Liverpool have had some bad luck with injury throughout the 2023/24 season.
A number of important first-team players missed whole swathes of the season with issues. Had they stayed fit, maybe more trophies could have been collected.
Problems with the fitness of the squad is not a new issue for Liverpool, though. The Reds have struggled to consistently put out their best team throughout Jurgen Klopp’s reign.
In part, that has seemingly been blamed on Klopp’s decision to get rid of an AI assisted system that would track how likely injuries are to occur.
But long before the days of the German coach or indeed AI, Liverpool have had their problems. And looking back on Rafa Benitez’s time at Anfield, the Reds have been told that they were robbed of an ‘unplayable’ winger.
Mark Schwarzer makes Harry Kewell injury claim
During Klopp’s time with Liverpool, we’ve seen some amazing wingers. Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane are two of the best in the club’s history.
Under Benitez, there was much less emphasis on the wide players. It was more about playing through the middle, with Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres the main focus of the attack.
Before Torres arrived though, Rafa did try things out with a couple of natural wingers. Jermaine Pennant on the right and Harry Kewell on the left. It never really happened for either at Anfield, although Kewell did start the triumphant Champions League final in 2005 and the FA Cup final in 2006.
And speaking on the Football’s Greatest With Jeff Stelling podcast, former Australia teammate Mark Schwarzer says injuries stopped Kewell from showing his best at Liverpool.
“Harry Kewell, he’s probably one of, if not the most talented player that we [Australia] ever produced,” says Schwarzer. “Came over as a very young kid at Leeds United, was unplayable at times.
“I just wish, and I’m sure he does as well, that he’d had a bit more luck when he went to Liverpool, with injuries. Because I think he could have absolutely tore it up there. He was so good, even though he missed so many games, he still got picked for Champions League finals. Even though there were injury doubts over him, they believed that he was such a good player that they still picked him.
“Unfortunately for him he broke down in the [Champions League] final and so forth and I think there was another cup final afterwards that he did the same thing. But that was the respect he had and how good a player he was.”
How did Harry Kewell do with Liverpool?
There was real excitement when Kewell was signed from Leeds in 2003. Having been one of the most exciting wide men in the Premier League for years, Liverpool were getting a top player.
Only 25 when he arrived, there was also the sense that the Reds would be getting Kewell’s peak years.
However, although he started off well under Gerard Houllier, the Australian just couldn’t stay for throughout Benitez’s time.
As Schwarzer mentions, he did still win some big trophies with the Reds. Rafa was a fan and started him in three of the four finals he managed at Liverpool.
Kewell was subbed in all of them, lasting 56 minutes in the 2005 League Cup final, 23 minutes in the 2005 Champions League final and 48 minutes in the 2006 FA Cup final. He also played the final half an hour of the 2007 Champions League final.
All in all Kewell managed 16 goals in 139 appearances across five years. A disappointing return. Oh what could have been.