Benitez expects win to kick-start Liverpool´s season

February 7, 2010

Rafa Benitez expects 10-man Liverpool’s battling 1-0 win over Merseyside rivals Everton to prove a defining moment in their bid to land a Champions League place.

After a dismal run in the first half of the campaign threatened to wreck Liverpool’s hopes of securing a top four finish, Benitez’s team are now unbeaten in seven league matches and back in the hunt for a European spot.

For much of the season, Benitez has been forced to find excuses for Liverpool’s failings and at times he has looked in danger of losing his job.

But the spirit in Liverpool’s dressing room remains strong judging by the way they recovered from Sotirios Kyrgiakoss’ first half dismissal to beat Everton thanks to Dirk Kuyt’s second half header at Anfield.

The game will be remembered as a bad tempered affair, Liverpool forced to play with 10 men for almost an hour after Greek defender Kyrgiakos was sent off for a two-footed challenge on Marouane Fellaini.

Fellaini was fortunate not to be red-carded in the same incident after appearing to stamp on Kyrgiakos while Steven Pienaar, who was later dismissed in stoppage time after his second yellow card, escaped after a poor challenge on Javier Mascherano as tempers boiled over at Anfield.

But Benitez could afford to take a cool view of Kyrgiakos’s dismissal and he believes his side can kick-on after such a “massive’ result”.

“It’s always important to win a derby, but to win a derby with 10 players at Anfield is even more important,” Benitez said. “We did well from the very start and my players worked so hard.

“It’s a credit to us that Everton didn’t put us under much pressure in the second half because we played so well.

“Hopefully, we can now stay in and round fourth spot. There’s still a lot of games to go and it’s a long race.”

As Benitez savoured his team’s gutsy effort, Everton manager David Moyes insisted his side did not deserve to lose the 213th Merseyside derby.

Moyes insisted both Kyrgiakos and Pienaar both deserved to be sent off by referee Martin Atkinson. But the Scot said Everton did enough to stretch their unbeaten Premier League run to 10 games.

Instead they entertain title-chasing Chelsea on Wednesday looking to avoid back-to-back defeats after Kuyt’s winner cemented Liverpool’s fifth straight home league win.

“There have been a lot of derbies quite similar to what we have seen here,” Moyes said.

“Merseyside derbies are not run of the mill games, sometimes there is a bit extra and I think we saw that.

“What did I think about Kyrgiakos’s red card? It was a two-footed tackle, both feet were off the ground. Fellaini’s gone to have an x-ray.

“I didn’t see the incident surrounding Pienaar’s sending off at the time. I’ve seen it since on the tape and he can’t have much argument about it.

“We certainly didn’t deserve to lose. We might not have done enough to win it but we didn’t deserve to lose it.”

Liverpool have now secured a Premier League double over Everton in three of the last five seasons.

Benitez, like his counterpart, refused to get embroiled in any controversy afterwards.

“I think there were too many tackles to analyse and I prefer not to comment on the referee,” he said.

“You can talk about 20 different tackles and have different opinions. To keep everyone calm in a derby is almost impossible. Sometimes it’s difficult to play with your heads and your hearts.”

LIVERPOOL, England (AFP)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Related posts

Liverpool double beats Bolton

January 30, 2010


Liverpool maintained their quest for Champions League football with a 2-0 victory over Bolton Wanderers at Anfield here on Saturday.

Dirk Kuyt’s 37th minute goal and Kevin Davies’s second-half own goal left Liverpool just a point behind fourth-placed Tottenham in the Premier League.

The game, which had been overshadowed by Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez’s revelation he was being courted by Italian giants Juventus, ultimately brought the Merseysiders their second win of 2010 although there were still some anxious moments for a team clearly low in confidence at present.

Bolton made a bright start with Tamir Cohen – son of former Liverpool favourite Avi – chasing onto Matthew Taylor’s early flick as Bolton looked for their first Anfield win in 56 years.

However, the game soon settled down into a pattern of Liverpool dominating possession without producing the necessary quality in and around the Bolton penalty area.

But it was the visitors who had the first real chance when South Korean international Lee Chung-yong collected a loose ball on the halfway line and set off on a mesmeric run, past Emiliano Insua, Martin Skrtel and eventually keeper Pep Reina before his shot was cleared off the line by Sotirios Kyrgiakos.

