As the ninetieth minute drew near, you sensed Liverpool might just hold out for the 1:0 win over a gallant Reading, but you can never be sure until the final whistle as we have come to realise. After the heroics of a small team to overturn the likes of Liverpool, questions began to rise again as to whether Liverpool are at crisis point.

Reading were the much better side over the ninety minutes, and fully deserved their 2:1 victory, with many players showing they have real class. From a neutral’s point of view it was a cracking game, full of tension, and you couldn’t help but feel drawn towards the underdog, as this is what the FA Cup is all about. I, like many others, had my hands over my eyes when the ball was turned past the post after an incredible move. The run from inside the Reading half, right up to the six yard box in the Liverpool area, saw a poor finish from the Reading player, from a move similar to that of Ryan Giggs for Manchester United against Arsenal many years back. I’m sure most of the neutrals among us were willing the ball in.

The penalty incident was one of much debate, although I personally think it was the right decision. The finish was exquisite, especially at such a late point in the game, and was no more than the lower league team deserved. It may have been a poor performance from Liverpool, but you can’t take anything away from Reading. I had to laugh when the Reading supporters began to leave near the end of the ninety minutes, sensing a loose, and wanting to get away before the rush. I’m sure those people will be kicking themselves having missed their teams dramatic finish.

It’s been a strange season for most of the teams at the top of the Premiere league this year, with no team really asserting themselves. Man Utd suffered a similar upset in the FA Cup, and have failed to put on a decent performance for some months now in all competitions. You could put it down to injuries, of which there have been many, but the team itself doesn’t seem to be exuding confidence at the moment. Arsenal have slipped this season, and Chelsea have suffered a poor run of results in recent games. Perhaps the league is balancing out now, and maybe we will see a fresh crop of teams fighting for the top spot before long, who knows? But there’s no doubt about it, however poorly these teams have been playing, they still occupy the top slots, whereas Liverpool are falling short.

You could argue that players like Gerrard and Fernando Torres are missing, but you cannot build a team around two players, and it certainly brings light to the fact there are serious problems if you can only name two good players within a squad. Many Liverpool fans will tell you that Steven Gerrard isn’t the player he use to be, and that Torres is always injured, this may well be the case. But the team is in trouble, and something needs to change.

I am not a fan of sacking managers, especially when they haven’t been giving a fair run. It takes time to gel with a team, and to get the best from them. I was shocked when Mark Hughes was sacked, seemingly on the back of too many draws, when the fact is, the team was in a good position. Such is the pressure managers face these days. A manager needs to be given time to sort things out realistically, to build relationships and trust, and to create some stability in which to build a team from. This is all very well, but I feel Rafa has had more than enough time.

You sensed after the match during the interview that Rafa is a man under immense pressure. I certainly couldn’t see a passionate manager defending his team, showing some fight and determination to correct the problems his team are under. Instead all I could see was a worried man without a slither of confidence. This negative aura that he exudes will undoubtedly be rubbing off onto his players, no matter how much he distances himself from the players. If you look at other managers in the top flight after they have had a bad result, you can see they are angry, and itching to right the wrongs. You couldn’t see someone like Alex Ferguson being given the boot on the back of their poor recent run, because you know that he will turn things around, and come back fighting. You can’t say the same for Rafa Benitez, as his departure seems imminent, and I feel this is was is needed.

I am not a supporter of Liverpool, and in fact support one of their rivals, and so it is quite nice to see them in a bad way. But I have to say, as much as I may dislike Liverpool, they belong at the top, and I hope they sort their problems soon. It would be a shame to see a team with such a record in the game, slide their way down the rankings. Give them a new manager and let them rise again, as it would be hard for me to carry on disliking them if they are not at the top fighting for the top position.

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