[lfc-news] We're thinking about next season - Echo

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Liverpool Echo, 26 May 2005
We're thinking about next season
By David Prentice, Liverpool Echo

RAFAEL Benitez is already looking forward to next season after ending
his first Anfield campaign with the most prized trophy in European football.

Liverpool's supporters stretch out to shake manager Rafael Benitez's
hand as he heads towards the tunnel

After guiding Liverpool to their fifth European cup success in the most
amazing Champions League final, the Reds boss said he would first enjoy
the victory, then go to a jewellers to buy his wife Montse a new watch
before immediately focusing on next season.

"We are thinking about next season for sure," he said.

"We will enjoy today but we know we need to change things.

"But first this is the moment to enjoy. I think that Liverpool is a big
club, a great club and now we are the winners of the Champions League
the history of the club is even bigger.

"I am sure players will be interested in coming to us."

Asked whether goalkeeping hero Jerzy Dudek would be one of the victims
of those changes, Benitez added: "I don't know.

"At this moment he has two years left on his contract.

"We know he is a good goalkeeper and he has played a really good game,
made that great last minute save and of course, the penalties."

One player who is staying, however, is skipper and official UEFA Man of
the Match Steven Gerrard. Benitez handed the trophy personally to
Gerrard and said: "Will Stevie stay?

"The question is for him but I think he wants to win more trophies with
us and he was delighted today.

"He knows that the supporters are with him and want him to stay."

Gerrard was designated to take Liverpool's fifth penalty kick had Dudek
not saved Andriy Shevchenko's decisive spot kick and Benitez revealed
that his "no penalty practice" claim was not just a psychological stunt.

"We practised a bit, but not much," he smiled.

"The most important thing in penalties is to find out which players want
to shoot or not, which we did.

"We changed things at half time when we knew Steve Finnan was injured.
We used three defenders, played with two secondary strikers and one man
up front and Stevie ' s early goal changed things.

"We just needed to press with more energy, score a goal and keep
playing, in the end we scored three goals."

Benitez pleaded with UEFA officials to now allow Liverpool the chance to
defend their trophy.

"Common sense says that the winner has to defend the title and I think
that you all think the same," he declared.

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