season review

On the back of Liverpool’s second Champions League final in three years, the club wasted little time in improving the current squad. With the arrivals of Fernando Torres, Yossi Benayoun, Lucas Leiva and Ryan Babel, along with plans for a new stadium, the season ahead was showing real promise but did it deliver what was promised? We were promised this new stadium but a brick has still to be laid. We were promised that the Premiership would take priority but on more than one occasion this year it seemed as if the league was taking a back seat. Although records were broken individually the entire club failed to deliver enough for some fans. The owners made the back pages more than the players. Something that isn’t commonly known with Liverpool Football Club.

The season did start on a positive note though with an away win to Aston Villa who had been tipped to do well after their summer spending. A slightly controversial free kick was awarded to Liverpool, which Steven Gerrard hit home to give us our first three points of the season. An own goal by Martin Laursen was levelled by a Gareth Barry penalty before Gerrard’s goal. After winning in France against Toulouse in a Champions League qualifier the first real test of the season came for Liverpool. A home match with Chelsea. It was during this game that Liverpool’s new hero was born. Fernando Torres picked the ball up and glided past Tal Ben-Haim before sliding the ball past the oncoming keeper. Torres’ goal was overshadowed by the worst decision of the season when referee Rob Styles gave the visitors a penalty for nothing. It ended in a 1-1 draw but didn’t halt Liverpool’s start to the new season. They continued their good form into their next three games with wins over Sunderland, Toulouse and Derby. We also kept three clean sheets during these games and cemented Champions League football for the season with the win over the French side.

After going top of the league with the win over Derby, an international break slowed the momentum Liverpool had gathered. On the return of club football Liverpool visited Portsmouth at Fratton Park with their two superstars, Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres nursing injuries on the bench. Some fans began thinking this was the game that turned their season. A goalless draw was the result and the performance was as exciting as the result. Liverpool’s assault on another Champions League final began the following game with Gerrard and Torres both starting the game. A point away at Porto seemed a good result at the time but again fans were disappointed with the performance that the Reds put out. A third draw in a row, this time at home to Birmingham didn’t help fans regain belief, especially when they saw 23 million pound forward Fernando Torres sat on the bench again.

The start of the League Cup however lifted spirits around the club. The League Cup has always been an important competition to the club and it looked like Rafa Benitez realised this as he fielded a strong side away to Reading in the third round. A hat trick from the new number 9 hero secured a 4-2 victory of the Royals. It didn’t help performances in the league, but it looked like results were beginning to pick up again, starting with a scrappy 1-0 win over Wigan at the JJB Stadium. Europe then hit again and it was another shock to the Anfield crowd as they saw the Reds go down 1-0 to Marseille, which was followed by another home draw in the league. Fernando Torres’ last minute header ensuring the Reds remained unbeaten as they drew 2-2 with Tottenham.

The pressure was mounting on Rafa Benitez and he had to change things, but with the Merseyside derby approaching quickly he didn’t have much time. Fortunately he was helped out by referee Mark Clattenburg who turned down two clear penalty shouts for Everton as well as allowing Dirk Kuyt to stay on the pitch after a double-footed challenge on Toffee’s captain Phil Neville. The biggest shock decision was, as usual, made by Benitez himself. He took off his captain Steven Gerrard and replaced him with Brazilian midfielder Lucas Leiva. The decision paid off though as it was Lucas who won the second penalty for Liverpool, which helped them to a 2-1 win over their city rivals.

Even with the victory over Everton firm in the memories of fans and players it didn’t help them against Beskitas in the Champions League. Another defeat left the reds with just one point from their opening three group games and forced Rafa Benitez’ hand in the upcoming three. Liverpool had to win them. But with games coming thick and fast, the lads didn’t have time to whinge over their Champions League form and had to get ready for a home game with Arsenal. This game also saw the return of Torres but he only completed the first half and was brought off for injury again. Arsenal dominated for much of the match yet the home side remained unbeaten in the league with yet another draw. The Carling Cup again came to Liverpool’s rescue and they progressed even further with a win over Championship outfit and FA Cup finalists Cardiff City. Moroccan Nabil El Zhar also made a name for himself in this game, getting on the score sheet in a 2-1 win.

