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Archive for March, 2010

• Defender says they have not performed as expected
• Manager calls on big names to lead against Benfica

The Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes his club are the only top seven Premier League side to have underachieved this season. Early exits from the title race, Champions League and FA Cup have left the Anfield club looking for consolation in the form of securing fourth place and winning the Europa League.

Their problems this season have partly been due to injuries to key players like Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Yossi Benayoun and Glen Johnson but Carragher said they could not use that as an excuse.

“I think the other teams have probably done what you’d expect, I just think we haven’t done what we expected to do,” he said. “People presumed the likes of Aston Villa and Tottenham could mount a top four challenge but I think people thought we would already be in there challenging for the league.

“We’ve disappointed ourselves a little. I don’t put it down to bad luck – that’s football. We all have injuries here and there and that’s just part of football and you deal with it. I just think at the start of the season we didn’t do particularly well and then we realised we weren’t going to be in the title race, which was what we had all built ourselves up for.

“It was a disappointment at that early stage, whereas the other teams were excited about the prospect of getting into the top four. Maybe it took us a while to get our heads around the fact that we wouldn’t be playing for the title, but a top-four finish is vitally important now for next season and that’s something we’re certainly capable of.”

Carragher also hopes they can still lift some silverware in the Europa League. Liverpool face Benfica in Lisbon tomorrow in the first leg of their quarter-final tie and should Carragher play he will make his 621st appearance for the club, lifting him above Alan Hansen to eighth on the all-time list.

“We’re still in the Europa League and we’re desperate to get our hands on some silverware – we haven’t done that for a few years,” he said. “That’s vitally important and success in that competition could change how the season has been looked upon – in the next few weeks it could all turn around.”

His manager Rafael Benítez has called on the club’s “big names” to start setting an example for the rest of the squad and re-emphasised the point ahead of their difficult Europa League quarter-final first leg tie against Benfica in Lisbon. He particularly singled out Steven Gerrard.

“The captain is a key player and if he goes forward and works very hard everyone will see this and everyone will follow him,” said Benítez. “That is really important for the rest of the season, for the team and him also. It is important to have players pushing and working hard as it means the rest of the players will say ‘OK, come on’.

“You know when you go into a battle the first one has the flag and everyone follows him and then it is easier. If you go with the flag and don’t see anyone around you it is always more difficult to win. We will stick together and that is crucial for the rest of the season.”

Benfica were the side who ended Liverpool’s hopes of being the first club to successfully defend their Champions League title when they won 1-0 and 2-0 at Anfield in the last 16 of the 2005/6 competition.Those two games still frustrate Benítez but he knows he has a chance to rectify what he felt was bad luck in the coming two matches.

“It is important to approach the game with confidence,” he said. “Benfica are scoring goals and are top of their league so we know it will be difficult over two legs. But we can go with confidence knowing we can score – it is very important to score away.

“Benfica played [in the] Champions League in the past against us. They have experience and some good players. We also have experience at this level and it is an important game for both.

“I remember our last games against Benfica really well. We conceded in the 87th minute in Lisbon when Sami Hyypia slipped at a free-kick and Luisao scored. But before the game at home we had [international] friendlies in Senegal and Finland – one for John Arne Riise and one for Sami Hyypia. Both came back injured and we had to play with Stephen Warnock and Djimi Traore at centre-back. I think we are stronger – but also they are stronger for me.”

LiverpoolRafael BenítezPremier LeagueUefa Europa Leagueguardian.co.uk

• Ankle-problem means £17m signing won’t fly to Lisbon
• Defender Martin Kelly also out for season

Liverpool’s midfielder Alberto Aquilani has been ruled out of tomorrow’s Europa League quarter-final first leg clash with Benfica. The Italy international sustained an ankle injury in training this morning and will not fly out with the squad to Lisbon later today.

“He will not be available for this game,” said manager Rafael Benítez. “He had a problem with his ankle this morning and we have to fix it. It doesn’t seem too serious but it’s the same ankle as before so we’ll have to analyse the situation carefully.”

Aquilani arrived in the summer after a £17m move from Roma with an ankle injury which had ruled him out of the latter stages of the 2008-09 Serie A season. It took a while for him to regain match fitness and, as a result, he has made just eight starts and 11 substitute appearances this season.

Benítez also confirmed that the defender Martin Kelly will undergo a knee operation today which will rule him out of action for the rest of the season. The 19-year-old defender tore the meniscus – a similar problem to the one which resulted in the striker Fernando Torres having surgery in January which sidelined him for five weeks – in training on Saturday.

LiverpoolUefa Europa Leagueguardian.co.uk

• Liverpool manager expects captain to be flexible
• Riera still finalising move to Spartak Moscow

Liverpool’s manager Rafael Benítez has welcomed the timely return to form of Steven Gerrard but believes his captain must remain flexible, rather than expecting to be played in his favoured central midfield position

Gerrard was dropped back to a more orthodox position against Sunderland on Sunday and responded with an improved personal display in the 3-0 win. For a long time Benítez’s critics have been urging him to deploy Gerrard in what they feel is his best position but the manager said what was more important was the overall game plan.

“I remember discussions with England about Gerrard and Frank Lampard not being able to play in the middle but they can,” said Benítez ahead of Liverpool’s Europa League quarter-final trip to play Benfica in Lisbon. “He can play everywhere because he knows what to do in every position. He was keen to do the best for the team and the best for the team the other day was for him to play in this role with Javier Mascherano.

“For me it is not the player and the system but altogether. In the last year with the same system we were quite offensive and this year we have scored a lot of goals, especially at Anfield, with the same system. It has been Lucas-Mascherano, Lucas-Aquilani, Lucas-Gerrard, Mascherano-Aquilani – we can mix and match. It gives us more options.”

Benítez said he was still waiting for the winger Albert Riera to finalise a proposed loan move to Spartak Moscow. The Spain international has found himself marginalised from the squad after his “sinking ship” outburst earlier this month and Benítez is keen for the player to be moved on.

“He is still talking. He is talking with Spartak,” he said. “He is training sometimes but now we have to wait and now we have games in the week we have to keep the players who are normally involved.”

Liverpool’s defender Martin Kelly is awaiting a doctor’s decision to learn whether he will require a knee operation. The youngster tore the meniscus in training at the weekend and is likely to be out for the rest of the season.

Rafael BenítezSteven GerrardLiverpoolUefa Europa Leagueguardian.co.uk