It would prove a vital clearance by the Greek defender as Liverpool’s pressure intensified.

Kuyt’s 20-yard strike flew well over before Alberto Aquilani had a shot blocked from Jamie Carragher’s 34th minute ball into the area.

Bolton then finally succumbed to Liverpool’s next meaningful attack.

Albert Riera’s cross-field pass found Insua, whose far post cross looked to be floating out of play until Aquilani leaped impressively and headed back across goal to leave Kuyt with the simple task of scoring from close range.

Liverpool showed great urgency, if not great finishing, at the start of the second half.

Javier Mascherano’s perfect cross-field ball set Steven Gerrard clear but the ball hung just long enough in the air for Mark Davies to get back and make a covering tackle.

The next Liverpool attack really should have brought results as Riera sped down the left and picked out Gerrard with a low, accurate cross into the Bolton area.

The England midfielder’s fierce, first-time shot was well saved by the diving Jaaskelainen but, with the goal at his mercy, David Ngog followed up and succeeded only in striking the top of the Bolton crossbar.

Aquilani almost set up a second goal, for team mate Gerrard, when he robbed Mark Davies of the ball in midfield with Gerrard’s venomous 20-yard strike forcing Jaaskelainen into another diving stop.

But the second goal Liverpool so desperately needed duly arrived, in fortunate fashion, in the 70th minute.

Lucas did well to keep a corner in play with a header back into the area and Ngog laid the ball back to the edge where Insua was lurking.

His 20-yard shot would have passed well wide of the mark but took a wicked deflection off Bolton forward Kevin Davies, wrong-footing Jaaskaleinen on its way into the net.

There were further half-chances for Kuyt and substitutes Lucas and Maxi Rodriguez but, against such mediocre opposition, the two goals Liverpool had already scored were enough to secure victory.

LIVERPOOL, England (AFP)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Related posts

Kuyt at double as Liverpool down Spurs

January 21, 2010


Dirk Kuyt scored twice as Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 at Anfield here on Wednesday to move within a point of fourth-placed Spurs in the English Premier League.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has come in for heavy criticism while the Reds’ Champions League hopes have suffered blow after blow and they went into this match with star players Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres missing because of injury.

But despite once again fielding a team that was far from full strength, they took the lead through Kuyt’s early strike.

The Dutchman added a second from the penalty spot in stoppage time to secure a significant victory that helped justify Benitez’s claim of “guaranteeing” a top four finish that would secure Champions League football next season.

Tottenham improved after the break but failed to end a miserable run of winless games away to ‘Big Four’ (Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool) opposition that has now reached 66 games.

Liverpool had a minor scare just five in as Pepe Reina took three attempts to gather a cross from Gareth Bale.

But the goalkeeper came up with a long clearance that was flicked on by Kuyt to Alberto Aquilani.

The Italian just managed to tap the ball back to the Dutchman and Kuyt squeezed a shot past Heurelho Gomes into the corner to give the home side an ideal start.

Tottenham were struggling to put together any sustained spell of possession but Aquilani almost let them in.

His loose pass flew straight to Bale and his swerving drive only just missed Reina’s goal.

After Javier Mascherano had tripped Peter Crouch, Tottenham had a free-kick in a good area.

But from Bale’s lofted delivery, Crouch was ruled to have fouled Greek defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos.

Albert Riera’s whipped free-kick from the right was desperately punched away by Gomes, but with the Brazilian stranded, Martin Skrtel failed to make contact with the follow up.

Tottenham finally threatened when Wilson Palacios swapped passes with Jermaine Jenas and then slid through for Luka Modric, whose low effort was blocked by Reina.

Just after the restart, Jermain Defoe thought he had brought Tottenham level after a mix-up between Kyrgiakos and Reina but referee Howard Webb ruled out the striker’s effort for obstruction.

Then a Riera free-kick flew at goal with a bit more pace than Gomes had expected and landed on the roof of the net.

The game was far more open in the second period and Defoe laid off for Modric but the Croatian’s low effort was held by Reina.