November started with another league draw to Blackburn but then Liverpool kicked into life. Breaking the highest result in Champions League history with an 8-0 win over Beskitas and giving themselves a slight chance of qualification with three goals from Benayoun and a brace from both Crouch and Babel with skipper Steven Gerrard getting his name on the sheet as well. This was swiftly followed by two more clean sheets and two more victories over Fulham and Newcastle. The month ended with another Champions League game that the reds had to win. They demolished Porto without too many problems 4-1.

December looked like it was going to be a similar month to November after beating Bolton 3-0. However it was this month that was to be the catalyst to much hatred towards the American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett. They had made their priorities very clear and very public. They had told Rafa Benitez that progression in the Champions League was a must and if he failed then he would be sacked and Jurgen Klinsmann, who’d already been spoken to by the owners, would be his replacement. This forced Benitez to concede the league game to Reading. The Reds were trailing 2-1 at the Madjeski when Torres was brought off and not long after the home side had gone 3-1 up Steven Gerrard was brought off. Jamie Carragher also ended the game on the bench. Many fans saw this as Benitez giving up on the league but he had no choice if he wished to keep his job.

It was this pressure that had suddenly been put on Benitez’ head which inspired 4,000 fans to make a stand by marching in his favour ahead of the very critical Champions League game with Marseille. Benitez picked as strong a side as he could and the lads made sure Rafa Benitez wouldn’t be sacked with a 4-0 win. They’d also made sure that they would be in the hat for the knock out stages.

Problems still surrounded the club and defeat to Man United at Anfield didn’t help Benitez’ position with his biggest critics within the Anfield crowd. A second defeat on the spin this time to Chelsea in the Carling Cup again put pressure on the manager. Fans began to think that Benitez had sacrificed two domestic competitions for one European competition. It wasn’t the case as we dominated United for large periods and looked likely to score against Chelsea before Crouch’s red card.

The Christmas period did bring some joy to the club though with a emphatic win over Portsmouth but the joy was short lived as the Reds struggled to overcome bottom of the table Derby and it was only through a last minute winner by Gerrard which gave us the three points. 2007 ended with another goalless draw in a match we could have very easily won against Man City.

2008 started in very much the same fashion. Another draw with Wigan and another two points dropped at home. All domestic hope rested on the FA Cup now but after a 1-1 draw with Luton the pressure began to show even more. Along with these draws the permanent signing of Javier Mascherano was dragging on. Very much the same pattern as Liverpool went to the Riverside Stadium to play Middlesborough. A 1-1 draw and still no closer to getting Mascherano for good.

Results changed in the FA Cup curtsey of a Steven Gerrard hat trick as he led the Reds to the fourth round after beating Luton 5-0 at Anfield. The league didn’t benefit though and another draw at Anfield followed. A last minute equaliser from Peter Crouch made sure of a point for Liverpool against Aston Villa. It was time for the FA Cup again and the Reds defence, which included new Slovakian centre half Martin Skrtel for the first time, conceded another two goals but this time it was embarrassingly to a non-league side in Havant and Waterlooville. Pressure mounted again on Benitez’ shoulders and defeat to West Ham at Upton Park didn’t help.

February showed signs of improvement with a win over Sunderland and a good draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge but again the FA Cup caused a shock for Liverpool. This time they had pushed their luck too far and after plenty of missed chances they went out to Barnsley in one of the biggest shocks in FA Cup history.

Any hopes of silverware firmly rested on the Champions League now but with the American owners falling out quickly before the first leg with Italian giants Inter Milan, all wasn’t well behind the scenes at Anfield. But just like they’ve done so many times they came through adversity with flying colours. A 2-0 win over the Serie A leaders wasn’t the only good thing to come out of this game. The new system of 4-2-3-1 was born with Mascherano and Lucas sitting in front of the back four with Kuyt (right) Gerrard (middle) and Babel (left) playing as an attacking three behind Torres.

