RAFA ON TAKEOVERS, WINGERS AND KROMKAMP
liverpoolfc.tv 22 November 2006
Reds boss Rafael Benitez chats to liverpoolfc.tv as his side prepares to take on PSV at Anfield tonight.
Liverpoolfc.tv: Do you pay much attention to the takeover talk?
Rafa: No, we are focusing on the games. We need to improve our form away and I'm sure the board will do the best for the club.
How much do you know about it?
I have some information, but I am not really worried about this. I know there are some people interested, but that's normal because this is a big club, but really I am focused on the games and trying to improve.
Is it likely to affect your plans to strengthen in January?
At this moment I am focusing only on the game. Because I don’t control these things I don’t think a lot about them, I am always thinking about how to improve my team for the next game. I am not thinking about January, although always you have to check the market, but for now at this moment we are only focusing on the next game.
So do you have firm plans to strengthen in January?
In this moment we just keep an eye on the market and see what happens, but thinking about the games.
There has been a big difference between your home and away form, is it just not falling for you away from home?
We also had a lot of possession and if we continue creating chances we will score. We have enough quality.
How frustrating was the game against Middlesbrough, because you created a lot of chances but failed to score?
It was when you watch the video. I think we deserved to win, but you cannot change the final score. I have confidence that we will start winning.
Mark Gonzalez has said he is still settling into the English game. Jermaine Pennant is also settling in, but are you looking for more from your wide players?
I think they know that they can improve, but also they know they have enough quality and that I have confidence in them. I'm sure they will improve. The other day the crosses weren’t the best, but if you have 10 from each side I think that is really good. Also we need to improve the movement of the strikers or the midfielders getting into the area, and then if we have 20 crosses I'm sure we will score more goals.
A lot of the time, the spark to set off away form comes from wide players, like Giggs at Man Utd and Robben at Chelsea?
It's the same situation when we talk about scoring attempts, as long as we are getting into the wide areas to cross we will improve.
Do you sense the players are more relaxed playing at Anfield?
I don’t know if they're more relaxed, but it's clear that our supporters are fantastic and always you know that they are supporting you. Also, the opposition play deep so you can control more things, it's a different approach for us and also for our opponents.
How important is it to secure top spot tonight?
It's good to be qualified and to able to approach the game without pressure, and then I think we can maybe play better football. I think it will be a good game for the supporters.
When it comes to the draw, does it bother you whether you are first or second?
I'd like to finish first, but you never know because there might be teams not playing well now, but in two months they might have strengthened and changed their form.
How much of a threat are PSV?
I think they are a team that likes to play counter attack because they have pace up front and also quality. We know playing at Anfield we need to go forward and try to score and maybe we will leave more spaces, but then we need to create more chances to score more goals.
Do you have any injury problems ahead of the game?
We need to train tomorrow and then we will see, but not at this moment.
Jan Kromkamp has said that he knows weaknesses in Liverpool's game and that you resort to long balls to Peter Crouch?
It's normal that if he was a player with us then he needs to know everything about us. It's not nice to see him talking about these things, but if he was training and playing with us then he needs to know not just the weaknesses but also the strengths.
Do you think he's right in what he says?
I'm thinking about our strengths.
Guessing your starting eleven is always difficult, but are there players that you pick especially for Europe? Like Luis Garcia?
When I'm preparing for a game I don’t think about whether I need a European team or a Premiership team, I am thinking about picking a good team for that game. It's clear that some players can play better in Europe because they are scoring goals, but for me the players need to be good enough for Europe and the Premiership.
Are you surprised the group has been decided after just four games?
It's a surprise, but I think PSV are a very good team. At the start people might have said that Liverpool and PSV would be there, but I think Galatasaray and Bordeaux are also good teams. So it's a surprise, but it's good for us.
Have the new players like Bellamy, Pennant, Gonzalez and Kuyt lived up to your expectations?
