[lfc-news] I'm not to blame for defeat, insists Dudek - Post

Liverpool Daily Post, 17 Jan 2005
I'm not to blame for defeat, insists Dudek
By David Prior Daily Post Staff

JERZY DUDEK came out fighting after another crucial error against
Manchester United on Saturday - insisting he had been "unlucky".

The Polish goalkeeper let Wayne Rooney's 21st-minute shot slip
underneath his body and into the net to gift Sir Alex Ferguson's side
victory at Anfield.

It was Liverpool's third straight home defeat to United - with all three
games hinging on a Dudek mistake, Diego Forlan and Ryan Giggs having
been the beneficiaries for the past two seasons.

But Dudek refused to accept that on this occasion he had been entirely
at fault, insisting the ball had gone under, rather than through, his
hands, and that it had been swerving.

The 31-year-old did, however, admit he "perhaps" should have saved
Rooney's shot, and that he did have a good view of the former Everton
teenager's speculative near-post effort.

Dudek said: "The ball was swerving a bit, and it was unlucky for me
because it was his first shot on goal. I knew he was lining up the shot
- I saw it all the way.. I had a good view of it, I don't know what
happened, but I believed it moved at the end.

"It didn't go through my hands, it went under them. It was impossible to
catch the ball, so I was concentrating on trying to parry it to the
side. We know what Rooney's like when he's out on the pitch, we know he
likes to have a shot at goal.

"When he gets in space and gets it on his right foot you know he's going
to have a go. He has a powerful shot, he only had one shot today but
that's all he needs.

"The ball was swerving a bit, and it was unlucky for me because it was
his first shot on goal.

"The manager was watching me after that to see how I performed, and I
think I did okay. I think I was very unlucky, and when you concede a
goal like that you can say you had much more to do than you did.

"I think with a bit of luck, perhaps I should have kept it out. But the
ball moved, and I couldn't do anything about that."

Dudek found support in the shape of manager Rafael Benitez, who refused
to blame his stopper.

"Always with goalkeepers their mistakes are important, in this kind of
game with big clubs it is more important," he said..

"But I do not like to look only at one situation, I prefer to look at
everything and see how the team worked.

"I told Jerzy he played a good game with only one mistake. It is a pity
but it is true."

Dudek insisted Liverpool could still have claimed something from the
game after his slip-up.

Dudek added: "We played very well at the beginning but we couldn't get
the same tempo after that. I knew that there was still plenty of time to
bounce back. I had to stay on my toes and maintain my level of
concentration. There was plenty of time to change the scoreline in our
favour.

"The players' heads went down for a few seconds but we had a couple of
chances after that and you have to forget about it because we are
capable of playing good stuff as we showed in the second half.

"But the ball didn't bounce for us. We tried to press with a bit more
urgency after the break and catch them cold.

"We have to keep it up - there are still 15 games to go, still a long
way to go. It looks like we're playing better football, we have to keep
going."

Meanwhile full-back John Arne Riise is hoping to sign a new contract to
stay at Anfield beyond the end of his present deal.

The 24-year-old is tied to the club until the end of next season - but
wants to extend his stay after a promising start for him under the new
manager's reign.

The Norway international has scored five goals this season and has
impressed with his attacking threat on the left flank.

"I am hoping for a new contract, and if they give me an offer it won't
take long for me to sign it," Riise said. "Rafael Benitez has told me to
shoot, shoot, shoot. I feel the manager has confidence in me, and that
is a fantastic feeling to have."


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