So Long Rafa

Twelve points adrift in the Premier League, out of the Carling Cup, failure to progress in the Champions League and now out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle after an embarassing defeat to Reading at Anfield. We should take nothing away from Reading as they deserved their win, but where does this leave us now? Shane Long's extra time winner leaves us looking at the long road ahead.

In the space of nine months we have gone from title challengers, and almost winners, to scrapping for fourth place with Aston Villa, Manchester City and Tottenham Hostpur. Furthermore, Birmingham, Sunderland and Stoke are all cranking the pressure on us. In these nine months, not too much has changed. Alvaro Arbeloa and Xabi Alonso have left but they have been replaced by Glen Johnson and Alberto Aquilani. Whilst the off-field troubles are not helping, it's Rafa Benitez's tactics and team selection that are coming under scrutiny once again. His insistance on playing out of form players such as Emiliano Insua, Lucas Leiva and Dirk Kuyt week in, week out is not helping. Insua for one not only looks out of form, but looks rock bottom for confidence. In fact I would go as far as saying that Gordon Brown will be more confident of delivering Labour a fourth consecutive election win than Insua will be of delivering a good performance for Liverpool. His positional sense, heading ability and lack of pace all leave a lot to be desired but the squad is too thin for changes. Players are leaving in order to trim the wage bill but replacements are not forth coming. Our owners insistance on selling players before we can buy is having a detrimental effect on the club. In January Andrea Dossena has gone back to Italy for a small loss, and Andrey Voronin has also finally left for Dynamo with Ryan Babel and Philipp Degen also open to moves. Yet just Argentina winger Maxi Rodriguez looks like arriving in this window and after last nights toothless performance, he must be wondering what he has signed up for. An already thin squad is getting thinner. Take into account the injuries we've had and things do not look like getting any better. Once Fernando Torres gets injured, it's left to David N'Gog or Dirk Kuyt to fill the void and provide the goals and quite frankly, they're just not up to task. Performances like last nights will also leave Marouane Chamakh wondering whether a Bosman move to us is in the summer is really a good idea.

At least Rodriguez has signed to give us some much needed width as once again we are looking desperate in the wide areas. I don't wish to keep singling out Kuyt as I think he is a good player, but creative right winger he is not. The same goes for wide left as Babel doesn't look interested anymore and Riera keeps picking up injuries. Aside from Jose Reina, Gerrard and Torres we look distinctly average. Failure to qualify for next season's Champions League means offers may have to be considered for our last remaining top players which is why qualification is imperative. Each loss that we suffer tightens the rope that is hanging around Rafa's head.

Yet as mentioned, the financial situaton at the club means that sacking Rafa is almost impossible at this moment in time as he has not long started a new five year deal. As well as this, who could do a better job with the limited resources he would have? Whilst I am not suggesting that Rafa has not had money to spend, when you compare it to what our Champions League rivals are spending it looks an unenviable job guiding us to next season's competition. Apart from Guus Hiddink, there isn't really an abundance of managerial talent waiting for jobs although I assume Gary Megson is looking for an immediate return to management. He might be in our price range too. Although we all dream of the Jose Mourinho's of this world managing our club it seems that managing Liverpool in this day and age is not as desireable as it once was. 

So after Shane Long's winner last night, our FA Cup exit leaves me saying So Long Rafa, we will never forget Istanbul 2005 and Cardiff 2006 but perhaps you have taken us as far as you can.