Tottenham were far more of a threat after the break and quick passes from Palacios and Defoe created room for Jermaine Jenas to hit a powerful drive that Reina did well to get a hand to.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp tried to apply even more pressure on the hosts with striker Robbie Keane coming on to support Crouch and Defoe.

Kuyt was growing more and more isolated and when Liverpool did manage a break away the Dutchman fed Philipp Degen, who chose to attempt to return the pass and the rare opportunity was gone.

With 20 minutes remaining, Aquilani’s whipped free-kick was flicked on by Degen but Kuyt failed to get his volley on target at the far post.

Riera also went close with a thumping drive from long range before Spurs’ Alan Hutton drilled wide from Bale’s cross at the other end.

But in added time, Sebastien Bassong clipped David Ngog in the area and Kuyt converted a twice-taken penalty to seal Liverpool’s much-needed victory.

LIVERPOOL (AFP)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Related posts

Benitez admits talks with Liverpool stars over slump

December 24, 2009


Rafa Benitez admits he has held talks with Liverpool’s stars in a bid to end his team’s dismal run.

The Reds, already knocked out of the Champions League, have won just four of their last 17 games and face an uphill battle to secure a top four finish in the Premier League.

They are currently eight points behind fourth placed Aston Villa and Benitez has come under fire for failing to build a squad capable of challenging for the title, while Spain striker Fernando Torres has conceded Liverpool will continue to struggle unless they sign several top players in January.

In response to the slump, Benitez has spoken with several key players to assess the team’s morale and discuss exactly how they can get back on track.

“I have spoken to several players, not just Gerrard and Torres. They are all determined to do well, but when we concede a goal now we lose any confidence that we have acquired,” Benitez said.

“That is my responsibility, to improve confidence. To do that I have to be positive, it is the only way. The message is very clear, we have quality in our squad and we must show that.

“We can win a run of games in a row, we have done that with these same players. That is the positive thought we must retain.

“We have talked about just why we are in this position. There were many ideas, but the main one was that Torres and Gerrard were not fit.

“They still have some problems, so we must manage them carefully over a period of so many games in such a short space of time. We virtually have to decide on them before every game.”

Benitez, who will be without the suspended Javier Mascherano against Wolves on Boxing Day, is hoping the hard work carried out on the training ground in the last week will reap its reward against Mick McCarthy’s men.

“The only way to change things is to keep working,” he said. “We have tried to relax the lads. On Tuesday we had a Christmas meal for all the staff and players, that was a very positive occasion.

“We have a good team spirit, the players know we must improve and they know the only way is to stick together.

“I must manage and control the anxiety of the players, and the anxiety of the fans.

“We know we have to change the situation, sooner rather than later. That is clear.”

LIVERPOOL, England (AFP)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Related posts

Benitez defiant despite Pompey defeat

December 20, 2009


Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez insisted he does not fear the sack despite seeing his team suffer their seventh Premier League defeat of an increasingly poor season at bottom club Portsmouth.

Midfielder Javier Mascherano was sent-off for the third time in his Liverpool career as the visitors’ fading title hopes were all but extinguished in a 2-0 loss at Fratton Park.

The sorry Reds have now won just four of their last 12 league games and are struggling even to secure a top four finish and a place in next season’s Champions League.

When asked if he was worried for his job, Benitez replied: “I am only worried about the next game (against Wolves).

“I can only prepare for the next match. If we can win hopefully it will be easier to prepare for the next ones,” the Spaniard added.

“We have to change our targets and can only think about one game at a time. We have to stick together and try to pick up three points and see what happens.”

Liverpool were already trailing to Nadir Belhadj’s first goal since December 26 last year when Mascherano was dismissed on the stroke of half-time.

The Argentina midfielder was shown a straight red card by referee Lee Mason as punishment for a reckless lunge on Portsmouth defender Tal Ben Haim on the half-way line.

Benitez was clearly angered by the decision and reserved some sarcastic comments for Mason at his post-match news conference.

“We were the better team in the first half and the sending-off changed the game,” he said.

“I have seen a replay and for me it was not a sending-off but the referee was perfect. He did not make any mistakes. He was correct to not give fouls against Fernando Torres. He was perfect.”

Benitez added: “We had plenty of possession and were in control but it is difficult playing with ten men away from home when you are 1-0 behind.

