Utility Midfielder
15 Goals
79 Appearances (as of 3/12/09)
Signed from West Ham in 2007 for 5 mil
BACKGROUND BEFORE LFC
Benayoun’s career was one that had been tracked as a youngster, starring in Israel and nearly signing for Ajax… but for family reasons, he would have done. Staying at Israel, though, helped him become incredibly popular, and his success was quite evident as he led Maccabi Haifa to several league successes. After becoming a regular for the national team, and having moved on to Racing Santander in Spain, Yossi decided to give the Premiership a go with West Ham.
Yossi Benayoun had been with West Ham for two years prior to joining up with Liverpool, and indeed was one of the major players in West Ham’s valiant effort in the 2006 FA Cup Final. During his time at West Ham, he was an essential part of a side that was well known for their creative, attacking style of play. A goal he scored against Fulham stands out in particular, as he turned their defenders inside and out before chipping a brilliant shot over the head of Niemi and into the top corner from a full 20 yards out. . He had been linked with us even before joining West Ham, which clearly indicated that Rafa was a fan.
SIGNING FOR, AND SETTLING INTO, LFC
As mentioned earlier, Rafa had earlier tried to court Benayoun before he went to West Ham, but ultimately he was able to land his man after Yossi had two years of grooming in the Premiership. It turned out to be an important move for Rafa, as his other non-Torres signing of the summer of 2007, Ryan Babel, was going to need time to get settled in. Benayoun took a while to get going for the Reds, but two hat-tricks in his first season is nothing to sneeze at (where the hell did that expression come from, anyhow?) and neither is his ability. Like Luis Garcia before him, it was quite evident that Benayoun was going to be the type to be the key to the stubborn locks of the opposition. He has something different, and as shown with his header against Real Madrid in the Champions League, he can also play quite traditionally when called upon, as well! Benni is now a fixture in Rafa’s starting XI, or at least is the first player to come into the match from the bench.
STYLE OF PLAY
Yossi is the new version of Luis Garcia, but is far more consistent. Able to see plays others cannot, and able to dribble his way into and out of any situation, Benni tends to be the guy who changes the mundane into the extraordinary. He is a goalscorer and a creator at the same time, but is willing to put his body on the line MUCH more than Garcia ever was, which is probably why Rafa fancies him out there more. Yossi may not score quite as often, but he is a consistent threat to the opposition and rarely has one of those horrific off-days that players of his ability-type often suffer.
BEST MOMENTS
Benayoun’s header against Real Madrid at the Bernebeu is the obvious choice, but how can you turn down two hat-tricks in his debut season, or even that incredible turning goal he scored at the JJB against Wigan? He’s had many good moments in his short time here, but the 1-0 win at Real Madrid has to be the one moment that truly sticks out. It gave us the edge leading into the 4-0 thumping in the return leg and additionally it came during a stretch where we were playing particularly sub-par. It was an important goal at a big venue. Memorable stuff!
TOUGH TIMES
As has been the case with anybody under Rafa other than Gerrard, Reina, Carragher and Torres, Benayoun has had to deal with rotation. At the beginning of this 2008-2009 season, Yossi was finding matches hard to come by, and often felt underappreciated by Rafa after a wonderful debut campaign. Rafa and the player himself, however, claimed all along that Yossi wanted to stay and had a very important role to play. As the season has progressed, you can see that not only did Rafa mean it, but that Yossi has enjoyed playing for us. Unfortunately for Benayoun, his best position is probably the same position Gerrard plays, so often times he has had to learn new roles… which he does quite well.
2008-2009 SEASON VERDICT
At the time of writing, Benayoun has scored less goals than the last campaign, but has also scored more important ones. His winning header against Madrid, and a fortunate goal at home to Sunderland in recent matches (at the time of writing) have shown just how important he is to the squad. Though we have not always seen a lot of him, most supporters would say that when he’s in, you get the feeling that he’ll make something happen. He’s just so damn comfortable on the ball, and he usually makes good decisions. He is having a very good season for us.
LFC CAREER VERDICT
Benayoun’s career can be summed up pretty easily at his time in Liverpool. “Impact player” comes to mind, as even though he isn’t a regular 90 minute guy, he changes the course of matches and is a thorn in the side of everyone he runs up against. He is one of the most likeable characters in the camp, and some of his best moments are truly spectacular and graceful. Rarely have we had a player so natural with a ball at his feet than Benayoun… perhaps Crouch? Regardless, he is such a natural talent and has been a very useful player for us.
I personally think “YES” when I see him on the teamsheet, whether it is out left, right or as a second striker. Despite it being at the expense of other players I like seeing out there, you always know that Rafa can trust him and that the supporters will be excited to see him out there. As one of our most consistent players over the past two seasons, Benayoun can feel safe in the knowledge that his status as a Liverpool player is postiive and impactful. Plus… you just have to love the guy.
