[lfc-news] Mark Lawrenson column - Post

Liverpool Daily Post, 25 Jan 2005
Traore's aberration was not the only own goal
By Mark Lawrenson, Daily Post

DJIMI TRAORE will never forget his night in Burnley, but the biggest own
goal last week was a public relations one.

I can't believe that no-one at the club told Rafael Benitez just how
important the FA Cup is to Liverpool. That's not just in terms of
winning silverware and the part it has played in its history it is also
in terms of the amount of money a successful Cup run would bring into
the club's coffers, which weren't exactly full to bursting the last time
I looked.

A draw against Burnley meant a replay at Anfield and then Bournemouth at
home - in other words fifth round here we come. That brings money from
the gate, from TV and from the FA. Instead the club and manager have
been attacked from all quarters for having their priorities wrong, for
not caring about the FA Cup.

As well as that, the team's confidence - already low after losing to
Manchester United - was damaged further ahead of a difficult trip to
Southampton, and we all know how that turned out.

Losing to United is no shame because they have been one of the best
teams in Europe for the past decade. It is an unpalatable truth to say
that, but it is a fact.

Having lost that game, Benitez's response should have been to play his
strongest team against Burnley, or at least one with more first-teamers
in it. The reason for that is that the club needed to bounce back quickly.

Instead he played a team of kids with a few senior professionals and
they came unstuck. I was at Burnley and the youngsters should escape the
blame. By and large, they did all right.

By contrast the seniors who started - Sami Hyypia and Jerzy Dudek apart
- were an absolute disgrace. I've still no idea what Nunez is doing at
the club. He still doesn't seem to have anything to offer.

The player whose performance really upset me though was Igor Biscan.
Okay, so it is difficult to come into the team having not played too
much, but everything about him screamed he did not want to be out there.
His body language was poor, his touch erratic and his commitment lacking.

It is so at odds with players we can all remember at Liverpool. Just
look at Joey Jones, or Alan Kennedy. Neither of them was the most
talented footballer, but they gave absolutely everything for the cause
week in, week out.

Their commitment was total, and while some players at Liverpool still
show that, far too many over the past few years do not.

On Saturday, that defeat was still plainly affecting the players and
they struggled throughout against Southampton.

This time Hyypia and Mauricio Pellegrino were just too slow - some
achievement considering they were up against Peter Crouch.

This exposed the folly of moving Carragher out of the middle, where his
presence has revitalised Hyypia's performances this season and added an
extra layer of security.

One pleasing aspect of his move to the right was that he got an
excellent view of Luis Garcia's performance, and rightly gave him his
opinion on what his efforts produced.

So, on to Watford and what will be another tough game. However I believe
we saw the best of them at Anfield. Now they're at home they'll have to
come out and attack, which leaves spaces in behind to exploit.

I would expect Carragher to be back in the middle and I'd play David
Raven at right-back where he has always looked solid.

With that compact base, a better passing display through the midfield
and attack should see Liverpool through to the final and raise their
fragile confidence.


------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
Give the gift of life to a sick child.
Support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's 'Thanks & Giving.'
http://us.click.yahoo.com/5iY7fA/6WnJAA/Y3ZIAA/2_TolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->

Unsubscribe: lfc-news-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
http://www.lfc-list.org.uk/
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lfc-news/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
lfc-news-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/