“We had to keep trying to go forward but we left some spaces and there was always a danger we would concede another goal.”

Portsmouth had taken just 11 points from 17 games prior to his match and the south coast club remain beset by financial problems.

Liverpool had the better of the opening exchanges, with stars Steven Gerrard and Torres posing a constant threat.

Torres came within inches of putting Liverpool in front with a majestic 20-yard curler, which had Portsmouth goalkeeper Asmir Begovic beaten before nestling on the roof of the net.

Despite Liverpool having plenty of possession Begovic, deputising for the injured David James, did not have a meaningful save to make before Belhadj opened the scoring in the 33rd minute.

Kevin-Prince Boateng’s driven low shot was palmed away by Pepe Reina but Liverpool failed to clear the rebound and the ball broke kindly for Belhadj, who lashed an unstoppable right foot shot into the roof of the net from an acute angle.

Daniel Agger put a free header wide moments later while Begovic produced a brilliant reaction save to keep out Gerrard’s defected second half shot.

France striker Frederic Piquionne sealed the points eight minutes from time, brilliantly flicking up Boateng’s cross before firing past Reina at the near post.

Victory saw Portsmouth boss Avram Grant maintain his record of never having lost to Liverpool as a manager.

“It is true I have never lost to Benitez and I am pleased to keep that run going,” said former Chelsea manager Grant.

“This is a terrific win for us and hopefully it can kick-start our season.”

PORTSMOUTH, England (AFP)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Related posts

Mascherano off as Pompey pile pressure on Liverpool

December 19, 2009


Javier Mascherano was sent off for the second time this season as Liverpool suffered another setback with a wretched 2-0 loss away to Premier League basement club Portsmouth on Saturday.

Goals here at Fratton Park from Algerian defender Nadir Belhadj and French striker Frederic Piquionne condemned Rafael Benitez’s side to their seventh league defeat of the season.

And to make matters worse for the visitors, Argentina midfielder Mascherano was dismissed for a horror tackle on Portsmouth defender Tal Ben Haim on the stroke of half-time.

Portsmouth had taken just 11 points from their opening 17 games and remain beset by financial problems.

But Avram Grant’s side could have taken the lead after only six minutes when Piquionne got in behind the Reds defence to latch onto Michael Brown’s pass.

However, Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina did enough to force Piquionne wide.

The hosts had a lucky escape ten minutes later as Steven Gerrard’s goalbound shot was inadvertently blocked by team-mate Fernando Torres before being cleared.

Torres came within inches of putting Liverpool in front in the 20th minute with a majestic 20-yard curler, which had Portsmouth goalkeeper Asmir Begovic beaten before nestling on the roof of the net.

Jamie O’Hara threatened to leave Reina red-faced in the 25th minute with a sweetly struck free-kick, which was heading towards the top right corner before the Spaniard retreated to pluck the ball from underneath his crossbar.

Jamie Carragher was making his 600th appearance for Liverpool and the defender produced a heroic block to divert Hassan Yebda’s powerful volley behind for a corner from point blank range.

But Carragher was powerless to stop Belhadj giving Portsmouth the lead 12 minutes before half-time.

Kevin-Prince Boateng’s driven low shot was palmed away by Reina but Liverpool failed to clear the rebound and the ball broke kindly for Belhadj, who lashed an unstoppable right foot shot into the roof of the net from an acute angle.

Daniel Agger should have drawn Liverpool level just six minutes later when Gerrard’s free-kick presented him with a free header at the back post but the centre-back nodded wide when it looked easier to score.

Liverpool were reduced to 10 men on the stroke of half time when Mascherano was shown a straight red card for a reckless lunge on Ben Haim.

Benitez, who was taunted with chants of “You’re getting sacked in the morning”, having “guaranteed” Liverpool would finish in the top four this term, by the home fans, replaced the hapless Andrea Dossena with Yossi Benayoun early in the second-half in a desperate bid to find a way back into the game.

Carragher came to Liverpool’s aid once more in the 55th minute with a last-ditch tackle to deny Piquionne a clear shot at goal after the on-loan Lyon striker had been played through by Boateng.

