READ OUR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH RAFA
Steve Hunter 04 October 2006
In his weekly interview with Liverpoolfc.tv Rafael Benitez reflects on the defeat at Bolton, the need to improve the away form and also gives his views as to whether he thinks video evidence should now be brought into football.
Liverpoolfc.tv: Rafa, you've had a few days to reflect on the defeat at Bolton. How do you view it now?
Rafael Benitez: I was really disappointed and now I am more disappointed because after watching the video we were much better than them in the first half. It was a big difference how much we were controlling the game and the decision of the linesman changed everything. We needed to do more things in the game but it was really clear that we were much better than them in the first half and they never had a shot on target. Their first one was the goal after we were controlling everything.
The game changed completely when the linesman quite clearly made a mistake. Could you believe what you were seeing?
No, I was really surprised. It's the first time that I have seen in England a decision like this. If you talk about a penalty you can understand it because the linesman must have seen something. But to make a decision like that was for me unbelievable.
As a manager who prepares so thoroughly for every game, how angry does a decision like that make you?
It was a surprise because you need to know if you decide something that important you must be really sure. If you are in a bad position and it's a small detail then I don't understand how you can give this decision.
Would it be fair to say that one decision cost Liverpool the game?
It was a really important one. You can't say it cost us the game because we still had time to come back but it was really important because it changed the game. We were 1-0 down and we started the second half conceding another goal.
After the incident at Bolton and the Didier Zakora penalty decision at Tottenham on Sunday, do you think it's now time to introduce live video evidence when making decisions?
If you stop the game to use the video for throw-ins, free-kicks, corners and everything it would be a different game. Some teams like to stop the game to break the tempo of it but I think we should use the video to stop the people who dive. These things would help the referees and also it would give the referees more possibilities. I think they must meet together maybe every 15 days to analyse everything and if they are better prepared it would be easier for everyone.
Pepe Reina is now away on international duty but did you speak to him after the game about the incident?
We were talking about the decision and also the free-kick. He was disappointed because he knew he was inside the box but we were disappointed also with the goal they scored from the free-kick. I think we could have done a little bit more.
A lot has been made of Liverpool's away results this season but do you take heart from the fact that despite the losses, no team has outplayed us?
Yes but it's something that is difficult to explain. In the four games that we've played away we've had more attempts at goal than the local team. Can you explain why we didn't score goals at Bolton when we had 17 efforts at goal compared to their six? It's difficult to explain but we know we need to change the situation.
How frustrating is it that on the back of the defeat at Bolton, you have now lost the majority of your squad for almost 10 days?
I was surprised when I looked at these fixtures especially after the World Cup. You cannot train properly because when the players come back to us we have games against Blackburn, the Champions League in Bordeaux and then Manchester United. How can you prepare for these games without players? We have six players at Melwood who will play for the reserve team but the rest of the team is away and I cannot talk with them about mistakes and about how to improve. It's crazy.
Do you think something should be done about this?
Yes, there are some possibilities but one of them is to play the second international game on a Tuesday instead of the Wednesday. Then you will have more time to prepare for every game. It's not difficult to change two dates and they can do it so I don't understand why they don't.
Your next game is a 3 o'clock kick-off. That must be a welcome relief after all the early starts?
This is the other thing I can't understand. How can a team that plays in the Champions League play two days later and in an early kick-off? You need to protect the players. They must at least have three days to recover because if you want to win in Europe and you want to improve your possibilities of the Premiership then they must have time. I can't understand why we play two days later after a Champions League game and especially an early kick-off.
Finally, despite three defeats so far, Liverpool are still only six points off the top of the Premiership. Does that prove your point that the race for the title will be a lot closer this season?
Yes I think so. We knew it was really important to win games and we have had some defeats away from home but we are six points off the top. I think we will see a lot of teams losing games when normally last season all the top sides were winning.
Steve Hunter 04 October 2006
In his weekly interview with Liverpoolfc.tv Rafael Benitez reflects on the defeat at Bolton, the need to improve the away form and also gives his views as to whether he thinks video evidence should now be brought into football.
Liverpoolfc.tv: Rafa, you've had a few days to reflect on the defeat at Bolton. How do you view it now?
Rafael Benitez: I was really disappointed and now I am more disappointed because after watching the video we were much better than them in the first half. It was a big difference how much we were controlling the game and the decision of the linesman changed everything. We needed to do more things in the game but it was really clear that we were much better than them in the first half and they never had a shot on target. Their first one was the goal after we were controlling everything.
The game changed completely when the linesman quite clearly made a mistake. Could you believe what you were seeing?
No, I was really surprised. It's the first time that I have seen in England a decision like this. If you talk about a penalty you can understand it because the linesman must have seen something. But to make a decision like that was for me unbelievable.
As a manager who prepares so thoroughly for every game, how angry does a decision like that make you?
It was a surprise because you need to know if you decide something that important you must be really sure. If you are in a bad position and it's a small detail then I don't understand how you can give this decision.
Would it be fair to say that one decision cost Liverpool the game?
It was a really important one. You can't say it cost us the game because we still had time to come back but it was really important because it changed the game. We were 1-0 down and we started the second half conceding another goal.
After the incident at Bolton and the Didier Zakora penalty decision at Tottenham on Sunday, do you think it's now time to introduce live video evidence when making decisions?
If you stop the game to use the video for throw-ins, free-kicks, corners and everything it would be a different game. Some teams like to stop the game to break the tempo of it but I think we should use the video to stop the people who dive. These things would help the referees and also it would give the referees more possibilities. I think they must meet together maybe every 15 days to analyse everything and if they are better prepared it would be easier for everyone.
Pepe Reina is now away on international duty but did you speak to him after the game about the incident?
We were talking about the decision and also the free-kick. He was disappointed because he knew he was inside the box but we were disappointed also with the goal they scored from the free-kick. I think we could have done a little bit more.
A lot has been made of Liverpool's away results this season but do you take heart from the fact that despite the losses, no team has outplayed us?
Yes but it's something that is difficult to explain. In the four games that we've played away we've had more attempts at goal than the local team. Can you explain why we didn't score goals at Bolton when we had 17 efforts at goal compared to their six? It's difficult to explain but we know we need to change the situation.
How frustrating is it that on the back of the defeat at Bolton, you have now lost the majority of your squad for almost 10 days?
I was surprised when I looked at these fixtures especially after the World Cup. You cannot train properly because when the players come back to us we have games against Blackburn, the Champions League in Bordeaux and then Manchester United. How can you prepare for these games without players? We have six players at Melwood who will play for the reserve team but the rest of the team is away and I cannot talk with them about mistakes and about how to improve. It's crazy.
Do you think something should be done about this?
Yes, there are some possibilities but one of them is to play the second international game on a Tuesday instead of the Wednesday. Then you will have more time to prepare for every game. It's not difficult to change two dates and they can do it so I don't understand why they don't.
Your next game is a 3 o'clock kick-off. That must be a welcome relief after all the early starts?
This is the other thing I can't understand. How can a team that plays in the Champions League play two days later and in an early kick-off? You need to protect the players. They must at least have three days to recover because if you want to win in Europe and you want to improve your possibilities of the Premiership then they must have time. I can't understand why we play two days later after a Champions League game and especially an early kick-off.
Finally, despite three defeats so far, Liverpool are still only six points off the top of the Premiership. Does that prove your point that the race for the title will be a lot closer this season?
Yes I think so. We knew it was really important to win games and we have had some defeats away from home but we are six points off the top. I think we will see a lot of teams losing games when normally last season all the top sides were winning.
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