Liverpool Apparently Still Led By Rafa Benitez

At an away Europa match in Turkey that should have been challenging without the star duo Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, Roy Hodgson decided it was best to deal with such a challenge with a midfield of defenders.

With the pitch disfigured, the weather humid and rainy, Liverpool's new gaffer decided to hold onto the 1-0 aggregate lead, rather than expand.

Defense, before offense. Rigid formations, before creativity. Rafa Benitez, not Roy Hodgson.

Indeed, one has to wonder whether Rafa Benitez has left the sidelines at all.

The midfield consisted of the ever-so-slow Lucas Leiva and newcomer but old Poulsen in the center.

Two defensive midfielders lack creativity.

Benitez, I mean Hodgson, also had the audacity to play Fabio Aurelio, a wingback by nature, as the left midfielder, and placed Dirk Kuyt on the right wing.

And David N'gog as the lone hitman?

Is Hodgson out of his mind?

Anyone with half a brain would have realized that with this midfield you can barely score against a pre-school football team.

The first half epitomized Benitez's, I mean Hodgson's tactics. Within six minutes, the ultra-defensive tactics allowed easy penetration for Gutierrez to snipe a low cross.

The second half showed vast improvement, with key substitutions in Dani Pacheco (for Fabio Aurelio) and Ryan Babel (for David Ngog). Not surprisingly, Liverpool scored twice after the attacking duo came on.

The tentativeness of Hodgson to play these crafty attacking midfielders, the pathetic defensive, out-of-position players he fielded on the pitch, the unwillingness to adjust during a game—all that can be said of former skipper Rafa Benitez.

Perhaps the phrase IRWT  ("In Rafa We Trust") can be adjusted for this like-minded manager.