Where Rafa Benitez Missed The Plot and What Liverpool Fc Need Now ?

Although most would blame Rafael Benitez's on-field tactics for the performance this season, it would be wrong to overlook the summer that preceeded it..from a few incidents that occured since..Liverpool fc was never to be the same again..

Rafa's men have quite deservedly been subject to a lot of criticism for some very lack lusture performances, the problem for this entire season has been that those type of performances have been on display far too often for a team desiring to finish within the Top Four of the league.

To view the bigger picture lets view the problems from the start of the season..
After the fabulous finish one of Rafa's best players of the season Alonso wanted a move to Madrid and so he had to let him go.This clearly left Liverpool fc weaker, now add to that Rafa's first choice replacement for Alonso in the form of Gareth Barry made the money-motivated move to Man City..
After that Rafa did something which could be called his "blunder of the season"..he pumped that money from Alonso sale to buy a talented but injured and out of match practice ..Alberto Aquilani..Well, Whoever supports Rafa also knows that that move was really a gamble too big..Even if Aquilani was fit on time, he would still have been short of match practice and would have spent time on the bench like he does now..

Moreover Liverpool's financial health was not unknown to Rafa and he knew that Aquilani was probably going to be the only Big Signing of the season..So Why go for an Injured player.. ??? Baffling...

And this forced another mistake..

Nobody to replace Alonso so...there went LUCAS.. A defensive mid-fielder ..that too very inexperienced, How he could do an Alonso..Well only Rafa can explain...Yes admittedly there was cash constraint..but then Why Injured Aquilani in the first place??
The world was certainly not bereft of talent was it..? RAFA may have bought a lot of brilliant talents to the youth squads and reserves lately, but this choice could certainly have been bettered..

However the season started then on..and Liverpool fc rammed into a Wall..that was an effect of a plethora of causes though ranging from injury to bad luck to mindless performances  by most of the players..

Till before Christmas..liverpool looked out of contention for Europe also if those displays went on..Then Rafa's plans came good...

Two months of shrewd defensive football brought Liverpool's chances of Top four back to life..(has to be said some luck also went the REDs way..)..but then again almost no funds in the Winter window did little to aid the Reds cause...and RAFA's water-tight defensive ploys meant that Liverpool fc's motto had changed radically from ..

"Attack is the best way to win" to "Defence is the only way to stand a chance"...Clearly clean-sheets look good, but Liverpool's prowess was always in scoring goals and surging forward ..Well that took a major setback without Torres,as Ngog looked extremely immature for the job on most occassions..so RAFA couldn't be blamed for his tactics hereby..

However,with the end of February, tragedy struck again and now with the full team at his disposal (at least as far as attacking options were considered)..RAFA still could not foster an attacking eleven on the pitch, the players looked out of focus and wayward for most of the time..clearly no confidence, but why ? when the season seemed just turning their way..why such a dismal performance..??? Inexplicable..!! Here Rafa and the players share the blame..

Now the Big question that lies ahead is what next..? What can Liverpool fc do now..? What do they need most..? Undoubtedly, 3 points every mmatch they play, but what the way it is poised now just 3 points by a scramble , as against the rovers will not give anybody confidence..Whatever the Gaffer says or the players pretend..

The Reds have to beat teams convincingly at least the likes of portsmouth and other teams..Barring the Chelsea and Old trafford trip, where anything more than a draw will be a bonus the Reds need to go out attacking and break down defenses or at least try that process..Now with all the main attackers back and if hopefully they stay fit till the end of the season, Rafa needs to concentrate on attacking oppositions and try some attractive football. Surely, this overtly defensive techniques need to be trashed and are a sore both to the eye and to Liverpool's hopes of finishing in the Top four..

At least the attractive attacking football gives RAFA a better edge and weaker teams should find it a handful to deal with..Whereas defensive football has no sting and lets oppositions dominate the game at times..(as even blackburn did, and almost snatched a couple of points...)

 Even if Liverpool don't finish fourth (as it is now out of their control)..They stand a competitive chance to obtain more results in their favour going attack-minded..