read his work as well as the article from second placed Maire Ofiere.