Henchoz close to leaving Anfield - Post

Liverpool Daily Post, 30 Sept 2004
Henchoz close to leaving Anfield
By Andy Hunter, Daily Post

STEPHANE HENCHOZ'S Anfield career is drawing to a close after being omitted from Rafael Benitez's plans for the Champions League defeat by Olympiakos.

The Swiss international has been largely overlooked by Benitez since the former Valencia coach replaced Gerard Houllier in the summer.

And his name has been circulated to other Premiership clubs, including Merseyside rivals Everton, in a further sign Liverpool do not plan to extend his contract when it expires next summer.

Henchoz has not appeared in a Liverpool game since starting in the Champions League qualifying defeat by Grazer on August 24. But his Liverpool prospects deteriorated markedly this week when he was not even included in the travelling squad to Athens.

The 30-year-old, a key figure in Liverpool's early success under Houllier after a £3.5million arrival from Blackburn in 1999, is free to sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club from January 1.

And Liverpool's recent defensive problems are unlikely to offer a way back under Benitez as the
Anfield manager searches for new recruits after losing out on Jonathan Woodgate in the summer.

Benitez, meanwhile, admits Liverpool's mentality must change to accept his new-style tactics.

The new Anfield coach changed formations and tactics regularly at Valencia, favouring the 4-4-1-1 system away from home that has delivered little success so far with Liverpool.

Milan Baros and Luis Garcia were the latest partnership to struggle with Benitez's instructions in Tuesday's Champions League defeat against Olympiakos.

But Benitez insisted: "The problem is not the system, the problem is perhaps their mentality.

"We have to change our mentality to have more confidence in ourselves and to understand that the away games are more difficult because then we do not have all of our supporters behind us.

"Then you have to concentrate more and be more aggressive. I have played this system many times, with one forward up front and with one player in behind.

"My teams win a lot of away games, now we need to find the system to suit the players.

"But as I say, it's not a problem with the system it is a problem of being receptive and in the confidence of the players."

He added: "We had seen three videos beforehand and I talked to my players about their qualities as a team and the atmosphere inside the stadium, and they did cause us problems.

"It is worrying that our away performances are so different from the games at Anfield and we have to work hard to change that."

Despite the disappointing result and display in Athens Benitez remains confident Liverpool will reach the knock-out stages courtesy of their fine form at Anfield.

"I am still very confident we can qualify, now all the teams in the group have opportunities to get through," he said.. "Now we must win our home games and next time we will be different.

"In the first half in Greece we did not create many opportunities but after the break we did produce more dangerous situations around their box.

"But it was difficult to find space against a very aggressive team who were one ahead.

"But we did become more dangerous as the game went on. And my definition of being aggressive is that they were fighting for every ball.

"But for me now the home games are very important, whoever wins them will have a great chance of qualifying."