English FA and Referees: Harden up a bit

I just got through reading a soccernet.com article in which it says that Rafael Benitez might be charged with improper conduct for taking out his glasses suggesting that the referee in their match against Tottenham might need them (Rafael Benitez facing FA rap for removing his glasses). I am quite sick of the English FA holding refs hands and coddling them. They should be held responsible for their actions like the players and managers who gets charged for improper conduct. I don't hear many stories about referees who made the wrong calls or are un-fit to handle a Premier League game.

Now I understand that if you do charge referees for their mistakes then you might bring some of the games in disrepute by saying that he clearly affected the game. However there needs to be the same responsibility passed upon them that every club has to deal with. I also know that they will be graded at the end of the year for their performances but if they have a one off game in which they've clearly made mistakes then they should be punished for them. Refs make mistakes like all others but I don't think you should charge managers or players for words that they say after the heat of battle when they've poured their souls out for their respective teams. Now if it's a couple of hours later when they say these statements then obviously you can charge them for criticizing the referee because they've had time to think about what they wanted to say and none of it was spur of the moment.

I think there's one concrete instance where you can charge managers or players. This instance is when they say that the referee is favoring teams or protecting certain players. That goes into something altogether, this is saying that these games could possibly be fixed to help the favored team. And it goes straight to the FA because they appoint the referees to the games, so what you are indirectly saying is that the FA is fixing results basically because they appoint these refs who favor certain teams or give more PKs to one team rather than the other. Those are statements that should be stamped out.

I don't think that this coddling of refs will stop because even if they do get charged for making blatant mistakes then it won't protect them from the abuses that they'll receive from fans, players, and managers who think from then on that the refs will always make mistakes. Other the other hand, you can't charge those who don't have a favorable opinion of the men in black. They shouldn't be protected from that standpoint unless they talk about favoring teams in which there's grounds of charging because you're saying that the whole thing could possibly be rigged.

Walking Alone?

Two losses out of the first three games isn't what Liverpool supporters would have envisioned for this current side. With the likes of Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard, you'd expect them to have nine points out of the nine possible. However they are currently struggling at the moment and even though I have yet to watch a game, I believe I know where some of the problems lie.

Fernando Torres and who?

During this summer, it was said that they were chasing after the likes of David Silva and David Villa. Well both of those players weren't available for them and I believe only chasing after those two players probably stunted their transfer season. They did not buy a creative enough forward to match the likes of Torres. And the current strikers just aren't good enough to mount a challenge for the Premiership title. Ryan Babel has regressed as a player during his time at Merseyside. He can't even score the open net chances he has. Andriy Voronin probably wishes he was back in Germany because I don't think his game is made for England. Good player but just not Premiership material. Playing a one-man front-line with Steven Gerrard just behind isn't going to scare many. Stevie G is at his best when he's making deceptive runs into the box area or bursting runs from his deep midfield spot. This is much harder this season when teams are stacking two defensive midfielders in front of him and after he gets through there, he has a back-line to worry about, even for a World-Class player of his stature, it'll be hard even for him to break down defenses. I believe a 4-4-2 formation with a defensive midfielder and Steven Gerrard as the attacking midfielder would be much more suitable because Gerrard could come into play almost un-touched due to the center halves having to cover the responsibilities of Torres and another forward. However who is that compliment striker??

Aquilani? Is he the answer from the departing Xabi Alonso?

I've read a blog on football-italia.net (http://www.football-italia.net/blogs/al99.html). The blog says that the transfer of Alberto Aquilani is more gain for AS Roma than it is for Liverpool. The blog also goes in depth with the fact that he was suppose to be the next Totti of AS Roma and is suppose to be Italy's next best thing. However Roma gave him away for fish and chips (well not exactly) and you know why? Umm I haven't seen Aquilani in any of the three league matches that Liverpool has played in. Oh that's right he's injured. AGAIN. Roma gave him up because he cannot stay off the treatment table and now he's out until sometime in October. Xabi Alonso was the protection that Steven Gerrard needed, even though Mascherano is a suitable defensive midfield. He still cannot provide the threat that Xabi does and I don't think that Aquilani would be enough also, I mean if he cannot handle the Serie A game, what's going to happen when he plays against a Wigan or a Bolton side who loves nothing but to run into you and hurt you.

Does Benitez really want to be there anymore?

With the lack of huge signings and the money he got from the Xabi Alonso deal not being used at all. One may have to wonder about Rafa Benitez's commitment to this current side. I do not know if truly believes that he can win the Premier League with this club as currently constructed. He's always complaining in the media about why money isn't being used to sign the players that he wants to sign. I believe he's growing tired of the English game. Having to deal with the American owners who don't want to give him a dime and managers in this league getting under his "use-to-be" thick skin (i.e. Sir Alex Ferguson). I think he just wants to enjoy the nice warm weather of Spain and have full control of his club like I'm sure he was use to. I don't think Real Madrid will be a club he could go to, especially with the things he's said about Xabi Alonso even saying that Aquilani is a better passer and creator than Xabi. That's not going to go well with the current Galatico.

However it could be said that he isn't placing huge priority to the Premiership. He wants to stay in the top four so they can get a Champions League spot, but maybe he doesn't have the desire to win the Premier League like Chelsea does or Manchester United every year. Every year he eyes the Champions League as his trophy that he wants and we'll find out in the next few weeks whether they can mount a challenge for it. If he feels like he can't win that this year, I won't be the least bit surprised if he ponders about leaving. Even though I said he might be tired of the English game, he might think that Manchester City (if City don't come up with the expectations of this season) could rejuvenate him. Think about it, he will have good players to his disposal plus he could jab a knife into his most hated rival Sir Alex by moving across the street. You never know with football.

I don't know what's going to happen with this current side. Last season, I was saying that they would probably win the Premier League and look what that got me. Maybe this is just a start of the season slump that they will hope to get out of in tomorrow's game against Bolton. But with Manchester City and Tottenham playing very well and the rest of the top four looking good at the moment, I'm not liking their chances at a top-four finish.