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Struggling Liverpool set for crisis talks ahead of Man United showdown
Chris Hatherall21.10.09
Javier Mascherano has admitted Liverpool are suffering from a severe lack of confidence after losing 2-1 to Lyon in the Champions League last night and expects crisis talks at the club ahead of Sunday's must-win game against Manchester United.
A last-minute goal from Lyon substitute Cesar Delgado added to the pressure on manager Rafa Benitez as his side slumped to their fourth defeat in a row, not least because Steven Gerrard limped off injured after 25 minutes with a recurrence of his groin injury.
There were even boos from the Kop when Benitez substituted Yossi Benayoun, who had opened the scoring before Maxime Gonalons equalised after the break.
Following defeats by Fiorentina, Sunderland and Chelsea, last night's result means Liverpool's hopes of qualifying for the knockout stage are in the balance.
Now midfielder Mascherano has admitted there are real and serious problems to contend with. He said: “We are not playing well, we know that.
It's hard for the team because we did well last year but in football when you have confidence you can do everything and now we don't. Now the team is not playing well and a lot of players are not in the best form. We are losing confidence.
“Rafa didn't say anything after the game, he didn't want to talk because everyone is disappointed. But I think tomorrow we will talk a lot. We need to talk and we need to see all the mistakes we have done and try not to repeat them against United.”
Mascherano was quick to jump to the defence of Benitez amid reports that some fans are calling for him to quit.
“Everyone is talking about the manager but the truth is we are the ones who play on the pitch and if we don't play well it's not his fault. We have to take responsibility. We need to work harder and try to win games. For our confidence the Manchester United match is now a massive game. Maybe if we can win it will be totally different on Monday. I think it is still possible to win the league. If we start to win and keep winning it's possible. But we cannot afford to drop more points. We have to start Sunday and don't stop.”
Gerrard, who will have tests on his groin injury today, looks almost certain to miss the match but there are growing hopes that Fernando Torres could return from a similar problem as well as Glen Johnson, who missed last night's game with a knock picked up in training.
Reader views (12)
"I will only talk about the next game", heard that one before? We have been subjected to this weekly from Rafa.
Why? WHATS ON YOUR MIND, WE NEED TO KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Colin Stevens, Farmington MI ,USA
Rafa? what a buffoon. These are facts, he said, reeling off page after page full of nonsense about Ferguson.
The real fact is, Rafa will be leaving Liverpool with his tail between his legs
- James, Manchester England
As good a team as Man Utd are, they have a very bad habit of giving life-lines to poorly playing clubs. I have a waking nightmare of Liverpool beating them simply because Man U forgot to bring their football heads with them. Teams with proud traditions, like Liverpool, need to go through bad times to gee themselves up periodically, to remind themselves that they are mere mortals in the end. I expect they'll pull out of their slump, one way or another - I just hope Man Utd don't let them start their come-back on Sunday!
- Rogan, Irving
Undeniably, the predominant reason LFC are in their present catastrophic mess can be fairly and squarely placed at the door of the unhinged, megalomaniacal Benitez. If he stays (who makes this sort of decision at Anfield now ?), the 2010/11 Europa League beckons (at best) and goodness knows what the cash-strapped, debt-ridden American owners would make of missing out on a European place of any description.
Staggering but, I for one, remain unsympathetic - they only have themselves to blame. How long can the Manager, the Captain (now alarmingly, if you're a supporter, becoming more and more injury prone) et al wallow, and dine out, on that freak (lucky) Champions League Final result from years ago ? As the Kopites like to keep reminding the rest of us - that's history.
The perplexing Spaniard is slowly, but surely, dismantling a once great Club piece by piece - it's what jumped-up dictators all eventually do - destroy. Why are the fans in denial ?
Compare, say, the quality of player (even without Drogba or Bosingwa) on the Chelsea bench tonight to that of Liverpool's last night and it might go some way of illustrating the problem. After all, at his own insistance, the Coach is now in charge of all transfers in and out. The argument that there's no money doesn't hold up - he sold the brilliant Alonso and vastly overpaid for a decent English fullback (though prone to regular bouts of a lack of concentration) and a long term injured Italian midfielder. Not good is it ?
- Charlie, Nr. Crackpot, North Yorkshire
Ferguson and Wenger have won the EPL. Ancelloti hasn't been there long enough to come into such reckoning but under Mourinho, Chelsea succeeded twice. Rafa has not and it is the Jewel in the Crown as far as Liverpool fans are concerned, even going beyond the Champions' League in status.
Eventually, when you don't win the title, you get the sack and for Rafa it is only a matter of time. I'd be surprised if he lasts until the end of the season.
- Maria Casabianca, London, England
Bring on the beach balls.
- Dom, london
Rafa to go by Xmas - Mancini, Rijkard or Mourinho to come in as replacement.
- Melly, Cartagena, Colombia
Spot on on every single point Barry.
Absolutely mid-table, with two world-class players who they simply cannot survive without whatsoever.
And a bunch of fans who cannot see through that.
- Stu, Beckton
Not only does Rafa face a stern test against United without Gerrard and Torres and the now sold on Alonso, they will also be battling against a barrage of beach balls curtisey of the United fans. Comical.
- Pj, London
I have been saying for the past 18 months that Rafa should go, only to be shot down by my male colleagues...."what do you know, being a woman"...funny how they are now all silent......
- Vikki, Bristol
Forget the hype about SG & FT. After all, they both played in the defeats to AV, Chelsea, Spurs and Fiorentina as well. No it's Benitez and his "shore up and hope to hit 'em on the break.." tactics. Teams have "sussed" him out now. He would have done better to have tried to keep the engine room of the team in Alonso instead of alienating him in attempting to buy Barry, a far inferior player. And what about the farce that was the Robbie Keane 6 month transfer. Time for the "arrogant" Rafa to go, Im afraid.
- Paul, Feltham
I don't see why people are so shocked at Liverpool's failure. They are a two man team with a poor manager who is devoid of any ideas - other than caution.
Forget the two cups they won - in both games they were played off the park and scraped through on penalties.
Last year they managed second in the league because both Chelsea and Arsenal contrived to shoot themselves through the foot.
Rather than looking at Liverpool as a force to be reckoned with - something based purely on their "history" - let's concentrate on watching them enter mid table mediocraty, or maybe even the relegation zone.
- Barry, Welwyn England