Torres cut an isolated figure as Liverpool’s lone striker and was lucky to stay on the pitch after elbowing Ben Haim in the face with a forearm smash.

Begovic, replacing the injured David James, produced a miraculous 67th minute save to keep Portsmouth in front.

Gerrard’s 15-yard piledriver struck two Portsmouth players on its way to goal but Bosnian Begovic somehow managed to readjust his dive and claw the ball behind for a corner.

Piquionne wasted a guilt-edged chance to wrap up the points 15 minutes from time as he was picked out by Boateng’s centre but failed to make contact with an attempted header.

Piquionne though made amends seven minutes later, brilliantly flicking up Boateng’s cross before firing past Reina at the near post to leave Liverpool five points outside the top four and in danger of falling further behind.

PORTSMOUTH, England (AFP)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Related posts

Benitez blames Mascherano red card for Portsmouth loss

December 19, 2009


Rafa Benitez believes the red card given to Javier Mascherano is to blame for Liverpool’s loss against Portsmouth. Liverpool slipped to their seventh loss of the season at Fratton Park against Avram Grant’s Portsmouth with goals coming from Nadir Belhadj and Frederic Piquionne.

Referee Lee Mason gave Mascherano a red card just before half-time, with Liverpool already losing, for a reckless challenge on Tal Ben Haim.

Benitez believes the red card flipped the game and favored Portsmouth as Liverpool lost balance and were reduced to ten men.

He said on Sky Sports, “If you analyse the first half we were doing well, even with their goal but then came the Mascherano incident.

“We were a good team in the first half and the sending off changed everything.

“We had some chances, we should have scored, we were controlling the game and everything changed with Mascherano.

“Now we have to hope we can win our next game.”

As a result, The Reds remain stuck in sixth place with only 27 points, 13 points behind Chelsea and having played a match more than The Blues.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Related posts

Ten-man Liverpool hit a new low at Portsmouth

December 19, 2009


Liverpool’s miserable season hit a new low as Javier Mascherano was sent off in a 2-0 defeat at bottom of the table Portsmouth on Saturday.

Rafa Benitez’s side, who are already out of the Champions League, have won just four of their last 17 matches in all competitions and face a desperate fight to salvage a place in the Premier League’s top four.

The Reds, who are five points adrift of fourth place ahead of Saturday’s later games, fell behind in the 33rd minute when Algeria defender Nadir Belhadj lashed a ferocious shot past Jose Reina from a tight angle for his first goal of the season.

That strike was the 500th in the Premier League this season and Liverpool defender Daniel Agger should have added to that tally, but wasted his side’s best chance when he headed over from close range.

A dismal day for Liverpool got even worse when Argentine midfielder Mascherano was dismissed by referee Lee Mason for an ugly lunge on Tal Ben Haim just before half-time.

French striker Frederic Piquionne piled on the misery for Liverpool boss Benitez, who is certain to face more heavy criticism after this defeat, when he finished off a Kevin-Prince Boateng-inspired move in the 82nd minute.

Portsmouth, celebrating their second win under new manager Avram Grant, move level on points with second bottom West Ham, but remain behind the Hammers on goals scored.

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Related posts

Thinking the unthinkable: should Liverpool sell Torres?

November 4, 2009


It is a little glib to suggest that Liverpool have a one-man strike force in Fernando Torres.

It seems almost beyond dispute, though, that whenever the Spaniard is unavailable Liverpool look ill equipped to challenge for the title, a situation hardly helped by the sales of Xabi Alonso, Robbie Keane and Alvaro Arbeloa in the past year.

I realise this could come across as heresy to Liverpool fans, but might the answer be to sell Torres too?

Torres is, without question, an exceptional player but he is not irreplaceable. Liverpool have won nothing with the Spaniard in attack because they simply do not have the same in-depth quality that Chelsea and Manchester United can boast.

If Cristiano Ronaldo was worth 80 million when he moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid, Torres should command a similar figure.

With that money Liverpool could buy three, maybe four, top drawer players who would give their squad more balance. Valencia striker David Villa would cost around 30 million and would be a handy replacement for Torres, as would Atletico Madrid’s Argentine frontman Sergio Aguero. Either, or both of them, would leave manager Rafael Benitez enough left over to strengthen in other areas.

