Is It Time for Liverpool to Consider Saying Adios to Rafa Benitez?

Rafael Benitez left Valencia for Liverpool in 2004 after the Spanish club failed to get him the players he wanted. At the time he stated, “I asked for a table and they brought me a lampshade.” Since arriving in Liverpool, Benitez has surrounded himself with lampshades, and in the absence of his star players it seems to have finally caught up with him.

Liverpool was beaten 2-1 by Olympique Lyonnais to leave their chances of qualifying from their Champions League group hanging by a thread. Liverpool has also struggled domestically, and the defeat to Lyon was their fourth consecutive loss in all competitions.

The 2005 Champions League winners were without Fernando Torres, and Steven Gerrard limped off early on leaving Liverpool without their dynamic duo. The absence of their two best players highlighted how, under the surface, Liverpool is a mediocre team.

When they needed a goal in the final five minutes, their five attacking players were Fabio Aurelio, Dirk Kuyt, David Ngog, Andriy Voronin, and Lucas. There is not what Benitez would call a "table" amongst them, and therein lies the root of Liverpool’s problems.

The squad isn’t good enough to win major trophies, and while Benitez can blame factors such as lack of funds, he must also take some of the flack. Benitez has a penchant for the distinctly average. He has overseen many comings and goings and Anfield has resembled a revolving door with continuity crucially lacking.

He’s also admitted that Glen Johnson was overpriced, he spent big money on Alberto Aquilani despite the former Roma player still recovering for a long-term injury, and he allowed Robbie Keane and Peter Crouch to leave—meaning below-par strikers were backing up the injury-prone Fernando Torres.

But most importantly of all, he chased Gareth Barry relentlessly when he had the best midfield tandem in the league in Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano. Barry never came, and Alonso pursued a move to Real Madrid.

Alonso’s departure has been the biggest blow to Liverpool this term. His importance could not be understated as he served as the link between defence and attack. His array of passing was marvellous and he was a creative force who could also defend. Without him, Liverpool looks like a different team and Benitez must take some responsibility for unnecessarily forcing Alonso back to his native land.

Of course, it would be unfair to point the finger solely in Benitez’s direction. Behind the scenes, Liverpool is in disarray and that isn’t helping matters on the pitch. The co-owners George Gillette and Tom Hicks have had a turbulent affair not just with each other but also with Benitez and it seems very unlikely that the outcome will be a fairytale ending.

Benitez has led his team to two Champions League finals, and therefore instantly commands more respect than Gillette and Hicks afford him. Hicks and Gillette seem to do most of their business behind Benitez’s back, and after they tried to hire Jurgen Klinsmann, it’s amazing Benitez still wants to work for these people.

Although he's had to work under these difficult circumstances, he has still had plenty of time to build a title winning team.

With Manchester City and Tottenham now providing a legitimate threat to the Big Four’s cosy party, Liverpool may have some work to do domestically to ensure they qualify for next season’s Champions League. It seems ironic that only months after their best Premier League finish under Benitez, pundits are calling for his head, but there have to be questions over how far he can take this team.

The Premier League title is the Holy Grail for Liverpool, and because it has eluded Benitez thus far, the pressure has begun to mount. Current champions Manchester United are up next, followed by Arsenal, Fulham away and then Lyon again. These games will surely define Liverpool’s season, and if Benitez can’t turn it around it will certainly be "adios" to their title aspirations, and quite possibly adios to Benitez too.