COMMENT: Is Benny Hill now Liverpool’s defensive coach?

Dec 15 2008 by Andrew Gilpin, Liverpool Daily Post

IN today’s tough economic times £27m can make or break well-known companies, never mind Premier League managers. So the plights of two struggling players recently bought for that massive outlay is of particular interest.

A £7m full-back who’s clueless on the pitch. A £20m striker who can’t even get on it.

It seems like Benitez is playing a game of chicken with Robbie Keane which isn’t helping anyone.

When asked by a hungry pack of journalists about what the American owners would think as he left a £20m striker on the sidelines, the Spaniard was typically ambiguous, appearing to say he’d like more £20m players on the bench next season.

Typical Benitez. Everything can be used to lay down a marker about needing more funds.

With a new contract close to being agreed, Benitez needs a good run in the league to sign, seal and deliver it. At Anfield, the form’s not there and now is not the time for being stubborn.

It’s now three home draws against teams those with realistic ambitions of the title should be beating.

On top of that, the match against Hull was one of those days where one of the elements which had led Liverpool to top spot in the Premier League went awry.

You’d have been forgiven for thinking Benny Hill had been brought in as a special guest defensive coach after two comedic errors continued the struggle to chase down a league title no one wants to win.

If something was going to deny Benitez’s men the title, you would have thought it would have been lack of goals, not defensive fragility.

Liverpool’s backline is a Fantasy Football dream, as is captain Steven Gerrard, who once again rode to the rescue as the defence capitulated.

Plucky Hull weren’t going to park the bus in front of the Anfield goal and with Liverpool urged on the attack, the Tigers found space to unwind all of Benitez’s careful planning.

Sami Hyypia, brought in to combat Hull’s perceived strength in the air, got nowhere near a high-flighted ball for the first goal.

And the less said about the second the better, although at least it’s pleasing to see that Jamie Carragher’s finishing is improving.

If Benny Hill had been at Melwood, a lot of time would have been spent coaching beleaguered full-back Andrea Dossena in the art of falling over.

At best he looks slightly off the pace, and at worst lost in a left-back position he seems unable to keep pace with.

While he’s encouraging going forward, Dossena has poor positional sense and was shown up by a Hull right-back in an advanced role.