Striking Duo Key to Liverpool's Success
Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres Partnership Must Live On
Jun 16, 2009
Rafael Benitez is finally learning how to manage in the Premier League. His tactical nous and his team selection is becoming ever more consistent and his priorities are now in line with Liverpool supporters demands.
Regular Football for Players Equals Regular Success
Having previously rested key protagonists each week with the hope they will remain healthy for the remainder of the season, the Spaniard has discovered that regular football for his players will bring regular success.
Finishing fourth in the 2007/2008 season was an overwhelming failure for such a prestigious club and Benitez was to blame. Yet great men learn from their mistakes and deploying Gerrard and Torres alongside each other whenever they were both fit was a master class in management and took Liverpool up to second place.
Of cause it helped that Liverpool had players to supplement their quality like Jamie Carragher and Yosi Benayoun, but the skill and prowess of the England midfielder and the Spanish International have taken Liverpool to a new level.
Gerrard And Torres Are Extraordinary
The duo’s dynamism is extraordinary. Gerrard’s precise passing, his strength and his technical excellence feeds Torres’ tremendous talent and provides him with goal scoring opportunities which other strikers could only dream about. Take Torres’ goal against Blackburn at Anfield last campaign. He found space, was fed the right ball and smashed home a glorious goal in the top left hand corner when he was facing in the opposite direction. Astonishing.
Torres and Gerrard make it look so easy but their team’s premier league winner’s medal tally assumes Liverpool are struggling.
Liverpool Have a Long Way to Go
However, a second place finish in the Barclays Premier League is encouraging and although Benitez is improving he has a long way to go before he can receive plaudits for his work in the Premiership.
He needs a tough tackling defender to replace the departing Sami Hyppia, a skilful winger to complement Torres and a midfielder who is capable to filling the boots of Steven Gerrard five games a season.
Benitez Has to Strength The Weak Areas
Purchasing David Villa will ruin Gerrard’s partnership with Torres just like the inclusion of Dimitar Berbatov in the Manchester United squad unsettled Tevez. Benitez has to strengthen the weak areas without damaging the jewels in his team.
Ronaldo’s move to Madrid will help, as it will for all the other teams in the Premier League, but Liverpool cannot just rely on other clubs selling their top players.
Benitez seems to have got his head out of the sand and has started to learn how to create a great title winning team with Torres and Gerrard the nucleus.
Dreaming Of Domestic Success
Instead of waking up every day to find a European Coaching Manuel by his bed, he is dreaming of domestic success. Now the owners need to be strong, sort out their differences, splash some cash and brace themselves for a title winning run next season.
