[lfc-news] Benitez interview - Official Site

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
$9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/J8kdrA/y20IAA/yQLSAA/2_TolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->

Official LFC WEbsite, 28 Aug 2004
RAFA TALKS TO .TV
By Steve Hunter

Rafael Benitez talks to Liverpoolfc.tv about Sunday's Premiership clash at
Bolton and reflects on a tough looking Champions League group for the Reds.

~ Liverpoolfc.tv: Rafa, your thoughts on the Champions League draw?

Rafael Benitez: I think we are in a difficult group because Deportivo and
Monaco are strong teams. Olympiakos won't be easy as all Greece teams will
be full of confidence because of the national team winning Euro 2004. It is
a dangerous group. I know about Deportivo and they are a very dangerous side.

Hopefully the performance against AK Graz on Tuesday night will be
forgotten about as it was a poor performance and I know you were not happy
with it. Do you see the game against Bolton as an opportunity to put right
what went wrong midweek?

There are always opportunities in football because most weeks we play two
games. I have seen the video of our game on Tuesday and if we had scored
early then perhaps it would have changed the whole game. Bolton is a new
game and different because we will have Xabi Alonso and Luis Garcia
available. They are very happy to have signed for Liverpool and I am sure
they will both be good for the team.

~ You spoke of the nervousness in midweek against Graz. Do you think that
is maybe down to a desire by the players to try and please you and maybe
they were frightened to express themselves?

Perhaps but I think the most important thing was we qualified. The players
know the things I want them to do.

~ Bolton have had an impressive start to the season with two wins. Have you
seen them and what do you think of them?

I have seen a lot of Bolton. I have watched videos of their matches and I
have the reports. Jay-Jay Okocha is a very good player and I like him but
we have to close the space down to him. I know Ivan Campo, Fernando Hierro
and Julio Cesar. We know about all the teams. Alex Miller and Hughie
McAuley have been watching Bolton and I have been talking to them.

~ Bolton have had two good wins but they do allow opposition teams a fair
amount of possession, so do you feel you can exploit that?

We know how they play and we will try to control the game and work hard.

~ How do you think your two strikers Cisse and Baros are working at the moment?

Sometimes they have played well and on other occasions they don't
understand each other. It means we need more time. We can perhaps change
their movement but we will work with them and the team. We have perhaps 50
games in a season so it will be important for everyone to play.

~ Some people have said they are very similar players, what do you think?

Perhaps they have similar qualities but Cisse is faster than Baros and
Milan perhaps controls the ball better. If they can understand each other's
game then the better it will be for the team.

~ You have introduced players like Stephen Warnock and Darren Potter this
season. How important is it for those young players to get that big game
experience?

It's important for me and for the club and the Academy. The young players
can see they will get a chance for the first team if they do well. A player
is in the first team squad because he plays well.


Unsubscribe: lfc-news-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
http://www.lfc-list.org.uk/

Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lfc-news/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
lfc-news-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/