RED's Birthday Gift : Rafa's eleven hammers Pompey.. Liverpool Switching Gears ?

 On the occassion of 118th Birthday,Liverpool fc dismantled Portsmouth at home by the same margin it devasted Manchester United, at Old Trafford, a year back.Although critics might claim that it was only a beleagured Portsmouth team,well,they haven't conceded as many lately and are presently in the FA cup semis for no half hearted performances.

However, admitting the fact that Liverpool fc are still far from the form they showed while ruling the roost at Old Trafford, after some really woeful performances, this was the occassion that Liverpool turned on the gas.

Especially after that loss to Wigan and away at Lille, Liverpool's abilities came under some serious scrutiny, and even before this match started many a fan would have been haunted by  the horrific defeat to the same side at Fratton Park, just before Christmas. To make matters worse, Liverpool also had to beat an evil statistics, which said that the REDs last won on Monday night way back in 2001,and that the last nine monday night matches (premier league matches), which followed that were night-marish to say the least.
Well, all that can now be laid to rest..

Now coming to the main point of the story,although Liverpool scored a goals galore at Anfield and all the stars hogged the limelight, the man behind all the drama in the centre deserves as much praise as anybody else..

Rafael Benitez took a brave decision to rest Kuyt and his otherwise favorite youngster Lucas Lieva on the bench, and started the game with the most formidable and attacking team available, in stark contrast to the one that started at Fratton Park, where even defensive Andrea Dossena was given a go, and Liverpool went down at times showing signs of even being outplayed by the team at the bottom.

The reason that I say that Rafa deserves a lot of praise is because, sometimes some plans work for a manager in this game and it takes a lot of guts to change it quick.Rafa showed that mettle.Rafa had started defensive line ups throughout the campaign and after the star pair of Torres and Gerrard were injured, back in January,these defensive displays were all Liverpool was left with.However, that tactic bore fruit and even if not convincingly enough at times, Liverpool made its way back in the race for Top four.

All that did not last long  though and a week of really dismal football against Wigan and Lille, was enough for Rafa to see where the flaws lay and he courageously corrected them.

With Lucas and Mascherano both defensive midfielders on the pitch from the start for most of this season, the attacking element that Liverpool were so associated with, went missing..Kuyt has been a powerhouse all his time at Liverpool but he needed to be rested at times and if he lacked something apparently it was creativity in mid-field.
With a buy that cost Liverpool fc 20m GBP, it was also bafflling how, Rafa kept a fit Aquilani under the wraps so long on the note that English Football was too physical for him to play him regularly and a number of other reasons. All these really meant that Rafa's man-management skills and eye for good buys would always be subject to severe scrutiny and sarcasm.

Barring Benayoun who was not a 100% match fit, it was really encouraging to see that all the attacking options were so aptly utilised by Rafa today with such assertiveness. Everybody who wanted to prove themselves were given a chance, right from Ryan Babel to Alberto Aquilani were given 90 minutes of playing  time and they grabbed it with both hands. By their displays Babel and Aquilani seriously proved their stake for more regular football.

The motivation and fortitude shown by the players on the pitch also said they were positively influenced by Rafa to go out and prove something for their Club. On a night which marks the beginning of many,where the Reds cannot afford any slip-ups the signs were heart-warming. The lost zeal is back among the players and they are beginning to show character and charisma. Rafa now has a very preferable problem for a manager, so as to choose from many options for the mid-field positions,this combination though  just seemed right..

In many ways, to draw too many conclusions from a single victory and that too against an ill-fated team like Portsmouth may not be correct,and at the moment its just a great Birthday present for the Fans from Rafa's eleven, but whatever was on display last night really fills the Reds fans with optimism after a long time, especially considering the run-in we have in the race for top four and the results of some of the other contenders for the spot..

May be if this trend of victories continue, which it should with such attractive football on display..we can really praise and congratulate Rafa, and the dismal last week will remain as an evidence to the well known notion..

"Whatever doesn't Kill you , simply makes you STRONGER.. "