Benitez demands Liverpool show their worth

December 13, 2009

Rafael Benitez believes Liverpool will use Sunday’s showdown with Arsenal to kick-start a season in danger of spiralling out of control.

Benitez’s side have won just three of their last 14 matches, a woeful run that has seen the Reds crash out of the Champions League and slip to seventh in the Premier League.

They suffered one final indignity in Europe’s elite club competition on Wednesday as a distinctly average Fiorentina won 2-1 at Anfield, but Benitez is convinced that result could prove the catalyst for a far more successful second half of the season.

The pressure to finish in the Premier League’s top four and qualify for next season’s European Cup is growing by the week. Yet Benitez is confident that the return of fit-again Fernando Torres will inspire his team, who start the weekend 12 points adrift of leaders Chelsea and four behind fourth-placed Tottenham.

Torres returned from a groin injury to make a substitutes appearance against Fiorentina and the Spain striker is poised to start against Arsenal along with Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani.

“I think we will be in a better position if we don’t have too many problems with injuries in the next few weeks,” Benitez said.

“Torres and Steven Gerrard didn’t play too many games together last season, but the team did well.

“It is the same this year. If both are fit and can play together, we will push them, but we also have to protect them.

“The Arsenal match is important, but every game will be important until the end of the season.

“We have to start with this one because Arsenal are near the top of the table, so if we can win we will be closer and will have a better chance of finishing in the top four.

“Every year you have to approach the season thinking about wining something, but each season is different.

“We have had some problems before, but now our idea is to improve in the league and afterwards think about the Europa League and the FA Cup.

“Sometimes the team has a bad moment, but that is the same at all the clubs. The only way to change things is to work harder and try to do things well.”

Benitez has been forced to issue a biting response to the criticism flowing his way in recent weeks.

He singled out former Anfield boss Graeme Souness and Jurgen Klinsmann, the ex-Germany coach linked with the Liverpool job two years ago, after they wrote off his team on television following the Fiorentina match.

Speaking about Klinsmann, Benitez said: “I think he was an expert in marketing. His management career? Short.”

He added: “There is always criticism but I don’t listen. I turn off the volume on the TV.

“If someone talks too much, it is their problem, but the fans know the record they both have as managers, fantastic!”

Like Liverpool, Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal have been cast adrift in the title race.

The Gunners are four points and four places better off than Liverpool, but Wenger’s men have lost two of their last three league games and arrive on Merseyside on the back of a 1-0 Champions League defeat against Olympiakos.

Wenger insists the game is as important to his side than it is to Liverpool, and is refusing to write off Benitez’s side.

“For us, it’s a very big game,” Wenger said. “I don’t deny that. We go into this game with that feeling.

“Everybody has a real chance of not making the top four if you don?t perform right.

“They?re (Liverpool) a contender like everybody else. It?s very early in the season still, with many games to be played, and Liverpool have the quality.”

Wenger has also had to contend with the loss of key players to injury and will once again be without Robin van Persie and Nicklas Bendtner, while Tomas Rosicky and Emmanuel Eboue are also out.

LIVERPOOL, England (AFP)

Tags: alberto aquilani, anfield, better chance, catalyst, champions league, CHELSEA, club competition, elite club, emmanuel eboue, England, Europe, Fernando Torres, fiorentina, Germany, groin injury, indignity, Liverpool, Merseyside, midfielder, Nicklas Bendtner, premier league, rafael benitez, reds, Steven Gerrard, striker, tomas rosicky, tottenham

Ramsey´s supershow piles pressure on Burley

November 14, 2009

Arsenal teenager Aaron Ramsey piled more pressure on Scotland coach George Burley as his virtuoso display inspired Wales to a 3-0 win over Scotland in Saturday’s friendly.

Ramsey, 18, played a key role in the first two Wales goals from David Edwards and Simon Church and then got on the scoresheet himself to cap a superb first half display at the Cardiff City Stadium.

This was the sort of eye-catching performance that persuaded Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to pay Cardiff five million pounds to sign the midfielder in June 2008, even though he had made just a handful of appearances for the Welsh club.

He was far too good for Burley’s woeful Scots, who were completely out-classed. To make matters worse for Burley, who was handed a vote of confidence despite his failure to lead Scotland to the World Cup, he had to endure the indignity of listening to the Scottish fans calling for his sacking throughout the second half.

Burlet handed Celtic defender Danny Fox his debut, while James McFadden returned to the team and David Marshall started in goal in the absence of injured first choice Craig Gordon.

Birmingham forward McFadden threatened early on when he took Kenny Miller’s flick in stride and shot straight at Wayne Hennessey.

Miller went even closer with a powerful strike that flashed wide, but Wales took the lead in the 17th minute.

Ramsey showed great poise as he curled a cross towards Edwards and the midfielder timed his run perfectly to drive past Marshall.

The hosts pushed home their advantage in the 32nd minute as Ramsey continued to pull the strings. The teenager’s pass found Joe Ledley on the left and his cross was expertly flicked in by Church from close range.

Scotland were in disarray at the back and Ramsey exploited their fragility again three minutes later. His surging run took him past Stephen McManus and Darren Fletcher and opened up space to shoot beyond Marshall for the second goal of his brief international career.

It could have been worse for Scotland before half-time as Ched Evans saw his shot blocked by Marshall.

Furious Scotland fans made their feelings towards Burley known at half-time, but there was only a marginal improvement after the break.

Marshall was fortunate not to be sent off when he handled outside his penalty area, but referee Cyril Zimmermann let him off with a booking before Gareth Bale’s resulting free-kick was deflected wide.

Burley was the target for more verbal abuse from the Tartan Army in the closing stages but Scotland’s supporters were drifting towards the exits well before the end.

CARDIFF (AFP)