Creating Rafa Benitez's Best and Worst Ever Liverpool XI: Throw Your Thoughts

Millions of articles have been written, published and dumped on Roy Hodgson, his defensive approach to the game and, finally, his replacements. Let's not waste a word on him right now and divert our thoughts to someone else, Rafa Benitez.

Initially, the idea was to create the worst ever Liverpool XI with the players under Rafa's six years management. Keeping that in mind I also thought of putting up his best Liverpool XI.

Rafa Benitez's Best ever Liverpool XI

I am using 4-2-3-1 formation, you can use alternative formations if you want.

--------------------------------------Reina---------------------------------

Arbeloa------------Carragher---------------Hyypia--------------Riise

---------------------Mascherano--------------Alonso--------------------

Kuyt-------------------------------Gerrard-------------------------Kewell

--------------------------------------Torres-----------------------------------

Subs: Agger, Dudek, Aurelio, Fowler, Crouch, Babel, Johnson.

I preferred Arbeloa simply for his better defensive duties compared to Johnson. Carragher and Hyypia made the most balanced central defence. If fit for a longer periods of time, I would have picked Aurelio over Riise.

Bennayoun missed it by a margin or I may be biased there. I always liked Kewell's lay better than that of Bennayoun's.

Other than that there are no brainer in the rest.

Rafa Benitez's worst ever Liverpool XI

This time with 4-4-2 formation,

-------------------------------------------Itandje--------------------------------------

Josemi----------------Pellegrino----------------Paletta----------Dossena

Nunez-----------------Plessis--------------Sissoko/Leto---------Gonzalez

--------------------------Morientes-----------Voronin-----------------------------

Subs: Lucas, Reira, Maxi, Pennant, Keane, El Zhar, Degen.

I would put Itandje in the category of worst ever player to walk into Liverpool. Josemi, Dossena, Plessis, Nunez are the few unfortunate players who did, or could have done, nothing but to sit on the roster.

It was difficult to select Sissoko but then again you can never judge a player from a handful of OK performance. Also Traore needs a mention here, he missed it by a margin.

How unfortunate a co-incidence is Torres and Morientes sharing the same first name and yet sitting on the total opposite ends of each other in terms of the rest.

I may be a bit harsh for selecting Keane and Reira on this bench but otherwise bench would not have filled, and the team could not have played a match!!

It would be interesting to see if this team could cope against teams in Championship, let alone the Premier League.

What are your thoughts? Do you agree/disagree with my choices?

Please enter your best/worst Liverpool XI in the comments below.