Hang On, Rafa....

Hang on, hang on! I thought Jerzy Dudek put on a sh*t load of weight over the summer and balding occured. But why on earth is he shaking Momo's hand?

Oh, it's Rafa Benitez with the new look goatee. Brilliant, looking more like a typical scouser (no offence, really).

In other news, Momo Sissoko just signed a 4 year contract with Liverpool. This means there is serious competition in the central midfield area with Gerrard, Alonso, Mascherano & Lucas providing the challenge for the Malian international.

Post Season Team Review Part II

So, here we are, part deux of the team seasonal review. Note that this isn't a daily thing so no, tomorrow won't be the review for strikers! I need some time to gather thoughts and also busy with school work so do understand! :)



7. Harry Kewell

Missed the whole term through injury, nothing much to comment about except he finally made his appearance in the final two games of the season and made some impact.

Nice to see him back without his ugly ponytail and he looked pretty trim and fit! And if he regains his form back in his Leeds days, he can still be an extremely good player. Here's hoping....

Grade: Ungraded


8. Steven Gerrard

After scoring 20 odd goals last season, he didn't seemed to have the same scoring boots on this season and half of it, which is 11.

But yet, nobody can doubt his ability at the top level and his contributions to the team is more than just goals but also his assist and leadership on the pitch.

He is still capable of match winners and still able to drag Liverpool out if there's a need to. Although Rafa's key here is to make us less reliant on the skipper, he is certainly a special player yet is able to work to Rafa's ideology.

Being stuck out on the right win is something he doesn't like as he's mentioned in his autobiography but he did it for the good cause of the team and he still is formidable whether he's in his favourite central midfield position or even out on the flanks.

Although he didn't perform as well as last term, he still did pretty well and thoroughly deserve the reward of the new contract.

Grade: A- (Nominee for TRC's Player of the Year)


10. Luis Garcia

Only when we lost him to injury then we began to notice how important this little man is to the club.

Always frustrating yet always managed to conjure up magical moments, Little Luis has been missed since his injury, which ruled him out of the second half of the season.

Despite only 11 starts, he managed 3 goals and 4 assists, which are good returns from him. His creativity was sorely missed and his ability to play between the lines means we've lost a very intricate player.

Most notable contributions will have to be the goal he scored at White Hart Lane, which helped us defeated Tottenham while also stringing a few passes and assist for Peter Crouch against West Ham on the Kop End's 100th birthday.

Grade: B-


11. Mark Gonzalez

The winger which went through all sorts of problem before finding himself at the John Lennon airport, he certainly hasn't lit up the Premiership like was expected to.

Due to a major injury and some work permit problems, he was left at the Real Sociedad for the 05/06 season before being declared a Liverpool player.

This term, he has been one of the more disappointing component to our season as he huffed and puffed his way through while clearly intimidated by the physical side of English football.

Known as 'Speedy Gonzalez', he wasn't able to show forth his greatest asset while he wasn't able to use his powerful left foot as well as he did back in Spain. Despite all that, he still managed to score a good freekick against Fulham and also ensured Liverpool's entry into the Champions League after he scored a late winner against Maccabi Haifa after replacing Steven Gerrard.

Still needs to work on the physical side of the game while improve on his movement and technique. Afterall, it's still his first season at the club and let's not jump to conclusion and call him a flop.

Grade: C-


14. Xabi Alonso

The Spanish playmaker has had a pretty average season and might have been affected by the World Cup last summer.

We can speculate all we want but he hasn't been at his best for quite a while and him being a playmaker with only one assists to his name is pretty disappointing. In the 05/06 season, he's had 7 assists.

Despite that, his class was never in doubt and he has adapted to the English game well. In his first season, he was being bullied off the ball at times and looked physically not up to it but we're now seeing the tenacious side of Xabi.

Now, with Mascherano and Lucas challenging his central midfield spot, he has to step up and improve and we all know what he's capable of. His passing might not be at it's best at times this season but I'm sure with a good rest this summer, he'll bounce back next season.

Grade: B-


16. Jermaine Pennant

When we signed him from Birmingham for 6.7million, many doubted that he's the one we should sign and perhaps, not good enough for a club like Liverpool. But with limited resources, we pay for the quality and Rafa certainly thinks he has something to offer.

Maybe he's right after all. This lad has something to offer and has proved some of us wrong in some ways. Although earlier in his Liverpool career, he looked like a fish out of the water and didn't have the best of times but gradually, he stepped up and finished the season with reasonable results.

The goal he scored against Chelsea speaks volume about Pennant's ability and being the most expensive teenager back then when Arsene Wenger signed him from Notts County, he was meant to be special but perhaps his attitude and focus wasn't there and he went astray.

With 6 assists to his name this term, it has to be said he does offer something to the team. He can be as frustrating as Luis Garcia at times in terms of holding possession and his passing but when he has the belief in him, he is capable of great things.

Whether he'll still play an integral part in Liverpool is still unknown at the moment but he has certainly proved his doubters wrong. His first season here might not be spectacular or eye-catching but he does just enough.

Grade: B-


20. Javier Mascherano

Arrived on the very last day of the winter transfer window, the Argentinian proved to be a shrewd signing from Rafa and whether it's a permanent deal or not, nobody really knows.

But I can't imagine what if we failed to sign Javier back then. He has been terrific for us since he joined and played a major role in Liverpool's push for Europe and also did well in the league.

Being wasted at West Ham earlier this season, he somehow lost his way and was left in the cold by the Hammers. Despite not playing for 2 whole months, Rafa decides to go ahead and gamble. It paid off handsomely indeed.