It's clear that if the team is not winning any game away, we can improve. But I don’t like to talk about one, two or in this case four players, I think the team as a whole needs to improve.
liverpoolfc.tv 22 November 2006
Reds boss Rafael Benitez chats to liverpoolfc.tv as his side prepares to take on PSV at Anfield tonight.
Liverpoolfc.tv: Do you pay much attention to the takeover talk?
Rafa: No, we are focusing on the games. We need to improve our form away and I'm sure the board will do the best for the club.
How much do you know about it?
I have some information, but I am not really worried about this. I know there are some people interested, but that's normal because this is a big club, but really I am focused on the games and trying to improve.
Is it likely to affect your plans to strengthen in January?
At this moment I am focusing only on the game. Because I don’t control these things I don’t think a lot about them, I am always thinking about how to improve my team for the next game. I am not thinking about January, although always you have to check the market, but for now at this moment we are only focusing on the next game.
So do you have firm plans to strengthen in January?
In this moment we just keep an eye on the market and see what happens, but thinking about the games.
There has been a big difference between your home and away form, is it just not falling for you away from home?
We also had a lot of possession and if we continue creating chances we will score. We have enough quality.
How frustrating was the game against Middlesbrough, because you created a lot of chances but failed to score?
It was when you watch the video. I think we deserved to win, but you cannot change the final score. I have confidence that we will start winning.
Mark Gonzalez has said he is still settling into the English game. Jermaine Pennant is also settling in, but are you looking for more from your wide players?
I think they know that they can improve, but also they know they have enough quality and that I have confidence in them. I'm sure they will improve. The other day the crosses weren’t the best, but if you have 10 from each side I think that is really good. Also we need to improve the movement of the strikers or the midfielders getting into the area, and then if we have 20 crosses I'm sure we will score more goals.
A lot of the time, the spark to set off away form comes from wide players, like Giggs at Man Utd and Robben at Chelsea?
It's the same situation when we talk about scoring attempts, as long as we are getting into the wide areas to cross we will improve.
Do you sense the players are more relaxed playing at Anfield?
I don’t know if they're more relaxed, but it's clear that our supporters are fantastic and always you know that they are supporting you. Also, the opposition play deep so you can control more things, it's a different approach for us and also for our opponents.
How important is it to secure top spot tonight?
It's good to be qualified and to able to approach the game without pressure, and then I think we can maybe play better football. I think it will be a good game for the supporters.
When it comes to the draw, does it bother you whether you are first or second?
I'd like to finish first, but you never know because there might be teams not playing well now, but in two months they might have strengthened and changed their form.
How much of a threat are PSV?
I think they are a team that likes to play counter attack because they have pace up front and also quality. We know playing at Anfield we need to go forward and try to score and maybe we will leave more spaces, but then we need to create more chances to score more goals.
Do you have any injury problems ahead of the game?
We need to train tomorrow and then we will see, but not at this moment.
Jan Kromkamp has said that he knows weaknesses in Liverpool's game and that you resort to long balls to Peter Crouch?
It's normal that if he was a player with us then he needs to know everything about us. It's not nice to see him talking about these things, but if he was training and playing with us then he needs to know not just the weaknesses but also the strengths.
Do you think he's right in what he says?
I'm thinking about our strengths.
Guessing your starting eleven is always difficult, but are there players that you pick especially for Europe? Like Luis Garcia?
When I'm preparing for a game I don’t think about whether I need a European team or a Premiership team, I am thinking about picking a good team for that game. It's clear that some players can play better in Europe because they are scoring goals, but for me the players need to be good enough for Europe and the Premiership.
Are you surprised the group has been decided after just four games?
It's a surprise, but I think PSV are a very good team. At the start people might have said that Liverpool and PSV would be there, but I think Galatasaray and Bordeaux are also good teams. So it's a surprise, but it's good for us.
Have the new players like Bellamy, Pennant, Gonzalez and Kuyt lived up to your expectations?
It's clear that if the team is not winning any game away, we can improve. But I don’t like to talk about one, two or in this case four players, I think the team as a whole needs to improve.
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