The system was kept with pretty much the same players, which pleased many fans. They had blamed rotation for many of their mistakes this year but as the new system came into the way the club played so did three points. Middlesborough, Bolton, West Ham and Newcastle all fell victim to the 4-2-3-1 style of play and rekindled a slight chance of a league challenge after all. Those who felt the league may still be a chance had to wait as Europe was back on the agenda and another game where the reds were being called underdogs. It didn’t faze the lads though, as they comfortably beat Inter in the San Siro 1-0.

A fifth straight Premiership win, this time against Reading, kept dreams of number 19 alive but a hammering to Man United at Old Trafford put a stop on any hope. The match with our North West rivals was plagued with bad decisions by referee Steve Bennett who saw fit to send the permanently signed Javier Mascherano off for asking why Fernando Torres had been booked.

The following game was the return game with Everton in the Merseyside derby. It went to Liverpool again and the legend in the making Fernando Torres netted yet again. This then set up the triple-header with Arsenal but again ahead of a Champions League game troubles at the top came into the public eye. Gillett had been told he couldn’t sell his 50% share in the club to DIC by Tom Hicks. Fans again were outraged and wanted to see the back of both Americans. But the players and manager did the best they could and got a very respectable 1-1 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates. With the Premiership gone for another year, Benitez put all his efforts into the Champions League as any club would and his selection for the Arsenal game in the Premiership reflected this. Giving many of his squad players a game and also handing a debut to Damien Plessis, a holding midfielder who had flourished in the reserves. It was another draw for Liverpool, which didn’t help a full strength Arsenal side in their bid to challenge for the league. Back to Europe for the second leg of their quarterfinal but Benitez had a trick up his sleeve. He decided to ditch the 4-2-3-1 system and revert back to 4-4-2 with Peter Crouch partnering Torres up top and Steven Gerrard playing wide left. It looked like the plan had backfired when the reds put themselves under unneeded pressure by conceding early but it seemed to spur them on. Goals from Hyypia and Torres put the home side back in the driving seat but hearts were broken with ten minutes to go when Arsenal levelled again. Liverpool weren’t done by any stretch of the imagination though and of course went through thanks to a penalty by Steven Gerrard and a goal from Ryan Babel to set up another semi final with Chelsea.

Premiership selections began to change frequently but wins over Blackburn and Fulham put the Reds in good form for the Anfield leg with Chelsea. Liverpool had done enough to go into the second leg with a lead because of Dirk Kuyt’s goal but a complete rush of blood to the head saw John Arne Riise head into his own goal with the last kick of the game and Liverpool were in serious trouble. Players and fans alike kept upbeat about the prospect of another Champions League final, however.

A draw with Birmingham with a patched up side was the final game before the second leg and it was also the game which confirmed Champions League football next year as we’d cemented fourth. The Chelsea game was end to end and despite goals from Torres and Babel the reds still went out. Many fans questioned Benitez’ decision to take Torres off in extra time but the official story later confirmed he had a hamstring problem.

The season fizzled out with victories over Man City and Spurs but with these games Fernando Torres broke the record for the most goals by a foreign lad in his first year, previously held by Ruud Van Nistelrooy. Also goalkeeper Jose Reina won the golden gloves for a third consecutive year with clean sheets in the final two games.

Overall the season was a disappointing one both on and off the pitch for the team but for certain individuals it was a blinding season. None more so than Fernando Torres who scored in excess of 30 goals in his debut season. But with poor showings on a domestic front and a European Cup which was full of good fortune a lot of fans were left unhappy with the season. Next year the fans would like to see a real challenge for the league and maybe two or three new world stars but those stars can only come if the main problem of the club is resolved and that problem is the owners. They need to sort it out at the top for the rest of the club to run smoothly and need to fund Rafa Benitez with the money so he can buy the right quality. 2008/09 will be a telling season for all involved with Liverpool Football Club.