Not really known for his scoring prowess, the tenacity and the maturity of the Argentinian midfielder is things that he offer, and just to name a few only. As a defensive midfielder, he breaks up numerous plays, tackled hard and is able to read the game very well.

He could probably win the best player award if it all started on January but with so many midfielders vying for a place in the squad, he knows he still has a lot to do and continue to improve as a player. (Another task for him would also be to convince Tevez on joining Liverpool!)

Grade: B+


22. Momo Sissoko

It might be a little harsh but the Malian certainly had a torrid time at Liverpool this season. He hasn't been able to stamp a place in the first eleven and his injury didn't help.

With rumours that his eyes are still not 100% recovered from the horrible injury last year, he has been in and out of the team regularly. And also with the arrival of Mascherano and then Lucas Levia this summer, his place in the team looked more threatened than ever.

As a midfield destroyer like Mascherano himself, his ability to harass attackers and making crucial intervention is still an important asset. But technically he still needs to improve a whole lot. When it comes to passing the ball, he still looked unsure and not composed enough. Often a time, he managed to tackle the ball only for him to surrender it back to the opponents.

But nobody should doubt his potential and the possibilities he bring to the team. His performance against Barcelona was probably one to savor while still in search of his first goal for the club.

Grade: C+


32. Bolo Zenden

The Dutchman arrived at Liverpool on a free transfer and was supposed to be just a squad player but as the season wore on and injury was a bit of a problem down the left, he stepped up and did it pretty well.

Honestly, I'm not a keen admirer of him as I thought he's not good enough in many areas such as technical ability or his lack of pace. But he has fit in well and Rafa has mentioned before that what Zenden offer on the pitch is not only the football but also his ability to encourage team mates, leadership and also some experience.

He too, suffered injury setbacks and just when he was supposed to hit form, he was out again and yet, he returned and repaid Rafa his faith in him. His future at Liverpool is still in doubt as Rafa will undoubtedly splash big money this summer but he has been a good team player for us this term.

Grade: C+


Alright, so here ends part 2 of the review. If there are ratings or things you would like to point out, just drop me a mail or even a comment below. Cheers.

Rafa Comes To Momo's Rescue

Maybe Rafa have seen my match report on Thursday. Or perhaps he went round the fan's forum for a quick glance across the board. Because today, the manager has came out and shielded Momo Sissoko.

The reason being his recent performance, especially the one against Middlesbrough 2 days back.

The Malian international nearly went to the wrong side of town (you know what I mean) before Rafa rescued him and as cliche and like the previous 385 times, he was supposed to be the next 'Patrick Vieira'.

Judging by the number of mis-passes, which is now noted as 'his usual self', it's not difficult to see why the manager has come out to advocate for the midfielder. He even shared the blame by saying it was his mistake by placing him ahead of Mascherano, alongside Gerrard.

"The other day I tried to change things. I was using Mascherano behind Gerrard and Momo. But because the other team was playing really deep, compact and narrow, it was really difficult for him."

Judging by the quote, Rafa seemed to be experimenting with his squad and a brand new 4-1-4-1 formation which is seldom seen as his personal preference is 4-2-3-1 and also due to the influence of the English game 4-4-2 was implemented on many occasions as well.

It's hard to believe Sissoko used to play as a striker because he seemed to have no basic foundation in technique and those attributes required to be an attacking player is sadly lacking.

Against Boro, when Lee Cattermole and George Boateng doing the destructive work in midfield, Sissoko was not allowed any space or time on the ball. Adding to the fact that he lacks the technique and also the composure, he looked lost seemed confuse.

Soon after he was withdrawn, Gerrard was pushed back to central midfield just ahead of Mascherano and Kuyt ahead. That was when the formation started to work and got the result ultimately.

It's fine for Rafa to experiment and test out various systems and players as he continues to learn along the way and gather experiences. This experiment could've gone absolutely wrong if 'Boro scored and Liverpool losing the game but at least now, Rafa will understand the players, the strength and their weaknesses.

In my humble opinion, Gerrard should always start in the middle with either Alonso or Mascherano. But with the Argentinian 'monster' picking up form and now a mainstay in the team, Rafa has an extra worry and I don't know he'll hate that at all.

With Gerrard ahead of the destroyer, Mascherano, and the deep lying playmaker, Alonso, Liverpool have one of the most potent central midfield anywhere. Sissoko should be saved for games where Liverpool is expected to defend a lead or when the 'under siege' alarm lights up.

He's only 22 and still has a lot to learn but under the new ownership, if Momo continues to struggle with form and fails to do the simplest thing with effectiveness, I foresee him leaving the Spanish armada.

I have sympathy for him as he has been through two major injuries in two seasons and I understand that it'll take sometime for him to regain his 'imperious' form last season but that's reality and if you're deemed a surplus, you're out.

Come on, Momo. Show us what you're capable of! We don't call you 'Boss' for no reason!

Get Well Soon, Momo

We will be without the service of Malian hard man Momo Sissoko for at least 3 months and that's not a very good news for the Liverpool fans. The midfielder represents power, ruggedness, resilience and Liverpool will have to make do without him for the next few months.

Steven Gerrard is rumoured to be the player to take his place in central midfield but Zenden could do the job as well if called upon. Without Momo, our midfield will be much less imposing and physical. The importance of Sissoko is seldom talked about, but his all-action style of running, chasing after lost cause will certainly be missed. His presence liberates Xabi or Gerrard to do their job while he acts as the extra shield in front of the back four.

Get well soon, Momo! Hope that you could come back faster than expected just like what happened to you previously when the eye injury nearly ended your career. Your presence and long legs will certainly be missed!