Villa’s team mate David Silva would add some creativity in Liverpool’s midfield as would Tottenham Hotspur’s midfield spark Luca Modric or his team mate Aaron Lennon, if they could be prised away.

With Liverpool’s debts unlikely to ease any time soon, Benitez will probably need to sell before bringing in new blood but few of their current squad, apart from Torres, Gerrard and midfield anchor Javier Mascherano, would raise the kind of money that they would require for a major squad overhaul.

Selling Torres might be the one step back Liverpool need to take in order to take two forward because at present they appear to be getting left behind.

PHOTO: Fernando Torres looks on during their Champions League soccer match against Fiorentina at the Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence September 29, 2009. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi

Source

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Related posts

Manchester United triumph our turning point: Benitez

October 26, 2009


Rafa Benitez believes Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Manchester United will provide the impetus to get his side’s spluttering title challenge back on track.

Benitez’s team ended a run of four successive defeats in emphatic fashion as second half goals from Fernando Torres and David Ngog breathed new life into a campaign that was in danger of spiralling out of control.

The Reds are still six points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea but that gap looks far less daunting than the 10-point divide that would have stood between them and United if the champions had won at Anfield on Sunday.

Most importantly, the win over their bitter rivals eases the pressure on Benitez, who, as Liverpool’s results went from bad to worse over the last month, had come under greater scrutiny that at any time during his five-year reign.

Instead of presiding over Liverpool’s worst spell for 56 years – his fate if United had won – Benitez can now justifiably talk of a brighter future.

“We needed to win for the confidence, so I think it will be a big boost for the team,” he said.

“All the players didn’t want to lose. They wanted to show character and this was the perfect response.

“It was against a good team so the fans are delighted and then you can see all the players feel the same way. It has to be positive.

“Hopefully this will be a turning point. If we can keep the momentum I am sure we have a good team and can win some games in a row.

“We need to win against Arsenal in the League Cup on Wednesday and continue against Fulham on Saturday.”

Benitez deserves tremendous credit for keeping his players focused while the flak was flying this week. Not only did the Spaniard ensure they kept their eye on the ball but he also came up with the perfect gameplan to subdue United.

His fiesty midfield trio of Javier Mascherano, Lucas and Fabio Aurelio never let United settle, while Yossi Benayoun and Dirk Kuyt provided astute support for Torres.

Few strikers in Europe could have taken the chance Torres converted in the 65th minute when he took Benayoun’s pass and left Rio Ferdinand for dead before lashing past Edwin van der Sar.

Nemanja Vidic’s red card for a professional foul on Dirk Kuyt added to United’s misery and Ngog finished off the champions in stoppage time after Mascherano had been dismissed for a second booking.

Yet without Torres the result could still have had a less appetising look for Benitez, who took a last minute decision to start the striker on the coach journey to Anfield.

Torres had missed the last two matches with a groin strain and he was only able to take part in a couple of light training sessions ahead of the United game.

But, with Steven Gerrard already ruled out with a groin injury, Benitez realised it was worth gambling over Torres’s fitness.

“It was difficult because he was not training much, he only had two light sessions and we couldn’t push him too hard,” Benitez said.

“I decided to play him from the beginning on Sunday morning after talking with Fernando on the coach to the game.

“Talking with him and the fitness coach we thought it was better to start him.

“You could see he was not 100 percent but sometimes 80 percent of Fernando can make the difference.”

Losing four times in the league this season still leaves Liverpool with plenty to do before they can dream of a first title since 1990.

But Benitez knows beating United will buy him precious time to get things right.

“I’m really pleased for the club, for the players and for all the staff,” Benitez added.

“We knew we needed to change the luck and we needed to win. It was a fantastic win. Before we were sayng maybe it was the perfect game.

“We needed to perform against a good team in front of our fans. It was a fantastic performance.”

LIVERPOOL (AFP)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Related posts

Next Page »

 



Calendar

    February 2010
    M T W T F S S
    « Jan    
    1234567
    891011121314
    15161718192021
    22232425262728

Related Sites

Free Page Rank Tool

eXTReMe Tracker


TinyPic Image and Video Hosting

Click Here

Categories

.