I have alternated between pity for Rafa's predicament, disdain for his transfer policy, and bewilderment at his preference for rotation, but right now I cannot feel anything but sorry for the man.
Not only have Liverpool just crashed out of the FA Cup at Anfield, but they lost both Fernando Torres (knee) and Steven Gerrard (hamstring) before the start of the second half in the process.
It all started out so well (ok, well enough): New signing Maxi Rodriguez was in the stands, Rafa was seeing silverware in his side's future, and Reading even obliged their hapless hosts with a one goal advantage, after the Royal's Ryan Bertrand steered the ball past his own keeper. Even in the front office, it all seemed to be going the Spaniard's way, as one American recused himself, though admittedly not the one Kop faithful would most like to rid themselves of.
But, all good/subpar/barely passible things must come to an end, and so it did for Liverpool on Wednesday night. In the dying minutes of regulation, Reading were given a golden opportunity to equalize after Yossi Benayoun was judged to have fouled Shane Long in the box, which is exactly what Gylfi Sigurdsson did after stepping up to take the penalty. That disappointment became heartbreak only ten minutes later, when Long fired Reading tops. It was another nail in the coffin of the Red's season, finally, if inhumanely, obliterating the last modicum of confidence 'Pool players had diluded themselves into possessing.
Oh yeah and all this on the heel of news that Rafa might be forced to sell El Nino, if (read: when) Liverpool don't qualify for the Champions League next season.
UPDATE: And so it went from bad to worse. Reports have Nando missing 6 weeks with a knee cartilege injury that will require surgery, while Yossi Benayoun (fractured rib; expected 4 week absence) and Stevie G (strained hamstring; expected 2 week absence) did not fare much better.
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